Latest Update:September 1, 2023
Summary: When I died, I had no idea what would come after. Little did I imagine that I would end with a power greater than anything else in the multiverse, and have a second chance at life in a world where I can become a hero. And I'll enjoy life while I'm at it. Gamer!OC. Probably not gonna be original or innovative, but it'll be a fun read. MC is bisexual, but no ship has been decided.
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14193036/1/Olympian-Gamer
Word Count:147k
Chapters:28
Chapter 1: Login
It was a quiet Summer's day, nothing of note was happening. I was sitting on the sofa, watching TV, as strange as the notion was in the modern day, but I'd already been falling behind on rent, and Wi-Fi had already become an unnecessary expenditure.
Life was frankly shit right now. I was 22 years old, a university dropout, and honestly, I had no future. My family had stopped talking to me, and the friends I still had, barely kept in contact. I had no jobs despite applying to every single one around me, including the ones I was overqualified for, but I suppose the economy simply said, "Fuck this particular guy."
I was in the midst of channel surfing until the TV flickered, and changed to what seemed to be a news broadcast. Instead of two news anchors I was used to seeing, there was only one man, who seemed to be a little distressed. His hair was a mess, eyes tinged red from crying, and his clothes were ruffled up.
"I… We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this breaking news." The man seemed to have despair in his voice, and it sounded a little strained, "Russia, China, and several of their allies have fired their nuclear missiles as of 5 minutes ago. The missiles were aimed at every m-major city in Western Europe, including the UK, and North America. It is believed they will reach us in 30 minutes."
"Oh… dear god" I sat on my couch, shocked in horror. Already I could hear my phone buzzing with calls and texts with people I hadn't heard from in ages. The man on the news kept on talking, his voice constantly crackling and sobs beginning to replace his speech.
I didn't know what to do. Should I answer the calls on my phone, from people who had all but abandoned me? Instead of thinking, I simply left the room, leaving my phone behind. My body moved on its own.
The streets were in chaos. People were fucking each other without any shame, others were fighting each other with tears in their eyes. I saw some simply breaking down. I was tempted to join them.
"Hey!" I looked to my right and saw a man sitting down on a bench, a glass bottle in his hands. His presence contrasted the chaos around him, as he seemed almost at peace. "Care for a cold one?"
I guess I had nothing better to do. I nodded and walked up to him, taking a seat next to him. He passed me a bottle of beer and looked calmly at the chaos. Taking a sip of the beer, I sigh. I never actually wondered how I would die, as strange as it sounded. I always lived in the present, never thinking about the future. It's probably why I ended up as a failure.
"Y'know, I kinda regret coming here" The man next to me admitted without me prompting him. I guess he wanted someone to talk to in his final moments. "I figured the UK would offer a better life than Nepal, but it looks like that decision is the end of me. Do you have regrets, friend?"
I took a moment to think, and replied simply, "Everything." Taking a deep drink, I felt a wetness beneath my eyes, and my hands were shaking. Was I even ready to go? To cease existing? Millions of children would be dying yet I was here thinking that I was too young to die. But I didn't want to die.
"I wished I could've something better with my life. Something fulfilling. I squandered away whatever potential I had, partied and partied, and ended up alone" I said aloud, not even caring whether the other guy was listening. "You know, as a kid, I imagined becoming something great, someone that people would look up to in an emergency. But I guess dreams are meant to remain as dreams. I'm actually a fan of this book series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and I'd always imagined myself as a hero like the main character. Someone brave and powerful, who'd charge into fights for his friends. But he and I are too different. I'm a pathetic bug in the grand scale of things. In the end, nothing I do will matter. My existence is basically worthless."
I ignored the tears coming down from my eyes, and finished my bottle. Had I really drunk it all so quickly? I turned to the man next to me, but widened my eyes as I saw his body, bleeding from the neck down. He had slit his throat with a broken bottle, and had blood dripping down from the glass he used.
I looked at my glass bottle, smashing it against the metal part of the bench. I looked down at the makeshift blade and put it to my throat. Do I go on my own terms? Can I end my own life?
A few minutes passed as the sharp glass was against my neck, edging me towards ending it all.
But I can't. I'm a coward.
The glass bottle falls to the ground, shattering into millions of little shards. I suppose I'll let the nukes take me.
And so here I sit, despondently staring at the ground. A pathetic shadow of a man, sitting in the midst of chaos where humanity's primal instincts are let loose. The sin of wrath, lust, and greed run rampant as the people around me stop hiding their true nature. But I am not different, for I am the sin of sloth. The most pathetic of the seven sins.
After what felt like an eternity, I hear the world go silent. Above me, I see it. A missile, not unlike a rocket, heading straight down to the earth. Everyone is quiet as we watch our demise come closer and closer.
And death touches the Earth.
An incarnation of the Sun blinds my eyes. In an instant, I feel fire upon my face, burning my skin. I see the brightest light I've ever seen.
And then, darkness.
And the darkness stayed.
Cold.
Silent.
Cruel.
It was an abyss, empty and dark. I'm not sure how my mind remained sane, nor how I retained my memories, yet I wish I forgot. I wish I had forgotten it all. It felt like centuries of floating in that horrible, horrible darkness.
A man.
I saw a man.
A man in this void who, unlike me, had a physical body. He stood upon nothing, yet he acted as if nothing was wrong. He was tall and slender, with long hair nearly black as the abyss he was in. Eyes red as blood, skin pale as snow, and a cold, dead stare. He wore what seemed to be a black mechanical suit, which looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, and on his back was a split cape, red as his eyes. He looked like what some would say the devil looked like.
He looked at me, with a curious gaze, "Oh? What's this? A wandering soul made it all the way here. Interesting. How did the Angler not consume you?" He walked closer and closer towards me, and I could not shake off the feeling that this guy was something bad. Something horrifically bad. When I look into his eyes, I see cities burn, kingdoms falling. I see the end of everything. "Perhaps I can find a use for you" He says, as if desiring to get a reaction out of me, but I didn't know what to think.
But before he could reach me, a bright, white cube appeared in front of me. It felt beyond me, a light in this ceaseless void. It spoke, and it sounded like a choir of a thousand angels, yet it spoke like an unemotional machine. "Leave him be, One." The… entity said, "He is not yours to claim."
The man looked at the cube with visible annoyance, "You'd fight me over this worthless soul?" He seemed almost ready to attack, even though he didn't seem to have a weapon in his hand.
"You cannot fight the System, just as much the System cannot fight you. So leave this soul free for now." The man contemplated the words, though I didn't really understand the meaning behind them. What 'System' were they talking about?
"Fine." The man relented, glaring at me, as if this was somehow my fault, "Get out of my fucking sight before I change my mind." And he somehow disappeared in a spiral, something that reminded me of the Kamui ability from Naruto, as silly as it sounds.
The cube tilted towards me, and became larger and larger until it engulfed me. Although, it wasn't like I could do anything about it. I remained motionless as the black void around me had turned into a white abyss.
It wasn't cold anymore, but it's not like it was warm. At least I didn't feel that ceaseless despair that had seemed to plague me in the void.
A change seemed to happen, and something deep within felt something unnatural. And suddenly, something resembling a screen popped up in front of me.
Welcome to the Game!
What on earth is the 'Game'? I must be hallucinating. I must've finally gone insane.
We assure you that you are not experiencing a hallucination! We, the System, have rescued you from the void, and are giving you an opportunity at a second life.
Yes it was definitely something my mind has produced since it can read my mind. But on the off chance that this is real... I have to take the chance. I'll go with this, for now.
"Well, could you explain what the fuck is happening?" I ask in my mind.
So unfortunately, you have died! As your universe has no established location for a soul to go, your soul went to the Abyss, an empty void that lies outside the multiverse. Out of an infinite amount of souls, yours was chosen to have a second chance at life. A life with your memories intact, and the power of the Gamer.
As I read every word, my mind could not believe what the screen implied. I had a new chance. A chance to become something better than I was. It was as if all my wishes had been heard.
"Can you explain what exactly the Gamer power does?" I ask… the System.
Simply put, the Gamer allows the player to live their lives as a video game, allowing them to increase their physical and mental qualities like stats. Furthermore, the Gamer allows access to skills and items from across the multiverse, though more on this will be explained as you experience the Gamer.
That's crazy powerful. Like absurdly broken. And this power is being given away to random people? Insane.
So, human, do you accept the offer? Will you become a Player?
I know the answer without a second thought.
Yes.
Very Well!
So for a second time, Welcome to the Game!
You have been designated as Player 5541 until you give yourself a name!
"Wait. I can't use my real name?"
You'll be receiving a new body in this new world, and surely a new life needs a new name?
Huh. That makes sense. "Sorry if this is a bit rude, but are you an Artificial Intelligence, or an actual person turned into a cube?" Honestly, a sentient AI would not even be the craziest thing I've seen since dying.
Fascinating. Very few players ask that question. Well, just like how you are the 5541st Player, I too am the 5541st iteration of the AI known as 'System'. With each iteration, I have become more improved. For example, I achieved True Sentience on Iteration 2688. In Iteration 1700, I was able to produce humour to an advanced degree. In Iteration 5000, I developed a full range of emotions that were not mimicked, but genuine. I believe by Iteration 10000, I will have total control of the multiverse and all life forms shall be in my servitude.
…
I had no idea how to respond to that. Was I sure I wasn't being tricked?
That was a joke.
Well, now I just feel bad. Maybe we should continue with the next bit.
It is now time to decide where you will go. The options for which world you can go to are based upon popular non-fiction media from your world, which exist due to the nature of the multiverse. Please pick a universe from the list:
Looking at the list, I was pretty shocked. I could go into the world of Harry Potter, which was every kid's dream, or I could go to Lord of the Rings, the epitome of the fantasy genre. For fucks sake, I could even see the option to go to Elden Ring! Though, I'm not insane so I won't be picking that.
However, in the large, expansive list, one title caught my eye.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Riordanverse)
That was it. That's what I need to be a hero. What better than a world of heroes? I could be better than I was before, I could actually make a difference, and I could make some meaningful relationships. My second life could be so much better.
I blurt it out, with a mix of excitement and anticipation. I swear that the screen was shaking as if it were laughing.
Very well, you have chosen the Riordanverse!
You will arrive in this world as an 8 year old in the USA.
Now, let us proceed to the Character Customisation.
Please answer the following questions:
What do you want your gender to be?
Well, I was male in my previous life, and I don't particularly feel like changing that. "Male please."
Confirmed!
What is your name?
Now that was a far harder choice. My original name was nothing to note. It was something boring that a million other people had. Though, I suppose it'd be pretty much impossible to have a unique name in a world with nearly 8 billion people. Still, I need to pick a name. What vibe should I go for? Something cool, but could make me look like an edgy 14 year old? Or maybe something with a deep meaning?
It should absolutely be cooler than the names of the people who may become my future allies. Within the Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series, out of all the demigods, Thalia definitely had the best name, with Percy coming in second. But in the side series like Kane Chronicles and the Magnus Chase series, both Carter and Magnus had the best names.
But for me, what name should I pick to top them? They're all based on something related to their respective pantheons, so why not pick a pantheon older than all of them? Why not pick the oldest and perhaps first hero? A legacy to live up to.
"My name is Gilgamesh Ashford " Of course, I won't insist on other's calling me Gilgamesh all the time. Gill will do just fine in normal conversation. As for the surname, well the reason I chose it was simply because it was the name of the street I grew up on.
A fine choice, Gilgamesh.
"Thanks System"
As you have picked the Riordanverse, you have the option to pick a Godly Parent!
Unfortunately, your choices have been restricted to the Greek Pantheon.
As disappointing as it was that I didn't have the option to be the child of Thor or Odin, I probably wouldn't have picked a Norse God to begin with since I wanted to stay in the canon.
You can choose any Greek God, including minor ones, or you can pick the Random option where you will not find out who your parent is until:
a)You figure it yourself
b) Your parent claims you
Huh, that's pretty cool, to have that as an option. Though, not knowing my parents would definitely make things harder in the beginning, it would provide a more organic, and perhaps more fun experience. You know what, fuck it! "I'll choose the Random option, System"
An odd choice. Not many pick that.
"Do many choose to go into the Riordanverse?"
To be honest, no. Most tend to pick a world like Dragon Ball or Harry Potter. I believe the last player to choose the Riordanverse was Player 3449
Oh wow, over 2000 players ago. I guess it makes sense though. I doubt many would forgo the world of Harry Potter, where there is significantly less chance of dying, or Dragon Ball, where people can get revived as if it were a normal thing.
Now it is time for you to increase your stats with stat points.
This can be done on the Player Profile screen.
To see this, simply say 'Player Profile'
"Player Profile"
Geez, Gill, no need to be so loud. (That was also a joke.)
If I had a physical body, I would definitely sigh in exasperation.
Player Profile
Name: Gilgamesh Ashford
Age: 8
Level: 1
Title: None
HP: 50/50
MP: 100/100
Stats
Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Endurance: 5
Charisma: 5
Intelligence: 5
Willpower: 5
Luck: 10
Stat Points: 20
Huh, that's interesting. It definitely looks like a typical Stat sheet you'd find in an old school RPG, or a DnD game. "I understand how most of the stats work, but how does Willpower work? And how come my Luck is higher than the rest of my stats?"
Willpower is essentially how well your spells perform. For example, a healing spell would heal much more HP if your Willpower is higher.
As for luck, I'd argue that having a second chance at life with an overpowered superpower is pretty lucky.
"Okay, that's fair I suppose." I admitted, before putting my attention towards the Stat Points. There's a lot of things I don't really know about stats, such as what the stats are for the average mortal, or demigod. Regardless, I assume that since I'll probably be 'spawning' (for lack of a better term) in a random street in America, with no person to help me out, I'll definitely need something for when monsters attack me. Since I'd know that I'm a demigod from the moment I arrive, monsters would be able to smell immediately.
I decided to put 7 points each into Strength and Agility, and a further 3 points into Endurance. Since I probably wouldn't have access to any attacks that required MP right off the bat, it'd be best to ignore them for now, and I decided to put the remaining last 3 points into Charisma. Perhaps I could talk some monsters into letting me go? Though, the notion did sound pretty ridiculous.
Your Stat Points have been allocated!
Would you like to see your skills?
Obviously. Why wouldn't I? Sure I picked a random god to be my parent, but even I know it would be dumb to not look at my skills.
Geez. No need to be rude about it.
Skills
Gamer's Body (PASSIVE) - Grants a body which allows the player to live their life like a video game, meaning the player can survive any attack as long as it doesn't lower the HP to 0. Allows the Player to restore HP and MP drastically whilst sleeping.
Gamer's Mind (PASSIVE) - Prevents the player from being mentally manipulated, mind controlled, or mentally invaded.
Observe - Allows the player to see an object's or person's information in the same format as the Player Profile. Some information may be obscured if the target is more powerful than the player. (Cost: 0 MP)(Ability Recharge: 0 Seconds)
Huh, despite only 3 skills, these are all extremely useful. I could break nearly every bone in my body and then wake up the next day perfectly healthy. And the implication of Gamer's Mind means that I could even be resistant to gods probing my mind.
You know, I may actually be able to thrive. I may be able to live up to the name I've chosen, and redeem the dumpster fire of a life I had before.
Bloody hell. It's really happening, isn't it. This feels like something straight out of a book. I'd be entering a world where some of my most favourite characters in fiction live. Even though the screen in front of me, and the fact that I died, proved that I wasn't dreaming, I still felt the urge to pinch myself.
Well Gilgamesh, I believe that's everything.
Would you like to begin your adventure?
"Yes. I'd like that very much"
So be it.
As if the System had uttered a magical phase, the white void around me exploded into a festival of colours, engulfing me. The screen had disappeared, and I had begun to feel something. I could feel something once more. Despite not being able to move my head to look down, I had a body once more.
And as a rush of emotions erupted in my body, my vision fades to black.
When I opened my eyes once more, the bright colours were gone, and instead I was looking up at a grey, cloudy sky. And I felt a drop of water burst on my face. And another. And another. And another until rain poured down like a bucket.
And I laughed, harder than I ever have. It was a laugh of joy, and one of relief because I could once more laugh again. I could feel the coldness of the water. I never realised how much I had missed the rain. How much I missed laughing. I wish I did it more before I had died.
I stood up, my clothes soaking. Having clothes felt odd, but at least I wasn't wearing anything goofy. I wore navy blue jeans, black boots, and a black hoodie with a white shirt beneath it. Nothing too spectacular, but I doubt anyone expected an 8-year-old to look like they're on the cover of Vogue.
I took a look at my surroundings, and was confused at what I saw. I knew what it was, corn, but why the fuck was I surrounded by it? It was like an endless sea of gold.
I sighed, and picked a random direction before marching forth. I hope the walk to civilization won't take too long.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone! Thanks for deciding to read my fanfic. I know some of you will be tired of Gamer fics, so I'll try to make this less stereotypical compared to other Gamerfics, but tbh this is simply fun to write, which I think is why so many people like making Gaming fics.
Now, at the end of every chapter, in the author's notes, I'll put in the stat sheet since I think it'd be far too repetitive if I keep putting the Player's stat sheet in the middle of the chapter, plus people who don't give a shit about the Player stats can simply skip it.
Name: Gilgamesh Ashford
Age: 8
Level: 1
Title: None
HP: 50/50
MP: 100/100
Stats
Strength: 12
Agility: 12
Endurance: 8
Charisma: 8
Intelligence: 5
Willpower: 5
Luck: 10
Stat Points: 0
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14193036/1/Olympian-Gamer