akashic system

Percy floated silently in space, gazing into the void around him. There was nothing except pitch darkness. No wind, no sound, and certainly no light. All of his efforts were met with absolute and unending silence that threatened to drive him mad. He couldn't feel his body at all, nor hear his heartbeat. The only thing that kept his mind from breaking was the wisp of sound that was his voice.

"So this is what rock bottom is like?" Percy asked himself as he reached up and grabbed his face, at least he thought he did, all while he felt emotions spinning in his heart.

He wondered to himself, 'How long has it been?', but he had no clue; time had no meaning here and Percy could feel his indomitable will slowly cracking. His memories were one of the reasons he stayed sane, memories of the four wars he fought.

The countless battles against countless foes, the defeat of the Titans and Gaia, the invasion of other pantheons, and the civil war that broke out on Olympus. He remembered everything, his friends, his family, his enemies, and his lover… lovers. Annabeth's gentle kisses on his lips in the morning or her motorcycle-like snores kept him up. Piper's brilliant smiles finally returned years after Jason's death and her sensual touches drove both him and Annabeth wild. Even the time when Annabeth managed to convince the new oracle of Delphi, Rachel, and Thalia, the battalion leader of the hunt, to a fivesome.

"Focus, Percy," he spoke to himself again, trying to get past the… refreshing memory and instead constantly rethink his entire life. He wondered what he could have done better, what he could have done differently, and what he would have kept the same. Eventually, he found himself revisiting his last mission, the one that got him into this mess. A rescue mission for a demigod that resulted in him being trapped and killed. Even with the blessings of nearly every god on Olympus, save a few, he was slain. His power matched that of many gods, even some major ones, but he was still trapped.

Even against insurmountable odds, he gave it his all and managed to kill about half of his assailants, even when trapped and filled with drugs. Yet he was no match for the king of Olympus who wanted him gone and sought to do the deed himself. Percy fought Zeus with all his might, with Percy paying the ultimate price. In the process, they ended up destroying several islands during their fight before finally, Zeus managed to run his master bolt through Percy's chest, killing him. The god did not come out unscathed either. In the end, Zeus lost an eye and an arm.

After his death, Percy was cast into Tartarus. Sinking into the deepest pit, Percy was at the whims of the darkness around him. Finally, after surviving for who knows how long, Percy met Tartarus himself. Tartarus had no form, only a black throne with a black silhouette that sat in it. Tartarus found Percy interesting, to say the least. A soul that retained its sanity after being in the deepest pit for years, maybe even decades? With that thought, the tortures began. Tartarus was generous in a sick way giving Percy a new body for his soul to reside in and more accurately, suffer in.

Percy endured, for what seemed like forever, countless torments rained down on him. His skin was flayed, his organs filled with flesh-eating bugs, drowned in oil, lit aflame while his body regenerated infinitely as it burned. Visions of his loved ones being ripped apart and eaten, forced into servitude, raped, and mentally broken. Not even this drove him insane, Percy's mind prevailed. He didn't escape unscathed— deep inside, he felt a bottomless darkness brewing in him. Something evil and ungodly that was like a stain on his soul.

After multiple eternities, Tartarus got bored of his plaything, Percy only seemed to grow even stronger under his torments remaining shockingly sane. With nothing working, and Tartarus' boredom growing, he finally decided to toss aside his toy right into the lowest part of Tartarus, the endless void. So now, Percy is floating in silence and his will seems to be finally breaking.

"FUCK!" Percy burst out suddenly with all the vitriol that he could muster, but there was no echo or noise to come back to him. Percy felt overwhelmed with so many emotions raging in his mind. He missed his two beautiful girlfriends, his mom, his friends, the taste of soda, and even the smell of water. In the deep void, his memories nearly drove him insane. Amidst all of his emotions, he felt a searing pain in his mind, barely choking a scream of pain.

Beneath all of his regrets, he felt something deeper and more sinister bubble up. He wanted to kill and rage upon the earth, to torment Zeus and break his godly soul into nothing, to show those who threatened him that only death awaits them, and to show the world just how bad it could get if you messed with the wrong person. In the void, he could do nothing but feel the darkness inside him finally breaking free of its chains. His ego fell victim to the darkness inside him as it began to merge with him. Like two colors mixing to make a brand-new color.

His two halves compromised endlessly before finally, his soul found balance and his mind seemed to see sharper. He now lay floating in silence, unable to even speak to himself. Within a blink of an eye, Percy's mind began to fade to darkness. He didn't know if it was his choice or a problem with his soul, but he felt complete and exhausted. So he stopped struggling, and for the first time since Percy entered Tartarus, he finally fell asleep.

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PERCY POV:

LOCATION: ?

I was awoken by the loud caw of a crow, my eyes snapping open in surprise. The first thing I saw was a night sky above me, sparkling clearly with stars. I blinked in confusion while my mind slowly woke up. All I could remember was the darkness of the void, and extreme dizziness before finally sleeping. The twinkling stars above me were magical, I couldn't remember the last time I saw them.

However long it had been didn't matter. Something wasn't right, and although I couldn't quite put my finger on it, the sky was different somehow. Looking up, I found the biggest star in the sky. Down from the north star should have been the bowl of Ursa Major, but as I counted the stars, I found nothing. Time slowly passed but I scanned the open sky more and more and began to realize I was not in the right place. I thought, 'Maybe I'm still dead and just dreaming', but my beating heart in my chest, which I hadn't heard in probably more than a millennia, told me otherwise.

Now I know what you all are thinking: this has the fates written all over it, and to be honest I would be lying to myself if I said it didn't. I was determined to get to the bottom of this one way or another, but my priority had to be figuring out where the hell I was. Finally, the sensation of my body began to return to me and a flood of relief filled my mind, but when I began to feel and move my body, a cold sweat began to pour down my back.

I was shocked when I saw what body I was in. I was happy it wasn't female, but the main problem was that this body was only a baby! I raised two pudgy arms, filling my vision. Looking them over, panic started to set in. I tried not to freak out, but my instincts got the better of me, and I let out a cry of fear, in my baby voice. At this point, I had completely lost my mind. My voice could only make shrill cries and gurgling noises and eventually, the cawing that filled the air quieted down, leaving only my voice to fill the night sky.

I was completely lost in all of this new body: when I tried to speak, no words could come out of my mouth. As time went on, I finally managed to calm down enough to gain my bearings. Slowly, I tried to look around only to see a sight that could make a grown man weep and make me retch. In the sky above me was a dead tree with hundreds of void-black crows, each having not one, but three sets of glowing red eyes. Their eyes, sharp like little stars that filled the void, although terrifying were not the reason I nearly vomited.

I lay on a hill that was surrounded by a field of grass, covered in leaves that were dyed red in blood. Streams of blood formed moving rivers, it slowly meandered across the land streaming out of tens of thousands of dead bodies that lay still. Each of their cold bodies was pale and lifeless all while thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of crows currently feasted, ripped, and tore them apart in glee. I assumed a massacre of this size must have been due to a battle, which finally put me back into familiar territory.

That is when I turned towards my left to find the tree itself was not much better, covering its base was a mountain of corpses. Another thousand bodies were stacked haphazardly and behind it, another river of blood trailing down the hill. Once I got a better look at the tree, I noticed the mutant crows had hidden something from my view. Hundreds of bodies hung like apples in the fall from the dead tree, all of their eyes and tongues not in their body but in the crows' mouths. It was almost too gruesome to look at, which must be why the smell hit me right then. I coughed and gagged without end causing bile to rise in my throat. I wanted to vomit, but my empty stomach protested such an action.

All I could do was dry heave again and again until I finally noticed one last thing. Right above one of the mounds of corpses, a woman with a severed umbilical cord hanging from between her legs lay unmoving, a sword sticking out of her heart. Fearing the worst, I slowly looked down to see the other half of that same umbilical cord poking out of my belly.

At this point, even if I could talk, I wouldn't be able to. I couldn't even believe what I was seeing! As I stared at the gory view, the mountain of bodies that led directly to me told me one thing: I was born from a corpse. The thought went through my mind with the force of a firecracker, causing a shiver to run through my body and soul. All I could do was shiver in fear. What in the fucking hell have the fates done? I saved Olympus three times, and this is the thanks I get! Being reborn as a baby– the fucking fates don't even have the decency to let me have two loving parents, instead, I was born from a corpse in a mountain of dead bodies?

I couldn't stop the wails of despair anymore, escaping my lips and filling the sky with my pleas. I just wanted this to end, had I not been tortured enough by Taratus? Was my life now supposed to be one of endless torment? My wails continued and continued and my energy quickly drained from my body. My mind was a mess from my fledgling hopes being crushed viciously. My will cracked apart before suddenly, a new noise entered my ears, It sounded similar to a horse's hooves so I cried out even harder.

Tears flowed endlessly down my face, just begging for anyone to save me from this pit of despair. Never had I been delivered from my time of torment in Tartarus and none of my pleas were heard. I didn't want this time to be like that. I needed someone, anyone to help me. I didn't care if they were the ones who made this horrifying scene or a traveler, I would do anything to leave this place.

I screamed and begged towards the sound, hoping to have them hear me. I didn't deserve any more torment! I felt I had been through enough. Zeus himself had cursed me after he killed me so that I would suffer forever. Just thinking of that bastard made my blood boil with pure hatred. Like many times in the past, I promised if I ever saw that god again, I would be his worst nightmare. Pushing aside those thoughts, I kept calling for help until finally, a person entered my vision.

He appeared rough around the edges, with an untrimmed beard and messy hair held together in a ponytail. His age appeared as a late 20s male, but even with a dirty and rough appearance, his eyes showed responsibility and firmness. His body was covered in a mix of plate and chainmail and a sword sheathed on his hip, all covered by a tattered cloak with what appeared to be the emblem of a 5 eyed raven.

"Hmm?" He gave me a very puzzled look and with a few glances, he took inventory of the scene around him. I just continued to cry with even louder vocals, but he gazed deeply down at me, thinking deeply. He glanced at the women above me, and then down at me as he rubbed his head with his leather glove.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" He asked, heaved a sigh, and with little effort scooped me up. He used his cape like a blanket from his cool armor. I stopped my terrible cries, but small sobs still escaped my body, clinging desperately to the man's cloak as he continued to rub his head a bit. Waves of relief filled my body from his presence, so I snuggled closer to him.

"They say it is bad luck to pick up orphans from a battlefield but I cannot leave you here," he said simply and before he rode off to wherever he came, I heard other voices fill the air.

Another male voice questioned him, "Jake, what are you doing? You know this is bad luck!" I cursed at them in my head, don't you ruin this for me, you bastard!

"Shut your yap, I couldn't just leave him. A new soul has no reason to be punished like this. Someone get me a blanket and some water." he commanded. I kept my disapproval shut down, I was no new soul but I would take any help I could get.

"Still… how are you gonna explain this to Trista?" another asked, making Jake freeze.

"Shit, you're right…" He said, Fear boiled up in me but suddenly, they all laughed at his question and he sighed deeply.

"Yeah yeah, let's get moving!" He commanded and received a blanket that he quickly swaddled me in, I didn't care that it smelled a bit bad, it was infinitely better than the smell of corpses. With that, he climbed on a horse with me. My eyes met his and he gave me a funny look.

"She won't be too mad… right?"

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THIRD PERSON POV:

"Left or right testicle, you choose," a woman said with an angry voice. Jake began to sweat from head to toe. The twirling 8-inch knife in her hand made her even more dangerous, making Jake back away from her.

The woman in question was Trista, Jake's wife, Her green eyes gleaming in anger, she continued to play with the knife. She appeared about the same age as Jake. Her beautiful face was peppered with small scars here and there, yet it retained its youthful glow. Right now, it was anything but lovely with a stern frown, her fiery red hair complementing her anger. Jake eyed the knife in her hand.

"L-Listen to me first, I swear I had only good intentions," Jake pleaded but the red-haired woman narrowed her eyes and stopped spinning her knife. She slammed it into the table. Jake glanced at the knife for a second before his eyes met the green ones angrily scowling at him.

"I didn't know what else to do, I couldn't just leave him there!" Trista angrily crossed her arms and put on a strong front. However, her eyes slowly made their way down to a now sleeping Percy, who lay coddled and freshly fed. Her eyes softened the tiniest amount as she looked down at him.

"Still, you took him from the remnants of a purged town. If word gets out, I'm afraid there will be trouble for the both of us."

"I know, but only my most trusted men were with me at the time. If anything happens, we can make up a story," Jake placated unsuccessfully. Trista shot him a glare before her eyes turned back to the peacefully sleeping baby in front of her.

"Still! If what you said is true, to be born from death is a terrifying thing. I have only heard stories of such beings, and each carries a terrifying omen with them. If someone in the church finds out, our entire group would be hanged. Why do you always do the stupidest things?" Trista asked in a quiet rage, avoiding waking the baby.

Jake softened his features before responding, "I just wanted to save him, is that so bad of a thing to do? He is just a child, bad omen or not he deserves a chance at life." Trista's eyes met his and softened a tiny amount. This caring side of him was always getting him in trouble, but at the same time, it was one of his best features.

"Why did you even bring him here? Aren't there plenty of others you could take him to? You know a battlefield is no place for one, you know we can't…" Trista just stopped and shook her head while Jake was saddened.

"I figured you might be happy… You always wanted a boy. After what happened…" He trailed off once Trista slowly raised a hand to her stomach and felt a deep scar across her lower stomach. Jake cursed himself inwardly for bringing it up. Deep feelings filled her eyes before gazing back down at Percy who was currently drooling in his blanket.

"Fine you win, are you happy?" Trista snapped at Jake. He softly smiled before he closed in on her and wrapped her up in a hug. Trista rolled her eyes but hugged him back tightly laying her head on his chest.

"Only if you are," Trista snorted a bit.

"Such a way with words. Also, I'm taking time off from any duties or missions for a bit. Probably 2 years, like when I had the others." Jake nodded happily.

"Well, winter is approaching so battles and everything else are going to die down. 2 years is fine as well, I will make arrangements with a wet nurse and some other women to help you get everything you need," he said. Trista looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"You already knew I was going to accept him, didn't you?" she questioned in a condemning tone. Jake began to sweat again making him rub his head and chuckle nervously.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Anyways gotta go! Lots to do! Love you!" He ran off after he quickly gave Trista a peck on the lips, leaving her with a flat annoyed face but quickly sighed. She then walked to Percy and sat down beside him as he slept the day away. Her green eyes sparkled just a bit as she slowly reached out and brushed his tiny tuft of hair.

However, her touch awakened him, and soon two small sea-green eyes blinked in confusion, meeting Trista who was staring down at Percy. She seemed to get emotional and small tears began to well up in her eyes. She slowly rubbed his head while the tears began to drip down from her eyes. Looking at Trista, Percy felt a deep sadness in his gut. He managed to squirm out of his coddle and reached up to her hand, grasping her fingers with his tiny hands.

Trista gave a stuffy laugh and murmured, "You look just like him." Percy felt a small pang in his heart. She reached down, picked Percy up, and held him right against her chest continuing to look at one another. Her red and puffy eyes showed exactly what she was thinking before she suddenly began to hum a soft tune. Percy suddenly felt something, his primal instincts flaring up causing him to snuggle into the woman's bosom.

A mother's touch was like nothing else. It was soft, and elegant and told us that we were going to be okay. In an instant, Percy felt safe for the first time since he entered this strange place. He knew it was going to be alright. Maybe the start of this new life was pretty shitty, but right now it seemed infinitely better. Right before he was about to nod off, his stomach let out a large growl which snapped Trista and him out of their thoughts. Embarrassment filled Percy's mind, inwardly struggling and cursing his body at the same time.

"Seems like someone is hungry. Let's go see if there is anything we can get you."1 Trista said, wiping her eyes as she wrapped him in a blanket and exited the tent that they were in. The instant they exited the tent, Percy saw the new world around him in a different manner. Although it was night, the place was busy. Multiple white cloth tents were strung up by ropes and held up by wooden logs. People wearing simple linen clothing were everywhere, most just a simple brown or white. Women wore either full medieval linen dresses like Trista was wearing, or similar clothes to the men.

Many people huddled by the open fire with large cast iron pots hanging over them, men currently laughing the night away in their drink as they gambled or played games. Percy's eyes went wide, scanning the area and taking in everything around him. Growing up in the modern time era and far into the future did not prepare him for this. The simple living of the people around him was satisfying in a way he didn't know before. A blacksmith hammering away at a sword on an anvil to straighten the blade. Women laughed and talked while they tended to children and patched torn articles of clothing. Guards in armor like Jake, patrolling the area, talking and laughing to the people around them. Especially the many women in revealing clothing talking to them, rubbing their armor prompting the men to laugh and enjoy the teasing from them.

It was a world Percy had never experienced before, and honestly, he was loving every instant of it. His eyes sparkled in fascination now that he was thrown back in time and was able to witness a true medieval age.

"Oh my, who is this handsome devil?" Suddenly, a woman's husky voice rolled through the room. He suddenly found himself being moved in Trista's arms to a different position as he was able to move to a different position. It was full of boiling pots of food, Large tables, full of strange vegetables and what looked to be a butchered deer or elk. But before long, Percy found the source of the voice as his eyes went wide as he stared at the… woman? She stood 2 heads taller than Trista at the minimum, her 8-foot-tall body a wall of muscles covered by a loose white linen shirt with a butcher's apron on her front. In her hand was a massive butcher's knife that would probably be a sword to some.

"He is a… new member of the family," Trista said softly, making the woman raise an eyebrow before her stern square and muscular face broke out into a toothy grin. She then let loose a booming laugh that seemed to shake the tent, making all the other women turn to see what was going on. Seeing the commotion, everyone began to gather around the once fiery demon Trista, but now an embarrassed woman. Everyone cooed at and adored Percy as he blinked in surprise until the tall wall of muscles that Percy was certain was a giant came forward.

"Here." She said simply before she handed over 6 bottles of yellowish milk. Trista blinked in surprise but frowned once a thought came to her mind.

"Did Jake come here earlier, Gretta?" Trista asked the giant who just gave her a wink. Trista muttered small curses towards Jake. She felt a little cheated by knowing that he came here first before talking to her about the child.

Before Trista could finish, Greta interjected, "It's enough for a week, keep it on ice if you can. We are currently searching around for wet nurses as well." The women all nodded quickly once Trista gave them all a soft smile.

"Thank you all, I appreciate it." She said and everyone gave her a toothy smile back.

"It is the least we can do for the fire-haired warrior." Trista blushed in return, but Percy was intrigued by this name. Trista must be more famous than he thought, but once he thought about Jake's position in the camp, it made sense. He seemed to be in a commanding position here, so by the second Percy began to realize this life was certainly getting better. Maybe all his hard work in the past was paying off!

"Geez," Trista said in an embarrassed tone as everyone giggled in return.

"Alright, all of you! Back to work." Gretta commanded, clapping her thick hands, prompting all of the women to sigh and take one last look at the adorable Percy before returning to their jobs.

Trista gathered her skirts and grasped Percy tightly. "I will take my leave then," Gretta nodded but she seemed to suddenly think about something.

"I just realized, but have either of you talked to your girls yet?" Trista froze and Percy grew curious. Girls?

"I-I was planning to… eventually," Gretta smirked.

"Let's hope he survives those rascals!" she said with a booming laugh. Trista seemed to deflate a bit and walk away making Percy grow even more curious. It sounded like this new life was starting to take an interesting turn.

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Time began to trickle and, like a stone falling down a hill, it began to pick up speed and before long, years began to fly by with Percy growing accustomed to his new life. Seasons came and went watching Percy start to grow and grow, all while in the company of his new family that he grew to love. Be it the small family of Trista, Jake, and his new siblings, or the entire mercenary group that they were part of.

Surprisingly enough Percy was given the name Percival, it was the name of Trista's great-great-great grandfather. His family name on the other hand turned out to be Jackson, it was such a coincidence that Percy had a hard time accepting it. He had a feeling that something was at work but there wasn't anything he could do. His full name finally ended up as Percival Jacob Jackson, he ended up easily going by Percy in the end.

Each spring was like a horn of battle, directing the group to move and travel to its next destination across the relatively flat land they lived on. No major mountains or deep crevices stained its land, only flat plains of grass or lush untouched forests came and went with Percy relishing in the nature around him. In his past life, he was barely ever surrounded by such sights, and he quickly grew fond of nature, from the pure streams with fresh water to the starry night sky.

As Percy grew, he also realized the world he was in was very large. Traveling merchants told tales of their great journeys to the children of the group, covering from the northern mountains that pierced the sky, to the scorching sands of the south, the stormy seas of the west, and the ancient forest to the east. Each trip around the world took nearly 20 years according to them. They even spoke myths of a floating island in the sky that moved or a city below the ocean even further east.

This world was no longer the earth that Percy knew of, and he was happy it wasn't. This place was an undiscovered world with boundless nature, so as he grew older and older, he had thoughts of becoming an adventurer just to see it all himself. But his musings were constantly shut down by Trista telling him that the safest place for him was by his family's side. Percy had to admit Trist was a very doting mother, even with the brutal nicknames he heard from the group. His favorite was the berserk firemane, but being an outstanding mother and warrior Percy was more than impressed.

Over the years though, Percy had learned one thing. Siblings were the worst! He had not one, not two, but SEVEN sisters! Yes! 7 sisters who doted on him lovingly to no end and tortured him with their evil smiles. It had turned out that Trista and Jake were more than busy before Percy came along. Their oldest was 8 when Percy arrived, meaning that Trista and Jake had her when they were both teenagers.

In order, you had Becca, the eldest who looked just like Trista but with brown eyes like Jake. She was also a fierce warrior with a calm temper, she took up the spot of an archer, unlike Trista who wielded a war ax. She was also an expert game hunter and was constantly asked for her hand in marriage. After Becca came the triplets. Yes, triplets. Percy could only pray for Trista during that time. Their names were the best in Percy's humble opinion. They were Summer, Winter, and Fall. Each sister was identical and was a spitting image of Jake's soft face with his brown hair and Trista's green eyes, and unlike the eldest, they had taken up an interest in alchemy and herbology.

They constantly were working with herbs, giving them a messy and dirty appearance, and contrary to their silent behavior around others, they were quite chatty around family. They were constantly talking about their newest findings while everyone listened with smiles. After the triplets came the twins. Trista wasn't done having multiple kids at once. Their names were more original, Tristy and Fallon, after Trista and Jake's mothers. The twins took an interest in cooking and household chores, and neither of them minded helping out. Each had Trista's hair and green eyes, but Jake's soft face. They were what Percy liked to call the naggers of the family.

They both were constantly pushing everyone in the family to clean up better and not be so messy. Not even Trista and Jake were spared from their harsh words, with Becca especially being a target of the two as she was constantly messy and grimy, either from hunting or war. Percy liked to think of them as the two tiny maids of the house with exceptional cooking skills, Percy had to admit, that their meals far outshined anything Trista or Jake tried to cook.

Finally was Yuel, the sickliest of the bunch. She was born with the lightest brown hair that was tinted white and had blue eyes. Everyone had credited it towards her fragile body and health that had caused the changes. She was constantly either in bed, sewing, or resting. One of the twins was always helping her as much as they could, and the triplets were always trying to find something to help with her health. Even Becca went out of her way once a week to catch a special type of bird that was said to have healing properties in its meat for her.

Even with all the pampering, Yuel always said she was fine. She was always concerned about others above herself, even going as far as sewing small designs on fabrics for dresses or knitting to help bring in some money. After having Yuel, Trista had one more child but he passed away due to illness one winter. To make matters worse, within the year Trista had suffered a grievous wound to her lower stomach, taking away her ability to produce any more children.

Percy guessed this is why he was so readily accepted by her and the family, although he was an outsider to this amazing family, Percy was welcomed with open arms. Truly, Percy felt blessed in this new life, a loving family whose only worries were where the wind would take them. With 7 sisters, Percy never found a dull moment in his life. A full 16 years had passed and Percy enjoyed his new life, going from a scrawny mama's boy who was constantly teased by his sisters, to a fine young man. Although, he would admit he was still Trista's baby boy, but only to her.

He went from helping his sisters gather herbs and hunting with Becca, to training with a sword and shield, adapting to the life of a mercenary and their caravan. He trained his body harder and harder. He had considered not becoming a warrior in this life, but Percy found that it suited him naturally and he couldn't seem to shake his love for bloodshed. So against Trista's better wishes, Percy was trained on how to fight and kill, but with his previous life memories, Percy was already well adapted. His time spent in Tartarus numbed him even more to blood and gore. It even altered his fighting style, causing Percy to grow ruthless and almost berserk at times.

Jake, Trista, and his sisters soon discovered Percy's unnatural talent for fighting, but their love for Percy only led to them worrying more and more. Sensing their concerns, Percy felt even more loved and in tune with his family. He assured and promised them that this is what he wanted to do, he even promised all of his money would go towards Yuel's treatment. So after his 10th birthday, with his parent's permission, Percy began to join the assaults their mercenary group participated in, Their group being an army for hire made it always busy.

Gathering experience, Percy began to grow and grow as each battle he began to adapt to his weaker body and overcome obstacles that lay in his path. In the blink of an eye, 6 more years passed by with Percy falling into a pattern and for those years, Percy was as happy as he could be. Even with the constant bloodshed he faced, he still had a happy family to greet him when he came home. Unfortunately, with time comes change, and not just Percy, but the entire world was about to face the biggest change it had ever faced.

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PERCY POV:

"Percy, down!"

I squatted down instantly while the scream of an arrow whistled right over my head. The arrow slammed right into the eye socket of a helmet of man right in front of me. I didn't even pause for a second, continuing to rush forward all while I slammed my round shield into the gut of the soldier.

The screaming man vomited the contents of his stomach inside his helmet as he was thrown backward. I didn't wait for him to fall to the ground, brandishing my war axe and slamming the bladed end down into the man's head like a watermelon. Blood and gray matter splattered but I didn't pause when my next target, another soon-to-be corpse quickly approached me.

"DIE!" The man screamed but he was too slow. Before he could get to me, I ripped the axe free of the dead man's head and swung the hammer-headed end towards the approaching man. In an instant, the blunt end of my weapon slammed into his knee with a sickening crack. The man let out a wail, releasing his sword and collapsing to the ground. But before he even hit the ground, I was already swinging backward, and before long the axe blade found his head and sliced it in half.

I gasped for breath once the new corpse hit the ground, taking a quick break to rest. I began focusing intently on my surroundings. Arrows hissing over my head, the screams of men and women as they fought for their lives, the barking of commands from leaders, the smell of blood, sweat, vomit, and feces clouding the air, and the people rushing at one another leaving corpses in their wake or retreating with grievous wounds. They say war was cruel to all sides, and they were not wrong. But even through it all, I couldn't wipe the grin off my face, my heart racing in excitement that I couldn't suppress.

After what happened in Tartarus, I discovered that I found enjoyment in fighting and watching others fight. I didn't know why but my soul seemed to lean towards such things whether it be cruel acts or heroic ones. In battles like this, I simply couldn't stop grinning in excitement and in turn, I quickly earned a nickname because of it.

"If it isn't the Crooked One, son of the firemane! Your head will be a perfect gift for the lord!" A voice pitched over the screams in the air gathered my attention. My lips twitched a bit as I turned to see a full knight with a few other soldiers quickly approaching me. I stared at the 7-foot-tall man clad in metal armor, head to toe wielding a flamberge with both hands. Each of his squires or soldiers was also clad in metal armor, but only a bit more than the surrounding soldiers. They also wielded a sword and shield, and my grin grew a little bigger.

"If that is that kind of gift you give your lord, I would hate to see the gift you give your wife," I retorted. The man grew tense in anger for a second and all of his men frowned. Thankfully, I never lost my knack for pissing people off.

"It seems your mouth is as deadly as your blade, just like the rumor says," he responded. With a motion from the knight, people began to part around me and his group, even arrows started to avoid our airspace once we faced each other down.

"I am flattered! Though I assure you, my blade is much deadlier." I said brandishing my war ax, blood dripping off of it.

"We shall see!" He challenged me in response while his men began to charge me. My eyes focused on them, I sprinted to meet them. The instant I started to run, an arrow suddenly screamed over my head and slammed into the shield of one of the men who blocked it out of sheer luck. Seeing that Becca had my back, I ran even harder and suddenly abandoned my ruined round shield.

"PERCY!" I heard an angry and frustrated roar behind me. I inwardly smirked a bit, it seemed Mom was also watching with Becca. Knowing that Mom wasn't too far behind now, I sprinted even faster and reached towards my back, unsheathing a fine steel sword. Suddenly my grin turned into a crazy expression and my ax chopped down.

My ax slammed down on the top of a shield and my sword thrust forward at incredible speed. The man didn't have time to adjust before my sword found the gap in between his throat and chest plate. Blood splashed before his head was ripped off his body by me tearing my blade free. I was then assaulted from both sides by two different men, making me use both my weapons to parry at the same time.

As the swords slid past me, I slammed down my sword into one of the men's feet. It pierced through his metal boot and pinned him to the ground. He screamed in agony but I didn't pay him any mind, instead focused on blocking another strike from my 4th assailant with my ax. Thankfully, this group didn't seem to have much practice in assaulting one person at once because the other 3 held back and waited. I, however, was not going to wait. I kicked out my foot and knocked back one of the men before striking upwards at number 4. As my ax met his blade and forced it upwards, with one spin the hammer end found the head of the pinned-down man.

A sickening crack broke his skull and he fell to the ground in a heap, his helmet doing little to protect him against my aggressive strength. Just in time I yanked my sword free of the soldier's foot and blocked another strike with it when the fifth man tried to pin me down with his strength. But one tilt of my blade sent him tumbling, Not passing up the chance I cut down with my ax taking his entire shield arm. His screams filled the air, and everyone seemed to pause as they cringed at the bleeding stump of the man.

I yelled out, "Come on!" as the men locked eyes with my intense gaze and began to back away. Standing at 5 foot 11, my height was already above average for my age, and I was taller than half of them adding to my intimidation factor. I was dressed in full studded leather armor, complete with chainmail under armor and a helmet resembling a medieval Roman design, which undoubtedly made me look like a total badass.

Suddenly, one of the men charged at me with his sword arm raised and his shield flailing behind him, prompting me to frown in disappointment at how easy he made it for me. With one swift swipe of my sword, I disarmed him before plunging my ax deep into his collarbone, causing blood to spurt from the wound. As I removed my ax from his chest, I began to walk confidently towards the rest of the quickly retreating group.

"You cowards!" The knight roared and I raised an eyebrow, 'Wasn't this guy covered head to toe in metal armor and the one who hadn't attacked me yet?'

"Oh no you don't!" I yelled suddenly, rearing back my arm and throwing my axe as hard as I could. It sailed perfectly through the air, its speed too fast for others to catch, and slammed into the back of one of the retreating men. He bellowed in pain when the ax sunk deeply into his back and he fell right to the ground while blood gushed out of the wound. I was left standing with a sword, so I tossed it to my dominant hand and I gave it a few twirls.

"You will pay for this!" The knight roared wildly, but I raised an eyebrow. He readied himself and pointed his sword at me, but fate had other plans for the man as instead a fiery-haired warrior suddenly rushed past me with a massive 6-foot-long double-sided war ax in hand. I barely had time to blink before Trista launched herself at the knight in a flurry of strikes, each of her blows as fast as the last. I watched in amazement at how quickly Trista seemed to corner the man.

"T-This is not your fight, women!" He pleaded angrily but Mom didn't seem to care about his words at all. Her blood-red war ax cut deep into his armor, he barely had time to retaliate. His strength was somehow not able to match the fully gothic armored woman, I just stood there silently watching the man get beaten back before another person appeared by my side. I glanced to see Becca with an arrow knocked and ready.

"Come on, pick up your shield. You need to get over that nasty habit of abandoning it."

"It is just so cumbersome for my style," I said with a groan before I reached down and picked up my shield shaking off the dirt and blood. I then went over and retrieved my ax and sheathed my sword on my back.

"Dual wielding a war ax in one hand and a sword in another is not a style, it's a deathwish." She commented. I ignored her because I saw the tide of battle beginning to change and the enemy was beginning to retreat. Just then a sickening crunch was heard, and I turned to see Mom had cut the knight in two pieces as his top half fell from his lower. The sound of blood splattering and the man's screams were the only noises audible, but they were quickly replaced by silence just a few moments later.

"You and I are gonna have another talk when we get back," Mom told me and inwardly I let out a miserable groan, but outwardly I simply nodded. I didn't meet her frowning face once she pulled up her facemask to her helmet. Trista's face showed more signs of aging with wrinkles making homes on her skin. Even though she was pushing 40, the beast of a woman could still swing around an almost 200-pound double-sided war ax like it was nothing. Even going so far as making short work of a decently trained knight, in but a few moments.

"Ohhh someone is in trouble." Becca teased me.

"Don't you have someone to go shoot an arrow with?" I complained but Becca just stuck her tongue out at me as my eyes twitched.

"Let's go back to camp, The enemy is in full retreat and arrows are going to be pouring down here at any moment," Trista commanded us. Becca and I nodded but we watched the remaining people going towards the safe stone walls of the castle behind them. The war-torn building was still standing after nearly 2 weeks of onslaught with its moat and drawbridge keeping us at bay. The three of us took little time staring and began to rush back to our lines before the whistling of arrows began to fill the air.

A few minutes later, we were all out of archer range and we stood on a hill facing the fort. This was our fifth failed attack and I could see the frustration in the men's and women's eyes in our group. We were paid to take the castle in 3 weeks, and if we didn't get it before then we had to pay back double what we had received. I also frowned a bit thinking about the situation at hand. I had several ideas about how to get them out of a heavily fortified castle. As the commander of my army in the past, I knew many strategies, and after Tartarus… I had even more cruel ones.

"Percy, come with me." Suddenly Trista's voice filled the air and my body froze a bit before I turned to see the women staring me down. I gulped a bit.

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"You never listen to me! Why are you so stubborn!"

"I listen to you all the time Mom! Every single day I listen to you, without exception I listen! I've told you before that the shield is a hindrance to my style!"

"It will get you KILLED!"

"No, it won't, You have seen me block arrows with my weapons! That shield is just a HINDERANCE!"

"I HAVE SEEN MEN FAR MIGHTIER AND SKILLED THAN YOU DIE TO A SIMPLE ARROW! ALL BECAUSE OF PRIDE! THE SHIELD IS THE BEST DEFENSE YOU CAN USE!"

"I'M NOT OTHER MEN! I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH, QUIT WORRYING ABOUT ME!"

"A FEW YEARS OF BATTLE IS NOT BUT A FART IN THE WIND! You are my SON! So let me be a good mother and care about you! I don't want to bury another son!" We both took deep breaths in anger, they said like mother, like son and they couldn't be more right. Through and through, I love Trista just like Sally, but we were both very… hot-headed when it came to certain things.

"... I'm going to go see if Yuel went to bed yet. Goodnight Mom." I said quietly, Without another word I stormed out of the room but Trista's flame-red hair seemed to rise in more anger with her fists clenched.

"PERCY JACOB JACKSON YOU GET BACK HERE RIG-!" I ignored her and exited the tent in a tizzy, I then noticed my father standing beside the entrance, giving me a small cold look. His silver sideburns were now a centerpiece of his features as his age caught up with him, but right now his cool brown eyes were staring down at me in silence.

"You know she means well." He said simply but I gritted my teeth, I knew she was. I knew all too well, that she meant well for me. But a part of me simply wouldn't give up on getting rid of my shield, it wanted nothing but bloodshed, and to rip and tear as much as I could. I was able to suppress it most of the time but when I got excited, I simply couldn't, thus my two-weapon style was developed. Trista in turn, hated the style especially since I wore such light armor, I knew she was just concerned about me but I couldn't help but argue about it.

"I-I know…" I said standing there, I suddenly heard quiet sobs from Trista in the tent and I felt my heart clench in pain. Jake gave a soft sigh and entered the tent, going to comfort his wife. I gritted my teeth a bit. I then stormed off to the tent that Yuel slept in. I walked across the camp, but as I approached the tent, I found the lamp was off. I had hoped I could talk with her, she always had a calming effect on me for some reason. Maybe it was because she was always so sickly, and I had always been taking care of her since the time I could run around.

"Damnit." I cursed silently, finding nowhere for my anger to be released. I eyed the woods behind Yuel's tent. Without pause, I walked past her tent picked up the wood ax outside it, and marched into the semi-dense foliage.

"FUCK!" I yelled for the 100th time as I slammed the ax into a worn-down tree. I felt sweat pouring down my back as I took deep breaths. I stared at the tree that was missing nearly three-fourths of its trunk with my body leaning against my ax.

"I'm sorry I made you cry mom, I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I promise." I promised myself when regret and anger towards myself filled my mind. I clenched my eyes shut and took a moment to rest, but suddenly I felt something seem to overwhelm my senses and I felt a deep pain pass through my body.

"AAAAAA!" I screamed at the sudden body-encasing pain. I fell to the ground trying to breathe but the pain was so intense, I simply couldn't. It was something similar to one of the many tortures I felt in Tartarus. I struggled on the ground and I gritted my teeth in pure agony. My veins bulged and pulsed. Whatever coursed over me seemed to be forcing itself inside of my blood. I barely even had the energy to roll on my back as my eyes widened at the pain, my consciousness struggling to hold on, it began to work itself deeper into my body.

Percy felt the mysterious substance going into him, and suddenly a screen began to flicker in front of him giving off a blue hue. His vision began to fade from the pain, but his eyes were barely able to make out the words on the screen.

[The Akashic record has officially descended on the planet Gehelia. It officially welcomes you all to the greater universe. Once you awaken, the Akashic record will present you with your Stat page.]

Reading the screen before him, Percy's eyes went wide with a million questions filling his mind but it was all pushed away. The pain finally brought him to unconsciousness and the world around him finally went to black. Percy lay silently on the ground with the wind pushing through the trees around him, his body twitching and his veins bulging but he lay still.

*Giggle*

"It has finally begun. I hope you can show me something special this time around… Perseus." The air around the unconscious Percy was filled with a soft giggle and whisper, but it was unknown to him. The soft sound was carried through the wind before the trees seemed to crack and bulge, experiencing the same fate as Percy himself.

*BOOOM*

"AHHH!" Percy shot awake in a slight panic when the sky above him shook violently. A huge thunderbolt shook the sky. He took several deep breaths of air and confusion washed over him. Just then, he felt drips of water on his face, making him look up to find the night sky filled with thunderclouds. He had no idea what was happening, and he lay on the ground and thought about the memories of what just happened flooded his mind.

"What's going on?" Percy asked, but nobody responded. He started to move his body to find it not sore at all. All the pain he experienced seemed to disappear before he woke up. He blinked in confusion, he even felt up his body yet nothing felt different either.

[Since you are now awake, the Akashic Record will now open your Stat Page]

Suddenly, a holographic page popped up a foot in front of Percy, who jumped back a bit in surprise. He thought he knew exactly what was happening. Just then another page appeared right under that one, sharing the same blue hue page that he stared at in awe. On it were several numbers that read Health, Mana, Strength, Agility, Stamina, Luck, and several other things. Percy was no stranger to light novels, fanfictions, or mangas, you could even say he was an avid reader of all of them.

Seeing the screen in front of him, Percy couldn't help but begin to grin as he felt a surge of elation in his mind. Sure he met literal gods and mythical beings, fought many legendary figures, and saw many crazy magical things while he was on Earth. Never before did he have something like this, the true pinnacle of abilities if you asked him. It was the legendary system and Percy was ecstatic to see one in front of him.

Name: Percival Jacob Jackson

Age: 16

Race: Human/?

Tier: 0

Level : 0

Health: 10 / Mana: 98 / Strength: 12 / Stamina: 11 / Agility: 10 / Luck: 68

"Hahah! This is amazing!" Percy shouted happily, Looking over the simple information he couldn't help but grin. But before long, he frowned a bit and focused on the (?). He wasn't sure what to think about it and just stared at it in confusion. Was he not completely human? Seeing the data in front of him made him go through a small identity crisis.

*BOOOM*

Before he could fully digest the knowledge, a boom of thunder once again came from the sky along with a bolt of lightning, landing right in front of him and striking the ground just outside the forest. Percy felt the ground rumble from the strike and his instincts kicked in. His mind cleared of confusion, his first thought was to protect his family. A faint memory of the first screen he saw when this system descended filled his mind, and soon worry began to spread in him once he suddenly realized he probably wasn't the only one to get this system.

"Everyone must be freaking out, I need to move!" Percy commented before he picked up the ax and began to run forward, but was stopped by his own body. His battle senses fired on all cylinders, making his body fling itself down into the muddy grass. Less than a second later, something huge shot over him and slammed into a tree not too far away. Percy rolled to his feet and then quickly grabbed his ax which was not too far away as his vision turned to where the thing crashed.

"Hisss!" A deep hiss filled the air and Percy's eyes widened as a snake that was nearly as wide as a basketball and probably a dozen or more feet long gazed at him. Its yellow eyes, like torches, in the darkness tried paralyzing Percy who held the ax in his hands with all his might. His heart began to palpate rapidly as emotions began to well up in him a bit, he had never seen a snake this big on this planet and he was afraid he would die fighting such a large beast.

But despite his fears he couldn't help but let a battle-crazy grin spread on his face, his heart raced even faster in excitement. He wasn't sure he would live through this, but the prospect of the battle? He couldn't help but feel excited. Percy kept his eyes on the beast whose long tongue flickered in the air, catching Percy's scent if he decided to run away.

"HISS!" The snake then lunged again, but Percy was ready this time for the startling speed of the snake. His legs pushed off the ground to the left and brought down his axe with all his might, but with all the strength in his body, he was only able to push the snake away and break a minor cut in its thick scales. The snake hissed again and continued to strike at Percy, who gritted his teeth and continued to land heavy strikes on the beast, which only left minor cuts and broken scales behind.

"Fuck, you're a tough bastard!" Percy said with a grin on his lips, he took heavy breaths with his stamina slowly starting to run out. With the jumping, striking, and dodging, Percy was wearing himself out fast, on the other hand, the snake simply looked way more pissed in turn. The two found a small break to stare at one another, two predators trying to figure out their next move.

*BOOM*

Suddenly, another lightning bolt filled the sky and soon more thunder joined it. The snake took the opportunity to move. Its tail whipped towards Percy, who struck at the baseball-sized tail. This time, his strike actually worked and he managed to chop through the tail. But the beast had taken this chance to strike towards Percy as well, Percy turned to see the wide maw of the beast only 3 feet away from him.

'Fuck!' Percy roared in his mind, sensing his life about to end for the second time. He suddenly felt his life flash before his eyes, Trista, Jake, Becca, Summer, Winter, Fall, Tristy, Fallon, and Yuel. His whole family in this world, that he loved to death and back, and he felt regret and anger. He wanted to experience more with them, he wanted to protect them. He wanted to do so much more, especially figure out why he ended up here if anyone he knew maybe ended up here as well. He felt a flame of anger burn in him with a new fury, and with a new surge of energy, he gritted his teeth and began to strike towards the beast.

"AAHHH!" Percy roared in anger, fully prepared to meet his death. Suddenly, he felt something pull from his gut, and power filled his body, empowering his movement. Like suddenly pouring a gallon of gasoline on an open fire, Percy's body exploded out with power and actually moved faster than the snake. The ax smashed right into the lower jaw of the snake, sending it flying upwards and into a tree. The ax handle exploded into splinters from the excessive force, but Percy didn't wait and rushed to the head of the beast with newfound speed and dove onto its back.

"DIE, YOU BITCH!" Percy roared with his legs wrapped around the throat of the beast and began to punch into the eye of the stunned beast. It tried to hiss in pain, but Percy's legs were like a vice grip on it. After it recovered from its daze, it then began to thrash to try and throw him off but his fist smashed into the thin membrane covering its unblinking eyes. In turn, the snake hissed in a great amount of pain as Percy, reacting quickly, jammed his fist into its socket rupturing its eyeball in turn. Percy's fist was stopped by a skull, but he gritted his teeth angrily and continued to punch as hard as he could into the open wound.

*CRACK*

Percy was suddenly slammed into a tree and soon, he felt blood rush to his mouth, he just swallowed it down and he kept punching, and punching to make the snake shake in pain from each punch. Its body continued to thrash, but Percy held on for his life as the strength from his gut seemed to fade. Percy felt this but doubled down as his battered body held on, before with one final strike Percy's fist finally broke through the skull of the beast. Feeling the mushy brain of it, Percy's hand opened, grabbed anything he could, and ripped it out with full force.

With one large shudder, the snake finally fell to the ground finally dead. Percy rested on the beast's back and he coughed out blood. In between each cough, he sucked in a deep breath now that he finally was able to rest. At the same time, he felt the pull on his gut stop, before he felt a wave of exhaustion hit him for a few seconds. Just then a new notification popped up in front of him and he took a look at it.

[You have obtained Big Tree Snake level 6 records, Agility +5, Strength +4, Stamina +3]

[You have leveled up and reached level 1, you have obtained 3 usable stat points]

Percy stared down at the messages and a different wave of energy filled his tired limbs. Even part of his bleeding stopped so he took a deep breath and slowly stood up. As he did, he looked down at the snake whose mouth hung open and blood seeped out of its eye socket. Staring down at the ax blade lodged into its bottom jaw, Percy frowned, but his eyes slowly went to the dagger-sized fang in its mouth and he got an idea.

"Gonna borrow these real fast, no hard feelings," Percy said, stepping over the head, and then, with a bit of effort, he was able to snap free each 8-inch fang as he nodded. Seeing how sharp they appeared he was more than sure they would be able to penetrate just about anything he needed at the moment. Then he saw a small glimmer in the corner of his vision, looking closer at a curious-looking scroll lying just beside the snake's corpse.

"Hmm." Without much thought, Percy walked forward and picked up the scroll, which appeared a bit mystical and glowed faintly and had silver runes all over it. Finally, the system flashed a few messages before his eyes.

[Active Skill scroll: Berserk rage (Tier 1) Level 1: puts the user in a state of rage that boosts all physical attributes. While in a state of rage, the user will be afflicted by temporary mental deterioration and will experience a temporary state of weakness after the rage has ended.]

Seeing the item in his hands, he blinked a bit and his eyes widened, memories of games flooding his mind as he stared down at the scroll. Percy hesitated to use the scroll once he read the effects of it, so he simply pocketed the scroll for now. His eyes then turned toward camp and his worries began to soar, Their camp was right outside a forest and this was only one beast. There was no telling the state of the camp at the moment.

Without another thought, Percy began to run towards camp as fast as he could, his only hope that his family was okay. It seemed that with this Akashic Record system, not only humans but also animals and who knows what else, were affected too.

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Percy finally managed to make it out of the forest after a few minutes, thankfully not encountering any more monsters. The first thing he saw though was billowing flames engulfing multiple tents, and Percy's eyes widened in shock. The entire camp was burning in multiple places! Worry tore through Percy.

'Yuel!' Percy thought to himself. Without another thought, he began running towards the location of her tent. It didn't take long before Percy came upon a completely burned-down tent that was nothing but cinders and ash. Multiple emotions filled his mind as he stood there silently staring at it, his fists clenched together so tight his fingernails nearly ripped through his skin.

"Bones…" Percy suddenly thought and his eyes widened, One last hope that he clung to, quickly found a large unburned branch and began to push the burned logs and such away. In a single minute, Percy's heart raced like never before as his hopes began to grow and grow. Finally, the entire burned-down tent was cleared and Percy had not found a single bone or even fragment, making relief wash over his body.

"Thank the gods." He swore before he heaved a sigh of relief, she must have been rescued by the others. Knowing this, part of his worries vanished, but new ones replaced them when he gazed at the burning tents hearing screams of pain and fear come from inside. He needed to find his family immediately and get them away from this dangerous place.

He set his next goal for the twins' tent, which was not too far away. Once he faced the correct direction, something from the surrounding fire started to stalk towards him. A badly burned person dragging a limp leg with them was walking right towards him. Its face was scared and maimed by the flames, but they didn't seem phased at all. Their mouth was covered in blood and they locked eyes with Percy and began to wobble towards him.

"What the fuck is a zombie doing here?" Percy couldn't help but exclaim with worry and confusion flying through his mind. Just then, realization dawned on him. It must have been the system. At that moment, he started to worry more and more. With the Zombie almost upon him, Percy didn't miss a beat and suddenly took out the snake fang, slamming it right into the skull of the monster.

"GRA-." The Zombie tried to scream but it didn't have time before its second life came to an end.

[You have obtained Zombie level 3 records, Stamina +5]

A wave of energy shot into Percy who felt his muscles grow less tired, he let out a sigh of relief. It seemed stamina was directly linked to the stamina stat. His stamina from only a few hours ago was nearly doubled, and it made him feel a bit more like his past self.

*Groooann*

The zombies weren't done yet. Percy saw more and more start to come out of the flames, each locked onto him for their next delicious meal. Percy actually recognized familiar faces in the crowd as well. Some he had fought battles with, others he cooked with, and even some people he held grudges with. Each of them now was turned into a walking corpse, but regardless of attachment, Percy pulled out the other tooth and got ready for battle.

Percy didn't wait for them, racing towards the twins' tent aiming right at multiple Zombies blocking his way. Each was slow and damaged, and the snake's fang easily pierced through their skulls one by one. Careful not to get bit by them, Percy retreated and attacked when he had the best advantage. Their black blood gradually covered the ground while he made his way through the group of them.

[You have obtained Zombie level 3 records, Stamina +4]

[You have obtained Zombie level 2 records, Stamina +2]

[You have leveled up and reached level 2, you have obtained 3 usable stat points]

[You have obtained Zombie level 4 records, Stamina +1]

[You have obtained Zombie level 3 records]

Once Percy dealt with the last two zombies, he noticed that he stopped gaining additional stamina points from them. He didn't have time to be curious as to the reason why, since he finally made it to the twins' tent, it had survived the flames so far. He rushed inside.

"Tristy! Fallon!"

He arrived inside to find nobody around, both relieving his anxiety and creating new worries at the same time. Scanning the room he suddenly noticed two familiar weapons and a shield leaning up against the middle post. A dagger was stabbed into the post with a rough message written on it. Joy ran through Percy, who quickly ripped the dagger free and scanned over the quickly written words that made happiness fill his mind.

Heading north to old enemy battlement outside the castle

Everyone is alive for now

Please survive Percy

"North," Percy whispered. His eyes filled with pure focus as he stuffed the dagger into a sheath on his hip. He slung the sword onto his back so it was easily accessible and then picked up his normal battle ax and gave it a twirl. Looking down at the shield, Percy also reached down and grabbed it. He nodded, for once he actually felt a shield was necessary.

*BOOM!*

Suddenly, a flash of light outside the tent lit up the side and thunder shook the earth around him. The lightning illuminated the tent, and Percy saw a floating figure's shadow cast against the tent wall. The shadow appeared to be a female with a very shapely figure and long hair. Percy's mind blanked for a bit. Just then the figure seemed surprised, her arms moved rapidly and in a split second, before the light could stop shining, her shadow disappeared.

"W-What?" Confused, he rushed outside the tent to find nobody present or floating around, Percy had to tear his curiosity away from the subject and focus.

"For now, North," Percy proclaimed and began to rush through the burning tents. On his path forward, he encountered multiple zombies but didn't attack them and instead went around them. Trying to conserve his strength the best he could, he did what he could. Just as he rounded a normal tent, he suddenly found a small group of survivors hunkered down behind a few overturned tables, not too far away. Moving towards them were dozens of zombies, and they defended themselves as best they could.

"GARP!" Percy exclaimed once he recognized the familiar face of one of the men who worked under Jake. Garp was relieved to see Percy quickly approach them.

"The Crooked One is here! We are saved!" One of the surviving women shouted, leading the others to cheer. Percy was a bit annoyed. Did they really have to call him that? They were on the same side after all! Seeing the number of Zombies, Percy felt he was not their match alone. He stopped moving towards them and quickly came to a decision in his mind.

"Go north! Trista and Jake are there with another group! Abandon the camp!" Percy commanded. Garp gave a nod in understanding as he struck down another zombie.

"Go north!" Garp affirmed, and several other warriors all obeyed and began to abandon their battlements, quickly gathering all the noncombatants and retreating to the north. In a few moments, the tables were pushed aside and the zombies penetrated their barrier but the group was already rushing north.

Percy then ran through the camp, avoiding any fights he could and informing any group he saw to go north. However, for some, he was too late, only watching them get overrun by zombies. He gritted his teeth. He wished he could mow down all the zombies but he simply wasn't strong enough so he pushed on. Eventually, the fires grew too fierce and Percy was forced out of the tent city to find himself on a hill not too far away.

He took deep breaths, trying to regain as much stamina as he could while he watched his home burn to the ground. The zombies and dead bodies were consumed by the flames, burning out an ugly black smoke that only seemed to darken the sky more and make the storm clouds rage. Seeing the destruction before him, Percy took it in and slowly gathered his stamina back before he turned his eyes north towards the battlements not too far away.

Multiple groups of survivors rushed towards the battlements with hundreds of zombies and huge dogs in pursuit. There was even a huge zombie that was nearly double the height of everything else. It seemed the zombies were undergoing mutations that made them harder to kill. Percy kept staring at the force, trying to think of a solution. Eventually, his eyes slowly drifted upwards to the sky above him.

"Hey floating lady, show yourself," he suddenly asked but was only met with silence, and although he continued to scan the air, nothing appeared. He remained quiet for a bit and slowly walked towards the castle, avoiding any zombies.

"Isn't it rude to spy on someone?" He asked again and was met with silence. He clicked his tongue. If someone had been watching, they'd certainly think Percy had gone insane, but Percy's intuition said something was there. After that shadow appeared, he simply couldn't get rid of the feeling at all.

"Can you help me?" Percy asked but only a small gust of wind blew past him for a minute. He sighed frustrated, and rubbed his head a bit, preparing to run north, but right before he did, he felt something in his back pocket slip out. He stopped abruptly only to find the skill scroll he had found not hours ago sitting on the ground.

"This is your answer?" Percy whispered and picked up the skill scroll, looking down at it annoyed. He was aware his mentality was not the same as it used to be. His will was indomitable, but those countless years in Tartarus warped his soul and his mentality. He was afraid of what would happen if he entered a full state of rage, worried he would hurt someone he cared about. He stared down at the skill, gritted his teeth, and clenched the scroll. He looked around one last time to find nothing.

"Fuck! All or nothing I guess!" Percy opened the scroll and glaring silver light flooded from the cross, he felt something flood over him.

[Active Skill: Berserker Rage has been added to the skill list]

[External skill has been learned, only 4 more external skills can be learned]

"T-That's it?" With those two messages, Percy blinked disappointed. Those emotions were suddenly wasted on what just happened. He thought by using the scroll, he would activate the skill one time but it didn't seem to be the case.

"How anticlimactic, I gues-." Percy suddenly stopped from a deep pounding in his chest, his heart going crazy and he felt a wave of pain crash into him. He braced against the pain, feeling something stirring inside him. His mana went crazy, starting to rampage deep down inside him. It was almost like when the system first descended but a lot less intense. The mana then seemed to sink into him even deeper and be absorbed by something.

[Special body constitution detected…]

[Analyzing…]

[Special body constitution fully analyzed!]

[Constitution: Primordial Emperor Body (Tier 7) level 1, has been added to stat sheet]

[Primordial Emperor Body (Tier 7) level 1 effect is activating and is mutating Berserk Rage (Tier 1) level 1]

[Mutation analyzing… soul variations detected… skill adjusting… Skill evolving… Suitable divine skill located…]

[Skill adjustment complete, Asura's Rage (Tier 1) Level 5 created, skill has been added to stat sheet]

Percy gasped for breath, feeling the mana in his body settle down. About half of his mana was completely absorbed by his body. He slowly caught his breath but he felt something in his body seem to awaken, and before long he stared at the blue panel in front of his eyes. His eyes slowly widened as he stared at the new skill and his body constitution.

Constitution: Primordial Emperor (Tier 7) level 1

Description: An extremely rare constitution that has been seen only a few times since the creation of the universe. It is a body that shapes its owner into an individual of worship and fear for all those who face him. Be an emperor that even the heavens fear to defy!

Primary Passive effect (7 Divine Skills): Will forcefully mutate and evolve any external skill learned from the skill scroll regardless of rarity to Divine rarity. Will fix and limit all externally learned skills to a permanent total of 7 regardless of tier or level gained in the future (1/7)

Secondary passive effect: ?

Third passive effect: ?

Fourth passive: ?

Fifth Passive: ?

Sixth passive: ?

Seventh passive: ?

Skill evolution requirements: Must be tier 4 to see evolution requirements

Staring at his constitution, Percy's eyes widened dramatically, and swallowed a bit of saliva; he didn't know what to think of this skill. It was so exceptional that his mind started racing. Was it a coincidence that he reincarnated and suddenly got this amazing constitution? He had an irking feeling deep down, it wasn't that alone, thinking particularly about the (?) on his race. Too many things confounded him, unable to find any explanation for his thoughts. He shook his head and refocused on the upcoming battle.

Asura's Rage: (Tier 1) Level 5

Description: A primordial rage lost since the downfall of the god race Asura. A skill that feeds on the rage of the user to enhance their body and magic to the utmost limits. Burn and rage! Rip and Tear! Let nothing stand before you as your wrath consumes all.

First Active (Never ending wrath): Increase all physical attributes by 1% per minute, limited to a 75% increase

Primary Passive effect (Burning mind): Slightly degrades users' mentality over time, will numb users' pain as more damage is taken until no pain is felt.

Caution: Skill may activate automatically depending on emotional state

Skill evolution requirements:

Spend a total of 200 hours in rage state (0/200)

Kill 10,000 Tier 0 monsters (32/10,000)

Forcefully bring your rationality back after entering a full rage state (0/1)

Seeing the skill information, Percy whistled and couldn't help but admire it, the physical attribute percentage was outstanding. Even the latter half of the passive was impressive, and though he had worries about his mental state, he was sure he could resist the effects for a long time. Giving the two skills one last scan, he finally stood up feeling a new strength deep inside that he had long forgotten.

"Let's go kill some zombies," Percy said as he planted his foot on the ground and launched forward after the hoard.

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"Arrows!" Becca screamed before launching one of her last arrows into the approaching wave of zombies. She and several other archers who had managed to escape had taken positions on the walls using the long-range weapons to their full advantage.

"This is all I could find from the storage," Tristy said, rushing up to her sister and setting down a basket containing only 20 arrows. Becca bit her lip in frustration.

"How is the armor and weapons distribution going?" She asked, but Tristy shook her head.

"There is barely enough to fully arm 30 warriors and enough weapons to arm an additional 40." Becca frowned even deeper but she picked up an arrow and quickly aimed it. She fired the arrow which sailed perfectly through the air and slammed right into the skull of a Zombie.

[You have obtained Zombie level 6 records]

"Shit." She cursed, watching the nearly 200-plus zombies meander closer to them, She then turned back to Tristy who shot her a worried look.

"They won't stand against such a force… is Yuel able to be moved again?" Becca asked. Tristy rejected her proposition.

"S-Something is happening to her body, if we move her, there is a good chance she will die."

Becca's knuckles whitened on her both and inwardly cursed. At the same time, a dark thought entered her mind but she instantly erased it from her mind. How could she possibly consider something like that?

"Try and do what you can, and prepare to retreat." She said as Tristy nodded but then stopped as she turned back to her sister who started to fire arrows into the mod again.

"Retreat to where?" She asked, causing Becca to freeze, realizing she didn't know where.

"Trista should know, she should be done getting ready. Go talk to her." Tristy nodded and ran away quickly, Becca watching her younger sister disappear.

"WATCH OUT!" Suddenly, a scream came tearing out from the side, alerting Becca who turned just in time to see the 8-foot tall Zombie pick up a normal zombie and throw it towards them. Her eyes went wide before she and the other quickly clambered behind the barriers just in time for the zombie to crash into the ground not far from them.

"KILL IT!" Becca shouted, prompting one of the terrified men to jump into action and quickly stab the head of the struggling Zombie, and it stopped moving. Becca then turned her head towards the mob to find the large Zombie continuing its bombardment of Zombies. Becca went pale.

"Take down the big one first! Focus on any that it throws over the walls! Anyone with a weapon, kill what you can!" She yelled before she focused her vision on the large zombie and fired arrows at it. Despite her best efforts, she watched in pure horror at the beast protecting its face with one arm, the arrow barely going half an inch deep.

Becca just kept firing, trying to get past its defenses, each arrow however was blocked by an arm before more and more zombies were flung over the wall. After she released an arrow, Becca saw something from the corner of her eye, and a huge hound began to charge the wall with extreme speed. She barely had time to knock another arrow before the beast jumped and cleared the 7-foot-tall wall with ease, going right for her.

"ROOAR!" The hound opened wide and its 2 sets of eyes locked onto her, opening its giant maw and exposing its jagged teeth. Becca barely had time to roll backward, avoiding the snapping maw, before proceeding to get both her feet off the ground, rolled backward, and kicked upwards as hard as she could. The hound was met with a violent kick to the gut and was launched further into the base and crashed into a battered down hut.

"Fuck!" Becca yelled as she managed to get to her feet and aim an arrow at the wreckage below. The hound gave a deep growl, but it managed to get up with a bit of effort.

"Save your arrow!" Suddenly, a new voice cut through the noise, her battle ax crashing down through the debris and cutting right down on the hound. A sickening crunching was heard as the hound let out a yell of pain as the ax was buried deep in its back. It didn't have time to even more as the ax was ripped out and then slammed down again ending the beast's life.

"Shit, they got big." Trista cursed and shook the blood off her blade. She stared down at the hound, frothing at the mouth and twitching on the ground. Eventually, a small white treasure chest and a small scroll with copper-colored runes on it appeared by its side. Trista didn't wait before she bent down and picked the two up. She quickly analyzed them.

"It's A Archer skill! Becca catch!" Trista shouted, tossing the scroll up to Becca, she easily caught it out of the air and gave it a look. Over the course of their escape, they all had come to familiarize themselves quickly with the weird things dropped by these Zombies. Being the warriors they were, even if what was happening was extremely confusing they had to survive and adapt, anyone who didn't would die.

"Multi-shot…" Becca murmured approvingly and opened the scroll. A flash of copper light filled the air and the runes sunk into Becca's skin. The scroll was gone, but Becca opened her eyes and nodded. The relentless barrage continued, and another zombie landed inside the camp. Becca quickly turned back to the wall. In one fluid motion, Becca picked up three arrows at once, nocked all three of them, and took aim. Becca didn't even say a word with her eyes locked onto the large Zombie before her mana began to move and cover the arrows in a blue hue.

*