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….
The helmet was a menacing piece of war gear, forged from matte black iron with a transverse crest of dyed horsehair, a bright, bloody red 'poof' that screamed "look at me." The cheek plates were jagged and sharp, designed not just to protect, but to slice open anyone foolish enough to get too close to the wearer's face.
Percy lifted the heavy helm and slid it over his head. Despite the ancient metal appearance, the inside was lined with soft leather. It adjusted instantly to his skull size, fitting snugly without wobbling.
"Stylish and functional," Percy muttered, his voice echoing slightly inside the metal.
He pressed deeper into the dungeon, the flickering torchlight dancing off his shield. He was eager for more loot, but a thought nagged at him. He had killed dozens of skeletons, but only some dropped money or items.
What determines the drop rate?
He paused and pulled up his status screen, tapping on the [LUC] stat.
[LUC (Luck): 6]
[Description: Luck is not just chance; it is a tangible force. It affects critical hit rates, gambling success, and the quality and quantity of loot drops. High Luck turns the odds in your favor.]
Percy's eyes widened behind the visor. This was it. This was the most important stat for a guy who was currently broke and fighting for his life. If he was going to risk decapitation, he wanted to get paid for it.
He looked at his 5 unspent points. He didn't hesitate.
[LUC: 6 -> 11]
"Daddy needs a new pair of shoes," Percy whispered.
He continued down the corridor. He found a storeroom filled with cracked pottery. Before, he might have ignored it. Now, with his luck boosted, he smashed a few. Inside one, he found a stash of silver coins.
[Loot: 2 Drachmas]
He grinned. It was working. He shoved the coins into his inventory and moved on, his senses on high alert.
He took a sharp left turn, and his new instincts screamed.
Above!
Percy didn't look; he reacted. He raised his shield just as a skeleton dropped from the ceiling, a rusted spear tip sparking against the bronze surface of his defense. The skeleton landed in a crouch, hissing.
Percy didn't give it time to recover. He stepped in, bashing the rim of his shield into the skeleton's face, shattering its jaw and several teeth. As the monster stumbled back, Percy lashed out with Riptide. The glowing blade severed the spinal column, and the monster dissolved into dust.
A pile of loot clattered to the floor. Ten dollars and the skeleton's weapon.
Percy picked it up.
'Observe.'
[Spartan Spear]
[Rank: Common]
[Attack: 20 x DEX]
[Description: A simple, reliable spear used by the infantry of old. Its reach keeps enemies at bay, and its balance allows for deadly precision.]
"Not bad," Percy murmured, sliding the long weapon into his inventory. "Might come in handy if I need reach."
'Ping!'
[New Skill Created!]
[Sword Mastery - LVL 1 (80%):]
[Passive: You are beginning to understand the way of the blade.]
[Effect: +5% Damage when wielding swords.]
Percy dismissed the notification and pressed on. The corridor eventually widened, leading to a massive set of double doors. He pushed them open and stepped through.
He froze.
He wasn't in a hallway anymore. He was standing center stage in a massive, ancient amphitheater. The seats rose high into the darkness, and every single one of them was occupied. Hundreds of skeletons sat in silence, their empty eye sockets fixed on the stage.
Percy felt the blood drain from his face. This was too much. This was way too much.
He spun around to leave, but the double doors were gone. In their place hung a heavy, velvet red curtain. He was trapped.
He turned back to the audience. Strangely, they weren't looking at him. They were looking up at a private balcony box to his right.
Lounging in a gilded chair was a figure clad in blood-red armor. His helmet was fashioned into a crimson skull, and his chest plate was molded to resemble a grotesque, exposed ribcage. Even his elbow and knee pads were shaped like screaming skulls. Leaning against his chair was a massive greatsword, easily five feet long and glowing with a faint, sinister red light.
"Welcome, explorer!" the red-armored figure boomed, standing up and spreading his arms wide. "You have taken your first steps into a new world! The world of the dead! Behold, the audience of those who stood where you stand and failed!"
Percy looked at the sea of silent skeletons. They were adventurers? Like me?
The red knight continued his monologue, pacing the balcony. "And now, Mr. Explorer, your journey ends. You shall die, but do not despair! In death, you shall be reborn as my minion. It will be the greatest honor of your existence to serve me... the great ZED!"
Percy blinked. The silence stretched for a moment.
"Zed?" Percy asked, his voice echoing in the vast room. "That's your name? Zed?"
The knight nodded proudly. "Yes! Terrifying, is it not?"
"Uh... not really, no."
Zed stiffened. "Nonsense! Zed is a wonderfully scary name! It sounds like the end! The last letter! The end of you!"
Percy scowled beneath his helmet. "Not really. 'Zed' sounds like a weak name. Like, the name you give a goldfish, or a dog you just adopted from the pound because nobody else wanted him."
The skeleton audience seemed to rustle.
"Zed is a plenty scary name!" the knight shouted, gripping the railing. "My mother said so!"
Percy almost dropped his sword. This was too easy.
"Really?" Percy drawled, leaning on one hip. "Did your mommy also tell you that you're handsome? And that you're a big, strong boy? And that nobody is scarier than her little Zeddy-bear?"
Zed nodded enthusiastically before catching himself. "Yes! Wait, no! Now you see why, silence!"
"Mama's boy," Percy coughed into his hand.
"I am not a mama's boy!" Zed shrieked, his voice cracking.
"You are totally a mama's boy. I bet she picked out your armor, too. 'Oh, look at the little ribcage, it matches your eyes!'"
A sound rippled through the theater. A dry, rattling sound. The skeletons in the audience were clicking their jaws together. They were laughing.
"Silence!" Zed roared, turning to his minions. "I am not a mama's boy! This armor is cool!"
Percy shrugged. "If you say so, Zed."
'Ping!'
[New Skill Created!]
[Taunt - LVL 1 (50%):]
[Active: You can provoke opponents into losing their cool and making tactical errors.]
[Success Chance: 5%]
"Enough of this insolence!" Zed bellowed, drawing his massive sword. The red blade hummed with dark energy. "You will die, boy, and I will feast on the marrow of your bones!"
Percy gripped Riptide tighter. The comedy hour was over.
'Ping!'
[Quest Alert!]
[Boss Battle: The Red Death]
[Objectives: Survive the skeletal horde. Defeat Zed.]
[Rewards:]
[+3 Stat Points]
[Rare Item Drop]
[Failure:]
[Death.]
[Accept?]
[YES / NO]
Percy smashed the YES button.
He reached into his inventory, grabbing every single water bottle he had looted from the recycling bin. He tossed them high into the air above his head.
"Haaa!"
With a blur of motion, he slashed Riptide in a wide arc, slicing through the plastic bottles. Water exploded outward, raining down on him and pooling on the stage floor.
'Ping!'
[You have entered a body of water!]
[Buff Active: Son of Poseidon]
[+1000 Temporary HP]
[+1000 Temporary MP]
[All wounds healed.]
[All ailments cured.]
[Ability Active: Water Breathing]
Percy grinned as the water soaked into his shoes. Technically, he was standing in a puddle, but to the System, water was water. As long as he stood his ground in this wet circle, he was safe.
….
If you want to read ahead by 20+ chapters you could take a visit on my patreon Or check it out.
http://patreon.com/SageOf016