The Dragon Rider’s Cloak and the Curse of the Divine Flame

Alice, the mighty Dragon Princess, now walked by my side—her massive wings folded, her sharp eyes calm yet curious. It was hard to believe that just hours ago she wanted to roast me alive. Now she was blushing and calling me her master.

We stood before a glowing dungeon checkpoint, and I turned to her.

“Alice, I have a request,” I said, straightening my back a little.

“Yes, Dev?” she asked, tilting her head with a gentle smile.

“I want you to give me a cloak. Something cool. A symbol that I’m not just some lost student anymore.”

She blinked. “A cloak?”

“Yeah. And also… from now on, call me the Dragon Rider, Hero of the People.”

There was silence.

Then she burst into soft laughter.

“You’re adorable when you act bold,” she said. “Very well, my Hero of the People. I shall grant you your cloak.”

With a wave of her clawed hand, golden threads of mana weaved through the air, forming a sleek black cloak with crimson edges. The back had a glowing insignia of a dragon curled around a sword. As it settled on my shoulders, a chill of power ran through me.

You have received: Cloak of the Dragon Rider.
+30% magic resistance
+15% movement speed
Skill unlocked: Dragon Aura (passive intimidation)

“Woah…” I whispered. “That was… awesome.”

“I have infinite mana, Dev,” she said proudly, placing her hands on her hips. “Creating things like this is easy for me.”

My eyes widened. “Wait, how much power do you really have? Show me your status screen.”

With a nod, a glowing window appeared in the air between us:

Name: Alice
Title: Divine Flame Dragon Princess
Race: Ancient Dragon
Level: ???
Skills:

Transformation (Human <-> Dragon)

All Attributed Magic

Dragon Power

Immortality (Cursed)

Infinite Mana

Divine Flame Resistance

Sky Sovereign’s Will (SSS Tier Passive)

Absolute Flight

Mana Channeling

Language Adaptation

I whistled low. “You’re cracked.”

She giggled. “I’m supposed to be. I am the final boss of this dungeon… or I used to be.”

My eyes locked onto one line:

Cursed: Immortality

“Alice,” I said slowly. “This curse… what does it mean?”

She hesitated. “It means… I cannot die, but I also cannot leave this dungeon. I was cursed to protect it forever, even if I wanted freedom.”

I clenched my fist. That wasn’t right. She deserved better.

“Reverse,” I whispered. “Can I use magic I don’t own if I’ve seen it?”

Affirmative. Skill duplication allowed if target is in sight and power is analyzed.

I focused on the holy glow around Alice's mana. Then I spoke aloud:
“Reverse: no holy magic”

You have learned: Holy Purification

I raised my hands, and a beam of golden light surrounded Alice.

Curse detected.
Proceed with Purification?

“Yes!”

A burst of radiant energy exploded, and Alice cried out—her form shimmering between dragon and human. As the light faded, her body relaxed, her eyes teary.

Curse lifted. Alice is now free.

“I… I’m free…” she whispered. “Dev, you…”

She rushed forward and hugged me tightly. “You’re not just my master… you’re my miracle.”

I blushed. “A-Anyway, now that you’re free, I need to ask something serious.”

She pulled back, still smiling. “Go on.”

“Is there a boss on the 100th floor?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes. That’s where your classmate Arthi is imprisoned. The boss is called Captain Undead, a cursed warlord from the last celestial war.”

“What’s his level?”

Her face turned grim. “Level… 5000.”

My jaw dropped. “I’m level 50!”

Alice gently patted my head. “I know.”

“Can we sneak past him?” I asked.

She thought for a moment. “If you transfer me your invisibility magic, I might be able to mask your presence while you go rescue Arthi.”

I stared at her. “Wait… you can do that?”

“I have Mana Channeling. If you give me the spell, I can apply it to both of us. But the deeper we go, the more mana it will consume.”

I raised my palm and whispered,
“Reverse: no invisibility”

Skill unlocked: Invisibility Cloak

Then I placed my hand in hers. “Transfer spell: Invisibility Cloak.”

A warm glow flowed between us. She closed her eyes and absorbed it instantly.

“It’s done,” she said. “Now, we need to act fast. The longer Arthi stays near the Undead Captain, the more corrupted her soul will become.”

“Let’s do this,” I said.

Alice stepped forward, then paused. “Dev… I’ll protect you. Even if the whole dungeon turns against us, I’ll burn through it.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Alice. Let’s save Arthi and show this world what the Dragon Rider Hero can do.”

With cloaks billowing, our figures vanished into the shadows, racing toward the final floor.

But deep within me, I knew… the true test of my “Reverse” powers was about to begin.