The audacious, selfish brilliance of Kaelgor's proposal settled over Adam with a wave of profound, hidden respect.
'This was what a true devil should be!'
Not a mindless brute, nor a petty tyrant, but a master of the grand game of life.
Devils were hated by all, yet they had no true enemies; only temporary obstacles and potential assets.
Allegiances, hatred, love: they were all merely currencies to be exchanged, strings and levers to be pulled. To lose oneself in emotions, to lack the discipline to let go; is something that contradicts what a devil is.
To indulge in the 7 sins, but not be bound by them; to master sin and chaos.
Kaelgor was demonstrating this concept, of being a devil, with expertise.
Adam's interest, now fully ignited, cut to the heart of the risk.
"A bold plan," Adam conceded, his voice losing its mockery, becoming cold, calculating, "But you are running from Arch Devil Gorael himself. You are looting his territory and abandoning your post. Are you not afraid? His gaze, as you say, is not easily escaped."
Kaelgor's response was a low, grim chuckle that held no humor.
"Fear is a tool. I am not running from him blindly. I am running ahead of the consequences he himself fears. He is not looking for me; he is looking away, hoping the problem he created will vanish," Kaelgor's red eyes gleamed through his black steel helmet, "And I am simply… vanishing with a severance package. He will be too busy covering his own tracks to waste effort on a single missing lieutenant and some resources. "
A gleam on understanding, of cunning passed through his gaze, "My fear is not of Gorael. It is of what his fear will attract. And that, is what I intend to run from."
The logic was flawless.
It was the cunning of a devil who understood the machinations of power better than his own strength. Only with wit, could strength flourish.
Adam gave a slow, approving nod.
The deal was struck in that silent exchange.
"I agree," Adam stated, "But, although the knowledge is in my mind, etching a Grand Teleportation Array into the nexus is not something that could be done quickly."
Internally, he calculated.
The dimensional gate would be complete tomorrow. Then, he could begin the painstaking work of inscribing the teleportation array somewhere on the obelisk's structure.
It would take days, perhaps a week or two of focused, uninterrupted labor. Although he had spent time gaining experience on archaic runes, he didn't dare underestimate such advanced runes.
'The left over runes of Arch Devil Gorael are considered forbidden, what about these?' Adam mused, 'Maybe since they aren't offensive?'
Though, he doubted that such a powerful runic structure was allowed.
"The plan," He said aloud, "Will require time to commence."
"I expected as much," Kaelgor rumbled, "But time is a luxury we are both short on. I need a down payment. Small inklings. A flicker of that power, just enough to make Vorlag and Malgrim's heads turn, to fix their attention firmly on this basin and away from my operations."
To activate the nexus's attack rune power…
A sliver of genuine fear and hesitation pierced Adam's confidence.
The idea of consciously wielding the nexus's power, even a fraction, to attract attention was terrifying now that he had new-found knowledge. He was playing with forces that could indeed crush him like an insect.
He calculated the risk silently, his mind estimating the speed at which the runic sequences could be completed in. Estimating the what was classified as forbidden, and what was strange, yet still allowed within hell's rules.
A myriad of emotions and thoughts clashed in a storm of conflict, but then it ceased.
Adam looked up, his expression shifting.
Devil's are unrestrained, even in a place, a realm that tried its hardest to chain its inhabitants. He said it himself, 'fear is a tool,' not something to be bound by.
The fear was buried under a layer of cold determination, which itself hid a far more primal emotion.
A dark, lustful avarice gleamed in his hellish eyes.
"I will provide your distractions," Adam said, his voice taking on a shameless, hungry under-tone, "I will give them a show to keep them mesmerized. But you will pay for the power I reveal. A service for a service."
He leaned closer to the barrier, his gaze locked on Kaelgor's.
"I want women, with their primal or primordial yin intact. The purer, the better of course," His smile was wicked, "And if you can find a female devil among your… comrades' forces… well, consider that the premium price for me helping you get 'rid' of them. Deliver them to me, and I will ensure Vorlag and Malgrim see nothing but the light show in this basin."
It was no longer just a bargain between strategists.
It was a devil's pact.
Adam was demanding a tribute of flesh and potential power to fuel his own growth, using Kaelgor's desperation and own greed as leverage.
The true nature of their alliance was now laid bare: not built on trust, but on mutually beneficial exploitation.
A slow, understanding grin spread across Kaelgor's fearsome features; his expression looking more like a predator's snarl.
Adam's blatant, shameless demand didn't offend him; it was familiar and oddly comforting.
Here was a language he understood perfectly: lust, greed, avarice, the fundamental currencies of hell, far more reliable than honor or trust.
His mind, ever calculating, immediately saw the layers in the request.
Women, virgins, primal yin.
It was a price, but also a potential tool.
A way to further bind the newborn to his purpose.
And the mention of a female devil among the other lords' forces… that sparked a darker, more ambitious thought.
'Could the nexus be used to eliminate Vorlag and Malgrim entirely?' He pondered, the idea flashing like lightning in his mind.
Not just a distraction, but a purge.
Their forces, leaderless, would be ripe for the taking. Their resources, their demons… the mine. The risk was greater, but the reward was exponentially so. This lustful newborn might just be the key to a far grander exit than he had initially planned.
The calculations were swift, and the benefits outweighed the costs.
The deal was good. More than good!
"Lust is a potent motivator," Kaelgor said, his voice a low and approving, "A price I am willing to pay. A service for a service."
Then, almost as an afterthought, he began to mumble aloud, his burning gaze turning inward as he rifled through a century of memories, of conquests and casual indulgences.
"Virgins… primordial yin… a female devil would be a worthy price for such a service…" He tapped a massive gauntlet against his helmeted chin, "Over the years… many offspring… most moved on, but…"
His eyes refocused on Adam, a spark of perverse triumph in their depths.
"I do have a daughter that is currently here in this layer."
The words were stated with a chilling lack of paternal warmth. She was an asset, a entry on a ledger.
"A pure-blood; strong and worthy. And, to my knowledge, her alignment is with wrath, not lust. Therefore, her yin should be intact..."
He presented her not as a person, but as a specimen meeting the requested criteria; as a currency that he luckily had on hand.