Aaron had always hated the apocalypse for taking things and people close to him. He blamed it for the cruel life he lived all those years.
He wasn't alone, as millions of people had the same and even worse experiences than him. All because of the damned apocalypse.
So, he had long ago made an oath that he would one day destroy the apocalypse and eliminate whoever or whatever was responsible for it.
In his first life, he died a tragic death before he could even get close to his goal. But now, he had another chance, another life where he could finally uphold his oath.
The being before him was too strong and existed on a level he couldn't comprehend, and if he managed to get its help then...
"Huh? Become a God?" Aaron felt that the Being was trolling him. "That's an obvious answer, as if I become a God, I'll be omnipotent, so I can deal with anything easily, but you know what I mean."
"You really came from a mortal world," the being chuckled and said. "It's been a long time since I had a conversation with someone, so why don't you introduce yourself?"
'So, he knows that I'm a transmigrator? That's not surprising,' Aaron calmed his pounding heart and bowed his head slightly.
"My name is Aaron, or Mike if we go by this body's name. I indeed come from a mortal world named Earth, which had been ravaged by the apocalypse, and I wish for nothing but to find its origin and end it."
The being remained silent for a while before introducing himself, which Aaron didn't expect, so he was taken aback.
"My name is Draven, the Stormbearer. Remember the name because it'll be useful to you, but only use it when you're in an emergency. I'm a Storm Dragon who had been sealed here for grand purposes you can't know yet."
Aaron blinked, surprised, even though he had speculated that after seeing his figure through that one glance.
"So, why do you think I should help you?" Draven asked in his leisurely tone.
"It's because you need something from me. I don't know if it's just entertainment or your freedom," Aaron smiled. "But I know you need me."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because you're the one who saved me, otherwise, I would have died so many times. You also don't do this for everyone, otherwise, there wouldn't be news of so many deaths."
He paused for a second as a glint of understanding passed through his eyes.
"In fact, I have a guess that you're the one who summoned me into this body in the first place and influenced others to bring me here. So, you do need me."
Draven began laughing loudly, making Aaron sigh in relief because it at least seemed like the dragon wasn't angry at him.
That was a good start.
Draven stopped laughing and said, still having some remnants of his laugh in his tone, "You're right. I do need you, but you aren't the only one who came to me, or rather I brought them here."
Suddenly, Aaron had an urge to look at his sides even though he wasn't even seeing the Dragon.
When his gaze finally landed on the place Draven was pointing at, Aaron felt all of his hair standing up as he felt his heart dropping at the sight of the scene.
A tall hill made of nothing but pristine white bones. It was at least two hundred meters tall with half of its diameter.
One could only imagine the number of deaths it took to create such a hill. One more thing he noticed was that all bones belonged to humans or at least humanoid races.
The domineering voice sounded again in his head, this time much more sinister and filled with excitement.
Still, he didn't back down. He didn't have much choice in this matter.
He needed the dragon's support at any cost as he was very weak and with practically no potential after his Unique Skill was snatched away, which also caused damage to his inner body.
If he went out of the dungeon now, if he could even manage such a feat, then he would just be hunted down by the Church of Dawnfire for eternity.
He needed strength, and the only way to get it was by fixing his body and Soul, and that could only be done by beings wielding unimaginable powers.
"There are many mortal worlds where the Apocalypse has descended, so I often pick up a few souls for this matter. You're just one of the many."
"It doesn't matter. You need me for something, and I need you for something, so how about we have a partnership?" Aaron said, confidently.
Though, he only dared to show his confidence after he was sure that the dragon didn't have any intentions of killing him... yet.
"You're an interesting fellow. You might have already guessed, but I want freedom, and the current you can't give me that. Then again, I don't believe you can save me even in a hundred years, but it's fun."
Aaron stayed silent, occasionally nodding.
"Just like I have given others a chance, I will give you a chance where if you prove to be useful, we can proceed with our plans. You can make any request you want if you win the gamble. So, what is your decision?"
There was a strange excitement in the dragon's voice, making Aaron wonder just how long he had been sealed to have fun in such a way.
'Bringing a bunch of transmigrators who had already died and playing a game with them? It does seem fun.'
He weighed his options and realized that he had none, so he decided to take it and see what the dragon had prepared to kill so many people.
Getting outside of the labyrinth meant death, so why not gamble here?
"I agree, but what do you need me to do?" Aaron asked.
"It's simple. Check the mist around you. It's my leaked mana, and all you need to do is absorb it into your body. If you can do it without turning into a Corrupted monster yourself then it'll be considered your win and I'll help you."
'His mana? That's troublesome!'
As far as Aaron knew, recklessly absorbing even Atmospheric mana was dangerous and could lead to people losing control and turned into a Corrupted monster.
Giving a side glance at the hill of bones, Aaron wondered if he would be sitting there next.
However, his answer was the same.
"I will take up on this task and absorb all the mist too."