Alec, aware of Graul's predicament, bellowed, "Don't let him rest! Keep the pressure on!"
As he shouted, Alec pointed both hands at Graul, muttering incantations of hexes. However, his mastery of basic hexes was rudimentary, and he hadn't learned any specific curse spells. Consequently, his success rate for hexes was only a third of a typical Necromancer's, and the effects were entirely random.
Even so, Graul found himself in a spot of bad luck. Alec's fortune held, and out of five attempts, two hexes landed successfully.
Though they were only minor hexes, one caused blindness and the other weakness, both further diminishing Graul's combat prowess.
The Stitched Abomination wouldn't miss such an opportunity. Upon noticing Graul's evident weakening, its attacks intensified. Several blows nearly cleaved Graul in two. Had it not been for the formidable vitality of demons, the battle might have already concluded.
As the fight progressed to this point, Graul finally revealed an aspect not seen in the game. Severely wounded, he casually tore off his already severed left arm, hurled it heavily to the ground, and fled into the forest. Where his blood splattered, tiny sparks ignited, indicating the severity of his injuries.
The left arm Graul discarded twisted rapidly on the ground, eventually transforming into a wall of fire, blocking Alec and the Stitched Abomination's pursuit.
Upon seeing this, Alec understood Graul's intention. He was no longer in a hurry. After estimating the duration the wall of fire would burn, Alec circled around and continued his pursuit into the forest.
After chasing for about three hundred paces, the traces of demon blood igniting the ground vanished, likely because Graul had managed to staunch his bleeding.
A normal person would have hesitated here, wondering whether to continue the chase, as demons possess the ability to summon allies into battle, and stumbling into a trap would be disastrous.
However, facing Graul, Alec had no such concerns. For Graul, his only true companions were Hellhounds. After reaching a safe location, his first priority wouldn't be to summon allies, but to summon a Hellhound.
Moreover, Alec was confident that Graul wouldn't venture too far to summon. Given his nature, a thousand yards from the battle site would be more than enough.
Sharing this thought with the Stitched Abomination, Alec positioned himself behind it.
When he had melded the Stitched Abomination, he had deliberately reinforced its senses with special materials, and now was the perfect opportunity to utilize this enhancement.
Soon, the Stitched Abomination chose a direction and charged swiftly. Alec followed, unconcerned with the surrounding trees, enjoying the ease of the pursuit.
They quickly arrived at a small clearing in the forest, where Graul, his left arm still severed, stood.
Graul hadn't noticed Alec and his companion's arrival. His attention was entirely focused on his right hand, which clutched a crimson orb of light—the very infernal flame used to open the gates of the Underworld.
Seeing this, Alec couldn't help but smile. He knew his calculations were spot-on; Graul was just as he remembered, utterly powerless without his Hellhounds.
Just as he was about to command the Stitched Abomination to defeat Graul, the demon, now without his Hellhounds, turned his head towards Alec and his companion.
It was clear that Graul had been waiting for their arrival.
Upon seeing Alec, Graul no longer regarded him with a disdainful look. Instead, he scrutinized Alec intently.
"When I first received word from Suriel, I thought you were merely a lucky fool, and I paid you no mind, believing I could dispatch you myself."
Hearing Graul speak, Alec's expression grew strange. It was then that he realized he wasn't in a game; the enemy before him wasn't a mere gate boss from the Demonhold, but a living, breathing demon.
Alec finally understood that he had been too immersed in the role, considering only Graul's attributes and combat habits from the game, never once contemplating Graul's own thoughts.
At that moment, the Stitched Abomination also sensed that something was amiss. It gave Graul no chance to react, immediately extending its chains, intending to drag Graul closer.
This time, the Stitched Abomination's strategy was sound. Graul, having lost an arm and a significant amount of blood, had little strength left. A single tug of the chains was enough to drag him before the Stitched Abomination.
But just as the Stitched Abomination prepared to sever Graul's head with a single blow, Graul pressed his right hand to the ground, and a massive Transmutation Array instantly flared to life.
Alec's first instinct was to retreat from the array's radius. The Stitched Abomination, however, was too slow to pull back and was directly flung away by a powerful force.
After rolling once on the ground, the Stitched Abomination quickly rose, only to see a colossal, ten-meter-long Hellhound emerge beside Graul.
Though this Hellhound was clearly an ethereal projection, the Stitched Abomination could distinctly feel that its power far surpassed its own.
While Undead do not fear in battle, the Stitched Abomination was not merely under Alec's control; facing a formidable foe, it had its own instincts.
At this moment, Alec stepped forward, standing before the Stitched Abomination, and stared at the Hellhound. "A Hellhound Alpha? I didn't realize you had such a trick up your sleeve. I suppose the Transmutation Array to pull you back is already prepared?"
Graul, standing behind the Hellhound, leaned forward upon hearing this, and chuckled at Alec, "You're clever, but clever people always die young."
Alec disliked such words the most. However, the Stitched Abomination was reluctant to obey his commands at this moment. Facing Graul, who was about to escape, he could only rely on his own strength right now.
But as a low level Necromancer, what could Alec do? Besides throwing a recently concocted plague potion into the Transmutation Array, he could only cast a few ineffective hexes at Graul.
In the end, he could only watch helplessly as Graul, whom he was about to defeat, escaped right before his eyes.