Welcome to "The Diary of a Miner"; a blog detailing the adventures and mysteries that I, Syeonyx, embark upon in my quest to further my mining and survival skills! It'll be tough, there will be good times and bad times, but I'll always be alive to post my adventures... probably...

Day 39: A mostly boring day... with a bit of intrigue!

     I think this dream is like a game! Every time I have it, it seems I learn from a previous mistake I made and am able to move on. Last night the dream played out as usual; the black hooded figure vanished and the pillars fell! The spider emerged from the wall and once again I drove my dagger into it's skull! Or what would be it's head if it wasn't exoskeletal... I then found the passageway back through the wall the spider had emerged from, but this time I noticed the trap set into the floor and managed to skip over it. Throughout the rest of the trip down the passageway, I was cautious about where I placed my feet until I got to a corner. I turned around to look back up the passageway I had come and continued running along the path. Then I fell... The floor had almost fallen from beneath me and I was falling forwards towards a pit of lava! You know when you seriously hurt yourself or fall over or off of something and it feels like you're not actually you? It feels like you're a spectator to the events rather than actually being you? Well that's how I felt; I seemed to watch myself falling towards the lava rather than actually experiencing it! Just before I hit the lava, I woke up suddenly with an incredibly sharp pain in my foot! From the look on Chiron's face, I've just kicked something with incredible force! I just hope I didn't kick Chiron...

     Today I felt full of life and raring to go... except for the now throbbing foot! My arms didn't ache at all, despite the constant mining and rowing I did yesterday! I took my newly fashioned diamond pickaxe and descended into the dig site to the obsidian wall! I was hoping that today would be a good day to get through it, but I wasn't holding any hopes... I spent up until late morning mining at the obsidian wall, all the while noticing the sound of the pickaxe striking the obsidian slowly changing in pitch! As the morning progressed it went from a standard high pitched chipping noise, to a low, deep thunk! Was I getting somewhere? Had I reached the other end of the wall? Or just a hollow spot... I continued until my pickaxe ceased making a noise and I noticed I had made a small hole in the wall! The obsidian made it impossible to see inside, but from what I could make out, the hollow space was big enough to stand in! I continued mining until I had made a sufficiently big enough hole to be able to pass through easily! I then placed a few torches around to be able to see what I had found... What I had found was both odd and irritating!

     In the small hollow were two things that I hadn't expected: a sign and a chest. The sign was a simple, wooden sign affixed to a totally obsidian wall with the message "NOTHING INTERESTING HERE!!!" written on it. The obsidian wall was odd; it had strange obsidian "veins" leading into it from every side, whilst small patches of the wall remained as stone! Putting that aside, I turned my attention to the chest... It was a simple wooden chest, like those I made use of, but of simpler construction. Suspecting a trap like I had back in the mossy chamber near to the forge, I brandished the only weapon I had - the pickaxe - and pried the lid of the chest open... What I found inside was equally annoying and intriguing as the small room itself! Inside was a diamond shovel, a diamond pickaxe, mass amounts of lapis lazuli and numerous pouches of, what I later found out to be, sulphur! The raw ingredient for TNT! This wasn't what annoyed me though as TNT had little effect on obsidian. The diamond pickaxe however was what I found most irritating; I had rowed all the way back to my house, wasting a good portion of a day, to craft a durable tool from an incredibly rare and precious resource to use on a wall which was hiding a chest containing an item I had made so much effort to make! Well there was no use complaining I suppose; now I had two incredibly durable tools and a durable shovel! I put the pouches of sulphur into my bag, along with the mass amounts of lapis lazuli stones, and carried the tools back up the stairs to the tent. I was hoping to make use of the sulphur to make TNT. That way I hoped I could clear the obsidian faster, or mix the use of TNT with that of the pickaxe. All I needed was sand to mix with the sulphur to make the TNT, and luckily I was on an island surrounded by sand!

     After storing the newly found items into the tent, I took the shovel and a bucket and began collecting sand! I needed quite a bit of it for the quantities of sulphur I had found to make a decent ratio for TNT! By midday I had enough and returned to the tent to mix in the sulphur... After a good while of mixing, I took the bucket down to the dig site, next to the obsidian wall and returned to the tent. I placed the pickaxe and shovel into the chest, along with the lapis lazuli stones and unused sulphur. I then quickly fashioned a very big wooden latrine to carry the powder, and took it down to the wall, along with a length of string. I had no redstone to make use of, and I was in no mood to go and get it from the house to make a hole in a stubborn wall! After placing the latrine down in a suitable location and filling it to the brim from the bucket of sulphur/sand mix, I placed the string into it and lit the end with the flint lighter. I then quickly dashed quite a way back up the stairs and waited... The amount of TNT I had just used was enough to make a sizeable hole in a solid stone wall a few metres thick! A few moments later, a humongous roar and a shaking like that of a powerful earthquake erupted from around the corner! I waited for the debris and smoke to settle and went to check on the damage. All I can say is I HATE OBSIDIAN! IT'S A STUPID STUBBORN ROCK!!!

     All I had managed to do was make a small hole about a metre across by a metre in depth... I was rather annoyed by this, but I didn't let it dampen my spirits, and I continued on with the pickaxe. By about late afternoon, I had made a respectable distance into the obsidian wall, and my arms had begun to ache again! I was tempted a few times to make more TNT from the mixture still left in the bucket, but I wasn't prepared to go rushing back and forth to and from the surface to get wood... After some time, I began hearing explosions again from the other side of the wall... if there was indeed another side to the wall! They were irregular just like before, and each one sounded closer and closer each time. Once again there was only nine explosions and then silence. I attempted to contact whoever was causing the explosions by shouting out every time there was a pause between them, but I never got an answer. After waiting for an hour in silence, there was no explosion, so I decided to call it a day and return to the surface! Tomorrow I would crack this wall, I know it!

     As I made my way back up the stone steps, I saw Chiron running towards me from the opposite direction! When he got to me, he ran behind my legs and began whimpering! I know I haven't known Chiron long, but even I know he's not a coward! I reassured him and managed to get him to follow me, but as soon as I got to the base of the dig site, even I felt on edge! A flash of lightning and a monstrous thunderclap echoed around! Had Chiron been spooked by thunder? I hadn't noticed him scared before during the other times it had thundered. I readied by pickaxe just in case and stepped out into the rain and ascended the staircase to the surface of the dig site! When I got a few feet from the edge, Chiron started whimpering again, so I carefully peered over the edge of the hole and looked out towards the tents. I couldn't see anything at all; there were no creatures or even animals for that matter! I assumed it was the thunder and stood up. It was then that a flash of light illuminated them; a huddle of shadows in the strange cave near the tent, and another lumbering shape ambling around one of the tents. ZOMBIES!!!

     There were at least five zombies ambling around outside! So that was what had spooked Chiron! I didn't think he was that afraid of them, he could easily out run them, and to be honest, he could probably tackle one too! I didn't know what the best course of action was! The tents were about as secure as a house made of paper out in the rain at the moment, but all of the stuff I needed for protection and value was in one of them! I needed to get to my bow and quiver... and perhaps some food! I waited until the zombie near the tent had turned around, and I crept out of the hole towards them. My only jope was there was no flash of lightning otherwise I'd be found! I made it into the tent without being seen, and began going through the chest for the stuff I needed; I slung the bow and quiver over my shoulder, and attached the sword to my belt. I put some meat and bread into the bag and was in the middle of getting some puches of sulphur when I heard a low moaning close by! I lowered myself down into one of the shadows and waited, staring out at the tent flap! A flash of lightning illuminated everything, and in the opening I saw a zombie standing crookedly, arms outstretched! It was hideous; it had a pale green complexion and cold, dark eyes. The clothes it wore were stained with blood and other excretions, but the most disturbing of all was it's mouth! It lacked a lower jaw, and the tongue lolled out flapping against the neck as a result, as a row of crooked and fractured teeth protruded from the remnants of the upper gums! It had obviously seen me, because it came lumbering towards the shadowly corner I had attempted to conceal myself. I stood up and readied an arrow and fired it into it's chest! It didn't die, it didn't fall, it just faltered slightly and stopped! I took this chance and bolted out of the tent! As I ran for the dig site, another flash of lightning illuminated the cave again, and i saw all four figures stare in my direction! Seeing me run with such speed, Chiron took the hint and bolted back down the dig site hole with me close at his heels! Was what I doing a good thing? I was essentially trapping myself! At the time I just wanted to get away!

     As I got to the bottom of the dig site, I showed Chiron the hole I had made towards the obsidian wall and helped him into it. I followed him to the bottom and retrieved the bucket of sulphur/sand and took it back to the entrance! I didn't have any wooden latrines available, but I knew how TNT worked, and simply tipped the bucket upside down securely trapping the mixture beneath the metal container! I then took a long piece of string and attached it to the underside of the bucket and lit it! I waited around a corner until I heard a bang and saw a flash, and then went to inspect the damage; the entrance had crumbled entirely, dropping debris in the path of the entrance, blocking it efficiently! Happy with the effect, I turned around to go back up the wall when I heard the ominous hissing sound of a Creeper! I turned around and saw a flash of green in a small hole of the ruined entrance. Not stopping to check if it had seen me, I ran through the hole and bolted down the stone steps! After I got about half way, I began chipping at the wall until I caused a partial cave-in, and then I noticed something that I was glad to see! GRAVEL! Usually the stuff was a nuisance; it had no use and was difficult to shift. But now it was perfect; I disturbed the gravel, causing it to slide into the stone staircase, creating a small landslide! I ran back to the obsidian wall, where Chiron sat in the far corner, head buried under his paw! They weren't going to get us! Not today! Not ALIVE!

     We've been down here now for about an hour; Chiron has managed to perk up a bit with some reassurance from me. We shared some meat to keep our strength up, but to be honest I don't know what else to do! I'm too exhausted and confused to continue digging through the obsidian wall. And besides, if I do, it make put us in more danger than we are now. I'd rather be prepared and ready to face the danger then be too tired to... I haven't heard any groaning noises or hissing close by, so either they haven't got through the entrance wall, or they just haven't found us yet! My one regret is not removing the torches from the walls lining the stone staircase; they literally direct them to us! I just have to hope they're not that intelligent... I've sent a message to HoN Co. about our current situation and for any possible help, but being this far down, I wouldn't be surprised if the communication can't get out of the obsidian walls... We're trapped down here, alone... I had thought about tunneling up in the opposite direction to get out, but if I hit water, all I'd manage was to drown us both! No, the best thing to do is to stay put here for now, until morning... or what feels like morning! I'd break through this wall tomorrow... I know I will!

Syeonyx signing off... hopefully not for the last time...

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