The four adventurers made their way deeper into the secured vault of the Temple of Tyr. Zelos took the lead, using his magic to methodically negate or disable the traps that lined their path.
He knew that if they attempted to navigate the defenses manually, they would likely spend days trying to survive the gauntlet.
Despite the vault being created as a challenge, Zelos did not doubt that the reality of Tyr's defenses was far more complex and lethal than any game mechanic he remembered.
Zelos's prediction proved correct almost immediately. They arrived at a corridor filled with rotating saws that moved with erratic, unpredictable patterns.
In the stories, there might have been a small opening for a boy like Atreus to squeeze through, but here, there was no such gap.
The entire mechanism was fully covered with layers of protection magic so dense that even Kratos found he could not penetrate it with the physical force of his Leviathan Axe.
This obstacle forced Zelos to decipher the entire magic system used in the vault from scratch. It took him nearly an hour of intense concentration to solve it.
Tyr had constructed the defenses by chaining together different magic systems from various cultures, creating a complexity that Zelos had not yet had the chance to study in depth.
However, Zelos realized that the foundation of the system was compiled into building blocks that utilized Giant Magic.
Since Zelos had plenty of experience with the magic of the Jotunn, he was able to use this familiarity as leverage to crack the code.
To the others, it might have seemed like a long wait, but to Zelos, cracking such a masterpiece of security in only an hour felt like he was working at breakneck speed.
After several hours of searching, dismantling traps, and exploring the vast interior of the vault, the group managed to solve the majority of the puzzles barring their way.
Finally, the four arrived at the final piece of the gauntlet. A massive gate stood in front of them, locked tight.
In the upper middle section of the gate, a receptacle held a restless, floating green orb of energy.
Atreus looked at the strange mechanism, confused for a moment, and voiced his concerns.
"So, what is next? Do you know what kind of key would unlock this gate?" Atreus asked. They were standing in front of the giant gate, and despite the knowledge he had gained recently, he was unsure how to interact with the volatile energy pulsing above them.
"Brother, it is the Winds of Helheim. You need your blade," Mimir said, turning towards Kratos.
This statement left Atreus with even more questions, as he did not understand why his father would know how to manipulate energy from the realm of the dead.
"Oh, you must be wondering where your father got this new trick. Well, you are in luck, for I have the answer for you," Mimir said, sensing the boy's confusion.
"As you see, earlier, when you were sick, we were tasked by Freya to get the heart of the Keeper of the Bridge of the Damned. Your good friend Brok helped us along the journey by modifying your father's new blades.
He adjusted them so they could now welcome and hold the energy that comes from Helheim. It saved us a lot of trips that need not be taken."
Mimir explained this simply to Atreus, who nodded as he absorbed the information. Kratos stepped forward, unhooking the Blades of Chaos.
He captured the chaotic green energy from a nearby source within the room and transported it directly towards the gate mechanism.
The energy transferred successfully, and the locks disengaged with a heavy thud.
The gate opened to reveal a large central room with a massive cog mechanism in the center. Kratos stepped up to the crank and decided to start moving it.
As he applied his strength, the entire runestone structure suspended above began to lower slowly.
Zelos, who knew exactly what was going to happen next from his memories, secretly cast a barrier spell around Kratos and Mimir.
Mimir, who was standing near Kratos to observe the mechanism, looked up at the heavy runestones that were descending into place.
As the runestone lowered to its minimum height, the trap sprang. Suddenly, thick vines erupted from the internal workings of the cog.
They lashed out with incredible speed, attempting to wrap around Kratos and crush him. However, the barrier that Zelos had preemptively cast flared to life.
It blocked the vines instantly and then flared with intense heat. Zelos had woven absorption magic into the mix of the barrier, which directly absorbed the Bifrost energy, empowering the vines and used it to burn the plant matter to ash.
"That was close. You never know where the traps are in this place. Good thing I am always prepared," Zelos commented casually towards Kratos.
Kratos turned towards his son, nodding in acknowledgement as he realized Zelos was the one responsible for the protection. Mimir, who had leaped back in surprise when he heard the whipping sound, dusted himself off.
"Atreus, pull the chains to start moving the runestones. Perhaps there is a needed sequence before we can proceed," Kratos then said towards Atreus.
Zelos stood by and looked at the puzzle. He watched Atreus study the mechanism, but decided to intervene to save time, as he knew the answer already.
"Try the sequence where the Moon is on the left, the Sun on the right, and Midgard is in the middle," Zelos said towards Atreus.
Atreus trusted his brother's judgment instantly. He started pulling the chains, moving the massive distinct runes one by one to put them in the order that Zelos had instructed.
When Atreus locked the final rune into place, the mechanism hummed with power. It accepted the sequence, and the magic was released.
However, the vault was not done with them yet. The ceiling suddenly started to groan and collapse, and the central cog began spinning wildly out of control.
"Freeze," Zelos commanded.
He cast a powerful stasis spell towards the cog. The magic washed over the mechanism, stopping it from spinning further. It became stationary, frozen in time.
The large black rune, which had been previously covered in layers of stone protection, was now freed from its prison and hovered in the center of the room.
"Where did you know the answer to that riddle?" Atreus asked Zelos, breathing heavily from the exertion of pulling the chains.
"It is very simple logic," Zelos answered, turning to his brother. "The middle is the Earth, or Midgard, as it acts as the balance between the celestial bodies.
The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West, signifying the entire length of the day. The Moon signifies the night. Despite also rising in the East, it is best understood in opposition to the Sun.
If the Sun drops in the West, the Moon rises to take its place. Therefore, the Sun belongs on the right, the East, and the Moon on the left, the West, with the Earth in the center.
That is my entire train of thought for that puzzle. I do not know what yours was, but I think it is time to replace it."
Zelos explained the logic that he had formulated when he had solved the game in his previous life. He had remembered the solution clearly because he had gone through it over and over again.
"This entire vault is full of traps, but at least thanks to Zelos, we skipped a lot of them. But still, the time we have taken to complete the mission is much longer than our previous missions," Atreus could not help but comment.
He realized how much effort Tyr had put into creating this entire place, and he was impressed that Zelos had solved it in mere hours.
As they started walking towards the Black Rune, they saw it floating in the air. It was surrounded by a strange, swirling wind and protected by a white, laughing mask.
Zelos turned towards Atreus and nodded. Atreus understood. He took out the knife that he had picked up in the treasure room.
Atreus stepped forward and stabbed the mask from which the strange wind was originating.
The mask shattered, and the wind glowed brightly until it dissipated completely. This left only the Black Rune falling through the air. Atreus instinctively reached out and grabbed it.
When Atreus grabbed the Black Rune, his arms suddenly began to glow. The runic system embedded in the artifact reacted to his Jotunn blood, making itself known and transferring knowledge directly into his mind.
"Did you see it?" Kratos immediately asked after the glow faded.
"Yes," Atreus said. He answered Kratos's question without hesitation, his voice filled with newfound determination as the four finished what they had come to the Vault of Tyr to retrieve.