Ping.
Ping.
Ping.
"Ugh… what the—" Percy groaned, twisting under his blanket, trying to escape the sharp, rhythmic beeping pounding in his head like a tiny drummer on caffeine.
Ping.
His eyes snapped open. No alarm clock. No phone. No microwave beep. Just that relentless sound inside his skull.
Ping.
He buried his face deeper in his pillow, desperate for silence. The covers felt suffocating, but at least muffled the noise a little.
Ping. Ping.
"Okay! Okay! I hear you!" Percy shouted, sitting up, hair tousled and eyes half-lidded. "What is this? Some kinda new game? Or a bad dream?"
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[You have been recognized by Fate.]
[Initializing…]
[Welcome, Perseus Jackson, to The Game.]
[Tutorial Quest Unlocked: "Know Thyself"]
A calm, mechanical voice filled his mind—clear, yet without emotion.
[System Voice]: Greetings, Perseus Jackson. You have been granted access to The Game—a system interface governing your new existence. To survive and grow, you must learn to navigate your menus, manage stats, skills, inventory, and unlock your true potential.
Percy blinked. "Wait, what? 'The Game'? Like an actual game? But… this is real?"
[System Voice]: This is your reality. The Game is your guide and interface. Type commands to interact. For now, open your [Stats Sheet].
Percy hesitated, then mumbled, "Open Stats."
Suddenly, a translucent window filled his vision, glowing softly:
[Name]: Perseus 'Percy' Jackson
[Level]: 1 [EXP]: 0 / 100
[Title]: Son of ????????
[Class]: —
[Sacred Gear]: Locked
[HP]: 100 / 100
[SP]: 100 / 100
[ MP ]: 100 / 100
[ STR ]: 5
[ AGI ]: 5
[ VIT ]: 5
[ INT ]: 5
[ CHA ]: 5
[ LUC ]: 5
Percy stared at the numbers floating before him. "Okay… that's a lot. What do all these mean?"
[System Voice]: Ask any attribute or menu name for explanation.
He tapped the window, then said aloud, "HP."
[System Voice]: [HP] or Health Points represent your body's vitality. When your HP reaches zero, you become unconscious or die. For example, if hit by a strong blow, your HP decreases by the damage taken. Managing HP is essential to survival.
Percy nodded slowly. "So it's like my life bar in video games… Got it."
"SP?"
[System Voice]: [SP] or Stamina Points measure physical endurance. Actions like running, jumping, or fighting consume SP. If it falls to zero, you become exhausted and move slower.
Percy scratched his head. "Like when I get tired after gym class?"
"Correct."
"And MP?" Percy squinted at the screen.
[System Voice]: [MP] or Mana Points are used for magical or special abilities. Casting spells or activating skills consumes MP. When MP is empty, you cannot perform these abilities until restored.
Percy's eyes widened. "Magic, huh? Skills?"
[System Voice]: Skills are abilities you can acquire and level up. View your [Skills List] to check.
"Alright, let's talk about this thing here… [Title]?"
[System Voice]: Title reflects your heritage or role, currently [Son of ????????], locked pending discovery.
Percy narrowed his eyes at the screen. "Wait—'Son of question marks'? That's super sketchy. Who's hiding this from me? And why?" He poked the screen, half-expecting it to reveal something. "What am I, a secret experiment or something?"
The screen didn't respond.
"…Seriously. You're just gonna drop that on me and walk away?"
He sighed. "Whatever. Let's move on. What about [Class]?"
[System Voice]: Class defines your combat style and primary abilities. Currently unassigned.
"No class yet? Man…" Percy slumped back. "So I don't even have a starting point? Everyone else in games gets to pick warrior or mage or something! I get stuck with nothing?"
[System Voice]: Class selection will unlock upon fulfilling requirements.
"Yeah yeah, I know how this works. Grind first, be awesome later," he muttered.
His eyes drifted to the next line.
[System Voice]:[Sacred Gear] refers to a divine or infernal artifact embedded within your soul. Each Sacred Gear possesses unique properties, abilities, and evolution paths. Some are minor tools of convenience. Others can challenge gods.
Access is currently locked.
Conditions must be met to reveal the nature, rank, and abilities of your Sacred Gear.
Caution: Sacred Gears often shape the fate of their wielders.
[Sacred Gear]: Locked.
He squinted. "Sacred Gear?" The words sounded powerful—and ominous. "Why is it locked?"
[System Voice]: Access denied. Conditions not yet met.
"That doesn't exactly ease my nerves," Percy muttered. "What if this thing's a time bomb or something? Sacred stuff never goes well in books…"
He sat quietly for a second, eyes locked on the screen. "So… something about me is hidden, I don't have a class, and I've got a locked artifact I can't even see."
He crossed his arms. "This better not be a prank by the gods."
Percy rubbed his chin thoughtfully like a wise chinese old man. "So… stuff will unlock later as I get stronger?"
"Precisely."
Percy stretched, rubbing his eyes. "Okay, tell me about these stats." He tapped on [ STR ] first.
[System Voice]: [STR] or Strength measures raw physical power. It affects how much you can lift and the damage you deal in melee combat. Higher STR lets you punch harder or wield heavier weapons."
"Strength. That one's easy to understand," he said, flexing his tiny biceps. "Five outta… what? Ten? A hundred? I mean, I can open juice boxes without scissors, so I guess that's something."
"[AGI] or Agility governs reflexes, balance, and speed. It affects how quickly you can dodge or perform acrobatic moves."
"Agility…" he repeated, then hopped off his bed and tried to do a cartwheel. He face-planted. "Ow. Okay, maybe five is generous."
"Glad you understand."
"[VIT] or Vitality measures endurance and resistance to poisons or diseases. It affects your HP and recovery speed.
"So like, how tough I am? Well, I've been beat up by Gabe for months and at recess three times and I'm still here. Not bad."
"Correct"
"[INT] or Intelligence gauges your ability to learn and solve problems. It influences how fast you pick up new skills."
"Intelligence. I mean, I can read big words and I know how to Google stuff—well, I could if Mom let me use the computer. So five feels right."
"[CHA] or Charisma is about persuading and leading others. It affects relationships and negotiations."
"Charisma?" Percy blinked. "I mean… I don't think I'm that charming. Wait—does this mean girls don't think I'm cool?" He pouted. "Unfair."
".[LUC] or Luck affects rare events like critical hits, finding rare loot, or lucky breaks."
"…Luck," he muttered. "Of course. I bet that's the one that got me into this mess."
He crossed his arms. "Great. I'm five across the board. I'm basically… medium rare.
" Your words, not mine."
Percy exhaled. "So, to get stronger, I need to do quests, level up, and manage these stats."
"Correct. What would you like to open next?"
"Inventory?" Percy tapped a new window.
Percy was still frowning at his stats when another glowing panel slid into view in front of him.
[Inventory]
(Empty)
He blinked.
"…That's it?" he asked, tapping the air like he could shake more stuff loose. "Not even a stick? A rock? A pocketful of lint?"
He huffed. "Some game this is. What am I supposed to fight monsters with—my pajamas?"
He tried dragging a pillow into the screen. Nothing happened.
"Ugh. So useless."
[System Voice]: Inventory is a spatial storage feature. Items must be consciously registered or obtained through System recognition.
Percy stared.
"That's just a fancy way of saying I'm broke."
[Skills List]: Gamer mind(EX), Gamer body(EX), English language(E), Drawing(E), Writing(E)
Percy blinked at the floating window before him—the [Skills List]—his brow furrowing in confusion. "Wait… so these are things I can do?" he asked aloud, poking the translucent text with a finger. "But… I don't see any flashy powers or cool attacks here. Just… stuff like 'Gamer's Mind' and 'Gamer's Body'? What does that even mean?"
He tapped on [Gamer's Mind], and a description popped up.
[Skill]: Gamer's Mind
[Rank]: EX
[Skill Type]: Passive
[Description]: Enables the user to maintain composure and focus. Provides a semi-calm base state of mind, reducing panic and enhancing logical thinking under pressure. Grants immunity to certain psychological effects and debuffs, allowing for clear-headed decision-making even in the most chaotic situations.
Is currently blocking the mental statues effects ADHD and dyslexia.
Percy scratched his head. "Okay… so it's like… helping me not freak out when things get scary? Makes sense, I guess. I did get all jittery sometimes… but this would help me think better, huh?"
Then he looked at [Gamer's Body].
[Skill]: Gamer's Body
[Rank]: EX
[Skill Type]: Active
[Description]: Grants the user a body that operates according to their stats, with damage dealt and received displayed as visible numbers. Sleeping in a bed fully restores all physical stats to max.
He blinked again. "Wait, my body runs on stats? Like a video game character? And it shows numbers when I get hurt or hit something? That's kinda weird… but… also cool?"
Percy's lips curled into a half-smile. "So I'm like a game character now? This is weird but… maybe I can figure this out. Maybe this Game thing isn't so bad."
Still, he glanced away, muttering quietly, "But why no actual skills? No fireballs or swords or anything… Guess I gotta start somewhere."
A third window bloomed before him, this one surrounded by gold trim, like it thought it was important.
[Quest Name]: Know Thyself
[Quest Description]:
You've awakened to a world where stats, perks, and powers define your life. Before diving into the unknown, it's crucial to understand the system that governs your life now. Learn how to navigate menus, read your stats, manage your inventory, and uncover your potential.
[Quest Requirements]:
Access your [Stats Sheet].
Open and inspect your [Inventory].
View your [Skills] list.
[Quest Rewards]:
[+1 Level]
Skill Unlocked: [Observe]
Percy rubbed his eyes.
"This is a quest? I barely even did anything yet!"
He read it again, then perked up.
"Wait—so I get a reward just for looking at menus?" His eyes sparkled. "Best. Game. Ever."
He jumped back onto his bed and did a mini victory pose. "Level me up, baby!"