The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 7

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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 007
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[Awakener Shop]
[Floor 4] [Magic-Type Exclusive]
1. Novice Mage Robe – 300,000 Diamonds
2. Novice Mage Hat – 200,000 Diamonds
3. Novice Mage Shoes – 200,000 Diamonds
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Magic-type equipment was light and comfortable.
It didn’t interfere with mana flow, but the defense was lacking.
That’s why many aspiring mages in the early days of the new civilization used to buy and wear knight-type exclusive items instead.
I had worn magic-type exclusive items back then too.
‘A mage’s foundation is a staff and a robe.’
It was a simple philosophy, but as it turned out, I was right.
How one cleared the tutorial section greatly influenced future growth.
If you aspired to be a mage, it was important to use magic-type exclusive items.
[You have purchased a Novice Mage Robe.]
[You have purchased a Novice Mage Hat.]
[You have purchased Novice Mage Shoes.]
I examined my reflection in the mirror.
“Now this looks proper.”
I sat down in a chair and reviewed the earlier situation.
‘Raising agility was the right call.’
I didn’t aim to be merely a combat mage, but this experience wasn’t bad.
‘I even managed to dodge the shrapnel.’
Thanks to my increased agility, I was able to evade the fragments.
What if I’d made a mistake and gotten grazed again?
Just thinking about it was horrifying.
‘As expected. Penetration is essential.’
If I compressed the energy bolt even smaller and fired it through like a bullet, the shrapnel wouldn’t scatter like that.
My first research project would be ‘compression’ and ‘penetration’.
After setting my research goals, I finally felt like I was truly returning as a mage.
A slight thrill ran through me.
‘I’ll master it before long.’

* * *
“Gangnam hyung just showed up lol”
“And it’s fucking huge lol”
Door guy lol
└Is this the same door-breaker from before?
└Why are you going through the automatic airport gate? Hahahaha (photo attached)
└Heard the sensor broke so he just destroyed it and kept going
└True man: The path I walk becomes the road itself
Korea’s number one tank-class player and the ace of the Daegu Guild.
Lee Kang-nam had arrived at Seoul Station.
Countless reporters swarmed around him.
“Is your visit to Seoul really because of the EX-rank player?”
Camera shutters erupted endlessly.
Lee Kang-nam removed his sunglasses and answered.
“I’m planning to give a knuckle sandwich to whoever stole my record.”
Click! Click!
Getting punched by your Gangnam hyung is a one-way ticket to heaven lol
└His fist is bigger than my brain;;
But Lee Kang-nam is totally the type to deserve a good punch lol
└Lee Kang-nam: “To the Room of Spirit and Time.”
The incident where Lee Kang-nam assaulted the Daegu Lord was already famous.
Of course, it was a staged act orchestrated jointly with the Lord to build Lee Kang-nam’s public image… but.
It was difficult for ordinary people to know the full story.
“Hey, EX. Let’s meet up. We need to talk. In exchange, I’ll just give you this.”
He pulled out a small jewel from his pocket.
A red hexagonal gem.
It was a Rune.
“Mr. Kang-nam, what is that?”
“Can’t you tell by looking? It’s a red rune.”
A red rune.
Shortened to ‘red rune’.
Runes are graded by color, and according to current knowledge,
[White-Blue-Purple-Orange-Red-Black]
they are ranked in that order.
The consensus is that rune configuration becomes increasingly important at higher levels.
Since it wasn’t within the public domain, much information hadn’t been released.
At this point in time, only a handful of red runes had been distributed in Korea.
“What effect does it have?”
“Find out for yourself.”
Click! Click!
[Crazy hahaha they just give me a red balloon?]
“So muscles really did conquer even the brain, what a class lol”
└Pride dominates his entire being
└Eat and run ㄱㄱㄱㄱㄱㄱㄱ
└That alone would reverse anyone’s life
└Dine and dash, let’s go!!!!
Yet the reporter couldn’t “dine and dash” and examined the effect instead.
“An amplification rune?”
An era where damage output had become paramount.
Amplification runes were essential for dealers.
And among red runes, this option ranked at the very top.
[A rune that unconditionally amplifies attack power by 20% exists?]
└Isn’t that completely broken?
└Top-tier SSS-rank among red runes
└Isn’t that on the level of a black rune?
No one knows about the black rune lol anyway, the red rune penthouse is correct
[【Breaking News】 Lee Kang-nam sets meeting a ‘red rune’ as his condition….]
[【Breaking News】 A red rune rivaling black rune-level quality!]
“Kang-nam, isn’t this a recruitment operation? Aren’t you concerned about your relationship with Seoul Guild?”
“I told you it’s not a scout.”
Lee Kang-nam glared with his eyes.
As if he’d throw a punch at any moment.
The reporter gasped and held his breath, averting his gaze.
This man even hits his own lord.
A true man whose brain is made entirely of muscle—Ho So-in. Also known as “Muscle Brain.”
In front of Muscle Brain, one must be careful about everything.
Yet the reporter wielded his steadfast sense of duty.
“Regardless of intent, it certainly appears that way to observers.”
“So what?”
“….”
“If you’re upset, assassinate me. I’ll be at Goryeo Hotel.”
“Is that confidence for real? lol”
└Truly a ranker….
└Hyung, you’re so damn sexy and charismatic
└What’s Seoul’s lord doing? If Seoul citizens get stolen like this?
└It’s awkward to criticize since it’s not a scout
Lol, anyone would think I’m already part of the Seoul Guild? It’s disgusting watching a perpetual last-place loser act all cocky.
└Does a last-place guild even match with an EX-rank?
Seoul kids’ special trait: completely oblivious to reality lol
Choi Kang-mok, who was watching the footage in real-time, trembled violently.
‘Insane. A 20% attack power amplification?’
I can barely handle things as they are—if I took a hit like that, all hell would break loose.
Lee Kang-nam spoke in the video.
-I stake my name on this promise. Just watch. Then I’ll give you this. All I’m asking for is a single punch.
I flinched, startled.
“This guy really looks like he’s going to throw it…”
His eyes were already gleaming with lethal intent.
Losing his unshakeable first-place position must have infuriated him considerably.
‘If I take a punch from him.’
Gulp.
I swallowed hard.
‘I’m definitely dead.’
Slime venom melts through flesh.
A hit from a ranker’s fist would mean instant death—there was no doubt about it.
“An amplification rune, of all things.”
He’s not even a combat-focused mage.
His attack power is already more than sufficient.

* * *
Lee Kang-nam was confident.
A damage amplification red rune.
Treasures of this caliber were rare to find.
Naturally, assassins came crawling.
“Seoul’s security is a complete mess.”
In a hotel room.
Seven assassins already lay sprawled on the floor, bleeding out.
Lee Byung-gyu, the Seoul Lord, arrived to handle the aftermath.
“I apologize for this.”
“Did you send them?”
“If I’d sent them, I wouldn’t have used amateurs like these.”
Lee Kang-nam let out a derisive snort.
“If you sent competent ones, there might actually be a way to deal with it, right?”
“Even a stray dog eats half its meal in its own yard before coming home.”
The gap between Seoul and Daegu was unmistakable.
The Daegu Guild and the Busan Guild were Korea’s two powerhouses.
Both guilds were happily challenging the 39th floor together.
“Stealing the rune seems feasible. A few people would die in the process, though.”
“Try if you can.”
Lee Kang-nam crossed his legs and gazed at Lee Byung-gyu.
The red rune sat brazenly displayed on the desk.
“How could that be? You’re a distinguished guest of the Hyungje Guild.”
“Why did you come? You’re not an EX-rank.”
“I’ll clean up this mess first.”
Assassins scattered across the floor.
Lee Byung-gyu clicked his tongue in disapproval.
‘Fools who don’t know their place.’
Even if Seoul Guild’s elite assassins formed a team, it would be reckless.
They were like moths flying toward a flame.
“You didn’t kill them?”
“Our lord said not to cause trouble.”
Lee Byung-gyu’s eyes narrowed.
If it was the Lee Kang-nam he knew, those assassins would all be dead.
“It sounds like you’ve jumped into the EX-rank recruitment war.”
Lee Kang-nam nodded.
But his words said otherwise.
“That’s the lord’s business. I don’t know. My job is just to beat that bastard senseless.”
“Why don’t we cooperate?”
“Would you be helpful?”
“Still, this is Seoul. We’ve already narrowed down the candidates considerably. Our intelligence network and your bait—if we cooperate, we can find the EX-rank.”
“And then?”
“After that, it depends on individual capability, doesn’t it?”
It wasn’t a bad proposition for Lee Kang-nam either.
He was already growing somewhat impatient.
‘How cautious is this bastard…’
I thought he’d make contact somehow.
I expected at least a system message—something that couldn’t be hacked.
But there was nothing.
Lee Byung-gyu quickly caught on to this.
‘Lee Kang-nam hasn’t received any contact either.’
Lee Kang-nam’s expression twisted.
“Your gears are grinding too loudly. I want to kill you.”
“How frightening. In any case, he must be deeply troubled by now as well.”
It was inevitable.
The bait Lee Kang-nam dangled was far too sweet.
What if he joined hands with Lee Kang-nam?
Then at least some safety could be guaranteed.
“From what we’ve gathered, he’s clearing the Tower using special abilities. There’s no physical approach.”
“You can’t track his movements?”
“The Eight Lords are doing their utmost to locate him. No matter how EX-rank he is, how could a low-level Awakener deceive us all and physically enter the Tower?”
Fireworks explode the moment he exits?
It was impossible.
“It’s reasonable to classify them as an Explorer-type. Even so, it would be difficult for them to enter the Tower without any restrictions.”
Great power comes with great constraints.
That’s common sense.
“Moreover, they’re currently aiming for an EX-rank clear.”
“Just the conclusion.”
“With their focus so scattered, an EX-rank Awakener….”
“Long-winded explanations are the worst.”
“Tower climbing in this state? Impossible.”
Clearing the Tower demands enormous physical and mental stamina.
It’s already grueling to focus solely on the Tower, but with external incidents piling up like this, it’s practically impossible to conquer.
On top of that, they’ve already achieved four consecutive EX clears while using a Tower entry ability with severe restrictions.
They had to be exhausted.
A rational person would take a few days of rest and observe the situation.
Even Lee Kang-nam, Korea’s top-ranked player, acknowledged this.
“We’re compiling a list. We’re tracking traces of Explorer-type skills that don’t exist in our database.”
“Don’t act special. Everyone’s doing that right now.”
“However, we’ve narrowed down to specific candidates and are tracking them. I’ll say it again—this is Seoul.”
“If you’re so capable, why did you approach me? You could handle it among yourselves.”
“Because I’m a fan of yours?”
“Stop the nonsense.”
“We need justification to the Player Association.”
All Lords belong to the Player Association.
The National Lord exists above Guild Lords in the system.
They’re obligated to actively cooperate with Jeon Myung-gyu, the Grand Lord and Association Chairman.
When an EX-rank Awakener is found, it must be shared with the Player Association without fail.
By the way, Seoul’s Lord Lee Byung-gyu doesn’t even trust Jeon Myung-gyu.
“Publicly, we’ll say you found them. You’re not a scout anyway, and publicly, your relationship with the Daegu Lord isn’t bad either, is it? Just lend us your name.”
“You’re going to snitch to Jeon Myung-gyu?”
“Everyone knows you despise Jeon Myung-gyu….”
But then.
“My Lord!”
“Can’t you see I’m in an important meeting?”
“Seoul Tower’s 5th Floor has been cleared at EX-rank!”
The two of them locked eyes simultaneously.
“?”
“?”
Lee Kang-nam spoke first, his voice sharp.
“You said they couldn’t clear the Tower because their focus was too scattered!”
“Didn’t you think the same thing?”
“Damn it. When did I—!”
In truth, neither could blame the other for the situation.
Lee Kang-nam muttered under his breath.
“Wow, he’s absolutely insane….”
Lee Kang-nam’s trapezius muscle twitched.
Tower climbing demands extreme physical and mental exhaustion.
And with circumstances outside the Tower being this complicated.
Another EX clear?
The monster. How strong is his mental fortitude?
‘I really do envy him.’

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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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