Chapter 74: Endless Wealth, Endless Weapons, Endless Women

"I really didn't expect... my journey this time would be so smooth!"

In the afternoon of the next day, Jason, riding Pegasus, arrived in front of the temple of Hephaestus, the Goddess of Smithing.

Pegasus softly neighed at Jason while looking at him in puzzlement, as if asking: 'Isn't it good for the journey to be smooth?'

"Of course, it's a good thing that my journey has been smooth, but just how many times have you seen my journey go smoothly?"

After Jason gave a helpless reply, under Pegasus's sympathetic gaze, he stepped forward and was about to knock on the metallic door in front of him...

But the door was suddenly opened from inside, and two maids in exquisite servant costumes slowly walked out.

Actually, these maids are not exactly living people, rather, it won't be wrong to say that in the entire temple of Hephaestus, there is no one living beside Hephaestus.

And these human-looking maids are the puppets manufactured by Hephaestus, similar to how Hecate has manufactured puppets for her own temple, that actually look like puppets.

"You must be Master Jason." One of the maids said to Jason in a cold and indifferent tone, while hinting him to follow her: "Please, Goddess Hephaestus has been waiting for you for a long time."

"Master Pegasus, please come with me." The other maid also stepped forward and motioned at Pegasus to follow her.

So, after nodding at Pegasus, Jason followed the maid into the temple.

And while walking through the temple, Jason felt like this finely crafted temple gives off an impression of being rather deserted.

Also, even after Jason encountered a few maids walking by him from time to time, he wasn't able to shake off the feeling that the entire temple is giving off a lifeless sense of depression.

Soon, Jason was taken to a gate.

Then, the maid stopped in front of the gate and made a gesture of invitation to Jason.

"Is Goddess Hephaestus in there?"

Facing Jason's question, the maid did not speak anything but just shook her head gently before again signaling Jason to go inside.

Seeing this, after a brief moment of hesitation, Jason stepped forward and opened the door.

Immediately after Jason walked inside, the door closed on its own.

But Jason didn't care about it, because immediately after walking in, he was instantly shocked by the scene in front of him.

'So many treasure mountains...these are the mountains of treasures in the true sense!'

The whole of this big room was completely lit up by the light reflected on gold, silver, and gems; a scene similar to the treasure mountains Jason had heard being depicted in various fairy tales appeared in front of his eyes.

Just when Jason was looking at all this in front of him while being stunned.

Another maid, who seems to have been waiting for Jason, walked over and Jason noticed that this maid is dressed in extremely gorgeous clothes making her look like a truly noble princess.

"Master Jason, right?" The maid, who has walked over to Jason, bowed mechanically to him, then gestured to the treasure mountains in front of him and said: "As you can see, this is where all the wealth accumulated by Goddess Hephaestus is stored."

"And Goddess Hephaestus has given orders, Master Jason, you can take as much as you want."

"I can take as much as I want?" Jason couldn't help tilting his head upon hearing Maid's words and blankly looked at the maid.

"Yes." The maid replied in the same indifferent and cold voice: "Goddess Hephaestus has also added that no matter how much you take, she will absolutely never blame you."

'...What do you mean, is this a test?'

Jason, who had already recovered from the shock, could not help but frown slightly upon hearing the maid's words.

Immediately then, Jason looked at the exquisite maid, who looked at him without a trace of emotions in her eyes, before looking again at the countless wealth in front of him.

So, after understanding the situation, Jason couldn't help but feel hesitant in his heart, because he doesn't feel like, irrespective of him not having any interest in wealth, no matter what he chooses will definitely be the correct answer.

Because Jason thinks that if he takes wealth from here, then he might be blamed for being greedy, but if he doesn't take anything, then he might be blamed for despising the Goddess.

As for Goddess Hephaestus's promise of not blaming him for his choice, Jason believes that ignoring every promise ever made to him by a god or goddess would be best for him.

And just when Jason was hesitating, the maid added again: "Goddess Hephaestus has promised you in the name of great Styx that no matter how much you take, even if you take all of it, she will never blame you."

Hearing what the maid has just said again, Jason couldn't help but think in his heart: 'So the rumor of any type of deception not working in front of Hephaestus is really true?..'

So, after being silent and thinking deeply for a few more moments, Jason decided to step forward.

And from the mountains of treasures that have been piled up in the whole of this large room in front of him, Jason picked up a gem.

"I have chosen."

Jason put away the gem in his silver bag and signaled to the maid that he is done here.

Seeing this, even after obviously being a mechanical maid, the maid couldn't help but blink at Jason, before asking in the same indifferent and cold voice: "Are you sure, Master Jason?"

"Yes." Jason nodded and said with a smile: "One gem is enough."

Whether it was a test or not and even after Hephaestus has pledged to Styx, Jason obviously knows that taking more is definitely an unwise choice.

So, after the maid emphasized twice, Jason, who is obviously not interested in wealth, decided to take a single gem because he similarly believes that taking nothing might make the goddess feel unhappy.

After receiving Jason's reply, the maid was silent for a few moments, then nodded and said: "I understand Master Jason, then please come with me."

After speaking this, the maid turned around and led Jason out of this wealth and jewel-filled room, then stopped at another door and motioned Jason to continue moving forward.

So, Jason again pushed open the door in front of him.

And this time, what appeared in front of Jason is the arsenal, a really big arsenal filled with countless swords, spears, shields, and all kinds of other artifacts which are obviously built personally by Hephaestus, the Goddess of Smithing!

"Greetings, honored hero Jason."

Soon, another maid, who also seems to have been waiting for Jason, walked over to Jason.

And, Jason noticed that this one gives a different impression from the previous princess-like maid, this maid clearly has the temperament of a female warrior who is dressed in clothes full of wild flavor.

The female warrior maid, after saluting Jason, pointed to everything in front of him, and said to Jason: "As you can see, everything in front of you is an artifact made by Goddess Hephaestus herself."

"Each one of them is a rare treasure on this land."

"Ordinary mortals only need to get a single artifact from here, then they can obtain the power to kill ferocious beasts and their names will be sung as a great hero."

"And now...all these are at your disposal, Master Jason!"

"And the great Goddess Hephaestus has promised to you in the name of great Styx, that you can choose whatever you want or even take all of them, and no matter what choice you make, Goddess Hephaestus will never blame you for it!"

After the warrior maid finishing speaking, she arrived in front of Jason and presented him with the space bag similar to the silver pouch that Athena gave him on that day.

Already having experienced a similar situation once, Jason didn't stay stunned for too long this time.

So, he stepped forward and picked up a pitch-black longbow from it.

Then, after trying it for a while, he put it in the silver pouch given to him by Athena and said to the warrior maid with a smile: "I have chosen."

The maid was silent for a while.

"Are you sure?" the maid asked flatly: "These are all weapons personally crafted by Goddess Hephaestus, and they all are rare artifacts on this land."

"Are you sure you're done after choosing just one bow?"

"Yes." Jason nodded. "Because I really do need a bow...and just a bow."

And this is indeed the case because the strongest weapon Jason currently has is Artemis's silver arrow, but he doesn't actually own a decent enough bow for using it.

Moreover, Jason doesn't believe that if an enemy can't be defeated by Artemis's arrow, he will be able to defeat that enemy with any of the weapons here.

And, for the rest of the situations, Jason doesn't think that any weapon other than his Magic Staff, through which he can get direct help from the Gods of Underworld and Cerberus, suits him better.

But upon hearing Jason's answer, the warrior maid looked at Jason for a few short moments, then she spoke.

"I understood, Master Jason, please follow me."

So the maid again led the way and brought Jason to a gate, then motioned him to push the door open and continue walking forward.

But when Jason pushed open the third door and walked in, he was presented with a scene of many beauties dressed in beautiful clothes and playing around in the room.

After looking around just once, Jason found that along with beautiful, pure, seductive, royal, wild, flat-chested, big-bre*sted girls, there are hundreds of different types of beauties dressed in different styles.

And at this moment, they all are watching Jason, who has just walked in, with curiosity clearly written on their faces.

Just when Jason was both surprised and stunned by this.

Another maid walked to Jason.

And this maid is dressed like a queen and is even wearing a crown on her head.

"Greetings, Master Jason." The queen-like maid saluted, then gestured to all the beauties in front of Jason and said in a light tone: "As you can see, these all are the dolls manufactured by the great Goddess Hephaestus after examining the various aesthetics on the land."

"Presumably, Master Jason must have heard the story of Pandora."

"Therefore, Goddess Hephaestus has said that every existence here can by no means be matched by those dolls in the temple of Hecate."

After she finished speaking, the queen-like maid stepped forward, then grabbed both of Jason's hands and placed them on her plump chest while saying to the still stunned Jason: "We are all created by the great Goddess Hephaestus, so although we are not really alive, it is not much different from being alive, so we can satisfy all your desires, Master Jason."

After speaking this, the maid let go of Jason's hand, then took a step back and while gesturing to the dolls in front of them, she said: "Now, the conditions are once again the same."

"Goddess Hephaestus has promised you in the name of great Styx, she won't blame you for picking any one of us, many of us, or even all of us."

"And if you wish, all of us can also demonstrate everything to you before you make your choice."

After speaking this, the maid, who is dressed and looks like a queen, grabbed the hem of her clothes and gave Jason an elegant salute.

But this time, Jason answered quite quickly and decided to make a different choice from the last two times.

"No, it is not needed!"

The maid looked up at Jason, who is frantically shaking his head, and after being silent for a few moments, she said: "Are you sure, Master Jason?"

"We are objects, and quite convenient objects."

"There is even a matching doll storage bag, you just need to take us out whenever you want and after using us, you can put us back in the bag. "

"It is not needed, I really don't need it!"

Jason shook his head and very firmly said to the queen-like maid.

'Damn it! Although it does sound very exciting...'

'But I really can't bring myself to play and indulge with such advanced things!'

The maid looked directly at Jason, and after a long silence, she gave up, then nodded and said: "Really, if this is the case, then I understand, Master Jason, please come with me."

Jason doubtfully looked at the maid who has just said this and turned around.

Because Jason isn't able to determine if it is just his own illusion, or if the maids in this room are really more lifelike because Jason even feels like he just seems to have seen the disappointment on the face of this queen-like maid doll upon hearing his refusal...

Then, after taking Jason out of the room, the maid reached the two doors standing side by side.

"Now, this is the last door you need to open, Master Jason."

The queen-like maid stopped, then while gesturing at the two doors, she said: "Through the door on the left, you will meet the great God Hephaestus, and through the door on the right, you will meet the great Goddess Hephaestus."

"Great Hephaestus has given you the right to choose... So, Master Jason, which great Hephaestus do you want to meet? "

'... She has even prepared this script?'

Hearing the words of the queen-like maid, then looking at the two doors in front of him, Jason's expression seems to have turned weird.