The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Return of an EX-Rank Mage Episode 104
Raymond was genuinely curious.
How on earth could one interfere with the System in such a lower dimension?
System interference was a domain accessible only to an extremely small number of mages.
Even among professor-level mages, only those specializing in ‘that field’ could barely open the door.
Raymond was one of that rare few.
“I used an item.”
“What sort of item?”
“It’s already been consumed, so it’s gone now, but….”
I gave him a brief explanation of the Administrator Authority Execution Manual.
Raymond let out a massive sigh.
“Gasp… Such a precious thing existed in a place like this? My goodness, if I had seen it directly, I would have disassembled it immediately for research!”
“Is it really that remarkable?”
Besides, wouldn’t it break if you disassembled it?
“Of course it would!”
Raymond appeared increasingly excited.
“It’s an item that drops only from the Flame Palace Gate, which spawns exclusively when you annihilate the Floor 90 boss through a special method. The drop rate is absolutely abysmal. Yet it appeared in the 30s. Truly astounding!”
The professor’s jaw hung agape, having already forgotten about the Quest and everything else.
As if only the words “Administrator Authority Execution Manual” circled in his mind, he poured out his thoughts.
“How did you obtain something so precious?”
“Well.”
“Of course! I understand it’s classified information! You don’t have to tell me! But if it’s at all possible-”
[Sudden Quest, ‘Raymond’s Request’ has been activated.]
───────
[Raymond’s Request]
Answer Raymond’s question truthfully and resolve his curiosity.
Reward: Achieve Affinity 100 with Raymond!
───────
Choi Kang-mok wasn’t particularly fond of rewards structured this way.
Because no one explained what ‘Affinity 100’ precisely meant.
It was vague.
‘Well, there’s no harm in it.’
I was planning to tell him anyway.
I organized and recounted the events from Floor 35 in a coherent manner.
“…And that’s how it dropped.”
“Hmm… You completed Requiem?”
“Yes.”
“Wait. So… around 70 of them? Or maybe 80?”
“No.”
“Hmm, I suppose so. Even for a Research Institute director, 80 is a bit much. Then perhaps around 50?”
“No. It was one hundred.”
“Ten creatures… Wait, what? A hundred?!”
Raymond’s mouth fell open.
“Yes. Exactly one hundred.”
“And you escaped alive?”
Requiem was a type of buff created by the Flame Queens.
Even a handful of them posed a considerable threat, but as their numbers increased, their stats grew exponentially.
And one hundred.
‘One hundred’ spawned a monster of an entirely different dimension.
“At that level… wouldn’t that be a Tier 3 monster?”
“Indeed.”
“It was strong, wasn’t it?”
“It was fast.”
Strong and fast.
Raymond failed to grasp the subtle distinction in nuance between the two words.
Instead, he flicked his finger, conjuring a quill into the empty air.
A paper-thin plate of mana fluttered and unfolded, while the quill moved busily of its own accord.
[Upon completing the Flame Queens’ Requiem following consecutive EX-rank clears on Floor 30 and beyond
→ Tier 3 Flame Legion Commander appears
→ Upon successful subjugation, ‘Administrator Authority Execution Manual’ drops]
As the text completed, the memo shimmered and vanished.
[This information will be registered in the Mage Association Archive.]
[Registrant name: -]
[The registrant’s biometric signature is recorded.]
[Source: Earth, Korean Territory]
Raymond seized Choi Kang-mok’s hand.
“To share such precious information so readily… I am truly grateful!”
[The sudden Quest, ‘Professor Raymond’s Request,’ has been cleared.]
[You have acquired 100 favorability with Professor Raymond.]
“But what is this Archive?”
“That is… ■■■ ■■■■.”
Strange noise filled the air.
The words were garbled, utterly incomprehensible.
“There’s interference like this. You can’t make out what I’m saying, can you?”
“No, I cannot interpret it.”
“That’s the nature of the System. It inherently maintains dimensional equilibrium. We call that ‘System Homeostasis.'”

* * *
The discussion of Quests began much later.
“Let me gather my thoughts. First, take a look at the Quest list.”
───────
[Available Quest List]
1. A Thousand Arrow Showers
2. The Explosion of Light and the Avatar of Shadow
3. Silent Target Hunt
───────
Just from the titles alone, the scale was immense.
Even at a glance, these Quests reeked of exhaustion.
───────
[A Thousand Arrow Showers]
A high-difficulty trial testing a mage’s mana control ability.
Evade, block, and destroy a thousand arrows while proving your qualifications as a mage.
According to Raonel, the Archmage: “Magic isn’t something that works just because you’re strong. At the very least, you need to understand and use your materials properly.”
(Continued)
───────
The grandiose text stretched on endlessly, and the first stage of the Quest was, quite conveniently, gathering.
───────
1. Obtain 1,000 branches collected from the Mysterious Tree Manadra Spirit Tree.
2. (Locked) – Unlocked upon clearing Stage 1
───────
That was how it was.
“Do you know where Manadra is located?”
“■■■■.”
Due to system interference, I couldn’t hear it clearly.
Raymond spoke with some embarrassment.
“To summarize… you can obtain an area-of-effect grimoire from that Quest.”
“I see.”
It meant I could formally learn area-of-effect magic from an advanced combat mage.
“Then, what about ‘The Explosion of Light and the Avatar of Shadow’?”
“You can obtain summoning magic to command spirits of light and darkness.”
“Summoning? A mage commanding spirits means…”
“Subduing them.”
“What happens if you fail to subdue them?”
“You get killed by the spirit, naturally.”
I’ll pass on that one for now.
“What about ‘Silent Target Hunt’?”
“Sniper magic.”
Choi Kang-mok’s ears perked up at those words.
This was a field that interested me.
I’d been learning the hard way lately that against fast opponents, the truth wasn’t to shoot and then hit—it was to strike before they could even move.
“They’re all combat magic, so you might be disappointed, but there’s nothing to be done about it. This Quest originated from advanced combat mage Raymond, after all.”
───────
[Silent Target Hunt]
One spell. One target. One death.
According to Archmage Kalien, “Does magic have to be flashy? There’s an elegance to sending them cleanly with a single strike.” (excerpt)
───────
The description was certainly grandiose.
In any case, the Quest structure was similar.
───────
1. Collect dark crystals from the Valley Where Light Does Not Reach, where dark spirits dwell.
2. (Locked) – Unlocked upon clearing Stage 1
───────
Raymond frowned.
“It will probably be difficult to clear at your current level. We don’t even know if the Valley Where Light Does Not Reach has been activated on Earth.”
“…Is that so?”
So I’d received a Quest I couldn’t clear….
I’d even used the Administrator Authority Execution Manual for nothing, and my mood had become complicated.
“The reward magic itself isn’t bad, but this has all the hallmarks of the system raising the difficulty. It’s a pattern that appears when the constants interfere heavily.”
“…To that extent?”
“Usually they don’t do this in Part 1. But things are a bit different now.”
Raymond paused for a moment before continuing.
“At this level… there’s likely a time limit attached as well. No, I’d say it’s almost certain.”
The moment those words ended,
[A time limit timer has been generated.]
[72:00:00]
A 72-hour time limit timer.
Raymond’s expression darkened and he let out a sigh.
“See? This is simply… telling you not to clear it.”
72 hours.
Clear multi-stage Quests consecutively within that time?
“Even if a higher-dimensional player knew all the strategies and rushed in, 72 hours would be tight. They’ve simply made it impossible to clear. The system designed it maliciously. The goal isn’t something else—it’s just the Research Institute Director’s mental state.”
Raymond’s eyes were sincere. There wasn’t a trace of jest in them.
So Choi Kang-mok made a cool decision.
[You have used a Quest Clear Ticket.]
[Congratulations!]
[Quest, ‘Silent Target Hunt’ has been cleared.]
“Huh?”
Raymond blinked his eyes repeatedly.
“Why do you have that?”
With a bewildered expression, he conjured a visualization in the empty air where starlight shimmered.
It was “Staging,” an advanced magic for tracking dimensional coordinates.
It was meaningless. Magic worked perfectly fine without such staging.
“This is strange. This is Earth, isn’t it?”

* * *
I had already acquired the area-effect spell.
Being a creation magic, it held special appeal for me.
Spirit magic was premature.
Among what remained, sniper magic was undoubtedly what drew me most.
[You have acquired the grimoire ‘Meteor Transformation (SSS+)’.]
It was my first grimoire in a long time since obtaining the high-ranking spirit.
Its form differed slightly from ordinary grimoires.
It was a “conversion-type” magic rather than direct-use magic.
───────
[Meteor Transformation]
Classification: Advanced Magic Conversion/Sniper
Grade: SSS+
An advanced magic conversion grimoire that transforms the spellcaster’s magic by converting it into meteor form and causing it to descend.
───────
‘I see. It’s an amplification-type magic that transforms ordinary spells into meteors, allowing them to travel farther and strike harder.’
Even an energy bolt becomes a meteor with proper conversion,
and with more familiarity, I can create stronger meteors using high-ranking spirits.
-Meteor = Sniper.
-…I see.
-Understood, Mayo. I’ll make a note of it.
“Should we try using it once?”
“How many floors have you cleared so far?”
“Floor 37.”
“Then I recommend pushing to Floor 40.”
Using an SSS+ grimoire doesn’t guarantee an SSS+ spell is “confirmed.”
It means SSS+ is the acquisition ceiling.
Meeting certain conditions increases the probability of obtaining a higher-tier spell.
“I’ll go clear it right away.”
I felt that acquiring the spell under Raymond’s guidance would yield better results.
My eagerness grew, and I wanted to challenge the ascent to Floor 40 immediately.
Then Raymond interjected.
“Wait!”
“Why would you do that?”
Raymond didn’t hold back his counsel.
“The system’s homeostasis is deeply intervening right now. In other words, no matter what you do at this moment, the probability of interference following suit is extremely high.”
Even an SSS+ grimoire could yield an F-rank result.
If the system decided to interfere, there was nothing it couldn’t do.
Raymond lowered his voice.
The professor, whose favorability had exceeded 100, had now resolved to share even sensitive information without reservation.
“Given the current circumstances… I can share somewhat more delicate information.”
“Given the current circumstances?”
“If there’s interference that causes harm to someone, then conversely, interference that brings benefit must also exist. We call it impartiality—the system’s way of maintaining neutrality.”
He added in a hushed tone.
“There exists a method to neutralize the system’s intervention.”
“What is it?”
A fascinating revelation was unfolding.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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