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

“Others?” Jortor asked with great interest.  His apparent love of food was obvious as he took a bite out of an apple and almost groaned in pleasure as juice ran down his chin.

“Hey, those are for our journey home, don’t eat them all,” Lankas slapped Jortor’s hand away when he came to inspect what the other Gnome was looking at.

Jortor looked offended.  “I was just taste-testing them; had to make sure they were going to be safe, after all.”

* To answer your question, I can also unlock Plums, Apricots, Lemons, Limes, Coconuts, Elderfruit, and Ambrosia— *

“You can grow Ambrosia?” Jortor asked with awe evident in his voice.

* Well…not quite yet.  It will take a while to unlock it and it’ll need some unknown components to do it, but eventually I’ll be able to.  Why?  Do you know what makes it so special? *

“Uh, yeah I do.  It’s supposed to be the most delicious fruit in the world, that’s why it’s so special,” Jortor responded with a faraway look in his eye.  “Oh, and I guess it also temporarily boosts the amount of elemental energy you can hold in your body, if you’re into that kind of thing.” He added that last part as if it were of no consequence.

Ambrosia allows a person to hold more elemental energy?  Sandra had never heard of anything like that before.

“Hey guys?  Maybe I can just stay here while you all go back, so that I can, you know, be here for when the dungeon makes the first Ambrosia.  Someone needs to test it out, after all,” the food-obsessed Gnome said to the others.

* You’re entirely welcome to stay, but it could take years or even decades to unlock access to it. *

Jortor visibly warred with himself as he thought about that.  “Well, maybe I can just visit in a year or two to see if you can grow it yet.”

Sandra was secretly thankful, as she had visions of constantly having to use her Mana to keep the Gnome’s bottomless pit of a stomach satisfied. As the rest of the food was stowed on board the covered wagon in designated areas, she looked at the Gnomes that were eager to leave – and then decided to ask for help one more time.

* Before you leave, I was wondering – has anyone given any thought to helping me contact the Elves?  It would hopefully only take about a half hour or less, and it would assure them that I haven’t stolen away their friend for nefarious purposes.  I really don’t want to be destroyed because of a misunderstanding. *

The Gnomes all looked at each other without saying anything, before turning away as if ashamed.  Sandra couldn’t blame them; going into another people’s land when you couldn’t communicate with them was inherently dangerous.  She wasn’t going to force any of them, of course, but she was hoping that someone would volunteer—

“I’ll do it.”

Sandra was surprised by the volunteer; Junipar was the only other Gnome woman in the bunch and she had rarely said more than a word at a time for the entire length of her stay in Sandra’s dungeon.  In fact, most times the Dungeon Core even forgot that she was there, as she tended to like to blend into the background – almost as if she wanted to be left alone.

“Juni, are you sure you want to do that?  It’ll be extremely dangerous,” Violet asked from the side of the room.  The others chimed in and suggested against it, but the small Gnome was steadfast.

“I think it’s only fair that we help the dungeon when it has done so much for us.  Despite what most of you think – I’ve heard your conversations when you thought you were being quiet – I don’t believe this dungeon…Sandra…meant for everything to happen in Glimmerton like it did.  She didn’t have to save us from certain death from that massive lizard, she didn’t have to heal Felbar, she didn’t have to provide us with food and shelter, and she didn’t have to create all of these supplies for us to bring back with us.  Now, if that isn’t worth at least trying to speak to the Elves, then I don’t know what would be,” Junipar continued, making that the most words she’d put together in the last day and a half.

 The others looked shamefaced at her statement as they looked away, though Sandra noticed that none of them jumped in to volunteer for the young Gnome woman.  A Mechanical Wolf came in from outside, the sound of its metal footsteps loud against the stone floor in the near-silent room. Junipar headed over to it and was about to climb on the back of Sandra’s construct, when Violet spoke up.

“You’re right, Juni – we owe Sandra at least this much for her help, but as the most-senior one here, it should be me.  Actually, it should be Felbar, but from what I know he’s still unconscious,” the Apprentice Enchanter stated.

“You’re too drained from your enchanting to go, Violet.  I’ll do it,” Lankas said, which prompted a flood of volunteers from the rest.

* If Junipar wants to do it, I’d love for her to go for me.  Unless you all want to go? *

“Uh…I think only one of us should go if we’re doing this thing,” Jortor said, to which everyone agreed.  And then they argued for another few minutes on who should go, before Junipar just jumped on the back of Sandra’s construct.

“I said that I’m going – just be ready to head out when I get back,” the young Gnome said from Wolf-back.  Before things could progress into another argument, Sandra had the construct start forward gently until Junipar was able to adjust her balance – and then it