The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 175

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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 175
As Choi Kang-mok reveled in the spectacular performance that merged scientific civilization with magic to manifest the Taegeuk symbol, another magnificent event unfolded.
“Professor Raymond?”
“I’m currently visible only to my disciple’s eyes.”
“…Ah!”
Choi Kang-mok gasped in admiration.
Perfect concealment visible only to a specific individual.
Scientific instruments, cameras, even Lin Zhiwei standing right beside me—none of them detected it.
‘It’s not just the concealment that’s impressive.’
NPCs face significant movement restrictions.
There are ability limitations as well.
He had come here by completely disregarding all such systemic constraints.
He had nullified the system’s interference.
He had traveled from Seonyang to here through ‘unknown means’.
It appeared he had used magic touching upon the concept of spatial liberation.
And on top of that, this concealment.
All of this is magic.
Truly the craftsmanship of a master of magic.
“What brings you here?”
“I heard the Arcsia Empire was mining discrimination magic, so I came to see for myself.”
Professor Raymond was quite knowledgeable about the Arcsia Empire.
Particularly, he took great interest in the Cradle of the Crimson Cat.
“I would have liked to bring my assistants and investigate it myself, but….”
“You couldn’t?”
“Indeed, you see… that place is a lower dimension.”
Professor Raymond’s dimension was far superior to the Arcsia Empire,
what one might call a higher dimension and a mighty dimension.
Thus, a professor-level figure directly interfering in a lower dimension creates various problems.
-In other words, it’s similar to how a powerful nation cannot arbitrarily conduct military intervention in a third country.
-Except this occurs not on a continental scale, but on a dimensional scale.
-Even mighty dimensions have their own codes of conduct and dignity, after all.
“Ah. So it’s like when an adult covets children’s things and draws criticism?”
“Yes, precisely so.”
Reaching for what isn’t yours, even touching children’s possessions.
A perfect recipe for ridicule.
“Even claiming pure research purposes, they rarely believe it. One receives considerable backlash.”
“If I know Professor Raymond correctly….”
Wouldn’t mere criticism be something to simply ignore?
“Controversy reduces research funding.”
“…I see.”
I understood immediately.
In any case, Raymond had a keen interest in the Cradle of the Crimson Cat.
Though I couldn’t know the details precisely, having studied only from limited external sources, he did share some information.
“You must never completely destroy the indestructible rock.”
“Pardon?”
This was somewhat disappointing.
I had intended to obliterate the Cradle of the Crimson Cat itself entirely through spatial liberation.
-Ah, I harbored the same thought.
-I interpreted it as the rock inside would shatter if we destroyed the Gate.
-It seems life doesn’t unfold like an answer key. Hmm.
Choi Kang-mok grinned widely.
“Then this time, I’ll need to master the art of controlling my strength.”
Power control on top of the discernment grimoire?
This is
completely according to
plan.

* * *
Inside the former Chinese Guild Headquarters located near the Beijing Tower.
Since Lin Zhiwei’s successful coup, this building has been off-limits to the public.
A space connecting to the Arcsia Empire remains here.
More precisely, its traces.
“Ah….”
Basement Level 12.
A vast underground plaza where not a single ray of sunlight penetrated.
The remnants of colossal magic permeated the air.
“This is the trace of a dimensional junction point.”
A concentration of mana I hadn’t sensed in Iraq.
Here, it was unmistakably visible.
Faint yet distinct magical scars.
Raymond, who had followed me here, opened his mouth without concealing his fascination.
“Yes. Dimensional junctions are generally considered a natural phenomenon, but in higher dimensions, we sometimes recreate this through magic. The implementation method is… ■■■… that’s still beyond me for now. At this stage, it’s most appropriate to accept it as a naturally occurring magical phenomenon.”
He had already prostrated himself on the ground,
crawling as he traced the grain of the junction point with his fingertips.
This is what’s wonderful about researching in a lower dimension.
“Absolutely fascinating. In higher dimensions, such primitive traces are rarely found.”
Like an adult rediscovering an old toy.
Raymond’s expression radiated an unmistakable vitality.
My expression mirrored his.
Why hide anything before one’s master?
Choi Kang-mok also lay prone on the floor, running his fingers across its surface.
He didn’t understand it as well as Raymond did, but he could sense the junction where something had been attached and then removed.
“It appears to have been deliberately detached.”
“Can it be reattached?”
“Of course.”
Being an NPC came with considerable restrictions.
My recent active involvement on Earth had only intensified those constraints.
“One arm might fly off in the process, though.”
“Is that acceptable?”
“Both of them are prosthetics anyway.”
“Pardon?”
Prosthetics?
I’d always thought they were real arms.
“Haha! Quite convincing, isn’t it? A fusion of magical civilization and sorcery.”
“….”
Choi Kang-mok marveled greatly.
Wasn’t this far more sophisticated than the fusion of scientific civilization and magic?
Conversations with Raymond were always such a joy.
“Let me reattach it.”
“Yes, I would appreciate that.”
“In exchange, though….”
Raymond hesitated slightly.
“What is it?”
“If you wouldn’t mind….”
“Yes, please speak freely.”
“Could you provide some research funding?”
Choi Kang-mok laughed.
“Of course.”
How could I refuse research funding for a mentor who constantly granted me magical enlightenment?
“I was actually planning to conquer the Arcsia Empire.”
“Oh!”
A higher dimension striking a lower one was somewhat problematic.
But lower dimensions clashing with each other—that was a different matter entirely.
“An excellent idea! I’ve been curious when my disciple would make their dimensional debut! Let me reattach this dimensional junction!”
Raymond was indeed a capable professor.
True to his word, his arm had been severed, yet he seemed utterly unbothered.
He casually kicked away the pixelated arm that had vanished with a dismissive flick of his foot.
Choi Kang-mok didn’t miss the opportunity.
A sensation only a mage could perceive.
A strange feeling as dimensions connected with one another.
“Just to be clear. That sensation you’re feeling right now is not something you can perceive [because you’re a mage]!”
Raymond hoped his disciple would distinguish between magic and non-magic clearly.
That would become the foundation for even greater growth.
“Haven’t you conducted [combat training] striking inside the Tower from outside the Tower, inside the Labyrinth from outside the Labyrinth?”
“…Yes.”
It wasn’t combat training, exactly.
It was magic training.
“Because you have experience with spatial liberation that transcends dimensions, you can fully perceive this sensation now.”
“I thought I could feel this because I’m a mage.”
“No.”
Choi Kang-mok hesitated slightly.
Should I cut his research funding?

* * *
Setting aside the minor issue with Raymond.
Choi Kang-mok deployed Meteor Bloom in the space beyond dimensions.
Meteor Bloom, a high-tier spirit. Maximum output—no need to adjust damage.
‘I don’t know where the Cradle of the Crimson Cat is.’
So what I need now isn’t precision strikes, but wide-area explosion.
[Skill ‘Energy Floor Plate (Creation)’ is activated.]
[The effects of Meteor Bloom are applied.]
[The rank of Energy Floor Plate increases.]
[Creation ▶▶▶ Creation+]
Wherever it lands is fine.
I’ll strike anywhere.
It wasn’t Choi Kang-mok’s intention, but a declaration of war had been made nonetheless.
-Dimensional warfare is unavoidable.
-The great and mighty mage who will never tolerate foolish challenges
must make it abundantly clear that such a being exists,
so that magical research won’t be hindered.
I unleashed magic with full intent.
They probably had barriers layered upon barriers, but it didn’t matter.
I would attack beyond dimensions anyway, unbound by spatial constraints.
‘Hm?’
Amid the torrent of magical power I was unleashing.
A faint point became perceptible.
‘This is….’
As an interception mage, I sensed it instinctively.
A single point felt through countless interception practices.
A point perceived through countless structural analyses and calculations.
The focal point of the barrier became visible.
‘Striking the Empire through spatial liberation is good and all.’
But before that,
‘What if I could dispel the barrier first?’
That would transcend mere combat and enter the realm of dispelling magic.
Not just cursing, but dispelling barriers as well?
I would ascend as a curse-breaker and barrier-dispeller both.
Even if I dispel a barrier woven by mages from higher dimensions—civilizations far more magically advanced than Earth—surely Professor Raymond would acknowledge me as a true dispelling mage.
‘I’ll change my target.’
Instead of somewhere in the Empire.
I resolved to destroy the layered barriers blocking the dimensional rift first.
‘Pocket Dimension destruction. The principle mirrors magical dispel.’
Analyze the structure.
Destroy the fundamental circuits.
Now it had become a single ‘point’.
Concentrating my mind, the imaginary point loomed vast before me.
A center blazing like the sun.
Toward it, the spirit servants extended their reach.
‘Certainly, this is advanced civilization magic.’
The knight in burning armor warped and melted away.
The wind-aspected woman with the harp scattered into nothing.
The water-aspected boy and the stone golem—all vanished.
I had destroyed dozens of layers of barriers, but failed to strike the ‘point’ itself.
Yet the high-tier spirit servant did not stop there.
‘Finally…!’
This was,
‘A proper punching bag!’
Before, I’d hesitate to strike for fear of tearing it apart.
Now, at last, I could unleash my true magic.
‘Allow me to show you, Professor.’
Raymond had deeply regretted it during the Dragon Palace destruction.
Not witnessing the essence of light and darkness attributes.
The light-aspected archer fired arrows skyward.
Dozens of brilliant flashes.
The darkness-aspected reaper seized the opening and swung a colossal scythe toward the ‘point’.
Slice—
Something severed with a distinct sensation.
‘It worked.’
Pocket Dimension destruction. Magical dispel.
And now, barrier dispelling as well.
All things return to their source, as the saying goes.
Everything is connected as one.
The expansion of magic derived from a single principle.
It was undeniable magical growth.
“I dispelled the barrier.”
And Peltin, the highest-ranking mage of the Arcsia Empire.
The one called the Great Sage was instantly annihilated.
He had been the core figure and commander orchestrating the dimensional invasion of Earth.
By becoming the focal point of the barrier itself, he had manifested Arcsia’s strongest barrier in existence.
The Arcsia Mages fell into chaos.
‘How is this possible?’
The magical principle behind it could not be determined.
This was a precision strike impossible even for higher dimensions.
Overload? Mana runaway? The cause was difficult to identify.
He was utterly obliterated, leaving barely a trace behind.
The cause remains unknown. Only the result is clear.
Public opinion in Arcsia began to boil over.
[A combat monstrosity of scientific civilization that murdered the Great Sage approaches.]

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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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