It has now been a full year since Zelos took over the direct training of Atreus, and during this time, Atreus' growth in skill and discipline has been advancing at a rapid pace. The more Zelos pushed him, the sharper Atreus became, and the results became clear in just the first month. Atreus, who once struggled to even graze a moving target, could now consistently land arrows on the fast-moving marks that Zelos set before him.
Once this was achieved, Zelos gradually increased both the speed of the targets and their overall numbers, forcing Atreus to adapt, overwhelming him on purpose so that his limits would be tested and his natural talent forged into actual strength.
Of course, archery was not the only focus of their training. Zelos also placed significant importance on close-quarters combat, sparring against Atreus regularly. He guided him into the style of a minimalist fighter—one who never wasted unnecessary movements, who built momentum slowly and carefully, while making sure each strike was compact rather than wild and overextended.
"Make sure that when you attack, you do not obsess over planning your very next move. Instead, secure your rhythm and allow your instincts to carry you. This way, if you ever face someone who can predict or even read your thoughts, they will not be able to easily see through your next strike," Zelos explained calmly, as he blocked and redirected Atreus' every attempt with ease, almost mocking the boy's predictable flow. His movements mirrored the same kind of effortless counters that Atreus would one day see in Heimdall.
"Yes!" Atreus shouted with determination, only to be caught off balance and slammed hard into the ground. His stance had faltered, and Zelos waited patiently for him to stand again, showing no intention of letting the lesson end there. Practice was one thing, but to Zelos, real combat was another, and the only way for Atreus to prepare for it was through repetition and struggle.
To bridge this gap, Zelos created a weekly exercise: summoning clay golems that would fight against Atreus. These golems were adjusted so their attributes perfectly matched Atreus' current level of strength and speed, ensuring a fair but merciless fight.
They were not instructed to hold back. If they could wound Atreus, they would. If they could push him to the brink of death, they would. Zelos allowed it without hesitation, as he was always confident in his ability to heal Atreus before true death claimed him.
And even if Atreus were to fall completely, Zelos was prepared to resurrect him, knowing it was not yet his time, and that the World Tree itself would not interfere.
This brutal approach led to Atreus experiencing multiple near-death encounters, each one forcing him to break through the walls of his former self. His reflexes sharpened, his knowledge from Zelos' lessons began to surface naturally in combat, and his ability to apply theory in practice grew more efficient. Pain was constant, but so too was progress.
By the sixth month, Atreus began showing signs of grasping a power similar to observation Haki, as he could now strike moving targets with flawless accuracy, even those that Zelos manipulated with unpredictable speed and patterns.
His shots became more efficient as well, no longer requiring him to pull back his bowstring as far to release a lethal arrow. At the same time, Atreus was beginning to understand the principle of instinctive fighting.
Rather than letting his thoughts cloud him in battle, he trained to act on instinct alone, honing his body and experience so that when the time came, his instincts would make the correct decision without hesitation.
During this same period, Zelos sought and gained Kratos' permission to allow Atreus to accompany them on hunts. This step was not for sport alone, but to provide Atreus with real experience in killing—not only beasts for food, but to prepare him for the possibility of striking down a person if it ever became necessary.
Zelos knew, as Kratos did, that nothing was more dangerous than facing an enemy driven into a corner, and Atreus could not afford to be unprepared for that moment.
Thus, the routine of their lives settled into a cycle. For the next six months, Zelos and Atreus trained tirelessly, hunted in the wilds, and returned to train once again. Every night, Zelos healed Atreus' bruises, cuts, and strains, making sure that by morning his body was ready to repeat the process all over again.
Through this repetition, Atreus was not only hardening his body but also his mind, learning discipline in the face of monotony, and discovering that progress often lay hidden in the dull, repeated actions that most would abandon out of boredom.
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Of course, the entire year was not spent solely with Zelos training Atreus. In between their daily routines, Zelos also dedicated time to visiting and conversing with Mimir. Their exchanges often revolved around stories and knowledge, with Mimir always eager to share his experiences, and Zelos just as eager to listen.
To Mimir, having someone who would lend an attentive ear was refreshing, while to Zelos, every tale was another piece of information that could one day prove useful. At the same time, Zelos continued to carefully examine the complex magical restraints that bound Mimir to the tree, studying the structure and composition of the spellwork Odin had cast upon him.
Though he was still far from breaking it, Zelos considered it a long-term project worth investing time in.
Outside of this, Zelos often experimented with creating simple but practical spells that, while not flashy, proved to be incredibly convenient. One such creation was the spell he named Deep Cleanse.
Despite its name sounding questionable, its function was straightforward yet thorough: it removed dirt, germs, grime, and any substance that could be considered impure or unclean. With a single cast, everything within range would be spotless. Zelos and Faye both came to appreciate this spell greatly, as neither of them favored living in filth or dealing with the hassle of constant manual cleaning.
In addition to these smaller projects, Zelos also began recreating various spells he had once seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically those used by Doctor Strange. He wanted to replicate their form and function, not only out of curiosity but also as a practical exercise in illusion and utility magic.
These spells, with their focus on runes, sigils, and portals, provided him with useful tools that he could adapt to his own repertoire. Moreover, Zelos recognized the importance of maintaining appearances. If he were to venture beyond their home or encounter outsiders, projecting the image of a simple spellcaster—a talented one, perhaps, but nowhere near the level of Odin, who was known as the god of sorcery—would serve him well.
Keeping others from realizing the true extent of his power was, in Zelos' mind, just as important as mastering new spells.