After running for a while and ensuring that the sand dragon had lost sight of him, he took a deep breath and began to contemplate his next move.
First, he needed to study 'GHOST.' What abilities did he gain through the loss of his flesh and blood?
Second…
"Seraphine… your name sounds familiar, as if the tiny robot there is just your name's abbreviation," Brand said, pointing at the tiny spherical robot.
"Well! This tiny robot is my Avatar!" Seraphine replied.
"Then is the mechanical eye also an Avatar?"
"Oh! It was an Angelic Bot that ran on specified tasks but with reasoning."
"This reasoning skill... tortured, mutilated my body and turned me into a Cyborg!" Brand yelled.
"Oh no, sorry, Brand! Mistake from our Archangel!" Seraphine said, waving her hand nervously. "She's getting a scolding from the higher-ups now! I'm here to assist you; we can regenerate your body if we can find the Nano-Machine!"
"Don't worry! I scanned your whole body multiple times back in the Ancient Ruin!" Seraphine quickly added.
Brand felt resigned. If he had just minded his own business, he wouldn't have gone to the so-called Ancient Ruin and would still be continuing his daily work routine in his office…
"My heart couldn't take it… I'm just a programmer working mundane tasks to survive my monthly expenses," Brand ranted. "Now I have to run from dragons just to stay alive!"
"Calm down, Brand. No worries! I'm here!" Seraphine did a cheerleading dance midair and winked at Brand.
"Fine, now we need to address my third concern." Brand continued in a voice filled with frustration.
"What now? So the mechanical eye, a.k.a Archangel, made a mistake and sent me to this world to find the 'Nano-Machine,' telling me it would help me regain my body?"
"But I feel like this was planned from the beginning! Such a chain of events!" Brand exclaimed.
Seraphine avoided Brand's gaze and whistled.
"Brand. Regain body. Find a Nano-Machine!" Seraphine mimicked a monotone robot sound.
Brand pressed his temple and tried to calm down.
[Clear Mind: Suppress emotion for 3 minutes.]
Feeling speechless, Brand decided to look for refuge. The sun was burning him. Brand despised spontaneity, and this entire experience felt like a chaotic twist of fate he hadn't chosen. He needed to sort through his thoughts and plan his next steps carefully.
Brand sought refuge beneath a giant red rock, grateful for the shade it provided from the relentless sun. The adrenaline from the confrontation still coursed through him, but as the initial rush faded, he was left with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.
Sitting cross-legged on a large rock, he turned to Seraphine, the holographic angel. "What now?" he asked.
"We can first go to the nearest village, the Emas Tribe's Village!" Seraphine replied with enthusiasm.
"You don't venture out often, do you?" Brand asked with curiosity, as Seraphine's tone had always been exciting since they met.
Just like a puppy, he thought. His current priority was survival, and setting foot in a village seemed like a great idea.
Feeling the weight of his situation, Brand opened the map system with Seraphine's guidance. A map of the desert region hovered in the air. As Brand explored the function, he was impressed by the interface; it was very well designed!
He could gain information on the number of inhabitants in the region, even zooming in on the village.
"Wait until you reach the village and reopen the map, Brand," Seraphine initiated the conversation. "You could even get a room layout!"
"How could this 'GHOST' system see the room's layout?" Brand asked.
"The Archangel who gave you 'GHOST' happens to be an art enthusiast!" Seraphine explained. "She enjoys designing and is kind of… looking forward to having someone do some testing?" Her voice drifted as the conversation continued.
'Clear Mind' activated on its own, suppressing Brand's sudden burst of anger.
"Anger is bad; it hurts your heart!" Seraphine exclaimed.
Forget about it, he thought.
Brand began to study the terrain closely, noting the landmarks he would encounter along the way. "It looks like a long journey. Will I be safe? What if they don't accept me?"
"They are wary of outsiders, but you have an advantage," she assured him. "You can adapt and present yourself as one of them. This brings us to our next function!"
[Face manipulation: Transform your face to another person's. Indefinite usage time, but with a cooldown of 24 hours before the next transformation.]
Taking in her words, Brand contemplated the significance of his transformation. He could now morph his appearance, which could help him fit in with the villagers. After a moment of hesitation, he focused on the task at hand, selecting the look of one of the villagers the system presented to him.
"Pick him! He has the same name as you!" Seraphine pointed to the image of a young man with a serpent tattoo on the back of his ear.
"Brand Essen," Brand repeated the name he saw. He would be taking this man's identity from now on. He felt sentimental, even if just temporarily. This face would accompany him until he completed his goal in this world.
"Let's do this," he said, determination hardening in his voice. He stood up, brushing the sand from his clothes, and with Seraphine by his side, they began their march toward the village.
As they walked, the landscape shifted from endless dunes to clusters of palm trees swaying in the desert breeze. The village gradually came into sight, a burst of color and life against the backdrop of the arid landscape. The laughter of children and the chatter of adults echoed in the air, a stark contrast to the solitude of the dunes.
Brand's heart raced. This was a new world filled with potential and danger. He couldn't afford to falter now.