Max opened his eyes, his memory back again.

The souvenir of his conversation with Odds, his death. Everything came back to him.

"So he really did it, he sent me to another world..... well I suppose, at least, because I can't see a th..."

"RUUAAGH"

Interrupted in his thought by a deep growl coming from behind him, Max turned into a jump, surprised.

"Who's there?"

A voice came from the shadow, as two reptile eyes, golden sclera and red iris surrounding an oval black pupil, began to shine in the dark, looking straight at the man.

"That..... Is a question....... for me to ask...... little one...."

A voice, deep and powerful, resonated around Max, even if it paused to let a deep breath be heard from time to time.Only now was Max realizing the tremendous presence with him in this place.

He took a step back and touched the crystal who started to shine again, illuminating the room.

Max was wide-eyed, not by the fact that he was standing in a throne room with the crystal in place of the throne, or by the fact that all the window in this room showed him, in place of plain, city or even the sky, what seemed to be a cave with waterfall here and there going down so far you just couldn't see where it end, what made his eyes go wide open was the fact that the one talking to him was a dragon.

When he thought earlier the thing in the dark was a statue, he understood why. The creature was so big it took half of the space of the throne room, nearly touching de ceiling, black scale covering all his body, from the tail to the head, and two blood red horns coming out of his forehead.

As the dragon looked at him, like analyzing the man, it tried to stand, but fell down on his side, making the room shake and dust coming from the ground in the process.

Covering his eyes with his forearm, Max saw that his arm, as well as the rest of his body, was covered in blood.

*This explain the sticky feeling, but it doesn't seem to be mine, what hap..... ho shit*

While thinking, his eyes followed on the ground his footsteps, tainting the floor red, and saw that they led to the dragon. To be precise, now that the creature was on his side, Max could see that the blood on him was from a human size hole in the dragon chest.In his mind, Odds world came back.

"Just to judge exactly where you will arrive...... it will be completely random, a pure test of luck my dear mortal....."

Max put a hand on his mouth, realizing what it means.

*Ho no.....Odds.....he made me appear...inside a dragon's chest!!!*

The said dragon moved his head a little, resting his eyes on Max.

"You....vanquish me....little one...but how? How could you pass my shield, my scales, and my senses?.....Please....tell me"

Taking a step forward, Maximilian couldn't help but ask.

"Is there something I can do to help you?"

As strange as it was, Maximilian wasn't scared of the dragon, more sad to see such a creature in this state.

For a long time, the dragon in fantasy was for him a source of fascination, respect. He had dreamed of the time when he would meet one, talk to him, befriend him. And now, face to face, he realized that the first dragon he met.....was the one his presence killed.

Strangely enough, the dragon seemed to chuckle a bit.

"What a strange....situation.....the one who vanquish.....is worried about the fallen one....you have a good soul....little one....."

"My name is Maximilian. I..... It wasn't my intention to hurt you in any way, a god transported me here from another world, and his magic made it impossible to predict where I would appear. Maybe that's why you couldn't feel me before I....."

Max couldn't finish his phrase, his hand resting on his heart, mimicking the place where the dragon was hurt.

"So.....the god's will is why I die.....well....nothing to do about it then....."

As the dragon spoke, his chest shined a bit, a blue light covering his bleeding thorax. Seeing Max's interrogative look, he says.

"It's just a bit of magic..... easing the pain while I fall asleep for the last time....."

"Isn't there something to do for you, healing magic maybe or something else? This world is new to me, I don't know anything but I can try to help."

"There is nothing......to be done....little one......The magic that brought you here....hurt me so much I cannot heal myself...would you stay here as I go? Let me tell you about this world.....before I go.....let me be your teacher.....as a welcome gift...."

"I would be honored."

He couldn't be sure, but Max could have sworn he saw the dragon smile for an instant. Sitting on the stairs, he listened to the black dragon, showing patience and letting the hurt being take his time breathing.

"I am Dragnïr......and as you may have guessed...I am a dragon. The rules of this world........ are simple, every being has .......level. They exist so .....that the gods know who to pay attention to, and who to ignore.... Anyone can observe his own level, but you can't see one from being other than yourself unless you have .....the appropriate magic....and level. For example, even if a young apprentice mage .....found this magic...he would not be able to see my level or anything.....my power would simply be too much for him to see."

As Dragnïr was talking, Max attention was taken by a number appearing on top of the dragon.

Standing up, the man asked.

"But I see your level, how is it possible? I can see you are level 300, does that mean...?"

Shaking his head up and down in a slow motion, the great dragon continued, each word seeming to take a bit more of his strength.

" When you defeat a powerful being such as myself, you receive power.... in return. The bigger the difference, the more you... get rewarded. If what you say is true, the fact that you are... a newcomer in this world, then you should have been... level 1, like a newborn. I am, or at least was, one of the great dragon, my level... as you've guessed, was unmatched in this world. Few were those... who could be a threat to me, let alone be capable of what you did... vanquish me..."

Slowly, the black head of the dragon set on the floor again, the magic running low was indicating the moment of his last breath coming.

"You did the impossible thing... of defeating a great dragon, and the black one to that, one of the... more powerful, if I say so myself, while being level 1. By that action, you received so much... experience, you are now at a level... far beyond mine. As I look at you, I can't even see your level with my dragon's eye.....Please tell me, what is your level?"

Max looked around himself, searching for the information, but didn't see a thing, the dragon laugh a little.

"Truly a newborn....seeing your level is by will, just wish to see and you will...."

Following the dragon indication, Max thought a second about it and a translucent window open before him, showing his STATS, SKILLS, PV and PM.

*Woah.....very game like.......so cooooool.*

Just like a child discovering a new game, the man was exulting, but remembering the state of the old dragon, he took a quick look at his level, opening his eyes big as he saw the number.

"I.......i am level 399...."

"...."

Dragnïr stayed silent for a minute then closed his eyes.

"Truly marvelous.....a newborn with the power.....beyond a dragon.....hahahaha."

Laughing slowly, Dragnïr then hissed, the pain proving to be too much even with his magic aiding him.

"I fear my time is up young one......I will now leave this world."

Hearing that, Maximilian became anxious.

"No, wait, I......I have so much more to learn from you, I don't know a single thing about this world. You say I have power, but I don't even know how to use it, I don't even know where I am...."

The last word made Maximilian realize just how much he was lost. It was an unknown world for him, and he knew absolutely nothing about it.

"Here...."

From under him, Dragnïr pulled out a small golden translucent orb, showing it to Maximilian who looked at it , wondering what it could be.

"This....is a key......touch the crystal with it, and..... it will take you to my most precious treasures.....use them....it will help you, I'm sure..."

"Thank you Dragnïr but......why?"

"Why?"

"Why are you giving me this? I am the one who killed you, even if not by will, I....I am so sorry"

"Do not be, little one...."

The old dragon opened his eyes just a bit, not strong enough anymore to even lift his head.

"I am old....more than you can imagine, I have lived.....and I have been waiting for death, for a long time now......but I simply could not....let myself die...."

Maximilian took several steps forward and came next to Dragnïr, putting a hand on the old dragon's head, taking and holding the orb in the other.

"....For a long time I have waited for the day when a hero would come and slay me in battle....and today you bring me death.....my only worry was to let an unworthy man take my treasure......but in you, I have faith......I don't know why, but I do.....maybe is it my old eyes who deceives me, or the last hope before going...away"

Slowly, the blue aura around his chest dismissed.

"Goodbye, Maximilian.....may you live your life to the fullest. May you find....true....happiness"

And in a last breath, Dragnïr, the black dragon, was dead.Falling on his knees, Maximilian staid silent a moment, his hand staying on the dragon's head.

"Thank you...Dragnïr..."