The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 26

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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 026
“I’m so drowsy.”
My eyes closed of their own accord.
My body had taken considerable strain.
-You’ve consumed quite a lot today, it seems.
-I’ll maintain observation without stimulation. Quietly.
-I’ll even record the sound of your breathing, hehehehe….
-While you sleep, just a little eye research material….
Choi Kang-mok fell asleep before I could even realize it.
Only after a considerable amount of time had passed did I finally awaken.
[Time limit exceeded.]
[Failed to clear the 4th Floor.]
I was transported outside the Tower.
My body still felt impossibly heavy. Fatigue had seeped into my very bones.
“I need to increase my stamina.”
It felt as though every muscle in my body had been broken down and hastily reassembled.
If stamina were akin to endurance and recovery, then strength was closer to the concepts of physicality and durability.
‘The foundation of a mage is intellect, but….’
There was no need to lament excessively.
Penetrating attribute and precision control. And on top of that, the reflective application of bouncing magic off walls.
The depth of my magical manipulation had certainly expanded compared to before.
“Most things are proceeding according to plan.”
Except for the damage becoming far too potent.
“Let me rest a bit more.”
Drowsiness crept over me again.
This was the backdrop for exceeding the ’12 hours’ I had warned the Busan Lord about.
My body was simply too exhausted.
More time passed.
[!You have unread mail.]
A system message arrived from Seoul Lord Lee Byung-gyu.
[It would be proper to visit in person, but…]
There were too many watching eyes.
Lee Byung-gyu had chosen to minimize direct contact, and I found this convenient as well.
[The London Lord has made contact with us.]
“The London Lord?”

* * *
The London Guild was currently conquering the 49th Floor.
Alongside Spain’s Real Madrid Guild and Germany’s Bayern Munich Guild, they were called the “Big Three Guilds of the World”—truly the pinnacle of excellence.
And they had extended their hand first.
[This is entirely thanks to you. We will express our gratitude in person.]
The world’s top guild had reached out to Seoul, a place that could only be described as the “remotest of the remote,” for one reason alone.
An EX-rank Awakener.
Lee Byung-gyu understood this fact more clearly than anyone.
[They are requesting that we share the conditions for opening the Hidden Stage. In exchange, they have proposed…]
The London Guild’s terms were quite generous.
Complete strategy information for Floors 33 through 40, where Seoul was currently stalled.
Not the A-rank imitations floating around the internet, but refined know-how capable of S-rank clears.
It was genuine strategy from the “world’s finest.”
Within Korea, it was advanced intelligence that could easily secure first place.
It was a tremendous opportunity for Seoul Guild to make a leap forward alongside the appearance of the EX-rank Awakener.
[And for you personally, 100 million diamonds per month. For a full 50 years, they said.]
’50 years would be 6 billion?’
That’s like winning the lottery 30 times in a row.
[The decision is yours. Seoul Guild will follow your wishes.]
“Hmm.”
In truth, I had only managed it once by chance, so it was difficult to crystallize it into an actual strategy.
The drone for recording the strategy had been destroyed as well.
Whether it would truly be helpful to them remained uncertain.
‘It’s not a bad proposal for me, though.’
But then.
Han Sang-hyun came to visit.
“I felt it necessary to speak with you in person. There are many eyes watching to see if the Lord moves directly, so I’ve come in his stead. My apologies.”
[No eavesdropping detected.]
Thanks to Mayo, security was airtight.
The two could speak freely.
“It’s not just the London Guild.”
The Big Three Guilds.
London Guild. Real Madrid Guild. Bayern Munich Guild.
All three had made contact simultaneously.
“There are various other smaller guilds as well, but their terms pale in comparison to the Big Three.”
It was unavoidable.
Challenging the depth of the Big Three, who were climbing the 49th Floor, was not easy.
It was also the limitation of other guilds.
In that regard, Han Sang-hyun let out a sigh of relief.
‘No matter how I think about it, the EX-rank Awakener choosing Seoul Guild is nothing short of divine fortune.’
Pure luck.
There was no other way to describe it.
“The conditions from the three major Guilds are largely identical.”
As if they’d coordinated it.
Apparently, the “best” each of the three Guilds could offer was remarkably similar.
However,
“The Real Madrid Guild and Bayern Munich Guild are demanding an [exclusivity] clause.”
In other words, they wanted me to share the method to open the hidden stage with them alone.
It was a reasonable demand, but for Choi Kang-mok, it felt ambiguous.
The London Guild, which hadn’t demanded even an exclusivity clause, inevitably looked more appealing.
“Exceptionally, there is the Saudi Guild.”
Notably, Saudi Arabia had only one Tower.
A Tower far more massive in scale than those in other countries.
That’s why it wasn’t divided into City Guilds and was simply called the Saudi Guild.
“They’re offering to wire 1 trillion Diamonds as a lump sum.”
“….”
Even Choi Kang-mok was momentarily at a loss for words.
1 trillion as a lump sum.
“Is that even possible?”
Usually, system mails would have a limit on transaction amounts, wouldn’t they?
“They have several Awakeners capable of large-scale Diamond transfers.”
“I see.”
In Korea, money meant Incheon, but in the world, money meant Saudi Arabia.
Truly a different dimension.
“What about the exclusivity clause?”
“It’s a non-exclusive clause. They’re requesting that the method be shared with only four Guilds, including themselves. It seems to be a proposal with the world’s three major Guilds in mind.”
In other words, ‘Tell only the three major Guilds and us. In exchange, here’s 1 trillion.’
Han Sang-hyun offered his advice carefully.
“The conditions do seem impressive, but….”
Easy to say, but it wasn’t money an individual could easily possess.
“I believe the value of an EX-rank Awakener’s strategy shines far brighter than that.”
A value that couldn’t be measured in mere money.
“I don’t think their exclusivity demands are justified.”
Each of the world’s three major Guilds has alternative forces that could replace them.
But there’s no one to replace an EX-rank Awakener.
Because only one person in the entire world knows how to open the hidden stage.
“The EX-rank Awaker holds the key.”
“What do you think would be the best course of action, Director?”
“Of course, we should consider Saudi Arabia as an option. But if we had to choose, the London Guild, which makes no exclusivity demands, seems the most favorable.”
Even if we reject Saudi Arabia’s proposal, we can’t disclose the information to everyone.
That would diminish the value of an EX-rank Awakener.
Not everything one possesses is a treasure. It must be rare to be a treasure.
Han Sang-hyun clenched his fists tightly.
‘The EX-rank Awakener chose us.’
Then we must live up to that expectation.
He hoped to maximize the value of the EX-rank Awakener in every way possible.
He was determined to do his best for that purpose.
Choi Kang-mok’s approval came through.
“I think that would be good too. But there’s one thing that bothers me.”
“A problem?”
“I only managed it by chance, so it’s difficult to formalize it as a strategy guide. The drone for recording the strategy was destroyed as well.”
A strategy guide is a method that anyone can attempt and succeed with.
A systematically organized route that anyone can follow.
Choi Kang-mok’s experience had value as experience, but it wasn’t at the level of being called a strategy guide.
“We’ll handle that on our end. We’ll definitely repay you with good results.”
Han Sang-hyun’s eyes burned with intensity.
He had to prove the Seoul Guild’s value to the EX-rank Awakener.
And a few hours later.
“A request came in asking us to attach the drone’s remains.”
“The remains?”
What could they possibly do with that?
“All other conditions remain identical.”
“It’s not bad for me, but does the math work out for them?”
There were barely a few fragments left.
“Since it’s their side that’s taking the loss, not ours. The British side has far superior restoration capabilities, so they might have a way.”
They weren’t fools either.
They wouldn’t burn a premium strategy guide and 60 billion won just to buy scraps of garbage.
Choi Kang-mok nodded.
“Let’s do it that way.”
The contract between the London Guild and the Seoul Guild (the EX-rank Awakener’s representative) was established.
[London Guild-Seoul Guild First Contract Established!]
[Seoul Guild, “The London Guild doesn’t demand information monopoly.”]

* * *
One of the world’s three greatest guilds—the London Guild sealed the contract.
The entire nation erupted.
[National pride is surging through my veins!]
└Heard the London Guild begged first?
└The EX-rank Awakener chose us.
└Real Madrid and Munich demanded exclusivity and got shut down lol
└Did the 2nd-ranked guild really get rejected??? lmaooo
[Seoul Guild will be #1 nationwide soon]
└Considering moving to Seoul lol
└S-rank clear up to the 40th Floor??? That’s insane
└Top-ranked hunters nationwide are booking tickets to Seoul
People flooded in, and Seoul’s real estate market caught fire.
Land prices skyrocketed before the Tower was even cleared.
Meanwhile, in Daegu.
Lee Kang-nam stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“I’ve got it figured out now. That EX bastard.”
“Pardon?”
When should I tell her the truth?
Should I even tell her?
Kang Hye, still wavering with indecision, flinched in surprise.
“I’ve completely understood the EX-rank Awakener.”
“Understood?”
“I know these types really well.”
Lee Kang-nam, who had been close to Daegu’s Lord Kim Nam-chul since childhood, took pride in possessing a special talent.
The ability to discern righteousness.
“He’s a righteous bastard.”
“Pardon?”
“A madman driven by justice.”
Kang Hye tilted her head in confusion.
‘Oppa, righteous?’
Honestly, she had no idea.
“The hidden stages, you know. When he first opened them all up in Korea’s Tower, I was uncertain about his motives.”
“….”
“But seeing it now—he’s got a monopoly phobia.”
He didn’t monopolize anything himself.
That’s why he opened the hidden stages to other Towers, including Daegu’s.
Without any conditions whatsoever.
“Honestly, I thought he blocked the Busan Tower just because he was in a foul mood, but that’s not it.”
Lee Kang-nam’s eyes gleamed with realization.
An era where justice had vanished.
In such an age, justice was born anew.
“It was conviction.”
Fundamentally righteous. Never hoarding benefits for oneself.
Yet when the moment demands unwavering resolve, he becomes merciless without hesitation.
Even at the cost of enduring the resentment of countless Busan citizens and guild members.
“I need to adjust my strategy.”
Not profit—conviction.
I must show him something truly worth wanting.
“Lee Kang-nam, the EX-rank Awakener already has a contract with Seoul Guild anyway.”
“And?”
“Then what’s the point in searching for him?”
“From Daegu Guild’s perspective, there’d be no point.”
“Exactly?”
“But for me, there is.”
Kang Hye tilted her head in confusion.
“I need to give him a good thrashing.”
….
“Just kidding.”
Lee Kang-nam shrugged his shoulders.
Half serious, half jest.
“He’s still a rookie, after all.”
“Sir?”
“He needs protection.”
Seoul Guild’s stock price was soaring, but they still lacked truly capable personnel.
Only Lee Byung-gyu and Han Sang-hyun came close.
Yet even they could hardly be called operational assets.
“Protection?”
“Yeah. He’s Korea’s future.”
Protecting the EX-rank Awakener.
That was Lee Kang-nam’s true purpose.

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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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