Technically, he could probably understand everything in his classes now, but he'd been bitten by the bug. The bug every gamer gets: the need for perfection. He wasn't going to stop. He would spend time in the library every day until his dyslexia was no longer a weakness.
He nodded to himself in the quiet of his room. This was the start of his new life. A life where he wouldn't be a loser anymore. A life where his mom wouldn't have to worry about him. A life where he could finally kick Gabe in the dick.
Percy smiled and then looked at his inventory. His gaze fell on his money stat: $50. It wasn't nearly enough. He needed to fix that. Money would help his mom and him. Maybe some quests would allow him to get some cash, if that was even possible.
Just then, Percy noticed the towel he had stuffed into his inventory earlier. He pulled it out. It was still damp. Strange, he thought, it should have dried by now. He tossed it into the laundry chute, and a sudden idea struck him.
He was curious about his powers, but out of all of them, his inventory was the biggest mystery. What exactly happened to the stuff he put in there? Where did it go?
He decided to find out.
Percy took out his old flip phone and set it to record. He opened the inventory grid in front of him and pushed the phone through the shimmering barrier as it was still recording. He waited a few seconds, walked to a different spot in the room, and then opened his inventory again.
He pulled the phone out and stopped the recording. The video was only ten seconds long.
The playback first showed the phone being pressed into what looked like thin air; the inventory screen was invisible to the camera. Then, abruptly, the scene shifted. The phone was now recording a different part of the room—the spot where Percy was now standing.
This confirmed it: the inventory was a type of stasis field. Anything inside was frozen in time and space, which would be incredibly useful. Hot food whenever he wanted! He decided to experiment some more.
He opened the inventory again and, by pinching a corner of the translucent box, found he could move it up and down. He expanded it to the size of his bed, then shrank it down to the size of a coin. He placed the open inventory box on the floor below the edge of his desk and pushed a book off. It fell for a moment before vanishing silently into the box.
Percy pulled the book out and placed it back on the desk, his mind racing. His inventory could be the most powerful tool in his arsenal. Just imagine it: if someone shot a bullet at him, he could expand the inventory in front of him like a shield. The bullets would just disappear inside. He could be untouchable.
'Ding!'
[Due to your experimentation and tactical analysis, you have discovered a potential exploit! +1 INT!]
Percy smiled and sat back down on his bed. He had a plan. First, master English. Then, start reading every book he could get his hands on to increase his INT. He'd need to be smart to get rich and help his mom. Second, he needed to learn how to fight. All the reading he'd been doing about Greek monsters made one thing clear: he did not want to meet any of them. Ever.
It was now 10 PM, and Grover still hadn't returned. Where was that Greek goat? Percy shook his head and, on a whim, decided to leave his room. It was past curfew, but what was the point of life if you didn't live a little?
'Ding!'
[Quest Alert!]
[Find Grover Without Getting Caught!]
[Rewards:]
[+50 EXP]
[?]
[Failure:]
[Detention.]
[Loss of reputation with Mr. Brunner/Chiron.]
[Accept?]
[YES / NO]
Percy pressed 'YES'. Oh, what's this? A mystery prize? he thought. That's new. What could it be?
He snuck out of the dorm and made his way to the main courtyard. If Grover was anywhere, it would be in a place with the most greenery. As he got closer, he heard two voices coming from near the central fountain. One was definitely Grover's. The other was feminine and sounded… mossy, if that was even a word.
Percy quickly ducked into the bushes, moving quietly through the shadows as he neared the fountain.
'Ding!'
[New Skill Created!]
[Sneaking - LVL 1 (20%): Allows you to move undetected.]
[- 10% chance of not being seen.]
[- 10% chance of landing a critical strike from stealth.]
Not bad, Percy thought, swiping the screen away. He peered through the leaves and saw Grover standing before the fountain, a flashlight shining through the mist and creating a shimmering rainbow. And in the rainbow—I shit you not—was the image of a girl. It was like some kind of Greek Skype call.
"I know, I know, Juniper," Grover was saying, his voice full of longing. "But it's my job. I'm sorry I won't be back any time soon, sweetie."
"It's not fair, Grover," the mossy voice, presumably Juniper's, replied. "Why does it always have to be you?"
"This is my one chance, Juniper. If I make sure Percy gets to camp safe and sound, I'll finally get my searcher's license. I'll be allowed to search for Pan."
"I know," Juniper sighed. "But I miss you, Grovey."
"I miss you too, Juni," Grover said softly. They started to flirt, but Percy's attention was elsewhere.
"Observe," he whispered, focusing on the rainbow communication.
[Iris Messaging: A form of video messaging used by gods, demigods, and nature spirits to communicate. The service is managed by Iris, the goddess of the rainbow. To use this service, one must create a rainbow, offer one drachma, and state the name and location of the recipient.]
Dammit, Percy thought. Observe must be too low-level. I'm just getting the basics. His eyes latched onto one word: drachma. A solid gold Greek coin. They don't actually expect us to use solid gold for a phone call, do they? What a waste!
Then he remembered his status page. Under money, it listed both '$' and 'D'. That meant he could store Drachmas. He needed to get his hands on some.
'Ding!'
[Sneaking has leveled up to LVL 2!]
[- 15% chance of not being seen.]
[- 15% chance of landing a critical strike from stealth.]
Nice.
Suddenly, a loud voice boomed across the courtyard. "Hey, you!"
Percy and Grover both jumped. Mr. Wetherspoon, the P.E. teacher, was marching towards them. Grover panicked, quickly shutting off his light and severing the connection. He then did something odd: he threw a small, clinking bag into the fountain.
Percy's eyes locked onto the splash. There was the cash he needed.
Mr. Wetherspoon came to a stop next to Grover, who had just managed to get his crutches situated. "Mr. Underwood! What are you doing out here past curfew?"