Was there any way for Atlas to say, "Horus is trapped in the underworld," without sending the sixteen of them into a panic?
In simple words, no. There was not. The moment they heard it, all of them went ballistic with an array of questions. They wanted to know everything about the situation so that they could do something about it.
"Horus is alive in the underworld. That is all I know. None of you will be able to easily achieve all of the conditions to reach the underworld before I can, so sit back and allow me to do the work. If you are so concerned, then we can exchange communication talismans. That way, you can be aware of my progress."
It was the most Atlas could say to calm them down. It wasn't that they couldn't enter the underworld, but would they be able to do so quicker than him?
He had already completed most of the steps and now only needed to challenge the Hell Guardian. What held him back were his obligations in the real world.
