Chapter 21

Wandering through the dim wasteland known as the End, Fang Mo's interest began to fade before he finally leaped into the portal. Emerging on the other side, a distant and desolate melody gently echoed in his ears, accompanied by a brief sensation of weightlessness and dizziness. When he opened his eyes, he discovered himself back in the familiar main world.

He sighed and headed straight home, longing for a much-needed rest. In this Minecraft world, the Phantom creatures were absent, and Fang Mo and Steve had endured sleep deprivation to make progress.

A calm and quiet night passed, and the next day, the sun rose slowly, casting sharp-edged rays. Fang Mo awakened, stepped out of his room, and basked in the warm sunlight. Guiding Steve with his thoughts, he made his way to the farmland, where they harvested potatoes and placed them in the furnace to bake.

Seated at the doorstep, Fang Mo savored the roasted potatoes while observing his surroundings. Steve tended to another plot of farmland, planting wheat not for consumption but to attract animals for breeding.

The world remained tranquil and unchanged, as if time itself had come to a standstill.

Days turn into weeks, and Fang Mo lost track of how long he had lived in this world. His house had expanded three times, and the simple potato field had transformed into a diverse farm, cultivating potatoes, wheat, carrots, beetroots, and even nether wart in a designated area.

Fang Mo had also established a ranch, raising cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens, nearly collecting all the available livestock in vanilla survival mode. Steve had exhausted the underground mines completely, prompting Fang Mo to construct a spacious underground warehouse to store the ores and metal ingots in chests.

Furthermore, Fang Mo had created an underground farm of ore berry bushes, a unique addition from the Tinker's Construct mod. These bushes automatically produced metal nuggets when left in darkness and continued to grow after each harvest.

Among the ore berry bushes, Fang Mo grew a special variant called Essence Berry Bush. These berries occasionally yielded small clusters of experience orbs, which increased experience points without restoring hunger. For Steve, these points held no purpose except for enchanting.

With this in mind, Fang Mo crafted a fishing rod for himself, adorned with the Mending enchantment, Lure, and the Luck of the Sea. Every day, he would sit by the door, fishing and indulging in daydreams.

Initially, Fang Mo believed that this idyllic life would endure indefinitely. However, one day, Steve surprised him by bringing a peculiar item from a dungeon chest—a strange book page.

Curiosity aroused, Fang Mo examined the item and discovered it was a Linking Book Page associated with the Mystcraft mod, distinguished by its "Mystcraft" suffix. Thanks to the Chinese Translation mod, Fang Mo instantly recognized its origin.

"A Linking Panel?"

Furrowing his brows, Fang Mo struggled to recall the purpose of the mysterious item in his possession. Unfortunately, his knowledge of the Mystcraft mod was limited, as he had only briefly experimented with it in the past. He couldn't decipher the item's function.

However, Fang Mo's inability to understand did not dampen his determination. He had ample time to contemplate and unravel the mysteries surrounding it.

"Linking Panel," he muttered to himself, seated by the riverside, engrossed in his fishing. He pondered the item's specific utility. "Right-clicking it yields no response... book page... book page... could it be just a page from an incomplete book?"

This train of thought sparked a glimmer of understanding within Fang Mo's mind.

"Linking Panel... linking... book page..."

Thoughtfully stroking his chin, Fang Mo speculated, "The name implies a connection... wait, could this be a page from a Linking Book?"

The realization filled Fang Mo with excitement.

Recalling the Mystcraft mod, he remembered it consisted of two types of books. The Book of Ages allowed travel to alternate dimensions, while the golden-skinned book in Fang Mo's possession, inscribed with 'Mrvl Cmcs,' was the Book of Ages.

The other book, the Linking Book, served as a teleportation scroll for convenient return to the main world.

Fang Mo had refrained from using the Book of Ages, labeled 'Mrvl Cmcs,' out of fear of getting lost in the Marvel universe. Obtaining a Scroll of Return from Lucky Blocks was highly unlikely, and Fang Mo didn't want to take such a gamble.

However, the potential discovery of the Linking Book could make the Marvel world his backyard, enabling effortless traversal between the two realms—an enticing prospect indeed.

After countless days and months in the Minecraft world, Fang Mo realized he was more than just Steve. He was a living entity, and at times, he felt a deep sense of loneliness in his heart.

He yearned for interaction, for connection, as it was through such bonds that he could fill the unfillable void within.

"Hmm... the time has come to challenge the crafting table," Fang Mo declared, gripping the Linking Panel firmly in his hand as he focused his determined gaze on the nearby crafting table.

Facing his lifelong adversary, a flicker of resolve danced in Fang Mo's eyes.

This time, he referred to the original crafting recipe of the book.

With his understanding that a book required binding with leather, Fang Mo realized that in the original recipe, paper was sandwiched between leather pieces to create the book. Now, he needed to substitute the paper with the Linking Panel.

With his plan in mind, Fang Mo swiftly slaughtered several cows, took a deep breath, and crouched before the crafting table, ready for an endless cycle of trial and error.

Remarkably, fortune smiled upon Fang Mo this time.

After dozens of attempts, he finally succeeded in crafting a book with a gray cover.

"I did it!"

A burst of laughter escaped Fang Mo's lips as he marveled at the "Unlinked Link Book" now in Steve's hand.

Filled with joy, Fang Mo quickly had Steve hold the Unlinked Link Book, and together they hurried back to their bedroom. There, Steve right-clicked the book.

With a mere thought from Fang Mo, an invisible power surged forth from the gray-covered book, instantly locking onto the spatial coordinates. The book's cover transformed into a serene shade of green.

In the blink of an eye, the book's name changed from "Unlinked Link Book" to "Linking Book."