Athena, just what exactly are you trying to do?
Looking at Goddess Hestia who was staring at him with eyes full of expectation, Jason felt nothing but a headache.
Casually produce any random thing as an offering? No, that would be suicide!
Making a god's expectation fall empty would certainly anger them, but deceiving a god was equally suicidal!
Realizing this, Jason understood that right now, he had only one path left to take.
"I am sorry, Lady Hestia."
Taking a deep breath, Jason spoke honestly with an apologetic tone. "I have not yet prepared your offering. Therefore, Lady Hestia, may I ask for a little more time?
It will not take long. I will definitely present you with an offering I have carefully prepared!"
"I see… Since little Jason is being so honest, then I will wait a little longer."
Hestia puffed out her cheeks, pinched Jason's face, and continued, "But in that case, little Jason, your offering absolutely must not disappoint me!"
"…Yes, I understand, Lady Hestia."
As expected, it has turned into a troublesome situation.
Jason felt helpless inside.
To satisfy Goddess Hestia… No, perhaps not just Hestia. Artemis, Apollo, Demeter, and the others probably…
At this thought, Jason felt his head begin to throb again.
Once more, he deeply realized just how troublesome gods truly were!
"Setting the offering aside for now, little Jason, are you planning to keep traveling tonight?"
Jason nodded at Hestia.
"That will not do." Hestia pulled Jason by the hand, sat him down beside her, and spoke seriously. "How can you not rest at night? You are still growing.
I heard you did not rest even once in three whole years!
Besides, you just helped me deal with the monster Chimera. I should reward you."
As she spoke, Hestia waved her hand lightly, and a campfire appeared nearby.
Seeing this, Jason's eyelids twitched. For some reason, the scene felt strangely familiar…
"Come here, Jason."
Hestia settled herself comfortably and gave Jason an extremely bright smile.
Jason fell silent for a moment, then turned his head slightly toward brother horse.
Pegasus, who had been watching the drama, immediately turned away in fright the moment Jason looked over. It lowered its head to graze, pretending it saw nothing.
With a silent sigh, Jason gave up resisting. He lay down sideways, body stiff, and placed his head on Hestia's lap.
Naturally, he did not dare say anything more, for he knew that if he refused Hestia tonight, he would truly anger this goddess.
Oh well. It was just a lap pillow. Physical intimacy was not exactly a first.
Jason comforted and convinced himself this way.
Once Jason lay down, Hestia happily began combing his hair, stroking his head, and softly singing a lullaby.
The night breeze gently blew, the campfire flames danced, illuminating Goddess Hestia and the golden-haired hero lying on her lap, gradually closing his eyes under that beautiful song.
Later, the holy Pegasus also walked over, stretched its wings, crouched down, and closed its eyes.
Jason fell asleep once more.
The next day,
when Jason awoke, Hestia had already departed.
Bright sunlight shone upon Jason, who wore the sword of Apollo, God of Light, at his waist.
Jason stood up, looked around, and finally fixed his gaze on the still-sleeping Pegasus. He smacked its head in annoyance. "Alright, enough sleeping. Let's go. Time to hit the road."
Pegasus woke up, neighed in dissatisfaction, and lightly head-butted Jason.
Jason ate the ambrosial fruit already prepared nearby, washed briefly by the stream, then mounted Pegasus once more and continued his journey.
Ancient Greece, especially a Greece where gods still walked the earth, was an extremely dangerous world.
Thus, even without gods deliberately stirring trouble, Jason would sometimes encounter unexpected dangers.
After parting from Goddess Hestia and riding Pegasus toward Calydon once again,
he had not traveled long before he suddenly heard someone calling from below.
At first Jason paid no attention, but then several stones came flying up from the ground. If Pegasus had not reacted quickly, they would have hit.
After dodging, Pegasus neighed angrily and looked at Jason.
Jason hesitated. Naturally, he did not want trouble and preferred to leave directly.
But seeing Pegasus's fury, Jason could only sigh helplessly and nod lightly.
Pegasus turned and descended toward the ground.
Eventually, they stopped before a giant over three meters tall.
"Hero, we finally caught up to you!"
While Jason sized up this shirtless, barbaric-looking, long-bearded brute,
two slightly disheveled warriors in silver armor from Lycia excitedly rushed forward.
They were clearly pursuers sent by the king of Lycia.
Unlike their excitement, Jason felt only speechlessness and annoyance upon seeing them.
"You are the great hero they spoke of, the one who descended from the stars bearing Goddess Hestia's oracle and slew Chimera?"
The savage giant looked down at Jason. Seeing how small and frail he appeared, with arms not even as thick as the giant's thumb,
he snorted in extreme disdain. "Some great hero who killed Chimera. You do not look like much. I wager you could not even withstand one punch from me!"
The giant's words enraged the two warriors, but fearing his strength, they could only fume silently.
"Sir, you are…?"
"Listen well, little runt!" The crude giant raised his head proudly. "I am Antaeus, son of Lord Poseidon, God of the Sea!
Since you have come here, little runt, you must follow the rules I have set to pass.
Either defeat me, or…"
Antaeus gestured toward the temple nearby, built from the skulls of the dead.
On this road, Antaeus forced everyone who passed to fight him, then used his infinite strength to kill them all.
He did this to collect the skulls of the dead and build a temple for his father Poseidon.
To most Greek warriors, battle = offering to the gods = glory.
Now, Antaeus had set his sights on Jason.
He had already heard from the two Lycian warriors about Jason's feat of slaying Chimera.
Naturally, Antaeus wanted to kill him and prove his own superiority!
Yet the moment Antaeus declared his identity, the originally furious Pegasus froze, then looked at him in confusion.
"You said… you are the son of Lord Poseidon, God of the Sea?"
Jason also blinked in surprise.
"That is right!" Antaeus declared proudly, clearly very proud and honored by this lineage.
Hearing this, Jason naturally looked at Pegasus. Pegasus carefully examined Antaeus, even circling him once and sniffing, before reluctantly nodding at Jason.
"What are you doing?"
Antaeus frowned and asked.
"Antaeus, do you recognize it?" Jason pointed at Pegasus. Before Antaeus could reply, Jason continued, "This is the mount that your father, the great Lord Poseidon, has temporarily lent me.
Right now, I am hurrying under the oracle of Goddess of Wisdom Athena, with the aid of Lord Poseidon… Are you certain you wish to block my path?"
After Jason finished, Antaeus, still stunned, had not yet reacted.
"Goddess of Wisdom Athena… Was it not the oracle of Goddess of the Sacred Flame Hestia?" one of the warriors could not help asking.
"Lady Hestia's oracle was to slay the monster Chimera that was laying waste to the land," Jason explained. "Lady Athena's oracle is to reach Calydon as quickly as possible and assist Prince Meleager of Calydon in repelling the monster, the Calydonian Boar."
"I see."
The enlightened warrior now gazed at Jason with even greater reverence.
He said in utmost admiration, "As expected of the great hero who slew Chimera. The great you have received the favor of so many gods!"
Hearing this, Jason originally thought nothing of it.
But when he glanced sideways at Antaeus again, Jason instantly felt helpless.
Because at this moment, the word "jealousy" was written all over Antaeus's eyes!
Why should you receive such favor?! Jason could practically hear that voice from his gaze.
Well, it seemed trying to pull strings and take the back door was out of the question.
Just as Jason expected, after hearing his words, the extremely jealous Antaeus immediately made up his mind and swung his fist at Jason.
While swinging, he roared furiously, "I do not care what oracles you bear! To pass through here, you must defeat me!"
As he threw the punch, Antaeus secretly kept an eye on Pegasus, already planning.
After killing Jason with one blow, he would tame Pegasus and ride it to Calydon in Jason's place!
What surprised Antaeus was that Pegasus showed no panic when he attacked Jason, not even the slightest intention to help.
Thus, under the horrified eyes of the two warriors, Jason, frowning at the massive fist, had no choice but to raise his own small fist in resignation.
Like a mantis trying to block a chariot,
their fists collided.
BANG!
A tremendous boom.
Antaeus was shocked, and the two warriors were overjoyed to discover
that Jason had actually withstood Antaeus's strength head-on!
Jason took two steps back, shook his slightly numb arm, and frowned at Antaeus.
Good grief, his strength was almost on par with Senior Brother Heracles. No wonder he was so confident!
"Again!"
Seeing the little runt had not been smashed into paste by his first punch, Antaeus, feeling humiliated and enraged,
launched another assault.
But after the first punch, every subsequent blow from Antaeus felt like it was hitting cotton.
Because each time he swung, Jason deftly redirected and dissipated most of the force.
Most punches ended up smashing into nearby boulders or the ground.
In three years of sleepless training, Heracles had not been around at the start. Later, to grow stronger as quickly as possible, Jason, relying on his invulnerable body, had sparred countless times with Heracles.
Thus he naturally knew how to deal with opponents who relied on brute strength.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
"I will kill you, you insect! I will kill you!"
As time passed, nearly an hour went by. Unable to take down Jason, Antaeus grew increasingly frenzied, his eyes bloodshot.
Jason nimbly dodged and redirected the brute force.
The earth trembled endlessly under Antaeus's power; boulders shattered beneath his might.
Facing such a frenzied onslaught, Jason's gaze toward Antaeus grew sharper and sharper. Jason had gradually developed killing intent!
Because Antaeus was a son of Poseidon, Jason had only been dodging. Killing him would actually not be difficult, especially since it was daytime.
Originally, Jason had planned to exhaust his strength, then talk sense into him once he was tired.
He never expected that as time passed and his own movement space shrank, Antaeus's strength showed no sign of weakening.
Another ten-plus minutes went by.
Finally cornering Jason with nowhere left to dodge, Antaeus laughed madly. "Die, little runt! Let us see you dodge this!"
…What a pain.
Fine, I will kill him.
Just as Jason sighed inwardly and placed his hand on the golden sword at his waist,
"Lift him up, Jason."
A somewhat familiar male voice suddenly rang in Jason's ear.
"His father is Poseidon, God of the Sea, and his mother is Gaia, Goddess of the Earth. As long as he stands on the ground, he draws infinite strength from the earth. No one can defeat him!"
"So beat him up, then lift him into the air and throw him into the sea. Lord Poseidon will not blame you for it."
Hearing this, Jason silently moved his hand away from the sword.
Then, the instant Antaeus's laughing fist came down, Jason leaped lightly. His lips moved. From a magic circle in midair, he drew the staff.
The full enhancement enchantment activated. Faint blue light enveloped both the staff and Jason. Jason swung the staff high and brought it crashing down on Antaeus's arm!
Crack…
A crisp sound of bone shattering, followed immediately by Antaeus's agonized scream.
But it was not over.
Jason, descending with the staff, struck both of Antaeus's legs with ruthless precision.
Amid the increasingly wretched cries of pain, Jason crippled both arms and both legs in the shortest possible time.
Then, with all his strength, he lifted the suffering yet powerless Antaeus, signaled Pegasus over, hoisted the broken giant onto its back, and hurled him into the sea.
Everything happened so quickly that even after Antaeus splashed into the ocean, the two warriors from Lycia still had not reacted.
Antaeus's miserable fate was mainly because he never expected that Jason, after dodging for nearly half an hour, would suddenly explode.
And strike so fast, so accurately, and so mercilessly!
Soon afterward…
"You two can go back now. I will not be returning with you."
Jason said helplessly to the two Lycian warriors kneeling on one knee before him. "Besides, you heard it yourselves. Next I must go to Calydon to fulfill the oracle given to me by Goddess of Wisdom Athena."
Hearing this, the two warriors exchanged glances. One could not help saying, "In that case, we will not force you to stay. But hero, please, you must leave your name! Otherwise we cannot report back to our king!"
"Exactly! Hero, please leave your name, or we will absolutely never leave!"
Seeing their determined expressions, Jason could not help but press a hand to his forehead.
Leave my name? Not a chance!
But if I do not leave a name, they will probably keep following me. What should I do…
Jason fretted, silently repeating the word "name, name" in his mind.
Then his eyes suddenly lit up. He had an idea.
He cleared his throat lightly and spoke to them. "Very well. In that case… I will tell you my name!"
And so, as the two warriors leaned in eagerly to listen, Jason declared in an utterly serious tone,
"My name is… Heracles!"