The scent-taste of a great many Coreless pressed down on my tongue as the-female-who-was-not-Needle carried me closer to the center of the many-nest. A nearly-equally great number of [Little Guardian’s Totem]s pressed against my senses, a sign of just how far I had come in converting the Coreless of the many-nest.

For a moment, I scraped my fangs across the great mass of connections, catching flashes of the disciples that were in contact with their Totem. It was comforting.

A hand came up, and the-female-who-was-not-Needle absently scratched at my head-scales. I leaned into the touch; it wasn’t quite comfortable, with the way that my head-scales still pounded after I tried to push [Life Essence Manipulation] too far, but it was a welcome distraction from the pain.

“I’m seeing a lot of [Little Guardian’s Totem]s out there now. You’re getting popular, huh?” she said, baring her teeth. I twisted my neck around curiously as she walked, noticing that a few of the Coreless had a great many snake-shaped objects with them. They weren’t all proto-totems, though most were; some were small and made of stone, while others were like illusions of color imprinted on thin slabs. Some were stone carvings, and others were made of stranger materials.

But they were all me somehow, just like the darkwood carvings were - the core embedded in each snake’s head-scales was proof of that. The Great Core.

They didn’t all have quite the same allure to them, though. I knew, deep within myself, that the wooden carvings affixed to threads could most easily become a [Little Guardian’s Totem]. The others wouldn’t take the mana quite as easily, or quite as strongly. Still, I gave a hiss of approval for the Coreless who created them, helping to spread the image of the Great Core.

As we walked, I heard light hisses from the Coreless around us, snippets of conversation that I couldn’t understand. Their volume seemed to grow as the Coreless noticed us walking among them. They spilled over one another in a chaotic mess; even if I could understand the words, I would have likely had trouble.

“...Little Guardian...heal now?”

“...saved my Ronnie, just two days ago. Led one of the Seekers right to him.”

“...that necklace?”

A flash of [JOY] and [RELIEF] caught my attention as I continued skimming across the nearby connections. I twisted my head around to meet it.

Something broke through the nearby crowds, a shouting that gathered the attention of the gathered Coreless.

“Little Guardian, Little Guardian!” a tiny Coreless cried out, dragging an older female behind him. “See, mama, I told you that he would find us and save you! He always does!” He stopped in front of the-female-who-was-not-Needle, suddenly losing his confidence. Tiny fingers snaked up towards the [Little Guardian’s Totem] around his neck, gripping it tight. Suddenly, [JOY] shifted into an odd mixture of [NERVOUSNESS] and [ANTICIPATION].

The female Coreless stumbled to a halt behind him, legs trembling, barely able to stay standing. Her face was pale, and dark bruises had taken root underneath her eyes. A familiar wooden carving hung from her neck, lifeless and untouched. It wasn’t a Totem yet, but it could be.

Her chest heaved with each hard-won breath, coming out in wet, heavy rasps as she fought for enough air to fill her lungs. Her gaze wavered, and the scent-taste of death and dying clung tightly to her skin.

The Coreless’ breath hitched for a moment; she raised a pale, shaking hand to defend against a violent cough.

It was red when it came back down.

Her legs finally gave out and she tumbled to the floor, sucking in rasping breaths.

“You can help my mama, right? You can save mama, right? Anna said that you could, that you could do anything!” the tiny Coreless shouted. His voice trembled and choked, yet cut across the now-silent crowd regardless. Fluids spilled from his eyes in great rivers, and I tried to force myself not to sense what was behind them.

“ ...right?” the voice, now small and quiet, asked. A wave of [NEED] spilled from the tiny Coreless’ connection, coupled a moment later by a stream of emotions that felt as if they would knock me over with their strength: [HOPE/TRUST/CERTAINTY].

Even the other Coreless seemed to feel the little Coreless’ burning [NEED], if the sudden flood of [HORROR] and [SYMPATHY] was any indication - or maybe there was something in those trembling words that I couldn’t quite understand.

In the end, that didn’t matter. I knew what he wanted. I just didn’t know if I could give it to him. [Life - Invigorating Bite] wasn’t always strong enough - more than once, over the past few days, I had failed.

And the female at his side already looked close to death. Smelled like it. Tasted like it.

I could see the way that the other Coreless in the area were watching with widened eyes. A few of them had inched away from the dying Coreless, their own faces growing nearly as pale as hers. Some held fast to a [Little Guardian’s Totem] around their neck, while others had nothing to hold onto.

Through the nearby Totems, I could sense [fear].

Even in those without, I could sense the fear. I could see it. I could understand it.

Most of them feared for her. Some of them feared for themselves. Either way, I had the chance to take that fear away, even with the weaknesses of my [Life Essence Manipulation]. My mana was nearly full; it would be more than enough. Hopefully.

But even more than the others, it was the tiny Coreless that drew me to act. The way that he held tight to the female at his side despite the death-scent that clung to her. The way that he looked at me. The way that he trusted me.

The tiny Coreless had faith in the Great Core. The tiny Coreless had faith in its Champion. The tiny Coreless had faith in me.

I wouldn’t - couldn’t - betray the trust in his eyes.

Faith should always be rewarded.

I pulled myself down from the-female-who-was-not-Needle’s shoulder, reaching the fallen Coreless in a few careful slithers.

Her skin was slick with fluids, and far hotter than it should have been. I stuck to its surface with [Clinging Grasp], moving straight upwards. And then, when I climbed high enough, I bit down.

The female Coreless flinched - and a stream of life essence spilled from my fangs, dragged along by [Life Essence Manipulation]. When the stream began to run dry, [Mana-Life Conversion] refilled it, transforming a significant section of my mana’s brilliant blue to a glimmering gold.

The stream ran dry again, and I filled it back up. And then did it again, ignoring the flickering of the thought-light.

Lesser Core Skill: [Life - Invigorating Bite V] Increased.

[Life - Invigorating Bite VI] Acquired.

Just as I was preparing to use what might have been the last of my reserves, her trembling began to still. Her skin began to cool. Her color began to return.

And when I released my hold on her, she no longer held the scent-taste of death.

I touched the lifeless carving on my way back down, and the new Totem began to glow with mana-light. The same sensation from before, the one that I had been feeling for a while now, came back again.

When I reached the ground, the gathered crowds of Coreless were silent.

Watching.

And then moving.

One by one, it seemed as if all of those who lacked a [Little Guardian’s Totem] came forward. One by one, they gained them. One by one, a drop of glimmering gold fell on each of those who came, and they stood a little taller than before.

One by one, they became mine.

It wasn’t difficult, even with my mana as drained as it was. [Little Guardian’s Totem] was so high level that I barely noticed a drain anymore, and a drop of life essence was just that - a single drop.

I could handle that easily.

What I could sense through the links made me eager to do it.

Trust. Wonder. Gratitude. Awe.

And all the while, that strange sensation never went away. I felt like I was stretching.

Lesser Core Skill: [Little Guardian’s Totem XXIII] Increased.

[Little Guardian’s Totem XXIV] Acquired.

Growing.

Lesser Core Skill: [Life - Invigorating Bite VI] Increased.

[Life - Invigorating Bite VII] Acquired.

Changing.

Lesser Core Skill: [Little Guardian’s Totem XXIV] Increased.

[Little Guardian's Totem MAX] Acquired.

Conditions Met.

Analyzing...

Becoming something more.

Minor Title: [Little Guardian] Removed.

Gained Major Title: [Little Guardian].

Description: You have been marked by a potent Legend: You are the Snake that guards the weak from terrors that hide in darkness. You are the Viper that heals the dying and broken. You are the Serpent that guides the lost home again.

Gained the Lesser Core Skills: [Little Guardian’s Totem MAX] [Little Guardian’s Focus I].