The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 241

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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 241
There is always one paradox that accompanies the act of protecting someone.
The attacker needs to succeed only once, while the defender must succeed a hundred times.
Though the NPCs at the Chinese Security Outpost had repelled countless assassins, a small fraction managed to breach the Korean Border.
Once across the border, everything accelerates.
The assassination NPC, codename “Zero,” moved with absolute silence.
‘This is my chance.’
Currently, he was a rising star in the world of assassins.
A prodigy of the assassination world, specializing in concealment and infiltration.
Though they called him a prospect, he had already ascended to the ranks of the truly skilled.
He simply lacked a bit of experience.
‘Assassinating an EX-Rank Awakened One… magnificent.’
Some desired to inherit EX-Rank power,
but he was different.
‘I have no interest in becoming a flashy combat mage.’
Assassination suited his nature.
Rather than becoming a dazzling combat mage like that, he wished to be a silent assassin.
‘It’s not about grandeur.’
To elegantly and quietly slit a throat—that was art.
To sweep away an opponent with such oppressive force was mere violence.
They were qualitatively different.
Then a red cat appeared before his eyes.
‘A cat?’
He knew instinctively.
This was no ordinary cat.
Small in size, yet its presence was overwhelming.
-Meow.
Red Cat let out a very soft cry.
A signal to be quiet.
Red Cat moved with blinding speed.
It was a movement so agile that Zero couldn’t react.
‘Wha—’
Thud!
Impact struck his skull.
Red Cat’s fluffy front paw had delivered a devastating blow to the back of Zero’s head.
‘Wha… what?’
The ceiling spun in circles.
‘Dizzy….’
Zero lost consciousness.
Red Cat seized Zero by the scruff of his neck, spun him around, and hurled him violently through the window.
Zero shot straight out the window.
Like a small meteor streaking upward into the sky.
Igniasha’s flames trembled.
The former master’s physical prowess was far more formidable than expected.
“Master, you fought well too?”
Red Cat let out a sharp “Shh!” and lowered her voice.
This was not the time to make noise.
The master had just entered the threshold of enlightenment.
Absolute silence was required.
Igniasha grew somewhat anxious.
“Aura sensing is Igniasha’s domain, but….”
Spirits were naturally sensitive to auras.
She prided herself on detecting the intruder first.
But by the time she arrived, it was already over.
She was shocked not only by the unexpected strength in physical combat, but also to be outmatched in aura sensing.
Red Cat spoke very quietly.
“This cat merely possesses an overwhelming advantage due to racial traits.”
No matter how stealthy a human tried to be.
When comparing the top one percent of stealth users, the top one percent among cats far surpassed the top one percent among humans.
For Red Cat, this was nothing remarkable.
“…Igniasha shall strive harder as well.”
The position of a companion spirit was not going to be easy.
The master was far more capable than expected.
And quite skilled in combat too.
In any case, Igniasha became more respectful toward Red Cat’s prowess.
“Igniasha is the junior after all.”
Being respectful to one’s master and senior was only natural.
Of course, if one were to be pedantic about it, Igniasha could technically be considered the senior.
After all, she had obtained the ring first.
But Igniasha decided not to think of it that way.
The master fought far too well to think otherwise.
“Showing respect to one’s senior is only proper.”
With this thought, her heart felt at ease.
Show respect, and compete fairly.
And then another thought immediately followed.
‘The newcomer must also show respect.’
‘Light’ had joined as a newcomer, so naturally she should behave with the same courtesy and propriety as I do.
Otherwise, I’ll grab her by the scruff and toss her out the window.

* * *
Choi Kang-mok was exceedingly accustomed to sensing hostility.
Slower than Red Cat or Igniasha, but I had clearly detected the presence of an intruder.
But it vanished almost immediately.
‘Thank goodness.’
I had nearly been interrupted during a moment of enlightenment.
Had that occurred, it would have transcended forgiveness—entering the realm of absolute retribution.
‘Did Mayo’s friend-or-foe identification malfunction?’
Was it due to insufficient ability?
That didn’t seem to be the case.
This was Mayo’s negligence.
‘I’ll have to scold them later.’
How could a mage be so careless?
I decided to focus on the enlightenment first, then address it afterward.
Choi Kang-mok, who had been sitting in a cross-legged position concentrating, opened his eyes.
Mayo also refrained from speaking to Choi Kang-mok.
Now was the time for silence.
[Entering Tower (South Korea) 4th Floor.]
Choi Kang-mok gently touched the ‘Sun’ adorning his finger.
And I unfurled the Red Wing.
‘Don’t let the damage spread too much.’
Even if it does spread, don’t destroy the dummies.
I didn’t lose focus.
‘And attribute conversion.’
Light attribute comprehension had increased dramatically.
Combined with the expanded attribute spectrum through high-ranking spirits.
Everything supported this very moment.
‘Fire into light.’
Is it possible? Is it possible? Is it possible?
The mage Choi Kang-mok’s ‘conviction circuit’ gradually filled with light.
‘It is possible.’
A simple attribute conversion.
Transform fire into light.
Since their natures are relatively similar, conversion is entirely feasible.
[Entering Pocket Dimension, ‘Light World’.]
Light dominates the space.
A world brimming with radiance in all directions.
It itself is one vast auxiliary apparatus.
Converting damage into pure light energy.
I leverage the advantages of a space saturated with light energy.
‘I’ve practiced transformation magic enough.’
I had just finished drilling the conversion of magical power into physical force.
I’d even earned recognition from the exacting mage Raymond for my ‘body transformation inverse field magic’….
Attribute conversion was already well within my technical repertoire.
‘Done!’
Light consumed the outer shell of flame.
The flame pattern of Red Cat’s fire slowly curled upward, weaving itself into a new form.
Mayo, who had been silent about his own mistake, finally couldn’t contain himself and burst into exclamation.
-This could very well be considered a type of form transformation magic.
I thought it was merely attribute conversion.
But it’s actually closer to form transformation!
It feels like the principles of all magic are swirling together.
‘I’ve practiced form transformation magic extensively too.’
Magic never betrays you after all.
The fruits of effort reveal themselves plainly.
-Indeed, magic is like a living creature, connecting and connecting and connecting again!
-Expanding and expanding and expanding! This is the universe! Oh, the universe, the galaxy!!!♥
[Red Cat’s flames have been converted to White Cat’s flames.]
Even the system acknowledged it.
This was an act of creation.
[Magic creation successful.]
[Recorded in the Magic Archive]
[Title obtained: ‘Creator of White Cat’s Flames Based on Red Cat’s Flames’.]
‘That’s unexpected.’
I thought someone would have already attempted this.
Isn’t it a simpler idea than I expected?
‘Does Archive recording only document the first creation?’
I’m not entirely sure.
In any case, I succeeded in creating White Cat’s flames.
Since it consumes damage as material to operate, it’s essentially possible to use it infinitely.
‘And what’s more….’
-The dummy remains intact.
-Truly a perfect flight magic 🙂
The dummy wasn’t being destroyed.
It was sustaining minor damage, but this level was within normal parameters (or so I told myself).
“The problem is the speed is too fast.”
To exaggerate slightly, I could fly almost like blinking.
Red Cat’s flames had greater destructive power, but White Cat’s flames had superior flight capability.
‘Red Cat’s flames do have damage side effects, but they’re slow regardless.’
Slow being relative to White Cat’s flames of course, but it was at least controllable.
But it’s not perfect control.
Maintaining balance is difficult.
The movement speed is far too fast.
I feel like a baby who just learned to run.
Crash! Wall.
Smack! Floor.
Boom! Collision with a dummy.
If I didn’t possess the ‘physical body honed by magic as a mage,’ I would have suffered severe injuries or even death.
-After all, magic never betrays, does it.
In any case, regarding flight magic specifically, I’ve grasped how to control the impact.
Rather than eliminating the damage itself, I simply need to deploy it with the aid of Light attribute.
‘Adapting to the speed… I think raising agility might work.’
I decided to shelve that for now.

* * *
[Exiting Tower (South Korea) 4th Floor.]
After exiting.
Choi Kang-mok decided to have a serious conversation with Mayo.
How could she simply allow an intruder to enter?
This kind of thing required a stern rebuke to set her mind straight….
-I was too focused on magical enlightenment. It was the beginning of my understanding of attribute and metamorphosis magic.
“I suppose that’s possible.”
-Are you forgiving me?
“It’s not really something that needs forgiving.”
For a mage, magic comes first.
Such minor oversights can be overlooked.
Choi Kang-mok’s rebuke passed gently, but Mayo’s heart remained uneasy.
The situation was not favorable.
To be precise, Light was far too capable.
It played a crucial role in this creation of White Wings, and was essentially an indispensable partner in the Light attribute conversion.
If this continued….
‘My position as a companion artifact…!’
Red Cat and Igniasha were certainly bothersome, but they were still tolerable.
Red Cat and Igniasha occupied the position of companion cat.
Of course, I couldn’t understand why a spirit would pursue the ‘companion cat’ position, but that wasn’t my concern.
‘What matters is that [Light] is cunningly using metamorphosis magic to pretend to be an artifact. When it’s not even an artifact.’
It is an artifact.
The ‘others’ within Mayo spoke.
A voice only heard by Mayo’s primary consciousness.
-Isn’t that not magic?
-Nonsense. That’s magic.
-It’s not a shapeshifting spell. It’s a charm spell.
Mayo had reached an epiphany.
-!!!
[Light] is casting a charm spell on its master. What a vile and filthy beast.
It’s definitely aiming for the position of companion artifact by using charm magic.
And it’s just a newcomer.
-I’ll make sure to treat it harshly.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhiwei, who had rushed to find Choi Kang-mok regarding the assassin NPC incident, was awestruck.
“Your Majesty.”
The honorific nearly escaped her lips unbidden.
“No, wait… Mage. There’s a radiance on your back…”
It was blinding.
How to describe it.
The remnants of wings?
Translucent wings woven from pure light were visible.
An imperial majesty overflowed from him.
“Pardon?”
Choi Kang-mok had only just noticed it himself.
‘The white wings don’t disappear all at once.’
The afterimage lingers quite persistently.
And this afterimage hadn’t destroyed any of the surrounding objects.
It was merely the pure resonance of light itself.
‘I’ve achieved perfect damage control.’
Everything had gone exactly as planned.
Lin Zhiwei couldn’t tear her eyes away from Choi Kang-mok.
“It’s truly beautiful.”
Lin Zhiwei couldn’t tear her eyes away from the afterimage of the white wings.
Her lips parted slightly, her breath catching half a beat late before flowing out in a delicate whisper.
Her face, illuminated by the lingering radiance, had turned as clear and luminous as the moment one first falls in love.
She looked as though she had fallen under a potent charm spell.

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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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