The Golem Mage

Part of the light that surged out from Alec’s body swiftly filled the room, transforming it into a space bathed in radiant white with a faint blue hue, at the center, an astral figure took form, an elderly man with a long beard.

Though he didn’t resemble a traditional forger, however, the moment he began working on the materials provided by the system, Alec was reminded again why questioning the system’s choices was futile.

As usual, a system prompt appeared, requesting a blood essence sample from the future host of the Spirit Equipment Set, and Alec tossed a vial containing Knight’s blood toward the spectral figure, the elder summoned using part of Alec’s system points, as the air was also filled with different resources Alec was unaware of too.

Prior to this, Alec had already answered several system queries needed when creating a specialised spirit equipment set, the intended realm of the host mage, his/her elemental affinities, and weapon preferences, everything necessary to prepare for the forging.

The system had then selected this particular figure, deeming him the most optimal forger in its entire database, perfectly suited for the specifications Alec provided and required at this level.

Once the blood was received, the forging began.

The astral body of the elder threw the old equipment set into the roaring furnace, melting it down; this wasn’t just recycling, it was a symbolic act meant to transfer memories and sentimental bonds Knight had formed with the original set into the upgraded version.

In this way, the new equipment wouldn’t feel unfamiliar, it would also carry the same essence, merely refined and enhanced.

At first, Alec thought the process would be completed in a matter of hours, just like every other Spirit Equipment Set the system had forged before.

However this time, things didn’t go as expected, as night approached and the day slipped by, only the initial materials had been processed were the main ones like the void beast bones, the Tier 6 shadow stone crystals, and a condensed nether essence, the true forging had yet to begin.

Each piece that would become part of the set was laced with spirit enchantments and elemental attunements to match with earth element, which Knight also had an affinity for, what followed next was the engraving of stealth functionality across various sections of the equipment.

For the first time, Alec realized that maybe he wouldn’t be getting off this easily, it would still take a good amount of time before the forging process was complete.

So, he did the one thing he’d been looking forward to for a while now.

He went to bed, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

Yes, Alec had slept off, eager to finally claim his loot drop from the body of the red salamander beast.

He was also fully assured that no one would be able to enter his house or even use their mental energy to invade the area while the forging was ongoing which is the reason for his action. For one, he had locked the door before going in.

To his inner circle, it simply seemed like Alec had entered another session of secluded cultivation for the tournament In a few days, just like they were doing in the cultivation areas of the academy, even though he had just come out of one seclusion not too long ago.

And even if they tried to force their way in, they wouldn’t succeed, because the light that covered his room didn’t just soundproof it and block all forms of mental invasion, it also served as a system-activated defence mechanism, ensuring that no one could witness anything Alec was doing that might raise difficult questions.

This was why Alec felt so confident, he knew the veil wouldn’t dissipate until the forging was completed, and from everything he’d observed so far, that moment was getting close any time soon.

–

Meanwhile, at the logistics department, the Dean had gone to discuss the details of their academy’s victory over the Royal Mage Academy with old man Alderic, though the old man didn’t seem too pleased about the win, he still played it cool.

–

At the Gordons’ Clan, the elders and the Patriarch were all seated in the meeting room, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.

This time, all the elders were present, including the newly appointed Eighth Elder, Zack.

“Is it true?” George Gordons asked.

“Yes,” the Grand Elder replied.

“The City Lord claims we illegally conducted an auction in his city without his permission, as if that wasn’t enough, he now demands a 50% share of whatever we earn from our shops in our business district, and claims that before any future auction takes place in Estonia City which is under his jurisdiction, he insists that his people be allowed to take their picks first, at a 30% discount off the average market price which is making no sense as the things we provided are not average and cannot be valued as such.”

“He also requested we change all forms of payment back to magic crystals, which is the regular medium of exchange, so another 10% of whatever we make from the next auction must also be handed over, or we should prepare to face the full weight of Estonia City’s law.”

The moment the elders heard the City Lord’s demands, any trace of calm vanished. Everyone’s expressions hardened with fury.

“I see...” the Patriarch said, cracking his knuckles. “I see...”

“It’s clear the city hall has done its own investigation into the source of the items we auctioned, and felt we luckily got it all from some type of dungeon because define all knew those items if traced won’t lead to any bigshot , they must have grown greedy after watching the clans and individuals who bought from us rise in strength, now they can’t help themselves.” The First Elder began.

“I always suspected they’d try to make things difficult for us eventually. But this isn’t just about the profits. Alec only collected corpses, that’s not under our control, the real income came from the restaurants, which he left under the clan’s management.”

“And let me be clear: in all my years managing the clan’s finances, this is the wealthiest we’ve ever been. It’s no surprise the City Lord is trying to suppress us, as our rising prestige threatens him.”

“In case anyone hasn’t noticed,” he added,

“Apart from the few clans that still bear hostility toward us, nearly the entire city now looks to the Gordons’ Clan as some kind of saviour after Alec’s Actions in the last Blood Moon War.”

“All of this is already getting on the City Lord’s nerves, he’s a man with a massive ego who can’t stand the thought of anyone becoming more powerful than his city hall. To him, we’re a threat to his authority.”

“Now, he’s laid a trap for us. We either accept his terms—which, in plain language, means slowly weakening as a clan while everything we build gets siphoned off by him just because he holds the title of City Lord—or...”

The First Elder paused, his tone hardening.

“We reject his terms, offend him, and risk sparking a war with the city hall, and once that begins, others will inevitably join the conflict, the very outcome we’ve tried so long to delay is now right at our doorstep.”

“If I’m not wrong, he’s not acting alone. Someone in a high position must be backing him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare make such a reckless move or use his imperial authority to propose such outrageous demands.”

“Either

way... we’re screwed. This city is no longer a safe place for us.”