The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 121

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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 121
That was the reason Choi Kang-mok had reached out to Kang Pal-do once more.
Finding his contact information was simple enough with a little digging.
‘An additional proposal from an EX-Rank Awakener.’
They decided to meet and discuss it first.
Seongsu-dong, Seoul.
The sprawling lot that once bore rusted iron gates and abandoned steel frames had been completely transformed into a sleek glass building.
The ceiling soared high, and the interior stretched out like an exhibition hall.
The floor was lined with matte black tiles, and the fixtures hanging from the ceiling were so tastefully designed that calling it a workshop seemed almost an insult.
It was Emily’s workshop.
‘This is truly extraordinary. Fitting for a London-ranked mage’s building.’
Then again?
Shouldn’t he be asking for more money?
After witnessing something terrifying, Kang Pal-do had briefly become humble, but now he transformed back into a courageous man.
“But I’m pretty sure I’m the one in seven billion, you know.”
He took pride in being the sole supplier of luck.
Luck keeps getting drawn out?
No matter how he thought about it, that couldn’t be good.
“That madman, or rather, according to Professor Raymond, the more luck is drawn out, the stronger it actually becomes… or so he claims.”
The one drawing it could say such things.
A lunatic who called people test subjects and then claimed to call them people.
How could he trust the words of such a man?
“What if my luck actually disappears… or if side effects occur? What then?”
“A mage doesn’t tell magical lies.”
“Either way, I need to receive five hundred million won for the math to work out.”
Kang Pal-do’s concern about side effects was genuine.
He couldn’t trust the professor’s words.
He was convinced with very high probability that side effects would occur.
Then shouldn’t he at least receive compensation for that?
“I can even be a content creator because of that luck…”
Without it, how would he survive?
Without his survival-specialized luck, he’d have to abandon the entire concept he’d built so far.
Emily sighed beside him.
She raised her right hand and interjected.
“Hey, but.”
Kang Pal-do’s ears perked up.
A London-ranked mage using a building of this scale as a workshop.
He could almost hear her saying, ‘Just take it from me!’
“I can’t do that. I need to save on materials.”
“Huh?”
It wasn’t Kang Pal-do who countered—it was Choi Kang-mok.
Choi Kang-mok was slightly taken aback himself.
Until just moments ago, it had been Emily who was saying “spare no expense on quality materials!”
“We should economize where we can, so we have more to invest in premium materials.”
Kang Pal-do’s face flushed slightly.
The more he listened, the more it stung.
“Just saving a few months of rent here would be 500 million won! This is tyranny!”
“Why would I pay rent? It’s my building.”
“But you’re saying you don’t have 500 million to give me?”
“Material costs need to be economized. Don’t you understand Korean?”
Emily shifted her gaze to Choi Kang-mok.
“Can’t we just extract it now? I want to enhance myself quickly.”
Choi Kang-mok let out a hollow laugh.
Emily was like that, and Raymond was like that too.
I wondered if you needed that level of obsession to reach the pinnacle of any field.
‘I seem to be the only sane one around me.’
I needed to be careful.
You become what you’re around.
Loss of humanity was something to always guard against.
“I’ll pay. 500 million won.”
“…Y-yes, that works.”
Kang Pal-do felt somewhat relieved.
At least the EX-Awakened was a reasonable person he could communicate with.
“Owen.
Please handle the
extraction.”

* * *
In truth, Owen harbored similar doubts beneath the surface.
‘I don’t quite understand why he’d take the long way around when an easier path exists.’
If he gave 500 million won now?
Next would be 1 billion, then 10 billion after that.
Human greed only swells the more you feed it.
‘If that’s the case, I should have bound him from the start and been done with it.’
This man sitting right before me.
The same one who’d boasted about leaking the Research Institute director’s face through hidden camera footage.
Everyone in the world knows what an EX-Awakened is.
When you kill an EX-Awakened, the EX-Awakening transfers to the killer.
The moment his identity becomes public, assassination attempts follow like dominoes.
It’s indirect murder.
“If I may offer one piece of advice, a mage must be resolute, Director.”
Mages are fragile.
Fundamentally, they collapse at the slightest touch.
That’s why you must make it so they can’t even attempt to challenge you.
“Well, of course.”
A glance.
I looked at Mayo floating lazily behind Choi Kang-mok.
“The Director seems like he could afford to relax a bit. Anyway, I’ll begin the anesthesia first.”
Crack!
“There. Anesthetized.”
“Was there a particular reason you chose physical anesthesia again?”
“Because it’s survival-specialized luck. The closer to death, the better the draw.”
A rather serious smile played at the corners of my mouth.
Probing the organs while the mind remains lucid does yield better results.
Though if he actually died in the process, that would be problematic, so I administered anesthesia out of basic decency.
That’s what conscience is.
“A proper mage should possess at least this much conscience. Then I’ll begin the extraction.”
A yellow sphere formed at my fingertips.
Luck harvesting, successful.
Emily swallowed it eagerly, then pointed at the workbench with her finger.
It was a stainless steel workbench. Its silver metallic surface was densely covered with mysterious patterns.
Characters, magic circles, or something in between—countless inscriptions were etched across it. It looked like touching anywhere randomly might trigger some bizarre effect.
Choi Kang-mok cautiously pressed one spot, but nothing happened.
“Go on. Lie down here.”
I began the skill enhancement ritual.
The materials were already prepared, and all that remained was a gamble with life itself.
“I have a feeling. I’m definitely going to survive.”
Emily’s eyes were alive with intensity.
Anyone could see the gaze of someone standing before a gambling table.
The look of ‘I’m definitely winning this time.’
“Think carefully. Your life….”
“I’ll use it anyway soon enough, whether you approve or not.”
Emily ran her tongue across her lips with a swift motion.
I would enhance the ‘Tower Entry’ skill.
Just thinking about it made my heart race.
But then, I tilted my head suddenly.
‘…Will simple enhancement be enough to break through?’
If not, I’d have to overcome the Tower’s rejection.
My mind spun with possibilities.
“Wait. Let’s hold off on the enhancement for now.”
The fortune I’d swallowed might disappear, but that didn’t matter.
I could always draw again.
“Why?”
“Rather than simply enhancing Tower Entry, what if we disrupted the Tower itself?”
Tower Entry is a spear. The Tower’s rejection is a shield.
Until now, I’d been thinking of Tower Entry as sharpening the spear’s blade.
But did I really need to pierce a sturdy shield head-on?
“A slight deception approach.”
That meant the auxiliary materials would change too.
Dozens of disruption-type scrolls lined up in my mind.
What combination would be optimal?
What would synergize well with a skill of Tower Entry’s caliber?
“But finding something that matches Tower Entry’s tier might be difficult. It’ll take some time—is that okay?”
As Emily asked cautiously, Choi Kang-mok, who had been lying on the workbench, slowly sat up.
“Oh, that.”
I had already practiced ‘Small World Scroll Conversion’ countless times.
I crafted a false disruption scroll on the spot.
Flawless, completed in a single attempt.
Emily’s mouth fell open.
“…Wow, this actually works.”
Even with extensive practice, to do that in one try?
Even Awakeners who specialized solely in scroll crafting couldn’t manage that.
And the energy was different.
This was clearly a scroll imbued with top-tier ability.
“Oh, this is easy. Compared to containing Energy Bolts, anyway.”
“…I see.”
I couldn’t even contain a single Energy Bolt.
I could barely manage to separate a single fragment and forcibly insert it.
Even then, risking my life.
Creating a scroll safely in a peaceful environment like this?
This is truly easy.
“Wow, it’s easy. Wow. Really easy. Ahahaha.”
Emily was certain.
‘Somehow, I’m the only sane one here.’

* * *
To cut to the chase, Emily’s enhancement was a resounding success.
I survived. And I was enhanced.
──────
[Tower Entry +1]
Corresponding Region
You enter the Tower in the corresponding national region.
General items cannot be brought in.
After returning
30 seconds
to 1 minute of invincibility is maintained.
Current Region: Seoul, South Korea
Accessible Floors: 41st Floor and below
Cooldown: 24 hours
───────
The original ‘Tower Entry’ description seemed to fade, then disappeared entirely.
──────
[Tower Entry +1]
You enter the Tower in the corresponding national region.
After returning, 1 minute of invincibility is maintained.
Current Region: South Korea
Accessible Floors: 41st Floor and below
Cooldown: 24 hours
───────
The scope had narrowed, the conditions were cleaner, and the invincibility duration had increased.
In summary, a massive upgrade.
Returning to the An House, Choi Kang-mok took a quiet breath.
‘I’ve done everything I can.’
If this doesn’t work, I’ll need to consider Plan C.
I should think through the approach with Kang Hye, an explorer with experience in Tower infiltration.
First, I attempted to re-enter the 41st Floor.
[Skill ‘Tower Entry +1’ is activated.]
[Entering Tower (Seoul) 41st Floor.]
Space warps around me.
That familiar vertigo crashes over me before entry.
And then a welcome notification chimes.
[You have entered Tower (Seoul) 41st Floor.]
The problem came next.
‘This isn’t the Water Layer?’
Something was wrong. No water. No currents.
A pitch-black void—neither substance nor form.
Only darkness stretched endlessly.
[Challenge: ■■■]
-You’ve destroyed the challenge. Quite the user-like strategy. 🙂
“….”
The Dragon Palace hasn’t been restored.
-Now I can understand the Tower’s update direction somewhat.
-It seems the Tower
doesn’t want us
to get hurt too badly.
This wasn’t my first time destroying a Tower floor.
But this time felt different.
Other Awakeners enter the 41st Floor normally.
In other words, only ‘my 41st Floor’ was destroyed.
-It appears the Tower classifies you as an Irregular and operates an isolated Tower space exclusively for you.
-A rather wise choice to minimize damage.
-But why are you so flustered? Haven’t you had a similar experience before?
The Special Stage of the Golden Labyrinth was cited as an example.
-I thought you were interested in destroying challenges.
–
We
were mistaken. I’m rather pleased that there are still so many areas left to record. 🙂

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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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