The deeper they ventured into the wild, the quieter it became. The crisp morning air carried only the distant rustling of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig beneath their feet. Kratos walked ahead, his movements deliberate and silent, while Deimos followed closely, gripping his hunting axe.
This was his first real test.
Ahead, Kratos slowed his steps and gestured toward a clearing surrounded by ancient trees, their twisted roots snaking across the ground. Deimos narrowed his eyes as he scanned the area. Something was watching them.
Kratos spoke without turning around. "The creatures here do not hesitate. They do not hold back. They will tear you apart if you are weak."
Deimos exhaled, already feeling the blood in his veins pulse with excitement. Weakness? That was not something he had.
Then, the first enemy revealed itself.
And Draugr.
The undead warrior shambled forward, its body wrapped in tattered armor, its hollow eyes glowing with unnatural light. It clutched a rusted sword in one hand, dragging it against the earth, sending up sparks.
More came.
One. Two. Three.
A pack of Draugr.
Kratos stepped aside, crossing his arms. "This is your trial. Kill them."
Deimos smirked.
The first Draugr lunged.
It was slow—laughably slow.
Deimos didn't even step back. He caught its wrist mid-swing, feeling its brittle bones crack under his grip. Then, without hesitation, he twisted, ripping the arm from its socket.
The Draugr barely had time to react before Deimos' fist collapsed its skull, shattering it into dust.
The other two Draugr rushed him at the same time.
Deimos didn't move.
Instead, he waited.
The moment they closed in, his foot snapped forward, caving in the chest of the first Draugr and sending it flying into a tree, where its body crumbled from the impact.
The last Draugr hesitated.
Deimos capitalized on it. He threw his axe.
The blade ripped through the Draugr's torso, splitting it in half before returning to his hand with a satisfying snap.
He sighed. "That was… too easy."
Kratos, however, did not respond.
Deimos felt a shift in the air—something stronger was coming.
A Revenant stepped forward from the shadows, its body pulsing with sickly green energy, its long, clawed hands twitching with unstable magic. The air around it crackled with power.
Kratos, however, didn't even flinch. He simply glanced at Deimos. "Do not waste time."
Deimos nodded.
The Revenant flickered—vanishing into the shadows.
Deimos didn't chase it. Instead, he closed his eyes and listened.
The faint hum of magic. A shift in the wind.
There.
Without hesitation, he pivoted, swinging his axe through the empty air—except it wasn't empty.
The Revenant reappeared right into the blade, its form splitting apart before it could even react. It didn't even have time to scream before its remains turned to ash.
Deimos exhaled through his nose. That had been… underwhelming. He had expected more.
📌 System Update
✅ First Trial of Strength Completed!
→ Defeat three hostile creatures → +0.5% Integration
✅ Bonus Mission Completed!
→ Defeat an Alpha Creature Alone (Revenant) → +1% Integration
📌 Hidden Bonus Unlocked!
🔓 New Skill: Wrathful Precision
Effect: Against weaker enemies, Deimos' attacks now automatically target their weak points, ensuring instant kills.
📌 Updated Status
Name: Deimos
Age: 12
Template Integration: 11.5%
Current Strength Level: Above Kratos when he opened Pandora's Box.
Deimos dismissed the System and turned back to Kratos.
His father was already walking away.
"Come. The real hunt is not yet over," Kratos reminded him.
As they ventured deeper into the woods, a deep growl rumbled from the darkness.
Deimos immediately looked up. The trees shook violently, leaves rustling as something massive shifted above them.
Then, it dropped down.
A huge Ogre landed with a thundering crash, the earth splitting beneath its weight. Muscles like stone, jagged teeth gnashing together—it was a towering wall of brutality.
Deimos smirked. Perfect.
"Father, let me fight it alone."
Kratos said nothing. He simply put down his axe.
That was all the permission Deimos needed.
The Ogre roared, charging with shocking speed—massive claws slicing through the air, its breath hot and rancid.
Deimos dodged, weaving through its swipes like a specter.
He observed and calculated. Found the pattern.
The next time it swiped, he moved.
A sudden sidestep. A twist.
Then, with sheer force, he grabbed the Ogre's swinging arm and wrenched it downward, using its momentum against it.
The Ogre's weight sent it tumbling forward.
Before it could recover, Deimos moved.
He leaped onto its back and wrapped his arms around its thick throat, his legs securing against its ribs.
The Ogre thrashed wildly, trying to shake him off—but Deimos only tightened his hold.
Its struggles became weaker. Its movements are slower.
Then—SNAP.
Its head twisted too far. The Ogre's body collapsed, twitching once before going still.
📌 System Update
✅ Trial of the Fist Completed!
→ Defeat an Ogre without using weapons. (Success)
⏳ Time Taken: 2 minutes, 47 seconds (✅ Bonus Objective Achieved!)
📌 Reward: +2% Template Integration
📌 Bonus Objective Reward Unlocked!
🔓 New Passive Skill Acquired – "Herculean Brutality"
Effect:
All barehanded attacks deal increased damage.
Grappling techniques become significantly more effective, allowing Deimos to subdue larger and stronger opponents with greater ease.
Bonus: Resistance to physical fatigue is enhanced, enabling prolonged battles with minimal exhaustion.
Additional Effect: Impact Shockwaves – Whenever Deimos executes a full-powered strike, the force disperses into a small shockwave, knocking back weaker enemies and staggering stronger foes.
Deimos stood up, rolling his shoulders. "Stronger than the last one. Still not enough."
Kratos studied him for a moment.
Then, he gave a single nod. Approval.
"That is a dangerous way of thinking," Kratos warned. "Always do your best. Never assume the enemy is weaker than you. Overconfidence leads to death."
Deimos nodded, his expression serious. "Yes, Father. I will not let pride blind me."
Kratos grunted, satisfied. Without another word, they turned and walked back toward their cabin.
It was a quiet journey going home, but he could feel that his father had a different feeling around him, it was like a positive aura that envelope him instead of his usual cold presence, and it made him a bit happy, meaning that his father was slowly warming up, unlike in the game where it took Atreus and Kratos whole adventure before they have a father and son relationship.
We can see the sun was long gone when they reached their home, there, they were greeted by the sight of Atreus helping Faye with the dishes, Atreus might not notice it, but Faye looked weak, both Deimos and Kratos noticed the slightly pale color her face carried, Kratos might not know but Deimos know that it was a sign that the Canon storyline was beginning, he doesn't have much time, but as he was making sure that he was strong enough before their journey, he was also hesitating since he knows his mother would die and when he integrated his memories, he inherited Deimos fondness to Faye, so he decided that he would now divide his whole day to training and spending as much time with Faye as long as possible, to not have any regrets in the future.