At the Wildwood's edge, an open field stretched before them, littered with frozen Draugr.
Deimos remembered this place. This had once been a human settlement—now, it was a breeding ground for the undead.
'System, generate my current stats and template integration.'
[Generating User Status…]
Name: Deimos
Age: 12
Template Integration: 50%
[Current Mission]
Eradicate the creatures at Woodland's Edge – 500 total: 0/500
Reward: +2% Template Integration
Deimos grinned. More strength.
Atreus tilted his head. "They're not moving."
Kratos gripped his Leviathan Axe. "Not yet."
And then—
SCREEECH!
The Draugr stirred, empty sockets igniting with eerie blue fire. Guttural roars filled the air as they lifted their weapons. From the ruins, more clawed their way out of the snow.
Deimos cracked his knuckles, his muscles tensing.
'500 total... Let's begin.' He thought to himself.
The first wave charged—ten Draugr wielding rusted axes and crude blades.
Deimos moved.
A Draugr swung—he ducked, surging forward. His fist crushed its ribcage, launching it into another. A third lunged at him with a jagged sword—
CLANG!
Deimos caught the blade mid-strike, twisting it from the creature's grip. In one swift motion, he shattered the rusted weapon and slammed a brutal kick into its skull.
"Three down."
From behind, fire flared. A Fire Draugr raised its hands, embers swirling—
FWOOOSH!
An arrow pierced its skull before it could strike. Atreus landed beside Deimos, bow raised. "Fire incoming!"
Deimos smirked. "I had it covered."
More Draugr swarmed.
Kratos stepped into the fray. The Leviathan Axe cleaved through two Draugr with a single sweep. Another lunged at his back—without turning, Kratos snatched it by the throat and crushed it.
The ground rumbled.
From the ruins, a Draugr Brute emerged, gripping a massive stone pillar.
Deimos exhaled. "Now we're talking."
The creature roared, slamming its weapon down. The shockwave sent Atreus stumbling—
Deimos was already moving.
He leaped. Twisting mid-air, his foot connected with the Brute's skull—
CRACK!
The force staggered it. Deimos landed, rolling his shoulders. Tough. But not tough enough.
The Brute swung—he dodged, vaulted onto the pillar, sprinted up its length, and drove both fists down—
BOOM!
The Draugr Brute's skull caved in. It collapsed, groaning once before crumbling to dust.
[Draugr Defeated: 8/500]
Deimos barely exhaled before more surged forward. Atreus fired arrows, dropping Nightmares as they screeched through the sky.
Kratos caught a fireball midair with his shield, absorbing the flames. Without hesitation, he hurled his axe—THUNK! The blade impaled a Draugr against a tree, freezing it solid before shattering.
[Draugr Defeated: 12/500]
Atreus said. "I had that."
Kratos grunted. "Next time, prove it."
The ground split apart.
From the depths, more Draugr swarmed, joined by shrieking Nightmares.
Deimos bared his teeth. "Annoying things."
Kratos barked, "Atreus!"
"I know!" Atreus lost an arrow—THWIP! A Nightmare disintegrated.
Meanwhile, Deimos was a storm. He twisted through Draugr, dodging a strike, ripping an arm free, and using it to bludgeon another.
CRACK!
"That's two more."
The Nightmares swarmed. Deimos stomped the ground, launching himself into the air. He grabbed one mid-flight, hurled it into another—BOOM! Both vaporized.
[Draugr & Nightmares Defeated: 23/500]
Deimos landed, scanning the battlefield.
"This is nothing compared to what's coming."
The ground shook violently.
From the ruins, something stirred. A deep, guttural roar echoed through the Wildwood.
Snow trembled. Trees swayed.
Something was coming.
Deimos clenched his fists, divine power thrumming through him.
"Bring it on."
Deimos then started tearing them apart, one by one, along with his father and brother, they had their weapon, while he did not, he just used his fist to tear them into smithereens.
Punch, one then another one comes from,
He just swung his fist again and again against the enemies, he was slowly zoning out, focusing just on the enemies, the memories of battle in Heracles/Alcides template are being integrated into his muscles, every fight, he then yanked a sword from a draugr and then started using it, at first he use it just simply, just swung here, and there, if there was an enemy, he would just swung his sword, until about 50 kills that his technique was being refined, no wasted movements, no anything, just the precise and efficiency of a killer, Kratos while fighting, was noticing the changes with his son, he kept noticing that he fights like a certain way, he fight as if he was born a warrior, while Atreus was still getting instructions from his Father.
Deimos is an entirely different being, every kill counts, and Kratos can see that he was different; it's like fighting is his nature, in their spars, he can see that Deimos inherited his strength, that's why he trained him to control it, to master it to its complete potential, but now, with their lives on the line, he can see what kind of growth Deimos is capable of, their it continued until only one remain, the one that produced the loud growl in their surrounding, it was a troll, a mountain troll, carrying a pillar as a weapon.
Kratos readied himself, while Deimos looked at Kratos, without any emotion, he was being influenced by the mad enhancement, but his rational was not affected. Deimos then suddenly yelled so loudly that it reverberated in the entire section of their woods while charging at the troll.
The troll then lifted his pillar and slammed it into the ground, creating a small shake as an aftermath. Deimos just jumped to avoid the shake, landing at the head of the troll, still holding the sword that he stole from the now-killed Draugr. He swung it, but the troll's skin is thick enough to negate the damage from the sword, Instead, it shattered. he was then attacked by the troll's free hand, where he was grabbed, the troll tried to squeeze him but Kratos attack the arm with the frozen Leviathan Axe, it froze the arm where then Deimos attacked it with all of his might, it was shattered at the moments impact, he then jumped again to troll's head and starts punching him at the top of his head, one by one, it was his full strength, his first strike hurt the troll since it tried to attack him again, but Kratos and Atreus was supporting him on his fight, distracting and attacking the troll, he then started a barraged of punches to the troll until its head was crushed by the impact and it slowly fall, Deimos still in the head of the troll waited for it to fall.
[Mission Completed.
Heracles/Alcides integration: 52% (50+2)]
"Whoahh, that was awesome," Atreus said to Deimos.
"That was reckless and impulsive," Kratos said.
"I'm alright, father, you do not have to worry about me, plus I want the troll's weapon, that's why I attacked it first," Deimos said eyeing the pillar that the troll used, it was infused with a rune that that channel elemental powers into it, that's the reason why this troll is much stronger than the others they faced. He then approached the pillar, which was huge for his size, and then started lifting it. He then carried it on his shoulder, where he would use it as a throwing in their journey. He also found a rope that can be used for it to be a staff, while he was doing this, Kratos and Atreus are having a conversation.
Atreus: How was that? Did I help?
Kratos: If you want to help, distract them. Whoever is not our focus should be yours… but only when safe to do so.
Atreus: I can do that.
[Kratos finds a stone nearby with writings on it.]
Kratos: Boy.
Atreus: Sir. There's a Jotnar settlement ahead…
Kratos: Jotnar?
Atreus: Giants.
Kratos: Can you read the writing?
Atreus: Some -- just the languages mother knew. But they're all sort of connected, so sometimes I can feel my way through stuff I shouldn't know. Y'know?
After Deimos was done, he joined his Atreus and Kratos in their conversation. They both looked at Deimos, who was carrying a huge pillar on his shoulders like it was nothing.
"Whoa, you are strong, like Father, no wonder you're his favorite," Atreus said with a hint of envy.
"I do not have favorites, you are both my sons, I will treat you both equally in my eyes," Kratos said.
"Are you sure that will not hinder your progress? I do not want you slowing us down," Kratos then added.
"Do not worry about it, Father, I will not hinder our mission," Deimos said.