10 A Boiling Rage

"I..." Eina sits with her jaw still ajar, "...I don't know if I can do that," she says.

She holds those cold brown eyes to her own, and is met with a gush of that bloodlust, thick and treacherous energy that pulses from the man before her, "...I do not wish to have any more eyes on us..." Kratos says, taking a deep breath in an attempt to withdraw his death stare, "...I will not beg, but it will do you no harm to keep this information to yourself," his calm words nearly wash away the terrible intensity from before.

Eina sighs, glancing at Atreus and Mimir who both stare at her in expectancy. Her eyes return to Kratos after a moment, "...You're right. Plus... If people were to find out, the validity of the gods living here would be shattered, and familia members would disown their own gods. I'm sure not all of them would do it, but it's hard not to think like that when your single source of power is proven false," she says.

"That is of no concern to me. I will take no part in the politics of this city and its... Gods," Kratos says with clear disinterest.

Eina nods, "I understand. However, you must know, Kratos... If you are to continue living in this city and delving into the dungeon, this information will find its way to others' ears. It's inevitable," she says, "And with that, adventurers will target you, perhaps even entire familias. I've found that people do not like to see other people doing better than them, especially adventurers."

"That's okay. We can take them," Atreus says with calm words, taking on the challenge as if it's a simple game.

Eina raises her brows at Atreus, returning to Kratos after a moment. The Ghost of Sparta nods, and Eina pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing, "Okay, fine... Just, please be careful," she says.

Kratos stands and replaces Mimir at his hip, "Do not worry for us. I will deal with the repercussions if our secret is revealed, but it must not leave you," he says. Atreus stands beside Kratos, tucking his notebook to his hip.

Eina nods, standing as she looks at Kratos, "I will not tell a soul. I promise," she says.

Kratos nods, "Come, boy," he says.

"Okay... Bye, Eina!" Atreus waves as he follows close behind Kratos.

Eina waves back with a smile, watching as the duo step through the double doors. She sighs, turning to walk back to the counter, but someone steps in front of her, "Oh, hey Misha," she says.

A short woman with shoulder-length pink hair stands before Eina with a mischievous smile, "Who were they?" she teases.

Eina sighs, "Misha, not right now... Those people are not someone you want to tease me about," she says.

"Why is that?" Misha asks.

Eina stares at Misha with a plain expression before turning to walk to the counter, "Orario may turn into a battlefield soon," she says under her breath.

Mish raises her brows, "What?... Hey, don't ignore me!" she bolts towards Eina with a curious craving in her eyes.

---

"This bag can hold so much! I'm glad we decided to get one before coming here," Atreus says, holding a beige knapsack in his hands.

"Mmh, it took nearly all of our Valis... We will need to work diligently today," Kratos says. The duo travels through the first floor of the dungeon, those dim crystals shining down on the smooth cave walls.

"Don't worry, Father. I'll work hard," Atreus responds.

Kratos hums, "Good... Just like before, you will take the lead for the first floors. You must learn to fight without me," he says, "Give me the bag."

Atreus nods, handing the knapsack to Kratos. He slings the empty bag over his shoulder, and almost as if the dungeon is responding to their conversation, black holes appear along the walls. Three Goblins hiss as they step through the holes, and two Kobolds appear with lanky dog-like bodies further away.

Atreus looks for confirmation from his father, and he receives it in a nod. The bow slides from the boy's shoulder, and he bolts towards the monsters with a grin. The Goblins and Kobolds meet the boy's advance and Atreus welcomes the retaliation with a leap, nearly suspended upside down as he nocks arrow after arrow. Electrified streaks slam into the goblin's heads and chests, and a chain of black explosions follows.

Atreus lands behind the Kobolds, and they turn to meet the boy in stride. The first swings its claws through empty air and is met with a knife through the temple. The second Kobold grabs at Atreus with sharp claws, but the boy rolls from its grips. The bow makes its appearance again, and a sharp inhale holds the boy's hands steady as the arrow hisses with sparks of electricity. The Kobold stands stupified, not even able to register Atreus' position as an arrow pierces its skull.

A final burst of black smoke echos through the cave, and Atreus stands with a small hop. He smiles at Kratos, who gathers some of the stones into the knapsack. Atreus picks up the stone from the last Kobold, "How was that?" he asks, staring at Kratos with expectancy.

Kratos stands, stuffing one of the small stones into the bag. He holds it out to Atreus, and the boy drops the stone into it, "Adequete... Eliminate the weaker enemies first. You will want to have the greatest chance against the stronger ones, and drawing them into a one-on-one battle will create that chance," Kratos says, closing the bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

Atreus nods, "Yes, Father. But... Shouldn't I get rid of the stronger ones first? That would make it even easier to deal with the weaker ones," he asks, walking along beside Kratos.

Kratos hums, "No. The weaker enemies will not merely wait for you to eliminate another enemy. They will attack as soon as they have the chance, and the strong ones will do the same. You may try to eliminate the strong ones first, but you will have to deal with the weak enemies simultaneously," he responds.

"Oh, that makes sense. So eliminate the weaker enemies first, and deal with the strong ones fast. Anything else?" Atreus asks.

"Mhh... Of course, there is always more to learn in battle. I will tell you when it is relevant, but you should keep fighting the way you want, that is most important. Do not try to mimic others if it does not fit your skills," Kratos says.

Atreus nods, "Yes, Father," he says.

The duo continues through the first floor, and after a few battles between Atreus and the Goblins and Kobolds, they reach the second floor. Like a blur, they speed through the second, picking up the stones along the way. Hours pass, and the gods finally arrive at the thirteenth floor. The same damp atmosphere cloaks their skin, the bedrock sturdy under their feet.

"The dungeon seems to completely change between floors. And I don't know if you two have noticed, but the layout of each floor has been completely different from our first trek," Mimir says as the duo step through the vast cave.

"Yeah, I noticed that. I guess it must really be alive. That's weird... and a little creepy," Atreus responds.

"It creates the perfect training grounds. This will be good for you, boy," Kratos' rugged voice echos through the cave.

Atreus hums in agreement. He walks with his father until he suddenly looks up at the man, "...Oh, Father, I've been meaning to ask you something," he says.

"What is it?" Kratos responds.

"I want to use a sword... I've never used one before, but now that I'm bigger, I feel like I could handle it," Atreus says.

"Hmm... It would create more opportunities in battle. You will need training though, and as you know, I will not be lenient. You will be learning to wield a new weapon, and I will not allow you to slack on training," Kratos responds.

"Yes, Father. I know," Atreus says.

"Good. We will speak more of it when we get back to the city," Kratos says.

"Sorry, brother, but I believe the lad knows all too well how strict you can be in training," Mimir says, his cackle echoing.

"That's true," Atreus agrees, chuckling himself.

Suddenly, several pairs of red eyes appear in the darkness of the path before them. Kratos stands with his palm before Atreus, "Focus," he says.

Those blades, sharp and jagged with a furious flame shrouding them are held tight in Kratos' hands as he watches those familiar monsters reveal themselves. Seven minotaurs slam their hooves to the stone, approaching slowly with their jagged teeth like a warning.

"Assist me, boy. Keep your distance and look for your opportunity to strike," Kratos says.

"Yes, Father," Atreus responds, his bow held tight in his hands.

"Go," Kratos gives the green light and the muscles in his legs ripple as he pushes off the stone floor. An overflowing rage entrances his mind as his body blurs towards the minotaurs, and those flaming blades leave his hands. Chains pull the blades clean through a minotaurs torso, and the first explosion echos.

A stone axe barrels towards his head, but Kratos spins to the side and the chains yank the blades through the monsters neck before the ax even reaches the ground. The stench of burning flesh fills Atreus' nose as he stands to the side, his eyes wide as he watches his father massacre the monsters with a new fervor.

The one man genocide continues with Kratos plunging a blade through a minotaurs chest. He stands on the monster's shoulders, ripping the blade up and through its head. Kratos leaps away before the minotaur explodes, flying through the air as the chains rip through the damp air again. The blades slam into another minotaurs shoulders, and Kratos yanks the chains, his body plummeting down until his shoulder cracks the monster's skull.

Another explosion of black smoke, and Atreus finally rips himself from the admiration of the spectacle before him. He bolts forward and sees one of the minotaurs readying itself to strike while Kratos' blades rip the legs from another, "Fálki Lió!" Atreus yells as he releases the string, and a falcon flies from his bow, formed from crackling electricity. The falcon rises in the air before plummeting down straight into the minotaur's skull, exploding into a storm of electricity that seizes the monster's body.

The minotaur before Kratos explodes, and he spins to find the one Atreus attacked, stuck in place as it convulses violently. Gritting his teeth, Kratos spins again and the chains create a vortex of flames as the blades slice the air until it meets the minotaur's throat, another explosion of black smoke. However, the battle is not over, and Kratos turns to meet the last minotaur with its ax inches from his head. He catches the blade with his own, and a blue streak slams into the Minotaur's eye, exploding in a blue pulse and taking half of the monster's head with it. The final explosion echos and the battle is over.

Kratos exhales hard, that boiling rage subsiding as he replaces the Blades of Chaos to his back. Atreus steps up beside him, his brows furrowed as he meets his father's gaze, "Did you get stronger, father? I've never seen you fight like that," Atreus says.

Kratos looks down at his hands, "I do not know. I do feel... younger," he responds.

"I believe your restlessness has a part in it too, brother. Either way, I've never been slung around so much in my life," Mimir says.

"Were you this strong when you were younger, Father?" Atreus asks.

Kratos hums, glancing at his son, "Yes, but I was also... Lost," he says, his words trailing off as he speaks.

Suddenly, Kratos' eyes dart to the passageway the Minotaur's came from, and the sound of boots to stone echo through the cave, "Ready yourself, boy. We have no time to rest now," he says, drawing the blades again.