Chapter 11

Chapter 11 EVEN AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN MAKE A MISTAKE... AND HAVE BAD BREATH! Morgan liked this plan. It was risky, sure. But it was probably less risky than fighting their way through the Evoker King's fortress. And he didn't love the fact that they'd had to split up. It was going to be just three of them against a power-mad artificial consciousness, and he didn't love those odds. Of course, that was assuming they could even get the King's attention…. "I think this'll do it," said Ash. "Don't you?"

"Oh, yeah," said Theo. "THERE'S NO WAY HE CAN IGNORE THIS." Morgan looked up at their handiwork. Where huge obsidian letters had once spelled out a warning —Beware the Evoker King—they now spelled out something else entirely. Beware the Evoker King's Bad Breath.

"It's a true work of art," said Morgan. "Then I guess we're ready," said Ash. "Hit it!" "OH, EVOOOOOKER KING," crooned Theo. "We're down here!" "We know you can see us!" yelled Morgan. "Just look at what Theo has done to your beautiful sign!" cried Ash. They waited to see what would happen. Except for the rain, the world was still and silent. Morgan started to worry. Maybe the Evoker King wasn't at home. Maybe he wasn't going to take the bait. He needn't have worried. There was a great flash of light, and a sound like thunder. For just a moment, Morgan thought it was the storm. But then he saw the jagged hole at the top of the tower and the shadowy figure who stood within it. The Evoker King had blasted a hole right through his own wall.

Morgan felt a rush of nervousness as he laid eyes on the Evoker King at last. He…or it…looked nothing like Morgan had expected. The

Evoker King was more menacing than before. The AI's outer layer was now transparent, and he crackled with energy both inside and out. Morgan could see inside the figure. Rather than organs or muscles or blood or Minecraft blocks, the Evoker King's see- through skin contained swirling pixels of light. He looked like a living galaxy—a digital constellation given humanoid shape. His eyes glowed with malice. "HOW DARE you!" boomed the voice of the Evoker King, and spirals of wild energy sparkled and swirled around his fists. The lights in his chest pulsated with power, and his facial features flickered as he spoke. Now, as he scowled down at them, his face seemed more monstrous than before. MORGAN HAD TO FIGHT A SUDDEN DESIRE TO RUN AND HIDE. "You just can't help yourselves, can you?" said their foe. He was floating above their heads, just out of reach. "You're worse than a wild band of creepers. You bring chaos everywhere you go! You break and you take whatever you want. You disrupt the natural order!"

"You're one to talk!" said Morgan. "TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE SINCE YOU GOT THE FOUNDATION STONE." "Morgan's right," said Ash. "You've broken the world!" "I've fixed the world!" said the King. "I made it so that nothing would ever change again. NO MORE CHAOS! Only order!" "The Evoker King turned his flat digital eyes on Theo. "And then you came along. You did this, didn't you? You found a way to break my rules!" "I SURE DID!" said Theo. "Me, Theo! I HAVE COOL HACKING SKILLS! You want to see them in action?" "I've seen enough," said the Evoker King. That high-pitched horn sounded again, and three vexes appeared. That, at least, is a typical evoker move, Morgan thought. But then the Evoker King summoned zombies. And skeletons. And armed and angry illagers. In the time it took Morgan to blink, he and his