Ancient Greece was covered in dense jungles and vast marshes. Fierce lions, wild boars, and all manner of vicious beasts roamed everywhere.
The era Jason had transmigrated into was the true Age of Gods in Greece!
Because of this, not only ordinary beasts but all kinds of magical monsters could be found anywhere.
The reason heroes were so famous and beloved in this world was precisely because many of them had truly slain numerous monsters and saved countless lives.
Jason, now wearing the white robes crafted by Athena and riding his fine steed as he continued his journey, originally thought this outfit would attract no small amount of trouble.
If they had not been a gift from a goddess, Jason would genuinely have wanted to take them off.
Yet what surprised him greatly was that, under this attire, almost no one came to bother him!
After all, not everyone was a fool. A young boy dressed entirely in white with an extraordinary aura, daring to travel alone through remote forests and mountains without any guards or escorts.
Either he was an idiot, or he was favored by the gods!
However, just because no one troubled Jason did not mean Jason himself had no troubles.
Deep in the ancient forest, a giant python over ten meters long hissed with its forked tongue, staring fixedly at Jason before it, hesitating whether to bite him again.
The few bites it had taken earlier felt as if it had sunk its fangs into solid rock, and its teeth still ached even now!
Jason, having just gone through a fight, looked at the broken treasured sword in his hand, then at the python before him, and felt equally helpless.
This creature was clearly a magical monster. Ordinary mortal weapons could barely harm it anymore.
"No choice left…"
Jason muttered under his breath. He discarded the broken sword, quietly apologized to Meleager who had given it to him, and a mass of dark Underworld flames emerged from his hand.
Soon after, only the python's miserable screams could be heard.
Jason leapt onto a large tree and watched the serpent writhe on the ground in agony beyond words as its soul burned.
"As expected, flames that target the soul directly are far too cruel… Although that goddess granted me the ability to use these flames more times, it's still best not to use them lightly."
Once the python was completely dead, its body scorched full of holes by the spreading flames, Jason jumped between several trees to stay clear before finally coming down.
He approached his fine steed, which had been coiled to death by the python and had accompanied him for nearly half a month, and let out a sigh.
"Brother Horse… I'm sorry."
Then he dug a pit and buried the horse's body.
"Now this is troublesome. I've lost my means of travel, and I still don't know where the end of this road lies…"
As Jason spoke, he took out the divine artifact that pointed the way.
He looked ahead at the ancient forest, which remained dark and foreboding even under the sun's rays, filled with danger. His brows furrowed.
"Although this is my own matter, and it makes sense that Teacher Hecate told me to find Goddess Persephone myself… could she have already seen through my soul and realized my age is far beyond twelve?
And that other goddess… it didn't feel like a coincidence at all.
Is this another test from Teacher Hecate, or… is there some other hidden reason?"
Jason naturally had doubts about Hecate's arrangements.
He simply had not opposed them. After all, once he found Persephone and strengthened his soul, he would finally be able to formally study magic under Hecate.
Whether for his own future or any other reason, Jason clearly had to obtain this power… this power that the original Jason never possessed, yet was extraordinarily strong!
"Whatever. No point overthinking it. The waters of the River Styx strengthened my body. Although it's not complete invulnerability, ordinary magical beasts still can't breach my defenses, and I have the Underworld flames as a trump card. I'll keep moving."
Soon Jason made his decision. The real reason he could decide so quickly was that deep down he vaguely understood the chances of something happening to him were low.
That goddess had said Hecate had visited her, which obviously meant Hecate had been watching over Jason from the shadows all along!
As for why his body was not completely invulnerable, the reason was simple. True invulnerability, the kind of immortal divine body the gods possessed, required not only bathing in the River Styx but also further refinement by the divine flames of Mount Olympus.
When Heracles finally ascended to godhood, Zeus burned away his mortal body with those divine flames.
Just as Jason decided to press on, a beautiful lyre melody suddenly rang out from deep within the ancient forest.
The music seemed to carry magic, naturally causing Jason to stop in his tracks.
"Someone is… no!"
Jason's expression changed. Realizing what was happening, he immediately turned to run!
Yet the enchanted melody ultimately drew him back after he had run only a short distance. Helpless, he walked toward the source of the sound.
It did not take long before, deep in the forest, he saw a handsome golden-haired man sitting on a smooth boulder bathed in sunlight.
In his hands was a golden lyre. He was clearly the one playing.
And it was not just Jason who had been drawn here by the music. Wild rabbits, deer, foxes, even lions and magical beasts had gathered in this place to listen to the beautiful golden-haired man play.
Under his performance, even the fiercest beasts did not fight among themselves despite being gathered together.
This time, unlike the last, Jason quickly realized who this god before him was after a brief moment of thought!
Apollo, God of Light!
The twin brother of Artemis. God of light, prophecy, music, and healing.
It is said that the music Apollo plays on his lyre possesses unmatched charm. No matter what living creature hears his melodies, they will set down everything and come before him to listen!
Jason had actually suspected that the previous goddess was Athena all along, but since there were many famous goddesses, he had not been completely certain.
Hm? A human… no, a child actually came here?
Apollo naturally noticed Jason as well. After a moment of surprise, he quickly detected a very familiar aura on the boy.
This fluctuation of divine power… Hecate?
Although Apollo was not very close with Hecate, their relationship was quite good, mainly because of their mothers.
Hecate's mother was the goddess Asteria, who was the sister of Leto, the nurturing goddess who bore Apollo and Artemis.
When Leto was pregnant with Artemis and Apollo and persecuted by Queen Hera, with the other gods only daring to watch from afar, it was ultimately Asteria who stepped in and allowed Artemis and Apollo to be born safely.
Sensing Hecate's divine power, Apollo soon ended his performance. After using his divine power to shoo away all the surrounding creatures, he walked over to Jason.
"I never expected that today I would meet such an unexpected guest!"