The Crafter's Dilemma: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 3) by Jonathan Brooks (english readers txt) 📗

to pay for another Core Size upgrade – depending on what their current size was, of course.  Sandra had no way of actually knowing, of course, but she figured that it was probably only a few Sizes larger than her own; if that was the case, then the Mana from those Seeds was more than enough to provide for an upgrade.  Even if it was already a much higher size, they would still contribute quite a bit towards that goal.

What have I done?  In trying to prevent the Undead Dungeon Core from growing and expanding its influence, thereby threatening more people, Sandra had inadvertently helped it do just that.  Every time that I try to help, it just seems like I make things worse.

With that depressing thought on her mind, she turned her attention back to her dungeon to inform Winxa about her failure – and the repercussions that would likely stem from it.

Chapter 13

“So, you’re telling me that you made it worse?” Echo heard the small female Gnome—Violet—say as soon as she walked into Sandra’s “workshop” near the surface, which the Dungeon Core automatically translated for her.  It was strange to hear the Gnome speak something that sounded completely foreign to her and then hear a translation that Sandra provided for it in her mind, but she was growing used to it.

The Elf was coming back for the day to pick up another shipment of Energy Orbs for her people; though, as soon as she walked into the dungeon she was curtly told by Sandra that it was going to be a little bit.  Apparently, something had happened to slow down production – which was honestly fine with her; she was getting tired of the looks the other villagers were throwing her way when they thought she wasn’t paying attention.  She wasn’t sure if it was because some of them held the same views about her as Wyrlin did or if it was for some other reason – either way it was…uncomfortable.

It’s strange to think that I’m more comfortable here than with my own people.  She knew that what the dungeon was providing to her people – Energy Orbs, to be exact – was literally life-changing, and in spite of the danger to the Dungeon Heart/Core, she appreciated what Sandra was trying to do.  Echo just wished that she wasn’t the one in the middle handling all of the deliveries and negotiations between her people and the dungeon. As far as she was concerned, she wasn’t cut out to be any type of negotiator or political liaison – she’d much rather be out in the forest hunting down beasts for food or culling Dungeon Monsters to protect the village.

However, after the first day or two of hunting with her mended bow – which took some getting used to in order to shoot semi-accurately – she was advised by Elder Herrlot not to endanger herself in the forest when there were other hunters that could do the job perfectly fine, especially since they all now had Energy Orbs of their own.  It was painfully obvious that her duty was to be a delivery woman/dungeon contact and not a Ranger anymore, which irked her to no end; her present circumstances didn’t particularly lend itself to becoming an Elite in the future, which was what she always hoped to become.  Regardless of her feelings, however, she knew she wouldn’t shirk her duties even if it wasn’t ideal to her own personal development.

To get away from such depressing thoughts, Echo left the village as soon as the sky was light enough to easily see her way through the wastelands, which was why she was back at the dungeon only shortly after the sun had come up.  Even though Sandra had said that the area was clear of any threats – which was remarkable in and of itself – she had no desire to travel by the darkness brought on by night-time; she’d rather be able to spot any danger way before she actually encountered it, which was always made much easier if she could actually see clearly.

“What are you talking about, Violet?  What did Sandra do this time?” Echo asked half-jokingly.  Despite the “righteous” attitude that the dungeon seemed to affect most of the time, the Elf was more than aware that some – or possibly most – of her activities seemed to come with serious repercussions.  The issues that would eventually arise from her production of the Energy Orbs aside, she also was informed that the destruction of the nearby Gnome village was caused by something the Core had inadvertently done – even if Sandra wasn’t directly responsible.

The Gnome whipped around at the sound of Echo’s voice, her eyes wide in surprise.  Just past her, the Elf could see Felbar leaning against the nearby wall showing no sense of surprise at her appearance; it was plain to see that she had already been noticed by the grizzled older Gnome, so her question hadn’t startled him.

“Whoa!  Where did you come from?” Violet asked, before waving off her own question.  “Never mind, I’m assuming you came for more of the Energy Orbs, but we only have a dozen or so ready for you.  We’ve been busy with other…projects,” she explained distractedly, her vision looking off into the distance like she was thinking of something.

“What other projects are you talking about?  And what was it that Sandra did?”  Echo was half-expecting the dungeon to explain it for the Gnome, but the Core was uncharacteristically silent other than the automatic translations in her mind.

“We were working on improving the Fields on the enchantment pillars down below, but that isn’t really important right now,” Felbar chimed in.  “What is important, though, is that Sandra ‘accidentally’ just gave the Nether dungeon near Glimmerton a whole bunch of dungeon loot that it can use to…expand itself, or whatever it is that it does.  While