The Golem Mage

819: Clan Upgrade 2.

819: Clan Upgrade 2.

The pain Alec was feeling refused to subside, stirring genuine concern within him, the pain of breaking through wasn’t meant to be this consistent, nor was it supposed to linger for so long.

After all, this wasn’t his first time undergoing a breakthrough, it was meant to be more of a refreshing feeling and if there was one thing Alec understood, it was the clear signs when something wasn’t right.

At this point, he was certain the pain wasn’t coming from his overflowing mana battering his muscles and flesh as it forced his physique to evolve.

Without wasting another moment, Alec swiftly delved into his inner self, stepping into his microcosmic universe, the instant he arrived, the source of his problem became clear, at the very center of his microcosmic world was a small, radiant ball of light, steadily devouring specks of surrounding light that drifted near it.

Orbiting around it were the three powers Alec had awakened, revolving like their own unique stars, though even among them, there were obvious differences.

The Earth Mountain remained the strongest of the three, and even now, it held two distinct objects circling it, a purple stone emitting continuous current like waves downward, and a swirling, miniature sandstorm.

Both hovered close, like loyal sentinels to the mountain’s might.

Not far off pulsed the Beating Heart, split cleanly between searing red flames and ominous black fire, throbbing steadily with life.

On another side loomed the Multiple Demonic beast faces, representing his Devourer bloodline, looking unchanged from the last time Alec had seen it.

And that was because, despite having ample opportunity to devour other bloodlines, Alec had been cautious and holding out for only the most valuable and potent.

If he were to claim another demonic beast for his next bloodline soul form, he wanted it to be one with an affinity entirely different from his own.

Just as the Shadow Wolf granted him limited control over shadow abilities and the Golden-Horned Drake over metal, Alec now only sought powers he didn’t already possess, and while his current soul beasts had all ascended to Tier 6, he still hadn’t decided what creature would become his third.

–

The small light gathering at the center of Alec’s microcosmic universe was the only clear sign that his breakthrough to Tier 6 was progressing smoothly, once it completed its accumulation, Alec’s mana regeneration and overall capacity would rise significantly, while his physical body would ascend to a new tier alongside his breakthrough.

But that wasn’t the real problem, the true issue and the root cause of the intense, unrelenting pain he’d been enduring lay in his Heart of Flames.

It beat with an uneasy, restless rhythm, a clear sign that his fire element was on the verge of an evolution.

The sound of its pounding began to echo in his ears, growing louder with each pulse.

Alec instinctively moved his hands to cover them, but it was useless, the sound wasn’t traveling through air, it was resonating within him, bypassing physical barriers and hammering directly against his eardrums, so no matter what he did, it found him.

Before he realized it, his consciousness began to slip, his body growing weightless as it floated toward the blazing heart, the flames coiled around him, and in the next instant, Alec fell into a deep, trance-like sleep.

He could feel the searing heat licking at his spiritual body, and yet, that was the strangest part: there was no pain.

Not even the slightest discomfort.

The flames surged through him, reshaping his spirit, while he drifted silently in their embrace.

—

Meanwhile, back in the Gordons clan compound, the elders were preoccupied doing damage control, working hastily to cover up the unusual occurrences around the estate before word could spread to outsiders.

But in their frantic efforts, they’d completely overlooked one important detail, they still had a guest residing within the inner region, someone who wasn’t a member of their clan, and who was observing everything with unnervingly sharp interest.

Terran had only been at the Gordons clan for a few hours, but in that short time, he’d shared drinks with the elders in the morning, and spent the afternoon touring the inner regions, guided personally by the First Elder.

And throughout it all, a single thought kept surfacing in his mind: the Gordons clan was far too strange.

While the Gordons elders were busy scrambling to cover up the unusual phenomenon that had erupted within their estate, they completely overlooked one important detail — a guest who wasn’t even part of their clan was still residing in the inner residential area, quietly observing everything with keen, unsettling interest.

Terran had been at the Gordons estate for only a few hours, yet in that time, he’d shared drinks with the elders in the morning and spent the afternoon touring the inner region, personally guided by the First Elder.

And during that tour, one thought had firmly taken root in his mind: the Gordons clan was far too strange.

There was a real ease among the members like they had no problems whatsoever, and he saw this as a source of strength which reassured them, a strength they hide behind layers of humility.

Terran didn’t know why they made such efforts, but one thing was certain, this was no ordinary mid-tier clan.

In his eyes, they were already sitting at the peak of the Mid Tier rankings, biding their time for reasons yet unknown.

And now, at night, his suspicions only deepened, he sat watching the defensive array that shimmered faintly above the entire estate, a formation desperately working to conceal the thick fog of mana gathering in the air, something that had happened due to the multiple breakthroughs happening at once.

“This is turning out to be a more entertaining holiday than I expected, at this rate, I might not even have to lift a finger, and my boredom continues.” Terran muttered, taking a slow sip from the wine gourd the Third Elder had left behind for him.

That thought barely left his lips when he suddenly picked up an unusual set of mana fluctuations surging toward Alec’s residence.

His smirk widened, and without hesitation, he vanished from where he stood, leaving only the faint echo of his presence behind.

—

As expected, the Gordons clan’s hasty efforts to conceal the commotion hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Ordinarily, the estate would have drawn little attention at this hour, but with every faction in Estonia City keeping an eye on the Gordons clan for their own reason or benefit was on high alert, and their lookouts had been ordered to report any unusual activity immediately.

And when the defensive array flickered into view and the mana mist thickened above the estate, the watchers relayed the news to their masters without delay.

From various clan houses, countless eyes observed with growing curiosity, each one wondering just what exactly was happening behind the walls of the Gordons clan.

Inside the city hall, the City Lord sat alone in his study, positioned by the window that offered a direct view of the Gordons clan estate, the moment he noticed the faint shimmer of an array rising above their grounds, a slow, satisfied smile crept across his face.

“I didn’t expect this, it seems that guy actually succeeded in getting rid of that brat.” He murmured to himself, his eyes narrowing with cold amusement.