They went on to their respected rides getting pumped up on the day's tour. The Circa were divided into 3 groups.
The first group was Jayson, Alex, and Sandra along with other participants not from their school. They gathered around a coach bus with a length of 12 meters and a width of 2.55 meters.
"Just look at our ride..." Jayson said with sparkling eyes. "This could not even be compared to our transport in Aurum."
"They are just way up ahead of everything that not even ORION can march their pace," Sandra said.
"It's just that the Green Industries were not affiliated with the east just yet." Alex crossed his arms. "Wait until you have seen what's our transport will lead into."
"Hai, hai." Jayson patted his back and went closer to the crowd.
Its exterior is built with LCDs implanted with nanochips to receive and transmit data which includes but is not limited to a holographic interface, radars and GPS systems, and NPC input data which is important in the city's AR installed system. It is nuclear fueled. Done by breaking atoms of Haentium, the element discovered in the meteor that devastated but saved the new earth. Everything in Luna is powered as such, otherwise, they use solar energy. Their bus is going to head on the highlands west of Luna located on its peninsula. It is where the sub-satellite that controls one-eighth of the island's system and acts as receiver or radio waves across the globe is located.
"I thought it was just the exterior, but look at that..." Jayson's jaw dropped somehow.
"It felt like we're in a first-class flight in a plane," Sandra said in awe.
"Let's just take out seat." Alex ticked his tongue.
The next group is with Andi, Andra, Tori, and other participants going north towards the center building located at the heart of the island via an underground subway route that serves as the main control system of the Scorpio.
And, the last group is with Hachiro, Michiyo, and the others going to the eastern part of the city across the island's isthmus where the industrial, mechanical, and raw materials are produced. The other sub-satellite is also located in that area.
The number on their name tags signifies the group number they will be on the trip.
"It's here.. we're moving now! Ne, Andra, this is cool, right?" Andi asked, appreciating the bus there going to ride on. It has a number '3' on the bumper of the bus. "I wonder if I can meet a beautiful girl...and..."
"Would you shut it up, Andi..." Andra glared at her cousin and stomping at his foot. She took a step forward, turned to Michiyo, and reached her hand sincerely saying, "Are you okay being with him, Michi?" Andra asked, glaring at Hachiro's back.
Hachiro walked past them trying to get himself inside the bus.
"I dunno.. but I guess he won't bite.." Michiyo said hesitantly. She just said a while ago that he will create distance from him but the event turned out to be with him in the same group.
"He won't..." Sandra assuredly chatted in their email. "He's a good guy..."
Andra and Tori looked at her sitting inside their bus, confused about what she said.
"Seriously?" they signaled her. "How'd you know?" they both said.
"I guess..." Sandra replied. "..just give him a little credit. I mean, he saved us back then, right?"
"I hope so..." Michiyo murmured and looked away.
Sandra went to Hachiro to talk about something so she turned away and left Andra and the others. They all looked stunned looking at Sandra getting close to their doubted member's side of the bus.
"I never knew she'll recklessly talk to that guy.." Andra muttered
"You said it.." Tori replied. "I really think he's up to something...bad, perhaps?"
"I hope not.." Michiyo replied.
She want to assure herself that there is nothing wrong with her friend so she approached him even if he said not to. She signaled him to open the window and luckily, Hachiro did as he's told though he's wearing a sour face.
After they talked at the school, she never got a chance to discuss it with him again so she wanted to reach for him to see that he won't stray so far away from her.
"Ne, Hachiro.." she said. The kid inside the bus lends his ear but not his sight.
He didn't say a word. He placed his elbow on the window edge with his palm on his cheek. She knew they are looking at what she's doing suspiciously but she continued saying,
"Take care of yourself...if anything happens, call us through the private line, okay?" Sandra said with a soft voice.
"Try not to worry about me... I can handle myself" he replied coldly.
"You can't stop me from worrying, idiot.." she said. "You're still part of the group and you are still my friend no matter what. I won't buy that selfish thing you said before.. sorry but I am a hard-headed girl." She whispered. Her brow raised like a brat and immediately turned away.
She hurried to the bus assigned to their group and Hachiro closed his window; Michiyo got inside the bus and thought to sit away from her teammate.
"This bus is awesome," Michiyo thought when she step inside. "I wonder if this is made by that same man?" She wanted to sit near the window but it was already occupied when she came in. She pouted in disappointment because she didn't have a choice but to seat near the center, of course, she chose the seat away from Hachiro.
"Saa.. Minna-san!" the announcer said while waving her hand in the TV screen. It turned on the moment all the participants are inside the bus.
"It was the same announcer.." she mumbled. She settles herself in her seat. "she really is a cute bunny."
"I'm here to state the rules of the conference... and discuss other things..." she said "...first, I will orient you about the process of the exhibit. As you can see, we divided you into 5 groups that will go in different places to avoid congestion and maximize the events. Having 10 schools with 8 members will congest our facilities and you will not have enough leisure to experience its real beauty...the groupings are made randomly as you registered in the port. The numbers in your tags signify the groupings. As you see, you have the same number with everyone here."
They all checked their tags by turning on their respective watches.
"Ehh..." Michiyo mumbled trying to see the city from where she was seated. "I never knew it was its purpose."
"I know you wanted to know about this year's tournament that badly.." the bunny chuckled. "But I have to introduce you first to the watch we distributed on the port during your registration."
They all looked on their watches with eagerness.
"This is no ordinary watch... as you can see," the bunny showed her watch to the camera as well. She's probably in a studio and the featured show was aired from there. "..you can just activate it when you come near the AR spot."
"AR spot?" Michiyo's seatmate said. She was also confused.
"Yes, the AR spot is the radius where the AR is activated, same thing as a Wi-Fi hotspot where you can connect on a specific radius. You can use whatever weapons, spells, and all other stuffs your avatar can muster that can be activated in the AR zone. You can utilize whatever you have. When you come near it, a notification will be sent to your watches and will automatically activate the AR."
"Automatic... pretty cool.." Michiyo said. "So the watch can already bring us to the AR world, huh...it's quite the same with what Mr. Louige gave us in training."
"The whole city was installed with modems who activates the AR in specific radii. It was controlled directly from Scorpio and monitored by the two sub-towers who convert the signal to manageable stimuli and impulses that the brain can suffice without inducing a seizure. I know you've heard about the danger of cognitive dissonance, but worry not, the Phobos and Deimos will make everything safe. Using those watches, the signal from the towers will be converted as impulses that will make you see the AR world by sending those stimuli attached to your system. You can be what you wanna be as long as you have those." The bunny continued "So, about the rules..."
A sudden interference engulfed the city that made the electricity fluctuates for 5 seconds. Lights turned on and off, the bus suddenly stopped all its functions and all other else outside their bus stopped as time had paused in their midst.
Hachiro knew something was up and it is something bad. He looked outside his window and the city changed in an instant.
The voice of the bunny orienting them turned into something mechanical like what Louige sounded in his lectures in the AR. Hachiro felt a sudden chill and Shichiro wailed inside his brain. It was a familiar voice they are hearing, the voice of despair.
"About the rules..." he said full of excitement but suddenly turned into maniacal sounding "...I will be giving the rules starting from now on..."
Hachiro's eyes widen, he knew it was the thing they are expecting but he is still surprised by the sudden appearance of their enemy. He gazed at the TV screen and saw that the bunny was gone and a shadow of a creepy man sitting in front of the camera in a dimmed room snarled at them.
"The hacker.." he said in a low but quailed voice.
Michiyo heard what he said and turned back to the TV screen.
"Is it the one who caused the Aurum incident?" she thought. Her lips turned pale and her hands are shaking cold in the moment she realized their enemy had shown himself. Her blood drained from her body and felt like lead.
"So now..." the hacker continued. "...I'm sorry for the intrusion but I will take over this convention from now on... and I will introduce myself... I am.."
Hachiro never thought for an instant that the hacker will reveal himself in public for this once.
"I am...the Game Master." The hacker said. "and my rules are definite..."
....
Andi and his group's bus went down to the subway in the middle of the city. Their bus took the route that was assigned to them. He sat on the seat near the entrance of the bus. He chose that seat to see who's entering the bus with them and to see who is hot and who is not. Andra knew about his motive so he sat beside him to monitor his misdeeds.
"Would you mind stopping what you are doing, pervy!" she poked Andi's head.
"I'm not doing anything.." rubbing the part that Andra hit.
"Stop whining... would you mind behaving yourself?"
Andi stared at his cousin hoping her to be loose but he did not win the staring contest.
"Okay.. okay..." he replied "I will behave. I should have been with Jay's group rather than being with you.." he whispered but Andra heard what he said.
"What did you say?" she glared at him with the deadliest glare.
"Ahh... nothing.." he then looked away.
"You two seemed to be having a good time?!" Tori said putting her phone inside her pocket.
"Never!" the two said in unison.
"Ma... we should have a good time while we're here. Can't we just reserve the fight for later?" Tori said.
The two did not say any word instead they sat properly and looked away from each other like what kids do after a good scolding.
"Very good. I thought we can't behave ourselves." Tori said. She looked outside her window and saw the beauty of the underground road they are taking.
The bunny appeared on the TV screen with the change of outfit to give the orientation about the convention. Andi's eyes glitter in the underground lights of the subway as he saw the beautiful announcer on screen. Of course, most of the participants didn't listen to the orientation because they are busy planning their strategies on how to win the tournament and all. Andra and Tori on the other hand knew what they should do so they took this chance to rest even for a while.
But a sudden interference waked everyone inside the bus. The lights flicker in and out, the cars outside stopped moving and an explosion was heard from afar.
"What was that?!" asked Andra. She was thrown from her seat due to the sudden stopping of the bus.
"I dunno.." Andi replied startled in the moment.
Tori stood from her seat and whispered "Shit!". She faced the two and hastily said, "Ne, guys... we're in a big trouble..."
The two looked on the way where Tori was pointing, on the TV screen. Their jaws dropped as they saw the end of the rest they were supposed to have. The bunny turned into
"Damn it, can't it wait until we fill ourselves?!" Andi muttered. He grits his teeth to gather his thoughts. He knew something bad is about to happen but he was not ready to face it just yet. "I really wished I was with Sandra's group." His hands were shaking in fear.
The bunny was gone and a shadow of a creepy man sitting in front of them in a dim room. The hacker stood in front of the screen claiming the spotlight.
"I am...the Game master." The hacker said. "and my rules are definite..."
...
Jayson and his team went to their bus and took their seat. He sat beside Alex who was still irritated of their acquaintance with the QATSU. Sandra took a seat in front of their row.
"My blood just boiled, Jay... I want to crush them in an instant.." Alex said gripping his fists.
"Ma..ma... you should calm down, Alex. We have a designated field to fight on. Let's just wait for that moment, okay?" Jayson said.
"I guess you should calm down a bit, idiot," Sandra said. "You cannot think well with a clouded mind, you know..." she added.
"I'm fine, dumbhead. I don't need your worries.."
"What did you say? I'm not a bit worried about you, you know!"
"Ahh, I know that! You are not a bit worried about me but to that annoying son of the president..." Alex grinned "Maybe because you care for him. Is it because you have a crush on him?" he added.
"Of course not!" she replied. She thought "That is not quite true! He's just my friend." Her brows met and he make funny faces towards Alex. "Is he?" a voice inside her head said. She froze in the moment that she did not notice anymore what Alex was ranting about him.
"You two should stop right there.." Jayson said, "Why do you always have to fight like water and oil?"
"Because she's a dumbhead" Alex replied.
"And he's an idiot!" Sandra exclaimed.
The TV screen turned on and the bunny appeared saying "Minna-san!" while waving her hand.
"I'm here to state the rules of the conference.." she added.
"Okay, you two should really stop now. The Orientation will begin. We need to get a good grasp of the situation here. Remember, we are not just here to fulfill the given mission by ORION but also to regain the lost honor of last year's defeat. We will show them that GSSTI is not trash." He said and made himself properly seated; the two did the same.
"Ahh.. I will really make them pay." Alex muttered, checking his watch to see if it's in good condition.
"Above all, we should give a good game.." Sandra said.
The bunny continued her explanation about the grouping and the watch and about the AR. She changed her outfit from a red bunny in the parade into a pink bunny in the studio.
"Ehh, so we can only activate it in close range with the server..." Sandra exclaimed, checking her watch as well.
"Ahh..." Jayson nodded. "That is why they sent us in different groups. I guess we have to complete a task to win the game or defeat a boss on every station perhaps.." he added.
"Maybe, then I guess we have the chance to fight against other schools just like in the ROA-RPG," Alex muttered.
"Most probably.."
The bus immediately took a full stop and most of the participants were thrown from their seats, including Sandra and Alex.
"What's going on?" Sandra exclaimed.
"I dunno.."Jayson replied. He scanned his surroundings and saw the city at full stop. He felt something just a while ago as if electricity passed through them and made everything stop moving.
"About the rules..." a voice said full of excitement but suddenly turned into evil-sounding "...I will be giving the rules starting from now on..."
They all turned their gaze to the TV screen and noticed the sudden disappearance of the bunny. The image changed into a shadow of a person sitting behind an office chair. It was hard to see his face due to the dim lighting of his surroundings. Monitor lights are the only ones who give him lumination in the dark room.
Sandra felt goose bumps. She thought of danger and fright.
"I am the Game Master and my rules are simple but unchangeable.."
"He's the enemy.." Jayson whispered and they started to raise their guards.