The Golem Mage

“Fire!” the sub-leader of the Tier 3 mages shouted, and in perfect unison, the mages launched their earth spears like javelins, each projectile shot forward with deadly precision, impaling targets on impact.

Without pause, the mages conjured new spears and hurled them again, targeting fresh enemies with terrifying speed.

With Earth Spear being a basic spell, it had a minimal mana consumption, but the Gordons had long pushed it to the limits of the Low Tier due to the training Alec had them on.

Empowered to the peak of the low-rank tier, the spell now carried explosive force, and with over a hundred Tier 3 mages unleashing them simultaneously, as the hill turned into a thundering storm of destruction.

The air filled with rapid bangs as explosions tore through the goblin ranks, smoke erupted across the field.

Alec’s training regimen had drilled near-instantaneous casting into them, and now the results were devastating, as the could just instantly cast the earth spear again and again.

In moments, another 30% of the goblin force was wiped out, those outside the triangle formation reduced to smouldering remains.

The hill’s base vanished under thick smoke, as the high-rank human mages floating above could hardly believe what they were witnessing, the goblin detachment had been almost annihilated in less than five minutes.

Only a fraction of them remained—some mid-rank goblins and a few lucky low ranks, none of whom had even touched the hilltop, meanwhile, the Gordons still stood untouched, not a single casualty, not even a scratch.

“Let’s retreat! These are demons, not humans—we shouldn’t be fighting them,” one of the mid-rank goblins leaders cried, already trying to withdraw, as the shield bearers held their defensive line as they retreated, wary of a follow-up attack.

“You think you can just leave after charging at us and ruining our show? Jokers,” Alec said coldly.

“Kelvin, your boys are up.”

Kelvin, who retained his position as the Sub Tier leader of the Tier 4 mages, nodded.

Without delay, the Tier 4 mages reached into their space pouches with their mana and this time, what they summoned was unlike anything they had revealed before.

Before each Tier 4 mage of the Gordons Clan stood an Iron Golem sculpted in the image of a beast, specifically, a rhinoceros, these Iron Rhino Golems were the result of Alec’s foresight and planning.

Knowing that mobility would be crucial in future battles, especially against zombies which he thought they would sill face, Alec had sent the Tier 4 mages to train under the Fifth Elder, whose specialty lay in bestial golem crafting.

Alec’s initial thoughts had been about considering using mounts to improve their battlefield mobility, but dismissed the idea, as traditional mounts would be vulnerable without proper equipment they could get easily scratched which would leave them getting infected in battle, which can lead to his mages dying.

Instead, he turned to golems since they had an elder who could help them overcome this weakness, the Fifth Elder, though reluctant to take on more work, but agreed later to Alec’s request after being promised Tier 7 cultivation pills.

It was an enticing offer, especially since he the Sixth Elder and the First Elder were the only ones in the old generation stuck at Peak Tier 6 mage realm, while Draco, a junior elder, had already surpassed them.

That was how the mid-rank mages of the Gordons Clan learned the art of crafting bestial golems.

The results weren’t perfect, as some golems were sleeker than others but the sheer number and imposing form of the Iron Rhinos made up for any imperfections.

With long front horns, robust metallic bodies, and mages already mounted atop them, the sight alone was enough to strike fear, it was clear: the Gordons were about to begin their hunt, and the remaining goblins were the prey.

While everything was going smoothly for the Gordons, things weren’t looking as good for the mid-rank human forces.

The low ranks were still holding the line, but the pressure was mounting.

Though the city guards were still surrounded, however, the Tier 3 leader proved exceptional at rallying his mages, pushing each of them to give 120%, he also managed the frontlines smartly, rotating out exhausted mages to maintain their defence.

It was a draining formation, and it was clear they couldn’t hold out forever, but he was determined to keep it going as long as possible and not just give up.

The clan mages, however, were faring worse, despite their efforts, they were an easier target, and the goblins had focused their assault on them, several low-rank mages from various clans had already been wiped out, leaving the survivors struggling just to hold the line as they had all joined to fight together no longer claiming space among themselves.

This was the brutal reality of the Blood Moon War—lives were lost in an instant of mistake, watching it all unfold, the high-rank human mages in the air began to realize how stark the difference in experience was, and their eyes turned to the Gordons for a solution.

That’s when they noticed the Tier 4 mages of the Gordons Clan, lined up like a cavalry unit ready to descend.

All attention shifted to them, everyone waiting to see how they would deal with the Mid-Tier goblins who had managed to survive this long.

“Let’s ride, Gordons,” Kelvin commanded, kicking the sides of his Iron Rhino Golem, as it lurched forward with a heavy stomp, and the rest of the Tier 4 mages followed, galloping down the slope.

The thunderous pounding of iron hooves echoed across the battlefield, under the blood-red moonlight, their spirit armours gleamed as they gripped the grooves of their golems with their left hands, their right hands holding long-reaching weapons, ready to deliver death.

Most of them wielded spears, lances, or tridents. Alec had made sure to ask each mage what suited them best, he didn’t want them charging into a cavalry-style battle relying solely on the basic Earth Spear spell.

Even if they still chose to use it, he insisted they be equipped with proper weapons that matched their style.

So, he helped them develop secondary weapons tailored to their preferences, just watching their descent felt like witnessing a tidal wave—unstoppable, wild, and deadly.

The shield bearer goblins bristled with weapons, ready to draw blood, but the Gordons’ Tier 4 mages showed no fear. They charged ahead, the ground trembling beneath the pounding of iron rhino golems. Dirt and grass were flung into the air with each stride as the mages began to roar, their war cries echoing across the battlefield.

Then came the impact that had held everyone’s breath in suspense.

The rhino golems crashed into the goblin shield formation, despite the shield bearer goblins thrusting their weapons forward, they were helpless against constructs of metal rather than flesh.

The weapons barely scratched the surface of the high-tier alloy body of the rhinos Alec had acquired through his system points, materials no common goblin weapon could damage.

The sheer weight of the metallic rhinos versus the meager shields of the goblins decided the outcome in an instant. Bodies were crushed underfoot, some golems veered to attack from the flanks, guided by the skilled hands of Gordons mages, while others barrelled straight into the heart of the formation, their horns driving a brutal wedge into the ranks.

Screams filled the air, shields shattered, goblin bodies flew, and though the formation held for a brief heartbeat, just long enough to reflect the discipline of the shield bearers, it still wasn’t enough to stop what came next.

The pressure from the hill-born fury cracked the formation open, gaps formed.

The line bent. And the Gordons surged through like a tide breaching a broken dam, driving their weapons into the necks of the much shorter goblins in sight, with the height and momentum advantage, the mages cut through them with ease.

This time, the goblins didn’t just retreat—they broke, the retreat became a chaotic rout, each goblin fleeing for himself, scrambling to escape the reach of riders who felt too monstrous, too relentless, to be human.