Author's Note (1): Just wanted to quickly thank everyone for the love and support! We crossed 200 followers a couple days ago, and You guys have been great at the reviews! Thanks everyone! Now on with the chapter!
I woke up to the smell of… beans? The strange smell filled the air, and I felt the gentle warmth of fire next to me. It was weird. My last memory was of lightning burning my body, but now I feel like a new man. God damn the Gamer's Body skill was powerful.
I looked up, and saw Luke, munching down upon some canned beans. "Oh great! You're awake" Luke said, relieved. It felt weird to see the future general of Kronos being concerned about me. "You were hurt real bad, but you've got some sort of regeneration ability. We still gave you some ambrosia though."
"Oh yeah, I've always had that" I lied, "Though I do still have some scars" I looked down to my hand, which had jagged scars that lead up to my shoulders. It was like mini lightning bolts. "Also, how come you didn't wait till I was awake to give me ambrosia. I wanted to taste some!" For the first time since dying, I actually pouted like a child.
Luke simply laughed, "Well, you'll have to settle for beans, Gill" He handed me a can of beans with a plastic spoon. Man, the corn in my inventory was looking real good right now. Only thing holding me back from taking it out and eating it was the fact it was fucking corn.
"Oh, by the way, where's Thalia?" I couldn't see her anyway. But perhaps she was simply underneath a tree, disguised under the cover of night and blending in with her all black appearance.
"She headed out that way" Luke sighed, pointing east, "She feels really bad for hurting you, so she's probably attacking some poor tree with her spear" Crap. Now I feel bad for making her feel bad. "Don't worry Gill. She always gets like this after a fight. Just wait for her to come back on her own, and everything will be back to normal" Okay, that doesn't sound very healthy Luke, but frankly I'm a bit too hungry to argue.
Before I take a bite of my beans, I pour some of them into the campfire in front of me. "To Tyche" I pray, hoping the goddess enjoys beans. I could really use some luck.
"What are you doing?" Luke asks, looking at me strangely. Did he seriously not know? I know his mother had a lot of mental problems, but surely she would've told him a little bit about sacrificing food to the gods. Right?
"Food for the gods" I explained, "You sacrifice a portion to a god of your choice, and there's a chance that they give something in return." It was still a bit ridiculous, but at least they didn't need live sacrifices. Though I wonder if they like McDonalds? I know that ghosts do.
Luke rolled his eyes, and bitterness filled his voice. "So it's not good enough that they abandoned us, they want our food as well". Ah, his hatred for the gods. What leads him to his doom. Maybe… Perhaps there was a small possibility… that I could nip this in the bud.
"Luke, the gods have to abandon us for a reason." He looked at me with anger. But not hate. "I know, it sounds ridiculous. They brought us into this world, they should also make sure we survive."
"Then what's your point?" Luke asks, annoyed.
"Tell me, do you know the story of Adonis?" Luke shook his head, slightly confused, "Adonis was a mortal. A true mortal without a hint of divinity in his veins. One day, Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, took the little newborn away, charmed by his beauty. But she could not raise a child, so she gave the boy to Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. And so Adonis was raised by Persephone, and thus he was perhaps the first fully mortal demigod. With no divine parentage, but still raised by a god."
"When he was older, Aphrodite came back for the child, yet Persephone refused to give him away. She too was entranced by the child, and would not give him back to Aphrodite. So Zeus dictated that Adonis would spend a third of the year with Aphrodite, a third with Persephone, and a third with whoever Adonis desired. Adonis chose to spend the last third with Aphrodite. He became lovers with Aphrodite, and I sometimes think that Adonis was the only one Aphrodite ever truly loved."
"But one day, whilst Adonis went out hunting, Ares, the God of War, sent down a boar. The boar attacked Adonis, and he bled to death in Aphrodites arms. Why? Because the God of War was jealous."
I looked to Luke, who had been seemingly listening to every word of the story. "So Luke, do you understand why the gods can't raise us?"
He looked down, deep in thought, before looking at me with realisation on his face, "Because the gods are just as dangerous to us as monsters are." I smiled. He got it. I felt like a teacher almost, proud that his student said the correct answer.
"Almost correct. The gods are more dangerous than the monsters" I answered. This wasn't really the first time I had thought about it. Even before I died, I always wondered why the gods seemingly didn't give a shit about their kids, or why they were so emotionally distant. "Do you know what natural law is, Luke?" Naturally he shook his head, "Well, it's a concept in philosophy which believes that humans have an instinctive list of what is wrong. Like murder. Sure, we still do horrible stuff, but most people don't because they know it's wrong. The gods… they don't have that. They don't truly know what is right and wrong. They may pretend to, but it's often twisted, and can be seen as entitlement. Your father, for example, stole Apollo's cows just after he was born. I'm not excusing the actions of the gods, but there is a reason as to why many seem apathetic."
Luke stared at the fire, trying to absorb the information. "Then why? Why do we have to serve them? Why did they give birth to us? Why are they any better than the titans?" Oh shit. He was really contemplating about the titans this early? How long has the idea of betraying the gods been dancing around in his head?
"That's a lot of questions, Luke" I sigh. Did this kid really think I knew everything? Like he's 14, surely he knows I'm not some sort of sage? Sure I'm not as young as my body indicates, but I don't have all the answers. Regardless, I had to try my best. "Well, let's start with the easiest question. They give birth to us in the same way humans keep breeding despite us slowly leaning towards an overpopulation crisis. It's in their nature. And if they don't have demigods, they don't have heroes. And without heroes… Well, frankly the world would be screwed. Monsters begin preying on humans, the Underworld flooded with souls. Hell, even Tarturus might get open. Without demigods, the gods would eventually be gone, which is why they need us."
"And as for why us demigods serve them? Well it's different for each demigod. Some seek the parental validation they never had, others do it because they want a purpose, it could also be because it's hard-wired into our brains, some people do serve the gods simply because they think it's the right thing to do. Why do I do it? Well I don't and will never serve the gods. At most I see them as allies. But why? It's because they're the lesser evil, Luke. The gods can be cruel, selfish, and spiteful, but they will always be a better alternative than the Titans."
"Luke, if you think the gods are evil, well the titans are far worse. The gods see us as pets, or servants, but the titans? They think we're no better than worms. They will unleash horrors upon us that we cannot even imagine. They will torture our families, our friends, and all those that we love, just for a mere second of entertainment. The gods may trick and play with humanity, but the Titans will end it."
I got up from the make-shift seat I was sitting on, "Luke. You wonder why I sacrifice my food to the gods. Well it's because despite the shitty things that they do or have done, in their own way, they want to help. And sacrifices are an easy way that allows them to get around the ancient laws that stop them from doing so." I put a hand on Luke, who seemed to struggle to accept what I was telling him, "Luke, I don't expect to change your world view in a single night… Just think about what I said, ok? And try a sacrifice while you're at it. Now if you don't mind, I have to take a leak."
I walked away as the environment around me turned darker as the campfire got further away. I made sure I was well away from Luke's line of sight, before I went behind a tree and collapsed to the ground. "H-Holy fucking shit" I breathe out. It all felt insane. One moment I was fighting a fucking Hydra. The same kind of creature Heracles, the greatest demigod, fought and killed. And then the next moment I was talking to Luke Castellan about philosophy. I'm not sure which one was scarier!
I decided to utilise my small time of loneliness, and opened the mass of notifications I had received after killing the hydra. Of course the earliest ones were notifications of me losing MP, obviously because I used Fireball a lot. However there was a collection of notifications that I received just before the Hydra died.
…
-10HP +10MP!
-10HP +10MP!
-10HP +10MP!
-10HP +10MP!
-10HP +10MP!
…
And the same notification kept appearing until I had lost around 220 HP, and gained 220 MP. I had a sneaking suspicion as to the answer of this phenomenon. Thalia's Lightning. It made sense of course. Her lightning was very unlike that of natural made lightning. It was more divine in nature. Since Nikola Tesla, lightning has been synonymous with energy, and perhaps Thalia inherited some of that. Well, I'll set that little nugget of information aside for now. I've got a lot of other notifications to go through.
You have levelled up (7 - 10)!
You have received: Hydra Scale Chestplate!
You have received: 20 Stat Points!
You have received the Wind Blast skill!
Sword-Fighting Skill levelled up (2 - 4)!
Quest added!
Changing Fate: Luke Castellan
Luke Castellan, Son of Hermes, The Lightning Thief, Child of the Failed Oracle, he goes by many titles. One stands above them all. General of Kronos. But does he have to be?
Objective: Save Luke from his unfortunate fate
Rewards: EXP, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?
Well, that's the hardest quest yet. The system is literally asking me to try to undo years of Luke's trauma. What do I look like? A therapist? God damn. Is this because of my chat with him by the campfire? Dear gods, I don't know if I can even do another session like that! Well, I'll try to complete the quest when I get the time. If I remember correctly, he should arrive at his mother's house, where he meets Hermes, sometime in the next month. Maybe I could do something before then.
I emptied thoughts of therapy out of my brain, and looked at the other things I had received. The Hydra Scale Chestplate seemed pretty cool, so I took it out of my inventory. It looked like a standard chestplate you would see in a game like Skyrim, mainly protecting the chest and cutting off at the shoulders. The armour piece was scaly, and the colour was just like that of the Hydra it came from, black as night.
Name: Hydra Scale Chestplate
Type: Armour
Rank: C
Item Effects: +30% Health, +20% Endurance, +60% Poison Resistance
Item Description: A spoil of war which is gained from killing a Hydra.
A pretty lacklustre description but the item effects looked insane. And it was only C rank? I can't imagine what an A rank armour looked like. The armour itself looked pretty good, but as I put it on, I realised that it looked a little weird on me.
The System allows the option to make some armour invisible to anyone other than a Gamer. Would you like to make your Hydra Scale Chestplate invisible?
"Yeah, sure. Thanks System" Immediately, the black chestplate seemingly disappeared, but I could still feel its weight on me. I was a little worried that being the 5000th or so person to get the system, it would be nerfed, but frankly there were a lot of great features that I suspect didn't exist in a lot of iterations of the System.
However, there was a notification that interested me far more.
Skill: Wind Blast
Type: Spell
Cost: 30 MP
Description: Unleashes a blast of wind, which can be used to push back enemies and even nullify certain attacks. The strength of the wind and the area of its effect is based upon the user's Intelligence and Willpower
It was great to have another spell under my arsenal, though I think it might've been enjoyed another fire spell, or even a rock-based spell. Ah, wind is still a respectable element.
Well, I might as well test it out. I opened my palm and made it face forward, and thought to myself, "Wind Blast!". Immediately, a giant gust of wind came out of my palm. I couldn't see it obviously, but I could see branches snapping off trees, and bushes being thrown aside like it was nothing. It reminded me of the Unrelenting Force shout from Skyrim. I think it'll definitely be far more powerful in the future.
With the housekeeping done, I walked back to the campfire, only to see that Thalia had come back. But I wouldn't talk to her, because it seemed that the events of today had tired her out, as she sleeps on the ground, using her jacket as a makeshift pillow. Luke was sleeping next to her, though the kid had made sure that there was a good gap between the two.
I wasn't sure what to make of these two when I first met them. I was awed that I actually got to meet fictional characters from a series I love, but I was also apprehensive. Especially of Luke.
But they're just kids. They've got a good head on their shoulders, but were given tough lives. Thalia lost years of her childhood because her father was an incompetent fool, and Luke grew up in a bad home because Hades loved someone too much. The gods… are poison. But I know that they are always a lesser evil. And that is why I have to fight Kronos. And the Gaia. And then whatever threat comes after that. If not for me, then for these kids, so that they can live an actual life.
I rest my head upon the grass, and let myself go to the realm of Hypnos.
10 hours later…
I woke up to a loud scream, but it wasn't one of fear. It was one of surprise. And it was from Luke? I got from the ground I was lying on, wiping the dirt that was on my trousers, and turned to Luke. And frankly, I was as surprised as he was.
In Luke's hand was a sword, its blade was bronze, but it had a sheen on it which made it almost golden. The hilt was simple, but the shaft had intricate designs, as if it were a carving. The blade had a small protrusion near the tip, almost making a sickle. I had a sneaking suspicion as to what it was, so I used Observe on it.
Name: Harpe
Type: Sword/Sickle
Rank: B
Item Effects: +70% Damage on Monsters, +80% Damage on Gorgons, +20% Levels to Swordfighting whilst wielding
Item Description: The legendary sword of Perseus, who used this very blade to kill Medusa. After the death of Perseus, the sword had disappeared for a long time, and now it is in the possession of Luke Castellan
Fucking hell! I'm so damn jealous! And it's only B-rank! Those item effects are insane. Plus the fact that it's the sword of the Perseus just makes it even cooler! "How the hell did you get that!"
Luke looked at me quizzically, a little confused, "I found it next to me when I woke up" He explained, twisting the sword, "Why? Do you know what it is?"
"Luke, that's Harpe!" At his further confusion, I elaborated, "The sword of Perseus, slayer of Medusa" Realising how important the sword he was holding was, his jaw dropped, and he looked at it with some sort of reverence.
"Oh come on!" Thalia moans, looking at the blade with a hint of jealousy. "Luke gets a sword that belonged to an actual hero, and what do I have? Some crappy stick." She paused for a minute before looking at the ground, "Huh? What's this?" I turned to look at what she was staring at and saw a folded up piece of paper on the ground. I decided to pick it up before she could, and raised my eyebrows in mild surprise.
Hey Luke,
I've been waiting for you to sacrifice something to me for a while. I've been watching your journey in my spare time. I just wanted to say… I'm proud of you kid.
I'm sure you've already seen my gift, but next to the letter there's a sword I stole a couple centuries ago from a dragon's hoard. Pesky creatures.
See you soon,
Hermes
I hand the letter to Luke, still letting the new information sink in. So he listened to my advice last night. And to think, he sacrificed to his dad. Perhaps there truly is hope for the kid.
A moment passes as Luke reads the letter, before he tears it up and throws it into the fire. "Let's go. We might be able to find a town by 12 if we start walking right now" Hmm… he doesn't know what to think of the letter. Does he? He willingly sacrificed to Hermes, but he didn't expect a response. Well, he's lucky that he's Hermes's favourite child, because demigods don't tend to get gifts like that.
We begin our trek through the woods, walking past the cave we used to hide from the Hydra, and then through the lake that I had first met Thalia and Luke. During our journey, we ate corn for breakfast, or rather they did, and I abstained. They didn't question why I suddenly had corn out of nowhere or why I had a look of disgust when I saw the corn, but they were overjoyed at the premise of something that wasn't beans.
A couple of hours went by, and passed the time by joking around, and sharing stories. Interestingly enough, it turned out that Luke had met Thalia when she was trapped near a dragon's cave, though the latter had never actually seen the dragon.
I didn't really have any personal stories to tell, so I decided to regale them with Greek myths, including the tale of Perseus, considering Luke's new sword. Luke kept flinching whenever I mentioned Hermes, but at least it wasn't his classic scowl.
Eventually we had found our first sign of civilization. Rows upon rows of gravestones. A civil war cemetery from what Luke told me. Since we were in Southern USA, I guess these guys were part of the confederacy, who were pro-slavery if I remember correctly. Well, I'm pretty sure they're not going to Elysium. Although, the Ancient Greeks did have slaves. That does raise an interesting question. On what morals do they judge a person? It would make sense if it were the current morals of the time in which the person lived, but a lot of things about Greek mythology were unfair and nonsensical.
"There it is!" Thalia shouted, before sprinting off into a random direction. Both Luke and I began to run as well. After all the points I've put into Agility, I'm starting to catch up with Luke, but he is still pretty fast.
"We keep seeing this goat on our journey" Luke explained, despite me showing no desire to know, "It's been leading us everywhere and I have no idea what it wants us to do" It was clear that he was pretty fed up with the seemingly wild goose chase.
"Then it must be Amaltheia" I said, and seeing Luke's confusion, "She's the goat that nursed Zeus as a baby. I think she has some super milk, which helped Zeus become stronger to fight Kronos. So Zeus must've sent down Amaltheia to help Thalia."
"But the goat led Thalia to a dragon's den!" Luke protested.
"And then she met you" I countered, "A child of Zeus would've died if she journeyed alone. Like I said Luke, the gods want to help, even if it's exclusive to their own children."
We continued to follow Thalia, jumping over rocks and through trees, and eventually passed houses.
We eventually reached a road which opened up into a big circular park. Burgundy red brick mansions surrounded the roundabout. In the middle of it, stood a twenty-foot white marble pedestal, with a bronze soldier sitting on horseback. Sitting at the base of the monument was Amaltheia, patiently waiting for us.
"Come on! Hide!" Thalia whispered to us, as she crouched behind a bush. It was clear that Thalia was afraid that Amaltheia may run away again.
"Don't worry, Thalia" I said, in a normal volume, "It's here for you. Probably from your father" Though nervous, Thalia heeded my words, and got out of the bush, and began walking towards the immortal goat.
"Hey, Amaltheia" Thalia greeted, like someone would talk to a weary or feral animal. The magic goat looked at Thalia, and nuzzled the girl, as if meeting an old friend. Thalia almost immediately relaxed, and oddly enough, smiled. Have I seen her smile since meeting her? Sure she had laughed, but it always sounded a little forced. Maybe she was using it to hide her feelings.
"Hey Thalia?" I called, as the punk teen turned to look at me, "Could you ask Amaltheia if we could get some of her Pepsi?" She looked at me with confusion and slight annoyance, so I pointed at the goat's udders. Just like in the book, above each of the udders were words in Ancient Greek, which said stuff like "Nectar", "Milk", "Diet Mountain Dew", or "Press Here for Ice". I really don't wanna know what the last one looked like when it comes out.
"Now's not the time, Gill" Thalia rolls her eyes, before turning back to her goat friend. That's a little unfair. Thalia must not like Pepsi. "Come on Amaltheia! Where do you want me to go?" In response, the goat butted her head against the statue. I looked up and saw the bronze horse rider move his right arm, and following the arm, it pointed towards a decrepit looking mansion, which contrasted the other clean houses.
"Urgh. That mansion is definitely haunted" I complained, which Luke nodded in agreement. He seemed pretty apprehensive as he looked at the house. Perhaps his demigod senses could innately feel that something was wrong with the mansion.
"Haunted or not, I trust Amaltheia" Thalia proclaimed, though it was weird that she was trusting a goat that couldn't even talk. This is why Satyr's are the far superior barnyard animals.
Regardless, we went towards the mansion after Thalia said goodbye to her goat friend. The gates to the mansion were rusted and broken, with enough space in between for all three of us to pass through it. The grass of the lawn was dried and yellow, clearly haven't been watered in a long time. When we reached the large door of the mansion, I noticed that just like in the Diary of Luke Castellan book, it had a door knocker in the shape of Medusa. Very foreboding, but unfortunately, so last century.
Thalia tried to forcefully open the door, before giving up and turning to Luke. "Can you do your thing?" Luke had a clear grimace on his face, as if he had picked up a pile of shit. Frankly, his powers were incredibly versatile, and far more useful in the real world than something like producing lightning.
Though reluctant, Luke unlocked the mansion's door with ease, and the two grand doors opened, revealing a Victorian style entrance room. The gaudy chandeliers looked as if they would fall any second, and the tattered drapes looked as if they were devoured by moths. There were empty frames upon the walls which most likely once held paintings, but all that was left were shreds of canvas.
But the one thing that caught my eye was the skeletons. So many skeletons. The sight was nothing compared to the basement, but it was still unnerving. To think that so many demigods like us had met their ends here. All because of one man who chose to kill demigods like lambs for the slaughter, rather than sacrifice his own life. But I can't blame him. I decided to let myself die by the hands of another, rather than end it on my terms.
As we made our way in, the oak doors behind slammed shut. Luke quickly went back to the door to see if he could open it, but I already knew that it was futile. We were already in the trap from the moment we got in here. I could see Thalia make it for the windows, but I stopped her, "Thalia, stay the hell away from those curtains!" I shouted, making her stop in her tracks.
"We need to get out, Gil!l" Thalia argued. Sighing, I threw one of the many corn cobs which were in my Inventory, at the curtains. As soon as the cob was close enough, the drapes, which looked black and oily, attacked the corn, and seemingly devoured it like a feral monster. Thalia gasped, taking a step back.
"Everyone, let's go up the stairs" I said, with an authoritarian command. I knew my tone annoyed Thalia, after all children of Zeus don't like being bossed around, but she was far too rattled to disagree with me.
As we made our way up the stairs, I could see them. The red glowing eyes of the monsters who've devoured so many demigods. "Guys," I whisper, making sure to get both my friend's attention, "When I give the signal, run." I could see Thalia about to argue, but I interrupted her before she could, "Run all the way through the hall and into the last door by the left." I could see from the corner of my eyes that the monsters were creeping nearer. "Understand?". Both Luke and Thalia gave a reluctant nod.
And then I heard a single snarl. "RUN!" I shout. Yeah, it wasn't the best of signals, but it got the job done. Thalia and Luke both began to sprint off, as I trailed them. We could all hear the sound of an old man, trying to direct us, but I was more focused on the growls and roars of the monsters that were following us. A pack of chimaera-like creatures, with fur as red as blood, chasing us for dinner. I could practically see them drooling.
Thalia kept running, but Luke tripped himself up as he looked back, fear clear on his face. Shit. That didn't happen in the book! Damn it Luke! Why'd you have to ruin canon, as minor as the detail was.
Regardless, there was a small chance that he might get caught by the monsters, so I decided it was prime time to use my new spell. Turning around, making a quick, but uncomfortable moment of eye contact with one of the monsters, I raise my palm and cast Windblast. Just like I had hoped, the unexpected gust of wind had knocked the pack back, making them tumble down the stairs. Using the opportunity, I ran to the end of the hallway, and to the left door where Thalia and Luke had passed through.
I entered through the door, and the room was like the book described, a studio apartment but far more condensed, with a tiny kitchen, a bed, two different doors, and a typical computer that you'd associate with 90's. Oh, and naturally, part of the room was sectioned off with iron bars, with a red furred monster that looked like the unholy love child between a wolf and a horse.
And in the middle of the room, sitting in front of Thalia and Luke, was an old man, with frazzled grey hair, emerald green eyes, and a musty looking green suit with a scaled pattern. He was tall, thin, sickly, and looked as if he could drop dead in any second.
"I am so very sorry" The creature behind the bars said, with a voice that belonged to the old man, "You have all been brought here to die." As the words sunk into Thalia and Luke, the elderly man turned to me, "And it seems the Fates have been especially cruel today, as it seems they want the blood of one of my brothers on my hands."
Did… Did he just call me his brother?
Quest Complete!
Who's Your Daddy?
Ah… Well Apollo's not the worst parent.
Author's Note (2): Et Voila! We finally find out who Gill's father is, and we have now entered into one of the books. For those who don't know, the events in the second half of this chapter, and the next, are from the side book by Rick Riordan called The Demigod Diaries, and the events featured are from the first entry called the Diary of Luke Castellan.
Now, I saw some concerns about the system saying "Since your Allies are not gamers…" However, rest assure that Gill won't get any Gamer Allies till near the end of this fanfic. This sentence will have frankly very little effect on the story, apart from giving Gill extra EXP or rewards.
I have also seen some people annoyed that Gill's been making stupid decisions. Well I've said it before, but making shit choices is normal for a human, and Gill is human. He's had a pretty shit life before dying, and had slight depression. He is far from perfect. If you want a perfect human that is the smartest being to grace the Earth, well there's millions of other Gamer fanfics that do that. But I'm going to have Gill make realistic choices that actually befit his personality (Though he'll obviously get smarter and make better chocies as he increases he Intelligence stat and he becomes more experienced).
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and here is the Stat Sheet (Before receiving the quest rewards of the quest he just completed):
Name: Gilgamesh Ashford
Age: 8
Level: 10
Title: Wolfslayer
HP: 600/600
MP: 860/890
Stats
Strength: 19
Agility: 42
Endurance: 8
Charisma: 8
Intelligence: 10
Willpower: 5
Luck: 25
Stat Points: 35