It wasn't until the Transmutation Array vanished that the Stitched Abomination approached, a surge of indignant mental energy rippling into Alec's mind.
"Are all your enemies of this… level?"
Alec understood the Abomination's sentiment. It hadn't followed him to become just another one of his Undead minions; it had reawakened to protect the realm of Carbuth. Even with its fractured mind, its resolve to defend Carbuth remained unshaken.
Alec had promised to elevate it to a Rank 10 entity if they rescued the Princess. To encounter such a formidable foe now, and potentially perish in battle, would render all their efforts meaningless.
Seeing the Stitched Abomination's reaction, Alec understood its thoughts. "This time, I truly am here to rescue someone," Alec said. "According to my intelligence, the enemies are indeed a contingent from a Werewolf clan within the Beastfolk. I don't know why they abducted Ilyss, but I'm certain their numbers are few, and they won't be intermingling with other Beastfolk."
Convinced by Alec's certainty, the Stitched Abomination hesitated. It could discern the truth in Alec's words. Besides, as a former hero of Carbuth, it had witnessed countless instances where minor incidents escalated into major troubles, disrupting grand schemes.
After a moment of deliberation, the Stitched Abomination calmed, awaiting Alec's command.
However, this recent battle had made Alec acutely aware of his own insufficient combat prowess. While bringing the Stitched Abomination along for the rescue was feasible, what would they do afterward? He couldn't simply take the Princess to Carbuth City.
Alec knew that the mark on him was only valid for three days. After that, if he refused to become a part of Carbuth, he would be rejected by the entire Necromantic Transmutation Array and might even be hunted down by the Princess of Carbuth herself.
Even if he were willing to become part of Carbuth, this crumbling kingdom was on the verge of being pulled into an Undead Realm, unable to reappear in the real world for two decades.
Sighing at the thought, Alec turned to the Stitched Abomination. "Truth be told, this is my fault. If I had sufficient combat strength, you wouldn't have had such a hard time.
How about this? I know a place with a certain magical skill, something quite suitable for my current needs. It's not difficult to enter, just a bit far. Will you accompany me?"
The Stitched Abomination remained silent, merely rolling its still-stiff eyes at Alec.
Seeing that the Stitched Abomination didn't press the issue, Alec let out a breath of relief. He quickly nodded to it, then turned and headed in a different direction.
The direction they were now heading wasn't far from their original objective, but the terrain was vastly different. Originally, Alec and his companion had planned to bypass the forest ahead and enter the hills of Carbuth. Given the Werewolf clan's habits, their combat effectiveness would be enhanced there.
But with the change in direction, Alec and his companion were forced to take another path, leading them into a cliff region.
According to Alec's memory, on a certain cliff in this area, there was a cave with a perpetually burning bonfire. No matter the time, this fire never extinguished.
For players, this cave was an excellent resting spot. Players on quests nearby would often choose this place to shelter from the Undead Uprisings that occurred periodically.
Alec himself had stayed there for three full days. Bored at the time, he had discovered some peculiar murals on the cave walls.
Back then, Alec had just started playing as a Necromancer, and his level was much like it was now.
He had no Undead guardians, no Necromantic spells. His only combat method was to follow large groups and use random hexes to reduce the enemy's combat effectiveness.
During that period, Alec's mind was filled with various hexes, so when he saw the murals in the cave, he actually felt as if he was looking at a powerful hex incantation.
At the time, Alec, having nothing better to do, memorized the incantation. It was only in later battles that he discovered the incantation truly existed, and its power was considerable.
Afterward, he had revisited the cave, but when he looked at the murals again, there were no longer any incantations.
In the game, Alec had never mentioned this to anyone, nor had he heard anyone else speak of incantations on the cave murals.
Now, needing a way to enhance his combat strength, he naturally thought of this.
With this thought, Alec followed the path from his memory and found the cave.
From a distance, seeing the bonfire in front of the cave, the Stitched Abomination refused to go any further. According to it, something in the cave was repelling it.
Alec didn't think much of this. Even during the Undead Uprising, not even passing Bone Dragons dared to enter the cave, let alone a mere wild boss like the Stitched Abomination.
But Alec had never noticed that, despite being a Necromancer himself, he could easily enter the cave.
After bypassing the bonfire, Alec quickly headed towards the murals where he had originally discovered the incantation, searching diligently.
Half an hour later, he sat down on the ground, somewhat disappointed, and let out a soft sigh. He had thought things too simply, always believing that the present was still a game, and everything revolved around the player.
He knew many events that would happen in the future, which meant he had a head start, and growing stronger would be easy.
But now he realized that all of this was wrong. This world wouldn't change because of his presence, nor would it transform into a game world just for him.
His knowledge of the future could help him make the right choices at critical junctures, but it would never grant him immense power.
To gain power, one had to follow the natural path, just as mages needed to study magic and meditate, and warriors needed to learn combat techniques and train themselves.
And Necromancers were no different; they needed training, insight, and self-improvement.
The moment Alec grasped this realization, the bonfire nearby suddenly erupted in a burst of blue sparks, and then a powerful force propelled Alec from above the bonfire, sending him crashing heavily in front of the Stitched Abomination.
As he tried to get up, the Stitched Abomination's voice echoed in his mind, "Now you finally look like an Undead."