Athena's gift: the Aegis, the hardest divine shield in the world.
Ares's gift: the war god's belt, granting power comparable to the war god himself.
These were the reasons Jason faced a god with confidence, even one who was the son of Oceanus, one of the original twelve Titans.
Moreover, the gifts Jason had received were far from limited to these.
After all, the path he walked was the one most carefully prepared and paved for him by the goddess of wisdom Athena.
Jason never grew arrogant, but he also never underestimated himself.
He had always maintained an extremely clear understanding of his own strength.
And river god Achelous truly could not be Jason's opponent, for he could not even defeat Heracles.
In the original myth, river god Achelous had fought Heracles over a bride and been utterly crushed.
Yet Achelous was not weak. That Oceanus appeared for him proved he had real power.
Among humans, only a rare few heroes could defeat him.
But clearly, Jason was one of those few!
Transformed into a massive venomous serpent, Achelous stared at the golden shield that had appeared in Jason's hand.
Sensing the majestic divine power radiating from it, he felt a shock in his heart.
The deadly venom could not corrode the Aegis at all. Where it splashed on the ground, purple toxic fumes rose, causing Hera and the other goddesses watching with furrowed brows to instinctively step back.
Then, while Achelous was still surprised, he suddenly noticed the golden circle of light protecting Jason had vanished.
Seizing what he thought was an opening, he immediately lunged forward, jaws wide, emitting a piercing hiss as he prepared to bite Jason in one gulp.
Seeing the terrifying serpent pounce at Jason, Helen instinctively closed her eyes in fear, unable to watch.
Then came an utterly wretched scream. When Helen opened her eyes again,
She saw Jason in the arena holding the golden divine shield in his left hand and drawing in his right the god-slaying sword shrouded in sacred light to conceal it.
Having deliberately shown a flaw, he had sliced the charging serpent cleanly in two with a single stroke!
Jason calmly watched the serpent writhing on the ground in intense pain. He had already given Achelous a way out.
Not drawing his sword earlier and using close-quarters combat, in which he was least skilled, had been meant to make Achelous realize the difficulty and withdraw.
Unfortunately, Achelous had completely failed to recognize Jason's mercy. Instead, humiliated at not defeating Jason, he had transformed into the serpent intending to kill him.
In that case, Jason naturally showed no further courtesy!
Having easily bisected Achelous with one stroke, Jason did not swing again. After all, Oceanus was still watching nearby.
Even setting everything else aside, for the sake of Oceanus being the father of Queen of the Sea Amphitrite, Jason would not decapitate Achelous.
"Ah, what a pity..."
Amphitrite, thinking it regrettable that she would not see that arrow,
Saw the seawater parted by Poseidon's trident suddenly surge toward Achelous... Achelous was, after all, a god and the son of Oceanus.
Thus, this place was naturally his battlefield.
The incoming seawater healed his wounds at maximum speed.
The screams ceased. Eyes blood-red as he glared at Jason, Achelous began channeling all his divine power.
More and more seawater rushed toward him. Achelous grew larger and larger.
Finally, atop the ocean split in two, a pitch-black toxic dragon with scarlet eyes fixed on Jason appeared.
"Human, you deserve death!"
"Kneel before me now, and I may yet spare your life!"
Achelous roared. His words immediately darkened the expressions of Hera, Thetis, and the other gods.
Apollo nearly intervened.
If not for seeing Jason lightly shake his head and once more draw from the setting sun the golden bow he had given him...
"How... foolish!" Amphitrite gazed at the enormous dragon. Even though he was her brother, she still showed contempt.
Anyone with eyes could see Jason had been holding back everywhere.
Yet Achelous had driven himself into a dead end!
At that moment, Amphitrite suddenly felt Jason's gaze. Their eyes met briefly.
Her look toward Jason grew even softer.
"Father, prepare to act." Amphitrite said calmly. "Otherwise... he will die."
It was now the moment of sunset.
And also the moment when the full moon rose, before night had fully fallen... Even if night had already descended,
That darkness would never fall.
Because at this instant, a hero needed to draw a golden bow from the twilight of the setting sun.
And a silver arrow from the rising moonlight.
And shoot the arrow that, even among the gods, existed only in legend.
Thus, Nyx, goddess who governed the night, would never allow darkness to fall first... Yes, solely for Jason!
When Queen of the Sea Amphitrite's words ended, Oceanus naturally froze for a moment.
After all, Jason was clearly at a disadvantage now.
Achelous had been clever enough to become a toxic dragon and fly into the sky, out of Jason's reach... Until the golden bow appeared in Jason's hand.
And he drew a silver arrow from the moonlight.
Feeling the power of Apollo, god of light, and Artemis, goddess of the moon, fully gathered upon Jason in this moment.
Oceanus's expression changed completely.
He could not possibly be unaware of the legendary arrow that had nearly pierced even King Zeus and almost killed Queen Hera.
But why... would this arrow appear in a human's hands!
"Impossible! How could it..."
Oceanus's eyes widened. Seeing this weapon in Jason's grasp truly shocked him.
Then, when he finally reacted and prepared to stop it... it was already too late.
Once Jason decided to act, he would never hold back!
"At this moment, in this place, I offer blessings and prayers to the great twelve Olympian gods!"
Placing the silver arrow upon the string.
Jason's voice rang in the ears of everyone present.
The final glow of the setting sun shone upon Jason.
The faint light of the newly risen moon illuminated Jason.
"At this hour of sunset, I beseech the twelve Olympian gods to permit me to shoot the legendary arrow and bring back victory and glory!"
In this instant, the twelve Olympian gods undoubtedly heard Jason's blessings and prayer.
"Granted."
Hera nodded first, giving permission.
The moment her voice fell, a portion of her divine power was drawn away and fused into the arrow.
"Granted."
Second came permission from the goddess of wisdom Athena.
Though no one knew where she was.
"Granted." King Zeus and god of light Apollo gave approval almost simultaneously.
Then came the voice of Hades, king of the underworld.
With each main god's permission granted, Jason drew the bow further, and the power upon the arrow grew stronger.
Several seconds passed. One after another, the gods' approvals echoed in the space.
And as the only fortunate mortal present.
Privileged to witness all this, Helen's eyes naturally held only Jason's figure.
The white-robed archer drawing his bow amid the twilight sunset and faint moonlight.
She was the second human to witness this moment.
The first had been Atalanta.
In her crystal-like purple eyes, this instant was reflected and... deeply etched into her heart.
What a majestic scene.
And without doubt, this was a hero's most dazzling moment.
Terrifying momentum gathered. Naturally, Achelous could not simply stand idle.
After reacting, he spewed toxic flames to burn Jason to death, but the Aegis blocked every attack aimed at him.
This arrow had firmly locked onto Achelous.
The arrow was nocked. There was no turning back.
Oceanus realized this as well.
Thus, coming to his senses, he knew that if he did not act, Achelous would truly die.
With an angry roar, the seawater split on both sides surged massively toward Achelous.
In mere moments, an incomparably terrifying giant appeared before Achelous.
It was the true form of a Titan.
As the great ocean god and former member of the second-generation twelve Titan rulers, Oceanus naturally possessed terrifying power.
And this was the sea—his home field.
Without Poseidon's trident, the current sea king Poseidon might not even defeat him!
Then, transformed into his Titan giant form, Oceanus reached out with a massive hand toward Jason, seeking to interrupt the shot.
But unfortunately, it was still too late.
Facing the hundred-meter-tall giant standing upon the sea swinging down his enormous hand.
Jason loosed the arrow in his hand.
The arrow that existed only in legend among the gods.
Even Oceanus dared not underestimate this arrow in the slightest. He fully channeled his divine power. Seawater surged into pillars rushing toward the silver arrow.
But even the power of great ocean god Oceanus.
Could not hinder this arrow in the least!
It easily pierced everything in its path and even shot through the arm Oceanus raised to block.
Passing through Oceanus, it obliterated the body of Achelous, who had already fled in terror.
And afterward, it became the most dazzling shooting star at the moment of sunset, falling upon the distant sea.
Raising terrifying waves like a tsunami, reaching toward the heavens!
This arrow was even more terrifying than the one against the hundred-eyed giant Argus.
After all, this arrow now gathered the power of the twelve Olympian gods.
Back then, only Apollo, god of light, and Artemis, goddess of the moon, had lent their strength... Though Athena had placed restraints upon this weapon.
At the same time, with her wisdom, she had brought Jason even more terrifying power!
Even Hera, seeing this, felt her scalp tingle.
For the right arm of Oceanus in Titan giant form, raised to block the arrow, had been directly blasted away.
He now stood upon the sea as a one-armed giant.
He probably had not reacted yet, staring blankly at the distant heaven-reaching waves.
Only when Amphitrite hurried forward, raising Poseidon's trident with all her strength to stabilize the sea's turmoil and prevent a catastrophic marine disaster did he come to his senses.
Only then did he feel the tearing pain from his body.
If not for noticing the gazes of many gods upon him, he might nearly have screamed outright.
Then, urgently channeling divine power to heal himself with the ocean, it took some time before his expression improved slightly.
He lowered his head, glaring furiously at Jason, who had shot the arrow and now stood calmly.
"Human, how bold. You dared kill my son and even destroy his soul!"
Though he had initially held some favor toward Jason and seen him holding back everywhere, so what?
After all, his son had still died, right before his eyes!
Facing the terrifying divine pressure from great ocean god Oceanus, Jason looked up quietly at him. His expression showed little change.
Since he had done it, Jason would never regret it.
And if given another choice, he would absolutely draw the bow and shoot this legendary arrow again!
"What do you mean by this, Oceanus!"
Hera's face darkened instantly. She immediately appeared before Jason, meeting Oceanus's glare.
"What do I mean? No matter what, this human must give me an explanation. Otherwise..."
Before Oceanus could finish,
"Please calm yourself, great ocean god Oceanus. Your son Achelous is not completely dead."
With the voice of the goddess of wisdom Athena,
Everyone instinctively turned. Three goddesses emerged from the descending night and arrived here.
Athena in an ancient white long gown, silver hair and golden eyes.
Hecate in night attire, black hair and red eyes.
And Nyx, primordial goddess who brought night.
Nyx, primordial goddess of night in a gown adorned like starry skies, came to Jason's side and immediately looked coldly up at Oceanus. "Otherwise, what will you do?
I watched the entire matter. Even if Themis, goddess of justice, were here, Jason would receive the fairest judgment!
With me here, I would like to see what you can do to him!"
Seeing Nyx's arrival, especially her clear stance protecting Jason, Oceanus's expression grew extremely grim.
He truly had not expected Jason could even draw the attention of one of the five primordial gods!
Fortunately, at that moment, Hecate extended her hand. In it, a magic bottle held a soul—that of river god Achelous, which Hecate had heard the commotion and rushed here with Athena to rescue...