The Golem Mage.

Assimilation of Shield Mastery

“Kerrrae...rkkkk!”

The Peak Tier 1 zombie shrieked, its crimson eyes blazing with fury as it launched itself toward Legion in a blur of speed.

“The f**k!” Alec cursed, eyes widening as the creature charged.

In that instant, Alec realized he had severely underestimated the threat a Peak Tier 1 zombie posed, he had foolishly assumed that his current strength would be enough to handle it.

But now, watching it move, he knew he couldn’t even track its motions, if he had faced it himself, he’d have been sliced to ribbons in seconds.

Legion, however, stood firm.

Shield raised, spear gripped tight, the golem braced itself calmly, awaiting the inevitable impact.

But the zombie was far from predictable, mid-charge, it shifted with sudden, terrifying agility and lunged from the side instead, abandoning the frontal assault.

“This bastard’s too smart for my liking... Why the hell are kids like us dealing with a monster like this? It’s basically Tier 2 already,” Arthur muttered to Alec, a cold shiver creeping up his spine as he watched as the two titans were about to clash like rival warlords.

To everyone’s surprise, Legion intercepted the sideways strike with precision, its spear clashed with the zombie’s claws, knocking the creature back in a burst of sparks and force.

“Yes, bro! Beat that ugly zombie’s ass!” Arthur whooped, fist raised in triumph.

Legion’s dominance in the clash filled him with a surge of courage, momentarily washing away his fear.

Whack!

“Ouch! Who hit me?!”

Arthur spun around, only to meet Alec’s dark, withering glare.

“Boss—whatever I did, I’m sorry. And whatever I’m about to do, I’m sorry for that too,” Arthur blurted out quickly, already regretting his enthusiasm.

“Don’t call my golem ‘bro,’ and stop giving the others stupid ideas,” Alec growled, his voice low and sharp.

He turned back to the battle, his expression tightening, as much as he wanted Titan to join the fray, he knew the bulky golem couldn’t keep up with the zombie’s blistering speed.

Strength alone wasn’t enough here, if Titan couldn’t land a hit, it would be meaningless.

“What do I do now?” Alec muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.

Just as he fell deeper into thought, Legion’s robotic voice shattered the silence.

“Is... that all you... have? I must say, I’m... quite disappointed,” the golem taunted

Everyone froze in disbelief.

Arthur and a girl from the Lanzt family exclaimed simultaneously,

“Did that golem just speak?”

Arthur turned to Alec, eyes wide.

“Bro, did your golem just talk?”

“This isn’t the time for questions, focus on the fight. If Legion fails, we’re in serious trouble.” Alec snapped.

Arthur gulped.

“What happens if Legion loses?”

“We would be wiped out, that zombie’s speed is on another level, none of us can react fast enough.” Alec said bluntly.

A brief silence followed until Arthur smirked.

“By the way, ‘Legion’? Really? That’s your go-to name? Let me handle the naming from now on.”

Alec didn’t hesitate, as he smacked the back of Arthur’s head again.

“Shut up and concentrate.”

Fuelled by Legion’s provocation, the Peak Tier 1 zombie launched forward with renewed rage, its speed increasing to a terrifying blur, as it dashed in circles, leaving behind streaking afterimages, hoping to overwhelm and confuse its opponent.

But Legion stood firm, responding with uncanny precision, every time the zombie’s claws slashed out, Legion’s shield intercepted the attack, the clarity and efficiency of the blocks were near mechanical.

Alec observed carefully.

“He’s integrating Titan’s blocking mastery... and improving it, he’s using this fight to evolve, correcting flaws mid-battle. He’s learning.” Alec muttered.

Agnes, watching intently, voiced her concern.

“Alec, I think Legion needs to start attacking. It’s only defending.”

But Alec shook his head confidently.

“No, everything is going exactly as planned, give it five more minutes... then Legion will switch to offense.”

Alec had already pieced it together, Legion wasn’t just fighting to win.

He was using this fight to grow, and now that Alec understood, he knew he could step in at any moment, all he had to do was issue a mental command to end it quickly.

But instead, he waited. Because this was more than a fight—it was a breakthrough, and Alec saw no reason to intervene; he wanted to witness the full extent of his new golem’s capabilities and intelligence, especially given its superiority over Titan in both rank and potential.

“How can you be so certain?” Agnes demanded, irritation flashing in her eyes.

She clenched her fist, tempted to knock some sense into Alec, frustrated by how often he dismissed her input, before she could act, Knight stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

She turned, surprised, only to see him silently shaking his head.

“If you watch closely, you’ll notice Legion hasn’t moved from its spot. It’s been defending the entire time, without budging, that level of composure under pressure requires immense strength.” Knight said calmly.

Agnes’s frustration faded as she looked back at the battlefield, slowly realizing Knight’s words were true.

“Even while taking those hits, it’s obvious now... that zombie can’t break through,” she admitted quietly.

[Blocking Mastery Levelled Up]

[Blocking Mastery – Level 5]

[■: To upgrade to level 6, block 20 attacks from a lifeform one full realm higher than you.]