The Grand Elder had stressed how quickly accumulating mana could lead to their promotion to Tier 1 mages.

[Spiral Force – Basic Mana Circulation Activated Lv1]

[Mini Hole – Basic Mana Circulation Activated Lv1]

As Alec began channelling the techniques, he noticed two distinct streams of colour swirling toward him, unable to resist, he reached out and extended his hand toward the lights.

The moment his hand touched the vibrant hues, a cool, refreshing energy surged through him.

[Mana increased by 1]

[EXP increased by 1]

A smile spread across Alec’s face—this was exactly the progress he’d hoped for, however, the system reminded him he still had 99 experience points to gain before reaching level 1, it was a long road ahead, but he was clearly on the right track.

He assumed that once he reached the next level, he would officially become a Lower-Tier Mage, the red and brown colours flowing toward him were likely elemental energies of fire and earth, matching his affinities.

Remaining in his meditative pose, Alec continued cultivating the mana circulation techniques, eager to break through and see what came next.

If the younger generation of the Gordon Clan knew Alec was attempting a breakthrough overnight, they’d be stunned, because Becoming a Tier 1 mage in a single day after awakening mana was nearly unheard of.

But Alec wasn’t concerned with what others thought, he gradually noticed the rate of mana absorption increasing—even if subtly.

The dual technique combination was beginning to show its true potential.

[ Ding! Gained 100 EXP ]

[Leveled up to Level 1]

Alec’s eyes snapped open, with excitement, he pulled up his status tab to compare his updated stats to where he had started.

[Status Tab]

Name: Alec Gordons

Race: Human

Level: 1

Tier: 1 [Low]

■ EXP till next level: 0.00% / 200

[Attributes]

Strength: 7+

Agility: 6+

Endurance: 5+

Mana: 100+

Affinity: Earth (High)+, Fire (High)+

Available Points: 7 (Bonus)

System Points: 0

He noticed that, aside from his abnormally high Mana—thanks to cultivating with two techniques—his other attributes had received a significant boost, he had gained 5 attribute points automatically and was given 2 bonus points to allocate manually.

After some thought, Alec placed 2 points in Strength, 2 in Agility, and the remaining 3 in Endurance, he had no intention of increasing Mana through attribute points since his cultivation method already provided plenty.

His updated status now read:

[Status Tab]

Name: Alec Gordons

Race: Human

Level: 1

Tier: 1 [Low]

■ EXP till next level: 0.00% / 200

[Attributes]

Strength: 9 (+2)

Agility: 8 (+2)

Endurance: 8 (+3)

Mana: 100+

Affinity: Earth (High)+, Fire (High)+

Available Points: 0 (Bonus)

System Points: 0

A powerful surge rushed through his body after the allocation of the available points, he felt stronger than ever—like he could crush stone with his bare hands.

A stray thought crossed his mind: if he had this kind of strength in his previous life, maybe he could have become a superhero, not quite Superman-level, but stopping robbers would’ve been child’s play.

Now that he had tangible proof that the system was enhancing his physical capabilities, it was time for the next step—creating his first golem.

Having reached the Tier 1 mage realm, he finally had enough mana to sustain the golem’s consumption, just as his grandfather had said.

Turning to the ancient Gordon family technique book, he eagerly flipped through the pages, the information was clear, and the concepts behind crafting a basic golem quickly settled into his mind.

After about ten minutes of focused reading, Alec knew exactly what he wanted to create, channelling his mana according to the book’s instructions, he began shaping his first golem—guiding the Earth element particles from the air and grounding them.

It felt like watching true magic unfold, as the earth elements particles in the air responded smoothly, and the ground began to tremble as clumps of clay rose and fused together to form a shape.

At first, it was small—barely the size of a puppy—but Alec kept infusing more mana, steadily increasing its size and strength.

When it reached human height, he didn’t stop, sensing that it could absorb more mana, he continued shaping it, bulking up its form into the powerful figure he had imagined.

He poured every last drop of mana into refining its features, and when he finally stepped back, pride swelled in his chest.

The golem stood like a miniature giant—its frame thick and imposing, almost like a sumo wrestler, yet even taller, but as Alec admired his creation, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

Then it clicked.

“Ha-ha! Why not give it a weapon?” he said with a grin. “It looks strong enough to be a brawler, might be a bit slow, but with the right weapon...”

Excited, Alec decided to forge a weapon that would permanently integrate with the golem’s body. He started with a large shield for its left arm.

It was difficult at first, draining more of his dwindling mana, but he pushed through until the shield solidified and fitted naturally onto the golem’s limb.

Encouraged, he turned his focus to the right arm, this time, he envisioned a heavy mace with multiple spikes—and to his surprise, it came together even faster than the shield, within moments, the weapon was complete.

Exhausted from the crafting process, Alec collapsed onto his bed.

As he glanced at the system interface, a new notification popped up, sparking fresh anticipation.

[Congratulations on learning a skill!]

[Golem Creation (Legendary)] – No limit to how many you can create. Your mana capacity is your only restriction.

Alec blinked, a puzzled look crossing his face.

“What a weird explanation,” he muttered.

Realizing he had completely drained the mana he had just accumulated—a quantity already abnormal for a typical Tier 1 mage—he became even more certain that what he had created was no ordinary golem.

Curious, he accessed the system again to assess its stats.

He remembered from the golem technique book that an average earth golem typically required only 10 mana to animate.

[Earth Golem]

Level: 1 (Upgradeable)

Realm: Tier 1 [Low]

Rank: Rare

Strength: 15

Agility: 6

Endurance: 20

[A rare golem crafted with clumsiness but turned out to be a masterpiece—one with the potential to evolve.]

Alec’s eyes widened in disbelief, compared to his own stats, this golem was a powerhouse—stronger than many advanced Tier 1 mages in both strength and durability.

Though slower than usual, it more than made up for it with sheer size and its massive shield, ready to defend at a moment’s notice.

A smirk spread across Alec’s face as he studied his creation.

It stood tall and imposing, with thick limbs, glowing red eyes, and a natural sense of presence. It was exactly what he had envisioned—his perfect partner.

Settling into a meditative posture, Alec began to replenish the mana he had spent.

As he closed his eyes, he noticed the golem shifting slightly, adopting a defensive stance in front of him.

Alec’s smirk deepened, now tinged with awe and curiosity.

In the golem creation techniques passed down by the Gordons’ patriarch, it was said that higher-ranked golems exhibited a degree of independent thought, capable of defending their masters without needing a command.

Golem ranks progressed from Common to Uncommon, and then to Rare, skipping the first two to craft a Rare golem on his very first attempt was unheard of.

“I might just be a genius,” Alec whispered with a smug grin, confidence surging through him.