Core says "The guardians up until now have not been true sacred creatures. They have been mana beasts who were made into sacred beasts by the guardian spell. Then you came along and in raising Kechara you made her into a true sacred creature."

"How does that ruin the experiment?"

Core says "The previous guardians had shorter life spans due to the side effects of the guardian spell. Meaning the generations passed faster, but Kechara as a true sacred creature will live for hundreds of years at least. What's worse is she is highly likely to pass this trait on to her offspring."

"I am sorry to mess up the experiment, but I wouldn't change Kechara even if I could."

Core says "I am aware of that. The experiment, if it even is an experiment, was the dragon's. Kechara being so much stronger than planned is a good thing in my eyes. Especially now that she is here with me. Not to mention the fact that I am no longer a baby is also thanks to you."

"You mean the power I fed into the barrier allowed you to grow up?"

Core says "Basically, yes."

"So, if I fed more power into the barrier would you continue to age? Would you become more powerful?"

Core says "I don't know. In theory it would, but I can't be sure."

"Was it you or the barrier who reached out to me to beg for more power?"

Core says "That was the barrier itself. It is stronger now than it ever was before, thanks to you."

"Does the barrier have a mind of its own then? Or some kind of will that drives it apart from you?"

Core says "Not to my knowledge. It has never acted on its own before, and it has never communicated with me."

"Well then, how about we let it decide? I will go and offer power to the barrier, we can let it decide if it wants it."

Core says "That would be an acceptable experiment."

"I do have a favor to ask though."

Core says "What is it?"

"If you do get older, could you create some clothes for yourself?"

Core says "Ah, yes. Sorry, I have never had to worry about such things before."

"It's okay. I will go see if the barrier is hungry."

Kechara and Asuna stay with Core while Bones follows me out and back down the stairs. The view from up here is incredible, except for the thousands of driders crowding the plaza and all the streets. Looking at all of them I realize how cocky it was of me to think I could kill them all by myself.

At the bottom of the stairs I stop about a foot from the barrier and wait to see what happens. The driders on the other side are attacking the barrier constantly but they can't hurt it. After a minute a small tendril forms and reaches out to me so I offer it my power.

This time I let it have as much as it wants and it absorbs all of my sacred power. Once my sacred power is gone but before the tendril disappears I offer it the tiniest amount of divine power. The divine power hovers above my finger like a white star and I notice the nearby driders backing away.

Bones passes through the barrier into the pocket created by the retreating driders and begins attacking them. At first I am tempted to call him back, but since he can't die I decide to leave him be. The tendril moves around my finger as if it is sniffing the divine power but then retreats without taking it.

1 Drider defeated! 100 Exp gained!

Since the driders reacted to the divine power I decide to step through the barrier and join Bones. Mainly because I want to test how effective my spells are that use divine power. To my surprise when I try Holy Light every drider within one hundred and fifty feet of me turns to ash.

47 Driders defeated! 4700 Exp gained!

I was expecting it to hurt them, not turn them all to ash instantly. When I check the spell I realize now that it has leveled up it does double my wisdom as damage. Which currently means it is doing just over twelve hundred damage for the cost of seventy divine power.

Since my divine power is now fifteen hundred I can cast Holy Light a lot. So I wait until the driders rush back in and fill up the area around me and then cast it again. The result is the same but the driders just keep coming, rushing to their deaths.

210 Skeletons defeated! 5250 Exp gained!

341 Zombies defeated! 6820 Exp gained!

391 Driders defeated! 39100 Exp gained!

Congratulations! You have gained a level!

Level 11: HP +200, DP +100, Stat Points +5!

Spells: Bless Weapon Level 5, Repel Undead Level 4, Holy Armor Level 3, Cure Poison Level 3!

New Spell: Holy Shock Level 1!

Abilities: Holy Aura Level 5, Aura of Health Level 2!

Bones has gained a level!

'Awesome! We both leveled! Let's see, Holy Shock!'

Holy Shock

Level: 1

DP Cost: 100 Range: 50 feet.

Damage: Wisdom x 2

Shoots holy lightning in a line.

'Another damage spell! Sweet!'

Before the driders can reach us I grab Bones and back through the barrier. Leveling up may have refilled my divine power but I am still feeling worn out from casting so many spells. Bones seems upset, probably because he didn't get to fight much once I joined in.

When we return to the chamber I find that Core has indeed changed, she now looks seventeen or eighteen. Luckily, she did as I asked and created herself a dress so she is covered. Unfortunately, I can tell she is wearing nothing under it but I do my best not to look.

She is thousands of years old but she still looks like a kid to me, so I do my best not to think about it. I start a fire and cook dinner, when it is ready I offer Core some. She accepts but seems confused so I end up having to teach her how to eat.

"Now that dinner is over would you mind finishing the story?"

Core says "Of course. Once the spiders were inside the city the fighting grew complicated. Many of our people were trapped and unable to reach the column, which was where the gate was. They barricaded themselves in their homes and waited for rescue."

"If the enemy controlled the streets how did you manage to rescue them?"