Chapter 746: Here, Our Enmity Ends, and We Must Grow

Crossing the realm of the dead with Atreus was a first for the Boy. But for Kratos, it was already a habit; after all, back in Greece, when wasn't he taking a stroll through the Underworld?

In Helheim, those who arrive can see illusions of their past, and neither humans nor gods are exempt. These illusions are the pasts they are most unwilling to face.

On their journey, Atreus saw the scene where he killed Modi. This was the past he didn't want to confront, but after Kratos's harsh lecture, Atreus was clearly more sober. He was shocked by his act of killing Modi, feeling that it wasn't truly him.

Besides that, on their way forward, Kratos also saw Baldr's past. Freya, the Forest Witch who previously saved Atreus, was his mother. Unlike Kratos, Freya, as a mother, harbored a prejudiced and doting love for her child.

In Norse mythology, there is a prophecy known as Ragnarok. This prophecy is an inevitable event, and before Ragnarok, the world will plunge into a bitter winter. To face the Ragnarok prophecy, Odin assembled the Valkyrie Legion.

Furthermore, the prophecy stated that Baldr was destined to die in this catastrophe of the Norse gods. For this, Freya granted Baldr immortality. As a mother, she didn't want her son to die, but this maternal love brought cruel side effects. This curse turned Baldr into a living dead man; the price of immortality was losing all sensation. His tongue couldn't taste food, his skin couldn't feel warmth or cold, and his heart couldn't feel the joy of love.

This also caused Baldr to resent Freya, hating her pathological maternal love, and wishing every moment to kill his mother with his own hands.

Similarly, Kratos's past, which he once refused to confront, reappeared: the moment he killed Zeus on Olympus.

During this journey in Helheim, it started with Kratos scolding Atreus, but as the journey progressed, and even at the end when Kratos gazed blankly at the phantom of his past, it was Atreus who led Kratos to escape. This journey was less about Kratos helping Atreus grow, and more about the father and son growing together.

Kratos used his experience to teach Atreus how to become a god. And in turn, Atreus influenced Kratos with his actions, gradually enabling Kratos to face himself.

Escaping Helheim, Zhang Yi took a deep breath, still feeling some excitement. On this journey in Helheim, they didn't encounter any powerful BOSSes. Most of the battles were against mobs and elites.

But the sense of impact it delivered was no less than before. This stemmed from the profound impact of witnessing the inner evolution of Kratos and Atreus.

Beyond that, Zhang Yi also had many expectations and anxieties about the subsequent developments. The game had already provided many allusions, and players familiar with Norse mythology would likely have a general idea of the game's direction by this point.

However, Zhang Yi didn't know much about Norse mythology. In fact, he often confused the gods of Greek mythology with those of Norse mythology, unable to distinguish who was who. But as the game progressed, for him, who was unfamiliar with these allusions, the unveiling of the truth brought even greater surprise.

For example, Baldr, the God of Light, was killed by mistletoe in mythology. This explained why Freya's expression changed so drastically and why she was so agitated when she saw the mistletoe arrows on Atreus.

However, although Freya burned all the mistletoe arrows at the time, before going to Freya's house, Kratos had broken off a small piece of mistletoe arrow to tie to Atreus's backpack.

And it was this small piece that ultimately broke Baldr's curse. The final BOSS battle was, without a doubt, against Baldr, with three different forms: Normal, Ice, and Fire. In between, Freya would use magic and manipulate the corpses of dead giants to hinder them.

After three continuous large-scale battles across different scenes, Baldr was finally defeated by the father-son duo of Kratos and Atreus. At this point, Atreus had truly matured, no longer losing control as he did when he faced Modi.

Like Freya, who pleaded with Kratos to spare her son, Atreus also actively persuaded Kratos, stating that Baldr was a defeated foe and no longer a threat. Kratos, unlike his younger self who would have killed anything that stood in his way, released Baldr and warned him not to bother them again, and also not to harm Freya.

After all, to Kratos, Freya had once saved Atreus's life and provided much crucial assistance during their journey.

But Baldr clearly wouldn't heed Kratos's warning.

In fact, compared to Kratos, his greater hatred was directed at his mother, the woman who intervened in his life, making him immortal but unable to experience any feeling of being alive.

Freya, who also possessed a pathological maternal love, was willing to die at her son's hands.

Seeing Freya about to be killed, Kratos intervened, despite knowing it was a family affair, and that both parties were willing.

“W-why? Why did you interfere! You could have… just left,” Baldr struggled, asking as Kratos choked him from behind.

“Here, our enmity ends, and we must grow.”

With a snap, Baldr's neck was broken.

As Baldr died, snow suddenly began to fall from the sky.

“I will bring all pain, all imaginable disaster upon you.”

“I will drag your cold corpse through every corner of the Nine Realms.”

“And feed your soul to the foulest creatures of Helheim.”

“I swear it!”

Freya's trembling hand caressed Baldr's corpse, cursing Kratos.

“He saved your life!” Atreus said from the side.

“He took everything from me!” Freya cried. “You are a monster… only knowing cruelty and rage, you will never change!”

“Then you don't know me at all.” Kratos looked into the distance.

“I know enough… But what about him?” Freya looked up at Kratos, pointing a finger at Atreus behind him.

Facing Freya's words, Kratos was perfectly calm. He had long been ready to face everything. He once was so mad that he destroyed everything, but in reality, he was always running away.

Working for the gods, begging them to let him forget killing his wife and child. Becoming the God of War, helping his people fight wars everywhere—that too was an escape.

Even after coming to this land of Norse mythology, he was still running from his past.

But now, he would no longer escape.

“Boy!”

Kratos slowly turned around.

“Listen closely… I came from a land called Sparta.”

“I made a deal with a god, and the price was my soul.”

“I have killed many who deserved it, and many who were innocent.”

“I killed my father.”

Atreus had once wanted to know Kratos's past, but Kratos had never responded. Now, Atreus was clearly shocked after hearing it. He remembered the phantom he saw when they left Helheim.

“Was that your father in Helheim?”

“Is that what it means to be a god?” Atreus felt somewhat lost, looking at his father, then at the grieving Freya and the dead Baldr.

“Must gods always meet such an end?”

“Sons killing their mothers… and fathers?”

Atreus, with a bewildered expression, no longer had the excitement and arrogance he displayed when he first learned he was a god.

“No. We will be the gods we choose to be, not follow in the footsteps of the old gods.”

“My past is not your future.”

(End of Chapter) <>