The underworld,
Outside the temple of the goddess of crossroads, Hecate.
When this one and only white-clothed youth, qualified to ride the sacred heavenly steed and soar freely through the skies of the underworld, arrived before the temple gates, landed, and prepared to enter.
"Stop; you are not allowed to enter!"
From beside the temple gates, Cerberus, who had transformed into a little loli dressed in a black dress, entered Jason's line of sight.
She bore a countenance extremely similar to that of the goddess of crossroads, Hecate, appearing just like a child version of Hecate.
Because back then, when Cerberus had been forced by the god of the abyss to take human form, the deity she had subconsciously referenced in her mind was Hecate.
However, although her appearance was very similar, her temperament was far off.
"Cerberus?"
And Jason, upon seeing her, was slightly stunned but instead somewhat pleased, saying: "Lady Cerberus, you have awakened!"
Back then, after handing over Cerberus, who had swallowed the power of the ancestor of myriad demons, Typhon, to Hecate, Jason had returned to Hephaestus's temple.
And stayed there for several months.
Although he had come to the underworld a couple of days ago, after forging the tribute for Hephaestus, he had left immediately, thus not managing to see Cerberus.
After all, she had been absent from work for several months, not guarding the gates.
And had basically handed over the task of guarding the gates of hell to those two innocent hounds who had been dragged into the underworld to work.
"Lady Cerberus, how have you been lately? Are you alright?" Jason said with concern to Cerberus while approaching her.
Jason's relationship with Cerberus was actually quite good; after all, Jason was Hecate's apprentice, and Jason often frequented the underworld.
Over time, the two had naturally become very familiar.
If not for their good relationship, Cerberus would not have helped Jason time and again.
"I am fine." After subconsciously nodding, Cerberus saw that Jason had walked right up to her, even intending to pat her head.
She hurriedly reached out and pushed him away.
"You wait a moment; stay away from me; we still have unfinished business!"
"Business?" Jason looked at Cerberus in puzzlement.
"The matter in the endless abyss, and the matter of your promise to me!" Cerberus widened her red eyes, looking at Jason with puffed cheeks, saying: "You made me suffer so much, and you even promised me that you would take me to the mortal world to play, but so much time has passed, and not only have you not taken me to play, you have not even come to see me!"
"Ah, that is because I was at Teacher Hephaestus's temple for the past while and did not leave, and whenever I passed through the gates of hell, I asked Lord Orthrus, and he always replied that he did not know where you were..."
Hearing Jason's explanation, Cerberus sniffed, looking at Jason in doubt... She did not smell the scent of a lie.
"Is that so?... Alright then, if that is the case, I will forgive you for those matters."
Watching Cerberus ponder for a bit before speaking to him so seriously, Jason could not help but want to pat her head and pinch her cheeks again.
After all, who made her imitate someone else for her human form; she had to imitate Hecate, and moreover turned into a loli...
"But one thing is one thing; you did make me suffer, and you did not take me to the mortal world to play, so... I am going to bite you!"
Cerberus said, baring her teeth and saying angrily: "I am very angry, so I still have to bite you!"
"Mm... Here?" Jason gestured toward the temple behind her, saying: "Are you not afraid Teacher Hecate will blame you?"
"No problem." Cerberus said smugly: "I am not that foolish; this time, it was Goddess Hecate who told me to come bite you; she agreed!"
"Teacher agreed to you biting me?" Jason was stunned.
"Yes!" Cerberus nodded, saying: "Goddess Hecate said that if you want to enter, you must let me bite you a few times first!"
"Do not fool around." Jason said depressedly: "With your few bites, even if I do not die, I will be half crippled, and moreover your teeth are poisonous; I do not want to suffer alive."
"Be good and do not fool around; in a couple of days, I will take you to the mortal world to play."
Like coaxing a child, Jason coaxed Cerberus as he tried to enter.
However, Cerberus naturally would not just let Jason enter like this; not to mention anything else, this time blocking Jason was still Hecate's command.
Therefore...
"Do not waste your effort." Cerberus's tone suddenly became cold, and her gaze sharpened as well, saying to the slightly stunned Jason: "We will not let you pass just like this; for the suffering we endured, we must get an explanation from you. You would not want us to keep holding this grudge and find a time to give you a couple of bites from behind, right?"
"Exactly, exactly!" After switching back to the tone Jason was more familiar with, Cerberus nodded frantically, saying: "And this time it is still Goddess Hecate's command, so Jason, this time I must bite you a couple of times!"
"Ah, whatever; it is fine." The next moment, her tone became very lazy, and Cerberus yawned: "Little Jason, come over quickly and let me bite you; once we are done biting, you can go in and find Teacher."
"...Are you playing multiple personality disorder?" Jason said speechlessly.
However, he naturally knew what the situation was; after all, Cerberus had three heads, and now in human form with the heads hidden, what manifested correspondingly became three personalities.
And since the other two heads had said so, Jason also knew Cerberus was serious.
At the same time, what this little doggy said was also true; although her relationship with Jason was good, having suffered such injustice for no reason, it was naturally impossible for her to harbor no resentment.
If this resentment was not vented, Cerberus might truly find an opportunity to secretly bite Jason, so it would be better to have a fight now; regardless of win or loss, once vented, she would have nothing more.
Thus, the understanding Jason thought for a moment before saying to Cerberus: "I understand, but could you let me enter first? I guarantee that after I meet Teacher Hecate and come out, I will definitely have a fight with you!"
Compared to Cerberus's matter and Hecate's matter, which was more important? Naturally, Hecate's matter was more important.
"No way; Goddess Hecate said that you can only enter after I bite you!"
However, evidently Cerberus would not let Jason enter just like this; seeing Cerberus's somewhat stubborn action, Jason felt a headache from the incomprehension.
He then thought for a moment, his eyes suddenly brightening, and afterward, he smiled slightly at Cerberus, saying: "Then how about this, Lady Cerberus; wait for me a moment first; I am going to prepare... After all, I do not want to be bitten by you, Lady Cerberus; I am going to prepare some tools; that should be fine, right?"
Cerberus nodded and let Jason leave.
And Jason returned to the heavenly steed's side, instructed it a few things, then took out the helm of Hades that he had coincidentally obtained from Athena... Athena had told him to return it to Hades; he had not returned it yet.
Wearing this divine artifact, Jason easily walked past Cerberus from the side, slipping in from the other side of the temple.
Having lived in this temple for some years after all, he naturally remembered some paths that did not require the main gate, more or less.
Quietly slipping into the temple, Jason searched around inside and ultimately found Hecate in her laboratory.
"You have come."
And just as Jason had entered, before he could say anything, he heard Hecate say indifferently: "Since you have come, come help me."
As if she had long known Jason would enter this way.
"Oh."
The slightly stunned Jason immediately replied, removing Lord Hades's helm and beginning to assist Hecate.
Although Hades's helm could block strong perceptions, even Cerberus's nose could not smell it, Hecate naturally had her own methods.
After all, she had even engraved the magic from Hades's helm onto the tin staff she had given Jason.
Afterward, Jason proficiently assisted Goddess Hecate, and for a time, the entire laboratory appeared very quiet.
And the flames like the sun also illuminated the entire laboratory.
This special flame was one Hecate had obtained several years ago from the sun chariot driven by the sun god Helios; it lit up the entire temple.
And it was unique in the underworld; the other underworld temples were all illuminated by dim, ghostly underworld fires.
And the reason Hecate had sought this flame was precisely for Jason.
Because Medea was not human and had the bloodline of a nymph goddess, she could resist the invasion of the underworld's aura, but Jason could not.
Back then, Hecate had even taken the sword of the god of light, Apollo, to use as a chandelier.
In the quiet laboratory, Hecate and Jason were both busy.
During the brief three-year apprenticeship back then, Jason and Medea had naturally often assisted Hecate, so Jason was not unfamiliar with this.
And this continued for a full two days and two nights.
During this time, the conversations between the two did not exceed ten sentences.
Even when Jason grew tired, it was Hecate who took out a potion and poured it down Jason's throat, making him continue to help.
After everything ended, Hecate looked at the finished potion in her hand and nodded in satisfaction.
"Teacher, what are you doing?"
At this moment, Jason expressed his doubt.
"An antidote." Hecate replied, tossing the potion in her hand to the flustered Jason, who caught it.
"Drink it, then go let Cerberus bite you a few times... This potion can make you immune to almost any poison in the world for one day."
"So powerful." Jason exclaimed in admiration: "Then Teacher, give me a few more for self-defense! Cerberus loves to bite so much; who knows when her teeth might itch and she comes to bite me again!"
"Make them yourself." Hecate rolled her eyes at Jason: "I have taught you how to make them... Or go find your senior sister yourself."
"Medea..." Hearing this, Jason's expression instantly became conflicted; he said to Hecate with a bitter face: "Speaking of Medea... Teacher, where exactly did I go wrong?
I clearly have been raising her with the mindset of an elder brother like a father and that an elder brother cannot be bullied, but why... does it seem I still raised her crooked!"
"I know, I know." Hecate said indifferently: "And do not come asking me about the matters between you two; I will help neither."
"Mm... Teacher, do you think I really should find a partner?"
Jason muttered: "But an ordinary partner, Medea might not give up on; then... Teacher, what do you think... hee hee!"
Jason stared fixedly at Hecate.
Hecate felt baffled and looked at Jason in doubt: "What exactly do you want to say?"
"Mm, I just want to say..."
"However, let me say this first..."
Before Jason could finish, the interrupting Hecate suddenly raised her right hand indifferently; a magic circle appeared in her hand, and she smiled slightly at it: "Some words, you had best consider them clearly before speaking them aloud; in your words, be careful or disaster may come from your mouth!"
"Ah... Ah hahaha, what are you saying, Teacher?"
Jason swallowed, smiling awkwardly; then, as if thinking of something, he hurriedly said: "Oh, right, Teacher Hecate; it is Death God Thanatos who asked me to pass this on to you; he said he still loves you, and if you are interested..."
"No interest; do not see him; tell him to get lost!"
"Understood; got it; I will go tell Death God Thanatos right away, and at the same time go have a fight with Cerberus before coming back!"
Jason nodded and turned to slip out of the laboratory.
Looking at Jason's departing back, Hecate suddenly laughed helplessly, saying irritably: "This brat, to think he would set his sights on me... It seems I have been too accommodating in front of him!
And if it were because of affection, that would be one thing; as a goddess, I can understand someone developing feelings for me, but the main purpose is actually to use me as a shield... What kind of wicked disciple did I take in!"
Hecate said, shaking her head speechlessly.
On the other side, Jason inwardly rejoiced that he was safe again.
Because Hecate's anger had mostly dissipated... After these two days of companionship, Hecate's anger had actually mostly dissipated.
After all, Hecate was different from certain goddesses; she would not make a big fuss, venting all her emotions on the surface, and hold grudges about certain things forever.
Not to say desireless and demandless, but Hecate's personality was inherently like this.
Just as had been said from the beginning: even if the world were destroyed, this goddess Hecate might not bother to look twice more.
Hecate did not stand on the side of the gods, but this goddess also did not love humanity.
It was merely that who let Jason now be her wicked disciple.
And speaking of which, just as Hephaestus had said, in Jason's heart now, she was undoubtedly the most special one; even if Hecate wanted to stay angry, she had no reason to.
And on the other side, Cerberus, who had stood at the temple gates for two days and two nights, was naturally exceedingly depressed now.
"What the hell is that bastard Jason doing; why so long; this time, I must bite him..."
Her words had not finished.
"Lady Cerberus, have you waited long? I have come..."
With a "bang," Jason pushed open the gates, along with pushing out Cerberus, who had been leaning bored against the door.
Thus, Jason's smile could not help but freeze slightly.
Because what entered Jason's eyes was Cerberus, who had been pushed flying out and fallen with her butt facing him...
Jason was wearing the belt of war god Ares.
Afterward, Jason's eyes slowly widened, saying in an exceedingly shocked tone: "Lady Cerberus, you actually... did not wear anything below! Could it be that Teacher Hecate actually also..."
Rumble rumble rumble!
Two bolts of crimson thunder struck down fiercely.
Startling the heavenly steed beside them so much that it nearly flew away directly.
At the same time, Jason and Cerberus both let out screams... This time, Hecate had no intention of being gentle.
This thunder striking down truly hurt...
"Ja—son!!!"
Afterward, compared to Jason, the more durable Cerberus naturally got up first, gritting her teeth while also somewhat tearfully looking at the somewhat embarrassed Jason, who had an innocent expression.
"Why every time, every time, is it me who gets hurt!"
With that, Cerberus pounced toward Jason.
...To be honest, in the instant Jason saw Cerberus pouncing toward him, he originally did not want to dodge.
After all, the Cerberus who was so angry she was about to cry, not to mention, actually looked quite cute.
But the next second, Jason flipped over and scrambled up, running faster than a rabbit.
Because in midair, that cute little loli suddenly turned into the three-headed hellhound with its bloody maw wide open.
Good grief, this was truly no ordinary thrill!