The Golem Mage

Alec and his two golems were able to follow behind the woman silently without alerting her, until they finally reached the temple she was so eager to visit.

In front of the temple, two Mage stood guard wearing bronze masks on their face.

”I don’t think they’re even trying to hide it, this is the temple of the Evil Sect,” Alec murmured as he moved to the side.

”For them to openly display themselves like this, it means they have the whole town under control, and that’s a major issue.”

The system spirit golem added, while Titan stood beside Alec with his hands folded.

”It’s times like this I really wish Knight is with me here, with him, I wouldn’t have to worry about gathering information; he could easily infiltrate the temple and tell me their true strength,” Alec lamented.

”It seems we might not need him after all, master, as It appears almost the resident of the city are heading inside the Evil Sect for a meeting, why don’t we blend into the crowd and attend?, It won’t hurt,”

Titan suggested before the system spirit could offer an idea, making Alec tapped him on the shoulder, acknowledging his suggestion, and they all started walking towards the temple.

--

Inside, there was a small wooden chair in the middle, with two seats on either side, the central chair was occupied by a Priest of the Evil Sect, while higher-ranking members of the Tier 5 cities sat in the other chairs.

The rest of the city’s residents stood and listened to the conversation.

”Why are you still hesitating, City Lord?, I have already informed you that by depositing a million low-tier magic crystals to the Evil Sect, we will renovate this temple to its former glory, this will enable us to invite one of the Holy Sons to bless our temple,” the priest urged.

”This is not only for the benefit of your city but for the entire populace, with the Holy Son’s blessing, your city will attract powerful mages, and breakthroughs in cultivation will become smoother, as you all won’t have to face any obstacles in advancing to higher realm,”

The Priest explained with a smile on his face, eliciting joy from the listening crowd.

The city was small one and lacking in resources, especially for cultivation, which was one of the main reason of the resident low cultivation levels.

So hearing the Priest speak of the possibility of progressing to higher realms after being stagnant in their present realm for so long filled them with joy.

”I understand your concerns, but I simply do not have that sum of money to spare under any circumstances,” the City Lord responded with a helpless smile, his eyes fixed on the priest who was attempting to manipulate public opinion to extract funds from him.

”What is stopping you from providing the necessary funds, City Lord? You are simply being stingy at this moment, I understand that you may feel you have reached the end of your own progression and are unwilling to contribute,” the priest challenged.

”But think of the future for your descendants and the village mages who have not had the opportunity to study at a higher academy, this is their chance to receive teachings from the Holy Son and advance to greater heights,” the priest added persuasively.

The priest continued with a sly smile, ensuring he had the full attention and engagement of the crowd, as every point he made was designed to agitate them, and he was pleased to see that his efforts were not in vain, as they began shouting at the City Lord, accusing him of hindering the city’s prosperity and keeping them in a state of neglect compared to other cities.

The priest’s smile widened as he believed he had finally achieved his goal; the City Lord would have no choice but to pay up, or face the wrath of the entire village.

The City Lord’s expression betrayed the pressure he was under, visibly struggling with the situation.

”What’s troubling you, City Lord? Worry not, as the leader of the Merchant Association, I will assist you, Our association will contribute three thousand low-tier magic crystals, easing your burden so you won’t be the only one taking care of all the bills,”

The Tier 5 city’s Merchant Association leader who was also one of the four who sat close to the Priest offered, sensing the City Lord’s indecision.

The moment the people heard of the additional donation from the Merchant Association, they cheered and then berated the City Lord once more, branding him as stingy.

This display of public opinion made the City Lord sigh in defeat.

”Very well, I suppose that settles it, I will make a donation...”

”No one will be donating such funds to the Evil Sect,” Alec’s voice boomed, empowered by his Mana, interrupting the City Lord before he could finish his sentence.

As the crowd turned to discover the source of the voice, they watched in awe as the citizens parted to reveal Alec’s presence among them.

The Priest’s eyes narrowed at Alec and the two golems beside him, realizing that his carefully laid plan was now in jeopardy.

He had been on the verge of extorting a million low-tier magic crystals from the City Lord before Alec’s intervention disrupted his scheme.

Moving closer, Alec positioned himself mere meters away from the Evil Sect Priest.

”As long as I remain in this town, no one will be permitted to offer you or your malevolent Sect even a single magic crystal, you are all nothing but filth,” Alec declared with a calm demeanor, catching the City Lord’s attention and causing him to ponder where the young boy derived his unwavering confidence from.

A wave of fury swept over the priest in response to Alec’s words, prompting him to raise his finger and point accusingly at Alec.

”How dare you defame the revered Evil Sect!, Face the wrath of heavenly punishment!”

The priest’s command seemed to summon shards of ice from various directions in the temple, launching towards Alec and his golems positioned in the center of the room.

”The heavenly punishment descends swiftly upon the stranger,” murmured one of the onlookers, interpreting the ice shards attack on Alec as a form of divine retribution for opposing the Evil Sect.

Despite the onslaught aimed at him, Alec remained unperturbed as Titan raised his right hand upwards, causing the ice shards to halt several meters away from them.

”Playing with ice in the presence of an ice Golem – what a foolish endeavour,” Titan’s resonant voice reverberated as the shards altered course mid-air, returning to their origin with muffled noises sounding.