The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 142

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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 142
After swallowing the lucky orb Kang Pal-do had given me, this is what happened.
‘Is this a luck shield?’
An energy distinctly foreign to mana.
Yet this energy, which didn’t interfere with my mana circuits’ mana flow, had seeped somewhere into my body.
Like Kang Pal-do’s luck, it felt buried deep within me.
-You’re displaying truly excellent performance 🙂
Most importantly, Mayo was extremely satisfied.
-Of course, with my abilities alone, I could sufficiently cover Bessius’s magic.
Mayo is an all-in-one artifact capable of handling multiple domains.
But when providing simultaneous support across so many areas, concentration inevitably becomes scattered.
-That golden luck shield is functioning like a primary filter.
-While it depends on fortune, this luck does have priorities.
It has the characteristic of prioritizing evasion against fatal-class attacks.
It was awkward to use as a primary defensive technique, but it worked brilliantly as a sieve.
-My overall abilities feel elevated by several levels.
-This is…
magical
growth, you could say. 🙂
If someone else were listening, they’d question what this had to do with magic.
But the listener was Choi Kang-mok.
If it was good, I could gloss over it as magical growth easily enough.
‘Congratulations, Mayo.’
Meanwhile, Bessius let out a gasp of astonishment.
‘What the hell is that? Damn it!’
It’s clearly not magic. It’s some unknown force.
Attacks that should have been fatal are distorted by that golden shield.
They were clearly flying on a good trajectory.
Yet they bend mysteriously and bounce away.
As a result, it appeared as though Choi Kang-mok had dodged.
Choi Kang-mok gained a small insight.
“This is also a form of evasion.”
It didn’t connect, so dodging was the correct assessment.
Bessius’s magic dealt no damage to Choi Kang-mok whatsoever.
-Is that another new technique?
-How many abilities is he hiding?
-Remember when the theory that the EX-Rank Awakener was an interceptor-type tank was the mainstream consensus?
-Back in those days when people said he’d be phased out as a minor character…
-There was also that theory about him being an artifact fighter
-I was certain the lord I know was a lord?
-But then isn’t he just a minor character?
-Yeah, but he’s a minor character with legendary-tier specs lol
-What even is that shield? Is it an artifact?
Among them, one viewer even went so far as to name themselves “Raymond.”
-Raymond: That’s a Mystery. The Research Institute director awakened as a Mystery user!!
-Lmaooo Bessius, there’s a rumor that if you impersonate Raymond, you disappear without a trace. Apparently he’s a psychotic professor. If you actually impersonate him, you’ll get [message cut off]
-Hey, why’d you stop mid-sentence? That’s scary;;;>
Separate from the chat’s atmosphere, Choi Kang-mok recited the activation word.
“Blink.”
Closing the distance in an instant, Choi Kang-mok deployed (physical) magic once more.
He swung the mythic-grade staff with optimal trajectory.
Crack!
This magic was excellent in versatility since you didn’t need to worry about completely destroying the opponent.
Crack!
A direct hit to the temple.
A critical shot triggered, and Bessius died.
The ghost of Bessius let out a hollow laugh.
“Wow, you used Blink at the end?”
The intent was painfully obvious.
Now he’d claim it was a magical duel.
-Lmaooo right, he used Blink so it counts as a magical duel
-Damn, that was such a mage-like battle
-Magic teleportation → staff burst damage → magical duel, flawless
-Physical magic class is insane fr
However, Kang Pal-do, who was broadcasting the live commentary, swallowed hard.
‘If that hits me, I’m dead too.’
As someone specialized in survival, he could feel it acutely.
The damage output exceeded that of most dealers.
A world-ranked player wrapped in defensive artifacts died in just a few hits.
So he reasoned logically.
‘It must be magic….’
Surely.
It couldn’t actually be physical damage, right?
‘That’s impossible. That doesn’t make sense.’

* * *
Bessius’s revenge match ended in complete defeat.
In some ways, it was even more shocking than the first battle.
[An EX-Rank Awakener just got tied up and beaten lol]
└Not rigged? No matter what, it’s Bessius
└Why? Didn’t they say the first match was rigged too?
└Ah… right.
Obliterating the field with a single spell seemed too unrealistic to grasp.
But smashing Bessius’s head with a physical strike… felt far more tangible.
[But it wasn’t actually a physical attack, right?]
└Absolutely not
└A mage breaking defense gear with physical attacks? That makes no sense
└I’m a mage ranker and I know that’s creation magic
Something felt off.
Choi Kang-mok understood this fact well.
‘Even I have to admit it’s surprising.’
I’d planned to bind him and beat him, then intercept if that didn’t work.
I’d assumed Bessius would deploy defensive magic earnestly.
‘The damage output is far greater than I expected?’
Choi Kang-mok fell into slight contemplation.
‘Am I really a mage?’
I’d argued that swinging a staff according to Kang-mok logic also counted as magic, but the discomfort remained unavoidable.
I examined my job title once more.
‘Job title: Dil-jjik-nu.’
And the sub-class is ‘Mage.’
That’s when Choi Kang-mok flinched in surprise.
‘My main job is Dil-jjik-nu, right?’
The sub-class beneath it is Mage.
Then could I possibly obtain other sub-classes as well?
For instance, something like ‘Staff Striker’?
If such a job were to activate, I could no longer claim my magic was (physical) in nature.
‘This is causing an identity crisis.’
My thoughts grew somewhat tangled.
Tower climbing was the best way to clear my mind at times like this.
‘Now I need to catch the Carnivorous Mermaid. But will it appear as a regular carnivorous mermaid?’
The Carnivorous Mermaid was a typical 45th Floor mini-boss.
However, Choi Kang-mok’s case was anything but typical.
Currently, I was designated as an ‘Irregular’ by the Tower.
Isolated in my personal space, I might take a different route than ordinary players.
[Enter Seoul Tower Floor 45?]
Up to this point, it was the same.
But something new had emerged.
[!Update Complete!]
[!Special conditions have been satisfied!]
The Tower presented Choi Kang-mok with two choices.
───────
1. ▶@
Open-Source Worldbuilding
Expanded Universe
2. ▶@Maintain Existing Worldbuilding
───────
[If no selection is made within 10 minutes, the existing worldbuilding will be automatically applied]
‘…What is this, an open-source worldbuilding?’
───────
[Open-Source Worldbuilding]
An “open universe” where anyone can freely adopt settings and add new narratives.
The laws, geography, professions, and certain characters of the original creator’s worldbuilding can be shared, used, and reinterpreted by other “authors.”
※More trials are expected.
※Compared to the existing worldbuilding, significantly greater magical growth can be achieved!!
───────
-An interesting setup indeed. It appears the Tower has judged that its power alone cannot control the user.-By isolating space as an Irregular, and within the limits permitted by the system,
we
seem to be imposing constraints.
-Who becomes the “author” is also a point worth observing 🙂
Choi Kang-mok deliberated for a moment. Eight minutes remained.
This seemed like an outright push to choose the open-source worldbuilding.
Even mentioning “magic” in the process.
But if time ran out, the “existing worldbuilding” would be automatically selected.
“Rationally speaking, maintaining the existing worldbuilding seems like the better choice.”
Anyone could see that the open-source worldbuilding difficulty was far higher.
The Tower was deliberately trying to control me.
Avoiding it was the rational move.
“But here’s the thing.”
The problem was that at this very moment, doubts about my identity as a mage had surfaced.
This kept chaining one thought to the next, expanding my consciousness.
Six minutes remained.
“My magic destroys everything.”
Monsters. Challenges. People. Gimmicks. Even the Tower’s system itself shatters under it.
It is a power that can kill anything if I so desire.
That’s why I’ve deliberately avoided killing as much as possible.
Because the system was flowing in a ‘specific direction.’
–
[Hidden Quest ‘Just Retribution’ has been achieved.]
The system values retribution.
–
[Hidden Quest ‘Altruistic Justice, Sacrifice for the Many’ has been achieved.]
It values ‘the many.’
Through this, countless ‘quasi-awakened’ inventory-type awakened ones gained new lives.
Hints continued to be given.
Floor 30’s ‘hidden condition’ → Mine Gate.
Floor 40’s ‘hidden condition’ → Story Gate.
I provided hope to countless miners.
I granted awakening opportunities to the non-awakened.
“All of this flows as rewards for the many.”
A ‘magic’ stronghold that Seonyang had monopolized was established in Pyongyang and opened to countless mages.
It continues to develop further.
“The Labyrinth’s hidden condition is the same.”
Here, a mine emerged where one could extract unbreakable rocks.
I even acquired the technology to refine them.
I’m not entirely sure, but this too seems like it will greatly benefit humanity.
3 minutes remaining.
“I’m certain. The system flows in a direction for the many.”
Thinking this way, I could understand why the system tried to forcibly control me.
2 minutes remaining.
“But this is somewhat… contradictory.”
Creating an irregularity like an EX-Rank, then trying to control it?
This is fundamentally a ‘contradiction’ within the system itself.
“Contradiction. That’s the word that runs through my entire job and situation.”
A power that can kill everything.
That’s why I didn’t kill recklessly.
Because I felt this would someday become an important key for Dil-jjik-nu.
Dil-jjik-nu became Dil-jjik-nu through localization, but the original job name is ■■■.
In other words, it’s unknowable.
1 minute remaining.
“The choices are contradictory too.”
They tempt me to choose option 1, yet if I can’t decide, option 2 is imposed.
Choosing the easy path is rationally correct.
But sometimes, shouldn’t one deliberately take the difficult path?
“Perhaps this choice might satisfy yet another special condition.”
10 seconds remaining.
–
magical
growth tempted you. It’s perfectly fine to admit that honestly.
-After all, Mayo understands her users deeply 🙂
Choi Kang-mok made his choice at last.
‘The open worldview.’
[!Special condition satisfied!]
[The sub-class ‘Mage’ advancement is now taking place.]
At that very moment, something extraordinary began to unfold.

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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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