The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 117

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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 117
[Seoul Tower… Floor 41….]
The notification seemed to struggle as it appeared.
Squelch!
Raymond thrust his hand through Kang Pal-do’s chest once more.
‘Huh?’
A brighter yellow sphere of light became visible than before.
‘The aura of fortune has grown stronger?’
The more he was wounded, the more the aura accumulated?
Slurp! Raymond instinctively licked his lips.
“Fortune, I call upon thee!”
Flash!
Yellow light spread outward, and soon a proper notification began to appear.
[Floor 41 of Seoul Tower has been cleared.]
[Clear Rank: EX+]
[Exiting the Tower.]
He survived.
Yet Raymond’s expression had grown somewhat dark.
“The archer of holy light. The formless darkness that wields the scythe.”
“…Pardon?”
“I could not witness even a single moment of the art created by those who became stars.”
He slowly closed his eyes and smacked his lips.
Why are you crying?
Kang Hye could not bring herself to ask.
“Still, there were excellent results.”
“Th-that’s a relief.”
“Earth also has
research material
here. Haha!”
A constitution that attracts fortune. And one specialized in survival at that.
For mages with survival rates lower than sunfish, this could be a groundbreaking resource.
“…Research material?”
“Pardon? No, a unique constitution.”
That wasn’t it.
He had clearly said research material just now.
“If one person suffers a little so that ten mages can live, that is quite reasonable, is it not?”
“….”
“The Tracker’s Mark.”
A tracking spell had been placed upon Kang Pal-do’s heart.
Whenever Raymond wished, he could summon him back to the ‘laboratory’.
Kang Pal-do still didn’t know.
“…I made it back alive, hyungs.”
The chat exploded.
Wow, I actually made it back alive lolol
– But what the hell did he film
Is this a travel vlog? lol
– Heard a harp sound and it ended
Unfortunately(?), all the viewers had witnessed were fragments of the ‘Burning Spirit’ and ‘Sylph’s Melody’.
They were already making a fuss about how shocking even that much was.
“No, that wasn’t all. That was merely the beginning.”
Kang Pal-do stared through the screen with an intensity that could bore holes.
His expression was gaunt, his eyes exhausted.
More precisely—overwhelmed.
“After that, I…saw a god.”
It was an irresistible calamity.
The world being battered by catastrophe.
Truly, a natural disaster.
“….”
Kang Pal-do fell silent for a long moment.
‘I never want to encounter that again!’
No matter how developed one’s survival instinct was.
This was too much.
‘I must never, ever, EVER get entangled with an EX-Rank Awakener again.’

* * *
Boom—
The ground trembled with a low rumble.
“An earthquake?”
“Again?”
“The 7th Floor range?”
This time, it wasn’t the 7th Floor range.
The airspace above the 40s Floors.
A burst of five-colored light erupted from that location.
Crash!
With the explosion, water poured torrentially from the side of the Tower.
Like a waterfall.
A massive black hole had been torn through the ash-gray Tower.
“Water’s coming out?”
“It’s leaking!”
The Tower that rose from Sangam had transformed into a colossal fountain.
“What kind of flooding is this?”
“This is definitely the Tower breaking again.”
In the midst of it all, the 41st Floor Hall of Fame updated.
“It’s EX-sama!”
“First place again.”
This time, an EX+ rank, no less.
41st Floor consecutive world ranking, first place.
Kang Pal-do’s live footage also became a major issue.
[Sharing the video I recorded on my phone just in case—sorry for the poor quality]
└Insane?
└You can clear it even if you destroy the Dragon Palace?
└???: Why are you looking for the pearl? You can just destroy it
In the video, the Dragon Palace was half-destroyed.
After that, the video cut off.
[It must be a cinematic effect lol probably showed entering and breaking the pearl next]
└If it were real, they would’ve shown it all the way through
└Right?
└But then why did the Tower break?
└Don’t you know EX-rank Awakeners are good at cinematic effects?
└???: They broke through the Tower to clear it
Half the people believed it was a mythical cinematic effect.
The other half claimed they actually destroyed the Dragon Palace and the Tower.
But this incident had a significant impact on reality as well.
[Roads flooded and actual boats are floating (photo)]
Sangam-dong area.
The underground roads were completely submerged, and the regular streets were flooded up to waist height.
And then, a system notification chimed.
[Tower System malfunction detected.]
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted.
[Seoul’s heading to Naples too lol]
└Isn’t this identical to Naples?
└So the reward system is completely down?
But something felt off.
[Why am I getting double Magic Stones?]
└I got two Balruns too
└The rewards increased?
└This isn’t a malfunction.
An official notice appeared.
[Tower System Error: Reward Output 200%]
[Estimated recovery time: approximately 8,000 years]
The system had malfunctioned—in the direction of increased rewards.
In other words, it was a double rewards event. Duration: 8,000 years.
The anomalies weren’t finished yet.
[Story Gate, ‘Dragon Palace Gate’ is being generated.]
A second ‘Story Gate’ had appeared in Korean Territory.
[Breaking News: ‘Dragon Palace Gate’ generated at Bam Island, Seoul!]

* * *
Kang Hye returned to the An House and wept bitterly.
“I thought my older brother was going to die, I swear.”
“…It’s fine, really.”
“Don’t make a contract with Owen. Cancel it no matter what.”
“….”
Even mages can make mistakes.
It seemed harsh to sever a contract over such a minor error.
After a considerable amount of time had passed, Kang Hye finally calmed down and blinked her eyes.
“Older brother. You cleared EX+?”
“Yeah, well, more or less as planned. I succeeded in the snipe….”
“I know. You cleared it with Transformation Nested Snipe Meteor Spell.”
“Oh. You saw it?”
“Yeah. I went in with Professor Raymond.”
“Did Professor Raymond see my magic too?”
“He did.”
A hint of tension crossed Choi Kang-mok’s face.
Raymond’s evaluation was a moment I couldn’t help but feel nervous about as a mage.
“What did he say?”
“He was impressed.”
“Really? What specifically?”
There wasn’t anything specific to mention.
It was more like, “Magnificent! It’s a shame I couldn’t see the artistry!” or something along those lines.
But I told him anyway.
“The unique pressure of the Meteor Spell. The sensation of pressure applied not to the body but to the entire space itself. Everything was done correctly.”
I didn’t mention the part about how we nearly died getting swept up in it.
Choi Kang-mok swallowed hard.
“Really? He praised it that much?”
“Yeah. He said it reached the realm of art.”
“Is that so?”
Choi Kang-mok’s expression brightened.
Recognition from a professor-level mage—that was rare.
“Yeah. Though he did seem a bit regretful at the end.”
“Regretful?”
I was startled.
Right. Compared to the professor, I was still a novice mage, so there would naturally be aspects he found lacking.
Appropriate feedback was actually the foundation for growth.
“What did he say?”
“Oh. It’s nothing major. He just said he was sorry he couldn’t see the magic all the way through.”
“…Ah!”
I had to admit, that aspect bothered me as well.
Since I was already doing it, I wished I could have implemented it perfectly to the very end.
Before the Meteor Manifestation deployment could be completed, the Tower ejected me.
‘Still, to have elevated the High Spirit Meteor Manifestation to this level….’
Floor 41 was a half-success.
Floors 42 and 43 possess even stronger Water Layers.
There is deeper pressure and more powerful currents.
That very environment would actually aid in perfecting the magic.
‘Perhaps I could grow even further.’
A grin spread across my face unbidden.
An EX+ clear, and on top of that, a Meteor Manifestation deployment utilizing High Spirits.
Moreover, I had discovered the magical potential to develop even further.
It was undoubtedly the greatest achievement of my Tower ascent thus far.
‘Once my stamina recovers, I can head straight to Floor 42.’
Heh heh.
My smile deepened.
[Seoul Tower Floor 42….]
Floor 42 suddenly?
[…clear … glitched noise ….]
Could the Tower be temporarily malfunctioning?
Crackle— crackle—
Static kept interfering with the signal.
[Tower …43 ■■■….]
‘I have no idea.’
Despite the environmental assistance, my body had endured considerable strain.
It seemed I needed to rest for a while.
And then I dreamed.
I completed the High Spirit Meteor Manifestation on Floor 42.
Repeated mastery on Floor 43.
On Floor 44, a wide-area strike with Energy Field Manifestation.
And then Floor 45.
A ‘dream’ of having grown into a ‘perfect mage’ who overwhelmed the mid-boss, the ‘Carnivorous Mermaid’.

* * *
Meanwhile, Antonio, the lord of Real Madrid, furrowed his brow sharply.
“EX+ clear?”
Usually it was EX clear. This time, it was EX+.
There was clearly a difference.
“He must have discovered the hidden usage of the Tear of Blue Lotus.”
This was the most logical conclusion.
A few low-quality videos had been shared as well.
“Why is it always low-quality footage like this?”
In an age of Tower civilization, no less.
In such cases, it’s usually either manipulation or special effects.
“Incredible production value.”
Did the Tear of Blue Lotus even have such cinematic properties?
However, Bessius, the great mage of Real Madrid, shook his head.
See one thing, understand ten.
“No, I think he actually destroyed the Dragon Palace.”
His perspective differed slightly from Antonio’s.
“Sylphid’s melody must have had a significant influence.”
Traces resembling Sylphid’s melody were captured in the video.
There had been a similar aura back on the 7th Floor of Seoul Tower.
This was far more powerful than that.
“Did he suddenly grow stronger? No. He amplified Sylphid using the hidden ability of the Tear of Blue Lotus.”
Bessius pulled out a comb and swept back his hair.
“My Tear of Blue Lotus changed someone’s life.”
“Even now, you’re full of yourself? Changed what exactly?”
Bessius simply said what he wanted to say.
“Regardless, it’s my possession. When someone else uses it and succeeds, the feeling is strange. For now, I’m displeased.”
“…And?”
“Soon, the automatic return setting will activate.”
I didn’t lend out the Tear of Blue Lotus without safeguards.
After a certain amount of time passes and specific conditions are met, the Tear of Blue Lotus returns to Bessius’s inventory.
“I’ll retrieve it within two hours.”
Bessius understood a mage’s heart well. The one on Floor 42 must be dreaming of and anticipating an EX+ clear too, right?
But it won’t happen. The core key to EX+ clear.
If he takes back the Tear of Blue Lotus, he could shake the mental state of an EX-rank awakener.
“Once a mage’s mental state wavers, they’re finished.”
And then one piece of news was revealed.
[Special reward from the Dragon Palace Gate: Fragment of the Tear of Blue Lotus]
Countless people began obtaining the Fragment of the Tear of Blue Lotus.
Collecting ten and synthesizing them would complete the Tear of Blue Lotus.
Bessius’s mouth fell open.
“What? I suffered through hell to get that from the 45th Floor?”
And that took six weeks. But over there?
Relatively low-level Awakeners enter the Gate and churn out Tears of Qingyan like it’s nothing.
Gate entry → acquire fragment → click, click.
Bessius tore at his hair.
“This isn’t right!”
This was a scam.
Yet there remained one even more fraudulent fact.

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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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