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

Core, then he could definitely be a big help.  It would probably take a little to get him up to speed with controlling this Deep Diver if it was anything like the War Machine, but that might actually be a good thing.  It would allow her to continue to build up her forces so that there was no way they would be in danger of losing; overkill was something she would rather experience than the risk that they wouldn’t succeed.

* Fine, if we’re building one already, we might as well build another one and you can come along if you like.  Just remember that it’s extremely dangerous and you may not make it back alive— *

“I’m going too.”

* You too, Echo?  Why?  It’s nowhere even near your lands and there’s no reason for you to risk yourself.  Gerold and Felbar I can understand – even if I don’t agree – because they were either in charge of culling the undead or at risk of falling to them, but that doesn’t apply to you. *

“For the simple reason of what they are, Sandra: undead.  Our people hate undead dungeons and immediately stamp them out when they are found, even if their dungeon monsters drop the rarest, most valuable loot,” she said, before she hesitated.  “Well, we’d probably cull them for a couple of weeks to get that loot if it were something really valuable to us, but then we would destroy it so completely that you’d never even know it was there.”

By that time Sandra had given up trying to convince the others that it was too dangerous, so she didn’t argue with the Elf.  Besides, she was secretly happy that they were willing to work together – even if it was through an intermediary (namely, Sandra) – to accomplish a task.  From the history of the area, as far as she knew it, such a thing hadn’t happened in centuries, ever since Wester and his dungeon threatened all four races; it was only through banding together that they were able to defeat him and his elemental dragons.  In complete contrast to that, Sandra was there to bring them together…not to destroy her, but to work together to secure their continued survival against the other dungeons.

Echo wasn’t done, though.  “I’m also hoping that this will prove to Wyrlin and the others he has gathered that you’re not what they think, and that you’re actually here to help.  There’s nothing like destroying an undead dungeon to get us Elves on your side.”

* Wait…what was that about Wyrlin? *

“Oh, sorry – that was the news I overheard back in Avensglen.  Apparently, Wyrlin has managed to spread his message that I’m under your thrall and that you’re planning on making slaves of all of us.  They’re only rumors right now, but even if what those rumors say are even partly true, then it’s possible that he’s gathered maybe a dozen or so followers that are intent on destroying you,” Echo said nonchalantly, like it was no big deal.  It’s a big deal to me!  “Like I said earlier, though, I highly doubt they would attack for a while, especially as I heard that he and his followers are heading to the capital looking for additional support.”

* Uh…that sounds like it was pretty important to know, Echo.  How long do you think I have until I should be worried? *

  “Hopefully years, because I also heard that the response from the Energy Orbs I’ve been delivering have been thoroughly welcomed, and it’s not likely that they will gain much support there.”  She shrugged.  “The distance is too great for much better information, so your guess is as good as mine.”

Sandra couldn’t even devote enough of her mind to think about something that may or may not occur in the future, because there was way too much to do.

* Fine, then; I’m going to ignore that unless I have some more information regarding imminent danger, because if you’re all coming along then we have a lot of work to do…and not a lot of time to do it. *

That was absolutely true; by adding the three that were coming along – Sandra was very glad Violet hadn’t insisted on going – it would add to the list of things that needed to be done.  On the flip side, Echo’s accompaniment might solve a problem the Dungeon Core had been worried about earlier…

*          *          *

Echo watched in fascination as very thin, narrow lengths of yew wood appeared on the table in Sandra’s woodworking shop, until they stopped at 40.  Right next to them were 10 even thinner sheets of what Sandra said was titanium, so thin that when she first picked one up it was a bit wobbly and flopped around – unlike any type of metal she’d seen before.  All of that was joined by a cylindrical-looking titanium tube that she couldn’t see the purpose of.

When Sandra said she was going to help make another bow for her, this wasn’t exactly what she was thinking of.  When she had made her current bow, she had collected yew wood loot over a period of time, before asking one of the other Rangers who had access to the Natural element to “connect them together”.  It wasn’t as perfect as finding a single piece of yew wood to make a bow, but sometimes it allowed the bow to be stronger, with less likelihood of cracking.

Once they were all pieced together to make one large rod, she had painstakingly used her time off to bend and shave off portions of the wood after it was briefly soaked in water, making the wood more flexible.  Over a few days of work, she had slowly curved the new bow so that when it was pulled by the string connected to it the wood bent evenly in all the right places, indicating a strong structure to