Fate: I Heard After Death, You Can Ascend to the Throne of Heroes?

The anger of the goddess of fate, Clotho, was not without reason.

In Greek mythology, predetermined fate was often unchangeable.

Even the gods had to abide by this rule.

Those who dared to defy fate invariably ended up being toyed with by it, meeting an even more tragic end.

For example, Sisyphus, who feared death and deceived the gods of the underworld, was punished to eternally push a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time, leading to a life of endless, meaningless toil.

Incidentally, Sisyphus had a connection to the river goddess Aegina. 

Remember when Zeus, in the form of an eagle, took Aegina away, and her father pursued them?

Actually, Aegina's father did not know about this at first, but it was Sisyphus who happened to see it.

In exchange for a promise of a spring that would never dry up from the river god, Sisyphus told him what had happened.

This brought about his death and Zeus's retribution.

Another typical case is the tragic story of Oedipus. 

Despite knowing his fate from the beginning and constantly struggling against it, he ultimately killed his father and married his mother unknowingly.

When his mother discovered the truth, she committed suicide out of shame, and Oedipus, filled with sorrow, blinded himself and eventually died in despair.

Therefore, for the stubborn Promise who chose to defy fate despite warnings, Clotho was naturally very angry.

She revealed Actaeon's fate to Promise, hoping he would learn a lesson!

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Five days later,

Following the direction pointed out by Clotho, Promise arrived at the town.

Upon arrival, he noticed the small town was unusually bustling today, with many hunters gathered, discussing something fervently in groups.

Yes, Promise had come, of course.

Whether it was the news of Actaeon's imminent death, the intention to recruit him for the Argo, or to participate in his original legend, he had no reason not to come.

As Promise walked along the road, curiously observing the gathered crowd,

"...Promise?"

A somewhat familiar voice suddenly called out to him. 

Turning his head instinctively, Promise saw a handsome young man with red hair among the crowd, looking at him in disbelief.

"Meleager?" After a brief moment of surprise, he called out his name.

Meleager, one of Chiron's students, had once taught Promise hunting skills during their time at Pelion.

He was also the prince of Calydon, who initiated the legendary Calydonian Boar Hunt in Greek mythology.

Incidentally, after that event, he ended up killing his two uncles and ultimately died by his mother's hand.

The root cause of all this was a woman, a woman Meleager fell in love with at first sight.

Her name was Atalanta...

At that moment,

"Move aside."

A cold voice came from behind, making Promise turn around instinctively only to see a woman in beautiful emerald green clothing. 

She wasn't adorned with the elegance and splendor of a princess but possessed a unique charm.

Her light yellow hair was mixed with strands of green, and her eyes were as sharp as an animal's... Promise looked at her in surprise.

He recognized her identity at once.

Atalanta!

Wait, what is she doing here?!

As Promise was contemplating this question, Atalanta, holding freshly hunted prey, frowned at the black-haired boy blocking her path.

"Move aside," she said again, this time even colder.

Finally coming back to his senses, he quickly stepped aside and watched her back as she walked past.

"Isn't she a beautiful woman?" Meleager, who had somehow appeared beside Promise, spoke with a soft tone.

The latter turned to see Meleager staring at Atalanta's back, his eyes full of admiration.

'...Beautiful, I can't argue with that, but she does have thorns.

And I know you'll end up dying horribly because of her.'

'Wait, hold on, this doesn't make sense. 

Did I stumble into the wrong storyline?!'

Realizing something was off, he looked around and couldn't help but ask Meleager, "Meleager, is this place... Calydon?"

"Calydon?" The latter tilted his head, "No, it isn't."

"It's not?" Promise was puzzled and asked him, "If it's not, then why are you here, and..."

As he spoke, he glanced at the bustling surroundings and the figure of Atalanta ahead.

"We're here because of the great goddess Artemis's oracle. That's why we gathered here... Wait, that's not the main point. Promise, why are you here?!"

Meleager's eyes widened in disbelief, "Did Chiron actually let you leave the mountain? Chiron must be out of his mind!"

With his exclamation, Promise noticed several people around them were now looking at him.

Even Atalanta had turned around and was looking at him with obvious curiosity.

"Teacher didn't exactly agree... but he did in the end," Promise replied honestly after thinking there was no need to hide the truth. "I initially snuck out with Jason."

"I knew it." Meleager wasn't surprised at all and nodded, "Only Jason would be gullible enough to be convinced by you to leave the mountain!"

"True," Promise nodded as well. "But why did you seem to know I had left the mountain from the start, and..."

Looking around, he realized many people were discussing him.

Since when did I become so famous?

Promise looked puzzled.

"Did you forget what you've done and the oracle you carry?" Meleager couldn't help but laugh, "Your adventure with Jason has spread far and wide. 

Many people know that you're out to choose heroes and invite them to join the quest for the Golden Fleece.

And..."

Meleager burst into laughter, barely able to speak between fits of laughter:

"You really went crazy trying to get famous, making those bandits swear such oaths.

You don't know how hard I laughed when I ran into those guys, listening to them seriously recounting your deeds. I almost collapsed from laughing so hard!"

'It was indeed memorable, even after all this time, I can't forget about it!'

Atalanta nodded, and her emerald eyes naturally reflected the image of the black-haired, green-eyed boy in front of her.

Especially when looking at his youthful face, which exuded an artistic vibe that hardly matched the notion of a hero, and remembering the bandits' oaths... it felt even stranger!

Many people around seemed to share this sentiment, and the laughter grew louder.

"You really are something," Meleager said, both amused and exasperated.

He reached out and ruffled Promise's hair, saying with mock irritation, "Only that fool Jason would go along with your nonsense!"

When Promise was at Pelion, he had good relationships with many people. 

Apart from his abundant energy, which meant everyone spent some time with him, the main reason was his age.

Promise was only sixteen, and his youthful innocence hadn't completely faded.

Even Theseus, who had ascended the mountain with him, was actually a few years older.

"What do you mean nonsense? Didn't you just say that I carry the oracle of Queen Hera... Don't you want to join the quest for the Golden Fleece?"

Meleager, after all, was one of the crew members of the Argo.

As Promise said this, the people who had been laughing around them suddenly fell silent. 

And they looked at him with eyes now filled with fervor.

Even Atalanta's eyes showed a hint of interest.

Seeing the shift in atmosphere, Meleager quickly grabbed his hand and led him away, taking him to a room in the small town.

Once the door was closed and no one had followed, he finally relaxed.

"You... do you know how dangerous that was just now?" Meleager couldn't help but scold Promise, but before he could continue,

"What's the danger? If I'm not mistaken, the content of the oracle is probably that under the watchful eyes of the great Queen Hera, I will choose powerful heroes to embark on the adventure to retrieve the Golden Fleece."

Promise replied calmly as he sat down and poured himself a glass of water.

"Since that's the case, no one would dare to harm me. 

They would only think about how to please me or prove that they are worthy to join me!"

Meleager was stunned upon hearing this. 

After thinking it over carefully, he realized Promise was right.

"No, wait, speaking of which, why have you been missing for over three months, as if you suddenly disappeared?"

Meleager quickly refocused and sat down in front of Promise, saying, "You don't know how worried Theseus was when he found out. He ran to Jason and angrily scolded him for letting you go alone.

After all, you don't even have the ability to protect yourself!"

Promise looked at Meleager, feeling a bit frustrated, even though he knew this guy was speaking the truth and was concerned about him.

With Promise's constitution, which made goddesses want to give him golden apples and pray he wouldn't be blown to the underworld by a gust of wind, he could barely handle a couple of weak bandits.

But this was ancient Greece, a time filled with beasts, monsters, and other dangers!

Promise should be grateful for the protection of the goddesses; otherwise, the nymphs in the forest would have long taken advantage of his wandering alone.

Even so, he was really tempted to smack Meleager with the sword depicting the goddess Themis.

But in the end, he just thought about it.

"I got delayed by some matters... Anyway, let's not talk about that. Meleager, what are you doing here?"

Promise changed the subject, frowning as he looked at Meleager and asked, "And the oracle of the goddess Artemis... what does that mean?"

He hadn't forgotten his purpose or Clotho's words.

In fact, when she mentioned that Actaeon would die at the hands of the moon goddess Artemis, he already understood what was going on.

Although Actaeon was Chiron's student, he never boarded the Argo and didn't leave behind any notable legends.

He died early at the hands of the moon goddess Artemis, and his death was extremely tragic.

Actaeon was also a hunter who had learned excellent hunting skills from Chiron. 

After coming down from the mountain, he organized groups to hunt in the mountains every day.

They exchanged their game for money or offered it as sacrifices to the gods.

One day, due to the intense heat of the sun, Actaeon left the group to find a cool place to rest. 

While looking for a shady spot, he stumbled upon a beautiful giant deer with antlers that seemed to be made of gold, shining brightly in the sunlight.

Seeing such a beautiful and rare golden-antlered deer, Actaeon was instantly excited. 

If he could hunt this rare game, it would bring him not only wealth but also great fame.

He hid quietly and, using his excellent hunting skills, managed to hit its vital spot!

To his surprise, despite being shot in a vital area, the injured golden-antlered deer managed to escape, prompting Actaeon to chase after it.

He pursued it deep into the forest, unknowingly entering a forbidden area for humans: the sacred land of the moon goddess Artemis.

He followed the deer to a beautiful lake, where he finally caught up with it. 

There, he saw Artemis, who had heard the deer's cries of pain from afar, had already dressed and emerged from the lake.

Actaeon stood dumbfounded, watching the beautiful goddess, who was still dripping with water, holding his prey in her arms.

When he finally snapped out of his stupor, he was met with the full fury of the moon goddess Artemis.

Artemis cursed him by splashing him with the lake's water, transforming him into a giant deer the size of a human. 

She then used arrows to drive him away.

She didn't kill Actaeon directly because it wouldn't quell her anger.

Artemis drove the panicked Actaeon toward his friends, who ultimately killed him with their arrows. 

Until the very end, his friends joyfully hunted the giant deer while calling out Actaeon's name.

So, at first, Promise thought it would be simple: just stop Actaeon from chasing the golden-antlered deer, and ensure he didn't meet Artemis. 

But things were never that simple.

"You don't know... then why are you here?"

Despite his confusion, Meleager explained the situation to Promise.

A week ago, Artemis had descended an oracle, announcing that she would host a special hunt in the ancient forest outside the town.

The victor of this hunt would have the opportunity to meet her and receive a gift from her.

"It's said that the target of the hunt is a special giant deer, one that is more majestic and taller than a human!"

Meleager said to Promise, "For certain reasons, I must complete this hunt and meet the great goddess Artemis.

"Because... I must save my country!"

Seeing him say this with utmost seriousness, Promise fell silent.

He naturally knew why Meleager needed to meet Artemis. 

Artemis had left a monstrous beast in his kingdom, a boar as large as a small mountain.

This curse, much like the one Hera had previously placed, could only be lifted with her personal consent.

At the same time, Promise realized the true nature of the giant deer in the hunt.

Undoubtedly, the events had already transpired. Actaeon had been turned into a giant deer by the moon goddess Artemis.

And ultimately, he would die by his friends' arrows!

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