"That is a giant Giant," Atreus said, unable to keep his amazement quiet as he stared at Thamur's enormous head. The frozen features were so vast that they resembled a mountain more than a face.
If someone had walked past without context, they might have believed it was a natural formation created by time rather than the remains of a fallen Giant. Kratos also looked upon the scene, although his reaction was far more subdued.
His mind drifted back to the Titans he had once fought in his homeland, memories that he never welcomed yet could not prevent from surfacing.
He remembered the overwhelming scale of those beings, remembered Kronos in particular and the towering presence that had once dwarfed entire landscapes.
Thamur was smaller than Kronos, but the comparison was still enough to stir Khatos' old recollections, forcing him to confront pieces of a past he had long buried.
"Hold on," Zelos said as he examined the frozen terrain from a different angle. "If the entire village was frozen solid, then the chisel tip on Thamur's head must be buried under layers of extremely thick ice.
No ordinary flame would melt something like that." Zelos then glanced at Kratos, who in turn looked at Mimir, seeking his opinion.
"Aye lad. The boy is correct," Mimir said. "The ice surrounding that magical chisel is far too dense. Even Thor himself, with every strike he could muster from Mjolnir, would struggle to shatter something like that. We will need a better approach."
Kratos inspected the surroundings carefully. His gaze eventually settled on the enormous hammer resting along the side of the mountain.
The size of the weapon was intimidating, yet something about its position made an idea form in his mind. Zelos already sensed what Kratos was thinking, although he allowed him to speak first.
"I have a plan," Kratos finally said. At that moment, Zelos knew he would likely need to contribute, since wasting time flying repeatedly from one height to another was not something he wanted to do.
"Your plan involves dropping the hammer on the ice, does it not?" Zelos asked. Kratos looked at him and gave a short nod."Yes." Atreus and Mimir exchanged looks filled with uncertainty.
"And how exactly do you intend for us to accomplish that?" Mimir asked. Atreus also waited for his father's explanation with a curious expression.
"We climb the mountain, free the straps holding the hammer in place, and then allow it to fall," Kratos said. His plans were almost always straightforward.
"But how will we make sure the hammer falls close to the chisel tip?" Atreus asked.
"That cannot be controlled," Kratos answered. "We cut it free, ride the hammer downward, and decide what comes next only once we are already moving."
"So the plan mostly depends on luck," Mimir said with a sigh. Kratos' expression hardened, clearly unamused.
"You may offer a different plan if you wish," Kratos replied firmly. Mimir decided it was better not to argue any further.
"I can make the hammer fall where we want it," Zelos said. He finally stepped into the discussion, sensing that the timing was right. All three turned to look at him. Atreus and Mimir both seemed hopeful that Zelos had a better solution.
"I will move it by using raw magic," Zelos said. "No spell, just pure mana. It will be similar to levitation, but at a much greater scale."
Atreus and Mimir looked slightly disappointed. They had expected something grand and intricate, not a display of raw force.
Zelos had no intention of revealing every power he possessed, especially the more dangerous ones connected to the primordial fire within him.
Instead, he would use a technique similar to what Frieren and Fern used when lifting objects, although in this situation the object happened to be a hammer larger than any mountain.
"If no one objects, I will begin," Zelos said. His entire body gradually released a bright blue glow, the natural light of his mana.
It was a power he had developed from the moment he was born. The Essence within him further purified it, making every unit of mana as dense as the core of a star.
Zelos managed the output with extreme caution. He knew that an uncontrolled surge could cause far greater destruction than anything in the region.
Even with this careful control, Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir felt the overwhelming pressure spreading through the air. Atreus struggled to breathe, his knees giving out as he knelt beside Kratos.
Zelos lifted the gigantic hammer several meters above the ground. He guided it toward the chisel tip, only for it to halt when the thick straps caught against the mountain.
With one powerful tug, Zelos tore the straps free, shattering the section of rock that held them in place.
He then removed all of his mana at once. The hammer dropped immediately, and the moment it struck the ice, a massive explosion echoed throughout the frozen land.
Ice erupted in all directions. Shards flew across the lake like enormous projectiles launched from ancient siege weapons.
Several chunks shot toward Zelos and his family, but he erected a barrier with ease, protecting everyone from harm.
"Are you alright?" Zelos asked Atreus once the pressure faded. Atreus slowly regained his breath and signaled that he was fine.
Mimir, meanwhile, stared with his mouth slightly open, unable to process the sheer absurdity of what he had just witnessed.
Kratos remained seemingly indifferent, though no one could truly tell what he thought.
"That was incredibly dense raw magic," Mimir finally said. "Where did you obtain such power?"
"I can draw energy from nature itself and refine it within my body," Zelos answered calmly. "That is why it feels so dense. It comes directly from Yggdrasil."
Mimir's eyes widened even more.
"And what did you pay in return?" he asked. He knew from experience that the World Tree never granted anything for free.
Zelos said nothing. He looked away and allowed the silence to answer for him. Mimir immediately understood and chose not to ask anything else.
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PS: CONGRATS ON ME REACHING 50 CHAPTERS FOR TWO FICS. I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD WRITE THIS MUCH WITHOUT DROPPING, BUT HERE I AM. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO STILL BELIEVED IN ME DESPITE ME DROPPING STORIES LEFT AND RIGHT. I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT MY OTHER FIC ALSO REACHED 50 CHAPTERS. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN.