Danger in the Jungle Temple: An Unofficial Overworld Heroes Adventure, Book Three

This book is not authorized or sponsored by Microsoft Corp., Mojang AB, Notch Development AB or Scholastic Inc., or any other person or entity owning or controlling rights in the Minecraft name, trademark, or copyrights.

Copyright © 2018 by Danica Davidson

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The Minecraft game is copyright © Mojang AB.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Brian Peterson

Cover photo by Lordwhitebear

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-5107-2852-3

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-2710-6

Printed in the United States of America

Table of contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

I ’M WARNING YOU, THE VILLAGER TOLD US. IF YOU enter that jungle temple, you’ll never come out.

I felt my stomach clench. I was out with Dad, my cousin Alex, and my Earth friends, Maison, Destiny, and Yancy, on our way to a jungle temple that held a very special crystal shard. We’d recently learned that the evil Ender Dragon was trying to escape the End, and the only way we could stop her was to track down crystal shards left by my ancestor, Steve Alexander, before the monsters working for her could find them.

Steve Alexander had left a special book to help us find the shards, so that’s how we knew one was supposed to be in the jungle temple. If we could find all the crystals, it would create the only weapon that could defeat the Ender Dragon. But even though the Ender Dragon was still in the End (for now), she had Endermen and other mobs searching the Overworld for the same crystal shards. If she got her claws on the shards before we did, we’d not only lose our only chance to fight her, but it would make her more powerful than ever.

So far we’d managed to find two crystals, and finding and protecting them had been a serious challenge. Since I’d never been to the jungle biome before, I was especially unsure of what to expect. Seeing my nervousness, Dad had stopped in the village at the edge of the jungle biome to ask some questions.

I didn’t ask for a warning, Dad said to the villager in a gruff voice. I asked if we were headed in the right direction.

Where I lived, everyone respected my dad because of his skills as a mob fighter and builder. But here, nobody knew him, and the villager was looking at Dad as if he were some kind of idiot.

I can tell you’re not from around here, the villager said. That’s why I’m trying to warn you.

I’ve been to plenty of jungle temples, Dad said. He sounded insulted that anyone would doubt him.

Doesn’t matter, the villager said quickly. "There’s jungle temples, and there’s that jungle temple. He tilted his head in the direction we were going. That one’s haunted."

Maison, Destiny, and Yancy paled. Alex perked up. The more challenging the adventure, the happier Alex was. I felt more like Maison, Destiny, and Yancy did.

That’s crazy, Dad said. Temples aren’t haunted.

Something terrible happened in that temple, centuries ago, the villager said. No one remembers exactly what, but we don’t have to. Go anywhere close to that temple and it’ll make your hair stand on end. Bad enchantments have cursed the place. Now they say armored ghosts prowl the halls like haunted guards. And if they find anyone skulking around, they take them directly to the dungeon.

Dungeon? Yancy mouthed at us. He’d been trapped in a dungeon once before, and I didn’t think he wanted to return. He’d tried to stage a zombie takeover back in his days as a bully. But lately, Yancy was on the side of good.

They say only one man has ever been able to escape from that dungeon, the villager went on, eyeing Dad. If you want to risk it yourself, I can’t stop you. But don’t drag kids into it. One grownup and five children? Besides, these three kids look sickly.

He gave Maison, Destiny, and Yancy a once-over, clucking his tongue in sympathy and disgust. He didn’t realize they were from Earth. Those guards’ll pick you off one at a time until no one is left.

I’ve heard enough, Dad said, making a signal for us