The Crafter's Dominion: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 5) by Jonathan Brooks (e ink epub reader .txt) 📕

to follow either group to a village more than a few hundred feet outside of the forest.  Instead, they all turned towards the same place, effectively ignoring the potential Mana they might get from killing all of the inhabitants of the two villages.

They all streamed right towards the middle of the wasteland, where Sandra’s dungeon was located.

Winxa, I think I really ticked them all off.  They are ignoring the villages entirely.

“That’s strange…but I guess it makes sense in a way.”

How so?

“Well, if they eliminate you, there’s very little stopping the other Cores from attacking the villages, is there?  My guess is that, since they’ve already tried to attack once and were unsuccessful because of your intervention, they are aiming to remove the ‘obstacle’ in their way.”

She had a point, even if Sandra didn’t appreciate being a target.  She supposed it was better than the villages being in direct danger, but she didn’t have to like the situation she was being put in.

At least this time, I won’t have to worry about some mysterious entity taking control of my Core again.

After warning the defenders up above to stand by in case she needed their help, she suggested that they rest and recover from the grueling fight, repair and heal what they needed to, and sit tight.  She would’ve loved their assistance in thinning out even more of the hostile Dungeon Monsters before they reached her dungeon entrances, but it was more important that they stay to protect the more vulnerable villages.  Besides, Sandra wasn’t fully convinced that ignoring the two habitations wasn’t some sort of trick; while these Dungeon Cores didn’t seem as adept at tactics as the Undead-Classification Core had, their actions so far made their collective communication still a bit worrying.

So, with those above safe – at the moment – Sandra prepared to receive the assault of 4 Dungeon Cores very determined to destroy her.

Chapter 45

Echo walked into the kitchen, the special bow that Sandra created for her in hand, as well as 2 quivers of bolts (including 2 dozen explosive bolts) on her back.  She was a bit nervous about the upcoming delve into another dungeon, since the last one had nearly ended with her death and the deaths of everyone else that entered.  Honestly, it was probably 10% skill and determination that allowed us to survive; the other 90% was all luck. 

Now she was doing it again, though instead of Gerold, 5 Dwarven Shieldmen, Felbar the Gnome, and a hefty force of Sandra’s constructs and monsters, she’d be entering with some of the most powerful individuals she’d ever met before.  Not only were her King and Queen overwhelmingly strong, but First-shield—I think I got that right—Parten was one of the most powerful Shieldmen in all of the Dwarven Kingdoms.  She wasn’t sure how strong Warband Leader Palzerk and the other Orc were, nor Princess Celeste, but King Mynag seemed quite adept from all that she had heard.

Echo skipped a step when she walked into the room, as all eyes turned towards her.  I guess I’m the last one here.  She quickly leaned up against the nearby wall, unsuccessfully pretending like she had been there the whole time; regardless of her ploy, all of their attention disappeared off of her as one of Sandra’s Apes walked through a different tunnel, carrying a smoothly crafted wooden box with no seams.

* Now that we are all here, I can get started on the plan. *

“How goes the defense?  I swear I can hear explosions and feel thumps all throughout your dungeon,” King Mynag asked, which was automatically translated into her mind by Sandra.  I really need to learn how to speak other languages; having to rely on Sandra to speak to everyone else won’t work while we’re in the other dungeon.  She remembered how difficult it had been to communicate with Gerold and Felbar, even though they had managed it somewhat by the time they were done with that place.

* It’s going well enough, but I don’t think it will for much longer.  Attrition among my defending constructs is outpacing my ability to replace them, and the hordes of Dungeon Monsters are progressing further and further into my dungeon through both entrances. *

Echo was confused.  “Why don’t you just close one of them, then?  Especially that big old tunnel that you can fit an army into all at once.”

* That was my first thought, but that could have some detrimental effects.  Not to me, per se, but if the larger Monsters can’t get into my dungeon, where do you think they will go? *

It only took Echo a half a second to understand what Sandra was hinting at – and she could see that the others comprehended the danger, as well.

* Exactly.  While it would help me immensely, I don’t want to put the villagers’ lives at risk. *

“How come you’re having trouble with them now as opposed to just a little bit ago?”  Echo turned to her Queen as the powerful monarch asked her question.  For some reason, she suspected that the Royal Elf knew the answer already, but was asking for the benefit of everyone else.  Echo, for one, was curious about the answer but hadn’t thought to ask.

* Well, if it were just the new Monsters they had acquired after they upgraded their Core Sizes, my defenses would probably be enough to stop them indefinitely.  However, as I had thought, the Goblin Necromancers have turned not only their own kind into undead, but have also been able to raise up the slain Beasts as well.  That, and I was only facing them one at a time before through their extensive tunnels underground; now, they are coming as a flood rather than a trickle.  I haven’t been overwhelmed yet, but the time will soon come where I’ll need to call in help from those defending