The disturbance before Hell Gate alerted the guard dogs. Three enormous Three-headed Hellhounds immediately went on alert. Their six eyes fixed on Hell Gate, while the flames bursting forth and the sound of cracking runes made them restless. One particularly vigilant Three-headed Hellhound let out a low growl and stepped into Hell Gate, intending to investigate.
Ang hid in the distance, his heart pounding excitedly from his recent success. He muttered softly, "They can't have discovered me that quickly, can they..." But he soon realized something was wrong: the remaining two Three-headed Hellhounds kept pacing around Hell Gate, growling as though communicating with the companion that had entered. Yet no matter how long they waited, the Three-headed Hellhound that had gone through never returned.
Meanwhile, the Three-headed Hellhound that had passed through Hell Gate was being eroded by dense fire elemental energy. Though its magical resistance was formidable, it could not completely withstand the flames. One of its heads opened its huge jaws and spat out a freezing current that enveloped its body, barely holding back the spreading fire. It tried to return to the Tarim Plane through Hell Gate, but the runes on the gate had long been damaged, and its teleportation function had completely failed. It threw back its heads and howled furiously, its deep roar echoing through hell.
The Three-headed Hellhounds on the Tarim Plane had clearly heard their companion's howl. They seemed to realize that some irreversible disaster had occurred—Hell Gate had been damaged and had completely lost its ability to teleport in both directions! The Three-headed Hellhounds howled in unison, and a wave of fury reverberated through the ruins. All the ordinary Hellhounds scattered nearby stopped what they were doing and swiftly gathered around Hell Gate.
Ang held his breath and watched it all unfold.