The Crafter's Dungeon: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 1) by Jonathan Brooks (literature books to read TXT) 📕

was the section she was currently working on, so all she really needed to do was ensure anything coming through that direction was properly handled.  She briefly thought about the possibility of something cracking their way through her seamless stone walls; however, if there was something powerful enough to do that, then a simple trap probably wouldn’t prevent them from getting to her if they really wanted to.

It turned out that traps were quite expensive Mana-wise.  She now knew why the option to even build them wasn’t even available until she hit Core Size 5, because she wouldn’t have been able to afford to build a single one.  She was hoping for some sort of list through her Core Selection Menu, but Winxa reminded her that they were entirely created through her imagination and the costs were based on whatever she decided to build.

The good thing was, though, if she didn’t have enough Mana, she didn’t lose anything when she tried to imagine and place a trap.  The only thing that happened was…nothing.  It was only when she accumulated 250 Mana did her first trap spring to life in her Home.

Since she wasn’t exactly sure what she was going up against, the only thing she could think of to build – and that wasn’t too complex, based on Winxa’s explanation that the more complicated the trap meant it was more expensive – was a simple pit trap right in front of the entrance that had a thin film of rigid dirt camouflaging it.  Ideally, anything crossing it would break through the thin film and fall several feet onto a bunch of sharp stone spikes a foot long.  Simple, yet hopefully effective – and cheap.  Anything more complicated than that was probably going to be much more expensive.

Even if she was able to store and use more Mana, she had trouble imagining ways to kill other creatures or people – even if they were trying to harm her.  She didn’t really have a choice when it came to the Territory Ants, but she would rather try to dissuade anything that came looking for her rather than have to permanently deal with them like she was forced to with those annoying insects. Sandra resolved to do whatever it took to ensure she survived, but she wasn’t looking to deliberately seek out enemies – she imagined she’d have plenty of those in the future without looking for more.

With at least one trap in place, she felt a little better about forging ahead.  It wasn’t a lot of extra protection, but hopefully it would be enough to deter anything that forced its way inside.

She built another short, stone-covered tunnel leading to the next room, and was determined to spend the next day clearing out the dirt and stone inside where she planned to build a smaller room.  It was repetitive and monotonous, but she didn’t care; the work kept her busy and she had a goal she was working toward.  Winxa, on the other hand, got really tired of waiting around – especially since Sandra was concentrating on what she was doing and couldn’t hold up her end of a conversation.

“I’d forgotten how boring being a Dungeon Fairy could be.  Lately, I’m usually in a dungeon for less than a few days, and those days are blessedly quick with all the teaching I have to do with a new Core.  But this—” she waved her hand around at the slowly developing room, where she had been watching her absorb and convert the new walls to stone— “is mind-numbing.  If you’re ok with it, I’m going to go back to my own realm and see if I can find out any other information that I might have missed by talking with the other Dungeon Fairies there.  I promise to come back at least once a day to check up on you.”

Your own “realm”?

“Of course!  Since Dungeon Fairies aren’t technically one of the seven sentient races in the world, we have our own alternate realm where we live.  It’s not very large, but there aren’t very many of us and we don’t need much.  Despite that, it’s…home.  I’m sure you can understand.”

Sandra did, and gave permission to the Fairy even if it wasn’t required.  Before she left, Winxa flew over to her Core and placed her hand briefly along the outside.  For the first time since she had been reborn into her new existence as a floating piece of glowing rock, she thought she could physically “feel” something.  A soothing warmth spread though her Core, evoking a feeling of joy and contentment.  All too soon, Winxa took her hand away and the feeling largely disappeared, though she could feel a lingering tingle when she concentrated on it.

“I’ve never done that before, but I felt like it was necessary,” the Dungeon Fairy explained.  “A little part of my soul is now inside your Core, which you can tap into to call me – no matter what realm I’m in.  I’ll still check in with you every day, though if you run into an emergency, don’t hesitate to reach out.  Alright, I’ll be going now, but I’ll be back tomorrow – unless you have any questions?”

Sandra couldn’t think of anything at that moment, especially since she was still in awe at being able to physically feel something after so long.  I’ll be fine, you go ahead and go.  I’ll contact you if I need you.

As soon as the Dungeon Fairy left through another portal, Sandra felt the loneliness creep back into her mind.  Even though she hadn’t been technically talking to the Fairy – digging out her new room had taken most of her attention – it still felt comforting knowing Winxa was there.  Fortunately, the lingering warmth that suffused her Core eased that loneliness so that she could continue to work without too many issues.

After a few more hours of absorbing material,