The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 81

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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 081
While the entire world buzzed with excitement over the unification, Kang Hye remained far from elated.
‘I need to push myself harder.’
My older brother, Choi Kang-mok, was taking one magnificent step after another.
And I was well aware that the greater he became, the more enemies he would attract.
‘I need to grow stronger.’
So I could truly be of help to him.
Kang Hye immediately departed for Pyongyang.
‘Party play with my brother is difficult anyway.’
As an Ascendant-rank Explorer, I couldn’t be of much assistance in that regard.
I had found my own answer.
‘North Korea has many Gates related to cursed items, doesn’t it?’
Among them, the worst was the Gaema Plateau Amusement Park Gate.
It was an Explorer-exclusive Gate, but the more you cleared it, the more cursed items you obtained—nothing else.
While the difficulty itself wasn’t high, it was famous as an abandoned location because clearing it yielded no real benefit.
‘If I clear it multiple times… damage-reduction drop items should eventually appear.’
Ideally, runes.
Or accessories would work too.
If I could obtain cursed items that reduced damage, it would be a tremendous help to my brother.
“Oh…!”
Despite being cursed items, this place frequently dropped Legendary-grade equipment.
I was fortunate.
I had obtained a Legendary-grade ring inscribed with a damage-reduction curse.
“Excellent.”
With this, I should be able to control Choi Kang-mok’s damage output to some degree.
I headed toward the Pyongyang Tower to return to Seoul.
In the process, I happened to discover the Ayla Research Institute.
“Huh?”
To others, it supposedly appeared as ash-gray.
Yet strangely, to my eyes, a faint white radiance shimmered forth.
As I stood before the building, a system window materialized.
───────
[EX-Rank Supporter]
!!!
───────
“Hmm?”
When I pressed the exclamation mark, a message appeared before my eyes.
[Welcome to your first visit, ‘EX-Rank Supporter’!]
[Supporter rewards have been activated.]
[Will you accept the ‘Supporter’s Scroll’?]
A small scroll was transmitted through the system mail.

* * *
Seoul Guild Headquarters.
Kang Hye handed me the scroll immediately.
“Big brother, take a look at this.”
“What is it?”
I blinked as I examined the contents.
“There were advanced conditions for completing the research institute?”
“Yeah. It looks like if we satisfy these conditions, the completion level of Ayla Research Institute will increase even further.”
“Thank you.”
“Hehe. This much is nothing.”
Kang Hye smiled with satisfaction.
It finally felt like I was truly helping my brother.
The conditions themselves weren’t complicated.
‘Establishing a Magic Foundation….’
‘Establishing a Magic Foundation.’
That was the main Quest.
Beyond that, there were also ‘Awarding scholarships to newly awakened magic-type Awakeners.’
And minor sub-quests like ‘Increasing the ratio of temporary mage selections.’
I immediately consulted with Lee Byung-gyu, and he promised his full cooperation.
“We already have a meeting scheduled with the President. I’ll relay this right away. With administrative support, we should be able to process this much faster.”
Korea these days was in a transitional period, being reorganized from a city-state into a ‘nation.’
The government had begun to move as well.
And right now, the President was desperate to somehow attach himself to the achievements of the EX-rank Awakener.
“The support team leader will handle all the administrative matters.”
The EX-rank Awakener Support Team leader was my older brother, Choi Kang-chul.
That worked out conveniently for me.
“Yes, I appreciate your help.”
The work proceeded at lightning speed.
[Breaking News] EX-rank Awakener to Establish Magic Foundation!]
[Breaking News] EX-rank Awakener Generously Donates 300 Billion Diamonds for Aspiring Mages!]
[Breaking News] ‘National Reunification’ Followed by ‘Magic Renaissance’ Declaration?]
As massive capital and government-level administrative power were mobilized,
things began to progress smoothly.
And various organizations rushed to participate as well.
[Breaking News] Seoul Guild, deeply moved by the EX-rank Awakener’s conviction, donates 300 billion…]
[Breaking News] Boddari Union, inspired by the EX-rank Awakener’s vision… donates 300 billion…]
This news set South Korea, already heated by the reunification issue, into even greater fervor.
[Wow, this is insane lol investing in magic?]
└Anyway, all developed nations are raising mages
└Once you hit the higher floors, there’s no way forward without a mage
└The problem is 90% of them die during training lmao
└The cost-effectiveness is nightmarish, but once they’re complete, they’re absolutely broken (maybe)
└But if they take one hit and die, that’s it lol
[But a single person is doing this?]
└This is seriously EX-sama’s achievement
└Who are you to give credit lmao
└This person is basically the Yi Sun-sin of the magical world
[Since they unified a divided nation, they might as well spark a magical renaissance too]
└Now that’s patriotic
└Isn’t this normally something the government funds with taxes?
It was actually a fair point.
Even developed nations hesitated to spend freely on mage cultivation.
It required long-term investment, had low success rates, and carried enormous risks.
[Citizens: Why are we using taxes to raise mages?]
└Politicians: Well, uh… you see…
└EX-hyung: I’m raising them with my own money
└Dangun: And you’re saying I got scammed?
Thus, all conditions for the Supporter’s Scroll were satisfied.
[The speed of establishing new bases increases.]
[11% 12% ….]
Completion became possible within the week—sooner than anticipated.
Yet there existed a City Lord who vehemently opposed Korea’s unification.
“We strongly oppose the illegal territorial occupation of Seoul and South Korea through system exploitation….”
The force that appeared so abruptly was a powerhouse from China’s northeastern region.
The Shenyang Guild.

* * *
Shenyang had flourished long before the Tower civilization emerged.
Called the capital of Manchuria or the gateway to the Northeast, it stood as the cornerstone of heavy industry—machinery, aviation, steel, petrochemicals—the very heart of industrial power.
Yet with the advent of the Tower civilization, Shenyang acquired a new identity.
China’s magical capital.
[The greatest mage is born in England, but great mages are born in China.]
Such was the saying.
Shenyang had become a world-renowned City Guild specializing in magic.
And now, Shenyang made its position known.
“We will absolutely prevent South Korea’s illegal occupation in the name of world peace.”
[Illegal occupation lmao]
└Beijing’s staying quiet, who does he think he is lol
└Can they even do that? lmao
└Obviously they got Beijing’s permission before moving lol
Yet Beijing remained silent.
On the surface, it was framed as “the Shenyang Guild’s unilateral action.”
[But what exactly can you do about it?]
└Can’t cross the border~
└Can’t plant a flag~
└Can’t do anything~
└If you’re unhappy, try occupying the Tower lol
But they had their own methods.
[Breaking News: Shenyang announces export ban on Mana Barriers]
They played their strongest pressure card.
Mana Barriers are considered essential items for clearing Floor 40 and beyond.
[What even is a Mana Barrier lmao]
└It’s Shenyang’s specialty—even the world’s top 3 Guilds can’t make it
└It’s Shenyang’s specialty and requires hundreds of mages laboring just to produce one
Mages are rare beings.
And realistically, only China had the power to deploy them in such grueling labor.
[Wow, this is gonna hurt Seoul too?]
└Since it’s a one-time item, they need continuous production
└They said they won’t release any stock until the illegal occupation is cancelled
└???: Can’t you just clear it without a Mana Barrier or whatever?
└I’m parked long-term on Floor 41, and honestly without a Mana Barrier you literally can’t breathe in there. It’s absolutely necessary
Shenyang’s demands were crystal clear.
1. Cede a portion of North Korean territory to China.
2. Establish the South Pyongan Province and South Hamgyong Province regions as a demilitarized buffer zone.
[This is absolute nonsense lol]
└Armed robbery without a weapon, seriously
└They were originally eyeing the mines in North Pyongan Province
└Since they can’t just take the Tower, they’re trying to grab at least some land
Specifically: ceding parts of North Pyongan Province, Chagang Province, Yanggang Province, and South Hamgyong Province to China, while designating South Pyongan Province and the rest of South Hamgyong Province as a demilitarized zone.
[But China has reason to be nervous too]
└Korea can fire missiles
└But China? They’re keeping their mouths shut in front of the antimatter barrier
└I get why they’re freaking out lol
└Get why? What the hell are you talking about
└? Watch your language
└Oh, sorry
Meanwhile, the Seoul Guild faced the pressing need to seriously begin scaling Floor 40 and beyond.
The Seoul Guild was in a state of emergency.
“We should consider accepting some of their conditions.”
After all, it was land we’d obtained by pure chance.
It wasn’t valuable enough to warrant sacrificing the mana barrier, and besides, the “Tower”—the very heart of Tower civilization—had already fallen under Seoul Guild’s control.
Some argued it would be more advantageous to concede what we could and secure what we needed.
“In exchange, we must guarantee a stable supply of mana barriers. Or ideally, we should receive at least part of the manufacturing process.”
Then and now.
China was virtually the only nation capable of producing mana barriers in sufficient quantities.
“Without mana barriers, securing the resources needed for Floor 40 and beyond becomes difficult. A decline in high-floor resources means Korea’s economic collapse and loss of international competitiveness. Even if we cede certain territories, we must now think of the nation’s overall interests.”
“We must also consider taking one step back to move two steps forward.”
“What are you saying? This isn’t simply a matter of whether to give up land or not. This is about the sovereignty and dignity of the Seoul Guild. No—of a unified Korea. Why should we accept such unreasonable demands?”
As the vice-lords’ opinions clashed, Christine posed a question.
“So, Strongtree. What do you think? Are you going to accept the Shenyang proposal?”
“Me?”
Christine knew.
Whatever the vice-lords said, the outcome would be determined by Choi Kang-mok’s decision.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter much to me.”
Contrary to what the world believed, I wasn’t some exceptional patriotic youth.
Nor was I an icon of national sacrifice and dedication.
I was simply a mage who loved magic.
“I won’t accept it.”
“Why?”
Christine focused intently on my next words.
‘Strongtree is clever.’
He knows how to orchestrate the entire board so that everything flows in his favor.
A lordly genius who sees the whole game from above.
Would he have prepared a brilliant stratagem with proper justification this time as well?
“Just annoyed me.”
Christine sensed it intuitively.
‘Are they refusing to show me their true intentions?’
No.
I was simply annoyed.
“Who do you think you are to make demands of me?”
Just then, a notification chimed.
[…99%, 100%]
[‘Ayla Research Institute’ has been completed.]

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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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