Looking around I find another problem, other than the stairs there is no room for us to camp. While we could camp on the stairs that just doesn't sound comfortable at all. Not to mention it would be hard to sleep with a thousand driders only a few feet away.

I don't think I could ever trust the barrier enough to sleep in that situation. Not to mention there is no room to build a fire, and I would like to be able to have a hot meal. Even if it is the same food, something about eating it hot makes it feel more substantial.

'Let's see how far it is to level 11. Class!'

Class: Sacred Crusader

Level: 10 Exp: 56,700/102,400

'Almost fifty thousand exp?! That is around five hundred driders!'

The idea of sitting here and killing that many more driders leaves me feeling even more exhausted. Before I do any more killing I want a hot meal and a good night's sleep. Neither of which are going to be found here, so once everyone has rested a bit I start walking up the stairs.

The stairs follow the curve of the column as they go up, they are carved out of the column itself. The wall next to the stairs has been smoothed and carved into images. The first one is the founding of the city and then the others depict important events.

It pretty closely matches what I read in the history book, but like the book it ends before mentioning the driders. After that the wall is smooth as though waiting for the next image to be carved. It would seem that whatever happened, no one had the time afterwards to record it.

If that is the case then this lifeform I am looking for might be my only chance to find out what happened. Following the stairs we eventually come to a set of doors about halfway up the column. There is no guard rail so it is quite a drop we are walking next to by the end.

You would think now that I have wings it wouldn't bother me, but that isn't the case. Even though I know I have wings and would be fine if I fell, looking down still causes an instinctive fear. So when we reach a small landing and find the large double doors it is a relief.

The doors are beautifully carved and are covered in gold, or made of gold, I can't tell which. They swing open easily when I give them a push revealing a short hallway that leads into a room. The room is large and circular and in the center of it there is a bed, which seems odd.

Kechara suddenly pushes me aside and rushes over to the bed and when she does something on the bed moves. A small pale hand rises out of the sheets and starts to pet Kechara on the head. After a minute the sheets move back and a figure is revealed, she looks like a child.

She has long blonde hair, sharply pointed ears, and bright green eyes but she only looks to be around eight years old. While Kechara seems very happy to see her, Asuna doesn't react at all, which tells me it is a guardian thing. The girl sits up, luckily she is wearing a dress, and as she turns to look at me I can feel the power she possesses.

??? says "Greetings, Ash."

It takes me a couple of minutes to puzzle out what she said since she is speaking in elven. Her voice is light and musical yet at the same time rough as if her mouth is dry. Or considering the situation it might be because she has never used it before.

??? says "Would it be easier for you if we spoke in your language?"

"Yes, much! My knowledge of your language isn't very good."

??? says "That is fine. I am sure you have a lot of questions and I will do my best to answer them. But first let me say thank you!"

"What are you thanking me for?"

??? says "First, it was your delicious power that allowed me to fully awaken. Second, Kechara is the first guardian to ever make it to me."

"Oh, well, you are welcome?"

??? says "I am sorry to tell you that now that she is here, Kechara is going to need to stay with me for a while."

"Um, can I ask why?"

??? says "There is much that I need to teach her, and now that she is here I can help her grow stronger. This will also improve the barrier so that the matriarch cannot escape."

"The matriarch? Is that what is controlling the driders?"

??? says "Yes. It is an ancient being that is pure evil and is the reason this city was destroyed."

"I would like to hear that story from the beginning if possible. But first, how should I address you?"

??? says "I have no name. When the barrier was created I was just an infant. I was used as the heart of the barrier but the mages who cast the spell never expected me to awaken."

"Would you like me to give you a name?"

??? says "You do not have enough power to name me. For now simply call me Core."

"Oh, alright. Just out of curiosity, how much power would it take to name you?"

Core says "About five times what you currently have."

"So around ten thousand? Wow! Is that because you are the core of the barrier?"

Core says "No, I was born normally. I just happened to be born at the right time to be used as the core of the barrier."

"They took a normal child and used it as the core of the spell?"

Core says "Yes. There is a saying from your world that fits,'desperate times call for desperate measures' I believe is how you say it."

"That is correct, but how could you possibly know that?"

Core says "The same way I know your language. I learned it from you. When you fed me your power I also gained access to your mind. Although I was asleep at the time, the information still came to me."

"So you know everything I know?"

Core says "Not quite. Since I was asleep a lot of it came to me as dreams. Now I can only remember bits and pieces."

"Do you remember enough to be aware of the world outside and what is going on?"

Core says "Yes. Each time you fed me power I learned more from you. I know pretty much your entire story since you were summoned. I also know about your time limit and the options you will have when you die. It is only the knowledge of your old world that I only have fragments of."

"That is probably for the best. My old world is knowledge that shouldn't exist in this world."

Core says "From the little I can remember, I agree. Your old world was quite the mess!"

"So, does that mean that you don't know anything from before I fed you power?"

Core says "No. I was aware from the moment the barrier activated. However, my knowledge is limited to what happened within range of the barrier."

"So you know all about the city and what happened to it but nothing from outside?"

Core says "Correct. My only knowledge of the outside is from overheard conversations and now you."

"Okay, so can you tell me what happened to this city? And what is controlling the driders?"

Core says "Yes, I can. It is a long story so you should make yourself comfortable."