Options such as Platinum and Elderoak, which were two materials she was looking forward to working with. However, unlocking those would take literally millions of Mana between the pure Mana requirements and the components, which she didn’t really have to spare right now. They were for the future, though there were some that were much more affordable: Coconut, Bamboo Seed, Ramie Seed, Ball Clay, Fire Clay, and Kaolin Clay. She would like to add each of them to her available material and Seed repertoire…as soon as she got a handle on her Mana situation.
Sandra went ahead and absorbed most of the smaller Monster Seeds and used most of the Mana to create more Elemental Orbs, which she was planning on converting to Energy Orbs when her Unstable Shapeshifters had a chance to enchant them. For the moment, she had them stored in a simple Oak chest inside of her treasury; she had found that it was easier to keep them in something that could be transported easily if the need arose, as it was difficult for her constructs to carry more than a few of the spherical objects at one time.
The rest of the Mana was used to expand the construct force that the Dwarves were using to keep the Goblin and Golem numbers down – which quickly became even more important as she felt the Golem-Classification Dungeon Core finish its upgrade when her Animated Slab was only about a third of the way to Grongbak. A quick message to Delarthe about the change and a heads-up about more constructs coming their way was all she had time for, however.
The Beast and Slime-Classification dungeons near the Elves completed their own upgrades within minutes of each other. If it weren’t for the Goblin and Golem Cores finishing their own upgrades at different times, she would’ve thought that they were somehow working with each other, but she put it down to coincidence again. Because such a thing should be impossible…right?
“Well…while there is no way for them to actually communicate, when two Dungeon Cores’ Areas of Influence are near each other, they can perceive a little of what is going on with the other,” Winxa explained when Sandra asked about the potential for communicating with the other Cores – which she had never thought about doing before. She had thought it was impossible, and therefore didn’t try to negotiate with the two Cores that had been destroyed. “There are no thoughts, emotions, or ideas exchanged, though; just a general sense of what they are about. I’m assuming you haven’t experienced this with any of the other Cores?”
No, not at all. Does this sensing give them any advantages?
“Nope; it’s mainly just so that the Cores can acknowledge that the other dungeon’s Area of Influence is there, so they know not to infringe on the other’s territory. That way, they can concentrate on what they do best – expanding and killing people for their Mana,” she said with a bit of disgust. The Dungeon Fairy had already made plain her distaste for what the Dungeon Cores were designed for, while still recognizing their necessity; Sandra felt the same way, even though she was a Dungeon Core herself.
With that worry resolved, she located and contacted Chryla from the Elven Rangers, as she had been her main point of contact with them ever since Echo had left. She let her know, after the usual startlement on the behalf of the Elf at the sudden voice in her head, about the change in the two dungeons.
* Be warned, both the Beast and the Slime dungeons have expanded their Areas of Influence, which now extend to within 200 feet of your village on either side. *
“That’s not good – we’re not going to be able to contain them if they keep expanding like that. Is there anything you can do?”
Sandra gave her the same explanation she had given Delarthe and the Dwarven Shieldmen, but in the Elves’ case, there was even more danger. If the Dungeon Cores continued to expand, then their village would be caught in between the two AOIs and be vulnerable to direct attack – similar to how the Gnomes and Dwarves had been killed and chased out of their own villages. It was only a matter of time before that happened, but Sandra was determined to keep them safe there for as long as possible.
Her dungeon couldn’t house all the people in all the lands, after all. Elves, especially, probably wouldn’t appreciate living underground like the Dwarves did, so she would have to see about what she could do to prevent them from having to flee.
* …therefore, there’s not much we can do to prevent them from expanding again. I’ll work on some ideas of what we can do to protect your village, but in the meantime I might be able to help you and the other Rangers. *
“How? You’ve already done so much with these other gifts,” Chryla said, pointing to her palms where the Energy Orbs were embedded, as well as holding up her bow. The Rangers had quickly learned how to shoot the new composite bows effectively and adjusted them to their own style – and were practically destroying all of the Dungeon Monsters they were coming up against in the forest. There were even a few more Crocatiles that popped up here and there, which required two or three Rangers to handle, but no one had been hurt…yet. She noticed that some of the Elves culling the Monsters were getting a little low on their explosive bolts, so she made a mental note to start producing more for them – as well as possibly adding other types of enchantments that might be effective.
* The Dwarven Shieldmen are using some of my constructs to hunt and destroy the Goblins and Golems near their village and I’d like to help you out that way as well. However, based on what I’ve seen of how you all operate, it looks like you tend to prefer stealth and attacking from concealed locations to prevent getting hurt – which is smart. I’m not sure if my constructs would be right for you in that situation, because they tend to be heavy and noisy when they move. *
“Yes, that doesn’t sound like that would work that well. The element of surprise is our most effective weapon, and taking that away could put us in even more danger; unless we’re traveling with an army of your constructs, I don’t think that would work.”
* Ok, then. How about this; of all the Monsters in the world that you can think of or have heard about, what would be the best, the most ideal, and the greatest help to you? You wouldn’t be able to see what it sees or anything, but you’d be able to give it simple commands that are shaped by your intention. *
That gave the Ranger some pause as she considered what Sandra was asking. After just over a minute, she shook her head in obvious frustration. “I’ve never thought of that before, and I have no idea. I’m going to have to ask the others to see if they have any thoughts about that; it’s such an unusual question that I can’t even imagine what would be ideal.”
* That’s easy enough to do right now. I’ll ask the others and see what they think, then I’ll come back to you. *
“What? Me? Why? I’m not nearly the most senior here, you know.”
* I like you, that’s why. You remind me a little of myself. *
Sandra didn’t mention that the reminder was of herself being a little clumsy, which she definitely was when she was Human. Regardless, that seemed to satisfy Chryla.
The Dungeon Core asked the other Rangers one by one, to see if they had any suggestions. Like Chryla, most of them said they needed to think about it; however, there was one that had an idea that they thought would work perfectly. Sandra mentioned it to the others and Chryla, of course, and while some hesitated and even shivered a little when they heard the name, all of them said they were willing to give it a try. The only problem was that what they had chosen wasn’t something that she recognized.
Therefore, after checking on her supply transport – which was now halfway to Grongbak – and seeing no issues, Sandra dove into her Advancement System and searched for what the Rangers suggested. Based on a vague description, she finally found it under a Fire and Nether-based Classification called Shadow Beasts – which was an interesting combination. Using 5 of her 60 Advancement Points (after gaining more AP from a variety of sources), she went ahead and purchased it.
New Dungeon Monster unlocked through Advancement!
Shadow Beasts (Fire/Nether):
Wyvine now available!
Wyvine
Luckily, the Wyvine wasn’t an Advanced Classification, which meant that it didn’t cost much Mana to create – at least compared to some of her other constructs and Dungeon Monsters. In all, with the reductions in the cost of both the Monster and Monster Seed, each one would only cost her 5500 Mana total; the Raw Materials needed for the Seed were essentially negligible, since she was still taking from the condensed sphere – though even that was starting to shrink rapidly with all of the Materials she had used lately. Fortunately, she had a lot of alternatives, as she had been turning everything she had absorbed lately into bars of Titanium that she was placing in her treasury.
It didn’t take long to make one of the new Wyvines and as soon as she did, Winxa freaked out a little bit.
“I said no dragons! Wait…no…from what I can see, that almost looks more like a lizard than anything else,” the Dungeon Fairy said, before flying closer to inspect the new Dungeon Monster.
Sandra thought that Winxa was half right; the Wyvine was certainly lizard-like, with its scaly skin and long tail, which reminded the Dungeon Core a little of the Reptiles from the now-destroyed dungeon. However, apart from the scaly skin, the Monster also had the general shape of a large cat and was at least 10 feet long from nose to the tip of its tail, as well as being 5 feet tall at the shoulder. The Wyvine had enormous claws on its feet…or paws or whatever they were referred to…that reminded her a little of the Bearling claws. The strangest part of the newly created Monster, though, was that it was completely black – as in, so black that it was difficult for Sandra to make out its finer details.
I don’t think that this would work so well in a forest; it would stand out amongst the background of natural colors out there…perhaps at night?
“Sandra, this is a Wyvine. Have you checked out its special abilities?” Winxa asked knowingly, after confirming that Sandra hadn’t created a dragon. Rather than ask what she was supposed to see, the Dungeon Core checked it out.
Wyvine
Current Elemental Energy:
Fire – 4000 energy
Nether – 4000 energy
Special Ability:
Muffled Step: 5 Fire energy per minute
Shadowwalker: 10 Nether energy per minute
Ah…I see. They were right – this will be perfect for them.
Chapter 22
Sandra sent the Wyvine out of her Roc tunnel because she had yet to seal it up; it was much easier for such large Dungeon Monsters to get out of her dungeon than through her entrance, mainly because she didn’t have to follow along and watch them navigate the VATS and squeeze through narrow tunnels. It was still possible, of course, but the Roc tunnel was such a convenient way to get outside; with that thinking, she was considering keeping it largely open and figuring out how to defend it from anything trying to invade. It would take a bit of work, and she would have to expand some of the sections to make rooms that she could then place traps inside, but it was certainly an option.
Along the way, she had the Wyvine test out its Special Abilities – Muffled Step and Shadowwalker – and was impressed at what it could do. The Muffled Step Ability was fairly self-explanatory; as it moved, the ability allowed it to move completely silently; not even with her enhanced senses inside of the dungeon could she hear it moving at all, even when she deliberately tried to make a noise. That would be perfect for the Elves hunting Dungeon Monsters inside of the forests, as moving silently through everything was a great advantage; she was relatively sure it would work even amongst dense foliage, as she could see red Fire energy in a sort of aura around the Monster. Whether it was literally burning the sound away or not, she didn’t know, but the result was that no sounds escaped the aura.
Shadowwalker was a different Ability altogether. When activated, the Wyvine projected its form into the smallest of shadows wherever it passed by, rendering it invisible; the Monster didn’t actually move itself into the shadows, but used them as a sort of camouflage. It was a similar invisibility to what Echo used, though hers bent light; this enveloped shadows nearby and used them to its advantage. Of course, in the full sun of midday in the wasteland, there was so much light and little in the way of shadows being cast that the Wyvine would be entirely exposed, but in the forests there were always some shadows around that it could use.
One last thing about the Wyvine, which she hadn’t been expecting based on its appearance – but should have – was that it was fast. In fact, if she was to compare its speed to one of her constructs, she would say that it was as quick as her Titanium Anacondas; not nearly as fast as the Aerie Roc or her Shears, which could cut through the air with ridiculous speed, but fast enough, nevertheless.
Because of that, her new Dungeon Monster raced through the Roc tunnel and made it to the forest where the Beast-Classification Dungeon Monsters were roaming around, and was where Chryla was currently hunting more Beasts. And all before her supply transport made it to the Orc village; the Animated Slab was certainly useful, but it was also quite slow.
* Special delivery for you, Chryla; I have that Wyvine we were talking about a few minutes ago. *
“Already? That was fast,” the Ranger whispered, still trying to stay as silent as possible while she tracked down some more roaming Beasts. “Do I need to go pick it up, or—?”
* Not at all. Look behind you. *
Chryla whirled around abruptly and screamed loudly as she fell backwards, after coming face-to-face with the Wyvine, which was staring at her blankly with its head cocked to the side. Sandra knew she shouldn’t feel amused at the reaction, but she had to admit that she was extremely amazed that not even the trained Elven Ranger had noticed its approach; of course, the Dungeon Core had cheated a little by activating its Muffled Step ability, but had left it visible to everything. Just as she had thought, the Wyvine stuck out amongst the forest like an ink blot on a blank piece of parchment, but it was evidently silent enough to navigate through the trees without any issues.
“That was a bit mean,” Chryla reprimanded Sandra as she picked herself up from where she had fallen, though she soon lost her fear and annoyance at the Dungeon Core’s actions. She looked fascinated as she approached the large lizard-feline form of the Wyvine, staring at its scaly skin and the way it would wave its tail around leisurely like a cat would.
“I’ve only heard about these before; I’ve never seen anything like it. I don’t know anybody here that has seen one in person, but I think we all know about the Wyvine; it’s a dangerous dungeon monster that is reportedly seen near a dungeon far to the south of Symenora, though the Rangers and Elites there fighting it off all have Holy elemental energy. If you diffuse a Holy-based light spell in a large enough area, it banishes all of the shadows and makes it much easier to see; other than getting lucky and hitting it while it hides in the shadows, that’s about the only way we’ve found to consistently destroy them.
“How…how is it that you can make one of these? And you said I can control it?”
* That’s one of my special abilities; I’m able to create just about any Dungeon Monster, though I have to unlock it first…and there are limits. Yes, you can control it – give it a try. *
Sandra explained the two different Special Abilities the Wyvine had and described how to give it orders with intent behind her whispered words. Chryla took to directing the Monster rather adeptly, making it slink through the underbrush with nary a sound and practically disappearing into the shadows caused by the dense foliage above. Within a few minutes, she even seemed to be enjoying herself.
“This is amazing!” she said after she had gotten the hang of controlling the Wyvine. “I think it’s time to test it out for real now.” So saying, she took off further into the forest, tracking what Sandra immediately identified (with a pair of Shears she sent ahead) as a large boar of some kind that was obviously a Dungeon Monster.
The Ranger made more noise than the Wyvine as they quickly caught up to the boar, which was actually quite large �
�� almost the same size as the new Shadow Beast Monster Sandra had just created. The Dungeon Core watched as Chryla sent her new assistant invisibly around the side of the enormous boar as she crouched down behind a tree, preparing to fire her bow.
Something must have alerted the boar to her presence, however, as it turned towards her location at the moment the Ranger released a steel bolt from her bow. Whereas the projectile should have gone through the boar’s eye, likely killing it immediately – which would have been an amazing shot – it instead skipped off of its skull, tearing a massive furrow in its skin and causing extensive bleeding from the horrid wound. Unfortunately, the wound was nowhere even close to fatal; in fact, it didn’t even seem to faze the Beast as it immediately charged towards Chryla scrambling to fire another bolt. Even hiding behind the tree probably wouldn’t do her much good because the boar seemed large enough that it could knock the admittedly thin trunk of the tree down in its effort to gore and kill the Ranger.
A vague blur was the only indication Sandra had of the Wyvine as it slammed into the boar from the side, after running into it at full speed. As soon as it touched the boar, the “invisibility” it had borrowed from the shadows was entirely gone and it was revealed in all of its splendor. The impact from Chryla’s new companion was strategic; the dark-colored lizard-cat hit with claws extended, which dug into the thick fur of the boar as its momentum caused the Wyvine to continue over and above the charging Dungeon Monster. The boar was pulled over to its other side as a result, and it crashed down with its own momentum causing it to slide forward, slamming into a nearby tree with tremendous force, cracking its trunk.
The Crafter's Darkness: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 4) Page 24