After that thought crosses my mind I immediately jump to my feet and run back into the drake's room. My hope is I can open the doors back to the other trials, maybe I can retake the trials. If so then I can feed on more shadow demons!

Unfortunately, the doors back to the rest of the trials don't budge no matter what I do to them. Although, I do manage to vent some frustration by trying to beat them into submission. Well, that option is gone, only two choices now.

Either I figure out how to force my core to upgrade, or I focus completely on swordsmanship. I will spend the next few days trying to work on my core, if I can't figure it out by then, I will focus on the sword. With that in mind I decide to meditate and take a look at my core.

Normally I would just chip away at my core little by little until my demonic power is drained. Since I hit rank two that hasn't been having any effect, so now I need to figure out a different way to do it. First, I try changing the manifestation of my will into different elements to see if anything affects the core.

None of the elements, not even lightning, have any effect at all on my core so that isn't the answer. Normally I would work at my core with the minimum demonic power, maybe if I use more at a time to create a stronger effect? Trying it quickly depletes my power reserve, but it seems like I am on the right track.

So after meditating for ten hours to fill my power reserve I decide to try it again. This time I use all of my demonic power at once. There is an effect, although it only amounts to a few scratches, but I am on the right track.

I meditate to refill my power again and try again using all my power. This time I focus more intently to hold the power to a single point. It works a bit better but it is still sloppy, it isn't the power that is lacking, it is my focus.

Losing ten hours every time I fail to refill my demonic power is very frustrating, but it is still better than losing ten years to master the sword. Although it is a gamble, even if I make it to rank three there is no guarantee that it will increase my power enough to beat the barrier. But since I can't think of any other alternatives I just have to keep trying until I do it right.

Several days pass and the frustration mounts, until I can't control my anger anymore and just try to smash my core with everything I have. It doesn't work of course since I don't have anywhere near the power needed to hurt my core. But the next time I try I am able to calm myself and focus just enough for it to have an effect.

Core Upgrade Progress: 1%

Congratulations! You have unlocked the special stat Willpower!

Willpower +1!

'What?!? A new stat? What is that supposed to mean? Status!'

Name: Ash

Race: Black Lion Demon Beast

Type: Unique Demon

Rank: 2

Titles: (3) The Merciful, Blessed by the Light, Anti-Hero

HP: 2072/2072

DP: 520/520

Strength: 249

Agility: 223

Endurance: 213

Intelligence: 149

Wisdom: 185

Charisma: 75

Willpower: 1

Unspent Points: 50

'Seriously? It gave me an entirely new stat just for this? Okay, fine! Let's put all my unspent points into willpower then!'

Points cannot be added to willpower!

'Argh!! Stupid system! Just shut up and do what I tell you!'

Points cannot be added to willpower!

Needless to say I lose quite a bit of time in ranting and swearing, but in the end my willpower is still just one. So I am guessing the willpower stat represents my focus, so increasing it will hopefully make working on my core easier. The problem now is how to raise it since I can't use my unspent points on it.

Since I don't know enough and can't think of a way to raise the stat I return to my routine. It is less frustrating now that I know I can make progress but it still isn't as fast as I want it to be. The ten hours after every attempt is the worst part, I wish the meditate skill could evolve.

Then again I am looking at months of effort not years, I need to calm myself and stop getting frustrated. When I am meditating I am fine, my mind clears and my emotions are under control. But as soon as meditation ends I get swamped by frustration and worry.

Time is my enemy, I am worried about time because I am worried about my friends. So I need to stop worrying about my friends somehow because my worry is making this take longer. I give up for now on my core and get something to eat while I consider things.

If I want to see my friends again I need to get out of here, to stop worrying. The only thing I can do is learn to trust them to take care of themselves. I force myself to carefully think through all their strengths and abilities. I trust them to fight with me so I should be able to trust them to fight without me.

Once I settle my mind I climb in my hammock to get some real sleep. After I wake up and eat I return to working on my core and two days pass.

Core Upgrade Progress: 3%

Willpower +1!

As soon as my willpower goes up again it gets a little easier to focus on what I am doing. It is strange to see results in real time like that. It does help encourage me to keep going though.

Core Upgrade Progress: 10% +10 DP

Willpower +1!

Core Upgrade Progress: 20% +10 DP

Core Upgrade Progress: 25%

Willpower +1!

Just like that I realize a month has passed since I started working on my core. At this rate I should be able to get rank three in three or four months. But I need a distraction for a bit, my brain feels like it is going to melt if I meditate any more.

It's been long enough, a chat with the goddesses if they show up should help. Maybe they have some information about demons that can help me. After all they battled them for who knows how long, they must have learned something.