Percy scratched his head. This was a problem. He needed to get better at English before he could tackle any other books. He quickly went to the children's section and grabbed a stack of the easiest books he could find—fairy tales and picture books. If he could grind his English skill high enough, maybe he could overcome the penalty.
After finishing a simple book about a princess and a frog, he opened his skill list and checked his progress.
[Language: Modern English (Passive) - LVL 2 (80%):]
[- Reading Level: 1]
[- 60% comprehension penalty when reading.]
A small smile touched Percy's lips. Before, the skill was at 34%. Now, after just one book, it was at 80%. It was working. Percy immediately dove back in, a newfound determination fueling him. He was finally going to conquer his dyslexia, and he was going to use this strange new power to do it.
By the end of the day, Percy had spent every waking moment in the library—a special kind of hell for someone with his ADHD—but the results were undeniable. His English skill had improved dramatically.
[Language: Modern English (Passive) - LVL 5 (40%):]
[- Reading Level: Grade 4]
[- 45% comprehension penalty when reading.]
He smiled and closed the last book, a feeling of genuine accomplishment washing over him. For the first time, he felt like he had the ability to not be a screw-up. His dyslexia was one of the main reasons he always failed his classes, but if he could get rid of it… it would be the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He did some quick mental math. His comprehension penalty was decreasing by 5% for every level he gained. That meant around level 14, the disability would be gone forever. The thought was electrifying. As the librarian announced that the library was closing, Percy quickly left, heading for the cafeteria. He found Grover already there, munching on a large salad.
"Hey, man," Percy said, sliding into the seat across from him.
Grover smiled back. "Hey, Percy. Where were you all day?"
"I was at the library," Percy said, grinning as Grover nearly choked on a piece of lettuce.
"You what?!" Grover sputtered. "Seriously?"
Percy's grin widened. "Yup. Decided to do something about my dyslexia. I started with grade-one books and slowly made my way up to grade four."
Grover looked stunned for a moment before a huge smile spread across his face. He patted Percy on the back enthusiastically. "Good job, man! That's awesome! This is great news! Now no one can say you're just being lazy."
"Yup," Percy said, feeling a swell of pride. "Anyway, I'm going to get something to eat."
After dinner, Percy went straight to bed, eager for the next day. It was the best day of the week: Sunday. And that meant the swimming pool was open.
….
'Ding!'
[You have slept in your own bed. HP and MP have been fully restored. All negative status effects have been cured.]
Percy woke to the familiar blue box and smiled. This was going to be a great day. He quickly changed into his swimming trunks and a t-shirt and headed down to the pool.
The indoor, Olympic-sized pool was one of Percy's favorite places at Yancy. He quickly found a secluded spot, took off his shirt, and after a quick glance to make sure no one was watching, stuffed it into his inventory. He slid into the cool water, letting himself sink beneath the surface. He relaxed instantly. This was the one place he truly felt at peace.
'Ding!'
Oh, what now?
[You have entered a body of water! Due to your parentage, you have gained a powerful buff!]
[+1000 Temporary HP]
[+1000 Temporary MP]
[All wounds are healed.]
[All negative status effects are cured.]
[Ability Unlocked: Water Breathing]
Percy's eyes shot open. He pushed himself up from the bottom of the pool, his head breaking the surface as he gasped. He read and re-read the notification. There it was again—that stupid question mark in place of his parentage, a constant reminder of the mystery surrounding his dad. Whatever it was, it was the reason he could read Ancient Greek, the reason he had dyslexia, and now… the reason he could breathe underwater?
Wait, wait, wait. Did it just say breathe underwater? Because I'm pretty sure it just said I can breathe underwater.
He read it again, his mind racing. "Who the hell is my dad?" he wondered aloud.
He brought up his status page, his eyes drawn to the familiar blanks.
[Race: ?]
[Description: Perseus 'Percy' Jackson is a ?, the son of Sally Jackson and ?. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia… He is unaware of his father's true identity and wishes to find his purpose...]
It still didn't make sense. Race: question mark? He was human, wasn't he? What else could he be? Was his dad an alien or something? Because one, that would be so cool, and two, that was incredibly creepy.
He looked at the question marks hovering over his dad's name and his race. He thought about the strange ability he just gained in the water, the ancient Greek stuff, the goat-man he called his best friend. What could it all mean?
'Come on, Percy, you must be able to think of a reason,' he remembered Mr. Brunner saying.
But what could it be? What was he? Was he just a computer program whose dad was some kind of Greek water-deity program? Was he… a demigod, like they kept talking about in class? Was he—wait. A demigod?
That couldn't be it… could it?
'It's not like they actually have any power in the modern world,' he remembered saying to Mr. Brunner—the same Mr. Brunner who he now knew was Chiron, the centaur who trained freaking Hercules.
Mr. Brunner's reply echoed in his memory, his eyes narrowed and serious. 'Don't be too sure, Mr. Jackson.'