6 Chapter 6: New Family
A/N
Edit: I have created a discord server for this fic. It's basically for providing updates, providing feedbacks, chilling etc.
h t t p s : / / d i s c o r d . g g / P Z P b B 5 S f 7 2
(remove the spaces ofc)
Chapter 6: New Family
Percy groaned as he woke up, instinctively swiping away the screen that popped up in front of him. His body somehow felt weak as though he didn't have any muscles and just the act of moving would exhaust it. He tried to gain some level of clarity in regards to his surroundings but so far was failing as everything still seemed jumbled up until the recently transpired events hit him. Montauk, the fight with the Minotaur, carrying Grover to the big house and most of all his mother disappearing. He did not know what had happened to her or what the yellow particles signified. For all purposes, she may have died or worse, something else must've happened to her. Before he could start panicking for her, Gamer's Mind kicked in and instantly calmed his worried mind.
"Relax Perce, don't strain yourself", a familiar voice rang out.
Percy turned around to see Grover sitting beside his bed with an orange t-shirt on. That was okay but what shocked him was the brown fur poking out from his legs and the hoof present instead of a human foot that he had.
Seeing Percy's face and the unasked question, Grover explained, "Yes, I am a satyr but you already knew that didn't you? And yes, I have a hoof as a foot."
Percy just nodded along. After all that had transpired till now, he wasn't exactly surprised anymore. Just then he realised he was thirsty, he looked around for some water and sure enough, beside him lay a tall glass of what seemed like iced-apple juice, with a green straw. He gently grabbed and brought the straw to his lips and drank the juice. However, the taste he had expected was completely different from the one he was currently experiencing. He tasted his mom's homemade blue chocolate-chip cookies but in liquid form as she sometimes gave it to him. The taste was exactly the same and he tried not to start crying again since he missed her so much right now.
"Perce, I am so sorry", Grover started snapping Percy out of his thoughts.
"Why?", Percy asked.
"I was supposed to protect you and I - I failed. I couldn't do anything except get whacked around when the Minotaur came and both of you had to carry me because of which your mother might be dead. I literally did nothing", Grover replied with tears now starting to form on his face.
"G-man, this isn't your fault, relax. I too was terrified but the only reason why we could make it was because of what happened, it would've been difficult to beat it otherwise." Percy didn't blame Grover in the least and didn't want his best friend to keep getting bothered by it.
"Alright. By the way, how are you feeling now?"
"Like I could kill the monster once again but more easily this time."
"That's good. Come on, can you get up? Mr.D and Chiron are waiting for you."
"Mr. D?"
"You'll see."
Percy then got out of bed and stumbled a bit but rightened himself quickly. They walked out of the room and onto the porch at the back of the house Percy had seen from the hill when he had been carrying Grover. Percy caught his breath. They must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on the side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to Long Island Sound, which glittered about a mile in the distance. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like Ancient Greek architecture - an open air pavilion, an amphitheatre, a circular area - except they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Grover's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless Percy was hallucinating, some of the horses had wings.
Down at the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. The blonde haired girl who he had seen briefly was leaning on the porch rail next to them.
The man facing Percy was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes and curly hair so black that it was almost purple. He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiin shirt, and he would've fitted right in at one of Gabe's poker parties, except Percy got the feeling that this guy could've out-gambled Gabe too. Even though he was not a role model when it came to a human physique, there was some sort of hidden danger to him. Percy used Observe and his mouth dropped in surprise.
...
Dionysus - god of wine, fertility and theatre
HP : ?
MP : ?
...
Before Grover could say anything, Percy beat him to it.
"Dionysus", Percy said.
Dionysus for his part raised an eyebrow as he looked at Percy somewhat with interest. "This is the first time someone has been able to identify me so quickly. How did you know me?"
He either seemed to be looking for praise or smite Percy if he deemed Percy 'dangerous'. Percy decided to go big as per custom.
"Even though you may seem lazy, you command authority and power underneath. With the tiger pattern shirt and the way the plants seem to come alive around you narrows down the list marginally to one god - Dionysus, god of wine, fertility and theatre."
A ghost of a smile etched on Dionysus usually scowl face. He seemed to buy his excuse and seemed quite pleased with the way Percy described him.
"You have taught this brat well Chiron. What is your name?" he said before turning to Percy.
"Perseus Jackson but call me Percy".
"Very well Percy. Welcome to Camp Half Blood. Hope you don't die soon, it would be a shame since you're the first demigod in quite a while who seems to have caught a little bit of my interest."
All the while, the blonde haired girl listened to the conversation with wide eyes. This was the first time she had ever seen the usually irritable god have a friendly conversation with someone, much less a demigod, who it seems he disliked having around. This boy was certainly an interesting person. He did something no one ever could and this in itself was enough for her to try and get to know him. She had already started coming up with plans to speak to him later or quiz him on different topics; she would've taken some notes but alas, someone HAD to interrupt her planning as she snapped out of her thoughts at the mention of her name.
"... and this is Annabeth", Grover finished.
Annabeth glared at Grover who squirmed under her gaze much to her satisfaction. Percy on the other hand, seemed quite enthralled by her.
Just as Grover had introduced Percy to Annabeth, Percy had a good look at the girl who had said those words before he had passed out from the day's events at the entrance of the house. She seemed to be his age, probably a couple of centimeters taller, and a whole lot more athletic looking. With her deep tan and her curly blonde hair, she was almost exactly what he thought a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the were a startling grey, like storm clouds; pretty but intimidating too, as if she were analysing the best way to take him down in a fight.
Annabeth then turned to Percy who fully expected her to compliment him for taking down the Minotaur but his expectations were wrapped up, locked and thrown into the deepest trenches of the ocean.
"You drool when you sleep", was all that she said as she turned around and sprinted off down the lawn, her blonde hair flying behind her.
"Well, I'll go and have a nap before the evening sing-along", Dionysus said as he finished his game and walked off inside the house.
"Come Percy, I will show you around the camp", Chiron said as he rose from his wheelchair to his centaur form. He stretched a bit if that's what centaur's did as he breathed a sigh of relief.
Percy first passed the volleyball pit. He could make out several campers nudging each other at pointing at him none too subtly. He could not hear what they were saying but it was probably related to the events that had transpired recently.
Percy then looked back at the farmhouse. It was a lot bigger than he had realised - four storeys tall, sky blue with white trim, like an upmarket seaside resort. Moving forward, they walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking out brussels of berries while a satyr played a tune on a musical instrument which looked like a reed pipe Percy guessed. Chiron had told him that the camp grew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants which paid for their expenses. Moreover, growing strawberries didn't take any effort whatsoever. Percy guessed it was due to Dionysus' presence that the fruit bearing plants became even better in quality than they could.
The duo then moved towards the woods which Percy realised was bigger it looked from the distance. It took up at least a quarter of the valley, with extremely tall and thick trees.
"The woods are filled with monsters. If you want to train, you should be armed and I recommend having a few people with you in case things go south", Chiron said.
They continued to the archery range, the canoeing lake, the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheatre, the mess hall which was an outdoor pavilion framed in white Grecian columns on a hill overlooking the sea with a dozen picnic tables, and the arena where Chiron said they held sword and spear fights.
Finally, they came to the cabin area. There were twelve of them, nestled in the woods by the lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they were without doubt the most bizarre collection of buildings Percy had ever seen.
Except for the fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds on the left side, evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike. Number nine had smokestacks like a tiny factory. Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass. Seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at. They all faced a common area about the size of a soccer field,, dotted with Greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops.
In the centre of the field was a huge stone-lined fire pit. Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth smouldered. A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick. However, Percy felt a warmth coming from the girl herself which piqued his curiosity. He quickly used Observe and well, for the second time of the day, his mouth fell open.
...
Hestia - goddess of hearth and family
HP : ?
MP : ?
...
He excused himself from Chiron's tour as something in him told him to go and meet her. He followed his instincts since they had been right till now and walked over to her. He approached the little girl and sat beside her making sure to keep a little distance out of respect for the goddess.
"Lady Hestia", Percy said with a bow of his head.
The goddess in question looked at Percy with surprise in her glowing eyes of fire which danced with warmth and compassion.
"And who might you be, young demigod?"
"Perseus Jackson, my lady but call me Percy, I prefer that."
"Well Percy, it seems you're the new arrival I have been hearing talks about around the camp and from what I observed, you seem to have also garnered the attention of my nephew who hardly takes any interest in demigods even though he was one before he ascended", she replied.
"Umm, thanks?", Percy wasn't used to being praised and here he was being praised by a goddess herself so naturally he didn't know how to react.
Hestia laughed a little at his antics which filled his heart with a warmth and he liked it. He wanted to hear the goddess more.
Suddenly, realisation dawned on Percy.
"Lady Hestia, why is it that none of the campers are approaching you or acknowledging you since you're sitting right in the middle not to mention, you're the eldest of the children of Kronos and Rhea", Percy asked curiously.
Again Hestia smiled as she replied, "Only people with the strongest sense of family and love can sense my presence here. I am the very hearth of this camp and at Olympus due to which I am present and not present at the same time. For you to be able to see me and talk to me means that you have exceptional loyalty for your loved ones. Am I right Percy? And please call me Hestia."
Percy for his part was shocked. The goddess here was able to know who he was as a person within a span of 5 minutes. But then again, she was a goddess Percy mused.
"You are right Hestia."
"I know, young hero. Now, I think you should continue with your tour, Chiron seems in a hurry and it's bad manners to keep someone waiting. I will be watching over you, you are certainly an interesting and kind person Percy", she said as she vanished in a burst of flames.
Percy walked back to Chiron who had decided not to comment on the interaction between Percy and the goddess lest the boy ended up unconscious from information overload. Inwardly, Chiron was simply astonished. He had never seen Hestia interact with any of the campers but she seemed to be having fun interacting with the young godling in front of him. He assumed Percy was unaware that the girl who he had just spoken to was in fact, a goddess. Percy on the other hand was happy with the interaction between him and the goddess as well as the fact that she didn't ask him about how he knew about her. He really did not want to lie to such a kind and gentle goddess like her. Percy usually wasn't one for authority courtesy of the amount of schools he had been kicked out of but something about Hestia made him respect her and always be open and honest with her, he loved this feeling.
The duo then continued with the tour. The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, looked like his-and-hers mausoleums, big white marble boxes with heavy columns in front. Cabin one was the biggest and bulkiest of the twelve. Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a holograph, so that from different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them. Cabin two was more graceful somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks.
"Zeus and Hera", Percy said. He did not need to make any guesses.
"Correct", replied Chiron.
As he looked at the cabins, Percy realised that each cabin belonged to one god. Twelve cabins for the twelve Olympians. But why would some be empty?
Percy stopped in front of the first cabin on the left, cabin three. It wasn't high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were of rough grey stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor. Percy peeked inside the open doorway. As soon he did, he caught the salty scent of the interior, like the wind on the shore at Montauk. The interior walls glowed like abalone. Oddly enough, the scent seemed to calm down Percy and he felt at home. Percy realised this was the Poseidon cabin - his father's. There were six empty bunk beds with silk sheets turned down. But there was no sign anyone had ever slept there. Before he could do anything, Chiron pulled him out gently wordlessly.
Most of the other cabins were sprawled with campers. Number five was bright red - a real nasty paint job, as if the colour has been splashed on with buckets and fists. The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed wild boar's head hung over the doorway, and its eyes seemed to follow Percy. Inside he could see a bunch of mean-looking kids, both girls and boys, arm wrestling and arguing with each other while rock music blared. The loudest was a girl maybe thirteen or fourteen. She wore a size XXXL Camp Half-Blood T-shirt under a camouflage jacket. She zeroed in on Percy and gave him an evil sneer. Her hair was long, stingy and brown in colour. Percy ignored her and followed Chiron.
As soon as they were done seeing the camp and had reached the cabins, Chiron spotted Annabeth and walked over to her.
The blonde girl Percy had met at the Big House was reading a book in front of the last cabin on the left, number eleven. When they reached her, she looked over Percy critically, like she was still thinking about how much he drooled. Annabeth on her part was still appraising the demigod in front of her who intrigued her.
"Annabeth," Chiron said, "I have archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"
"Yes sir", she said as Chiron trotted away.
She then turned towards Percy, "What exactly did you do?"
Despite his increase in intelligence, Percy still needed to catch up on things hence, his brilliant response - "Huh?"
"How did you get Dionysus of all people to end up liking you? You are the first demigod in my time here to not only identify him as the correct god but also manage to impress him if his reaction was anything to go by", she explained.
"Huh oh about that, well, it was as I said earlier, he had a somewhat purple aura around him which reminded me of grapes. Then, the tiger print shirt and the fact that the nature around him seemed to be bustling with life clued me to the fact that he was a nature god. There are only two male nature gods that come to mind - Pan and Dionysus. Since Pan is said to be a satyr, it eliminates him leaving Dionysus. Hence, me being able to identify him", Percy explained. He tried to sound as truthful and logical as he could while trying to avoid the fact that he didn't need to deduce so much and just needed to say a simple word.
Fortunately for him, Annabeth seemed to regard him for a moment before nodding her head as she accepted his explanation.
"Whose child are you?", Annabeth asked.
At his questioning glance, she continued, "You clearly are smart if not overly so which would usually entail you being a child of Athena. However, you do not possess the one trait which usually sets us apart" Annabeth then pointed at her eyes. "All the children of Athena have the same coloured eyes so I'm going to go on a limb and say that that's usually how it is. So I am intrigued, Percy".
Percy for his part didn't outwardly react though he was quite impressed by the way she deduced things and arrived at answers. However, he wanted to mess around with her even though she did seem trustworthy.
"It's a secret", Percy finally replied with a wink followed by a lopsided smile.
Annabeth blushed a little though she was able to hide it well. She couldn't deny the fact that Percy was somewhat good looking even though he was scrawny. It didn't help matters when she saw the most beautiful pair of sea green eyes she had ever seen. Nope, she didn't like him even a teeny tiny bit.
"Fine, I will figure it out myself", Annabeth huffed as she crossed her arms.
It was now dinner time and campers had started filing out of their cabins to head to the dining pavilion Percy had seen earlier. To say Percy was starving would be an understatement as he realised he hadn't eaten anything since the time he had left Yancy Academy.
As if reading his thoughts, rather, his stomach's thoughts, Annabeth said, "Come on, let's eat" as she guided him to the area. By now, all the campers had gathered along with Chiron and Dionysus.
Just as they entered the dining pavilion, the late evening sky was suddenly replaced by dark storm clouds as thunder cracked loudly. Most of the campers looked around in alarm, even the collected Annabeth. Percy shot her a questioning glance which she answered.
"The camp is protected by magical borders so it never rains or snows and the weather is always perfect regardless of the season in the outside world. This has never happened before", she explained. Percy could see the fear in her eyes as her grey eyes dulled.
Before he could say anything, thunder cracked louder than before as rain started pouring, drenching everyone while the earth itself trembled a little in ecstasy. Suddenly, a bright eternal sea-green light blinded everyone as it emerged out of nowhere, surrounding Percy. As the light died down, everyone gasped when they saw Percy or rather what was above his head. Percy looked confused as to what was happening when he too looked up and saw gold trident surrounded by sea-green light floating above his head as it spun lazily. Almost immediately, the whole camp started kneeling except for Dionysus and Chiron.
"It is determined", Chiron's voice rang out for all to hear.
'What is?' Percy thought. He was still put off by the way everyone was kneeling on the ground in front of him as though he was a god.
"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God" he announced as lightning cracked, the earth shook and water dropped all around them as nature itself shook with excitement as the son of the sea god had returned and claimed by their ruler for all to bear witness.
Finally, the rain died and the clouds parted, showing the night sky blanketed with stars all across and the moon rose as Artemis started her journey across the skies.
The campers then stood up as they were miraculously dried up and the water vanished. They were still shocked by the way nature itself reacted to Percy's presence on being claimed. Earlier, most didn't think much of him due to his stature and persona. However, now they were forced to look at him in a new light. Annabeth on the other hand, was shell shocked. She didn't know anything about Percy so she assumed he was the son of Demeter - going by his sea green eyes since she did not have much to work on and it was highly unlikely for one of the big three to have children due to their oath. But this, this changed everything!
Percy just stood beside Annabeth awkwardly as he glanced at the campers. He wasn't used to this sort of attention in the least so all he could do was take interest in the ground and wished for it to open up and swallow him whole. He had wanted to keep this a secret for as long as he could since he thought it would be kind of a big deal for him to be the son of Poseidon but it seemed his father had other plans. Finally, his savior came in the form of Chiron.
"Campers, you may get back to your dinner and evening routine", Chiron bellowed as he stamped his hoof a few times to have their attention. Slowly but surely they started disbursing, some still whispering about the events that had just transpired amongst themselves. Annabeth squeezed his shoulder reassuringly to which he gave her a weak smile. She then walked off to a table with kids who had eyes the same colours as hers which he assumed were all the children of Athena. As Percy looked around, he realised that all the campers were sitting with their siblings. Chiron then walked up to Percy and guided him to a table which he said was the 'Poseidon table'. Percy was then served food by a nymph who smiled shyly at him. Percy returned her smile while muttering a 'thanks' much to her delight. Dinner was a quiet affair for Percy; not counting the stares and whispers directed at him.
As soon as he was done, Percy got up to leave but was caught by Chiron who informed him about the sing-along post dinner around the camp-fire where he had met Hestia. People were still milling around as he was the first one to finish his dinner. Percy quickly put his plate and walked to the campfire, slipping away before anyone could notice him. Sure enough, as he reached the pit, he saw Hestia tending to the flames as per usual. He quietly walked towards her and sat beside her the same way as he had earlier during the day.
"Hello nephew", Hestia greeted without turning around as her flaming eyes were focused on the hearth in front of them.
"Aunt Hestia", Percy greeted with a small bow of his head.
"You really don't have to bow Percy", she said.
Percy merely nodded as they both sat in a comfortable silence.
"It has been a long time since I met one of my younger brother's children", Hestia started, "maybe more than a millenia."
"Why so long? I am sure father must've had more kids during that time".
"A majority of them have been arrogant; blinded by the power and treating those weaker than them with disrespect," Hestia said as she turned to face Percy. "However, you have such a gentle and beautiful heart for those you love and care for whilst being down to earth. You truly are different for a son of Poseidon, I do hope you never forget who you are in your life wherever you may be."
"I promise aunt."
"Also, do not worry about being alone, there are lots of people who will be there for you regardless of how the time turns out. If not, I will always be there for my family", Hestia replied as she smiled fondly at her new nephew. He truly was special.
"Thank you, aunty"
"Just call me Hestia, Percy. I will see you soon. Remember, the hearth always welcomes family", she said cryptically as she disappeared in a burst of flames just as the first of the campers were walking towards the campfire.
After the talk with Hestia, Percy did feel better as he joined the rest of the campers at the sing-along around the campfire. Soon, they were done as Chiron guided Percy to cabin three which Percy had seen earlier. He was given a few pairs of clothes from the camp store since he didn't have any. It had been a long day as Percy finally settled in his bed to drift into blissful sleep. Even though he didn't need it thanks to his gamer's abilities, he wanted some normalcy and he was tired with that, Percy's world went black.
You have slept in your own bed! HP and MP restored!
Percy dismissed the notification with a wave of his hand instinctively. He rolled out of his bed and got ready for the first day in his new life at Camp Half-Blood.
It was still early morning when Percy walked out of his cabin; very few campers were out at that time. He walked to the dining pavilion to grab some early breakfast. He was planning on training in the sword fighting arena which he had seen the previous day. He wanted to get stronger and what better way than to train in a camp meant for this? Moreover, even though he had become intelligent compared to before, he still needed to become smarter and which place had the children of the goddess of wisdom herself? You guessed it. Speaking of which, Annabeth was sitting at one of the tables as she had her face buried in a book.
"Hey Annabeth", Percy greeted.
"Hey", she said. It was clear she was engaged with the book and wasn't going to pay attention anytime soon.
"I need help with becoming intelligent", Percy said. He assumed that a thirst for knowledge would be welcome by a child of Athena and lo and behold, it worked.
"What?" Annabeth said as she slowly put her book down as she looked at him as though he had grown a second head.
"I need help with studies", he repeated.
"Yes, I heard you the first time but it's surprising that you came to me for help."
"Why? Is that a bad thing?"
"Aren't you aware of the rivalry between the children of Poseidon and Athena?"
"I am but I figured that that's between our parents so why should we let it affect our friendship?"
Annabeth smiled at that. He was being surprisingly a bit mature. She never expected that from him since he looked like a troublemaker more than anything.
"Alright, grab something to eat and then we will start studying. Brace yourself, it isn't going to be easy", she warned.
It was early evening when Percy stumbled out of the Athena cabin with a few books in his hands. His hair was dishevelled even more than it usually was and he looked ready to die. The athenian kids had been relentless and had taken it up as their life's mission when Percy had asked them to teach him. Percy guessed him being the son of Poseidon only sweetened the deal marginally.
...
INT : 11 + 2 = 13
WIS : 9 + 1 = 10
(+10% MP regenerate / min)
MP : 20 + 2 = 22 / min
...
He had levelled up in a few hours with the Athenians more than he did in two to three days of school. Percy was stunned. He still had a few hours before nightfall where he planned to read more so he decided to head to the sword fighting arena. Once he reached there, he saw a tall and muscular boy with short-cropped sandy hair practicing with the dummies. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals and a leather necklace with five different-coloured clay beads. The only thing unsettling about his appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash. He cleaved through the dummies easily with flawless swordplay. Whilst he was waiting, Percy decided to use Observe.
...
Luke Castellan
Title : Son of Hermes
HP : 2500 / 2500
MP : 1200 / 1200
Luke is a son of Hermes who hates his father due to his past. He wants to take revenge on the gods for not being there for their children when they needed them the most. He wants them to learn their lesson by waging war on them.
Luke hasn't meant Percy but thinks he is interesting.
...
Once the now named Luke was done, Percy walked up to him.
"Hey, I am Percy", he introduced himself.
"Luke, son of Hermes", Luke returned.
"Your sword fighting skills are amazing!" Percy exclaimed. He was fascinated by it.
"Want to go a few rounds?" Luke offered.
Percy gladly accepted. A few hours later, Percy lay on the ground panting, covered in sweat. He had his ass handed to him thoroughly by Luke. The man was simply difficult to beat. However, he did level up twice in sword fighting though so that was a plus.
...
Sword Fighting (Level 4)
7% more damage with swords.
...
Once they had caught their breath, they walked for dinner which had just started. Once Percy took his plate, he saw a lot of campers lining up near the middle where they scraped a bit of their food into the fire.
"What are they doing?", Percy wondered aloud. Fortunately for him, Annabeth, who was standing nearby answered.
"Burnt offerings for the gods", she explained simply.
Percy nodded as he too walked into the line. Soon, it was his turn and he scraped a part of his food and dedicated each to different gods. First came his father, 'thanks for claiming me dad though we are still so not even for everything mom and I had to go through because of you'. Then the final one went to Hestia, 'thank you Hestia for being there for me. You are the best aunt and friend someone could ever ask for.' Just when he did, he swore he felt the fire burn a bit more brighter as its warmth seeped into his bones as though it appreciated his gesture.
Dinner and the sing-along went as normally as they did. All in all, it was a good day for Percy as he finally settled into his bed for a night of reading. He didn't need much sleep unless he was absolutely exhausted which he wasn't at the moment.
As Apollo rose from the sky in all his blazing glory, Percy walked out of his cabin. He had managed to level up his stats during the night and he was pleased with himself.
...
INT : 13 + 1 = 14
WIS : 10 + 1 = 11
Modern English
Level 16 + 2 = 18 (-10% to all forms of English, +5% for every level gained)
...
His dyslexia had almost been cured now and he was able to read books above his grade level and was starting to understand some of its content. Percy then brought up his screen as he went through his main stats.
...
Level - 11
Exp - 511 / 2160
HP : 550 / 550 (+ 2000)
MP : 600 / 600 (+ 2000)
STR : 14 (+ 2 + 20)
(Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
VIT : 7 (+ 20)
DEX : 7 (+2 + 20)
INT : 14 (Bonus : 50 MP per 10 levels)
WIS : 11 (Bonus : +10% MP regenerated / min)
LUC : 10 (Bonus : +10% chance of better loot)
Points : 10
...
He did not want to waste his points right now since these would be helpful later. For now, Percy decided that he needed to increase his DEX which would automatically increase his VIT considering how closely related they were. Percy planned on morning runs for them as well as sword fighting with Luke or alone followed by studying with the Athena cabin. This would surely help him a lot.
As he was walking, he failed to pay attention to his surroundings as he bumped into the same girl who had smeared at him from the ugly looking cabin which he remembered was that of Ares' children.
"Watch it punk", she called.
Percy used Observe on her.
...
Clarisse La Rue
Title : Daughter of Ares
HP : 1800 / 1800
MP : 800 / 800
...
Clarisse is a daughter of Ares who thinks Percy is a brat who had everything handed to him on a silver platter with no accomplishments to speak of. She doesn't think Percy deserves the credit and/or respect unless he proves himself.
Since Percy had been silent and reading up on his screen, he nearly missed the punch aimed at his face. At the last moment, he was able to duck out of it as he glared at her.
"What's the matter? Is the little prince of the ocean annoyed that someone attacked him? Is he going to go complain to his daddy?", Clarisse mocked.
"What the Hades is your problem Clarisse?"
"Little brats like you who feel everyone is beneath them since his father is a big shot god and start taking everything for granted whilst hiding behind daddy."
"I have hardly had any interaction with anyone at camp save for a few people. Who are you to judge me on that?"
"Please, as if I need to talk to a scum like you."
"Why don't you come at me and find out?" Percy challenged her finally.
In response, Clarisse just drew her spear which she had been carrying as it cackled with electricity. Percy analysed her; she clearly had more experience than him and was physically more capable. He on the other hand, had the advantage of speed and being shorter compared to her. He decided to end this as soon as possible since he would be overwhelmed if he drawed this out. Percy then summoned a bottle of water and poured it over himself, relishing in the boost in his powers as he drew Riptide from its pen form.
...
HP : 2550 / 2550
MP : 2600 / 2600
STR : 36 (Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
VIT : 27
DEX : 29
INT : 14 (Bonus : 50 MP per 10 levels)
WIS : 11 (Bonus : +10% MP regenerated / min)
LUC : 10 (Bonus : +10% chance of better loot)
...
By now, quite a few campers had gathered around them; most of them were children of Ares. He spotted a familiar blonde in the crowd as she looked at him with worry. He quickly flashed her a little smile as he turned back to his opponent.
...
Ping!
Quest Alert!
Defeat Clarisse.
Rewards -
Respect of Ares cabin
Practice sessions with Ares cabin
Failure -
Bullied by entire Ares Cabin making life miserable at CHB
Accept / Decline?
...
Percy accepted the quest as he stood ready. Clarisse surged forward as she thrust her spear forward to impale him in the gut but Percy simply moved out of the way due to his enhanced stats. She withdrew her spear as she then charged at him with quick jabs multiple times. Percy was able to deflect a few with his sword while he tried avoiding as many as he could but a few of those managed to graze him. He needed to end this soon before he was left bleeding on the ground. Percy dodged a wild thrust which Clarisse had over extended and managed to get into her guard. Her spear was virtually useless now and he had the upper hand. He hit her arm holding the spear with all his strength with the hilt of his blade which forced her to loosen her grip which he immediately capitalised on by grabbing the spear from one hand and yanking it. Clarisse was shocked by this which led her to wasting a few precious seconds in which Percy threw the spear and brought the tip of his sword at her throat.
"I win."
...
Ping!
Quest Completed!
Rewards added.
You will now be able to practice combat and do other training with the Ares cabin.
...
Percy dismissed the notification as he looked around. People were staring at him in shock and awe. Here he was, a newcomer who had been able to beat one of the best combatants in the Ares cabin and possibly the camp itself. Suddenly, people started howling and congratulating Percy on his victory. Percy looked at Clarisse who was smiling at him as she gave him a thumbs-up. No words were needed. Amongst the people cheering were some of Clarrise's siblings too. It seems that they had been impressed by Percy's display and he now had their approval. With that done, Percy now focused on his week ahead.
~1 week later~
Percy huffed as he finished his training regimen for the day. It had been a week since he had had his duel with Clarisse. Since then, he had spent most of his day sparring and training with the Ares cabin and a few other cabins. He had managed to make quite a few friends during their interactions. The rest of the time was spent either in the Athena cabin or in his where he absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Needless to say, the Athenians were having a blast torturing him but it seemed as though they had started respecting him as well due to his attitude of never backing down from a challenge. Percy's main stats now read as :
...
Level - 11
Exp - 511 / 2160
HP : 600 / 600 (+ 2000)
MP : 600 / 600 (+ 2000)
STR : 16 (+ 2 + 20)
(Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
VIT : 10 (+ 20) (Bonus : 50 HP per 10 levels)
DEX : 11 (+2 + 20) (Bonus : +10% HP regenerated / min)
HP : 20 + 2 = 22 / min
INT : 17 (Bonus : 50 MP per 10 levels)
WIS : 13 (Bonus : +10% MP regenerated / min)
LUC : 10 (Bonus : +10% chance of better loot)
Points : 10
Sword Fighting (Level 6)
11% more damage with swords.
Modern English (Level 20)
Dyslexia cured, you can now read English properly without the dancing letters and understand college level books.
Swimming (Level 3 - 5 km/hr)
Running (Level 5 - 30 km/hr)
...
He had clearly improved and he was happy. He was currently in the forest as he was walking towards his cabin. He passed the Fist of Zeus, which really didn't look like one, when he suddenly saw a similar clearing as he had at Yancy Academy. He tried using Observe and was surprised to see as yet another blue glowing delta sign appeared near it.
...
Ping!
You have spotted another entrance to the Labyrinth!
Available -
Dungeon (Level 8)
Fast Travel -
Yancy Academy
Camp Half Blood
Do you wish to enter?
Yes / No?
...
Percy pressed no. He would come back the next day and deal with this as he skipped to his cabin happily. Here was another chance to gain some more loot and experience points if this dungeon was the same or similar as before.
The next day, Percy stood in front of the open staircase as he was filled with adrenaline. He had remembered to restock some water bottles and was carrying the bare essentials. Worst come to worst, he would summon the Death Knight or Alecto to help him during the fight. With that, Percy walked inside; ready for another fight.
...
Percy's Stats
...
Perseus Jackson
Species : Demigod
(gives +2 STR and +2 DEX)
Title : Son of Poseidon
Perseus is the son of Poseidon and Sally Jackson. He has ADHD and Dyslexia which helps in combat and reading Ancient Greek respectively. He has a natural affinity with water due to his heritage which grants him control over water, horses, storms and earthquakes.
...
Level - 11
Exp - 511 / 2160
...
HP : 600 / 600 (+ 2000)
MP : 600 / 600 (+ 2000)
...
STR : 16 (+ 2 + 20) (Bonus : Weapon damage - Damage + STR | Unarmed damage - STR * 2)
VIT : 10 (+ 20) (Bonus : 50 HP per 10 levels)
DEX : 11 (+2 + 20) (Bonus : +10% HP regenerated / min)
INT : 17 (Bonus : 50 MP per 10 levels)
WIS : 13 (Bonus : +10% MP regenerated / min)
LUC : 10 (Bonus : +10% chance of better loot)
Points : 10
Money : $3360 / D0
...
Status : Demigod
...
Skills
...
Combat :
Sword Fighting (Level 6)
...
Inherited :
Ancient Greek (Max)
Modern English (Level 20)
Swimming (Level 3 - 5 km/hr)
Breathe Underwater (Max)
Running (Level 5 - 30 km / hr)
Storms (Level 1)
...
General :
Observe (Level 4)
Sneaking (Level 2)
Critical Strike (Level 1)
Taunt (Level 1)
Mark of the Furies (Level 1)
...
Passive :
Gamer's Mind (Max level)
Son of the Sea God (Gives +20 STR, VIT & DEX as well as +2000 HP and +2000 MP when in water)
...
Abilities :
Water Control (Level 11)
Water Spikes (Level 2)
Blood Control (Level 1)
Water Spear (Level 1)
