Chapter 5

Chapter 5 IN A VAST VIDEO GAME FANTASY WORLD, THERE'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE NETHERITE, AMIRITE? That afternoon, they returned to the Nether. The soul campfire was still burning. The Netherite Golem stood just where they had left it. "We're ready," said Morgan. "WE ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE." The golem's dark eyes twinkled. "Very good," said the mob. "Which one of you will be tested?" Morgan tried to appear calm and confident as he stepped forward. It wasn't easy. The golem was much larger than him, with massive arms, broad shoulders, and dark eyes. Red vines twisted along its netherite body. "Me. I'll go," said Morgan. "We took a vote."

The vote had been nearly unanimous, except Theo had voted for himself. And Po had voted for the class hamster, but Jodi had pointed out that the VR goggles wouldn't fit Baron Sweetcheeks. The golem said, "SO BE IT. LISTEN CAREFULLY, AND I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU MUST DO." Morgan nodded. "North of here, there is a fortress. In the heart of that fortress is a chest. Within that chest is an item that I hold dear. Retrieve it, and I shall surrender to you." "That's it?" Morgan said. "I JUST HAVE TO FETCH YOUR PROPERTY?"

"That's it," said the golem. Its square eyes gleamed with amusement. "But do not take the task lightly. The Nether is a dangerous place. Very dangerous. And you must each face it alone." "WHAT IF HE FAILS?" asked Theo. "Theo!" said Harper. "Have a little faith in Morgan." "I'm not saying that I don't," said Theo. "But this is important information." "If he fails, then another must try," answered the golem. "And then another. Until the item is retrieved… OR UNTIL ALL FIVE HAVE FAILED." "So we have five chances," said Theo. "We don't need five chances," said Morgan. "You guys, I've got this." "We know you do," said Po. "We believe in you!" said Jodi. "The chests are full of useful items," said the golem. "TAKE WHATEVER YOU LIKE."

Morgan felt a thrill at those words. It never failed: opening a Minecraft chest to see what it held was even more exciting than unwrapping a birthday present. And the golem's chests held quite a lot. "Is this… netherite armor?" he asked. "And a sword! It would take forever to find enough netherite to make all of this!"

"WHAT'S NETHERITE?" asked Jodi. "It's the strongest, most durable material in the whole game," Morgan answered, a huge smile on his avatar's face. "I thought that was diamond," said his sister. "It used to be," said Theo. "Netherite was added in an update." Jodi threw up her blocky hands. "I can't keep up!" she said. Morgan was still smiling. "All you need to know is that this stuff will make me unbeatable!" He began

swapping out his old armor for the brand-new dark-gray upgrade. "Hold on," said Theo. "Are you sure you should take the whole set?" "Sure, I'm sure," said Morgan confidently. "Why wouldn't I?" "Well…," said Theo. Morgan saw him trade a look with Harper. "I… think I see where Theo is coming from," said Harper. "Suppose you… don't succeed. Then one of us will have to go. And we'll have to do it without any netherite armor." "What if you just took one piece?" suggested Theo. "Then there's some left for the rest of us." "THAT'S A TERRIBLE SUGGESTION," said Morgan. "If I leave good gear behind, then I'm making it less likely that I'll succeed. IT'S SMARTER TO MAXIMIZE MY CHANCES." He turned to Po and Jodi. "You two agree with me, right?" Jodi nodded. "I want my brother to come back safe and sound. We can share the armor after you're back." "Po?" prodded Morgan. "Don't look at me," Po said. "I VOTED FOR BARON SWEETCHEEKS!"