I opened my eyes, what time was it? I look around for a clock, I remember there was one on the nightstand and I glance at it, then I look back in surprise. It was six in the morning! I never could wake up before eight in my old body. Well, new body, new me I guess. I walked over to the small window in my room and peered outside at the street below, there was a steady stream of cars below, their headlights on full glare, streetlamps casting everything into high contrast. The sun wasn't even up yet!
Well, breakfast is at eight thirty, I guess I should do something in the meantime. I started thinking about what I could do but before I came to a decision, I saw the system message blink into existence before me, “Activate Ring Master System Y/N” it asked.
Well, this is as good a time as possible. I guess yes? I was about to say it out loud but apparently the system could read my thoughts because the text inside changed into “Choice confirmed, activating…” I watched it wearily, what was it doing?
It blinked out of existence, collapsing into a point of light which faded as if it had never existed. ‘Well, that pretty co-’ I started to think to myself before I couldn't think anymore, my head felt like it was splitting open! This was undoubtedly the worst headache I had ever felt, I felt something enter my mind and then…
What was this? I suddenly gained knowledge, the ringing of the hammer on metal, the words that felt like they had the power to change reality themselves, all flitted into my mind, immediately joining my memory bank. Why was the system giving me the knowledge of a blacksmith? No… A Ring Maker. I felt my spirit inside of me, the energy that it releases and stores, wanting to be used, wanting to be imbued.
I felt the rush of knowledge taper off, the headache fading. I checked the clock, how long had I been absorbing this knowledge? Thirty minutes apparently, I gained a lifetime of knowledge in thirty minutes. Before I could shout for joy, I saw the system blink back into reality saying “Choice activated. To open the status menu, think or say status.” Oh, of course there is a status page. Well, I guess I can open it now. ‘Status.’ I thought, trying to open the status page. Instantly the words on the panel in front of me were pushed to one side and in its place was a menu.
Statistics
Passive Abilities
Skills
Active Quests
Name: Ardika Ekia
Physical age: 11
Birthdate: August 12
Gender: Male
Race: Human/God hybrid
Adaptation
Adaptive system
(You have one free slot, please select one of the following abilities; Heightened reaction time Lv1, Perfect Recollection, Heightened processing speed Lv1)
Appraisal (Object inclined)
(You have one free slot, please select one of the following abilities; Astral form, Soul Forge Lv1, Essence Absorption)
(No active quests)
I looked over it for a while, my name, age and gender were accounted for… Hang on, Human God hybrid? What does it mean, Human God hybrid? I am part God!? Hang on… this is reminding me of something, one story… No way, not here! There’s actually no way, it's impossible, it's not real! This can’t mean what I think it means… The system blinked in front of me with a notification that read “Universe Identified. Current Universe: ‘The Riordanverse’”
Well shit. I am a dead man, aren't I? There is no way to survive, not in this universe, not in the Percy Jackson universe of all places. I would get hunted by monsters until the day that I die, either from a powerful creature or from getting too weak in old age. I panicked for quite a while after that, imagining all the ways I could die.
Ok, that was a dark few minutes, but I won't just lie down and wait for it. I am a fighter, I am a survivor, I will adapt. Hell, I already have the passive ability for it! I just got to figure out what I need to do to survive. Now that I am thinking straight, I have quite a few options, I could hide my scent that monsters track or even use myself as bait into traps for monsters to kill themselves in. I can survive!
Ok, first things first, I need to select the free abilities, maybe one of them is useful. Lets see, Passive Abilities are Heightened reaction time Lv1, Perfect Recollection, Heightened processing speed Lv1. What sounds better and more useful now? Well, heightened reaction time could be useful when fighting, but it wouldn't really be helpful for anything else.
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Perfect recollection… sounds really useful, I could learn faster, remember what I am taught or read better. It would help with planning for the Percy Jackson plot line or any other story events. Probably the most important so far.
Heightened processing speed sounds just as useful, it would probably help in fights, when I need to think fast, it would probably help me learn or memorize information faster. Sounds really useful.
But what is more useful or important now? I think heightened reaction time is probably the least useful, so that leaves Perfect Recall and Heightened Processing speed. They seem very similar in practice, helping me learn faster, but Heightened Processing speed would help me fight better, and Perfect Recall would help me remember the events in the books better… I think that planning and remembering the storyline of Percy Jackson and everything else. I chose Perfect Recollection.
Instantly the menu updates and shows my new passive ability Perfect Recollection.
Ok, that seemed to work… Why haven't I felt any changes yet? Wasn't it supposed to help my memory? Well, I guess I should choose my Skill. I look them over again, Astral form, Soul Forge Lv1, Essence Absorption. This is going to be a hard choice…
Well… Astral Form could be really useful, I could learn or watch something while my body sleeps, or use it to gather information by going to the place that I want to scout in my astral form. I think that I would probably find some more uses but those are the only things that I can think of right now, especially only by the name.
Soul Forge, that sounds like it could be some type of realm that I would gain access to, which would be a boon when I try to enchant objects or forge anything really. I wouldn't have to find a forge for me to use, or find somewhere to enchant my rings. Also it would probably be a good place for training or sleeping in when I don't have a place to sleep. I really don't know how that would work though.
Essence Absorption sounds really awesome, though I couldn't guess what it would do. Would it make me into a sort of vampire? I mean that would be cool and everything, but if it made me into some power crazy monster… No, I don't want to risk it, especially when I have no concrete idea what it does.
So, Astral Form or Soul forge then. Both sound like they would be incredible but right now I think Soul Forge would be more useful, if it does what I think it does, that is. If it is some form of domain or pocket dimension that could be used as a forge, then that would be exactly what I need the most right now, a private place to practice. I chose Soul Forge.
Again the menu updates and it shows that I now have the new skill Soul Forge. I wait for a second, something is going to happen I know it. The screen blinks with a notification saying “Congratulations, you have selected your new Skill and Passive Ability. You will receive your new Skill and Passive Ability shortly.” I read it over, so that's why nothing happened when I selected my Passive Ability. I guess that makes sense.
This is going to hurt a lot, isn't it? I feel energy gathering in my head, I start to feel tingling feelings all over my body, not bad per say but definitely uncomfortable. Then all of the tingling feeling starts to converge into my head, my brain. I feel something in my brain expand quickly, and I was right it hurt a lot.
My brain felt like it was under pressure, like it would explode, all my blood feeling like it was rushing to my head. Then it stopped, the pressure vanished. I felt great! It was like something that I was supposed to have, that was taken from me was back and I felt my mind expand, become better. I started to feel all of my lost memories come back, like they were always there, waiting to be remembered, to be recalled, and I knew each one for they were part of me.
Then the feeling vanished. I felt disappointed, it had felt good but I knew that its purpose was achieved. I remember everything and I know it all like I know myself. I nearly laughed as I thought that, I wasn't some knowledge god now, far from it, but the purpose that I had wanted to achieve was accomplished. I could recall every single page of every book I had ever seen, including the one that I was now a part of. I could recall everything that had ever happened to Percy, every miniscule event, every moment.
I also recalled the exact time that The Lightning Thief had started off, May 18th 2006, the day that Ms. Fury attacked Percy. Just over 11 months from today's date. I need to prepare for this.
I sat down at my desk, thinking that I should start to plan, but immediately after I sat down I felt more energy surging through me. Oh, I forgot I selected Soul Forge too. The energy felt different this time, almost as if it was coursing through my very being, right to my soul. I meditated. Focusing inward I felt my soul shifting, absorbing energy from somewhere, that was why this energy serge felt different, it was being absorbed by my soul.
Then the surge suddenly stopped and the energy started to focus on a singular point then disappearing, going somewhere. I felt pain in my chest, the energy was causing a rip in my soul!
I watched helplessly as it started growing, becoming more than a minute point as the pain doubled. The rip started forming something but I couldn't tell what and as soon as it was completely formed, the energy rushed into it to somewhere else that was growing closer, more connected to the tear and the formation around it and the pain started subsiding.
Then with a final rush of energy going into the formation, the pain stopped. I felt the new structure in my soul, what had happened? As soon as my attention had turned to the new structure I knew what it was, a gate and it was calling to be opened.
I sent energy into it, trying to send it into whatever was now connected to my soul through the gate, but the gate intercepted it, absorbing it, powering it. I felt a rush of energy leaving my body from the gate, heading to somewhere behind me.
I opened my eyes wearily turning around slowly, what happened? When I had fully turned I saw a doorway, made of some white material covered in symbols made of a golden material that was letting off the soft golden white glow of my spiritual energy. Huh, so that's what it does. That's cooler than I expected. I guess that I should go inside? I hesitated, reaching out my hand to the doorknob, what would be on the other side? I mean, its name was Soul Forge so maybe a forge?
Finally I got up from the desk chair and just said “Ok, I can't just sit here all day.” and put my hand on the handle, twisting it and swinging the door wide open, to see what lies beyond.