Chapter 4 System

Alec's POV:

"Show-off," I muttered to the old man as the Golem gently set me down from its arms.

"Whatever," he shrugged, clearly unbothered.

He wasn't even slightly ashamed of the dramatic display back at the Awakening Hall.

Summoning the Golem had been nothing more than a chance to flaunt, especially in front of his grandkids.

"Well, you certainly surprised me. I never expected you to have dual elements-let alone both with such high affinities," he said, a rare note of admiration in his voice.

"Is that supposed to be a big deal?" I asked.

"Well, in a High Tier or Ancient Clan, not really, but in a Mid-Tier Clan like ours, it gives you the right to solidify your position as the young master of the Gordon family."

" From now on, they'll follow you. In a world like ours, where the heavenly laws seem to be weakening, unity is our greatest strength," my grandfather explained.

"I'm glad if it changes their opinion of me. I was starting to think they hated me," I admitted.

"Nonsense! Let bygones be bygones," he waved off.

"After today, you'll be groomed to lead the next generation. That's how the Gordon family works. Oh-by the way, I've got a gift for you, based on the promises you made earlier." He darted off before I could say anything.

While waiting, I turned back to the Golem standing silently before me. Though it appeared expressionless, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was intelligent, even. It felt like it recognized me.

It was also clearly linked to the old man on a deeper, likely telepathic level. Unlike the other golems in the courtyard, this one was different.

Its surface was flawless-smooth and polished-without the coarse patches usually seen on earth or clay golems.

The pure brown colour of its body and the craftsmanship suggested countless years of refinement. It had clearly been with my grandfather for a long time.

With its commanding aura and stoic posture, it didn't just look like a guardian, but it felt like a general who had survived countless wars.

"Ahem, hope you're ready, boy, because here is the treasure I hold dearest," the old man said as he returned, two ancient books in hand, cutting through my thoughts.

"Leave us alone for now." The old man said to the Golem. It nodded and walked away without hesitation, leaving me stunned once again. Its intelligence was far beyond what I'd expect from a summoned creature.

My grandfather turned to me and handed over two books.

"This is a compilation of everything the previous patriarchs of the Gordon family-including myself have learned about golem creation. It contains all the knowledge you'll need to begin." He began, placing the one labelled Gordon's Golem Knowledge into my hands,

As he moved to pass me the second book, he continued.

"This one might look like a full book, but it's actually just a single, massive page , believed to be part of an ancient skill book from which our golem arts were originally derived. We've never fully understood it, but it's been passed down from one young master to the next."

He paused for a moment, a faint sigh escaping his lips.

"The strange thing is, it only seems to reveal its deeper secrets to the one it 'chooses.' That's why we've made little progress-this path wasn't crafted by the Gordons. We merely inherited it."

"Still, during the apocalypse-when the gods seemed to favour us-it merged well with our earth element, becoming a path many of us walked. But as time passed, other families began to craft their own unique magic paths, evolving them to perfection. We never could."

"The golem techniques became static-an inheritance rather than a legacy. Without someone the book accepts, we can't evolve it any further. We don't even know its full potential. But now, as the young master of this generation, it's your responsibility to carry it forward-and one day, pass it on to your heir."

There was a tinge of sadness in his eyes as he spoke, and I began to understand why. In the eyes of the clan, those who pursued other paths, becoming battle mages, witches or wizards, or even summoners-were seen as having strayed.

Some started with golems, only to abandon the path when they realized they lacked the talent, patience or even the resources to master it.

"Here," the old man said at last, placing the second book-the golem skill page-into my hands.

The moment the book touched my palm, a translucent panel materialized in front of my eyes.

[Congratulations on Finally Finding a Source to Awaken the System]

[Do you want to consume the God Skill Scroll to reform the system? Y/N]

I stared, dumbfounded. A system panel-just like the ones I'd seen in countless reincarnation and transmigration comics. The protagonists in those stories always had some cheat-like system. But since I crossed over into this body, I had never received one. I had long given up on the idea of being some "chosen one" or main character. Who would've thought that after fourteen years, I'd finally trigger something like this?

I quickly realized that if I reformed the system using the Golem God Scroll, my abilities would likely be tied to Golems or some variation of Golem-based magic.

I'd never particularly envisioned myself as a Golem Mage, but at this point, it seemed like the only path available to me, but finding another God Skill Scroll to awaken the system was nearly impossible, and it wasn't like other families would just hand over copies of their unique mage arts. So, without hesitation, I selected "Y-yes."

"Assimilating... 30%."

"Assimilating... 45%."

"Assimilating... 80%."

"Assimilating... 100%."

[Welcome, online host. Please wait one hour for the system to reboot and adjust according to the newly downloaded information.]

Blinking away the panel, I noticed my grandfather gripping my shoulders, his face tight with concern.

"What's wrong with you? You zoned out and started waving your hands. Did you sense anything strange when I handed you the family's ancestral skill?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

"I just need to rest. I'll see you later," I said, brushing past him. I needed time-time to fully explore this new system once it came online.

Besides, I didn't want anyone seeing me tap and gesture at thin air. I had just realized I was the only one who could see these system notifications-and the last thing I needed was to be labelled crazy.