A/N: This is a bit of a short chapter, but it does get much better, very soon with word count, I promise. Anyways, welcome to the chaos of the Riordanverse lol

Chapter 1, Act I - And so it begins... again?

I don't know who I am. I don't know where I am. I don't know what I'm doing. I just see the neverending void, and nothing else. I'm looking at where the rest of me should be, and it just... doesn't exist.

I started panicking. What was I doing here?

Somehow, I heard a bang, and a vaguely transparent screen appeared, red words written across it.

Welcome to the wonderful Riordanverse! You were our lucky contestant who got taken out at just the right moment, and now you've won a new life, and it's even gonna be a game! Now, choose what pantheon you want to be a part of! The screen read.

A list appears in front of me, and I laugh. This has to be a joke, right? The list reads off all of the Riordanverse pantheons that Rick Riordan had written about, so Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, pretty much. I frowned. "How do I know this?" "Ding!"

The System supplies all necessary information at this moment.

"Alright, so who am I? What happened? Why do I feel sad? Why am I in so much pain?"

Cool it with your questions. You died, dumbass. We can't answer any more questions. Now, which pantheon?

"Alright, alright, I'll play along." I say irritably, by some miracle. I mean, how am I doing anything? I'm not even a spirit.

I don't think Roman life is for me, so I have to cross that off instantly. The life of a Norse demigod only really starts when you die, and only if you die a heroic death. While I can't remember my last life, I don't fancy another go at death, so I'll cross that off, too, leaving Greek and Egyptian.

I think the answer's pretty obvious. The Egyptians can channel magic through sticks, they're occasionally possessed, and they have a much easier time burning to a crisp or dying in general from malpractice of magic. So I click Greek.

Next, a large, seemingly never ending list of Greek gods, minor and major, show up, at the top a message telling me to just choose my godly parent. It doesn't even give any restrictions. I could pick someone ridiculous, like Artemis or Hera. However, I don't feel like putting my life in danger sheerly by not being allowed to exist.

Not wanting to be in extreme danger also crosses off most Olympians. I wanted something to give me knowledge, so I could see maybe Athena? But I also wanted more than just brains. I wanted magic, too. It was like something about it was pulling at me. So I called to see if Hecate was on the list.

There, in violet letters, is Hecate's name. I just decide to say fuck it, and select Hecate as my godly parent. I'd just have to hope I'm not successful enough to justify getting turned into an immortal polecat with gastrointestinal problems, or get chased by a Titan's army until my mortal researcher acquaintance dies and promptly get him turned into a magic card.

It promptly showed me my stats, and I frowned. Something just seemed wrong.

Name: Nikomedes Mana Arcus-Lupin

Species: Demigod

Health: 100/100

MP: 140/140

Level: 1

Str: 1

Con: 1

Dex: 1

Int: 2

Wis: 4

Cha: 1

Points: 5

Money: $0/0D

Nikomedes is a mysterious man. He doesn't know of his past, but he knows he had a life before this one. All he remembers is a rip in space, and a girl's face. He wants to learn about his old life, and who he was.

I decided immediately I didn't like my name. It sounded overly pompous and grandiose. I mean, I'll give credit where it's due, as Mana seems a little spot on, but Arcus-Lupin? Arcus just sounded too cool, and Lupin? Not only is it a rip from Harry Potter, it's a jab at how Hecate is sometimes portrayed as a moon goddess, as well.

You can't tell me my name didn't sound too cool. First off, definitely Niko. Not Nikomedes. Nikomedes is derived from Nike, meaning victory, and Medea, meaning plans, counsel, and cunning. Nike is the goddess of victory, and Medea was a slightly crazy witch. How did I know that? Oh right, Mister Wikipedia System guiding me.

+1 to Int!

Jackass. But yeah, nobody gets to know my full name, I decided then and there.

Have fun in the Riordanverse!

The screens around me started to blink, and I started protesting. "Hey, wait, shouldn't there be a tutorial or something?" I ask. Next thing I know, my world goes dark. Well, that's what I get for calling the System a jackass.