John hesitated, uncertain about giving the potion to Bobo. As he stared at the pot, Bobo clumsily approached, shivering but looking at the potion with a greedy, almost desperate gaze.

  John stopped him gently. "It could be dangerous, it could kill you," he warned stopping him with a finger on the pet’s frail little white chest.

  But Bobo looked at him with a rare determination in his fragile eyes. John asked quietly, "Do you want to try?"

  Bobo nodded resolutely.

  John took a moment to reflect. Even if Bobo reached level 20, he would remain weak. But maybe this potion was his chance to challenge his destiny.

  With cautious hope, John dipped his hand into the potion and offered Bobo a very small dose on the palm of his hand. Bobo drank eagerly.

  John watched carefully—nothing immediate happened. Encouraged, he allowed Bobo to drink more from the pot while he monitored Bobo’s reactions and stats closely.

  Soon enough, one of the possible events occurred: Bobo leveled down, but his level 2 stats remained at level 1.

  EUREKA—John realized the potion was transforming Bobo’s growth in the same beneficial way it worked for him, giving Bobo a fresh start with the benefits of his prior stats. This breakthrough sparked hope for their future together.

  John felt a growl in his stomach; hunger was beginning to gnaw at him. Unsure if the acid rain had fully passed, he reasoned that if he stayed underwater after leaving the shelter, the corrosive rain wouldn’t pose much danger, not being able to reach him.

  With this cautious plan in mind, John prepared to hunt for some fish—"hunt" seemed a more fitting term than "fish" since he intended to pursue his prey beneath the water’s surface rather than simply cast a line.

  Determined and alert, he readied himself for the task of catching fish underwater, trusting in his regained abilities to provide sustenance while keeping safe from the strange dangers above.

  John left Bobo safely in the shelter and slipped out into the water. Staying well below the surface, he also kept his distance from the opening of the underwater maze that would lead out into the open ocean.

  Within the maze, John encountered some fish. Thanks to his strong stats and improved skills, he was able to catch them barehanded without much difficulty.

  With his catch secured, John swam carefully back to the shelter, ready to prepare a meal and regain his strength in the safety of the dome.

  John placed the fish near the shelter's campfire on the stone floor, the pot containing his potion being occupied by the potion and unusable for his meal’s preparation. He again studied the unusual fire, this time scrutinizing it more—it appeared to burn on wood, yet the wood was never consumed.

  As a mage accustomed to controlling elemental forces, fire amongst others, John knew that normally, fire wouldn't burn long in such a confined space and would quickly make breathing difficult if anyone was inside. But this fire was different. It emitted only warmth, with no smoke or harmful effects—a clear sign of system magic at work.

  Though he lacked sticks to properly grill the fish, John used his fire magic to subtly control the shelter’s fire, heating the fish somewhat evenly and turning them occasionally with his bare hands, too strong to be burned if not restricted by that collar which was still restricting his physical body back in the real world. He thought about how he was very trusting of the dragons, leaving his unconscious self back in Golddeep, next to the crystal tower. On the one hand, if the dragons wanted to harm him, it would not matter if he was conscious or not, he was a fly in their eyes, especially if restricted by the collar. On the other hand, he could not forget that one grey dragon that had seen him as a snack. He had to trust in the dragons and in what he was told that no time would pass in the real world while he was in the parallel one. He thus turned to more mundane matters, his next meal.

  Fish was not his favorite food, but he recognized this was not the moment to be picky. He shared the modest meal with Bobo, finding comfort in the simple act of breaking bread together, figuratively speaking, as they did not have bread. John thought that some bread and cheese would be nice. Maybe he could use the wheat fields next to Cloudroot.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  That night, John and Bobo rested inside the small tent on a rudimentary mattress. The shelter maintained a pleasantly warm temperature, providing a comfortable refuge from the harsh conditions outside. Wrapped in the quiet safety of the dome, they slept peacefully, recharging their strength for the challenges yet to come.

  The next day, as John awoke, a system notification appeared before him.

  This confirmation marked the successful completion of the first shelter trial, signaling that John was now permitted to return to the village and continue his journey from there.

  John noticed that Bobo had leveled up again during the night, a benefit of the shelter's unique environment. Seeing this, he instructed his pet to drink from the potion once more, causing Bobo to level back down.

  John encouraged Bobo to try creating a loop of leveling up and then descending again, knowing this cycle would help the pet grow stronger.

  With Bobo left safely in the shelter, following his master’s instructions, John stepped out and headed toward the village, ready to continue the next phase of their adventure.

  John took down some overgrown rats on his way to the village and soon arrived at the glowing light dome surrounding it. He attempted to pass through but found it impenetrable.

  This time, the village elder emerged from the dome though and spoke to John: "I am glad to see you found a shelter for the night and survived the acid rain. I am sorry that the system prevents us from offering you hospitality."

  The elder continued, "I have a mission for you. Hunt the Jara and bring proof of your hunt."

  At that moment, a system notification appeared before John.

  With the mission now assigned, John steeled himself for the challenge ahead.

  John wondered what kind of beast his target was and asked the elder what a Jara was, curious about the creature he was tasked to hunt. The elder explained that it was a monster that lived in the forest and had recently begun venturing closer to the village.

  John inquired, "Wouldn't the dome protect you from it?"

  The elder replied, "More or less. If a monster attacks the dome, it can weaken its structure. Over time, if the monster keeps coming back and tries again, the dome could break."

  John grew more cautious about the mission, because this monster would apparently be able to break the dome he seemed to be powerless against and then asked, "Could I attack the dome to enter your village again? Don't misunderstand, if this would put you in danger, I won't do it. I’m just wondering if I could enter, and the dome would repair itself afterward..."

  The elder interrupted firmly, "It is not possible for young dragons to break the dome. Only local monsters have a corrosion effect on it that can do so."

  This conversation made John realize the stakes and mechanics of the dome, adding layers to his understanding of the parallel world and giving hints on how he was to approach to the mission.

  John asked the elder to describe the Jara, wanting to understand more about the creature he was about to confront.

  The elder explained, "The Jara is a large, reptilian, bulky monster that roams these forests. It has thick, scaly skin that helps protect it from attacks, and a wide, rounded body that can inflate when it feels threatened, making it appear even larger. Its jaws are powerful, capable of delivering crushing bites."

  He continued, "The Jara feeds mainly on the smaller creatures and sometimes plants it finds, but it can become aggressive if disturbed, especially when defending its territory or young."

  "The creature tends to move slowly, but when it charges, it can catch prey off guard. Its most distinctive feature is the tough greenish scales along its back, which shimmer faintly in the light."

  John listened carefully, absorbing the details that would help him prepare for the hunt ahead.

  John bid farewell to the elder, who quietly reentered the protective dome as John set off toward the forest. Deciding to rely on his more agile side, John transformed into his blue tiger form—a large, powerful feline marked with bold blue and black stripes.

  On all fours, he began sprinting through the underbrush, his movements sleek and purposeful. Using his enhanced sense of smell, John tried to detect any signs of a large creature nearby. Although he had no idea exactly how a Jara smelled, he knew it would have a distinct reptilian scent, markedly different from the smaller, musky odors left by the overgrown rats he had encountered earlier.

  With keen senses guiding him, John pressed deeper into the forest, alert and ready to face the challenge ahead.

  Rodents seemed to avoid his feline presence, likely influenced by his "Apex Aura" skill, the latter enhanced by the feral form he had taken. John wondered if this might be detrimental to his hunt, as it could alert his actual prey to his approach too soon.

  Soon, he came across some yellow reptiles about the size of large dogs. They growled at him suspiciously, but John imagined the Jara to be much bigger. Interestingly, they did not seem to be affected by his "Apex Aura".

  One of the yellow creatures leapt aggressively at the tiger, but John lazily struck it down with a single, effortless swipe of his paw.

  Just as he finished, a loud, thunderous roar echoed through the forest. Minutes later, heavy footsteps pounded the ground as a massive beast charged through, bending trees and bursting rocks in its path.

  Out emerged a large creature, similar to the yellow ones but much larger, fitting the elder's description of a Jara perfectly.

  John’s heart raced—had he just killed one of the Jara’s young, unknowingly stirring the wrath of its parent?

  The Jara charged fiercely at John, but his feline predator form moved swiftly, evading the attack with agile precision. Seizing the moment, John leapt onto the beast’s throat. His tigerish canines pierced through the Jara’s tough, scaly armor, and he squeezed, suffocating the creature swiftly.

  The smaller, younger Jara scattered in fear, fleeing deeper into the forest.

  The fight was surprisingly quick, and before long, the great beast lay dead at John's feet.

  Though victorious, John felt a pang of guilt. What would become of the young ones now left without their guardian? Yet, the mission weighed heavily on him—he had to return to the village with proof.

  With determination, he dragged the entire carcass behind him as he made his way back, prepared to face whatever came next.

  Standing before the dome of the village, John shifted back into his human form, the massive dead Jara lying next to him. The elder came out again. The enormous prey caused him to jump back, startled.

  "You brought the whole thing?" the elder exclaimed, eyes wide. "I thought you would bring a claw or something…"

  The elder then studied the carcass carefully. "This was a very clean kill... Did Bobo do it? Impossible. But you don't have any weapons, and... a dragon cannot take his true form in our world," the elder murmured, recalling stories from those who had come into this parallel world before John who had lamented that they could not display all their might as their draconic form was sealed.

  The elder’s surprise hinted at the unique abilities John possessed, and perhaps, at secrets yet to be revealed in this strange place.

  The elder smiled warmly and said, "Anyways, mission accomplished. I will need to ask some villagers to come out and help me drag this beast inside. We will be able to eat its meat and build some tools from its bones and claws. Thank you, young boy."

  At that moment, a system notification appeared before John, confirming he had completed his mission.

  The elder reached into his pouch and handed John a purse filled with small golden colored coins. "This is the reward for clearing the mission. I added a bonus because you brought the whole beast back with you. You can purchase some goods from me with these coins."

  Then, another system notification appeared.

  A list of items appeared in front of John, along with a message showing he now had 204 gold coins available to spend. This number seemed rather high compared to the size of the purse he held but John ignored that for now. This marked a new phase in John's adventure, opening opportunities for equipment and supplies to aid his journey in this parallel world.