I stared at the words.
— - —
[Limit Break activated]
— - —
Huh?
What does that mean?
"Help?" I mumbled. Nope. Nothing. "More info?"
The words bobbed up and down for a moment. The bright blue letters faded, and a small, gleaming paragraph took its place.
— - —
~ Congratulations! You have activated your very first Limit Break! Limit Breaks—often referred to simply as Limits—are powerful combat techniques granted to you in moments of extreme need. Harnessing the raw intensity of your emotions, combined with your innate abilities, a Limit Break channels unparalleled energy to turn the tide of battle. These techniques are among the most devastating moves in your arsenal, capable of inflicting massive damage, enhancing your capabilities, or providing critical support. Be warned: Limit Breaks are not infinite, and some are locked behind specific level thresholds. Use them wisely, and always remember—victory or defeat may hinge on how you wield this extraordinary power.
Limit Break (1):
{Mana Overflow}
[Description]: Gain unlimited mana, unleashing the full force of your abilities without restraint. Spells, skills, and techniques will no longer drain your reserves, allowing you to fight at your absolute peak.
[Time Limit]: 05:00:00
— - —
"Yo, what are you looking at, punk?" Ares called out from in front of me. He was impatiently tapping his foot and swinging his bat around, smashing holes in the sand. "I got shit to do, ya know. Come get some and we can both get the fuck out of here."
I willed the words away for now. Unlimited mana, huh?
I raised a watery hand. Little drops of seawater hung off the top of my fingertips, which were completely encased in the translucent substance. I felt a tug in my gut as a rush of mana shot through my hand.
FWOOOM!
I blasted seawater toward Ares. He easily sidestepped it, but I grinned to myself. I didn't lose any mana off that!
— - —
4:59:52
— - —
Ah, right—the catch. I only had five minutes. An uncomfortable feeling squeezed my throat—I had to find a way to make this count.
He swung the baseball bat off his shoulder again. "How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?"
I showed him my sword.
"That's cool, dead boy," He said. "Classic it is. I can't wait to see the face on ol' Barnacle Beard when I deliver him your head on a silver platter."
I got the faintest idea that Ares loved to talk trash. I can't really tell you why, though. He's a millennia-old deity (whose domain is war, by the way) fighting some kid who didn't even know he was a demigod until about a week ago.
It's like if you swung by the Barclays Center to watch the Nets play and Kevin Durant started calling you a bitch.
Actually, that's a bad analogy.
Kevin Durant's definitely the kind of guy to do that.
Maybe it's just something fun he likes to do. Maybe it's a battle thing—the few times I'd fought some of the Ares kids, they taunted me the whole damn time, like it was a requirement for them to not shut up while fighting.
Something told me this battle would be a little different than that, though.
I ignored the red-hot feelings of anger in my chest. I needed to be calm and in control. If I wanted to get in his head, I had to make sure he wasn't in mine, first.
The baseball bat changed into a huge, two-handed sword. The hilt was a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth. Looking back, it was definitely for the intimidation factor, but the skull's mouth started opening and closing, emitting a dark cackle, "Bring it on, then, sea spawn."
Pressure started building in my ears. You know that feeling when you're at the top of a rollercoaster, looking down at the track, and your ears pop?
Yeah, that's what I was feeling.
The air shifted. Ares cleaved downward at my head, but I wasn't there.
My body thought for me. The watery armor pulsed at my feet, pushing me into the air. I catapulted over him, slashing as I came down. But Ares was just as quick—no, quicker. He twisted, and the strike that should've caught him directly in the spine was deflected off the end of his sword hilt.
A loud crack was heard. Particles of water hung in the air for a split second and SHWOOM!
Oh, man.
The speed. The rush.
My stomach dropped, and I felt my body contort into nothingness. All the air left my lungs. I disappeared from my spot suspended in the air, my body flashing behind him instantaneously.
"How—"
WHAM!
Ares' face rocked sideways, and he backpedaled. A black line formed on his face, almost like a car drifted on it for a second. It sizzled in the Santa Monica heat, making Ares' face look like he poured some oil on himself.
"Nice job," I taunted back, the watery whip retracting back into my armor. "The God of War gets smacked around by a twelve-year-old. I wonder what Uncle Zeus thinks about that."
— - —
- [270][MP]
- [5%] chance to blind, stagger, cripple, or bleed!
- [100 x 43] + [100 x 15] = [-][5800][HP]
— - —
"Nice try, Jackson," Ares said, cracking his jaw and rolling his arms a few times. "It's going to take more than that to get in my head. I've been doing this longer than your puny, little, walnut of a brain could comprehend."
I took another look at him, sizing me up from across the dune. His muscles rippled in the sunlight. For a moment, I felt helpless. He was big, strong, and manly. Not really sure what that last part has to do with the fight, but, yeah...not to mention, he's basically royalty—wait!
A grin formed on my face. I knew how to play this one. Yeah, I knew exactly how to play this one.
Look I'll be the first to tell you I don't have much experience fighting deities of mass destruction—it's just the truth.
Getting into other people's heads, though? Especially rich, spoiled kids?
Well, let's just say there was a reason I was in detention all the time back at Yancy. Pampered kids are easy to break down.
I started wracking my brain, trying to remember some dirt on Ares. He was a god—there had to be something I could use on him. He'd been around for centuries! For now, though...there was a surefire way to get inside the head of any man...
"Ha!" I screamed, another ring of [Mana Manipulation] expelling from my fingertips. It slammed into him, and he grunted in response. Unbeknownst to him, I snuck in a second one. It was the size of a small penny, and I concentrated the mana to shoot out with my first ring.
It smashed right into his groin.
"Sheesh," I said, feigning disappointment. "It didn't even feel like anything was there. Next time, I'll just aim for your fingers or something."
— - —
- [10%] chance to blind, stagger, cripple, or bleed!
— - —
"You're so dead," Ares growled out at me, pushing forward. I ducked under his slash and parried the next one. He twisted his sword, and his jab went glancing off of Riptide. He backpedaled but turned his shoulder, trying to ram into me.
The watery armor extended, catching his shoulder and pushing him away. The sheer force of the impact pushed me back a few inches.
There were no two ways about it—his strength truly was monstrous. If I hadn't been reinforcing every movement I made with water, I honestly think he would've sent me flying.
I had to be careful here. I knew I lacked the raw power to take on a god. Getting in his head was my only option.
— - —
4:12:34
— - —
I was drawn out of my thoughts as I looked at the timer again.
Damn it. This Limit Break was draining fast.
Well, I guess I'd just have to abuse it while I could.
— - —
- [270][MP]
- [20%] chance to blind, stagger, cripple, or bleed!
- [100 x 43] + [100 x 15] = [-][5800][HP]
— - —
I flashed under Ares now, Riptide heading straight to cut his leg. He jumped up in the air, only to get smacked by another elemental whip.
My watery arms exploded forward, latching onto Ares. They steamed in the summer sun, and burned his shoulders, pulling him into another combo.
"Argh!" Ares screamed out, a bloody cut appearing on his right shoulder. "You fucking bitch!"
He slashed again; this time, I was forced to jump up to avoid his sword. I tried to sidestep, to move back towards the water, but Ares seemed to know what I wanted. He outmaneuvered me, pressing so hard I had to put all my concentration on not getting sliced into pieces.
"Taking me seriously now?" I panted, a little bit of sweat forming on my forehead as I kept deflecting his blows.
"You got lucky," Ares said, scaling back as I unleashed another ring of mana. He dodged it and came toward me, his black leather duster trailing behind him. His sword glinted like fire in the sunrise. "That was bound to happen. Luck runs out. Still doesn't. I've been fighting for eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited, and I quite literally can't die."
I smirked at him, launching another barrage of flaming [Nike's Leap] mixed in with a barrage of fireballs and blasts of seawater.
The water splashed in his eyes, allowing my fireballs to make an impact on him. They slammed into him, lighting his jacket on fire.
Ares roared in annoyance, trying to put out the flames. Unfortunately, it wasn't as much of a distraction as I'd hoped. He deflected two of my slashes and a [Nike's Leap], but a little spin let my second one burrow into his ribcage.
I'm not going to lie, I was really getting the hang of this thing. I should've been focusing more on my offensive powers all along.
[Nike's Leap] was quickly becoming one of my favorite moves. By expending a little more mana, instead of just moving fast, I entered a dimensional void. Because of Limit Break, I couldn't tell how much, but I knew it was just a little bit more.
Anyways, the dimensional rift let me instantly teleport to my desired location whenever I wanted to, regardless of distance. Well, within reason. I don't think I could [Nike's Leap] to camp, for example.
Maybe if I leveled it up more and cranked enough mana into it, I could use it across entire cities. Cross-country, though—I'm not too sure about that one.
"What I mean is, even if I can't beat you, I'm sure Piper or someone will," I laughed at him, beginning to bluff. "You're really not that tough."
Ares screamed in pure frustration. "What does that even mean? You're getting your ass handed to you! I'm very clearly stronger than you!"
See, if there's one thing I know about people like Ares, they hate being told that their achievements mean nothing just because of who their parents are. Hell, one time, I almost got punched in the face for chanting daddy's money at some kids after they said Grover looked like a marionette puppet.
If I was right, this would start to piss him off. Unluckily for him, all of those myths Annabeth tried to drill in my head before I left started coming back to me.
Oh, I was about to have some fun.
"It means, you must be really weak," I continued, relentlessly hurling fireballs at him. His sword flashed up impossibly fast, cutting through my fireballs like they weren't even there. I remembered our meeting from last night. "Gods can't steal each other's symbols of power. That means someone else did it for you. It was Luke, wasn't it? He must've taken the lightning bolt, you caught him, and then he must've hammered you so bad he bought your silence."
"You don't even know what you're talking about, godling," Ares said fiercely. The tips of his duster caught fire. "I've been fighting for years! There's no way a demigod could beat me!"
"What about when you fought Hercules, huh?" I grinned at him. "You ran away with your tail in between your legs, and then complained to Zeus. Daddy's boy, through and through, huh? Uncle really had a chip off the block with you!"
"Shut up!" Maybe I pushed him too far. He shot at me full force. I tried to move as soon as I saw his legs tense, but I was too late. Ares punched me in the face, and I went shooting across the sand.
— - —
[-][10,000][HP]!
— - —
Damn, that guy hit like a truck. A few more of those, and I'd be down for the count. Hell, the only reason I could move right now after that one was because of the insane regeneration this water armor was giving me.
"Did I push the wrong buttons?" I replied, standing up and wiping a little bit of blood off of my chin. "Sorry, sorry. I just find it interesting how the greatest son of Zeus wasn't even a god at first."
Death wish. I have a death wish.
This fight itself was only really competitive because of the Limit Break. That, and the fact that Ares seemed oddly distracted. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it felt like his composure was all wonky for some reason.
Still, I wasn't immediately dying in a battle with the God of War.
Maybe I was finally doing something as a demigod that I could be proud of.
Not to mention, this whole armor thing probably looked cool as hell, too. I felt like I was a Power Ranger in one of the giant robots.
The only real downside was the steep mana cost, but I didn't have to worry about that for the moment. As long as I was in fighting shape, it didn't matter.
Well, somewhat fighting shape.
"Hercules got lucky!" Ares defended, stalking toward me. His sword dragged against the sand, cutting a deep line into the beach. "If it wasn't for Athena, he'd be a grease spot!"
"Speaking of which," I said, still lying down on the sand. The sunlight felt great on me. "She's kicked your ass a couple of times too, right? I didn't read the Iliad, but my friend told me you switched sides mid-battle to help Hector and the Trojans and were still defeated by her—and then, lo and behold, you ran crying to Zeus. Am I in the ballpark, here?"
"That was different! Father already decided Troy would fall!" Ares yelled. For a moment, he actually whined like a little kid, being made fun of by his friends. I suppressed a grin—it was working! "Diomedes got lucky, too!"
"I get it, I get it," I placated, raising my hands. A small grin formed on my face. This one was the real kicker. "Pick on someone your own size, right? Well, maybe not that, either. The last time you did that, it didn't really work out. Did Otis And Ephialtes really trap you in a jar for thirteen months?"
"I didn't know that the jar would do that!" Ares screamed, raising his hands. A wave of fire spawned at his feet and shot towards me frighteningly fast. I rolled over, and it crashed into a sand dune. "They tricked me!"
"It's okay, man, don't worry. I'm not going to judge you based on your record," I hopped off the sand, flipping Riptide in my hands. I ignored the feeling in my face—the water was already swirling around it. "The God of War who runs from fights. A little bit rough on the performances there, but it is what is, right? I remember hearing a lot of older men your age have something called performance issues—is that what you're dealing with, too?"
"Shut your mouth!" Ares roared, and the fire behind his glasses burned so brilliantly that it left a steaming hole in his Ray-Bans. Maybe I crossed the line. "I'm going to kill you and drag your body to Olympus!"
— - —
2:21:52
— - —
We met in the middle with a truly breathtaking display of swordsmanship. Ares jabbed, lunged, slashed. I hate to admit this, even now, but he truly lived up to the moniker God of War.
I'd never fought anyone like this before. If I didn't have Limit Break, I would've been slaughtered at a moment's notice.
Each movement he made was incredibly precise, with the power of a semi-truck. If one of those things even clipped me, I had little doubt in my mind that I would be pulverized on the spot.
I duck and wove gracefully, surrendering my body to [Lunar Veil]. The water poured out of my holographic avatar, pushing and pulling my body left and right, helping me dodge easily.
Clang!
Both of our swords met in the middle. I strained against his force, but more water came shooting out of the Pacific to reinforce my armor. "Is that why you're so obsessed with Aphrodite? Do you feel the need to, like, prove your worth? Listen, I don't know if you know, but there's this mortal thing called Viagra—"
"Shut! Up!" Ares gritted his teeth. I hate to say this, but he caught me off guard right there. I was so focused on keeping Riptide from slipping, I didn't even notice his knee. It smashed into the hilt of Riptide, causing my grip to slacken.
He knocked my blade out of my hands and tried to kick me in the chest.
FWOOM!
Water spilled out of the armor and wrapped around his leg at the least moment, not fully stopping his monstrous kick, but severely lessening its impact.
— - —
[-][1000][HP]!
— - —
Even with the save, I went airborne-twenty, maybe thirty feet. I would've broken my entire body if I didn't have the water protecting me.
— - —
1:11:34
— - —
"It's okay," I got up, brushing myself off again. The water gleamed brightly around my chest. "I get it. Luke is a resourceful guy. Tall, and handsome, too. Maybe since he stole the helm, you think he can teach you a thing or two about performance. I hope it works out."
"For the love of Zeus!" Ares roared. He swept his hand, and another wall of red flame rolled across the sand, toward me. I swung a hand, deflecting it towards the street.
I probably should've thought that one through.
It slammed into the streetcars. The hobos barely had time to dive for cover before the vehicles exploded. A crowd started to form behind the railing, screaming. The ADHD part of me wondered if Nemesis was somewhere over there, still watching.
"What I wonder," I continued in a last-ditch effort. "How did Luke even do it? I mean sure, I'm kicking your ass right now, but he must've been terrified when he went to the Underworld. How he got away from you is unbelievable. Did you lead him there, or something? Was it a trick?"
"Luke! Luke didn't do a thing!" Ares finally snapped at me. The sand exploded at his feet and out charged a wild boar, even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin seven at Camp Half-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at me with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill. "Attack!"
It charged at me. I rolled back, slashing it in half instantly, "I mean, I'm sure he must've. You could've killed him right there and taken the bolt for yourself," I taunted as the wind roared, tossing the remains of the boar onto the sand.
Ares got a twitch in his jaw. For a moment, it was almost as if he were listening to another voice, deep inside his head. "Why didn't I...yeah…with that kind of fire-power..."
I dropped in behind him and whipped another elemental attack at his unprotected back. I didn't have Riptide on me right now, but I had to use Limit Break while I could. "Because he beat you. That's what I've been saying."
Ares sidestepped my attack. He seemed to be getting faster and faster now. Maybe I'd finally run out of luck. "Don't make me laugh, boy. You think Luke is smart enough to come up with something like that?"
— - —
0:11:14
— - —
"Then who is?" I questioned, spamming all of the attacks I could—not that it helped, anymore. Ares was starting to glow, easily sidestepping all of my attacks. "Did one of your kids come up with the plan?"
This was getting out of hand. I need a finisher—and I needed one fast.
I took a deep breath for a moment. I felt the rhythm of the sea, the waves growing larger as the tide rolled in, and suddenly I had an idea.
— - —
0:05:10
— - —
I screamed, and a huge trident coalesced in the water, before launching at Ares, full-speed.
"Oh god," I said, rubbing my temples. This was a low blow, but I was at my wit's end. "No way. You're—you're gay, aren't you? Is that why you need Aphrodite? A sham marriage!"
"Shut the fuck up!" Ares bellowed, rushing towards me just as my Limit Break ran out. The water armor dropped around me, and he slammed his fist into my stomach, mid-sentence. Maybe I really did push him too far.
CRUNCH!
My god. It was like being hit by a car. I felt my entire left ribcage crack under the impact of his punch as I was sent floating upwards.
At this point, I was barely coherent. A part of me registered the fact that I only had 1000 [HP] left—if I got hit with something, it was the end. That regeneration factor was the only reason I was still alive and kicking.
It was looking like that end was coming faster than I could have expected, too.
The moment his punch launched me in the air, Ares was ready—his hand was waiting, his sword ready to skewer me. I activated [Time Dilation] at the last second.
All I could do was watch as the point of his sword got closer and closer.
15…
What did I do?
Well…there was something. My last-ditch resort. I ripped the glasses Hades gave me off.
I felt a sharp pain in Medusa's eye. I watched in fascination as lines of gray started to line Ares' arm, twisting and connecting.
9…
They looked like veins, outlining his entire arm. When the last vein connected with the base of his arm, his entire skin lost its tan color.
8…
It stiffened. His arm lost all tone and bulk, reducing to a gray, chiseled stone.
I was dragged out of my dilated vision at the precise moment the mana cost registered. Luckily, Ares' sudden loss of an arm made his movement falter just a bit, and instead of cutting me in half, the sword sheared a part of my shirt off and just barely nicked my skin.
I fell to the ground, exhausted and beaten. My left eye closed automatically, unable to handle the strain I'd just put it through.
Ares screamed in pure horror as his arm cracked and fell off of his body, his sword still held by the stone.
"You fucking bitch!" He picked me up. At this point, he was barely holding his mortal form. Parts of his body lit up pure gold, like scales. I could feel the heat emanating from his hand. "I'm going to kill you, and that bitch over there. I'm going to find your mom, and I'm gonna—"
"I gotta hand it to you, Ares, you sure make one hell of a threat," I gave him a tired smile. At this point, I knew the fight was over. Might as well go to my uncle with a smile.
The look on his face was honestly worth dying for. His eyes, now completely visibly behind the hole in his glasses, bulged. His face dropped, and I couldn't tell if he was going to bust out crying or end my existence.
"You little prick," He trailed off. "You annoying, little, son of a bitch. You just can't keep your trap shut, can you? I should've fucking killed you when I used the helm instead of watching you squirm around. What a waste…I should've stolen a fucking sword or something instead of his useless helm."
My face cracked an even wider grin. Better late than never. "Thanks…"
Ares regarded me with a confused expression. "Thanks for what, punk?"
"He means, thanks for this," My uncle said, appearing out of the thin air next to Ares as if he'd been waiting there the whole time. Before Ares could react, Hades casually raised a hand and tapped him—lightly, almost like swatting a fly.
Ares went flying, a blur of red and black, as he crashed into the railing like he'd been launched from a cannon. I barely had time to register the sight before Hades caught me midair, snatching me up before I could hit the sand.
Hades caught me out of the air before I hit the sand. "Not bad. Not bad at all. I saw that fight."
"You should've just taught me that move from the start," I complained to him weakly, every breath hurting. "Still, though. I kicked his ass."
Hades laughed at me, ruffling my hair like I was a kid who'd just won his first Little League game. "I know, kiddo. I'm proud. You did a great job. Now, just sit back and enjoy the show."
I was gently placed on the ground. Even though I was teetering in and out of consciousness, I kept my eyes trained on Hades. I wanted to see this.
Hades started toward Ares, his pace slow and deliberate, his boots crunching on the sand. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly as if scolding a misbehaving child. With each step, his leather jacket began to dissolve into his skin, melting away like smoke. Two massive, skeletal wings erupted from his back, stretching wide and casting jagged shadows across the beach.
The helm from Ares' motorcycle ripped free, flying through the air and landing on Hades' head with a resounding clang. He adjusted it casually, the polished surface catching the light from the wall of fire, and a smirk curled his lips.
"Well, then," Hades said smoothly.
The beach changed. No, it didn't just change—it transformed. A dense, suffocating blanket of mana formed, far heavier and darker than anything I'd seen Ares summon. This wasn't just power—it was pure dominance, and it radiated from Hades like a living thing. The mana coalesced into liquid form, swirling and rushing around him like a sentient tide, thicker and blacker than anything I could imagine.
Then, with a deep breath, Hades let it go.
The mana exploded outward in a blinding shockwave, an eruption of darkness that swept across the beach. Everything it touched changed—the sand, the sky, even the ocean. Where there had been soft blues and oranges of early morning, now there was only black. The horizon disappeared into an abyss.
It felt like a dream. No—a nightmare. I knew it was supposed to be dawn, but to my eyes, it looked like midnight.
And the whispers—I swear by Zeus, I could hear them. Feminine, teasing, tantalizing whispers, drifting up from the ground. They tickled at the edges of my mind, pulling at me, coaxing me to sink beneath the sand. Just for a moment. Just to see…
I forced myself to snap out of it.
Hades had changed. A shadowy aura pulsed around him, towering and monstrous. The darkness swallowed him whole, leaving only his helm visible—a faint glimmer of death in a sea of black. It was like he was absorbing all the light in the world, dragging it into himself and leaving nothing behind.
He slowly squatted down next to Ares, who was now whimpering and trying to get away from him. "Hello, Ares."
I shuddered. You know that sound in horror movies? The one where the killer's voice is distorted, like ten people speaking at once in this low, guttural growl?
Yeah, Hades made that sound like a lullaby. The voice that came out of him wasn't just terrifying—it was wrong. Inhuman. Macabre. It scraped against my nerves like nails on a chalkboard, and for a split second, I wanted to close my eyes, curl into a ball, and pretend I was anywhere but here.
The worst part was—this was nothing. I knew it was nothing.
If Hades really wanted to, he could show me things that would leave me somewhere in a mental ward for the rest of my life, shrieking about things that would make absolutely no sense to anyone. This was the power of an Elder God.
Gigantic, shadowy arms of pure mana erupted from Hades' body, pinning Ares in place. A deep, rattling laugh came from the shadowy specter that was my uncle. "Going somewhere?"
"Please, uncle," Ares said, all of his bravado gone in the blink of an eye. His entire being was trembling. The gold patches on his body were completely gone. Ares was scared shitless. "It wasn't my doing! I was being controlled!"
"Not good enough," Hades replied, a dark smile crossing his face. It looked like the smile on a scarecrow, nails crisscrossing in a shape barely reminiscent of a smile. The only way I knew he was smiling was the amused chuckles that were coming from him. He turned back and looked at me. "Perce, can you walk over here?"
I shakily stood up and hobbled over to my uncle. Another arm exploded from his back and helped to stabilize me. "What's up, uncle?"
Hades grinned at me. Honestly, it was kind of disconcerting to look at. "Look at his pocket."
I did. Sure enough, in his attempt to hurry away, a little bronze cylinder had started poking out of his pocket.
"Grab it," Hades instructed. His arms pressed down on Ares. "Ares won't move, will you, Ares?"
Ares whimpered. "Please…make it stop…"
"No can do," Hades said, and I noticed that his eyes were glowing a crimson red beneath the helm. I must've been staring pretty hard, because he nudged me. It felt like getting dunked in an ice bath. "Perce, the bolt."
"Oh, right, sorry," I apologized, trying to put a little distance between myself and Hades. I gently removed the tiny bronze cylinder from his pocket. As it touched my hands, it transformed into a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.
Hades laughed behind the helm. It was pretty fucking terrifying. I'm not sure what it sounded like to Ares, but he started wailing the moment he heard it. "Now, then. Weren't there some things you wanted to ask Ares?"
"Ares," I said, awkwardly pointing the bolt at him. Little arcs of lightning sparked off of the end. "Do you swear on the River Styx to never touch or try to cause harm, in any way shape, or form to Aphrodite—or any woman—ever again?"
I don't even think he was looking at me. His face kept moving left and right, his eyes darting back and forth incessantly. "Yes! Yes! Just make it stop!"
"Yes to what?" Hades urged, his eyes glowing brighter behind the helm. I didn't even think it was possible, but his voice dropped even lower. "Say it out."
"I swear on the River Styx to never touch or try to cause harm, in any way shape, or form to Aphrodite—or any woman—ever again!" Ares sobbed, tears running down his face.
Thunder rumbled somewhere, off in the distance.
"That's just pathetic," I said, frowning at the sight in front of me. I looked at my uncle. "What's he even seeing right now?"
"Beats me. Go get your friend, we're going straight to Olympus," Hades informed me. I nodded and started walking over. I stopped halfway, tossing Hades my sword, which had been embedded into the sand a few feet away. "For you."
"Ah, nephew," Hades said brightly as he stabbed Ares through the arm. "A man after my own heart. Thank you."
"No problem." I walked towards Piper with a spring in my step as Ares' pained screams rang out over the beach.
— - —
Quest Complete!
[SIDE QUEST]
{Love's Arrow!}
[Quest Prompt]: For centuries, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, has been caught in the crossfire of Olympus's endless rivalries, her heart shackled by divine politics. Embark on a perilous quest to break the ancient binds holding her captive, traversing mythical landscapes, deciphering cryptic prophecies, and standing toe-to-toe with powerful Olympian guardians bent on preserving the status quo. Only by uniting your courage, wits, and belief in love can you restore Aphrodite's freedom and guide her to the destiny she's been denied for so long.
[Hidden Objectives]:
- Successfully use the bond! [X]
- Have Aphrodite take a romantic interest in you! [X]
- Kiss Aphrodite! [ ]
- Take Aphrodite on a date! [ ]
[Total Rewards Earned]:
- [+][4000][REP] with [Aphrodite]!
- [+][50,000][EXP]!
- [+][Title][Always Sunny]!
— - —
— - —
Quest Complete!
[STORY QUEST]
{All's Well…}
[Quest Prompt]: The gods are at odds over a stolen relic—Zeus's lightning bolt—and Poseidon is caught in the middle. To make matters worse, Zeus has wrongly accused you of being the thief. Hades has come to Poseidon with a proposal: a quest that could uncover the true thief and restore balance between the gods. The thief, or thieves, aren't working alone, and Hades believes the same person or group has also stolen his symbol of power. Poseidon has no doubt the criminal is hiding among the gods themselves, and for your mother's safety, Hades has taken her into the Underworld. Now, it's up to you to clear your name, find the real thief, and bring justice to the gods.
[Hidden Objectives]:
- Activate the Limit Break by speaking to Nemesis! [X]
- Draw blood in your battle with Ares! [X]
- Force Luke to show himself and fight! [ ]
[Total Rewards Earned]:
- [+][1000] boost in reputation with multiple Olympians!
- [+][100,000][EXP]!
- [+][Godhunter]!
- [+][Skill][Fool's Gold]!
- [+][Special Perk coupon]!
— - —
— - —
{Perseus Jackson}
[Son of Poseidon]
[Hestia's Favored]
[Echidna's Bane]
[Always Sunny]
[Godhunter]
[LVL]: 29 [6900/16,000]
[HP]: 19,750/19,750
[SP]: 25,000/25,000
[MP]: 14,750/14,750
[FEALTY]: N/A
[STR]: 35 [+20]
[VIT]: 24
[DEX]: 45 [+20]
[INT]: 19
[CHA]: 12 [+5]
[WIS]: 15
[LUC]: 7
[AP]: 60
[PP]: 12
[$]: 46USD, 53D
[Info]: Son of the legendary lord of all seas, Poseidon, and Sally Jackson, Percy is the current [Child of Prophecy] and bearer of Olympus' flame. Despite his murky past, Percy is ready to take on his future with determination.
{Titles}
[Son of Poseidon]
- Permanently grants [+][1000][MP] and increases [Mana Regeneration] rate by [1%] per five seconds.
[Hestia's Favored]
- Permanently grants [+][750][HP] and [+][750][MP].
[Echidna's Bane]
- Grants immunity to all poison-based status effects and toxins, and reduces incoming damage from monstrous creatures by [10%].
[Always Sunny]
- This title makes your natural charisma shine even brighter, making you a beacon of positivity and influence and boosting your [CHA] by [2] every level-up.
[Godhunter]
- Grants [+][20%] damage to divine or godly beings (including minor gods and divine constructs). Increases critical hit chance against godly enemies by [+][10%].
— - —
[Original Author's Note]
AN: I hope that fight lived up to expectations! I honestly had a ton of fun writing it! Thank you to everyone who reviewed it! As always, let me know what you thought! I honestly had a ton of fun writing this one, I can't lie. Anyways! Onto my favorite part...
UnGamer: He has a lot of skills, so I wasn't planning on displaying all of them, but if it's really wanted, maybe I can work something out. Maybe I could put in a chapter with all of them or something, but I think putting them at the end of every chapter would be an unnecessary use of like ~2K words. Hope you understand.
Evyplayz121: Haha, sorry! Hopefully, this one made up for it…
SpartanBoy: Of course! The best part about continually working on a story is the feedback…I love hearing from you guys! It makes me better as a writer. I like your solutions, and I might honestly use them (if I do, I'll give you credit) but for now, I'm just going to go with the flow. See what happens. That sort of thing. Thanks again, though.
XenonDark: A two-parter! I love these. To answer your first question: no, I'm not black. Second question: it just seemed like an epic place to stop! Nothing against my loyal readers!
Huntingkiddo13: Why thank you! I'm not sure if I did a good enough job of the "in-game" description, so I'll reiterate here. Think of Limits as once-in-a-while boosts he'll get when he's in way over his head. That's not to say he'll always get bailed out by them- sometimes, he'll just have to try his best. Even with the Limits, he won't be unbeatable, as you saw.
Naturally, there will be different Limits that do different things, but the Limit he got during this fight was the basic version. I hope that clears things up, even a little!
King0609: Thank you! I think an important part of Percy's entire personality is his humanity. Even when he's calculating, he's a kid. You can't expect him to just shut off his emotions- I'm glad you're with me on that.
kyuubi7: Thanks a ton, man! I enjoyed talking with you earlier!
Yesirsski: Thank you! I'm glad you liked that touch! I was hoping someone would mention it! Also! I'm thinking of a pretty slow burn for the eventual romance between our hero and Aphrodite. Aphrodite needs to get used to a life where she can do what she wants, and she'll need to "develop" a personality and all that- it's going to take a while.
Piper will most definitely develop feelings for Percy…and she won't be the only one. I'm looking forward to writing some more awkward scenes where Percy is torn between his natural loyalty (even though he didn't want to be involved with Aphrodite) and his undeniable feelings for other women in his life.
Also- you know it! I love reading reviews, they make me so happy! If you take the time to leave a thought-out review, you bet I'm going to read it and leave you a thought-out response!
Thanks again to everyone who reviewed it! See you guys soon!
-Maroon
[Patch Notes]
[4/20/21]: Again, not much to change. Most of the changes were for the earlier chapters, but I figured I might as well see it through and make everything a little more clean and more consistent before continuing the Atlantis arc. If you're reading this and wondering about the next chapter, I plan on updating you on the one-year anniversary of this fic!
[2/27/22]: Visuals!
[11/7/22]: Some grammar.
[01/12/25]: Changed grammar, flow, tensing, visuals, and stats/quests.