The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 34

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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 034
The attention of South Korea’s citizens had now converged on two cities: Busan and Daegu.
[Those Busan guys have completely lost it]
└In the end, can we only trust Daegu?
└King Daegu, please clear Floor 40 for us
└Still, Busan is Korea’s number one, you idiots
└Why hasn’t Busan made any announcement?
└There are 24 hours left, please ㅠㅠ
It was then.
Kim Nam-chul of the Daegu Guild received an unexpected call.
“Pardon? What did you say?”
He immediately boarded a helicopter and departed.
The caller was none other than EX-rank Awakener Choi Kang-mok.
“I never expected you to contact me directly.”
“I was going to reach out through the Seoul Guild, but….”
The Daegu Guild had already learned Choi Kang-mok’s true identity when he met Lee Kang-nam.
There was no need to hide it.
“Since you already know who I am, I’ll get straight to the point. Clearing Floor 40 is difficult right now, isn’t it?”
“That’s correct.”
We would need to cooperate with Busan, the only guild with any real chance, but negotiations weren’t going well.
“They’re being rather uncooperative.”
“Is that so?”
“It seems they want to clear Floor 40 with their own strength.”
They were acting as if they didn’t want to share the title of Korea’s strongest.
“They appeared to have something they were confident about.”
“But we can’t just stand idle and watch, can we?”
Choi Kang-mok produced a cube-shaped item.
“What is this?”
“A Mythic-rank Artifact.”
-Rental request detected for entities other than the user.
-Restricted-function shared mode… preparation is possible.
A brief silence.
-…This Mayo is a unique linked conceptual entity. A single user connection is sufficient.
-However, if you request it, I will accommodate it.
Kim Nam-chul flinched in surprise.
‘A Mythic-rank Artifact exists?’
He’d heard rumors that Mythic-rank items existed, but this was his first time seeing one in person.
Not only had Choi Kang-mok defeated Lee Kang-nam in a mock battle, but he also possessed a Mythic-rank Artifact.
It was truly a scale befitting an EX-rank Awakener.
“If you lend me this, would we be able to clear Floor 40?”
“You’re lending me a Mythic-rank artifact?”
“However.”
I couldn’t simply lend out Mayo without conditions.
“You’ll need to establish a Lord’s Covenant with Lee Kang-nam, won’t you?”
Conveniently, Lee Kang-nam was the Vice-Lord of Daegu.
“The Lord’s Covenant stipulates that Mayo will be returned to me upon your exit from the Tower.”
The Seoul Guild had agreed to draft and review the detailed terms of the Lord’s Covenant.
And naturally, Choi Kang-mok would be the final signatory.
“What compensation do you require for lending out this artifact?”
“We can discuss that later.”
Less than twenty-four hours remained.
I had to extinguish the immediate fire first.
For once, Kim Nam-chul, the Lord of Daegu, felt an exhilarating sense of relief.
Had he met with other Lords at a Lord’s Council, they would have haggled over every minute detail and consumed all twenty-four hours in the process.
“Yes, I understand.”
“And this.”
“This is….”
A USB drive.
“It’s a video guide for Floor 40. You should be able to achieve at least an S-rank rating, and with Mayo’s assistance, even higher grades are possible.”
“This, this is…!”
“The London Guild provided it.”
“…I see.”
One of the three greatest Guilds.
The world’s strongest Guild, one that might ascend to the top rank despite the early stage.
With a strategy video from London, success was entirely within reach.

* * *
Antonio, the lord of the Real Madrid Guild, convened a lords’ assembly.
The agenda concerned South Korea—specifically, how to establish relations with the Seoul Guild and the EX-rank Awakener.
Their thoughts aligned remarkably.
“We remain the world’s greatest even without an EX-rank Awakener.”
“The EX-rank Awakener is merely an illusion fabricated by East Asian charlatans.”
“An EX-rank Awakener couldn’t possibly exist.”
Of course, they all knew the truth was otherwise.
The facts were irrelevant.
“We’ve made contact with the Busan Guild.”
Under normal circumstances, they would have dismissed any overture from Busan outright.
But this situation was somewhat exceptional.
“We’ll have Busan clear Floor 40.”
Then South Korea’s borders would open.
The shadows that Real Madrid prided itself on would be able to enter Korea.
In exchange for making Busan a hero of Korea, they simply needed to eliminate the EX-rank Awakener.
Then the EX-rank Awakening would belong to Real Madrid.
“Busan will willingly hand over information?”
“Yes. They say they’ll cooperate actively if we simply help them clear Floor 40.”
“Madmen, the lot of them.”
How could they betray an EX-rank Awakener, no matter the circumstances?
An Awakener destined to possess immeasurable value in the future?
It was like slaughtering the goose that laid golden eggs.
“Which is precisely why they’re a peripheral, minor guild.”
Western European guild members inherently harbored a strong tendency to look down upon Asian guilds.
It was unavoidable.
In this age of Tower civilization, the gap between Western Europe and Asia was undeniable.
“We’ll crush the Seoul Guild soon enough.”
They had contacted the Seoul Guild regarding the hidden stage opening conditions.
They had offered substantial privileges in exchange for an exclusivity clause, but Seoul refused.
Then Seoul went on to trumpet agreements with London and such.
“We anticipate that London will also cooperate with Seoul.”
“Isn’t Seoul currently clearing the mid-thirties floors?”
“Seoul and Daegu have reportedly established close cooperative relations.”
Still, it was fortunate.
If they moved Busan to place Korea under their dominion?
Real Madrid would effectively become the master of the Golden Labyrinth.
“We could seize superior ground compared to London.”
If the plan proceeded as intended.

* * *
The Busan Guild declared their attempt on Floor 40.
[Busan will overcome this unprecedented national crisis…]
└We knew we could count on you, Busan!
└But it’s only Busan ㅠㅠㅠ
└Damn right, honestly Korea’s top-tier king general is Busan!!!
└We’re counting on you, Busan!
A glimmer of hope was added to the narrative.
[The Busan Guild had been building a sustained cooperative relationship with the Real Madrid Guild…]
Of course, it was a lie.
This was the first time contact had been made.
To be precise, this was the first time they’d received a response.
I’m not sure why, but it somehow didn’t feel like it wasn’t Korea lol
└Real Madrid? Real?
└It’s not called Busan for nothing haha.
└I heard those Real Madrid guys have insanely high pride
└They say they won’t even reply unless you’re one of the top 3 guilds
[In 30 minutes, a team of seven including Lord Shin Chae-ryung will challenge Floor 40.]
└That’s insane
└The Lord herself?
└This is what Busan’s all about
When a Lord personally joins the climbing team, numerous advantages emerge.
The Tower’s overall difficulty decreases, customized buffs apply to each player, and the team’s synergy is amplified.
However, there were drawbacks as well.
└Isn’t the Busan Lord going to die?
└The bosses will definitely aggro on the Lord
└Bosses always target the Lord first
Shin Chae-ryung held a press conference.
“Of course. I’m well aware of the danger. I know it’s customary for a Lord not to take the front lines directly. But now, Busan—no, all of South Korea stands at the threshold of Tower civilization.
Will we move forward, or will we collapse here? We stand at that precarious crossroads. As the Lord of Busan, and as one person of this land.
I will not turn away from Korea’s crisis. No, I cannot turn away from it.”
Around that time.
Astonishing news arrived.
[Wait? Floor 40 was cleared?]
└What are you talking about? Aren’t you watching the Busan Lord’s interview?
└No, not Busan. Daegu.
└Daegu? Daegu all of a sudden?
The Daegu Guild had succeeded in clearing Floor 40.
The phones of the journalists conducting the press conference with Shin Chae-ryung began ringing simultaneously.
Notifications appeared in the eyes of the Awakeners as well.
[South Korea Announcement!]
[Floor 40 of the Tower (Daegu) has been successfully cleared!]
[The physical barrier is conditionally lifted!]
“What?”
“Daegu?”
“What is this?”
“Ah, we missed it.”
The reporters bolted from their seats.
Abandoning Shin Chae-ryung’s lengthy speech, they rushed frantically toward the exits.
Shin Chae-ryung’s expression hardened.

* * *
A barrage of camera flashes erupted.
“Is it true that Floor 40 has been cleared?”
In truth, it was a meaningless question.
The translucent barrier that had blocked the border had vanished.
There was no need for further confirmation—it was undeniable fact.
Kim Nam-chul, the Lord of Daegu, held his own press conference.
“Indeed. Please check the Hall of Fame.”
───────
[Hall of Fame (Floor 40)]
1. Lee Kang-nam (Daegu, SSS+)
2. Kim Nam-chul (Daegu, SS)
…
7. Lim Ha-yeon (Daegu, S)
───────
A sensation swept through the nation.
All seven members of the conquest party ranked at least S-tier.
Lee Kang-nam was even SSS+.
It was the highest grade excluding EX-rank, and the first of its kind in South Korea.
“Why did you not throw down a declaration of challenge?”
“Did the accusations that cowardly Daegu had given up not feel unjust?”
It was a starkly different approach from Busan Guild Lord Shin Chae-ryung.
Kim Nam-chul shook his head.
“The time afforded to South Korea was far too brief for such grievances.”
Then he broached the most crucial matter.
“The conquest of Floor 40 could not have been achieved by our strength alone.”
He took several steps toward the side of the podium.
“I offer my sincerest gratitude to the EX-rank Awakener.”
And he bowed deeply.
Click! Click! A barrage of camera flashes erupted in rapid succession.
“Without his dedicated assistance, we would never have succeeded.”
In terms of contribution, it was a 9:1 split.
Mayo’s performance had been nothing short of game-breaking.
“What assistance did the EX-rank Awakener provide?”
“The EX-rank Awakener is supposedly only level 20. How did he help the Daegu Guild?”
“Did you meet the EX-rank Awakener in person?”
A flood of questions poured in, but Kim Nam-chul had little he could say.
“One thing is certain: without the EX-rank Awakener, Korea’s Tower civilization might have ended. He protected our Tower civilization.”
“Did the EX-rank Awakener provide strategy guides as well?”
“The strategy guide was provided by the London Guild.”
“Then shouldn’t we express our gratitude to the London Guild first?”
“Of course, we are grateful to the London Guild as well.”
However, this was closer to a business negotiation, making it awkward to simply express gratitude.
They provided the strategy guide because they had something they strongly desired from us.
It was a transaction based on mutual interests.
“But the absolute reason the London Guild provided the strategy guide was because of the EX-rank Awakener.”
If it weren’t for the EX-rank Awakener?
Would the London Guild have even glanced at Korea?
Probably not.
Kim Nam-chul’s pride was wounded, but the truth was the truth.
“And there is one more announcement to make.”
Simply clearing Floor 40? Of course, that was impressive.
But something even more astounding remained.
───────
[Hall of Fame (Floor 40)]
[World] [Individual]
1. Lee Kang-nam (Daegu, South Korea, SSS+)
…
───────
The world’s barrier lifted, and the Hall of Fame was updated.
Floor 40.
At its summit stood Lee Kang-nam.
World. Individual rankings, 1st place.
“As you can see, he achieved SSS+ and claimed the world’s first place.”
└He surpassed the three major Guilds?
└Ah, so this is what national pride feels like
└Finally our main character got hired
└Fluttering~ fluttering~ (the sound of waving a Taegeuk flag)
└National pride has returned home!!!
“Many of you present have likely already seen the notification.”
[Physical Barrier conditionally deactivated!]
Unlike other nations, Korea’s barrier was deactivated conditionally.
This was far more than mere national pride—it was a matter of genuine strategic significance.
“Floor 40 holds a first-time SSS+ privilege.”
“An SSS+ privilege?”
“Through Player Lee Kang-nam and the Council of Lords, we have decided to transfer the privileges of this record to the Seoul Guild and EX-rank Awakeners.”
The journalists spoke in unison.
“What is the nature of this privilege?”

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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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