'Ding!'
[New Skill Discovered!]
[Hydrokinesis (Water Control) - LVL 1 (43%):]
[Allows you to manipulate water from any source. You can reshape, move, and harden it according to your will.]
[Cost: 20 MP per minute]
Percy leaned against the cold stone of the fountain, panting heavily. He swiped the screen away with a wet hand. So, this was it. His birthright. And apparently, it came with a battery life.
He pulled up his status page to check his fuel tank.
[MP: 80/100]
[Regen: 10 MP per minute]
Percy frowned at the numbers. His regeneration rate was pathetic. Ten MP a minute meant if he bottomed out, he'd be sitting around twiddling his thumbs for ten minutes just to get back to full strength. It was his own fault, really. He tapped the 'Help' icon next to his stats to remind himself how this video game logic worked.
STR (Strength): Physical power. Hit things harder, carry more stuff.
VIT (Vitality): Health and defense. (+25 HP per point).
DEX (Dexterity): Speed, balance, and precision. (+10% HP regen speed per 10 points).
INT (Intelligence): Mana capacity and memory. (+25 MP per point).
WIS (Wisdom): Mana control and recovery. (+10% MP regen speed per 10 points).
LUC (Luck): Critical hits and random drops.
He looked at his current stats and grimaced.
[STR: 2]
[VIT: 3]
[DEX: 5]
[INT: 5]
[WIS: 4]
[LUC: 3]
"I'm basically a Level 1 Crook," Percy muttered to himself. "Actually, I am a Level 1 Crook."
He had ten unspent stat points burning a hole in his pocket, but Han Jack's advice rang in his ears: Save them for when the grind gets too hard. If he wanted to survive being a demigod, he had to do this the hard way.
He turned back to the fountain. The water rippled in the moonlight, looking innocent enough.
"Alright," Percy whispered, shaking out his hands. "Round two."
He didn't shout a spell this time. He just focused. He imagined the water as an extension of his own blood, something that belonged to him. He pulled.
A blob of water, roughly the size of a basketball, rose shakily from the surface. It wobbled like unstable jelly. Percy could feel the drain immediately—a strange tugging sensation in his chest, like he was holding his breath while running a sprint.
Hold it, he told himself. Just hold it.
Minutes ticked by. The water trembled. Sweat beaded on Percy's forehead, mixing with the fountain spray.
Three minutes... four minutes...
His head started to pound. A migraine spiked behind his eyes—the universal sign of 'Low Mana'.
Drop.
The water splashed back into the basin, and Percy slumped onto the concrete rim, gasping.
[MP: 0/100]
[Status: Mana Exhaustion - You have a headache.]
"Okay," Percy wheezed, clutching his head. "That... sucked."
He checked his watch. He needed ten minutes to recharge. He spent the time stretching, trying to ignore the throbbing in his temples.
At the ten-minute mark, the headache faded. Percy stood up. "Again."
He did it again. And again. And again.
An hour passed. Then two. It was grueling work. It wasn't just physical; it was mental weightlifting. At first, he could only make shapeless blobs. By the third cycle, he was boring into the water with his mind, forcing it to elongate. He turned the blob into a snake. Then a tube. Then he compressed the tube, making the water denser, harder, until it felt like a solid glass pipe in his grip.
It was past midnight when Percy collapsed onto the cool grass, his chest heaving, his mana completely drained for what felt like the hundredth time.
'Ding!'
[Skill Evolved!]
[Hydrokinesis - LVL 4 (30%):]
[Cost: 17 MP per minute]
Percy managed a tired smile. He had shaved three points off the cost. It wasn't much, but it was progress.
'Ding!'
[Through the constant depletion and regeneration of mental energy, your mind has expanded!]
[+1 INT]
[+1 WIS]
"Nice," Percy whispered to the stars. The grinding was working. He wasn't just getting better at water control; he was getting smarter and wiser just by exhausting himself. Who knew burnout was a valid training strategy?
Crunch.
Percy froze. The sound of a footstep on gravel echoed through the silent courtyard. It wasn't the rhythmic clack-drag of Grover's crutches, nor the rolling hum of Chiron's wheelchair. This was a heavy, deliberate walk. A human walk.
Panic flared, but Gamer's Mind stamped it down instantly.
I can't be caught here. Not this late.
Percy scrambled up, scooping a handful of water from the fountain and splashing it directly onto his face and shirt.
[Buff Active: Son of Poseidon]
[+20 STR, +20 VIT, +20 DEX]
The exhaustion vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of adrenaline and power. The headache from the mana drain disappeared. He felt light, explosive.
He bolted for the dorms. He wasn't running; he was flying. He reached the side of the building in seconds. Usually, getting to the first-floor balcony required a boost or a ladder. Tonight, Percy leaped. He caught the railing with one hand, his grip crushing against the metal, and hauled himself up and over in a single fluid motion.
He landed silently on the concrete walkway.
"Sneak," he whispered.
[Sneaking] activated. A subtle grey filter seemed to settle over his vision. Percy crept to his door, turned the handle with agonizing slowness, and slipped inside.
The room was dark, filled only with the sound of Grover's erratic snoring. It sounded like a lawnmower choking on a rock.
Percy exhaled, letting the tension bleed out. He stripped off his damp clothes, tossed them in the hamper, and crawled into his bunk. He closed his eyes, the smell of chlorine and ozone lingering in his nose.
'Ding!'
[You have slept in your own bed.]
[HP and MP fully restored.]
[All ailments cured.]
Percy woke up to the familiar blue box hovering over his face. He swiped it away, blinking against the morning sun. 7:00 AM.
He felt fantastic. No muscle soreness, no mental fatigue. He jumped out of bed, grabbed a quick shower, and threw on his uniform.
He turned to the top bunk. "Hey, G-man. Rise and shine."
"Mmmph?" Grover groaned, a line of drool connecting his lip to the pillow. "Five more minutes, Mom..."
"It's 7:00, Grover," Percy said, tying his shoes. "Don't make me get the spray bottle."
Grover just pulled the blanket over his head. "I'll be fine. Go on without me. Save yourself."
Percy shook his head, grinning. "Alright, suit yourself. But if you miss breakfast, don't blame me."
He left the dorm and headed for the cafeteria. It was quiet this early in the morning—just a few sleepy students and the cafeteria staff setting out the trays.
Percy grabbed a plate and got in line. The smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes hit him, and his stomach gave a treacherous growl. He loaded his plate. And then he loaded it some more.
He found a secluded table in the corner, his back to the wall. He looked down at the mountain of food: a stack of six pancakes, four sausages, and a mound of scrambled eggs.
He glanced around. The coast was clear.
Time for a little experiment.
He opened his inventory screen. It hovered invisibly in front of him. He picked up the plate—syrup dripping down the sides of the pancakes—and held it up.
"Inventory," he thought.
Whoosh.
The plate vanished from his hand.