The entrances of boss rooms were different to normal doorways--there were incredibly complex symbols which surrounded it, which made so that no attacks could pass through from either direction; according to the survivor, even the Dragon’s strongest attacks couldn’t even cause them to flicker and they just dissipated into nothing--but it also meant that once someone had entered, they couldn’t exit until the Boss was dead.

The only survivor of the previous assault hadn’t yet entered the room, which was why he could run.

I didn’t have to worry about Resh, since she stayed in the ninth room, and there were no enemies left--I had subtly spread my light out through the entire floor, through the walls and floor, but in a way that Resh wouldn’t notice; and I made sure to retrieve it, in case I needed it in this fight.

This boss room was a huge empty stone cavern, the ceiling was so high that even with my enhanced vision, it was difficult to see.

There was something in the distance that looked like a craggy mountain in the distance--but with a huge roar, the mountain unfolded; massive stone-like wings extended for tens of meters, with hooked claws on their tips. The movement of the wings revealed a scaly body, glowing lines visible between the massive scales.

Roaring again, the Dragon flew into the air with a powerful flap of its wings.

Diving towards me, light gathered in its open mouth for a few seconds before firing in a massive beam, since Resh wouldn’t be in the line of fire and I could move dodge without worry--I stepped to the side and the beam flashed passed me.

The Dragon continued its dive as massive Magic Circles began to appear in the air around it; some of them spaced themselves evenly around the room, and the other stayed right near the Dragon’s body. All of the circles glowed, displaying thousands of symbols which I hadn’t seen--but at the center of each was a single blue symbol that seemed to resonate with something inside me.

The circles shined brightly and started making deep buzzing sounds; the air vibrated, and a sound similar to crackling wood--thousands and thousands of fireballs started flying towards me.

Uncontrollably smiling, I focused and the fireballs seemed to slow--the wings of the Dragon seemed to move really slowly; I dodged the fireballs, but they were still fairly fast. I couldn’t dodge one of the fireballs, and so I tried to deflect it with my hand.

There was a sizzling noise, and my light activated instinctively, shielding me from the full damage of the fireball--since it came to it, I kept my light active and shaped it into my armour form; my speed and strength increased exponentially.

The Dragon seems to have noticed my speed increase, and increased its own in return--it seems that the Dragon hadn’t been serious before, but that now changed. Instead of disappearing after launching their Magic, the Magic Circles didn’t disappear--they just increased their rate of fire, they seemed autonomous, since the Dragon didn’t seem to have to use any power or concentration to keep them going.

The Dragon flashed towards me with a tiny stream of blue light glimmering around the edge of its wings--this seemed to be a weak and rudimentary version of my light…if only I could talk to it, so I could find out about the light and blue symbols.

I dodged as it slashed at me with its claws, each one was around twice the length of my body and left massive furrows in the stone; I stepped to the side and twisted my body and punched its wrist, resulting in a loud cracking noise and some of the scales shattered, a little blood leaked out.

The Dragon roared in pain--I drew first blood.

Though I barely managed to dodge to the side as the long spiked tail lanced towards me, the edge of it slammed into my arm; my light flashed as it barely managed to block the hint, denting in deeply with a few cracks appearing, I was thrown several meters back and caused a crater in the stone.

I jumped out of the crater, changing my armour a little and forming wings, spiraling into the air. I generated extra light, forming them into spheres and firing them towards the Magic Circles, which shattered with the sound of glass breaking.

As I nimbly flew through the air, shooting down the Magic Circles, the Dragon was chasing me; small Magic Circles appeared at the tip of its claws every time it slashed at me. Every attack activated the Circles and fired off huge blades of wind, which I chose to dodge, to save on energy.

This Dragon seemed to specialize in Magic.

I was soaring, dodging flame beams and wind blades, destroying Magic Circles everywhere…I was fighting a mostly defensive battle--I was having so much fun, it had been so long since I fought with my life on the line.

Knowing that Resh was fine, I could keep my mind on the fight.

For the first time in a while, I started to experiment with my light; I had learned most of my moves during the combat anyway. I visualized the symbols that I had seen when camping with Resh, and then shaped my light into those symbols and pushed power into them.

Suddenly, massive blue and black flames shot out of the symbols that appeared in the air behind me. I felt a slight fatigue, but it wasn’t dangerous; the flames felt freezing cold and the temperature of the room dropped, ice formed on the floor and walls--but the stone turned into glass.

The Dragon let out an intense screech as it fell back, the skin on its wings, and parts of its body, started melting; a large portion of its skin turned into a goo similar to slimes and dripped onto the floor, I could see some of its bones--the Dragon writhed on the ground, and I deactivated my light.

An enormous fatigue swept through me and my head ached, my vision began to swim and I felt a strange dampness on my face; wiping at it, my hand came away covered in blood…it seems that my new flame technique was dangerous.

The Dragon was staring into my eyes as I approached it, and fired the largest blast of light that I could manage, because of my drained energy and agonizing headache, into its face. With the sound of crushing, a portion of its head literally exploded.

It seemed that most of its defensive power was caused by the Dragon’s Magic Power.

The Dragon was dead…but so was I.

I fell to my knees and my vision was beginning to fade into a tunnel; I turned my head and saw Resh running towards me, there was a panicked expression on her face and she was crying.

Coughing a large amount of blood, I managed to get out the one word that I wanted to, that I needed to, “Re…ur…ec…t”.

Damn, it was hard to talk, each time I exhaled more blood came out. My lungs were filling with blood…I had never felt this before--it was a new experience, but not a fun one.

Her teary eyes widened and she sniffled quietly.

Then she embraced my head, her beautiful face and deep eyes were the last thing I saw before everything went black.

***

After the normal darkness and painful symbol, I woke up and my head felt like it was exploding, which was quite usual for when I came back; but even with all the pain, I could feel something soft and warm under my head, which smelt nice. I was confused, and hadn’t yet mustered the strength to open my eyes.

After a few tries, I managed to open my eyes and looked around. My head was sitting on Resh’s lap, and she was asleep and laying back against the Dragon’s corpse.

I moved slightly, rhythmical tensing and relaxing my muscles and moving my fingers and toes, my body worked perfectly which was normal after a resurrection.

Well, I probably shouldn’t use that freezing flame spell until I was stronger, or until I had better control over my Magic.

Looking at the corpse of the Dragon, I could see that its bones seemed to have Magic Symbols carved into them--I wonder if it was born like that, or if something happened that carved them.

The movement of my head apparently woke Resh up, she woke suddenly, “Tek!”--my name came out of her mouth before she completely regained consciousness. She quickly looked down and saw me with my eyes open, she reached down and gently stroked my hair and forehead.

“I’m fine.” I reassuringly said, reaching up and grabbing her hand; again she turned her hand and entwined her fingers with mine. She raised our joined hands and kissed the back of my hand gently.

“I’m so happy…I never want you to die again!” She started crying.

I quickly got up and wrapped my arms around her; she lent into my embrace and buried her her face in my chest and I felt my shirt getting wet. I gently rubbed her back.

After a few minutes she calmed down and pushed back with an embarrassed look, “Ahem, let’s get this thing taken apart…they would pay so much for these Dragon parts.”

“That was a Dragon…It was fun to fight,” I smiled as I stood up and held up a hand to help her up.

“Umm, it was a Lesser Dragon--True Dragons don’t leave Zone One or Two, and they are sentient. If it was a True Dragon, you could have talked about it.” Resh smiled back at me and took my hand, allowing me to pull her to her feet.

“You have mentioned Zone One and Two a few times, what do you mean?”

As I asked for an explanation, I walked over to the Dragon, touching the scales which were tougher than steel and had Magic Resistance; there were materials that we should take…but I am unsure if we should keep them or sell them--telling people about this would either be met with disbelief or fear.

Resh walked over next to me, standing so her shoulder was pressed against mine, as she began to pry off the scales, “Well, this world, which is called Alphaplaen is separated into eleven ‘Zones’ each one is separated by powerful Magic. We are currently in the Seventh Zone, or Zone Seven--the lower the number of the Zone, the more powerful the inhabitants, both sentient and Monsters. Partial-Grade S is the highest rank that any living being can get in a Zone of which the number is higher than three.” Resh answered my question, her hands still working on removing the scales.

“This Lesser Dragon seems a little strong, if this is the Seventh Zone of Eleven…right?” I was kneeling and cutting out some of the bones--if we were to take the entirety of the Dragon, it would take weeks and be much to heavy to carry.

“Yeah, it is very strange…but so is this Dungeon. It is unlike any other one found in the Seventh Zone, especially where you came from; going by you description, it would be considered dangerous in Zone Two.” Resh said, standing up, seeming to have realized that she couldn’t take all of the scales.

She looked at me, placing a hand on my shoulder for a second, before climbing up the corpse and beginning to dig around and look for crystals or a core.

“Ahh, I see. Well, I don’t think that we should show anyone the remains.” I spoke, smiling up at the climbing Resh, she looked back and nodded.

I could understand how this Monster could wipe out an army of High-Grade B ranks and a Low-Grade A could easily be wiped out, it was difficult even for me. If I hadn’t accidentally discovered my freezing flame move, it would have taken me a few hours, and I may have lost the first time. Even though its light, and power, were technically less than mine, it seemed to be a lot more practiced and efficient with its abilities.

Resh climbed through a hole in the remains and started exploring around inside the corpse, and I used my light to break some of the joints, to get pieces of these intriguing bone--I also remember to grab some of the meat and blood.

Resh’s head popped out of a different hole, and she saw me collecting the meat and blood, “Are you going to eat those?”

“Yeah--unfortunately, you can’t or you would literally explode.” I said with a grin.

She sighed and then wriggled out of the hole, a huge clear crystal core, almost the size of her head. She squirmed as she came out, since she couldn’t use her hands, moving like a worm--which was both cute and amusing.

Resh muttered an ‘oops’ and fell--of course, I caught her.

She looked up at me with a happy smile, she clutched the crystal to her chest with both hands, held in my arms--she was light, and warm, and smelt nice…I liked holding her like this.

After a few seconds, she coughed, “Please put me down?”--there was a strange disappointment or hesitation in her tone. I gently put down, helping stabilize her, so she didn’t fall.

“This should be enough.” She said with a smile, as she placed the crystal in a bag that looked much too small for it to fit--a Magic symbol lit up on the cloth of the bag, somehow allowing it to be bigger on the inside.

“Well, I will be eating the flesh and drinking the blood; which usually gives me power, as long as the Monster is strong enough--and since this Lesser Dragon gave me a surge, this should be much more!” I spoke, excitement growing in me as I sat down and lent back against the remains, holding the dripping meat in my hand.

I had gotten a Surge when dead, so I didn’t feel the warmth that I had missed for so long, but I knew after waking that I had gotten one.

Resh looked at me with curiousity as she sat by my side.

I felt a little worry and took a bite of the meat and a sip of the blood, waiting for my body’s reaction.

There was an agonizing pain, my marrow burned and my muscles spasmed uncontrollably; I actually looked at myself as this happened--because even though it felt like my eyeballs were on fire, I wanted to see what it looked like when the burning hit me.

A brilliant light shone through my skin as my bones glowed brilliant red-gold like they were on fire.

I only managed to get one glance, and then I had to shut my eyes--which began to burn too badly for me to look around. I couldn’t help beginning to gasp as it felt like my internal organs were on fire as well…I hadn’t felt agony like this for quite a while, and my mind went white.

After an unknown amount of time, I recovered, the pain and dizziness fading.

“Are you okay?” Resh asked as I opened my eyes--she was embracing me and one of her hands pressed on my forehead.

“Yeah--it was painful; but I am fine now. This strange event only happens once, when I eat the meat of a very powerful being for the first time.” I smile at her.

She smiles back, before pausing for a second, “What was that last Magic you used? How can you project an aura of pure Magic…not Attributed Mana, or anything, but pure Magic; using it like an armour?” Resh began to question me--she moved back and sat opposite me, though she still held one of my hands.

“Well, I came up with the idea using the symbols that I had seen in the fire--and symbols that appeared in my head; it’s a dangerous attack for both me and my enemy--I will die again, if I don’t get either more power or control. As for pure Magic…I have no idea.”

Then I told her about how I appeared from the sky with no memories, and how I fell into the labyrinth--I didn’t mention the girl in the pillar…I have no idea why, and I trust Resh, but this seemed like a secret that shouldn’t be spoken out loud.

She didn’t speak at all during my explanation, even though I could tell that she wanted to ask many things, but she patiently waited until the end.

“You said you saw a completely desolate wasteland when you first fell?”

“Yep, nothing at all, except for a fog that covered the tallest of the mountains--at first I thought it was clouds, but I remember that there was a strange tint to it, and it didn’t move at all.” I looked at Resh, “Why?”

“Well, there isn’t anywhere like that in this Zone--so wherever you fell, and landed in that labyrinth wasn’t near here. When we found you in the Dungeon, you still had fairly strong Mana clinging to you…I finally know now why.” She smiled, before continuing, “Do you want to go back, or go deeper?”

I expected her to ask more questions, but for some reason she did.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea--my instincts are saying that it isn’t, yet. You will need to be a lot stronger since I can’t guarantee your safety; and I need more knowledge of Magic. If I could use the cold flame attack more than once, without killing myself, then we should go.”

Resh nodded, “Well, we should go to the Magic Academy!” There was excitement and longing in her voice. It seems that both of us wanted to go there--and it would allow me to interact with more people, include Mages who know a lot.

“How did your bag fit that crystal core?”

“Well, my bag has a spacial expansion Spell on it--it cost Lyus a lot of money to get one for me, and one for himself to share with Jess. Its only a small expansion, fifteen meters or so, and a little unstable.”

She showed me her bag and indicated a symbol woven into into the cloth.

It triggered something inside my head, a sudden, and sharp, pain lanced through my brain. I saw a symbol that was similar, but it was much more complex--the symbol on Resh’s bag was only a tiny fraction of the corner of it.

“Hmm, I may have an idea--but if it fails, it may destroy your bag. Do you mind if I do an experiment?”

Resh looked into my eyes for a second, before nodding and handing the bag over to me.

I rested a finger onto the cloth of the bag, on top of the symbol that was already there, and emitted my light from a fingertip. With a lot of effort I shaped it into the symbol that was in my head, and pushed my power into the flame--my light flared up and the symbol sparked and twisted, it felt like it was fighting me, but I pushed through.

The entire bag lit up with a brilliant sapphire light, my light, before returning to normal.

But, instead of a small symbol woven into the cloth bag--it now had a massive symbol that covered both sides of it, branded into the cloth, and occasionally glinting with a blue light.

I look at the bag and inspect the symbol, which perfectly match the one in my head--when a wave of fatigue washes through me, and agony lanced through my head and eyes; there is dampness on my face, and with a ‘drip’, a drop of blood landed on the bag.

Well, it seems like I dripping blood again--I think that this may be the result of over using my power.

Resh saw the blood and moved closer to me, “You have no knowledge of how to use Magic, or regulate your usage--please stop, it is badly damaging you…it’s why you died when using your cold flame.” She gently brushed the blood from my eyes with her finger.

Then she looked closely at me, and paused for a second--before leaning forwards and kissed me, her soft lips just brushed mine, a feeling like lightning flared through my face.

While I was still shocked, she moved back, blushing.

I couldn’t stop my free hand from going to my face, touching my lips.

After clearing her throat, Resh spoke again, “You really need to learn Magic--your potential is beyond anything I can imagine.” She smiled, but her eyes wandered, unable to meet mine.

“Yeah, I agree that I need to learn Magic.” I looked at the bag I made, but I didn’t know how to use it, “Uhh, can you look into this and see how good it is?”

When I handed the bag to her, she looked at it and her eyes widened as she traced the massive symbol which covered the entirety of the bag, before putting some Magic into it.

She gasped, and then twitched--the bag dropped onto the ground, “Is that a Primordial symbol, like then ones you saw in the fire?”

“Yeah. When I saw the symbol already on the bag, I saw the Primordial one appear in my head, along with a lot of pain. The symbol that was originally there seems to only be a piece of the corner of the original. I may have no memories of before I fell--but I have some knowledge which occasionally appears.”

She nodded with a shaky smile, picking up the bag again, “You will probably end up being the strongest Mage to ever live, maybe even equal in power to the God of Magic in Zone One. This bag seems to have an infinite space--or at least so much that I cannot find any ending, not only does it have the ability to summon a specific item to you, it can even to teleport it outside the bag!”

She quickly jumped to her feet and rushed over to the Dragon corpse, and with a grin she pushed the bag against the carcass and put Mana into it. With a flash, the entire carcass suddenly disappeared.

Even I was surprised.

“Wow…” Resh gasped and clutched the bag close to her chest.

“Well, let’s go back, and then travel to the Magic Academy.” I suggested to Resh.

“I’m fine with that,” She walked over and hugged me--she seemed a lot less embarrassed touching me, since I died.

I returned the embrace, and then braced myself; then I lent forwards and kissed her, it was my turn…since both other times were initiated by her.

Our lips locked, this time it was more than just a brief brush like last time.

Resh was the one who eventually broke the kiss, stepping back and gasping for breath; it was long enough that she needed to breathe.

“Thank you…” She smiled at me and grabbed my arm before turning back to the entrance back to the twentieth floor.

Some of the Snakes had regenerated, so I had to kill them--this time, since she was used to their attacks from before, she launched a few Fire spells at them; they may not have done much damage, except when they hit the inside of the Snake’s mouth.

Every time they died, she shuddered, and let out a soft moan--each Snake was enough to give a large Surge.

I have no idea why when I got Surges in the labyrinth, killing Monsters that were only a bit stronger than these Snakes, they hurt…burning. It seems that for some reason, I reacted slightly differently than someone who was born in this world, instead of falling from the sky.

From the nineteenth floor, Resh was doing the fighting, because she wanted to clear them out--so that I could rest. It was obvious that she was still slightly worried about me after my death, and after I hurt myself when I made the bag; she would also glance back at me with a slightly worried look in her eyes occasionally.

I smiled reassuringly whenever she did.

Resh had a few Surges on the twentieth floor, but she didn’t get any more from the nineteenth and up, because of the training we did on our way in.

When we reached the third floor, we ran into someone who the both of us recognized.

Jess was there, and so were some Priests and fifty soldiers in golden armour which had the symbol of a crown on their breastplates.

I thought that Jess was no longer a Priestess, having been excommunicated, and I glanced at Resh who stood next to me.

“For some reason, it looks like they allowed her back…I have no idea why?” Resh sounded curious.

I felt an odd sense of suspicion, which seemed to transmit to Resh, whose eyes met mine again.

The Church group got closer and closer.