'I can't feel my body... everything is so dark. Am I heading to the afterlife...?'

Ace was in a state of complete darkness, unable to move or feel any sensation in his body. He lay there, waiting for death to come and claim him. He closed his eyes, welcoming the emptiness awaiting his arrival to the otherside.

'Human...' a voice called out.

'What was that...?' Ace wondered. Amidst the darkness, the first thing he heard was a deep voice calling out to him.

'Details are not important. As of right now, you are dying.'

'So are you saying I'm not dead yet? '

'Correct, but with my power I can bring you back though I ask for something in exchange that will be trivial on your end.'

'A contract with the devil? Sorry, but with all the darkness around me, I can't trust anything right now.' Ace says, deducing the impressions of the speaker's words.

Ace became wary of the voice. The way it sounded deep yet powerful at the same time made him hesitant to trust it. In such a situation, it made more sense for Ace to wait for his impending death.

'No, it is a contract with an Elder Drake. It will prove to be mutual for both of us.'

As he drifted closer and closer, Ace began to see a clearer image amidst the darkness. A giant monster appeared before him, its black and dark purple scales giving it the appearance of an evil dragon. Its bright purple eyes leered at Ace, and what stood out most was its chest, which held an appearance similar to a Dragonstone.

'So this is your form. If you're willing to bring me back, what's in it for you? I'm sure you're aware than my real body is probably seconds away from dying. I don't see how I can help you."

'I simply require a part of your essence to take on a form and live once again. If you have noticed already, I am nothing but an active Dragon Core. I do not want to be used in the wrong hands if I cannot get myself out of here. But I know you are a summoned Hero, and I do not sense any evil intentions from you. I am confident can trust you with my power.'

The Dragon showed the illusion of its Dragon Core sitting in a room. It was indeed the piece on its chest that Ace was eyeing. Ace knew that this Dragon must hold overwhelming power, recognizing the chest piece. Recalling the one on the throne, this was very much the same.

'So it's a mutual benefit if I agree to this. Will I face any repercussions for giving you whatever essence you need? I'd imagine I won't be exactly the same when I come back.'

'I believe this proposition will mostly benefit you than me. I will have not have primal form, since I am using my power to bring you back.'

'How can I trust you?'

'You have no other option do you? I am being honest that I won't be in peak condition if you accept my proposition. Is it not generous I am giving you more than me? I swear I will not cheat you of my conditions on my honour as the dark Elder Drake.'

For a moment, Ace thought about this proposition. He knew that there could only be one choice he had to make if he wanted to find Luna in this world.

'Fine, you can use whatever energy you need from me. I'm trusting you, whether I live or not depends on whatever method you're using. Eitherway, I'd rather gamble on this second chance you're offering me.'

'Good, with your permission our mutual benefit is set. It will take a while for your waking. I will see you in the real world, Hero.'

Ace's consciousness blacked out as he was no longer awake in the darkness. However, in the real world, his broken body started to repair itself. Mana entered his body, transforming his blood and making the body even stronger than before. However, Ace still needed time to rest for this new power to merge within his body.

Within a week, Ace opened his eyes, only to find himself in a dark room. Strangely enough, Ace was able to see clearly, as if there was daylight. When he looked up, he saw a small baby dragon on his chest, looking towards him. It had the same dark scales as the Elder Drake and it flapped its wings as Ace stood up, looking at each other eye to eye.

"Good, you are awake. Your body seems to have finished regenerating."

Ace gasped in surprise. He recognised the voice from the baby dragon.

"You're the... Elder Drake...?" Ace asked.

"Indeed. If it weren't for that Fallen cushioning the impact, you perhaps would've died," the Dragon replied, still retaining its deep voice, which did not fit its appearance. It was the first time Ace had communicated with such a creature.

"Fallen...? Is that what the enemy was called? And your body... I'd expected us to be in a dragon's lair, and here we are in some strange room, and you're in this baby form..." Confused about his surroundings, Ace looked around, trying to find an exit, but with no luck, he returned to his stares on the small dragon.

"You were in very bad shape. I used so much of my power that most of it now resides in you, hence the reason for my small form."

"So this is what you meant when you mentioned that I would receive the most benefits. I didn't expect to be resurrected like this."

"It was lucky for both you and me. You are a worthy candidate of my power, great hero."

'This Dragon knew of the enemy that tried to kill me. He called it a 'Fallen'. Now I have some questions to ask.'

"So, you mentioned this 'Fallen' what are they? I don't see the corpse of the one I pushed off anywhere in this room." Ace looked for the armored figure that he fought with, but there was no trace of its body anywhere.

"The Fallen is a minion of the Dark God Vumor. They're enemies raised from the dead and are capable of using abilities it has learnt when they were alive. When they're defeated, their bodies slowly disappear. This concerns me. If Vumor can summon his Fallen now, that means his seal is weakening."

"Dark God? Vumor...? Care to explain more?"

"It seems you don't know. It is best to explain from the start." The Dragon began to explain everything Ace needed to know.

To summarize, Elder Drakes were hunting down a Demi-God named Vumor, who sought to use his power to create his own desired world. This all happened due to a disagreement between him and the other Gods. Unfortunately, several gods had been slain by him, and their powers were absorbed, increasing his power as a Dark God.

Vumor had the power to raise the dead, who the Alliance had referred to as the 'Fallen', the same enemy that tried to kill Ace. Using the Fallen, a war broke out, allowing the alliances of all kingdoms and Gods to fight Vumor, which the alliance barely won, thanks to the sacrifice of some of the Elder Drakes and Heroes that they summoned, sealing Vumor in the process.

After such an event, the Gods built Sacred Dungeons around the country as both training grounds and treasure spots, preparing Heroes who would fight Vumor once his seal was broken. However, the Kingdoms turned against the remaining Elder Drakes and sought their power. They harvested their Dragon Core and turned it into Dragonstones, which held many possibilities and were used for war purposes against each other.

The Elder Drake speaking with Ace now is a survivor that was saved by Artes, the God who made this dungeon. Hoping that he could serve his power to a worthy candidate, he asked the God Artes to place him in this dungeon as one of its treasures, leading up to Ace's arrival.

"...So the Gods prophesized the arrival of heroes? Being used for the Kingdom war happening now?" Ace asked.

"Unfortunately not... It was supposed to be the leader of the Elder Drakes to hold the role of summoning the Heroes. In this world's time of crisis." The Dragon looked at Ace. "You being here is simply a miracle that I was able to take on this weak form. In exchange for your humanly essence. Of course, in exchange I gave you most of my dormant power."

Ace looked at his hands and arms. He gripped the air, sensing that his body was stronger than usual.

"Yeah, thanks for that. If you're an Elder Drake, do you have the power to send me back?" Ace asked.

"Regrettably, not. The stone that is the most capable of sending you home is the Light Dragonstone. It's the most powerful stone that can be used to power your trip back home.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"So I'm stuck here until I fight some Kingdom for it."

"No... you are stuck here until you defeat Vumor. The Light Dragonstone you need is in the Dark Territory. The Light Elder Drake had to sacrifice themselves to seal Vumor in the Dark Territory, and all the other drakes like myself were hunted down and killed off and harvested for parts. Except for me and another one in hiding."

"I'm sorry for your loss but let me return to your topic earlier about my trip back home. The King stated I need the power of seven stones to teleport back home. What's the meaning of this?" Ace became confused.

"The Light Dragonstone is the only stone that has the affinity to return you back home safely. Since it belonged to the most powerful Elder Drake it can send you back safely since it takes more power to send someone to the other world, but I assume for your case, you were summoned here through the power of a singular stone correct?"

"I think so?"

"Hm, none of the other Elder Drakes have such a compatibility to summon heroes on our own, in my primal time we all collectively worked together under our leader to bring heroes here to fight a common enemy. Lucius the light Elder Drake was the only one with the compatibility to do so and even they needed a catalyst."

"Huh? And how the hell was I summoned if that's the case?! A lot of people from my world were summoned to this world, to fight in a war!" Ace began to raise his voice.

"A single dragonstone would require time to recharge if using it as the sole catalyst but it might not be enough. Bringing Heroes full of potential from the other world takes in too many resources meaning that to summon you, there might've been additional resources that were used in the process."

"Like what?" Ace tilted his head.

"An easy answer would be lives of others. Sucking their mana and their entire life force to power the Dragonstones."

Ace had gone quiet after the Dragon's explanation. He wondered, how many people were sacrificed from this world just to summon several hundred from his. Ruining the lives of people like him, just to be used as soldiers for a pointless war.

"So, there was no need for me to be summoned here?"

"Hm, I would say so. But the fact that the Fallen is acting up again. I do say that this world now needs you at a suitable timing."

"Lucky me."

"I do find it concerning that this King wants to collect the stones. From memory, they should be scattered before I fell in battle. The earth Elder Drake should be safe, but if someone gathers enough stones..." The Dragon trailed off not finishing his sentence.

"What?" Ace asked, wanting the answer.

"Well, you're capable to harness incredible power only if the body is a strong enough vessel. What kind of character is this King?"

"If he's summoned me here to be a super soldier than I see him as selfish." Ace answered in an annoyed tone. "But with me gone, I'm sure he's still capable enough to gather these stones himself. But after hearing your talk about Vumor, it's concerning that he's made these 'Fallen' target me."

"Is that so?" The Dragon tilted its head with intrigue. "So are you willing to aid me to defeat this Dark God? We need to gather our strength strong enough to defeat him."

"Well, I don't really have a choice. I need this light stone to go home right? And you saved my life so I have to pay you back somehow."

"I knew I was right about your character." The Dragon says with an approving tone. "Is there more Heroes like you?"

"No, I'm the only one. I assume we'll be working together for the time being."

"A long time, our strength alone is not enough. Hero, what should I call you?"

"Ace."

"The Inera Kingdom I once protected has referred to me as Darklin. You may call me that."

Ace thought about his new situation in the dungeon, recalling that he had been forced to follow Regis' orders. Now he was free, with no one to force him into war. However, his thoughts kept returning to Luna, and he wondered if he could find her in this world.

"Once we're out. There's someone I want to find, someone who was also teleported here. Is that okay with you, Darklin?" Ace asked.

"It is fine. We lack the manpower to defeat a dark god on our own."

"If he's targeting me than we might not be safe once were out."

"If his seal is weakening it is unavoidable. For now let's focus on our survival here."

Ace realized that he was hungry, and remembered that he only had some adventurer rations in his magic inventory. There was also no sign of any weapons he could use. However, there was a chest in the room next to where Darklin's core was supposed to be, containing numerous potions. Ace placed them in his bag, but there was still nothing he could use as a weapon.

"Well, I'm unarmed, and the door is completely blocked off," Ace said, looking at the doorway, which was buried under a pile of rocks with no way for him to squeeze through. In other words, he was trapped in the room until they could find a way out.

"A while back, someone did enter this room," Darklin said. "But once they saw my Dragon Core, they immediately destroyed the entrance."

"Why would they do that?" Ace asked.

"Maybe to prevent the misuse of my power. Maybe they know that this King is dangerous." Darklin replied. "Though it is an interesting theory, we need to combine our strengths to destroy these rocks blocking our way."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Ace asked. "Do you have enough firepower in your breath to destroy all this debris?"

"I would need your help to do that," Darklin said.

Ace was dumbfounded. He had only imagined that he would have to carry each rock one by one to reduce the layer of debris.

"Why don't you check your status?" Darklin suggested. "I believe everyone has that ability, correct?"

Following Darklin's suggestion, Ace activated his status, causing numerous magical texts to appear before him, lighting up the room. Although Ace could read the text, from Darklin's perspective, the characters were unrecognisable, leaving only Ace to confirm his newfound power.

Ace

Human Male (Dragon Blood)

Age: 17

Job(s): Rogue, Dragon Knight

Title(s):

Status Level: 25

Strength: 3000

Vitality: 3500

Magic: 2000

Magic Resistance: 2500

Agility: 3000

New Abilities

-Dark Flame Manipulation (Magic)

-Mana Manipulation (Passive)

-Iron Skin (Passive)

-Regeneration (Passive)

-Night Vision (Passive)

'What? My stats are even higher than before...! And I can even use magic now.'

Though Ace had one concern about his newfound abilities.

"I've never used magic before. How do I even chant...?" Ace asked.

"Fortunately for you, the flames of a Dragon require no chant," Darklin explained. "In your case, you must think of your flames as an extension of your body. They can come from your fists or your legs. Try to imagine the flow of mana coming out of your fist or a flame. All it takes is the imagination to strengthen your flames."

"Alright," Ace said, taking a stance. After a few seconds, he threw a punch, letting out a fireball that hit the debris of rocks.

'It's that easy...' There's so much potential with just this ability alone.'

"Alright, try to imagine a continuous flame," Darklin said. "I'll join in this time." Darklin opened his mouth and charged a mighty fiery breath.

"On my mark, Ace," Darklin communicated to Ace via telepathy. It surprised him to hear Darklin's voice in his head, but he followed Darklin's instructions, holding both hands out.

"You're a natural, Ace," Darklin said. "On three... two... one..."

Both of them let out a roar of dark flames, incinerating the rocks into dust and opening a pathway out of the room. However, this attracted the attention of the patrolling monsters near the vicinity. Ace quickly hid behind a rock for cover, sensing the monsters near him and recognizing the weight behind their footsteps.

"That's not good..." Ace commented.

"There are three of them," Darklin communicated. The Dragon's eyes began to glow, detecting the enemy's numbers before seeing them.

"How are you communicating through telepathy...?!" Ace unconsciously directed his thoughts towards the small dragon.

"You just did," Darklin replied. "Thanks to my power inside you, our minds can be easily linked when you put your thoughts into it. Do you feel your mind feeling connected when you try to relay something to me?"

"More or less, I think I understood from the first time," Ace replied.

'What should I do...?' Ace thought to himself.

With no weapon in hand, Ace had to rely on his powers. He lit up a small fireball in his hand, ready to engage the enemy. Although he was unsure whether or not he could handle a few enemies on an unknown floor.

'I'll take the first charge. Cover me once I have their attention,' Ace relayed his plan to Darklin, who nodded in response.

Ace stepped out, seeing three minotaurs. His memory became fuzzy when he saw the monsters. He knew that Alan and Dave had handled a previous Minotaur in a previous fight, but for some odd reason, he knew that there were other people involved.

"Incinerate...!" Ace let out a dark flame thrower, burning the two minotaurs in front of him. However, there was one behind them, taking cover from the flames. Ace didn't notice the tenacity of the two minotaurs in front, who let out a battle cry, attempting to crush Ace with their giant swords.

Boom!

With his increased stats, Ace was even faster than before, jumping back just before the enemies were able to land their attacks.

Using this small opening, Darklin appeared, firing multiple fireballs towards the enemy, packing more punch. Each fireball had enough power to push the minotaurs back, with Ace once again letting out a burst of flames, this time putting in more firepower than last time. With Darklin's support, they were able to burn out their enemies.

"Thanks, you saved me," Ace said.

"It was no problem," Darklin replied. "With the minotaurs dead, why don't we make use of their bodies?"

Ace looked confused as he looked at the Dragon. Darklin looked back and clarified what he meant.

"A lot of time has passed since I granted you my power. You must be hungry right?"

"...Eating monster meat?" Ace asked.

"You have to survive somehow," Darklin replied. "There are no other enemies in this area, so it's a perfect time to rest."

"Sigh Dying by starvation or by monster meat. I might as well save my rations for the time being," Ace said.

After a few minutes, Ace made camp. With no proper tools to cut up the minotaur's body into smaller pieces, Ace made a makeshift kitchen knife using nearby rocks and ripped cloth from his clothing. Thanks to its toughness, Ace was forced to imbue mana into his rock knife, giving it the sharpness it needed to cut through the meat.

"Surviving like a primitive is not something I was expecting to do in this world," Ace said as he held a piece of the Minotaur meat on top of his knife to cook it thoroughly using the campfire. The meat itself was not bad when Ace took a bite, but the flavor tasted off compared to regular meat.

"It's better than dying to that Fallen," Darklin stated. "It's a miracle you barely survived."

"Barely, huh...? That Fallen truly wanted to kill me," Ace replied.

"That is a concern... but I do wonder why you." Darklin asked, becoming intrigued. He had only witnessed Ace fall from the upper levels, not knowing what happened before that.

"I wouldn't know, but that Fallen wanted to kill me. The timing of it was not a coincidence. It knew I was going to be there. And that there was-" The moment Ace tried to recall more of his memories with the Fallen, his mind started to break, inflicting him with a painful headache.

"Tsk...! Ace exclaimed.

"Ace...? Are you alright...?" Darklin asked.

"I'm fine... I got hit pretty bad during that fight. So I can only remember snippets with the Fallen," Ace replied.

"Perhaps you are not completely healed. It is best to rest. I will wake you up if something happens," Darklin said.

"Then I'll do that," Ace replied.

Ace prepared to rest while Darklin walked closer to Ace.

'So there is more to what happened up there. I find it hard to believe that Ace is the only summoned Hero.'