The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 80

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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 080
Thud!
With a dull impact, my body was sent flying backward.
Just as I was about to cross the North Korean border, a transparent barrier materialized and blocked my path.
The collision knocked me off balance, and my feet stumbled against the ground.
“Damn it.”
“A physical barrier exists here.”
The world had now entered the Tower Civilization 2.0 era.
Nations that ultimately failed to breach the 50th Floor and fell behind had their borders opened as their Towers vanished.
The decline of those nations was an inevitable consequence.
“Why is there a physical barrier here…”
That was when it happened. Beyond the opaque barrier.
People began emerging from the inside, one by one.
“They’re refugees.”
“Hmm?”
“It appears they can pass through.”
They had come from inside.
The passage was open from within to without.
But it was sealed from outside to within.
“That is…”
“Korea’s physical barrier.”
South Korea’s border was the most unusual in the world.
A one-directional border—free to exit from within, but impenetrable from without.
Only EX-rank Awakeners and those granted permission by the Seoul Guild could enter.
A similar barrier had been erected around North Korea as well.
“What about the explorer reinforcements?”
“They’ll arrive shortly.”
China’s most renowned explorers had assembled.
“Find the entry mechanism.”
With the full backing of the Grand Lord, they attempted to discover a way to breach the border, but their efforts proved futile.
“My apologies.”
“We cannot find any method to break through from the outside.”
Not long after, astonishing news arrived.
“A system-wide announcement has echoed across the South Korean territory. The system has…”
The guild member delivering the report flinched in surprise.
I never expected something like this to occur.
“It has recognized the unification of North and South Korea.”
“What? Unification?”
“To be precise, the system didn’t use the word ‘unification’ exactly…”
The notification stated that North and South Korea were now bound together as a single national territory.
North and South Korea unified as a single “Korean Territory.”
In the Tower Civilization era, the system had recognized them as one nation.
“It appears that Korean borders are now being applied to North Korean territory as well.”
They couldn’t hide their reluctant expressions.

* * *
[!Announcement to All Korean Territory!]
[All Towers in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Territory have sworn allegiance to Seoul Tower.]
The North Korean Lords were utterly dumbfounded.
‘When did we?’
‘Did I?’
The one they had sworn allegiance to was the Pyongyang Lord.
The price of defeat in the Territorial War was steep.
A Territorial War was a system where the victor monopolized everything from the loser.
Following the Pyongyang Tower’s change to (Former) Pyongyang Tower, another transformation unfolded.
[The controlling authority of Haeju Tower is changing.]
[Controlling Authority: Pyongyang ▶▶▶ Seoul]
[The controlling authority of Hamhung Tower is changing.]
[Controlling Authority: Pyongyang ▶▶▶ Seoul]
[Wonsan… Sinuiju…]
Every Tower in North Korea shifted from Pyongyang’s control to Seoul’s.
As a result,
[The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Territory is being integrated.]
[Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Territory ▶▶▶ Korean Territory]
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
What was conveniently called North Korean Territory was now absorbed into Korean Territory.
Korean borders were applied in exactly the same manner.
[Wait… is this… unification?]
└No, this is real? LOL
└EX-rank Awakener: “I just clicked once, you know?”
└㎏㎏㎏㎏㎏㎏㎏ Tears from national pride overflowing
Even those who were uncertain at first soon realized it.
This was unification.
Is unification real lol
└???: We dream~ of~ unification~♬
└Unification firsthand review: Dude, this is insane
└EX-rank Awakener, currently manufacturing national pride in Seoul
[But what’s the government doing?]
└Government: ??? What’s happening right now???
The president is also greedy lol
└Can we really announce this as unification…?
As the Tower civilization era began, the government’s role had been greatly diminished.
Though the government’s influence was growing again now, it still wasn’t there yet.
[What about the North Korean government?]
└Doesn’t exist, does it?
└That place was always government=Guild system
└Lee Tae-gwang is the president + defense minister + sole political party
Soon after, breaking news erupted.
[【Breaking News】 South Korean Government Officially Declares Unification!]
[【Breaking News】 National Military Brings Peace to North Korean Border!]
The president, who had been little more than a figurehead, hastily released a statement.
[Distinguished citizens of our nation. Today, I stand before you to witness one of the greatest moments in history. We are all one people, brothers and sisters sharing the same roots, and we have endured the pain of division for a long time. Now we have entered a new era. North and South have become one, and we have achieved the peaceful unification that we all yearned for.]
Viewership: 50%.
News broadcasts played in every living room.
“Right, it is peaceful unification.”
“Didn’t just one person die?”
“No, they didn’t die! They’re brain dead!”
[At the center of all these changes stands one person. With courage and conviction, he opened a new era.]
Half of the president’s statement was praise and admiration for the EX-rank Awakener.
Various online communities erupted.
[Don’t really know, but let’s toast to all these nice-sounding words~]
└Honestly, what did the government even do?
└???: Is there even a government in countries these days?
└The president knows that approval ratings go up just by praising EX-rank Awakeners lol
└At this rate, Nobel Peace Prize is guaranteed lol
[From this point forward, South Korea advances as one people, one nation.]
[Thank you. President of South Korea, Han Jun-seok.]
Though there were critical voices questioning what the government had actually done, most citizens cheered.
[But won’t the North Korean soldiers just watch? Isn’t war about to break out?]
└Won’t they?
└Tsk, do some research
└North Korean military leadership = Pyongyang Guild rankers = currently Seoul subordinates
└They’re already all bowing and scraping lol
The North Korean military leadership itself consisted mostly of Guild rankers.
Those unable to accept unification all went into hiding, while the previously marginalized figures pledged obedience to the Seoul Guild and actively supported unification.
The Seoul Guild’s political strategy continued.
[【Breaking News】 Seoul Opens Towers Completely to All Awakeners Except Guild Members]
In reality, “Guild members” were a minority.
All other ordinary Awakeners were now free to climb the Towers.
Tributes were minimized.
It had even synchronized with the Seoul Tower.
[The Pyongyang Tower is sharing Tower benefits with the Seoul Tower lol]
└The residents were thrilled
└Heard the rankers there were sucking the blood of ordinary Awakeners lol
└Now even the Tower is a welfare system lol
The ordinary Awakeners and North Korean residents who had been exploited welcomed the change with open arms.
[But how do they manage the Tower then?]
└They say they’re putting the guild members who surrendered properly in charge as administrators
└The fringe guild members are saying they’ll bury their bones there?
Every guild has mainstream and fringe factions.
The fringe faction actively cooperated with the Seoul Guild, and thanks to that, order didn’t collapse even after unification.
└North Korea has a ton of mining Gates, right?
└Yeah, way more resources and artifacts than the South
In the Tower civilization era, North Korea was far superior to South Korea.
[Add “Korean Unification” to EX-rank Awakener’s Achievement list lolol]
└Is it normal to feel this much national pride?
└Absolutely fucking normal lol
[EX bro take me♡(swoon)]
└Someone get that avatar some pants
└EX-rank Awakener: Won’t attack first, but if you dare challenge, will beat you into unification
└This is what a true powerhouse looks like lolololol
The EX-rank Awakener demonstrated exactly what happens when someone rashly attempts to “seize territory.”
For the EX-rank Awakener, it was the best possible outcome; for Lee Tae-gwang, it was a catastrophe beyond measure.
A case that proved an entire nation could fall with just a single defeat.
[But why isn’t the face shown?]
└Processed as a system avatar without personal consent
└But the avatar is a total loser in white underwear lololol
└The face must be ugly the face must be ugly the face must be ugly
While the world churned with various controversies, Choi Kang-mok focused on his notifications.
[You have obtained the Title: “Unification of a Divided Nation.”]
[You obtain the Title Effect: “Balanced National Development.”]
───────
[Balanced National Development]
To promote balanced development of the unified territory, one new outpost will be established.
※(Former) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea territory only
───────
‘What is this?’
───────
-Outpost Facility List
1) Ayla Research Institute
2) Leonhardt Training Ground
3) Iranel Prayer Chamber
4) Dragos Arena
───────
‘I’m not entirely sure, but….’
One thing was certain.
The names appearing in the descriptions looked familiar.
‘Names that appear on the 1st Floor of the Tower.’
Selecting the Ayla Statue grants a temporary job as a Novice Mage.
Selecting the Iranel Statue grants a temporary job as an Apprentice Priest.
‘Then the Ayla Research Institute must be….’
There was a very high probability it would be a magical research institute.
A magical research institute supported by the system?
The deliberation didn’t take long.
[‘Ayla Research Institute’ – will you install it?]
[Installable regions: (Old) Pyongyang/Nampo… Haeju]
I could choose one of eight cities with Towers.
The answer was obvious.
‘Pyongyang.’
The Pyongyang Tower was synchronized with Seoul, and as an EX-rank Awakener privilege, I could open a passage to it.
It was a transportation hub I could freely travel to and from Seoul, Choi Kang-mok’s sanctuary.
[‘(Old) Pyongyang’ has been selected.]
[The location will be set automatically.]
[Ayla’s Research Institute will be newly established at the Pyongyang Science and Technology Hall.]
The Pyongyang Science and Technology Hall building, located in Munsu District, turned ashen.
[‘Ayla Research Institute’ under construction….]
Above the ash-colored building, shapes of hammers and excavators appeared and began clanging away through the night.
[1%….]
It seemed this would take quite some time.
Various media outlets reported on this miraculous phenomenon.

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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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