The fight began in earnest.

With every attack from the Scyrric Grand Spymaster, death tried to seep into Adam. Even when Adam blocked the attacks, the energy was persistent. It tried to poison Adam's skin, his blood, and even his soul.

The force from the attacks destroyed everything around Adam, breaking apart molecules, disintegrating all matter. Orbs of destruction were released. They would wait for Adam to get close, like mines, before splashing their corrosive substance outwards, dissolving reality. Without the [Planetary Aegis] barrier to protect the world from their fight, entire landmasses would have been destroyed from these attacks.

The Tier 6 invader's every move allowed him to step through space, much like [Gladiator's Approach] did for Adam. Yet, this type of movement wasn't due to a skill, but just showed the power of a build that maximized the agility stat. With every attack that landed on Adam, the Grand Spymaster's speed increased further.

Adam managed to dodge or block most blows, but even the slightest touch would spread the poison. After being corrupted he would take a moment to draw out the toxic energies, though each of those moments would result in another corrupting attack from his opponent. His flesh would be dissolved, only to regrow thanks to passive healing skills. Bones would get broken, only to be instantly healed as Adam triggered healing skills from his connections to the Sentinel Army.

Though Adam was fast, the Scyrric was faster. Though Adam was strong, that only mattered if he landed a solid blow, which was rare. Though Adam had access to a huge library of skills, their activation lagged behind the teleporting Scyrric.

The Scyrric was gleeful as he moved around landing attacks while taking few himself.

"You thought you could stand against us?!" yelled the grand elder. He appeared behind Adam and his claws penetrated, injecting more of the destructive energy.

"Four measly cycles of your planet would never be enough against my numerous lifetimes," taunted the Scyrric with glee. His tail spiked out of the ground and into Adam's leg, where his skin and muscles blackened and began dissolving. Adam's femur grew soft and in danger of bending until Adam healed it.

"Standing against the [System] is an impossible task," said the invader maliciously, "especially for one who can't even stand against me!"

He raked his claws across Adam's back, and Adam pitched forward, onto his knees. Blood didn't even have time to seep out of the wounds, as the poison ate it before it left Adam's body.

Then the Scyrric appeared twenty feet in front of Adam. The invader slowly walked towards him, a victorious and satisfied look on his face. He couldn't see Adam's expression as he hunched while kneeling on the ground, arms, legs, chest, and back blackened and quivering.

"While not as exciting a fight as the [System] offered, it was the first time in centuries that I was able to use so much of my powers," praised the Grand Spymaster. "I can at least say that you are durable to last this long, aberration."

"…"

A noise came out of Adam. It was quiet, as though speaking was more than he was capable of in that condition.

"What was that?" asked the Scyrric while standing over him.

"Was that your full power?" questioned Adam in a whisper.

The Scyrric frowned down at him. He wasn't sure why Adam asked that question, or what the relevance of it was. It was with confusion that he answered.

"Yes, that was close to my full power. Had the fight lasted longer then I would have continued to increase in speed. Even those with ungodly high strength stats wouldn't be able to survive against my poisons."

Adam breathed out in stuttering gasps. Then he began to laugh. The Scyrric took a step backwards, to try and see him more clearly. This new behavior baffled him and was far different than the pleading for mercy he remembered being met with in the past.

"What is so funny to you, aberration?"

"Tier 6," whispered Adam. But as he continued to speak, his voice became stronger. The black in his skin began to sizzle as if a heat strong enough to burn away death itself was cleansing it. Adam's skin gradually turned red and the air around him wavered from the heat he was giving off.

The Scyrric took another large step backwards.

"I was worried," continued Adam, his voice louder and steadier now. "I wasn't sure of the strength I would face. How powerful the monsters like you are throughout the universe."

Adam lowered his hands to the ground. As he touched it, the ground ignited into a small fire, spreading steam around his naked body.

"Thanks for coming to my world and showing me…" said Adam as he stood up. He faced the Scyrric with a predatorial smile. "…that I have nothing to fear."

The Grand Spymaster took another step backwards, shock in his expression. His surprise at the unexpected outcome caused him to hesitate before acting. But Adam didn't hesitate. Instead, he inhaled deeply and did something he hadn't done in years.

Adam roared.

The Scyrric had been about to step forward, but he found his body stunned. His eyes tried to open wider in surprise, but the lids were stuck. Not since he was in a much lower tier had there been someone strong enough to affect his body like this.

Adam stretched his arms to both sides. He raised his face to the sky and breathed in a cleansing breath. Energy from the world rushed into him along with air. It filled him, the souls he was bonded to, and rushed through connections to fill those people at the end. The skill [Infinite] triggered and even more than due to his Grand Blood Berserker pseudo-skills, his stats soared with the contained energy.

When Adam let out his breath, he did so slowly and with contentment.

"You…think…you…might…still…win…" vibrated the Scyrric without moving his mouth.

Adam once more smiled at him.

"Yes. I think I will," admitted Adam casually. "But, just to make sure. [My World, My Rules]."

Through his connection, Adam felt excitement from Tom as Adam activated his friend's skill.

"Rule one: Regeneration," said Adam.

Immediately afterwards, energy from within the [Planetary Aegis] dome surrounded them. It coated Adam and all his skin and wounds healed. That wasn't all though. Even on the ground and in the places where the Scyrric's power had disintegrated, the energy became matter and rebuilt the last.

"Rule two: Stillness," said Adam.

The Scyrric found himself unable to move even more. But he also felt a desire not to move. To remain perfectly still, as Adam had said.

"Rule three," said Adam with the look of a prankster. "No tails."

The Scyrric tried to scream as he felt his tail withering and fading from existence. His insides trembled in rage and fear, unable to manage the indignation of having his tail taken from him by such an inferior and tailless creature. But the command of stillness prevented him from expressing those emotions in any way.

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"Don't worry," said Adam casually as he stared at the stationary Scyrric. "The tail will return once you leave my domain. If you leave my domain."

What Adam didn't say was that his domain was made up of the entire Earth. The whole planet belonged to Adam. He wouldn't relinquish it to anyone. Ever.

"Now, let's finish this old school."

Adam reached out a hand as if he was about to grip something.

"[Summon Weapon: Sledgehammer]."

Energy glimmered into being and took the form of a sledgehammer. Adam gripped it and almost sighed at the comfort he felt holding the weapon. For a long time, he had fought for his life, his friends, and his family. He had protected them, and this was a replica of the first weapon he had used to do it.

The familiarity of the grip took him back to the ignorant teenager who was struggling to figure out what was happening to the world and himself. The memory of the uncontrollable anger that the corruption caused crossed his mind. Back then, he wasn't sure if he would be able to survive his own emotions, let alone a world full of monsters fighting to take his life and the lives of all humanity.

But Adam had risen beyond that. He had fought to become what he needed to be to survive and thrive in this new universe. The abilities he formed, the connections he made had all enabled him to overcome.

And now the last obstacle stood in front of him, shivering in terror, even if there was no noticeable movement from the creature.

Adam raised the hammer in his left hand.

"[Gladiator's Approach]!"

Appearing in front of the Grand Spymaster, the hammer came down on his right arm. As the energy weapon moved through the space, the Scyrric's arm was crushed and ripped from his body. But Adam wasn't finished.

"[Kinetic Impact]!"

With his right hand, Adam punched the invader in the chest with a downward motion. The creature gasped as it hit the ground with enough force to cause a crater and then bounce back upwards. Adam caught him by the throat on the rebound.

"This is my world," said Adam with force as he brought his face close to the Scyrric's eyes, "and soon, all worlds will be mine too."

"No!" screamed the Scyrric. "You can't! You will never…"

Then the Scyrric grand elder went silent as Adam crushed his throat. A minute later, the corpse of the Tier 6 invader dropped to the ground and Adam walked away, whistling casually to himself. The fight was already behind him.

***

"Hope my skill was helpful," said Tom as Adam approached. Then he let out a whistle. "Now that outfit brings me back to a simpler time."

Only then did Adam care that he was naked. He triggered the skill [Summon Armor: Pants] and energy coalesced to cover his lower half.

"Aw!" whined Tom.

Adam was at the large building, covered by runes, where he assumed the world ending device was. All around the building and spread out as far as Adam could see were the members of the Sentinel Army. Many of them had blood and evidence of wounds on their equipment, but each one was there. Not a single death had occurred at the hands of the Scyrric army, and Adam was confident that not a single invader had escaped them.

In front were Adam's friends. They stood around the lone captive. Lucas had a sword at the Scyrric's throat, Randall and Joseph with their spears, and Nick was standing ready with his knives. Lamar was back several yards with a bow and arrow, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

A large Scyrric that was likely nine feet tall, much larger than the grand elder, was kneeling and bound by glowing cables. He snarled as Adam sauntered up, his gaze was one of authority. Outrage at his treatment and hate for losing the battle seemed more likely than it being from the death of his forces.

"I am Commander Grthk, in charge of this world claiming. Where is the grand elder?" demanded the Scyrric.

"[Quiet, you]!" snapped Tom. His skill triggered and the Scyrric's mouth continued to move with no sound coming out of it. "Answer only when the Holy One asks a question."

"Your grand elder is dead," said Adam. He stood imperiously over the Scyrric commander, even though the restrained, kneeling Scyrric was almost at eye level with the standing Adam. "You are the final invader on my world. Soon you will be dead too. Then we'll descent upon your planet as invaders and ensure that everyone sees the example we will make of the Scyrric."

The commander's shoulders began to bounce, and Adam realized he was laughing.

"Let him talk," Adam ordered to Tom, whose mouth flashed red as his skill stopped.

"You think to face our entire world? Our race? You claim to have defeated a Tier 6. Can you defeat dozens of them at once? And what of your world and people when you leave, aberration?" mocked the commander.

Adam stood there, unmoved, glaring maliciously at the creature in front of him.

"But once again you have shown great ignorance," continued the commander, his taunting lessened as he saw no reaction from it. "I do not expect you to know this, since you are but a native. You have no way to reach our world. The portals can only work if willingly activated by the one who controls this base. And I would never betray my race, especially if all that awaits is death regardless."

Adam continued to stare at the commander even after his words were done. Snickering broke out around them among the humans. Then Lucas tossed a small brown crystal to Adam.

"We took it off him," said Lucas. "Do your thing and show this skink lizard that the rules have changed."

Commander Grthk watched them warily, all signs of forced mirth were gone as he was unsure of what the humans were doing.

"Bring the minion," announced Adam.

It took several minutes of waiting in complete silence, with even the enemy commander quietly waiting. Then a path opened in the Sentinel Army. Two guards came forward. There were also two guards behind. In the center hobbled a shriveled lizard man. He looked desiccated, almost to the point of mummification. There was no tail behind him, as it had long been cut off, causing him to walk with an unsteady gait.

"Sgolkr?!" gasped Commander Grthk upon seeing him. "He is alive?"

As Sgolkr approached Adam, he lowered his head. When he was ten feet in front of him, he fell to his knees and bowed, averting his eyes.

"H-how may I serve, mighty sovereign?" asked the pathetic Scyrric.

"WHAT?!" roared Grthk. "You betray us?! Our race?!"

Then the commander noticed his tag. It read as "Minion [5]."

"How was this done?" hissed the Scyrric commander.

"Sgolkr, you will take control of this base and open a portal to the Scyrric planet of origin," ordered Adam.

Sgolkr trembled as he answered, "as my lord wishes."

"You cannot! Once again you fail to know the rules," bellowed Grthk. "Even though he is a Scyrric from the same world, control of the base must be willingly passed on, and I will not shift ownership to such a failure of a Scyrric!"

"There you boot lickers go again," antagonized Tom. "You just keep underestimating the boss…I mean, the Holy One."

Laughter erupted around them as and Joseph, Randall, and Lucas had to grab the struggling Scyrric commander. A glowing rod of metal was wedged in the mouth to prevent Grthk from trying to kill himself and prevent transfer of the Rift.

Adam ignored it, instead activating [Soul Vision] on his eyes to see the flows of energy. Once he saw the energy that connected the commander to the control crystal, Adam used [Energy Aficionado] to pull the energy out of Grthk and to move it to Sgolkr.

"I have inherited the Rift," said Sgolkr submissively.

Grthk tried to rage, tried to lash out and throw off his restraints, but was shocked to find himself powerless. Even though he was Tier 5, to think that natives of a new world could rival him, having defeated him in battle and then able to hold him down regardless of his immense strength was humiliating and unthinkable.

But once Sgolkr confirmed that the Rift, and portal, were within his control, there was no longer a need for Grthk. He became just one more failed invader of Earth. Adam's Earth.

***

The energy that was building around the dome containing the device was approaching critical mass. Adam could tell that the whole thing was ready to go off. Yet, he had made it in time. He had removed all obstacles.

With the use of skills from his people, some for disarming traps, others from craftsmen to rewrite the runes that protected the structure, and his own abilities to manipulate energy, Adam disarmed the device.

Once it was inert, Adam didn't bother studying it or learning how it could be crafted. No reason to tempt fate by putting more dangerous things into the universe's consciousness. Instead, he triggered several destructive skills held by his people and incinerating, disintegrated, and smashed the device into slag.

Even if similar devices went off on other worlds, they were too far from Earth to end it and create the time reset. For the moment, Earth was safe.

As the last remains of the energy spread out and dissipated from the device, a display appeared above it. No one remaining on Earth had seen a [System] message in years. Adam wasn't quite sure how it had been set within the device, but he knew the purpose of it.

THE FINAL LAST CHANCE

You have protected your species and world from the invaders, achieving a feat never thought possible. Through your power and leadership, you stand as the head of your race, obtaining control over all.

Should you agree to close all portals leading away from your world, then the [System] will use the last of its available energy still present to hide your world from the rest of the universe, ensuring that it will be kept safe and protected. So long as no one who has forsaken the [System] travels to other worlds, this protection will remain.

Ensure the safety of your world? [ Yes / No ]

Upon reading the message, Adam chuckled. He felt tears trying to enter his eyes. History had come full circle, and he couldn't help but think of the number of times that future Adam had seen similar, though less victorious, messages. A future Adam who would never exist, if there was even proof outside of his soul corruption that he had existed before. All that remained was this version of Adam. That was the only Adam that would be needed.

Keeping the world safe was everything he wanted. It was everything that he had fought for. If the [System] was being honest with this message, then hitting "Yes" was the only option.

Taking a deep breath, Adam looked upwards. Towards the sky. The heavens. The universe beyond the Earth that held untold dangers and threats to everything and everyone he held dear.

As Adam selected his response and turned his back on the fading message, his voice didn't need any urging for what he said next.

"Conquer!" he growled under his breath.

And then, with more volume he asked a question that the rest of the Sentinel Army wanted to hear.

"Where is the portal off world?"

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