One week later,
Following the direction indicated by the compass Athena had bestowed upon him, Jason, seated atop the golden-horned deer, arrived once more at the foot of a mountain range. Just as he prepared to cross it,
"You have finally arrived. I have been waiting for you for quite so ti." A god who had long been waiting stepped out from the shade of a nearby tree.
He wore a winged hat, a short-sleeved tunic cinched at the waist, and carried a caduceus in his hand. He appeared as a handso young man with golden hair.
Seeing him erge, Jason froze briefly, looked around, and then pointed at himself.
The man smiled and said, "Clad in the divine raint personally woven for you by Athena, bearing Apollo's sword at your side, and riding Artemis's golden-horned deer… You must be Hecate's child, Jason, correct?"
At those words, Jason's expression shifted slightly.
He quickly signaled the golden-horned deer to stop, dismounted, and respectfully saluted the man while inwardly grumbling in resignation.
Didn't they say I wouldn't et any more gods!
"There is no need to be so formal… Allow to introduce myself. I am Hers."
Hers… the ssenger of the gods, Zeus's herald, Hers!
Jason instantly realized who he was.
"I appear before you to congratulate you, child. You have reached the end of your journey."
Hers smiled at Jason, turned to gaze at the mountain range ahead, and said, "Within the temple atop this high mountain, Persephone is confined!"
The end?
Jason was slightly stunned and looked up at the towering mountain.
"However, child, although you have arrived at the destination, you cannot simply walk straight in."
Hers imdiately continued, "Although Athena, Apollo, and Artemis have currently lured Deter away from this place, Deter has long since planted spies all over the mountain… More precisely, every plant on the entire mountain serves as her eyes!
If you rashly charge in, child, not only will you fail to bring Persephone out, you yourself will fall into grave danger!"
Hearing this, Jason's expression grew serious.
"But since I am here, naturally I have co to resolve these troubles for you."
As Hers spoke, he lightly tapped his caduceus against the ground. A black helt materialized in his hand out of thin air.
"This is the Helt of Invisibility entrusted to by the King of the Underworld. Once you wear it, no one in this world will be able to detect your presence… When you are finished with it, return it to Lord Hades yourself."
With that, Hers tossed the Helt of Invisibility to Jason.
Jason caught it and imdiately felt that the helt was extraordinarily heavy… even though it actually weighed nothing, lighter than a feather.
But this belonged to the King of the Underworld. This was Hades's Helt of Invisibility!
"And one more thing. The temple where Persephone is held lies amidst perilous terrain, therefore…"
Hers tapped the ground lightly once more. A pair of winged shoes appeared in his hand.
"These are my Talaria. With them, you can fly over any dangerous area in the mountains."
"At the sa ti, two fearso magical beasts guard the entrance to the temple, watching over Persephone. Take this caduceus as well. Rember that the sleep it induces has a ti limit, for you are not and cannot wield its full power.
You must only use it to put the guardian beasts to sleep after you have found Persephone and are bringing her out."
Winged shoes that grant flight, a caduceus that induces sleep; these were Hers's famous divine tools… more accurately, his very own signature divine artifacts!
Thus, when Jason accepted both items while already holding Hades's helt, he swallowed hard and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.
"Lord Hers, this…"
Jason looked at Hers with an expression close to tears.
"Do your best, child."
Hers smiled and patted Jason's shoulder. "The great God-King Zeus is watching you… Oh, right."
As though suddenly rembering sothing, Hers leaned down and whispered to Jason, "If you succeed in this matter, the matter of the divine fla is not entirely out of the question! …Though of course, it will not be that simple."
Having said that, Hers straightened up and patted Jason's shoulder again with a smile.
Um… actually, I never said I absolutely had to beco immortal. All I want is to live a safe and peaceful life…
Jason's lips twitched. He felt the gods had completely misunderstood him. He really did not have to beco immortal!
Yet after a mont of hesitation, Jason ultimately said nothing.
At that mont, perhaps sensing Jason's ntal exhaustion, the golden-horned deer let out a soft cry and gently nudged him.
Its gaze toward Jason was filled with concern.
"I'm fine… I'm really fine, Sister Deer."
Feeling the golden-horned deer's worry, a warm current rose in Jason's heart. He smiled and stroked the deer.
Then he turned to Hers, took a deep breath, and declared, "I understand, Lord Hers. Rest assured, I will definitely bring Lady Persephone out safely!"
I have no choice but to bring her out! The God-King Zeus is watching, and even Lord Hades sent his helt of invisibility. What other option do I have!
"Yes, that's the spirit!" Hers clapped Jason on the back and laughed. "Go forth, young one. The gods shall bless you!"
No thanks, I'd really rather you didn't… Great gods, please, I beg you, just treat like an invisible nobody!
After inwardly complaining, Jason turned to the golden-horned deer and said, "Then please wait here for for a while, Sister Deer… Don't worry, I'll be back soon!"
With those words, Jason placed the Helt of Invisibility upon his head.
The instant he donned it, even Hers, ssenger of the gods, could no longer detect Jason's presence!
Hers could only vaguely sense his location through the signature divine artifacts he had placed upon Jason.
Thus, bearing Hers's caduceus, wearing Hers's Talaria, and concealed beneath the Helt of Invisibility secretly provided by Lord Hades, Jason stepped toward his final destination!
Guided by the compass Athena had given him, after spending an entire day traversing the landscape, when the black night fell and all things grew silent,
Jason finally reached the temple.
Just as Hers had said, the temple was built amidst perilous terrain to prevent Persephone from escaping on her own.
Using the Talaria, Jason flew over various swamps and treacherous areas until he arrived before the temple gates.
At the entrance crouched two terrifying giant beasts several ters tall.
When Jason lightly landed, they seed to sense sothing and looked toward his direction.
But under the power of the Helt of Invisibility, after sniffing the air for a long while and concluding it was rely an illusion, they lay back down.
Seeing this, Jason's violently pounding heart gradually cald.
He licked his dry lips, cautiously took one step forward, and when they showed no reaction, he finally began walking into the temple.
Continuing through the magnificent interior, still holding the compass Athena had provided, and passing nurous nymphs who moved about serving the divine, Jason finally arrived at a chamber within the temple.
There, sitting alone, was the goddess Persephone!
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