章節 29: The Lotus Hotel
The Seraphic System
Chapter: 29
Pa/ t reon details at the bottom of the chapter if you're interested I'll keep posting regardless.
(The Lotus Hotel)
"What..?" I questioned, baffled.
The cursed-eyed gorgon still bowed with her head down in submission.
"Please allow me to join you," she begged.
Yeah, that's what I thought she said. Again, I wasn't sure what I had done to cause this. Sure, I had not outright killed her and said a few nice words, but that wasn't enough for her to want to join me, was it?
Then again, she had been neglected and treated as a monster for possibly thousands of years due to the curse. I still wasn't sure if this was the version who had been raped by Poseidon or not, either.
I felt a small pang of unwanted sympathy. Maybe getting an empathy skill wasn't as good of an idea as I thought it would have been.
"Why would you want to join me?" I asked. I was still just a teenager with a bit too much power, even if I looked a lot older.
Which, come to think of it, may be an angel physiology thing. Did angels mature at a faster rate?
She looked up at me again with those eerie glowing eyes.
"Why wouldn't I? You're the first being to not treat me like some sort of creature. You have incredible power for your age, which means you'll be a powerhouse when you fully mature, and you're an angel. Beings who are noble and kind, meaning you won't stab me in the back like many others," she explained with a surprising amount of logic.
That… actually made sense.
"You're the first chance I've got at not spending the rest of my existence alone. The main reason is you can resist my curse, which I thought only other divine beings could do. Gods who can't be trusted. Even if you are an angel and the fact you're not in heaven with the rest is strange. You're my only chance," she continued.
"Just, please treat me with fairness and I promise I'll serve you loyally. I'll even perform an oath on the Styx to show my loyalty," Medusa asked, a pleading edge to her voice.
I don't think Athena would be happy if I went along with this…
I could see a use for her; those cursed eyes could become a weapon against weaker enemies. Despite my strength, enough high-class beings could overwhelm me if it ever came down to it.
The problem was none of my angels had the same boon given by the system to resist her curse. If she were to join me, she would have to stay in my pocket dimension while I sorted things out.
Since I found it easier to move alone.
How could I trust her not to hurt them? Of course, I could look into buying or even building some sort of visor for her to control it.
Looking at her pleading visage, I clicked my tongue.
A plan came to mind.
Fuck it, we ball.
"Fine. But there'll need to be some ground rules," I said.
My plan was to bring her along for the quest so I could get a better view of her character and see if I could trust her with the secret of my ability to create angels and my pocket dimension.
This was going to be so complicated to explain.
-Scene Break-
Walking out, I spotted Annabeth and Percy, who both smiled in relief as they saw me. They began running towards me, only to pause as Medusa, with her blindfold tightly secured around her eyes, stepped out from behind me.
They looked at my relaxed posture and then back at Medusa, their expressions filled with confusion and wariness.
"Relax, she's coming with us," I said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Coming with us…?" Annabeth echoed as if the concept was so foreign she had to vocalise it.
"Yeah, we had a talk and she wants to come with us," I explained.
They both gave me appalled looks as Annabeth quickly walked over to me.
"One second," she said to Medusa.
"What the hell are you doing?" she whispered furiously.
"Improvising," I replied truthfully.
"That's THE Medusa, the Gorgon who's been killing hundreds of demigods and satyrs for centuries," she said, scowling.
"I'm aware," I responded dryly.
She slapped my arm.
"Take this seriously. She's dangerous and a liability. I can't believe I even need to tell you this," she said, throwing her hands up.
"Why take everything so seriously? Where's the fun in living like that?" I questioned curiously.
I didn't act maturely on purpose. I had the capability for sure, but it reminded me of my family— all serious, manipulative business people who chased money so much they could barely spend it.
"I don't think this is a good idea dude." Percy chimed in.
"Also, Medusa promised to make an oath of loyalty to Styx. I wanted you to be there to see it so you could be at ease. I doubt she would be able to break it, and she seems to have pure intentions," I quickly reasoned, making her pause.
"She agreed to do what?!"
"An oath on the Styx. Now, if you'll calm down and trust me, we can get on with this quest. Medusa will be a good addition due to her cursed sight," I continued, undeterred.
"Medusa, come here, please," I called out, Annabeth flinching.
Medusa slowly and steadily moved towards me, being deliberate.
"Can you make that oath now?" I asked, and she nodded.
"I swear I shall serve Kai faithfully, so long as he doesn't harm me in body or mind," she uttered, a rumble of thunder following up, proving the oath had been made.
An oath on the Styx was soul-binding and meant she would face a terrible backlash should she break it. It wasn't foolproof, but it was enough to prove her sincerity, as it would be extremely difficult to bypass.
"Right, now that's settled. Let's get a move on before we get swarmed," I clapped my hands, jolting both Percy and Annabeth, a quick gesture to the shadows starting to coalesce around us.
Staying in one location for too long with a Demigod's natural aura drawing monsters in was a bad idea. The fact I had blasted my angelic aura probably didn't help either.
"Fine. But I want to stop by the Gateway Arch along the way," Annabeth huffed.
"No," I denied.
"Wha-what?! Why? It's a marvellous piece of architecture and it's on the way," she retorted angrily.
"Because this isn't a field trip? Percy was told to go west. So we keep going west until we meet whatever fate the dickish oracle proclaimed Percy would meet. But you know what? Percy is the team leader. If he wants to go and play on a school field trip instead of saving his mom, then go right ahead," I calmly replied.
I knew I was being a dick, but I didn't want to deal with such a pointless detour. I found it stupid that it happened in the first place. I get Annabeth hasn't gone out much, but that didn't excuse it.
Annabeth's mouth, which was about to reply, snapped shut. She looked towards Percy with a mixture of emotions, surely wanting to go see the arch but also wanting to save his mom.
Percy grimly thought about it for just a moment.
"I'm sorry, Annabeth, but I need to save my mom. You can see it another time," he said, nodding to me gratefully.
She sighed, but nodded. Only looking a little disappointed.
I felt something's gaze on me for a split second, making me turn around and look up at the skies in intrigue.
Hmm.
Yeah, maybe I should just stick to following Percy.
I clapped my hands together once more.
"Time to commandeer a vehicle like my original plan. Seriously, what's the point of morals if they get you killed?" I announced it to the group.
Medusa smiled and followed me.
"Hey, wait! No," Annabeth shouted.
Percy shook his head in exasperation but not denying me, seemingly on board with the idea now.
I strode into the middle of the road with Medusa in tow like a king, Annabeth still trying to get me to stop as she dodged cars that quickly slammed to a stop.
A sports car quickly came to a stop in front of me as I chose my target.
"Hey! What the fuck are you doing, you fucking asshole?" a rich-looking man shouted, his voice only slightly slurred.
He had been drinking, I could smell it.
Perfect.
"Excuse me, sir," I said, walking towards him.
"I would like to personally thank you for your donation to the cause," I continued, picking him up by the scruff of his rather good-looking suit.
"What the fuck?" he shouted as his ass was dropped on the ground. I threw him a wad of cash, mostly to placate the frowning Percy.
Annabeth wasn't going to be agreeable to it anyway.
I had chosen my target well, using my chakra sight as I had now dubbed it to pick out someone who looked wealthy enough to not be bothered. I was lucky that I caught this guy.
Hopping into his vehicle, Medusa sat next to me with a rather sexy small smirk on her face. Percy hopped in behind us, and Annabeth scowled as I sent her a raised eyebrow.
"Fine," she gritted out. "At least you paid the man some money for this thievery."
I hummed. Looking over the various buttons, I was forced to trip the poor man over with a small gust of wind magic. He had just been about to charge me, presumably in an attempt to reclaim his vehicle.
"Is it thievery if I paid?" I asked and didn't let her answer as I continued.
"That's a good point." Percy replied thoughtfully.
"Also one small problem. I can't drive."
Percy and Annabeth stared in disbelief.
"Good thing is I'm a fast learner," I assured them.
Putting my foot down on the pedal, we went speeding off.
Off to Las Vegas we go. Much better without all the Gateway Arch shenanigans. Driving wasn't that hard. Well, crashing wasn't. I don't think if I did my driving test, I would get past the first five minutes.
Still, no one was hurt, so it was fine.
It took an hour for Annabeth and Percy to settle down. Medusa seemed perfectly fine since she was seemingly the only one who realised that even if we crashed, we would be fine.
Human mindsets were more restricting than people would imagine. I was somewhat glad mine was abandoned when I was reborn, even if it was due to my damaged mind.
Another hour of reckless driving and a police chase at one point had us arriving in Las Vegas. Already the scene of scantily clad women and men could be seen walking down the streets.
Stopping the car, I looked up at the darkening sky and back to the two tired-looking Demigods. Medusa was fine and simply gave me a smile as my eyes passed over her.
"Let's find a place to get some food and freshen up," I said after a brief but comfortable silence.
"Finally." Annabeth threw up her hands. "I've been asking to stop for a rest the past hour."
Percy frowned. "Do we have time?" he asked in a grim tone.
"I'm sure half an hour for a small rest won't affect the life of your mom. It's best we let you rest a bit instead of making brash decisions that could lead us into a worse situation. Ultimately it's up to you." I finished with a shrug.
To be honest, I wanted to go into the Lotus Hotel. While the time dilation was risky, it would work into a plan of mine to safely negotiate the return of Sally without any trouble.
Hades had two secret children and he wouldn't appreciate it if that information was leaked to his lovely elder siblings. Blackmailing a god probably wasn't worth this amount of hassle, but Percy was my friend, someone loyal besides my angels that would have my back when he matured into more power.
Going to the Lotus Hotel and finding them meant I wouldn't get caught lying with the bullshit lie detector all gods seemingly possessed. I'd have to get my hands on something to let us instantly escape the underworld after I blackmailed him.
Of course, I would butter him up with the fact that Percy truly doesn't have his helm, which was his reason for stealing Sally.
I opened the car door, and we all exited the vehicle.
"Lead the way," I told Percy.
He seemed to be annoyed that I kept forcing him to be the leader of our little dysfunctional group, but I could tell he was grateful for my input. Percy, being the ball of chaos, picked a random direction into Las Vegas and started walking.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked as we walked side by side.
He looked at me for a moment before sighing. "I'm managing," Percy replied, looking a bit downcast.
I gave him a friendly shoulder bump. "We'll get through this. Trust me, I've been in some pretty bad situations. I'm an expert," I assured him.
He grinned slightly. "You've been through something like this? You plan on telling me about it one day?"
"Of course, but right now we're focusing on you," I deflected.
"Do you think I'll find my mom?" he asked quietly.
"You bet you will. That's why I'm here. You've got your super-powered friend to help you out," I replied with an exaggeratedly cocky tone.
Percy looked at me, tears welling up in his eyes. "Thanks for being here, man."
I held out my fist for a bump. He grinned and bumped it back. We both looked over to Annabeth bickering to an amused Medusa fondly.
The city seemed to be becoming more lively as the sky darkened. I wondered if these casinos held supernatural security, or could any being with magic walk in and just empty it.
There was definitely more to the eye around here, but I didn't intend to find out. I doubted the Lotus Hotel was the only weird place around here. An eerie lack of monster sightings definitely suggested it.
I grinned as Percy paused. I had been worried my presence would have inadvertently made Percy not find the Lotus Hotel, but looking at the doorman giving us a friendly smile, despite the fact we had just reached the dead end of a road, confirmed that some things just don't change.
The Lotus Hotel was appealing to the eye, to say the least. It was seemingly made to draw people in with its colourful and eye-catching design. It made sense since all they needed was a good appearance to draw people inside where they would be entrapped.
The building was large, with a symbol of a coloured lotus adorning its main entrance. Many massive windows peered into games and entertainment.
Activating my chakra sight, I saw a barrier covering the entirety of its boundaries, and a glimpse inside showed a thick invisible fog that contained a weird energy.
Presumably the lotus effect that puts people into a trance.
Having chakra sight had been informative as to how magic worked and moved.
"Greetings, children. You look mighty tired. How about you come in and enjoy some games?" the well-dressed man offered kindly.
Both Annabeth and Percy looked suspicious, making me nod in appreciation. They were both fast learners.
"I don't think we have enough money to afford such an expensive place to stay," Annabeth said, looking at the luxurious red carpet leading in.
The man smiled. "We are currently hosting an event that allows people to stay free of charge."
Annabeth's suspicion doubled. Percy looked at me.
"Sounds interesting. What's the event called?" Annabeth probed.
"The Lotus Petal, a charity event. All are welcome," he replied with ease.
"A charity event?" Percy asked.
"Yes," he said simply.
"Sounds fun. Let's go check it out, we can always leave if it doesn't suit our needs," I casually said, walking inside and giving a wink to the receptionist who wore a tight smile.
While some may consider it stupid to bring them inside with me, leaving them outside would be even more dangerous, considering the fact I was pretty sure there was some sort of temporal barrier that affected time around the place.
Leaving both Percy and Annabeth outside would mean even if I quickly planned to go in and out, they could be waiting for a while, in which they could be attacked or decide to come in and find me.
Either way, they had no arguments as they followed me in. I spotted Medusa frowning in thought as she looked around, her eyes lingering on the massive lotus sign.
Instantly, we were greeted by a soothing scent. Presumably, the airborne charm effect started working its magic. Percy and Annabeth's eyes glazed over just a tad bit.
Medusa looked alert as she quickly turned to me.
"My Lord, I believe we've mistakenly entered a lotus eater den. We should retreat before you all get affected," Medusa quietly said, away from the ears of the lotus eaters disguised around us.
"Firstly, please don't call me 'my Lord,' and secondly, I'm aware. There's something, or better yet someone, I need to find before we can leave. Take care of Annabeth and Percy while I search around," I whispered back to her.
She paused for a brief moment, seeming to be caught off guard by my decision before she nodded, looking relieved that I wasn't affected by the weird airborne magical effect.
"Yes, young master," Medusa said.
I sighed.
I had a feeling I would just be going in circles if I asked her to refer to me in a casual manner.
"This place looks awesome," Percy muttered.
He was correct. Games filled the area, free food and drinks were spread across tables, and booming music created a lively party atmosphere.
"Why don't you both get some drinks and snacks while I go to the bathroom?" I offered.
"Good idea," Annabeth nodded. Percy followed as they went over to get some food. Medusa gave me a nod as she followed.
I shook my head in amusement as I glanced around the large room, full of people. Mostly young teenagers playing games. All of their eyes were heavily glazed over, giving them a glassy texture.
I noticed some of the people playing games around me wore old eccentric clothing that was blatantly out of date. I had to wonder how long this place had been in operation.
It was kind of dark to think these people had probably had a family who had searched for them relentlessly while they played games here, uncaring of anything else.
My eyes trailed to the lotus eaters who served people drinks with happy smiles.
'Appraisal'
{Name: Agnar}
{Title: Lotus Guard}
{Race: Lotus Eater}
{Power Level: 2000}
So, not very strong. Compared to a normal baseline human, they would be more than capable of handling normal humans. I was more interested in what drug they used that could even affect demigods, who I was pretty sure had quite the natural resistance against things like this.
I guess it didn't matter for now, I didn't have a lot of time to waste. I knew roughly what the appearance of two children of Hades should look like. But there were hundreds of teenagers walking around, so it wasn't too easy.
My eyes scanned through the crowd for a few minutes as I was forced to continually decline offers of drinks from the lotus eaters, who seemed to be watching me a bit more carefully than the rest.
Finally, I stopped to kiss bickering over a game. The first a young boy with messy dark black hair that was slightly dishevelled. His eyes were a dark brown colour and his skin was almost too pale.
Beside him stood a girl that looked to be about sixteen years old. With wavy dark hair a similar colour to the boy next to her and black hair, she was the epitome of a teen goth girl.
Her skin was just as pale. Was it some sort of trait gained from being the child of Hades? There was pale skin then there were these two.
'Appraisal'
{Name: Bianca Di Angelo}
{Title: Child Of Hades}
{Race: Demigod}
{Power Level: 5100}
{Name: Nico Di Angelo}
{Title: Child Of Hades}
{Race: Demigod}
{Power Level: 4920}
Found you.
-{Gabriel}-
She had taken her eyes off the general location of the mysterious angel that had eluded her for so long for merely a few hours. Gabriel ran a hand through her curly, impossibly soft golden hair in frustration.
Her tracking ability hadn't been working even as she systematically attempted every hour. She hadn't slept a wink as she was determined to bring her fellow angel back into the safe gates of Heaven.
It had been tedious. She had distracted herself by comforting the poor nun who had her faith confirmed abruptly. Having your faith confirmed was a massive deal for humans.
They believed with all their heart, of course. Or the kind maiden of God wouldn't have devoted her life to her deceased father. It was something that both brought Gabriel pure joy and deep sadness.
With the faulty system of Heaven, souls that were meant to go into Heaven had been put in a strange sort of limbo. Inaccessible by Michael, no matter how much he tried.
Heaven was perhaps one of the most secretive planes in existence, closed off from the world and with the angels all locked within. No one knew of Heaven's cities or how angelic society worked.
The pause in the flow of souls had been troublesome. Along with no saint to act in God's stead on Earth, the Church had been weakened heavily, even if they didn't know of it.
The Church had once been a force truly able to rival factions by itself. It was the earthly force of God while angels stayed within Heaven as His eternal helpers.
A saint was a special person who, in basic terms, carried the avatar of God. Only one could be chosen every century, and they were always incredibly powerful.
To be a saint was to carry a pure heart. It was to become a leader within the Church and make decisions that represented God. It was an honour and something every human who worshipped the Abrahamic God strived to be chosen for.
There hadn't been a saint in a long time. The system had automatically chosen one even after the death of God, with His residue power alone. But even that had dried up.
That had been a dark day for the angels. The day the last of their Father's residue holy power dried up.
The last saint had been a beautiful woman named Jeanne D'Arc. A kind girl who had been wronged due to the negligence of both Michael and the Church.
After that, consequently, humans to this day who didn't know of God's death believed that God had lost faith in them, which made all the Church for centuries try and repent as only the pope knew the truth of the situation.
Gabriel let out a downright vicious scowl that didn't look fit on her unfathomably beautiful face. Plump, insanely kissable lips twisted. Gabriel didn't have enough negativity to hate, but she certainly disliked her elder sibling Lucifer, which was hard for an angel who was normally filled with pure positive energy.
In human terms, she absolutely fucking despised the existence of Lucifer.
Everything had gone wrong since Lucifer's temper tantrum.
She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. The situation was that she had meditated to keep a clear mind for the meeting she was soon to have with an angel who had been exposed to the harsh world that was Earth.
Meditation had helped her stay an angel, with the temptation to fall and give in to the despair she felt at the loss of her Father being lessened as she meditated.
Then much to her complete dismay, when she woke up from her brief meditation that had only lasted a few hours, she had used her tracker ability to find him ages away from her.
Of course, she had wasted no time, letting her wings loose as she avoided being spotted in the air. Then what had happened? The troublesome angel who seemed intent on escaping her had gone off the radar.
Her tracker powers weren't working, meaning he was in yet another sub dimension of sorts.
She smacked her soft, pale cheeks in pure annoyance. She had a general direction of where he was.
Gabriel could feel it.
She would soon meet this evasive angel and finally deliver him back home with her.
Note: Gabriel Encounter has been written before you get annoyed. I know it's been dragged out a bit but trust me it's for a reason. It'll be coming in the next few chapters.
-END-
if you wish to read up to eleven chapters in advance among other things please visit pa/t reon * / Snipez818, I appreciate all the support!
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票