The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 33

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Return of an EX-Rank Mage Episode 033
As borders opened and numerous nations began exchanging with one another, there were certainly countries left behind in this tide.
From a global perspective, there were still far more isolated nations than those participating.
Excluding Western Europe, the Tower civilization’s advanced continent, most nations kept their borders firmly sealed.
However, South Korea had a rather peculiar situation.
[This is so damn embarrassing lol]
└Yeah, everything’s opened except the peninsula, right?
└Not the peninsula—the nation itself
└Not the nation—the southern half
The problem stemmed from Korea’s geopolitical position.
└China: Going first~♡
└Japan: Going first~♡
└Russia: Going first~♡
└North Korea: Come quick, come quick!
All of Korea’s neighboring countries had cleared the 40th floor.
[We lost to Japan too?]
└Can’t accept this
└Realistically speaking, Japan was already tier 1.5 globally anyway
└But losing to North Korea is shocking
The Tower’s emergence made North Korea far more prosperous than before.
Self-sufficiency became possible.
└Busan: I was number one here, but in this other world I’m nothing?!
└Lol is it really true Korea still hasn’t broken through the 40th floor?
└Korea’s got style!
Several nations began exchanging with one another.
Predictions dominated that a more prosperous civilization would flourish.
Various experts warned that failure to ride this wave quickly would result in obsolescence.
[Looking at England’s case, you can see how crucial first-mover advantage is…]
[With the emergence of the new EU, strategy sharing has become more free, and player exchanges are proceeding vigorously…]
[China, Russia, North Korea. Establishing close cooperative relationships and moving together into this new era…]
The moment Korea’s figurehead disappeared.
Yet the light of hope did not extinguish.
[We’ve got EX-rank Awakener, don’t we~ Let’s have a drink~]
└Yeah, it’s just a matter of time
└Besides EX-rank Awakener, who else has cleared 10 consecutive floors at EX-rank?
└A promising young talent is growing rapidly.
While there was some optimistic sentiment domestically in Korea.
The response overseas was somewhat different.
Fundamentally, most dismissed the very existence of EX-rank Awakener.
The system community ‘PlayerNet’s ‘South Korea’ tab was flooded with posts mocking the nation.
[Welcome, self-proclaimed EX-rank nation~]
└But you’re only at floor 39?
└Couldn’t even reach floor 40? Can’t do anything about it?
└Damn, the Korean language patch is so annoying
The real problem emerged here.
[Global Announcement]
[!Phase 1 Conclusion Time Announced!]
Awakeners from nations that hadn’t yet conquered floor 40 began to see a timer appear before their eyes.
[72:00:00]
The time given was 72 hours.
[!If floor 40 is not conquered within 72 hours, service will terminate!]
[The Tower in that region will disappear.]
[Regions are designated by nation.]
In an era where the Tower itself was competitive advantage.
Losing the Tower meant obsolescence.
Korea and countless other nations that hadn’t yet conquered floor 40 entered emergency status.

* * *
The Korean Player Association headquarters.
Jeon Myung-gyu, known as the Grand Lord, convened a council of lords.
He conducted a meeting emphasizing that this was no time for internal competition and conflict—they needed to select top-ranked representatives from each Tower and immediately conquer floor 40.
The beginning of what would be called the “National Team.”
Yet only 72 hours remained.
With such a tight deadline, there was no way the meeting could proceed calmly.
It was the kind of meeting that could only be described as utter chaos.
In the midst of it all, Seoul’s Lord Lee Byung-gyu’s phone rang.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Everyone frowned.
A personal call during an emergency meeting?
“It’s a call from the EX-rank Awakener.”
Shin Chae-ryung, the Lord of Busan, scowled.
“Is the EX-rank Awakener going to clear floor 40 for us? Don’t you understand what’s important right now?”
Tower civilization was disappearing.
South Korea would become obsolete.
In the worst case, there was even a possibility of absorption and reunification by North Korea.
The national power gap between Tower-possessing and Tower-lacking nations would become astronomical.
“At this rate, we’ll be perpetual last place.”
Lee Byung-gyu didn’t respond and simply left the conference room to take the call.
About five minutes later.
“It seems we can end the meeting soon.”
Jeon Myung-gyu raised his voice.
“What? You’re saying we should give up on everything?”
“No, that’s not what I mean.”
I glanced at my watch.
“In one minute, you should be able to check the notification.”
Shin Chae-ryung remained aggressive.
“In one minute? What’s that supposed to mean? Is that so-called EX-rank Awakener going to do something miraculous?”
“He will.”
“As if.”
An Awakener who had barely cleared the tenth floor.
What could he possibly accomplish in this situation?
Shin Chae-ryung had never liked Lee Byung-gyu from the start.
“You won’t drop that arrogance even when you’re about to die, will you, Lee Byung-gyu?”
Jeon Myung-gyu, the Grand Lord and Association Chairman, stepped in to mediate.
“Now, now, quiet. Let’s wait just one minute as the Seoul Lord suggests.”

* * *
At the moment the London Tower’s fortieth floor was cleared.
Choi Kang-mok received a special notification.
[!Part One completion condition has been achieved!]
[Part Two preseason is beginning]
Accordingly.
[EX-rank clear bonus is unlocked]
[Update applying]
[1% 2% …]
The speed was rather slow, though.
Roughly two days remained.
“I see.”
Choi Kang-mok smiled contentedly.
For an EX-rank clear, the rewards were somewhat meager.
It seemed to be because we were still in Part One.
-From the user’s perspective… it is meager.
-We apologize for the inconvenience…
“No, not you.”
Mayo is absolutely magnificent.
An artifact befitting an EX-rank bonus.
Though there’s a peculiar sense of danger about it, the gains far outweigh any risks—that much is certain.
But the other items.
Especially those talismans obtained through the EX-rank clear…
-…Those talismans are also originally considered to be of the highest grade.
-A 200% multiplier effect is… extraordinary by most users’ standards.
-But for this user… it might actually be a debuff.
Crackle—
-Cursed talismans error failure invalid removal incineration erasure worthless powerless incompetent failure failure failure worthless disappear! Die!
I had reached a state of enlightenment where I let the words of the ‘previous masters’ piercing through the consciousness of the Pocket Dimension’s conceptual entity go in one ear and out the other.
I hardly cared anymore.
And approximately 24 hours had passed.
The world was undergoing real-time transformation.
Isolated nations reconnected with one another, heralding a new era.
Western Europe, the Tower-advanced regions, had apparently prepared in advance and established the EU anew.
Rumors spread that hegemony would no longer belong to America or China, but to Europe.
With the emergence of the Labyrinth, predictions even suggested that Britain would become the world’s strongest nation.
All of this had unfolded in merely two days.
Around the time when nations eliminated in Part One received notice that the Tower was disappearing from their territories.
A notification appeared for me as well.
[…98% 99% 100%]
[Golden Labyrinth configuration is now available.]
[Configurable regions: South Korea (Seoul, Incheon, Daegu … Busan, Jeju Island)]
“Golden Labyrinth?”
The Labyrinth was already causing a stir across the entire world.
Yet this one had the modifier “golden” attached to it.
───────
[Golden Labyrinth]
Clear stages and acquire vast quantities of growth currency!
───────
Detailed information about the Golden Labyrinth automatically flooded into my mind.
“Orb acquisition is three times that of the basic Labyrinth?”
Naturally, the basic Labyrinth was the London Labyrinth.
The place that had erupted in chaos over the ability to acquire massive quantities of Orbs, the growth currency.
Yet this one offered three times that as a baseline.
[Awakener Choi Kang-mok, you are now designated as the owner of the Golden Labyrinth.]
[Achievement, ‘Golden Labyrinth Ownership 100%’ unlocked!]
‘So the Golden Labyrinth is created by clearing at EX-rank.’
Naturally, my ownership stake was 100%.
Since EX-rank clears were unique to me in the entire world.
[Title, ‘Master of the Golden Labyrinth’ acquired!]
[!Labyrinth Master Privilege!]
[As Labyrinth Master, your Orb acquisition is doubled across all stages!]
Three times the base amount.
And on top of that, a further doubling.
The Labyrinth Master could now acquire six times the orbs from clearing the Golden Labyrinth compared to a standard Labyrinth.
Choi Kang-mok immediately called Lee Byung-gyu.
-You’ll establish it in Seoul?
-It would be an honor.
Designating Seoul worked well for Choi Kang-mok too.
The Tower could be accessed through skills, but there was no telling how the Labyrinth would function.
[National Announcement (South Korea)!]
[The Golden Labyrinth will be created in Seoul.]
The Golden Labyrinth was designated for Seoul Station.
Seoul Station bathed in golden light as dungeon conversion progressed.
The Golden Labyrinth was created.
[Is this insane orb acquisition amount actually real?]
└Roughly comparing, it seems about three times more than London?
Haha, it’s so sweet~
└Is this for real?
There was another difference from London.
[South Korean Guild Entry Restrictions: None]
└Huh?
└Anyone can enter even without guild affiliation?
└Yeah, I’m just a regular person and I cleared stage 1 and came back
Unlike the London Labyrinth, Seoul’s Labyrinth allowed anyone to enter.
[I’m just a passing London Guild member, please open Korea’s borders]
└Can I enter the Seoul Labyrinth too?
└Give me the Seoul Labyrinth too!!!]
└When does the flight to Korea depart?
└Please clear the 40th floor ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
In particular, guilds from nations near Korea quickly contacted the Seoul Guild and the Korean Player Association.
[The Shanghai Guild will be a reliable ally in the coming new era…]
[The Tokyo Guild will…]
[The Pyongyang Guild will…]
The world’s doors had opened.
It meant transcending the scope of mere city guilds.
Now national governments began moving more earnestly.
[China expressed willingness to fully support Korea’s ascent of floor 40…]
[Russia plans to lend artifacts necessary for the floor 40 climb free of charge…]
Yet South Korea’s isolation remained unbroken.
Ordinary people refused to believe Korea’s situation.
└LOL Those East Asian guys used to do this and now they are trying to achieve mental victory with something like that?
Stop spouting nonsense like the Golden Labyrinth lol
└There’s no way such a sweet labyrinth exists in such a backwater?
The Golden Labyrinth in Seoul had become an enormous issue, yet a critical problem remained unsolved.
[Wait, don’t we have less than a day left to clear it?]
└That’s why China, North Korea, Japan, and Russia are all in chaos right now, saying they’ll help however they can
└Protect the Korean Tower no matter what!
└If Tower civilization collapses? The Golden Labyrinth and everything else disappears, right?
└There are rumors that all Korean Awakeners would lose their qualifications too
Approximately 24 hours remained.
Exceptionally, the entire world watched this remote East Asian nation with bated breath.
Choi Kang-mok stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“There might be a way.”
Whether I liked it or not, I had to clear Tower Floor 40 without fail.
There were only two places in Korea where Floor 40 could be challenged.
Daegu and Busan.
I called Lee Byung-gyu again.
“Floor 40 clear. I’ll help you with it.”
-Pardon?
“Let’s do this quickly.”
Just before the end of Part One.
The preseason before Part Two began.
The EX-rank Awakener began to move in earnest.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————