The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 64

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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 064
At this moment, Choi Kang-mok was focused on two things.
One was climbing the Tower, and the other was growth as a mage.
The ultimate goal was, of course, to become a great mage.
However, due to immediate practical circumstances, I was currently placing slightly more focus on Tower climbing.
This was a time to lay foundations and build a solid base.
In that sense, it was only natural to contemplate how to efficiently conquer the next floor.
‘The sandstorm on Floor 26 is the most annoying obstacle, isn’t it?’
Choi Kang-mok knocked on Kang Hye’s door with this concern weighing on him.
“Are you in?”
“Y-yes, I am!”
The urgent tone was accompanied by the sound of a drawer closing.
It seemed a bit suspicious, but there was a more pressing matter at hand.
Choi Kang-mok paid it little mind and continued.
“You’ve been to Floor 26 before, right?”
“Of course.”
“Dealing with the Sand Moles is the challenge?”
“Yeah.”
Floor 26 features a special monster called the Sand Mole.
It moves while hiding its body in the sand, then suddenly bursts forth to attack.
While the strategy is now widely known, countless players once perished here.
“The Sand Moles themselves aren’t that strong though?”
“Right. For Awakened who’ve made it this far, they’re just annoying.”
Sand Moles were troublesome not because they were powerful.
It was because of Floor 26’s unique environment.
A sandstorm so fierce it’s difficult to even keep your eyes open rages across the floor.
Visibility is compromised, and breathing becomes labored.
“But as you know, that place is where the sandstorm is really frustrating….”
As Kang Hye answered, she glanced sidelong at her desk drawer.
In truth, she had been making consistent efforts to be of help to Choi Kang-mok.
The problem was that the pace was too rapid.
Both the climbing and growth—whatever it was—were difficult to keep up with.
For instance, even now she was inquiring around to obtain a ‘Clairvoyance Lens,’ which was essential for conquering Floor 26.
“Did you… manage to get the Clairvoyance Lens?”
“No, not yet.”
The orthodox strategy was to use a Clairvoyance Lens that could withstand the sandstorm.
The problem was that most Clairvoyance Lenses were exclusive to close-combat Awakened.
Clairvoyance Lenses usable by mages were quite rare.
‘So she hasn’t obtained one yet.’
Kang Hye felt slightly relieved.
I’ve reached the point where I can obtain a mage-use clairvoyance through the Explorer Community.
‘If I just had a bit more time—maybe a day—I could get it!’
Finally, I’ll be able to contribute to the EX-Rank Awakener’s ascent!
Kang Hye was slightly giddy with excitement.
“What if we could eliminate the sandstorm entirely?”
“There have been attempts like that before.”
Wind-attribute mages had tried this method several times.
“Oh, Christine is a prime example! I heard she resisted the sandstorm with storm-type magic before?”
“Did she succeed?”
“The results weren’t made public. You should probably ask Christine directly. Anyway, I’m busy, so could you leave now?”
I need to get the mage-use clairvoyance as quickly as possible.
Before the Seoul Guild or London Guild!

* * *
Recently, Christine has been climbing the early stages of Floor 40.
Training rookies was the official pretext, but in reality, she was continuously conquering the early stages of Floor 40 to obtain a mage-use clairvoyance.
“Damn it, no drop again.”
The only mage-use clairvoyance the London Guild possessed had been damaged not long ago.
Mage-use clairvoyances dropped from Floors 41 through 44.
The probability was low, and the difficulty was high.
“I need to get it soon.”
She took a moment to catch her breath and lifted her head.
What crossed her mind was none other than the Saudi Guild.
Saudi Arabia had earned the nickname “cheat map” among certain lords thanks to its abundant financial resources and artifact holdings.
If they obtained the mage-use clairvoyance as well, she might lose the chance to appeal to Seoul and the EX-Rank Awakener.
“Did those Saudi guys get their hands on a mage-use clairvoyance?”
“There’s been no word so far.”
“Good. That’s a relief.”
The London Guild’s top priority right now wasn’t simply climbing.
It was establishing favorable relations with Seoul and the EX-Rank Awakener. That was the core objective.
To achieve that, she needed to obtain the mage-use clairvoyance as quickly as possible.
“Emily is ready, right?”
“Yes. She says she can enhance it to at least +3 immediately.”
A mage-use clairvoyance enhanced by Emily.
That would make an excellent gift indeed.
“Let’s go in one more time.”
“Come on, everyone has that much stamina. Really, just one more time—just one more, okay? Please.”

* * *
I had gathered all the information about Floor 26.
And I had reached a conclusion.
“Mayo, your abilities should be more than sufficient.”
A sandstorm?
In other words, foreign matter—dust.
-I, Mayo, believe the same.
– 🙂
Mayo’s cleaning ability was equivalent to a general-rank cleaning-class player at level 250.
It wasn’t merely exceptional cleaning prowess either.
I was proficient in both dry and wet cleaning, and even perfect at waste separation.
Calling it waste separation was generous—it was closer to an ability to make things vanish entirely.
-Based on my experience, I believe it will be sufficient.
[Entering Seoul Tower, Floor 26.]
[Challenge: Defeat the sand moles! (3/3)]
A vast desert stretched before me.
I immediately expanded my magical perception to scout the surroundings.
For reference, I had studied the map before entering.
I had committed a rough guideline to memory before coming in.
‘Understanding the layout has become far easier.’
As a result of endlessly interpreting and analyzing the structure of the Pocket Dimension,
I had grown familiar enough to intuitively decipher an entire floor of the Tower.
Moreover, the Pocket Dimension ‘Mayo’ could expand its domain enough to blanket an entire floor.
That meant I could encompass this entire floor within my magical vision.
‘End Point location confirmed.’
Though I had just entered, I had already mapped it out.
‘The sandstorm will begin soon.’
And then the sandstorm commenced.
Like an avalanche bearing down, a russet-colored sandstorm began to swirl violently.
-First-rank sweeper, advancing 🙂
Whirrrrr—
A light vacuum-cleaner sound echoed out.
Mayo puffed up slightly, then whoosh! and inhaled the sand.
Of course, it was merely a visual effect—the real power lay elsewhere.
The view cleared in an instant.
Every grain of sand in the air and across the ground was meticulously removed.
“Impressive.”
The cleaning performance was even more remarkable than I had anticipated.
All the sand on Floor 26 had vanished entirely.
The sand moles that had been hiding within the sand seemed to go into shock, flipping onto their backs.
I can see all three of them.
Choi Kang-mok drew upon his mana reserves, pausing briefly to consider his approach.
The urge to cast magic stirred within him.
Wind-attribute magic would work, but no—I’ll stick with what feels natural in my hands.
[Activating skill ‘Energy Bolt (S)’.]
The two Energy Bolts created by the double multiplier effect were then subdivided once more,
splitting into four bolts total, each guided with surgical precision.
One Energy Bolt to dispatch each sand mole.
Before each bolt even reached its target,
the sand moles’ bodies crumbled into dust and scattered.
The remaining three bolts were imbued with piercing properties,
then driven deep into the ground.
Debris spraying upward was minimized, and what little did escape was blocked by invulnerability.
Excellent. This method works too.
[Exiting the Tower.]
After confirming the EX-rank clear, I exited with considerable composure.
There was no need to flee hastily anymore.
Now, I had the luxury of time.
───────
[Hall of Fame – Floor 26]
[Global] [Personal]
1. -(South Korea, EX)
…
───────
Right after clearing, Choi Kang-mok tilted his head in sudden contemplation.
Wait a moment.
I hadn’t summoned any high-tier spirits in this clear.
A deliberate choice to handle it with familiar magic instead.
By any measure, it was a decision befitting a battle mage.
Looking back, every movement from start to finish seemed optimized purely for combat.
Am I focusing too narrowly on combat alone?
The thought crossed my mind briefly.
This entire sequence of actions felt as though
I was using magic to fight, rather than fighting to study magic.
“Well, there’s no helping it for now.”
I was still in the foundational stage, before delving into magical research.
“Everything is proceeding according to plan.”

* * *
Christine stood with her arms crossed.
“Hehe, I’ve been waiting for you, Strongtree.”
She unleashed a wind-attribute piercing spell.
It was something like a greeting.
“As expected, it doesn’t work.”
Christine had been researching Choi Kang-mok’s ‘invincibility’ ability lately.
She was attempting to recreate the state he entered immediately after exiting the Tower, but so far it remained in the experimental phase.
“Anyway, I’ve acquired something remarkable.”
“Something remarkable?”
“Take a look.”
[Clairvoyance Lens – Mage Exclusive]
Christine shrugged her shoulders.
“I asked Emily to enhance it to tier 3. With this, we should be able to get a good rating on Floor 26.”
“….”
“We don’t ask for much. Just share the clear footage with us.”
At that moment, Kang Hye burst through the door.
“Oppa! I finally got it!”
Kang Hye was also holding a Clairvoyance Lens in her hand.
It was a rare item she had painstakingly obtained through the Explorer Community.
Its durability was nearly depleted, but it was still usable once.
Kang Hye froze mid-step.
Choi Kang-mok was holding an identical Clairvoyance Lens in his hand.
And to anyone’s eye, it was a far superior item compared to the one she had brought.
‘…What? I brought this for nothing.’
She felt embarrassed for no reason.
Just then, Christine’s phone rang.
“I’m busy right now… Huh? What did you say?”
It was a call informing her that Floor 26 had been cleared.
And at EX-rank, no less.
Christine’s expression turned sour.
“Wait, you already cleared Floor 26?”
She had assumed he went there just to practice.
But he had actually gone to clear Floor 26.
“How did you clear it? Without the Clairvoyance Lens? Did you use wind magic?”
“No.”
Seeing was better than a thousand words.
“I recorded it with a body camera. Want to watch?”
In that instant, Choi Kang-mok felt a chill run through him.
The body camera wasn’t damaged at all.
I not only made a leisurely exit from the Tower but also managed to capture it all on film.
Compared to the time I destroyed the strategy drone, this is remarkable growth.
“I think I’ve grown considerably as a mage.”
Kang Hye and Christine examined the body camera footage together.
“….”
“….”
Both of them were at a loss for words.
They couldn’t close their mouths at the sight of the Tower’s mechanics completely vanishing.
Still, Christine, being a ranker, spoke first.
“This is… cleaning?”
“Yeah.”
“So you’re talking about that convenience function that keeps this place spotless every day?”
“Right. Want the footage?”
It hadn’t been particularly helpful, but I knew that obtaining the X-ray scope was difficult.
From my perspective, strengthening ties with London was a good thing.
Handing over the strategy footage wasn’t difficult at all.
“I’d appreciate it, but….”
Christine fell into a moment of contemplation.
Would this actually help us?
This strategy footage?
Wouldn’t it instead become an act of clipping the wings of the rankers?
“But Strongtree.”
“What?”
“Right now, that’s less magic and more the ability of your Pocket Dimension, isn’t it?”
“It’s magic. You saw it yourself. Segmentation, precision guidance, instantaneous penetration granted to each fragment….”
Though it appeared to be magic purely for combat, the subtlety contained within was unmistakably that of a mage.
I took pride in that.
“No, that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about Mayo’s ability.”
Christine’s eyes lit up again.
“You applied that Pocket Dimension function to the Seoul Guild Headquarters too, right?”
“Yeah.”
“What if we could convert that ability into a scroll the same way?”
“…Huh?”
Converting Mayo’s ability into a scroll.
It was an idea worth attempting.
And it seemed quite intriguing at that.

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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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