Antares felt angrier than ever before.
His mother had abandoned him. Even now, he resisted the instinct to kill everyone around him because doing so would be suicide. But Antares didn't know that Atalanta had decided to hunt him.
She hadn't sworn an oath because that would make her decision irreversible, and she wasn't sure she could kill Antares. After all, she had seen him easily defeat Hercules, and he had left the goddess Artemis with third-degree burns on both arms.
Although the goddess had healed, someone like Atalanta could not withstand such an attack. So, she decided to make a plan first.
As Antares tried to sleep, Thetis entered the tent and sat beside him, silently watching him. Antares could feel her gaze.
His mother was shocked after Antares transformed the dragon, and Thetis was unsure what to say. It broke her heart, and she could feel Antares drifting further away from her.
Since Antares had started training under Chiron, he had spoken to her less and less, and his former childlike nature had faded away.
Thetis, feeling exhausted and unsure of what to do, waited as Antares finally decided to speak.
Antares: "What do you want, mother?"
Thetis' heart raced when she heard Antares' voice: "Why did you hide the fact that you're a dragon from me, Antares?"
Antares became angry and stood up: "Why does it matter to you that I'm a dragon? If my race was so important to you, you should've just asked!"
Thetis stood up as well: "Watch your mouth, young man! Be careful with what you say!"
Antares started shouting: "Instead of helping me kill Artemis, you begged for mercy! You're such a hypocrite! I wish I had never brought you with me; everything would've been better without you!"
Thetis slapped Antares: "There are consequences to killing gods, son. You can't handle them right now. Even if you killed her, Apollo would come after you next, and eventually, it would reach Zeus. If Zeus gets involved, no one can save you."
Thetis tried to touch Antares' face, but he lowered his head, so she withdrew her hand and left the tent without a word.
She didn't try to stop him because she knew it would only make things worse. Sometimes, letting go is the best option.
Antares went outside and sat by the lake, and thus, the day ended.
The next day, Antares woke up. Normally, he would go train at this time, but today, he had a different idea. He wanted to leave as soon as possible, but first, he needed to figure out how to use the divine energy he absorbed from Artemis. It wouldn't take long.
Antares got up, and everyone who saw him avoided looking at him. They were trembling because they had never seen him like this before. Hercules arrived at the usual training grounds, but this time Chiron was there, waiting for him.
Chiron: "You've finally come, Antares."
Antares: "Where's Hercules?"
Chiron: "He decided to go on a journey after seeing you. He felt weak."
A dark aura briefly surged from Antares but then quickly dissipated.
Antares: "I see. Why are you here?"
Chiron, looking cautious: "What you did to Artemis has made you a threat in the eyes of Olympus. Do you know what that means?"
Antares clicked his tongue: "They're all watching me, and if I make even one mistake, I'll be sent to Tartarus to be tortured."
Chiron smiled: "I'm glad you understand. The reason I stopped you yesterday was because you wouldn't survive it right now. It seems your master needs to teach you a lesson."
With that, Chiron prepared himself and motioned for Antares to attack. In an instant, Antares appeared in front of Chiron, aiming a serious punch at his head.
But Chiron smiled and dodged, grabbing Antares' arm and attempting to break it with a knee strike. However, Antares blocked it with his other hand and then headbutted Chiron, forcing him back a few steps.
Chiron: "Nice hit, kid. Let's get serious now."
Chiron's eyes changed color, turning blue. This was one of Chiron's rare abilities. Being the son of Kronos, he had inherited the power to foresee his opponent's moves before they even made them.
Antares realized this and switched to defense instead of attacking.
Chiron smiled: "You seem to understand what I'm capable of. Don't forget, I am still a god."
Chiron then appeared behind Antares, aiming a kick at his legs. As Antares moved to defend, Chiron's kick changed direction and hit him in the head. Despite absorbing all the energy, Antares couldn't block it. He changed tactics again, attempting to knee Chiron in the stomach, but Chiron blocked it and landed a right hook on Antares.
Each blow overwhelmed him because of the immense energy behind Chiron's strikes. Every punch was strong enough to shatter mountains.
Antares leaped into the air, attempting a spinning kick aimed at Chiron's head, but Chiron ducked and saw a vision of the future. He quickly stepped back, knowing Antares was about to unleash a powerful attack. Even though Chiron dodged the kick, the wind generated by it was still strong.
Chiron: "Let's finish this with one final move, Antares."
Antares: "As you wish."
They both charged at each other, and everything happened in an instant. Antares used a move he hadn't employed in a long time. Chiron knelt, blood dripping from his mouth.
Antares had used Renewal Taekwondo Triple Kicks.
Although Chiron managed to block two of the kicks with his speed, he couldn't defend against the third kick to the back of his head. Chiron smiled, having already foreseen this outcome.
Antares approached and offered his hand to Chiron, who took it and stood up.
Chiron, catching his breath, was exhausted from the fight.
Chiron: "You fought well, Antares. Where did you learn that technique?"
Antares: "I created it myself."
Chiron's eyes widened, realizing how advanced the technique was. Few could stand against it.
Chiron wiped the blood from his mouth.
Chiron: "Next, we'll move on to weapon training. You probably already know how to use a bow, so I'll teach you swordsmanship. After that, you'll be free."
Antares: "Understood, master."
Chiron laughed and left. A few people were watching from afar.
Jason approached Antares: "You're so strong, Antares. If I were in Chiron's place, I would've gone down with the first strike."
Antares playfully slapped Jason on the back of the head.
Jason: "Ow! That hurt! Why did you do that?"
Antares smiled: "It just felt right."
But just as Antares was smiling, an arrow flew toward him. He sensed it and caught the arrow. Atalanta was standing in the distance, clicking her tongue.
Antares gave her a disdainful look: "Try that again, and it won't end well for you, Atalanta. For what I did to your goddess yesterday, I'll forgive you for now."
Atalanta enraged: "You arrogant fool! After what you did to Artemis, this is the least of what you deserve! She was sulking during the hunt yesterday because of you!"
Antares laughed: "Oh, so she's still nursing a grudge, huh? Listen, cat. Even though I can't kill you for certain reasons, I can cripple you, or worse, curse you. Believe me, a dragon's curse is worse than death. Can you handle that, cat?"
Atalanta was about to explode with anger.
Jason spoke up: "Antares, don't you think that's a bit too much?"
Antares' face returned to normal: "People like her mistake kindness for weakness. That's why bitches like her deserve to be treated this way."
Jason sighed: "Anyway, Antares, there's something I want to talk to you about. I need to ask you for something."
Antares smiled, knowing his moment had come: "I already know what you want, Diomedes."
Jason's face showed surprise, then relief: "If it's you, that makes sense. Do you know why I'm training? Do you know my purpose?"
Antares: "I do, Jason. But why don't you just kill the king and take the throne? After all, he took your land."
Jason: "I don't have the strength to do that, and I need to be recognized as a king by the gods. I've been asked to retrieve the Golden Fleece. If I do, I'll be accepted without any trouble. I want your help."
Antares: "Of course, I'll help. But I should mention that I could challenge the king and force him to give you the throne."
Jason's eyes widened, and he panicked: "Don't do that! You'd probably destroy the kingdom in the process. I spoke with Athena, and she offered to help me."
Antares' aura flared up: "What does she want in return?"
Jason was sweating: "She wants something special from you."
Antares' aura was about to explode before he calmed himself down.
Jason: "I'm sorry, Antares. Will you do this favor for me?
Here's the translation of the text you provided:
Antares sighed deeply: "Understood. Even though I hate most of the gods… Fine, I'll help my friend Jason. But I have one condition."
Jason shouted with joy and then calmed down: "Whatever it is."
Antares: "Actually, I have two conditions. First, you will never collaborate with Aphrodite. Second, you must fulfill one request, whatever it may be when I ask."
Jason didn't think for long: "Thank you, Antares. I accept your conditions."
Afterward, Antares took a breath in the mountains and started thinking.
Athena, most likely, was curious about Antares' power and wanted to take advantage of it. The three virgin goddesses—they were all bitches, including Hestia. Even though her family had faced many problems, she didn't care and did whatever she wanted, always trying to run from every issue.
Antares sighed. Whatever Athena asked for, she would take something from him.
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