The Golem Mage

Pale’s eyes fluttered open as he regained consciousness, and he found himself surrounded by his entire team.

A wave of remorse washed over him, prompting him to bow his head and apologize.

”I’m sorry we lost, i should have done better,” he expressed, feeling responsible for their defeat, due to his unconscious state after Scarlet had incapacitated him, Pale was unaware they won and hadn’t considered the possibility of their victory.

Unaware of the battle’s outcome, he could only hear Beatrice’s giggles and feel Lucas’s hand patting his shoulder.

Lucas had a wide grin on his face as he reassured Pale,

”You can stop sulking, you poor boy, we won!” Despite this revelation, Pale remained genuinely perplexed, contemplating whether he was the target of an elaborate prank.

However, his confusion dissipated as he caught sight of a massive water screen suspended high above the Colosseum.

The screen displayed highlights from the just-concluded fight, revealing how Alec’s golems had secured the win, Pale stood there, mouth agape, contemplating how Alec alone had embodied the strength of an entire team.

He couldn’t believe how he had faltered and even blamed Alec secretly, as he felt that with Alec in the fray, their battle might have been easier.

But in that moment, Pale realized the extent to which even he had relied on Alec.

”Well, if that’s all, it’s time for me to collect my earnings!” Selene declared with an eccentric laugh, drawing the attention of the entire team.

Arthur joined in the laughter until he noticed the burning gaze Alec directed his way, Subdued, Arthur ran with Selene as they both disappeared, their intent to go retrieve their winnings from the betting booth, the whole team were aware now that Arthur betted contrary to Alec’s wishes as he didn’t want them knowing.

While awaiting Selene and Arthur’s return, the introduction for the next match commenced, as they listened,

–

The Elder from the Blaze Clan and the Dean of the Bandit Academy promptly left the VIP section, the Dean of the Bandit Academy sought to check on his own team, concerned for their well-being.

Despite their loss, he held onto hope that they could still recover by winning the loser bracket and securing a chance to contest again for a spot in the top 8.

Meanwhile, the elder from the Zero Clan remained, aiming to watch the other matches unfold, as the Other important figures started to appear in the VIP section, having initially believed that the first match between what they perceived as a low-level academy and a mid-level academy would be quick and uninteresting, but the all got a shocker.

Cause after placing their bets on the Bandit Academy for an easy victory, they were taken aback when they heard the result of the War God Academy’s unexpected win.

Now, they hurriedly made their way to the Colosseum, intrigued by the emergence of the War God Academy as a dark horse, they delved into research, digging deeper to uncover any hidden details about what they had previously considered the weakest team.

This newfound curiosity was fueled not only by the unexpected success of the dark horse, but also by the historical significance attached to the War God Academy, Every year, there was always a dark horse in the competition, but never before had one garnered such attention.

They eagerly sought to unravel the academy’s secrets, particularly intrigued by the mystery surrounding the team, however, despite their efforts, they could only uncover limited information about most of the teams.

Those who had fought alongside Alec were simply dismissed, believed to be part of the bench line-up strategically brought in to conceal the true abilities of the main line-up.

The team’s enigma only fueled their curiosity, leading them to explore potential connections between the team members and their respective clans.

And the ones who was truly Standing out among them were Lucas and Beatrice, who were identified as members of Ancient clans.

Upon further investigation, they discovered that most of the team members shared a common surname: Gordons.

This prompted an additional search into the Gordons clan, but they were unable to find substantial information, aside from the fact that it was a mid-tier clan residing in Estonia City.

As the crowd scrutinized Alec’s background, they managed to connect him to the esteemed Blaze Clan, which soothed the onlookers’ curiosity, as they felt it was uncommon for someone outside the elite clans to possess such formidable strength, this was what they felt made more sense.

Despite the murmurs suggesting Alec was an illegitimate member of the Blaze Clan, those in the know within the VIP section understood that the Blaze Clan had no ties to the young mage.

Alec had been nurtured by the Gordons clan an even didn’t use flames in the fight, but instead he used certain strategic control of his golems in the battle, and he had resonated with the golem path mages present in the crowd, these mages who was looked down on because their advancement was often slow due to the high costs of golem upgrades, now saw Alec as an inspiration.

Just as the captains of the top eight academies from the previous year had been granted king titles, some golem path mages in the crowd had already coined a nickname for Alec: ’The Golem King.

This moniker was a testament to his exceptional command over his four golems, which set him apart from his peers.

Simultaneously, a rumour began to circulate that Alec Gordons relied heavily on his golems due to a lack of personal combat skills.

This speculation reached Alec where he sat with his team, ready to observe the upcoming battle for strategic insights, stull yet Alec dismissed these rumours, seeing no point in revealing his true martial capabilities.

He was amused by the conjectures and even welcomed them, believing that any underestimation by future adversaries could work in his favour.

–

As the anticipation built for the next contest, the referee’s voice boomed through the Colosseum

”For the second match of the day, from the left side, please welcome the mages from the Crimson Rose Academy!

Their line-up includes Captain Aria Bloodthorn, a Mid Tier 5 Mage; Vice Captain Ethan Ashborne, a Low Tier 5 Mage; along with their teammates Seraphina Nightshade and Tristan Stormrider, both Low Tier 5 Mages; and Maria Darkbliss, at the peak of Tier 4.” Despite the announcement, only a handful of the Gordons clan members showed any reaction along with the crowd.

Their reaction for the upcoming match wasn’t solely due to the power demonstrated by the Crimson Rose Academy, rather, it stemmed from the mention of a particular individual who hailed from the same hometown as them.

The prospect of seeing someone they knew filled them with joy and anticipation.

Alec glanced at Maria as she emerged with the rest of her teammates, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Memories of their involvement together in the Blood Moon War resurfaced in his mind, while their interaction had left a slight impression on him, they were not particularly close.

Nonetheless, Alec wished her well, knowing they shared a common bond as fellow residents of the same city.

”And from the opposing team, representing one of the esteemed Great Eight Academies, hailing from the right corner, we have the Bloodline Academy,” the referee announced, sparking a newfound level of interest among the crowd.