In the Beginning... [DreamSMP/SMPEarth book adaptation]

Before the Beginning

    Philza never really believed in "fate" or "destiny". Life was what you made it with hard work and dedication. Nothing was preordained. There were no Fates weaving every string in your life. You just... lived.

    He liked to think he was a simple man. He was a well respected general from the Algorithm War who enjoyed a quiet honorable life in his woodland cabin with his quaint farm. His wife passed a few years back so the house was just a scarcely decorated manor with many empty spare rooms that needed dusting. He prided himself in his minimalistic lifestyle that he cherished in fond memory of his late love.

    32 is such a young age to lose a soulmate, but death was something Philza has seen plenty of. He knew she would never want him to mourn her and sink into a pit of despair. So instead he made it a mission to protect his homeland of Mineplex. Warding off the monsters that rose endless from the shadows every night and sending them back to the fiery pit where they would restart their mystical reincarnation process every night. It was a simple life. He was a simple man.

    And he was content.

    Except for that nasty hole in his heart. Left empty by his late lover.

    Loneliness.

    But Philza had more important matters to deal with at the moment. He need to restock the manor's supplies for the winter as the nights got longer and the monsters spawned more frequently under the sunless sky. Little did he know, his life, and the world, was about to change.

——————— Philza

    "Pearls! Come n' get your Ender Pearls! Authentic and Affordable!"

    "Fresh potatoes! The last harvest! Everything must go!"

    "High quality smelted iron ingots! Gift your loved one with something hand crafted!"

    I smiled. Nothing like the Mineplex market on a sunny day. Hundreds of citizens, rich and poor, warriors and farmers, flooded the plaza in search to sell, trade, or buy everything from a rare ghast tear to brilliantly colored dyes from across the overworld. People chattered from ever direction as friendly transactions were made and old friends met up. It was a pleasant atmosphere despite the crowd. And it was one I have grown quite fond of in my childhood growing up here.

    Mineplex is a complicated city state. It's a place that seems chaotic in its massive size and its messily intertwined streets of both modern and medieval architecture. It is one of the oldest city states still functioning with and such an impressive population count. Its founding dating all the way back to when Notch sealed the End in the First Wars during the dark ages. I squinted in the distance impressed in how I could see the towering skyline of the center of Mineplex. Normally a layer of smog or dust would muddle the incredible sight or hide it completely from the marketplace's placement at the edge of the forest. Truly a massive city. And I loved every bit of it.

    I peacefully browsed the market, tucking my wings in close to my back as I picked up supplies and inspected anything that looked interesting enough. A pair of elytras glinted at me disdainfully. I almost stuck my tongue out at the inanimate object. I was apart of the lucky few in society who was born with such an enhancement as wings. Shimmery black with white diamond shape patterns speckling the shoulders. They were what helped me rise so fast in the ranks back in the Algorithm War. A strong general with a nearly 12 foot wingspan of the night sky happened to be half the reason 20 year old me has the benefits I do now (I am renowned in the military for my strategical stunts and miracles I have been known to come up with mid battle, but who cares about that).