The God of Monsters Turns Me Into a Streaker (Finale)

"What did I do?" I repeated incredulously. I was a little miffed at the fact I was being called out. Monaxiá needed to get off his high horse. I'd seen the look in his eyes. It wasn't like he wouldn't have done what I did. "I did what I had to do to protect the people I care about!"

Dirt and debris went shooting in every direction as a pale yellow aura flared around Monaxiá for a second. Even though I was annoyed that Monaxiá was taking so much offense to this, a part of me was also concerned.

I'd never seen him this angry before. I'd never seen him have any emotion this intense, if I was being honest. All of his reactions were usually stunted, muted. He was like a slab of rock with a mouthpiece taped on it.

Was all of this emotion because of his adrenaline or something else entirely? "The hell's your problem?"

"Do not play coy with me Percy!" Monaxiá looked ready to drop me like a sack of potatoes. He hefted his javelin, sending sparks across the ruined floor. "You know what my problem is. Are you so far gone that you'd allow a Titan to use you as a host?"

What?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I snarled back, my voice sounding smaller than his, which somehow managed to echo in every corner just right. It was like he had an audio crew position just out of my vision. Hell, he probably uses this cavern on purpose just so he can always be louder than the person he's arguing with. I know I would. "I'm only funneling my own energy into—"

"I know you're lying, Perseus." My full name? He must be all kinds of pissed off. The last person to use my full name was Hestia after she found out I ate all the cookie dough. I, uh, guess this situation is slightly different, though. "I don't know when you got this and if you've used it before, but do you really think a god of the seas would not recognize Oceanus the moment he surfaced?"

Oh. Is that why he's mad?

Wait. He doesn't know the full story. He thinks I killed Oceanus, not that I absorbed the rest of his power!

I see how bad this looks now. I'm strolling in here with the aura of one of his mortal enemies draped around me like a scarf, asking for his help. I probably look like the king of all traitors.

I opened my mouth, trying to come up with an acceptable excuse, only for it to be cut short as his sword slammed into mine, a heavy jolt of pain lancing up my shoulder like a thin, superheated needle. "I swear to the Fates, if the next words out of your mouth are not the truth, you will regret it. What have you done? You told me you had killed him!"

"Look, man, I did kill him!" And from how much rage he had behind the idea of me becoming a host, I had a fairly good idea of what happened to Luke in his world. My version of Luke was already pretty far along that path. "Mentally. I basically destroyed his soul from the inside out, but his body still remained in the world. A sub-branch of the Atlantean military called the PROTEUS foundation got their hands on it, and right after the tournament I told you about, they extended an offer for me to absorb the remainder of the power. Wiping out the last of his trace and funneling it into our greatest asset—me."

The deity was eerily silent for a long moment. Long enough for me to feel a cold shiver run down my spine. My fingers tightened around the hilt of my sword. Escape would be hairy…but if the Fates weren't giving me an out, I probably wasn't in any real danger just yet.

Or maybe I was just coping. That was also a very real possibility.

"I see," Finally, he gave a soft sigh, the sense of anger emanating from him ebbing away like a fan being turned off. The air stopped vibrating around him. "You use his echoes. The influx of your own energy ignites whatever embers were left over, giving you his power with none of the drawbacks. Interesting. You truly are willing to go out of your way to protect those you care about, aren't you? Not that I can blame you, you are me in a way, after all. But, I see you could only activate it when you allowed yourself to sink into your anger. Is that the only way you can access it?"

I nodded slowly, remembering all the other times I'd tapped into Oceanus' power. I didn't have that much to go off of. I'd barely used the power since getting it, since Medusa's warning about getting the wrong kind of attention was still fresh in my mind. "I think anger is the trigger to accessing this form."

"Rage is an important emotion," Monaxiá said after a few moments of silence. His words tumbled through the air like snow falling down a hill. "And it has the potential to move you past what you thought you could do. You need to regulate it more, though."

I squinted my eyes a bit at his words. Regulate it? "What exactly do you mean by that?"

The god pointed his sword in my direction, for once not threatening to maim me with it. "You're allowing your rage to override all your other emotions. It's coloring your decisions, and all your actions are a way for you to vent that anger. If you allow yourself to sink too far, you might not even care about winning as long as you can achieve a sense of catharsis."

I winced a bit at just how blunt he was being. I couldn't deny the truth in his words, though. The last time I used this power, I had gone far harder on Jason and Piper than I ever had to.

I could have probably incapacitated them painlessly, but the anger had pushed me to be far more brutal than I ever intended. All I wanted was that feeling of relief at the end of it all.

[Gamer's Mind MK2] was probably capable of neutralizing that drawback, but I hadn't gotten the chance to try it out because of all the running around I'd been doing ever since.

Monaxiá had a knowing look in his eyes. Almost as if he could see me come to the realization. "Your goal is to avoid that. Use anger as fuel, but don't let it become the central flame itself. It should feed your desire to achieve your goals and save those you care about, not replace it altogether. Trust me, I've experienced it all too well."

My eyes widened at his words. How in the hell was he able to point out the exact thing I was doing wrong so quickly?

Was this the level of skill and experience I had to expect from other Olympians? How much was Artemis holding back every single day? If she was really this strong, how the hell did she not kill me with that energy blast?

Still, I listened to Monaxiá and let the anger flow through me a bit more. [Gamer's Mind MK2] popped up like a volume bar, and I lowered my finger, lessening it a bit.

Like a drip valve loosening, droplets of anger rolled down into my furnace and exploded throughout my body. I imagined the anger like a stream of water and smoothed it down into my bloodstream, like a gently flowing stream.

Flashes blurred through my mind—though only this time, they weren't mine. I saw a beautiful woman with glowing green eyes and dark hair—Oceanus' wife, Tethys. Her face was contorted in pain, and her lips were trembling.

I have some anger of my own, too.

"Yes, that's it." Monaxiá's words cut through the haze like a knife through butter. I forced myself to take deeper breaths and regulate the balloon of anger in my chest. I exhaled and it shrunk further, shooting more emotion into the rest of my body. "Be careful now Percy. Remember, don't fall to it, control it! You're not a slave to anger, it is your tool to wield."

An icy blue aura blazed around my feet, carrying a flurry of snowflakes that went blasting around the cavern. It shot upward in a column of energy, discharging debris and rocks outward in a ring.

Frost crackled to life between my fingers. A sheet of ice burned down my forehead and lengthened into a cover that down my neck and coated the tips of my hair. A thin layer of permafrost flickered to life over my armor.

I took a deep breath of the near-freezing air around me. My broken nose made the motion hard, but I got through it.

Despite how it stung my lungs on the way down, it filled me with a feeling so invigorating it was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. The anger was still present beneath my skin, but it wasn't controlling me anymore. It felt more like a whetstone I could now use to sharpen the blade that was my drive and ambition.

[Form unlocked]: False Titan, Grade 1

|| Congratulations, you've begun the path to mastering Oceanus' echoes inside of you. Currently, your level of control manifests as a 'False' form* and not a real one.

'False' transformations occur when you have the required physical power but lack the required mental understanding of the power to utilize its full potential. True mastery of this form* can only come through meditation, usage, and a deeper understanding of its origin.

*Form refers to a transformation that physically alters your genetic makeup. While using this power, your mana and blood are tinged with Oceanus' power. Currently, your physical stats get a flat boost of 5x. This multiplier will increase as you get more comfortable with the form, and increase its 'grade' through hidden quests.

A sharp grin was present on Monaxiá's face. He looked proud, almost. His version of being proud was what you'd probably refer to as other people's version of being neutral. "Well, that was certainly an impressive first attempt. And here I thought I'd have to break you out of a rampage."

I shot my own grin back. I sucked in a breath, and it stung just right. Tethys' face blurred in my head again, and another pulse of power burned through my chest. "What, do you think that little of me?"

The deity just laughed. Not a little chuckle, mind you, but a full belly laugh. The kind of inviting, indulgent laugh that made me want to join in, even though we were mid-battle. "Not in the slightest, but this is beyond what even I expected for your age. But still, I think it's better if you had a visual demonstration of exactly what I meant, don't you?"

I felt an EAS alarm blare inside my brain. Something felt very, very wrong. "Wait, what…"

FWOOM!

Remember how I mentioned that the air itself felt heavy the last time he allowed more of his power to leak out? Well, this time, it became difficult to breathe with how much pressure he was exuding. I thanked my lucky stars that the Game's HUD was in its more streamlined mode for combat, otherwise who knows what kind of glitches I would have seen.

But even more concerning was the veritable rage I felt infused the air around me. It was as if you took the rage he'd previously shown and distilled it into its purest essence. And yet, it wasn't running wild at all.

Monaxiá had it locked down and under his firm control, not even giving it an inch of leeway. It was like a wild stallion standing still, or a grizzly bear with a muzzle on its mouth—there was something terrifying about the prospect of this much anger being held in check. It couldn't be healthy.

I could only watch with a rising sense of dread as his eyes gained a tint of yellow to them, and as he pulled his lips into what I assumed was a smile but was much closer to a snarl, I saw his canines had elongated into fangs. Even his nails had lengthened into claws.

However, the most terrifying part was how silent it was. There wasn't even a single hint of power leaking out, all of it was contained under his absolute authority. And yet, it felt like I was in the midst of a deafening storm with how my ears were ringing. I was certain that I wouldn't have heard anyone even if they were shouting into my ear.

But one sound cut through the haze. A growl, deeper and more dangerous than that of any hellhound's. And I knew it could only be coming from one source.

The edges of my screen were flashing a dangerous red, and I saw a double exclamation mark pinging once again in the corner of my screen. If there was anything I'd learned from video games, it was that you did not want to see that color during a fight. Hoping against hope that it wouldn't be too bad, I clicked on it.

[URGENT WARNING: CHANGE IN STATS]

[PERSEUS JACKSON]

[OLYMPIAN]*

[SON OF POSEIDON]

[SON OF HESTIA]

[WEAPONMASTER]

[GOD OF MONSTERS]

[IIIIIIIIIIIIII]

[LVL]: 1500

[HP]: 20,000,000,000,000/20,000,000,000,000

[SP]: INF/INF

[MP]: INF/INF

[STR]: 72000 (+12000)

[VIT]: 54000

[DEX]: 42000 (+6000)

|| The title [GOD OF MONSTERS] allows Monaxiá to change parts of himself into monstrous equivalents, as well as quadruple his physical stats when suitably enraged. It also makes him immune to any dangerous substance originating from a monster. ||

Well fuck.

Was this unexpected? Yes. Did it make everything far more difficult than I'd hoped? Also yes.

There's no good news here. That's it.

The fiery javelin slowly contracted, once again becoming a ring on his left hand. Part of me wanted to feel offended that he didn't want to use two blades against me. The other part was worried about what he would now do with the added dexterity he'd been afforded.

But I also couldn't deny how the adrenaline was pumping in my veins, Oceanus' remnants crowing at the prospect of fighting all out after so long. In a way, he'd gotten his wish from before granted. We really were pushing each other to new limits.

"Now, come at me." The voice boomed throughout the cavern, a faux-bell signaling the beginning of a new round of fighting. His yellow eyes flashed. "Show me how much anger you have."

I took a deep breath, considering my options. As I pulled up on the roaring well of power I now had access to, I felt something in the air, begging for me to harness.

I brought my hand forth, fingers splayed out. Following the tug in my gut, I spread the power out before me and squeezed.

Within an instant, a large ball of water hovered above my palm.

I stopped for a moment, my eyes frozen on the sphere. I'd always been able to condense water from the atmosphere, but it had never felt so easy before. The energy I'd expended was almost nonexistent.

It was as easy as dribbling a basketball.

I can finally use my strongest abilities, I thought, a grin tugging at my lips. Well, turn me up then.

Wasting no time, I summoned more water before slashing my arm through the air, manipulating the liquid into a long, glistening arc of water that was as wide as a volleyball net and as thin as a sword.

DRRRRRRR!

There was a slight whirring noise as the front of the water bubbled. The front rippled, and the front of the arc began to sharpen into a deadly blade.

I shot the water towards Monaxiá, before grabbing my javelin and dashing forward.

Once again, I engaged the deity in close combat, but this time I was pulling all the stops. This new form pushed the reserves of energy I had to the max. I felt like we'd taken a pit stop and I'd slammed ten Red Bulls.

Every slash of my blade was accompanied by a powerful burst of water, cleaving its way through the rocky walls he summoned like they were butter. Every thrust of my spear was augmented by a burst of fire shooting forth, hungry for something to consume. The putrid green flame cast shadows dancing all around the cavern.

The dance was as beautiful as it was deadly. Haunting flashes of blue and green lighted the cavern, the elements glowing brightly with how much mana I channeled into them.

And yet, not one attack landed on Monaxiá. Go figure.

I grit my teeth, speeding up even more, but it was pretty much futile. Even though I'd caught a second wind, there was still a pretty big difference in how we were using our power over the elements.

I used my elements more as a crutch than an extension of myself.

They were merely a means for me to attempt to bridge the gap between the two of us. No matter how skilled I may have been at dual-wielding, Monaxiá made me look like an amateur with a singular blade.

He needed no crutch, no elements to enhance his movements. He just needed himself.

I need to pull on that power just to speed up my body enough to keep up. I'd never done it before, not to this level, at least, so I was kind of learning along the way, but still.

One moment I was rolling away from a brutal thrust, only to find myself right in front of the very same sword screaming toward me. I could tell some of those moves were softened a bit to ensure he didn't skewer me, but the impacts were still enough to cause pain to bloom wherever he connected.

I need something to get even closer.

Sending another jet of water towards his face, I put some distance between us, noting how he dodged it instead of trying to take control of the water. Something to note, maybe Oceanus' influence made it so that he couldn't control the water I generated.

Pushing the thought aside, I pulled up the one skill I could think of that might allow me to stop him.

Once again, I rushed forward, a similar attack pattern as before. The god stood ready, almost as if he was able to read my moves before I even made them. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he could, but he was definitely not prepared for what I was about to do.

Right as I was about to enter his range, I activated [Blood Artist].

The strain I felt was immediate, immense. The ichor within Monaxiá's veins did not want to bend to my will. I was already pushing the ability to its absolute limits with how I hadn't dealt a single significant blow to the god, and his apparent Jedi-like mind control was making it the mental equivalent of trying to poke a hole in steel with a toothpick.

Don't move. Don't move a fucking muscle.

I stumbled in my charge, my knees buckling as the stress hit me like a battering ram. My shoulders groaned in pain, and my armor creaked.

I tried to picture a piece of paper in my head, a sheet of white that was unblemished. I tried to make it crumple in my head. I began imagining his ichor bending to my will and obliterating him from the inside out.

The tip of my spear dug into the ground as I used it to stop myself from toppling over, but the move worked. Monaxiá stood frozen before me, his face pinched in shock as his limbs refused to respond.

I began to walk forward, hobbling a bit as I continuously fought a mental battle to maintain control. Each movement felt like I was wading through Jello. My fingers began trembling around my weapons, and my jaw was shaking.

The amount of pressure I was applying would have crushed a normal human like an empty soda can or maybe popped them like an overinflated balloon. Hell, this had been enough to rip out Iapetus' blood.

Though, I'd landed way more hits on him, so that was different.

I finally got close enough, lifting my sword, ready to land a proper strike for the first time. The strain within my mind was almost unbearable, but I only needed one good hit, and it would all be worth it.

Gritting my teeth in a mix of pain and focus, I swung my blade down.

The crescendo of pain in my mind fell eerily silent, right as the telltale sound of steel on steel rang against my ears.

I gasped in surprise as I fell back, the counter and sudden disorienting sensation getting the best of me. Mind racing, I reached out with my senses, trying to grab control of Monaxiá's blood once more.

Nothing. Or more accurately, any mental probe I sent out slid off my target like it was coated in grease, my power never able to get a grip. It seemed the only reason I'd been able to control Monaxiá for any length of time was the element of surprise. The moment he realized it, I had no hope of asserting any control over his blood.

"A worthy attempt." The voice was low, dangerous. I could tell that I'd made a mistake. "But if you're willing to go so far, let's see if you can keep up with this."

The next attack sent me smashing into the ground, a large crater forming around my prone body. I hadn't even seen him move, only felt his rough, calloused hand wrap around my face as he pummelled me into the floor.

And yet, I bounced back up. My body was riddled with bruises and aches, but I wasn't quitting, not yet.

"You can do better than that!" I called out into the wind. The crater from before was pooling with a strange black liquid. Monaxiá was barely visible now. Pissing him off wasn't the smartest move, but I knew I was reaching the end of my gear. If the fight was going to be over soon, I wanted to see his full power. "Don't take it easy!"

I didn't hear a reply, but the energy in the room shifted. He disappeared.

It was as if a veil had been drawn over the world, casting everything in a hazy half-light that distorted the very fabric of reality. The air grew heavy with a sense of foreboding, thick tendrils of unease wrapping around me like invisible chains.

My senses screamed in protest, warning me of the danger that lurked just beyond my sight. The air crackled with a strange energy, sending sparks of electricity skittering across my skin like tiny insects.

It was a sensation unlike anything I had ever experienced, a feeling of being simultaneously pulled in every direction at once. Reality itself seemed to warp and twist around me.

CRASH!

Monaxiá was on me instantly. I didn't see his sword, and I don't remember raising mine, but the clash of our weapons reverberated through the air, crisscrossing and meeting over and over again, each strike resonating with a thunderous intensity that sent sparks flying like fiery constellations in the darkness.

Monaxiá moved with fluid grace, his blade a blur of color as it sliced through the air with deadly precision. I could feel the weight of his speed bearing down upon me, and now, more than ever, he seemed like a relentless force that threatened to overwhelm my defenses with every passing moment.

Sweat beaded upon my brow, mingling with the scent of metal and dirt as I fought to keep pace with the onslaught. Each swing of my sword was a calculated gamble, a desperate attempt to parry his blows and find an opening amidst the whirlwind of his attacks.

My branching decision tree was resetting every second—no, every millisecond. Monaxiá was a kaleidoscope of forms, switching from orthodox Greek stances to some Roman stances I'd seen, to stances I don't think I've ever seen before.

It's like what Lupa did to me. Or, well, tried to. The only difference now is that half of the forms Monaxiá is pulling out are completely new to me, and he's executing them before my synapses can fire off in the first place.

I was always a step behind.

The world around us seemed to fade into obscurity, leaving only the clang of our weapons and the pounding of my own heart echoing in my ears.

The gap in our skill transformed from a steadily opening tear to a gaping chasm that threatened to swallow me whole if I dared to falter.

"You're better than I'd expect for your age," Monaxiá grunted, batting away Riptide and clutching his fist. He made a throwing motion and sent a blast of dark energy at me. It started off maybe the size of a coin, but by the time it reached me, it was a roaring sphere about as wide as one of those old-timey gongs. "You're even better than I expected for a demigod. Most gods I know would have trouble keeping up."

I teleported behind Monaxiá, but the blast swerved, picking up more speed and curving into my path like a homing missile. I pulled out a [Mirror of Aphrodite] and pulverized the blast, but he just flicked his wrist and sent two more coming my way.

I went to dodge those, too, when Monaxiá suddenly disappeared again. My senses yelled at me, and even though I wasn't sure why, I activated [Time Dilation].

As the world slowed to a crawl, I heard a slight humming sound. I looked up and saw Monaxiá hovering above me, his hand outstretched with the same menacing energy.

The scariest part of it all was the fact that his body was still falling, and his eyes were still moving at a normal pace, even though he should've been completely immobile.

How fast was he moving?

I knew that the second [Time Dilation] wore off, I was screwed. If my calculations were correct, the second things returned to normal, he'd be on me before I could react. I needed a way to tank the attack.

[Frozen Over] popped to life at the top of my screen.

I could feel ice spreading up my arms, encasing me in a glittering, blue-white shell, albeit slowly. As my [Time Dilation] meter reached halfway, I crossed my arms in front of my body and braced myself. It wasn't perfect, but it was all I had.

The world resumed.

Monaxiá's fist struck me like a hammer blow, ripping through my guard and slamming into my chest with a force that sent me reeling backward through the air, the impact reverberating through every fiber of my being.

I'm pretty sure I heard something crack—though, I'm not sure if it was my ribs or the armor.

I was kind of hoping it was my ribs. If Monaxiá was packing enough power to destroy a hydra's skeleton with a punch, well…that wasn't good news for me.

Dark tendrils of energy snaked their way across my body, searing through my armor and getting straight into my flesh and bone. Agonizing tendrils of pain shot through me, a symphony of torment that threatened to overwhelm my senses with its sheer ferocity.

I fought to stay upright, to push back against the tide of darkness that threatened to consume me whole. But with each passing moment, the fatigue set in, weighing me down like a leaden cloak that sapped my strength with every breath.

My limbs felt heavy and sluggish. Desperate gasps for air filled my lungs, each breath coming harder than the last as I struggled to stay conscious amidst the onslaught.

The world around me blurred and wavered, the edges of my vision growing dim as darkness threatened to swallow me whole. I could feel my grip on reality slipping away like grains of sand slipping through my fingers with each passing moment.

BAW!

Monaxiá laced me with a series of punches that landed like battering rams. The building pressure felt like a rhino had taken a seat on my chest. He snapped my head backward with a lead elbow that definitely ruined my already-shattered nose even further, and before I could even register the pain, he grabbed me and flung me into the air.

I did better than last time, though! I must've gotten four, maybe five seconds of airtime before he grabbed my leg and slammed me back down into the cavern.

A pained gasp escaped my lungs as the rocky floor cracked and buckled, my body leaving a solid imprint on the ground. I coughed hard, tasting the metallic tang of blood in the back of my throat.

My new form was incredible. It put me at a level way beyond anything I'd faced till now. Beating Lupa would have been an absolute breeze if I had possessed it at the moment.

It didn't matter. Monaxiá was so far beyond me that my transformation did nothing to bridge the gap between the two of us. He was still untouchable, still an unyielding force no matter how much I threw at him.

I shakily got back to my feet, stumbling a bit as I righted myself. I can't allow myself to fail like this. I'd promised Monaxiá, promised myself that I'd go all out. Was I really going to go back on my word?

No. I couldn't allow it. Even if I was to lose, I had to give it my all. There must be something I had that could allow me to at least affect him.

Monaxiá watched impassively. It seemed like he was giving me an open shot, a chance to charge an attack more powerful than any I'd done till then.

Almost as if it heard me, [Coalescence] bubbled to life on the top of my vision. A tired grin crossed my lips.

Just what I needed.

Water swirled around me. It trailed up my body and arms and snaked it between my fingertips. I raised my hands, stretching them outward like two cannons.

I'm the son of Poseidon. It's my right to control the water. It has to listen to me.

I imagined the molecules in the water knitting together, forced to vibrate into a closed space by my focus and my focus alone. This wouldn't be a stream of water, no, it would be an indestructible pillar of water strong enough to pierce a hole through the Underworld.

I cupped my hands together. Water began dripping down from my arms into the cup of my hands, swirling together into a sphere.

Natural mana began flooding into my system from the cave, I felt the power pool, building in my chest. It tingled down my spine and into the water stream. The sphere began glowing with shades of green and red, doubling and then tripling in size.

The water kept building, and building, and building...

With a primal roar, I thrust my hands forward, releasing the pent-up energy in a torrential blast of water.

Have you ever been to the waterpark, and there's that gigantic bucket of water that keeps filling and filling until it tips over? Imagine that, but dialed up to 100.

It roared forth like a tidal wave, a tsunami of power that crashed through the air with a deafening roar. The wave was deafening, a cacophony of sound and fury that echoed through the air like a thunderclap.

The sphere spun and spun, powering the pillar of water and sending streaking lights down the side of the pillar.

Its sheer force tore through the cavern, cracking the walls, and in some cases, even breaking the environment and sending gravel flying down into the dark corners of the cavern.

I could feel the power of the ocean coursing through me, fueling the onslaught as it crashed toward Monaxiá with unrelenting force.

For the briefest moment, right before impact, time seemed to slow to a crawl, allowing me to see the surprise that lit up Monaxiá's eyes. Despite how much I'd been tossed about till that point, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at exceeding his expectations once more.

Even if I couldn't beat him, at least I could surprise him.

The pillar of water hit him. Hard.

Honestly, with how insanely pressurized it was, calling it just water would be doing it a disservice. This wasn't even close to water anymore.

Imagine a solid pillar of iron ramming into you faster than a fighter jet. That's what it probably felt like.

I lost view of the deity as the front end of the stream exploded outwards, froth and foam mixing in with the glowing liquid due to the rapid change in pressure. The power behind the blast sent water careening around the cavern, wetting even the furthest walls.

I gritted my teeth as I continued pouring more and more energy into it. The power behind this move was leagues above any I'd pulled before. It would have put opponents like Iapetus in the dirt within moments, I was sure of it. And yet, it was still struggling to push Monaxiá back. Even though I couldn't see him, I felt his presence, an immovable wall in front of my attack.

With a guttural yell, I shoved every last ounce of my energy into the attack. Finally, I felt him budge. My arms were shaking from the strain, barely holding on anymore, but I was finally breaking through!

All of a sudden, any resistance I felt against the attack vanished. I almost stumbled, the lack of the oppressive force I'd been pushing against allowing my attack to crash forth, engulfing the deity as it continued along its path unimpeded.

For a moment, the savage joy of victory following a bloody battle coursed through my veins. There was no way I'd actually won, but I landed a hit, right?

And what a goddamn hit it was.

But just as quickly as it came, the joy vanished, replaced by dread. The pillar of water had begun to curve around, circling where Monaxiá stood. Slowly, it constricted into a tight cocoon, almost as if it wanted to entomb its victim.

The only issue? I wasn't the one controlling it. And it was then I realized that Monaxiá not taking control of my attacks was not because he couldn't, but rather because he had wanted to give me a chance.

Frantically, I cut off my attack, but the dome remained. I reached out with my senses, [Coalescence] pushed to its limits, trying to regain control. After all, the move was supposed to give me control over the very molecules found in water, wasn't it?

I had no such luck. Every time I tried to pry the water away, it felt like I was a fifth grader trying to pull apart steel with their bare hands. Nothing I did had any effect.

"A valiant effort." The voice was distorted, the water around it making it sound darker, more muted. "But you placed too much trust in your command over water. You may have Oceanus' remnants within you, but I've had over a century to refine my control."

Before I could even speak, the dome of water exploded outwards. I braced myself, preparing for impact, but none came.

Confused, I opened my eyes, only to gape at the sight before me. Throughout the cavern, thousands of marble-sized spheres of water hung suspended in the air, each of them still glowing with the mana I'd infused within them.

It didn't last long. The ones nearest to where I stood slowly morphed, hardening into wickedly sharp icy needles. I threw myself to the side right as they shot forward, but I still couldn't avoid all of them. One passed dangerously close to my face, opening a shallow gash along my cheek.

I flared my senses out once more, desperately trying to find any weakness in Monaxiá's control. I hoped that, with how much his focus must be spread, I could probably focus on just a few spheres of water and wrestle control away. It may not be much, but it would give me a slim chance.

It didn't work. Even when I focused on a singular sphere of water, Monaxiá's iron will was absolute. I couldn't even budge it from its position.

This is the power of a god. This is what I need to reach.

For a moment, I despaired. I'd known that there was a gap between us in terms of skill and experience but to this degree? I had hoped that Oceanus' influence would at least allow me a greater chance at retaining control, but I had been dead wrong.

What I saw before me wasn't merely tiny balls of death waiting to launch themselves at me at the command of their master. It was a tapestry that showed what true mastery over water looked like.

Monaxiá seemed almost amused as I rolled around the cavern, barely avoiding being skewered by his tiny icicles. "Running away now, are we? We can't have that," he said, tapping his foot against the floor.

A spiderweb of fractures spread from where he stood, rapidly covering pretty much the entirety of the cavern floor. I looked around, trying to find a spot where I could stand, but no section was large enough to accommodate both my feet.

I could try one-legging it and balancing on a ledge, but that was risky. On the bright side, all the hopscotch I played as a kid wouldn't have been for nothing if I did.

Note to self: stop pissing off gods who can break the landscape. Wait, isn't that all of them?

I set my jaw and looked around. It seemed like I was trapped with nowhere to go, waiting for my inevitable fall—both figurative and literal.

It began with an ominous crack. The ground near his feet buckled as the rocks broke apart under the extreme force. It expanded outwards, the sound growing from a series of cracks to a rumble, which crescendoed into a roar.

Chaos reigned as the entire cavern floor began to undulate in a near wave-like motion, the separate rocks either sinking or being thrown up by the rapid fluctuation of pressure beneath them.

I tried to balance myself, pushing back against the onslaught by using my own Earthshaker powers to reduce the magnitude of the quakes. It didn't work.

Within moments, I was being tossed around like a rag doll, until I grabbed onto one of the larger pieces of rock and held on for dear life, my stomach flip-flopping as I tried and failed to stand. At the center of the chaos, Monaxiá stood like a monolith, not affected in the slightest by the mayhem around him.

I knew I couldn't stay in that position for much longer. The god was already shaping some of the many remaining spheres of water into yet more icicles. Honestly, I ought to be thankful that he was going a bit slower, maybe in an attempt to let me recover my bearings. But it didn't take away from the fact that I needed a solution instantly.

Well, I had one option. Hopefully, it worked.

The area around me was bathed in a dazzling golden light as [Amaterasu's Radiance] flared to life, the ethereal wings spreading from my shoulders. One powerful flap sent me rocketing up, well outside the reach of Monaxiá's attacks, at least for a moment.

The god raised an eyebrow as his burning gaze met mine. It looked like he wasn't even surprised anymore when I pulled something off. Instead, he merely grinned and reoriented the icicles to face me once more.

I took a moment to scan the battleground from my new vantage point. The glittering tips of ice glistened in the aura of my wings, sending beams of white light flaring throughout the cavern.

The floor was cracked to all hell, and Monaxiá was still causing it to quake violently, effectively canceling out any possibility of me returning to the ground. The walls weren't much better, and trying to lean on them would be playing into his grasp.

Water was out of the question too. Anything I did from this point on would have to be through my power, aerially.

But even that wasn't so cut and dry.

My own power wasn't doing the trick anymore. I'd been throwing some of my strongest attacks at him in the hopes of at least keeping up with him, but that very same strategy had drained me way too much.

[Coalescence] may have been an overpowered ability, but it took a lot out of me. The drain had been less in Atlantis, but I'd been surrounded by water back then. Now since I was smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, I could already see how low my stamina and mana points were, and having to maintain my wings wasn't helping.

I felt dead on my feet. Or, well, wings. I felt less like a demigod channeling someone's radiance and more like a barnyard chicken trying to stay afloat. And, if the look on Monaxiá's face was any indication, I'd be tenderized before long.

Maybe I could use someone else's power?

As I stared at Monaxiá through the shimmering wall of icicles, an idea formed in my head. Not a smart one, if his past was any indication, but a final way I could try to even the tables. Or, well, at least get rid of the immediate danger.

I don't know if you can hear me from here, Aphrodite. But I could really use some help.

Even though I couldn't hear any reply, the spinning ball of pink mana on my chest stopped spinning for a second. Warmth spread throughout my entire body, and I exhaled slowly.

Pink energy sparked on my fingertips. Strobing balls of light swirled around my hand and vibrated loudly. The ruined landscape around us crumbled to dust, and my wings blasted me into the sky.

The energy was guiding me. My body was moving like it was on autopilot.

I flung my hands forward, and the balls exploded out of my hands. I had no idea what they were going to do.

WHEEEEE!

The balls of light shrieked, lengthening into javelins of energy the size of surfboards. They blasted toward Monaxiá, dozens of attacks peppering the wall of icicles like bullets out of a machine gun.

The god didn't even seem phased, instead allowing a large portion of the water spheres to coalesce into a solid wall before him. My javelins crashed into the surface, a deep, resonant gong echoing throughout the chamber as the pink lances dissipated.

"It's a start," I mumbled, watching as the pink light disappeared. I pulled my hand back and the energy receded, bubbling on my fingertips again. "Time to reevaluate."

I raced toward the other side, another [Mirror of Aphrodite] forming in my palm. The moment I was able to see past the edge of his shield, I flung my hand out and let the chaotic energy within explode forth.

"The same tricks again Percy?" Monaxiá didn't seem impressed. "You're already tiring, don't sabotage yourself further."

Yes, keep thinking that, I prayed, watching as he condensed even more of the suspended droplets into yet another shield.

A sense of satisfaction washed over me as I realized that he'd had to use far more than what he needed to defend against the previous attack.

My eyes rapidly scanned my surroundings, noting how I'd already forced him to use a third of the water in the air. It was still less than I would've had to use, but it at least meant that even if he could control it, he wasn't able to infuse his own mana into it.

Or he just didn't choose to.

Either way, I knew what I had to do. Regardless of why he chose to not add any mana to the water, I was going to use it against him. At this stage, trying to figure out his motive was just a waste of time. I had to take the advantages as they came.

[Pyrokinetic] was beginning to explode outward again, and my HUD beeped. The blue bar of mana in my top right was beginning to drain at a steep rate, but that was the least of my worries at the moment.

A powerful ball of fire formed in my hands, the orange flames slowly becoming white due to the intense heat. With a snarl, I thrust my hand forward, funneling energy into what became a blazing torpedo.

The blaze of heat forced a fair amount of the water to evaporate instantly before Monaxiá summoned yet another wall of water. Another major chunk of the hanging spheres vanished in a cloud of hissing steam as the attacks canceled each other out, leaving him with a bit under half the water he initially had.

It's not over yet.

Faster than I could blink, he had transformed hundreds of droplets into those damned icicles, firing them off almost too quickly for even my superpowered eyes to track.

I had no choice. Turning around, I flew away as quickly as I could, diving and rolling as often as possible to make myself harder to track. Even so, I could feel the projectiles slamming into my armor, small cracking sounds accompanying them. Once again, I hoped it wasn't the armor itself being damaged.

For a moment, I thought about wrapping my wings around myself in a protective cocoon. But a singular glance told me it was futile. The projectiles easily punched their way through the translucent feathers, leaving tiny needle-sized holes that quickly filled back up with the same golden light.

While my wings being indestructible was a good sign mobility-wise, it also meant that they would provide no defense at all. Zero. I'd probably be safer hiding in the Aphrodite cabin during fashion week.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the hailstorm ceased. Slowing down marginally, I turned back, breathing a sigh of relief as I saw Monaxiá standing there, not a single drop of water anywhere near where he stood. But for all I knew, he'd just allowed the water to evaporate, waiting for the moment he needed to condense it once again to catch me off guard.

I could feel [Pyrokinesis] under my skin. My body was growing hotter and hotter, the flames, and a severe itching feeling, were beginning to skitter across my body. A silent scream echoed in my mind as the heat became near unbearable, but I held on.

Just a bit more, please.

The fire curled around me. The emerald green flames I'd begun to get used to fused together, crisscrossing into shades of white and gold.

What?

A lion's roar echoed throughout my mind.

A blinking message sprawled to life in front of me:

Release [Flames of Sekhmet]?

[YES/NO]

Yes?

The pain doubled down, and the fire cocooned me, expanding outward into a flaming dome. I could see waves of heat floating around me. They reached down and burned sigils into my skin, shredding through my fingernails and ripping lines of flesh right out of my arms.

Angry red lines of raw skin appeared, and I gritted my teeth. Finally, when I felt I couldn't contain it for a moment longer, I let go.

A massive, burning firestorm burst forth with me at the epicenter, raining hellfire throughout the cavern. Large tongues of flame burst to life even along the furthest walls, the incredible heat of my attack causing the chemicals embedded in the rocks to spark to life.

White-gold peals of fire erupted from whatever was below the cavern, illuminating the world in a sea of light. Monaxiá dodged the pillars of fire with ease as the temperature within the cavern rose several degrees, the back of my throat rapidly drying as any remaining vapor quickly evaporated, entering a state that couldn't be condensed back into water.

My lungs burned, barely able to handle the oppressive heat within the cavern. Everywhere my eyes could see, the terrain had transformed into one reminiscent of a Renaissance painting of hell. Plumes of fire still rained down from above and around us, flashing like bolts of lightning.

And yet, right in the middle of the cavern, Monaxiá stood unphased, the flames surrounding him in what almost looked like a protective circle. Half his shirt was burnt, but the skin underneath didn't have so much as a scratch.

Another attack that didn't affect him. What else is new, I thought bitterly, but I knew I didn't have time to mope. It seemed Monaxiá was giving me one final chance by switching to a more stationary fighting style, being a pillar of strength in the midst of chaos. If I didn't land an attack this time around, then nothing would work.

I eased the mana I was funneling into [Pyrokinetic] as the fire burned my lips, and the tangy zing of my blood exploded across my tastebuds. The skin on my arms painfully knitted itself back together, but some of the other injuries I'd taken were beginning to pile up.

My fingertips were covered in third-degree burns, and the left side of my face felt extra sensitive to the chill of the cavern—I didn't even want to imagine what I looked like at the moment. I probably looked like one of those half-Hawaiian pizzas from Cugino's.

Just a bit more. I'm almost at my limit.

I pulled on Aphrodite's power once more. I could already feel the strain mounting; I wouldn't be able to rely on her for much longer. A slight bit of relief worked its way across my face as ghostly fingers gently touched my cheek.

Tiny balls of bright pink energy started swirling around me, each of them buzzing with concentrated power. I allowed a couple of them to fuse together, elongating the newly formed sphere into a massive javelin of volatile godly energy hanging in the air beside me.

Angling forward, a powerful flap of my wings sent me racing ahead, gaining momentum. Right as I was about to enter Monaxiá's range, I pulled upward while at the same time launching the lance, sending the bolt of power screaming forth, directly towards the deity.

Monaxiá didn't seem too amused by my actions. With a simple flick of his wrist, he stopped the attack in midair, the crackling pink sphere unable to move an inch. With only the slightest hint of effort, he began to condense the power, one that was in no way related to his own, back into a ball. Even from a distance, I could already see his own mana beginning to leak into it.

If he did manage to completely bring it under his control, then I was screwed. It seemed Monaxiá would rarely use his own abilities, but using any of my own attacks against me—even an amped version of them—was fair game to him.

I couldn't allow that to happen. If I'd learned one thing from all this, it was that there were times when you could regain control of situations, reason your way through them, and weigh all of your options equally. There were also times you had to throw all your cards down and go balls to the wall.

This was a balls-to-the-walls situation.

My control over the pink mass of energy was already slipping, but that was actually a benefit. The volatile mass needed to have an iron will be imposed on it at all times in order for it to even remotely maintain its shape. With how Monaxiá was methodically wrangling control away from me, it still remained stable. That was all I needed.

In an instant, I relinquished any aspect of control I had over the sphere.

The surprise on the god's face was cathartic for the split second I witnessed it before he was engulfed by a massive explosion.

BOOOOM!

The cavern shook, rubble raining down from the ceiling as a powerful quake rumbled the already damaged foundations. More flashes of heat from [Flames of Sekhmet] blazed what was left of the ceiling into tiny particles of dust.

Despite knowing that they offered no protection, I folded my wings in front of my body, closing my eyes even though the explosion itself wasn't overly bright— it looked kind of like a dull pink cobweb expanding outward—while my ears were assaulted by the near-deafening bang.

I'd braced myself, the winds from the blast buffeted me a good fifty feet away. My ears still rung, even worse than when I'd used my dad's ring to create a flashbang.

For the first time in the entire fight, Monaxiá seemed to genuinely be taken aback. His shirt was now in complete tatters, and his palms were red after taking the brunt of the impact.

But I didn't have time to bask in my victory. I had to press my advantage or lose it forever.

Activating [Accelerate] once again, I watched the wheel spin, but this time I wasn't hoping for speed. Section II.

I love you, fate. Please love me back, just for the next ten seconds, will you?

My mana was low, yes. The ability would only refund my mana on abilities I use, so those that could consume more than I already possessed, like [Coalescence], were out of the picture. But still, it was enough for me to go out with one final bang in the few seconds I was afforded.

I locked eyes with Monaxiá once more, before rushing toward him, my wings flapping hard enough to create shockwaves in their wake. The god might have been on the back foot for a moment, but I pulled closer and closer, both my weapons at the ready and the remaining balls of Aphrodite's mana swirling around my body.

Right as our blades were about to connect, I activated [Death Drop] once again.

I reappeared around ten feet away, my wings already carrying me further away from Monaxiá. Gliding for a brief moment, I turned myself back around, before rushing him again, before teleporting away right as we were about to connect yet again.

The constant dull booms of my wings flapping filled the air as I teleported almost every second, knowing that Monaxiá was slowly losing patience. It was a risky gamble, having to go far enough to unsettle him but not so far that he decided to take the initiative and attack. But it was my only option.

After a final [Death Drop], I looped around once again, but this time around, I allowed my wings to bring me to a standstill when I was a good forty feet out. Cocking my arm back, I aimed my javelin right at the god, charging it with my mana until the metal began emitting a harsh glow.

[The Thousand Hand Technique] flared to life within me, the power flowing into my arm as my grip turned crushing against the javelin's handle. Flapping my wings once more to generate momentum, I blasted forward, before throwing the spear forward with every ounce of strength I possessed.

The javelin cut through the air with ease, the air around the tip catching on fire due to the speed. The mere flight caused the ground below it to crack due to the sheer power it contained as it barrelled directly toward Monaxiá's chest.

The god didn't move. Maybe he saw it as a final desperate ploy for success. Admittedly, he wasn't wrong, but the only difference was in how he thought I would proceed after it. I was hoping for that.

Standing tall before me, Monaxiá swung his sword forth to meet my weapon mid-air. The moment they connected, chaos burst forth.

If I had to describe the next second or so based on what I'd felt, it would be encompassed in a few emotions: desperation, determination, and pain.

I'll have to break it down a bit, otherwise, there's no way to explain what happened if I simply try to give you the play-by-play.

The spear I'd thrown? I hadn't just imbued it with my mana to make it a credible threat, but I'd also allowed some of the mana to be tied to my [Photokinetic] skill. The moment Monaxiá's blade connected, I allowed the light contained within to burst forth in a brilliant blinding flash.

I had taken inspiration from the flashbangs I created using my dad's ring, but using it at a distance wouldn't have worked. I may have lost a weapon, but I knew I'd disoriented Monaxiá for at least a split second.

Right as the flash began, I tapped my foot against the ground, mimicking Monaxiá's action from before. The quake I created using [Seismic Wave] was nowhere close to as powerful as the god's. Luckily for me though, he'd already pretty much destroyed any structural stability of the cavern floor, so it was just as effective.

Barely a quarter of a second since I threw my spear. [Accelerate] was already approaching its limits; I had to be quicker.

The quake reached Monaxiá's feet in no time, causing the already-blinded god to lose his footing once more. Crouching, I activated [Death Drop] one final time, appearing ten feet behind him. The floor, barely outside the range of my quake, crumbled into dust as I launched myself using both my legs and wings.

The god almost seemed to sense that I'd teleported, but unlike last time, he wasn't able to pinpoint where I was.

I couldn't help it as a near-feral smile pulled at my lips. There was a reason I'd made sure there was no vapor left for either of us to control. And I wasn't repeating my previous mistake: every single time I teleported, I'd allowed a bit of my mana to seep into the ground. I'd created holograms of myself once again, but instead of being present physically, they were present whenever anyone tried to see mana.

Half a second since I threw the spear. [Accelerate] was barely holding on.

I didn't care; I would push myself to my absolute limits. But I needed more time, something I didn't have as I was just about to strike Monaxiá.

My body was almost screaming under the strain I placed on it as I activated [Time Dilation] once again. But it was my only available option.

I knew I didn't have much time. Barely any time had passed since I'd last activated it to save my skin, and the meter had barely filled up any. I needed a tradeoff if I wanted it to last longer.

Everything slowed down to a crawl, my own body included. I watched, almost feeling like a passenger in my own body, as my arm traveled forward slower than a snail. I had to sacrifice my ability to move faster than my surroundings in this state, nor was I able to completely stop time. Even so, the meter would barely last me five seconds in my view. Half a second in real time. I had to make it count.

[The Thousand Hand Technique] still flowed under my skin, but it wasn't enough. I allowed even more mana to flow into the skill, buffing its effect even more. I just hoped it wouldn't hurt like a bitch after.

In the corner of my HUD, my mana reserves blinked red as the number fell dangerously low. Even with [Accelerate]'s mana replenishment active, I was burning through my reserves faster than they could fill up. Thankfully, I wouldn't need much else.

I allowed my sword arm to arc down, the blade acting as a counterweight while I cupped my free hand. All the remaining pink spheres whizzing around my body began collecting in my palm, fusing together to form a larger and larger mass. The heat alone from the pulsing ball of mana was enough to scorch my palm, barely being offset by my active abilities.

But I knew the impact would be enough to even rival what I'd launched using [Coalescence]. While it may not have the raw power behind it, it was condensed enough that the initial contact would be just as brutal.

Over half the available meter was already drained. Three-quarters of a second had passed since my final volley began.

My eyes widened as Monaxiá began to turn towards me. It seemed he'd finally sensed where I was. The agonizingly slow pace forced me to simply watch as inch by inch, his arm came closer to knocking mine off course. This was going to be close. Far too close for my liking.

[Time Dilation]'s meter finally ran empty. The glowing ball of volatile pink mana brushed past the god's arm, barely avoiding it, before ramming into his chest. One second had finally passed.

The explosion made all of the previous ones look tame. This time around, the pink light was as blinding as any flashbang I'd generated. The explosion was so loud it was almost like I didn't hear it, instead, the sound rumbled in the very depths of my bones. The recoil tossed me away like a rag doll, sending me sailing over a hundred feet away. I barely managed to soften my landing, still wincing as the sharp rubble that remained of the previously solid wall dug into my back.

[Accelerate] finally petered out, [The Thousand Hand Technique] following right behind. Even my [False Titan Form] fluctuated slightly with how low my mana was, barely holding on. Knowing it wasn't smart to maintain them anymore, I allowed my wings to fade away.

Aches and bruises spread all over my body, running bone-deep. Limbs shaking, I ever so slowly lifted my head, blinking black spots out of my vision. Even so, my sight remained blurry until my ears finally stopped ringing, although everything still sounded a bit muted. My eardrums were probably still recovering.

Monaxiá floated in the air before me, his shirt completely gone. His hair and beard were a tousled mess, and the left side of his torso sported a nasty red mark after tanking that attack. Even as the burn rapidly faded, I basked in the knowledge that I'd achieved my goal. I'd landed a hit on him, one that was actually significant.

It was over.

It seemed Monaxiá read my mind if the wry grin on his face was anything to go by. He allowed his sword to return to rig form, leaving him unarmed. "Well done Percy. I must admit, I'm impressed. You definitely are good."

"Thanks," I croaked out. I lifted up my hand, wincing at its state. My fingers were torn to shreds, and at some points, bits and pieces of bone stuck out. "Any chance we'll end this with a firm handshake?"

"I think not," Summoning my spear from one of the few still-visible patches of ground, he tossed it back to me.

I grinned deliriously, watching my fingers barely hold onto the weapon. Riptide was basically fused into my other hand at this point.

"Don't smile," It seemed someone wanted to burst my happy little bubble. "I have one final challenge for you." The words were heavy, and laced with what I could only describe as dark, sadistic amusement. "I know you're dead on your feet, but it is common in drawn-out battles. I want to see how you hold up against me in this state."

Grimacing, I dug the tip of the spear into the wall. The slab from before held me in place. I opened my mouth, ready to say that I could barely walk when the very air vanished from my lungs.

Describing what I felt would be futile. The only thing I could focus on was desperately trying to breathe while it felt like every single molecule of air was being sucked into a vacuum, and the very gravity in the room doubled. Every single fire still burning was instantly snuffed out as a sudden chill encompassed the cavern.

I don't even know if there was any noise. It could have been silent. It could have been as loud as a jet engine. Nothing registered in my ears as my heart almost froze under the sheer pressure exuding from the god before me.

The only true warning I got was when Monaxiá's already yellow eyes became almost acidic, the poisonous color bleeding into his sclera. A faint, almost invisible aura surrounded him for a split second before it disappeared.

On the outside, it seemed nothing had changed. But every single one of my senses— no, my very soul—told me that this was the most danger I'd ever faced in my life.

The game didn't even bother with a notification this time around. The entire HUD glowed red, and a dropbox opened up.

[DANGER: CHANGE IN STATS - AVOID AT ALL COSTS]

[PERSEUS JACKSON]

[OLYMPIAN]*

[SON OF POSEIDON]

[SON OF HESTIA]

[WEAPONMASTER]

[GOD OF MONSTERS]

[BANE OF THE PROTOGENOI]

[|||||||||||||]

[LVL]: 2850

[HP]: 19,999,999,980,000,000/20,000,000,000,000,000

[SP]: INF/INF

[MP]: INF/INF

[STR]: 136800 (+22800)

[VIT]: 102600

[DEX]: 79800 (+11400)

A cold pit formed at the bottom of my stomach. So this is the true power of an Olympian.

But I couldn't run. I had to face this final challenge to the best of my abilities, even if I was going to be laid out on the floor. My mana had begun to refill, but it was still far too low for me to use any of my abilities. I'd have to rely completely on my physical abilities. Thankfully, I still had some stamina. Hopefully it would do me some good.

I dug the tip of my javelin out of the ground, bending my knees into a more defensive stance. As quickly as I could, I lifted my sword, trying to get into a position from where I could counter easily. I began to kick off the wall—

BOOM!

Within the blink of an eye, Monaxiá had covered the distance between us. He'd moved so fast I could swear he'd left an afterimage behind him.

My sword had barely come halfway up its arc.

His open palm smashed against my chestplate, driving me back into the wall. I didn't even feel my back scream in pain, I was already numbed by the shock of impact.

This time around, I didn't even need to question it. The hydra armor, even protected as it was by my [False Titan Form], crumpled like paper under his hands. The bone warped and bent, snapping apart at the seams. For a split second, I was unable to breathe as the armor caved in around my chest, before Monaxiá simply ripped it off.

On one hand, I could breathe again. On the other hand, it was quite obvious that even at my absolute peak, this matchup was the literal definition of a nuclear bomb against a coughing baby.

I barely got a minute to collect my thoughts before his crushing grip encased my right leg, the shin guard breaking even more easily than the chest plate. The sharp edges of the broken bone dug into my skin before a simple flick of his hand sent me sailing into the air.

I could sense the panic begin to bubble up before it was smothered by [Gamer's Mind MK2]. Still, what could I do? I had literally nothing left in my arsenal.

But I had to at least try. Raising my weapons, I tried to orient myself in the air so I could at least attempt to attack.

Once again, I was too slow. Monaxiá was upon me, so quickly that I didn't even see him move. He grabbed me by the arm, although this time not hard enough to crush my armor. Even so, I hissed in pain as the pressure mounted on my forearm. Part of me wondered whether my armor or my bone would snap first.

Before I could find out, the god flung me towards the other side of the cavern, bulldozing me a good four feet into the floor. The impact caused a crater twice as large as any previous to form, as well as kicking up a dust cloud over a dozen feet in the air. I could tell that any armor that had remained along my back was obliterated by now. It was honestly a miracle that the same hadn't happened to my spine.

I tried wiggling out of the hole, but Monaxiá was there again. He was moving so quickly that the very air itself seemed to be struggling to catch up to him. It wasn't a sonic boom he created, no. The space he occupied previously simply became a vacuum, one that the surrounding air rushed to fill with a loud whoosh. And the spot where he appeared had the air around it displaced in a deafening bang. The speed and sound almost made it seem like he was teleporting across the scarred battlefield, chasing me down.

A heavy boot pressed against my chest, preventing me from taking another breath despite how much my lungs were screaming for air. My bleary eyes looked up, meeting the burning yellow ones of the god. He kneeled over me, his lips stretched in a grotesque facsimile of a smile. I could clearly see his sharpened canines, as long and thick as a lycan's. The bestial growl was even deeper and darker than before, sounding more akin to a rocky avalanche as opposed to a human voice. But at the same time, under it was a sharp, serpentine hiss, one that sent a chill running down my spine.

Monaxiá straightened back up, kicking me away without putting in much effort. Well, for him. For me, it felt like a semi-truck smashing into my ribs, destroying the few remnants of armor that ran along my side. I'd already lost over half my protection, and at the rate I was going, the rest would last even less.

This time, he walked toward me at a normal pace, even though he could have crossed the distance instantly. I groaned as I desperately pulled myself up, heavily leaning against my javelin for support. Sweat rolled down my forehead, dripping into my eyes as I quickly shook my head to right myself.

I'd been launched at least a couple hundred feet, and my body was hurting as much as I expected it to. Looking down, the armor along my right thigh had cracked too. Monaxiá had probably damaged it when he'd crushed the shinguard, but seeing even more of my armor crumble was not helping my spirits.

Lifting my head, I almost recoiled when I saw the god standing just a few feet away. His eyes were glowing with power, and there seemed to even be the slightest hint of battle lust creeping in.

I hadn't previously understood why he held the title of God of Monsters. Nothing in my life really predisposed me to them for any reason other than killing any that attacked me.

Looking at him now? I could tell that he truly embodied what it meant.

There was nothing extra in what he did. No elemental attacks, no long-winded feints, and thought-out strategies. He was walking me down like I was dirt beneath his feet.

Mustering up every single remaining dreg of strength I possessed, I tensed my legs, allowing the power to build within them. I took a single step, before exploding toward where the god stood. He didn't even move.

Right as I got close to him, I dug the tip of my lance into the ground. Using it almost as a launching pad, I threw myself into the air, channeling all of the momentum I'd built into one powerful swing of my sword. It was strong enough to smash through a concrete bunker like it was butter.

Monaxiá stopped my attack using a single finger.

I didn't even have time to let the shock settle in. He grabbed the damn blade with his bare hand, the sharp metal not even scratching his skin. Planting his foot down, he swung me over and above his shoulder, before slamming me down into the ground again.

My body had taken too much punishment. With a final, quiet sigh, my [False Titan Form] fizzled out of existence.

I knew I couldn't recover from that blow. My entire body was a singular mass of pain. Even trying to move an inch was enough for my muscles to scream in agony. And with how Monaxiá was walking me down, I knew he wouldn't stop until I admitted defeat myself.

And yet, my mind balked at saying those words aloud. Even though I was hoping for so long that the fight would end, me having to admit defeat rankled me like few other things had ever done. Defeat was something I just wasn't used to. I'd known that I'd lose to Monaxiá even when we began, but knowing I'd lose and actually losing were two different things.

However, I had no other choice. Monaxiá had already planted his boot on my chest once more, and I was not going to last another kick. Pushing my injured pride to the side, I choked the words out around the lump in my throat. "I… I give! I can't go on any longer Monaxiá, you win!"

Instantly, the crushing pressure vanished, causing me to gasp for deep lungfuls of air. Monaxiá was right next to me, his eyes back to their regular mix of green and red, obvious concern present within them.

A rueful smile was present on his face as he looked over me for injuries. A bit rich coming from someone who'd beat me half to death, but I'd take it.

"I guess I went a bit overboard, didn't I?" He almost looked embarrassed, his eyes not really meeting mine. "There's a reason I'm so adamant about perfecting control. At full power, even I struggle with battle lust and restricting my own strength."

"That's all well and good," I said, the words sounding far too weak for my liking. "But could you help me out a bit here? I think you broke my ribs."

Monaxiá simply chuckles, a small blush on his cheeks. Well, at least he was embarrassed. I'd take that as a win.

Placing his hand against my chest, he allowed his mana to seep into my battered body. Instantly, I felt my body relax as the healing properties of his energy began knitting the worst of my injuries back together.

After a few moments, he lifted his hand. While I was still bruised and aching, I didn't feel like I'd fall into unconsciousness any moment.

"Sadly, I'm not the best when it comes to healing." Monaxiá gave a helpless shrug. "I've mended the worst of it, thankfully it wasn't beyond my skills. But I wouldn't trust myself when it comes to healing smaller injuries."

"It's fine, Monaxiá. I can manage." I'd lived through worse. Bruises and aches were easy to deal with in comparison. My ego was what really hurt. "Fuck me, that hurts. I'm pretty sure it hurt less when I had my throat slit last year."

Monaxiá gave me a weird look for that comment, but I guess he decided to just move past it.

"Well, you wanted to talk about the fight after you were done, didn't you," he asked, holding out a hand to help me get back up. He summoned a slab of the ground over, giving us a solid base to stand on.

"I think I get it now," I gasped out, slowly rising back to my feet. I stumbled a little, and Monaxiá grabbed my arm and slung it over his shoulder. "I need to change, to reinvent myself. Being who I am…thinking what I thought…it would've always ended this way. If I hadn't met you and I'd kept going the way I was going, I would've never been strong enough to save everyone."

Monaxiá eyed me quietly. He could tell I was going somewhere, even though he wasn't sure where or why.

"You've fought me. You've seen what I can do," The remnants of armor began repairing some of the remaining bruises, although it was slow going. I cut off [Pyrokinetic] and the red patches on my skin began disappearing. "I'd ask you to tell me if I'm strong enough to fight Kronos, but the multiversal differences might make that a hard question to answer. Instead, give it to me straight: how strong am I, and how do I get stronger?"

The god was silent for a moment, contemplating his answer. Flashes of fire still echoed from underneath us. "I'll answer how strong you are first. If we're just talking about what you're normally capable of, I'd say that you're definitely the most powerful demigod I've ever met. While you may not have the raw physical strength of Heracles, you're still definitely among the strongest demigods ever. But what sets you apart is the incredible range of your powers. I've seen you use elements and affinities you ought to have no business using, as well as using abilities no one at your age should have access to."

"And on top of that, you have those abilities that let you skyrocket your strength temporarily." He continued, frowning a bit while he thought. "With those, I'd put you around the same level of strength as most minor gods. Maybe even as strong as Triton."

Yep, add that to the list. I beat him in Madden, I'm a better 3-point shooter, and—

"However," Monaxiá continued, bringing me down from my high horse. "That doesn't mean you'd beat Triton in a fight. Even if you may have him beat in strength, he's far above you in terms of experience and mastery. He's forgotten more about combat than you've ever known. I'd honestly put the both of you around neck and neck. Still, there's levels to it. Even the weakest Olympian would crush you effortlessly."

I was about to mention how I'd beaten Aphrodite, but I remembered that in his world, her power wasn't restricted. I was basically fighting her with who knows how many handicaps on.

"Well, I guess that is the perfect segue then," I said, trying to lighten the mood. Kind of hard to do with my body looking like I'd been tossed in a paper shredder, but I'm nothing if not resilient. "What would you say I can do to get stronger? Aside from juicing. I'm not that desperate. Yet."

Monaxiá simply shook his head. "Percy, you're looking at it the wrong way. Getting stronger isn't just about learning new moves in order to gain the strength to make up for your deficits. To become truly powerful, you have to start with a solid foundation. You need to ensure that your basics are good enough to support the more advanced material."

My smile melted. It was the same thing I'd heard over and over again in school: master the basics.

Can't do addition? Failing Latin? Master the basics!

"Dude, I've already spent more than enough time drilling myself on the basics. Wouldn't that be enough?" I craned my head. "Do you want me to just keep spamming Viper Beheading Strikes?"

Monaxiá gave a small chuckle. "Ah, I forget that no matter how experienced you may be, you are still a teenager. No Percy, the basics are not a one-and-done thing. The stronger you get, the stronger you'll have to ensure your fundamentals are. Tell me this, what was the biggest difference you noticed between us during our duel?"

I deadpanned, "I don't know, maybe how you had enough power to pretty much nuke me if you wanted?"

The god simply laughed. Rude. "Ah, that's my fault. I was referring more to the beginning when I was restricting myself to your level of strength. Think for a moment and then answer."

A part of me wanted to jump the gun and give a quick answer, but I held back for a moment. I thought back to the beginning of the fight, which simultaneously felt like it happened a couple of minutes ago as well as an entire eternity ago.

What stood out the most to me was how scarily easy it was for him to evade my attacks. A regular observer would have thought I was exaggerating. All in all, if you slowed down the tape enough, it would look much closer than it was.

When he evaded my punches, most of them had been just about a hair's breadth away. His parries were more like deflections—nothing more than a feather-light touch, the kinds of hits that you'd imagine I could blow through with a bit more strength.

Well, the reason it looked so close was because he had no use making it look like anything else. No one else had been here for him to show off to, and he didn't need to make the gap larger to throw me off balance.

The close misses were because he moved just as much as he needed to avoid my attack, not an inch more. The soft touches were because that was all he needed to throw me off course.

"Your efficiency," I breathed out. "You didn't waste a single movement. It's what you were telling me to do as well."

Now I understood why he was a god of combat. He embodied the very thing every single warrior strived to improve in their fighting style.

He didn't do anything overly flashy because it was simply wasted energy when there was a more optimal choice. It was subtle but understated. All of that saved energy could end up being important down the line.

And it seemed he expected the same from me.

Monaxiá nodded, a smile ghosting his features, almost as if he were proud of me for guessing it. "Exactly. And how do you become more efficient?"

I went to answer but found that my voice died in my throat. The answer was obvious.

The god simply chuckled. "It seems you've realized it. The stronger you get, the more you are capable of refining your basics. It's a continuous cycle, one you should never ignore."

"The same goes for training your abilities too," he continued, summoning a large orb of water to hover over his palm. He must have noticed the surprise clearly present on my face with how he chuckled. "Oh, don't look at me like that. This is exactly what I meant."

"I know your strategy was based on superheating the water molecules to a point that you couldn't even think of condensing them back into liquid form so that I couldn't build up a defense. What you failed to consider was that with how much more experience I have, I could most likely condense water from a far more volatile state than you could. But I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt for once, and I'm glad I did. That was some attack."

Even the praise at the end didn't do much to take the sting away. He'd pretty much said that my entire plan could have blown up in my face in a serious duel.

Well, if it was a serious duel he'd have probably skewered me in the first couple seconds, but eh, semantics.

"So you're saying it's not just about learning new abilities, but about mastering the ones I already have?" I confirmed.

"Yes it is," Monaxiá said. "Try to go as far as you can with your skills. Of course, since you don't have as much time, I would say prioritize the skills that you think you'll use the most in the upcoming battle, but don't neglect any of them either."

He paused for a moment, before sighing. "I know I'm being a bit harsh here. And honestly? Your current level of finesse and skill is beyond any demigod before you. Even Achilles would struggle to equal you in battle. But considering the caliber of challenges you'll be facing, you need to be better than ever. It's difficult, but necessary. I survived my encounters with far too much luck, I don't want you risking the same."

I nodded in understanding. Looks like one of the first things I'll be doing once I get back is taking a long sabbatical to fine tune every single one of my abilities as much as I could.

"But after that, what are my next steps? I can't keep improving just my basics forever." I slowly slid out from Monaxiá's hold, standing on my own two feet. They were a bit wobbly, but I could at least stand.

The god agreed. "And that is why your next step would be to expand your range, to have more ways to attack. You could either learn new abilities, or you could learn how to utilize what you know to create patterns or combinations that are equally as effective."

I perked up at that. It seemed I was getting exactly what I wanted now. "Go on."

He gave me a once over, assessing me. "The first thing I would say is training to become more durable. You've got a lot of power, but without your rapid recovery, your body would have given out far earlier, and you cannot always rely on having access to water to recover."

Well, he's not wrong. I have been neglecting my [VIT] for a while, mainly because I was fast enough to easily dodge anything thrown at me. But if this fight had shown me anything, it was that against the top tiers, I could not rely on simply dodging everything.

But that did present a pretty important question. "That makes sense, but wouldn't funneling energy away from my strengths mean that I'd be slower to progress in my fighting style? Is that what you're suggesting—that I change my current style since it won't be effective further down the line?"

It was a fair point. A fighter's physique and abilities were usually tied to their fighting style.

Most Greek fighters you'll see will have bodies that are suited for their particular brand of combat. And with how most weapons work, that means more of an emphasis on the back than the chest and the triceps and forearms over the biceps.

Kind of the opposite of a lot of models or bodybuilders. They're always more focused on their abs and chests. It makes them look perfect for the front page of Abercrombie catalogs, but it's empty. They're not strong. And it's why I'm not referring to their build whenever I call someone jacked or ripped.

Monaxiá and I don't look like that. Well, I kind of do, but that's because of the Game. Even then, we won't be walking the runway anytime soon, but we will be fighting ancient monsters and gods.

Our physiques are built for power and utility, not aesthetics. Because in our world, prioritizing form over function is a one way ticket to my uncle down below.

However, there are a few different ways those muscles present themselves.

For me, that means a body that's more attuned to speed and agility to fit with my style of swordsmanship. I like to go fast and use the fact that the Game keeps my flexibility in a constant peak state to pull off acrobatics that would probably mean torn ligaments and hyperextended tendons for anyone else.

As a result, I'm lankier and I don't carry an insane amount of muscle to weigh me down, but I'm still strong enough to pack a punch. Think along the lines of Brad Pitt from Fight Club, if he had a bit more weight on him.

As for Jason, he's built for strength. The best analogy for his fighting style is a battering ram—big and destructive. He's got a body to match, too. Wide and imposing. Like a column of marble. Have you ever seen the Farnese Hercules statue? Well, Jason has pretty much emulated his elder brother's physique to a T.

Monaxiá, though? He's unfair, that's what he is. Nonsensical. A walking paradox consisting of size and agility all in a single package. Like I'd said before, he was pretty much the greatest cheat build when it comes to combat, like someone had just pushed all the sliders to the max. He almost had as much size as Jason did, but at the same time had the agility and flexibility of a gymnast. I still remember how he pretty much folded himself in half to avoid my spear poke.

That's why I never really focused on my [VIT] as much. My entire style revolved around me being light and fast enough to be more acrobatic with my moves. Changing my style would be incredibly difficult, but if I could manage to mold myself into a fighter similar to Monaxiá…

Almost as if he'd read my thoughts, the god shook his head. "You're thinking about this the wrong way. Yes, your progress may be slower at the beginning, but at the rate you're going, you'd hit a ceiling in your growth after a certain point. You'd have more than enough firepower to face your opponents, but if they get even a single good hit on you, you'd be out for the count. And you can never say you would not get hit at all."

"And I can see what you're thinking. Don't try to emulate my style yet." My face turned red as he gave me a blank stare. "I've had over a century to develop and refine my style. While I do think you have the ability to change your style, something this drastic needs a long learning curve, and you have limited time. Focus on improving your own style while shoring up your weaknesses."

"Anything else you can tell me?" I stretched my arms overhead, trying to ease the ache in some of my muscles. It stung for a moment, but I could already feel the increased blood flow. The ache in my ribs wasn't gone yet, though, and the coppery taste in my mouth still pointed to some internal bleeding somewhere.

"If there's another thing you need to keep in mind for the future, it's working on the strategies you come up with during battle. You were doing well, but you were relying on what you expected to happen. Don't. It leaves you open to more unpredictable fighters. You want to ensure that what happens comes to pass."

I winced a bit at that. He wasn't lying. Even ignoring the fact that he could have easily circumvented my ploy to take out vapor from the field, there were other times when I was definitely a bit lax with my planning.

There's a reason strategy is one of the four main components of battle, and I silently cursed myself for allowing myself to get rusty. For a while, the fights I'd been in had been about me trying to outmuscle my opponents, or using my powers to gain a leg up against them like in my fight against Lupa. The last time I'd been forced to truly push myself to my absolute limits had been against Iapetus and Tethys.

It was a completely different ball game against Monaxiá.

Remember the analogy I used of calling fights a symphony? I'll take it one step further. Each fighting style can be considered akin to sheet music, with the forms and movements being the notes that build up the melody.

Those who are generally considered good fighters can follow this melody with almost no errors—that is, they know different forms, and they've learnt them well enough to not make mistakes in their execution of the same. The best fighters can take bits and pieces from different melodies and mesh them into a fusion almost seamlessly, combining different fighting styles to always keep the opponent second-guessing.

Monaxiá though? When it came to fighting styles, the closest equivalent my analogy provides is Beethoven. He didn't simply mesh together a number of fighting styles, no. He could create a completely new style on the fly with perfect execution, which meant that his foes would literally have no frame of reference for what he'd do next. After all, why rely on other people's melodies when you can simply compose your own?

And that's when it clicked for me. The reason he was so adamant on me drilling the basics over and over. They were the individual notes that were necessary to compose the melody, and one could only build it up if they knew exactly how to use them.

"Do you have to make me feel stupid?" No, I wasn't whining. Sue me. "Now I'm just going to be replaying everything I did over and over in my head."

Monaxiá just shrugged. "Well, that is a good way to improve, so I'm not going to be mad about that."

Grumbling under my breath, I tried to give him the best evil eye I could muster. It failed.

"But there is one more thing. I think you did notice it already, but I'm able to learn techniques well outside what most people expect me to." And no, I'm not explaining why I can do that to him. We'd be here for another hour or so if I did. "Do you have any ideas about what moves I can learn which could help me?"

Monaxiá looked thoughtful for a moment, before he replied. "Well, I can think of two things. Your fighting style is dependent on speed and agility, isn't it? Your wings definitely help with that, but if you can, try to control the winds themselves to propel you forward even faster."

"And when it comes to defense, I'd say you could definitely supplement it if you could use the earth to create another layer of armor over your body." Almost as a demonstration, he allowed the ball of water he was holding to quickly morph into a translucent glove, before allowing it to disperse into the air. "Earth may not be as durable as your armor, but there is far more of it available around you. You could form multiple temporary shields to block any blows from your enemies without having to worry about how long it would last."

Hmm, that definitely does sound interesting. I'll have to check out what perks I have available soon. But there was one thing I had to do first.

"Oh yeah, speaking of armor, you know the one you ripped apart was a gift from Dad, you dick?" Was I being a bit of an ass with how I phrased it? Yes, but with how much physical pain he put me through, he deserved to feel bad for a bit. "My prize for rightfully fighting off all the other claims to the throne, mind you. Now, you could force me to go back to him looking like I got mugged, but I think you should take some accountability here."

Well, it's official. I've made Monaxiá blush harder than he probably has in who knows how many years. The flush ran from his cheeks almost down to his neck as he looked away again.

"I should honestly send you back in this state for that cheek alone."

"Nah, I'm growing on you, admit it!" I grinned. "I'm like a rash you can't get rid of. The surprising kind. Like, you don't know if you want to seek medical attention or not just yet—"

Monaxiá shook his head in exasperation "You're really like the younger brother I never wanted, aren't you?"

Despite his gruff tone, he waved his hand, summoning the scattered pieces of armor. As they came closer, the warps began to rapidly mend themselves until they returned to where they should be, the holes and tears seamlessly melding together until it looked as pristine as the day I'd received it.

I thought he was done, but Monaxiá placed his hand on the now-fixed armor, causing it to glow a faint gold.

"A little upgrade from my end," he said, giving me a small grin in response to my curious gaze. "I've boosted the durability slightly so it won't break as easily as it did before. It was already quite resilient, but a little more wouldn't hurt, would it?"

Well, I certainly wasn't going to complain. But at the moment, my attention was drawn away by something I felt. It was like a mental switch was linked to my armor, one that I couldn't help but flip. Instantly, it felt like a thick blanket was draped over my shoulders, wrapping me in its warmth.

Monaxiá answered before I could even ask. "I slipped in another small upgrade. If you want, you can make it so that your armor makes any regular monster around you far more hesitant to attack. It's dead useful when you want to quickly move through a crowd to get to the main enemy in the center. Sadly, it won't work on more powerful monsters like the hydra or minotaur, but it's something at least."

For a moment, I was struck speechless. "What? How did you manage that?"

The god simply smirked. "Being the god of both weaponry and monsters has its perks."

"I—thank you, Monaxiá." I allowed my armor to revert back into a ring. As it did, I couldn't help but notice a slight change. It was almost imperceptible, but along the center of the metal ran two intertwining bands, one green and the other red.

A small reminder of my journey.

A moment of silence settled over both of us. I felt like I had so much that I wanted to say, but at the same time, no words came. Monaxiá was probably in a similar boat, with how he was looking past me into the distance, almost as if he could see something I couldn't.

The almost serene atmosphere finally broke as I felt a slight tug in my gut. Unlike the last time, I knew what was happening. My time was almost up.

Monaxiá seemed to sense it too, if his expression was anything to go by. "Well, I guess it's about time you returned to your dimension, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess." There was so much I wanted to say. He'd helped me more than I could have ever expected in such a short period of time, and he didn't even ask for anything in return. Part of me wanted to go on a long, heartfelt spiel, but I knew he would appreciate something shorter and more genuine.

"And Monaxiá? Thank you. For everything. I'm going to take the stuff you taught me today and use it to protect everyone."

The god simply smiled as he gently clapped my shoulder. Not a grin, not a smirk, but a soft, genuine smile. "Don't thank me yet. I only gave you pointers. The rest is up to you."

A soft ping came from the Game's HUD. I pulled up the notification, seeing the checkmark now present next to [Task of the Multiverse].

[Perk Unlocked: Multiversal Travel!]

I raised my hand, and peals of white and purple smoke pooled on my fingertips. They swirled around my hand, like streams of water trying to catch each other. The swathes of smoke smushed together like playdoh, and in the middle, amidst the murky color, images began flashing.

I recognized a few of them as the universes I'd been to already. A few of them I'd never seen before, but at this point, I couldn't be bothered.

I just wanted to go home.

The images stopped flashing through, and settled on a group picture—the one we'd taken before the Fall Ball last year.

Me, Thalia, Jason, Piper, and Silena. All grinning and smiling. I stared back at myself, and the smoke billowed out around my ankles, snaking up my shoulders and pluming out in front of my eyes.

I gave one last look to Monaxiá. I could barely see him through the smoke. "Once this is all over, I'm coming back for a rematch, and I'm going to push you further than I did this time. Don't let your old bones lock up while I'm gone."

The god just laughed at my words. "I'll be waiting then. Don't disappoint me, alright?"

"Oh, and about Artemis…you better get on that," I grinned. Artemis' angry face flashed in my head. "You're way stronger than me, yeah, but I've still got more game. Give me a shout if you need some pointers. I don't mind making the trip back!"

If there's one thing I'll regret, it's not being able to see Monaxiá's reaction. If the comment about my armor got him blushing that bad, I could only imagine what that would've done. The blasting feeling from before was back, and I went hurtling through space and time, a grin on my face.

PLOP!

Cold pavement stretched out beneath my feet. I blinked a few times, and realized I was in the exact spot I'd been in when that old lady was getting mugged earlier.

"You must be the volunteer for this borough. Hype! I dig the whole streaker costume, dude, but there's going to be some kids here, so put on some clothes!" A guy in a hippie outfit said as he walked by. He passed me a whistle and a can of crazy string. The sky above me was covered in strokes of orange and purple—was it sunset? "Have a groovy Halloween! The parade starts at 7, though, so get in position. Good luck, homes!"

"Yeah," I replied, watching him amble down the sidewalk. I glanced down and noticed my clothes were in absolute tatters. My shirt was two strands of white on my shoulders, and my pants were ripped so bad that you could see my boxers underneath—so, Monaxiá got the last laugh, after all. At least I'd only been gone a few hours, so I could still make good on my promise to Persephone.

After I found a fresh change of clothes, that is.

"Thanks, man. You too."

AN: You may recognize some of this AN from the April Fool's joke. All good lies have a bit of truth in them, yeah?

[General stuff]: Sorry for the little break. I had a lot of you message me or leave me comments asking if I've given up on the story. Hopefully, this chapter will assuage some of those fears. If not, allow me to put in clearer words: I'm not abandoning this story, now or ever.

I have a yearly quota of 100k words I try to hit. It's there both as a goal and a cautionary measure for burnout. I never want to write too much and then lose the heart and soul of what makes the story great in the name of numbers, but I also don't want to write too little and stop moving things along.

This year, I absolutely demolished that quota and then some, so I decided to take a break and work on some other stuff to avoid that. That break was supposed to be about a month. So, from the last chapter, which was in December, I was originally going to start writing in January. Then, school started, so I got a bit busy with that. Right after that, I had a three-week vacation where I didn't have time to write, of course, so by the time I got back in mid-February, it had been enough time for everyone to sound the alarm.

I mean, I get it. I know you're used to authors dropping their stories because of hate or burnout, or something, but you don't need to worry about that here. I'm seeing it through. And, if you're ever truly fretful, go to one of the links in my bio and join one of the discord servers and you can hear it from me.

Though to tell you truth, you won't ever have to wait this long for a chapter again. Unless I'm dead. Then you'll have to wait a hell of a lot longer than this.

This is the last chapter of the interlude. Now since it's over, I'll be back on my normal schedule, so expect biweekly updates but hope for weekly ones.

A huge thanks to Prop, again. Writing this chapter was a blast, and it was really cool to see my Percy go all out against someone, even if he ended up getting ragdolled toward the end. An expected outcome, if you've read both stories, so please don't act like it's a crime Percy lost. Monaxia killed Tartarus. Tartarus.

We had a lot of fun incorporating different elements of our characters into the fight and making it an interesting read while still serving a narrative purpose for the story. Percy is going to be in a much better place heading into the rest of the story.

[Discord]: I'm going to begin plugging this link at the end of every chapter. FFN, again, has lost control of their email bot, so all I'm going to say is if you never want to miss an update again, follow this link to the Discord and more.

Furthermore, I'm going to be doing live writing tallies there. Confused or curious about where the next TFOAC chapter is? You'll be able to see how much of it is written in REAL TIME. Also, I love talking to y'all about the story and getting your takes and whatnot. Plus, I run polls in there, let you guys decide how certain parts of the story unfold, show early chapter previews and much more!

We just hit 300, and I'd love to get to 500! It's easier than ever, too, just take the spaces out of this:

Linktr . ee /maroooon

[Next Chapter]: Also…this is a double upload. First part of Titan's Curse P2 is up! Right now!

That's all for now. I'll pass it to Prop!

Proph: Hey everyone, been a while hasn't it? (well, since my last author's note that is, we just dropped a chapter a couple weeks ago lol)

First of all, I gotta thank Maroon once again for letting me chip in on this chapter. This is the final bit of what we'd initially expected to be another small little meeting between our characters, around the same length as their first meeting all the way back in chapter 23. Instead, it ballooned out into a massive 3 chapter saga. However, I can never say that I had a single boring minute while writing this. Meshing our two styles was an incredibly fun challenge, and like I said before, I hope I pulled it off well enough.

It's definitely interesting to try to enter the headspace of Maroon's Percy, who's this sassy, sometimes arrogant teenager who at the same time is hardened by war, when I'm more used to writing Monaxiá as a broken man who's pulled into himself to deal with his past. What's even more fun is fleshing out the dynamic between two characters who are fundamentally identical but have had radically different experiences shape their outlook on life.

But with that being said, I'll just repeat it once more for clarity. I'm well aware that how Monaxiá acts here may seem a bit different than what you would expect from his RTT self. Trust me, there's a valid reason for that, though why it's so will remain a mystery, for now at least…

But yeah, with all of that being said, I wish Maroon all the best for the rest of his story! It's been a blast to watch not only the word and follower count increase, but also his skill as a writer improve the further he gets into the story. Trust me, you do not want to miss what comes next, and who knows, maybe I'll return again sometime in the future? No promises though.

(Also, if you want to talk more to either Maroon or myself, the link to our shared discord server is in the linktree, so go check it out! Peace.)