I’ll tell Lord Tenebris not to expect the capital completed for a few more days, said Caesar, a smile appearing on his face. But when I receive the next report, I expect that not only will the building be finished, but every member of the old community will be dead. The girl, still kneeling and unable to stand, gave an almost imperceptible nod before her head sank to the floor and she dissolved into desperate sobs.

The Noctem Alliance is, as of right now, just a protesters’ group, so I have no control over them, Stan said calmly. Everyone is free to voice their own opinions, regardless of how I, or anybody else, might feel about it. However, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on them. Any group that threatens the equality of the players of Elementia won’t be tolerated. The Noctem Alliance can say what they want, I won’t stop them, as much as I disagree with them. However, if the Alliance acts on any of their views, there will be no hesitation in putting the group to rest. Are you ever going to let that go? Stan whined, but he was laughing. Even though he couldn’t see Sally, this was as close to old times as he could possibly get.Oh my God. It’s you! cried Stan, his eyes brightening in delight. You’re alive! But how . . . where are . . . The girl gave an almost inaudible whisper, and Leonidas thought he heard the words lost and community in her answer.

Fans of the bestselling video game Minecraft, middle grade readers, and action-adventure story enthusiasts of all ages experience an exciting journey that will take them far beyond the world they know. Stan sighed, his tolerance wearing thin. Charlie, I am positive of what I heard. Sally was speaking to me, and she told me that she had seen Caesar and Leonidas talking to a whole group. And personally, I think it’s very possible that the remnants of King Kev’s army have banded together. It’s the Republic’s darkest hour. The Noctem Alliance, under the command of the ruthless Lord Tenebris, has finally conquered the entire server of Elementia. The citizens of Element City are forced to hide underground and although President Stan has re-united with his friends, the relentless Elite Legion of Mobhunters are still in hot pursuit. Lord Tenebris is drawing power from the server and his actions threaten to destroy Minecraft forever. Will President Stan be able to defeat the evil demon before it’s too late? In the past month, there had been a growing number of protest rallies in Element City staged by members of a group called the Noctem Alliance. Despite the fall of King Kev, they still believed that the lower-level players of Minecraft didn’t deserve the same basic rights as the older, upper-level players.The votes are all in, the Mechanist announced, his Texan accent deep and pronounced. The winner of the election for president of the Grand Republic of Elementia is Stan2012, for his second term! Suddenly, Stan was wide awake. He glanced wildly around the room, daring to hope that it could really be true, that the voice could really be that of . . .

Fans of the bestselling video game Minecraft, middle grade readers, and action-adventure story enthusiasts of all ages will experience an exciting journey that will take them far beyond the world they know. Answer him, you pathetic worm. He asked you a question! bellowed Caesar, and all in the vicinity jumped from his sudden outburst. What are you doing here? Stan, whose views on this matter were firm, responded confidently. I know that diamonds are a very important resource for creating the best gear possible. However, I don’t think that diamonds are nearly as important as iron ore, which is way more common and equally useful. Right now, we don’t have access to a good diamond mine. If we find one, then Elementia will have more diamonds to go around. Right now, though, I think that we’re much better off mining more iron ore, rather than searching for diamonds. Stan followed his friend’s instructions. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Charlie was probably right. Stan certainly had done his fair share of grieving over Sally, but he realized that his exhaustion after the campaign may very well have caused him to hear voices. By the time Stan, Charlie, and the throng of players around them had crossed the grassy courtyard and entered the Element City Spleef Arena, Stan had dismissed his late-night conversation with Sally as nothing more than a delusion. CHAPTER 3 THE SPLEEF QUARTERFINALS

Welcome

Stan’s stomach was in knots as he was called to step forward and begin to speak. As he walked out onto the bridge of Element Castle, the crowd received him with hoots and cheers. Stan’s anxiety vanished. There was nothing to be nervous about, he realized. As long as he answered the questions honestly, he believed that the people of Elementia would agree with him.