Behind the barrier, Adam was also startled by the sudden burst of radiant light from Kaelgor's body.
He knew instinctive that something of immense value had just been revealed.
The shockwave of power, the unmistakable aura of a law fragment, sent a jolt of resonance through his devil's inheritance.
A shard of fundamental truth, a fragment of the law of fire's core principles. A treasure that could reshape destinies for mortals, and pave the way for higher beings.
Unfortunately, he didn't have time to let his greed flare, didn't have the luxury to dwell on the enticing implications of obtaining such a treasure.
The grand teleportation array took number one priority.
His survival, his escape, his future: all of it depended on completing this task.
He forced the distraction from his mind, pushing the hunger for power deep into the depths of his consciousness.
The complexity of the grand teleportation array was staggering.
The knowledge, downloaded into his mind by Kaelgor's, no, Lord Gorael's 'gift', revealed a structure far beyond anything he had attempted before.
The array lay in engraving physical grooves into the nexus's base, but the array itself was a complex, multilayer, moving structure.
It was a level higher than even the dimensional portal, a feat of magical engineering that required precision and understanding that bordered on the divine.
An array that was leveled right below that of the gods.
Rune arrays of this level were generally carved into the earth, their foundations anchored in the physical world, and then also traced into the air itself.
Having a physical anchor, and an ethereal rune that only manifested once the array was activated.
After all, if one had the knowledge and power to carve out an array that played with space and dimensions, then it would only make sense they know how to anchor a point in the space around a physical location.
It was the natural progress of knowledge in creating such a masterpiece.
Obviously, Adam wasn't part of this category.
He was a newborn, a devil who had barely begun to scratch the surface of his inheritance.
The only way to overcome this gap in knowledge and experience was to engrave the main runes and their supporting components in physical forms; forming rune parts that linked and empowered the next.
The simpler components had one main rune with three sub runes.
But there were nine main complex components that had three main runes with a dozen sub runes each.
With a total of eighty-one components, it was a lot of work.
Then there was the fact that the structure had to be precise, measured, and the depth and width of every rune had to be within a certain threshold; within a threshold that didn't give much room for error.
He had to perfectly measure and locate where each rune component had to go, making it so that every one of the eighty-one runic components were placed at the perfect distance from each other.
Perfectly measure the depth and width of all runes; main or sub rune.
Based on these measurements, he had to perfectly connect all rune components with wire-like mana links.
And, he had to do all this in the shortest possible time!
His head started to hurt as a dull, throbbing ache pulsed behind his eyes.
The sheer complexity of the task, the impossible precision required, the desperate need for speed… it was overwhelming.
His only saving grace was that Kaelgor had attracted everyone's attention, the radiant law fragment a beacon that drew all eyes away from the basin.
But he knew it wouldn't last long.
Eventually, the chaos would subside, their focus re-shifted, and he would be locked onto once again.
Still, he had no choice but to move forward.
He began to mentally organize the task, dividing the eighty-one components among his subordinates, assigning roles and responsibilities.
"Grumble~"
Just as he was about to give his first orders, a loud, rumbling sound came from beneath the ground.
It sounded like a giant mole rat was parting the earth right beneath their noses, and it came from the edge of the barrier.
On the inside of the barrier...
Everyone was startled.
Demons froze in their tracks, their eyes wide, their instincts tingling, feeling a familiar aura grow stronger with every passing second.
Agri and Blair scrambled to their lord, their bodies tensing for combat, but still finding protection behind his broad back.
Lyra narrowed her gaze and walked to his side.
Even Saphira, still wrapped in a fur blanket, her face still smeared with black soot, straightened, her molten brass eyes fixed on the source of the sound.
The rumbling grew louder, drawing in all present demons and devils.
Everybody moved, their bodies shifting into defensive positions, their weapons drawn, their mana flaring.
Instinctively, Adam looked towards Saphira.
His gaze was sharp and accusing; demanding an explanation.
But he only saw confusion on her face too, her eyes wide, her expression genuine. It was not her work, then.
Or a perfect lie: something that she was adept at.
"Boom!"
In less than a minute, the loud rumbling turned into the sound of earth splitting, of a deafening crack that echoed across the barrier's interior.
Blurred figures leaped out of the ground, their forms silhouetted against the hellish glow and the ash and dust; their auras radiating power.
Demonic energy flared around Adam as he didn't hesitate to attack.
"Swoosh!"
He launched the full force of his shadowy flames, a wave of dark, searing fire that surged towards the intruders.
He didn't have the time to question anything or anyone.
They were unknown threats, and threats had to be eliminated!
The attack hit the unsuspecting intruders, but instead of being consumed, they repelled it with a power that equaled, no, surpassed his own.
A shockwave erupted from the point of impact, sending nearby demons stumbling backwards.
Only Roh, armored in stolen abyssal steel, and a couple others who also wore armor, managed to stay on their feet.
Even Blair and Agri stumbled to the ground.
The two devilesses, Lyra and Saphira, also held their ground, their bodies tense, their eyes fixed on the figures that now stood before them.
Adam narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the intruders as he was pushed back and slid against the ashen ground.
Three devils had unearthed themselves, their bodies emerging from the torn earth like dead from a grave.
A deep shock was hidden in Adam's gaze as he recognized them.
Borog, the one-horned, massive, brutish devil with skin like cracked clay; his single horn gleaming in the hellish light.
Letras, an ancient tree-like devil, with twisted roots that seemed stronger than steel cables.
Nyx, the serpent-tongued, female devil with skin like smooth smoke; glimmering with a faint blue under the moon.
Her eyes gleamed darkly, her forked tongue licking her lips.
They were the three strongest wandering rogue devils in the territory managed by Kaelgor, devils who had refused to bow to any faction, who denied being the tail of a dragon, and would rather be the head of a chicken.
They, who had carved their own paths and strength through the chaos.
And now, somehow, they had come here.
To Adam's basin, within his barrier.
Adam's mind raced, calculating another hand of unexpected, unfavorable odds.
The shadows of those before him, with fire and ash as the backdrop, seemed more imposing than ever before.
For the first time, Adam was no longer protected in the face of overwhelming strength.