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

that she had done her best to keep him alive.  She was still curious why he had what looked like a blacksmith’s apron on him, and she wouldn’t get those answers if he died.  Besides, even though he had little nubs on his jaw that appeared to be stunted tusks, he was kind of…cute.  Or it could’ve been that she was desperate for some company other than her constructs and the Fairy; having someone to talk to that could give their opinion and advice would be nice—

If he recovered, would I be able to talk to him?

Winxa was taken aback for some reason, before she started laughing.  “Of course not!  Only Dungeon Fairies can talk to Dungeon Cores; being able to talk to your prey would completely defeat the purpose behind your existence,” the Fairy explained between giggles.  Then she stopped as something occurred to her.  “Then again, that might not be the purpose of your exist—Urgh!” Winxa started, before something started to choke her.

After a moment, she started to breathe normally again.  “Ok, ok – I get it.  None of that stuff.  Anyway, to answer your question more completely, I don’t think there is any way to communicate with him.”

Sandra waited to see if there was any more that the Fairy wanted to share, but Winxa had shut up after that – which the Dungeon Core completely understood.  If something started to choke her out whenever she mentioned something in particular, then Sandra would be a little hesitant to talk as well.  And why is it that you can talk to me?  Is it specifically because you are a Dungeon Fairy?

Winxa thought about it for a few moments before slowly answering, as if she was trying to puzzle it out herself.  “No…I don’t believe I can hear you because I’m a Fairy.  I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s because I was somehow bonded to your Core when I was chosen to help instruct you.  It’s also why your dungeon senses don’t consider me an invader, as I’m considered part of…you, I guess.  It isn’t the same with any other Fairy, for instance – they haven’t bonded to your Core, so your Dungeon Monsters would automatically attack them if they came here – unless you stopped them.”

Wait – so my constructs will attack this man if I wasn’t keeping a rein on them?

“Yes, most likely.  The ones nearest him have your specific orders to protect him, I’m assuming, but if you didn’t give those orders to ones further inside, they would probably attack him.  You could always stop it in time, of course, but you’d have to be on a constant lookout for your constructs attacking him.  I think the same would happen if he were to leave your dungeon and come back even right away – they would attack unless given specific orders not to.  And upgrading your Core Size might negate all those orders, so you’d probably come back to find him dead.”

So you’re saying I’m essentially stuck progressing any further until he either dies or leaves?

“To put it simply – yes.”

Sandra thought about it for a moment, but then she asked something that had been worming its way into her mind since they started their conversation.  So…how do I imprint him on my Core, putting him on the “friendly list”, so to say.

Instead of laughing, which Sandra had thought the Dungeon Fairy might do, Winxa tapped her finger to her lips in thoughtful contemplation.  “I…haven’t a clue.  Usually, I have some sort of idea about these things, but this situation has never come up before.  It may or may not be possible; I literally have no idea how to help you.  However, I’m sure that if it is possible, you’ll be able to figure it out.”

So…no help from that quarter.  Sandra figured it might be something like that, since the Fairy didn’t mention it before in her list of options.  In the end, it was going to fall to her to figure it out, like most of the things she had to learn lately; she couldn’t fault Winxa, though, because Sandra was a bit of a special case when it came to Dungeon Cores – and she was okay with that.  It almost felt better to discover these kinds of things by herself; she thought it was similar to the feeling of satisfaction and pleasure that the crafters – the ones that she used to watch all the time – supposedly experienced when they created something new.

Looking down on the unconscious man lying in her dungeon, Sandra perused her menus for a way to accomplish what she wanted.  She wasn’t surprised that she didn’t find anything there, otherwise it would’ve been self-explanatory; pushing those away, she instead wracked her mind for another answer.

After almost an hour of silent contemplation – and watching the steady breathing of the man as he slept in the vestiges of unconsciousness – she suddenly stumbled on a clue towards the solution.

Chapter 28

Sandra had been keeping an eye on the Bearlings through the use of her Mechanical Jaguar aboveground, just in case they showed a sign of coming back; fortunately, most of the fourteen remaining beasts were staying in their cave.  A few were wandering off in different directions – for food, she figured – but they luckily stayed far away from her entrance.

She also didn’t see anything else up there, but she was keeping her construct close to her entrance; she wanted ample warning in case the man’s friends – assuming he had any – came looking for him.  Her Mechanical Wolf soon joined her Jaguar in scouting around for any threats, again keeping close and only venturing far enough to still be close enough to escape back to the dungeon if the need arose.

With that taken care of as much as she could at the moment, she focused most