Mark and I started a co-op Minecraft session just to chill out. We both dug mines in separate nearby mountains and did our own things. He likes to clear out large areas down at bedrock and collect as much diamond as possible. I like to get just what I need to advance to The Nether and then The End to fight the Enderdragon. Today I wasn’t pushing it but I ended up making the best progress ever towards getting The End. . . Again. . . achievement.

The End. . . Again. . . achievement tasks you with respawning the Enderdragon. Obviously, you have to defeat it first, a chore in and of itself. Then you have to build 8 End Crystals to respawn it. That being done, you can’t leave The End until you beat it again - quite a task.

Through most of this play session, I didn’t even think of this achievement. It always seems nearly impossible to get enough Ender Pearls from Endermen to find The End Portal and then activate it, much less building the 8 End Crystals which also require Ender Pearls. So didn’t think of that stuff at all as I gradually built up enough supplies in the Overworld to build the Nether Portal and then enter it thinking to fight some Ghasts and see how many Ghast Tears I could get, not expecting to get many.

I climbed down to a low plain and looked for enemies. Well, I found them, lots of Ghasts, Endermen and Magma all over the place, more than I’d ever seen. I went a little mad with greed and managed to harvest, through ruthless battle and many near deaths, all 8 Ghast Tears to power the End Crystals and a dozen Ender Pearls (I think I need about 22 or 23 of them to do everything). This was the most of these resources I’d ever gotten. I realized later that they were always there in The Nether; only, I had never looked for them because I was always focused on The Fortress and harvesting Blazes. Well, now I know I can get Ender Pearls in larger quantities, making the Enderdragon goal more attainable in less time.

Then I searched for and found the Fortress but only had time to defeat one Blaze before we had to stop for the day. We’re in a great position now to go after this achievement. I can’t wait to make a try at it next time we get together. Then maybe I can get back to Prey.