The two guards carried themselves with caution. They never removed their hands from their weapons and were always in a stance to jump forward if their escort was threatened.

"Why should we speak with enemies?" Adam tried to ask casually, though he couldn't reduce the angry edge in his voice.

"I get that you're skeptical," said the negotiator, with what Adam assumed was an attempt at smiling. "However, our race has never attacked you and we think that a future alliance with your group is possible."

"Then are you willing to leave our planet and convince other races to as well?"

"That's a tricky request. I was sent here for two purposes. The first is to foster a friendly relationship. Do you think you can contact someone with the authority to discuss this?"

The main Red Clan member had been watching Adam's face and eyes the whole time, trying to speak to him in a personably way. Now a thought occurred to him, and he took time to look well at Adam standing there in a tank top and seat pants. It was obvious that he held no weapon, which surprised the invader. He also wasn't armored like a guard. The only part of Adam that looked prepared for battle was his metal boots with shin guards up to his knees.

Suddenly squinting at Adam, the negotiator looked him up and down. Then he stared above Adam's head.

"Wait. You're no guard," said the man. "You are him, aren't you? The one the Scyrric call the aberration?"

"I am," answered Adam curtly.

"That's great!" The respond from the invader was jovial. "I hadn't expected to have the honor of meeting you directly. This will expedite things."

Once again, the invader's mouth moved in a way that was supposed to resemble a friendly smile. To Adam, able to see past his charms and illusions, it resembled a shark preparing to open its jaw before biting down on prey. He inadvertently flinched as a result.

The flinch didn't go unnoticed as the attempt at a smile fell away and the negotiator frowned.

"My skills aren't working on you, are they?" he asked hesitantly.

"No," said Adam bluntly.

The invader sighed, though it sounded more like the squeak of releasing air from a balloon.

"Between that and your open hostility, I guess I'll be more direct and dismiss pleasantries. Your group of natives, and you especially, have managed to do things unprecedented in history. Even though you're doing well now, it is unlikely to last. If you and your group sign an alliance with us, we can help protect you as the planet is taken over. Maybe even send all your people to a safer world to live on."

Adam remembered the deal Cruxannith had offered to Commander Rexus. He wondered if this was a default offer. It probably didn't hurt the Red Clan at all to offer a portion of a weak world, and it put the relocated group under their thumb since they could be threatened once they were away from the [System] rules on a new world.

A shiver of revulsion ran through Adam and his face crinkled in hate.

"All my people?" mocked Adam. "You're too late for that. All humans are my people. We've already been decimated by the invasions so most of my people are already dead. My terms for discussion stand. Leave our world and take the others with you."

"One moment," the invader requested while frowning further.

He turned and spoke to the guards. Instead of continuing to speak in English, this time he spoke in [System Standard] expecting that Adam wouldn't understand.

[This native seems delusional. I was hoping to have a productive discourse, but he seems unwilling to even listen. If he lashes out at us, I'll need you two to cut him down,] said the negotiator.

Adam watched, choosing this time to interrupt.

"There is another option."

"And what would that be?" questioned the invader cautiously.

"Sign a soul contract with us," stated Adam nonchalantly.

The negotiator's eyes went rounder in surprise before he quickly steadied himself.

"You must mean a [System] contract," corrected the invader thoughtfully. "There is no such thing as a soul contract. I'm surprised you even know about [System] contracts. But even a [System] contract wouldn't be possible for a variety of reasons."

Then Adam smiled a vicious grin and looked each of the Red Clan member right in the eyes. He repressed the heat and river as much as he could with [Soul and Body Shaping] to prepare for what would happen next. Then he spoke using [System Standard] to antagonize the trio, a skill he had unlocked in future Adam's status sheet after living through Cruxannith's memories.

[Not possible due to your soul contract with the tower?]

This time the negotiator gasped with fury on his face. His voice changed from the attempt at being friendly to condescendence and anger.

"How do you know about that?" he demanded while lowering his posture to prepare for combat. "My second purpose is to find Cruxannith'cz'Jurzax. Where is she?!"

Both guards unsheathed their weapons. The blades looked like a cross between a short sword and a carving knife, although there were two parallel blades on them with a half inch between. A cut from those would be impossible to treat without healing magic and could bleed someone out before they reached a healer.

"Dead," stated Adam matter-of-factly.

"Impossible! We know she is alive. How did you get this information from her?!"

Adam's smile became wider. "I'll show you. But can someone be considered alive if their soul has been shattered and their body is catatonic?"

The invader snarled and hissed. He opened his mouth to command, and the guards started to move. Adam didn't wait. The guard on his left was hit with a full powered [Soul Bolt]. Suppressing his berserker skills had been intentional to get the most strength out of the soul attack as possible. Using it caused Adam to wince as the damage Cruxannith had caused his soul still caused pain when he used his pseudo-skills, but Adam wouldn't be stopped.

A choking noise came from the guard's helmet, and he staggered backwards. The other guard turned his heal in surprise, expecting the damage to his fellow was caused by additional enemies. Before he had the chance to turn back, Adam had already adjusted [Soul and Body Shaping] to increase the power of his river.

The non-staggered guard had his sword hand grabbed by Adam after he used [Gladiator's Approach] to arrive at him instantly. Then he used [Kinetic Impact] on his foot and kicked the stomach of the guard. The guard didn't let go of the weapon and Adam didn't let go of his hand. That resulted in the invader's lower body being flung back and upwards while his head went down.

A knee into his helmet while using [Explosive Strike] caused a burst of power that dented in the mask of the helmet and probably the face inside. Gurgled came from it as blood sprayed out of the neck and eye holes.

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Adam had made those attacks in a smooth, continuous movement. Even though the guard was still holding the weapon and was in the air, Adam had the strength to control the blade and the body connected. As his kicking foot landed, Adam dropped low, pulling the guard's body with him. He swung the weapon at the back of the knee of the guard he had used [Soul Bolt] on.

Even Adam was surprised by the sharpness of the dual bladed sword as both edges managed to slice part of the armor and cut halfway through the guard's knee. Adam let go of the blade and stood. His elbow glowed and he dropped it on the already falling guard's back.

It all happened faster than the negotiator could react. All he saw was Adam disappear and then heard the noises from the brief conflict behind him. As he turned, Adam used [Arc Shockwave]. All three invaders were sent into the air until they impacted the ground and rolled. The guard who had been hit in the face didn't get up, and the one with the cut knee tried but failed to reach his feet.

When the negotiator was able to open his eyes after scraping along the ground, he saw Adam standing over him.

"Wait!" pleaded the invader, holding up his hands to delay the monster before him. "Cruxannith thought there was a Tier 4 mentalist supporting you. The [System] denied it, but it was you the whole time! No one considered that. They thought you were a berserker."

His words came out with a tremble. He tried to get a grasp on the situation that was far different than he expected. There was fear in his eyes but learning that Adam was able to use soul skills, hope also showed in them.

"We can still work out a deal. You are too unique and amazing to give up on now. We are researchers. We can help you figure out your uniqueness more than anyone else."

Adam looked down at the practically groveling Red Clan member. He didn't speak, but with all three invaders on the ground, he didn't look as angry as before.

"I can't sign a contract, which you already seem to know, but I will find a way to give you everything I can if you agree to work with us," the negotiator said desperately. His eyes flashed with the use of a skill and Adam assumed it belonged to the negotiator class to figure out what the partner wanted. He felt his own soul protection pseudo-skill [Mental Fortitude] activate.

"Wow, you can also block skills affecting your soul. I swear that we'll provide you with as much support as you want if you agree. I am even willing to go against the Scyrric and to provide you with all their base locations and strength. I'll give you all the knowledge I have."

"You'll give me all the knowledge you have?" scoffed Adam. "Of course you will."

Adam's grin was suddenly threatening enough to scare even predators away. The grotesque Red Clan member began shaking at the clear threat. His throat was grabbed and Adam lifted him into the air. No amount of struggling or clawing by the negotiator loosened the grip.

Their faces became close, and Adam looked directly into the invader's eyes.

"Now, let me show you what happened to Cruxannith."

***

It was evening by the time Adam returned to Jackson. The base had been notified that he had handled the immediate situation, though a higher level of alert was maintained in case Red Clan reinforcements showed up.

Transporting the three captives to Cruxannith's prison base in Memphis hadn't been easy. Stripping them of all their gear and checking them for runes or hidden tools had been even more difficult. Fido had come along resulting in a few extra burns to the captives' skin.

When Adam opened the door to his condo a huge smile formed on his face. It was impossible to miss all the noise going on from his dinner table. There were jokes and laughter, insults and taunting, and a lot of eating going on.

"Hey, Adam, how's it going?" greeted Nick as Adam approached the boisterous group.

Adam closed his eyes and took a moment to enjoy the lack of silence.

"Ugh, I can still smell the blood…"

"…can't believe he thought we'd attack things like that…"

"Can I ride them, or do you think it's only Akuji?"

"…if you ask me, it was too reckless…"

"How long before they're all cleared?"

He breathed deeply and listened to the sounds more than the words.

A heavy plate, filled with meat, was placed on the floor for Fido. Then Adam walked to the only open seat and sat down. A plate was dropped in front of him and his friends began piling it up with food. Even his chefs seemed to be smiling at the merriment happening.

Everyone had showered and changed. Emily and Alissa had their hair wrapped in towels. Brittney and Andrea's were in pajamas, although Abbey looked just as put together as usual. Even the boys seemed washed and groomed.

The table was more crowded than usual as even Akuji, Marj, Angeline, and Karen were enjoying the food. While Akuji was intensely digging into the food with her hands while ignoring any attempts at conversation, Karen was conservatively nibbling at her food after politely cutting small pieces and properly using silver ware.

The only person who didn't seem happy and satisfied was Tom, whose head was lying on the table with his arms spread out. Marj and Angeline would rub his back or put a bite of food into his mouth but then go back to eating, not letting his mood get to them.

"I'm glad you guys are back and safe," Adam said before tucking into his own meal. "How'd it go? Who won the contest?"

Brittney smiled brilliantly at him and then dropped five brown control crystals on the table.

"No problems," she declared. "It was tiring but it's safe to say we out level, or out stat, the basic invaders around here."

"Akuji also subdued a large number of beasts and monsters that we might be able to tame and use for the strength of Jackson," Abbey added.

"They're mine!" garbled Akuji with a mouth full of food and particles falling out of it while she spoke.

"That's great!" said Adam. "What about the guys?"

Everyone looked at Tom. Without raising his head, he moodily reached into his pocket and pulled out a single control crystal. He set it in a pile of mashed potatoes on his plate.

"Seriously?" asked Adam. "You only conquered a single Rift?"

"That idiot Tom chose poorly," Randall complained.

Lucas nodded his head, "Most of the bases will require more intel or specialized forces to take."

"Still, only one?" Adam asked incredulously.

Nick then spoke up.

"Even that one wasn't really conquered. The crystal came from a base that was entirely sand with a pyramid in it. It smelled like a litter box. The invaders were humanoids who looked like lions and tigers and cats. Except, they were all napping in the sunlight, uninterested in fighting us. Their queen was complaining about the difficulty of sleeping on her throne. Tom had her sign over the base to us in exchange for a luxury bed and taller perch."

Adam stared at Nick, then looked at the crystal, which was now the top of a potato pyramid.

"Then what is going to happen to the rest of those invaders?" asked Andrea.

"The queen said they'd take a portal back to their world. This one seemed a bit colder than they wanted," explained Carlos.

"It is winter," added Adam, unsure what else to say. "Then in the end the girls won the contest?"

"As expected," boasted Alissa.

"Crushed them," taunted Andrea.

"We've all grown from this experience," stated Abbey.

"Though it'll be nice to work as a full group again," stated Brittney. Both guys and girls nodded in agreement.

"Regardless, it's great to have you all back and I look forward to focusing on kicking the invaders off our planet. Together," said Adam.

"Aw, did you miss us that much, darling," cooed Andrea.

Adam vigorously nodded. "I missed all of you more than I would have suspected." Several aw sounds were made, before Adam added jokingly, "Except for Tom."

"Damnit," Tom swore, dropping his head back to the table.

***

During the next week, confusion spread around those in the Sentinel Army. Few people knew about the reward for the contest. A frequent point of conversation became the change to the Sentinel Army statue. People came from all over the city to look at it and chat about it.

In front of the Sentinel Army headquarters, on the raised dais, was still the ridiculously heroic pose of Adam with his hammer raised above his head. However, instead of everyone from his group standing smaller in the background, Andrea, Abbey, Alissa, and Brittney were now proportionally sized next to Adam with most of the guys smaller in the background. The only other figure who was sized to Adam and the girls was Tom. He was on his hands and knees, kneeling in front of them with one foot from each of the girls resting on his back. The girls all looked heroic too.

"Damnit," Tom cursed every time he passed the statue. "Next time I'll win for sure!"

***

After eating with his friends for the first time in over a week, Adam felt more satisfaction than just the food could have provided. He smiled and laughed with his friends, reveling in their presence while listening to the stories of their raids.

Everyone was tired, so they didn't spend a lot of time with Adam that evening, and even the girls wanted to get back to their own condo to catch up on sleep. When everyone was gone, Adam decided he might as well grab some shut eye too.

He patted Fido on the side and the two got up to head to his bedroom. It was dark in the room when he opened the door, except for two glowing slits.

Quickly he turned the light on. A cat head, slightly larger than Adam's fist, stretched up to look at him. With a yawn, a black furred humanoid body about two and a half feet tall stretched out.

"Are you the servant Tom promised?" meowed the feline. "About time. This queen was getting hungry, though I have no complaints regarding the bed I was given." She stretched out and clawed at Adam's bed from on top of the covers.

Adam frowned.

"I'm not a servant and this is my room."

"Oh? I believe the highest perch belongs to this queen," she said haughtily.

"Too bad. Besides, I'm more of a dog person."

Then Fido stepped forward and all three heads growled.

"Oh my!" gasped the queen cat person as she jumped to her feet and backed up while trying not to look intimidated. "I-if this room is already claimed then it c-can't be helped. E-excuse me…"

She got down from the bed and walked around the outside of the room while staring cautiously at Fido. When she reached the door, she rushed out of the room and then the condo.

Adam sighed and picked up the covers that she had been shredding. Then he shrugged, stripped, and went to bed. He would figure out what to do about the queen another time.

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