"Technology has always been a great help to mankind even in the earliest days, from a simple carved stones in order to become useful tools for daily survival to a more dynamic ones. And as time passes by, together with the discovery and inventions of more minerals and raw materials, more and more were used for complex machines, some for medicines and others for aesthetic and entertainment industries. Everything 'evolved' for countless times in countless generations to adopt to our ever changing world, trends and demands."
Streams of pictures and video clips are played simultaneously while the lean young man in a fashionable business suit is talking through the mankind's history of technology.
"The simplest of these tools that assist people to achieve or even finish tasks efficiently are starting to become an essential and irremovable part of everyone's lives. Take for an example our waking up in the morning, we rely to our alarm clocks instead of using our own natural body clocks and instincts." He said, taking out his left hand from his pocket and showing everyone his phone as he flash his straight eyebrows once and smiled while the video presentation and his gestures on stage are played on the screens concurrently.
Some of the audience nodded in agreement with the presenter.
"From washing the clothes, from cutting meat, vegetables and woods, from sweeping the floor all by hands to using machines that wash, chop and cleanse for us." He added.
"Though these technologies give us more time to leisurely spend with our families and to other important part of our lives, it can't be denied that only our own creations are the ones evolving and 'we' mankind are 'devolving' as our bodies continue to become weaker due to our technological dependence and lack of mobility."
Though everyone would agree, patrons are now starting to murmur with each other, clearly perplexed with the speaker's contrasting speech about their own sponsored technology. And before starting his next words, he corrected the position of his eyeglasses by slightly tapping its bridge upwards.
"And one of the most innovative inventions of all time in our history, the Artificial Intelligence, did not miss the trend of their evolution and has proved itself useful to mankind. From being a simple checker's playmate to becoming mobiles' and browsers' assistants. Creating and constructing own opinions and ideas where we rely from them to do the simplest apps' and gadgets' operations, to do research, and do the thinking for us, thus making our mind dull in the long run." The young man added sarcastically.
The audience continued to focus on every word that comes out of this young man, they probe him for any mispoints he could make while still bewildered why he would make such negative and somewhat slap to the face statements about the human dependence on machines, instead of praising and elevating them as what to be expected in marketing campaigns.
"Augmented Reality, another highly creative yet underrated and under-used technology of all time that allows users to experience and interact with the digital images, videos and characters in our very own world rather us diving within the computers' world and instead of being confined in a limited space. This science has been used and developed already and has started to become an essential system for gadgets and applications like Kit Tok, Cap Chats and also with major industries like medicine and engineering."
Some of the listeners started to frown and look down upon the mention of AR. Thinking why he's giving critics on useful technologies yet overrating the other.
"I see as expected with everyone's demeanor, you have no confidence with this technology yet." Says he, but showing no signs of defeat nor dejection. "We commonly hear skeptics say how AR's going to have a hard time and a long way before it becomes a success after witnessing many failed attempts of big techs and social companies. But not with Advanced World, Inc!"
"Advanced World, Inc?"
"Is that what I think it is...?"
"Have not heard of it yet."
Series of muddled questions and expressions run through the crowd after hearing an unfamiliar name.
"Yes, you've heard it right, Advance World, Inc. is the new and most advanced software and game developer created solely for this project by two of the biggest Tech Companies in the world, our very own Chaidu and Xinxin."
"What?? a new company just for a simple project?"
"Aren't they expecting too much just for this?"
The mass continued to chatter with everyone.
"With this joint venture, we will use the AI's like how it was originally written and run to challenge man to keep its mental sharpness, and the Augmented Reality to bring back humanity's vigor." Now the assembly are starting to get the point of the speaker and is becoming more interested and curious with what's next. Others are clearly confused and has started to ask how and in what way.
"By integrating our greatest Artificial Intelligence created by Chaidu Company with the most advanced Augmented Reality gadget by Xinxin Company, with their most avant-garde gaming system developed by Advanced World Inc...," The young man spread his arms towards the audience like an orchestra maestro. "they will usher mankind towards the new world and long lost road to evolution."
For a moment, the LED screens that played various images and video presentations throughout the entire place stopped and turned dark together with all the major lights, it was then followed by a dramatic lighting of a single spotlight pointing to the rising of a cylinder on stage with several items on it.
Another mini spotlights on top of the tables of every guests started to light too and an eyeglass-like item with various accessories emerged from it. The LEDs' dark effects started to be swept away and the name S.A.I.A appeared to all the surrounding screens like turning ON a television effect.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen..." a voice of a woman echoed throughout the Jhiangri-La, Guangzhou Conference Hall.
"... in order to showcase and elaborate the groundbreaking technologies of Chaidu, Xinxin and Advanced World companies, I the Super Artificial Intelligence Assistant, SAIA will give you a glimpse of the exciting adventure that awaits every player."
A year later, after the mind-blowing debut that shook the whole world, somewhere in the same continent of Asia, in the Unity Park of a humble City in the Philippines, one of the greatest technology ever created is now being enjoyed herein.
"Pyrokinesis!" Dzing!
A huge and glowing red magic circle appeared at the fore of my opponent after crying out. The circle is suspended in the air and is actually made up of various magic circles to choose from. Most of the circles are still blanks but three of them have symbols inside. An indication that those three are already unlocked and usable. He smirked as he saw my face with admiration towards his skill.
Pyrokinesis is one of the many types of power an Elementalist could have. Some skills can be unlock based on the user's level and some rare skills may be obtained through hidden quests achievements just like all the other professions of players. This only mean one thing, either this player's actual Level and XP is higher than mine or he was just lucky for stumbling on hidden quests.
He touched one of his magic circle with the symbol of a ball of fire at the bottom and drag it in the middle and shouted "Fire Ball!"
Booom!
A ball of fire is then created within the circle and thrown with force together with its destructive sound towards me. I luckily avoided it as I jumped a few meters away from where I was standing but still injured with his fire attack. The fireball I just evaded left a burnt mark on the ground.
"Tsk,.." I stared at my injured left foot then on my remaining life at the upper right corner of my vision while still holding on to my magical sword.
The intricately designed magical circles, and the real-life-like power it produces has rendered me unguarded. It seems as though I'm still not used to seeing these amazing visual and sound effects even after playing this game for quite some time. But one more fatal hit and my life will be drained. I have consumed already all the potions I have saved for this game's event. I can easily defeat this elementalist though, if only I could go nearer to him.
Looking at my opponent, he's still retaining the form of his magical circle, by doing so, clearly he plans on using the same skill repeatedly. I see, It is time to finish the game.
I run towards Nijah to attack as he keeps on throwing his fireball.
"Fireball!, Fireball!, Fireball!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Blasts after blasts of fireballs follow me as my final opponent shower me with his attacks. The rocks and soil debris from the wrecked grounds came along with them.
I can't do anything for now but to keep running and avoiding all his long range attacks, but his consistent bombardment of the same skill made him easy to defeat as this fool is using his ability repeatedly and recklessly, he will run out of mana in no time. Unless he also gave it additional stretch, it will take a while and will be a battle of his mana and my own endurance.
"Now let's see how long your mana could last..." I whispered while running towards him.
Nijah did not use his special skill now, instead he is using his regular fire attacks to hit me while running closer and closer to him, hahaha gotcha!
As I am a few meters away from him, Nijah then uses again his Fireball.
"Pyrokinesis! Fireball!"
Boom!
"As expected, your gameplay is so easy to read, you know?!"
Emerging from the smoke I then jumped tumbling above him while he was still glued to the ground surprised. I quickly brandish my glowing magical sword while suspended in the air and hit him on his head down to his back.