I awoke with a start and all I saw the void, it was somehow both still and shifting. It looked like an ocean made of darkness and hatred. Or maybe that's just because I like to imagine things so out of the scope of humanity having personalities like humans. Kinda similar to the Greeks and their gods, or the Norse, or the Egyptian for that matter. I guess the only one I could name which doesn't is them damn Abrahams. Like you'd think after Galileo they'd calm down a bit, but nooooooo-
"Scuse me?" There was a voice, it was smooth and silky, like some kind of caramel.
"Huh?" I eloquently answered.
"Ah good you're actually there," it spoke once more, it's excitement clear in its tone. "Welcome to Jumpchain, jumper, as it's your first time, I will explain." It continued without letting me answer. "So a Jumpchain, is, well- you know isekai?" With a slightly confused nod from my, head? It continued. "Well it's like an isekai but you get to do a faux-DnD like character creation before entering a new world and you get to do it over and over, your powers from your previous world will transfer over to your new one." It paused as if to take a breath
"I-" I tried to speak but it began again
"Okay good, as it is your first jump some rules won't apply to you, those rules are as follows; for your first four jumps you can pick multiple origins; your left over points will be doubled and can be used in the next jump for the first five jumps. You got all that?" The voice had rattled on the list, my brain barely able to keep up. I nodded, pretty certain that my - i think nonexistent - brain got that.
"Great!" It celebrated as if it had done some monumental task but before I could make another comment, a bright overly large screen appeared before me, looking like an iPad without the rim. It read:
Welcome Jumper to Jumpchain v2.0
Percy Jackson and the Olympians selected.
You will be spawned into this world at the time Percy beats up his maths teacher, don't worry you can choose to go in before as long as you are younger than your selected age. You have 1000 point(s) to spend.
Pick your origins:
It then went on to list the multiple different starts, Mortal, which was free but felt severely underpowered, Greek Demigod, Roman Demigod, Legacy. All of the other cost 100p, I tried to immediately select both Roman and Greek but when I selected Greek it greyed out the other and vice versa. Even if it did, I don't know if I would do it simply because that would make me an anomaly beyond all expectations and if I knew one thing about PJO is, don't be an anomaly.
I wondered why I knew this and then remembered my past life. I was born in 2005 in a small English town. I enjoyed reading when young, growing up with Charles Dickins and the like, having finished the HP series by the time I was 10, when I was introduced to PJO, which I likewise consumed within a year and a bit, then I went on to read HoO, I stopped reading Riordan at that point, not enjoying the Magnus Chase books nor the dark Prophecy(?) books. It was partially due to me getting into anime, but arguably much more that I had gotten really into Greek myths at that point, like really into them, like how Pan and Hermes were seemingly the same God in the Bronze Age or how Dionysus was also Zagreus or he wasn't but something very similar, it was because of this that I started disliking the books as some parts were just inaccurate or used versions of myths I didn't like. Like when they used the Roman version of the Medusa myth. Later on in life I grew up to be an artist and author both of which, whilst I never became famous, I was decent at.
Now that I had remembered I went back to deciding, whilst picking mortal was semi-tempting just due to it being free, I took a look at the last origin. Legacy, it seemingly made you descended from a god and could be used in tangent with the demigod origin. As I was focusing on the origin, four text boxes appeared beneath it. The first said "Minor power 100p, Free legacy" it then went on to what it detailed. So it seemed like depending on which origin I chose I would get discounts on certain abilities. With this revelation I immediately snapped up both Greek Demigod and legacy, having remembered that the Romans counted legacies whilst the Greeks didn't. In my frantic rush to pick them both I didn't take time to think what gods I would choose, but before I could decided another pop up showed.
Origins picked -200p, would you like to randomise either Origins gods? Half price for it, if you do so.
As I had already picked both I decided it better to not randomise either, even if it would grant me an extra 50p. For the Demigod, it seemed you would be granted many more abilities, so I knew I wanted to make it a powerhouse, one which wouldn't conflict too much with how I wanted to 'play' my new lives. I decided one of the big three would be best, it would grant me the better body that demigods of the big three seemingly had whilst also granting me some pretty good abilities. I ruled Zeus out immediately, no need to have Hera on my ass if I didn't need her there, plus I have some personal grievances against Zeus if he did half the stuff it's said he had done, petty I know but I couldn't stand it. Poseidon was quite an easy no as well, Percy already had that role, and I'm certain Zeus would be much quicker to start a war if he knew Poseidon had two children. By process of elimination it left me with Hades, who personally I actually quite liked, if the myths are correct, he's like a suburban dad, even named his dog Spot. Beyond my personal feelings it would also mean that the big three would be equal when it comes to breaking the oath, plus Nico best boy, and being his brother would be cool - again childish I know. I put in the small box which popped up when I was thinking of my godly parent, the name "Hades", whilst I was tempted to put a name like Zagreus or Orphic Dionysus, just to see what would happen, I decided to stick to my guns.
Hades - Divine parent chosen. Continue?
Yes/no
I clicked on yes, and the next screen was deciding my legacy, having already gotten a Greek god I knew I wanted a Roman one. Pettiness rose up in my head once more and before I could stop myself I had typed in Janus. My petty reasoning was that in Riordanverse the Roman gods were just the Greek ones with more 'roman' sentiments. Something almost purely made up, Janus was the only, as far as archaeologists were concerned when I was researching, purely Roman deity after then Hellenisation which took place within the republic/empire. As I was thinking it through, I decided I liked the idea of being Janus' legacy, surely his ability to make door-portals was a minor one, giving me something to rely on whilst I was training my shadow travel or when there were no shadows about.
Janus - Divine legacy chosen. Continue?
Yes/no
I once more selected yes. And once more the pop up disappeared, a new screen replaced it showing perks I could buy. I ignored those for mortals, deciding that without the discount nothing would be worth the points I had left, out of the Demigod perks I selected them all -other than one which was seemingly blank- that took 400 out of my remaining 800, the perks would grant me all the minor abilities of my parent along with all the major, and even be favoured meaning my ability to use them and the abilities I could use increased. I then looked at legacy perks, the first was again free, a singular minor power from Janus, I typed in Portal making in to the box, which appeared, an x appeared next to it, seemingly saying the power was not allowed as a minor one, an arrow appeared below it. The arrow opened up a selection of different powers, I chose minor probability manipulation as the ability, better something than nothing then moved on to the perks which would cost. The 'bit more mortal' perk looked interesting but was greyed out, probably due to me also being a Demigod. I bought the major power, which took another 200p, this time it allowed me my portal making as the ability. The last ability looked interesting but I dismissed it. The perk would make me a champion of a god, though how it did that I didn't know. It also made me hesitant due to the fact that one mortal with so much power would almost certainly raise some red lights in Zeus' less than stable mental state. Next was the non-discount perks. The godly boon interested me, but I was hesitant in the same way as the champion of a god perk as i didn't know how I would actually gain in it world. Magic was incredibly tempting but it saying that it was quite weak shot my enthusiasm down in one. I almost laughed at the 600p cost of the 'Titan-Blooded' perk. It was down right extortionate for abilities which would for the most case surpassed by big three demigods. Also again, anomaly.
That brought me to the flaw section, I was tempted to take nothing, but then saw there were two more tabs which might have some really good perks or something but he really expensive, plus even if that wasn't true, the extra points would be doubled next jump and that made these flaws even more valuable. The flaws which found themselves into my proverbial shopping cart, were Divine disdain and Child of Fate, Divine disdain simply because it was basically just a singular negative opinion of you on Olympus, and to make it simple I made it Ares, Ares hated everybody. Child of Fate felt easy because I was already planning to interrupt the main plot line, and as I needed to fulfil the prophecy it meant I had plot-armour of sorts unless the prophecy had that I needed to die in it, unlikely simply because that would fail the Jumpchain. The last flaw I was almost tempted to pick was the wanted flaw. It would make you wanted by one divine being, whether killed or loved was up to the chooser, this made me almost instantly want to get it and choose Aphrodite, because Horni. But then I saw the caveat, me getting caught would make me lose. I couldn't allow that. So I gained an extra 400 points, meaning I have 600 remaining.
The next tab was slightly disappointing, it allowed me to get items and companions, the second of which I ignored wholeheartedly, social awkwardness says "no thanks", the first section was a little more of interest. One of the many reasons I chose a child of Hades was the capability to wield Stygian Iron weapons. Meaning the fact I could buy one for 150p was a nobrainer, usually it would be 300p as -explained by the screens- it had to break the worlds usual rules, because non-Cthonic individuals could not wield the weapons without getting harmed by them, but due to me being a son of Hades this was not true, lowering the price. For the weapon itself, I chose spear, then I noticed the 'Enchanted weapon' which cost 200p but was halfed if the enchantment was placed on to another weapon, I bought this and placed it on to my spear so it could turn into a plethora of different kind of swords, as both descriptions said you'd know how to use the weapons. I then looked at the description of Stygian Iron weapon and decided to get a second enchantment, this enchantment was making it unbreakable. I believed this to be a good idea as the Stygian Iron Weapon said as long as the weapons exists it will forever keep monsters from reforming. The last thing I got for this specific weapon was the hidden ability, I decided to hide it as a leather corded necklace with a Stygian Iron pendant showing a door opening to reveal a skull, which I believed to summarise my new history quite well. This left me with 200p which I spent 100p of to get replenishing 50 gold drachma, as well as celestial bronze armour.
The next tab -luckily- had no more tempting buyables, it simply had my age choice and starting location choice, with two buttons next to each, one reading 'buy now' the other saying randomise. Deciding I had spent enough of my point I randomised both, for my age I got six at which my heart sank, but then I noticed it said +5 next to it, meaning I'd start at eleven, something I was much more comfortable with. For my starting location I got a one, which I then read was CHB. Also comfortable with that. Then I saw the two buttons at the bottom, one which read 'start now?' the other reading 'start earlier'. I tried clicking the first, yet somehow -and I truly mean somehow, I don't know how- I clicked the second, which then I saw numbers randomising, unluckily it landed on -3, meaning I'd start as 8 years old in apparently New York. And then everything turned white.
I awoke with a start - again- this time my vision was filled with a cream coloured ceiling, which had those glow in the dark stick on stars plastered on to it, a singular light bulb hanging down from the middle of it surrounded by a pretty plain, dark blue lamp shade.
I then looked back on my new life, remembering who I was. My name is, Elliot Stamen, Eli for short. I was born in upstate New York to Jasmine Stamen, my mother, we quickly moved from the house I was born in, to a small apartment in the heart of New York. I had grown up quite a normal kid, inquisitive when I should, it seemed my social awkwardness carried over to this body without me even being truly present, as such I had grown up without too many friends though I was -somehow- the class clown. Seemingly my social awkwardness changed from 'doesn't speak when their are too many people to truly understand their reaction properly' to 'Makes fun of self and others to cover his awkwardness', I did still like reading, having read this worlds strange knock off version of HP. I was also certain that my mother was some serious badass. As when I was 6 I saw her legionary tattoo with 22 lines underneath it, two faces above it. Confirming she was descended from Janus in some form. I had once asked her about it, but she merely said 'I'll tell you when you're older'. She was also smoking, like lithe body, with well trained 'ass-ets' which seemingly haven't lost quality even with my birth. Long, cascading auburn hair, reaching down most of her back, two large and round eyes filled with pools of emerald. If this was some shitty porn I would tap that. But as this was the 'real world' with 'real world' consequences I decided to control myself.
It was currently my eighth birthday, it was a Saturday this year, meaning I slept in until 12 before I awoke, my mind still slightly groggy from all the new information. I got out of bed, getting dressed quickly, putting on my baggy, dark jeans, and a light pastel top. I walked out of my room to be met, with a cake on the table and a sorry note from my mother, for as badass as she is, she's also a lawyer, a job not too nice on free time. I sighed, somehow even with my newness to the scenario -personally- my body still remembered my normal response.
I looked around, trying to find some matches to try to light the candles, failing from my currently quite short vantage port I decided to move from my position next to my door. Passing by a mirror in which I saw my face, it was a pale colour, just one shade off of being sickly, my hair was a dark void, looking so dark it was like a wig instead of real hair. My eyes were emerald pools like my mothers, perhaps not all divine traits carried down, huh.
I carried on my search, quickly finding a box of matches in the top shelf in the kitchen, having slightly struggled to get on the kitchen counter, I as about average height for an eight year old, making me only a ruler and a bit taller than my opponent. After getting on the kitchen counter I looked through the tops shelves, finding a box of matches and also a bottle of wine, and as tempting as it was to drink some, I decided against it, don't wanna get drunk when I'm eight.
So I got down from my perch, and struck a light with the side of the box, lighting the candles on the cake, eight of them. I blew them out as soon as they were all lit, not really having a true wish - this all seemed so fantastical to me I didn't know what to wish for - I didn't wish at all. I then gingerly removed the candles, and cut myself a slice. The cake was fine, nothing truly good, though it also didn't disgust my taste buds. After my halfhearted attempt at eating I went to the house computer, not yet having one for myself, I searched up some important details, stuff like where is Long Island Sound, strawberry suppliers from Long Island sound -pretty sure I found the location of camp half blood- and theories on portals, simply because some of them might help me in my powers. After searching them all up I made sure to delete the search history, no need for a roman to get suspicious about CHB, I then practiced. Or attempted to practice, I was trying to open a portal, hopefully one to quite close to CHB, no luck though. No portals were being opened, unless- I then attempted to walk through my bedroom door imagining leaving through the apartment door. It worked! Though it felt weird, like when you go from a high position to a low position really quickly with no warning. Seemingly, however i couldn't just open portals willy nilly, not yet at least. Though when I attempted to go to Camp Half Blood with one of these portals it once more failed, whether due to its distance or because I had never personally seen it I didn't know. I played around with my portals for a bit, discovering that as long as both the entrance and exits were passages for something and big enough for me to fit through it worked, this included windows funnily enough, guess it counted as a passageway for the air? Perhaps a vent would work then.
It was late by the time my mother returned, I was already digging into some microwaveable dinner when the door opened. I was tempted to try to scare her but decided against it. But when the door opened, it wasn't my mother which entered, it was a man in a black suit with white lining, a black cap on his head, not too dissimilar from what a chauffeur might wear. I was immediately on guard, already imagining my window as my exit and my door as the entrance.
"Now, now Elliot there is no need to be scared" The man spoke in an overly familiar tone, I racked my brain trying to think who he might be, then it clicked, it was probably one of Hades' goons.
The man continued, "Okay, now that you've calmed down, I need to tell you something which might be... distressing."
His tone lowered, "your mother is dead." His words rang like a strangely familiar knell in my head, whilst I personally didn't truly know my new mother I still had memories of her. The man then handed my something, it was a leather cord, with a black door opening to a black skull pendant. "My lord was originally going to give you this in four years but has decided due to your new circumstances you need this now," he paused obviously waiting for my response.
"H-how do you know my mom?" I spoke in what I was hoping to be uncertain tone. e paused obviously thinking of how best to say it.
"Your mother was a close acquaintance of my employer." He finally spoke forcing the cord into my hands. "She and my employer agreed on a plan if she ever disappeared," He stood up, we had somehow managed to move over to the table whilst we were talking. "Now put that on and pack your bags" He said to me certainly, leaving no room for questions or arguments. Though he would've gotten none anyways, I placed the cord on, almost immediately feeling my connection to it, the description of it said it was enchanted only to work for me, pretty sweet if I do say so myself.
I then left for my room packing the essentials: underwear; socks; baggy jeans; tshirts; hoodies; my iPod mini and earphones; toiletries -toothbrush and paste. I also placed my only beanie over my hair, leaving my fringe to poof out the front of it, leaving me looking like a very confused 8 year old emo.
Having went back into the main room only to see the man waiting by the door, I quickly placed on my Skechers -memory foam, which is pretty nice- and left through the door before him, quickly wandering down the corridor, looking like the child I was pretending to be. He quirked an eyebrow at my actions, probably expecting me to be in more distress, though he quickly shook his head. He likely just believed it to be because of Demigod-ness. When I got to the stairs I waited for him, the main part of the corridor had nicely plastered walls as this floor was the highest one in the building, however the staircase looked a bit worse for wear.
Once he got to the stairwell he started walking down it, I followed hopping from step to step, really trying to sell that ADHD. As mentioned before our apartment was on the top floor, meaning we had quite a way to go down the stairs, 20 floors to be precise, each with to staircases, going back and forth, each staircase contained 20 steps, which meant but the time we were walking out the building into his expensive looking black limo, I had skipped down 800 steps. Quite impressive if I say so my self.
When we got into the limo, he took the seat in the front, motioning for me to take one of the back seats. When I stepped into the limo, I was impressed. The carpet was black, slight swirling designs in it, the walls of the limo were padded with leather, slight cross stitching visible on them. The seats were similar to the walls, and I took a seat next to the ice cooler. In the ice cooler there seemed to be cola, lemonade and an orange liquid. I took the cola, not recognising any of the brand names, taking a long sip of the beverage as the car started to move.