The Golem Mage Chapter 1135: Tower Defense 1.

Weekly rewards are dispensed, and Alec certainly noticed a surge in messages following his ascent to the pinnacle of Tier 6 lords.

Yet, he consistently disregarded all communications directed at him, preoccupied with the pressing matters within his domain. Unless a message originated from his private circle, he saw no reason to attend to it.

He surmised that the sole catalyst for this influx of attention was his coveted first-place standing.

Although the mechanics of the leaderboard remained somewhat enigmatic, and the precise metrics for its ranking were unclear to him, he attributed his prime position to the collective might of his entire retinue operating under his command.

After all, his true capabilities were apparently still a veiled mystery to the central system that presided over the lords.

This implies that his climb to the top was facilitated by external factors, rather than being a direct consequence of the core criteria the system employed to gauge a lord's strength.

Nevertheless, with the agricultural and military concerns of his city now stabilized, Alec experienced a significant sense of relief. He had not yet ventured to other cities to ascertain the types of units they had manifested or how these might synergize with their respective lords. However, he had already allocated a hundred thousand system points to each of the other lords, enabling them to summon guardians for their territories.

His system spirit, which had been passively dwelling within the castle in its golem form since their arrival in the Origin World, had also imparted a crucial piece of information: he need not fret about any potential betrayal from soldiers summoned from the army barracks.

This assurance stemmed from the fact that the summoned soldiers were mere astral constructs, divinely crafted by the system, devoid of any genuine consciousness tied to a living being.

Instead, they were imprinted with abilities and instincts precisely tailored to serve the lord they were assigned to, ensuring their absolute loyalty—akin to newly formed individuals created with the singular purpose of service.

Then there was the matter of Hero Summoning. Alec had been receiving numerous dispatches from his inner circle detailing the distinct units they had summoned and their operational efficacy, particularly noting how heroes were adeptly delegating responsibilities such as defense and other crucial tasks. From his perusal of these reports, Alec could discern that each Hero possessed a unique character.

However, Alec was not yet prepared to inspect his own army barracks. Just as he contemplated a well-deserved respite from his ceaseless exertions, a dramatic shift occurred.

The moon suspended in the heavens began to bleed a crimson hue.

[ The appointed time has arrived. Lords, make ready to be dispatched to the Blood Moon War Region. ]

[ You are granted thirty minutes to select the lord and members of your contingent to accompany you to the Blood Moon War Region. ]

_ _

The instant Alec processed this notification, he promptly recollected all his golems, retracting them into his spatial pouch.

While a profound understanding of the Blood Moon War Region eluded him, he grasped its general implications.

Even so, with the limited wisdom gleaned from his City Heart, he resolved against bringing any of the other lords along.

His immediate intention was to venture into the Origin Realm’s Blood Moon War solo, to intimately comprehend its nature before making any future decisions about companions.

[ I wonder how these novices will fare this cycle. ]

[ Let us once again join forces to vanquish those wretched Dragonmen! ]

[ Absolutely not. I nearly met my end last time. My only hope is that the Zergs attacking this time are less formidable. ]

Within both the regional and main chat channels, thousands of messages were likely being exchanged every minute. If there was one element that recurred with unwavering frequency, it was the Zerg.

Alec possessed only a rudimentary awareness of this race, yet he knew one thing with absolute certainty: he had never encountered any mention of the Zerg among the abyssal races on the Five Kingdom Continent.

He was utterly convinced; had such a designation ever been uttered, it would undoubtedly have remained etched in his memory, given his acute awareness of the Zerg race's formidable peril.

Having recalled all his golems, Alec finally deemed it propitious to dispatch a communique to his inner circle.

[Alec: In my absence, the defense of our territories will fall to your capable hands. I hold unwavering trust in your ability to surmount any challenge that arises until my return, so do not hesitate to marshal the forces under your command.]

This was the message Alec conveyed into the group chat established between him and his subordinate lords.

Shortly after, his City Heart—the cube—ascended slightly above his head. A beam of light descended, and as it dissipated, Alec was no longer seated upon his throne.

A blinding light enveloped him, transporting him to an unfamiliar realm. Down below, his subjects witnessed a brilliant radiance pierce the heavens, instantly signaling their lord's teleportation to the war zone.

A collective hush fell over them as prayers for his safety began, a desperate hope that no harm would befall him.

After all, he was the sole ruler who had shown them such profound compassion. His concern for their well-being appeared to far outweigh his personal cultivation pursuits. This was especially evident as many still resided within the castle grounds alongside him while his workers toiled to rebuild their homes.

_ _

Meanwhile, Lucas materialized in a serene clearing, a cube akin to a City Heart hovering before him.

Yet, an immediate certainty settled upon him: this was not his own.

His gaze lifted to the sky, where two crimson moons hung suspended. Just then, a system message materialized before his eyes.

[You have thirty minutes. Hunt demonic beasts and return them to your temporary City Heart to serve as energy for summoning. This phase is known as the Defense Tower Format. Should your City Heart be destroyed, you will lose your means of defense, potentially leading to your demise during the impending Zerg wave. This assault is expected to last approximately 72 hours.]

“How have you managed to still excel so greatly in this realm as well, Alec?” Lucas murmured, drawing the sword from his back and breaking into a sprint toward the clearing ahead.

He aimed to scout for any demonic beasts to hunt before the primary Defense Tower phase commenced.

_ _

Elsewhere, Alec found himself on a patch of open ground, confronted by the identical system message, with the cubic City Heart not far away.

“This is a nuisance,” Alec grumbled. Initially, he had anticipated a straightforward challenge, as the only adversaries he and his golems would likely encounter were Tier 6 enemies.

However, the instant he attempted to command his golems to disperse and assist in scouring the area, another notification materialized above his display.

[All summoning abilities are locked for one hour.]

Alec stared blankly at the message for a moment.

“What the fu—”