The Golem Mage

Alec and his new team were en route to their first training objective together, At the moment, fatigue weighed heavily on them all.

”Why the hell would they ask us to do this?” Pale grumbled from behind, panting heavily.

The rest of the team exchanged surprised glances, hardly believing he would complain so vociferously.

The initial task outlined in the scroll required them to traverse the Gobi Desert while consciously suppressing their mana, Alec, having practiced with the arcane crown previously, found mana restraint second nature.

However, for the other mages, it was an unprecedented challenge, because since awakening their powers, they had never had to suppress their mana, let alone while navigating the harsh terrain of the Gobi Desert.

The ordeal was exacting a toll on everyone.

”Guy, you’re holding up better than the rest of us, you’re a Tier 4 Mage for God sake, yet you whine more than the grandmothers in my clan,” Knight teased, prompting laughter from the others.

Alec and Arthur walked shoulder to shoulder, with Alec admiring Arthur’s stamina. ”Hey, remember when we snuck off to steal my grandpa’s wine?” Alec reminisced, keeping pace with Arthur.

”Yeah, that was wild!” Arthur replied, lost in the memory.

But their nostalgia was cut short by a strange sound emanating from the ground, Alec halted, as Arthur extended his arms, signaling the others to stop.

Seven sandworms emerged from the desert floor, as the team confronted the demonic beast, Pale tried to cast a spell from the rear, and Alec glanced at Brandon, who was nearby, catching Alec’s intent, Brandon swiftly used his sheathed saber to knock Pale’s hand aside.

Alec’s voice cut through the tension.

”You seem to have forgotten the terms of this mission, no matter the situation, we are not to use mana unless our lives are in danger,” he said, darting sideways toward the worms, with Arthur mirroring his movements from the opposite side.

”Those are Tier 3 demonic beasts, am I supposed to just punch them to death?” Pale retorted, incredulous as he watched his entire team follow Alec’s lead, charging at the sandworms.

”Well, you’re a Tier 4 Mage, and they’re just Tier 3 demonic beasts, don’t disgrace the Mid-rank, Let’s get this done,” Knight declared, surging forward with his dual daggers drawn.

” You are still a low rank mage”

Pale facepalmed, feeling as though he had been placed on a team of unreasonable idiots, even Lucas was grinning broadly, relishing the prospect of battling demonic beasts without mana as he dragged his great sword behind him.

Only Beatrice remained beside him.

When he turned to her, she said,

”Don’t look at me, I’m a lady, and Alec personally told me I don’t have to lift a finger!”

Her cutesy act nearly made Pale retch, He had seen her puppetry in combat and knew all too well that she was anything but a weak mage.

–

# At the War God Mage Academy

Orion was seething with frustration upon receiving news that his death match with Alec Gordons had been postponed due to Alec being away on a school mission.

In a fit of rage, he grabbed the nearest jar and hurled it against the wall, shattering it.

”Ah!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs.

”You have to calm down, Orion, from what I’ve heard, it was the Five Star Major Selene who requested the postponement, She’s assigned Alec to a mission far from the academy and doesn’t want him returning until she’s certain he’s ready,” one of Orion’s lackeys informed him.

Orion’s teeth clenched in fury as he remembered the last time he had seen Alec, back then, Alec was merely a Tier 2 Mage, but the defiance in his eyes had irked Orion, the fact that Alec had refused to kneel before him, a mighty Tier 5 Mage, only served to fuel his rage, and he had harbored a burning desire to obliterate Alec since then.

Time and time again, he had heard tales of Alec’s exploits, which only intensified his impatience to end Alec’s ascent.

The fear that Alec was advancing more rapidly than he had anticipated gnawed at him.

When Orion discovered that the captain’s ranking had welcomed a new mage and that it was Alec, he was gripped by a sensation he hadn’t felt in ages—doubt.

He had recently learned from his sources that Alec had not entered the Tier 5 mage realm yet, and was still a Tier 3 Mage, he had ascended to the captain’s ranking by virtue of the mages he had vanquished.

His lackeys were chattering, attempting to reassure him that his adversary was still a Tier 3 Mage, as they were confident that Orion would dispatch Alec with ease, yet, Orion understood that climbing the ranks in the mid-tier was no simple feat especially for a Tier 3 Mage as

The number of adversaries one must defeat to advance could would surely form a veritable mountain, contemplating the trials Alec must have endured to reach his current level, Orion began to experience an emotion he never anticipated—fear.

He was well aware of the difficulty in ascending to the next rank when one’s realm did not correspond to it.

Alec’s achievements spoke volumes, and now, with the postponement granting Alec more time to train, a fleeting thought of potential defeat crossed Orion’s mind before he swiftly banished it.

With renewed resolve, he steeled his mind.

”we return to the Abyss, the Orcs shall be the ones to feel my wrath!” Orion declared as he strode toward the wall where his magical staff was mounted.

–

At the War God Mage Academy, Elder Alfred could be seen soaring toward Terran’s Peak, as he phased through the walls and into the castle.

”Ever heard of knocking and waiting to be invited in?”

Terran chided, balancing his entire body weight on one finger, his other hand behind his back, and a black stone resting on his airborne leg.

His muscles rippled with each breath, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

”With all that weight on you, you still add gravity?, Turn off the gravity effect; I don’t want to be crushed into paste just because I came for a visit,” Elder Alfred complained.

”Say something more amusing, Pretending to be weak isn’t funny these days, and while you’re at it, get to the point, will you?, I know you must have something important to discuss; otherwise, someone as lazy as you wouldn’t bother getting out of bed, let alone visiting me,” Terran responded, probing the reason behind Elder Alfred’s visit.

”Always straight to the point; you’re no fun anymore, Well, I came so we could go buy wine together and drink to our hearts’ content,” Elder Alfred revealed.

Terran :”¬”

Terran’s expression was one of bemusement.