Alec stood still, captivated by the transformation unfolding before his eyes.

Members of the Lanzt family glanced at him, curiosity written on their faces as they awaited an explanation, however it wasn’t like Alec had any to offer them even if he knew he won’t be letting them in on it.

This was his first time evolving a golem, and even he was stunned by the result and the phenomenon around it.

The blinding light finally dimmed, revealing a golem that looked nothing like its former self.

The earth elements swirled and compressed into a tall, muscular humanoid form, as a thick layer of armour fused seamlessly with its body, and an elongated spear is being conjured just near the golem’s right hand, shaped from compacted stone and hardened crystal, its colour darkened into a powerful blend of deep brown and black, radiating strength.

Just when Alec thought the evolution was complete, the last of his mana in the air surged toward the golem’s head, as a T-shaped helmet of solid earth instantly formed, hiding its face while exposing its glowing red eyes.

The swirling remnant of mana faded as it was absorbed into the golem’s core, empowering it further as it completes it breakthrough.

Alec could feel the surge of power from the newly evolved golem—stronger, faster, more intelligent, he didn’t dare interrupt the process, his instincts warned him something else was happening.

Agnes’s voice broke through the haze of awe.

“Alec, whatever you’re doing is drawing their attention!”

Startled, Alec looked up, only to see that the zombies were charging at their line more aggressively than before, snarling like wild beasts. ‘They’re reacting to the mana,’ Alec realized.

The compressed energy surrounding the golem wasn’t just a signal of power, it was also like a beacon of living energy for the undead, possibly strong enough to tempt evolution in them too.

Thankfully, the golem’s transformation ended, as it landed heavily back on the ground with a thunderous bang, shaking the nearby earth.

Alec’s eyes lit up as he examined the result: a towering warrior golem armed with a long spear and a circular shield on its left arm, it resembled the legendary Spartan soldiers from ancient history—formidable, composed, and made for war.

“You’ve completed your evolution,” Alec said with a grin.

“Now let’s see what you can really do.”

[Defensive Spearman Golem]

Level: 1 (Upgradeable)

Realm: Low Tier 1

Rank: Elite

Strength: 15

Agility: 16

Endurance: 10

[ This a rare golem, meticulously crafted from pure mana, had shed its ordinary form through countless brutal battles, what stood now is no longer just a creation, it is a masterpiece with immense potential for further evolution.]

Just by looking at it, Alec felt a deep sense of satisfaction, he had finally unlocked the secret to creating golems on par with Titan.

He knew that, as a Golem Mage In the Tier realm, he could only maintain a link with ten primary golems, regardless of what the Golem Art theoretically allowed, because his mana capacity and mental strength couldn’t handle more than ten.

So he intended to make each of them unique, walking different developmental paths.

But for now, Alec simply wanted to relish the moment, the exhilaration of giving birth to something entirely new.

He focused solely on the golem before him, resting his hand under his chin as he studied it, momentarily forgetting the chaos of the battlefield surrounding him.

Compared to the hulking, tank-like Titan, this golem appeared almost human, its finely chiselled stone muscles were defined with unnatural precision, giving it a statuesque elegance.

What caught Alec’s attention even more was the golem’s balanced stat distribution.

Unlike Titan, who was overwhelmingly biased toward strength and endurance, this one leaned toward agility and finesse. According to the system’s stats, it was already slightly faster than even Titan’s current form.

Alec’s smile widened as he checked its skill set, it still possessed spear mastery, which pleased him, but what truly blew him away was the gear it came with, and this time not crafted by his own hands, but by pure mana during the evolution process.

It wasn’t just armour, it was armament, a set fit for a battlefield gladiator.

--

[Gladiator Helmet]

Level: 6

+Power: 10

+Agility: 8

Durability: 30/30

Set Bonus (when full set is worn): +Power 5, +Agility 5, +Endurance 5

[Gladiator Armour]

Level: 6

+Endurance: 12

+Agility: 6

Durability: 30/30

Set Bonus (when full set is worn): +Power 5, +Agility 5, +Endurance 5

[Gladiator Boots]

Level: 6

+Agility: 15

+Power: 3

Durability: 30/30

Set Bonus (when full set is worn): +Power 5, +Agility 5, +Endurance 5

[Gladiator Punisher Spear]

Level: 6

+Power: 6

+Agility: 6

+Endurance: 6

Durability: 30/30

Set Bonus (when full set is worn): +Power 5, +Agility 5, +Endurance 5

[Full Gladiator Punisher Set Equipped]

Set Bonus Activated:

+Power: 5

+Agility: 5

+Endurance: 5

Alec stood frozen, mouth agape in sheer astonishment as he observed the overflowing bonus stats and the sleek, powerful equipment now adorning the golem.

He could hardly believe it, this golem was undeniably more powerful than Titan if the equipment stats were added, stronger, faster, and more balanced overall.

“Hmm... is it because its rank is Elite? It seems unbelievably powerful,” Alec muttered aloud, a note of frustration creeping into his voice.

“Damn, my mana’s completely drained... I’ve got so many questions I want to ask the system spirit.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, eyes locked on the radiant golem before him, it stood like a champion molded from earth and mana, its presence commanding awe.

Suddenly, a system notification flashed before him:

[X: You have reached Level 5. To advance to the next rank, you must accumulate 1000 EXP.]

“Huh? When did I hit level five?” Alec blinked, genuinely puzzled, he couldn’t recall personally killing enough zombies to gain that much experience, he had assumed that reaching 750 EXP in the level 4 stage would be a steep climb… yet somehow, he had surpassed it without even realizing it and entering the level 5.