The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 107

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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 107
A few minutes earlier.
Kang Hye entered Seoul Tower Floor 40 alongside Choi Kang-mok.
A grand hall with a soaring ceiling.
Stone pillars stretched skyward in neat rows on all sides.
Each column was massive enough to require dozens of people to encircle it, its surface fractured irregularly like the scales of an ancient beast.
Between the cracks, crimson flames flickered, and at the center of the hall, a sunken chasm yawned open like a gaping mouth.
‘That must be the Floor 40 boss monster hole.’
The diameter was narrow, but the depth seemed bottomless.
Scorching breath erupted intermittently from the chasm.
[Challenge: Defeat all monsters spawned from the monster hole!]
The ‘Monster Hole’ was a boss that continuously summoned creatures.
Monsters spawned from that place, and the challenger had to eliminate them all.
Strategies had been established up through A-rank clears.
Every detail was recorded down to the second—which monsters to spare at which timing, which ones to eliminate.
“Oppa, let me just clarify one fundamental thing. You can’t defeat them too quickly, right?”
“Yeah.”
If monsters were defeated too fast, the next ones would become disproportionately stronger.
When that accumulated, it became unmanageable.
Countless players had vanished into the tower’s mist that way.
‘I’ve made my point, but…’
Whether that principle even applied to Dil-jjik-nu was uncertain.
Regardless, I found myself far more tense than usual.
‘I shouldn’t interfere.’
I abandoned any presumption of offering active assistance.
My best strategy was simply to hide well without disrupting Dil-jjik-nu’s approach.
A pillar on the opposite side from where Choi Kang-mok would cast his spells.
Behind the most sturdy-looking stone column, I concealed myself.
‘My only role now is to leverage the Explorer of Ascension’s effect.’
As long as I remained unobtrusive and alive.
The Explorer of Ascension would elevate the clear grade through its passive benefit.
Then, the curse Vicario had woven at the cost of his life took root on Seoul Tower Floor 40.
[The ‘Final Curse’ descends upon Seoul Tower Floor 40 in the Korean Territory.]

* * *
Choi Kang-mok had time to spare.
Approximately three minutes until the first monster—a slime—appeared.
The orthodox approach was to leave it alone.
If I let the first slime live, the difficulty of the monsters that follow drops dramatically.
Defeating it quickly is dangerous.
The probability of death increases, and the clear rating suffers.
Not defeating it is the principle.
‘That’s more than enough time to complete the energy floor formation.’
The problem was the Curse of the Final.
I wanted to destroy it—no, dispel it—using curse-dispelling magic, but that proved difficult as well.
[Curse dispelling is protected as a higher concept than the Title.]
To strike it, I would need to materialize it, but with the Title of Curse Dispelling being a national-territory-level concept, that was impossible.
Conceptually, it meant a higher rank than the national territory itself.
‘Higher than my curse-dispelling magic… a superior concept?’
My pride as a curse-specialization mage was wounded, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on it any longer.
This was the moment to focus on the Floor 40 boss.
[!Effect of the Curse of the Final!]
[The most dreadful curse capable of descending upon Floor 40 is imbued within.]
Purple smoke billowed up from the monster hole.
The temperature of the space shifted distinctly.
The ceiling trembled, and dust from the pillars scattered in cascades.
[Forcibly entering Phase 2.]
[The monster hole transforms into the Naraka Gate.]
[The challenge objective is revised.]
[Challenge Objective: Annihilate the Monsters (Infernal Species)]
The monster hole, which had been little more than a simple opening, transformed.
The ground twisted and vibrated as though it were a living creature.
───────
[Naraka Gate]
A fissure born where the form of a god fell
───────
The edges of the Naraka Gate were surrounded by stone statues so severely shattered that their forms were unrecognizable.
Choi Kang-mok failed to notice this strange transformation.
All my concentration was already poured into completing the energy floor formation.
‘This time, I will complete it without fail.’
[Activating Skill: Energy Floor Formation (Creation).]
Above the Naraka Gate.
The domain of the energy floor formation descended.
A tempestuous realm of countless energy bolts, newly born through Choi Kang-mok’s magic, swirling like a maelstrom.

* * *
Kang Hye swallowed hard.
‘Insane!’
The Naraka Gate was no mere summoning device like a Monster Hole.
It was an attack in itself.
An invisible wave rippled across the entire battlefield.
It resembled an attack spell spreading outward like a sonic pulse, invisible to the naked eye.
‘My brother doesn’t seem to be affected.’
Kang Hye could tell.
It was only because the degraded version of Mayo was active; otherwise, she would have suffered severe injuries.
‘It’s fine. I just need to stay hidden.’
The shield was gradually chipping away, but it held.
Concealed, I witnessed the energy barrier completing itself.
‘It covered the entire Monster Hole? At that rate, even slimes would dissolve instantly? Ah, now that it’s become the Naraka Gate, does the progression change?’
There was no way to know. And that frustrated me.
I had entered as an explorer, yet I could offer no assistance to Choi Kang-mok.
A notification sounded.
[Slime (Infernal)…]
[Slime (Infernal) has been defeated.]
The slime was torn to shreds.
Just as its head seemed to peek through, it vanished in an instant.
Simultaneously, the entire space turned crimson.
The crimson space began pulsing like a heartbeat—thump! thump!
‘The first appearance is a slime.’
The progression pattern was the same.
‘Now the difficulty will skyrocket.’
[Goblin (Infernal)…]
[Goblin (Infernal) has been defeated…]
The notifications accelerated.
The monsters’ appearance rate would increase exponentially.
[Minotaur…]
[…defeated…]
[Troll…]
[…defeated…]
[Skeleton…]
[…defeated…]
[Golem…]
[…defeated]
After that, I could no longer maintain consciousness.
The notification window flickered into existence and vanished, leaving not a trace behind.
Kang Hye understood.
Everything had been ground to dust the moment it appeared.
‘A blender…?’
Meanwhile, cold sweat began trickling down Choi Kang-mok’s back.
Was it because the infernal monster was too dangerous? No.
‘Maintaining it is becoming unbearable.’
Choi Kang-mok felt as though all the moisture was being drained from his body.
Not merely completing the energy barrier—maintaining it.
It was a pain he’d never experienced before, yet simultaneously a thrill unlike anything he’d ever felt.
At that moment.
[The monster generation speed from the Naraka Gate (Infernal) has been exceeded.]
[As the balance collapses, a hidden existence awakens.]
[Hidden Boss, ‘Forgotten Fire Spirit’ appears!]
For the first time, the messages completed perfectly.
Screeeech— screeeech-screech—!
Tangled chains twisted in all directions within the Naraka Gate.
The chains sealing something let out a piercing wail as they snapped.
A pillar of scorching flame erupted, and something within it began to awaken.
Within the inferno, a bizarre form slowly, ever so slowly, revealed itself.
Eyes gleaming within the black smoke.
Something mimicking human shape, yet decidedly not human.
Burning flesh and eyes that would not extinguish.
Confronted with this incomprehensible form, Kang Hye began searching for an exit mechanic.
‘I need to escape.’
[A heart of corruption born from the corruption of pure white flames.]
[An immortal sin-fire kindled upon the altar of a forgotten temple.]
System narration.
Few who heard this notification survived.
[The remnant of a cursed flame sealed beneath the veil of the sacred realm.]
The form lifted its head.
Its gaze fixed precisely upon Choi Kang-mok.
Kang Hye finally found the exit mechanic.
“Oppa! Come here!”
Part of the Forgotten Fire Spirit’s arm pierced through the energy barrier’s domain and slowly withdrew.
[Corruption grown in the gap untouched by divine grace…]
[The Forgotten Fire Spirit has been purified.]
The form vanished. It was instantaneous.
Choi Kang-mok was considerably shocked.
‘Purified, not defeated?’
A clear distinction. I hadn’t killed it.
I merely swept away the corruption that had been smothering it.
Crash!
The stone statues lining the edges of the Naraka Gate crumbled to dust and scattered into the air.
Crack—
Fissures began to spread across the black Naraka Gate, which had appeared like a void of nothingness.
[The Naraka Gate is ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮]
….
[▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮]
Incomprehensible notifications continued before a normal message finally arrived.
[The Naraka Gate has been destroyed.]
I was startled once more.
The Naraka Gate had withstood my energy field.
Of course it was destroyed, but it had only reached ‘ordinary destruction’ rather than ‘fundamental annihilation.’
[The hidden name of the Naraka Gate is revealed.]
[Naraka Gate ▶▶▶ The Forgotten Fire Spirit’s Descent Point]
The intense heat that had seemed ready to consume everything around me vanished, and a tiny flame emerged, fluttering about in my vicinity.
[!Hidden condition satisfied!]
[You have successfully destroyed the ancient curse that corrupted the Forgotten Fire Spirit.]
[Your title, ‘Curse Breaker (National Territory)’, has grown.]
A notification I hadn’t anticipated followed.
[Your title, ‘Curse Breaker (National Territory)’, has evolved into ‘Curse Breaker (Legendary Realm)’.]
A concept transcending physical regions like cities and nations had emerged.
I had acquired a title that extended beyond physical space into the very concept of legend itself.
───────
[Curse Breaker (Legendary Realm)]
A title granted to heroes who have successfully broken curses of the Legendary Realm.
You perfectly interpret curses of National Territory rank and below.
You objectify and destroy curses of Legendary Realm rank and below.
───────
I found myself muttering without thinking.
“I suppose I’ve become more of a mage now.”
And a true mage would immediately test such a magically wondrous ability.
With the aid of this title, perhaps I could finally break the ‘Final Curse’ that I had failed to break before.
‘Good. Let’s try it.’
As a curse breaker, I might be able to take another step forward.

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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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