Cutting the stone into pieces I removed 4 meters below the wall foundation and tried to make the cut stone as smooth as possible to inhibit any wannabe climbers. With the help of my guardians this project moved on very fast. Especially Gillian seemed very skilled in using her magic, which, considering that she was a magical creature, shouldn't have surprised me so much.

I gathered the stone in my inventory and then transferred some of it to my workspace where I began to fuse the stone back together into a humanoid figure standing some 4 meters tall. The stone didn't seem to be the hardest granite, but I had to make do with what I had.

I ordered the elves to dump as much mana as possible into me, because the stone cutting and the other projects needed massive amounts of the precious energy. Maybe I should designate some of them as specialized mana gatherer for me and my guardians. This would benefit them also because their meditation skill would rise much faster, resulting in an easier chance to become a mage.

It was late in the evening when I was done with the prototype for my new weapon. The stone figure wasn't very pleasing to look at with its rough shape and the dull grey stone it was made from. Massive hands with five fingers which ended in sharp claws completed the construction. I didn't put much effort in the appearance because of my lack of time, but I would invest much more time in the next vessel, as my new spell called the thing. At least I hoped that it would function the way I thought it would.

Maybe I should have also created some kind of big club or mace to widen my attack range? Let's ask my trusted advisers.

'Guys, come to the workspace. I have a surprise for you and also need some advice.'

Galen and Nala were the first with Kitara, Chara and Gillian following shortly after. When their eyes fell on my big stone fellow I could almost see the question marks above their heads.

Galen turned to me, “Maybe I will regret the next question, but what in the world is this thing?”

I smirked and enjoyed his bewilderment, “That my friend is my new weapon. You know, I got a last present from Tiria when she severed the connection between us. It's a new spell called 'Create Vessel' which let's me create a creature made from different materials which can later be modified if I increase my knowledge about golemancy. I can possess the thing and use it as a body to turn everything in its path into mush.”

Their jaws fell to the ground and I chuckled like a villain seeing their faces, “What do you think?”

This time it was Gillian who gathered her wits first, “That's an obvious cheat! Most people on this world will have to throw all their power against this thing because most weapons would be ineffective against it. I don't know how fast it is but even if it only can move as fast as a goblin, you could kill their whole army easily with it. Even the drakes would have a hard challenge with that monstrosity. And Tiria gave such a spell as her last present?”

I nodded and Nala added to the conversation, “Then she has to be in deep trouble with no chance of getting away alive. It must have taken her a massive amount of power to give this skill to you and any other future city core. The other gods must be cursing her right now, especially since they won't be able to influence you directly anymore due to her severing the connection to you and thus any future offspring you might have.”

The last thought made her look sharply at me and I said hastily, “Forget that for the next few years. We have other problems right now and I don't want to have kids for quite some time. They're bothersome and I don't want to have to deal with all the growing up issues.”

I heard Gillian and Galen mutter something and was quite sure that they said something like me being a juvenile myself didn't help also. Ignoring them I went beside my big golem and asked them all, “Would you add some weaponry to this fellow, like a mace or a big club?”

Kitara raised her hand and I looked at her with an uplifted eyebrow, “Yes, Kitara?”

She let her hand fall down, “Are you proficient with the use of a weapon, Marcus? You didn't make the impression of a warrior to me and you said that your former world was quite peaceful.”

Okay, I didn't take into account that I needed some weapon skills for using a weapon but with a game-like system in place I should have taken that into account, “Nope, I'm not proficient in the use of any close combat weapon besides some training with a sword ages ago. As it stands I don't even have any unarmed skills. Maybe you could take it over then? I mean you're a warrior of your tribe and should be able to operate it somehow.”

She shook her head, “I don't think that I would be able to do this. You're the core and we shouldn't experiment too much before the fight. Let's take it to the outside and test it first before we go down this road any further.”

Good advice! Let's get the show running. I enveloped the stone figure with my mana and sent it outside the wall.

Suddenly Gillian's voice interrupted this nice talk, “Guys, did you forget, that there's a ritual awaiting you? I mean Andarin and the others are waiting outside for the start of the ceremony and I'm quite sure, that Marcus will need most of his mana for the creation of a holy place devoted to Alvera.”

Damn, I totally forgot about it when I turned most of my attension to the creation of my newest weapon. One of my subminds had already used quite the formidable amount of mana for blessing the ground in the goddess' name accompanied by the prayers of the elves, but the big finish was yet to come and would need most of my mana capacity.

No big deal, I will just finish turning him into a paladin and then create my new vessel after I have gotten back the necessary power. My loyal subjects would have to be pressed dry a bit for their energy but everyone in my domain had to pay his dues to me, even the children.

I will have to look into creating a mana corps quite soon, because after the siege I will need massive amounts of energy to create my dream city. Some of the kids will have a career as my personal mana generators. I will have to teach them some techniques in exchange for their services but I think that most of them will be happy to have this job.

Now back to work. I returned with my guardians to the outside world and went over to Gillian's tree to take a closer look at the site. A big circle surrounded by white stones, marble I think, enclosed a place inscribed with a big rune made from small wooden mosaic pieces. My submind had transmitted me the information that the rune was linked to Alvera herself and would change as soon as the place was blessed by her presence. The elves got the rune from Gillian and the crafters made the mosaic pieces from branches of the Hearh tree Gillian provided. So highly magic stuff it seems. Big mojo.

Gillian's ethereal body appeared besides me and pointed to the rune, “You will have to infuse it with your power at this place while I will empower it over there. We will both be a little weakened afterwards for at least an hour, but then the goddess will give her blessing to the place and maybe even buff us too. It should give us some extra juice for the fight tomorrow.”

I was impatient to start the whole thing to get back to work again, but the elves seemed like they would be done in the next few minutes, so I turned my gaze to some elves who were standing around watching the scene.

“Hey, you! Sit down and start meditating, I will need all your power in the next few hours and days, so make yourselves useful and gather as much mana as possible,” Just after I said that, I added a hasty,”Please” to the sentence because some the elves frowned when they heard my somewhat commanding voice. I will have to get some lessons from Kalla for getting the people do my bidding without sounding like a dictator. Let the people think they do my bidding out of their own wishes. I hate politics but I had to admit that the best politicians could manipulate the masses with a few words better than with a gun put to their temples. That would be a much needed skill. I should look into getting it from the system.

The elves looked to Gillian for a moment then shrugged after she smiled and nodded at them and began meditating.

“The please saved you there, Marcus. They still think that Kalla is the ruling force here and it take some time to change the people's view on this subject, so be gentle with them and give them time to accommodate. They will see the light sooner than later if you play it cool.”

“Patience was never my big forte, but I will try to better myself, and and use Kalla as a teacher so I can wield a rhetorical club instead of a real one.”

She smirked at me, “You learn fast. She will be an excellent asset for the town council in the future. Just make sure that she gets a good position and the elves will be satisfied.”

The elves had finished their work and Gillian and I got into position. She nodded and I infused my mana into the rune. All the elves that had some mana available ran to my core and pushed it into my crystal. And man did I need that. Gillian had underestimated how much mana we would need for this venture. The rune sucked me dry like the sun the ground in death valley. I got a strong headache almost immediately. I had hoped to be beyond that after I changed my race to a city core but now it hit me like a truck.

I hoped that Alvera would really appreciate my work here and would repay me with a big buff after.

I felt Gillian getting weaker with every moment and decided to send her some of my mana to even the odds an bit, even some mana got lost in the process but I saw her smiling with a thankful look in her eyes a moment later. It didn't help me much with my migraine but if it improved the outcome even for a little bit it was worth the effort. No pain, no gain, and maybe it would even improve some of my skills.

After some really painful minutes the rune lit up like a firework and glowed in every colour of the rainbow and then the need for mana suddenly stopped. The rune had vanished and was replaced by a silver coloured metal plate with unknown runes at the side. I forced away any sudden greedy thoughts to immediately salvage the metal.

I noticed a rush of power filling me and indeed my mana came back at an almost unbelievable rate. When I took a look at my status I saw that the regeneration tripled by some godly buff. Hehe, thanks Alvera!

“Hey Andarin. It's showtime. Get inside the circle and get measured by your goddess. Let's see if you fulfil the necessary conditions to become a paladin.”

The addressed elf came over to me with a coy smile and caution in his steps. With a last look to his team mates and especially Ildara he went inside the circle and kneeled down speaking a prayer to Alvera.

In the next moment I was almost blinded by the amount of mana filling the circle and sweaping outside, knocking me back to my core with some after effect that reminded me somehow of the last time I went drinking with some friends in Munich at the octoberfest, a local beer party in germany. We drank so much that my vision was tripling everything I saw, and the same effect hit me right now.

Fortunately it only lasted for half a minute and then vanished gradually in the next half. After that I went back outside again and examined the changed young elf. His former blond hair turned silver and I saw the same rune that decorated the rune minutes before now inscribed above his eyes like a tattoo in blue colour. His eyes were now a deep blue like the ocean and his already handsome looks were also changed a little bit. Now he was a real eye catcher for the ladies. I felt an immediate urge to punch him for getting such an upgrade.

He looked around and then gazed straight at me, “Alvera sends her regards and a warning. Tiria has been attacked and has fallen from the godly realm. Her replacement could try to force himself upon you, so be prepared to receive some company in the near future.”

Great! A new problem arises and I will have to deal with some upstart. Now, he killed my creator so he won't get much love from me. Now I had a solid reason to grind dungeon cores and subdue or kill them.

“If he tries to come by to get me into his flock, I will show him that I'm my own man right now, and if Tiria is still around somewhere, please tell your goddess that she can send Tiria an invitation to come here.”

He bowed his head and smiled, “Acknowledged and she says that you might get a package sooner than you think.”

I heard a loud crack behind me where I had created the figure of Tiria and turned around just in time to see the wood change its colour and consistency. It grew somewhat and began to move and moments later my old mistress stood right before me with an awkward smile and pain in the eyes, “Hi Marcus, can I pledge for asylum?”

Just as I wanted to answer drum sounds filled the air coming from the forest, followed by the cries of thousands of inhuman voices. What a terrible way to introduce yourself, Tiria!