Percy jerked in his seat, feeling a sudden, strange disturbance in his mind, though he couldn't pinpoint what had happened. He shook his head, trying and failing to focus on the rest of the lesson.
That night, Percy went to bed with a raging headache. His classes were getting more distracting, the teachers were more boring than ever, and worst of all, Grover kept going on and on about the Greek Gods, muttering about how they were going to "get him." Honestly, the guy acted like such a chicken sometimes.
Finally reaching his dorm room, Percy was relieved to find it empty; Grover was still in the library studying. He kicked off his shoes and socks and crashed onto his bottom bunk bed. The last thing he heard before sleep claimed him was a soft, distinct 'Ding!'
The next morning, Percy opened his eyes and slowly wiped the sleep from them. He stretched and yawned, feeling surprisingly great. No headache, no homework—that he could remember—and no Grover snoring loud enough to wake the dead.
He nodded, content, and then his eyes focused on something hovering above him. It was a translucent blue box with crisp, black letters. Suddenly, he heard another 'Ding!' and shot upright, banging his head hard on the bedframe above. He rubbed the sore spot, his eyes wide, wondering if this was real or if he was finally losing his mind.
Percy squinted and read the text:
[You have slept in your own bed. HP and MP have been fully restored. All negative status effects have been cured.]
…
Percy tried to move his head, but the text remained fixed in place, exactly a foot from his face. He cautiously reached a hand out to touch it, only for his fingers to pass right through the screen. As they did, the blue box rippled like the surface of a lake, the text distorting before a final wave of his hand made it vanish completely.
Did that actually happen? Percy blinked again and again, his mouth hanging open until it began to feel dry.
He shook his head. Maybe it was just his brain telling him to lay off the video games. He swung his legs off the bed and, in the process, managed to hit his head again on the top bunk, where Grover was now drooling peacefully. Seriously, the boy smelled like a goat!
'Ding!'
Oh no. Percy slowly looked up, and a red box with black letters now floated before him.
[New Skill Created!]
[Physical Endurance (Passive) - LVL 1 (5%): Your body's durability has increased. You now take 3% less damage from all physical attacks.]
No way in hell, Percy thought as he swiped his hand through the red box, making it disappear.
'What the hell is going on?' he asked himself silently. 'Am I going mad? Please, God, tell me I'm not going mad.'
Just then, a crazy idea struck him—an idea that sounded completely insane, but then again, he was seeing floating boxes.
What if this… and he knew how silly it sounded, what if this is a game? Like The Matrix or something? Was he The One? Was his life even real?
There was only one way to find out. Percy took a deep, calming breath and opened his eyes with newfound determination. He spoke the word aloud, his voice barely a whisper.
"Status."
A new, larger brown box appeared before him.
[Percy Jackson]
[The Gamer]
[Title: None]
[Level: 2 (EXP: 30/400)]
[HP: 100/100]
[MP: 50/50]
[Race: ?]
[Primary Stats:]
[STR - 2]
[VIT - 1 (+2) = 3]
[DEX - 2 (+2) = 4]
[INT - 1]
[WIS - 1]
[LUC - 3]
[Points: 0]
[Money: $0 / 0 Drachma]
[Description: Perseus 'Percy' Jackson is a ?, the son of Sally Jackson and ?. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia, making academic focus difficult. His behavior has led to his expulsion from numerous schools. Percy is unaware of his father's true identity and wishes to find his purpose. He loves his mother deeply and despises his stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, who is a dick.]
[Active Effects:]
[Status: ? - Grants +2 VIT, +2 DEX, and the ability to ?]
Percy stared. Then, whatever fragile thread was holding his sanity together finally snapped. The world tilted, the letters blurred, and the green-eyed boy collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.
The Fates smiled. This was going to be their most entertaining scheme yet.
….
Percy slowly came to, the darkness in his vision gradually receding. He blinked his eyes open to see a goat standing over him. Wait… a goat?
He shook his head, clearing the last of the fog, and sat up slowly as he heard a familiar voice.
"Whoa, easy there, man. Take it slow," Grover said, helping Percy to his feet. "What happened? I was in the hall when I heard you drop to the floor."
Percy looked at his friend, then shook his head again, trying to play it cool. "I-I'm fine, G-man. I think I just hit my head on your bed one too many times."
Grover glanced at the bunk bed and then back at Percy, carefully guiding him to sit on the edge of his own mattress. "Well, I suppose we are getting a little too big for these things."
Percy nodded, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey, Grover… you didn't happen to hear any strange noises coming from this room, did you?"
"Noises?" Grover asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Like a bell," Percy said, trying to describe it. "You know, the kind in video games that goes, 'Ding!'"
Grover scratched his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head. "No, Percy, no bells ringing for me. Are you sure you're alright? Hearing bells in your head isn't exactly a sign that you don't have a head injury. We should at least go to the nurse."
Percy quickly shook his head. "No, Grover, I'm fine, really. You just... go on. I think I'm just going to stay here for a bit."
"You sure, man?"
Percy forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, man, I'm sure."