Chapter Fourteen: Debuffs

  When Jace stepped into the mess hall for breakfast the next day, he found Dex and Ell already deep in conversation, their voices carrying a morbid, conspiratorial edge. Alice sat nearby, engrossed in a book titled “Ancient Artifacts and Artificers, Volume Four by Lester Wanderbelt.” The hall buzzed with activity. Satyrs with mischievous grins darted between tables, centaurs with their proud, muscular forms stood in clusters, and dryads with skin that shimmered with an ethereal glow floated gracefully past. Elves with sharp, angular features conversed animatedly, while cyclopes loomed large over their meals, and minotaurs cautiously avoided scraping their horns against the ceiling beams.

  “I don’t know,” Dex said, his eyes narrowing. “He looks way too excited to be here. Like, first day at clown school excited.”

  “Trust me, he’s not one of them,” Ell said.

  Dex’s lips twisted into a sly grin as he scanned the room. “Alright, what about that guy over there?”

  “Lottery winner,” Ell said without missing a beat. “You really are terrible at this. Now, check out Mr. Monocle by the buffet. If he didn’t arrive in a gold-plated helicopter, I’ll eat my hat.”

  “You don’t have a hat.” Dex said.

  “Alright, then I’ll buy a hat and then eat it.”

  Jace strolled up, eyebrows raised. “What are you two scheming about now?”

  Alice, without looking up from her book, interjected dryly, “They’re playing ‘Spot the Bribe.’”

  Dex shrugged, mischief twinkling in his eyes. “Not that we mind. We didn’t bribe anyone. But our parents? They have a knack for nudging the universe in their favor.”

  Ell jabbed him in the ribs. “Dex, stop being tacky. Our parents just... set us up for Mythica since birth. My mom’s in PR at Excelsior. And his dad is...”

  “A royal pain,” Dex cut in. “We’re not exactly loaded... just not exactly broke either.”

  Ell rolled her eyes. “Shut it, Dex. Our parents’ money isn’t ours. And from what I can tell, you’re two wrong turns from being cut off from your family.”

  Dex’s cheeks flushed. “Hey, I just can’t dance to their stuffy tune. It’s not my fault they’re more into social climbing than backing my dreams.”

  Alice finally looked up, her gaze sharp. “They did get you here, didn’t they?”

  Dex and Ell shifted uncomfortably.

  “Well, then, maybe show a bit more gratitude to the family footing your bills,” Alice said, blushing as she went back to her book.

  They all exchanged glances before continuing the conversation. Sure, Dex and Ell had a touch of privilege, but they weren’t the spoiled brats one might expect. Most students here came from wealthy or influential families—children of politicians, investors, and, as he realized now, upper execs at Excelsior. Then there were those who got in on merit, like Alex, and the few who won their spots through the annual lottery.

  Alice, noticing Jace’s disheveled appearance, wrinkled her nose and decided to change the topic. “Did they not have showers in your dorm?” she teased. “You kinda reek.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” Jace said.

  “You look like you’ve been crawling through a cemetery.” Dex made crawling motions in midair.

  “It’s likely causing a status effect,” Alice said. “Actually, take a look and tell us. For science.”

  Jace pulled out his Traveler’s Handbook, fumbling with its worn cover.

  Debuff

  Stinky

  -1 to Charisma and +10% to all costs when bartering until debuff removed.

  “Great,” Jace muttered, “just what I needed.”

  Dex laughed, clapping Jace on the back making a small puff of dust explode into the air. “Hey, at least now you know. Might want to hit the showers. Maybe a change of clothes.”

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  “Maybe burn them,” Ell suggested.

  Jace gave a rueful smile. “Noted.”

  Dex’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Can we talk about what happened last night? Chosen of Hades? Dude, that was epic!” he exclaimed. “The way you came out of that trial, all badass and mysterious.”

  Jace forced a smile. “Why was everyone freaking out? It’s not like I’m the first person to get Hades, right?”

  Ell and Dex exchanged a glance. Alice looked up from her book.

  “Am I the first to choose Hades?” Jace asked.

  Dex shrugged. “Honestly, no clue, man. I just know that there aren’t any others on campus. And when you came out, the arch went crazy. Black and green light shot out across the room. It was like something out of the Poltergeist. This is uncharted territory, my friend.”

  “Do you have any weird powers yet?” Alice asked.

  “Um, not that I know of. Most of my character sheet is just numbers or blank spots,” he pulled out his Traveler’s Handbook and flipped to the Character Sheet.

  “You know you can set that to digital, right? The book. You don’t need to pull it out each time,” Alice explained, a hint of amusement in her voice.

  With Alice’s guidance, Jace navigated the menu and showed him how to change the setting. “There, now you’ll be able to see your notifications, map, etc. You can always switch it back.”

  Following her instructions, Jace watched as the interface changed to a digital display.

  He toggled the setting, watching the book shimmer into a holographic prompt. After a moment, he switched it back to the book. There was something about the weight and feel of it in his hands that felt grounding. But it was good to know he could switch back and forth when needed.

  He opened his Traveler’s Handbook and flipped through blank pages. “Quest Log,” he thought. The lines on the map vanished, replaced by a list of quests.

  A Rose By Any Other Name — Complete

  Learn Something — Complete

  The Oracle’s Trial — Complete

  Get Some Class — Active

  Jace selected a quest marked “Active” and the words shifted.

  Active Quest

  Get Some Class

  Speak with Hades in the Underworld and go through the Class Challenges to get awarded a Class Title.

  Reward: Variable.

  Failure: I don’t need no help. Wander the world classless until you stumble upon one, doing everything on your own like the strong independent adventurer that you are.

  Jace shared his quest with them.

  “Dude, did you piss off the System or something? It’s pretty snarky.”

  “It’s not like for everyone?” Jace asked.

  They all shake their heads.

  Dex reads it again. “Your quest has you going directly to Hades? The rest of us just get to speak with our Society President. That’s insane,” Dex said, his eyes wide with disbelief.

  “Yeah, I guess I kind of am my Society President, seeing as it’s only me,” Jace replied.

  The words hung in the air, leaving Dex, Ell, and Alice staring at him. “What the hell, man? That’s epic. Do you have any idea of the perks that come with being a Society President? And the amount of ladies you’re going to have knocking at your door,” Dex said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

  Both Ell and Alice punched Dex simultaneously. “Seriously, Dex?” Ell chided, shaking her head.

  Jace managed a wry smile. “Not like I can do much with it, though. I need something called a President’s Token to gain access.”

  “Probably just a quest reward or something,” Alice said, her voice carrying a note of encouragement that warmed him more than he cared to admit.

  Ell grinned. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll all benefit from having a President in our midst.”

  The conversation drifted off, each lost in their own thoughts. Jace contemplated the possibilities. Perhaps he could turn his new status into an opportunity, a way to secure enough credits for his brother.

  A booming voice pulled him back to the present. “My boy, I knew you would make it!” A large stout man with one giant eye in the center of his forehead clapped Jace on the back with enough force to make him cough and nearly choke on his egg sandwich. “After what we saw in your scholarship trials, I knew you were a prime candidate.” He spoke with a thick Scottish accent. A young woman with brown hair and an assessing look stood beside the cyclops, nodding along and taking notes in a book.

  “And on your first day you get chosen by Hades.” The cyclops’ expression soured. “Well, I guess it had to be one of the Big Three for you, eh?”

  “You know me,” Jace said, hoping to strike the right balance between familiarity and nonchalance.

  “Quite the understatement, my lad,” the cyclops said, turning to the young woman beside him. “Did you know this man right here passed the entrance exam without dying once? And that dragon egg? I still can’t get over what you did with it! I’d never seen anything like it...” He trailed off, lost in reminiscence. His assistant nudged him gently, snapping him back to the present. “Oh, this is Molly, my assistant.”

  When she spoke, her words seemed to not match her lips. “Follower of Hecate, Society of Hermes. Communion with the Dead.” She bowed subtly to Jace.

  The Master of Artifacts coughed. “I’ll expect great things for you at the Winter Games. I’ll be keeping my eye on you.” He gave Jace a mock menacing look before breaking into a wide grin and walking away.

  “Wow, you definitely made an impression during your entrance exam,” Alice said, looking up from her book for the first time since he sat down. “And with the Master of Artifacts, no less. He’s difficult to impress.”

  Jace tried to maintain a pleasant expression while he inwardly cringed. “Yup, I’m pretty impressive.”

  He hadn’t realized the extent of what he had gotten into. He thought the tests were written or just an application form or something. But now, as he looked around, he noticed many of the teachers seemed to recognize him—or rather, recognize Alex.

  You really put a lot into this, didn’t you bro? He thought.