Zarkrion advanced through the bushes of the Black Forest, moving clumsily with the human legs he was only beginning to remember. Every step felt strange, uncomfortable, as if his very body were lying to him. The damp leaves stuck to his bare skin, and his shaky balance made it clear he had spent too long walking on four legs. Being a dragon was far more natural than being human.
"Seriously, I don't remember how these fragile bodies walk anymore?" he muttered irritably as he stumbled and almost slammed into a tree trunk.
But none of that mattered now. He would adapt. He had to.
The 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 either… and the system didn't care about anything except being annoying.
And just as if it had heard his thoughts, a glowing screen appeared before him:
["Could you stop admiring your naked body and focus on completing your mission?"]
Zarkrion jolted so hard he almost felt his heart leap out of his chest.
"You scared me, you idiot!!" he complained, pressing a hand to his chest. "You're going to give me something, stop appearing like that!"
The system replied mockingly:
["At least you're alert. Though honestly, no one wants to see your member dangling around. If only you'd get some clothes…"]
"The joke tells itself," Zarkrion growled. "How do you expect me to find clothes in a place full of monsters, you moron?"
["You never learn, do you? If you focused on your mission, you'd earn your 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 you. I literally gave you the information necessary for your mission. I'll be going then."]
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 huffed. "The little girl got offended."
He continued walking, and his steps led him to an open clearing in the heart of the Black Forest. A wide, clean area, as if the chaos of the forest had decided to stop right at that point.
In the center, a gigantic tree rose toward the sky. Its green leaves glowed with their own light, its roots stretched like living veins, and long vines hung like natural curtains. Small glowing orbs floated up from the grass, releasing a sweet, calming, almost addictive aroma.
The water streams bordering the area were so clean they had their own crystalline shimmer.
It was beautiful.
It was perfect.
It was… impossible.
Zarkrion stood there, staring wide-eyed.
"This place… is perfect for building my home," he murmured, brushing the plants with his fingertips. "But something's strange… why is this the only spot in perfect condition in such a deadly forest?"
Everything was too well kept. 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.
["I see you've managed to find an area to live in. Not bad. Really, not bad at all."]
"I'm getting used to your sudden appearances…" Zarkrion said with a resigned sigh.
He walked toward the enormous tree, looking up at it in fascination. Its aura was so intense it made the ground vibrate.
"I don't know, but I feel that this tree… is too important for this place."
The system responded:
["You're correct. This large 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."]
Zarkrion's eyes widened.
"Are you being serious? What is such an important tree doing here? These trees only grow in territories with primordial energy. They are almost impossible to find."
["I have no information about that. But you're very lucky. Once a Mana Tree grows in a place, it attracts purity and life. Which means the Black Forest will soon return to normal."]
Zarkrion let out a relieved sigh.
"Perfect. Now I can be at ease… Now that 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 need to choose a name and set the rules of your property.
You Have Acquired +50 AP
You Have 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 brought a hand to his chin.
"A name, huh… Hmm… I can't think of one. I'll leave it 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 nooooow!"
["Calm down."]
The screen changed, revealing a gigantic catalog divided into sections.
[INFINITE SHOP – HOME SECTION]
Vending Machine: Value – X250 AP
Portable Runic Oven:
Value: X300 AP
Description: A small cubic oven that bakes any food without the need for fire. Automatically adjusts temperature and time.
Self-Mixing Cauldron:
Value: X420 AP
Description: Mixes, stirs, and boils on its own. Ideal for soups, broths, and culinary potions.
Magic Cutting Board:
Value: X240 AP
Description: Prevents magical foods from exploding or rotting when cut.
Temporal Kitchen Timer:
Value: X500 AP
Description: Speeds up cooking time x10 inside a small field without affecting the outside.
Common Steel Pan:
Value: X10 AP
Description: A resistant pan. No magic, but useful for a novice dragon chef.
Common Kitchen Knife:
Value: X15 AP
Description: Cuts well. Nothing special… for now.
Basic Spoon and Fork (Set):
Value: X5 AP
Description: Simple utensils for serving food.
Small Set of Common Spices:
Value: 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 appeared again:
["I told you, but you didn't want to listen. Magical items are expensive. And you've only completed half of the tutorial, so the infinite shop isn't updated, and you 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 I only get kitchen utensils? Isn't this 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 COMPLETE 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, burying his hand in 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 remain sitting, unable to do anything.
Apparently the universe was against him after all. This tutorial was not going to be easy at all.