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The air was thick with tension, the kind that came before a storm.

Every citizen, guard, and Mage could feel it, driving them to work harder, train longer, and brace for what was coming.

Kai’s speech had done its work and lit a fire in the hearts of the people.

More and more citizens and refugees, once content to cower behind the safety of the walls, were stepping forward to join the guards. They were eager to fight, to defend their homes and families, and to take the battle to the beasts instead of hiding from them.

Not all of them were willing to stand in the frontlines nor were they trained for it, but they got a good amount of archers and workers who were willing to help out in the forge and alchemical halls.

It increased their productivity and although Kai believed a lot of it was because the commoners knew he hadn’t abandoned the city, the result stayed the same.

It was a good sign that even surprised Killian, who had taken charge of training the recruits.

He worked tirelessly, drilling the recruits, and preparing them for the brutal reality of the coming conflict. Every day, he looked increasingly weary due to the training and the preparations of the beast wave, but there was a fire in his eyes that blazed brighter and stronger as he practised the new techniques that he had managed to create.

On the other hand, Francis seemed to be living on life potions as he handled the logistics of the battle and the refugees. At the same time, he was continuously in contact with Malden who was helping with the materials for the forge and alchemical halls.

Francis was older than them and his body wasn’t trained for continuous work, but he pushed himself, taking away much work from Kai.

Kai was extremely grateful for his subordinate but had his hands full. Along with overseeing the city’s defences, making strategies and coordinating with Killian, he had to assess the refugees for more Enforcers.

He had finished reinforcing the wall, but the weapons had remained. He also had to check the quality of the potions and make sure they were going to be useful in the beast wave.

But there was another, equally important task that demanded his attention— The Mages from Archine Tower. Kai knew they were critical to the city’s defence. Their raw potential was there, but it needed to be honed and sharpened into a weapon that could turn the tide of battle. Or it would become a liability to his side when the beasts decide to rush in.

That’s why, once he finished with the initial important tasks, Kai stood at the edge of the training grounds, watching as the Archine Tower Mages assembled before him.

He surveyed the ragtag group of Mages who looked at him with complicated expressions.

They stood awkwardly on the training grounds, their robes barely fitting, some clutching their staff like walking sticks rather than weapons of war. These were the low-level Mages of the tower—barely more than apprentices— and with the beast wave approaching, they were more likely to serve as cannon fodder than actual defenders.

He only knew two of them personally— Jacks and Klan who looked the most comfortable out of all of them— but going by what he had heard from them, they were considered above average.

If this was the case, then he would be better off using them as meat shields.

He had no time to sugarcoat it.

"If we head into the beast wave as you are now, you’re all going to die," Kai stated bluntly, his voice cutting through the murmurs and shuffling feet. "I’m not saying it to insult you, but this is just the cold, hard truth. Most of you are sons and daughters of lower nobles who haven’t seen war or blood properly."

Immediately, faces drained of colour. A few frowned while others looked at him straight, not daring to show any expressions.

One of the Mages, a tall man with a thick, dark beard, stepped forward. He wore crimson robes, making him an apprentice. Kai quickly thought of the information he had been given about them and realised his name was Roran. A short-tempered man who was known more for his physical strength rather than his magical prowess, often using his staff as a club.

Roran looked at him with his brows furrowed.

"Won’t you die too? You can’t seriously think you can defeat the beast wave on your own, do you?" Roran’s tone was rough, laced with frustration. "I’ve seen the state of things— there aren’t enough men, and you’re the only adept we’ve got. You’re crazy if you think we can hold out against a couple of hundreds of beasts led by a brood mother."

Kai met Roran’s gaze, understanding the doubt behind the man’s words. He couldn’t blame him since his words were the truth in normal circumstances.

His current forces could never stand against a beast wave and they would need a dozen adepts trained in combat to hold a chance. But Kai wasn’t one to go by books nor he ever had the chance to.

With the training they’d received—if you could even call it that— these Mages were closer to common guards than battle-ready spellcasters. But they had potential, buried deep under layers of inadequate instruction and half-learned spells. If he managed to make them discover a higher force of sorcery, maybe they would have a better chance.

"We won’t survive if we stick with the training you’ve had," Kai responded, his voice firm. "Or, more accurately, the training you never received. You weren’t taught to be combat Mages. Your spell structures are shoddy, and your incantations are weak. Right now, your spells barely have the power to singe a goblin, let alone stop a beast wave."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "But that’s going to change, starting now. I’m going to train you— not just to survive, but to fight. If you’re willing to put in the work, I’ll make sure you have a fighting chance."

The Mages looked at each other, uncertainty etched on their faces. Roran, however, took a deep breath and nodded, surprisingly accepting the fact that Kai was right.

"How do we do that?" he asked, a little bit of uncertainty remaining in his voice.

Kai smiled grimly. "We start by tearing down everything you think you know about magic."

As Kai finished speaking, another voice piped up from the crowd. It was Klan, with Jacks standing next to him, both looking a bit confused. "Lord Arzan, we know you’re great and extremely talented, but our spell structures are based on the Archine Tower’s teachings. They are the best in Lancephil and can’t be that bad, right?"

Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered their words. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, his tone sharp. Silence followed, the Mages glancing nervously at one another.

Breaking the tension, Kai turned his attention back to Roran.

"You," he said, addressing the apprentice Mage. "What element are you most comfortable with?"

Roran hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Wind, Lord Arzan."

"Good," Kai said with a nod. "Cast a second-circle wind spell at me. I’ll defend against it with a first-circle one."

Gasps echoed through the group, disbelief and concern written on every face. Klan looked like he wanted to protest, but Kai’s steady standing silenced him. Most of the Mages looked at him as if he was crazy and this time, no one bothered to hide their emotions.

"Do it," Kai commanded.

Roran swallowed hard but complied. He began chanting the incantation and building up the spell structure, his voice wavering slightly as he channelled his mana. The casting time dragged on, sweat beading on his forehead as he finally released the spell— a gust of wind that surged forward with moderate force.

"[Wind blast]!"

Kai, meanwhile, had barely begun his incantation when he finished, almost effortlessly weaving his mana into a first-circle wind barrier. The spells collided in mid-air, but Kai’s barrier overpowered Roran’s attack almost instantly.

The apprentice’s spell was repelled, and a small but forceful blast followed, sending a shockwave that rustled their robes and caused the less experienced Mages to stagger back.

Everyone stared in stunned silence, eyes wide with shock.

Kai lowered his hand, the demonstration over. "That’s enough," he said calmly, turning to face the group. "What you just saw wasn’t a fluke. My methods— spell structures, mana channelling, incantations, and types of spells— they’re all superior to what you’ve been taught. This is my legacy and it’s the best in the whole world. But there’s no time to teach you everything nor do I think you all are talented enough to gobble everything up before the beasts show up."

He scanned their faces, letting the reality of their situation sink in. "So here’s the plan. You’ll focus on area-of-effect spells in the elements you’re most comfortable with. If you can master one or two offensive and defensive spells using the structures I’ll give you, that’s a start. Also, your casting time needs to be under five seconds— preferably two. You’re dealing with low-circle spells and in a battle, you hardly get time to react, so speed is crucial."

Kai paused, his voice steady but urgent. "Do this, and you might just survive the wave."

Kai knew he couldn’t rely on these Mages as weapons against the high-grade beasts. Their power was too insignificant, their training too inadequate. But he could use them as mob killers, a tactic as old as war itself. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was effective.

A group of mob-focused Mages could assist his Enforcers bringing down the numbers of beasts by a lot. He would have to rely on the mana cannon and himself for the stronger beasts, but that was something he could handle.

As he looked over the strategies in his mind, Kai noticed a few murmurs of dissent among the group. Two of the Mages, pale and nervous, raised their hands and voiced their doubts. "We can’t learn to cast that fast," one of them said, his voice tinged with desperation.

He was a fat man with a short moustache. Funny to look at, but one look at him was enough for Kai to know that he belonged as far from a battleground as possible. His name was Cansor. Next to him stood a tall Mage with dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn’t properly slept for days, he was Aishter.

Kai took a good look at both of them as his expressions hardened.

"You will," he responded firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Because I’ll give you the necessary stimulant to push you to your limits."

There was a pause, confusion spreading across their faces. Klan, always one to ask questions, spoke up. "What stimulant?"

"In three days," Kai began, his voice carrying across the training grounds. "We’ll be launching attacks against the beasts. You will be venturing inside the forest, deeper into their territory. There will be danger, and if you can’t learn the spells to keep yourself alive, you’ll die. That’s your stimulant."

The Mages paled even further at his words, fear taking hold. Aishter stammered, "But we’re Mages— we should be used under the walls! We’re too important to risk like this."

Kai’s eyes flashed with irritation. "Important?" he scoffed. "You’re not important if I can defeat you with one spell. I’m not asking you— I’m giving you an order. You will follow it."

The Mages fell silent, their resistance crumbling under the weight of Kai’s words. A few of them looked like they were going to cause a scene, but ultimately they all reluctantly accepted it. They would be dumb if they didn’t know how strong Kai was.

"I’m not putting you in a suicide squad," Kai continued, "We’ll be using guerrilla tactics, and you’ll be with people who know the forest inside and out. This isn’t the tower; it’s a battlefield. There’s no running back, so do as I say."

He took a close look at their faces, particularly at Klan and Jacks. "If you feel so bad about it, remember this: if you survive, you’ll be the best Mages in the tower at your level. Some of you might even get stronger than the adepts. But that’s only if you survive."

At Kai’s words, a shift rippled through the group. Klan and Jacks exchanged glances, talking with brief nods. They weren’t the only ones— several other Mages straightened up, their fear slowly giving way to determination— or so Kai hoped.

He was sure that a lot of them would doubt him, but that was fine with him. His demonstration would have at least given them a bit of hope over the validity of his words. They would come to terms with it once they actually see results and if nothing went wrong, that would be pretty soon.

"Sure," Klan said, his voice more steady than before. Jacks nodded beside him, "We will follow you, Lord Arzan."

The murmur of agreement spread quickly among the others, the Mages realising that they had little choice but to rise to the occasion. They couldn’t afford to falter now— not when their survival depended on it.

Kai nodded in approval, his expression stern but satisfied. "Good," he said, stretching his hands. "Training begins now. There’s no time to waste."

***

The sun was beginning its descent as Kai stood among his most trusted allies at the ground behind the estate. It was a separate piece of land that was a nice garden used for evening strolls, but today, they were using it for something completely different.

Balen, Amyra, Francis, Orion and several others were gathered around a large worksite where the finishing touches were being made on a towering golem, nearly seven feet tall. It was made up of clay and stood imposingly in the centre.

Kai approached the golem, his eyes tracing the solid construction. "Impressive work, Amyra," he said with genuine admiration in his voice.

Amyra had completed the golem while Kai was away with Hermil and truly — the final product was way better than his expectations. Maybe, it was because she had never given up on practising, but her golem crafting skills had grown by leaps and bounds in the last few weeks.

It was to the point age was able to work on an actual golem on her own. A few workers in the estate and Balen had also helped her, but the design was hers and she was also responsible for putting it together.

She smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Thank you, Lord Arzan. Balen helped a lot when he came to the city. We wouldn’t have made this much progress without him."

Balen, standing nearby, gave a hearty chuckle. "Couldn’t resist the challenge. But, Lord Arzan, do you think it’s safe to insert the core now?"

Kai nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, we can’t wait any longer. If anything goes wrong, I’m here."

He signalled to Orion’s alchemist team, who promptly wheeled in a reinforced container.

Inside, a glowing, sizzling liquid sloshed ominously, its surface shimmering with an eerie light. This was the essence of the monstrous larvae queen, broken down and refined into a potent elixir that would power the golem.

The liquid was called different terms depending on the culture and monsters used, but a general term was "Golemanic Ichor". It was just one process of golem core making, but Kai had found it to be the easiest and coincidentally, Orion had experience working on the method, so it had been smoothly done.

Orion carefully approached the golem, pausing to make eye contact with Kai.

The liquid bubbled and hissed, a faint aroma of charred earth and ozone filling the air. As they prepared to pour it into the core housing at the golem’s centre, Kai smiled, a sense of satisfaction washing over him.

The liquid would go into the centre of the golem and Kai would be the one to freeze it there using his mana to activate the golem. With his mana connected with the core, the golem would listen to him— but only if everything happened as he planned.