The mine was a feint, a simple resource gathering operation to keep the other higher rank devils distracted when they observed this location with their divine senses.
After a long period of 'uneventful' time had passed in this domain, higher ranked devils no longer cared for Arch Devil Gorael's bizarre management.
This allowed him to proceed with his plans, this allowed the nexus point, and a new devil, to be born.
Gorael hadn't been unconcerned; he had been a patient manipulator, waiting for events and opportunities to align perfectly.
He had set a stage, and Adam had walked onto it perfectly. At least Adam didn't believe in his arrive and the nexus's 'birth' being coincidental.
The question, was why?
Was Adam part of a larger plan?
Was he meant to be a pawn?
Great amounts of knowledge and natural instinct filled Adam's head, but he couldn't comprehend what Gorael's ultimate goal was.
His inheritance could only help him so much in the end.
Adam's earlier relief vanished, replaced by a cold, simmering fury.
And a tinge of dread.
He had not been born into freedom; he had been born into a cage, a trap set by a greater power. This was a direct insult to his pride and nature as a devil, the ruling class of hell.
A near physical pressure slowly seemed to pile upon his newborn body. His every heartbeat made with strenuous effort.
He looked at his demonic horde, at the raw, untamed power he commanded, and then at the nascent nexus point that was waiting to be claimed.
No, he would not be a pawn.
He would be king!
Adam forcibly broke out of his stasis-like state.
"Roh!" Adam called out, his voice now imbued with a chilling authority that made the demon jump to attention.
"I want a fortress built around this spire. And I want this entire basin scoured. Leave no stone unturned. I want to know everything that tries to get in. Now!"
Roh saluted with a fervent roar, a renewed sense of purpose driving him.
Adam turned his attention back to the spire, his eyes narrowed in a dangerous calculation. His journey for vengeance had just taken a very personal and mysterious turn.
Driven by instinct, moving with tenacity, Adam trudged forward based on his gut feelings. Prepared to overcome anything that came his way…
Unfortunately, some plans were inevitable, as they were made by powers far greater than the current newborn.
A game of chess, pieced as pawns, and played by gods.
Just as Adam was beginning to fully understand the potential trap he was ensnared in, He had arrived.
At first, it was an overwhelming, overbearing saturation of demonic mana. Above, the perpetually red sky was ripped open by a sheer act of power.
A set of six bloodthirsty, glowing eyes appeared in the sky, each one the size of a mountain. An immense, crushing pressure radiated from them, causing all of the demons to prostrate themselves in fear.
Adam, filled with an impotent rage at this display of power, was reluctantly forced to one knee, but his face remained calm, a mask of stoic defiance.
Gorael's immense pressure caused all the demons in the basin to prostrate themselves in fear.
Only Adam, on a single reluctant knee, maintained a semblance of defiance, his face a calm mask concealing a boiling fury.
The arch devil's six bloodthirsty, glowing eyes, each the size of a mountain, dominated the perpetual red sky. They were a raw, terrifying display of power that rendered all other authority meaningless.
Adam's authority moot.
Gorael's voice, a deep rumble that vibrated through the very bedrock of hell, spoke not to Adam, but seemingly to the basin itself.
"I spent a great deal of effort to make sure that you were born in the same area and time as this treasure, but to think that you would find this before those I left in charge found either of you."
Hearing him say that confirmed all of Adam's suspicions, much to his internal dread.
The Arch Devil had not been a negligent overseer; he had been a master manipulator.
He was also indirectly letting Adam know how terrifyingly capable he was; having orchestrated events far beyond a mere devil's comprehension.
Beyond mortal comprehension.
Adam's earlier relief was completely gone, replaced by the bitter certainty that he had walked right into a cage.
A short glimmer of dark light flashed from Gorael's demonic gaze. The light was like a sharp blade that struck a certain lower point on the nexus obelisk, shaving a perfect circle and engraving a series of sophisticated runes at the same time.
Adam watched in amazement as the dimensional portal that he had planned on taking months to make was created in an instant. A shimmering, mercury-like barrier now filled the circular archway.
"It's simple, but that's all I need if I want the coordinates. Now go!" Gorael's voice was a dismissive rumble in the abyssal air.
Bluntly, the Arch Devil was asking Adam to connect to the dimensional portal so that he could read the coordinates with his spiritual power.
Adam knew he had no choice. Refusal meant something worse than death.
The nexus now had several steps up to a flat platform.
In the middle of that platform, an alter filled with demonic inscriptions stood. And beyond that, agains the nexus's black wall, a perfect circle was embedded and formed the dimensional portal.
He stoically stood and walked towards a black altar that Gorael's power had made to stand erect before the perfect circular gate. Only his footsteps broke the silence, for his mouth was sealed with every step.
A wry smile broke Adam's face as he realized that maybe he was destined to be enslaved in this life, too.
Although greatly reluctant, Adam still raised his hand onto the control panel on the altar.
His mind connected to the part of the nexus that had been made into a portal, and he slowly allowed his soul to link to it.
His mind drifted into a cold, ethereal like state as his consciousness slowly and attentively 'looked' for something, listening for something within the portal.
Adam stood still with his eyes closed.
Seconds passed nervously for the demons surrounding him.
Gorael watched with genuine interest and anticipation.
A couple of minutes passed until Adam finally heard 'something' and reached his consciousness out, locking into his old world.
The soul link to his old world.
Realizing the connection was made, Adam looked up towards Gorael's imposing eyes.
"It connected. I hope that we can go our separate ways now." Adam's words were emotionless.
"If it works, I'll let you live if you sign an oath. But first, go in." Gorael said uncaringly.
Hearing his words, Adam's face was calm, but internally he was filled with rage.
A visceral rage almost made him lash out, but he knew that he couldn't with such a great power demanding his compliance.
Trying his best to hide his fury, he decided that being the guinea pig was a good way to escape Gorael's gaze. To momentarily leave his watchful gaze… maybe even hide in the other domain.
The thought of losing his newly acquired resources, demons, and treasures made Adam seethe with rage and indignation, but he had no choice unless he wanted to sign a servant-like contract.
Yet, when Adam tried to hastily walk towards the gate, he felt as if he had walked into a thick, wet blanket that didn't allow him in!
It was an unexpected outcome for both parties involved!