"I got you, Uncle H," I muttered to myself as the IM faded completely. "I'll make sure to break as many legs as Epidaurus has. Or tentacles, or whatever."

The bed groaned as I pushed off it, intent on finding MJ and calming her down before things got out of hand. As I grabbed the door handle, the door swung open to reveal Triton standing in the doorway with a serious look on his face, his hand poised to knock.

My blood froze for a second. Did he find out about me pumping my bloodstream with Oceanus' stuff? Did he see through the lie Delta tried to force-feed him? I awkwardly opened my mouth, "Hey, Triton…"

Triton exhaled through his nose and leaned into the doorway, "Why did MJ run into me and Dad's room, tears running down her face, blabbing about being sent back to the overworld?"

I felt my shoulders sag in relief. Then, I recognized how weird it would look if I seemed relieved, and I got tense all over again, "Oh. That. Yeah, um, I kind of broke up with her."

"Kind of?" Triton walked into my room, giving me a suspicious once-over. Power shone in his eyes for a minute as he examined me closely, before jumping onto my bed, "How do you kind of break up with someone? Is this another one of those weird mortal teen things?"

"Hah. A little bit, I guess," I leaned on the wall next to him, shaking my head. As I crossed my arms, I said, "I guess she just wanted out after seeing all of this. The prophecy slip from before didn't help, either."

"That was some pretty unfortunate timing," Triton agreed, grimacing at the memory. He shrugged, "Dad didn't mean to. He, and I, honestly, just kind of thought you told her. We still should've made sure, though. That's entirely our bad, and you have my word, little brother- next time you bring a girl over, our mouths are shut about it."

"Meh. It's no biggie," I rubbed my forehead. "Well, I guess it's kind of a biggie, but I think us splitting is for the best. She was always a bit iffy on this stuff in general, and she basically tried to get me to choose between being a normal dude and being, well, me."

"Ah. The classic me-or-everything else ultimatum," Triton nodded, tossing a bouncy ball off the wall. The rubber ball smashed next to me with enough force that I felt a rush of wind blast my eyebrows, before bouncing back into his outstretched hand. "It hasn't happened to me, but a couple of my boys have been on the receiving end of it, too. My guy Triptolemus got caught up pretty bad when his ex- a tree nymph- got mad he was spending too much time plowing the fields."

I raised an eyebrow, "That isn't a euphemism, is it?"

"Nah. Well, at least, I don't think so," Triton added, pausing for a moment. He turned the ball over in his hands, "The thing is, though, you can't blame them for making that judgment call. They're mortals, Percy. They don't understand what it's like to be in our position."

"I'm a mortal too," I pointed out, a little petulantly. "If another mortal can't understand me, who can? Am I just going to be un-understandable for the rest of my life?"

"Please, you're a mortal only by title," Triton grinned at me. He waved his hands around in an exaggerated manner, "Don't tell me you're trying to downplay this. Perseus Jackson, crown prince of the sea, leader of Half-Blood Hill, dropper of panties—"

"—not that one—"

"And the favored of, what, half the Olympian council?" Triton finished with a waggle of his eyebrows. "Face it, little brother. You're on your way to becoming a god. That sort of stuff makes a difference, whether you'd like it to or not."

"Okay, but that doesn't…wait, it's just impossible for gods and mortals to date?" I blinked, "Wouldn't, like, half of the Greek myths have not happened if it wasn't for demigods?"

"Uh, uh, uh," Triton wagged his finger. "It isn't impossible for them to date. It's impossible for them to understand. You can go around dating mortals as long as you want, but they'll never fully understand what it's like to be in your position. Sure, you might have a long stint with one, or a real nurturing relationship, but almost like clockwork, there'll come a time where they either want more or they want out."

"Want more or want out?"

"Yep. Take Ariadne, for example. She was as mortal as they come, but Dionysus loved her so much that when the time came and she kicked the bucket, the fat lard traveled to the Underworld and brought her back to life to be his immortal wife. That's wanting more," Triton explained, ticking one of his fingers down. "Wanting out, well, that's the common one. Not everyone can get away with what Dionysus did, so, more often than not, the mortal in question either dies or sees enough crazy shit that they want out. Neither of the choices can guarantee that a god will be faithful, though."

"Yeah, I was going to say, Mr. D has some kids around my age at camp," I replied, shaking my head. "And he was put there because of some discipline thing with a nymph, right? Why do gods cheat so much, anyway? Especially after going through all that effort to keep their wives alive?"

"From, like, a psychological perspective, or a philosophical perspective?"

I paused, "Both. I guess."

"Philosophically speaking, the personality and actions of a god are directly tied into the people who believe in them; that's one of the main reasons why, in the myths, they seem all human-like. We have the same weird emotions as you guys and we do the same weird shit, too," Triton took a deep breath. "Beyond that, Perce, almost all of the important gods and goddesses you'll meet in your life, hands down, will have this real wicked sense of jealousy and competition. It's like a sick game they play with each other, and, more often than not, this leads to conflicts and infidelity."

"What kind of game results in cheating?" I wondered aloud, grimacing at Triton's explanation. "Or is it just that they don't respect their partners enough?"

"No idea, man. Well, some of them are in 'open relationships,'" Triton made quotation marks in the air, "Which basically means that both people are kind of allowed to fool around with other people, as long as they come back to one another at the end of the day. My bet is just that they get bored, though. Especially these days."

I caught the last part of his sentence, "What, as opposed to back in the day?"

"Dude. You have no idea. Back in Greece, entire societies were founded on the concept of hedonism- pleasure at all costs. You could walk through the gates of one of those cities and there would be orgies in every corner, wine spilling out of fountains, naked men and women just going at it," Triton recalled with a shudder. "Gods, it was a weird time. That's just how it was back then, though. Monogamy wasn't as strict as it is now- so, from the point of view of an Olympian, they went from being revered in a society that free and loose about sex, to well, today. All of a sudden, there were all these new expectations being levied on their relationships- If I had to point at anything, it would be that. Again, not that it makes any of it okay, but yeah. Being forced to do something, especially when you're an immortal who's used to having whatever they want, well, it rarely ends well."

"I mean, I guess," I grudgingly agreed, thinking back to how the gods I'd known had acted in situations where they were forced into action, rather than choosing it. "Still kind of a messed-up system, though."

"Totally," Triton decided, giving me a knowing smile, "So, you put two and two together yet?"

"Uh…" I tried my best to pick up on his insinuation. "The gods are going to keep having demigods?"

"Well, yes, but that's not exactly what I was going for. The second part of that, the realization, if you will, is that you'll end up with a goddess before long."

"I think I'll pass," I chuckled. "The only goddess I know actively trying to date me is Aph- I'll pass on her name, for now- and I don't think I'm ever trying to get involved with her again."

"Really?" Triton said, "Not now, not ever?"

"I doubt it. First of all, all that back-and-forth stuff she does is a bit much for me to handle. I get that she's trying to acclimate to being a mortal, but I just can't bring myself to enjoy that," I listed off. "The whole hot and cold thing just…complicates our relationship."

"I get that. You're valid in feeling that way, little brother," Triton said. "But, I just hope you know that relationships take work. Like, real, successful relationships require effort and commitment, and all that good stuff. It's easy to get caught up in the romantic idea of "love at first sight," but maintaining a healthy relationship takes time and energy. So, chances are, you might have to get used to the whole hot-cold thing sometimes, even if it isn't from her."

"But, shouldn't I hold on and wait for someone who makes it…well, not like that?" I shot back. "Rather than just shack up with someone that makes me have to do all kinds of work just to be with them, shouldn't I wait and find someone who makes it, I don't know, feel easy?"

"I mean, damn man, I can't argue with that logic. Just remember to put in the work from time to time," Triton chuckled lowly, sitting back up. "And- remember that there are lots of goddesses out there. Keep your eyes open and I'm sure will come tumbling down into Jacksonville."

"Okay, Triton," I said, if only to placate him. I didn't think any goddess with two working eyes was going to be looking at me anytime soon, "I will."

"Good! I'll let you get some shut-eye while we, uh, transport your ex back to the overworld," Triton excused himself from my room, shutting the door with one more wayward glance at me.

After I was sure he left, I fell back on my bed with a groan. My jaw clenched as his words from before kept running through my mind. Was it really that out of the question for me to date normal mortals? All those times I thought I felt something from Liz, or flirted with some girls at school, had I really been doomed from the start no matter what I did?

As my mind inevitably shifted back to MJ, I won't lie, a not-so-small amount of anger flared through me. I thought about shooting her an IM to explain things, or, at the least, talk about them more, but a crueler part of me was thinking up some harsh things to say and I wasn't entirely sure I could stop myself from saying them if the opportunity presented itself.

Eri's words from before came to mind: life goes in cycles.

My dad was bound by his fate; he too had suffered the repercussions of being with a mortal, and so had Medusa. His responsibility and immortality stood in the way of his happiness and in the end, he was forced into marrying a goddess, all to protect his own domain. Just as the shackles of fate were taken off him, he was forced into an oath to not have any more children- and yet, here I stood, living proof of his failure. In trying to circumvent fate, he accidentally became a slave to it.

Was I going to find myself stuck in the same loop? Unable to identify with mortals, forced to throw my bag in with the gods, only to find myself surrounded by mementos of my own shortcomings? If I kept going in the direction I was going, would I wake up one day and find out that instead of the freedom I thought I was getting, the choice to do things my way- that I'd been doing what was preordained so long ago?

As I stared at the ceiling of my hotel room, no answer came to mind. Not even a hint.

In the days between my stint at PROTEUS and the final leg of the tournament, I was forbidden to train- tournament rules, or something- so I basically spent all my time hanging out with my dad and Triton.

It was actually kind of fun.

On the first day, Triton held a fundraiser for some of the wildlife preservation communities in Atlantis- an all-day blowout full of all kinds of activities and the like, where some of the celebrities of the sea were around to incentivize people to donate.

Galatea, the calm sea goddess, headed the underwater surfing machine. For three drachma, you could grab onto Triton's very own surfboard and shred up some waves, with the promise that one lucky contestant would get to keep it.

I tried my hand at it but didn't love it- why would I, when I could just surf with my own two feet? The crowd seemed to get a kick out if it, though, and Galatea was nice enough to show me some tips and tricks, so it wasn't a horrible experience by any means.

Melikertes the honey-eater got to put his own spin on the fundraiser by having one of those all-you-can-eat competitions. I stayed away from that one, but according to some of the people who tried it out, it was fun enough.

The day passed kind of like that, though- I'd hang around the fundraiser, meet some people, and shake some hands. Sign some autographs, if you can believe it. By nighttime, Triton cheerfully told me we'd raised double what they expected.

It was a nice feeling to do some good in a way that didn't involve skewering something with Riptide, I decided. I made a mental note to myself: volunteer more!

And, just like that, my fight with Epidaurus was upon me.

By this point, even though I understood the importance of the tournament and my subsequent victory in the said tournament, I still found the idea of fighting Epidaurus kind of lame.

It kind of helped, though, that when I walked into the locker room after my pre-round interview, three of my favorite gods were waiting.

"No way!" I laughed as Hestia pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head, "You guys actually came?"

"Well, your pops wanted us to surprise you," Hades called from over Hestia's shoulder. "I kind of gave away my own involvement, though."

"Yeah, you know, I actually did spend some time thinking about it. I figured you either dropped one hell of a non-sequitur, or that you'd actually be here," I got a chuckle out of Hades as he clapped my shoulder and pulled me into a short hug.

"Your mother sends her love," Hestia said with a warm smile as she went back to standing next to my dad, "She wanted to come with me, at first. I believe she said she had an important exam, though."

"Ah, probably something for her degree," I said. "No worries. How's everything at camp? Is everything super different?"

"Surprisingly, no. They seem to have taken your request of maintaining the 'vibe' of the camp, as Medea likes to call it," Hestia replied. "I suppose the part of camp you've stayed in appears more or less as it always did, but a bit down the path, there are all kinds of log cabins and general stores. A few of the demigods asked for my help with creating a restaurant, as well."

"That sounds awesome, auntie," Far and away, the biggest complaint about camp I'd heard was the lack of dietary options.

Lack of unhealthy ones I mean- the camp creates meals based mainly on the food it produces, so your options tend to be somewhere in the range of grapes, bread, cheese, salads, extra-lean-cut nymph-prepared barbecue, tofu- basically the diet of a fitness guru.

Of course, I have the added benefit of being able to summon and eat whatever I want, but I'm not like other campers. I'm special!

"On your behalf, Chiron requested the construction of shrines around the camp. In appropriate areas, of course," Hestia added with a nod. "He believes it will allow mortals to pray to gods of their choosing- a sentiment I find myself agreeing with. All in all, it's been a good process."

My shoulder shook as my dad patted my back, "Well, I can't wait to see what everyone's been up to, then."

"I see Chet calling for you," Poseidon's eyes crinkled as he gestured his head toward the field. "We'll be rooting for you, son."

The atmosphere was just as electric as the first fight.

Unlike the first fight, where the field had been barren aside from a few divots in the ground here and there, the final stage field had been modified heavily.

First off, the grass had been replaced by metal. Now, I wasn't entirely sure- and I'm still not- about the physics of a metal-wrapped ball floating in the water, but yeah. The ground rumbled under the constant din of onlookers, causing the arena to give off a weird vibrating noise.

Gigantic metal structures stretched out into the sky, adorned with all kinds of decorations- some had spikes, while others had blunt squares. A few particularly nasty-looking ones had swinging maces and the like.

Epidaurus' glare was visible from across the arena- I could see his head turning and considering the obstacles, almost as if he was thinking 'yep, I'll slam him against that one, and that one, oh, and that one, too.'

I took a moment to look at his stats:

"If you want power, you must commit yourself totally—every hair, every claw, every drop of blood.

Anything less is weakness."

[EPIDAURUS]

[DISCIPLE]

[PRIDE OF EPIDAURUS]

[NIMBLE]

[LVL]: 75 (11,000/63,000)

[HP]: 203,000/203,000 (BOOSTED)

[SP]: 56,000/56,000

[MP]: 40,000/40,000

[FEALTY]: N/A

[STR]: 78 (+5)

[VIT]: 44

[DEX]: 220

[INT]: 85

[CHA]: 60

[WIS]: 12

[LUC]: N/A

[…] The Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus is a remarkable testament to the healing cults of the Ancient World and witness to the emergence of scientific medicine. I guess the flip side of that means that their warriors have to be pretty strong, too. […]

[…] Epidaurus ruthlessly squashed his competition in the first round of the tournament by skewering him with throwing knives and poison-dipped darts. He seems to have the biggest chip on his shoulder, as well. […]

I felt a pang of hurt at the fact that there were only two descriptions- I guess MJ and I really weren't on good terms at the moment.

While Epidaurus was certainly the strongest out of the princes, he was still pretty weak in the grand scheme of things. I could've probably taken him last year without too much trouble.

A bell rang somewhere, causing me to blink- I completely forgot Cloud Guy was even talking.

Epidaurus began running toward me, with no weapon in sight. As a camera swiveled right above me to get my reaction, I made a big show out of pulling Riptide, still in its pen form, out of my pocket.

I took off the cap slowly as the pen grew in my hands, stretching out toward the sky until the familiar bronze Greek sword I'd come to love rested in my hands.

A small smile settled on my face- no matter how powerful I got, or famous I became, as long as I had Riptide in my hands, I'd still be that underdog kid I'd been since childhood- just with three feet worth of sword and a leather-bound grip, is all.

The blade glowed faintly, casting a golden light on the metallic floor underneath me. I twirled Riptide in my hands as water began churning at my feet.

My experiment with Eri completely reworked how things sounded and felt underwater. Now, my senses were so fine-tuned while submerged, that even though he was twenty or so yards away, the thuds of Epidaurus' footsteps still echoed against my skin as if he was right next to me.

WHIZZZZ!

Riptide blurred through the water, deflecting a projectile- a stick-looking thing, wicked and black. A second, blue stick found itself slashed in half. The third time I sensed something coming my way, I immediately assumed control of the water in front of me and stopped it dead in its tracks.

The projectile hummed in the air; it was a disk-shaped device that looked like it was made from animal bone or hardened wood. There were notches cut along the inner edge- presumably for balance and smooth flight.

Huh. It seemed like Epidaurus was shaping out to be a long-range specialist. His stats seemed to back that up. His high [DEX] and low [STR] definitely made it seem like he was more focused on the finely-tuned aspects of his physical.

"Boomerangs," I muttered to myself. I made a small crushing motion with my hands, and the pressure in the water in front of me rose exponentially, devouring the boomerang and blasting it into smithereens.

Two more boomerangs erupted from his hands. As I stared down at the swirling patterns etched into the wood of the boomerang hurtling towards my head, I made a mental note to get in closer. The water gushed around me, hurtling me right through the boomerangs and closing the distance between Epidaurus and me considerably.

Growling in annoyance, Epidaurus lunged backward into the air, unraveling his armor, and chucking more boomerangs at me. I raised a hand, and they immediately stopped in the air.

"I don't think you want to keep tossing stuff—" I began, but was cut off as they detonated immediately, swelling up and exploding in a plume of ash. A vibrant beam of light spread out from the second boomerang and illuminated the field in a blinding haze, bathing the stands in an orange fireball.

The air was thick with the acrid scent of burning, and the ground in front of me was covered in a layer of soot and debris. The ground shook and the sky rumbled as explosions echoed in the distance- more explosive boomerangs.

It was a storybook scene of chaos and destruction, and for a very real moment, I doubted the integrity of the arena would hold up.

I jumped backward, crossing my arms over my head, just in case any shrapnel made it through. Epidaurus had completely removed himself from sight- not that I could see much of anything beyond that ash and smoke that was billowing through the field, anyway.

Two more explosive boomerangs shot through the smoke, curving toward me. For a fleeting moment, I remembered the one time my mom took me to the Yankees game, and the pitcher went three innings straight, just striking the other team out. The boomerangs Epidaurus was throwing all had that same force and fury.

My [Molecular Hydrokinesis] skill popped up in the top right of my corner, glowing a menacing red as a dome of water erected around me. I felt the water enclosing me, a cool embrace that cocooned me in its protective shield. It was like being wrapped in a soft, comforting blanket, safe and sound from the chaos and turmoil of the world outside.

A third explosive boomerang finally smashed into the outer part of my water wall, resulting in a deafening crash that rattled my teeth. The impact sent ripples spreading out in all directions my dome bulged and buckled under the force, but it held fast.

For a moment, all was still. And then, without warning, the plume of fire from the boomerang seared through the water wall. The liquid parted, creating a gaping hole right in front of me. Watching my defense get penetrated spurred me into gear.

A current of mana charged through my body, festering and buzzing inside my chest. It rushed as I straightened out my right arm, forcing it into a pushing motion.

PHWOOOOO!

I turned my attention to the growing explosion; a pit of fire and smoke, spreading toward me, lurching like it was alive.

Every muscle in my arm tightened. I couldn't even conceptualize what I wanted- all I knew was that I wanted the fire gone.

And, just like that, the water between me and Epidaurus exploded from within, entirely disrupting the peaceful nature of the sea floor. Colors raged with an unnatural force and bubbles floated upstream.

The fire collapsed, folding into itself like a piece of paper being folded over and over. The smoke winked out as if it had all been sucked up by an invisible vacuum cleaner.

"I resented that," I called out to Epidaurus, smashing my hand down. An invisible wall of force intensified on top of him, smashing him into the metal hard enough to cause a ringing noise to echo throughout the arena.

I took advantage of his disorientation. The water around me roiled and churned as I felt power surge through my arm. Blindingly fast, I let loose a bolt of lightning from my fingertips. It arced across the arena, a jagged line of electricity that illuminated the metal poles around us.

It smashed into Epidaurus with the force of an artillery shell, picking him up and sending him careening into a spike that cracked his back loudly.

As the crowd let out a collective gasp, the energy from before kept coursing through my body, filling me with an invigorating thrill. I could feel the power of the lightning as it flowed through me, the roar of power passing through each individual molecule of water between me and Epidaurus, and Zeus- I reveled in the sensation.

With a flick of my wrist, I summoned another bolt using my other hand, this one even larger than the last. It split through the water, the light illuminating the entire crowd in a white light. It slammed into Epidaurus' covered side, accidentally igniting one of his explosive boomerangs.

BOOM!

His body ricocheted off the ground as a ring of fire eviscerated his armor. I diligently checked his HP- he was still alive and well, but severely hurt. A wave of water deposited me near him.

"We can stop this," I raised my hands as I examined his shaking body, "I don't want to hurt you more than I already have."

Epidaurus lunged forward, aiming what I can only call, even now, a crude slash at my head with a handheld boomerang. I easily dodged the hit, confirming my theory from before- the tournament's most bloodthirsty fighter was a long-range fanatic.

I blocked each of his strikes without effort. And, as if it was some kind of dance routine I effortlessly defended myself, even as he continued to attack me.

After playing around with him a bit, I began to notice his attacks become less refined, and more easily readable.

I figured I shouldn't play around with my food too much, urging me into a counterattack that stuck him in the stomach. He dropped his boomerang out of shock and tried backing away. Shaking my head, I lunged forward and socked him in the chest with the hilt of my sword.

As he gasped and stumbled, I spun in the air and delivered a kick to his face- the side of my shoe hit his cheek so hard, I swear I saw a tooth fly out.

"Better luck next time, kid," I said cheerily as Epidaurus gazed up at me woozily. I slammed his forehead with the hilt of my sword, and he slipped into unconsciousness, falling onto his back with a resounding rung noise.

The crowd erupted in applause. Cloud Guy swerved downward. He hopped off his floating cloud and raised his microphone to his lips.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's clear to see that we have just witnessed one of the greatest athletic performances of our time. Perseus Jackson, far and away the leading competitor in this tournament, has once again absolutely dominated his opponent, showing off his incredible strength, speed, and agility. The way he controlled the field and used it to his advantage was truly a sight to behold."

He stuck the microphone in my face, and I chuckled, "Well, I'll never say no to a little flattery. Really, though, it was my pleasure to represent the good people of Atlantis. Also, I think the city of Pavlopetri deserves all kinds of praise- this was one heck of a tournament, yeah?"

The crowd roared, and Cloud Guy nodded, "No doubt. Seriously, though, you looked even stronger than you did when you faced off against Kalios. Any hints on how to get strong for our budding warriors in the crowd?"

"Eat your veggies and then some," I said with a cheeky grin. "And find something worth fighting for. After that, you're all set."

"Awesome. Now, listen, you're probably tired and all, so I won't keep you too long, but everyone's just dying to know- how did you get so good at controlling lightning?"

I blinked a few times, "Come again?"

"Your powers from before. We ran a poll during the fight, and most fans were most curious about your prowess over lightning, electricity, and all that. It's a rare feat for a demigod of the sea, no?"

"I…wow, I suppose I never really looked at it that way. Well, as you know, one of my father's domains is storm bringing, which bears its own level of control over the weather," I said, lying through my teeth. While I didn't doubt that what I was saying was true to some extent, I couldn't exactly go around advertising that I had this supernatural force in my head giving me access to all kinds of wonky powers. "From a scientific point of view, it's basically forcing the molecules of water in front of me to freeze or fall. Where the ice going down meets the water coming up, electrons are stripped off. Truthfully, it's a little more complicated than that, but what results is an area of water with a negatively charged bottom and a positively charged top. These electrical fields become incredibly strong, with the atmosphere acting as an insulator between them in the cloud. When the strength of the charge overpowers the insulating properties of the atmosphere, you get those bolts you saw earlier."

"Fascinating. So, would you wager that these skills are stronger underwater, then?"

"Most definitely," I agreed, grateful that, at the least, Cloud Guy bought my excuse. "When I'm on the overworld, I have to use my sweat or ambient molecules in the air. Sometimes, I have to make my own. When I'm down here, the level of control I can show is way more, and that means I can pump more power into it."

"Well, there you have it, folks! Once again, your hero and prince of the seas, Perseus Jackson!" He hollered, before leaning closer to me. "Also, while I have you here, could I please get an autograph for my kid? He loves you."

The next month passed by pretty quickly. Most days followed the same routine of working out, eating, working out again, eating again, working out for a third time, and sleeping.

Never let anyone tell you Poseidon's gotten softer these days.

That very first morning after the tournament, I woke up at five in the morning to find him perched over my bed like an eagle, dressed in a red tracksuit and clean white shoes, with a clipboard and whistle around his neck, to boot. It really set the tone for the month- and yes, if you're curious, he did indeed wear a different colored tracksuit each morning.

He handled my morning workouts almost exclusively. They tended to be focused on strength training- hitting weights. Being underwater boosted both my healing and strength, so it took us a while to find a good level of weight and hypertrophy.

My dad emphasized the fact that hypertrophy was our end goal- in case you're unaware, hypertrophy is the process of increasing muscle size through weight training. It's achieved by exposing your muscles to progressive overload, which is the gradual increase of weight or resistance used in the exercises. This causes small tears in the muscle fibers, which then repair and grow back stronger and larger.

So, to simultaneously cause me to exert effort and tear my muscle fibers before the water around me could heal them, we were legitimately forced to settle on baby whales as weights. Yeah, you read that right. I'd wake up in the morning and start lugging those bad boys around.

After my baby whale mornings, my swordsmanship was tightened up by Triton and Delta, who did everything from attacking me at the same time to "force me to make split-second decisions," to making me cook food using a sword and nothing but a sword.

These lessons tended to be the most variable lessons of the day- sometimes, we'd talk about the history of swordsmanship. Other times, we'd watch film and critique our battles from before. Intermixed in there were some new moves- things like the Atlantis stingray strike, Triton's disarmer, and Delta's gravity theory.

My last workout tended to be cardio. Poseidon stressed how important it was for me to have stamina, speed, and strength. According to him, no son of his was going to grow reliant on one aspect of physical conditioning- not as long as he was still breathing.

So, the nights were filled with forty-mile runs, dead sprints with whales attached to my back, and relay races against some of the nereids of the sea.

I always made sure to thank the whales and animals after, so please don't call PETA. We already had one random inquiry from a few annoyed gods, and Atlantis' committee for wildlife protection was working around the clock to build a case against us- not that it ever came to anything.

It was a fun time. Hard, but fun. Being constantly working helped me keep my mind off MJ, too. Not that it stopped me from being any less annoyed with her.

By the end of the month, I was exhausted and more physically spent than I'd ever been in my life. The results, along with some stat point allocation, were amazing, though:

[PERSEUS JACKSON]

[SON OF POSEIDON]

[HESTIA'S FAVORED]

[ECHIDNA'S BANE]

[GODSLAYER]

[HERA'S BLESSING]

[DIVINE CONSULTANT]

[SPARK OF DIVINITY][OC]

[LVL]: 84 (15,600/70,000)

[HP]: 148,000/148,000 (BOOSTED)

[SP]: 123,000/123,000

[MP]: 220,000/220,000 (BOOSTED)

[FEALTY]: N/A

[STR]: 208 (+5)

[VIT]: 47

[DEX]: 236 (+5)

[INT]: 106

[CHA]: 89 (+5)

[WIS]: 48

[LUC]: 38

[SP]: 0

[PP]: 38

[$]: 7000USD, 670D

|| Son of the legendary God of the Seas and Sally Jackson, Percy is the current [Child of Prophecy]. Despite his murky past, Percy is ready to take on his future with determination. ||

|| The title [SON OF POSEIDON] permanently grants 1000 [MP] and boosts the rate of mana regeneration. ||

|| The title [HESTIA'S FAVORED] permanently regenerates your health by 30% and increases by a factor of 5% for every 1000 [HP] below half! ||

|| The title [ECHIDNA'S BANE] allows the user to be immune to all poison! ||

|| The title [GODSLAYER] grants the user double EXP when involved in a fight with a deity! This effect scales, doubling for every immortal opponent and tripling for every Olympian! ||

|| The title [HERA'S BLESSING] allows its user to trespass on sacred grounds and feel ambient divine energy! ||

|| The title [DIVINE CONSULTANT] doubles the [EXP] gained by doing a quest given to you by any deity! ||

|| The title [SPARK OF DIVINITY][OC] grants the user echoes of Oceanus' power. This includes enhanced physical gifts, the tongue of the old times, and much more. ||

I still had yet to get around to allocating my perk points- but I had a good reason!

With my training and newfound power from Oceanus, I was practically invincible underwater. I wanted to wait until I got back to the overworld and messed around with my powers a bit more before deciding what I needed. I promise I'll get it soon, though!

All in all, my second summer in Atlantis was awesome- even better than the first one, honestly. A part of me wanted to just hightail it back to Half-Blood Hill so I could see all the cool stuff Medea had built, but I remembered that Hades wanted to see me, and I figured it wouldn't be too wise to keep the Lord of the Dead waiting, even if he did kind of like me.

So, that's how I found myself seated in a skeletal armchair at two in the afternoon on a random Wednesday.

The card Hades had given me transported me into what appeared to be a moving train. I could feel the grinding of the wheels underneath me, and the cabin I was in seemed to vibrate gently as if it was shifting in the wind.

So, naturally, I took a seat while waiting for my uncle to arrive. I figured he'd know I was in here somehow- his only instructions had been to use the card, after all. It wasn't a bad vibe, all in all, I decided, as I heard classical music playing somewhere in the back.

The train car rocked gently as it chugged down the tracks, its wheels a steady rhythm against the steel rails. Inside the car- which was pretty posh- everything except for me was quiet and still. The walls were paneled in dark, rich wood and adorned with intricate tapestries and paintings. The floor was covered in a plush carpet that muffled the sound of the train's movement, kind of giving off this sense of seclusion and privacy.

In the center of the room stood a large, polished mahogany desk. Its surface was cluttered with papers, a leather-bound blotter, and a lamp casting a warm golden light over the area. An array of pens and stationery were laid out neatly on the desk. A comfortable leather chair, its cushions worn and supple from years of use, was pulled up to the desk with the letters H sewn into the back.

Opposite the desk was a bookshelf, lined with leather-bound volumes of all shapes and sizes, the shelves sagged under the weight of the knowledge they held. A fireplace was burning, casting a warm glow and heat on the room.

To one side of the room, there was a comfortable armchair and footstool, the kind that was perfect for curling up with a book. On the other side, a small bar was set up, its shelves lined with bottles of the finest spirits and crystal glasses.

As the train swayed, I stepped closer to the window, hoping to get a better idea of where I was, or, at the least, where I was going.

The sky was a dull gray. The few trees I could see were bowed down with the weight of the snow on their branches, and the fields were blanketed in a thick layer of white. It felt like the world outside the window was a black and white photograph from one of those old-timey postcards: wish you were here!

I pressed my hand against the cold glass, taking in the beauty of the wintry scene for a moment. The snowflakes that had accumulated on the windowsill were like delicate crystals, each one different from the next. It was mesmerizing to watch as they were swept away by the wind, and replaced by new ones as the train plowed through the drifts.

A ghostly puppy appeared out of nowhere, wagging its tail at me. I knelt next to it and tried to pet it, but my hand passed right through it. Not that the puppy seemed to mind. Almost as if it could sense my intentions, it yapped happily and did a twirl.

"Good boy," I found myself smiling, "Is there any way you can let Lord Hades know I'm waiting for him?"

The puppy nodded and disappeared. A minute or so later, Hades appeared in front of me, shaking some snow off his coat. "Ah, sorry about that, kiddo. I got held up a bit outside."

"No problem, Uncle H. Speaking of outside," I gestured back at the window. "Where are we?"

"We're in the fields of Asphodel," Hades said with a huff as he removed his coat and placed it on a golden hanger, "the section of the Underworld where indifferent or ordinary souls who lived a life of neither good nor evil are sent to live after death."

Ah. So it wasn't just any snowy town- it was a snowy town full of dead people. Fun. "Is it always so…dreary?"

"Meh. Depends on where you're at. It used to be this gigantic wheat field, but I got kind of bored from looking at it from my palace, so I hired some outside help to spice up some parts of it," Hades explained as he settled down in his chair. He motioned for me to sit across from him as he continued, "And before you ask, this train is the train that takes departed souls to and from the fields. It's also where I like to do business."

"Right. Honestly, uncle, if I had a train full of dead people, I'd probably have my meetings in there, too," I joked. "You know- mess up, and you'll be next!"

"The summer did you well. You seem refreshed," Hades said with a tight smile. "I hope you'll pardon the abruptness, but we need to talk about the job at hand first: I messed up."

"You messed up?"

"Messed up big time," Hades confirmed tiredly as a shot glass magically appeared in front of him. He grabbed the glass and knocked back the shot. As he placed the glass back down, it automatically refilled itself with brown liquid. "I, uh…I'll take it from the start."

I nodded, "Usually the best place."

"A long time ago- well, seventy years, I met this woman named Maria on one of my travels. She was a clear-sighted-mortal, and I had been traveling in Italy during the war. We instantly hit it off and that started, to this day, my longest relationship with a mortal. We ended up doing it all: I took her last name, and we had a house and children. Our youngest, Nico, had turned eight when the Great Prophecy had been spoken," Hades said morosely. "Persephone and I have this agreement; we can both fool around, and whatever, but we just can't bring any of it back to the Underworld. I cared about Maria so much that I was willing to break that agreement and have Persephone mad at me for a century or two; I wanted to hide Maria and their children in the Underworld so that Zeus wouldn't be able to find out about them. However, Maria refused. Something about how she didn't want to raise her children away from her family."

"I still pushed her. I told her to wait for me in the Degli Orafi- the hotel where we'd met. I was going to bring her and the kids down here," He took another shot, "Too late. While she was in the lobby, Zeus destroyed it, killing Maria. I was only quick enough to shield our two children, Bianca and Nico."

"Uncle, I'm sorry…really sorry for your loss," I said solemnly. I thanked my lucky stars that he didn't seem to hold any ill will against me or my dad for my, well, existence. If I were him, I don't know if I could've had that level of maturity. He could've made my life a living hell if he wanted to, "What happened to Bianca and Nico?"

"I wiped their memories and hid them in a safe place- a place where time stands still," Hades replied with an exhale. His knuckles tightened, "And then I went on a warpath. Zeus' spawn, Thalia- I opened the gates of Tartarus and sent every horrible monster in the world at her. There was this oracle, some woman who had warned me about what Zeus would do- in my anger, I cursed her soul."

Though I kept my mouth shut, my eyes briefly widened at his mention of the oracle. That explained, partially at least, why the one at camp was so withered and old- it had been there for a century or so.

"Now, though, things are different. You're here. Thalia's here. The reason I called you here is, well, I want my kids back."

"Oh," I blinked, "Okay. Where are they now?"

"My fury, Alecto, has moved them into a school for the time being. I figured it would be…helpful for them to adjust to how the world has changed. The problem now, since there always has to be a problem with these things, is that they're out and about. I completely forgot that you demigods are like homing beacons for monsters. Beyond that, two children of an Elder God in one place for too long? I'm almost certain a tough monster is on the way."

A part of me was a bit annoyed at the concern he was showing for his kids- how was it fair that the possibility of them getting attacked by a monster was suddenly the worst thing in the world, when every other in the demigod in the world had to worry about it, too?

"That's a problem for me, because if there's a tough monster involved, then Zeus can dispatch the hunters to go kill it," Hades growled. He twirled his hand, and a piece of paper appeared in front of me- a map, "He wouldn't dare move against my children openly- not after what happened with Thalia- but if Artemis and her hunters get involved, it'll unnecessarily complicate things. So, I need you to go to them as soon as possible, ensure that they aren't in danger, and bring them to me. Do you think you can do that?"

The Game pinged:

[MAIN][STORY] Quest Alert!

{Dancing with the Devil}

|| Your uncles Hades has specifically requested your help in retrieving his children, who were unjustly targeted by Zeus during the introduction of the Great Prophecy. Now, feeling assuaged by the appearance of not one but three other children of the Big Three, he wants to reintroduce his children to the world- but safely. It's up to you to decide whether it's fair or not. ||

{Rewards:}

- 10,000 REP with [Hades]!

- 200,000 EXP!*

- Stygian Iron infusion for [Riptide]!

?

?

{Failure:}

- Death!

[YES/NO]

*Note that the [EXP] provided for this quest will be doubled upon completion, as per your title of the [Divine Consultant].

My eyes hovered on the Stygian Iron infusion- I could still remember last year when that other version of me had shown off his daggers. Besides, could I really say no to saving two of my cousins, even if I did think it was a bit unfair?

"I can," I confirmed, squashing those feelings of annoyance from before as I studied the map. "Consider it done, uncle."

AN: Happy new year, everyone. I hope everyone had a safe and prosperous start to their year, and hopefully, it continues going that way for you. Here's the end of the second Atlantis arc and the start of Titan's Curse, but, as you can tell, I've taken and will be taking liberties with how I mess around with the plot. Stay tuned for that, and of course, the side story, which I've officially begun drafting. I can't give any promises on when it'll show up, but it will. That's all I really have to say about this one!

Reader0404: Your questions make sense! To tell you the truth, I think I just kind of got lazy with describing his appearance, so I'll have to work that in later. I tried to touch on the lightning a bit here. While I do think it may seem outlandish to people at first, I don't think it's entirely out of the question that a child of Poseidon can control lightning- the wiki does describe Poseidon as having control over it, after all. As for the teleporting- most times, he's only done that in situations where no one can really see him. For Medusa's eye- no one knows he even lost his original, except for Ares since he fought against it, but he isn't a factor right now. I appreciate the constructive criticism, though, and I definitely will try to make a better note of these things moving forward. Thanks!

Ricee: Hah, sorry, man! I just don't enjoy stories where, you know, the protagonist falls in love with someone and they're a) either instantly with them forever or b) they stay together and break up cleanly (because of a death or cheating or something). I think real relationships tend to be a bit back-and-forth in that sense, and as such, Percy's relationship with Aphrodite is sort of like that, too.

Malosi06: Not that I know of? I haven't seen the new God of War trailer, but I did play the first one if that has anything to do with it. Thank you, though!

JustDusty: Nope! What would a Skyrim story even look like?

Zarathos 11: Good catch! I went back and fixed it, it should be fine now. They're around seventeen, so I find myself agreeing with you, but it's a pretty common trope in that genre, I feel like. I'm glad you don't forgive her, though- a lot of people have some…interesting takes about characters in this story, so I'm glad to hear your thoughts.

Tyufvfv: Hey, friend! I can certainly make an Audio Entry soon to consolidate all of his powers because you're right- he's got a ton of them, and he doesn't always use them all. The OC next to Spark of Divinity does indeed stand for Oceanus, and Percy will be making use of that skill at some point *wink*

Noctis Lucius Caelum: Without getting into specifics, all I'm going to say is that this is the arc where Percy ascends to basically being a god. And, I feel pretty comfortable letting everyone know that, no, he isn't ending up with MJ. It's only goddesses and demigods from here on out.

Dragon Bone Z: I think you're going to greatly enjoy this arc if that's the kind of stuff you want to see. I've never seen Solo Levelling! Also, his system is just for him. No one else can see it or use it!

Thanks, everyone, and I'll see you soon! Big chapter, phew...