Author's Note: Hey! I wanted to end this with an open ending mostly because I'm kinda lazy lol.
This story was a beta for another one. Thanks for all the support.
"Mining and mining, I keep on digging," I muttered while walking through the cave.
At this point, I had already mined obsidian with the diamond pickaxe I made. Honestly… it felt powerful.
"Damn, now this is progress," I murmured as I stored the blocks.
I pretty much had everything I wanted.
Iron, diamonds, redstone, lapis… even obsidian.
"I think it's time to head out," I said, looking up—even though I couldn't see anything.
It felt like enough for now.
And if I was missing something…
"I'll just come back. This is my job now anyway," I thought calmly.
I started walking back along the path I had marked.
Torches here.
Blocks there.
Improvised signs like any experienced player would leave.
Though sometimes I had to crouch, crawl, or even break parts of the path just to get through again.
"I definitely need to make a better entrance later," I muttered.
I kept moving.
The air started to feel lighter.
Less hot.
More… normal.
A sign I was heading up.
After a few minutes of steady walking, I finally saw something familiar.
A light.
Small.
Still.
…
…
…
"Oh."
The torch.
My torch.
The same one I left behind.
I walked closer.
And there it was.
Lit.
Like nothing had happened.
Not dimmer.
Not burned out.
Not consumed.
Just… the same.
…
"Seriously…?"
I stared at it for a few seconds.
"How long was I down there…?" I murmured.
Because in my head, hours had passed.
But that torch…
Showed no change.
Then I looked around.
Searching for something else.
The zombie.
…
…
…
Gone.
Just the torch.
Lit.
Alone.
Like it had been watching the whole time.
"…okay."
I scratched my head.
"That's… slightly unsettling."
I stepped closer.
Stared at it.
"Good job, soldier," I said, giving a small pat to the air, like the zombie was still there.
No response.
Just the silence of the cave.
And the steady light of the torch.
I sighed.
"Well… time to head out."
And without overthinking it—even though it definitely stuck with me—I walked toward the cave exit.
But as I left…
It felt like something was missing.
But whatever.
When I stepped out of the cave, the first thing I noticed was the sun hitting my face.
"Ah, damn…," I muttered, covering my eyes.
I blinked a few times until I adjusted.
Then I looked back at the cave entrance.
"…I should decorate this."
I couldn't just leave it looking like some depressed creeper's hideout.
I shook my head.
"No, no, no… this does not represent my level."
I opened my inventory.
I had everything.
Stone, andesite, wood, copper, iron…
I smiled.
"Time to work."
First, I cleaned the entrance.
Removed excess blocks, smoothed the walls, widened the opening so it didn't look like a rat hole.
"Much better," I said, stepping back.
Then I started placing refined stone in a more organized pattern.
No random blocks.
Everything symmetrical.
Because yeah—style matters.
"If I'm going to live here… it better look good," I muttered.
Then I used andesite for corner details.
Small contrasts.
Not too much.
Just enough so it didn't look flat.
"Damn… now this looks like something."
Then I placed slabs on the ground.
Tried combining them.
Wood with stone.
"Hell yeah… this is still cinema."
I built a small framed entrance.
Even added simple columns on both sides.
Nothing over the top.
But elegant.
Then I pulled out torches.
But paused.
"…nah."
I looked at the coal.
Then the wood.
"We can do better."
I crafted more torches and placed them strategically.
No spam.
Clean lighting.
Like I actually knew what I was doing.
(which, technically… I did)
The entrance now glowed softly.
"Now this gives main base vibes," I said, crossing my arms.
But I didn't stop.
I set up a small area to the side:
Crafting table, blast furnace, furnace.
All organized.
Nothing thrown around like a caveman.
"Organization first."
Then I did one more thing.
A kind of seat using slabs.
I sat down.
…
"Okay… still not comfortable."
I sighed.
"Details."
I stood up.
Looked at the whole entrance.
The cave didn't look like some random hole anymore.
It looked like…
A base.
My base.
I smiled.
"Not bad for day one."
But then…
I felt something.
A small pulse.
In my eyes.
…
"…huh?"
I looked toward the horizon.
Toward where I remembered…
That structure.
It was strange… but I didn't care.
I just flew.
And flew.
Calmly.
The wind brushed against my face as I moved without direction.
I flew over lakes, rivers, and terrain formations that looked…
Weird.
Very weird.
Some were kind of square.
Others rounded.
And some…
"Straight up cursed," I muttered as I passed over them.
It was like the world was trying to be Minecraft…
But couldn't fully commit.
Sometimes edges were too smooth.
Other times too perfect.
And in some places…
It just didn't make sense.
"Definitely not vanilla," I thought while flying over a huge lake reflecting the sky.
I stopped mid-air.
Floating.
Watching everything from above.
…
"But it's nice."
I smiled.
Then kept going.
Faster this time.
Cutting through the sky.
Until—
Something caught my attention.
Far away.
…
A point.
It didn't match the environment.
It wasn't natural.
It wasn't terrain.
And it definitely…
Wasn't something I built.
I frowned.
"…was that there before?"
I stared at it for a few seconds.
Then, without overthinking—
I smiled.
"Well… let's see."
And changed direction.
Straight toward it.
It was a village.
I descended slowly and looked at the villagers. Hands crossed like wise monks.
Some were farming.
Others taking care of children.
Two golems walked around—one even gave a flower to a kid.
…
I smiled a bit.
I walked among them.
Clearly, I caught attention—but no one ran.
"Hm?" said a villager, looking at me.
For some reason…
I understood him.
"Yeah, what's up?" I replied calmly.
"Hm, hm."
"I'm just passing through… but if you want, I can leave."
"Hm! Hm hm hm!"
"Got it," I nodded.
I looked around.
The sky was already getting dark.
"Hey… mind if I build you some walls?" I asked.
"Hm… hm, hm."
"No problem. This is easy," I said, cracking my knuckles.
"Time to work."
I walked to the edge of the village.
Checked the perimeter.
Scattered houses.
Exposed crops.
Open entrances everywhere.
A defensive disaster.
"Yeah… zombies walk in here like it's nothing," I muttered.
I opened my inventory.
Stone.
Refined stone.
Andesite.
Wood.
"Perfect."
No time wasted.
I started.
Placed the first block.
Then another.
And another.
My hands moved fast.
Too fast.
Blocks appeared like I already knew exactly where they belonged.
A straight line formed.
Then another.
Then another.
The perimeter started closing.
Villagers watched.
"Hm…"
"Hrrmm…"
Even the golems stopped.
Watching.
I kept going.
Raised the walls.
Two blocks.
Three.
Four.
"Not even hunger's getting through this," I muttered.
Added andesite details.
Not flat.
Some style.
Because why not.
Then I made entrances.
Not just holes.
No.
Proper gates.
Controlled space.
"Main entrance."
"Secondary exit."
"Escape route."
Everything planned.
Everything fast.
Everything… natural.
Like I'd done it a thousand times.
And maybe I had.
In another world.
Another life.
…
Torches lit up as I placed lighting along the walls.
The village now glowed softly.
Safe.
Protected.
Closed.
I stopped.
Looked at it.
A wall surrounding the whole village.
Solid.
Clean.
Functional.
"Hm…"
"HMMMM!"
The villagers reacted.
Some approached.
Others just stared.
One even nodded.
I smiled.
"You're welcome."
One of the golems walked up to me.
Stopped in front of me.
Tall.
Silent.
Then—
Gave a flower to a nearby villager.
…
"Yeah… that's approval," I muttered.
I crossed my arms.
Looked at the village.
And for a moment…
It felt familiar.
Like I'd done this before.
Many times.
In many worlds.
…
But then—
I felt something.
A small pulse.
In my eyes.
…
I slowly turned my head.
Looking toward the horizon.
Toward a distant point.
End of Chapter 4