After dealing with the big boss in front of them, Kratos and Atreus in the game also prepared to head home.
However, on the way, the entire forest felt a little different from before. Many different types of undead warriors appeared along the path.
There were fire-elemental undead warriors who burned themselves to ashes, and others that seemed made of ice. When struck with a battle axe, they would even deflect the blade. These monsters could only be effectively damaged through hand-to-hand combat.
But for Kratos, these minor enemies were basically no-hopers.
As for his son beside him, Zack also noticed something. While he was still weak and only knew to shout things like "Father, no," "Father, be careful," and "Father, behind you," his bow and arrows weren't entirely useless. They could stun smaller enemies, triggering quick-time event instant kills.
It was just that the efficiency was a bit low; it wasn't as fast as him attacking directly.
The subsequent plot wasn't particularly thrilling. It was just Kratos bringing his son back home and giving him some stern lectures.
Until an uninvited guest arrived at Kratos's doorstep.
But just then, an uninvited guest arrived.
"It's no use hiding. I know who you are, and more importantly, I know your identity."
Hearing the mysterious person outside the house, Kratos quickly told Atreus to hide in the basement.
At this point, Zack was a bit bewildered.
He knew Kratos's true identity?
Was this person here for revenge?
But Kratos's only enemies were the Greek gods, and they were all dead. Could it be that Kratos had also killed many people in the Nordic lands over the years?
Listening to the voice outside the house, Zack was utterly confused.
Kratos then opened the door. Standing on the threshold was a man covered in tattoos with a full beard.
Facing Kratos, who had opened the door, the mysterious person taunted him relentlessly.
He even punched Kratos in the face.
Zack was instantly shocked. Was this short guy tired of living?
However, Kratos's subsequent reaction stunned Zack again and made him feel that the Kratos who could kill any god had truly changed.
Facing the provocative mysterious person, even after being punched directly, Kratos actually suppressed his rage and warned the other man to leave his home.
Compared to the Kratos of the past, who would kill his way through Olympus at the slightest disagreement and seemed utterly mad.
With a child, Kratos had clearly changed completely.
He had learned to control his anger because Kratos knew that inside the house behind him was his son, Atreus.
But clearly, things weren't going to end easily. Even though Kratos suppressed his anger and warned him to leave.
From the previous conversation, it was clear that this little guy was no ordinary person.
He was likely a god, a god from Norse mythology!
After a short cutscene, the game entered a boss battle once again.
This fight was like night and day compared to the previous one against the mountain troll.
Compared to the fight with the mysterious man, the previous mountain troll boss battle was just a beginner's tutorial.
He didn't have the massive body of the Greek gods or titans.
This mysterious man was even shorter than Kratos.
But when the real fight started, it was like the heavens and earth were collapsing, perfectly illustrating what it meant to be a fight between gods.
The feeling of every punch landing, combined with wide, sweeping attacks and incredibly impactful visual effects.
Giant tree trunks were destroyed by their clashes, and hard mountain rocks were shattered by their blows.
They even stood on the mountainside, testing their strength, and the entire mountain range was ripped into two halves by their immense power, creating a bottomless canyon.
From using trees to attack and slamming the opponent onto rocks, to incorporating the Spartan Rage, this brutal aesthetic, unlike the epic grand scenes before, was even more breathtaking to the players.
In the end, Kratos, with his superior skill, twisted the mysterious man's neck and threw him down the valley.
Zack was still immersed in the intense battle from before. Although it wasn't a confrontation with a massive monster, the impact and shock made him unable to help but sigh that this fighting style was what God of War should be.
But beyond that, the thing that made Zack sigh the most was that Kratos might truly be getting old.
In past Greece, Kratos had slain countless Olympian gods and experienced numerous earth-shattering battles.
But he had always been unstoppable, killing gods like divine beings, showing no fatigue.
But now?
After the battle, a blood-covered Kratos lay on the ground, panting. He got up after resting for a while, and walked back drunkenly, dragging his axe.
Anyone could see that Kratos was truly exhausted after the great battle.
Back home, through the dialogue between Kratos and Atreus, the game's main quest gradually became clear: the player would control Kratos and Atreus on their journey to the highest peak in Northern Europe to spread the ashes of the child's mother, whose face they hadn't even seen, on the highest mountain.
From this moment on, the game entered its true journey. Just as Zack had thought before, every move Kratos made had changed.
Compared to the volatile Kratos of his youth, the current Kratos even felt calm and peaceful. Having played the previous three installments, Zack had always thought these descriptions would never apply to Kratos.
On their journey, although he could still see glimpses of Kratos's past when facing enemies, there was more concern and guidance for Atreus.
For example, in the game, Atreus and his companions encountered a group of scavengers who wanted to eat them.
At the same time, Atreus killed someone with his own hands for the first time. Considering that Atreus hesitated to kill a deer before, this was clearly a huge blow to his young mind.
And indeed, Atreus fell into confusion. Kratos didn't yell or shout at this moment; instead, he patiently guided him.
Setting aside Kratos's identity, at this moment, Kratos was a kind old father.
However, this old father was still illiterate.
Back in Greece, Kratos had been played like a fool by word games due to Athena's promise.
But now, having left his homeland of Greece and arrived in the unfamiliar Midgard, Kratos seemed to have learned nothing and remained completely illiterate.
Faced with puzzle-solving levels that required deciphering runes, Kratos in the game looked utterly baffled.
But fortunately, at this moment, the "dead weight" that Zack had always considered the problem child, Atreus, came into play.
Compared to his illiterate old father, Atreus was much more learned. So, when faced with runes he couldn't understand, Kratos would shout to his son: "Boy, what does this say?"
When faced with unfamiliar Norse culture, Kratos would shout to his son: "Boy, what does this mean?"
In short, anything related to culture required Atreus to step in.
As the story slowly progressed, Kratos and his companions encountered a dwarf.
Using some previously obtained items and silver, the dwarf could forge some equipment for them and upgrade their weapons.
He upgraded his axe and also Atreus's bow. With no more resources left, Zack continued to guide his son forward.
In many scenes, Zack noticed something similar to the thorny bushes in "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild."
There were clearly treasures inside, but after searching various areas, he couldn't find a way to open them, which was very troublesome for Zack.
He didn't know if he just hadn't found it or if it wasn't something he could open at his current level.
On their way to the highest mountain, Kratos and his companions encountered some special stories.
For example, after hunting a peculiar-looking wild boar with his son.
A rather beautiful forest witch appeared, stating that the wild boar was her friend, a special species, and there was only one of its kind in all the Nine Realms.
When this woman appeared, Zack got a little excited.
Because in his previous journey through Greece, whenever a beautiful girl appeared, it meant it was time to start a "lover's embrace" adventure.
However, reality soon proved he was thinking too much.
The Kratos of the past would engage in "shameful lover's embrace" mini-games.
But the Kratos of today was no longer the same. Time had left indelible marks on Kratos, and with him now having his own child, such "lover's embrace" games were clearly not relevant to Kratos anymore.
Furthermore, this forest witch seemed very friendly towards Kratos and Atreus, making Zack wonder if she was Atreus's stepmother.
After leaving the forest witch, Kratos and Atreus, on the boat gifted by the witch, finally arrived at the Lake of the Nine.
From this moment on, Zack once again felt the epic charm of "God of War."
"God of War" was still "God of War." Compared to the previous journey through Greek mythology.
This journey through Norse mythology had richer plot development, and the grand scenes were even more breathtaking.
Arriving in the center of the Lake of the Nine, the incredibly massive World Serpent shot up into the sky, causing the water level to drop, revealing submerged sculptures and ruins of cities.
The incredibly shocking scene left Zack completely stunned.
This was simply incredible!
Of course, as the game progressed, Zack felt that "God of War" had changed its genre, and the difficulty as an ARPG had gradually increased.
Without upgrading weapons, armor, and skills, fighting monsters was no longer a walk in the park; it was a bit challenging.
This was because the monsters were varied, with ranged attacks, melee combat, and even witches who could cast spells, resembling a mass of wind and sand.
It was difficult for Kratos alone to deal with them. On the other hand, the problem child Atreus, whom he had previously looked down upon, was much easier to handle with his bow and arrows.
And as he upgraded the problem child's gear and skills, this initially useless problem child became increasingly helpful in combat.
Atreus's main function before was to shout loudly during battles.
"Father, get up!"
"Father, watch out behind you!"
"Father, are you okay?"
He seemed like a mascot.
His biggest use was when Kratos encountered runes he didn't recognize, and Atreus would come over to translate and explain.
But now, when Kratos and Atreus arrived at the Lake of the Nine.
Although Kratos's initial stance remained unchanged, and he was still completely illiterate, Atreus had become increasingly strong. He had even learned close-quarters archery, and a flick of his bow could stun minor enemies.
Watching Atreus excitedly observing his surroundings after a fierce battle, and Kratos panting for breath, Zack felt that the overall atmosphere seemed a bit off.
(End of Chapter)
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