Atalanta watched Jason leave at first without paying much attention.
Everyone has urgent needs sometimes. She naturally assumed Jason had just gone to relieve himself… although his behavior did look a little strange, somewhat sneaky.
But could a noble young master really choose to flee at a time like this?
Never mind that the ancient forest was full of dangers at night. What would even be the point?
So after a few minutes, then ten minutes, then more than half an hour passed…
Hmm, why hasn't he come back yet?
Atalanta, who had been resting with her eyes narrowed but not actually asleep, finally frowned once she was certain Jason had not returned after so long. She jumped down from the tree.
She glanced at the hunters keeping watch, thought for a moment, and decided not to inform them. She figured Jason had probably eaten something bad or run into some insects or similar creatures.
He probably hadn't gone far, so she went looking for him alone.
As an excellent hunter, Atalanta very quickly found the footprints Jason had left behind. She immediately realized something was wrong!
The tracks had been deliberately covered, just very clumsily because he was clearly an amateur.
"He… ran away?"
After following the trail for several minutes, Atalanta finally understood what was happening and stood there stunned.
"Is this guy insane?!"
Running off alone into the forest in the middle of the night? Wasn't that just courting death?!
Shocked, Atalanta looked up at the full moon tonight, then back toward the camp. She hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth. "It's not my problem if he wants to die, but he still hasn't paid us!"
With that, Atalanta no longer hesitated and chased after Jason along his trail!
At this time, Jason's escape was not actually going smoothly.
Although he had been traveling for about a month, he had always been "taken care of" and rarely traveled at night.
On top of being in completely unfamiliar territory and only able to run in the direction the compass pointed, Jason was not moving very fast.
Thus, after little more than ten minutes, Atalanta, the outstanding hunter, easily caught up to him.
"Hm, there seems to be some noise behind me…"
Hearing the unnatural cries of animals behind him, Jason instinctively turned around.
Soon he spotted Atalanta under the light of the full moon. She held a curved blade and casually dispatched any creatures that blocked her path.
Unlike the rather disheveled and fleeing Jason, Atalanta looked completely at ease. After all, night was also hunting time for hunters. She was long accustomed to being a predator in the forest after dark!
Jason saw Atalanta, and naturally Atalanta saw him too. Dressed in pure white robes that stood out like snow in this environment, it was impossible not to notice him.
Seeing that Jason was fine, Atalanta let out a quiet breath of relief even though she still did not understand the situation.
Just as she opened her mouth to call out to him and bring him back, Jason's face changed. The moment he saw her, it was as if he had spotted some kind of plague god. He immediately turned and instantly doubled his speed.
He bolted…
...
What exactly is the meaning of this?
With her excellent eyesight, Atalanta clearly saw every change in Jason's expression, and her mood instantly soured.
She also remembered how Jason had rejected her that afternoon, forcing her to follow the group in secret.
The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became!
I'm definitely catching him and dragging him back!
Originally, she had only come after him out of simple kindness, but now Atalanta was fully motivated.
She felt challenged and began chasing with all her strength.
Naturally, Jason ran with everything he had!
In truth, Jason could not outrun Atalanta. His speed was genuinely no match for hers. After all, even among the heroes of Greece, Atalanta's speed was second to none.
Even though she was still young now, Jason was young too.
However, compared to Atalanta, Jason had the advantages of his white robes and his body that was impervious to blades and arrows, allowing him to ignore most obstacles.
Atalanta did not have those advantages, so she was naturally slowed down.
Thus, in the end, their chase strangely maintained a delicate balance.
After running like this for nearly half an hour, Jason calmed down and quickly regretted his actions. He realized how irrational he had been. The proper thing to do would have been to face Atalanta directly, talk to her, and politely pay her to leave!
Because just as Jason was about to stop and make peace, he noticed that the gaze Atalanta fixed on him from behind was growing sharper and sharper. She had even taken down her bow and looked ready to use it…
Mainly because Atalanta was genuinely angry now. Never mind Jason's attitude; she had actually spent this long and still hadn't caught him!
Hmm… This won't do. Stopping directly now would probably make things even worse.
Jason vaguely sensed this, and it was indeed true. If he stopped at this moment, Atalanta's mood would only worsen.
Jason felt a headache coming on. He could not help muttering under his breath, "Women really are… nothing but trouble!"
Saying this, Jason lost all desire to keep running… mainly because he realized he could not shake her off anyway. After a brief moment of thought, he began gradually slowing his pace, pretending to be exhausted.
Little by little, he shortened the distance between them until, a few minutes later, Atalanta successfully caught up.
Just as Jason thought everything was finally settled…
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Atalanta glared at him with an unpleasant expression. "You thought I couldn't catch you, right?!"
"…You've been chasing me for this long. Don't you have any idea whether you can catch me or not?"
Jason's brows furrowed. In the end, he simply admitted it outright!
Jason did not want trouble, but that did not mean he was afraid of it!
Atalanta might become a famous hero in the future, but she had not grown into that yet, and in the end she was still just a hero.
A human, not a goddess!
Jason felt he had already done more than enough. He never expected Atalanta to keep clinging to this.
Maybe… I should just knock her out with force and then escape?
Jason looked at Atalanta, who was staring at him wide-eyed, clearly not expecting such a direct response, and began seriously considering the feasibility.
Hmm… Although the moon is bright tonight and there's no wind, we're deep in an empty ancient forest with no one around. It's completely doable!
Very quickly, Jason made his decision.
Then, just as he was eyeing Atalanta's neck, itching to stand up and forcibly subdue her…
Atalanta, who had been glaring at Jason and gritting her teeth in anger, suddenly twitched her ears. Her expression changed slightly as if she had sensed something.
She reached out, grabbed Jason's hand that was about to move, and pulled him into a nearby bush.
The two pressed close together. Atalanta covered Jason's mouth with her hand and tensely stared outside through the gaps in the leaves.
Soon, not long after they hid, the sound of light hunting footsteps approached. A massive, drooling male lion slowly emerged from the shadows…