The Golem Mage

”I know this might sound weird, but from the information I just heard, I understand that for every disciple that gets into the team to participate in the inter-academy competition,” Terran said as he made money signs with his hand,

”their instructor gets a hefty bonus, hmm.” Terran concluded as the others shook their heads at his antics.

”And I heard that other instructors are going around buying their disciples magic armor and spirit weapons, some are even giving out magic spells for free from their old collection of spells, while you are only expecting us to get into the team so you can profit off us.”

”Where do you get the idea that people gain where they don’t invest?” Agnes quickly cut her master off, as she air out his shortcomings in front of everyone, including the Centaur prince who was watching from afar and laughing at Terran after Agnes’ comment.

But Terran, with his thick skin, shamelessly took it all in and continued to smile.

”The princess of Terran’s Peak, you can’t blame your poor master,” Terran said with fake puppy eyes, hoping to elicit some sympathy from his disciples,

”you should know by now that your master is broke, and hasn’t even had money to drink wine these past few days.” Though Terran was using his puppy eye however, his disciples were not buying it at all.

”But there is something that has been bothering me all this while, Master, pardon me,” Knight spoke up,

”we have been to other peaks and noticed that each peak has a natural resource that they are able to mine or harvest, providing the master of the peak with a source of income to take care of himself and his students.”

”But why is our peak so different?, Our peak lacks proper flowers, no mine, no herbs to harvest, It’s a barren land, and the only thing that even makes our peak look fine is your castle that was built by the academy funds, how long are we going to be broke? ” Knight expressed his frustration.

”It’s rumoured in the academy that our Mountain Peak is actually the worst of all the peaks, This is one of the reasons why even the rogue disciples without a master don’t want to learn under you, as it’s no different from being back at the outer court it self, so the question now is, what happened to all the natural resources that come with a peak?” Knight concluded as he asked Terran his question.

Terran :” ¬”

Terran pouted at Knight , not expecting him to ask such a direct question, despite this, he nervously laughed and explained,

”Well, before I had all of you, it was just me here, bored and lonely, and since I couldn’t afford my wine fees again, I had to mine out all the mana veins and uproot the whole herb garden to make some money, But don’t worry, I already bet on you guys, and with the reward I will get when at least two of you enter the official team, I should be able to stock up on alcohol and other things again,” Terran said with a grin as his disciples shook their heads and bid him farewell as they felt he would never listen.

They made their way down the peak mountain towards the inner court mission halls where they would receive their assigned missions, before meting in the great city of Sweden.

--

”Ahhh, this sucks, my next golem creation is definitely going to be a beast type golem so it can also be used as a means of transportation!” Alec complained as he had just paid for a demonic beast ride to a nearby Tier 5 city, and still had to wait.

After arriving at the mission hall, each team realized they had been assigned missions that could only be completed in teams.

The school authorities had carefully selected missions they believed the students could accomplish as a team.

However, Alec found himself alone, given a team mission that he had to complete solo.

The academy had deliberately split the missions to distant cities to prevent teams from accompanying each other.

And now Alec now faced the downside of being on his own; as he had to pay for a carrier avian demonic beast ride to the closest location of the Tier 5 city assigned to him.

The cost was substantial, but fortunately, Alec had savings from his previous successful mission at the Abyss.

Otherwise, he would have been completely broke by now, examining the scroll detailing his mission, Alec learned that he was tasked with eliminating the mages of the Evil Sect in the Tier 5 city.

There were reports of the Sect infiltrating the village, prompting Alec to eradicate as many members as possible, it was a small city so the academy does not believe there is anyone of that much higher realm there.

Each kill would not only earn him experience points from the system now but also achievement points recorded on his student badge, which tracked enemy kills as part of the Academy’s evaluation criteria.

”Sir, your ride is ready to depart,” the Pub attendant informed Alec who was still engrossed in his mission details, Alec glanced up and nodded, a smile on his face as he made his way outside.

”You know, if you had a team, you wouldn’t feel the financial strain as much, you could have split the expenses among your teammates, and not even have to pay the fees” remarked the system spirit golem to Alec.

”Shut up, I brought you out to enlighten me with your wisdom when I am in need of help, not for you to criticize me!” Alec said as they stepped outside, and sighted his ride

It was at that moment Alec stood in awe, admiring the avian demonic beast mount before him.

The mount was stunning, massive in size with a powerful appearance, its sleek, black feathers shimmered in the sunlight, exuding an air of mystery.

As Alec approached, he tried to caress the feathers, prompting the hawk to turn and look at him.

The demonic beast belonged to the hawk lineage, evident in its sharp, predatory features and keen, intelligent eyes.

It was unlike anything Alec had ever seen before, reigniting his sense of wonder in this new world he had entered.

The demonic hawk mount was large enough to comfortably carry four people on its back, with ample space for the rider to also sit comfortably.

The saddle on its back was expertly crafted, boasting thick leather straps and sturdy metal clasps to provide a secure seat for the passengers.

As Alec, the system spirit golem, and Titan boarded the mount, the new rider asked,

”Are you ready to enjoy your journey?” Alec and his golems nodded in agreement.

However, the rider who saw golems couldn’t understand why anyone would pay for golems when they could simply pocket the money, Unsummoned the golems and opt for cheaper transportation, such as hiring a wild wolf demonic beast or joining a group arranged by the pub.

These groups consisted of different mages crossing the wilderness together, finding safety in numbers due to the inherent dangers of the wilderness.