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Chapter 25– Skill Assessment
AN: Chapter beta'd by Lord Shiva.
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Now onwards with the chapter!
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"C'mon, let this be the one." I whispered to myself, closing my eyes as I imagined an extremely clear image of the device that I'd been trying to create all night.
The device itself was barely half-inch in length, looking like a small insect. Inside it, however, was a whole lot of complicated mechanics.
There was a small receiver acting like an activation switch, similar to my teleportation devices. Just, instead of creating a connection between two devices, it let me directly connect with the insects to deliver a single thing: Death.
So yeah, I wanted to create a bean-sized killing machine that could instakill a being on Persephone's level.
And therein lies the problem; My device just wasn't powerful enough for that.
The only thing in my arsenal that could deliver a god-killing attack was Celestial Lightning Bolt. But the spell also needed a ridiculous amount of divine energy, and I had no idea how to store it all in a small nail-sized device.
The most I could do right now was to send a very potent spark of electricity. It would work splendidly as a cheap distraction trick, being capable of shocking a minor god for a whole second.
But killing one? Nope. It would need a hell of a lot more power than I could currently provide.
The 'Magical item creation' skill worked similarly to object creation. I simply needed to imagine exactly what I wanted, and boom! The imagination is now a reality.
Unfortunately, the low level of my skill meant that I needed to have an incredibly sharp image of the item I was creating. More importantly, I must believe that it could actually be real. Only then could my Will be strong enough to birth my imagination in reality.
Which was why directly imagining a nail-sized storage that could store all the needed divine energy didn't work either; cause I just couldn't imagine anything like it! Could you imagine a one-centimeter storage device that could store 100,000 points of divine energy? Of course you couldn't! You wouldn't even know how much 100,000 points of divine energy actually is. I knew, which was why it seemed so impossible.
Honestly, though, It shouldn't feel as impossible, considering my 6-foot body can store 3 different energies with 21 million points worth of combined power, all buried inside some deep well within me. I'd thought about just imagining that exact deep well inside a nail-sized container but it just wasn't happening.
'Maybe if I put the 10 points in mental?'
...No. Hercules isn't the only one Hera will send for me. I shouldn't be hasty.
Sighing, I closed my book, which was filled with the device's designs to help my imagination, and put it back in my inventory. It sat there with the rest of my inventory's occupiers, which included the rest of my books, the Golden Apple, a cut-off dragon head, an emergency stash of Ambrosia, my teleportation device, Thalia's spear and shield that I've never touched once, and of course, mother's steel spear. There were 5 more Empty stashes that I was still in the process of filling.
'Inventory...' My mind came to a sudden halt, dropping all the thoughts as a sudden bout of inspiration hit me. 'Wasn't my inventory capable of storing anything?'
Maybe I can create an inventory to store my divine power?
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Over the next few days, I worked on my device while keeping an absent eye on Percy.
The boy seemed to have some mighty trouble fitting in.
No matter how much I may have trained him to fight, he was still the same uncertain, unconfident, sassy little boy that I'd met over half a year ago. He might be a lot more prepared for the dangers of this world, but he was just as unprepared for the dangers of puberty.
Sadly, that was not something I can help him with. Neither would I wish to.
The evening of Friday, I was invited by the team leaders to participate in the capture the flag. Most of the time, I would've simply rejected the offer. But there was something about that day that tickled my funny bone. A sort of... premonition if you will. Almost like I can reach out and touch a soft line of fate that I wasn't meant to touch.
I knew something was going to happen. Something big. Even my divine authority seemed restless.
So I agreed to join, siding with the Ares cabin just to shut Clarisse up who'd been complaining about me always fighting beside Athena and Hermes. Coincidentally, the flag has been with Athena cabin for over 2 months now, so I definitely wanted a change.
After the dinner finished that night, we all stood up under the bright rays of the moon, with cool gusts of wind gently blowing our hairs. The campers were all bursting with excitement, whispering to themselves as they psyched themselves up.
I could see Percy nervously glancing at Alabaster, asking him questions, but the surly boy walked off unconcerned. From behind him came Luke, who approached Percy and started whispering in his ears. I wondered if I should be alarmed before dismissing the thought.
If the Titan lord really wanted to recruit Percy, he wouldn't do it through Luke.
'Surely not... right?'
The teams were divided into an uneven composition– Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Zeus (Just me) vs Athena, Hermes, Demeter, Apollo, Dionysus, and the common cabin.
The teams were quite unfair but my presence in the weaker party soothed any ruffled feathers. Clarisse went to get her flag from our pavilion, while Annabeth and her two cabin mates ran carrying their own gray flag.
Chiron banged his hoof on the marble floor of the dining area, gaining the attention of all assembled.
"Heroes!" He bellowed, his voice drowning down the last bit of chattering. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than four guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Now arm yourselves!"
He waved his hands, and the mist hiding the equipment on the table receded, revealing a pile of metal helmets, bronze swords, spears, and metal shields wrapped in Ox-hide. The campers all started to equip themselves, while I stood away from the group. I actually did want an armor but not if it limited my wings. 30 in physical stats were worth not having any armour covering your body.
When it came to making a battle plan, I just waved them away, claiming the defense of the flag.
"Just drop a couple of Aphrodites for...ah, I mean, with me. If I needed backup you know?" I smiled innocently.
No one seemed to buy that, especially not Silena. But considering how enthusiastic the rest of the Aphrodites were for a chance to stay with me, how could she possibly refuse?
Unfortunately, I underestimated her.
"Drew is needed in the front to serve her punishment for challenging me, and so are the rest of the... experienced ones." She smiled sweetly, making my Spidey senses tickle "But fortunately, we do have some newcomers who would be glad to stay behind the frontlines and learn from a distance. Lacy! Jenna! You are on guard duty with Mikael."
Two...kids came out from the whole surrounding group. Lacy was a 7-year old I'd rescued from Brooklyn, alongside Drew. While Jenna a 12-year-old, new camper, bought by a satyr.
I narrowed my eyes at the smirking Silena, wondering if I should punish her. Now not only did I have to spend an hour playing this, frankly uninteresting, capture the flag game, but also babysit a couple of brats.
I was irritated.
Plus my mind could come up with some really creative punishments if I put it to work, all without going sexual or extreme. I had almost 50 stats in mental after all.
She seemed to have realized I wasn't taking this as a joke and raised her hands in a calming gesture. "I really can't let you use them like this Mikael. Half the cabin has been drawing lots to choose who will get to stay with you during capture the flag. While the other half are boys, some of whom are jealous you aren't interested in the same gender."
I balked, the images of naked boys moaning about me sending shivers up my spine.
Okay, maybe fucking some girls behind a boulder wasn't the most secretive thing, but I didn't expect it to blow up like a sport.
I sighed despondently, ignoring the Aphrodite counselor's giggles. "Alright fine, whatever. Now shoo, don't disturb me further."
As the rest of my team left for the frontline, I made my way to the north side of the forest, approaching Zeus's fist along with the two hesitant kids trailing after me. The flag was stuck on a higher boulder, and I took a seat just below the fist.
The plain red flag of Ares was nothing much to look at, so I simply covered it with mist and plopped back my head to relax, waving the two girls to do the same.
For the next 30 minutes, I did nothing but check out my skills, pondering upon their use and trying to create some new ideas.
Mikael
Age: 13
Race: God/Angel/Devil Hybrid
Tier: 7
Level 601 (Minor God)
Divine Power: 7,080,000/7,080,000
Holy Power: 7,080,000/7,080,000
Demonic Power: 7,080,000/7,080,000
Stamina: 6,010,000/6,010,000
Health: 6,210,000/6,210,000
Stats
Strength: 611
Speed: 641
Dexterity: 631
Endurance: 601
Constitution: 621
Mental: 48
Spirit: 708
Points: 7
Skills:
Combat Skills-
Divine Spear-wielding (3/10)
Divine Swordsmanship (2/10)
Master Archer (6/10)
Godly Skills–
Celestial Lightning Bolt (Lvl 3)
Divine Authority (Lvl 4)
Divine Lightning Storm (Lvl 4)
Electric Healing (Lvl 4)
Lightning Travel (Lvl 6)
Wind Tornado (Lvl 7)
Lightning Storm (Lvl 9)
Divine Lightning Bolt (Max)
Electric Discharge (Max)
Flying (Max)
Lightning Manipulation (Max)
Wind Manipulation (Max)
Air Manipulation (Max)
Holy Power Skills–
[Angelic Form]– 4-Winged Angel
Holy Lightning Discharge (Lvl 5)
Holy Lightning Manipulation (Lvl 6)
Holy Weapon Creation (Max)
Holy Power Manipulation (Max)
Demonic Skills–
Defensive Magic: Aegis (Lvl 1)
Energy Creation (Lvl 1)
Magical Item Creation (Lvl 1)
Lightning Manipulation (Lvl 7)
Concealment Magic (Lvl 8)
Hypnosis Magic (Lvl 9)
Object Creation (Max)
Demonic Power Manipulation (Max)
Defensive Magic: Barrier (Max)
Magical Skills–
Mist Manipulation (Lvl 8)
Mist Sense (Lvl 9)
Mystiokinesis Sense (Lvl 9)
Other Skills–
Expert Blacksmith (3/10)
Expert Actor (6/10)
Expert Lover (8/10)
Expert Seducer (9/10)
Master Charmer (2/10)
Master Strategist (2/10)
Master Unarmed Combatant (5/10)
Master Hunter (6/10)
Master Tracker (9/10)
Divine Chess Player (1/10)
Resistances–
Lightning Resistance (Max)
Poison Resistance (Lvl 9)
Pain Resistance (Lvl 6)
Mystiokinesis Resistance (Lvl 6)
Celestial Radiance Resistance (Lvl 6)
Magical Affinities:
Divine Lightning: 70/100
Holy Light: 70/100
Lightning: 90/100
Light: 90/100
My eyes glided along the status, observing each and every skill. I smiled proudly at my divine level expertise with two weapons. Only gods could hope to match my skills in sword and spear fighting now.
...Or Luke.
Somehow, that skilled motherfucker reached divine level in sword too.
Archery on the other hand...there was no one in the camp who could best me in that. Except for Chiron, but he didn't count. The Centaur was probably divine in all those skills and more.
Next, my eyes fell upon my divine skills.
'I'll have to check the changes in my most powerful attack. Now that my spirit was on a true god's level, the Celestial Lightning Bolt must've gone through a considerable upgrade. Divine authority on the other hand...'
I stared down at a random pebble beneath me and commanded.
"Break."
The stone crumbled down to sand.
'So-o-o COOL!'
While it wasn't that impressive when the fact that I could crush boulders with a squeeze was taken into account...It was still amazing! My words got power now!
I bet this was how gods turned mortals into animals and stuff. I still wasn't at that level, but it had exciting prospects. Plus, I had a lingering suspicion that my divine domains might be tied with my authority. I got the strangest feeling that Lvl 5 of that skill was going to bring in something really OP.
Apart from these, nothing much changed in my godly skills, and I turned my attention to the Holy skills.
I knew, just knew, that I was very close to unlocking my third set of wings. But I just didn't know how to go about doing it.
The first pair were released after completing that quest, the second after an intense battle. Now for the third, I was completely blind and uncertain.
Whatever the process, one thing was clear in my mind; I really needed those 50 levels right now.
Heracles fight has made me just a bit paranoid. I may have dismissed him in front of Hestia, but his sheer presence meant that things wouldn't be as simple for me.
Hera had started making her move, and her first one almost killed me. What if she sent an Olympian next? What if someone like Ares or Apollo came after me? And what if, just like Hercules they lost their cool and went all out.
'I won't last long.' That much was clear in my mind.
I couldn't take on an Olympian yet. I may have a solid chance in their mortal form, but the moment they decided to take care of me properly, I was a goner.
Worse. nowadays I found myself going through all the gods whose relationship with Hera was good. I was getting angsty day by day and needed a release.
It was almost maddening, really.
'Gods, I hope I unlock my third pair soon.' I sighed, shaking my head to continue my self-report.
Down to my Demonic skills, Hypnosis and concealment magic were bread and butter to navigate the mortal world, and their importance cannot be understated.
The defensive barrier, on the other hand, occupied a very important position in my skillset. It was the only skill that gave me any sort of solid defense, except my wings but they were the very last form of protection.
On the topic of magic skills, I had nothing much to note about. The mist sense made me able to sense even the slightest hint of mist present...which was basically everywhere in America so whatever. Mist manipulation was a much better skill but it wasn't really vital to me.
It was simply a way to make my life easier and avoid pointless troubles, nothing else.
Onto my miscellaneous skills...the very first was the written proof of my expert smithing skills. Yeah, after working in the forge here and there over the course of 3 years has increased that skill to a decent amount.
Then came my pride and ego-boosting skills; sex, charm, and seduction skills. I mean...was there anything to think about here? Looking at them just made me proud of all the accomplishments I've achieved till now. The journey on the road to expert had been wrought with pleasure, excitement, and a whole deal of practical application.
Something I would love to continue. For a very long time.
The other remaining skills were useful too, but not worth thinking about overly much. I did wonder how I compared to the hunters of Artemis in terms of hunting and tracking though.
Magical affinities? Eh, haven't changed a bit for the last 7 years now. Resistances? Yeah, now these were supremely broken.
I was almost immune to poison, can you imagine that? Almost immune to one of the deadliest substances in the world. I also had some decent resistance to pain, magic, and radiance in general, though nothing much to brag about when compared to poison resistance.
"Mikael sir!" A high-pitched voice snapped up my attention.
They need not have bothered though, cause soon the crunching of leaves mixed in with the sound of multiple legs shuffling on the ground entered my ears, attracting my attention anyway. There, slow and cautiously moving forward as if they could actually sneak up on me, were the heads of enemy cabins.
'What the hell.." I yawned, slight puzzlement breaking through my laziness. "Didn't I put up mist?...'
Then I saw Alabaster coming out of the group alongside Luke and released a deep sigh.
'Yeah, that'll do it.' The son of Hecate was almost as good at mist sensing as me.
With another sigh I pushed myself up and walked towards our flag, removing the traces of mist from upon it.
"Both of you, keep an eye on the flag. I'll handle the opponents."
The girls nodded and I went ahead to meet the enemy team. There were 5 of them; Luke, Alabaster, Lee Fletcher, Katie Gardner, and Pollux.
All the counselors of the opposite cabin were together. Except...
"Where's Annabeth?" I asked the group as they came towards me; armed and ready.
"Oh, she's just guarding our flag." Luke replied easily, as his fellow cabin heads readied themselves for some action.
My eyes stared at the group with amusement as Lee knocked on his bow, dragging the string back fully, with an exploding arrow aiming at me. Alabaster raised his hands, liquid flame filling up his palm. Katie and Pollux stood right beside them, their eyes flickering from my figure to the plants around me.
A small smirk tugged upon my face. "You lot think you can actually take me down?"
"You better believe it." Luke replied with a smile, though lacking any actual conviction. If I looked deeply enough, I could even see the hidden embers of bitterness.
'How low the mighty have fallen.' I snorted, taking my time to check their levels and hoping for at least a challenge.
Luke Castellan
Age: 19
Race: Demigod
Tier: 4
Level: 362 (Max)
.
Alabaster Torrington
Age: 12
Race: Demigod
Tier: 4
Level: 250
.
Lee Fletcher
Age: 14
Race: Demigod
Tier: 4
Level: 270
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Pollux
Age: 15
Race: Demigod
Tier: 4
Level: 290
.
Katie Gardner
Age: 14
Race: Demigod
Tier: 4
Level: 260
Honestly, they were absolutely no match for me even though they outnumbered me 5 to 1. But their main advantage against me wasn't their numbers. It was their unique skills.
Who knows, maybe they would prove a challenge to me...
'...Yeah alright, Nah. They won't.'
"C'mon then." I waved them on lazily with a sigh, creating two simple holy swords.
Thankfully, they didn't waste my time.
A torrent of flames came gushing out of Alabaster's hands, raging towards me like an inferno. Lee started raining his arrows, each armed and ready to burst on contact, while Katie and Pollux combined their strengths to manipulate the plant life around me.
Luke, on the other hand, came at me running, engaging me in melee as the rest attacked me like mages.
A multitude of attacks, all incredibly well-timed and teamed up together...and I actually had enough time to wonder if I should make this quick and painful, or have some fun of my own...
Still uncertain, I absently released a gust of wind to buy some time. To my slight surprise, that 'small' gust blew away the fire and arrows as if they were made of smoke.
'Yep. My raw power is ridiculous now.'
A bunch of vines tried to entangle me next but an idle swing of my sword cut through them like razor through paper.
By the time Luke finally came into my range, all the other attacks that were meant to support him were already dealt with, leaving him to face me alone.
With a laugh, I launched a simple jab with my Holy swords. Luke managed to deflect it but the force sent him skidding away, leaving trails of dust as he dug his feet into the ground for support.
'Fun way, it is.'
Not moving from my position, I formed a golden array above my head, launching Holy spears on the ground beside my distant opponents. While they weren't aimed at them (I didn't actually want to kill them, of course) the spears still made them scramble around to dodge them, keeping them busy.
Then, a single step forward and I was in front of a panting Luke. I used my sword like a stick, swinging it around with no technique or skill.
The boy managed to dodge one strike, then slip away from another, but the third strike he was forced to block, and the force behind it shook his hands like a bell, his sword almost bending 90 degrees, while the boy was blasted back into the air as if he was kicked by a bull.
He groaned, pushing himself up on one knee.
"That's...that's so unfair." The boy panted out, rubbing his hands to return some feeling in them. "You're using your full strength! Not cool man."
I laughed, my legs closing the gap between us again. "Believe me, Luke, I'm not."
My sword once again smacked down at him, making him jump away with a curse. "If I did you'd be a wet spot on the ground, red and very much dead."
The boy scrambled back, retreating as fast as he can. And I let him, focusing instead on the rapidly closing sonic arrows. A simple wall of air stopped them in their tracks, and once they popped, I guided the sonic booms away back to Lee.
Waves of ultrasonic sound assaulted the boy, forcing him down on his knees with a curse, his arms tightly clutching his ears.
I sensed movement below me and my Holy sword cut off another round of vines the moment they were born.
A force bound me down to the ground, courtesy of Alabaster.
I'd sensed the magic coming towards me long ago, but I was feeling particularly lazy...and curious.
It was the same force that had bound me and Thalia on the hill. Even a simple spark of electricity could've made me escape but I waited, coping a feel of his magic. One thing was instantly clear; Alabaster was no lamia. And my level 6 Mystiokinesis resistance completely negated the spell's effects.
He didn't know that.
"I've bound him! Quickly get the flag!" The boy screamed.
The air shifted and I sensed an invisible figure running past me, making way directly for the flag. I was slightly surprised to note that it was almost as good as my concealment magic.
That surprise did not stop me from creating a mini-tornado under their feet...or should I say...her feet.
'Ah, Annabeth. What do you have here I wonder?'
The girl went spinning through the air, while the tiny tornado brought the cap in my awaiting hands.
"Aww...you liar..." Annabeth groaned, now visible.
"A good try, Anna lite!" I exclaimed, absently studying the cap before tutting sadly. "But ultimately a failure."
They all stopped suddenly, everyone groaning at Annabeth as they all gave up. They've faced me too many times to have any delusions of success. Their desperate plan had failed and now they were at my mercy. And they knew it.
I laughed out loud, making sure it was a full-bellied evil laugh that'll make any cartoon villain jealous. "Tremble beneath my might, weaklings! You have just been defeated by the mighty Mikael...for the umpteenth time!"
They all groaned again, before starting the familiar song and dance of blame-placing.
"We had one chance, Annabeth" Lee complained.
"You should've waited some more," Pollux advised as he sat down with a sigh.
"Hey, don't blame me! Alabaster should've known Mikael was just acting!" She snapped at them.
The boy scowled at her, before turning around with a huff. "You promised us he didn't know about the cap."
"He didn't." She insisted, before glancing at me. "How exactly did you know where I was anyway?"
"The shift in the air," I admitted freely.
Her eyes lit up as she understood instantly, but the others were still confused. "She might be invisible but her body still moved in the air. And I'm the son of Zeus...what does that tell you?"
Finally, the fact seemed to have gotten through their heads– They never had any chance from the start.
"I didn't know your senses were that good." Annabeth muttered.
I laughed again. My air manipulation was maxed out. I might not have a specialized skill like Air sense or something, but I can still very much detect any shift in the air. It was the same with lightning and Wind as well.
"Don't be so sad, there are many things you don't know about me."
"How is that any better?" She asked with a scowl.
"It wasn't meant to be." I airily replied.
She scowled harder.
My senses were suddenly tingling again, pointing to one area in specific. My divine authority detected the smell of sea and salt, of earth-shaking tremors and city drowning floods, of raging cyclones and disastrous storms, and sheer unadulterated power.
I threw the cap back to Annabeth and immediately started sprinting towards the other side of the forest. "Come on!"
Poseidon's presence in the camp could only mean one thing.
I came upon the sight of 5 Ares stooges pathetically spread upon the ground, with their counselor dripping blood from her nose.
Percy stood in the middle of them, the winner of their, no doubt, unfair bout.
I heard the growl coming from behind Percy an instant before Chiron shouted.
"Stand ready! My bow!" The centaur bellowed in ancient Greek.
I saw Percy turning around, his sword at ready, just as the massive hellhound pound.
I didn't interfere, folding my hands to watch the show.
The boy rolled beneath the hellhound, barely dodging under the beast, before coming up in a crouch and quickly taking an attacking stance.
I felt pride seeping down my bones as his sword, unbalanced as it was, slashed the beast's hind, cutting through the whole leg in a single swing.
The hellhound turned into dust just as the rest of the campers came running, swords at ready.
"Di immortals!" Annabeth cursed as they all witnessed the last embers of beast vanishing away.
I walked towards the shocked Percy, patting him on the back. "Well done, Perce."
He nodded, trying to force a smile, but there was frustrated anger hidden inside his eyes as he glanced at Annabeth.
"So you had it all figured out, huh?" He asked. "You set me up, knowing Clarisse will come for me. You used me as bait."
"I told you." She shrugged casually. "Athena always has a plan."
"A plan to get me pulverized." The boy stated neutrally.
She shrugged again. "I wanted to come and help but we weren't doing great either."
She shot me an evil look and I turned away with a laugh, joining Chiron.
The Centaur's eyes were fixed on whence the hellhound came, observing the border with a troubled look. "It was summoned from the inside."
I nodded. That could only be– A sudden yelp from a very familiar voice made me whip my head around.
What I saw shocked me so much that for a stark second I was just rooted on the spot.
Percy had just struck Annabeth. He'd just slammed the pommel of his sword directly between her eyes.
What the fuck?
And then he drove a fist of water into her stomach viciously, making the girl curl up on the spot. I moved faster than I ever have without wings and buried a light palm in his stomach before anyone could even think of blinking their eyes.
The boy went down with a scream, curling up on spot as vomit and liquid spewed from his mouth.
Chiron yelled behind us. The rest of Athena's cabin had taken arms, screaming and hollering for Percy's blood.
I picked the boy up by his scruff, dangling him mid-air with his legs still curled up in his stomach.
"Give me a reason," I hissed, shaking him like a puppy. "To not detach your head right now."
This wasn't the Percy I knew...this wasn't the boy I trained.
The boy was starting to shed angry tears, as he forced his legs down upon the ground.
"I should've known this isn't my home." He whispered furiously as tears dropped down from his face.
"I tried to mix in but no one cares about little old Percy. I mean, of course they don't! But at least they could have left me alone! Because of...of this world, my mom is gone. And now they try to murder me too!? I don't care. I'm leaving. I don't care about this camp. I don't care about these people, and I don't care if that pathetic baby-faced fat-assed retarded wine dude gives me permission or not!"
Everyone gasped. Even Chiron muttered a curse in ancient Greek.
I shouldn't have laughed. I really, really shouldn't have. But a startled laugh escaped me anyway.
I was pretty casual with Dionysus but even I have never disrespected the god this way. And the reason why became clear as all the vines around us started floating and a violet liquid came out from within them.
The liquid contained divinity, that much was clear to me...a lot of divinity.
Looking at the violet wine was like looking at my divine lightning bolt, but a dozen times more powerful.
It puzzled me a little. Dionysus and I should be around the same power level...but there was no way my Lightning bolt could've matched that power. Perhaps Celestial Lightning Bolt...? Doubtful.
'It must be due to Divine Authority', I concluded.
It was like a god took a drop of wine and pushed all their divine authority into it. Or a True God took a drop of wine and pushed a sliver of his unique type of authority inside it.
I knew instantly, should the liquid touch Percy even a little, he will go mad. His consciousness will snap, his mind will be crushed, and he will never be the same again. I readied my own divine authority, limited though it was, to fight the power off, but I realized I didn't have to.
A stronger, much superior authority and power, crushed down Dionysus's paltry one. There was not even a contest.
And then it happened. Amidst the might, divinity, and godly power in the air, a bright green hologram spun above Percy's head, with a gleaming trident in the middle. The hologram glowed so brightly that I had to squint my eyes a little.
The shocked demigods slowly started going to their knees. Even the angry Ares' and Athenas, who were nursing Annabeth now.
"Wha...?" Percy muttered confusedly, wiping away the tears.
"It is determined." Chiron intoned. "Your father–Poseidon; Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of horses. All hail, Perseus Jackson, son of the Sea God."
I didn't bow of course. But neither did I smiled or congratulate the boy. The way he behaved today has irritated me.
I will have to set him straight.
.
"Now, tell me your problem," I stated as we sat on an empty dining table, amidst the darkness.
I'd found Percy wandering the beach in the middle of the night. Well, not wandering...more like running away from a bunch of turkeys. I had to drive the cleaning harpies away and drag him to the dining hall to calm the boy down.
"I don't know." He muttered. "I don't think I belong here."
I nodded slowly, thinking the issue over. "It isn't that uncommon for people to want to leave. But this is the life of a demigod, Percy. This is your life now. Leaving will do nothing. You will just end up in the stomach of a hellhound and your mother will spend her time crying in hell. Until I rescue her all alone."
"My mother– You really think she is alive?" The boy pushed his head back up to stare at me.
"Didn't I tell you already? Yeah, she is. Now, tell me what drove you to attack Annabeth." I asked with a frown.
The boy sighed pathetically. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. The last few days were...bad for me. Alabaster doesn't let me spend any time with the rest of the group, and always tries to keep me away. Then Annabeth curses me to be better, saying how fortunate I was to face the Minotaur. As if I should be honored to have lost my mother. And then setting me up as bait? To get beaten up by the Ares cabin? And then releasing a monster on me? I just...can't."
I hummed. I'd come here to rough the boy up some more, but seeing how miserable he was, I just didn't have it in me to be angry.
The boy was completely isolated. I hadn't cared enough earlier, thinking that he'll be able to make some friends, but most of the time he spent was alone. The only people who talked to him were me, Chiron, Annabeth, and his counselor Alabaster. But I was too busy to do more than give an occasional greeting, while Chiron had a camp to run. If he was being bullied by the other two, I could understand his frustration and anger.
But what exactly could be done about it?
I sighed. "I don't have any advice for you, Perce. My wisdom is high for my age but it isn't limitless. Tomorrow, Chiron will give you a quest. I shall join you. Together we will save your mother and complete our epic odyssey, and our name shall spread wide across the western civilization. If you really want to leave this all behind then? I won't stop you. No one will."
I stood up, patting him on the shoulder as I moved for my cabin. "Don't wait up too much. You'll need all your wits with you on the quest."
.
That night my god-slayer project had a minor success. The device still couldn't summon a fully formed celestial bolt down, but it could summon a divine Lightning bolt.
I stored the divine energy in a space similar to my inventory. I myself didn't understand the thing completely, but my imagination was able to create a rough design, and my Magical creation skill did the rest of the work.
The device needed just a trace of my divine authority and it will activate, summoning a divine bolt on whoever was carrying the thing. It may not kill Persephone, but it could still hurt her. Plus, I could just bluff my way through and scare Hades with it.
Enough to rescue sally.
AN: Another end to another chapter. Hope you lot enjoyed it.
I lost myself a little when describing his skills and it ended up being a bit of a filler. But, we did have some major things happening in this chap. Let me know your thoughts on them.
Also, anyone who think's it's impossible for Percy to ever strike Annabeth like that, this is my version of him and he was going through a lot more hell than the canon Percy, who had Grover to rely on. Not that Anna was completely blameless of course. Give the first PJO book a read again, and I guarantee you, you'll get annoyed by her. A lot.
Next up we'll have the Lightning thief events, the quest and all. The reason why Percy is still getting a quest, even with Mikael's presence, will be explained in the next chap.
That's all for today, the next chapter is on 24 for SOW. The next MGO chapter will be on 30.
Till then, keep yourself safe. Good day/night to all!