The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 40

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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 040
First, an alert rang out across the Seoul region.
[!Seoul Region-Wide Notification!]
[Unique Ability +6 Enhancement successful in Seoul!]
“Huh?”
“A unique ability can be enhanced?”
Unique abilities themselves were exceedingly rare.
You needed to awaken at least A-rank or higher just to have a chance of obtaining a unique ability.
By the numbers, only about 4% of all awakened individuals possessed unique abilities.
And among those, the vast majority were useless powers.
└It’s already shocking that unique abilities can be enhanced at all….
Enhancement was high-risk, high-reward.
Enhancement required an astronomical amount of resources, and the penalties for failure were equally severe.
└They’re enhancing that?
└Are they insane?
└Only a brain addled by gambling would….
With items, destruction was commonplace.
But what about unique abilities?
A unique ability could be stripped away entirely, or in severe cases, an awakened individual could lose their awakened status altogether.
[!South Korea Region-Wide Notification!]
[Unique Ability +7 Enhancement successful in Seoul!]
Beyond Seoul, across all of South Korea.
A national-level alert had appeared.
└+7 enhancement?
└Even items rarely reach +7….
└Who is this madman?
└Could it be the EX-rank?
└Kyaaaa~~Master~~~!!
As all of South Korea focused their attention.
[!Continental Region-Wide Notification!]
[Unique Ability +8 Enhancement successful in Seoul!]
Beyond East Asia, reaching even the Middle East.
An alert that rang across the entire Asian continent.
“Where is Seoul?”
“Oh, that Korea?”
“Hasn’t that place been behind even North Korea for ages?”
“Didn’t they say there’s an EX-rank awakened there?”
“You believe that?”
“With the Golden Labyrinth revealed, what reason is there not to believe it?”
“I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.”
“Then what about +8? Is that a fantasy?”
“….”
But the notifications continued.
[!Global Notification!]
[A unique ability enhancement to +9 has succeeded in Seoul!]
[Has anyone ever seen a notification like this?]
└Everyone who claimed to achieve +9 before was a liar
Lol, the first successful clear of 9th tier wasn’t even by the European Guilds but by an Asian guild.
└The entire world system feels twisted, but it’s interesting
└The player world. It’s unknowable
Beyond Asia, to the far side of the globe.
The notification echoed across the entire world.
Even the Real Madrid Guild, one of the world’s three greatest guilds, received this news.
“It must be an EX-rank awakener, right?”
“Undoubtedly. Or at least someone closely connected to one.”
The tone was calm, but a distinct hunger permeated the voice.
To possess the ability to succeed at +9 enhancement.
Combined with exceptional tanking and interception abilities, they clearly possessed tremendous talent for enhancement as well.
Truly worthy of the EX-rank designation.
That EX-rank must be devoured by Real Madrid.
Not by some minor guild from East Asia.
“Joshua will have to do well.”

* * *
Kang Hye went berserk.
“77.77 percent is! No different from 100%!”
Her words held truth.
When even 7.7% would have been cause for gratitude, 77% was extraordinary.
From a player’s perspective, this was equivalent to 100%.
The card, once pure white, transformed into shimmering gold.
“Just looking at it is magnificent.”
Golden dust cascaded from the card.
An auspicious aura blossomed forth.
The radiant light it emitted of its own accord marked it as anything but ordinary.
The card, as if possessed of its own life, drifted slowly through the air before being absorbed into Kang Hye’s body.
Whoosh!
Light flashed across Kang Hye’s form—the enhancement complete.
Kang Hye chuckled softly as she examined her unique ability.
───────
[Bloodline Blessing +9]
Bestows a blessing upon those connected by blood.
Drastically reduces the cooldown of skill
‘?’
.
───────
The ability applied to skill ‘?’.
A more detailed explanation unfolded.
───────
※Applicable Skills:
Tower Entry
───────
A list of skills to which Bloodline Blessing had been applied thus far appeared.
In Choi Kang-mok’s case, Bloodline Blessing was devoted solely to ‘Tower Entry’.
Naturally, it became applicable only to ‘Tower Entry’.
───────
※Floors 1–10: Cooldown Negated
※Floors 11–20: Cooldown 1 Hour
※Floors 21–30: Cooldown 2 Hours
※Floors 31–40: Locked (Level Up Required)
───────
The momentum of the +9 enhancement showed no signs of stopping.
[Through the EX-Rank Assistant effect, a magnificent enhancement has been achieved!]
[!EX Coins have been confirmed as used in this magnificent enhancement!]
───────
[Bloodline Blessing +9]
Bestow a blessing upon those connected by blood.
Drastically reduces the cooldown of skill
‘?’
Reward acquisition related to ‘EX’ increases by 100%.
※EX Coins doubled
※EX Points doubled
───────
Kang Hye sprang to her feet.
She approached Choi Kang-mok like a yaksha hunting prey.
“Come here!”
Her eyes gleamed with fervent intensity.
Choi Kang-mok instinctively assumed a defensive stance.
-User, even if you choose to retreat, I would not consider it cowardice.
-However, it is already too late. Kang Hye’s eyes have already rolled halfway back.
“What’s gotten into you?”
“No more talking. Turn around.”
Kang Hye placed her hand on his back.
Warmth radiated from her fingertips, and moments later, a notification window appeared before Choi Kang-mok.
[Bloodline Blessing applied!]
[The cooldown of skill ‘Tower Entry’ has been reduced to 1 hour.]
Twelve hours had become one.
“Apparently, this can be used on other skills too.”
“Speak more slowly.”
“I only applied it to Tower Entry for now, but it means there are more applications possible later.”
Beyond that, another effect of Bloodline Blessing followed.
[EX Points increased by 100%.]
My current EX Points were 1.
It had become 2.
Not only EX Points but also EX Coins were affected.
[EX Coins increased by 100%.]
The 4 EX Coins had grown to 8.
Even Choi Kang-mok himself felt slightly bewildered.
“…This actually works? Isn’t this broken?”
I had invested 5 EX Points and received tens, hundreds in return.
Kang Hye, who had successfully granted the Bloodline Blessing, also wore a dumbfounded expression.
“You’re the one talking about balance breaking?”
“Are you saying Jak Oppa is talking about a balance patch?”

* * *
Publicly, a Ranker belonging to the London Guild.
But in truth, a shadow loyal to Real Madrid.
He had set foot on Korean soil.
Honestly, he hadn’t expected to come to Korea either.
“So this is the land of EX-Awakened ones.”
A nation that lagged behind in everything except for EX-Awakened individuals.
This dispatch felt somewhat beneath him.
A peripheral stage. A city with an unfamiliar name.
It was not a place where his talent, always directed toward the center, was meant to reach.
‘Here, I’ll be among the top tier.’
Joshua was one of England’s most renowned combat mages.
A Ranker who prided himself on not falling short of Grand Mage Christine under certain conditions.
‘I’ve identified the target.’
Given time, I could complete the mission.
The facade was the London Guild.
That way, contact with the Seoul Guild would feel natural.
‘The EX-class job will be inherited. I’ll handle it directly.’
With a composed expression, he shook hands with Seoul Guild Master Lee Byung-gyu.
“Pleased to meet you.”
“Yes, pleased to meet you.”
Publicly, he was in a position to actively assist the Seoul Guild’s Tower ascent.
In the current situation where a Tower conquest war was unfolding.
“Currently, Daegu and Incheon appear to have the most advantage.”
“Yes, that would be the case. Here, you should be able to conquer the higher floors.”
Joshua thought to himself.
‘First, I’ll build trust by helping them conquer perfectly.’
He leaked London’s know-how. Just enough for the Seoul Guild to be grateful.
“Would it be possible to meet the EX-Awakened one? From our assessment, they might be the key figure in this Tower conquest war.”
Lee Byung-gyu shook his head.
“The EX-Awakened has achieved an EX clear of Floor 11.”
“And?”
“Recovery and stabilization are necessary. Surely you understand that?”
Then, the Hall of Fame was updated.
───────
[Hall of Fame – Floor 12]
[South Korea]
1. -(EX, Seoul)
…
───────
An urgent report came in.
“Seoul Tower, 12th Floor, EX-Rank clear confirmed!”
Joshua looked toward Lee Byung-gyu with a somewhat bewildered expression.
“You said he was taking active rest and recuperation.”
“…I’ll look into it.”
Lee Byung-gyu had nothing to say either.
First it was a 24-hour interval, then 12 hours, and now consecutive clears in just one hour.
“I’ll look into it.”

* * *
Meanwhile, Choi Kang-mok breathed quietly.
I had experienced far too much to be swept away by the exhilaration of an EX-Rank clear.
‘Phew.’
Obliterating monsters in a single strike—the damage output was intoxicating.
This sensation was far more tremendous than I’d anticipated.
On top of that, I was now achieving consecutive EX-Rank clears.
‘In a way, experiencing that awakening cancellation turned out to be a blessing.’
If it was good, it becomes a memory; if it was bad, it becomes experience.
That saying seemed to ring true.
Because of that experience back then, keeping my composure now was far easier.
‘Don’t get too excited. Prepare for the next hour.’
Just then.
A voice reached my ears.
“Choi Kang-mok.”
“Oh, hyung.”
Seoul Guild Headquarters.
Choi Kang-chul, who had been staying with me recently, had returned early.
“First, congratulations.”
He was happy, but his words were brief.
I felt slightly awkward in front of my older brother too.
The brothers got straight to the point.
“You know Joshua?”
“Yeah. The London ranker who was dispatched to Seoul Guild this time.”
“He really wants to meet you.”
“Me?”
“There’s a gimmick on the 13th Floor that only London has figured out.”
“Really?”
“He said it can’t be conveyed remotely.”
Protected by shields.
Unless it’s the magic of obliterating damage output, I don’t fear much else.
If what he’s saying is true, meeting Joshua wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“What’s the gimmick?”
“First, the clear difficulty itself drops significantly.”
Choi Kang-mok stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Clear difficulty was low anyway, so it didn’t really matter.
I could manage alone.
“The gimmick applies the corresponding clear rank continuously up to Floor 15.”
“Ah.”
So if I cleared Floor 13 at EX rank, Floors 14 and 15 would be recognized as EX rank clears as well.
“There should be a penalty for that, right?”
“Floors 14 and 15 become inaccessible. You and other players are forced to skip them entirely.”
“…No thanks.”
One floor at a time, climbing steadily and growing.
Suddenly skip two floors?
My level jumps by four again?
I’d become too strong too fast.
I need to climb gradually to adapt to my own magic.
“Why?”
“I want to practice my magic more. I need to go up step by step.”
Besides, I could only earn additional EX points by clearing Floor 15.
If I used the gimmick, I might not receive any EX points at all.
“Is that so?”
My brother didn’t ask further.
Between us existed an understanding that needed no explanation.
Meanwhile, Joshua’s pride was deeply wounded.
‘A mere newcomer dares to defy me?’
Joshua made no effort to hide his anger.
He maintained formal courtesy, but his words carried a razor’s edge.
“Seoul’s Lord, you’re aware that a Sapphire Golem appears on Floor 13, correct?”
An excessively basic question.
Lee Byung-gyu answered.
“Yes, we are aware.”
“From what I can tell, the EX Awakener appears to be an interception-specialized tank with unique abilities related to enhancement.”
“….”
“Do you know what phenomenon occurs when significant damage is dealt to the Sapphire Golem through interception?”
“That is….”
Seoul.
No—even across the entire Korean region, this was information they hadn’t grasped.
“I am absolutely necessary. He could be in danger. Please contact him again immediately——.”
Then, a piece of news arrived.
It was news of an EX-Rank clear on the 13th Floor of Seoul Tower.
“…What the hell?”
The translation pendant conveyed Joshua’s emotions with perfect accuracy.

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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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