Percy Jackson: As a Gamer In This Dark World

Percy's POV

I stared blankly at the sky above me, unable to comprehend the scene unfolding before my eyes. For two long hours, I had been lying here, unmoving, my gaze fixed on the stars. Yet, something was off. These stars… they were different. Not a single constellation I recognized graced the vast expanse above.

It wasn't just unsettling—it was downright confusing. As the realization slowly dawned on me, a pit of unease settled in my gut. Wherever I was, it wasn't where I was supposed to be. The last thing I remembered was dying. Or at least, I should have died. Zeus had struck me down after I saved Olympus for the third time. Long story—don't ask.

But here I was, alive and breathing. The steady thrum of my heartbeat was proof enough of that. And last I checked, ghosts didn't have beating hearts.

If the natural order of things had played out, I should either be wandering the Underworld or, more likely, rotting in Tartarus given how pissed Zeus had been. My final memory was of him blasting me into oblivion. Then… nothing. Just darkness. And now, this.

There's no denying it—this had the Fates written all over it. And honestly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect something like this. They always had a way of meddling in my life. Still, I couldn't sit around blaming them forever. The first priority was figuring out where I was and why.

As I focused on my body, a wave of relief washed over me—I could finally move. For hours, I'd been completely paralyzed, but now I could feel again. I flexed my fingers, shifted my legs… only to discover something utterly bizarre.

This wasn't my body.

It wasn't female, thank the gods, but that relief was short-lived. The real issue was that this body… it belonged to a baby.

A baby.

I froze, trying not to panic, but instinct got the better of me, and I let out a wail. My voice—high-pitched and unfamiliar—echoed around me. I tried to speak, to form words, but all that came out were sharp cries and incoherent gurgles.

I was losing it.

It took several long minutes to calm myself. When I finally managed to steady my thoughts, I turned my head to get a better look at my surroundings. That's when I saw it.

A corpse.

It lay not far from me, its face turned toward the sky, its empty eye sockets staring into nothingness.

A strangled cry escaped me, but I forced myself to look away. I turned my head to the other side, only to find another corpse. And another. And another.

The ground around me was littered with bodies, each as lifeless and horrifying as the last.

For a moment, I teetered on the edge of panic again. But years of battle-hardened instincts kicked in, helping me keep my fear at bay. Gritting my metaphorical teeth, I forced myself to assess the situation further.

The bodies stretched endlessly around me. This place reeked of death. And yet, somehow, I was alive—alive, and in the body of a newborn.

It was then that I noticed the tree to my left. Beneath it lay a mountain of corpses, stacked haphazardly, with more piled at its roots.

The gruesome scene didn't stop there—bodies dangled from the tree branches, swaying gently in the faint breeze, ropes tied tightly around their necks.

The sight was sickening. I wanted to vomit, but there was nothing in my stomach to purge. All I could do was dry heave, again and again, until exhaustion overtook me.

Then, as my nausea subsided, I noticed something that froze my very soul.

Atop one of the corpse mounds, there was a woman. She lay still, lifeless, with an umbilical cord trailing from between her legs.

Dread clawed at me as I slowly, hesitantly, looked down at myself. There it was—the other end of the umbilical cord, attached to my own tiny belly.

I was born from her.

The realization hit me like Zeus's lightning bolt, and a cold shiver ran down my body. I stared in disbelief, my mind reeling as the full horror of the situation settled in. I was a baby—a baby born from a corpse on a mountain of the dead.

What in the actual hell had the Fates done?

I saved Olympus three times. Three! And this was my reward? To be reborn like this? My cries of despair broke free, raw and unrelenting, as tears streaked down my face. No one came. No one heard.

I was utterly alone.

The grief and anger consumed me. Zeus! It had to be him—this had his spiteful fingerprints all over it. Maybe he cursed me, or maybe the Fates were playing one of their cruel games. Either way, I didn't deserve this.

As my wails echoed into the silence, a faint sound reached my ears. A distant clip-clop, rhythmic and deliberate. A horse.

My heart raced with a flicker of hope. I screamed louder, my tiny lungs burning, desperate to catch whoever it was. I didn't care who they were—anyone would be better than staying here.

The sound of hoofbeats drew closer and closer. My voice cracked, my tears fell in rivers, and I flailed as much as my tiny body allowed. The figure came into view, riding atop a massive horse. The rider was clad in iron plate armor, his posture straight and commanding.

He slowed as he approached, peering down at me with a mixture of surprise and caution.

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered, his gruff voice carrying a strange warmth. "A baby, in a place like this…"

The man dismounted, his boots crunching against the blood-soaked ground. Slowly, carefully, he approached me, his weathered hands reaching out to lift me from the corpse-strewn earth.

As he cradled me in his arms, the overwhelming relief was too much to bear. My cries softened, and for the first time since waking up in this nightmare, I felt a fleeting sense of safety.

Whoever this man was, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he had pulled me out of hell. For now, I could let myself rest.