AN: Sorry for the long wait. I've been busy working to slay some nasty rule breaking stories...
Chapter 4: Summerset Woods
"Those were two of the most dangerous machines ever built. I guess they must have gone haywire..." Dryad said in a state of complete shock.
"Haywire?" I inquired, "So they weren't always evil?"
"No, not at all. They were built to defend Terraria from the crimson should it ever be released. I guess the spirit of dark must have corrupted their AI. Steampunker didn't think about that." Dryad explained, staring at the mechanical heaps.
"Steampunker?" I asked, still confused.
"Steampunker is a mechanic who works with brass and all things steam powered. She's famous around Terraria for inovating the three strongest- and, depending on who you ask, most flawless robots ever built. But the one thing she forgot is that robots are hackable, no matter how well the AI is designed. And if I'm correct, There are two more out there, probably corrupt." She answered worriedly.
"Those being?" I asked simply. Dryad sighed.
"Skeletron Prime and The Destroyer. Skeletron Prime's build mimics that of the demon, Skeletron's. For the destroyer, imagine this: The eater of worlds, made of hallowed bars and steel, five times longer, unsplittable, immune to all ill effects and shooting lasers. Also, it releases probes that are built for the sole purpose of gunning down anyone trying to oppose it." She retorted. I frowned and hoped that it would be a while before I faced them. Then came my last question,
"Hallowed bars?" I asked. The dryad smiled.
"The essence of the hallow. The strongest material on terraria. It's what that hammer of yours is made of. Speaking of, see if you can't pry some hallowed metal loose from the laser firing eye's remains." Dryad said enthusiastically.
"Good! That's probably twenty bars worth of it! Unfortunately, you can't start crafting with it until you have a mythril anvil. We'll get to that later. In the mean time, I say you need some new armor. Silver simply won't do!" The dryad said, looking at the haul of hallowed metal I had gathered.
"I have some palladium armor from... centuries ago. It was the armor that the first hero of Terraria wore when he banished the spirit of darkness and restored the hallow. He carried the legendary Terra blade, which has since been broken to pieces. Maybe one day you can restore it. But not today." The dryad added. I smiled.
"So, where is it?" I asked eagerly.
"My homeland. Summerset Woods." She said, barely containing her excitement.
"So be it. I say we set off." I said.
"You might want to see clothier first. Torn clothes are bound to get caught on the branches!" Dryad reminded me. I nodded and went to see the clothier.
"Ready? Good." Dryad said, answering her own question. I nodded. And with that, we set off. We headed west- I had never explored that way. We walked until night fell. We decided it was best to set up a camp.
"I've never been over here!" I said, admiring the scenery. We were in a mountainous area, full of rocky fields. Some small ponds dotted a few flat spots. There were only a few trees, all of which were very short. We decided to make a fire near the edge of one of the larger ponds, that dropped off in a waterfall. The moon was begining to rise, and we needed shelter, so I constructed three walls and a roof. I left the side facing the lake open. I had enough silk to make a large but thin sheet, Which we used as a blanket.
"This place is one of the few places that hasn't changed since I was last here. It truly is a place to admire." The dryad said. I silently agreed.
"So how close are we to Summerset Woods?" I asked, changing the subject.
"We're about half way there. You can't see the woods from here, though they are generally near." She replied. After that we stayed silent, and eventually fell asleep.
When I woke up in the morning, I felt surprisingly well rested. Not much had changed. The fire had died down, and the sun had risen. It was somewhat cold, even with the sun. I yawned and stood up, blinking several times.
"You're finally awake. It's about time. Come on, let's get going!" I heard Dryad say. I looked in the direction. Dryad was sitting on a rock about thirteen feet away.
"Alright, alright! Let's get going." I muttered. We set off again, avoiding any drop offs. Eventually, A large wood archway came into view, surrounded by the tallest trees I had ever seen. I stared at the entrance.
"This is my homeland. Summerset woods, home of the heroes." Dryad said. "Quite a scene, isn't it." I nodded.
When we finally reached the entrance, I found that it was surprisingly well lit. Wooden lanterns with a strange blue light in the middle served as torches. Two people with pointed ears guarded the entrance. They wore a strange green armor, and carried large red spears.
"Halt! By what right do you seek entrance?" They asked in perfect unison.
"By right of birth, I am the dryad!" The dryad said. They bowed and let her past.
"By right of glory, I am the slayer of the wall of flesh!" I replied. They Hesitated, then let me past. They did not bow. I slowly walked through, looking at the scene before me.