Stumbling into the Wild

Percy walked through the crowds with annoyance. Unfortunately, he forgot to create Mist illusion to make him look older earlier, resulting in several different people to ask if his parent were nearby. He had answered that he still looking, in hopes of the people to leave him alone. Unfortunately, that is a wrong answer.

They had 'helpfully' brought him to the visitor centre, so he can be reunited with his parents when they look at him there. He accepted the assistance, but as soon as the guards lower their, well, guard, he used Mist illusion to make them forgot about him and changed his appearance to a respectable 16 years-old, old enough to visit without a need of a chaperone.

Currently, he was at New Mexico, specifically at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. He just finished creating two different safehouses in the state, and this time actually trying to pinpoint it on the map. In the first few safehouses he built, he had not done so and actually had to spend some extra time to look for the safehouses. He still missing three of them.

As to why he was in the Carlsbad, well he is in a self-appointed vacation. After the talk with his aunt Hestia which happen 4 months ago, he had spent the entire time non-stop travelling through various states, trying finding the best place to build safehouse, and actually building it. Most of the safehouses were located in the wilderness, caves or underground hideout with weapons, previous loots and long-lasting food.

There were several safehouses that were actual houses, most abandoned buildings infested with monsters in the middle of nowhere, with some located in cities, all of them located in 'bad neighbourhood'. Weirdly, after he bought houses there, the delinquents, hoodlum, and gangs in the area 'mysteriously disappeared', replaced by workers who 'suspiciously looked like the thugs before'.

(Weird right?

Percy subconsciously smiled as he remembered his fig- no massacring the foolish thugs. He vividly recalled when he threw two gang members into a wall, the rest sprawling like dead fish, some unconscious, some just in too much pain to lift their bodies, much less standing.

The aftermath of the massacre, he forced them into servitude, saying if they go back to their ways before, he will make them suffer so much pain that even in the ER (not a normal hospital room, the actual ER) they will still be in great pain.

They currently working in the houses and lot that he bought. Apparently, the part of town was so infested with lowlife that they desperately sell it at a very low price. The entire thing still priced around 100K but thanks to his allowance of 10K a month by his father he can afford it, especially when his father still put money in his account when he still living with Lelantos.

The slaves he bet into submission now worked as workers in the store he bought. Their wages were mainly from the stores' income. The stores were rather popular as it is the only ones there is in the part of town. They have set salaries, the first month came from his pocket, while the next few months the stores were self-sustained enough that he didn't have to pay either the supplies or wages.

He wandered how they doing now?

Meanwhile, the former thugs were going through their routine when they were struck by fear and shivered horribly. They decided for the sake of their health to ignore it and continue working. Besides, the pays aren't to shabby, enough for them to live and actually able to buy luxury items if they save enough.

The threat to their well being also the other reason, probably the more important ones to as they keep working. They tried and failed to repress the terrifying memories, one when the sea-green eyed devil came and wrecked havocs to their lives, giving them a thorough beating that they spent 2 whole days in agony.

They also pointedly ignored that the 'devil' is actually a child, a demigod child, but a child nonetheless that sent their butts to the ground. They unfortunately had to acknowledge that fact along with the mythological gods and monsters are real too.

He did something to them, a blessing and curse at the same time, to see the through the weaker part of the Mist, the one constantly shrouding monster. He told them to threat them the same, if they were threated the same way, they mostly left mortals alone. Emphasis on mostly.

One flaming, donkey and metal leg female monster changed herself into beautiful lady and successfully charm one of them and would have gotten away with it if not for his timely arrival. He killed her easily, before snapping the victim out of the 'charm speak' if they remembered it correctly.

Thankfully, most of the monsters were peaceful ones after he cast a spell to ward of the evil ones. He is both a blessing and curse to them. 'Better get back to work or suffer his wrath' is in the collective mind of the former thugs.)

As he walked with the crowds, blending in, he cannot help but marvel at the beauty of rock formation that is Carlsbad Caverns. He just entered it and already he befuddled by the sheer size of the cave chamber. Even as he walked into the caverns, his breath was taken away by the caverns' beauty.

While he was walking through the caverns, already slipping away from the crowds to explore on his own, he wandered what will happen if he used his seismic sense and energy sense on the cavern, whether they just feel like normal rocks or if there is something special with them. So, he tested it.

He kneeled down from the overwhelming energy coming from the well everywhere. The energy stored and released by the ancient cavern was so vast that he was quickly overwhelmed and almost fainted if he didn't put a Celestial energy barrier to shield himself.

As he caught his breath, he looked at the cavern again, serious awe plastered on his face. Even if what happen few minutes ago is class in his most terrifying memories, he still cannot not be mesmerized, now by its magnificence and power.

After he calmed himself from the previous scary moments, he focused again with his senses, this time, he limited his senses as not to be burden by the sheer scope of power. The result was much better.

He could sense the different energies coming from rocks, some similar, some different, he just cannot put it into words. The sheer number of different energies surprised and cause no small amount of headache. But he endured.

Even as he hit by constant pain, feeling like a bunch of strongmen champions bashing him with sledgehammers, repeatedly, while on occasion it stopped, just to let a stampede of rhinos to trample on his poor head (ADHD really sucks sometimes) he endured it.

Because as he suffered, he was also struck by insight of different energies in the earth. In the future, if he can decipher it (he didn't really have a better way to describe it), his earth control will definitely be better. He also got some insight about water control to. Probably because this part use to be underwater.

Yes, if he worked har- 'Nope, we will not work today' a part of his mind protested.

'But we already came this far' his workaholic part insisted.

'Today is our day off, so we took a day off!'

'But just a li- '

'Nope, we taking a break and its final!'

He shook his head. Apparently, an argument had just broke of inside his brain, and by some unknown miracles, the reasonable part actually won! He used his senses, but instead of focusing on it, he let the energy past through him, bathing him with constant stream of energy as he walked by. He let out a relaxed sigh. The walked inside the vast caverns had help him to relax and let out any stress he collected since he started working making the demigods' safehouses. He truly made a good decision visiting the national park.

His walk was not fully relaxing though. There were several instances he sensed something interesting, almost pulling him to stay and studied it, but his relaxed brain smack that feeling and made him continued walking.

It was a pity that he can't spend more time on specific places, but he knew he can come anytime, preferably after finishing his mega project. Of course, the temptation didn't stop there. Apparently, energy can leave imprint inside a person head if they let it surround them and if they know what to look for and how to sense it.

Currently, he had several different energy sensations inside his own head. He almost focused on them to know what they are if not for the mantra 'we here for relaxing' chanted inside his brain. While he was tempted to study it, he knew that it could wait until tomorrow, if it did not disappear by then.

(Nope, not going to think about it, even if I might regret i- nope don't think about it)

He decided to stray from the normal path, for the sake of it. Its not like he will get lost. He already put several water markers during his walk, just in case he wanted to stray from the normal path. He already did that once and he will constantly be plagued by it, even as he tried and failed to forget it.

(He shuddered as he remembered his time lost in the woods of Kentucky, so many trees, all of them look the fricking same. He spent 3 whole hours getting lost when he finally remembered he can get to the treetop, and search his way out there.

After using his power, he was greeted with sight of sea of trees. He pointed at one direction randomly before walking there, using the treetop and water platform to thankfully walk in a straight line instead of in circles on the forest ground.

It took him nearly an hour before he got out of the sea of green and brown. After that, he constantly put water markers so will never have to suffer through that again.)

As he walked through the never been explored area, or at least rarely walked through area, he sensed something. Something powerful. Something with tremendous energy. Something, divine.

He focused on the area he felt the divine energy, before slowly walking at the direction. He walked until he passed through a wall of rock. He was not deterred however, and made a swiping motion, causing the walls to dissipate into nothing, clearly a work of the Mist.

His mind was undergoing several different battles in the decision if they should meet the god or not. After thinking it thorough, he decided to meet the god. He or she probably already sensed the Mist illusion they put being broken, so for the sake of possible having vengeful god after his butt, he will talk with them, maybe appeasing them with something.

As he thought of his next course of action, he felt his feet was wet. He looked downward and met with the sight of an underground river. Deciding to just get it done, he willed the water to solidify into a board before ordering the river to create a wave for him to surf it.

Using his transport, he met with little resistance, arriving to the river's end in just under a minute or so. He walked past the slowly tricking water, passing through an entrance to another cavern, to meet with the weirdest sight he had ever seen yet, which doesn't say much considering his age but still perplexing.

His eyes were met with the sight of several species of animals that he was sure already extinct. Some he can recognized, the woolly mammoth, dodo bird and sabretooth tiger. Others which he didn't knew about but he was sure a big bird with a vicious beak already died out less he heard about them in the news.

However, his gaze fell on the centre of the cavern, surrounded by the extinct animals. The god in his full splendour. He, (because he pretty sure there are no goddess with beard) had the lower half of a goat, with goat horns on his head.

Overall, he looked like an old satyr based on the books that Lelantos forced him to read. However, Percy knew better. The aura of the being in front of him was similar to the likes of the divine. He was absolutely certain the goat-man is a god.

Now, it seems that he was in some kind of weird standoff with the god. He clearly did not expect visitors and seem to be surprised by his presence. He wandered what the best action he should take when his brain decided to press the huge 'Wing It' button that must be in his brain.

"Hello, my name is Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. May I know what is your name, oh mighty god?" His polite introduction echoes through the cavern, the said son of Poseidon wishing for a hole nearby to bury himself, the wording was beyond cringe.

The god however seem to be amused by his action and decided to reply it in kind.

"Considering the guest already introduced himself, the host should do the same too. My name is Pan, God of the Wild.

Nice to meet you, son of the sea."