The Golem Mage

The entire group turned to look at Lucas as he finally defeated the last Tier 3 Ghoul.

His once dignified sky blue spirit equipment armor was now stained with grime and Ghoul blood, a testament to the exhausting battle they had just endured.

Breathless, Lucas looked at his group who smirked in response to his exhaustion.

"I swear to God, whoever is assigning these missions needs to provide better information, If it were any other team, they would have ended up dead by now," Lucas Blade remarked, frustration evident in his voice.

As his spirit equipment retracted back into his skin, leaving behind only faded tattoo forms before disappearing completely , Lucas couldn't help but shake his head at the mess he was in.

"It doesn't matter much, they probably did this on purpose to push us to our limits, as they only assign missions they believe we can handle, I only feel they don't care even if it means we would have casualties among us," he reasoned.

"Looks like we were a bit greedy when we picked this mission from the undead race, hoping for more points since undead usually travel in hordes," Agnes admitted, reflecting on their decision.

"because that mean more points and power stones to collect after we're done with the killing?, So, don't be too hard on yourself, as I believe only teams looking to challenge themselves would take on missions like this one," she added, trying to uplift the spirits of the group.

"And by the way, we've all finally been promoted to the rank of Sergeant, Our realm may not have caught up, but we have proven ourselves worthy of a spot on your team,"

Knight proudly showed his now crimson student badge, Initially only a Tier 2 Mage and a squire when he joined the team, his promotion signalled his commitment and dedication to the team.

The Gordons clansmen had initially felt uneasy joining Lucas's team due to the fact that he had accepted them due to Alec's request,

Thinking he might want a more elite group of Tier 3 Mages since he was a commander, However, with their hard work and perseverance, they had shown that they were indeed deserving of their place on his team.

"Are you kidding me?, I would never consider having anyone else on my team, you guys are the best, You all could even give some Tier 3 Mages a run for their money, but the main issue now is that we all have to head to Sweden City, as It's almost time," Lucas declared to his team.

"What do you think General Edward will assign us to do in Sweden City?" Lucas turned to Agnes for answers, who simply shrugged in response.

"I have no idea, all I know is that all the teams will be meeting us there, so it has to be big" Agnes replied, uncertainty tinging her voice.

--

Meanwhile, Beatrice's team was seen forming a perimeter around a house, appearing as guards, while Beatrice herself was conspicuously absent.

"Are you sure they're even going to show up?, We've been standing outside here like guards, and it's driving me crazy, we're supposed to be respected mages," one of them questioned their duty.

"You know how Lady Beatrice is, if we don't follow her orders, we can either stand guard or leave the team and report back to the Academy," another nearby mage pointed out.

"But she's not even here!, She asked us to guard the house while she's inside, resting, why are we even involved in this?, This is none of our concern, he was the one who summoned a fiend; he should be the one to deal with the consequences, we should have opt for a more normal mission instead," the first mage expressed his growing unease.

"Listen, you don't get to choose the missions the team does, Lady Beatrice does. And she chose this one, so we will stick by her, now you wouldn't want her to think you're worse than those mediocre high Clan mages who take all the credit but don't do the work , would you?" Zephyr, another mage, chided the complaining mage, emphasizing their loyalty to Beatrice despite the circumstances.

As he finished speaking , they heard a menacing growl that sent a shiver down the spines of the remaining seven mages on Beatrice's team.

As multiple red eyes gleamed from the shadows of the bushes, but the exact threat remained unseen.

--

Inside the house being guarded, Beatrice rose from her chair, facing a man seated in front of her.

"I beg of you, help me resolve this issue, I know I was at fault for summoning that demon, driven by my desperate need for revenge, but my entire clan was slaughtered, and I felt powerless to retaliate, I just took the easy way out at the moment, not foreseeing the consequences of my actions,"

The man pleaded, but Beatrice's stern gaze silenced him.

Walking towards the door, she cautioned,

"The demon has arrived, and no matter what happens, do not come out, or try running away in the chaos, that's the only way I can save you" With that warning, she stepped outside into a mission she had chosen to be her last, one entwined with a fiendish demon.

She had reviewed the information provided by the man seeking help from the academy, he had summoned a demon to make a pact with it in a bid for vengeance against those who had decimated his clan.

However, the demon had no intention of honouring the pact after finding out those responsible was a mid tier clan and sought to claim the man soul even after collecting the summoning fee, which it was not supposed to do except it wanted to complete the mission .

Fortunately for the man, the runes used in the summoning ritual held a locking seal, so when the demon attempted to harm him after the fee had been paid, the seal activated, redirecting the demon elsewhere as the pact had not been fulfilled.

The demon faced a critical decision now either it complete its mission or turn on the man and still kill him.

But unable to harm its summoner directly, the demon found a loophole in the pact by beckoning its minions to kill the man and deliver its soul to it directly so he could fulfil the loophole of the pact.

As the demon grappled with the consequences of failing the task which means it would be locked in the earth realm by the rules of the pact, the prospect of its returning back to the Abyss hinged on the demise of its summoner.

--

Beatrice emerged from the mansion, her objective unwavering – ensure the demons departed without wreaking havoc on the city.

Upon spotting her, the mages who had voiced doubts earlier, spoke up in hopes of swaying their leader's resolve.

"What are we going to do against demons?, How can we restrain and perform an exorcism on them?, we don't even know exorcism spells " he inquired, met with Beatrice's dull gaze and an underlying coldness in her expression.

"We are students of the War God Mage Academy, Unlike the Royal academy we are not equipped with Artifacts or the holy academy who specialise in exorcism spells and dark creatures domination."

" Our teaching had always been focused on survival – kill or be killed, and I did not come here for hesitation, so If you wish to abandon the team, prepare to be the enemies' first meal," Beatrice declared, as a large black rune etched on the ground beneath her.

"Now, if you're willing, let's kill this fuckers back to where they belong," Beatrice asserted, striding forward as two entities materialized from the dark runes she had summoned.