Almost four years passed. The Sentinel Army had spread across the world. They had taken America, Canada, and then South America. Then they moved on to Asia through Alaska. Europe and Africa were only a matter of time. Thanks to the floating bases and massive transports that they could now create, Australia and any bases on islands became part of their territory too.

Their resources grew. More humans were found, which also meant more soldiers. Management centers and defensive fortifications were organized in various areas throughout the world.

Adam's work only grew. The more people they found, the more voices called for things to be different. Whether that was to reclaim their original lands, or to insist on different control structure for humanity.

Those dissenting voices rarely reached Adam though, since his territory covered almost the entire world, meaning that thanks to the Rift Menu it was completely under his control. The loyalty of the Sentinel Army and the Leputi also proved a strong barrier against human rebellion. No one could overlook the difference in strength between those loyal to Adam and those who weren't.

The Leputi weren't the only non-humans to integrate into their society either. Many races had submitted to the Sentinel Army and gladly swore fealty to Adam for the strength he gave them. They enthusiastically worked on his behalf with access to knowledge, tools, and power that they had been denied by their previous rulers. Thanks to their racial experiences, they all knew the universe worked on rule by strength, and they never questioned the sovereignty of Adam.

The only bases that hadn't been merged with Adam's Rift network were those that had been captured and left in the hands of another race to have access to their portals. Some were so that humans could eventually go off world, and others were so more of the subservient races could come to Earth. The Rifts of allied races became linked to Adam's network to allow him to monitor and have some control of them.

Many strong invaders had been captured for Adam to steal knowledge from their memories and to learn more about other classes and skills. In turn, that helped him strengthen the Sentinel Army further.

Throughout all these years, Adam continued to strengthen those who followed him, and even his own soul. Adam built up his classes. He tried strengthening them all, enhancing them, entwining them, and even merging them to create the strongest power within his bonded souls.

Adam worked furiously, knowing that they couldn't afford to miss their chance. They searched the entire world, except for Antarctica, for hidden bases or secret facilities where additional bombs might be created by those working for the [System] but found nothing that could be a threat.

It was a warm day in September, before the seasons were to change, even though Adam could control the weather across the planet through the Rift Menu if he wanted, that he felt a shift. The entire world let out a groan that only he could hear, as the energy within it became agitated and disturbed.

"It's time!" he said when it hit during a meal. He stood from the table, and all his friends did too. Without another word they returned to their condos to gear up.

***

Standing at the boundary of the territory, Adam could see the temperature difference. Thanks to the thousands of Rifts that the Sentinel Army conquered, the range of Adam's territory encompassed the entire world. Except for where enemy bases were.

On islands, deep in the ground, hovering in the air, sunken in the oceans, Adam could see every place where his territory was prevented from reaching. The Rift's map showed him every part of the planet, even those areas that scientists could only theorize about since humanity had no way to reach. At least before.

That made it easy to know that he was looking at the final invader base on Earth.

The last merged Rift was pressed right against Adam's world.

Antarctica was cold. Or at least it was supposed to be. Adam had refrained from messing with global weather, except within a few main cities that had been built. The sphere of influence from the final Scyrric base ignored the weather, with the lizard men making the temperature hot. It was so hot that Adam almost couldn't see across the boundary due to the wall of steam from the outside cold hitting the hot air inside.

The steam didn't stop Adam from looking in. He announced a few skills.

"[Far Sight], [Penetration], [Clairvoyance]."

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Several people around Adam had their eyes flash with skill activations and then Adam could clearly see within the base from any angle he wanted.

The Scyrric Rift had much more territory than a single Rift should have, showing that there was more involvement by the [System]. It went for miles in a perfect sphere. The ground was no longer ice and had been turned into a substance that Adam didn't recognize.

Thousands of buildings were scattered around the Rift, but a single massive dome was at the center of everything. The dome had an ominous feel and when Adam's eyes slipped off it regardless of which skills he used, he knew that was his target. It couldn't just be destroyed, but the energy that Adam saw when he used [Soul Vision] on his eyes swirled around, wafting off the building in a way that was not good for the world.

Adam also saw the Scyrric. They had strong weapons and fortifications. There were combatants from other races as well to support them. They were spread around the Rift. There were at least hundreds of thousands of them. Their classes were powerful and not even one was below Tier 4, which showed how much the [System] was counting on this. Otherwise, the energy needed to transport all the invaders and their high-quality gear would have been unthinkable.

Oddly, only a single Scyrric stood between Adam and the Scyrric army. This one was thin, short, and hunched even more than the other lizard men. However, his tail was dozens of feet long and Adam could see the power contained within him. The grand elder of the Scyrric, "Grand Spymaster [672]" stood casually while waiting for them. And he knew they were there.

Whether through destruction or conquest, this would be the last day of Earth's invasion. Either Adam would stop it right here, or the world would cease. It would be replaced by a new world that had an ignorant and powerless Adam, and no one to lead the fight against the inevitable.

The last day.

Adam didn't mind. Sure, he'd mind if he lost, but that was why he had spent all his time working to ensure he wouldn't. If he died here or took too long to shut down the device of planetary destruction, and failed to protect the Earth, then Adam would need the rest that only death could bring.

Sixty-eight times his predecessor had tried to save the Earth. He even tried to cheat and failed at that, crippling Adam's ability to grow in power. But in the end that failure was what allowed Adam to be here now, to stand against the last day of the Earth. Future Adam had both failed and succeeded, in ways that he never could have foreseen and would never know the result of.

In his place there was a different version of him. One who had fought and overcome everything. One who had separated himself from the powers of the universe and found his own. One who didn't come alone.

Adam turned around to look at those who were with him. He had brought his closest friends. Only those who he knew could survive the intense battle awaiting them, those he had built up to be as powerful as they could be. The connections Adam had formed made both him and them stronger.

All 2 million fighters from the Sentinel Army stood ready.

They rode various beasts and mounts that were able to travel to here. Flying manta rays with puffy wings, wormlike creatures that defied gravity and slithered through the air, giant birds that Brittney called Rocs, and even elephants that had wings, tails, and feline legs.

Thousands of islands floated in the sky around them and into the horizon, packed with humans, Leputi, and all the various races that had pledged to Earth in exchange for Adam's protection and power.

They would all fight to protect the Earth. Heroes or not didn't matter. This was their last chance for victory. Their final attempt to survive. Each one of them knew it. "That's all they've got?" asked Tom as he stepped next to Adam.

He wore a robe over his armor that glittered with runic formations and had what Adam considered to be a silly circlet that ringed his head. On it were the shapes of different scenes of Adam fighting one invader or another. Each version of Adam had a hammer lifted, which extended from the circlet to make it look like a holy crown.

The tag of "Pope of Adamanity [238]" still made Adam want to grind his teeth, but he had stayed away from the religion that Tom had formed, allowing it to become whatever was needed to push everyone to this moment.

Everyone in the Sentinel Army forces saw what Adam looked at. The network that Adam had created and his control over it had been refined, giving Adam a lot more ways to benefit his army, including sharing his vision with everyone in it, much like Adam had learned to share in their skills.

"I'm sure it isn't," said Adam wryly. "We've never fought a Tier 5 before, let along a Tier 6, and it's obvious that the [System] will have provided them with more surprises than we know about."

"Don't sweat the small stuff, boss," said Tom. He hit the hilt of the sword at his waste and several linked rings on it rattled. At the sound, many of the people behind Adam raised a fist in the air as if they were holding a hammer. That salute radiated out among the people until everyone had their arm upwards. "As it is written, 'his hammer will fall upon his enemies with the surety of justice.'"

"Knock it off, Tom," said Andrea, "Elemental Wife of the Heavens [218]." "Don't quote your mumbo jumbo to Adam."

"I know, right?" chuckled Nick, the "Plague of Life [243]." "That's like lecturing god about himself."

"Quite true, Nicholas," nodded Tom solemnly.

Adam sighed. Things had changed so much in such a short time. Himself more than anything else. But it had all been done out of necessity.

"Don't worry, Adam," said Lucas, "Planetary War Master [248]", as he joined in the conversation. "You can focus on that grand elder, and we'll lead the army against the rest."

"Just make sure not to touch the dome. We can't risk setting off the device," ordered Adam.

"Then let's get started," suggested Brittney, "Sovereign's Queen of Protection [212]."

Brandon, "Bountiful Blesser [189]," raised a staff inscribed with runes. He triggered the skills, "[Skills through Proxy], [All buff], [Heroes Protection]". People had been set up so that buffs like this could be cast onto them, allowing them to recast what they received to those around them. Flashes ranged far and wide as everyone felt the benefits of the strongest buffs.

"We only have a few hours," spoke Adam, his voice heard by everyone connected to him. "Let's finish this here and now. For our family…planet…and ourselves!"

A roar went up behind him and Adam stepped through the wall of steam.

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