Diary of a Piglin Book 3: A New Threat

By Mark Mulle and Waterwoods Fiction

Crimson Forest is the home of the Piglins in the Nether. Nothing special or interesting ever happened there, until a few months ago when a human entered the biome for the first time.

Calvin, a Piglin, made friends with Professor Armstrong and even became his assistant. With Calvin's help Professor was able to make the greatest

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Mulle
• Release date: Aug 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088269350

Book preview

Day 1

Crimson City is home of the Piglins in the Nether. Nothing interesting or new has ever happened in the city, and I can barely remember a single day of my life growing up that was worth mentioning.

Except for that one time, when my mother took me on a trip to the Travelling Carnival, run by a group of Piglins, who travelled from one Nether city to another, spreading joy and entertainment with their circus.

I was but a little Piglin, innocent, who knew absolutely nothing about the world around me. Tightly holding my mother’s hand, she walked me through the crowded Carnival and bought me a sweet pork chop apple. I vividly remember that memory and happily cherish it.

Apart from that single and isolated moment, there wasn’t much to remember Crimson City for. It didn’t have any special attractions, beautiful landscapes or tourism spots to offer. We would rarely receive any visitors from outside, most of them lost Piglin travelers or Piglins fleeing from their places.

But for possibly the first time, something interesting has actually happened in Crimson City – something that will change the city’s history forever. The first human to enter the Nether has found Crimson City.

As exciting as it sounds, it’s infuriating to say that his visit hasn’t been welcomed by the locals. Johansson Armstrong, a renowned explorer and scholar from the Overworld, hasn’t been treated with the proper respect that his position entails.

The fear and terror inflicted by the city’s leaders around the presence of the human, infected the city’s inhabitants, and Johansson hasn’t really been given a chance by the Piglins. Luckily, he found a trusty Piglin in the city who he could count on … me!

Despite having my family and I by his side, we haven’t guaranteed Johansson’s stay – if the new human causes any trouble, no matter how minor an incident, he is promptly blamed by the locals.

Unfortunately, something bad has happened. Another human has entered the Nether. The Piglins will surely not like it especially if they will find out what kind of a person Professor Murray is.

Crimson City doesn’t have a new Sheriff yet, after the previous one lost his job due to his incompetence at resolving cases (according to the Mayor). However, don’t think this is a good thing for Johansson and me. Although I didn’t get along well with the Sheriff, at least he had some common sense. I know that if was concerned about the new human who had entered the Nether; he would send his officers to search for the new portal and help us capture him.

Now, we can’t count on that help. We must do what we can, and all by ourselves. Johansson’s mission in the Nether has ended. He has found the Ancient Bones and taken notes about all the biomes he has visited. But he can’t leave the Nether yet and return to his home. He has vowed to look for the other human professor and take him back with him.

Day 2

Johansson, Beatriz and I were on the hunt and finding Professor Murray was our mission. Beatriz didn’t know the precise location of the portal, but she had an idea where it had been created in the Overworld. As we quickly paced through Red Forest, Beatriz briefed us on everything she knew.

Right, so I was talking to the other professors at the University of Archeology and they said Murray opened a portal near the Galapagos Lakes.

Galapagos Lakes? On the border with Phantom Craft City? Johansson asked.

Exactly.

If I recall correctly, Phantom Craft is located at X: 4000, Y: 60, Z: 1600. That’s not the precise location, but only a rough estimate based on what I remember. Johansson said.

Very good, Dad. How do you remember that? Beatriz asked.

I’ve visited Phantom Craft twice. Anyway, if we extract those coordinates from the Overworld and divide the X and Z axis by 8, we’ll have the coordinates of Phantom Craft city in the Nether. Johansson replied.

Precisely. However, we are looking for the location of Galapagos Lake, and not Phantom Craft.

Galapagos Lake is to the South of Phantom Craft, maybe some 200 blocks down South. Let’s try X: 4000, Y: 60, Z: 1600 then. If we divide the X and Z axis by 8, we get… X: 500, Y: 60, Z: 200 in the Nether.

Okay. Here in the Red Forest, we are at X: 300, Z: 55, Y: 60. We are not far! Beatriz said.

How do you even know that? Where do you see the coordinates to places? I asked them.

It’s a feature exclusive to humans. We know exactly where we are based on the coordinates. I always know my way around in the Overworld because of them! Johansson said.

Like I always say, humans are scary. I commented.

It’s not scary when we use our abilities for good! Johansson said. Come now, we must hurry up. This is only an approximate location of the portal. We are not certain where it truly is at the moment.

We rushed to the suggested coordinates in the hope of finding the new manmade portal. But once we arrived at the coordinates calculated by Johansson, we couldn’t see anything in the vicinity.

Here we are. Can you see anything? Johansson asked us.

I can’t. Beatriz replied.

Me either. I said.

Okay, we’ll have to split up. Beatriz, head north. Calvin, go west. I’ll go east.

Wait, which direction is west? I asked, confused.

Over there. Johansson said, pointing west. We’ll meet here again in 10 minutes. Now go!

We split up and went different ways. I looked everywhere, searching for the portal in the area. Nothing. No signs of human activity of any kind. Plus, the portal to the Overworld is not exactly a discreet build. Frustrated, I returned down the same path I started on and was the first one to return.

Moments later, Beatriz showed up with Johansson following shortly after.

Guys, I found it! Come with me! Beatriz said.

We followed Beatriz into the forest, where she unveiled the portal to us. Hidden between the Fungi trees and bushes, the portal laid peacefully with its burbling sound and purple particles floating about.

That’s it. The portal has been found. Great job, honey! Johansson hugged his daughter.

Thanks Dad. You’re the one who came up with the coordinates! She replied.

Now, we’ll have to do some detective work. Johansson said.

What do you mean? I asked.

We need to look around and search for clues. Sometimes, people leave small trails behind them. Those signs might guide us directly towards Murray. For instance, try to see the environment from their perspective. See if you can spot a different block placed on the ground, something that was removed or destroyed, leftover or whatnot.

Got it! I’ll search this area! I said.

Good. Beatriz, go over there. Call me if you find anything. Johansson said.

I looked carefully for clues, trying to figure out what the other professor did on his way out from the portal. Thinking on his behalf, we had to wonder: what would a human do shortly after setting foot in the Nether for the first time? Johansson says the Nether is a dangerous environment for humans, so I imagined him gazing over the area and seeking shelter in the safest place he could find. There was a hill nearby, with a little slope to the left side. Underneath the slope was a small hole where someone could have hidden inside. I checked the hole and I found five Netherrack blocks floating on the ground, meaning that someone had mined them and left them behind. Only a human could complete such a feat!

Johansson, Beatriz, over here! I called to them.

Johansson and Beatriz rushed to where I was. I pointed at the floating Netherrack blocks and Johansson tapped me lightly on the shoulder, signaling his admiration for my find.

Very well done, my dear friend, I see you have become a great detective! He said.

Thanks!

Johansson picked up the Netherrack blocks and analyzed them closely.

It’s regular Netherrack, nothing out of the ordinary. Given how the blocks were floating about, the person who left them behind cannot be far.

How can you tell? I asked him.

Blocks disappear after five minutes, if left on the ground. Meaning he cannot be far. Johansson replied.

Great. Now we must ask ourselves, what direction he took? Beatriz asked.

Most likely south. Johansson said.

South? Do you mean, towards Crimson City? I asked.

Yes.

Why would he go there?

Come over here, where I stand. Take a look. Johansson said.

I stood on his place and I caught a glimpse of the city