Chapter 6: If You're Not Sore, You're Not Training Hard Enough
Pain.
That was the first thing I registered when I woke up. Not the chirping birds. Not the distant shouts of campers getting their morning training started. Just pure, unfiltered pain.
Every muscle in my body screamed at me like I had committed some heinous war crime against them. My arms felt like lead, my legs refused to move without protesting, and my ribs—oh gods, my ribs. They were still mad about the foldingPercy had given me two days ago.
I groaned, rolling over in my bunk, and immediately regretted it.
Why did I do this to myself?
Oh, right. Because I had a goal.
I wasn't about to be just another demigod struggling to survive. I wasn't going to settle for being some side character in this world. If I wanted to become the strongest—if I wanted to live up to the name Kratos—then I had to earn it.
And that meant suffering.
With great effort, I managed to sit up, wincing as my entire back cracked like a glowstick. Across the cabin, Clarisse was already up, strapping on her armor like she was preparing to punch someone in the face before breakfast. Which, to be fair, she probably was.
She glanced at me and smirked. "You look like crap."
"Thanks, sis," I muttered, rubbing my face. "You always know how to brighten my day."
She chuckled, tossing a piece of armor at me. I barely caught it before it smacked me in the face. "You training again today?"
I exhaled. My entire body was telling me no. My brain was telling me yes. My Berserker System was telling me if you don't, I will personally haunt your soul.
"Yeah," I said, standing up with a groan. "Again."
Clarisse raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don't want a break? You look like you got hit by a Minotaur. Twice."
"Percy Jackson, actually," I said, stretching. My shoulders popped. "Which is arguably worse."
Clarisse snorted. "Fair point."
I strapped on my armor, ignoring the ache in my muscles. The pain would pass. The strength would stay.
Time to get back to work.
I found Percy at the same spot as yesterday—by the shoreline, staring out at the waves like he was having some deep philosophical moment.
"Yo, Poseidon Jr.," I called, cracking my knuckles. "You ready for round two?"
Percy turned, raising an eyebrow. "You just recovered from round one."
"Yeah, and?" I rolled my shoulders. "That's called progression, my dude."
He sighed. "You realize normal training exists, right? Like… I don't know, lifting weights? Running laps? Not drowning?"
I smirked. "Normal training is for normal people."
Percy shook his head but didn't argue. "Alright. Same deal as yesterday?"
"Nah," I said, stepping forward. "Today, we make it harder."
Percy blinked. "Harder."
I nodded. "Yesterday, it was just about surviving. Today? We're adding combat."
Percy just stared at me. "You wanna fight me. Underwater."
"Bingo."
He rubbed his face. "Why am I even surprised?"
"I ask myself that every day."
Percy exhaled, then rolled his shoulders. "Alright. But don't blame me when you get knocked out cold."
I grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
The water closed around me, and instantly, I moved.
My muscles, sore as they were, responded faster this time. The crushing pressure of the ocean wasn't as overwhelming. My body had started to adapt.
But I didn't have time to admire my own progress.
Because the second I hit the water, Percy was already on me.
A fist blurred through the waves, aiming straight for my gut. I barely twisted in time, feeling the force of the punch whipthe water around me. Even underwater, he was fast.
I countered, launching a kick at his ribs.
Percy caught my leg with ease, his grip like iron. He grinned—then yanked me forward and slammed his forehead into mine.
BOOM.
My vision exploded with white spots. My head rang like a church bell. I barely had time to recover before he whipped me through the water like I was a piece of seaweed.
Okay.
That one? That hurt.
I gritted my teeth, spinning in the water. My foot planted against the ocean floor, and I launched myself back at him, fists glowing red as my Berserker Gauge surged.
[Berserker Gauge: 40% → 50%]
I swung.
Percy dodged.
I swung again.
He barely sidestepped, eyes widening.
Oh?
I pressed forward.
Underwater combat was a whole different beast. Every movement was slower, more taxing. But I was learning. I was adapting to the water resistance, figuring out how to use my momentum instead of fighting against it.
I twisted mid-strike, using the current to snap my body into a roundhouse kick.
Percy barely got his arms up in time before my foot slammed into his guard. The force of the impact sent a shockwavethrough the water, stirring up sand from the ocean floor.
I grinned. "Gotcha."
Percy blinked, shaking out his arms. "Huh. You are getting better."
"I know, right?"
"Yeah." He smirked. "Still not good enough."
The ocean rumbled.
Before I could react, a wave exploded around us, shifting the current. The water twisted, spinning into a vortex, and suddenly—
I couldn't move.
The current had me trapped, swirling around me like an underwater tornado. My punches hit nothing but water as I struggled against it.
Percy, meanwhile, floated a few feet away, arms crossed, looking very smug.
"Trained with water yet?" he asked.
I gritted my teeth.
Alright.
New challenge.
I forced my body to adapt again, shifting my stance. If brute strength wasn't going to work, I needed to be smarter.
The water was spinning this way—so instead of fighting it…
I used it.
I twisted my body with the current, letting it whip me around like a slingshot. The second I gained enough momentum, I snapped out of the vortex and rocketed straight at Percy.
His eyes widened—
My fist connected with his stomach.
The impact sent a shockwave through the water, and Percy was launched backward. He tumbled through the sea, flipping end over end before catching himself.
He coughed, shaking his head. Then, to my surprise—
He grinned.
"Okay," he admitted. "That was actually kinda cool."
I smirked. "Damn right it was."
Percy cracked his knuckles. "Alright, then. No more holding back."
The ocean roared.
Oh.
Oh, crap.
[Berserker Gauge: 50% → 60%]
I braced myself as Percy vanished—
And the fight really began.
For the next hour, we went at it like monsters.
Every punch, every kick, every dodge—I could feel myself getting better. My movements got sharper, my instincts stronger. I was learning—not just how to fight, but how to fight underwater.
The training was brutal. But I didn't care.
I thrived in it.
And by the time Percy called it quits, by the time I finally stumbled onto the beach, completely drained—
I knew.
I was getting closer.
I wasn't there yet.
But soon?
I'd be unstoppable.