Day Thirty-One

Western window.

I dug out a window in the western side of the monument so I could follow the moon. Far below, skeletons and creepers were moving over the countryside. 

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I tried mining for a time, but I did not expect to find much. I was fairly limited in the direction I could mine, too. Any direction except straight down just exposed me to the night. Eventually the sun began to rise and returned to the peak to survey my surroundings.

Digging a way out.

The monument was, thankfully, mob-free.

Today's path.

Now I had to find a way down. In my frantic climb last night, I had not thought to leave a path to easily get down in the morning. A commenter suggested jumping down the waterfall. Unfortunately, I could not see the waterfall from the peak so that was out of the question. During the night I had mined a narrow, spiraling stairwell through the center of the monument. I returned to it and continued it down to the ground.

Down we go.

Nearly there.

Free!

Thanks for the good times, Monument.

Onwards!

The land directly east of the monument was flat before rising in small hills. Before the hills was a cavern going down and south. In its mouth was a vein of ore. I mined it hastily as the moans of zombies rose up from the darkness.

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One last glance at the monument. Not so freestanding now with my dirt bridge.

Hills to the east.

I headed north around the cliff and followed the shore. In the distance I could quite a lot of sand.

Looking north-east.

My first desert.

A crazy floating sand house.

The sand clung to the southern faces of the mountains, as though it had been picked up from a desert in the south and dropped here by a north-blowing wind. I can only speculate.

More sand to the east.

Looking back at the sandy hills and floating sand house thing.

Mountains to the south.

I climbed the hills to the east and found myself out of the desert and looking down into a lush valley.

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It was about this time I realised there was still a sign sitting in my inventory. Whoops!

That's better.

On the valley floor, the grass and trees were visibly healthier. The stark difference between the hilltop and the valley floor was unavoidable.

The valley floor.

The valley ended with a vast lake.

I tried to find a way around the lake but the sides were sheer. Instead I paddled out and swam to the opposite shore. It did not see wide enough to warrant stopping to build a boat.

The southern cliffs (taken from the water).

South again, from the opposite shore.

Climbing out the other side, the forest continued until I hit the ocean.

Hey, pig.

Through the forest.

The coast.

Looking north from the sand bridge.

Across the sand was a small peninsula before the ocean blocked my path. Time for a boat. As I walked onto the beach, I noticed water pouring downwards into a hidden cave.

Looking east.

I wonder what secrets lie down there.

Opening my inventory to grab my workbench, I noticed just how much junk I was carrying. I swiftly threw the gravel and dirt into the water to be washed down into the cavern below.

More stuff than a nomad ever need carry.

Heading east.

I directed my boat to the south of the island, maneuvering around the small sand banks.

Taking it slow.

East again, with a desert appearing to the south.

Getting late.

I hoped to cover some more ground on this continent before making camp. I hurried up the hill and through a forest. To the north was an old inlet from the sea, nearly dried up.

Forest to the east and inlet to the north.

Looking north.

Through the woods.

Looking back west. Time to make camp.

I could see the ocean just up ahead. I jumped down a small cliff beside the sea and dug into it. Taking another suggestion from a commenter, I placed some cacti at the entrance to ward off any nosy mobs. Though, in hindsight, camping this close to the water was potentially a foolish idea. What if a swarm of skeletons decided to stand in the water? Oh well. I guess I will deal with that in the morning.

Planting my defenses. Literally!

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