Author's Note: Hello everyone! I appreciate all your patience and support over the past few months. I am still looking for a job where I can get a solid 40 hours a week. It's been pretty difficult since most restaurants want to strangle you at 20-30 to cut back on costs. I am still applying and getting interviews so I'm hoping to find a decent job. Anyways, I hope everyone is excited for the Percy/Luke Duel. This chapter is where some deviations start from the original story. I was thinking about it, originally I was going to try and have it so my story was as close to the main timeline as possible. Then, I just decided, screw that. There is no fun in following a set storyline. It will be a lot harder coming up with original events but I am hoping I do a decent job. I hope you enjoy it!
The Top 6 girls will be chosen for the harem!
Candidates:
Artemis- 50
Hestia- 40
Zoe- 40
Calypso- 33
Thalia- 32
Chaos- 32
Hera- 28
Piper- 11
Bianca- 9
Reyna- 5
Nyx- 4
Bast- 4
Annabeth- 4
Aphrodite- 4
Silena Beauregard- 3
Mallory Keen- 2
Hecate- 2
Rachel- 1
Athena- 1
Nico- 1
Apollo- 1
Jason- 1
Clarisse- 1
Last comment counted: Guest |Chapter 10 Aug 6
Last Time~
My eyes nearly popped out of my skull reading the Lucky Loot Skill. That is broken. I can gain levels so much faster now! I heard a knock on the wall and looked up. Luke stood in front of me. "Lunch time newbie, follow me." He said. I nodded and stood up. I stared at Luke's back and made myself a promise. I swear on the River Styx I will defeat Kronos, no matter how long it takes, he will die by my hands. I told myself. Thunder shook the sky more violently than any oath I had ever seen before. Everyone looked around nervously before finally continuing to the dinning hall.
Now~
I stood at the back of the line holding my plate full of food. I opted for a waffle, two scrambled eggs, and 5 strips of bacon. After about a minute of waiting I finally made it to the hearth. A few seconds of pretending not to know what to do later, Luke walked up to me. Placing a hand on my shoulder he gestured towards the burning fire, "You are supposed to sacrifice some of your food to the gods Percy. Hopefully your parent will take notice of you and claim you." He explained. I nodded and cut of a piece of my waffle and threw it into the fire along with a strip of bacon. To my father, Poseidon, and to my Patron. Whoever you really are. I prayed in my mind. The smell of the sea filled my nostrils followed by a flare of my patrons aura. I knew it was his considering no other deity felt quite like him, his aura was warm and inviting, yet cold and callous. Almost as if his personality was a contradiction to itself.
"There ya go percy. Now come sit down." Luke told me, taking his hand off my shoulder and walking to the Hermes table. Just as I was about to turn away I felt a small spike in mana near me. I turned towards the source to see a young girl sitting inside of the fire, tending to the fire with a fire poker. As if sensing my gaze, her eyes turned up to meet mine. She looking surprised for a moment before smiling warmly at me. I felt all my fears and worries melt away at her gaze. Something in her eyes was so inviting, beckoning me to go to her. I was just about to walk towards the fire when a voice broke me from my thoughts. "Percy, what are you doing man? Come sit down!" Turning towards the voice I discovered it was once again Luke. There were a bunch of kids waiting in line to sacrifice to their parents and I was holding them up. I blushed and quickly sat down at the Hermes table.
"What were you doing bro? You were staring into the fire for like a minute. I kinda thought you were going crazy." Luke half-joked half-questioned. I rubbed the back of my neck and sheepishly answered, "I just kinda got lost in thought. The fire reminded me of when me and my mom used to go camping together at montauk. I just miss her." I lied.
Lie Successful!
His gaze turned sympathetic and he nodded, returning to his food. I started eating mine, every once in a while glancing back at the fire, checking to see if Hestia was still there. Since I could no longer sense her mana, I deduced she had disappeared. Probably up to Olympus, trying to keep Zeus from doing something stupid.
After everyone had finished eating, Chiron stood up and slammed his hoof down on the floor. "Alright Campers! This Friday is Capture the flag! The leading cabins will be Athena, Hermes, and Apollo for the blue team, and Ares, Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus for the Red team! You have four days to prepare! Now continue on with your daily activities, dismissed!" He ended by once more stamping his foot. There were excited whispers going around, everyone was hyped for this game. Suddenly I felt what could only be described as blood lust. I turned towards the source to see Clarisse and her whole cabin smiling viscously at me. A lot of other campers saw that as well and stared at me nervously. I stared at clarisse and gave her the cheekiest smile I could. Before glaring at her with everything I had, mouthing at her, "Bring it". She looked slightly pale for a second. Evidently my glare had carried over from my previous life, and she must have been taken aback by my confidence. But honestly, compared to what I have fought before, she is nothing. Only in my current body is she a real threat to me.
New Skill Created!
Blood Lust Detection lvl- 1 (15%)
This skill allows you to detect a person's Blood lust, also known as Killing intent. Currently it only works when it is directed at you, but at higher levels you can sense more.
"Don't worry about Clarisse, I will help you train for Capture the Flag, I am sure she will go after you. You seem pretty good at combat though, so you should fair decently well." Luke told me before addressing the Hermes Cabin in its entirety. "Alright, head to the arena everyone. Time for sword fighting lessons!" He told them. I heard more than a few groans but everyone continued on to the arena, with me in pursuit. A few minutes of walking later we arrived at the arena, with everyone picking out their preferred weapon. Luke once more walked up to me, "Okay so try and find a weapon that suits you." He said. Already knowing no weapon at camp would feel balanced for me, I decided to pull out Anaklusmos in pen form. Holding it up I responded, "This is my weapon." I heard a few snickers and Luke himself looked confused. "Look man, I know they say the pen is mightier than the sword but you need a real wea…." He froze as I uncapped Riptide, revealing the beautiful bronze Xiphos. "Well then, I stand corrected." He said, I recognized a twinge of jealousy in his eyes. I knew why though, his father had never really done much for him, or that is what he thought at least. In my previous life I had seen just how much Hermes loved his children. He never gave up hope on Luke, he really did love him and his mother.
"Everyone! Pair up and start sparring." Luke called out. As everyone began pairing up I was once again the only one without a partner. After seeing there was nobody for me to practice with Luke turned to me, "Come on, I will spar with you. I wanted to see your skills for myself anyways." He said walking towards an open area with me in tow. I quickly pulled up Sword Mastery.
Sword Mastery Lvl- 3 (5%)
Allows user greater control over swords
10%(+2.5% Per Level) more damage with swords
It was nothing compared to my old life, but good for a 'beginner' like I am right now. Luke stopped about 10 feet away from me. To an untrained eye it would seem as if he was completely relaxed, but I knew better. I could tell that every muscle on his body was tightly coiled, like a lion ready to pounce on its prey. I got into a ready stance, holding my sword in front of me. At this point most of the sounds of fighting stopped, as everyone wanted to see the green horn fight the sword master. "I am ready when you are." Luke told me. I tightened my grip on Riptide and Charged towards him.
Third P.O.V.
The green eyed demigod charged at the Camp's sword master. Within a second Percy had closed the distance between himself and Luke, but he was still too slow for the Master swordsman. A diagonal slash by percy was easily blocked by a more experienced Luke. Although he was forced back a step, surprised by both the speed and ferocity of the attack. The son of Poseidon then sent a barrage of slashes at Luke, all blocked or parried. While it was obvious the boy was no real match for Luke, he certainly was extraordinarily good. He could easily defeat more than half the camp in a one on one fight, nothing short of a prodigy.
After about thirty seconds of failed attempts Percy leapt back a good five feet trying to catch his breath, which turned out to be a mistake. Luke pushed forward, going for a vertical strike down. Percy hastily raised his sword only to be forced down to his knees from the power behind the strike. Grunting loudly he tried his best to hold up against the pressure being placed upon his sword. Looking up Percy took notice of the unique sword Luke used. It was Backbiter, the sword made of mortal steel and celestial bronze. Half the blade was mortal steel, the other half was celestial bronze.
Roaring, the Son of Poseidon stood up rapidly, mustering all his strength to throw Luke off him. The crowd of spectators roared in approval. "You are strong, Perseus, but not strong enough." Luke said, whispering the last part so only the two could hear it. They both knew what Luke meant, though Luke himself had no clue Perseus knew what he spoke of. Hate started bubbling inside of the green eyed boy's body. Threatening to spill over, he started radiating blood lust, although only a few keen eyes could sense it. Dionysus flashed into the arena along with Chiron. Hestia observed from one of the fires hanging on the arena wall. Luke was shocked and slightly scared that an untrained demigod could not only perform so well, but produce such pure blood lust. That is when Luke made a mistake, he looked into his opponent's eyes. Gone were the mirthful, sparkling emerald eyes. Replacing them were poisonous green orbs, filled with a myriad of emotions. They seemed crazed, as a bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face. "We shall see." Perseus replied.
He darted forward, going full speed. And despite being about only half as fast as Luke, still managed to catch him by surprise. A powerful downward strike was sent towards the older demigod. The loud screech of metal grinding on itself sounded through the arena. Luke being forced back two steps pushed the younger boy backwards and they began trading blows. While it was obvious Luke was not using his full strength, it was also obvious the new kid was making him try almost as hard as he had to against Clarisse. The younger demigods in the group could not even keep up with the strikes being traded. While the exchange only lasted twenty seconds it felt more like two minutes. The fight ended when Luke used the disarming maneuver he taught Percy in his first life, and placed his sword at the boy's throat. "Yield Perseus." He said, panting slightly. In return he received a defiant glare before Percy sighed. "I Yield." Was his response. Luke moved his sword and Percy collapsed onto the ground, covered in sweat. Luke himself shined with a small layer of sweat, an achievement in and of itself, showing he actually had to try against the untrained demigod.
Luke offered his hand, which Percy grabbed. Luke hauled him up and shook his hand. "Good fight! The only person here who can push me like that is Clarisse. You truly have the potential to be a master." Luke admitted, you could hear how impressed he was. Percy smiled, the insanity and bloodlust now gone. "I appreciate that. You really are a great swordsman. I tried my best and still only made you sweat a little." Percy replied. Luke nodded and turned to the spectators. "Alright back to practicing, in ten minutes we will take a break. Now Percy, I am going to teach you that disarming technique I used. Get ready, it's going to be a lot harder from now on." Luke told him, making the young boy gulp. So for the next forty minutes Luke spent the entire time teaching Percy, while the student himself was improving by leaps and bounds.
In the stands Chiron and Dionysus spoke in low tones, "He is impressive for a half blood." Dionysus told the elder centaur. "Yes indeed. He could be described as a prodigy. He has the makings of legends such as the original Perseus, Achilles, or Jason." Chiron replied. Dionysus nodded. "Well I must go to Olympus, father has called another meeting, probably about his bolt again. See you later my dear centaur." The fat god said before disappearing in a purple light. The ancient centaur sighed before trotting back to the big house. Hestia kept the miniscule piece of her godly essence inside the fire, watching Perseus train. She was fascinated by him, not only had he managed to defeat a fury and the minotaur. He managed to fight the most skilled demigod in the past 300 years. While the fight could hardly be said to have been even, he still gave the Master Swordsman a challenge. He had also sensed her when she was in the hearth, which was something only a god, or another ancient entity like Chiron could do. She wanted to know more about him, but decided to leave it at that for now. She recalled all her essence back to the hearth on the Olympus, since it would require a lot of concentration to keep Zeus and Poseidon from killing each other.
Percy P.O.V.
Later that night~ (During campfire)
I snuck away from the campfire, finally escaping all the questions and my new fan girls (mostly from the Aphrodite cabin). I strolled around camp for a few minutes, looking over the stats I gained just from today alone.
Sword Mastery Lvl 3-5(34%)
Due to strenuous training you have gained +3 Str, +1 Vit, +3 Dex.
Str- 21(+3)= 24
Vit- 11(+2)= 13
Dex- 13(+2)= 15
After the sword fighting arena, climbing the lava wall, and a few other things, I had gained a decent amount of stats. If I keep this up, in a few months I will be up to Luke's stats. I was knocked out of my thoughts by the change in the sound of my footsteps. I looked around and saw I had wandered over to the pavilion. I looked over to the hearth and saw a familiar 8 year old girl sitting there, poking at the burning coals with a fire poker. I walked over and sat down next to her. She radiated warmth and comfort. I was reminded of every time my mother made blue cookies, everytime we went to Montauk, and everytime I was happy with her. Then I was sent through my memories of everyone I had lost, the time I had a decent conversation with Zoe, how I became her only male friend. Hanging out with Silena and beckendorf. It all passed in an instant.
"Hello Lady Hestia." I said bowing my head to her. Her burning brown eyes turned to me and a warm smile graced her face. "You need not bow to me Perseus, and please drop the formalities." She said with a warmth unmatched by any being in existence. I smiled at her, "I bow because I respect you. You are really the only god I respect." I told her. She looked at me curiously, "Why is that?" She asked. I stared up at the night sky, leaning back on my hands. "From what I have seen so far must gods do not care for their children or the mortal world. I know for a fact your brother does not, as showcased by history. I know many people think I have stolen his bolt, but I did not." I told her. She looked slightly alarmed, before calming down. "So you know of the situation I take it?" She questioned. I nodded, not bothering to lie to her. I mean I couldn't even if I tried, something about her compelled me to tell her the truth. "So then do you know who your father is?" Another nod. "How did you find out?" "Well it's not hard to decipher when you can breathe underwater, and fish call you lord wherever you go." I told her, it was only a partial lie. She narrowed her eyes. "That is not completely true, is it nephew?" She asked. I looked at her alarmed. I relaxed almost immediately and sighed.
"Should've known I could never get anything past you. Then again I would hate to lie to my favorite Olympian." I told her sitting up. "Well where to start." I said clasping my hands in my lap. "Preferably at the beginning." She replied. I chuckled before diving into my story. "I am actually from the future." I told her. Her eyes widened and a look of utter shock showed on her face. "W-what? You aren't lying either. But how?" She said confusedly. "Well I suppose it would have to start with my patron. He had the creator send me back in time. Grandfather is rising, and it was my job as the child of the eldest gods to fight him. I tried my best, but in the end lost the fight. Right before I was about to be killed I appeared in front of Chaos herself. She told me someone had asked her to save me, and then send me back in time. She could not tell me who he was, just that he had a gift for me. And so she sent me back." I said, breathing deep after the long winded explanation. Hestia stared into my eyes, checking me for any lies. I kept eye contact, getting slightly lost in the flames that danced around in her eyes. After a few minutes of processing she continued her questioning.
"What was this entity's gift?" She asked. "He gave me the power to live my life as a video game." I told her. She gained a weird expression. "A video game? Why is that?" She asked. "I honestly have no idea. All I know is that it gives me the ability to gain powers and strength I never could as a normal demigod. I suspect that with this, I could become as strong as my father, possibly more so." I told her. "Thats incredible. We might actually stand a chance against my father then." She said. I nodded. "I hope so, I will do anything to protect my loved ones. I plan on doing everything I can to keep the people I care about from dying." I told her, letting her hear and see the conviction I held. She looked at me worriedly. "I would not try and tamper with fate too much, the fates might just smite you for that." She told me with obvious concern. I gave her a crooked smile, causing her cheeks to turn slightly golden, which confused me. "I would not count on that. A side effect of my patron's blessing is my freedom from their clutches. I can alter prophecies as I wish, and save whoever I want. Which I plan on doing. I am going to make sure there is a happy ending. I will protect my family." I told her. I looked back into her eyes. We sat there for Chaos knows how long, staring into each other's eyes. Emerald green against blazing brown. It was as if I could read her soul. I could see the love she held for her family, the pain she held from being forced off the council and seeing her beloved family slowly fall apart, and the loneliness that came with being an overlooked goddess.
She reached forwards and put her thumb against my forehead. A warmth came from her thumb, slowly spreading throughout my body. She pulled her hand back and smiled at me. I gave her a confused look, "What did you do?" I asked her. "I gave you my blessing. I can't do much more than that to help you, but I hope it is enough." She said.
PING!
You have received the title Champion of Hestia!
Title Champion of Hestia grants the user two skills and has boosted one other!
Pyrokinesis Lvl-1 (0%)
This grants the user the ability to summon and manipulate flames!
Cost- 100Mp per minute (-2 Mp per level)
Summon Food Lvl- Max
This skill grants the user the ability to summon home cooked meals at the price of Mp.
Cost- 50 Mp per food item
Fire resistance Lvl- 1 (46%) - Lvl- 6 (0%)
This is your ability to resist flame attacks and the heat, the higher the level the more resistant to both fire and heat you are. Due to being the Son of Poseidon, you have a greater ability to resist the heat!
60% fire damage reduction (+10% per level)
Holy crap! Not only can I summon fire, and have basically infinite food, my fire resistance gained a HUGE bonus. Not only did its level increase, but the percentage of damage reduction went up to 10% per level! I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around her. She let out a girlish eep but soon returned the huge with the same vigor. "Thank you so much Hestia. You have no idea how handy this will turn out to be." I told her after pulling back. I gave her a genuine smile, and loved how happy she seemed. She probably did not get much interaction with people, especially things like hugging or having someone to talk to. "You are welcome, Perseus." She said, her eyes sparkling with happiness. I groaned. "Don't call me Perseus, it's what my enemies call me, plus it makes me feel old. Just call me Percy." I told her. She laughed and nodded. "Alright Percy." She said, emphasizing my name playfully. "So would you be willing to train me? Fire is kind of the opposite of my natural element, so it might be hard to master it on my own." I asked. She nodded, somehow looking even happier. "Ofcourse, how about we meet at the beach tomorrow, down by the dock?" She asked, almost pleadingly. I nodded, "I will meet you then. What time?" "How about after breakfast?" She said. "That is alright. I can just tell Chiron and Luke I am training by myself or something." I said, thinking about how to go about that. "Well, you had better go to bed. It is getting late and I would hate to have my first champion eaten by harpies." She said smirking. I looked up at the sky and cursed quietly. I quickly stood up and said my goodbyes, before running towards the Hermes cabin.
New Stats
Percy Jackson
Health-1,300/1,300 (+150 Hp per level,52.5Hp/min regen)
Mana-850/850 (+100 Mp per level,52.5Mp/min regen)
Mana Affinities: Due to being the Champion of #!*&^ you have an affinity for every mana in existence. You can learn any type of mana.
-Water
Race- Demigod
Gender- Male
Title-Champion of #!*&^, Son of Poseidon, Champion of Hestia
Level-8 Exp 720/4800
Str- 21(+3)= 24 (Physical Strength and increases Melee and unarmed damage)
Vit- 11(+2)= 13 (Endurance and defense, +50 Hp per level 10 Vit)
Dex- 13(+2)= 15 (Athleticism and Precision, +5% Hp Regen per level for 10 Dex)
Int- 30 (Mana Storage and Memory, +25 Mp per level for 10 Int)
Wis- 12 (Mana recovery, +5% Mp regen/minute per level for 10 Wis)
Luc- 25 (Your overall luck, higher the luck the better rewards you get for killing monsters)
Points-0 (+5 Per level)
Money- $1,255/30D(USD as well as Drachmae)
Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I hate a great time writing it. It will probably be one of the longer chapters I have written so far, but I couldn't help but go into detail about the duel and Percy/Hestia's conversation. Let me know if I should go into detail about the Four days between this one and Capture the flag, or if I should time skip.