SWNOVELXO Chapter 4: Controlling the Current
Ping!
[New Feature Unlocked: Daily Quests]
[New Quest Available: Discipline of the Sea]
Percy blinked awake as a bright blue rectangle hovered over his face.
Still groggy, he squinted at it, his messy black hair half-plastered to his cheek."Ugh… too early for magical pop-ups."
He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes, but the glowing box didn't vanish. In fact, it was eager to be read.
[Daily Quest: Discipline of the Sea]
Type: Daily
Description: The path of power is walked in sweat, stillness, and storm. You are the son of a god — act like it. Hone your gifts and body every day.
Objectives:
• Use [Hydrokinesis] – 0/10
• Use [Summon Storm] – 0/10
• Use [Create Earthquake] – 0/5
• Meditate near a natural water source – 0/30 minutes
• Push-ups – 0/25
• Sit-ups – 0/25
• Squats – 0/25
• Run – 0/0.5 km
Rewards:
• +1 to all stats (except [LUK])
• +0.1% Mastery to [Hydrokinesis], [Summon Storm], [Create Earthquake]
• 1x Random Loot Box
Failure Penalty: None
Time Limit: Until midnight.
Percy blinked hard at the glowing system panel floating in the air.
"Wh– I just woke up!" he groaned, rubbing his eyes with both hands.
He sat up in bed, hair tousled and sticking out in all directions, still in his oversized Camp Half-Blood t-shirt that doubled as pajamas. The familiar blue of the panel hovered like a hologram over his blanket.
"Push-ups? Sit-ups? Earthquakes? I'm six!" he muttered to himself.
Then he read it again.
"…Hey, Voice?" Percy said, glancing around the room like he could catch the floating system being off-guard. "What's Mastery supposed to mean, anyway?"
[Mastery represents how well you understand and control a skill.]
[When Mastery reaches 100%, the skill evolves to the next rank.]
[Example: C+ → B-]
[Higher Mastery unlocks greater power, control, and potential unique techniques.]
"…So it's kinda like getting better at using it, like… practice makes perfect?"
[Correct.]
"Cool, cool," Percy muttered. "So if I go full waterbender for a few hours a day, I'll eventually become Poseidon 2.0?"
[Eventually.]
He smirked. "Good enough."
With that, he flicked his fingers toward the water on his desk. A tiny spiral formed, floating mid-air.
[Hydrokinesis Use Count: 1/10]
The water sloshed obediently, responding with crisp precision he hadn't felt even yesterday. Maybe this whole training thing wasn't a total bust.
"Alright," Percy said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's level up this Mastery stuff."
"…Meditate near water…" he squinted at the line, muttering it aloud. "So I guess the bathtub works? That'd be cheating though… Right?" He glanced up, almost like the System would respond.
It didn't.
Instead, the panel hovered silently, judgmental in its stillness.
Percy sighed and flopped back onto his pillow.
"Why couldn't I have gotten like, a 'collect ten cool rocks' quest or something?" he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. "Nooo, I get bootcamp for baby demigods."
He squinted at the list again, then crossed his arms, thoughtful. "Okay… water powers make me stronger when I'm near water, right?"
[Water Affinity: C+]
"Yeah. That means if I save the magic stuff for later—when I'm meditating near the tub—I'll get more out of it. So…"
He cracked his knuckles and eyed the floor with the deepest six-year-old sigh imaginable.
"Guess I'm doing the hard stuff first."
———————————————————-
Percy stepped outside onto the small patch of grass behind their apartment complex. The sun had barely risen, casting long shadows across the pavement. The streets were quiet, and the world felt still—like it was holding its breath for him.
"Okay," he muttered. "Let's get the dumb stuff out of the way first."
He dropped into a push-up position. The moment his hands touched the grass, the system chimed:
[Objective Started: Push-ups – 0/25]
"One…" he grunted, arms shaking slightly as he pushed his tiny frame up.
Two.
Three.
By ten, his arms were trembling. "Whose bright idea was this?" he groaned.
[Push-ups – 10/25]
"I'm six!" he hissed. "This has to count as child abuse or something."
But he didn't stop.
By twenty, his breath was ragged. He collapsed after twenty-five, arms jelly, face pressed to the grass.
[Push-ups – 25/25 Complete]
"Not even a cookie," Percy mumbled into the dirt.
He flopped onto his back and took a moment to recover. Then, with a sigh of resignation, he sat up and began the sit-ups.
[Objective Started: Sit-ups – 0/25]
"One… two… ow…"
He barely made it to fifteen before needing a breather. But he grit his teeth and pushed through.
[Sit-ups – 25/25 Complete]
Next were squats. Those were a little easier, surprisingly. His legs burned by the end, but the rhythm was nice.
[Squats – 25/25 Complete]
He wiped his brow, standing upright with shaky legs. "Last one. Just a tiny half-kilometer run. That's like… what, five football fields? Not that bad."
Then he realized he didn't know exactly how far 500 meters was.
"I'll just run until the system says stop," he grumbled.
Thirty Minutes Later
He stumbled back to the grassy patch, panting like a dog in July.
[500m Run – Complete]
His legs were noodles. His lungs were lava. He dropped to the ground again, arms spread wide.
"I better get a legendary sword or something for this…"
But then he saw the quest tracker.
[Physical Objectives Complete]
• 25 Push-ups – ✅
• 25 Sit-ups – ✅
• 25 Squats – ✅
• 500m Run – ✅
• Practice Hydrokinesis – 0/10
• Practice Summon Storm – 0/10
• Practice Create Earthquake – 0/5
• Meditate near a source of water – 0/30
minutes
Halfway done.
He grinned, despite himself. "Okay. That wasn't… too horrible."
The magic stuff was next.
And after how he felt post-bath yesterday? He was kind of excited to try again.
He took a long drink of water from the faucet, wiped his mouth, and turned toward the bathroom door.
"Time to make some waves," he said.
————————————————————
After catching his breath and downing a full glass of water, Percy grabbed an old towel and stepped into the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and let warm water fill the tub, the steam already curling into the air. Stripping down to his boxers, he sat cross-legged on the tile floor, just close enough to feel the heat radiating from the porcelain.
He closed his eyes.
No pings. No new quests. Just the low hum of running water and the quiet rhythm of his breathing.
For once, Percy didn't try to force anything. He just… listened.
The warmth helped. His racing thoughts slowed. The tightness in his shoulders eased. Bit by bit, the tension melted from his small frame.
[Meditating near water… 8/30 minutes]
[…12/30 minutes]
[…25/30 minutes]
Something brushed against the edge of his awareness. Not a voice—more like a pull. A gentle current just beneath the surface of his mind, calling softly, like waves brushing distant sand.
[…30/30 minutes]
[Meditation Complete.]
He opened his eyes slowly. His body felt light. His thoughts felt… clearer.
"…Huh," Percy murmured, blinking at nothing in particular. "That felt… kinda good."
Back in the living room, Percy grabbed a water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and held out his palm.
"Alright. Show me the goods."
[Hydrokinesis]!
A narrow ribbon of water spiraled upward, twisting through the air like a living thing. It hovered, shimmering in the sunlight, before curling around his fingers.
[Hydrokinesis Use Count: 2/10]
[…3/10]
[…10/10 – Objective Complete.]
"Boom. Waterbending quota?" Percy smirked. "Smashed."
His eyes drifted to the open window. The air outside was still, warm, too calm. He stepped forward, both hands raised as if conducting an invisible orchestra.
This time, he reached deeper—past the surface tension of his powers—into that stormy place beneath his skin.
[Summon Storm]!
A small black cloud crackled into existence just above the flower pot on the windowsill. It rumbled like a cranky cat, sending a tiny bolt of lightning into the dirt. A fat drop of rain splashed down onto a petal.
[Summon Storm Use Count: 1/10]
[…5/10]
[…10/10 – Objective Complete.]
"Okay, the cloud thing is cool," Percy said, tilting his head. "Weather wizard: unlocked."
Then came the hard part.
He stomped his foot against the floor with a sharp exhale, throwing his will downward.
[Create Earthquake]!
A low tremor buzzed through the tiles. The table creaked. A cup rattled against its coaster—then stilled.
Not much. Barely a wobble. But it was there.
Percy let out a breath. "That's gonna take more juice," he muttered. "But hey, not bad for a six-year-old earthquake machine."
[…3/5]
[…5/5 Completed.]
He flopped to the floor again, panting.
[Physical Training Objectives: Complete]
[Magic Training Objectives: Complete]
[Meditation Objective: Complete]
[Daily Quest: Rise of the Tide — COMPLETE]
+1 to all stats (except LUCK)
+0.1% Mastery to: [Hydrokinesis], [Summon Storm], [Create Earthquake]
You have received: [Random Loot Box – Uncommon]
[DING! 🎉]
[LEVEL UP!]
[You have reached Level 3]
[All Stats have increased]
[Current EXP: 50 / 225]
"LET'S GOOOOO!" Percy shouted, pumping his fist. "I did it! Daily grind complete!"
A glowing chest icon appeared before him, hovering gently.
"…Loot box time."
————————————————————
The system responded, mercifully, with a soft chime.
[You have received: Uncommon Loot Box.]
[Would you like to open it now?]
Percy nodded immediately. "Yes. Please. Hopefully it's like, a magic massage chair or something."
With a shimmer of light, a small glowing chest appeared before him in a pulse of blue. It hovered in midair before splitting open with a pop.
[You have obtained: Necklace of Flowing Tides (Uncommon)]
[Necklace of Flowing Tides]
Type: Equipment – Accessory (Neck)
Rank: Uncommon
Description: A necklace blessed by a minor ocean spirit. While worn, it enhances one's natural connection to water and the sea.
• +10% effectiveness to water-based skills
• +3 Passive MP Regeneration per second
• Grants the minor passive effect [Wave Step] – briefly increases agility by 20% after casting a water spell (5 sec duration, 10 sec cooldown)
He blinked. "…Wait. That's actually good. Like, really good."
The necklace materialized in his hand—a smooth blue-green crystal pendant, shaped like a droplet, bound in silver and hanging from a woven cord of sea-silk.
Percy slowly slipped it over his head, and the moment it touched his chest, a cool, pleasant sensation rolled over his skin.
He felt it. Like the ocean had just nodded at him from afar.
"Okay… Okay, now that's awesome," he whispered, heart thudding as he opened his stats again. The numbers looked just a little sharper now. The passive regen? Already noticeable.
"Is this what being an anime protagonist feels like?" he muttered with a grin.
His fingers lightly brushed the pendant.
"I could get used to this."
————————————————————
Percy leaned back into the couch, still wearing the silver necklace that pulsed faintly. His muscles ached slightly from the morning's quest, but it was the good kind of soreness — like he'd actually accomplished something. A little window popped into the corner of his vision, silently reminding him:
[Daily Quest Complete]
[Rewards Claimed]
[Come back tomorrow]
He grinned.
"Percy?" his mom's voice called from the kitchen. "Breakfast is almost ready! Did you already finish your morning workout?"
He blinked, briefly worried he might've been too loud during the squats or sit-ups. "Uh—yeah! Just got done."
Sally Jackson walked into the room carrying a plate of warm pancakes, eggs, and turkey bacon. She set it down in front of him, tousling his hair as she sat on the edge of the couch beside him. "That's impressive. You're really keeping this whole fitness thing up."
Percy smiled sheepishly. "Trying to get stronger."
She studied him for a moment, her eyes softening like the tide pulling back from the shore. "You've always been strong, Seaweed Brain. Just… maybe not the way other people measure it."
Percy looked down at his plate, then back up. "Do you mean like… like, not muscles?"
Sally laughed gently. "No, not muscles. Though you're getting there. I mean in here." She tapped his chest, right over his heart.
"You've always had this… stubborn kindness. You don't quit on people. That's its own kind of strength, you know."
He looked at her, quiet. "Do you… do you really think I can be strong? Like, actually strong?"
Sally didn't answer right away. She placed a hand on his cheek, brushing his hair back a little.
"I think," she said softly, "you're already stronger than you know. You just need to believe it too."
Percy swallowed hard, the words hitting deeper than he expected. "Thanks, Mom."
She smiled and leaned back. "So what's got you so motivated lately? You've been… different these past few days."
He hesitated. The system pinged softly in the background of his mind, almost like a heartbeat. Lying wasn't his strong suit, but—
"I dunno. Just… felt like I needed to be ready. For something."
Sally paused, her fork halfway to her mouth, and then slowly nodded. "Sometimes I get that feeling too. Like something's on the horizon." She looked out the window, eyes distant. "Your dad always made me feel like there was a storm waiting somewhere out there. But he never made me afraid of it."
Percy looked up. "You think I'm like him?"
She turned to him again. "In some ways, yes. You have his eyes… and his stubbornness." She smiled, but there was a little sadness in it. "But you've always been your own person too."
They sat in quiet for a moment, the scent of breakfast and the low hum of the fridge filling the space.
Then, Percy cleared his throat. "Hey, Mom?"
"Yeah, sweetie?"
"Do you remember when you used to tell me those stories? About Greek gods and monsters?"
She blinked, clearly not expecting that question. "Of course. You loved those stories. You used to act them out in the living room, remember?"
He laughed, faintly. "Yeah. I remember you saying my dad… he was lost at sea."
Sally's expression shifted — a soft grief touched her features. "That's right."
"Was he…?" He trailed off, not sure how to ask it.
"A god?" she finished quietly. "I always thought he was… more than ordinary."
Percy met her eyes, heart pounding.
The system didn't say anything — no quest updates or flashing panels. But in that moment, her quiet honesty meant more than any glowing window.
She placed a hand on his cheek again, firmer this time. "Whoever he was… he gave me you. And that makes him important."
"But… didn't it hurt? Not knowing? Not having him here?"
Sally hesitated. "Yes. It did. Still does, sometimes. But I had you. I had this tiny little boy who used to splash in the sink like it was the Atlantic. Who asked if the moon was made of fish. Who made me laugh when the world felt heavy."
She reached for his hand, holding it gently. "And even when things were hard, I never once regretted it. Not one day."
Percy swallowed, eyes stinging unexpectedly. "I'm gonna get stronger, Mom. I promise. I'm gonna protect you."
Sally's voice broke a little as she smiled. "You already do."
They stayed like that for a moment — just mother and son, fingers laced, the warmth of breakfast between them, and something far stronger holding them together.
Percy didn't say anything else. He didn't need to.
But inside, he made a silent promise to himself:
He was going to get stronger. Not just for quests. Not for some system. Not because he was chosen.
But for her.