"Shhh! I'm going to do the talking. I got some important information to tell you. It'll be quick.
Just nod if you understand."
Kiyro glanced around and slowly nodded, trying not to get caught.
"Here's the deal. I just recently found your location. You're off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and getting closer to Tampa, Florida. I don't know why you are going there, but you should be careful. Just now, I got a ping for your location when you connected to the internet. It took quite some time to go through the firewall. Just so youMakeeep that Alive gear on with you when you get back. It'll help me get through their freaking insane firewall without much trouble."
He thought it over for a moment. What made him curious was that he was a state away from getting back home, but right now, what he wanted to know was why they were heading toward Tampa, Florida. An ominous feeling was setting in the back of his mind, making him anxious.
"I'll be keeping watch in the background." Sylph winked and sat down at the corner of his glasses. "I'll be back. I need to make a quick check on something." He closed his eyes and became silent.
Kiyro wondered what Sylph had under his sleeve, but now was not the best time to talk about it. He was sure some listening device might be implanted into this Alive gear. So, quietly, he waited throughout the whole ride.
Klank! Kaklank!
Strange metallic sounds could be heard outside, along with the loud voices of people.
Varoom! Vrooom!
Suddenly, the van they were in shook and began to move forward. They jostled and bolted up and down. Everyone was anxiously looking around, wondering what was going on from the movement outside. A loud honking sound was heard through a dense crowd of cars. Even the loud blast of voices of laughter and excitement whistled were louder than the sounds of moving cars.
Suddenly the van halted, and the door was roughly opened. A man wearing a pirate costume with half his face covered in a mask appeared. "Well, well. Looky here. We have new blood joining in the fun." The man cackle with laughter. "Come on, ladies! Get your ass in gear!"
Everyone was dazzled by the sudden bright light that entered the dark van, causing everyone to be temporarily blinded. Kiyro had to cover his eyes so he wouldn't be momentarily blinded.
"What's going on?" Karen asked. She was the first to step out.
"Come on! Get out!"
Everyone stumbled out of the van, completely dazed. Even Kiyro needed time to adjust to the bright light. Screams of people could be heard as voices of laughter rang all around them. Finally, Kyros vision cleared, and he noticed that he was backstage at a concert. He peeked to the side and noticed a large party encompassing the whole street. Everywhere he looked, there were people in Halloween costumes dancing away to the beat of the music.
Suddenly the van door was slammed closed, and it sped off into the crowd, leaving them all behind. Kiyro couldn't help but feel a bit out of place, but he was mostly confused. Why? Why were they in a large concert-like party in the middle of Tampa, Florida?
A message streamed up in front of all ten of their Alive Gear.
Unknown interference has occurred.
Please stand by while we fix the problem.
The message flickered on and off, giving Kiyro a creepy feeling. He suddenly felt an oppressive aura around the message that made his skin crawl.
Real World Quest has been activated.
An eerie beeping sound could be heard in his ears. He couldn't take his eyes off the screen of his Alive Gear but stared, wondering what would happen.
Real World Quest: Hello World~
The quest can not be refuted. Put on your mask. In five minutes, go up on stage and say Hello. World! Thank you for coming today. Tonight is finally Halloween!
Level: D
Rewards will automatically be dropped into your inbox upon completion.
Failure: Your life will be forfeited.
Kiyro's eyes twitched. He couldn't believe what he was reading. If he did not finish this quest, it meant that he would die. The strange interference from a second ago could only mean one thing, someone hacked the Alive gear and directly gave him quests. The only person he could think of was Angel.
Time Limit: 04:59
Right now, he had delayed time for him to stay alive. However, he knew that Angel was not the type to go back on his word. Glancing down at his wrist, the bracelet gleamed dangerously underneath the streetlight. He took off his Alive Gear and put on his mask. He then put on the Alive gear on top of the mask so he could see the countdown.
The Alive gear snugly fit on the mask as if it was meant to be there.
"Hey. Hey. Did you guys get a quest?" Eve was struck with confusion.
"Yea…" said Daulton. "I'm not sure about you, but did you get something like if you fail, your life is forfeited?"
Eve and Will slowly nodded, confirming his disbelief.
"Now. Now. Kids. Let's have some fun. Today is Halloween, the best day for magic." The man wearing a pirate suit cackle with laughter. "Now, with your quest in place. I shall be on my way~" With a graceful bow, he chuckled. He then bounded off without even allowing them to ask him questions.
Time Limit: 03:45
Kiyro cursed in his mind. He only had a little time to get to the stage before him. So, with quick steps, he quickly walked forward. The ten of them were the only ones left backstage. With every step, he could feel his heart pounding and the loud cheering-like sound from the front.
A guitarist screamed into his mike, followed by an epic electric guitar play. He swung around enthusiastically till the point where Kiyro thought the guitarist's head would fall off. The rough drum beats were pounding away loudly. Kiyro was not the type to go out in front of a very large group and entertain them. In all honesty, he wanted to hide. His stage fright was kicking in, but still, he steeled himself to move ahead.
Time Limit: 01:02
He climbed up the stairs with heavy feet, ignoring Eve's outburst. Instead, all he could hear was the throbbing beat of his heart, going out of control. He wondered where the staff was, but in a sense, he felt as if this was all preplanned and he was a puppet walking to the master's tune. The music finally died down and finally became silent. Then, as if it was on cue, Kiyro stepped out from the back and walked toward the front.
The band stared in confusion at the sudden appearance of Kiyro. They only saw a young man in urban camouflage clothes and a strange mask. Silence quickly followed; the crowd looked upon Kiyro with enthusiasm and curiosity.
Time Limit: 00:03
Time Limit: 00:02
Time Limit: 00:01
With a deep breath, he steadied his heart. An electric buzzing-like sound could be heard all around him. "Hello, World! Thank you for coming today. Tonight is finally Halloween!" The electrical amp's around the stadium rang out clearly for everyone to hear. He was momentarily shocked that his voice would sound throughout the whole area.
Real World Quest: Hello World~ has been completed. Your reward of $350 has been sent to your bank.
Real World Quest: Hello World (Part II) has been initiated.
Please say the message on your screen to the crowd.
Level: D
Rewards will be dropped into your inbox.
Failure will forfeit your life.
Kiyro bites his lower lips. He thought this whole quest would be over, but he should've thought otherwise. Such an easy quest was still ongoing. He felt disgusted that his life was being bought for these strange shenanigans. Messages flooded into his Alive gear.
"I hope that you all are having a blast tonight!"
Screams of joyful shouts replied back toward Kiyro.