A week had passed.
Following the direction of the pointer bestowed upon him by Athena, Jason, astride the golden-horned deer, arrived once again at the foot of a mountain. Just as he was preparing to cross it—
"You've finally arrived. I've been waiting for you for quite some time."
A god, who had been standing in the shade of a nearby tree, stepped forward.
He wore a feathered cap, a short-sleeved tunic cinched at the waist, and held a caduceus in his hand. With his golden hair and striking features, he looked like a dashing young man.
Jason blinked in brief confusion, glanced around, and then pointed to himself.
The man chuckled. "Wearing the divine robe personally woven for you by Athena, bearing Apollo's sword, and riding Artemis's golden-horned deer… I'd say you must be Hecate's child, Jason, am I right?"
Jason's expression flickered slightly.
He quickly signaled to the golden-horned deer and dismounted, bowing respectfully to the man while inwardly grumbling.
Wait, wasn't I promised that I wouldn't run into any more gods?!
"There's no need to be so formal… Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hermes."
Hermes. The messenger of the gods.
The herald of Zeus himself!
Jason instantly understood the weight of his presence.
"The reason I'm here," Hermes continued with a smile, "is to congratulate you, child. You have reached your final destination."
He turned to gaze at the mountain before them. "At the temple atop this very peak, Persephone is imprisoned."
The final destination?
Jason paused, then lifted his head to take in the towering mountain before him.
"However, child, even though you have arrived at the end of your journey, you cannot simply march in."
Hermes turned back to Jason and explained, "Although Athena, Apollo, and Artemis have lured Demeter away, she has long since set up her own precautions here. To be precise, every plant on this mountain is her spy.
"If you were to rush in recklessly, not only would you fail to rescue Persephone, but you would be in grave danger."
Jason's expression grew serious.
"But of course," Hermes continued, "I came to help you overcome these obstacles."
He tapped his caduceus lightly against the ground, and a black helmet materialized in his hand.
"This is the Helm of Invisibility, entrusted to me by Hades himself. Once you put it on, no one in this world will be able to perceive your presence… Of course, you'll have to return it to Hades when you're done."
With that, Hermes tossed the helmet to Jason.
Catching it, Jason was struck by a bizarre sensation—this helmet, despite appearing weightless, felt inexplicably heavy in his hands.
Because this wasn't just any helmet.
This was Hades' Helm of Invisibility.
The King of the Underworld's artifact!
"And that's not all," Hermes added. "Persephone's temple is situated within treacherous terrain, so…"
He tapped the ground once more, and a pair of winged sandals appeared in his hands.
"These are my flying sandals. They will allow you to navigate past any perilous obstacles in the mountains."
"Furthermore, guarding the temple doors are two terrifying beasts. To put them to sleep, take this."
Hermes handed Jason his caduceus.
"Keep in mind that the effects of sleep have a time limit. Unlike me, you cannot wield the full power of this staff. You must first find Persephone and prepare to leave before using it on the beasts."
Jason swallowed hard as he accepted both the winged sandals and the divine staff. Then he glanced down at the Helm of Invisibility in his hands and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Lord Hermes, this…"
Jason looked at him with an expression of helpless despair.
"Do your best, child."
Hermes patted Jason's shoulder, still smiling. "The great Zeus himself is watching over you… Oh, and one more thing."
As if suddenly remembering something, Hermes leaned in and whispered, "If you succeed, well… let's just say the matter of the divine fire might not be entirely off the table. Of course, it's not something I can just hand over to you so easily."
He straightened up, grinning once more as he patted Jason's shoulder again.
Wait.
Hold on.
I never said I had to become immortal. I just want to live a peaceful life!
Jason opened his mouth to protest, but after hesitating for a moment, he said nothing in the end.
At that moment, as if sensing Jason's inner turmoil, the golden-horned deer let out a soft call and nudged him gently.
Her gaze was filled with concern.
"I'm fine, really, Deer Sister," Jason reassured her, his heart warming at her concern. He reached out and patted her gently.
Then, turning to Hermes, he took a deep breath and declared, "I understand, Lord Hermes. Rest assured, I will rescue Lady Persephone!"
Because, really, what choice did he have?
Zeus was watching him. Hades had lent him his personal artifact. There was no backing out now!
"That's the spirit!" Hermes clapped him on the shoulder again and laughed. "Go on, young one! The gods are blessing your journey!"
Please don't.
I'd really rather you all just pretended I didn't exist.
Suppressing his headache, Jason turned to the golden-horned deer and said, "Deer Sister, wait for me here. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
With that, he placed the Helm of Invisibility upon his head.
The moment he did, even Hermes, the messenger of the gods, could no longer perceive him. Only through the divine artifacts he had gifted Jason could he roughly sense his whereabouts.
Thus, equipped with Hermes' flying sandals and sleep-inducing staff, and wearing Hades' Helm of Invisibility, Jason took his first step toward his ultimate goal.
Under Athena's guidance, he journeyed for a full day. As night fell, silence blanketed the world.
At last, Jason arrived at the temple.
As Hermes had warned, the temple was surrounded by perilous terrain—meant to prevent Persephone from escaping.
Jason relied on his flying sandals to soar over treacherous swamps and deep ravines, finally reaching the temple's grand entrance.
Two towering beasts, each several meters tall, lay crouched at the gates.
The moment Jason landed, they seemed to sense something. Their heads turned in his direction.
Jason held his breath.
But under the power of the Helm of Invisibility, the beasts merely sniffed the air before concluding it was a false alarm and settling down once more.
Jason's racing heart slowly steadied.
He licked his dry lips and cautiously took a step forward. Seeing no reaction from the beasts, he pressed on and slipped into the temple.
Navigating through its vast halls, guided by Athena's pointer, he carefully weaved his way past nymphs who roamed the corridors, tending to the needs of the gods.
Until, at last, in a secluded chamber—
He found her.
Sitting alone in quiet solitude.
The goddess, Persephone.