Percy Jackson and the Art of Gacha

I was sleeping in someone's arms. That was all I knew right now and all I cared for.

The person, a man judging from the chest I was held against, was humming a lullaby. It reminded me of Call the Nightingale, a song I had heard in my previous life. It was performed as a duet by Vian Izak and Juniper Vale.

I didn't know how the man had gotten to know of the song, since this one didn't exist yet for all I knew.

The song slowly wrapped it's arms around me, caressing my head and dragging me ever so softly back into sleep. The notes I was hearing became glittering, falling droplets in front of a black canvas. After that they became a swarm of Shootingstars streaking across the night sky.

I didn't know when the change happened but suddenly I was no longer falling asleep but instead I was sitting inside a shallow ocean. It was mirroring the night sky above me and it seemed to stretch endlessly.

Up in the sky hung a sickle moon, it was a pale blue and Shootingstars blitzed across the sky in the distance.

I could observe distant galaxies with ease as they appeared to be closer than they would ever be.

The nightsky wasn't frozen. Everything g moved slightly, even the moon and I sat right in the middle of everything as the lakes water covered my legs, looking up into the sky. Just watching.

Slowly everything, the moon, the stars and distant galaxies seemed to disappear. The water of the lake seemed to clear and then suddenly, I saw something inside it.

I saw myself fighting something, it appeared to be a dragon, undead and earthbound, too. I watched as my past self used several skills to dodge and dominate it.

But that wasn't the only thing I saw.

At the edges of the reflection I saw movement. Shadows that seemed to claw at it. Trying to get inside, desperate to help him in his fight. I saw something eggshaped tremble with every small cut or injury I received and I saw what looked like big animals, it was unclear what they were as the contures were constantly shifting and even something like strings and orbs flaring, but the most bizarre of the entire thing was the movement within the shadow of my past self.

It was constantly changing but I couldn't make out what they were, somethings popped up repeatedly, like something with several blue glowing eyes. Another with four red glowing ones.

I saw and observed everything that was happening and with every passing second, with every action my past self took, I began to remember what had happend.

Then, it was finally time. I knew what would happen now would either make or break me as the dragon and I clashed one final time.

I saw the dragon slash at me, breaking through my armor and ripping a gaping hole into my body.

My right arm remained connected to my shoulder, but just barely. From below the arm down to my right hip, everything was gone.

My right lung? A few meters to my right, along with several of my ribs, half of my ribcage and most of my intestines.

I was forced to watch as blood flowed from the gaping wound but the flow soon stopped, not because I had run out of it, but because my heart, the very thing that usually pumped it through my body, was inside the heap of bones and organs to my right.

I saw as my past self lifted the glaive one last time, no doubt by pure adrenaline, and killed the dragon with one final strike.

Panic flooded my systems, it coursed through my veins and my breathing became short, shallow and labored.

I woke up screaming.

Oh god! Please let this be a nightmare! How could I be so stupid to think I could challenge a fucking dragon in Close Quarters Combat! Even with all the damage I did, I should have disengaged instead of trying to land that blow!

I could have used the Anti-Matter-Rifle I had.

I was about to continue spiraling down the rabbit hole of things I could have done differently, but I stopped when I noticed someone holding me and caressing my hair.

I looked up, hoping to find who was doing this.

Once I found him I just stared at him.

Ain't no fucking way. We aren't even supposed to meet for a few more years. Why is he here? And why is he holding me like a small child?

I didn't bother thinking about the guys name. We would meet again and besides, it would ruin my mood.

After staring at the person holding me for a while, I decided to check if what I had seen in that dream was real.

Spoiler Alert: It was fucking worse.

I was staring at the wound and I already had an inkling of where I was, even if the person holding me wouldn't have made the place obvious.

I was inside of the DOA Recording Studios.

So somehow my soul or ghost had left the dungeon and traveled all the way to Las Vegas.

I spend some time just sitting there, still being hugged by the guy behind me. It didn't realy bother me, especially considering that it was incredibly comfortable.

Soon someone joined us again. It was the person behind the register, formally know as Charon, The Ferryman of the Underworld.

"I can see that you are awake, child. Now, here is the thing. When you arrived here, with that horrible injury, we were quite shocked since no demigod has had a death as gruesome as yours in recent centuries."

I listened as Charon talked. Even the other person was carefully listening.

" I had also noticed that something was wrong with you. No, not because of the injury. So I went to the King. Lord Hades, I am sure you know. I spoke to him of your situation and suprise, suprise. The fates come to visit and suddenly I am thrown out of the castle."

"Charon,please get to the point."

That wasn't me. It was the guy behind me. Not that I didn't agree with what he said.

Charon looked like someone had ruined his moment for a second, before he schooled his expression and continued explaining.

"I was allowed to enter after some time and Lord Hades told me what to do. Now stand up, Child."

"I, Charon, the Ferry an of the Dead, Guide of the Underworld and current chosen representative of the King of the Underworld, Lord Hades, declare you a member of the Underworld.

You will be allowed to enter and leave whenever you want.

You will be given a title befitting your Status on a later date."

He said this with a voice that would have blown away my eardrums, if I had any right now.

Then he continued, this time with his normal voice again.

" Lord Hades has decided to let you leave the Studio and return to your body. Be careful not to die again."

And with that, I was thrown out of the building, without the person holding me following. For all I knew, he was still inside.

Now here I stood, outside of the entrance to the Underworld. Now a member of it, always welcome to enter and leave.

Now here I was, granted a second... No, third life.

This time I would be careful and I would use everything at my disposal. I would no longer rely on only Gacha and luck.

I will train, I will grind and I will life.

I turned away from the studio as the ground before me grew dark. I had activated Layer Travel.

Within seconds after I first plunged into it, I began traveling through the different layers until I had reached one I hadn't been to before. Layer 10.

The World around me grew dark with buildings being illuminated by a red contrast. Humans stopped looking like they should.

Some had long limbs, claws and writhering shadows. Others had glowing eyes and a red orb in their chest while their flesh was translucent.

I began to move, knowing that with every step I took, I was traveling several kilometers in the real world.

What I didn't notice as I dived into the different layers, was a small feather dropping to the ground.

_____________________________________

Percy: *Watching the Nightsky*

Vision of his recent and gruesome death: *pops up like an overexcited puppy*

Percy: *Panic Attack*

_________

Person: Charon, you better start talking now!

Percy: *With a squeaky voice* Yeah! Start talking!

Charon: *Can't believe what he is about to say*

Charon: "Hello Child! Congrats, you are now family."

Percy: *Looking at Charon suspiciously* "Great! Can I leave though?"