The Golem Mage Chapter 5: Double techniques

After waiting an entire hour for the system to activate, Alec was far from let down. Precisely one hour in, it powered up again, displaying a status panel accompanied by an image of Alec on the side, reminiscent of the game interfaces from his previous life that he had always enjoyed.

[ Status Tab ]

Name: Alec Gordons

"Race: Human

"Level: 0

"Tier: 0

■ Exp till next level: 0.00%/100

[ Attributes ]

"Strength: 5+

"Agility: 5+

"Endurance: 4+

"Mana: 0+

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

Available points: 5 (bonus)

System points: 0

[ Shop ]

"Weapons "Rare Materials

"Crystal "Refinements

[ The rest options are still locked based on user low level ]

Alec grasped the system's mechanics swiftly, thanks to its familiar game-like design.

"Alec, the grand elder requests your presence in the training hall," a voice called out from beyond his door.

"I'll head there shortly," he responded to the messenger.

The sound of the boy's footsteps fading away reached his ears, prompting him to rise and straighten his appearance.

His status tab lingered before him, proving a clear distraction and blocking his sight.

'If only it would disappear for a bit,' Alec mused, only to see it vanish immediately. Startled, he willed it to return mentally, and it reappeared.

"Damn, so it responds to thoughts! I was just poking at nothing back with gramps," Alec smacked his forehead in realization, chiding himself for not attempting mental control sooner.

What truly mortified him was how long it had taken to figure that out.

Upon arriving at the gathering, he observed that the entire younger generation of the family had been summoned.

Many had already formed tight-knit groups, so Alec, true to form, settled into a quiet corner, uninterested in mingling. Yet, someone chose the seat beside him.

"Uh, I'm not exactly the best company right now—most folks steer clear of me," Alec remarked.

"Doesn't matter to me. I'm in the same boat; the family doesn't accept me either. Like you, I'm labeled a bastard. Name's Arthur." He extended his hand for a shake.

Alec accepted it warmly. "I'm Alec."

"Everyone knows Alec, the heir apparent to the Gordon family. Anyway, you've got my name. I've got affinities for earth and metal—quite the blessing."

"Impressive! But I don't recall anyone with dual earth and metal affinities during the assessment I attended," Alec replied.

"That's 'cause I awakened after you'd gone. My elements come from my father's primary and my mother's secondary ones."

"Ah, that explains it. Doesn't faze me, though—you're set for amazing feats." Alec gave him encouragement.

"What path are you picking? Rumors say you might succeed your grandfather as a golem mage."

"Absolutely, I'm treading his path. Someone must prove our golem way endures, even if others dismiss it like before." Alec affirmed.

"In that case, you'll need backup. How about I join as your partner?" Arthur proposed.

They clasped hands once more, grins spreading across their faces, evidently aligned on numerous matters.

The grand elder entered, leaning on a lengthy staff, his hat in place, and took the central seat on the prepared platform.

"To start, I congratulate you all on your awakenings and the exciting mage journeys ahead."

"Next, don't grow arrogant just because your affinity outshines others here—superiority means nothing without effort."

"True progress hinges on your dedication to training. Remember, you haven't entered mage realms yet, so set aside any notions of being Gordon family mages for now."

"The core purpose of this assembly is to pass down the Gordon family's mana circulation techniques to you." The grand elder halted, slamming his staff into the ground, causing five large stones to rise, each inscribed with a family technique.

"Select one to master. Only after building sufficient mana within can you advance to lower tier 1, earning the title of Gordon mage," he wrapped up.

As soon as the grand elder concluded, the young Gordons surged toward the technique stones.

Memorizing proved simple at first, but attempting a second erased the prior one from memory.

Unlike them, Alec received system alerts with every technique he scanned.

[ Learnt basic mana circulation technique - spiral force ]

[ Learnt basic mana circulation technique - mini hole ]

Alec soon saw he could absorb these effortlessly, so he halted after two, honoring the elder's rule of one per person.

The grand elder noted the puzzled expressions on the youths' faces and chuckled.

"I see what you've attempted. There's purpose in limiting you to one technique—I let you try because mastering more is nearly impossible. Those who succeed are monster geniuses, cultivating twice the gains per session."

Upon hearing this, most youngsters returned to study diligently, seeking the best fit.

Alec, however, blinked in secret—he'd just mastered two. He resolved to conceal it, potentially turning it to his benefit.