Day 11: Mastering Fear

Though the horrors of the deep were still fresh in my mind, I abandoned reason and headed back down to the bottom of the grand staircase beneath Dunkelheim; the location where I found those diamonds. When last I left, there was a terrifying chorus of ghoulish howls. As I approached, the bottom of the stairs, I heard that maddening sound again. As I shoveled through the blockade I had built to keep the fiends away, some iron ore caught my eye. I ran into the room, and just as quickly made a right and ran away from the iron as quickly as I could. I was still just too scared to hang out anywhere near the monsters in the darkness.

Lightening torches as I walked down the dark corridors, I came across a plenitude of coal, red rock, and also happened upon some lava and a stream. There was a dripping, green, exploder sauntering toward me from atop the source of the stream, but I quickly dispatched him with my new bow. Fighting at a distance is decidedly less stressful than close-quarters combat. After diverting the stream into the lava I continued on until I heard it. A sickening, maddening noise, like the groan of an angry god. I left a marking so that I might remember this place, and built a bridge over the stream with all haste. After catching my breath, I went back to the spot where I heard the awful sound... but, there was nothing. No beast, no sound... nothing. So, I decided to head back above ground.

As I passed through the ghoul chamber, I decided to be brave and harvest whatever precious materials I could find. This was by far the most lucrative mining operations I've ever undertaken. At the end of the day, I made out with at least 32 red rocks, 35 chunks of iron ore, well over 64 lumps of coal, 3 buckets, 4 bails of wheat, and a chest. Those last few items might seem out of place. Well, they were. As I explored the cavern, I noticed some carved stone, the kind I use to make my fortresses. The kind that only skilled hands can craft. As soon as I noticed the stones, zombie after zombie poured forth. They seemed to be crowded in this open, carved stone room with a strange inflamed cage in the middle.I killed all the zombies, some hacked to pieces, some pierced with arrows. And then destroyed the flaming cage. I don't know what that was, but I have a feeling that it somehow creates or at least attracts those beasts. Also in the room was a chest filled with the wares I mentioned before, along with a strange item that looks something like a saddle. As if these strange goings on weren't enough, the floor was a strange stone covered in green slime. Having never seen anything like this before, I decided to harvest these odd blocks, 30 in total, and investigate them above ground.

Not wanting to get too greedy and overextend myself after obtaining all these riches, I decided to finally head up to Einheim. As I was exiting the staircase, I decided to seal the lower area with a stone and wooden door. I'm tired of living in fear and anxiety down below. It's time to start mastering my fear, for it is obvious that the most fabulous riches are in the most terrifying locations.