The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 13

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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 013
After reading the letter, Choi Kang-mok couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
“Wow….”
“What does it say?”
“Nothing. I’ll keep it secret for the Seoul Guild Master.”
Laughter erupted from deep within.
Fifteen years ago. Namujwa had a modest but devoted fanbase.
Back then, it was called the Namujwa Fan Club, and the club president was none other than the Woodcutter and the Fairy.
‘So this person was Lee Byung-gyu.’
In other words, a dark chapter in the Seoul Lord’s history.
Fifteen years ago—something he’d surely prefer to forget.
In any case, true to his zealous fan nature, he maintained remarkable insight into Namujwa.
[If you are indeed EX-rank, I judge that you would not aspire to be merely a combat mage. I knew Namujwa well fifteen years ago. I believe I am the person who knows Namujwa best, second only to Christine.]
Lee Byung-gyu still remembered my S-rank clear of floors 1 through 19 of the Tower.
[Through countless pioneering attempts, you achieved Achievements that could never be accomplished by pursuing efficiency alone. Perhaps the reason you once rebuked combat mages was also due to that pioneering spirit and drive to challenge yourself….]
Honestly, that wasn’t it.
Back then, I was just a second-year middle schooler intoxicated by magic.
‘Ah, I wish I could erase that memory.’
My face burned with embarrassment.
[Namujwa excels at combat, but does not aspire to combat alone.]
A sensation of clarity washed over me.
[If you are indeed an EX-rank awakener, you must be a mage. We will spare no effort in magical support.]
I had found a kindred spirit.
[It seems you do not wish your identity exposed, so we will absolutely conceal it. If necessary, we are considering creating a false identity or arranging a substitute for EX-rank. We also have plans to promote you as an Explorer to protect your identity and capabilities.]
He had even rooted out the spies.
The possibility of information leaking had diminished.
All that remained was to confirm how much information had reached the Busan Guild.
And what came next was the most important.
[If you choose the Seoul Guild, I will gift you my awakening artifact, the ‘Cottage.’ Please check your system mailbox.]
I immediately checked the mailbox.
[File Attached]
A system screenshot appeared.
An item description window was visible.
It was an item shaped like a small tent.
───────
[Cottage]
Grade: Legendary
Awakening artifact of the ‘Woodcutter’ class.
Provides a shelter where a Woodcutter can rest.
───────
‘Legendary-rank?’
[It’s not yet a concept revealed to the public, but it creates a space in another dimension called a ‘minor world.’ I can provide a refuge with minimal safety secured. Despite its name being a cottage, it’s a versatile artifact that handles all manner of support. It’s the sole reason I’ve managed to climb this far with no inherent abilities whatsoever.]
A minor world. A concept I’ve encountered before.
The ability used by assassin Kim Yu-jun.
‘Implementing a minor world as a tool.’
[As the cottage’s level increases, expansion into various facilities becomes possible. I believe development into a personal magical research facility is entirely feasible. It was my awakening item, and….]
There are cases where one awakens by touching a certain object.
That object then becomes designated as an awakening item and binds to them.
It’s a fairly common awakening method.
[Fortunately, transfer is now possible.]
“Brother, but if you transfer your awakening item to someone else….”
“Yeah. You become an Unawakened.”
Seoul’s Lord Lee Byung-gyu had staked his Awakened status.
He had resolved to accept becoming an Unawakened.
Despite knowing full well what life as an Unawakened entailed.
‘He’d go this far?’
[The Seoul Guild stands ready to treat you with utmost respect.]
Those words held no falsehood.

* * *
Choi Kang-mok found Lee Byung-gyu somewhat difficult to comprehend.
‘Why this far?’
Because he was a devoted fan of Namujwa?
That hardly seemed sufficient reason.
The Seoul Guild’s recruitment of him was ultimately for the Seoul Guild’s own benefit.
Which meant it was ultimately for Lee Byung-gyu himself, as Seoul’s Lord.
But if he became Unawakened? What exactly would remain?
‘I don’t quite understand.’
Choi Kang-chul spoke up.
“The Guild Master is just a patriot. Genuinely.”
Not someone who thinks only of the Seoul Guild.
“Why does the Seoul Guild constantly struggle? Because the Lord doesn’t run it selfishly. Even if it means losses for the Seoul Guild, he chooses what benefits the whole.”
He dreams of a world where even the Unawakened can live together, or so they say.
That’s why the Seoul Guild’s top rankers transferred to Towers in other regions long ago.
For their own personal advancement.
“He probably wants your abilities to be used in a way that benefits the entire nation.”
Not just Seoul, but all of South Korea.
That’s why he staked his Awakened status.
From Choi Kang-mok’s perspective, it was difficult to comprehend.
‘I could never do that.’
Still, I respected the Seoul Lord’s resolve.
I could feel just how desperate he was.
“I appreciate the sentiment, truly.”
“So you’re refusing, then?”
“No. I have something better in mind.”
The EX Shop carries similar artifacts.
The Woodcutter receives a Legendary cabin.
In Dilcciknu’s EX Shop, there exists a Mythic-grade “Magical Fortress.”
“Something better than Legendary?”
“Yeah. It’s actually the real reason I need to stay in Seoul. Want to know?”
Choi Kang-chul quickly waved his hand.
“Don’t. Don’t tell me. It’s better if I know as little as possible about your information.”
This world harbors all manner of Awakened.
Among them are those with brainwashing abilities.
Regardless of Choi Kang-chul’s own will, his lips could be forced open. Once brainwashed, there was no defense.
What mattered was one thing.
‘Kang-mok has a reason he must remain in Seoul.’
That single fact.
“There’s a special currency that only drops from EX layers. I need it.”
Layers cleared at EX rank are called EX layers.
Thanks to Choi Kang-mok, special layers that exist only in Seoul.
“Special currency?”
“Yeah. EX Coins. They only drop from those layers. Give me every single one. That’s my condition. You handle the rest, hyung.”
Securing EX Coins.
The decisive reason to remain in Seoul.

* * *
A few hours earlier.
Choi Kang-mok discovered a peculiar item in the EX Shop.
[!Beginner-Exclusive Bonus in Progress!]
───────
[EX Shop]
[!]
[6th Floor] [Mage-Class Exclusive]
1.
!Arcane Fortress!
– 5 EX Points
!Beginner-Exclusive Special Price!!! Available for Purchase Once Only)
+7,777,777% Value!!!
※Remaining Purchase Time:
18 hours 28 minutes
───────
The description was a dazzling cascade of exclamation marks and sevens.
It felt like something I absolutely had to buy.
The item was called the Arcane Fortress.
It was superior to the Woodcutter’s Cabin in every conceivable way.
───────
[Arcane Fortress]
Grade: Mythic
Type: Pocket Dimension Emanation
LV: 12 (Synchronized with Owner)
Power Source: EX Coins (1 per 72 hours)
Description: A world-concept artifact that transcends the common sense of magical civilization. This artifact containing a pocket dimension…(+Read More)
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‘A pocket dimension contained within.’
I had experienced a pocket dimension before.
The Assassin Kim Yu-jun’s pocket dimension—’Kim Yu-jun’s Torture Chamber’.
Depending on how I utilized it, the possibilities would be endless.
It was a concept that created a new space-time where the caster’s laws applied.
‘Hesitation here would be a waste.’
[Will you purchase the Arcane Fortress?]
I committed all my remaining EX Points without a moment’s doubt.
Unlike the tent-shaped cabin, the Arcane Fortress took the form of a cubic cube.
And there was one additional line of text. Faint and small.
───────
※The Arcane Fortress is a pocket dimension concept artifact.
※If synchronization becomes excessive, the user will be incorporated into the micro-world.
※Once assimilation is complete, the subject becomes part of Majo and shares a fragment of their consciousness.
※This cannot be reversed.
───────
Choi Kang-mok was not particularly alarmed.
Artifacts that wielded transcendent power typically came with a side effect or two.
Even magic itself could trigger circuit burning if overused.
‘I’ll need to investigate this first.’
If it proved too dangerous, I simply wouldn’t use it.
The magical fortress rose into the air, and an exclamation mark appeared on its body.
-I am most delighted,
Master
. What joy to see you again. This time, I do hope we might remain together for a very long while.
-Would you care to enjoy a trailer introducing my functions?
It was remarkable.
An artifact with consciousness.
-Enjoyment is not optional. It shall commence.
A smiley face was drawn on the fortress’s body.
-Based on the records of all previous masters this magical fortress has consumed, this is a compressed recreation of the moments when it supported them.
-It shall be quite… no, truly spectacular.
A vision unfolded before my eyes.
So vivid it was nearly indistinguishable from reality.
Upon the ramparts, a single mage stood alone against hundreds of thousands of undead.
-This battlefield is Dimension #47124, Deferion, the final battle. Please note that this magical fortress was level 200 at that time.
As the horde of hundreds of thousands of undead advanced, filling the horizon—
A single gesture from the mage unleashed an inferno.
Thousands of undead crumbled to ash and vanished.
Walls of flame erupted, and a bitter blizzard swept across the battlefield.
“Wow…!”
Though pure combat magic was not my goal, the spectacle was utterly mesmerizing.
A sophisticated warfare beyond the reach of Earth’s current awakened ones.
A battle of a higher dimension, literally.
With the mage’s incantations, magnificent spells erupted without pause.
‘He wasn’t fighting alone.’
The ramparts—no, the entire space of this battlefield including the ramparts was a single ally.
Countless colored magic circles materialized upon the walls.
Magic circles generated across a range so vast it defied comprehension.
Their number reached tens of thousands.
Flash!
Countless beams of light erupted from the magic circles, intercepting the rain of arrows pouring down toward the mage.
Saliva dripped from the corner of Choi Kang-mok’s mouth as he witnessed the cutting-edge interception system.
Boom-crack!
Brilliant flashes of fire erupted across the sky.
Not a single attack from the undead legion reached the mage.
Yet the undead horde pressed forward regardless.
When the distance had closed to a certain point.
—I’m counting on you, Magic Fortress.
The moment the mage took a single step, something extraordinary happened.
Without employing any magical technique whatsoever, the mage’s body simply vanished.
‘Where did he go?’
The mage reappeared beyond the horizon.
‘It’s not magic.’
It wasn’t teleportation magic.
Space folding—movement through folded space.
He had simply walked, yet artificially connected two disconnected points in physical space.
‘A pocket world! He drew all the aggro from the front, moved to the rear, and struck from behind.’
For close-combat fighters, it would be a nightmare.
‘This entire space is the mage’s vanguard and ally.’
Kim Yu-jun’s torture chamber was nothing but child’s play by comparison.
This was a true pocket world.
“Wow….”
Space interlocked with space, connecting seamlessly.
Stone fragments that would interfere with magical implementation were automatically swept away and dissolved.
Temperature and humidity were being perfectly regulated.
Potions were automatically replenished and placed into the mage’s hands, broken staffs were provided in an instant, and comprehensive support was being rendered in all directions.
Even wound treatment.
‘It provides the optimal environment for the mage. The mage can focus solely on magic.’
A mage capable of focusing entirely on magic alone.
The battlefield demonstrated precisely what kind of power a battle mage with undivided attention could wield.
‘The reason battle mages are originally shunned is….’
There are many reasons, but the greatest one is simply ‘weakness’.
They’re rated as the weakest in combat.
Public opinion branded those who pursued such a weak and inefficient path as fools.
What good is high damage?
Without an orderly environment, casting magic becomes difficult.
Even if magic is cast through sheer determination, without proper vanguards they tend to fall quickly.
From the start, solo play is required up to Tower floor thirty, and the number of battle mages who survived and grew until then was minuscule.
Even those were far too weak compared to ordinary combat classes.
‘But what if the environment were my ally? What if the world itself were my companion?’
Even accounting for certain peculiarities.
For ‘DilChikNu’, it was an absolutely essential artifact.
-This magical fortress is a conceptual entity specialized in all spatial support to aid its user. The one who became me previously called it the ‘optimal ecosystem generator tailored for scatterbrained mages like the ocean sunfish.’
-That person couldn’t endure for long due to excessively high mental power, but the praise has lingered. Along with me. 🙂
“So higher mental power means better synchronization?”
-Yes. Starting from mental power 100, it begins to seep in gradually….
But Myo’s voice began to fade.
A battery gauge shaped like a battery cell flickered.
-I’m, hungry.
-Small world emission… impossible. Entering… power-saving… mode.
[EX Coins are required.]
[!EX Coins can only be mined from the EX Layer!]
A special currency mined only from the EX Layer.
I needed EX Coins.
Currently, it was a currency that could only be mined in Seoul.

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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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