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

turned out not to have much knowledge on the subject of the undead, as she had never been put in charge of an Undead Classification Dungeon Core before.  As much as I don’t like admitting my abject failure in this instance, I would appreciate all of your help to fix this problem. *

To Echo, that sounded much more interesting than picking up and delivering Energy Orbs to her people; even though she knew they needed – or at least wanted them – she’d much rather be doing something…productive.  Something that would make a difference, at least – and destroying an abomination in the form of an undead dungeon would definitely classify as that.

“I would love to help, though I don’t know exactly how I can,” Echo said, having some doubts about her effectiveness in delving through the dungeon by herself.  Even if she was accompanied by hundreds of Sandra’s constructs, she knew that such an endeavor would be extremely dangerous – the hundreds of lost Elites over the years who participated in such an act could attest to that.

“I don’t think she means for you to go yourself; rather, I think Sandra wants your knowledge of the undead to help her defeat them with her constructs somehow.  While Violet and I have some knowledge of the undead – and obviously more than the dungeon does herself – you seem to have a greater understanding of their dangers and weaknesses,” Felbar said.

* Exactly.  And as you’re the only one here that can manipulate Holy elemental energy to cast spells and other effects, it will be extremely useful to have that type of knowledge.  Violet and Felbar can help me with some of the enchantments that I know of that might be beneficial, but I have almost zero knowledge of how to manipulate elemental energy in the way that you and the Elves do. *

Echo was very confused.  “And how would that knowledge help you?  I thought your constructs couldn’t manipulate energy in that way, and even if they could I’ve been told that controlling the elements in the way that we do is unique to each race.  So, unless I’m going with whatever force you send, I’m not sure that it would do any good.”  The prospect of going to the undead dungeon with the intent of destroying it was both frightening and exciting at the same time, and she didn’t want to be left out of it if she had a choice.

* It’s true that my constructs can’t manipulate energy like that; it’ll probably take some time and effort on your part to educate me how it’s done, as well.  However, we’ll have some time before things start to get too dangerous for the Dwarves or anyone else, so I’m hoping to have the opportunity to finish up my other projects and get a course in basic spellcasting. 

 

* As for you going with them, I wouldn’t have it any other way…but it won’t exactly be in the way you think. *

Out of the corner of her eye and against the far wall of the workshop, Echo saw the creepy-looking Shapeshifters start to shrink and take on another form.  Within seconds, she was looking at six exact copies of herself – naked copies, to be exact.

Her mind shut down for a few seconds as she stared at herself in multiplicate; when she was able to think again, she saw that Felbar was determinedly looking in the opposite direction of her doubles, while Violet was smiling at her. I think she’s enjoying this for some reason!

“Uh…what…?” was all Echo was able to get out, just before the Shapeshifters dropped her form and expanded into their former multi-colored amorphous blobs.

* Sorry about that – it was probably a bit of a shock.  I just wanted you to see what I was talking about; not only will “you” be going, but many of you will be accompanying my constructs on the way. *

Echo was still recovering from the shock of seeing so many of herself in duplicate, so all she could do was nod in acceptance.  What she had just seen went against the laws of nature in her opinion – and could be dangerous in the future for a multitude of reasons – but she figured it would perhaps be okay because it was ultimately going to be used to eradicate an undead Nether dungeon.  She wasn’t sure if the ends justified the means in this case, but her instinctive hatred and abhorrence of the undead overrode any real hesitation.

“Very well,” she finally said haltingly, her throat dry and causing her voice to crack.  “When do we start?”

Chapter 14

Putting the failure and subsequent consequences of that failure behind her, Sandra threw herself into training, crafting, and various lines of development.  Everything was hinging on an estimated timetable of three months, which was a guesstimate of the time the Undead Core would need to expand its Area of Influence enough to endanger the Dwarves – and possibly even stretch far enough to attack Sandra’s dungeon.  That time was based on how the other Core had previously operated with its Dungeon Monsters, sending them out to accumulate ambient Mana, as well as guesses at its Core Size and how soon it would be able to upgrade itself; it was also contingent on the ability of Sandra to thin out and cull some of its undead numbers outside of the dungeon, while at the same time ensuring she didn’t fall into a trap like last time.

She wasn’t about to let the Undead-based Dungeon Core have free rein to grow as quickly as it could; whether it was based on the need to delay its expansion as much as possible or through some innate need for revenge against those that completely destroyed so many of her constructs, Sandra had the desire to—safely—kill as many of the undead