Cyborg in a Fantasy World

'She won't stop now.'

All the way home, Shama's sister maintained a relentless stream of scolding without pausing to catch her breath. Shama had no choice but to endure it in complete silence.

"Your father always warned you about them. When will you ever take his warnings seriously? Even after witnessing what they're capable of, you still dared approach one of them with your face uncovered! Do you not understand..."

Her tirade continued unabated until they reached a group of villagers who were cautiously beginning to enter their homes. To everyone's astonishment, none of the furniture or belongings had been damaged. It was as if the purple flames that had consumed their houses earlier were nothing more than a vivid illusion.

"Am I losing my mind? Wasn't my house completely burned down?"

"Thank the heavens! My savings are intact. Nothing happened to them."

"You scoundrel! You had money all along and refused to lend me any when I begged!"

Some villagers had lost nothing, but not everyone had been so fortunate.

"My husband... Oh, my beloved husband! You've left me alone with two children. How will I feed them without you?" The woman's voice cracked with devastating sobs.

"Mama! Mama!" a small child cried, tiny hands desperately shaking the lifeless body of his mother on the ground, unable to comprehend that she would never wake again.

The village chief stood in contemplative silence, studying the bodies scattered throughout the settlement. They appeared to have died from heart failure—there were no visible burn marks or signs of the flames that had supposedly consumed them.

The bizarre nature of the scene prompted hushed discussions among the survivors.

"Gather around, everyone!" the chief called out with authority. Survivors, including Shama and her sister, who maintained a protective grip on her hand, began to assemble.

"We must identify the missing and carry our loved ones into their homes. We will honor them with proper farewells tomorrow. For now, we need to discover who saved our village from destruction," the chief announced solemnly. The crowd dispersed in different directions to search for their family members.

'An opportunity.'

"Sister," Shama said, her eyes reflecting genuine pain and sympathy, "we have to help them."

Shama braced herself for the inevitable refusal, already formulating stronger arguments in her mind. To her surprise, her sister agreed without releasing her protective hold. Together, they moved to assist the other survivors.

"Zahi's sons! Zahi's father is over here!" someone shouted desperately.

"Naz's sisters! This way!"

Voices rose as people rushed toward the names of their loved ones. The air filled with heart-wrenching wails and bitter tears, replacing the earlier terror with profound grief.

Amidst the emotional chaos, Shama seized her moment. While everyone remained distracted by their sorrow, she carefully extracted her hand from her sister's grip and melted into the crowd, keeping her face concealed beneath her veil.

'Who should I approach?... Obviously, someone who isn't crying or shouting.'

She wanted to engage someone in conversation, but the heavy atmosphere made it difficult to broach any topic. Nevertheless, she knew she had to act quickly.

She approached a man who was respectfully covering one of the deceased with a pristine white cloth.

"It's all because of that demon," Shama whispered, ensuring the man could hear her.

"Demon?" he muttered, his face darkening as he clenched his teeth. Then he raised his voice, "It's all because of that cursed demon!"

"Who is he anyway?" Shama continued strategically. "Shouldn't someone at least explain?"

"Yes, exactly!" another person joined the conversation after overhearing. "The sister is right! Who was he, and why did he attack us?"

In their overwhelming grief and despair, logical thinking proved difficult for the villagers, and Shama exploited this vulnerability expertly.

"Does anyone know him? I don't recall his face."

A man turned, recognizing her distinctive voice.

"Shama? You're Shama, aren't you? Since when have you ever remembered anyone's face?"

'What's the point of memorizing ugly old faces anyway?'

"I saw him clearly," someone else interjected. "His name was Zaves. I don't know his official title, though."

"Zaves," Shama repeated, though she knew this information alone wouldn't help the hero.

"Is he well-known among the Baniaasif?"

"No, I've never heard that name before. Perhaps he was from the High Mountain, someone without notable achievements."

"No, no! I've seen him multiple times before."

"Why would someone from the High Mountain descend so frequently?"

Shama's eyes lit up with sudden interest.

'This is exactly what I needed.'

"Uncle," Shama said, lifting her veil slightly to reveal a radiant smile. She approached the elderly man who had made the observation. "If he visited often, which specific village did he frequent?"

The man smiled back warmly, straining his aging memory. Each time he seemed ready to give up, Shama's eager, brilliant eyes encouraged him to try once more.

"I believe... Shufi Village," he said. Before he could elaborate further, Shama had vanished completely, leaving him bewildered. He had been successfully manipulated.

Shama quickly located a particular area filled with fine sand. She knelt gracefully and began crafting something intricate within it.

By the time she finished her work, the villagers were already heading toward Vio to express their heartfelt gratitude.

'The hero doesn't understand our customs.'

It would be highly inappropriate for a woman to join the formal line of thanks. Traditionally, they would delegate such matters to a male relative or observe respectfully from a distance.

Shama remained motionless, placing her hand over her heart as she watched the hero receive the villagers' appreciation.

"Look at me... please look at me," she prayed silently.

As if her fervent prayer had been answered, Vio turned directly toward her. Understanding her respectful gesture, he mirrored the action perfectly. Once the ceremony concluded, Shama waited patiently until the crowd completely dispersed. Then she hurried forward and knocked softly on his door.

Vio opened it to find her dazzling smile greeting him.

'Speak of the devil. What does she want now?'

Shama took two deliberate steps backward and gestured for Vio to follow her.

'Does she not speak?' he wondered, remembering that she had never uttered a single word in his presence.

Sensing no immediate danger, Vio followed her into one of the narrow alleyways.

'What is this supposed to be?'

Shama had crafted an elaborate miniature mountain using the sand.

Before kneeling beside her creation, she pointed to herself, then to Vio, and finally to a specific location on the mountain model.

'Is she indicating that we're currently here?'

Vio tilted his head, watching with intense focus as Shama continued her work. From the spot she had indicated, she traced a winding, serpentine line downward.

When she finished that section, she stood up and began jogging in place while pointing directly at Vio.

'Running, escaping, me... Is she showing me an escape route from the mountain?'

[Evaluation completed: 63%.]

Vio's eyes widened significantly, signaling to Shama that he had grasped her meaning. But she wasn't finished.

She retrieved a small stick and drew a precise circle in the sand. Vio immediately summoned his three-dimensional map of the mountain to correspond with the area she was indicating.

'A circle... a range? A zone, zone containing what, exactly?'

Standing upright with sudden dramatic flair, Shama raised both hands, forming them into menacing claw-like shapes, and released a guttural growl.

"Grrrrr!" she roared convincingly, imitating the sound of a massive bear.

'Is she warning me about a zone inhabited by giant bears?'

[Evaluation completed: 82%.]

Suddenly, Vio let out an involuntary laugh, which he quickly suppressed with his hand. But it was enough to make Shama blush deeply. She nervously clasped her hands together and bowed her head as her face turned bright crimson.

'She's absolutely adorable.'

Snapping his fingers to recapture her attention, Vio raised his hands exactly as she had done, mimicking her claw formation perfectly.

"Grrrrr!" he growled, copying her earlier roar with amusing accuracy.

Shama covered her mouth, giggling uncontrollably behind her hands. Her embarrassment evaporated instantly as she returned to the sand model with renewed determination and focus.

[Evaluation completed: 110%.]

[Evaluation completed: 138%.]

She added intricate curves and various obstacles to the model. Each time she drew something new, Vio integrated the information into the map, memorizing every crucial detail.

[Evaluation completed: 178%.]

When she completed the topographical section, Shama concluded with something critically important.

She clutched her throat dramatically and stuck out her tongue, vividly mimicking the act of choking to death.

'Death. Mortal danger.'

Smiling faintly, he couldn't help but appreciate her theatrical gestures. Then, pointing to a specific location on the model, she indicated an area that his instincts immediately recognized as extremely perilous.

[Evaluation completed: 189%.]

The second phase of her explanation followed. Shama raised her hand and mimicked the motion of opening a door.

'Opening a door? What could that possibly mean?'

Noticing his obvious confusion, Shama pointed directly at his clothing.

'Me? No, my clothes? What does opening a door have to do with what I'm wearing?'

It took him several moments to piece the clues together logically.

'The key.'

When he produced the mysterious key from his chest, Shama's eyes lit up with excitement. She pointed to a precise location on the sand map.

'Ah, the key unlocks something important at that specific location.'

[Evaluation completed: 203%.]

When her entire explanation was complete, Shama stood perfectly motionless, which prompted Vio to smile genuinely. He desperately wanted to thank her properly, but the language barrier made meaningful communication impossible.

Finding no other adequate way to express his gratitude, he placed his palm gently on top of her head.

"Thank you," Vio said with sincere warmth. Though she couldn't understand his words, she felt the genuine kindness within them, causing her blush to deepen even further.

When he lifted his hand, Shama suddenly pulled her veil down, completely hiding her face from view. She stepped closer, grasping a piece of his clothing and pressing her lips against the fabric in a traditional gesture.

Before Vio could fully comprehend the cultural significance of her action, Shama hurried away with quick, nervous steps, disappearing around the corner before he could react.

'System, you have a serious problem with your assessment. She's not thirteen, no matter how the heavens split or the earth rises.'

Unintentionally, Vio's eyes followed Shama's retreating figure. Whether out of approval or disapproval, they seemed to act of their own accord.

[The system does not make mistakes.]

Only three hours remained until the Furious Night would finally come to an end. Vio resolved to begin his journey the moment the protective barrier lifted.

Meanwhile, far from the village, a strikingly beautiful girl with piercing gray eyes moved effortlessly through the fiercest winds, navigating between wildly swaying trees and the encroaching fog that severely limited visibility.

Zaba was heading directly toward Zeer Village.