The Golem Mage

731: Out Of Excuses.

731: Out Of Excuses.

“Why did you accept such terms?

It’s clear we could have pushed the city hall into a corner, negotiated a better deal, and reduced the number of mages we have to send for such a gruesome battle, you know we can’t afford to lose so many of our mages in a meaningless war like this,” the Grand Elder said, his voice sharp as the ground beside him cracked open, revealing the patriarch emerging from below.

“I understand your concerns,” the patriarch replied calmly, dusting off his robes,

“but you must remember, we had already decided to offer our support, why exploit the situation unnecessarily?

Besides, by participating, we gain proximity to the high rank mages present, that gives us an opportunity to discern which of them might truly be connected to the attack on the outer court.”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand me, I have no intention of sending you into the frontlines of the Blood Moon War.” The Grand Elder interjected with a sly grin.

The patriarch raised an eyebrow in surprise, prompting the Grand Elder to elaborate.

“Right now, our focus shouldn’t be on revenge or exposing the attackers, they can be dealt with later, we need their firepower right now, which is why our immediate concern should be the zombies, they’re back, and stronger than ever.

If we allow anger to dictate our strategy, we risk losing sight of the bigger picture.”

He paused, his tone growing more solemn.

“If the Zombies breach the city gates, the chaos they’ll cause will be catastrophic, weak humans which can’t protect themselves will be easy prey, and the zombies will multiply rapidly, making the clean-up effort exhausting and costly, even if we win, it would feel like a loss, given the lives that would be wasted in such a scenario.”

The patriarch nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful as he acknowledged the wisdom in his brother’s words.

—

“Begin!” Duran announced, his voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.

Alec, standing before the monolith, didn’t waste any time.

Without any elaborate gestures or theatrics, he simply let his fist fly toward the stone with precision and purpose.

Bink!

The faint sound of Alec’s hand striking the monolith echoed softly, almost as if he was holding back, careful not to break it, this subtle approach left many of the mages in the crowd puzzled, their initial reaction being one of disbelief.

‘Why was Alec being so restrained?’

However, their confusion quickly turned to astonishment as the white light began to surge up the monolith with a speed they had never seen before.

In a matter of seconds, the light broke through the first three bars effortlessly.

It only slowed slightly upon reaching the fourth bar but continued its relentless ascent, stopping only when it reached the low Tier 6 bar.

Gasps rippled through the crowd as their gazes darted to the badge hanging from Alec’s waist, now glowing Burgundy.

It was undeniable, the first years now had their second major-rank mage, meanwhile, the entire second year still lacked even a single student of that rank.

The humiliation was palpable, especially when they noticed the disappointed stares of some instructors directed at them.

Even Beatrice, though not yet at the rank, appeared dangerously close to breaking through, this realization only deepened the second years’ sense of shame, and many bowed their heads in silent mortification.

“Pass.

Will you use your remaining attempts?” Duran asked, his voice tinged with curiosity, he was clearly intrigued by Alec’s display, suspecting that Alec had held back a significant amount of his power.

But Alec shook his head, declining the offer to continue.

Duran’s disappointment was evident for a fleeting moment before he masked it with a neutral expression, as much as he wanted to see the full extent of Alec’s abilities, he couldn’t compel him to proceed.

Alec had already passed, and that was enough.

As Alec turned to leave and make his way toward the second test venue, he was suddenly intercepted, standing before him was none other than the Dean.

Alec lifted his gaze, his expression calm but questioning as he wondered what the Dean wanted now.

“You haven’t forgotten, have you?” the Dean said, his voice firm yet calm.

“You owe me a discussion, and I’d like to have it now.”

The Dean’s sudden request stunned the crowd, especially the second year, they couldn’t fathom what kind of connection a first-year student could possibly have with the Dean.

But Alec’s next response left them utterly floored.

“Can’t it wait?

You do realize I’m in the middle of a test, and I can’t wait to get back home,” Alec replied casually, his tone causing those nearby to gasp in disbelief, they were shocked by how nonchalantly Alec addressed the Dean.

If any of them had been approached by the Dean, they would have leaped at the opportunity to fulfil his request, yet Alec’s words and demeanour gave the impression that he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Come on now, we both know this test is like a walk in the park for you, even the second-year assessments are beneath your level,” the Dean retorted.

“Be that as it may, I still have to take it,” Alec responded firmly, standing his ground, the Dean let out a sigh before turning to the instructors and senior staff present.

“I hereby announce that Alec Gordons and Lucas Blade are officially promoted to the second year due to their ranks, they are exempt from completing the remaining tests, and would get the highest degree in marks, does anyone have an objection?” the Dean declared, his authoritative gaze sweeping the crowd.

There were murmurs, but no one dared to challenge the decision, most nodded in agreement, though a few felt disappointed at not being able to witness more of Alec’s abilities, however, with the Dean having spoken, they had no choice but to accept it.

Lucas, on the other hand, looked puzzled by the sudden promotion, while he found the tests boring, he had been looking forward to the third test, which involved combat rankings.

However, since Alec wasn’t participating, Lucas reasoned that it didn’t matter, after all, no one else could push him as much as Alec did.

Even though he knew Beatrice might defeat him with her summoned puppets, Lucas didn’t feel the same thrill battling her as he did when sparring with Alec.

Fighting Alec always put him on edge, knowing he could be overwhelmed at any moment, resigned, Lucas turned and began walking back to his master’s peak, as he planned to park his things swiftly and leave back to the Central Kingdom.

“Let’s fight again when we meet next, Alec,” Lucas called out, his massive Great sword slung over his shoulder as he exited the venue.

“Definitely,” Alec muttered with a small smile, his thoughts drifting back to how he had first met Lucas.

At first, he’d thought Lucas was just a troublemaker, but over time, he’d realized Lucas was simply someone driven by his love for battle and a desire to challenge those stronger than himself.

If there was anyone Alec trusted most to have his back at the capital, it was Lucas.

While Alec was more protective of Beatrice and ensured her roles were limited, he relied on Lucas to shoulder the most challenging tasks.

And Lucas never faltered under the weight of Alec’s trust, and through those trials, he had grown stronger, now Lucas could only look forward to how his clan elders would react when they evaluated his progress.

He could already imagine the expressions of astonishment on their faces when they realized how far he had improved.

“Well then, would you mind following me for that discussion now?” the Dean asked, breaking Alec’s train of thought.

“Alright, I guess I’ve run out of excuses,” Alec replied, shrugging his shoulders as he agreed to follow the Dean.