Zarkrion moved through the bushes of the Black Forest, awkwardly shifting the human legs he was only beginning to remember how to use.
Every step felt strange, uncomfortable, as if his own body were lying to him. Wet leaves stuck to his bare skin, and his shaky balance made it clear he had spent far too long walking on four legs. Being a dragon was far more natural than being human.
"Do I seriously not remember how these fragile bodies walk?" he muttered irritably as he stumbled, nearly slamming into a trunk.
But none of that mattered now. He would adapt. He had to.
His nakedness didn't bother him either. After all, he had just bitten plants and slept in a hostile forest, completely alone. Trees didn't judge, monsters didn't judge… and the system didn't care about anything except being annoying.
And just as if it had heard his thoughts, a luminous screen appeared before him:
["Could you stop contemplating your naked body and focus on completing your mission instead?"]
Zarkrion jumped so hard he almost felt his heart leap out of his chest.
"You scared me, idiot!!" he shouted, pressing a hand to his heart. "You'll give me something! Stop appearing like that!"
The system replied mockingly:
["At least you're paying attention. Though honestly, no one is interested in seeing your member swinging around. If only you got some clothes…"]
"The joke writes itself," Zarkrion grumbled. "How do you expect me to get clothes in a place where there are only monsters, you moron?"
["You never learn, do you? If you focused on your mission, you'd earn AP and buy outfits in the infinite shop."]
"Whatever, whatever…" Zarkrion waved his hand through the screen. "Just get out of the way and let me see where I'm going if you're not going to help me with anything."
["I hate when you say I don't help. I personally gave you the information needed for your mission. Fine, I'll leave."]
Zarkrion rolled his eyes.
["Just don't come crying to me when you run into a monster or an adventurer hunter."]
The screen vanished.
"What a princess of a system," he scoffed. "The little girl got offended."
He kept walking, and his steps led him to an open clearing within the heart of the Black Forest. A wide area, clean, as if the chaos of the forest had decided to stop right at that point.
At the center, a massive tree reached toward the sky. Its bright green leaves glowed with their own light, its roots stretched like living veins, and long vines hung like natural curtains. Small luminous spheres floated above the grass, releasing a sweet, calming, almost addictive aroma.
The streams around the edges of the area were so clean they shimmered with a crystalline glow of their own.
It was beautiful.
It was perfect.
It was… impossible.
Zarkrion stood still, eyes wide open.
"This place… is perfect to build my home," he murmured, brushing his fingertips over the plants. "But something's strange… why is this the only spot in perfect condition in a forest as deadly as this?"
Everything was too well maintained. Too harmonious. Too alive to be abandoned. Was it an illusion? A trap? Or had someone really protected this place?
"This is too perfect to be mine," he murmured. "How can it be abandoned?"
Suddenly, the system appeared again, floating as if nothing had happened.
["I see you managed to find an area to live in. Not bad. Really, not bad at all."]
"I'm starting to get used to your sudden appearances…" Zarkrion said with a resigned sigh.
He walked toward the huge tree, staring up at it with fascination. Its aura was so intense it made the ground vibrate.
"I don't know, but I feel like this tree… is too important for this place."
The system replied:
["You are correct. This big tree is a Mana Tree. It's what keeps this place so well maintained. It releases an infinite amount of mana, impossible for the impurity of the Black Forest to corrupt."]
Zarkrion's eyes widened.
"Are you serious? What is such an important tree doing here? These trees only grow in territories with primordial energy. They're almost impossible to find."
["I have no information about that. But you are very lucky. Once a Mana Tree grows in a place, it attracts purity and life. Which means that soon the Black Forest will return to normal."]
Zarkrion let out a relieved breath.
"Perfect. Now I can relax… Since I found this area, I need to build my home."
And at that moment, a new screen appeared, bright and decorated as if celebrating his achievement.
[Congratulations – You have completed the first part of Mission 1.
A divine place, an area to create your home, a magical, remote, and abundant place for the Dragon King, in the center of the Black Forest.
The center of the Black Forest, a place where the probability of finding it is low, and where the level of different threats and lethal zones are unified by this very point.
Now you are the owner of this property, you only have to choose a name and set the rules of your property.
You've Acquired +50 AP
You've Acquired +500 EXP]
Zarkrion smiled widely.
"What happiness! I never thought I'd achieve something like this so easily. I can finally sleep in peace!"
["Now… what will you name your new home?"]
Zarkrion placed a hand on his chin.
"A name, huh… Hmm… I can't think of anything. I'll leave that for later."
["Zarkrion…"]
"Now that I think about it… you said I could buy whatever I wanted in the infinite shop with AP."
["Correct. But first you should explore the area…"]
"I DON'T WANT TO EXPLORE! OPEN THE DAMN SHOP NOWWW!"
["Calm down."]
The screen changed, revealing a gigantic catalog divided into sections.
[INFINITE SHOP – HOME SECTION]
Vending Machine: Cost – X250 AP
Portable Runic Oven:
Cost: X300 AP
Description: A small cubic oven that bakes any food without the need for fire. Automatically adjusts temperature and time.
Self-Mixing Cauldron:
Cost: X420 AP
Description: Mixes, stirs, and boils on its own. Ideal for soups, broths, and culinary potions.
Magic Cutting Board:
Cost: X240 AP
Description: Prevents magical ingredients from exploding or rotting when cut.
Temporal Kitchen Clock:
Cost: X500 AP
Description: Speeds up cooking time x10 within a small field without affecting the exterior.
Common Steel Pan:
Cost: X10 AP
Description: A sturdy pan. No magic, but useful for a novice dragon cook.
Common Kitchen Knife:
Cost: X15 AP
Description: Cuts well. Nothing special… for now.
Basic Spoon and Fork Set:
Cost: X5 AP
Description: Simple utensils for serving food.
Small Set of Common Spices:
Cost: X20 AP
Description: Salt, pepper, and two basic aromatic herbs.
When he finished reading, Zarkrion was in shock.
"WHY IS EVERYTHING SO EXPENSIVE?! I only have 50 AP! The only thing I can buy is a common kitchen knife and a miserable pan!"
He shouted in despair.
"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT!? IT'S USELESS!"
The system reappeared:
["I told you, but you didn't want to listen. Magical items are expensive. And you only completed half of the tutorial, so the infinite shop isn't updated, and you only have half the points. Until you complete the tutorial you won't have a good investment in the infinite shop."]
Zarkrion grabbed his head.
["I recommend buying the pan and the knife. Then go level up. You can get AP by killing monsters, in case you didn't know."]
"And why do only kitchen utensils appear? Isn't it supposed to be an infinite shop?"
["Until you complete the tutorial, the shop will be limited to kitchen utensils."]
"ARE YOU TELLING ME I CAN ONLY FINISH THE MISSION LIKE THIS? WITH NO USEFUL SUPPORT? Not even a sword? Not even a shield?"
["Aren't you a chef? Figure it out yourself. Buy the pan, you can use it as a shield. Use the knife to attack like a sword. And that's it."]
Zarkrion dropped onto the grass, running a hand through his hair.
"This has to be a damn joke… I'm finished…"
Zarkrion, with tears of frustration running down his face like fragments of tiny stars, could only sit there, unable to do anything.
It seemed the universe was against him after all—this tutorial was not going to be easy at all.