Cyberchase: When Worlds Collide [On Hold]

Looming Darkness

Buildings lay in ruins, gardens trampled into the dirt, and wisps of smoke curled from what remained of scattered fires. The village was eerily silent—what had once been a lively place now felt empty and broken.

Steve’s expression darkened as he scanned the destruction, his blocky fist clenching in anger. "W-What the hell happened here?"

Before anyone could answer, a villager in a tattered brown robe hurried toward them, his large nose twitching anxiously. His eyes were wide with exhaustion and fear.

"Oh, thank goodness, someone’s here! We were attacked!" He blurted out. His voice was panicked and a little nasally. "It was terrible! They came out of nowhere… destroyed our homes, took our people. We tried to fight back, but… it was no use."

Steve tensed. "Was it the Pillagers again?" He asked, frustration creeping into his voice.

The villager shook his head. "No… these weren’t Pillagers." He hesitated, his eyes full of unease. "They were… something else. Metal… creatures with glowing red eyes. They struck fast, without mercy. Even our Iron Golem didn’t stand a chance."

Chris hands curled into fists. "Then it has to be Hacker and the villains."

"Hacker?" The villager frowned in confusion. "Was that what those things were called?"

"He’s the one leading all of this," Matt explained. "We’ve been tracking him and his allies across different worlds."

"Different worlds?" The Villager asked. "You mean like The Nether or The End?"

Jackie sighed. "Sort of... We’re traveling across the multiverse to find four powerful crystals before Hacker does."

"Yeah! If Hacker and the others get to them first, it would be disastrous!" Digit exclaimed.

As the villager listened, his eyes drifted toward a patch of trees in the distance. Two figures stood just beyond the tree line, watching them. The moment he noticed them, they bolted into the forest, vanishing in an instant.

"Anyways, we need to get to the Farlands, which is where we think the Third Crystal is located!" Inez finished.

The villager blinked, startled, and turned back to the group. "Wait, what were you saying?"

Jackie groaned. "Were you not paying attention?!"

The villager looked sheepish. "I… got distracted for a second."

Stewie sighed. "Oh, that’s just fantastic. This is who we’re working with?"

Steve waved a hand, refocusing the conversation. "Look, all that matters is that we need to get to the Farlands. Fast."

The villager perked up at the mention of the Farlands. "Farlands, you say? Ooooh, that’s far! And land-y!" He hesitated. "If you’re gonna travel on foot, it could take at least a week. Maybe two."

"A WEEK OR TWO?!" Digit squawked, flapping his wings—then immediately winced in pain. "Ow, ow, okay, not my best idea! But still, we don’t have that kind of time!"

Matt groaned. "By the time we get there, we could already be too late!"

"Can’t we take a shortcut or something?" Peter asked.

Steve sighed. "If there is one, I wouldn't know about it."

The villager furrowed his brow in thought before his eyes lit up. "Wait a second… there might be a way. There’s a local rumor about an abandoned rail system—one that leads right to the Farlands. If we can find it, we could cut the journey down to just a couple of days!"