The devils worked swiftly, focused; their hands carving the intricate lines of the rune array with precision.
Sweat poured in the ever present heat, before quickly turning into steam.
The hours slowly passed by, each one marked by the distant, thunderous rumbling of carnage that echoed from several kilometers away.
It was a constant, relentless sound of battle that was like the artillery of war or the ongoing roar of a storm that refused to subside.
The ground trembled with each explosion, and the miasma swirled violently beyond the barrier.
Every now and then, a massive burst of energy would reach the basin like a shock wave. They were pulses of raw, unbridled power that made the air itself vibrate intensely.
The energy would wash over them, startling the group and almost disrupting their meticulous array engraving.
They had to make note of such occurrences, to anticipate them and be mentally prepared for the next time; less they ruin a crucial engraving and undo hours of painstaking work.
Unfortunately, the bursts were unpredictable; making them a chaotic and constant threat to their progress.
"Those brutes!" Saphira was the most annoyed, as her demonic mana was the lowest because of the tail band.
Every bit of progress was much harder for her than it was to the others.
"Just be prepared, focus on the task at hand." Adam said, but those massive bursts of demonic energy lingered on their minds as they worked.
Mentally, they noted that such surges seemed like a devil's last burst of energy in a desperate struggle to either survive or kill.
It was a reminder of the stakes that were being played out beyond their fragile sanctuary.
Such chaos not only served to make their focus waver on the engraving, but also stoked their desire, their greed for the law fragment that was chained to Kaelgor.
The temptation was a constant, insidious whisper in the back of their minds: a siren call that promised power and great potential to those who could claim it.
The sky shook.
Thunderous roars continued as they worked, but as the hours passed, the interruptions only continued to amass.
The distant sounds of battle grew louder, more frequent. A chorus of violence that seemed to be drawing closer, no, larger!
The devils worked on, their hands steady, their focus unbroken, but the tension in the air grew thicker with each passing moment.
Until finally.
At the 12th hour, the first real army arrived.
The devils that had arrived initially, the ones who had been in a pseudo-alliance with other devils hiding in the shadows, were either rogue devils or those under a force who had come without orders.
They were opportunists, predators drawn by the aura of a treasure that was out of their reach. They were a scattered, disorganized rabble of individual ambition rather than a coordinated force.
For devils that could obtain a plot in hell's first layer, the law fragment had no appeal.
Even though its rarity was at the same level as a nexus, at least the nexus could be used to set a base or fortress in hell's lower or weaker layers.
A nexus was external strength, a foundation upon which to build power and influence; to mark a piece of land as part of their faction.
It was a treasure worth obtaining for a faction.
On the other hand, a law fragment was more appealing to the individual, lower-realm devils, as it could directly boost their own strength.
A nexus was external; the law fragment would refine one's internal power.
One could, and would, lose a nexus; as most devils had no way of transferring one out of the first layer: unlike Adam.
The power gained from studying and assimilating a law fragment would not leave until death. It was a permanent addition to one's power.
Regardless, those devils that were truly in charge of every plot of land in the first layer wouldn't order their underlings to go obtain the fragment that had appeared on Kaelgor.
It would be a wasted effort, a distraction from the more important matters of managing their territories and maintaining their power bases.
Diverting forces could lead to other forces taking advantage of the situation and attacking!
Therefore, the surrounding devils could only compromise with their colleagues, struggle through internal schemes and politics so that they could leave their post and try to obtain the law fragment.
Those that arrived directly were actually sidelined, less essential, and weaker devils: newly raised peak-tier devils and those without much power or say in their factions.
But that was also the reason they could sneak out and try to obtain the fragment.
Whether or not they would be punished or even targeted afterward was a concern they would face later, or escape if needed!
After all, having a subordinate with such a treasure would ensure that they grew to power; aka, having a stronger subordinate without giving many resources!
If they could obtain the fragment on their own, then it would be good. If not, then they would silently suffer the consequences of disobeying command!
That was why it was only just now, after the 12th hour, that a devil with an actual, proper army could arrive.
This was a different caliber of opponent, a being who commanded not just their own strength, but the strength of a disciplined, organized force.
The devil that stepped forward was a peak-tier.
Their presence radiating an aura of command and authority; even stronger than that of Malgrim or Vorlag.
They stood over four meters tall, their dark blue skin a striking contrast to the hellish landscape.
Their build was lanky, yet muscular, a physique honed into graceful lethality.
They wore patches of black steel armor: minimal and practical, worn in the style of light armor of a skirmisher.
A gold and black spear, its tip gleaming with demonic energy, was held in one hand, while a sleek blue tail swayed behind them like a living weapon.
Pitch black antler-like devil horns jutted from their brow, adding an extra layer of menace to their already imposing appearance.
And what entered the devil's eyes first was not the battlefield of Kaelgor and the other devils, but that of Adam's basin!
The shimmering barrier, the towering obelisk, the demons frantically moving within at the sight of such a massive army; all of it was visible from his vantage point.
The devil's gaze lingered on the basin, their eyes narrowing with a mixture of curiosity and calculation.