The echoes of metal tools hitting rocks rang out in sharp, crisp clanks.
Abyssal steel was mined in droves, hauled from the depths of the mine.
The constant grunting of demons as they heaved minerals in carts towards one of the castles reminded Kaelgor of distant, fleeting memories.
'It's been over 100 years,' His fiendish eyes flashed briefly, the memory a flicker of pain and frustration was like chained balls that accompanied his journey.
He had done his duty and was allowed to leave 50 years ago, but his desire to hold power made it so that he stayed in the 1st layer for over 100 years now.
He had become a master of this domain, a king of this small pond; because he knew that if he were to leave, he would instantly become a nobody.
Awakened and Greater Devils were plentiful in hell's deeper layers; even a vast majority of demons would be stronger than Kaelgor.
The 1st layer was just the starting zone.
It was the long time that he had spent here that also made him the de-facto leader of the three lesser devils managing the territory. His experience and mastery over vast amounts of demonic magics made his one of the stronger devils in the surrounding territories; hence why he was so favored by lord Gorael.
But would there be any reward for the time he had invested here?
'Will Gorael really punish me even after all the time I had spent here?' Such a thought only surfaced for a moment before Kaelgor wiped it from his mind, 'It doesn't matter. Since this infant will be dealt with!'
His mind drifted back to Adam, but the nascent thought of finally leaving hell's first layer lingered in the back of his mind; a tantalizing temptation.
He wanted to go to the deeper layers of hell, to see the vast and unending layers, to see the true power of hell and its kin. To challenge not only his kind, but also stronger realms, and to devour delicious angels…
Encountering them was a rarity at the weaker level.
But he also knew that if he were to leave, his strength as a newly Awakened Devil would make him a nobody. He would have to work his way up the ranks again, fighting against other devils and demons to gain a foothold in the hierarchy under lord Gorael.
He moved from where he stood and walked to a demon whose muscular build and appearance were similar to that of Roh's.
They were similar, except for the black, sturdy armor and a long halberd that the brute donned; the cold miasma radiating off the black metal gave off a feeling of strength and corruption, while also giving a sizzling contrast to the blazing heat of hell.
"Gather the warriors, we are to set out," Kaelgor ordered, his voice echoing with a calm, chilling authority.
"Understood!" The berserker demon replied curtly and swiftly moved to gather the troops.
He was a dedicated subordinate to his master; someone whose strength was leagues away from even from devils of the same tier.
Kaelgor's mind worked furiously, deducing the best course of action to take as the army assembled.
Quickly, he decided that the first move was to test Adam's defenses. If the barrier was weak, then all else would be easy to deal with; a paper fortress to be torn down with an unstoppable force.
'Even if he were to run away, I would be fine with it.' Kaelgor easily made the choice that the nexus was most important.
Adam was merely a slightly more cunning side-character in Kaelgor's eyes; in the grand scheme of his goals, he was merely a bump on the road.
"Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"
The ground trembled with the rhythmic march of hardened boots, hoofs, and at times, slithering. Kaelgor's red gaze was lifted, the rumbling of 500, fully armed peak-tier lesser demons drew closer to his awaiting position. The army had been swiftly assembled, their efficiency and discipline perfect.
It was Kaelgor's personal army that he had spent 10 years building.
Another hint of annoyance rose within him as he recalled all the previous armies he had nurtured being taken away and sent to other layers of hell.
This was another motivating factor to leave, as he could follow the warriors he had trained and nurtured and have the hope of still being their master, instead of 'offering' his subordinates to Gorael's more powerful devils.
"They are ready," The same berserker demon from before said.
The army of demons stood in perfect formation, their eyes glowing with a bloodthirsty light. They were an army forged by Kaelgor, a force of destruction that would rain down death upon Adam's new territory.
Kaelgor cleared his mind, his focus sharpening with a cold clarity.
"Let us set off!"
The trek back to Adam's basin was swift, the horde of 500 peak-tier berserker demons was a rumbling force of nature.
Like a black wave of death and metal, the horde reached the basin with an unstoppable momentum, their march a rhythmic thunder that sent tremors through the scorched earth.
The air, already thick with the hellish miasma, grew heavy with the scent of hot metal, sweat, and concentrated malice.
Various devils and demons, scurrying across the landscape, hurried to move out of their path, their very instincts screaming at them to avoid the unstoppable force of Kaelgor's personal army.
Thankfully, the basin was only a 10 thousand kilometers away; with their strength and speed, Adam's territory quickly came into view.
From a distance, it looked like a small, insignificant rock in a vast ocean of chaos, but Kaelgor knew better.
He saw demons working like ants, both on and around the obelisk.
Hell's overbearing heat made the ground and air sizzle, and the natural faint black miasma that drifted in the air made it hard to see.
Yet, Kaelgor's fiendish eyes, honed by years of hunting, easily spotted Adam's figure working with Blair and the others as they filled in the gate's runes.
'Still engraving runes…'
A hint of genuine exasperation flickered within his eyes.
The newborn seemed as if he was constantly working and forging the runes on the nexus, a behavior that was a complete opposite to a newborn devil's nature.
Adam's behavior was on the rarer side, as most newborns would go on a wanton killing spree the second they were born, devour the souls of their victims, and indulge in the new and intoxicating sensations of their demonic form.
An addiction to becoming the pinnacle existence, the apex species; only to be rivaled by angels.
It was also the reason why many demons were afraid of newborn devils; they were unpredictable, terrifying storms of pure, unadulterated carnage.
According to Arch Devil Gorael's divination, Adam's age should be less than half a week old.
Logically, Adam should be deep into his bloodlust fever.
It was only now, seeing his busy figure once again, that Kaelgor recalled distant memories of his own bloodlust rampage all those years ago.
Few and far between were these 'calm' devils; even Kaelgor hadn't seen many in his century of life.
And this newborn was different even from those…