Thanos didn't want to be a villain.

Chapter 180 Runeterra - Battle against Atreus (4.1k)

Xerath's movements were so subtle that, theoretically, Nasus and Renekton wouldn't have been able to detect them.

But that's only in theory.

Nasus noticed the slight noise and looked in the direction where Xerath had disappeared.

"Who's there!" Nasus reached out and grabbed, and out of nowhere flew a scepter-shaped battle axe.

Renekton had just run back when he noticed his brother was on guard for something, so he instinctively drew his sword and became wary as well.

"It's just a mosquito, don't be so nervous," Dio waved his hand dismissively.

Azir needs the blood of his own blood relatives to be reawakened. It must be the work of the group that sealed him away. After all, the royal city fell, the royal family was almost wiped out, and Azir doesn't have many relatives left.

This magic was probably created to annoy Azir.

Renekton looked at Dio, puzzled, and said, "A mosquito? I'll never forget that was Xerath!"

As he spoke, Renekton brandished his sword and prepared to charge forward.

Nasus was startled and was about to run over as well.

Dio used his telekinesis to freeze Renekton, who was about to pounce, and then threw him onto Nasus to stop the two of them, saying, "There's no need to be nervous. Even if Xerath breaks open the tomb, he won't be able to do much to Azir, after all, he's sealed away."

Dio told the two brothers about the sealing of Azir's tomb, which calmed Nasus and Renekton down for the time being.

There's nothing we can do; the so-called seal is just that powerful.

This seal, which requires the power of bloodline to unseal, exists in Nasus's memories; it is a powerful sealing technique.

Nasus slammed his fist into the sand, growling, "Damn it, how afraid are these guys of His Majesty coming out?!"

Renekton was even more furious: "Isn't that obvious?! It requires the power of bloodline to unseal, but His Majesty has no descendants left, and where are we supposed to find them?!"

Renekton's words brought Nasus back to his senses. His mind had been in a daze, but now that his Beijing brother had shouted like that, he came to his senses and looked at Dio with renewed rationality, asking, "Do you know something?"

Dio smiled calmly and said, "Of course, your emperor does indeed have descendants in the world. Although we don't know how they were passed down, they do exist!"

Amid their shock, Dio asked again, "Nasus, have you heard of a female mercenary named Sivir who wields a massive cross-shaped weapon in the last few years?"

Nasus was momentarily stunned by Dio's inexplicable thought process, but considering that Dio might know something, and the thought that this woman named Sivir might be a descendant of Azir, he began to think about it under Renekton's anxious gaze.

“Sivir? I think some merchants from the northern port of Nasslama told me that name…” Nasus pondered, but was interrupted by Renekton.

"Brother, what are you waiting for? Let's go find her together!"

Renekton's decisive manner greatly impressed Nasus, who planned to go immediately. The two glanced at Dio and said, "Thank you for your help, sir. Would you mind waiting for us at Azir's tomb? We'll be back in a few days."

Dio waved his hand and said, "You don't need to worry about me. I have other things to do. You can do whatever you want when you get there. We'll meet again when the time comes."

Dio's words caused the two beasts to exchange a glance, bow respectfully, and then quickly leave.

After the two beasts had gone some distance, Thor spoke up and asked, "What are you planning to do? Let me make it clear first, the Ascended Ones' strength is only so-so. In the end, you'll lead us to find those so-called gods. I can't wait!"

In theory, powerful gods in the God of War world could fight one-on-one with the powerful gods of Freljord, but that's only in theory. In a real battle, their actual strength is unknown.

"Let's go to Mount Targon and find the strongest Protoss possessed there. Let's test his strength."

Dio's suggestion caught Saul's eye, and he couldn't wait to try it out.

Kratos was engrossed in writing something, indifferent to where they were going. He had come with Thor and treated the trip as a leisurely journey, recording everything he saw and heard to tell Atreus when he returned.

After resting for a night, the three set off towards Mount Targon.

Shurima is a vast region; according to Dio's scans, this desert area is roughly twice the size of the Sahara Desert.

The continent where Shurima is located is even larger than Africa.

The Sun Disk is not actually that far from Mount Targon. If you walk west across hundreds of miles of desert and endless plains to reach the Garden City, and you see the Soonza Sandstorm, then Mount Targon is just a huge mountain range away.

To be honest, the scenery along the way was quite nice.

The sandstorms, in particular, stretch endlessly like waterfalls, something I've never seen in other worlds.

Moreover, Runeterra lived up to its name; the air contained certain energy factors, and the elemental power was also very abundant and quite evident!

"This place feels like Alfheim to me," Thor remarked as he got closer to Mount Targon.

Kratos frowned as well. The energy here was so abundant that he even wondered if this place was filled with mages, priests, and prophets.

Upon arriving at the mountains, we found a complex terrain where the mountainsides were eroded by strong winds and swirling sand, resembling sharp blades.

The only downside is the strong wind. It's probably the only mountain range near the sea, and the sandstorms here are so intense that the wind can drown out all other sounds.

"The terrain here reminds me of the land of the dwarves." Thor looked around at the beautiful scenery, but his voice was drowned out by the wind, and Dio would not have heard him if it weren't for his keen senses.

Kratos heard Thor's thunderous voice, but he couldn't make out what he said.

Dio, feeling helpless, made a gesture and flew forward, with Thor pulling Kratos along behind him.

The three flew along the mountain range and soon discovered Mount Targon and the tribe living at its foot.

The sandstorms here aren't too bad, but the wind speed is extremely high in some steep areas.

"Are the people here still mainly tribal?" Kratos asked.

Dio nodded: "Yes, they worship two celestial spirits on Mount Targon, named the Dawn Celestial and the Moon Celestial, but there are more people who worship the Dawn Celestial."

Dio pointed to the symbols of the Dawn Cult in some places on the hillside and explained them to the two of them.

"So, the person we're looking for is up there?" Thor asked, looking up at the peak disappearing into the clouds.

“No, he’s halfway up the mountain,” Dio said, pointing to a recess hidden in the mountainside.

The strongest Celestial, the war Celestial, Pantheon!

Pantheon's name originates from the ancient Greek language. On Runeterra, he was a powerful Protoss with strong combat capabilities, but this powerful man encountered setbacks on his former homeland, Runeterra.

In the past, mortals who wielded Pantheon's power were overjoyed, and even those whose bodies were taken over by the Celestials were very willing.

But Atreus is different.

Although he was a mortal, and had suffered countless defeats in his life's battles.

But his spirit was unbreakable.

Defeated time and time again, but getting back up time and time again.

Even when climbing Mount Targon and facing that elusive test, he was the only one who persevered.

However, the Protoss forcefully seized his body. After all, in Pantheon's view, it was an insult to have his test won by such a weak warrior with a history of defeats.

Pantheon was quickly defeated when facing Aatrox, but inexplicably, Pantheon's power remained within Atreus's body.

After Atreus recovered from his injuries, he ignited the Protoss power within him with his indomitable spirit. When he faced Aatrox again, he severed Aatrox's arm, returning the sword demon to his weapon.

The three landed quickly. Kratos crouched down and looked through the gap at the sleeping Atreus, asking, "Is he still alive?"

Atreus was lying in a mountain hollow, unsure if using the Protoss powers would put any strain on his body.

There were almost all the necessary living facilities here, and Atreus was lying in a makeshift tent with a shield serving as the door.

It's no wonder Kratos asked that question. Although Atreus has been baptized by the Protoss powers and his body is much stronger than before, he still looks to be in very poor condition.

Moreover, it's completely different from the original game artwork.

The Atreus we see today lacks the robust physique of the original artwork; he now possesses only a gaunt body.

“He must have been starving for a long time; he’s very weak now.” Dio looked at Atreus and thought for a moment, then quickly figured out the reason.

Atreus was accompanied by another companion on his journey to the summit of Mount Targon, the strongest warrior of Atreus's tribe, but he was seriously injured halfway up and could not continue.

Perhaps out of guilt, Atreus often tortured himself here.

But his tenacious spirit kept him going.

"Forget it, let's just go up to the top of the mountain and take a look before leaving. I don't want to fight someone who's about to die." Thor glanced at Atreus and then prepared to leave, and Kratos agreed.

Dio remained silent, watching the spears that had been used to prop up the tent burst into strange flames, a commotion that made Thor and Kratos stop in their tracks.

"I'm not dead yet!" A roar rang out, the tent was burned, and the tall warrior who looked exactly like the original game artwork picked up his long spear and stood in front of him!

Dio clapped his hands: "Excellent, excellent, excellent! No wonder you defeated a god with the body of a mortal!"

"Who are you people?" Atreus asked warily, his eyes gleaming.

Thor chuckled, and thunder roared.

"We are the Protoss's flames of vengeance!" Thor lied without hesitation and slammed his hammer down.

Kratos stared at the weapons and armor that were exactly the same as those in his memory, feeling somewhat dazed.

"If you hadn't died, you would probably be the same as him, right?"

Hearing Kratos's lament, Dio found out who he was talking about: Kratos's brother Deimos, who had been wrongly accused of being the one destined to kill Zeus and imprisoned in Hell for decades, dying on his way back to Earth.

Kratos didn't go up; he didn't need to fight.

After fighting Renekton, Kratos was eager to understand the combat capabilities of these people, even though he knew from Dio that the combat capabilities of the Protoss Descendants and Ascended were quite similar.

However, without having seen the specifics, it's too early to make a judgment.

Moreover, the human in front of him actually obtained the power of the Protoss, which is just as shocking as Kratos not being the son of Zeus, yet still committing the act of killing a god!

Thor and Atreus fought their battle in the desert.

In a garden city nestled in the mountains, the residents watched helplessly as two streaks of light fell into the desert.

The aftermath of their battle even damaged their stone house, and everyone began to take cover.

“You are not a Protoss, you are not even under the command of the Protoss, the energy within you does not belong to this world!” Atreus said, holding his shield on guard.

That hammer blow was even more powerful than Yatox's; it made his arm ache and he was almost disarmed.

Thor chuckled, put away his hammer, and prepared to fight Atreus with his bare hands.

Suddenly, a storm appeared in the sunlit desert, with countless clouds gathering, just like a storm.

Some people even felt the raindrops falling.

Atreus frowned. The sudden change in the weather made him realize that the person opposite him was unusual. Atreus immediately thought of the Protoss as a powerful being capable of influencing the weather.

However, the Celestial power within him allowed him to clearly sense that the energy within the other party and his own, or rather, that their worlds were not part of the same system.

Moreover, judging from the current situation, the other party is unlikely to listen to the Celestial Spirits, after all, strong people have their own pride!

"Who are you?! Why are you fighting me?" Atreus asked again.

“I can tell you, but you have to fight me!” With that, Thor slid forward.

The sounds of their battle echoed far and wide. By the time Dio arrived with Kratos, the two had been fighting for quite some time.

Thor picked up his hammer again and swung it around, while Atreus tried to attack using the distance advantage of his spear, but with little success.

Instead, he was brutally beaten by Thor.

Moreover, the bolts of lightning did not actually do much damage to him; they only made his body tremble uncontrollably, leaving him powerless to fight back.

But whenever this happens, Atreus is always treated like a punching bag and thrown around and beaten.

Although the Protoss's power greatly amplified Atreus, no matter what methods were used, they could not inflict any significant damage on Thor.

Even the spear that had once severely injured Aatrox, falling from the sky, couldn't stop Thor's advance.

Thor's skill was so superb that Aatrox was no match for him!

Atreus was also very skilled in combat, after all, he had defeated Aatrox and his mastery of technique and strength was incredibly powerful. However, when facing Thor, who possessed even greater strength and skill, Atreus was no match for him.

Both Dio and Kratos noticed that Atreus was basically suppressed from beginning to end. Except for a few times when they were evenly matched, Atreus was always the one being outmaneuvered.

Soon, even Atreus, who could fight for days and nights without sleep, was beaten into a state of suspended animation by Thor.

It wasn't that he couldn't hold on, but that he was hit hard on the head by Thor's hammer.

Even Kratos would be knocked unconscious by this attack; it's a testament to Atreus's physical prowess that he wasn't killed by it.