Their journey stretched long and arduous, testing their endurance and resolve. After many days, John and Bobo reached a village that corresponded to where the Mage’s Enclave stood in the real world. However, this village was far less grandiose than the renowned enclave John remembered. Its modest houses and simple streets bore a striking resemblance to the village they had left behind.

  As they approached, an old man stepped out to greet them. To John’s shock, the man looked exactly like the elder from village 105. His heart skipped a beat—were they mere lookalikes, or something far stranger?

  Before John could speak, the elder said calmly, “We meet again.”

  John’s confusion deepened. “Excuse me, but how did you get here?” he asked.

  The elder’s gaze held steady, a subtle smile playing on his lips. “Where? I have always been here, and this is where we have always met.”

  A chill ran down John’s spine. This elder—and the village itself—were no ordinary people or places. He recalled how once before, the elder's calm demeanor had shifted abruptly to anxiety when a mission to save a little girl was announced but why was he not worried about her as soon as they had met that day?

  The mysteries entwined around this elder and his village grew thicker, stirring in John a sense of unease and curiosity. Something beyond ordinary was at play, and he knew he would have to tread carefully to unravel it.

  The elder’s voice was calm but resolute as he gave John and Bobo their next mission: to hunt a pack of giant hyenas terrorizing the Eldergloom.

  The mention of Eldergloom and the hyenas sent a ripple through John’s memories. He remembered the harrowing misadventure he had shared there long ago with Kana—an excursion that had tested their courage and wit in equal measure. The dense, shadowy forest had seemed alive with unseen dangers, every step fraught with peril and finally they had faced an insurmountable foe. Had it not been for Kana’s mother, they would be dead.

  Now, facing this new task, John felt a mix of familiarity and unease. The daunting reputation of Eldergloom remained intact, and the looming threat of the giant hyenas promised a fight far from easy. But would black tigers also exist in the parallel world? With his true feral form sealed, he could not subdue such fierce enemies that were even beyond white weretigresses.

  With Bobo at his side, John steeled himself. The echoes of past trials whispered through the trees, preparing him for yet another challenge in the ever-unfolding saga of the parallel world.

  Fortunately, John and Bobo did not come face to face with the dreaded black tigers known to lurk in Eldergloom. The thought of such fearsome predators lurking in the shadows was enough to keep John’s senses sharp, but luck was on their side this time.

  Instead, Bobo focused on hunting the giant hyenas and other creatures populating the eerie forest. With each successful hunt, Bobo’s experience and confidence grew steadily, leveling up through the challenges. John observed his companion’s progress with satisfaction, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that these hyenas were weaker than those from the real world.

  Reflecting on the difference, John realized that Bobo, even now, would not have stood a chance against the ferocity and sheer power of the real-world monumental hyenas. But as for himself, the current John—hardened and immensely powerful—would have been more than capable of slaughtering such beasts as long as the collar would not restrict him. The parallel world was testing them differently, with challenges calibrated to their evolving strengths and limits and foes close to villages were evidently weaker than those in between villages.

  After spending some considerable time around Eldergloom, one day, after John had retreated to the safety of his shelter to rest and strategize, he decided to investigate something. Driven by curiosity and the lingering mystery of the elder, he decided to journey back to village 105 to see if the elder remained there—and indeed, to his surprise, the elder was still present. This elder was at the same time in the village of the enclave and the one representing Cloudroot… John had to abandon investigating further as any more questions to the elder who seemed oblivious to his ubiquity started to give John a headache. He continued to teleport back and forth from his shelter to the Eldergloom training ground as he started to call it in discussions with Bobo.

  From there, their travels took them toward Aurethrin, the capital of the kingdom of Aurelia in the real world. But instead of the sprawling, majestic city John had expected, they found only a modest village standing in its place. And, once again, the familiar face of the same elder greeted them.

  It became clear to John that this parallel world lacked the large towns and bustling cities found in his own reality. Instead, it was a landscape of scattered villages, each marked by the presence of this enigmatic elder. The realization deepened the mystery—what force shaped this world into such a different pattern? And what role did the elder truly play within it? Was he just the guide to give the first pet to the young dragons challenging this trial and also the entity giving missions to give direction to the progress dragons made here?

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  During their travels, whenever they found moments free from battle, John and Bobo often engaged in quiet conversations—be it while walking the road or resting within the shelter’s protective dome.

  One evening, John turned to Bobo with curiosity. “Were you born at the farm of village 105?” he asked.

  Bobo tilted his head thoughtfully before replying, “I’m not sure. But my oldest memories are from being on that farm, together with other young pets.”

  John pressed further, “Do you know anything about the elder?”

  Bobo’s gaze grew distant. “Before meeting you, I rarely saw him. Usually, our caregivers were younger men and women from the village.”

  John frowned slightly, then voiced what had been lingering in his mind. “Isn’t it strange to you that we meet the elder everywhere we go?”

  Bobo’s response was quiet but earnest. “I know it feels strange to you. I’m not sure. I don’t think I can help you understand this world better. I don’t have many memories from before meeting you, and the ones I have are just about a calm life at the farm.”

  John realized that despite Bobo’s clear intelligence and ability to hold a thoughtful conversation, the pet held no deeper knowledge about the mysteries surrounding their journey. The book John had purchased at the beginning of his adventure in the parallel world, along with the volumes housed in the shelter’s library, offered little insight beyond confirming one unsettling fact: the villages were eerily identical everywhere they went, each shadowed by the same enigmatic elder.

  John had long wondered if Bobo could pass through the village’s protective barrier—the same light dome that barred his own entry. While John was confined outside, the question lingered: would his companion, now evolved and more capable, face the same restriction?

  One day, curiosity and a hint of hope pushed him to test the boundary. He sent Bobo ahead toward the village, watching carefully as his agile pet approached the shimmering dome.

  But just like John, Bobo was halted. The glowing barrier emitted a soft hum, shimmering with unyielding energy that parted around him, refusing passage. The light dome was impartial—it restricted both master and pet alike.

  John studied the spectacle, a mixture of frustration and contemplation swirling within him. The village remained an enigma, locked behind an invisible wall not just for him, but for even the ally beside him. This barrier, it seemed, was a boundary he had yet to understand—or overcome. But he did not want to try to force his entry through violence.

  After successfully hunting several creatures in the parallel world’s version of Aurelia’s capital’s vicinity, John and Bobo pressed onward, their journey leading them into a dense forest unlike any they had encountered before in this alternate reality.

  The air here was thick with living energy, the trees towering above pulsing with a subtle, rhythmic heartbeat that seemed to echo through the ground itself. John felt an unmistakable sensation ripple through him—the profound presence of the World Tree.

  Every breath he took was tinged with ancient power, the forest alive not just with flora and fauna but with a deep, primordial consciousness. It was as if the very essence of the parallel world converged here, offering both sanctuary and challenge.

  John’s gaze hardened with determination. The World Tree’s call was a beacon—one that had drawn him deeper into this realm’s mysteries, promising revelations and trials that could shape the fate of both himself and this strange, intertwining world.

  In the real world, John had reached the elven kingdom through a maze of underground passages, guided and propelled by the intertwining roots of the World Tree itself. That journey had been intense and otherworldly, a passage carved through earth and magic alike.

  But in this parallel world, John was unsure of the path to the elven kingdom if he were to travel above ground. The familiar routes seemed obscured, hidden beneath layers of the unknown.

  Then, without warning, his system window flickered, and the "Benediction of the World Tree" ignited with a soft, emerald glow. An inexplicable certainty blossomed within him—a quiet knowing of the way forward.

  Yet, unlike before, the spirit of the World Tree did not speak to him directly here. Instead, it communicated in subtle whispers and feelings, guiding him through intuition rather than words—a silent but powerful presence leading John onward through this unfamiliar realm.

  After many arduous battles and long stretches of travel, John and Bobo finally arrived at the elven kingdom—or at least, what should have been the elven kingdom in this parallel world.

  Instead of the grand, ethereal capital John remembered, they found yet another modest village. The pattern continued, reinforcing the strange uniformity that pervaded this realm.

  John’s eyes focused on the elder who greeted them. This time, there was a subtle difference—the familiar figure bore slightly pointed ears, a hint of elven heritage blending into his appearance. But the change was minimal, almost imperceptible.

  The elder, as always, seemed unaware of the anomalies surrounding him. He greeted John warmly, recalling their past encounters as if no time or distance had passed. Oblivious to his own ubiquity across the land, the elder remained a constant fixture—an enigmatic presence woven deeply into the fabric of this parallel world.

  As always, when John approached the village, the familiar shimmering light dome prevented him from stepping inside. The barrier closed him off from the settlement, just as it had done with every village before.

  However, this time something caught his eye. The village occupied only a portion of the vast area where the elven capital should have stood. Adjacent to the village, a narrow passage flushed with shadow and ancient stone lay open—unlike the sealed villages, this path was accessible to him.

  John’s gaze fixed on the passage, recognizing its significance. It reminded him of the corridor leading to the dark crystal he had discovered in the real world, beneath the World Tree. A surge of anticipation welled within him. Though barred from entering the village itself, this passage offered a new path—one that might hold answers, dangers, or power beyond the ordinary.

  With cautious determination, John stepped toward the opening, ready to face whatever secrets awaited beyond its threshold. Bobo followed close behind, a bit surprised at John's entranced facial expression.