!!!!! I'm changing power to 3 core slots !!!!!!
This dimension shift brought Tom Jacker into the midst of roaring waves and the pungent smell of salt. He appeared, hovering several hundred feet above the turbulent Aegean Sea. Below him, an ancient Greek sailing ship was battling a storm and something far more terrifying. Three gigantic Hydra heads, each the size of a small house, emerged from the depths of the sea, smashing the ship's deck and terrorizing the screaming sailors. In the midst of the chaos, one figure stood out. A pale-skinned warrior, adorned with blood-red tattoos, fought with the fury of two chained blades dancing lethally in his hands. Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta.
Tom observed with interest from above. Kratos fought with impressive brutality and efficiency, but the Hydra was a formidable opponent, and its numbers overwhelmed the Spartan. One of the Hydra heads managed to clamp its jaws around Kratos, ready to swallow him whole.
"Hmm, looks like this angry bald guy needs a little help," Tom muttered, a playful smile etched on his face. He had already changed into a simple white chiton using the "Fashion Adaptation" Quirk from AFO, to better "blend in" with the atmosphere.
Without warning, Tom shot down with Teleportation speed, stopping directly above the main Hydra head that was about to swallow Kratos. "Excuse me, Mr. Giant Squid," Tom said politely. "Could you release my toy?"
The Hydra, which probably didn't understand human language, merely growled and tried to lunge at Tom.
Tom sighed. He raised one hand. Using Absolute Psychokinesis, he gripped all three Hydra heads with unseen mental force. The gigantic heads suddenly froze, their savage eyes showing confusion. Then, with a single mental tug, Tom squeezed the three heads simultaneously until they shattered into pieces like rotten fruit, sending a spray of monster blood and flesh across the ocean.
Kratos, who had just managed to free himself as the Hydra's grip loosened, stared at the scene in disbelief. The storm subsided with the death of the monster. The strange man in the white robe landed lightly on his shattered deck.
"Well, that's better," Tom said, wiping his hands that weren't actually dirty. He turned to the still wary Kratos. "You almost became a snack, buddy."
Kratos brandished his Blades of Chaos, his angry eyes glaring sharply. "Who are you, stranger? What do you want?"
Tom smiled broadly, his most annoying yet confident smile. He walked closer, ignoring the tips of Kratos's blades pointing at him.
"Fear not, Brother Kratos!" Tom exclaimed enthusiastically. "Divine aid has arrived! I am Tom, or you can call me Tomos if that sounds more 'classic', your half-brother from our famous Father, Zeus! I've been looking for you for a long time! We finally meet!"
Total silence enveloped the ship, only the sound of lapping waves could be heard. Kratos stared at Tom, his expression shifting from wary to burning rage. "Zeus... has no other children like you," Kratos hissed. "You must be one of the Gods' deceptions!"
With an enraged roar, Kratos lunged, his Blades of Chaos swinging to cleave Tom in two. Tom just stood there, his smile unwavering. The blades hit him squarely.
CLANG! A sound of metal clashing was heard, but not from a shield. Kratos's blades seemed to hit an invisible wall, or rather, Tom's body was completely unaffected. His white chiton might have torn slightly, revealing unblemished skin without a scratch.
"Wow, what a warm family welcome!" Tom said, completely unfazed. He patted the marks from the sword swings on his chiton, which instantly repaired itself. "You have a lot of energy, Brother. Good! We'll need a lot of energy for our great adventure!"
Kratos growled, not understanding what was happening. He attacked again and again, every deadly blow having no effect on Tom. This man... couldn't be harmed.
"Are you done letting out your morning anger?" Tom asked after Kratos finally stopped, panting from frustration. "Because I heard there's a God of War named Ares who needs to be taught a lesson. And as a good big brother, I'll help you deal with him. This is going to be a very exciting family trip!"
Kratos stared at Tom with pure hatred. He didn't know who or what this being was, but one thing was certain: his already suffering journey was about to become much more annoying.
Kratos had no choice but to let Tom follow him. Every attempt to leave his "half-brother" always failed completely. If Kratos tried to sail alone, Tom would teleport to his ship. If Kratos tried to walk faster, Tom would float beside him using Telekinesis while commenting on how slow Kratos's "mortal legs" were.
"So, my angry brother," Tom said, floating upside down above Kratos's head as they finally continued their journey towards Athens. "What's your grand plan? Confront Ares, scream at him until he gives up? Or do you have a more... 'Spartan' strategy?"
Kratos just growled, ignoring him. He focused on his goal: finding the Oracle of Athens to seek a way to defeat Ares.
Their journey was filled with "help" from Tom. When they were blocked by a group of wild Centaurs, Kratos was about to swing his Blades of Chaos when Tom snapped his fingers. Using Absolute Psychokinesis, all the Centaurs were suddenly lifted into the air, their legs kicking frantically, and then with another wave of Tom's hand, they were all thrown into the sea several miles away.
"There, done," Tom said. "No need to sweat."
Kratos looked at him with a murderous glare. "I can handle it myself."
"Of course you can," Tom replied cheerfully. "But isn't this faster? Consider it fraternal efficiency. You focus on your anger, I'll handle the small stuff."
When they finally arrived at the gates of Athens, ravaged by Ares's army, they saw a fierce battle between Athenian soldiers and minotaur and harpy monsters.
"Time for a show!" Tom exclaimed. Before Kratos could act, Tom had already sped into the middle of the battle. He didn't fight seriously. He used the Gigantification Quirk from AFO to enlarge only his feet to giant size, then he "stomped" on minotaur formations as if they were insects, laughing. He used Hellflame to create "TOMOS WAS HERE" in flames on the wall of a ruined building. He even used Compress to turn some harpies flying too close into small marbles which he then put in his pocket.
The Athenian soldiers stared with a mixture of horror and awe. Kratos could only rub his temples, feeling a tremendous headache. "He's... with me," Kratos growled at the confused Athenian commander.
They finally reached the temple of the Oracle of Athens. The Oracle, a wise but seemingly weary old woman, looked at Kratos with pity, then her gaze shifted to Tom who was casually examining the statues of the gods.
"Ghost of Sparta," the Oracle said to Kratos. "You come seeking a way to kill a god." Then she looked at Tom. "And you... you are not of this world, nor of Olympus. Your presence is an anomaly unreadable by fate."
"I'm just a tourist who happens to have an angry brother," Tom replied, smiling at the Oracle. "So, Grandma Oracle, what does your crystal ball say about Ares?"
The Oracle, though disturbed by Tom's presence, remained focused on Kratos. She told him about Pandora's Box, the only artifact that could grant the power to kill a god, hidden in Pandora's Temple on the back of the Titan Cronos in the Desert of Lost Souls.
"Pandora's Box, huh?" Tom said, seemingly interested. "Sounds like a nice gift. Does it contain jewelry? Or maybe a new toy for me?"
"This is no toy, Strange Entity!" the Oracle snapped, her patience worn thin. "This is humanity's last hope!"
"Alright, alright, don't be so serious," Tom said. He patted Kratos's back. "Come on, Brother! Time to hunt for the box! I hope its color matches my chiton."
Kratos said nothing. He simply turned and walked out of the temple, towards his next mission which now felt even more absurd with the presence of his invincible and incredibly annoying "divine half-brother." The journey to the Desert of Lost Souls would be the greatest test of patience for the Ghost of Sparta.
The journey to the Desert of Lost Souls was arduous. Fierce sandstorms lashed them, and extreme temperatures tested Kratos's physical endurance. However, he pressed on, driven by anger and the hope of Pandora's Box.
Tom Jacker, of course, was completely unaffected. He floated leisurely beside Kratos using Telekinesis from his All For One library, occasionally forming a protective bubble of sand around himself just to show off.
"Are you sure you don't want a ride, Brother?" Tom offered for the umpteenth time, watching Kratos struggle against the sand-laden wind. "I can teleport us directly to that temple. Or at least to the big Titan that supposedly carries the temple on its back. Saves time, saves effort."
"I don't need your help, 'Tomos'," Kratos growled, each word feeling like sand in his mouth. He insisted on enduring this trial with his own strength.
"Alright, alright. Enjoy your stroll," Tom replied, then pulled out a deck of cards from thin air (minor materialization Quirk from AFO) and began playing solitaire while floating.
After days of exhausting travel (for Kratos), they finally arrived at the edge of the Desert of Lost Souls. An endless expanse of sand stretched before them, and in the distance, they could see a gigantic silhouette moving slowly: the Titan Cronos, cursed to forever carry Pandora's Temple on his back.
"There it is!" Kratos said, his eyes blazing with determination.
"That old Titan is pretty big, huh?" Tom commented, putting away his cards. "And the temple on his back... the architecture is a bit outdated, but the location is strategic."
As they approached Cronos, they were confronted by a horde of Sirens, winged female creatures with deadly songs that could drive humans mad. Kratos prepared to fight, but Tom had already moved.
"Let me handle this choir," Tom said. He used his Absolute Psychokinesis. With a single mental gesture, he created a high-frequency sound wave unheard by human ears, but incredibly painful for the Sirens. Their songs turned into screams of pain before they all fell from the sky, clutching their heads.
"Silence is golden, isn't it?" Tom said.
Kratos simply stared at him, then continued his ascent to Cronos's back. Climbing the giant Titan's body was a challenge in itself, filled with moving platforms, traps, and small monsters inhabiting its skin folds.
Tom, of course, merely teleported from one point to another, often appearing in front of Kratos with a bored expression. "Are we there yet? It's taking forever."
Finally, they arrived at Pandora's Temple. A magnificent yet ancient building, filled with an aura of danger.
"Now, Brother, after you," Tom said, gesturing theatrically for Kratos to enter first. "Ladies and children last."
Inside the temple, they were faced with a series of intricate puzzles designed to protect Pandora's Box. There were levers to pull in a certain order, collapsing floors, and moving spiked walls.
Kratos, with his warrior's intelligence, began to solve the puzzles one by one. Tom, on the other hand, just yawned.
"This is taking too long," Tom complained after Kratos spent hours on the first puzzle. He walked to the complex puzzle mechanism, stared at it for a moment, then shrugged. Using Telekinesis from AFO, he disassembled the entire mechanism from the wall, spun it in the air, then reassembled it in the correct configuration in a matter of seconds. The door to the next room opened.
"That's how you do it," Tom said.
Kratos looked at him with a mixture of anger at his "help" and a reluctant hint of admiration for his efficiency. "I didn't ask you to do that."
"I know," Tom replied. "But I was getting bored waiting. Come on, our gift box is waiting!"
They continued their journey through the temple, with Tom growing increasingly impatient and often "solving" puzzles or eliminating guardian monsters before Kratos could react, greatly spoiling the Spartan's sense of accomplishment. Every time Kratos was about to face what he considered a worthy challenge, Tom would appear and complete it with a wave of his hand, commenting, "Too easy!" or "Next!"
This was a new form of torture for Kratos: his most important mission now felt like a guided tour by an impatient, crazy god.
Pandora's Temple was a labyrinth filled with horrors. Monsters like fierce Satyrs, gigantic Cyclops, and screeching Harpies constantly attacked Kratos. Tom Jacker, of course, regarded all this as pleasant afternoon entertainment.
When a large group of Satyrs surrounded Kratos, Tom, who was sitting on an ancient sarcophagus observing, decided to "spice things up" a bit. He used the Hellflame Quirk from his All For One library, unleashing controlled blue flames that formed a circle around the Satyrs, roasting them quickly before Kratos could swing his blades.
"The roast is a bit overdone, Brother, but at least it smells good," Tom commented.
Kratos could only growl and press on. He faced a gigantic Minotaur in a room whose floor was covered in spikes. As Kratos prepared for a brutal fight, Tom, who was bored, simply waved his hand. Using Absolute Psychokinesis, the Minotaur was lifted into the air, twisted like a wet rag until all its bones broke, then slammed against the wall.
"Told you, didn't I? Too easy," Tom said, appearing beside Kratos. "You really need to find better challenges."
Kratos's fury reached a boiling point, but he suppressed it. His focus was solely on Pandora's Box. He knew arguing with "Tomos" was pointless.
They finally reached the heart of the temple, a gigantic chamber where the legendary Pandora's Box lay on a high altar. However, to reach it, there was a series of moving platforms, giant swinging blades, and other intricate mechanisms. This was the final test from the temple architects.
Kratos began to jump and climb with the agility of a Spartan. Tom simply teleported from one platform to another, often already waiting for Kratos at the end with an impatient expression.
"Do all these gods and Titans love jumping puzzles so much?" Tom complained. "Can't they just build a lift?"
After a long and arduous struggle (for Kratos), they finally stood before the altar. Pandora's Box, a beautifully carved golden chest, radiated an aura of immense power.
"There it is!" Kratos exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with hope. He stepped forward to take it.
Just then, a booming voice echoed from the high temple ceiling. "Not so fast, little Spartan!"
Ares, the God of War, who had been observing Kratos's progress from afar, now decided to act. A gigantic stone pillar, hurled with divine might from Athens, pierced the temple roof and shot straight towards Kratos.
Kratos, surprised and focused on the box, didn't have time to dodge.
However, before the pillar could hit him, Tom Jacker had already moved. He didn't try to withstand the pillar with his strength. He did something more Tom Jacker. He teleported right in front of Kratos, then with a single casual kick using a bit of Muscle Augmentation, he kicked Kratos several meters to the side, out of the pillar's path.
CRASH! The pillar struck where Kratos had stood moments before, destroying the altar and the surrounding floor.
Kratos landed hard, slightly bewildered. He looked at Tom. "You... saved me?"
"Of course, Brother!" Tom replied with a wide smile. "I couldn't let you die before the main show, could I? Besides, if you died, who would carry that heavy box?"
Tom's gaze then fell on Pandora's Box, which now lay amidst the rubble, untouched. At the same time, several harpies sent by Ares shot through the hole in the roof, aiming for the box.
"Oh, no you don't!" Tom exclaimed. With Teleportation speed, he was already near the box, fending off the harpies with a wave of Psychokinesis. He picked up Pandora's Box. The box felt warm and pulsed with immense power in his hands.
"Interesting power," Tom muttered. He felt the System inside him react.
[System Panel]
- Detected artifact with high concentration of divine energy.
- Analysis: Power of Hope and Power of the Gods locked within.
- Do you wish to attempt to copy the essence of this power? Warning: Process may be unstable and results unpredictable.
Tom grinned. "Unstable? Unpredictable? I like that!"
As Kratos rose and approached, he saw Tom holding Pandora's Box, his eyes glowing with a strange light. "Give me the box, 'Tomos'!" Kratos commanded.
"Sure, sure, Brother," Tom said. "But allow me to... 'examine' it for a moment." He touched the box's surface, focusing his abilities.
He didn't try to open the box. He tried something else. He used his All For One ability, not to steal a Quirk (because this wasn't a Quirk), but as a "channel" or "energy absorber" combined with the System's attempt to copy. He tried to absorb a small portion of the divine energy contained within the box, or at least, the essence of the legendary "power to kill a god."
The box vibrated violently in his hands, emitting a dazzling light. Kratos was forced to shield his eyes. The remaining harpies screamed and burned to ash from the overflowing energy.
[System Panel]
- Copying process initiated... Energy conflict detected...
- Adjustments made... Copying 'Temporary Divine Empowerment' aspect...
- System Notification: Ability 'Pandora's Might (Minor)' has been copied. Slots filled: 4/7.
- Description: Allows the user to temporarily significantly enhance all physical attributes and the power of other abilities by absorbing surrounding hope or divine energy. Duration and strength depend on available energy sources. Side effect: Mental fatigue after use.
Tom felt a strange new surge of power, different from Quirks or magic. It felt like pure potential. He smiled contentedly.
"Here you go, Brother," Tom said, offering Pandora's Box to Kratos. The box now looked slightly dimmer than before, though Kratos probably didn't notice. "Good luck with your plan to kill that God of War. I'll be watching from the front row!"
Kratos snatched the box roughly, his gaze suspicious of Tom, but he had no time to question. He had to return to Athens immediately.
The journey back from Pandora's Temple felt different. Kratos now held the artifact that could grant him the power to kill Ares. He walked with a more determined stride, although the heavy Pandora's Box weighed him down. Tom Jacker, on the other hand, floated beside him, seemingly very pleased with his new "souvenir," the 'Pandora's Might (Minor)' ability. He would occasionally try to activate it, feeling a strange surge of energy that momentarily boosted his other abilities, then chuckled with delight.
"You look very serious, Brother," Tom said to Kratos. "Even though you just got the best toy in the world. You should be a little more cheerful."
Kratos ignored him. His mind was focused on Ares and revenge.
However, as they were just leaving the Desert of Lost Souls, Ares, enraged that Kratos had obtained Pandora's Box, sent a "farewell gift." The sky darkened, and several gigantic Chimeras, monstrous creatures with lion heads, goat bodies, and snake tails, descended from the sky, blocking their path.
"Oh, Ares's henchmen are here to greet us!" Tom exclaimed. "Let me handle this. You guard your precious box."
Before Kratos could react, Tom had already sped forward. He decided to test his new ability combined with his old ones. He activated 'Pandora's Might (Minor)', feeling a surge of energy that amplified all his Quirks and other abilities.
He used his enhanced Absolute Psychokinesis, gripping one of the Chimeras in the air. Then, with the added strength from Muscle Augmentation, which was also boosted by Pandora's energy, he easily ripped off the monster's wings, then slammed it to the ground.
For the second Chimera, he used Hellflame, which now blazed larger and hotter, creating a firestorm that devoured the monster into ash. The third Chimera tried to attack him from behind, but Tom, with Spatial Teleportation that also felt faster and more precise, appeared above it, then used partial Gigantification on his legs and stomped the monster flat.
All of that happened in a matter of seconds. Kratos could only watch with his jaw agape as his "half-brother" annihilated three terrifying monsters so easily and brutally.
"Good warm-up," Tom said as he returned to normal size, the Pandora energy around him subsiding, leaving a slight mental fatigue that he ignored. "Come on, Athens awaits!"
They arrived in Athens, which had now become a total battlefield. Ares's forces, consisting of undead warriors, Minotaurs, and other monsters, battled the desperate remnants of Athenian soldiers. In the center of the city, Ares himself, in his gigantic form, was destroying buildings and laughing at the destruction he caused.
"Time for the main event!" Kratos said, his eyes fixed on Ares. He placed Pandora's Box down and prepared to open it.
"Wait a minute, Brother," Tom said. "Let me clear the stage a bit."
He floated above the city, then used his Absolute Psychokinesis on a scale he had never shown in this world. He created a gigantic force field around the main battle area, pushing back all the undead warriors and Ares's smaller monsters, creating a clear "arena" for Kratos and Ares. He even casually "moved" several crumbling buildings so they wouldn't fall on hiding civilians.
"Alright, the stage is set!" Tom shouted from above. "Go ahead, you two! I'll be the VIP spectator!"
Kratos looked at Tom with annoyance, but he had no time to argue. He opened Pandora's Box. A powerful beam of light enveloped him, and Kratos's body began to grow, his strength increasing many times over to match Ares's size.
The battle between the two Gods of War began. They clashed with power that shook the entire city. Blades met blades, divine energy collided.
Tom watched from above, occasionally throwing out comments. "Good right hook, Kratos! Oh, Ares, your footwork is a bit clumsy!"
He even used Compress from AFO to "clean up" flying building debris so it wouldn't obstruct his view, turning them into small marbles that he played with in his hands.
This was the greatest entertainment he had ever witnessed. And he was the only spectator with the best seat.
The battle between the giant Kratos and the giant Ares shook the foundations of Athens. Their every blow created shockwaves that brought down the remaining buildings. Ares, with his thousands of years of experience as the God of War, initially dominated, striking Kratos with dark magic attacks and pillars of fire.
Tom, floating above them, occasionally interfered in ways that were most annoying to Ares. When Ares was about to unleash a deadly attack, Tom would use Absolute Psychokinesis to slightly alter the attack's trajectory to narrowly miss Kratos, or use Spatial Teleportation to move Kratos a few inches to the side at the last moment.
"Almost got him, Brother!" Tom shouted. "You need to be more alert!"
Ares, realizing there was external interference, growled furiously. "Insignificant creature! How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Gods!" He tried to shoot dark energy at Tom, but Tom easily dodged it.
The battle grew more brutal. Ares, frustrated that his attacks on Kratos often "missed" strangely, decided to use a cunning tactic. He created an illusionary dimension, drawing Kratos into it. There, Kratos was forced to face his greatest nightmare: he had to protect illusions of his wife and daughter from attacks by hundreds of clones of himself armed with Blades of Chaos.
Tom, from outside, could feel the energy shift. He couldn't see into the illusionary dimension, but he could sense Kratos's mental suffering. "Oh, more family drama," he muttered. "This is getting boring."
He decided to "help" a bit more. He couldn't enter the illusion, but he could feel Ares's connection to that dimension. Using All For One, Tom tried to "disrupt" the flow of Ares's magical energy that sustained the illusion. He couldn't destroy it, but he made it unstable, causing the images within the illusion to flicker or distort.
Inside the illusion, Kratos, almost despairing, felt the disturbance. It gave him a momentary opening to realize that none of this was real. With a roar of anger and sorrow, he focused all his strength, not to protect the illusion of his family (because he knew it was futile), but to destroy the source of his suffering: Ares. He managed to break free from the illusionary dimension, returning to ravaged Athens, his rage now at its peak.
However, Ares, cunningly, used the opportunity to strip Kratos of his Blades of Chaos and all the magic the Gods had bestowed upon him. Kratos was now back to his human form, vulnerable and seemingly helpless before the still gigantic Ares.
"You are nothing without me, Spartan!" Ares mocked.
As Ares was about to deliver the final blow, Kratos saw a gigantic blade bridge near the ruins of Athena's temple (the Blade of the Gods). With his remaining strength, he ran towards it.
"That's a big sword!" Tom commented from above. "But how is that angry guy going to lift it?" He decided to give one last decisive "help." As Kratos gripped the hilt of the Blade of the Gods, Tom subtly used his Absolute Psychokinesis, not to lift the sword completely, but to drastically "lighten" its weight for Kratos, making it feel like a regular sword in the Spartan's hands.
Kratos, feeling the sword become unexpectedly light, managed to lift it. With a final war cry, he charged Ares and, in a brutal close-quarters fight, managed to stab the God of War through the heart.
Ares roared in pain, his gigantic body beginning to disintegrate into explosive divine energy.
[System Panel]
- God-tier target defeated with significant contribution from you.
- Analyzing remaining divine energy of Ares...
- System Notification: Ability 'Divine Rage Aura (Ares - Minor)' has been copied. Slots filled: 5/7.
- Description: Emits an aura of rage that can intimidate weaker enemies and slightly increase the user's physical strength when angered. Effects are passive and active.
Tom felt a slight warm sensation as a small portion of Ares's dissipating energy was absorbed by his System. It wasn't the full power of Ares, but just a minor trace of his divine rage. "Not bad," Tom thought.
With Ares's death, the city of Athens was saved. Kratos stood panting amidst the destruction, his body back to normal. He had succeeded. He had killed a God.
Athena appeared before him, thanking him for his service. She told Kratos that his sins were forgiven.
"But what about my nightmares?" Kratos asked. "Can you remove them?"
Athena shook her head sadly. "No God can erase such horrific memories, Kratos."
Disappointment and despair again enveloped Kratos. He walked away, towards the highest cliff in Greece. Tom followed him from afar, curious about the end of this drama.
He watched Kratos throw himself off the cliff. "What a shame, he was a quite entertaining character," Tom muttered. But then, he saw Athena appear again, lifting Kratos from the sea. There was an empty throne on Olympus, and Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta, would become the new God of War.
Tom laughed. "What a cliché and ironic ending! I love it!"
He had gained two new abilities from this world: Pandora's Might (Minor) and Divine Rage Aura (Ares - Minor). He still had two empty slots for this world. He could have looked for more monsters to "collect," but he felt he had enough. The main show was over.
He glanced towards Mount Olympus in the distance, where Kratos would begin his new "career."
"Maybe next time I'll stop by for tea with you, Brother Kratos," Tom thought.