The Crafter's Defense: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 2) Jonathan Brooks (large ebook reader TXT) 📖

a Repair Drone had its arms out and pads pressed against Echo’s inert body; bright white and grey light flowed in between the pads and the Elven woman, though it started to fade after a little bit.  Sandra hoped that she wasn’t too late; she had placed two other Drones in the room previously, as they had just finished repairing the constructs that had been damaged by the reptiles.  With a quick order in their direction, she ordered them to help, which they immediately floated over to do.

As soon as they joined in, Sandra could finally see a change come over Echo’s body.  The pant leg covering the puncture wound had been dragged up as a result of moving her unconscious form, and she could plainly see a thick liquid being rapidly expelled from the holes the snake had left in the flesh.  It was actually quite a bit more than Sandra had expected, as it created a sizable puddle on the stone floor by the time it was all removed from the Elven woman’s bloodstream.  As soon as it was all out, the wounds closed over in an eyeblink, and the color started to come back to Echo’s skin – and her breathing resumed normally.  Sandra breathed a figurative sigh of relief that she had been able to save the woman.

Of course, she was still thoroughly unconscious.

Regardless, Echo hadn’t died and would be ok; better yet, Sandra would be able to speak with her and be able to explain who she was and that she wasn’t a threat to the Elves – or any of the sentient races.  Granted, the Gnomes – and Orcs, for that matter – could partially refute that statement based on how many had died since she arrived as a Dungeon Core, but nothing that had happened was intentional.

Just to ensure that everything was indeed okay and that the woman was indeed alive – despite the physical evidence that she was fine, Sandra couldn’t help but realize that Echo had been extremely close to death, if not actually dead for a short period – she checked the list for her name.

Non-threat Visitors List (Currently Present)

Name

Race

Elemental Access

------------

-----

-----

Emmalyra Arlen

Elf

Holy, Air

And there she was, right at the bottom of the list; however, instead of it saying Echo, it said Emmalyra.  Sandra figured that Echo was actually a nickname the Elf had earned based on her special invisibility that left echoes of her form if she moved quickly enough.  She was glad that she had guessed her elements correctly and that there were only two; thank the Creator that there weren’t three or more – Echo probably wouldn’t have survived long enough to bond and be healed.

Now that Echo was as healed as she could get her, Sandra had the Ironclad Ape pick up the unconscious Elf’s body and used the VATS to bring her down to the kitchen.  While she had been working to save her life, the Gnomes had chosen to finally get up and explore a little; they were currently looking at her oven/stove she had made, as well as her faucet.

“…don’t even see any enchantment runes anywhere—what is an Elf doing here?” Violet looked up in surprise as Sandra’s Ape walked through with the limp form of Echo in its arms.

* She was bitten by a venomous snake and I had to bring her inside to heal her – I’ll explain everything in a few minutes.  The threat from the other Dungeon Core has passed for the moment and the reptilian force has been completely destroyed. *

“Dungeon Core?  What is that?  And you said the entire force was destroyed?  Even those giant lizards?” Violet asked in surprise as Sandra’s Ape placed Echo’s body next to Felbar.  The two healthy-but-unconscious people looked peaceful lying there together, though Sandra knew as soon as they woke up they would be anything but peaceful.  From what she saw of him back in the village, Felbar didn’t seem like one to take the bonding against his will very well and Echo was already suspicious of her dungeon in the first place.

When that was done, the Gnomes crowded around her Ape as they looked for answers, despite that not actually being her; she supposed it was easier to talk to something physical rather than talking to a voice in their heads.  So, now that she had the opportunity, Sandra began to explain everything to them – or at least everything she thought it was safe for them to know.

*         *         *

Violet’s head was reeling as she listened to the dungeon – who she now understood was something called a Dungeon Core – explain her existence there in the wastelands.  Sandra – an interesting name for the intelligence behind the dungeon – was apparently Human at one point, and she also indicated that all of the other “Cores” were once a sentient race at one point in the past, but that they had gone a bit insane (hence their homicidal tendencies).  Contracts and whatnot were also spoken of, but that didn’t really interest her.

The fact that the mere presence of Sandra’s dungeon being there was the cause of the attack on her village, however, did.

* …entirely unintentional, and I had no idea they would attack your village.  As soon as I learned of them there, I sent my constructs to help defend you – and you know the rest of what happened from there.  The smaller reptilian army that was following us here entered my dungeon and was annihilated fairly quickly from my defending constructs and traps, but the two massive Ancient Saurians turned back soon after that happened.  They’re not quite back to their old territory yet, but they’ll be there soon. *

Violet didn’t know how to respond.  She was just slightly relieved to learn the reason they were attacked in the first place when it