The Golem Mage
Chapter 888 888: Back To The Grind 2.

The familiar sensation of space turbulence wrapped around Alec's body as he was pulled through the fabric of space, he kept his eyes shut during the transition, but the moment the feeling vanished, he immediately snapped them open.

Once again, he found himself free-falling from the sky, but Alec no longer considered himself as the same clueless novice who was on his first visit to the Beast Forest, he now considered himself a seasoned hunter.

With practiced ease, he twisted mid-air, shifting into an upright position, as a wave of purple energy burst from his feet while he activated his gravity manipulation, smoothly cushioning his descent.

While still descending, Alec took in the vast expanse of the third level of the Beast Forest—and he was stunned instantly, from his high vantage point, he could already make out at least more than four distinct regions.

To the north lay a snow-covered zone, beside it stretched a dry, desert terrain.

Southward, he spotted a region bathed in holy light, with another adjacent zone cloaked in dark, ominous energy, he also noticed a volcanic area radiating an overwhelming yang energy that made him think any fire-elemental spell cast there would gain a significant boost in power.

There were even more regions scattered around, but the largest by far was the central zone—a colossal forest shrouded by massive trees so tall and thick that the ground below was completely obscured.

What truly caught Alec's attention was how all these distinct regions seemed to connect back to that central forest, as though it were the heart linking them all, and it didn't feel like those regions were a natural ecosystem—they felt more like a sacred land designed to amplify elemental cultivation.

Just then, Alec broke through the canopy, finally catching sight of what lay beneath. It was a wide clearing, its floor interrupted only by few bushes and thick, ancient tree roots burrowed deep into the earth.

Seeing the open clearing helped calm Alec's nerves slightly as he landed on the ground of the third level for the first time, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Just then, a sudden tingle shot through his body, causing him to snap his eyes open—only to find a Tier 6 black panther lunging at him, its sleek body already mid-air and claws bared. Alec hadn't been prepared for this.

He had only shut his eyes for a second—just one second—and already he was under attack, his mind raced, trying to calculate the fastest counter, knowing full well his body couldn't match the beast's reaction speed, especially with his restrictive bracelet still in place.

But before the panther's claws could reach his throat, a blur of motion streaked in from the side, slamming into the panther and sending both creatures crashing violently into the dirt.

Alec didn't hesitate, his left hand shot toward his pouch, channelling mana in it to summon two golems, and then the ground in front of him lit up with shimmering blue ice runes, while a second, more basic rune with complex setting glowed briefly above his head.

With a burst of energy, two golems appeared—Legion descended from the glowing air above, while Titan erupted from the ground.

The moment they materialized, both stood close to Alec, responding instinctively to his will through their shared connection.

Alec had summoned them not to engage right away, but to reinforce his defences, he knew that, with his current strength capped by the limiter device, he stood no chance in direct combat against these beasts.

For now, he was content to take on the role of a commander—one who strategized from the rear.

The blur finally disentangled from the panther, as the two beasts separated with a heavy thud sounding out.

Across the clearing now stood a large wolf—taller and more imposing than the black panther

"This prey is ours, so get out of here before you get skewered," the black wolf growled, its sharp eyes locked onto the black panther.

The two beasts held a silent, tense stare for a few seconds before the panther finally turned away, slinking into the nearby bushy forest with an unreal burst of speed making Alec feel like he just witness a speedster as he realised this must be how he had been almost ambushed.

Only then did more black-furred wolves begin to emerge from the shadows of the surrounding trees, making Alec finally understand what the first wolf meant—he had been marked as their prey, and it seemed the spot where he had landed was part of the wolves' hunting grounds, and the panther's attack had been an opportunistic intrusion.

Alec quickly scanned the area, noting that all the ten wolves were Tier 6 demonic beasts.

He then let out a small sigh of relief. He'd initially assumed that the lowest-ranked beasts in the third level would start at Tier 7, but clearly, that wasn't the case.

Still, even if they were only Tier 6, he knew beasts in the Beast Forest often possessed combat prowess beyond their realm, and judging by their confident stance, these wolves were clearly underestimating him based on his apparent Tier 5 cultivation level on show.

Alec was more than ready to shatter that illusion.

"Kill him," the lead wolf commanded without hesitation.

Five wolves sprang forward in unison.

In response, Alec immediately summoned Oni, Tempest Butcher, and Saint, he didn't want to reveal all his cards just yet, which is why his plan had always been to let the wolves lower their guard, and now that the first wave had pounced, he intended to take full advantage of that.

With a flash, he drew his bone katana which was at a lower level on his waist, his stance shifting into one of readiness.

Not only had he caught the wolves off guard—he intended to cut several down before they even realized the strength of who they have marked.