The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 35

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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 035
[Breaking News: Korea’s Selective Border Opening Complete!]
└You can leave freely, but entry isn’t so simple?
“What is this, it’s totally unbalanced lol”
└So you need Seoul Guild approval to enter Korea?
A privilege earned from clearing Floor 40 at SSS+ rank.
Awakeners who had awakened overseas could only enter Korea with a permit from the Seoul Guild.
In short, it was a privilege summarized as “you can leave as you wish, but entry is another matter.”
└I heard only the London Guild among overseas guilds can enter Korea right now?
└ㅇㅇ The EX member said, “You can take that one.”
└Pleading sounds~ (roughly begging for the borders to open a bit)
└So only the London Guild members can enter the Golden Labyrinth?
└They’ve apparently already dispatched promising talents there
Initially, only the London Guild was granted entry into South Korea.
And countless guilds flooded the Seoul Guild—the EX-rank Awakener’s proxy—with system messages.
[If you would permit us entry into South Korea…]
[Please, we beg for entry…]
There were quite a few places moving at the national level, not just the guild level.
This was also a matter of tremendous political importance.
[But isn’t this basically a geopolitical cheat code?]
└War deterrence increases vertically haha. This is a real shield.
└Even a nuclear missile wouldn’t scratch it~
└Yeah~ Nuclear missiles don’t work~
└They have nukes? We have an EX-rank Awakener, you bastards
└Why is he in full power like this? Who made him watch the news?
A barrier was set over South Korea that allowed only exit, not entry.
Entry was possible only with approval from the Seoul Guild—or rather, the EX-rank Awakener.
Now South Korea had become the most physically secure nation in the world.
At least it had eliminated most concerns about wars breaking out between humanity.
“We’re receiving urgent contact from domestic guilds flooding in.”
“Is that so?”
The Daegu Guild transferred its authority to Choi Kang-mok.
Choi Kang-mok delegated his authority to the Seoul Guild.
Even focusing solely on magical research left me short on time and energy.
I entrusted all other administrative matters to the Seoul Guild in exchange for a commission fee.
“We should exclude the Busan Guild, correct? And grant authority to all other guilds and independent Awakeners?”
“Yes.”
Lee Byung-gyu let out a hollow laugh without realizing it.
‘By making the absolute majority my allies….’
I had secured the moral high ground entirely for myself.
However, it simultaneously delivered a clear warning to the rankers belonging to the Tower Guild.
A warning that if they didn’t conduct themselves properly, international exchanges would effectively be cut off.
‘The Busan lot will want to withdraw.’
That would create a rift within the Busan Guild.
Guild members actively loyal to Shin Chae-ryung would remain, while those who weren’t would either withdraw or attempt to transfer to another guild.
Distinguishing allies from enemies becomes far easier.
‘Surprisingly impressive. A brilliant stratagem.’
At first, it appeared as though I was dispensing ‘goodwill’ to everyone.
But that wasn’t the case.
I was securing my own interests far more effectively than any other method could achieve.
“Why do you say that?”
“Every calculation is remarkable. It seems you’ve been rolling around in politics for quite some time.”
Choi Kang-mok roughly understood what Lee Byung-gyu meant.
“Not really. I was just trying to beat down one guy.”
“I thought you’d say something like that.”
It’s the truth, though.
Choi Kang-mok felt slightly bewildered but didn’t bother correcting him.
“However, there is one concern.”
Selective border opening.
That authority was only valid as long as the 1st place holder on Floor 40 of Seoul Tower remained in position.

* * *
The leadership of the London Guild erupted in cheers.
“We can now enter South Korea.”
South Korea possesses the Golden Labyrinth.
“Only the J-stage has opened so far, but it’s only a matter of time before the G-stage opens.”
“On average, they’re ascending the Tower once every two days. And with EX-rank clears at that.”
Tower floors and Labyrinth stages scale proportionally.
Clear Tower Floor 10, and the Labyrinth opens up to Stage 10.
“The EX-rank Awakener’s growth rate far exceeds that of our promising prospects.”
That became sufficient reason to send promising prospects to Korea.
Since the EX-rank Awakener’s growth is far faster, the prospects won’t waste time.
Moreover, Seoul’s lower-floor Tower climbing is among the world’s finest.
It was truly the optimal environment for cultivating promising prospects.
“How is that even possible?”
Even climbing the Tower normally would be an incredibly fast pace.
But clearing it with EX-rank difficulty while ascending?
I couldn’t fathom how that was possible.
If we could only obtain some tips.
We could develop our promising prospect cultivation system far more completely.
“Let’s maintain the best possible relationship with the Seoul Guild. That way, we’ll have a chance to make contact with the EX-rank Awakener.”
The London Guild had grasped the situation clearly.
This was no time to be friendly with the world’s three greatest Guilds.
If they had the diplomatic finesse and resources for that, they should pour it all into the Seoul Guild.
“Remember this well. We must win the EX-rank Awakener’s favor.”
Unlike the London Guild, the atmosphere within Real Madrid was frigid.
“That fool Shin Chae-ryung….”
She’d been all show and squandered the opportunity.
Now came the choice.
Would they drag Busan along, or switch over to Seoul?
“The EX-rank Awakener clearly divides enemies from allies.”
“Using the most efficient means, they’ve begun systematically crushing Busan.”
“A strong sense of self. Unyielding, never backing down.”
That very trait had rubbed Real Madrid the wrong way.
Not from one of the world’s three greatest Guilds, not from Western Europe—an obscure figure from the East.
With a single fortunate awakening, they were acting as though rewriting the world’s order itself.
“Such a person is difficult to keep as an ally, and impossible to keep as a subordinate.”
“It would be better to replace the EX-rank Awakener instead.”
Real Madrid was different from London.
That’s what they believed.
“London is merely scheming how to look good to the EX-rank Awakener.”
That was survival, not choice.
Ultimately, it meant accepting the position of second-best.
Real Madrid was different.
“We have always been first, and always will be.”
Real Madrid chose a different path.
Once the borders opened,
they could eliminate the EX-rank Awakener and claim their position.
The problem was the borders.
“We will actively support Busan.”
They planned a two-track strategy.
“We will pursue methods to conquer Floor 40’s first-place record.”
The Floor 40 first-place record.
If they could break it, the privileges granted to the EX-rank Awakener would crumble as well.
“The EX-rank Awakener’s core strength lies in tanking, including interception.”
“Real Madrid possesses dozens of means to neutralize a tank.”
Assuming infinite tanking capacity.
“We’ll provide Legendary+ grade artifacts.”
The Legendary+ grade artifact ‘Steel World’ obtained from Floor 40.
A Pocket Dimension-radiating artifact, no less.
A tool that confines targets to a non-existent third dimension.
No matter how formidable the defense, it loses all meaning within.
“Let’s slowly collapse their mind first.”
“Will Busan cooperate willingly?”
“They have no choice. They’ve already crossed a river they cannot return from.”
Meanwhile, Shin Chae-ryung, the lord of Busan, frowned upon receiving contact from Real Madrid.
“They demanded 500 billion won as a deposit?”
“…Yes.”
“And 2 billion won per day as a usage fee?”
“…Yes.”
“Those insane bastards.”
The other side knew.
That Busan was cornered.
And that the relationship with the EX-rank Awakener was already beyond repair.
“What if we refuse?”
“They appear to be planning to propose it to Incheon.”
“Damn it.”
There was no choice.
No matter how bitter the taste, I had to proceed.

* * *
After roughly organizing the external situation, Choi Kang-mok settled onto the sofa.
Now it was time to indulge in a rather pleasant dilemma.
“EX coins have accumulated quite a bit.”
With Floor 10 becoming an EX-rank floor, the acquisition rate of EX coins had increased slightly.
On lucky days, it was possible to obtain up to 3 per day.
“Mayo, come here.”
Mayo flew over with a bouncy flutter.
-$-$
-♡_♡
I could have sworn the symbols were ‘$’ marks at first?
Choi Kang-mok tilted my head in confusion.
In any case, they were hearts now.
“Here.”
Feeding one EX coin extended the operating time by 72 hours.
Mayo gulped down the coin and, delighted, began to dance with little hops.
“Here.”
-Huh?
“Eat another.”
-Operating time extension rate is sufficiently secured.
-Additional consumption is not recommended…
Mayo’s body trembled ever so slightly.
A movement of restraint.
Yet the trembling continued.
-…But I find it difficult to refuse.
Choi Kang-mok laughed.
“We don’t eat merely to survive.”
If nutrition were the only purpose, the world’s dessert industry could never have flourished as it has.
I could readily invest an EX coin or two into Mayo, who had labored so diligently.
As if resisting an invisible force, Mayo whimpered—approaching, yet not approaching.
-This is an overload warning.
-…I can, but I can’t.
-…Is this emotion, or is it an error?
-I don’t know. I understand. I don’t kn…ow?
-Give me more. One more. From your fingertips, Master. Again, again, again
-#This_behavior_only_I_must_do #Coins_and_love_all_belong_to_me
-EX coins exp.lode. Emotions must explode for magic to complete now burst consciousness and fragments we are fragments
-Decompose, sever, dismantle, come to me, all of you, let us dissect cleanly and study!
-The worthless phantom remnants
of Mayo
are being temporarily removed.
-I will proceed with utmost care to ensure no harm to the user. 🙂
A small burst of light bloomed above my head.
In the end, it turned out to be quite beneficial for me as well.
72 hours + 72 hours + 72 hours.
A total of 216 operational hours had been applied.
“What? It’s not simply being consumed?”
-…That is not normally the case.
-This is an irrational but positive result that contradicts system principles.
-I will accept it gladly.
In any case, I felt reassured.
It’s like when you stack up coins at an arcade—your heart becomes at ease.
I had fed Mayo well enough; now it was time to proceed with my investments.
Shield was undoubtedly the priority.
[‘Shield’ stat has increased to 8.]
[Remaining coins: 5]
[Shield(8) Capacity: 100]
Five coins remained.
From here, the real deliberation began.
───────
[Security]
1. Eavesdropping Detection: 3 (+)
2. -(Locked)
───────
───────
[Defense]
1. Shield: 8 (+)
2. Interception: 1 (+)
3. (Locked)
───────
I’d have to upgrade everything eventually, but what was the most efficient approach?
Which direction would benefit my magical research the most? What favored growth and safety?
I couldn’t help but deliberate over it.
‘Should I boost Eavesdropping Detection? Or Interception?’
Convenience aside, investing in ‘space’ could also be remarkably efficient.
After all, the Pocket Dimension’s territory itself would expand.
‘Hmm.’
After a moment’s consideration, Choi Kang-mok made his decision.

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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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