Jason wanted to abandon this trial, but the gods were, of course, unwilling to allow that.
However, they naturally would not personally interfere in a contest among mortals.
The one who spoke up to refute Jason was Erginos. He was another son of Poseidon, and his brother Antaeus was also one of the Argonaut heroes.
Only to hear him shout loudly, "How could we possibly just give up like this… just turn back and leave?"
He flew into a rage at Jason.
"You know it, don't you? For the Golden Fleece, to defeat those 'divine bulls,' three brothers have already died at their hands, among them my half-brother Nauplius…
If we just leave like this, wouldn't their deaths have been in vain? Wouldn't their efforts, their sacrifices, all be wasted for nothing?
If we give up now, then what were their lives spent probing the enemy's weaknesses for?
For what exactly? No! I won't allow it! I won't allow us to abandon this challenge, I won't allow their sacrifice to become a joke! I… will avenge them!"
"That's right! Revenge! We must avenge them!" Antaeus also stepped forward, shouting in agreement.
Some of the other heroes echoed their support as well.
"But… but… you've all seen the power of those 'divine bulls' now.
Just like Alaric said, if we continue, perhaps we can defeat them, but before that, how many companions will have to die is anyone's guess.
For a single Golden Fleece, for my own ambition, this isn't worth it at all, "
When he said this, Jason's voice was almost choked with sobs.
"So what?"
Erginos raised his voice even louder.
"So what, then? Jason, I know you don't want us to die, but we want even less for them to have died in vain!
We're not doing this because of your ambition…
If it were only for your ambition, then there wouldn't have been so many of us joining the ranks of the Argonaut heroes, becoming members of this ship.
Sure, everyone wants to help you obtain the Golden Fleece, but everyone knows this expedition isn't just yours alone, it's an expedition we all share together.
Our fame, our glory, are all bound to this voyage, aren't they?"
Erginos spoke with stirring grandeur, and on the other side, Telamon's blood also surged with heroic fervor.
"That's right, Jason. We all know that whoever goes to face those 'divine bulls' is very likely to die, but so what? Before boarding this ship, which one of us didn't already have the resolve to die? Isn't that the price of becoming a hero?"
As he spoke, he took the lead and stepped forward.
"Next, let me deal with that damned beast!"
However, just as he was about to advance, he was stopped by Peleus.
"No, brother, let me go," Peleus said with a bitter smile. "I have a son now, Achilles can carry on my bloodline, so I can go without regrets. But what about you, brother? You don't have a son. If you die, your line will be extinguished."
Yet he, too, was stopped by Erginos.
"Brother Peleus, let me do it instead," Erginos said in a deep voice. "I am a son of Poseidon and wield the power of water. Compared to you, I have more advantage against that fire-breathing beast. As long as I rely on the power of water to defend, I won't be giving it any advantage… So, let me go."
Others still tried to stop him, still tried to persuade him, but Erginos brushed them aside and strode forward regardless.
Carrying a sense of tragic resolve, he slowly stepped into the field.
For a moment, the scene of the Argonaut heroes vying to face death shook all the onlookers to their core.
Immediately after, they could not help but feel profound admiration for the courage of these heroes, for their heroic spirit.
Even Aeetes was filled with emotion.
"As expected of the heroes of Greece, sons of the gods, each and every one of them is a true man…
If only they weren't standing on the side of those lofty beings above, I would be willing to befriend them."
Thus Erginos entered the field with resolute determination, going to battle Polcaneon.
However, his courage and the power of Poseidon were still unable to make up for his lack of overall combat strength.
Although Polcaneon's flames were ineffective against Erginos, Polcaneon still possessed terrifying strength, and the power of steam as well.
Five minutes and thirteen seconds, Erginos failed to evade Polcaneon's charge. His chest bones were crushed beneath its trampling hooves, and he fell in battle.
Nevertheless, Polcaneon's stamina was also greatly depleted by him. Whether running or spewing flames, it was no longer as forceful as before.
Next to enter the field was his brother, Antaeus.
His abilities were similar to Erginos's.
Because of Erginos's efforts, the Polcaneon Antaeus faced was in an even worse state of exhaustion, allowing him to hold on for longer.
Unfortunately, he still failed to defeat Polcaneon in the end.
Eight minutes and forty-two seconds, Antaeus, drained of strength, made a fatal mistake and was smashed by Polcaneon's charge, half his body shattered.
However, he was still fortunate enough to survive. Barely clinging to life, he was dragged away to receive Asclepius's treatment.
The next was Peleus.
This hero was the father of the famed Greek champion Achilles.
Although he lacked the power of the sea god, the Polcaneon he faced was already heavily exhausted.
Sadly, even such a weakened Polcaneon could still spew terrifying flames.
Seven minutes and six seconds, Peleus dodged one "Flamethrower," but was struck by another "Flare Blitz."
His tendons snapped, his bones shattered, and he was burned to charcoal within the flames.
…
…
One hero after another stepped forward to fight Polcaneon, and one by one they were defeated and slain.
In the end, two more heroes were defeated by Polcaneon, one was trampled into minced flesh, while the other survived by sheer luck at the cost of losing a leg.
The final one to step forward was Atalanta.
Before this agile female hero, the utterly exhausted Polcaneon had no way to deal with her at all.
Its charges, its flames, its steam could not even touch a single hair on Atalanta's body.
In the end, it was dragged on until it collapsed, completely drained of strength.
Only then was the victory of the Argonaut heroes declared.
In order to defeat the two Polcaneon, the Argonaut heroes paid the heavy price of six heroes sacrificed and two heroes severely wounded, finally securing victory in the first trial.
With more than thirty heroes in total, losing a full quarter of their number in the very first trial could hardly be called anything but a tragic victory.
Facing the defeated Polcaneon, their bodies stained with the blood of their companions, the Argonaut heroes wished to slaughter them completely, to avenge their fallen comrades.
However, just as they were about to do so, several mages clad in robes stepped out from the crowd.
One of them took out two small spheres, half red and half white, and aimed them at the two Polcaneon.
The spheres shot out red beams of light, shining upon the Polcaneon.
Very quickly, the massive bodies of the two magical beasts abruptly vanished, transforming into two crimson spheres that respectively fell into the half-red, half-white balls.