The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 92

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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 092
Owen is a mid-rank mage dispatched from another dimension.
Classified as an NPC within the system, his activities are restricted outside designated strongholds.
Venturing beyond the designated range severely limits external information access, and his time spent outside strongholds is strictly regulated.
[!WARNING!]
[You have departed from your designated stronghold.]
[If you do not return within 12 hours, your mana circuits will be destroyed.]
The destruction of mana circuits meant the end of a mage’s life.
In other words, it was ‘death’.
Despite such peril, Owen ventured beyond the stronghold for a single reason.
A genuine opportunity.
The location he had reached was atop a cliff,
the Old Magic School Ruins, now reduced to barren plains.
“I heard that Raymond was invited to this place.”
Normally, acquiring external information was restricted.
However, since Raymond and the former Magic School assistants had become part of the same family (?), he was able to obtain that information.
“I harbor no intention of disrespecting my employer’s dimension, but the fact that a professor-rank mage was invited to a lower-tier dimension in the 50s… is quite extraordinary. Not even a prestigious stronghold like the Ayla Research Institute, but merely a ‘Magic School’.”
Owen was certain.
There was something here.
“I shall demonstrate the power of a serviceable mid-rank mage.”
Opportunities to conduct experiments at a magical research facility of this caliber were rare.
Moreover, this was a lower dimension.
The system’s protection and privileges were more abundant here.
Red privilege windows were uncommon, but bold bonus messages appeared frequently.
‘I can even research the remaining borders scattered throughout.’
In higher dimensions, all borders had vanished, eliminating research opportunities entirely.
‘I must secure a long-term contract.’
“I mention this merely as a precaution, but magical prowess does not necessarily correlate directly with utility.”
To topple a high fortress wall, one requires a cannon,
yet to catch a small bird, a slingshot proves far more efficient.
Even a mid-rank mage possesses utility befitting his rank.
“In truth, for a world like Earth… a mid-rank mage might actually be far superior. A professor-rank would face even stricter constraints than I do.”
He trailed off with excuses of sorts, then raised a small staff.
A soft blue luminescence flowed from his fingertips, condensing at the staff’s tip.
“Reveal the truth.”
With the low incantation of the spell,
waves of detection magic rippled outward in broad undulations.
As mana brushed across the ground, strange traces emerged from various points of the ruined site.
Owen narrowed his eyes and swept his hand once more.
He narrowed his eyes and gestured again.
“Deeper!”
Incomprehensible runes flickered into existence, then vanished.
Threads of emerald mana rose upward, seeping underground like a spider’s web.
A single strand twisted thick and heavy, extending like a clue leading toward some profound secret buried deep within the earth.
Choi Kang-mok, observing the spectacle, let out a gasp of admiration.
“This is….”
This was no mere detection spell.
An advanced exploration technique that extended with precision toward a target, following intention itself.
It was a complete fusion of basic structural analysis magic and an evolved form of the navigation spell Christine had wielded.
But that wasn’t all.
‘This mana range, this consumption rate….’
He was covering this entire vast region with minimal magical expenditure.
Kang-mok soon grasped the truth.
‘The mana circuits themselves have amplification magic permanently woven into them!’
Mana flows along circuits.
Owen had layered amplification effects onto that flow,
achieving tremendous results with only a pittance of mana.
In an age where meeting a single Ranker was considered a stroke of fortune,
Kang-mok sensed it instinctively.
Fortune had arrived.
Even Mayo, who had been about to make a fuss, fell silent.
Kang-mok found himself muttering involuntarily.
“My structural analysis is… honestly, it’s less magic than an intuition I happened to develop.”
It was closer to a ‘sense’ born from familiarizing myself with the Tower’s structure through time spent in Mayo’s Small World, a Mythic-grade artifact.
Even if I rationalized it as magic, it was difficult to say precisely that ‘this is magic.'”
“That is precisely magic.”
Not relying on chance or guessing through intuition, but a miracle implemented through technique.
That is true magic.
A mage must be someone who consistently creates miracles of a certain caliber with their own hands.
“Excuse me, Mage Owen.”
“Yes?”
“Would it be possible for me to learn that spell and attempt to use it?”
Kang-mok’s heart raced.
“I understand it won’t be easy, of course. But I’m quite familiar with similar magical structures and Small Worlds. Even if imperfect… I believe I could at least imitate it.”
Owen ceased his spell casting and slowly nodded.
Had these words come from an assistant, he would have already scolded them sharply.
But the person before him was the Research Institute director and his employer.
Full social mode activated.
“The operational mechanism of that spell is….”
His explanation continued for approximately thirteen minutes.
It was a concentrated lecture—not particularly long, but packed with essential knowledge.
However, there was one problem.
“Given the Director’s overwhelmingly oppressive mana, there may be some difficulty in handling this delicate class of magic.”
If you load a cannon shell into a pistol, it’s no longer a gun.
The structure would shatter before the magic itself could collapse.
But Kang-mok’s eyes gleamed.
“Still… I’ll give it a try.”

* * *
Sometimes, there were things more important than skill.
Confidence. And mental fortitude.
That was exactly what Choi Kang-mok possessed right now.
“I’ve already succeeded with an excellent buff spell, after all.”
“…Ah.”
Owen understood as well.
He’d already heard what had transpired at the Research Institute.
That Raymond had pierced through a mana hole.
‘I’m saying I’m not a lunatic like Raymond…’
But well, he couldn’t exactly stop his employer from trying.
It was better to handle it diplomatically than to earn his displeasure with unsolicited advice.
His contract renewal was on the line, after all.
Above all, Choi Kang-mok was radiating an odd confidence right now.
He seemed like he might actually pull it off.
“As you’re aware, I’m a mage who actively utilizes the Small World.”
“Yes, given that you possess a balance-breaking Small World artifact, I understand perfectly.”
“Until now, I’ve been using the shield ability by layering it onto attack scrolls.”
Why had I only been using it for mere scroll creation?
“This time, I’m going to try layering it directly onto my mana circuits. Just like you do, Mage Owen.”
“…Like me?”
“Yes. You’ve applied amplification magic to your mana circuits, haven’t you?”
Owen was momentarily at a loss for words.
‘…Did I ever teach him that?’
No.
It was an advanced technique he rarely shared with anyone outside his inner circle.
‘He just… figured it out by watching?’
The unfairness of the world cut deep into his bones.
There were occasionally people like this.
And people like that typically became professors or higher down the line.
‘But… it’s not as simple as it sounds.’
Theory and practice were different beasts.
Understanding something doesn’t mean you can immediately put it into practice.
Owen retrieved his sociability once more.
He placed a hand gently on Choi Kang-mok’s shoulder and spoke softly.
“I’ll help guide your mana flow. Try releasing your mana following my rhythm. Just know that the attempt itself is already a remarkable achievement.”
It wasn’t mere flattery.
For the Research Institute director to attempt a detection spell was like loading a cannonball into a pistol and firing it.
“So don’t be too discouraged if you fail….”
“Show me the truth.”
Before Owen could finish,
Choi Kang-mok cast his spell.
A wave unfolded. The detection spell flowed outward, and fierce winds swept through the surroundings.
A torrent of mana-infused wind tearing violently across the ruins.
Except for one thing.
“…The effect did manifest.”
It was just explosive in nature.
The structure of the spell was precisely identical to the one Owen had cast.
“I suppose I’m the one who should be discouraged now.”
No doubt about it.
This man would grow to professor-level or beyond.
‘A mage who fires cannonballs from a pistol.’
Owen was briefly disheartened,
but seeing Choi Kang-mok grinning from ear to ear, sweat streaming down his face, he found his smile again.
Yes, I had times like that too.
Those days when I wept and laughed over a single spell!
“Not just because you’re my employer, but you really do seem like a genuinely talented mage.”
“Is that truly so?”
“If you invest a few months of consistent practice in the spell you learned today, I believe you’ll certainly master it as your own. Honestly, your aptitude is truly remarkable.”
Choi Kang-mok’s eyes sparkled even brighter.
The most exciting words he’d heard in recent times.
“I see. I thought my employer was a battle fanatic.”
So that’s how I came across.
Choi Kang-mok looked away, seeming slightly hurt.
“I apologize sincerely. Battle fanatics wouldn’t choose a path like yours.”
“What path would battle fanatics choose?”
“They’d just destroy everything here.”
“Why destroy something when you’re searching for something?”
“Normal mages think that way. But fanatics destroy before they even search. And then they call it art.”
Half sociability, half sincerity.
Owen continued.
“As I said, Director, you truly possess the qualities of a genuine mage.”
“Owen seems to be a truly exceptional mage as well.”
Owen’s long-term contract had been finalized.

* * *
The buff magic circle activated.
And the success of the detection spell as well.
Though the path ahead remained long, achieving magical results beyond combat alone was deeply encouraging.
Owen maintained the spell with one hand, moving as if scanning the surroundings while continuing his incantation.
“Reveal the truth to me.”
After several attempts, Choi Kang-mok finally succeeded in manifesting the spell on his own.
The two mages’ collaborative magic unfolded, and soon Owen discovered something buried deep underground.
“Earth, move for me.”
In that instant.
The ground began to writhe as if waves were surging up from below.
The earth’s grain twisted in all directions.
Above and below, left and right—all trembled simultaneously.
From somewhere deep underground, something heaved and erupted forth.
Choi Kang-mok’s eyes gleamed as he swallowed his admiration.
‘Earth-attribute magic!’
The detection spell—I was beginning to grasp its principles.
But this was an entirely different realm.
This wasn’t understanding structure; it was ‘interfering’ with structure itself.
The depth and application of such magic operated on a completely different level.
I found myself respecting Owen even more.
‘So I can commission spells from a mage of this caliber on a monthly basis?’
It would prove invaluable for my magical development.
Soon the ground heaved upward with a dull thud.
“Hm?”
What emerged through the earth was something black, resembling a boulder.
At first, I thought it was merely a chunk of rock.
But as Choi Kang-mok drew closer, his eyes narrowed.
“…This isn’t a rock.”
A rounded form. A smooth surface.
And a handle protruding from one side.
‘…This is a safe, isn’t it?’
More precisely, a safe shaped like a boulder.
The form seemed strangely familiar.

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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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