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?"
"Ah—hi, Mr. Wetherspoon, sir," Grover stammered. "I was just—ah. It was a little difficult moving around and I kind of got lost and—"
"—Enough of your excuses, Mr. Underwood. You were obviously out past curfew. As such, you will have detention tomorrow," the teacher stated flatly. Grover's face fell, and he was about to protest when Mr. Wetherspoon held up a hand, silencing him. "And where is Jackson? You two are always causing some mischief together."
Grover shook his head, his face a mask of innocence. "Percy isn't here, Mr. Wetherspoon. It's just me."
The man nodded, seemingly satisfied, and promptly began to escort Grover away. As soon as they were out of sight, Percy vaulted from the bushes. He rushed to the fountain and plunged his hands into the frigid water, searching frantically in the dark. His shirt and hands got soaked, but he didn't care. His fingers finally brushed against the coarse fabric of the bag Grover had thrown. He snatched it, and just as he'd thought, it was heavy with the tell-tale clink of coins.
Percy shoved the bag into his inventory and ran. If Wetherspoon reached their dorm and he wasn't there, he'd be in a world of trouble.
[Quest Alert!]
[Race Against the Clock: Reach your room before Grover and Mr. Wetherspoon!]
[Rewards:]
[+1 DEX]
[Avoid Detention]
[Failure:]
[Detention with Grover.]
[Possible Fracture.]
[Accept?]
[YES / NO]
Percy slammed 'YES' and sprinted toward the dorm building. There was only one staircase leading to their floor, and Grover and Wetherspoon were already on it. He had only one option.
I have to climb.
He ran to the exterior wall directly below the first-floor corridor. He needed to jump, grab the railing, pull himself up, and then vault over the second railing across the walkway. Without a second thought, he took a running start and jumped, pushing off the ground with all his might.
He sailed through the air, surprisingly overshooting the first railing. For a split second, panic flared, but Gamer's Mind took over, and his still-wet hands shot out, grabbing the metal bar in a vice grip. His grip held. With muscles screaming, he hauled himself up and over the second railing, landing silently on the corridor floor. He charged into his room, throwing the door open and slamming it shut behind him.
He leaned against the door, forcing his breathing to slow, trying his best not to look like he'd just parkoured up the side of the building.
'Ding! Ding!'
[Quest Succeeded!]
[Find Grover Without Getting Caught!]
[Rewards: +50 EXP, A Bag of Drachmas]
[Quest Succeeded!]
[Race Against the Clock: Reach your room before Grover and Mr. Wetherspoon!]
[Rewards: +1 DEX, Avoided Detention]
A grin spread across Percy's face. He pulled up his status.
[Percy Jackson]
[The Gamer]
[Title: Son of Poseidon (+20 STR, +20 VIT, +20 DEX while in water)]
[Level: 4 (EXP: 50/1200)]
[HP: 200/200]
[MP: 100/100]
[Race: Demigod]
[Primary Stats:]
[STR - 2 (+20 buff) = 22]
[VIT - 1 (+2 racial, +20 buff) = 23]
[DEX - 3 (+2 racial, +20 buff) = 25]
[INT - 4]
[WIS - 4]
[LUC - 3]
[Points: 10]
[Money: $50 / 10 Drachma]
Percy raised an eyebrow. Not because he only had ten Drachmas, but because his Son of Poseidon bonus was active. It was only supposed to work when he was in water. He looked down at his arms and shirt. They were drenched. Did that count? It must have. A slow, wicked smile spread across his face. This was going to be a great cheat to use in a fight.
He quickly changed his clothes just as Grover and Mr. Wetherspoon came in. The teacher glanced at Percy, nodded, and then left after reminding Grover about his detention.
"Detention?" Percy asked with an air of perfect innocence. "What were you doing out?"
'Ding!'
[Lying has leveled up to LVL 2!]
[- Success chance increased to 10%]
Percy ignored the notification and focused on Grover.
"Oh, you know," Grover said, fumbling for an excuse. "I was just trying to get some fresh air. Stupid idea, I know, but a guy has needs, you know?"
Percy smiled. "I know, Grover. I know."
….
The next evening, Percy stood in the courtyard before the same fountain. He'd spent the day actually listening in class, and to his utter astonishment, it had paid off.
[Due to you paying attention in class for the first bloody time, you have gained +1 INT!]
He was beyond excited. Not only had he gained a stat point, but he'd actually managed to focus! His dyslexia penalty was now down to -35%, meaning he was understanding about 65% of what was being taught. He was finally getting his life on track. He was going to make his mother proud.
Tonight, his goal was simple: discover and grind his new demigod skills. He'd already mastered breathing underwater. That left controlling water, talking to fish, creating earthquakes, and talking to horses. Since there were no fish or horses around, and he didn't want to destroy the school (not today, at least), water control was the logical next step.
He dipped both hands into the fountain. He felt the familiar surge of power as his Son of Poseidon title activated, his body feeling stronger and more agile. He pushed the feeling to the back of his mind with Gamer's Mind and focused.
Slowly, he raised his hands, concentrating on the water around them, willing it to obey. As his hands broke the surface, two quivering balls of water clung to his palms, refusing to fall. He grinned and brought them up to his face. They wobbled like giant blobs of Jell-O before they burst, drenching him completely.
Godsdammit, he cursed internally. Lost my concentration.
He dipped his hands in again. This time, he held the image of a single, cohesive sphere in his mind. He pulled, and a large ball of water lifted from the fountain, hovering between his hands. He held it there for nearly a full minute, a feeling of pure control flowing through him.
With a final push of his will, he threw the sphere of water. It soared through the air like a liquid cannonball before crashing back into the fountain, sending a spectacular splash into the night air.