The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 83

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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 083
As the entire world was in upheaval, the online communities erupted into chaos.
[So you’re saying EX-rank Awakener basically told Shenyang to go to hell, right?]
└That’s facts lol
└EX-rank Awakener: What? You wanna touch me?
└We saw it during the territorial war. He shut them down instantly
└???: Doesn’t start anything. But if you start with him, he absolutely destroys you
[What are you people talking about? That person is a sublime hero]
└The reason he stayed in Seoul was because he felt sorry for the perpetually last-ranked Tower
└He was moved by the Seoul Guild Master’s sense of justice
└Minimizing tribute ratios + protecting novice Awakeners. That’s EX-rank Awakener ✓
└Patriot + genius + philanthropist + madman combo
Honestly, Kang Hye was curious too.
“Oppa, what’s really going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“The mana barrier recipe. Did you really just scatter it because you were annoyed?”
Choi Kang-mok was consistently honest.
“I really did it because I was annoyed.”
“You always say things like that, but….”
Kang Hye remained skeptical.
In the end, he had neutralized Shenyang’s last trump card with a single blow.
Could that really be just because of annoyance?
Even from the perspective of his younger sister Kang Hye, it seemed ambiguous.
‘Wait, let me think.’
A memory of her older brother from childhood surfaced.
-Games aren’t about winning.
-They’re about making your opponent frustrated.
‘No way. This isn’t even a game.’
Kang Hye shook her head.
Choi Kang-mok was always thoughtful and meticulous (in her view).
There had to be some strategy behind this.
“Oppa, did Shenyang announce something?”
“An announcement?”
“Yeah, look at this.”
Kang Hye showed him her phone screen.

* * *
A few hours earlier.
The Shenyang Guild was monitoring global public opinion in real time.
Particularly reactions regarding Seoul and the EX-rank Awakener.
“Favorable sentiment toward the EX-rank Awakener is spreading.”
“A sacrifice for a better world. He’s being regarded as a symbol of justice and righteousness.”
Xi Yun, the Shenyang Lord, furrowed his brow.
“…That’s utter nonsense.”
He waved his hand dismissively.
“Get counter-articles out. Launch opinion control. Mix in some rumors about them stealing our recipe.”
In a way, there was an opportunity here.
“A chance to amplify resentment toward the EX-rank Awakener.”
The more overseas media focused on him, the easier it became to unite the domestic front by leveraging the ‘foreign enemy.’
Right now, Spain, Portugal, and Italy were also adopting an ‘anti-EX’ frame to consolidate internal unity.
It would certainly be a tremendous help in building a unified China.
“My Lord, what about eliminating Dr. Edward…?”
“…Edward?”
The man who spearheaded the creation of the mana barrier recipe.
A British-Chinese hybrid.
And a troublesome obstacle who rejected ‘centralized authority.’
“…Excellent.”
“If we tie him to the EX-rank Awakener as the mastermind, the effect will be even greater.”
It would amplify anti-EX sentiment within our own nation.
From the Shenyang Guild’s perspective, it was ideal.
[Breaking News] Dr. Edward Goes Missing]
[Breaking News] Dr. Edward Found Dead]
[Breaking News] Shenyang Lord Xi Yun Weeps in Sorrow… ‘I Will Uncover the Truth’]
Under Shenyang’s direction, conspiracy theories began to spread.
[But seriously, wasn’t it actually the Seoul Guild?]
└The mana barrier recipe came out right on schedule though
└Didn’t they kill him to steal information and silence him?
└King-level divine intervention activated
└There were traces of Energy Bolt too?
└That weird magic the EX-rank Awakener uses?
Everyone had witnessed the territorial conquest battle.
The EX-rank Awakener used a peculiar magic he called Energy Bolt.
└Though everyone uses Energy Bolt lol
└But that’s not just a regular bolt
└They said someone went brain dead in the mock battle lol so he really sent someone with Energy Bolt?
Anti-EX sentiment, slowly beginning to bloom.
At the center of it all was Shenyang.
Meanwhile, the vice-lords of Shenyang had moved into the next phase.
“Domestic public opinion has been successfully shaped. Now it’s time to make Shenyang’s presence known to the entire world.”
Xi Yun, the lord of Shenyang, nodded in agreement.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
“Indeed. Even if the perfect manufacturing method were to be made public, it wouldn’t matter.”
The EX-rank Awakener had done something rather troublesome, but it was inconsequential.
“Precisely. Manufacturing would be impossible anyway.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
A mana barrier was far more than a blueprint on paper.
It required dozens of mages directly infusing their mana—grueling, intensive labor.
Burnout was inevitable during the process.
In severe cases, magical neural damage could occur.
“At minimum, you’d need at least five instructor-rank mages just to attempt creating one.”
“Sustained production? Even the World’s Three Major Guilds cannot manage it.”
Even if one or two were created, it would be meaningless.
Conquering the 40th-floor range required a hegemonic supply line capable of mass production.
Only one nation could bear that burden.
China. And the Shenyang Guild alone.
“We’ll control the supply according to plan.”
Xi Yun stood at the press conference podium.
Dressed in a black gown, her expression one of mourning.
“Doctor Edward. He was my most cherished friend. And until the truth behind this tragic death is revealed, Shenyang will impose complete export controls on mana barriers.”

* * *
Owen, an Intermediate-rank Mage, let out a hearty chuckle.
“Mana Barriers? That’s not difficult at all.”
Owen, an Intermediate-rank Mage, laughed with genuine enthusiasm.
The teaching assistants standing behind him, especially Spencer, their eyes sharpened in an instant.
Owen continued excitedly.
“Spencer here has actually crafted Mana Barriers directly at the Xiyang Magic School.”
“Yes, if I assign teaching assistants to help, we can make them. However, it requires quite a bit of manpower… We’ll need additional personnel.”
In other words, he was saying we needed money.
“How much will we need?”
Choi Kang-mok asked carefully.
The research institute’s operating costs were already substantial.
“We’ll need to offer at least 120,000 diamonds per tier to attract applicants.”
“What?”
120,000? Could that really work?
An Intermediate-rank Mage earned 100 million per tier.
“If that’s too much… perhaps 100,000? Or even 90,000…”
“Let’s make it 200,000.”
“Then it’ll look suspicious and everyone will run away.”
“?”
This world was more complicated than I’d anticipated.
A few hours later.
[Graduate student Carter has joined the research.]
[Oliver has joined.]
[Liam has joined.]
Graduate student NPCs began arriving at the research institute one after another.
And then, several hours later.
[Mana Barrier (Superior Grade) has been crafted.]
[Mana Barrier (High Grade) has been crafted.]
….
[Mana Barrier (Superior Grade) has been crafted.]
The Mana Barrier factory had begun operating.
The minimum grade was ‘High Grade’.
For reference, the highest grade of Mana Barriers produced by the Shenyang Guild was merely ‘Upper-Middle Grade’.

* * *
News of mass production of mana barriers spread rapidly.
[LMAO, what? Only China can make them?]
└Check the rankings. Korea’s climbing fast lol
└What level is this EX-rank even on?
└Shenyang Guild Master: What the…?
The Shenyang Guild entered emergency status.
Crash!
The Shenyang Guild Master slammed his fist on the desk.
“How is this even possible!”
The staff couldn’t lift their heads.
The monopoly on mana barriers they’d enjoyed until now had crumbled.
And the quality was inferior too.
Then came the worst report of all.
“The instructors at the Magic School are refusing to report to work.”
“…What?”
“Spencer was spotted at the Pyongyang Ayla Research Institute.”
Xi Yun’s eyes widened in fury.
“Cowardly bastards!”
How could they poach such elite talent? By what means?
“They must be working North Korean mages to death! That’s the only way they’re producing this volume!”
A single instructor couldn’t produce such quantities alone.
It meant North Korean mages were being driven like slaves.
Unless there were multiple instructors of that caliber.
Such production was absolutely impossible otherwise.
“We must expose this crude and inhumane behavior to the entire world immediately…”
…But it was too late.
England, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, leading the charge, issued statements of support for Seoul and the EX-rank Awakener.
Moreover, countless nations seeking to improve their Floor 40+ rankings aligned themselves with Seoul and the EX-rank Awakener.
[Breaking News] London, Saudi Arabia, New York – Mana Barrier Priority Supply Confirmed]
[EX-rank Awakener Grants Production Priority to Three Allied Guilds]
[Clear distinction between allies and enemies~ lol]
└Getting on the EX-rank’s bad side is literally a death sentence
└Shenyang’s done for this lifetime
└Wow…can a power really crumble this spectacularly?
And then came the final blow.
Beijing’s official statement was released.
[The Shenyang Guild’s unilateral actions are unrelated to the central government’s official policy.]
Silence hung heavy in the Shenyang Guild Master’s conference room.
Xi Yun clenched his fists tightly.
Even a crumbling city leaves embers behind.
‘I cannot let it fall like this.’
Even if the sky collapses, there is always a hole through which to escape.
China’s magical tower. I decided to devise a way to revive the magical city of Shenyang.

* * *
Choi Kang-mok patted his belly contentedly.
“Burp.”
My digestion was excellent.
Shenyang’s position, which had been bolstered by the mana barrier, was now precarious.
Having been abandoned by Beijing as well, there was nothing more to say.
“Beijing is irritating too, though.”
Everyone knows that Shenyang is not the main body.
However, since I still lack justification, I decided to wait and see for now.
Once an opportunity presents itself, I will repay them handsomely.
“The supply of mana barriers is going well too.”
The graduate students from other worlds are working like madmen.
Despite dark circles hanging down to their chins, they continue their magical crafting with happy expressions.
Owen praises them daily, saying nothing but “I’ve never seen such a talented group before!”
I considered requesting another magical research project, but the system wasn’t that lenient.
[Additional requests on Floor 2 of Aila Advanced Research Institute are available only after 30 days of employing intermediate-level mages.]
For additional requests, I needed 3 billion currency and 30 days of time.
An additional request was impossible right now.
“Then I’ll have to enter the Golden Labyrinth.”
Clearing the Golden Labyrinth is essential for conquering the Tower.
I hadn’t entered due to piling workload.
“Oppa, I’ve sorted through all the strategy guides.”
After finishing her meal, Kang Hye pulled something out from under the table.
The stack of documents even had handwritten notes attached.
“There were so many, so I collected only the ones that match your style.”
“Oh, thanks.”
The Labyrinth is a newly emerged piece of content.
A time when standardized strategies are scarce.
These were strategy guides that Kang Hye had personally gathered through legwork.
“For now, these are guides up to Stage 5. I’ll give you up to Stage 10 tomorrow.”
“Why? Just give me all of them.”
“I can only clear up to 5 stages per day.”
“Is that so?”
5 stages per day.
The Labyrinth had a fixed number of daily clears.
“You’re going to enter using the Labyrinth Entry skill, right?”
“Yeah, I have to.”
Without this, I don’t know what I would’ve done.
After a brief rest, I activated the Labyrinth Entry skill.
[Entering Labyrinth (Seoul) Stage 1.]
[Challenge…]
Glittering text appeared before my eyes.
And then a familiar yet shocking command materialized in my vision.
[SKIP]
An irresistible command for any Korean!
[Skipping Stage 1.]
[Stage 1 cleared.]
I immediately advanced to Stage 2.
And then again.
[Entering Labyrinth (Seoul) Stage 2.]
[Stage 4…]
[Stage 5…]
Stages 3, 4, and 5
cleared in rapid succession at a maddening pace.
‘Is this the Tower EX-Floor clear bonus… or a special privilege of the Golden Labyrinth Master?’
But this wasn’t the end.

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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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