Brand was confused by the sudden turn of events.
'Is she purposely avoiding my question?'
"Can you first tell me what Seraphim needs from me?" He insisted, demanding an answer, but Seraphine gave a firm decline.
She ignored his query and continued. "The GHOST system, once installed in your body, completely overhauls your humanity."
"It stretches your limits to the extreme!" she exclaimed.
"What's this 'system' you mentioned?" Brand gave up on pressing further and decided to go along with her explanation.
"And what makes my body so different?" He asked.
Aside from his skin turning cybernetic and his bones becoming metallic, he didn't feel much different from the body he once had.
'Wait… that's my whole body there…'
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Seraphine shook her head and waved a finger horizontally. "Let's try calling out 'Stat' for your status screen."
"Stat," Brand muttered, following her instruction.
Suddenly, a holographic status screen appeared in his field of vision, showing detailed information about him.
==============
Status:
Name: Brand
Job: GHOST (Agent of Seraphim)
Level: 1
STR: 20
AGI: 20
INT: 20
==============
"See your 'Job' there? You're now a proud agent of Seraphim!" Seraphine cheered.
Brand couldn't share her excitement. The memories of everything he'd endured were still too fresh.
Still, he pushed those thoughts aside. Understanding this 'system' came first.
"Are these stats… high or low?" he asked. He had no benchmark, no frame of reference…
Hell, he didn't even know the task Seraphim had entrusted to him yet!
'Is this enough to carry out the tasks?'
This was all he thought as he stared at the status screen.
"To give you a reference," Seraphine explained, "Heroes, the humans with the best potential in this world, start with a total of 50 stat points at Level 1."
"That means you're already 20% stronger than they are!" But that's only at Level 1, right?" Brand asked. "What about leveling up?"
"Each species gains a different number of stat points per level. Humans usually gain 3-5, but you will gain 6," Seraphine continued." Dragons, the strongest beings in the world, also gain 6 stat points per level."
Brand nodded while listening, unbothered. All of these were numbers to him. He still hadn't met others yet, so all of these were vague concepts. But he felt reassured that he had the same potential as a dragon. 'Dragons sound strong and mighty.'
"Open your skill screen with the 'Skill' command," Seraphine urged.
"Skill," Brand said calmly.
A holographic screen, similar to the status screen, overlaid his vision the moment he spoke.
==========
GHOST Core: Lv. 1
==========
Skills:
1. Debuff Cube - Decrease all the target's stats by 5% for 3 minutes.
2. Might - Increase STR by 25% for 3 minutes.
3. Haste - Increase AGI by 25% for 3 minutes.
4. Clear Mind - Increase INT by 25% for 3 minutes.
==========
"Leveling up the GHOST Core is your main focus, since all system upgrades are connected to it," she explained. "But you need Karma Points for that, which you will gain from achievements recognized by the world."
"Achievement?" Brand asked.
"For example, saving villagers, defeating monsters, and most importantly, Titles," Seraphine replied. "You earn a Title when the world acknowledges your feat."
"So now, pump your Karma Points to 50 points, to upgrade to Level 2!" Seraphine exclaimed." We can go into detail afterward, after you get the hang of things."
Before Brand could say anything, Seraphine pressed on.
"Well, last but not least is GHOST Mode. Try calling out the keyword, 'GHOST.'"
Brand followed her instructions and muttered the keyword.
[GHOST Mode activated.]
A small ghost icon flickered at the corner of his iris. Brand stared at it, unsure what it meant.
"That icon means GHOST mode is activated," Seraphine explained. "When GHOST mode is on, all your stats are enhanced by 25%.
"You will also activate stealth. Your existence fades until you become undetectable."
"Hmm… that's cool," Brand muttered, imagining how he could utilise the stealth, not only in combat situations.
"How long does it last?"
"About 10 seconds, until the ghost icon disappears," she replied.
'That's so short.'
Brand took a mental note of the time limit. At least there was some indication to remind him.
==============
GHOST Mode:
Increase all stats by 25% and activate stealth for 10 seconds.
==============
"That wraps up our tutorial!" Seraphine exclaimed, suddenly brimming with excitement. "Are you ready?!"
"Ready for…?" Brand was taken aback by the little angel's unusual enthusiasm.
"Ding~" Seraphine chimed, and the dark void vanished. The endless sand dunes returned to his vision abruptly.
Brand felt a wave of dizziness—the transition had been jarring. But he barely had time to register it.
Above him, a massive creature hovered, four legs and wings spread wide. The strongest being in this world.
A dragon.
Brand's vision flared as holographic text appeared around the creature.
[Sand Dragon – Lv 37]
[Status: Curious]
The dragon's yellow eyes glared at him. Its beige scales shimmered, and a radiant glow traced along the course of its wings.
The dragon was the embodiment of thunder itself, illuminating the night sky with its mere presence. "Here's the opponent for your combat tutorial!" Seraphine shouted, her excitement unmistakable.
Brand's mouth gaped, unable to process the sudden shitstorm before him.
"You expect me to fight that?!" He shouted, pointing at the dragon.
"Of course not. You have zero chance." Seraphine said bluntly, as if he had just spoken nonsense.
Was this some kind of joke to her? Had she deliberately prepared this dragon to kill him under the disguise of a tutorial?
"First of all, the Sand Dragon wasn't prepared deliberately, by calculated coincidence," she declared proudly.
"Dragons are sensitive to mana, as they are a natural phenomenon themselves."
"This dragon is still a baby and is curious about the world," Seraphine explained. "It came to check the disturbance of mana."
"Well… It is because of the space I set up earlier, hehe." She giggled innocently. Brand was pulling at his hair in response to her declaration. "What calculated coincidence? You have expected a dragon to come!"
The Sand Dragon seemed displeased with their ongoing banter. It was now looking at them menacingly and spread its wings, charging at Brand.