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….
'Ding!'
[Sneaking has leveled up!]
[Sneaking - LVL 4 (1%):]
[You are becoming one with the shadows.]
[- 25% chance to remain undetected.]
[- 25% chance of landing a critical strike from stealth.]
'Huh,' Percy thought, freezing mid-step as the blue box illuminated the dark office. 'That leveled up fast. The fear of getting expelled must count as extra experience.'
He swiped the notification away and returned to his task. Mr. Brunner's office was a treasure trove of ancient artifacts, but Percy wasn't here for a history lesson. He needed a weapon. He scanned the room, his eyes darting from dusty scrolls to cracked pottery.
Then, he saw it.
Sitting innocuously on the center of the mahogany desk was a disposable ballpoint pen. It looked like a standard-issue, thirty-cent piece of plastic you'd find chewed up in a locker. But to Percy's Observe, it was practically glowing with power. The name etched on the side wasn't 'Bic'. It was ancient Greek.
"Anaklusmos," Percy whispered. "Riptide."
[Anaklusmos (Riptide)]
[Type: Celestial Bronze Sword / Pen]
[Rank: Legendary]
[Description: Forged from Celestial Bronze, a rare metal deadly to monsters and divine beings, but harmless to mortals. This blade was once wielded by Hercules and Zoë Nightshade. It is enchanted to never be lost; it will always return to the owner's pocket.]
[Attack Power: 100]
[Buffs:]
[+50% Damage vs. Monsters]
[+100% Damage when wielded by a Child of the Sea]
[Mechanic: Uncap to transform. Cap to retract.]
Percy reached out, his hand trembling slightly. As soon as his fingers brushed the plastic, a hum of energy shot up his arm, familiar, like the sound of the ocean. He picked it up and pulled the cap.
SHING!
The pen didn't just grow; it exploded into existence. In a blink, Percy was holding a shimmering, double-edged leaf-shaped sword. The bronze blade glowed with a faint inner light, and the leather-wrapped hilt fit into his palm as if it had been molded for his grip specifically. The weight was perfect. It didn't feel like a tool; it felt like an extension of his arm.
"Okay," Percy breathed, a grin splitting his face. "Now we're talking."
He tapped the cap to the sword tip, shrinking it back into a pen, and shoved it into his pocket. He needed defense next. He scanned the room again. Behind a stack of old encyclopedias, he spotted the glint of metal.
He shoved the books aside to reveal a large, circular shield.
[Bronze Hoplite Shield]
[Type: Armor]
[Defense: 50]
[Durability: 10/10]
[Weight: 40 KG]
[Description: A standard infantry shield. Heavy, durable, and good for bashing skulls.]
Percy grabbed the rim and heaved. It barely budged. "Forty kilograms? That's like... eighty pounds!"
He checked his stats. STR: 2.
"Yeah, that's not gonna work."
He couldn't leave it behind. He was squishy. One hit from a Fury had nearly killed him. He needed that metal between him and death. He opened his status menu. He had 10 points saved up. He'd been told to save them, but hoarding points wouldn't help him if he was dead.
He dumped four points into Strength.
[STR: 2 -> 6]
He grabbed the shield again. It was still heavy, dragging on his arm, but he could lift it. He could move it. It would have to do. He shoved the massive disc into his inventory, checked the window to ensure the coast was clear, and slipped back out into the night.
...
Percy operated on autopilot for the next hour. He hit the cafeteria, swiping a plate of roast beef and potatoes and stashing half of it in his inventory. Health potions, he reminded himself. He made small talk with Grover, went back to the dorm, and put on a performance of "tired student" that was worthy of an Oscar.
He waited until Grover's breathing deepened into the rhythmic, terrifying snoring of a satyr.
Percy slipped out of bed. He changed into a dark blue hoodie, jeans, and his sneakers. He moved silently, his Sneak skill wrapping him in a veil of quiet as he ghosted through the hallways and out the side exit.
The night air was crisp. Percy made his way to the north-facing wall of the administration building. There, painted just below the principal's window, was the blue Delta symbol. It pulsed faintly, calling to him.
'Ding!'
[Dungeon Discovered!]
[Entrance to The Labyrinth]
[Difficulty: Dungeon LVL 5]
[Do you wish to enter?]
[YES / NO]
Percy stared at the prompt. This was insane. He was a twelve-year-old kid with a stolen pen and a heavy shield. But the alternative was waiting for Mrs. Dodds to catch him in the shower.
He pressed YES.
The blue Delta flared with light. The bricks of the wall groaned and shifted, grinding against each other as they rotated inward, revealing a dark, rectangular tunnel leading down into the earth. The smell of wet stone and rot wafted up.
Percy took a deep breath. He pulled a water bottle from his inventory and dumped half of it over his head.
'Ding!'
[Buff Active: Son of Poseidon]
[+20 STR, +20 VIT, +20 DEX]
The cold water hit him like a lightning bolt. His fatigue vanished. The heavy shield in his inventory suddenly felt manageable. He drew Riptide, uncapped it, and let the bronze glow illuminate the stairs.
He descended.
...
The stairs seemed to go on forever. With every step deeper into the earth, the temperature dropped. The air grew stale. Percy started to question his life choices. Why did he run toward the danger? Was this just the 'Gamer' influence, or was he actually losing it?
"Status," he whispered, his voice echoing too loudly in the narrow tunnel.
[Percy Jackson]
[Level: 4 (EXP: 1050/1200)]
[Race: Demigod]
[HP: 200/200]
[MP: 100/100]
[Stats:]
[STR: 6]
[VIT: 1 (+22) = 23]
[DEX: 3 (+22) = 25]
[INT: 9]
[WIS: 5]
[LUC: 3]
[Points: 6]
He looked at his base stats. Without the water buff, he was fragile. His Luck was abysmal, which meant his Critical Strike skill was barely functional. His Vitality was a joke. If the water dried up during a fight, he would lose the buff and his HP would plummet.
"I can't bank on always being wet," he muttered. "I need to survive the dry spells."
He made a decision. He spent his remaining 6 points. He needed to be tougher, faster, and luckier.
[VIT: 1 -> 4 (+2 racial) = 6]
[DEX: 3 -> 4 (+2 racial) = 6]
[LUC: 3 -> 6]
[Points: 0]
It wasn't much, but it balanced him out.
The stairs finally ended, dumping him into a long, brick-lined corridor. Torches flickered on the walls with magical, smokeless fire, casting long, dancing shadows.
Percy gripped Riptide until his knuckles turned white. His clothes were already starting to dry. The surge of power from the water was fading, the +20 buff slipping away like the tide going out. He was back to his base stats.
Just me and the sword, he thought.
He took ten cautious steps forward.
CRUNCH.
The sound came from the wall to his left. Dust sprayed into the corridor as a section of the brickwork crumbled inward.
Percy stepped back, raising his shield.
Out of the hole stepped a nightmare. It was a skeleton, bleached white and rattling, but it wasn't naked. It wore a rusted iron helmet with broken horns and rotting fur boots. In one bony hand, it clutched a chipped sword; in the other, a round wooden shield painted with faded runes. A Viking.
The empty eye sockets turned toward Percy. Blue ghost-lights flickered to life within the skull.
'Observe,' Percy thought, his heart hammering against his ribs.
[Draugr Skeleton]
[LVL: 7]
[HP: 500/500]
[MP: 75/75]
[Description: A warrior revived by the dark magic of the Labyrinth. It retains the combat skills of its former life but feels no pain and knows no fear. It has nothing to lose, and your life to gain.]
[Reward: 25 EXP]
….
If you want to read ahead by 20+ chapters you could take a visit on my patreon Or check it out.
http://patreon.com/SageOf016