The Golem Mage Chapter 1067: He Is Backkk 2.

Night enveloped the capital city, and even as the hour grew late, joyous celebrations persisted in numerous spots throughout the town, with mages from the Eastern and Southern kingdoms mingling among the Northern locals in high spirits, cheering for the three academy squads that progressed to the semi-finals of the tournament, since those groups originated from their own realms.

The mages originating from the Central and Western kingdoms, however, remained isolated, confined within their lodgings and taverns.

Amid this widespread festivity, the three advancing academy teams chose to relax and savor the evening. In contrast, the other academies preparing for the ultimate loser's bracket confrontations engaged in heated discussions alongside their deans.

In the midst of everything, two silhouettes appeared at the capital's Space Axis.

Alec and Terran had at last made their way back to the capital without pause; they soared into the air immediately, heading directly for the accommodations designated to the War God Mage Academy. Upon learning of the reactivation of Estonia City's Space Axis, Alec had gone to retrieve his master.

He harbored deep concern regarding his team's condition and could merely wish that all had proceeded smoothly for them in his absence.

Having already supplied his clan with a stockpile of superior cultivation and mental pills, he was confident they could swiftly enhance the clan's power.

This preparation would allow them to confront any uprising or fresh assault effectively.

Furthermore, now that his clan controlled the city hall, he could journey back via the Space Axis on the blood moon without hindrance to offer support; he trusted that leading his personal miniature golem force would enable him to provide much more substantial assistance to his clan.

_ _

Within the War God Mage team's quarters, a somber mood hung heavy, as every team member remained hushed, incapable of speaking a word; the silence was so intense that even the dean and grand dean found themselves at a loss for words, and in that instant, it seemed they had all resigned to whatever destiny awaited.

They grasped the grim truth: to progress, the team would need to clash against the other two academies the following day in the concluding loser's bracket duel.

Yet their leader, Alec, continued to be absent, and Beatrice lay in profound sleep after depleting her mana to call forth a Tier 7 living puppet.

The fatigue had overwhelmed her to such an extent that she couldn't access its complete capabilities, as though unseen constraints and barriers restrained the puppet's performance.

The second key mage whom the dean had counted on to guide the group, Lucas Blade, persisted in severe injury; although the tournament's healing mages had treated him, all recognized that such care amounted to superficial patching, evidenced by Lucas's ongoing torment.

The competition's healers refrained from completely healing a mage unless their life hung in the balance; their magic served more as a show, leaving the real recuperation to the teams' own efforts.

It resembled an understated signal to the academy leaders: if you desire your elite mages combat-ready again, utilize your reserves of restorative pills and restore them to full strength on your own—why should we bear the cost for you?

Examining the remaining mages under his command—aside from the primary Gordons clan affiliates he hesitated to deploy—the dean could only exhale deeply, sensing that the opposing teams held a much stronger position than his, and he realized those rivals likely perceived this disparity as well.

This realization instilled dread that the enemy academies might unite to strike the War God Mage team initially, reducing their ranks before clashing among themselves to claim ultimate victory.

“I would lik...” Old Man Alderic advanced, aiming to rally them, for despite the bleak outlook, he wouldn't permit the team to face the next day's fight burdened by such despairing attitudes.

As he started his words, all heads turned upward to regard him, yet he paused abruptly and shifted his attention to the entrance, causing the others to look there in astonishment—the sudden interruption was utterly out of character.

Indeed, when they focused their hearing, subtle footfalls became audible, signaling someone's approach, still distant from the door; this only heightened their bewilderment over why the grand dean's stare stayed riveted there.

His odd conduct heightened the mages' vigilance, prompting them to ready themselves as though an assault might burst forth imminently.

After all, this wouldn't mark the first occasion their squad encountered such danger.

Nevertheless, Old Man Alderic ignored their reactions, since their psychic senses fell short of his own prowess.

He had cloaked the whole vicinity with his mental energy prior to his speech, intending to prevent any eavesdropping on their talk without his awareness.

But then he detected Alec's and Terran's presences grazing his mental barrier, verifying beyond question that Alec had come back.

_ _

Twenty seconds passed before Terran pushed the door wide, his massive build blocking the threshold; at that point, the team comprehended the reason for the grand dean's focused gaze.

Yet in a mere heartbeat, Terran moved aside, unveiling Alec in his wake, and immediately, feelings erupted across the room as the Gordons clan members rushed ahead, wrapping him in embraces, followed swiftly by the other teammates.

In some way, his mere arrival dispelled their anxieties, calming their concerns over the tough contest looming tomorrow. The Dean, who had picked up on Alec's aura shortly after the Grand Dean, observed the unfolding reunion and found himself grinning faintly.

“All this while, we’ve been trying to lift their moods but failed woefully, and all he had to do was waltz in and the whole team goes crazy about him. Clearly, we don’t even match Alec’s prestige in the team,” the dean remarked, as Old Man Alderic merely nodded, choosing not to dispute it.

For the present, he had no intention of reprimanding Alec for his conduct; he simply wished for them to relish the instant.