AN: Welcome to another installment of "The Clear-Sighted Gamer"!
Behold, I return!
I know I made a promise to be quick about uploads. I know I broke that promise.
Sorry. But you guys get a new chapter at least!
Of course, I still very much appreciate everyone who favorited this story, followed, and/or left a helpful or complimentary review.
There is a reason for why this took so long, though (A reason other than procrastination, I mean). With this chapter, we are officially out of the "introduction" phase, and the start of The Lightning Thief will commence next chapter. There was a lot of planning I had to do, so this chapter took a bit of time.
-(o)-
Chapter 6: The Warrior
-(o)-
Disclaimer: I don't own Rick Riordan's Universe. If I did, many characters would have gotten a better Fate
-(Remedy Adams)-
"I am guessing that you reacted strongly to the Celestial bronze because you thought I found your pod, and that their way of life would be destroyed if humanity found out the truth. I understand."
"The pod is the only family I have left. Well, there is my godly parent, but he never showed up. Not even after mom..." She curled up again.
"Hey. I am not a psychiatrist, but I think that repressing the memories of trauma isn't the best way of dealing with this."
"But it is my fault. If I never left the water, mom would still be alive..." Coral curled up even more, bringing her legs all the way up to her chest. Tears fell.
"Lets... talk about something else. What is your secret, Remedy?" I sighed, glad for the topic change. This was getting too depressing; I need to lighten the mood.
"My secret. Sure, we promised to exchange secrets."
Coral dried her tears, sucked in a deep breath to calm herself, and sat up, looking attentively. Waiting for me to speak.
I spoke, with the best poker face I could. "My life is a video game."
Her look of absolute confusion made me bark out in laughter. Tension released; mission accomplished.
-(Annabeth Chase)-
Unbeknownst to both of them, someone else was looking at them from the shadows.
Annabeth is very smart and very wise. Wise enough to know there was something off about the new campers and smart enough to find answers. By the time Remedy finally figured out Coral's species in front of the fire, Annabeth already figured it out just from the brief interaction she had with Coral. Webbed hands, European features, eyes and hair as black as ebony. An hour of late-night cross-referencing and consulting of seldom touched European folklore collections later, she was convinced that Coral is a selkie.
Of course, that came with the obligatory mental shock that folklore creatures from outside of the Greek mythos exists. Not quite as worldview-shattering as a whole new pantheon, but still very disorientating.
Of course, being the through researcher that she is, Annabeth had to confirm what she had deduced, and thus crept out of the Athena cabin wearing her enchanted Yankees cap.
What she heard was beyond her wildest imaginations.
First, it was confirmed that Coral was a half-selkie. No surprise there, Annabeth already figured it out.
The selkie's story also was not much of a surprise. There were mentions of strange traditional customs and a different way of life, but Annabeth was able to wrap her head around those.
"My life is a video game." The mortal, Remedy, said.
Rather, it was the mortal's secret that gave both Coral and Annabeth a face of confusion.
Apparently, Coral's expression was funny enough to get the man to start laughing out loud, before the sea creature beside him reprimanded the man for laughing.
"It's not funny, I really don't understand what you are saying!" To be honest, Annabeth, for all her smarts, was also stumped by what Remedy said.
And as the explanation continued, what Remedy said became more and more fantastical. EXP? Skills? Stats? What did any of that mean.
Coral, having enjoyed some video game RPGs during her time above the surface, understood enough. Remedy's powers allowed him to perceive everything in quantifiable video game terms: people are a collection of stats, skills, and titles, items have specified uses and effects, and progress can be measured in numbers. However, there wasn't much inherent advantage. He still has to start from the bottom, and while he might be able to become more powerful easily through leveling up, he isn't currently any more powerful than a normal human. However, having access to this interface would allow him to understand his own potential, limits, and strengths. He can tangibly and immediately raise his skills and overall stats by performing tasks and gaining experience, which makes his speed of improvement much quicker than any demigod.
Suddenly, Remedy stiffened up, before looking around while whispering something repeatedly under his breath. His gaze passed to Annabeth- and his eyes looked right where Annabeth was crouching.
In a scramble of movement, Annabeth ran. What just happened shook her to the core. For someone to find out where she was even when she had invisibility made her realize that she was not safe around that man.
Remedy Adams and Coral Gemseeker. It was evident that much more research was going to be needed, and she will need to burn some midnight oil. Annabeth wasn't going to get much sleep anyways.
-(Remedy Adams)-
While taking with Coral about my game powers, I received an emergency mission. Wait, there is a spy?!
Emergency Misson: Spy! (Low difficulty)
Someone is spying on you. Find them.
This is a standardized mission, generated whenever the situation happens. The difficulty of the mission determines potential rewards.
Easy: 100 Exp
Low: 100 Exp, +1 level to [Seeking]
Medium: Unknown
Hard: Unknown
Insane: Unknown
I quickly began scanning the surrounding area, especially the tree line. If someone from camp is looking at us, this would be the direction they came in. All the while I threw out observations at random, hoping to clip the spy with one of them. As I looked back at the tree line once more, my observation finally clipped something.
Name: Unknown (Invisible)
Description: Is invisible, but indents in the foliage point out there is someone there.
I stared right at the person, until the observations once again turned up only grass and dirt. Whoever it was, he or she is gone now.
"Who was it?" Coral looked at the point I was staring at.
"Not sure. I don't know how much they heard, but it is obvious we can't speak about this freely. Such powers will attract attention from unsavory sources, whether that be the Government or monsters. Imagine what would happen if a bad guy found out: they will figure out my weakness, or maybe even replicate or interfere with my interface, and that could be bad."
"Alright then, but when we are somewhere private you are explaining everything else to me. Goodnight, Remedy."
My reply of "Goodnight, little pufferfish!" got my head shoved into the wet sand beneath my feet.
"I will admit, I deserved that." Coral only nodded in affirmation, before stalking off to the Hermes cabin.
I got up, and after brushing out the sand from my hair, I opened up my message board.
Level up to Level 14! +14 Stat points, +14 Skill points, +1 Perk points
You gain the Skill [Basic Seeking Level 1]!
You found a hiding person! + 1 Wis, +10 Exp
So, this is how you raise Wisdom. Apparently, it represents your ability to detect things. This doesn't make sense, but none of this makes sense.
Having already burnt quite a bit of moonlight, I quickly got to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
-(o)-
After the normal morning rituals, the first thing I did was pass the materials I had to some of the campers. The pelts went to the Athena kids; with their natural affinity with weaving, they are the best choice in camp. I commissioned from them two sets of Hellhound leather armor, asking that they be both protective and concealed. In exchange, they get to take any extra leather and some of the hellhound teeth and claws. While I could take a set of normal armor from the armory (Chiron allowed me to take what I need), I am sure hellhound pelts will have some shadow magic within it. The remaining teeth and claws were given to Coral for her to see if she can forge some weapons out of them.
The deal was made right in the middle of the dining pavilion. This was to send a message to anyone that might decide to cause trouble for me or Coral in the future (Looking at you, Ares kids): "We fought off a pack of Hellhounds while suffering no injuries. Do you think you can do better than those mutts?" Hopefully this message will dissuade any annoyances for the time being.
Breakfast was significantly better and healthier that what I had for the past couple years. Lean meat, cheese, grapes; the food was much better than convenience store egg sandwiches and bottled coffee.
"Hey dude. I know you took up the job to clear out monsters. Chiron told me to give you some sword training." I looked up to see the Lightning Thief himself, Luke Castellan.
In that moment I saw my life flash past my eyes. Does he know that I know about his crimes? Is he here to silence me before I get to say anything? Outwardly, however, I did not show any expression, with {Calm Gaming} helping to keep my emotions in check.
"Do I just observe, or will I require an actual sword?" Unbeknownst to him, the moment I said "observe", I was now looking at his Character Sheet.
"Practical practice session. Follow me to the armory, let's get you a blade."
I followed him towards the Armory. Well, it is called the Armory, but it was more like a garden shed filled with deadly implements of war. After rummaging around for a bit, he eventually chose a medium length xiphos (a Greek one-handed double-edged sword) for me. Throughout the entire situation, I was very wary of what he might do if my back was turned to him. But it really seems as if he did not have any plans to kill me. Instead, I decided look at the observation I have of him.
He has most of the normal demigod perks: Scent Trails ADHD Dyslexia Battle Instincts PTSD and Trauma. Being son of Hermes, he also has expert tier [Sneaking] and [Lockpicking]. However, cold sweat ran down my neck when I saw his combat-based skills. Over a dozen skills, with dodging, blocking, movement, and parrying skills all helping to compliment his main weapon skill:
[Expert Sword Wielding Level 8]
In addition, his current level is 34, with most of his stats already past the 50 stat mark and his dexterity already at 137.
I am not a match for him.
I cannot out-tough him, as he has 6 times my amount of HP. I cannot out last him, as he has 5 times my Stamina. I cannot beat him in a fight, as he has 7 times my strength and 14 times my dexterity. Best plan would be to lay low and accumulate. I need to do a lot of grinding.
I pretended to not be scared as we went to the Arena.
For the next several hours, the two of us sparred. Our swords clanged innumerable times, and Luke taught me several techniques to use when fighting with a sword. Our training pushed me, giving me three points in dexterity and a point in both constitution and strength, a welcome bonus. All throughout the session, campers would come in and out, asking for tips from him. Most of the camp liked him and respected him for his experience, and at no point did he try to kill me.
He really doesn't know that I know.
As the sun rose to its zenith and our training session finally ended for lunch, I got a system message:
Luke Castelan has taught you how to fight with a sword! Learn [Basic Sword fighting Level 1] for 0 Skill points? (Discounted from 3)
TIP: Discounts happen when someone is training you, allowing you to learn or upgrade a Skill. The discounted price equals: Original price - Teacher's Skill tier + Your Skill's current tier. In addition, the teacher can slowly teach you, helping you level up your Skill (This is slower than in field/actual use of the skill). You cannot upgrade a skill beyond the teacher's skill tier, and you cannot level up a skill beyond the teacher's skill level.
There are discounts for learning from someone? This could be game changing. If I use Skill points normally, I can either purchase a Skill/Ability or instantly upgrade a Skill. Both methods are very costly. But if I learn it from a teacher, skills that need three points to learn now cost zero points to learn. By doing this, I can save up a lot on skill points and use it for upgrading or purchasing rarer Abilities and Skills that I can't simply learn. I can also train up my skill's level without any actual danger. I do need more time in exchange, but that is a tradeoff I am willing to make.
"I taught you the basics already. Keep practicing, and you will eventually get as good as me! See ya!" And with that he walked off to join the other kids from the Hermes cabin for lunch.
He is correct, of course. I must get better, if I am to ever confront the Lightning Thief.
-(o)-
Lunch was a busy affair, with the entire current population of camp surrounding the tables to get a bite to eat. I sat down at to camp staff table and took the chance to observe all the campers. For a moment, they all looked normal. If I squint, I could imagine this scene as just a normal summer camp, without any threat of mortality hanging over the children's heads. Let's make sure this scene can stay that way.
I decided to go hunting for monsters on my own, to test my newly gained sword skills, so I ate quickly.
Walking towards the parking lot, I checked the car keys that Chiron gave me. While I could use Coral's car, Chiron gave me the keys to a pickup truck so that spoils of war can be easily hauled back. The truck has been modified many times over the years; it is armored with Celestial Bronze, the tank never needs to be refilled, and significantly more versatile than any normal car. Inside is a bunch of documents that magically becomes a valid driver's license and related documentation for whoever was in the driver's seat at the time and pressing a discrete button behind the steering wheel changes the car's license plate number, colorations, and design. (Though it can only be a pickup)
Very soon I was in the city, heading towards the designated meetup point. After parking the car and entering the café, I looked around for my tracker. There he is.
While I am mortal and won't attract monsters, I still can't detect them from far away. Instead, I will be working with the camp's Satyrs to clear out monsters: The Satyr finds the monsters with their excellent tracking abilities, and I do the killing.
The Satyr I will be working with was seated at one of the outside tables, drinking a double cappuccino. He looked like a gym teacher or a sports coach: Baseball cap, bright orange polo, nylon workout pants, white Nikes. He even wore a whistle around his neck.
"I am looking for one Gleeson Hedge. It that you?"
"Yep. Let's go." He then proceeded to finish his drink, along with the cup.
"I heard that the Council considered you violent. Is this why you are on this mission?" Chiron explained to me about this. The Council of Cloven Elders is a council of elder satyrs that act as the satyrs' form of leadership. Satyrs must first protect a demigod and bring them to camp, before they can get a searcher license and go on their search for the missing god Pan.
"I actually volunteered. Let's go bash in some monster skulls!" with that, the satyr hefted up a baseball bat capped with celestial bronze and started tracking down the enemy.
-(o)-
Very soon, we found the monsters.
The location is an abandoned warehouse. Such abandoned places are great nesting spots for many monsters.
But we made a mistake.
Hedge smelled monsters inside the warehouse, but I was not careful enough, deciding to take the front door. As it turns out, the front door creaks. It creaked very loudly, alerting the Laistrygonian Giants within.
In a single moment, the battle erupted, and we were fighting for our lives.
-(o)-
The small group of five giants, when they heard the door creak open, grinned savagely. To think that their meat came here by themselves! They can smell that one was just a normal mortal (those are rather disgusting, and stringy), but the other was a Satyr, and Satyrs were their favorite!
The giants quickly pounced on the intruders, intent of capturing them for the night's supper. Both of them just barely got out of the way. The majority of the giants rushed towards the Satyr, getting in each other's way, but two of them went for the human. The human was holding a sword, and thus they were careful, keeping their distance.
Only for a number of celestial bronze bullets to sink into one of the giants.
You trained the skill [Basic Gun Wielding Level 1], and it became [Basic Gun Wielding Level 2], +10 Exp
While 2 of the bullets missed, 4 of them hit their target right in the chest, causing internal bleeding. But not death, as the Laistrygonian Giants are much tougher than their level might suggest.
While the first Giant was staggered, the second one rushed towards the human, thinking to close the distance so the enemy cannot use his boom stick anymore. He concentrated on where the gun was pointed, only to see the human toss it to the side, and dive under the monster's stance.
With that one miscalculation, the giant lost his right leg, with his own momentum helping the blade all the way through. The human then, in one swift movement, tossed his combat knife at the giant riddled with bullets, hoping to hit him. Luck was on his side, and Remedy scored a crit.
The Laistrygonian Giant dies! +30 EXP
The Laistrygonian Giant dies! +30 EXP
You trained the skill [Basic Sword Fighting Level 1], and it became [Basic Sword Fighting Level 2], +10 Exp
Level up to Level 15! +15 Stat points, +15 Skill points, +1 Perk points
The mortal warrior readied his sword, and charged towards the remaining three enemies.
The Satyr yelled out a battle-cry, and landed a solid hit to one of the Giants, crushing in his head. As that Giant slowly crumbled into dust, the other two Giants realized they might be in a bit of trouble. Using this distraction, Remedy stabbed the remaining two Giant right through the back.
You trained the skill [Basic Sword Fighting Level 2], and it became [Basic Sword Fighting Level 3], +10 Exp
-(o)-
With the battle over, we rested and collected the loot.
Laistrygonian Giants are maneaters, so we packed up their food stores in trash bags and wrote a note to the police about finding a gang of cannibals in the warehouse. Maybe they can identify the bodies and bring some closure to the families.
As for weapons, not much to be found. There was a chewed up Empousa bronze leg in their trash pile, proving that monster infighting is possible and maybe even common. We also found a crate with a dozen Flaming Cannonballs.
"How do these explosives work? There doesn't seem to be any flammable liquid or source of fire." I remarked at how crude they were, as if the rough spheres were made from crushing metal into shape with bare hands.
"They enchant them, I think. Crush some metal scrap hard enough to make em become explosive cannonballs. Would like a destructive power like that myself, I tell ya!" With that, Hedge went back to crunching on the empty soda cans he bought as a snack, while I went back to scrolling through my message board. One specific message caught my attention:
The Laistrygonian Giant dies! You get a random drop! +30 EXP
A random drop? What could it be? Where?
I understood the concept of a random drop, of course, but what is the chance for the drop to happen? What determines the rarity and quality? So, I asked {Game Guide}, and this came up:
Random drops: You may get random drops from killing enemies. Random drops are not things the enemy was carrying in life; rather, it materializes into being when slaying a creature. You cannot get Artifacts or Orange equipment from random drops.
Possibility of random drop: ((level of enemy + Luc)/10)%
Quality and Rarity: Determined by life level and Luc (Estimates) (Every 100 Luc may increase Quality, Rarity, or Amount of items by one, at random)
Base Quality and Rarity
Mortal: Gray-White, Common
Normal Demigods and Monsters: Gray-Blue, Common-Uncommon
Minor gods, Children of the "Big Three" and Famous Monsters: Purple-Pink, Rare-Very rare
Major god: Red, Legendary
This is... huge. I would not need to make, commission or find my own high-level equipment, but rather just grind for it. Luck just became a much more important stat. Still, I should find ways to naturally raise it instead of using Stat Points on Luck.
Going back to the piles of monster dust, I kicked at the ground. Clouds of dust lifted into the air, making me cough, but I persevered. As I shoveled a bit more dust around with my foot, I uncovered something more solid. It looked like several cola cans crushed together.
Rudimentary Enchanted Explosive: With enough force, this thing will explode. Handle with extreme caution. Deals 50d4 damage in a 10-meter (33 ft) radius.
Basically, an extra grenade. I picked it up and pocketed it, knowing extra firepower is always good to have on hand.
I spent the rest of the day recuperating and went to clear out my apartment of anything I have left, including my laptop and computer setup. While technology is prohibited for the demigods, I can use them wherever I want, without attracting monsters. With that the two of us returned to camp triumphant, the pickup loaded down with our spoils of war.
-(o)-
Once we got back to camp, I sent Hedge to tell any interested campers to go to the parking area and grab some explosive cannonballs. While I could use the cannonballs myself to make explosive weaponry, I rather give this batch of war spoils out for free in order to help increase relationships with everyone else. I am getting paid by Chiron anyways, who has funds and capital way beyond what the campers could ever scrouge up.
Very quickly, a decent crowd formed around the truck, with me passing out dangerous volatiles like Santa passes out gifts. Quite a lot of campers came to the truck, mostly children of Hephaestus and Ares, though Malcom Pace from the Athena Cabin also tagged along to grab some explosives for future Capture the Flag games. Of course, even the Capture the Flag games here allow the use of explosives.
Just as I was about to raise up the Empousa leg and ask who wanted it, Coral snatched it right out of my hand.
"I want this! Still need to figure out the mechanisms, figure out how it works." She bent the leg several times, testing the joints and acting giddy, like a child on their birthday.
Soon, everything was given away, and the crowd dispersed. Coral, however, stayed behind, likely intent on talking to me.
While there was a smile on her face, Coral also looked a bit annoyed, or put off about something. The habitual Observe on her metal state only served to prove that.
"You OK? You seem a bit put off." I tried some helpful queries as I packed up my stuff to move it into my new room.
"It's nothing, I am..." She starts talking before being cut off by my "I know there is something, don't lie" face.
"Fine, I will tell you." She took in a deep breath, before saying:
"It is just so boring in here!"
I raised an eyebrow.
"There's basically nothing to do in here! Except train! We can't leave for fear of getting hunted down, and we are stuck inside. This place is both a sanctuary and a prison. Only the Satyrs, Chiron, and you can leave whenever you want."
"Did you talk to anyone about it?" I sat down on the pickup's trunk and motioned for Coral to sit down also. She sat, then continued.
"I already talked to Annabeth about this, and she voiced much the same concerns. Though she did act strangely when I went to talk to her. Had bags under her eyes too. Apparently, she was studying on something throughout the night. Something urgent, according to her siblings. I think she could be our spy from last night."
I thought about it. While she could just be studying something else (being child of Athena and whatnot), it is much more likely that she had her all-nighter because she was kept up by what she heard about the two of us.
"Child of Athena... in the old myths, Athena gave Perseus a Helm of Invisibility on his travels to defeat Medusa. Perhaps Annabeth has something similar." I got up, gathered up my stuff, and started heading for the Big House. "I am not sure about Annabeth, but I can talk to Chiron about your plight. Since you aren't a normal demigod and your scent is covered up by your Selkie side, you can probably join me on my hunts. I need some backup anyways."
-(o)-
Chiron was waiting for me by the time I got to the Big House.
"I heard you managed to kill a small family of Laistrygonians! Good to see my decision to work with you is paying off already."
"Hello Chiron. Can we talk somewhere private?" He frowned at that but led us to the bronze shielded computer room.
After locking the door, Chiron turned to me. "What do you want to speak about that needs such privacy, Remedy?"
"I am in the know about some information I am sure you want to find out."
"About what?" Chiron looked at me, skeptical.
"The Bolt and the Helm." That managed to get a look of shock out of him.
"How do you even know? We haven't announced this to the campers, almost none of them have knowledge that two of the most powerful artifacts of our world is missing! Those actually in the know only know about the Bolt, no one but me and the gods themselves knows about the Helm of Darkness being missing!" In response, I relayed to him the perfect coincidence that happened, including about who the thief really was.
"Luke... so its him." The old Centaur sighed, filled with resignation.
"What should we do? Should we contact the gods?"
"No. Telling the gods would cause them to smite Luke, yes, but Luke wouldn't do such reckless acts without some plan or a higher up's plan. Without the sponsorship of a powerful entity, any hero idiotic enough to try this wouldn't get far before being caught. If the gods get rid of Luke now, we lose our only connection to whatever being told him to steal the symbols. If we confront Luke now, though, we are likely to also never find the symbols. I am sure he doesn't have them on hand, and with his decisive nature, he would rather die first before telling us where he stowed away the items. Both options will cause the items to still be missing. If he has escape plans, capture would fail. Even torture wouldn't work. Torture, after all, is inherently flawed as the victim eventually says anything (And not necessarily true) to make the pain stop."
I interjected at this point. "What would be the consequences of the items staying missing?"
"Well, eventually the three brothers will keep arguing with each other, until things escalate. The Big Three never were very reasonable. Then the sky will fight the sea, the dead will flood back into the living world, and the tantrum of the gods will cause untold casualties and massive devastation."
"The master controlling the strings behind the entire situation could be anyone. It could be Hades or Zeus, stealing from the other to gain power. They could be faking the theft of their own item to find excuses and start a "righteous" war against the other. It could be Poseidon stealing from both of them; that he hasn't been robbed of his Trident is a point against him. It could even be other, older powers that I dare not name. I don't know if Luke would work for any of them, and what promises this master gave to get him to do it. It really could be Hades, promising to tear Olympus down if Luke got him the Bolt, while faking the theft of the Helm to redirect blame."
I interjected once more. "Is there really nothing we can do? Maybe force information out of him-"
"No. Understand Remedy, that we are not fighting Luke right now. We are fighting whatever new master he is now serving. We need to keep this master (Whether it be Hades or otherwise) in the dark about what we know. If we remove Luke from the equation, the master will no longer use Luke as his pawn and would turn to other plans, putting us in the blind spot once more. We need to tie up the master's attention, make him believe that his plan for Luke will be successful while at the same time making the plan challenging enough that he wouldn't have time to make too many backup plans. And when we finally stop the master's machination's the moment it was about to succeed, this master would be thrown into confusion, not knowing what to do and needing time to recuperate and think."
Chiron thought for a moment, before continuing. "We have several options. We can spy on Luke, try to get more information about both his master and their plan. We can also send out Satyrs to search for unnatural congregations of monsters; if there is an uprising against Olympus, the enemy will need troops. Or we can send out a quest to find the Bolt and Helm. However, there aren't many qualified to go on a quest right now"
"Why not all three? Me and Coral can collect information and do some investigations, you can send out Satyrs to find monster nests for me to clear out, and we can do this while waiting for a qualified quester."
"I like the way you think, Remedy! It is decided, we shall go with your plan. We need to be quick, however: Zeus has demanded the Bolt back by the summer solstice, and the Lord of Thunder already suspects both Hades and Poseidon of the theft. Anything else you have to tell me?"
"It's about Coral. I assume you know of her lineage? I myself just figured it out last night." Chiron nodded, indicating his knowledge of Coral's real ancestry.
"Do you think you can give her leeway to leave the camp to go on monster clearings with me? I need some help in these battles to come, I just barely handled 5 giants this time. Tactically, it also gives us more options; her scent is covered by her selkie side, but still powerful enough to function as bait if needed." I relayed Coral's wish in the most serious tone possible, knowing full well that Chiron could refuse.
You trained the skill [Basic Convincing Level 2], and it became [Basic Convincing Level 3], +10 Exp
You convinced your superior to agree to your idea, +1 Cha, +10 Exp
"I will allow this, on one condition: keep her as safe as you can. And tell her happy hunting from me."
-(Coral Gemseeker)-
The din of metal-on-metal, the glow of the forge-fire, the hiss of metal cooling in water, the smell of motor oil. The sweltering heat coming from all directions, suffusing the very air of the Camp Forge. At one of the workbenches, Coral Gemseeker was working the celestial metal of the gods. She was in her element, so much so that she almost forgot her longing for the sea.
She has already spent the morning molding and shaping the bronze sheet that will become a shield. Having been inspired by Remedy's mention of the Medusa story, Coral decided to recreate the Shield of Perseus, both to hone her skills and to catch her father's attention.
The shield, in actuality, was almost complete. Already it is a viable product, with shock absorbers, a leather handle, and a perfectly circular plate. Coral even left room for future upgrades.
But the polishing part, of course, was the hardest. It had to be perfect to attract the attention of a god. Every time she thought the polish was finally done, she would find some imperfection in the reflection or flaw in the shine, and start again.
It was already 6 in the afternoon when the miracle happened. As Coral polished the surface of the shield for the thirtieth (or was it fortieth?) time, something changed. Coral accidentally cut her finger on a nearby cutter. She didn't realize, and started polishing the shield, rubbing the droplet of blood into the metal.
Demigod blood is commonly known to be very powerful, and when used in the correct rituals in conjunction with an item that the creator slaved over to make perfect, miracles can happen. And given that Coral also has Selkie magic within her veins, what happened next was almost expected.
The shield began to glow.
And at the same time, the symbol of Hephestus, the fiery hammer, burned above her head for everyone else in the forge to see.
-(Remedy Adams)-
After the main decision, me and Chiron discussed the specific details of our plan, and time slipped away quickly. By the time we were done talking, it was already 5. I then spent another hour setting up my computer system in my room while plating my devices with thin, enchanted Celestial bronze, to dampen the scent beacon effect of my devices if a demigod ever decides to use them.
I was leaving the Big House to grab dinner when I felt as if there was something invisible watching me from the patio. As I moved, I heard slight creaking and breathing coming from the chairs to the side. The sunlight there also seem slightly diffracted, and nearby chairs seems to have been moved to allow an invisible occupant to sit at one of them. I stopped, and heard the chair nearby stop creaking in response.
"Hello Annabeth. I know you are there. Stop hiding." I grinned as Annabeth rematerialized in the creaky chair.
"How did you know I was there?"
"You must realize that in order to truly use invisibility to its fullest, you need to get rid of all other factors that might give away your location. You cannot displace anything; you cannot make a sound. I knew you were there through the creaking, the diffraction of the sunlight, and the fact that you moved the other chairs to sit in the chair at the middle."
Annabeth shuffled back a bit, looking abashed. "Well, I just got this invisibility cap. I didn't have much time to get used to it."
"Present from your mom, I suppose?"
"Yeah. Present for my 12th birthday. Only got it a couple days ago when we went up to Olympus for a field trip."
"You are the spy we had last night, aren't you?" Annabeth frowned at that, but nodded. I suppose she thought that there was no longer any way to hide the truth.
"Who exactly are you two? What secrets do you know? What are you?" Annabeth pushed for me to spill what I know.
Of course, I need to be careful in selecting what I tell her. Nothing about Luke, as (from what I understand) Annabeth seems to be a good friend of his and what I say is likely to leak back to Luke.
"I know many things. I know things the gods would kill for. I have observed secrets most wouldn't understand-"
Hmm. Interesting character sheet you have here, Annabeth. Knife Wielding and Dodging? I would like that, thank you!
"-and I can tell you what my ability is if you help me train my knifework." While it would be dangerous if everyone knew my true ability, Annabeth already heard a lot last night. I can just rehash what I said and explain a couple things for her. Low cost for me in exchange for training.
For a moment Annabeth was stunned at the sudden offer, having internalized my image of being mysterious. I could almost see the gears in her head turning, thinking if the deal had any ulterior motives. But eventually the allure of knowledge made her accept the offer.
"I still don't really trust you, but you seem to be on our side for now. I will train you what combat I know, and you will give me the information I want to know."
-(Remedy Adams)-
"You ever miss the sea, Coral?" We were back at the beach when I noticed Coral gazing deeply into the black waters of Long Island Bay.
"All the time. But after Mom died, I never went back to the pod except for her funeral. Couldn't stay without constant nightmares. So, I eventually went back up to the surface and started my shop."
"You are sleeping in the Hephaestus Cabin tonight, right?"
"Yep. And boy am I glad for it! That Luke guy also seems to have nightmares and managed to wake me up a couple times! He's weird..."
"Actually, I know something about that..." Given that Coral is the only person I fully trust in camp, I relayed to her the situation about the Bolt and Helm, including about Luke actions, Chiron's plan, and Annabeth's spying.
"Huh. I guess that explains the insane weather recently. At least it gives us an overarching direction. And you volunteered to help out?" Coral seemed mostly nonchalant about what I revealed. Maybe it was because she wasn't too close to the Olympians and doesn't really mind the fact that the Greek gods are real.
"I volunteered the both of us to help out. You said you wanted something to do, no? Chiron also allowed you to join my battles." Coral smiled widely at that.
"I actually got you something. Consider it a thank you, I suppose." She pulled out a wristwatch made of Celestial Bronze.
"It's a wristwatch" I commented as I strapped it on.
Coral chuckled, before pressing hard onto the watch's dial. The watch quickly expanded into a round shield, perfectly circular and reflective to the point of it being a mirror.
"I was actually inspired by the Medusa story you mentioned earlier. Perseus had a mirror shield, so I decided to make one too. I think some of my blood also got into the polish, so it got enchanted, I think?"
"One moment, let me Observe this..."
Selkie Enchanted Mirror Sheild
Quality: Dark Blue
Rarity: Rare
Durability: 10000/10000
Equip effects: If an attack is blocked by the shield, the damage is redirected towards the shield instead of the wielder
Extra property: [Mythical Metal]: Item does not break easily, damage towards item is lowered by 1000. Item has a damage threshold of 1500
Extra property: [Expandable]: The shield can be compressed to a wristwatch, and expanded to a shield, by pressing a button near the handle.
Extra property: [Living Metal]: The metal will take on some of the abilities of its wielder by absorbing the wielder's mana, getting more powerful the more mana the wielder pours in. The durability of the shield can also be repaired by expenditure of mana, at a rate of 1:1.
Extra property: [Blinding Mirror]: the Sheild is a perfect mirror. In addition, by expending 100 mana, the wielder can cause the shield to glow incredibly bright and attempt to blind every creature in a 60-foot cone in the direction the shield is facing.
"Are you sure you are OK giving me this shield? It's really powerful." I stood up into battle stance and mimed a couple blocks and shield bashes.
"Well, if I am joining you in monster hunting, I would need a meat shield to protect me. You qualify"
"Ha! Well, I do qualify. Welcome to the party, I suppose!"
Player [Remedy Adams] is inviting you to join his party! Accept? Y/N
I paused in my conversation, words getting stuck in my throat. I saw the glowing blue box, before looking back at who the text is addressing. Coral looked at the box, which was previously invisible to her.
"What is that!?"
"My interface box. I think you should accept."
Coral, even though she was startled and confused, accepted the join request. The box disappeared, before being quickly replaced with her brand-new character sheet:
Character Sheet
Name: Coral Gemseeker
Race: Demigod/Selkie
Title(s): [Machinist]
Level 15, EXP (0/170)
Status: Expanded
HP: 150/150
MP: 100/100, +15/hr
Rest: 100%, -5%/hr
Stamina: 150/150, +75/hr when not in a state of high activity
Hunger: 150/150, -5/hr
Stats (45pts, +1 cost every 50 stat): Expanded
Str: 15 (Cost: 1)
Dex: 15 (Cost: 1)
Con: 15 (Cost: 1)
Int: 20 (Cost: 1)
Wis: 15 (Cost: 1)
Cha: 15 (Cost: 1)
Luc: 10 (Cost: 1)
Perks (5pts): Selkie Magic Scent Trails ADHD Dyslexia Battle Instincts PTSD Trauma
Abilities and Skills (58pts): {Animal Empathy (Sea-Seal)} [Expert Swimming level 7] [Expert Diving Level 5] [Expert Breath Holding Level 8] [Expert Fishing Level 6] [Basic Charmspeak Level 2] [Basic Conversation Level 5] [Basic Modern English Level 9] [Basic Latin Comprehension Level 1] [Basic Greek Comprehension Level 1] [Expert Crafting Level 8], [Expert Forging Level 8], [Expert Machining Level 9] [Good Gun Wielding Level 3]
Health: (Partial Syndactyly) (Slight Limp)
Description: Coral Gemseeker: Coral is the demigod daughter of Anemone Gemseeker and Hephaestus. She lived with her mother under the sea along with the rest of the NY ocean area selkie pod. Because the pod's traditionalists did not approve of her interest in forging, machinery, and the surface, she left the selkie pod to live in her own forge. When she escaped to the surface, her mother followed, but disaster struck and her mother was consumed by a Hellhound. She now swears revenge, teaming up with Remedy Adams to rid the world of monsters.
Huh. She also has an interface now.
"Woah. This is so cool!" Coral's eyes twinkled as she swiped through her brand-new interface. I stepped in to teach her to ropes and set up a status bar in the corner, while the both of us learned more about this ability.
As it turns out, only those that is in my party can have an interface, and only by staying in my party can a person utilize the interface. Any abilities gained through the interface, however, can still be used even if a person left the party, but unused points can't be used when unable to open up the interface.
"Well. This increases our chance of survival slightly." I mused.
"Even with the interface, we still need a training montage. Come on, let's get some rest, we will have training to do tomorrow."
-(o)-
Many descriptions are adapted from the Wiki.
As always, Favorite, Follow, and Review this story, I would appreciate it. I like constructive feedback. Also, as our main character is going to pull loot from any fictional universe (or even from your own imagination) out there, you, the readers, can suggest something for him to get as a loot drop! Below is the suggested format:
Item name
Item description (What it looks like, powers, in game description etc.)
Suggested Item Stats (I reserve the right to change any part of this I want, got to keep my game balanced)
In addition, you can also leave an OC, using a similar format to above:
OC name
OC description (What they look like, powers, in game description etc.)
Suggested OC Stats (I still reserve the right to change any part of this I want, got to keep my game balanced)
Now that more ideas are coming in, here is some Quality and Rarity guidelines for new ideas to follow!
Quality:
Gray: trashy, basic, homemade item that is really weak. Improvised and only used when desperate. Likely prone to being destroyed. (Spiked plank, metal pipe)
White: Item made by someone who knows what they are doing, but nothing special. Not weak, but not as good at items made with the precision of factory machines (Forged Steel Sword)
Green: Specifically designed item. Most factory-made items are this level of Quality, along with some crafted items of this level. The crafter would need to be an expert in their craft. Normal weapons at Camp are this quality. (Metal Baseball Bat-The type of bat used by professional players. Other Examples: Guns, Cars,)
Blue: May or may not be mass produced, may or may not be magical, but is the elite, best money-can-buy type of item, but still purchasable by normal mortals. (Shield of Perseus, High end sports car, Modern Tank)
Purple: Has magical or special properties that no normal mortal can buy, but might be purchasable from supernatural, government or unorthodox sources if you have enough connections. Normally only one main gimmick (Annabeth's Invisibility Cap, Expandable Sheild, Modern human Bomber or Warship)
Pink: Elite items of powerful magic or advanced technology, the best humanity can make. Multiple high impact gimmicks, and has highly enhanced base functions (Riptide, WW2 Nuke)
Red: Divine artifacts or highly advanced technology. Represents the top items humanity can create and wield. (The Legion Eagle, ICBMs)
Orange: Items wielded by Gods, their Symbols of Power, and other items of this level. (Zeus's Thunderbolt)
Rarity:
Common: Run of the mill item, easy to find or make.
Uncommon: Harder to find, but not impossible to stumble upon.
Rare: Nearly impossible to find, you need to be really determined.
Very Rare: Around 2 dozen of this item exist, very hard to reproduce, and they are all held or lost to time.
Legendary: Has been part of epic legends, nearly impossible to reproduce, and less than half a dozen of these items exists.
Artifact: Only one exists, unreproducible, likely the symbol of a God.
Next chapter will be the real start of this fanfic. Things are about to get serious.
Well, until next time!
