Preparation

The morning light seeped into Ethan's small wooden shelter, casting soft shadows across the floor. He sat up, stiff from his restless sleep on the hard planks, and stretched his sore limbs. The events of the previous day still felt surreal, but the hunger and the ache in his body reminded him that this was no dream. This was real.

Ethan stood up and surveyed his surroundings. His house, though small, provided some comfort. The furnace still had a faint glow from the last fire, and his chest held a few supplies, but it wasn't enough. Not for the long term.

"I need more materials," he muttered, pacing back and forth. The chicken he'd cooked the night before had been enough to stave off hunger temporarily, but there wasn't any food left, and his tools were wearing down. He knew he needed to go mining—if not for more iron, then at least for coal to fuel his furnace and torches for light.

"Alright," he said with determination, "time to find a cave."

Grabbing his iron pickaxe and stone axe, Ethan stuffed the few items he had into his inventory. He checked outside through one of the small windows. The sun had fully risen, the zombies and skeletons from the night before gone, but that didn't mean he was entirely safe. He knew mobs would spawn in dark places, and that meant caves wouldn't be any easier than the open plains at night.

Steeling himself, Ethan stepped outside and closed the door behind him. The world was peaceful for the moment—the grass shimmered with dew, and the trees rustled in the light breeze. He glanced around, trying to spot any potential caves nearby. From what he could see, there was a small mountain in the distance. "Good enough place to start," he thought, setting off toward it.

---

After a few minutes of walking, Ethan found himself standing at the entrance of a large cave system at the foot of the mountain. The entrance was wide and ominous, with darkness creeping out like an open mouth waiting to swallow him whole.

He hesitated. "It's just like the game," he reminded himself, though that thought wasn't as comforting as it used to be. In the game, the darkness was only pixels. Here, it felt far more real, and the thought of stepping into the blackness without knowing what might lurk inside was unsettling.

Still, Ethan needed supplies. Gritting his teeth, he crafted a few extra torches from the sticks and coal he had in his inventory, holding one in his off-hand as he carefully descended into the cave. The light from the torch illuminated his surroundings just enough to see a few steps ahead, casting long shadows on the jagged walls.

The sound of dripping water echoed through the cave, along with the occasional scuttle of something moving deeper within. He tried not to think too much about what could be waiting for him. As he ventured further into the cave, he spotted a cluster of coal embedded in the stone. "Perfect," he muttered, pulling out his iron pickaxe and setting to work.

Each swing of the pickaxe echoed through the cave, the coal breaking away in chunks and filling his inventory. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to keep his furnace going for a while.

Just as he finished mining the last bit of coal, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned quickly, raising his torch higher. There, in the dim light, stood a skeleton, its bow drawn and ready to fire.

Ethan's heart skipped a beat. He had hoped to avoid any mobs this early, especially in the tight confines of a cave. But now that it had seen him, there was no turning back.

The skeleton released its arrow with a sharp twang, and Ethan barely managed to dodge to the side as it whizzed past him and clattered against the stone wall. He ducked behind a rock for cover, his mind racing. He knew skeletons were dangerous from a distance; their arrows could whittle down health in no time. He needed to close the gap quickly.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan rushed out from behind the rock, keeping low to avoid another shot. The skeleton fired again, but this time he was ready. He dodged the arrow and swung his stone axe in a wide arc, hitting the skeleton square in the ribs. The bones rattled, and the skeleton staggered back.

It raised its bow to fire again, but Ethan was faster this time. He charged forward, swinging his axe again. With a loud *crack*, the skeleton fell apart, bones scattering across the floor.

Ethan stood there for a moment, panting heavily. His heart was pounding, but the adrenaline coursing through him dulled the fear. He knelt down to pick up the bones and a few stray arrows that the skeleton had dropped. "At least it wasn't for nothing," he muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.

He pressed on deeper into the cave. The further he went, the darker and more dangerous it became. He placed torches along the walls as he moved, marking his path and illuminating the area ahead. After a while, his patience paid off. There, embedded in the stone, were several chunks of iron ore.

"Finally," he breathed, pulling out his pickaxe once more.

The sound of the pickaxe striking stone echoed louder in this part of the cave. Ethan worked quickly, chipping away at the iron and collecting as much as he could. He knew that with iron tools, he'd stand a better chance of surviving the nights and anything else this world threw at him.

After what felt like hours, he decided he had gathered enough iron to last for a while. His inventory was starting to get full, and he didn't want to push his luck by staying in the cave for too long.

"Time to head back," he said to himself, glancing toward the cave entrance in the distance. He began retracing his steps, following the line of torches he had placed earlier.

The journey back was uneventful at first. Ethan kept his pace slow and quiet, not wanting to attract any attention from lurking mobs. But as he neared the entrance, he noticed something was wrong. The light filtering in from outside had changed. It was darker—too dark.

Night had fallen.

Ethan's chest tightened with fear. He had spent too long in the cave, and now the mobs would be spawning outside. He approached the entrance cautiously, peering out into the night. His fears were confirmed—zombies, skeletons, and spiders roamed the open plains in the distance. Their glowing eyes pierced the darkness, and their groans echoed through the air.

"I have to be careful," Ethan whispered. He knew his house wasn't far, but with so many mobs between him and safety, it wouldn't be an easy journey back.

He crept out of the cave, staying low and moving from shadow to shadow. His plan was simple—avoid the mobs, get to the house, and barricade himself inside. But, as with all plans, things quickly went wrong.

As he skirted around a large group of skeletons, one of them turned its head, its glowing eyes locking onto him. Ethan froze, hoping it hadn't seen him, but his hope was short-lived. The skeleton let out a sharp hiss and fired an arrow in his direction.

Ethan dodged the arrow and broke into a sprint. His heart pounded in his chest as he ran, trying to weave between trees and hills to lose the skeleton's line of sight. But the commotion had attracted more attention. From the corner of his eye, he saw a group of zombies shuffling toward him, their groans growing louder.

"Not good, not good!" he muttered, gripping his stone axe tightly. One of the zombies lunged at him, and Ethan swung his axe, hitting it square in the chest. The zombie recoiled, but another one was right behind it.

Ethan fought hard, swinging his axe at the relentless zombies, but they just kept coming. He managed to knock one to the ground, but another grabbed him from behind, its rotting fingers digging into his shoulder. With a yell, he twisted free, slamming his axe into the zombie's skull.

Panting heavily, Ethan broke free from the fight and bolted toward his house. He could see it now, just a few meters away. Safety was within reach.

But as he approached, his heart sank. Perched on top of his wooden house, its eight legs stretching across the roof, was a massive spider. Its red eyes gleamed in the darkness, watching him with unsettling stillness.

Ethan skidded to a halt, breathing hard. He couldn't take on a spider right now—not after that fight with the zombies. He glanced behind him; more mobs were closing in, and he didn't have much time.

His mind raced. The spider hadn't attacked yet, but it was only a matter of time. He needed to get inside the house and barricade himself in. Maybe, just maybe, he could avoid the spider long enough to survive the night.

Clutching his axe tightly, Ethan took a deep breath, preparing himself for one last sprint toward the door.