Mission 12: The Distortion

**Mission 12** is the twelfth and most infamous mission of Assassin of Steve 3, where you must fight through the Distorted Caves to reach the Fringe.

## Walkthrough

After defeating the Blue Ender Captain, you will fall into a puddle of water in the middle of Tanivac. Opara, Roger and the Mayor of Tanivac are all standing nearby. However, the fallout of the Blue End Ship's destruction then comes in the form of electric rain - lethal rain starts falling onto Tanivac. To prevent you all from dying, the Mayor yells out to the Tanivac Villagers to close the shades. You are safe inside Tanivac from the rain, but in order to continue your quest you now have the electric rain to deal with.

First use the Shop Altar that has spawned in the mall to the side, then leave Tanivac through the park. When you approach the park a cutscene will show an earthquake, where a huge crack in the ground opens up. The cutscene will return you to the entrance of the park. To avoid the electric rain you can quickly run between all the trees, using the leaves as cover, and make your way to the entrance to the earthquake crack. Inside the crack you can take shelter underneath a ledge. You have to make your way across the ledge of the crack, occasionally leaping across the crack or through water flowing in from the river. The water is electric too - it will deal considerable damage if you stay in it for too long, however if you quickly jump through you should be OK.

Once you make it to the other side of the crack a cutscene will show you are getting close to the Distorted Caves, as the terrain is starting to look "distorted", with purple stone called Distone, Distorne, or Distorted Stone depending on who you ask, sprinkled across the desert sand as well as some parts of the surface levitating above the ground. The cutscene will return you to the crack exit, where you have to grapple out of the crack. From there run between all of the levitating parts of ground as though they were trees, then parkour across the river and into the little tunnel underground. Once you exit the tunnel some enemy mobs will start spawning. Parkour back across the river to the cover, then parkour back to the other side again.

From there is a large area with many more floating bits of sand and Distone, as well as more mobs. Enemy mobs don't spawn that densely, but they can still be particularly difficult to deal with in combination with the electric rain. Make your way across the desert, and eventually you will go in a cutscene that shows the entrance to the Distorted Caves - a large, gaping hole in the ground with chorus trees growing out around it and end gateways at the bottom. The hole is currently covered with purple glass, and a Dragon Guardian is standing on top of it. In order to progress you need to defeat the Dragon Guardian, which will cause the purple glass to disappear. You can then jump down to the bottom and enter the Distorted Caves.

Inside the caves are made from Distone with lots of chorus "branches" stretching across the tunnels, as well as many more mobs. The first section is essentially a maze of tunnels and caverns connected by one-way end gateways, meaning you can quickly get lost easily or end up going in circles or getting returned to the start. The correct way is as follows: From the entrance cavern, take the right tunnel and enter the end gateway. Then, in the next cavern go into the end gateway in the floor. You will fall into another cavern where three more tunnels each lead to an end gateway, in a sort of T-intersection. Orient yourself so you're facing the tunnel to the right of the "middle" tunnel - this end gateway is the next one you need to go through. Lastly, in the next cavern are two more end gateways - go in the left one. It is slightly hidden behind some chorus branches.

Once exiting the maze you will enter a large tunnel which slopes greatly down. Use Elytra to fly down to the bottom (you can also jump down), and a group of mobs with another Dragon Guardian will spawn. Again, defeat this Dragon Guardian, and the end gateway at the end of the tunnel will open up.

In the next section are four nearly identical caverns each separated from each other and connected only by end gateways. The first cavern is empty of mushrooms, the second has typical red and brown huge mushrooms, the third has slime mushrooms, and the fourth has chorus mushrooms. Again, it is kind of a maze in itself in trying to figure out how to get around all the four caverns and then eventually progress. You start in the empty cavern. Fight your way past the mobs to the far end of the cavern where an end gateway will take you down to the normal mushroom cavern. From here fight your way back to the original end, where you can grapple up onto a huge mushroom. From there you can jump up onto a ledge where another end gateway is located.

Now you will be in the slime mushroom cavern. Jump up onto the chorus light, then jump down, bouncing on the mushrooms across the cavern to the ledge with chorus blocks and slabs on it. Go along this ledge to two more slime mushrooms. Cross them to the next end gateway, which will take you back to the normal mushroom cavern - this is where things start getting complicated. Press the stone button to create a ladder up to the mushroom in case you fall. Parkour over to the ledge with chorus blocks and slabs, and over to the other mushrooms, where another end gateway will take you to the chorus mushroom cavern.

In here drop down to the floor. Straight ahead of you coming out of the end gateway is a pile of chorus blocks blocking your way - you need to go to the right, then around the centre pillar of the cavern and approach the chorus pile from the other end, where you can climb up it. Then jump up onto the nearby chorus mushrooms, and from there you can enter another end gateway, which takes you to the slime mushroom cavern. Here step on the pressure plate to create another ladder in case you fall. Jump onto the slime strings stretching across the cavern and parkour across them, then jump and bounce onto the next mushroom. From there you can get to the next end gateway, which takes you back to the original, empty cavern. Parkour across the path of chorus blocks to the end gateway on the ledge, which takes you back to the chorus mushroom cavern. Press the button to create another ladder, then parkour across the chorus mushrooms to the chorus block ledge. Go across it, then onto the next mushrooms. Climb across them, using the spikes, then parkour up to the final end gateway.

You should now be in a huge cavern with single end gateway blocks on the floor, which teleport you to a random spot in the air if you fall in them. There is another Dragon Guardian to fight and defeat, which will open up the far end gateway upon its death. This will teleport you up to a platform made of chorus blocks. Here you need to fly with elytra through a large, treacherous cave, dodging the chorus branches. You will pass over the cavern where you just beat the Dragon Guardian - you only need to pass over it, not fly back into it. Then go down the hole, then through the hole in the chorus block wall. From there spiral down the tunnel, until you will eventually reach an area where the bottom of the cave is the void. Land on the far ledge, where some more mobs will spawn. Fight your way past them, and eventually you will hit a T-junction. Going left is the shorter route; going right is longer but there is a loot chest hidden along the way. Eventually you will reach another end gateway that will take you to the next section.

Here are some tunnels with drops directly into the void below them, so you have to ride floating distorted platforms (retextured boats) a little like the Steam Hovercraft from Mission 7, except this time through these caves. A purple door is nearby that requires you to pull five levers in order to open it. To find the levers, as follows:

1) From the entrance, go right, then right then left directly, then left again. This will take you to the purple door, and a lever is next to it.

2) From the entrance, go right, then left. You can grapple up into a hollow above, where there is another lever.

3) From the entrance, go left, then right. Keep on going through the tunnel until you reach the dead end. You can climb up the rock to some more distorted platforms on the higher level. With these platforms go along the tunnel at your level, going above everything you just went over, until you hit the next lever.

4) From the entrance, go left, then left again, and keep going straight until you hit the corner with the chorus branch stretching across it. Here get off and into the cave. The cave will take you to a large tunnel going up, where you have to keep riding distorted platforms across it to access end gateways that take you upward in the tunnel. At the very top is a button that opens up an end gateway at the very bottom of the tunnel, which takes you to the lever.

5) Lastly, from the entrance, go right, then right again, and take the left at the T-junction, then turn right and into the cavern with the end gateway. Here is a large cavern with lots of small holes in the floor that drop you into the void, as well as a ton of Distorted Slimes. The slimes won't fall into the holes because they're too big, but you can, so it is recommended you stay back and shoot them from a distance or let them come to you and use a melee weapon to kill them. More slimes spawn as you approach the lever at the far end of the cavern, so be careful.

Upon finding all five levers go to the purple door, and it will open, and you can go into the end gateway on the platform to get teleported up onto the higher area with another Dragon Guardian to fight. Here barriers extend out of the platform, so don't worry about falling. Upon defeating the Dragon Guardian you can enter the end gateway.

### Boss Fight: The Distorted Monstrosity

#### Stage 1

The Distorted Monstrosity is a dark entity composed entirely of smoke and dragon breath particles, as well as a big red eye. In order to damage it, you need to shoot the end rod particles when they appear, which will cause that section of the monstrosity to explode. Every four position changes of end rod targets, the red eye will reappear, and it will shoot a ton of fireballs at your ledge, first from its eye, then from each of the positions where end rod targets can spawn. In Stage 1, the Distorted Monstrosity has 24 health, although it's not displayed anywhere. When you knock it down to 12/24 health, the Distorted Monstrosity will change positions to be directly above you. It will still spawn end rod targets, and have its red eye appear to shoot more fireballs every four end rod target position changes, however after a wave of fireballs, some Monstrosity Creepers will spawn. They are invisible creepers that constantly emit dragon breath particles, and unlike normal creepers they will explode the instant they set their fuse. They also have a large explosion radius, easily capable of taking out a chunk of your health or even knocking you off the ledge, so be careful. Once you get the Monstrosity down to 0/24 health a cutscene will take you into Stage 2.

#### Stage 2

In the cutscene, the Distorted Monstrosity will move back to the position where it was before, except now it's much larger than it was before. It uses telekinesis to toss you around the cavern for a bit, before a strange explosion intervenes and causes you to fall down to a granite platform that mysteriously appeared where you meet... King Parcore.

On the platform you can collect Firework Rockets from the first pressure plate, and the second boosts you into the air. Equip your elytra and put the firework rockets in your offhand and a melee weapon in your main hand, as a strange spell is preventing you from using bows and arrows. Then fly up. The Distorted Monstrosity has 15 health in Stage 2. In order to take it down you need to hit the Monstrosity's big red eye right in the white pupil using a melee weapon, which will destroy it provided you're not spam-clicking too much. Doing this takes down one health. In reality, there is an invisible ghast that you have to hit. Each time you do this, the Monstrosity will spawn three invisible bats with Monstrosity Creepers riding them. If you fly too close to them, obviously they'll blow up and take out some of your health. The Monstrosity's red eye will change position after you hit it, or will change anyway after about 10 seconds.

Once you take down all of the Distorted Monstrosity's health, you will hear it make a distorted death noise and it will start exploding. Then you will be teleported to the exit of the Distorted Caves. Exit the caves, into the Fringe. After the cutscene, Mission 12 will be complete.

## Mobs

* Distorted Zombies are zombies with distorted purple skin and clothing. They wear an assortment of diamond and purple leather armor. There are three types - the first wields Monster Claws and a Hive Shield, and has increased health and knockback resistance. The second has a Nightmare Axe and wears elytra. It has increased attack damage and Knockback on its weapon. The third is a baby zombie, wields a Death Scythe with Fire Aspect II and wears elytra. It has increased movement speed. Variants 1 and 2 have a poison potion that, when they die, it falls. Variant 3 - the baby zombie - has a lingering poison potion instead.
* Distorted Skeletons are skeletons with an assortment of diamond and purple leather armor. Both of the two types wield an Infused Bow with Punch, have high knockback resistance and slightly increased movement speed. The differences is that the second type has elytra, the first type has Mining Fatigue III arrows while the second has Nausea arrows, and the first type has a Weakness potion riding while the second has a Blindness potion riding.
	+ Between Distorted Zombies and Skeletons, they can all jump up, however if they wear elytra they will fly using the elytra, moving in a certain direction. If they don't have elytra they will slam the ground upon landing, which inflicts heavy damage and poison.
* Distorted Bats fly around the cave and drop potions below them that inflict blindness and nausea. They have pretty low health but are hard to hit.
* Distortion Slimes are large purple slimes that emit ender particles. They also have a high amount of health and some knockback resistance.
* Distortion Witches are witches with distorted faces and wear dark purple robes and a hat of the same color. They move very quickly, and upon killing them a trio of Distorted Wraiths will spawn at the position of the player that killed them.
* Distortion Wraiths don't have much health, and after being alive for 10 seconds they will begin to take 6 damage per second, but they can still become a nuisance.
* Distorted Spines are immobile mobs that are immune to all damage, and have intense thorns on them that will cause you to take a considerable amount of damage if you hit them, whether it's by melee or ranged damage. Even sweeping attack will cause you to take thorns damage, so be careful.
* Dragon Guardians wear black leather armor and a dragon head and wield a Dragon Blade and a Dragon Shield. They place down dragon breath lingering clouds around them that will disappear when they place a new one down after 7.5 seconds. The clouds inflict heavy damage as well as poison and mining fatigue to you, and will actually heal the Dragon Guardian and Disotrted Zombies and Skeletons, so while fighting them it is a good idea to keep moving so the Dragon Guardian keeps moving out of its lingering cloud. You have to defeat each of these in order to progress.

## Equipment

There are two types of armor - Decay Armor and Distortion Armor. Decay Armor is purple leather armor that is unbreakable and has slightly more health than Distortion Armor as well as secondary enchantments. Distortion is diamond armor that has secondary enchantments and additional Attack Damage or Knockback Resistance attributes, as well as Thorns and Mending.

* Monster Claws: 29 attack damage, 15.5 sweeping damage, 1.6 attack speed, 46.4 DPS
* Nightmare Axe: 58 attack damage, 0.8 attack speed, 46.4 DPS
* Death Scythe: 21 attack damage, No attack cooldown, Looting I, Fire Aspect II, 44 DPS
* Infused Bow: 45 ranged damage, Punch I, Wither Arrows (0:30)
* Hive Shield: +100% Health, +30% Knockback Resistance.

Rare equipment:

* Dragon Armor has health greater than Decay Armor. It has secondary enchantments, including Feather Falling II on all pieces, and additional Knockback Resistance or Movement Speed attributes.
* Dragon Blade: 40 attack damage, 31 sweeping damage, 1.2 attack speed, Fire Aspect II, Knockback I, 48 DPS, +10% Movement Speed and +10% Knockback Resistance on user
* Dragon Breather: 47.25 ranged damage, Punch I, Flame I, Wither Arrows (0:30)
* Dragon Shield: +110% Health, +40% Knockback Resistance, Projectile Protection II, Thorns II, +15% Movement Speed.
* Distorted Chair (very rare): 160 attack damage, 0.275 attack speed, 44 DPS, Fire Aspect IV, +20% Movement Speed

### Recommendations

* If you did Hidden Mission 4, buy as many force fields if you can, as they are very useful for staying alive while dealing with Dragon Guardians.
* By now you should have obtained a bow that uses Punch. Use it to knock snipers off their perches. They often like to snipe from chorus branches or on top of the huge mushrooms. With the mushrooms, use your grappling gun to pull them off the mushrooms to the ground, where you can use a melee weapon to kill them.
* If you can get an Infused Elytra (chestpiece from Decay Armor) or Dragon Wings (from Dragon Armor), they are elytra that gives you extra health and all the buffs a normal chestplate gives you. They are very useful to have for this mission and Mission 13, as you don't get elytra that boosts health by default until the beginning of Mission 14, and also you won't need to keep switching between chestplate and elytra.
* The Rune of Obsidian (or Damage Resistance) and Rune of Health Boost is very useful to use during the first electric rain section, as the rain will not kill you as fast. The Rune of Regeneration can also help you fight the rain's damage.

## Chest Locations

* While going through the Tanivac park before starting the actual mission, you'll see a giant black crate in the middle of the park that's impossible to miss. It contains the lore book Message.

* After getting past the first checkpoint while fighting the Distorted Monsters, hug the left side of the wall until you reach a wall. From here, go right and you will find a chest under one of the floating shelters. You can't get into this shelter, but you can still access the chest from outside.

* Follow the river all the way to the end to find a Mimic. (It's harder than it sounds though)

* From the starting room in the Distorted Caves, go right, then go right again (there's a portal hidden behind one of the chorus branches) to find a loot chest.

* From the start, go right, then go left. Next to the central pillar you will find the lore book Distorted Spelunking.

* From the start, go right, then go down, then down the middle path of the T intersection. This will lead you to another room with more chorus branches stretching across the room. Climb up the one closest to the two portals to find another loot chest.

* After escaping the maze, fly down onto the closest branch to find another loot chest.

* Upon entering the area with the giant (normal) mushrooms, go left until you find a redstone block on the floor, look above it to find a grappling hook, grapple and up, and jump onto the mushroom next to it to find a loot chest.

* When you reach the second Elytra section (after clearing the room with all the End Gateways), fly directly across the room into a small cave on the other side, containing a Mimic.

* After clearing the Elytra section and entering the void caves, go right after you reach the first T intersection. Keep going until you find a branch stretching diagonally across the void, and walk up it to find another loot chest.
	+ The magma cube marker responsible for this chest spawns at the position of the command block instead of the actual chest.

* There is also a filler chest that doesn't have any loot in it because Cave forgot it existed, located on the stem of the southwest mushroom in the slime area.

## Music

*Main article: Music*

The Distorted Caves has two separate sets of music.

The first set plays at the beginning in the distorted desert and additionally whenever you are in a cavern with a Dragon Guardian. At this time, the following tracks can play:

* **Shadowlands 3 - Machine** by Kevin MacLeod.
* **Shadowlands 4 - Breath** by Kevin MacLeod.
* **Shadowlands 5 - Antechamber** by Kevin MacLeod.
* **Shadowlands 6 - The Pit** by Kevin MacLeod.
* **Shadowlands 7 - Codex** by Kevin MacLeod.

At all other times (mostly when within the caves themselves), the following tracks can play:

* **Controlled Chaos - No Percussion** by Kevin MacLeod.
* **The Halloween Dawn** by Twin Musicom.
* **The Hive** by Kevin MacLeod.
* **Decay** by Kevin MacLeod.
* **Heart of the Beast** by Kevin MacLeod.

During the Distorted Monstrosity boss fight, **Bent and Broken** by Kevin MacLeod plays.

## Trivia

* This mission is infamous among the AOS Community and is commonly regarded as the "most painful" out of all of the missions.
	+ The mute role on the Blaze and Cave discord is named 'Distorted Cave Maze' as a reference to the end-gateway maze at the beginning of the caves section.

* The purple distorted stone that makes up the bulk of the Distorted Caves is retextured Infested Chiseled Stone Bricks.
* In the room that contains all the Distorted Slimes and holes in the floor with end rods on the ceiling, every end rod in this cavern is directly above a hole in the floor.
* 'Shadowlands 6 - The Pit' and 'Shadowlands 7 - Codex' both play briefly during Assassin of Steve 3's final trailer.
* 'Shadowlands 4 - Breath' also plays during the conversation with King Parcore and flashback at the end of this mission.
* 'Controlled Chaos - No Percussion also plays in Stelldark the Astral Wizard's boss fight, and according to this playlist on Cavinator1's channel, it will play in Celestial Protocol.
* The boss track 'Bent and Broken' also plays during Mission 9 of Assassin of Steve 2.