The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 38

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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 038
“If a Pocket Dimension shatters, the caster suffers considerable backlash.”
“…Is that so?”
This was news to Han Sang-hyun as well.
Destroying a Pocket Dimension with another Pocket Dimension.
Did the Tower-advanced nations truly understand this concept?
This was a form of instruction.
“Yes. From what I’ve observed, the more complete a Pocket Dimension is, the greater the effect seems to be.”
After destroying only Kang Hye’s fledgling Pocket Dimension and then shattering a more refined one, I began to grasp the principle.
Shin Chae-ryung wouldn’t be in a normal state by now.
Neither physically nor mentally.
“Thank you for the instruction.”
“Moreover, while fleeing, she won’t have the luxury to attack her pursuers. That’s why I told you to chase after her.”
It wasn’t a thoughtless “go ahead and chase her then.”
“I didn’t realize you calculated that far ahead.”
I had no intention of making her recklessly expose herself to danger.
“Because she’s family.”
I added that deliberately.
‘If I cherish her, others will cherish her too.’
In all likelihood, Kang Hye would eventually join the Seoul Guild.
Han Sang-hyun was the core of the Seoul Guild.
The Guild would never mistreat a family member of such a key figure.
It was a warning of sorts, and Han Sang-hyun accepted its meaning well.
‘He cherishes his sister greatly.’
I decided to relay this information accurately to the Lord.
And as Vice-Lord, I had to say what was fundamentally necessary.
“You seem to have read the situation precisely. Impressive. However, regardless of that, there could be danger due to the fundamental level gap.”
“Oh, she has defense.”
Thanks to Mayo’s ‘Bestowal’.
Kang Hye was surrounded by a shield.
“Her pure defense is stronger than Lee Kang-nam’s.”
Han Sang-hyun blinked his eyes.
‘How is that even possible?’
I didn’t fully understand, but decided not to ask.

* * *
Shin Chae-ryung, the Lord of Busan, was aware that someone was tailing her.
‘Just one person.’
She wasn’t entirely sure, but they weren’t a ranker.
They weren’t even hiding the fact that they were tracking her.
For a Lord to have detected them, they were at best a promising prospect.
‘How dare they?’
Even if this was Seoul and not Busan.
She couldn’t allow herself to be tailed by some greenhorn.
[Activating skill: ‘Suicide Drone’.]
Lords possessed means to protect themselves.
Shin Chae-ryung’s ‘Suicide Drone’ was a prime example.
‘Deploying too many drones draws attention.’
Just two units.
That would be sufficient.
‘Die.’
The drones launched skyward.
The tracker, still merely a promising prospect, had no way to evade them.
Boom-crash!
A massive explosion erupted.
The surrounding area descended into chaos in an instant.
‘Actually, this works out better.’
The situation had escalated, but it was manageable.
As long as I left no evidence.
Everything fades with time.
It always has.
Yet not everything unfolded according to her calculations.
“Phew, that was close.”
Kang Hye burst through the smoke and leaped down.
Thud!
The roof of the car Shin Chae-ryung was in crumpled under the impact.
“Hehe. Still intact?”
The shield gauge remained at full capacity—100.
Even after being hit by suicide drones and jumping from a six-story building, not a scratch.
‘This is the degraded version?’
Then just how durable is the real shield?
Her mood improved considerably.
Kang Hye grabbed an explorer’s hammer, smashed through the car window, and climbed inside.
“Who… who are you?”
“The Seoul Guild already sent a helicopter.”
Kang Hye smashed through the car’s windshield and slid into the seat beside Shin Chae-ryung.
Her cheerful smile vanished, her expression hardening as her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
“You’re dead. Shin Chae-ryung, you bitch.”
“What?”
“I’m not as kind as my older brother.”
“Hey, hey! What are you doing!”
In Kang Hye’s hand was a red dynamite-shaped bomb.
It wasn’t a real explosive—it was an artifact that explorers used to blast through obstacles.
Since it wasn’t designed for combat, the damage was relatively low, but if it detonated here, there would be no escape.
Sizzle—
The fuse burned with a crackling flame.
“Are you insane? Hey! Hey! Hey! Damn it!”
“You’re the insane one, you lunatic. How dare you touch him?”
Boom!
The bomb detonated.
[Shield: 99]
A siren wailed, and the sound of helicopter blades echoed overhead.
Kang Hye crawled out through the mangled car door.
She coughed, choking on the smoke.
“Over here, over here! There’s a crazy person here!”
Han Sang-hyun, rushing to catch up, froze in shock.
That explosion had definitely come from an explorer’s artifact.
‘These siblings.’
I must never make them my enemies.
Not for any other reason.

* * *
[Breaking News: Busan’s Lord Shin Chae-ryung…]
[Breaking News: Shin Chae-ryung’s Transgression…]
[Breaking News: Even Busan Guild Members Were Unaware]
The truth about Busan’s Lord Shin Chae-ryung spread like wildfire across the internet.
└At this point, was that spider-human rumor actually true?
└Can she even be called human?
└Heard she tried to trap an EX-rank Awakener’s entire building in a trap
└They say ordinary people almost got caught up too.
└But seriously, what did the EX-rank even do wrong lolol
└Never thought Shin Chae-ryung was like this, what a legendary b*tch
The Seoul Guild secured the suspect.
While Shin Chae-ryung’s treatment remained undecided, a new system notification struck Korea.
[Your reputation has reached a certain threshold.]
[The Lord Reputation System is being implemented!]
This became a laughingstock overseas as well.
[LoL Isn’t this the world’s first time a reputation system was introduced in a negative way?]
└True to form, rushing everything 🙂
└Even the bad things, they’re the fastest at those
The reputation system was already a familiar concept in Tower-advanced nations like Western Europe.
Each nation’s reputation was quantified and ranked.
It was commonly known that the reputation system activated when an exceptionally outstanding Lord appeared and earned public admiration.
There had never been a precedent for it activating in a negative sense like Korea’s situation.
In any case, the Lord Reputation System was implemented.
───────
[Lord Reputation]
[South Korea]
1. Lee Byung-gyu (Seoul) – 100
…
8. Shin Chae-ryung (Busan) – 3
───────
[Lol wtf Lee Byung-gyu has 100?]
└That’s purely because of the EX-rank boost
└Even so, isn’t it too early for the Seoul Lord to be ranked first?
└He’s been a complete mess this whole time
The Seoul Lord topped South Korea’s Lord Reputation ranking.
[Tower conditions improve based on Lord Reputation.]
[Tower difficulty is adjusted downward slightly.]
[Tower rewards are adjusted upward slightly.]
With the top reputation ranking, the Seoul Tower gained minor perks.
In contrast, Shin Chae-ryung, the Busan Lord, ranked 8th in Lord Reputation.
[A 3-point legend lol, Busan’s style is insane]
└There’s no 3-point rating anywhere in the world?
└Wait? It just dropped to 2 points lol
└Wait? Now it’s 1 point. Wow, a score like this actually exists
A world first.
She had achieved a 1-point reputation.
This wasn’t simply a matter of ‘disgrace’.
[Your reputation has fallen to 1 point!]
[If your reputation falls to 0 points, your Lord position will be stripped.]
[If your position is stripped, your Awakener status will be revoked.]
There was nothing Shin Chae-ryung could do.
All she could do was struggle inside the Seoul Guild’s prison.
[The Busan Lord’s position has been revoked.]
[Entry to Busan Tower is restricted until a new Lord is born.]
Access to Busan Tower had been halted.
The current era was an age of Tower civilization.
The world had entered an age where life was impossible without a Tower.
Evacuation processions lined the streets of Busan.
“What’s going to happen to us?”
“How is a new Lord supposed to be born?”
Because it was a world first, countless nations were on high alert.
Before long, the method was revealed.
[Breaking News] Seoul Guild: “A Tower Conquest War will begin.”]
Lord Reputation Rank 1.
The Seoul Guild received the information first.
“In 24 hours, the Tower Conquest War will commence.”
The Tower Conquest War was an event several nations had already experienced.
When a Tower Conquest War breaks out, each Tower receives a ranking.
The system determines rankings by scoring based on various factors.
“The score calculation takes into account numerous requirements comprehensively, including floors cleared, number of participants, and clearance rank…”
Beyond that, numerous factors are converted into points—hidden condition fulfillment, total damage dealt, total damage received—and the lowest-ranked Tower is consumed by the 1st.
As a result, the Guilds felt the heat under their feet.
“Mobilize every available person.”
Even if we can’t be first, we must avoid last place.
Being first would be ideal.
While others compete with one Tower, if we win here, we consume two Towers and compete.
In other words, we’d be playing with a multiplier advantage.
“Gather mercenaries. As many as possible.”
“Money isn’t the issue now! This is a matter of survival!”
And this was quite an important issue for Choi Kang-mok as well.
“If Seoul Tower becomes two, will EX Coins double as well?”

* * *
Choi Kang-mok entered the safe house that the Seoul Guild had prepared for him.
He decided to stay here until a proper residence became available.
In truth, as long as safety was assured, the location didn’t matter.
After all, he could enter the Tower whenever he wished through the Tower Entry skill.
[Tower Conquest has begun.]
At that same moment, Choi Kang-mok entered the Tower.
[You have entered Seoul Tower, 11th Floor.]
Floors 11 through 15 feature creatures called ‘Golems’ with exceptional defensive capabilities.
The strategy involves locating and destroying the ‘Core’ hidden within their thick exterior.
Since the Core’s location changes randomly, finding it was itself a high-difficulty task.
It was also the section where most untalented Awakeners fell away.
[Challenge: Defeat the Stone Golem (0/1)]
Choi Kang-mok felt a sense of liberation for the first time in a while.
He didn’t concern himself with penetration properties or fragment control.
Mana pressure manipulation didn’t matter either.
He simply decided to focus solely on the act of ‘firing’ with both hands.
[Skill: Energy Bolt (S) activated.]
Two Energy Bolts, enhanced by the 2x multiplier talisman, were unleashed.
‘Ah…!’
The pure offensive magic, unconcerned with anything else, granted him a subtle thrill.
‘Now I feel it.’
The mana pressure that destroys the Stone Golem’s defense.
There’s no need to control it precisely.
With a relaxed mind and newfound composure, it actually became easier.
Releasing the obsession with control made everything far more comfortable.
‘Energy Bolt feels far more natural now.’
This was why mental fortitude and composure were so crucial for mages.
At this rate?
He might be able to use a damage amplification talisman on the next floor.
That would induce further growth.
[TIP: Golem-type monsters possess a Core. Destroy the Core!]
Whoooosh—!
The mana pressure struck the Stone Golem.
Like a shadow touched by light, the Stone Golem vanished.
[The Stone Golem’s Core has been destroyed.]
[You have defeated the Stone Golem.]
Defeat a single creature, and the floor is cleared—a simple structure.
It was the perfect floor for Choi Kang-mok.
[Exiting the Tower.]
I completed my exit before the fragments could scatter.
11th Floor.
EX-rank clear complete.

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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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