The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 106

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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 106
Choi Kang-mok already knew the answer.
He retrieved a coin from his inventory and handed it to Emily.
“I think it’s this.”
….
Emily was momentarily at a loss for words.
Regardless of whether it was genuine, she wondered if it was really appropriate to divulge such high-level information so casually. In fields like alchemy, enhancement, and synthesis, recipe and material information was treated as classified at the guild level.
And yet, when the very concept of incompatibility itself was still being kept under strict secrecy, he was simply handing this over?
“What is this?”
“It’s an EX Coin. Normally it’s used to develop Mayo, but I recently discovered a new use for it.”
“Choi Kang-mok.”
“Yes?”
“Do you perhaps like me?”
“…What?”
“You’re casually handing over high-level information like this. What else could it be? It’s love, isn’t it?”
Emily’s eyes sparkled.
It wasn’t entirely a joke in her gaze.
“While we’re at it, could you tell me where you heard this from?”
“From Professor Raymond.”
…I see.
She had heard rumors about Professor Raymond.
He was supposedly so particular that ordinary mages didn’t even dare approach him.
There were widespread rumors that those who approached carelessly would be cursed to transform into a stone guardian for three days.
Such a person gave you information?
“The conditions must have been incredibly demanding, right?”
“You just need to raise his favorability.”
“…I see, I understand.”
It sounded like he wasn’t going to reveal overly detailed advanced information.
Still, the fact that he had shared this much was already remarkable.
Emily adjusted her glasses and carefully opened her mouth.
“I’m not sure if I can ask you more questions, but….”
“Yes. Anything.”
Choi Kang-mok needed Emily as well.
There was no reason to doubt her abilities as a craftsman.
Since she was the finest craftsman currently alive in the field of incompatibility, he intended to treat her well in most matters.
“Then, could you perhaps share even a little bit about how to mine EX Coins?”
“Ah, that’s…”
“I know, I know.”
“I can tell how difficult it must have been to obtain. Running the Tower day and night, excavating the Labyrinth, hunting for hidden pieces, scraping your knees… it’s all blood, sweat, and tears.”
“It’s a tribute.”
“…Pardon?”
“The Seoul Guild delivers several to me every single day.”
Emily’s glasses slipped slightly down her nose.
She slowly, deliberately adjusted them back into place.
“…Ah, delivers them.”
“Yes. It’s automatic.”
More than ten a day, apparently.
For some reason, I felt a strange sense that this world operated on fundamentally unfair principles.
The EX Coin gleamed in Emily’s palm.
Its radiance was so dazzling it made her eyes widen.
“…Would you perhaps be interested in an exclusive contract arrangement contingent on ability sharing? With marriage as an optional clause. I’m willing to accommodate whatever terms you propose.”

* * *
Kim Chul-in, an executive of the Botari Alliance and the EX Salvation Corps, delivered welcome news.
-Talismans that eliminate Tower climbing side effects are readily available on the market. We’ll purchase the entire current stock in circulation and send it to the EX-rank Dedicated Team leader.
Side effect removal talismans had surprisingly little demand.
Their performance was mediocre to begin with, and ordinary awakeners couldn’t make consecutive entries like Choi Kang-mok.
Since reckless climbing attempts never occurred in the first place, side effects never manifested.
Tower climbing was typically a matter of “clearing a floor here and there,” so that was the universal norm.
“The primary talisman will be made with Kang-mok’s specifications.”
From Emily’s perspective, even this seemed somewhat unreasonable.
This was practically cheating.
───────
[Side Effect Removal Talisman]
Eliminates side effects caused by consecutive Tower climbing.
※Limited to Floors 1-30
※Natural stamina depletion is not classified as a side effect.
───────
Typically, talisman effects amounted to “partial mitigation of side effects.”
But this was “complete elimination.”
And the floor range was even explicitly specified.
“I’ll use this as the primary talisman and synthesize it by pouring in sub-talismans and materials.”
The dozens of ordinary side effect removal talismans Kim Chul-in had gathered would serve as synthesis materials.
The individual talisman effects were weaker, but they were suitable for synthesis.
“I opened a synthesis slot visible only to my eyes….”
A few seconds passed.
Between the quietly hovering talisman fragments, a brilliant blue flash erupted.
As the light faded, an entirely new talisman descended quietly onto my palm.
Emily swallowed hard.
“The synthesis succeeded. Now my hands are trembling all the way to my core, so let me verify the contents.”
───────
[Side Effect Removal Talisman (Enhanced Synthesis)]
Eliminates side effects caused by consecutive Tower ascents.
※Limited to Floors 1-40
※Partially removes side effects for Floors 41-50
※Natural stamina depletion is not classified as a side effect
───────
Emily knelt reverently, cradling the talisman in both hands as she offered a solemn prayer.
“Oh, divine spirit of synthesis.”
Originally, I had hoped for an expansion of merely three floors—that would have been fortunate enough.
But this… far exceeded my expectations.
No matter how I analyzed it, this had to be the EX Coin’s doing.
I had synthesized countless talismans throughout my career, yet I had never witnessed results like these.
Even Novaeight couldn’t hold a candle to such an overwhelming outcome.
A single material changed, and the craftsmanship transformed entirely.
The EX Coin was undeniably extraordinary.
The problem was singular.
There existed only one person in this entire world capable of supplying it.
Emily’s gaze lifted quietly.
“I don’t mind marriage or servitude. Will you sign an exclusive contract with me?”
Her eyes gleamed with even greater fervor than before.

* * *
Choi Kang-mok examined the talisman in his hand once more.
The side effects up to Floor 40 had vanished.
Now it was merely a matter of managing his stamina.
‘I never expected to achieve this level of performance.’
The real problem was his younger sister, Kang Hye, who would need to enter alongside him.
Ultimately, what he needed was an EX+ Coin.
To secure it reliably, he required an Ascendant Explorer.
‘But Floor 38 is far too dangerous.’
One careless mistake and he could end up killing his sister.
Though he’d grown far more adept at fragment control, safety remained paramount.
‘I’ll acquire the EX+ Coin on Floor 40.’
The boss arena on Floor 40 offered abundant terrain for concealment, making it a reasonably suitable location to ensure Kang Hye’s safety.
‘First, I’ll clear Floor 38 swiftly.’
[You have entered Seoul Tower Floor 38.]
[Challenge: Defeat 40 Flame Specters]
He would need to eliminate the Flame Specters that manifested throughout the floor.
Physical attacks proved ineffective against them, and they wielded a special ability called ‘Specter’s Veil.’
[Specter’s Veil unfolds.]
[Your vision is distorted.]
The surroundings wavered and rippled.
Even the stone tower’s location blurred and trembled.
‘I can’t quite make out where the stone tower is.’
He wasn’t particularly alarmed.
He’d already memorized everything before entering.
[Skill Energy Bolt (S) activated.]
The double-multiplier talisman’s effect generated two Energy Bolts.
He collided the two spheres to fragment them, then swept the area with precise control.
[Flame Specter defeated.]
[Flame Specter defeated.]
….
[Flame Specter defeated.]
[Flame Specter defeated.]
A dozen Flame Specters vanished in an instant.
[Insufficient minimum Flame Specter count to maintain Specter’s Veil.]
[Specter’s Veil dissipates.]
From that point on, it was straightforward.
He focused on attacking the stone tower with the goal of completing an energy field.
‘Completion will prove somewhat difficult, won’t it?’
Realistically speaking, yes.
By now, it had earned the grandiose title of ‘Transcendent Reconstruction’—yet I harbored no real expectations.
Everything born into this world carries its own inherent ceiling.
No matter how much you strengthen an ant, it remains merely an ant with enhanced capabilities.
The Forgotten Fire Spirit’s Stone Tower was no different.
No matter how many reinforcements I layered upon it, its essence remained that of a ‘forgotten’ fire spirit’s tower.
‘I wasn’t counting on anything!’
And yet, predictably—
[Seoul Tower Floor 38 has been cleared.]
[Clear Grade: EX]
[!Announcement to all Korean Territory!]
[The curse shrouding Seoul Tower Floor 38 has been destroyed.]
I glanced back at the stone tower for a moment.
‘The energy barrier formation failed, but….’
My body felt surprisingly intact.
Thanks to the side-effect removal talisman, the fatigue was far less than anticipated.
‘Oh, this is better than expected?’
Though the energy barrier formation hadn’t come to fruition, my mood was quite pleasant.
It seemed I wouldn’t need to invest further in stamina and strength stats.
That alone counted as a success by my standards.
‘I can enter immediately.’
[Entering Seoul Tower Floor 39.]
[Seoul Tower Floor 39 cleared….]
Naples Lord Spaloti remained silent.
Vicario was even more so.
From Floor 31 to Floor 39.
The one who had monopolized the top ranking had fallen to second place.
It took merely days for Italy’s prestige to crumble.
Moreover, each time Choi Kang-mok ascended the tower, curses were being lifted.
Those who had panicked when the territorial curse first manifested began to breathe easier.
[A territorial curse? Yeah, just have it lifted and you’re done~]
└At this point, shouldn’t we assume the EX-rank team has a dedicated curse-breaker?
└Makes sense
└Seoul was never mediocre—it was Seoul Avengers all along
└There’s even a rumor that the EX-awakened is a specialized curse-breaking mage?
Do you believe that? lol
The amusing part was that many people didn’t believe Choi Kang-mok was a curse-breaker.
Claims that the Seoul Guild was deliberately concealing the curse-breaker’s existence began gaining traction.
[One reliable hero beats multiple mediocre ones]
└That’s better for national prestige
A clear first place is better than multiple ambiguous second places. Oh, and I’m not targeting Italy lol ^─^
Vicario fell into despair.
He could no longer muster the courage to salvage anything more.
He had even deployed his trump card, yet he never anticipated such a turn of events.
Moreover, the EX-rank Awakener held him accountable for nothing.
This made Vicario’s humiliation all the more complete.
“You’re thoroughly humiliating me.”
It sounded like a voice only he could hear.
So what? What could someone like you possibly do?
“…What can I do?”
In the eyes of the EX-rank Awakener, he had been utterly erased.
‘As if they don’t know everything I’ve done.’
A sense of powerlessness beyond mere humiliation crashed over him.
Never before had he been trampled so thoroughly.
That man had stolen the first-place position without permitting any resistance whatsoever.
“If I lose first place on Floor 40 as well….”
Life would hold no meaning.
The Hall of Fame.
The person who should stand at the world’s pinnacle was not some ‘-‘ but [Vicario].
It was then that word arrived from Naples Lord Spaloti.
The EX-rank Awakener had challenged Floor 40.
-The EX-rank Awakener… has challenged Floor 40.
Vicario could delay no longer.
There was no turning back now.
To endure such an insult in silence would be beneath his standing as a ranker.
“Final Curse.”
A warning notification sounded.
[Final Curse proceeds at the cost of the Sorcerer’s life.]
[There is a 60% probability the Sorcerer will die. Do you wish to proceed?]
Vicario nodded.
Even if it cost him his life, he had to preserve first place on Floor 40.
That was Vicario’s last shred of pride.
“Do not underestimate the power of an Italian national hero. You damned bastard!”
[Please select the floor where the Final Curse will descend.]
[It can only be applied to the Tower and floors the curse sorcerer has previously entered.]
[The Final Curse descends upon Floor 40 of Seoul Tower in Korean Territory.]
Choi Kang-mok, who had entered Floor 40 alongside the Awakened Explorer Kang Hye, heard that notification as well.

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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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