Two heavenly beings drifted across an endless dark sky tinged with a deep crimson hue. The expanse was dotted with planets as large as newborn dwarf stars, each ensnared by colossal chains that wrapped around them, anchoring endless worlds together in a cosmic tapestry. On these worlds, hordes of sinful souls were scattered, condemned to endure eternal torture under the relentless flames of the All-Consuming Fires.
"Father," Michael called out, his voice resonating in the void.
"Yes, my child," responded the Lord, his presence serene in nature.
"What makes him different? Why is Adam so strong?"
Michael inquired; his curiosity piqued.
There was a brief pause.
"You know, you're not the first to ask me this," the Lord replied with a benevolent smile.
"But why do you desire this knowledge?"
"Is curiosity not a good enough reason?" Michael countered.
"Is it really curiosity, or concern?" the Lord asked with a knowing gaze.
"A little of both," Michael admitted.
The Lord gave a hardy laugh.
"I haven't told anyone else this, so be sure to keep it a secret," the Lord confided.
"What of Adam? Does he know?" Michael pressed further.
"He'll figure it out eventually," the Lord said calmly, a hint of amusement in his tone.
When the Lord forged Adam from dust, He bestowed upon him three unparalleled advantages, elevating him above every other being in creation. The first of these gifts was his body. Each cell, muscle, and bone was meticulously crafted to perfection. From the very beginning, Adam's body was that of a god, designed to excel in all things. The Lord had sculpted the form he would have desired for himself as a warrior. If God were a fighter, he would be Adam.
Adam's physical form was an embodiment of divine craftsmanship. His muscles were imbued with boundless potential, capable of exerting force beyond mortal limits. His bones were as resilient as the foundations of the universe, unbreakable and enduring. Every cell in his body radiated pure energy, continually evolving, granting him unparalleled vitality and endurance.
His reflexes were honed to perfection, enabling him to react with impeccable precision. His senses were heightened beyond the natural realm, allowing him to perceive the subtlest of changes in his environment. Whether in combat, where his prowess was unmatched, or in feats of strength and agility, Adam was the epitome of physical excellence.
Moreover, his mind was a repository of divine wisdom. Infused with knowledge and insight, he could grasp complex concepts effortlessly and devise strategies with unmatched clarity. His intellect was a beacon of understanding, illuminating the mysteries of existence and guiding his actions with unwavering purpose.
In essence, the Lord had created Adam as the ultimate being, the living embodiment of strength.
Then there is Adam's contract with God, a pact so profound and binding that it transcends the limits of possibility. A contract, a mutual, unbreakable agreement between two individuals of immense power. It is a covenant wherein there is always an exchange—a give-and-take relationship that ensures balance. Such agreements can be forged between two beings, between one and oneself, or even between one and the entirety of creation itself.
The contract between the Lord and Adam, however, was established as a uniquely one-sided agreement. The specifications of this divine contract were both simple and staggering in their implications.
So long as Adam lives, he shall continually, uninterruptedly receive strength from the Lord, and conversely the Lord shall continually dwindle in power so long as Adam lives.
This inexorable transfer of power will persist until the Lord is entirely depleted, not only cancelling the contract but also extinguishing his existence as a result.
(A/N): Remember, Qi is power and Qi is life.
No one knows why God Almighty would submit himself to such a fate. It could be in order to achieve an unknown goal, or maybe he simply wanted humanity to have the power to defend itself. Or perhaps; perhaps, he was simply weary, tired of creating, tired of ruling, tired of existing. Maybe the cycle of life had lost its purpose.
Due to this eternal covenant, Adam will perpetually increase in power, his strength growing without end until the divine source itself is exhausted. This endless ascent in power makes Adam an unstoppable force, a being whose potential knows no bounds.
Finally, Adam possessed a unique attribute that set him apart from all other beings who had come before him: he lacked a boundary. This boundary, a basic yet profound physical limitation, is a constraint placed upon all beings, whether mortal, angelic, or demonic. It acts as a cap on the power of their race, ensuring that no single entity grows beyond a certain point without immense effort and struggle.
When one grows stronger the boundary acts as a cap to the power of their race. But if one somehow manages to break through their limits a new one shall be formed which will require even more effort.
For most beings, as they grow stronger, this boundary functions as an ever-present ceiling to their abilities. When one manages to break through their limits, a new boundary forms, presenting an even greater challenge. This cycle of breaking limits and encountering new ones repeats indefinitely, each new boundary requiring exponentially more effort to surpass. The process ensures that no civilization or individual can grow indefinitely in power, as they absorbed the endless Qi across the cosmos.
Adam, however, was free from this cyclical restraint. Unlike all others, he would never have to contend with such a boundary. There was no invisible ceiling to his power, no barrier to slow his ascent. His potential for growth was limitless, unbounded by the physical or metaphysical constraints that shackled other beings. This absence of a boundary meant that Adam's strength could grow endlessly, becoming infinite and maybe beyond.
These factors are what cemented Adam's legacy as the strongest.
"Incredible."
Michael was simply astonished by the effort put into creating such a warrior. Then he truly understood the meaning of the man's strength.
'If I told this to any of the others, they would obsess over the fact that I sacrificed my strength to build a mortals'
The Lord thought to himself.
Michael was different though, it seemed he perfectly understood the reasons behind Gods actions, never once questioning them and simply respecting his choice. This is why he is the right hand of God.
Then they arrived at the central light source of the Chaos realm.
"Why couldn't he come here himself? Now we have to make a trip back home before arriving on the battlefield." Michael murmured to himself.
"We needed to avoid attention as much as possible so Diablo can stay put. Having the two of us here is already a risk."
With no more words exchanged they began whatever endeavor they planned.
Adam faced the shapeless enigma, relying solely on instinct to move across stopped time. Null, however, did not waver outstretching his arm. A swarm of darkness erupted from it, heading straight for Adam. Within inches of reaching him, Adam vanished, reappearing behind Null with his fist reeled back.
"How predictable."
(A/N): Null doesn't need to follow conventional laws of space-time.
Right below his feet multiple spikes emerged, poised to rip through his body. However, he avoided them by the skin of his teeth. Narrowly dodging each one, and swaying out of the way.
More spikes manifested behind him, but he sidestepped them, before charging towards Null.
He charged his fists, releasing a barrage of strikes akin to a gatling gun. But they were all stopped by the barrier formed around Null. Realizing this, Adam stepped back, creating distance between the two.
The entire dimension shook vehemently, as infinite energy coursed through Adams veins. He launched himself forward with the full force of the omnipotent fist, striking the barrier.
At first there was no effect, but with every passing moment massive bursts of energy and light erupted from the impact. Then his fist managed to deform the wall, breaking through it with incredible force. The entire barrier collapsed that instant, and immediately Adam charged anther attack.
"Impressive."
The strike was imminent, heading straight for Null's head. But Null snapped his fingers, the space around the fist warped itself, redirecting its path.
A portal opened up before Adam's head, and out of it came his own attack. Yet, he still managed to dodge it. The resulting force dug a massive crater across the entire planets' surface, extending to even the stars trillions of lightyears away and extinguishing their shine. Showing the durability of ashstone.
Then massive spinning blades emerged from Null, hundreds of them being launched right towards Adam. He avoided the first few, but the rest cut him with multiple deep gashes. He bled liters of blood at a time, loosing his strength every moment and his fatigue building up.
He was tired, especially after two full-power strikes in a row; slowing him down considerably.
"It seems this is as far as you go."
His head hung low, his limbs limp, his movements sluggish. Yet, surprisingly he simply got back into a battle stance, ready to fight again.
"I'm not simply going to let you charge your attack."
With that Null raised both hands, tightly gripping them together. The entire planet shook violently as the pressure dissipated waves across all space-time. Massive torrents of energy flashed across the entire planet, shaking everything with unbound intensity.
Then Null revealed what looked to be a makeshift blackhole.
"This is the strongest singularity that will ever exist. If you don't stop it, the entire universe will be consumed in a single moment."
Then Null grabbed it in one hand, and threw it right at Adam.
As it tore through the planets surface, space-time was being warped to its absolute limit across creation.
Adam braced himself for impact, catching the all-powerful attack with his bare hands. The pressure was intense as he resisted its gravitational pull. His muscles tore, and bones cracked as he tried to compress it with his own energy.
Eventually he started getting pushed back, his knees nearly buckling under the weight.
"This is why you can never beat us. We have nothing to protect, nothing to hold us back from going full force."
Then Null sent a plethora or tendrils attacking him from all sides, each one piercing right through flesh and bone.
Adam gnashed his teeth in anguish, his fingers were already crushed and it looked like he was done.
'I'm so tired'
He thought, but a voice lingered through his mind. A brief memory was all it was, a promise between two lovers, bound by blood.
"Then promise me you'll come back."
"This is more than a promise; I will come back, because I am the strongest."
His grip tightened, irrespective of the pain. His muscles contracted greater than they ever had before, his feet planted firmly into the earth, and with all his might he compressed the unstable entity.
It roared violently in protest, trying to engulf anything it could.
"Why do you persist? I could kill you at any point right now, so why not run away? This isn't even your fight mortal."
In the next moment Adams hands clasped together with a burst of energy as he neutralized the singularity. Blood ran down his skin from every cut and wound. His eyes nearly went blank as organs failed, but he still lunged forward.
'If I let something like this escape, we'll lose the war'
Null then vanished from sight, reappearing behind Adam and placing a hand on his back.
BADUMP
BADUMP
BADUMP
The cells in his upper body contorted and twisted in an unnatural manner as the space between them continually distorted.
"I've been trying to do this for a while, but your defences were too strong, so I wore you down instead."
Then the muscles in his arms splattered, while the bones crumbled. His upper back burst with a shower of blood, greatly damaging his spine.
"You're a lot more fun to play with than the others." Null said with childlike innocence.
Adam collapsed to his knees as both arms were rendered useless. But he is the first of the kings for a reason. Redirecting all the energy left in his body to his legs he stood up, running right towards the entity without a hint of cowardice.
"Fool."
Immediately he used his left foot to launch him right towards Null, then using his other leg kneed the entity right in the jaw sending him flying back.
"It seems you still have enough power to break space-time."
Without cease Adam continued the assault. He manifested right behind the entity, launching himself up in the air to avoid incoming spikes. Then with a triple backflip his hindfoot bashed Null right in the skull, slamming him right into the earth before landing.
Null stood back up, fury emanating from his being. Turning to see Adam, and wondering how he managed to do such a thing Null realized something.
"You're not going to run, are you? Even when these miniscule attacks do nothing, you'll keep trying till death?"
Null chuckled to himself.
"You truly are something else, warrior. From one god to another, I will make your death glorious." Null said with utmost sincerity.
Then hundreds of thousands of tendrils emerged from him, blanketing the skies.
"Let us end this now."
They rocketed towards Adam at unreachable speeds, each one equivalent to power of a small universe. Adam however didn't move from his spot, instead his body violently shook in response to the incoming attacks.
A cloud of dust emerged, covering the entire battlefield.
Then in an instant it was over, the onslaught of attacks ended their destructive assault, and Adam was still standing. But as the dust settled, things were far worse than they seemed.
Adam stood there, with one leg still intact. His right foot had been blasted off, leaving the strongest man in a crippling state. He had bled away more than half his blood supply, and was only standing with the aid of Qi.
But even though he was alive, there was no movement whatsoever. It was as if the body was an empty shell.
"Where am I?" Adam said.
He found himself in an endless black void, filled with nothing but large gaping eyes. Each of different colours and sizes.
"Well done, Adam." A voice said.
"I'm not dead, so what are you if not death."
"We are nothing, not existence, or non-existence." They continued.
"Send me back, I need to defeat Null."
There was a great silence.
"Do you not remember your promise to Eve?" One asked.
"Of course I do, but that won't matter if everything is destroyed."
"You made a vow to return, sealing it with your life force, did you not?"
A stark realization dawned upon Adam.
"Your pain, your suffering, it is all being shared by her."
He was at a loss for words, his mind couldn't think straight, completely devolving into madness.
Huff
Huff
Huff
"No, you're lying.
"And why would I? What do I gain from such?"
"Take me back." Adam commanded.
"Do you think you can win without causing her more pain?"
The first eye said as it intensified it's gaze.
Adam raised his head, looking right at the being with defiance.
"I said, take me back!"
The other eyes reeled back in shock, no one could speak to the first like that and remain without punishment, not even them.
"You're really lucky I like your character."
And in an instant, he was back like nothing ever happened.
"So, you are alive, eh?"
Using his last functioning limb, Adam lunged forward with all the power he could muster and more, dwarfing anything that had been displayed since the beginning of this battle.
"Don't look at me like that, I only restored some of his energy."
The space around him was warped uncontrollably, as time began to move.
"Impossible."
And as time began to slowly restore itself Adam vanished in and out of reality before completely disappearing.
Null used all his senses, scouring across all of space but couldn't find him.
"None of this makes sense? He undid my hold on time, and vanished from exist-"
He simultaneously realized what had happened, as Adam manifested before him.
The peak technique all warriors will eventually reach. The greatest feat that can be achieved by any martial artist. Temporal Dilation, an attack that strikes you at any point in the future.
(A/N): More on that later.
They were face to face, divine energy covering Adam from head to toe. With all his might, he bashed his skull right into that of Null.
The entity was sent back, excruciating pain coursing through his body. Cracks opened up on Null, spreading across his body like a virus. He fell to his knees, holding his face as it began to crumble.
"Those previous attacks... he was planning this all along."
Adam had been using those minor attacks of his wear down his physical defences. It was like shattering the foundations of a fortress before invading with full force.
As Null further crumbled into dust he realized that Adam had won this battle.
"Hmm, even you fell? You really are an incredible warrior, Image of God." Diablo said, rising from his throne.
Null however wasn't done, as he warped the space between his position and that of Diablo.
Raphael as well rushed towards the scene as soon as time flowed again. Getting to his side and healing him best he could.
"What the hell happened in there? These are the worst injuries I've ever seen."
In any other case Adam would be dead by now. But Raphaels healing comes second to only the Lord.
"I'm just glad It's over." Adam spoke with relief.
"Is she alright though?"
"There's no reason to worry, your master is still on the stronger side of the archangels."
Without giving them leeway to rest a maleficent presence came forth. His aura alone stopped the tides of battle in its tracks. None dared to move, not even the demons, for all feared the almighty power of Demon King Diablo.
"On the contrary mortal, the real battle starts now."
At that moment, all prepared to face the wrath of the God of Chaos.