Arthur:
Ever get dropped kicked through an Ice Shelf before?
No?
Well, I can't say it's ever a question I'd thought I'd ever ask. But as the thick and ancient ice shattered into millions of pieces as I barreled through it at Mach 1, I once again found myself coming to terms with the insanity that was my life.
!
Take a +5 to VIT for surviving massive trauma!
My stat bump came just as I smashed through the other side of the wall of ice. Thankfully there was plenty of snow on the other side to catch my body. As I rolled to a stop I made sure to give my health a quick check.
A quarter left? Not bad I guess. Last time this happened I was barely hovering at 1%.
!
Skill leveled up!
Pain Tolerance, Lvl (12): You can be stabbed, shot, bludgeoned, or even gutted. But too bad for your enemies, you don't feel a damn thing.
- 12% of the pain you experience is blocked out from your nervous system.
Flipping over a groan escaped me at the feeling of my spine and every other bone in my back shifting under my skin as they began repairing themselves. I guess to be fair it did feel a little less painful than the last time.
"Hm, you're even healing faster this time. For a second I was worried we'd have to stop again to get you healed." Artemis laughed as she appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
"Do you have to bring that up?" I muttered as I pushed myself off the ground.
A while ago and a couple months into the Forest version of my training, my mother had decided to let loose a bit of her divine power to test where exactly I was at in a spar.
I had learned a couple of things then.
One: Ares had totally held back on Percy. No And's, If's, or But's about it.
I was confident that even a couple of months into my training that I was far stronger than both book Percy and my Percy at the time both had fought Ares. Despite that when Artemis had decided to barely use even a single percentage of her real power against me?
I went through a mountain and almost died. Even when bracing and using a max-powered Light Shield.
So yeah. Ares was extremely handicapped in the 1st book.
Two: The regenerative properties of Gamer's Body were directly hooked to my total health and/or my VIT stat.
How did I know that last one? Because last time this happened when I had far less health not only did it take quite a while for my completely shattered body to heal, but Artemis had to also teleport us to a divine hot spring with healing properties and hold me in there while slowly dripping Nectar down my throat.
I could have completely healed just fine and not been in constant pain had she just let me fall asleep. The system would have simply reset my health as it did every time I went to sleep.
Unfortunately, she didn't know that and had frantically kept me from falling asleep in fear I had a concussion or worse.
So having to feel my whole body stitch itself back together wasn't exactly a fond memory.
There should have been the bright side of the fact that the entire time I was basically being snuggled in a hot spring by a beautiful and naked adult goddess. It was any man's dream. Thousands of men, gods, and supernatural creatures had felt Artemis's wrath for seeing her naked.
Unfortunately, she was also my mother. So instead it was mortifying and something I absolutely did not want a repeat of at all.
Yeah, not today Freud.
I spat out a bit of blood from my mouth.
"You know maybe we could go back to hunting monsters or target practice. Something that doesn't involve using me as a human slingshot?" I asked hopefully as I got back up on my feet.
A smirk made its way onto Artemis's face as she brushed her reddish-blonde hair out her face and she crouched into her favorite stance.
Fuck.
"What's wrong sweetie? If you're getting tired of mommy kicking your butt, then perhaps you should try harder?" She snarked with a wink before disappearing in a flash.
Double fuck.
Lightning don't fail me now, please.
With a grimace, I activated my newest skill while dodging to my left and hoped it would even the playing field a bit.
Lightning Enhancement, Lvl (1): Using the element of Lighting you can empower your body to move beyond its limitations while activated.
-This ability costs 5000 MP per 1 minute of use.
-50% Increase to Speed, DEX, and PER.
-5% Increase to STR
I wouldn't even be able to use it for a full minute. But at least this time I would at least be able to see my own ass get kicked instead of just ending up on the ground before I could blink.
The smell of ozone invaded my nose as I felt lightning Winchester around me and then infuse itself into my cells and nerves. The world momentarily blurred as my speed increased dramatically and cleared once my perception caught back up.
It was all for naught though just as I had suspected because instead of an invisible force hitting me, this time it was a blurred limb that caught me square in the chest.
I was flung back and rag-dolled again through the snow. Thankfully there was less force behind this hit than the last one because this time I was able to right myself as I tumbled and skidded into a crouch.
That didn't stop me from coughing up a bit more blood though.
!
+1 to VIT!
Take a +3 to DEX for recovering with style!
A bit of a chuckle escaped me. For as much as I hated being used as a punching bag, I couldn't deny the results this training had given me.
*Bang*
I ejected my empty mag and slapped another one in.
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang*
Seconds later I lowered the rifle in my hands and smirked.
"I believe they're all bullseyes mom."
"So it would seem." Artemis snorted and turned her nose up.
I rolled my eyes. My mother had not exactly taken kindly to the fact that I wanted absolutely nothing to do with the practice of archery and instead wanted to use firearms. In fact, some might say she was still quite miffed about it to this day.
Yet I still stood in the stance the guns were superior to bows and arrows in every shape and form.
I slung the modern AR over my shoulder and began packing my stuff. I hadn't brought much to the range today, just some maintenance supplies and my personal-made bullets.
While normal bullets were in great supply in the USA, Celestial Metal rounds were not. Only Camp Halfblood had some in stock that the Hephestus kids had made when experimenting with different weapons.
Which meant I had to go about the process of making my own. Which sounded easier said than done. When I was stuffed into this body and world, the cannon had remained the same and started around the mid-'00s.
While I couldn't remember the exact year I was originally in. I knew that things like Smart Phones, Tablets, and the Internet were common and matured technology.
Here though? The internet was still in its somewhat infancy. Most of the popular video services and the first touchscreen phone wouldn't even begin for another year or two.
Which meant on Artemis and mine's travels, I had to find someone to teach me the craft.
The results, in the end, had been more than worth it though, because, after some experimenting and some consultation from some smiths on Olympus, I had finally made my own version of Luke's Sword, Backbiter.
In bullet form!
Eat your heart out Mr. Chase.
Not only could I shoot monsters, but it also gave me a stern "fuck off" option if I ever had to deal with normal humans.
They were some trouble to make of course. The metals mixed well enough at the right composition, but I had to go to Olympus and buy the Celestial Bronze from shops whenever I needed more.
And unfortunately, they didn't accept mortal money or my stolen Lotus card. So for now I had a limited supply of them.
I finished packing, well-throwing stuff in my inventory, and turned to my mother.
"So what next? We've done winter, desert, and now rainforest training." I said while casually flinging a small bolt of Lighting at a particularly large snake I saw slithering up a tree near us, "Where's the next location where you can beat my ass black and blue while calling it training?"
The mood my mother was in lifted with an eye roll of her own and a huff, "Well while we could keep doing training in these mundane sorts of environments… I had a better idea."
Excitement bubbled within me, "Are we going on another hunt?"
I didn't know whether it was from being her son or maybe just the fact I was never able to do it before, but going on hunts with her after we finished training in whatever environment she had chosen was always an excellent reward.
"Of sorts." She replied.
"Of sorts?"
"I've taught you how to deal with monsters and threats from our world. You will continue to learn about them when you return to camp and from future quests." Artemis began to pull out a rather large and thick leather book from seemingly nowhere and tossed it towards me, "But now you will learn about threats from the other half of your lineage before they make the first move."
I caught the book and looked over its cover.
"A guide to Demons, Devils, and Fallen." I read, "Where did you even get this?"
"The Catholic Church."
"Huh." I muttered as I began flipping through it, "Is it accurate?"
"For the most part." She shrugged, "The Church and the Biblical Heaven like to keep up-to-date information when training new Angels and Exorcists. That book should contain information on most types of Demons, the Devil Houses and their society, along with the Fallen houses and bloodlines as well. I procured a copy for you to study."
I whistled, "Didn't know the Greek Gods were so informed on the goings of other pantheons."
"Where usually not. Only Zeus, Hades, Athena, and Hera are the ones who keep up to date with the others. And that's only because they really have no choice. Zeus and Hera both handle foreign relations, Hades because all the Hells and Underworlds are connected, and Athena because it's her natural domain to know." Artemis explained, "I only began learning once I had you."
I raised an eyebrow, "Really."
"Really." She confirmed, "While I never expected Richard to die, I knew that one day the knowledge would come in handy. Besides, my hunting options have expanded dramatically once learning of all the beasts and monsters they have. The Greek ones can get boring after a while."
"Makes sense. Speaking of Richard, are you ever going to tell me what his or my brother's deal is?"
A smile made its way to her face, "That book you hold has a section for each of them individually. Read it and if you have any questions after I will do my best to answer them. Your brother's starts at page 416, your father's at page 3001."
I sighed. This was always Artemis's teaching style, attempting it by myself, and then she would correct it if I got it working.
Also, starting at page 3000? It was a thick book don't get me wrong, but it certainly wasn't thousands of pages big. Must've been enchanted to keep space down.
I flipped to Cadius's page.
"Cadius Bael Winchester: The Dark Light…" I trailed off before letting out a sigh.
"I'm gonna take a guess and say Bael isn't a middle name nor Richard's real last name?"
"Nope."
Goddammit, Richard.
!
Crossroad Quest Completed.
Rewards:
[X] 100,000 XP
[X] ?
[X] ?
A quest was complete, but not by your hands. Because of this, you gain neither the rewards nor the failures.
I was petrified as I stared at the notification.
What the actual fuck. Wasn't that the revenge quest? I didn't even know my quests could be negated by outside forces or the world as a whole. That opened up so many possibilities, such as the fact any quest may be a timed one without me knowing about it.
But more important than any of that…
Who the fuck took my goddamn XP?!
Hell:
"GARRGH."
A man with dark armor flew through a wall and landed amongst a now ruined and burning banquet hall. With a mighty crash, it impacted the stone floor and made a small trench as it continued moving.
Once it finally came to a stop, the man was barely able to roll himself over and released a pained moan as yellow eyes strained to open "Damn your soul to Purgatory Winchester."
He knew this would be his end.
"Aw now c'mon there Maggy. I'm sure you've had worse." A deep and heavily baritone voice chuckled as it stepped through the hole it made into the room, "That or you're just rusty."
Into the hall stepped an entity that no one could dispute was demonic. Black reptilian armored plates covered its whole being, a tail of similar appearance held itself below four folded wings going down its back, and iridescent purple energy seemed to glow in veins over its entire body, even venting out at certain points such as the hallowed horn atop his head.
"Fuck you." The fallen devil spat.
"Defiant to the end huh? Respectable I guess." The demonic being chuckled and continued forward. As he did his demonic form flashed before breaking apart into particles, leaving behind a young man with silver hair and amber eyes.
"Though I truly did expect more of a fight from a Hell Knight." The now revealed man continued in a much lighter and human voice, "Which leads me to my next point."
The young silvered-haired man had reached his opponent's fallen form and put his boot on the cracked and shattered black chest plate that covered him, "What truly happened to my father Vassago?"
A sneer made its way onto the downed Vassago, "I thought you already had heard Cadius, I killed your damn father. So how abo-
*Crunch*
Magdaran howled in pain as Cadius's boot crashed into his chest. His ruined armor further caving inward and the snapping of bones joining the sound of crushing metal and the flames that roared around them.
"Don't insult my intelligence." Cadius snapped, "I know you didn't defeat my father. Even with your entire slave legions of demons, you wouldn't be capable of that. Much less the paltry force you took with you. So either you had a very powerful ally or you're lying to me. Which is it?"
Yellow eyes met amber with a pain-filled yet defiant gaze.
"So be it."
A greatsword covered with crimson hellfire found its way into the Hell Knights chest.
The eldest Winchester snorted as he watched the light fade from the eyes of the Devil below him.
"One down. Hundreds of barons, crime bosses, lords, and ladies to go."
If you want to support me or read 5 chapters ahead here's the link - https://www.patreon.com/cw/AWinSter