Hearing the voice that suddenly rang beside her ear, the slightly stunned Atalanta immediately reacted.
The other party was precisely Moon Goddess Artemis!
And just after Artemis finished saying these words, the silver branch that had been floating beside Jason finally fell to the ground and turned into ordinary dead wood.
Evidently, Artemis was very satisfied with Jason's behavior, so she had already left with peace of mind.
"...Let us go." Then, after being silent for a short while, and not knowing what she had thought of, Atalanta put away the half golden apple.
"Since you already know the answer, then there is no need for us to wait until dawn. As for if it dares to attack us..."
Atalanta did not finish the words behind, but looking at her appearance of tightly gripping the Heavenly Bow as if preparing to hunt, Jason naturally also guessed the answer.
Although Jason felt that more trouble is worse than less, and avoiding conflict was naturally best, thus he had pulled Atalanta over to discuss.
But at this moment, seeing that Atalanta's mind was set, Jason, who had opened his mouth, thought for a while and in the end said nothing.
Then he followed Atalanta and came before the sphinx.
The Sphinx looked at Jason and Atalanta who had left not long ago but returned, stunned for a moment before asking, "What is this... Could it be that because you could not think of the answer, you directly gave up?
Rest assured, I said I would give you one night's time, so I give you one night's time..."
"No, on the contrary, Lady Sphinx, we already know the answer."
Since the decision had already been made, Jason, who did things without any delay, said to the Sphinx, "What thing walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?
The answer to this riddle... is human!"
"Human?" Hearing the answer Jason gave, before the Sphinx could react, Atalanta first looked at Jason in surprise.
Evidently, such an answer... was fundamentally not within her scope of consideration!
Just now, Atalanta had still thought it was some monster she did not know but Jason happened to know.
"That's right, it is human."
Jason nodded to Atalanta, then looked at the Sphinx and said, "Because the morning, noon, and evening in Lady Sphinx's mouth actually correspond to human infancy, middle age, and old age.
Human infancy is crawling on four legs, middle age is walking on two legs, old age is walking on three legs with a cane... My answer is not wrong, right, Lady Sphinx."
"...Truly, I did not expect that you actually guessed the answer." The human-faced lion-bodied Sphinx, after a brief silence looking at Jason, admitted Jason's correct answer.
Then it stood up and made way for the path.
"Now, you can go."
...So simple?
Atalanta tilted her head and looked at Jason puzzledly.
Jason smiled at Atalanta, turned around to hold the pegasus's reins, politely nodded to the Sphinx, and said, "In that case, then we shall take our leave, Lady Sphinx."
After saying this, Jason brought the puzzled Atalanta and walked past the Sphinx's side. But just as they turned their backs to the Sphinx in that instant.
The Sphinx, which had been silently watching them leave, suddenly opened its big mouth wide, waved its claws, and pounced toward the two!
In that instant, although Atalanta relied on her hunter's intuition to react very quickly, evidently she still was not as fast as the long-prepared Jason.
One could see Jason instantly draw the magic spear, sweep it once, and collide head-on with the Sphinx.
And the sphinx, which was several times Jason's height, actually flew straight out under Jason's power!
After all, now on Jason's body, there was the belt that had defeated Ares!
"Lady Sphinx, I wonder what this is..."
Before Jason's questioning words could finish, what came was the Sphinx's extremely furious face.
One could see the Sphinx open its mouth wide, look at Jason resentfully, and say, "Shut up, human. You all go die!"
Saying this, however, the Sphinx did not immediately pounce again. Instead, looking at the magic spear in Jason's hand, it retreated two steps backward, its expression both angry and mixed with some fear.
...I knew it would be like this.
Jason, who did not feel much surprise in his heart, shook his head.
Although he was not very familiar with the Sphinx's story, Jason knew that these creatures in Greece, whether gods or monsters, all had their own emotions.
And they were extremely concerned with face!
In fact, later the Sphinx also, because of flying into a rage out of shame, launched an attack on that tragic hero Oedipus, thereby being killed.
And at this time, Atalanta had already nocked an arrow on the Heavenly Bow, her gaze ice-cold as she shot a sharp arrow toward the Sphinx.
It was just that the sharp arrow Atalanta shot did not bring much harm to the Sphinx. After all, this monster's identity still had some background.
The Sphinx was born of Echidna and her son the two-headed dog Orthrus... That's right, that Echidna demon who took Typhon's blood and 'gave birth' to the three-headed hellhound and the two-headed dog and the others!
But also because of this, the magic spear in Jason's hand had an outstanding damage effect on it.
"Atalanta, help me hold it off."
As Jason's words fell, before Atalanta could answer, he turned and sat on the pegasus, pulled the pegasus's reins, and flew toward the starry sky above.
And as Jason left, and the magic spear no longer had a deterrent effect on the Sphinx, it immediately pounced toward Atalanta.
But Atalanta was extremely agile... In terms of speed, Atalanta was extremely outstanding. Among all the heroes of Greece, few could compare to her.
Atalanta flexibly held off the Sphinx and puzzledly looked at Jason flying toward the sky, wondering what he was going to do.
Then she saw dazzling sacred white light illuminate in the sky under the night.
Falling from the heavens, bearing the gods' oracles, the hero fallen from the stars to the mortal world... Atalanta actually still had some doubts regarding such rumors.
But now, she understood why there was such a rumor over in the Kingdom of Caria.
One could see Jason, grabbing the pegasus's reins, under the pegasus's full sprint and urging all the magic power in his body, the two together turned into a beam of white light.
That scene was just like a real shooting star falling from the curtain of night, heading toward the Sphinx.
Such a massive magic power reaction, Atalanta turned and no longer toyed with the Sphinx, fleeing away at extreme speed.
And although the Sphinx also sensed it, when it looked up, because of the deterrence of the magic spear in Jason's hand, it was stunned for a moment.
Thus, the sacred white light swallowed the earth.
Boom!
A loud bang, the earth trembled because of it.
And this time's power was even more terrifying than when facing the Chimera back then!
Because this time it was the pegasus's true full-force strike... Back then, because there were no reins, the pegasus feared the aftermath would affect Jason, thus it did not approach full power.
And this time, only hearing an extremely miserable cry, in that huge crater that seemed like a real meteor had fallen.
The Sphinx, now seriously injured, lay inside it.
At least having some of Typhon's blood... Even if not deliberately, the Sphinx would not die so easily.
But it no longer had the chance to stand up.
Because in the next second, a piercing flash spell illuminated the night.
Under the flash spell, Jason pierced straight through the Sphinx's heart with one spear thrust!
Not playing fair, and fast, accurate, ruthless!
And not only that, Jason also extremely understood the principle of finishing the job.
Even after a good while, when Atalanta ran back, Jason was still diligently poking the Sphinx with the magic spear.
"...What is he doing?"
The first time seeing Jason finish off... After all, last time the Calydonian boar was directly turned to not even ashes left by the moon god's arrow.
Atalanta puzzledly looked toward the pegasus.
The pegasus turned its horse face away, showing a humanized expression of unable to bear looking.
This is a sickness... And moreover, it is terminal, the kind with no cure!
"Nothing."
As Jason flatly replied, he poked twice more at the Sphinx's heart and head area, confirmed that this guy was deader than dead, then turned to look at Atalanta. Thinking for a while, he said, "Atalanta, are you not going to cut off some things?"
Atalanta puzzledly looked at Jason.
"Trophies... Is it not quite popular?"
Indeed, on the Greek heroes' side, there was a tradition of taking some things from the opponent after defeating them as trophies.
Hearing this, Atalanta looked at the Sphinx, then at Jason, shook her head, and said, "No need... Moreover, I did not do much to begin with."
"Hm... You are sure you really do not want any?"
Atalanta nodded.
"Is that so, then I will not hold back."
Thus, one could see Jason take out a bottle of magic potion, sprinkle it on the Sphinx's body. And then, under Atalanta's gaze with her mouth slightly agape.
The Sphinx's entire body began to rot, disappearing before Atalanta's eyes at extreme speed...
"What is this... you are doing?" Atalanta widened her eyes and could not help but ask Jason.
"Destroying the corpse and erasing traces, to avoid it being revived by someone and coming to find trouble with me again."
Jason answered very naturally, completely not feeling that he had done anything wrong.
As for the soul... That thing going to the Underworld, is it not just giving it away for free!
"...It was not even your opponent to begin with. Is it necessary?" Atalanta was speechless.
Atalanta knew well that Jason had not even shot an arrow!
"Of course!" Jason said to Atalanta with a completely serious face, "It is not my opponent now, but that does not mean it will not be in the future after revival. So we must strangle such possibility in the cradle!
Moreover, when out and about, being a bit more careful and cautious in doing things is always not wrong, right, Brother Horse?"
The pegasus turned away its horse face, showing an appearance of do not ask me, I do not know you.
"You usually do this?" The speechless Atalanta thought for a moment, then somewhat curiously asked Jason.
"Yes." Jason nodded.
In fact, it was indeed so. Up to now, all enemies who died at Jason's hands had all been reduced to no bones left, without exception...
"...Truly do not understand you." Looking at Jason who answered her straightforwardly, Atalanta at this moment... suddenly smiled.
And looking at the smiling Atalanta, Jason could not help but be stunned.
Because in Jason's memory, he seemed to truly not have seen Atalanta smile much, let alone smile at him.
As expected, just as Lady Artemis said, regarding him... I truly do not understand at all... If I want to understand, then I must witness it myself?
"Jason, where are you going now... Do you still have oracles on you?"
"Yes." Jason nodded. "I still have an agreement with Lord Hermes to complete."
"Is that so." Atalanta nodded and said, "In that case, then I will go with you."
"...Eh!" Jason widened his eyes. "You are not going to help Sisyphus push the boulder?"
"After knowing it was something you created, I instantly lost interest... And do not think of refusing first."
Atalanta said flatly to Jason, who was about to refuse outright, "The fact that you took my bow without a word is true... Even if I tell this matter to Lady Artemis, she would agree!"
Please do not.
If you tell it to Goddess Artemis, with her personality, it would truly be completely over!
"I am going according to the oracle to save people, not to play..."
"Then perfect. I can help. Or do you... think I am not worthy?" Atalanta narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Jason.
"That is not what I mean. I mean that... Right, Lord Hermes might get angry..."
"No matter." Atalanta replied calmly, "I can ask Goddess Artemis to help me. I think she will not refuse this request of mine."
"...What is wrong with you?" Jason looked at Atalanta speechlessly.
"Just consider it that I suddenly got interested." Atalanta crossed her arms in front of her body and said to Jason, "Moreover, you should also know that even if you do not agree, I will follow behind you... Just like three years ago!"
Hearing this, Jason felt very speechless. Looking at the clearly determined Atalanta before him, he felt extremely headache-inducing.
As expected... When I first met her back then, I knew she was absolutely a trouble!
Damn it, I was still too naive back then. I should have strangled all the fateful connections in the cradle!
"...Fine, then do not follow secretly. I agree."
In the end, after weighing it repeatedly, Jason sighed and said to Atalanta, "But let us first agree on three chapters of law... Since you want to follow, then you must swear to Moon Goddess Artemis that along the way, you must all listen to my words!
Of course, for those things that touch your bottom line, you can not listen!
And only this journey. After the matter ends, you cannot continue to follow me!"
Hearing this, Atalanta's slightly furrowed brows finally relaxed, and she swore to Moon Goddess Artemis.
Guaranteeing that along this journey, she would listen to Jason's words.