I stared at Malia for a moment, registering her words. I guess I was right to have been looking into how strong Carcinus was—that information was coming in handy right about now. He's strong, but this is doable. With just a little bit of smarts and a helping of luck, I know for a fact that I can walk away from this one. I haven't been training for all this time just to get my numbers up, you know.
My brain was already racing through different ways I could handle this situation.
"Give me a second," I said comfortingly, turning away from Malia.
I didn't even care if she saw this—there were lives at stake!
With a barely noticeable ping noise, I pulled up my status screen. Yep, just like I thought. I had five points and a perk point left over from my other quests and whatnot. I don't know why exactly I ended up saving these things, but I guess I can't complain too much about my past self. That sort of thinking might've just saved me right now.
Past Percy, if you're reading this—thanks, bud. You really did me a solid.
Now's the part where I need to think. Carcinus' weaknesses are his legs and his fire, right? Easy enough. I put two points into my [STR] and three into my [DEX]. That way I have enough strength and finesse to hammer it home—right where it really hurts.
I banished the stats screen away and pulled the perk one forward.
Decisions, decisions.
I ignored the notifications that kept popping up about some new special perks. I didn't have the time or perk points for that, as interesting as some of them sounded. I've got a couple of perks in general that I've had my eye on for some time now, specifically for situations like this.
If I had to give myself a build, almost, I'd say I'm still an all-around fighter at this point. I have some insane offensive powers, but at the same time, my defense isn't too shabby, either. That being said, I like offense more, and that's probably what's going to help me the most in this fight, so…
— - —
[Perk]: Pyrokinetic
[System Denomination]: Active
[Attribute Group]: DEX
[Level]: 14
[Description]: Gain the ability to burn the flames inside your body like a furnace to increase your physical abilities with thermal energy! Continued use results in an upward curve of mana usage in exchange for power.
[MP COST]: [30 MP/S]!
— - —
Yeah, yeah, I know. It definitely isn't the most exciting perk. Honestly, I didn't even want to grab this one, but the fact that Carcinus is weak to fire is kind of forcing my hand…
I'm under no false qualms, here. I'm strong. I'm capable. Unusually so for a twelve-year-old demigod, yeah, but this is a monster of old. These are the kinds of things that made legendary demigods so legendary, the kind of fights that people would talk about years down the line. I couldn't afford to get complacent—not with all these innocent lives at stake.
Realistically speaking, I don't know if I can beat him. I know I said I could survive earlier, but like, honestly, I don't know. He's a bit over triple my level, and if that isn't daunting enough, I also have to save everyone in here and fight the guards.
Yeah, winning alone may not be possible.
My best bet is to find the queen and send her home for help. I can make a stand for a little bit, for sure. Definitely, until reinforcements show up.
Plan in mind, I banished the game menu, feeling the effects of my spending taking place. The warm feeling of fire seared into my throat, heating my entire body and leaving my mouth tasting like burning tinfoil. I felt the blooming warmth build inside of me.
"Let's go," I said after a few moments, lightly grabbing Malia's shoulder.
She bit her lip and nodded. I could tell she had questions, but the serious look in my eyes was probably enough of a reason to shut up and follow me. I was vaguely reminded of how Piper acted when we first met, but I put that thought out of my mind for now.
We slowly made our way out of the closet. I was on the lookout for Carcinus or any of his men, but my luck made it so that I walked right into a group of nymphs coming back from the bathroom. They stared at Malia and me with not-so-discreet looks on their faces.
My training with Delta instantly came to mind as I slipped into the façade of Perseus—the prince of the seas. The unassuming, charming guy everyone expected me to be. I might not be able to lie to him, but other people are a cakewalk.
"Sorry about that ladies," I smiled pleasantly, feeling the warm effect of my perk activating. "Malia here was just giving me a very personal tour of the palace."
I nudged Malia, who was still frozen in shock.
"Oh, yeah."
Not the most convincing acting performance, but it was good enough. The nymphs left us alone after a few minutes of light conversation, and I grabbed Malia's hand.
"Your father is looking for me. He was last seen with my stepmom, and now he said some woman is asleep. It doesn't take a genius to figure this stuff out. Where would he be hiding her?"
"Probably the butcher room," Malia shivered, trying to hide in my shadow. She kept looking at the guards as if they'd swoop her up if she was left alone. "It's near the front of the palace. If he's got her under in that room, she probably doesn't have much time before the guards get to her."
Not much time, huh?
I looked around the palace floor, noticing some of Carcinus' men starting to discreetly move toward us again.
Looks like I've been found.
Well, you guys, I tried playing the part of the spy for as long as I could. I should've known better than to try to be something I'm not.
I started removing the upper layers of my weird Aladdin thing, stripping down to the base T‑shirt I was wearing before. The light garment landed on the palace floor with a heavier thump than I was expecting.
You see, I don't know much about being a spy and being discreet and all of that good stuff. Well, I know it, like I know the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. It doesn't mean shit to me though.
Do you want to know what does?
Keeping my loved ones safe. I've said it once and I'll say it again—I'd do anything to do that. Rules be damned.
"Hold on," I urged, my eyes flicking to the clock on the brink of my vision.
I waited for a few seconds, pausing as the hand reached the fourth section of the clock—the one with the symbol of a shoe. The ends of my vision blurred, and I felt my peripheral vision grow exponentially.
I scooped Malia into my arms and took a deep breath.
Crack!
My feet smashed into the ground, the soles of my sneakers shifting with unbelievable force. The palace ground underneath my feet cracked, melting away like Play-Doh twisting around my shoe. I exhaled slowly and—zoom!
Bits of clay and metal went flying everywhere as I went speeding down the palace, [Accelerate] supercharging my speed. I went flying past the guards, careening through the archway that connected the main hall to the entrance hallway. The wind whipped into my face as I blasted past the rooms, Malia still tucked carefully into my arms.
I frantically navigated the hallway, leaving dents and scars on the floor as I kept moving.
Butcher room, butcher room—ah, there it is!
I burst through the door instantly, my eyes blurring from side to side, trying to commit every detail of the room to memory.
Amphitrite was laid down on the table, bound by some leather strips, and stripped down completely. Her dress was actually nowhere in sight.
I ignored the burst of anger that seared through my body as I looked at her naked body, opting instead to look at the two men positioned around her.
Let's see…left, right, left, plan made! Alright—let's go!