The Return of the EX-Class Wizard - Chapter 99

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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 099
Choi Kang-mok’s expression grew serious as well.
With globalization advancing rapidly, one misstep could inflict harm upon the entire world.
The slightest mistake might cast him as the ‘host’ of an international pandemic of sorts.
‘Should I give up on clearing the Floor 30s as an EX-Rank?’
It was a problem that couldn’t be resolved easily.
“First, I need to verify whether what Vicario said is true.”
“We’re mobilizing all our resources to investigate, but… there’s no clear method.”
Vicario is the only person holding this information.
“Is there a possibility he’s a con artist?”
A world-renowned Holy Knight.
He’s renowned for his virtuous character, and he’s treated as a ‘hero’ not only in Naples but throughout Italy and in several European cities.
“He said he’d even teach me the method to break the curse if necessary. He knows the method but said he hasn’t attempted it until now because it’s too difficult.”
“That’s incredible information, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It’s not a card to play lightly.”
Could it really be a scam despite going this far?
That was a natural question.
“What about talking to him directly? The Naples Lord wants to meet with you face-to-face.”
Thus, a video conference with the Naples Lord came to fruition.
“You’re… younger than I expected.”
His appearance had briefly shown during a previous territorial war broadcast, but most of his features had been rendered as avatars due to the portrait rights protection system.
Hardly anyone knew his true appearance.
“In truth, I deliberated greatly before providing this information to you.”
He exuded the nuance that this was precious information, so Choi Kang-mok offered appropriate acknowledgment.
“I’m grateful for your resolve.”
“Given the current state of affairs…”
A great diplomat making a decision rooted in humanity amid a crisis of the century—such was the concept.
The Naples Lord continued quietly.
“You’re aware of the Heart Fragment of Ignis and the Phoenix Feather, yes?”
“Yes, of course.”
His expression darkened.
“We need both items in a form that is not bound.”
A convincing lie requires detail.
And mixing just a touch of truth into those details proves effective.
“Specifically, there is the Flame Queen, a mid-boss on Floor 35. If you offer the Heart Fragment of Ignis and the Phoenix Feather as tributes to the bronze throne upon which she sits, a ‘special reward’ will be granted, and through that reward, you can lift the curse.”
For reference, it is true that offering items to that bronze throne yields a special reward.
However, heart fragments and feathers that are ‘not bound’ do not exist in this world to begin with.
He’s asking to offer something that doesn’t exist. In other words, an impossible condition.
A deception mixed halfway with truth.
“I apologize. Even as I speak, I’m ashamed. Realistically, it’s an impossible method to break the curse…”
“That’s quite fortunate, actually.”
“…Pardon?”
The Naples Lord tilted his head in confusion.
Fortunate? What did she mean by that?
“As it happens, I have them. An unbound Ignis Heart Fragment and a Phoenix Feather.”
“…What?”

* * *
Back at the Hotel, the Naples Lord bit his lip.
‘She has an unbound Ignis Heart Fragment and a Phoenix Feather?’
Had I not witnessed it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it.
Through the video communication stone—free from hacking risks—I exchanged confidential words with Vicario.
-What? She really has those items?
-Apparently so.
I was left speechless.
This went far beyond mere astonishment.
-Still, we have time on our side.
It’s only been just over an hour since clearing Floor 32.
Even for an EX-Ranker, reaching Floor 35 would take considerable time.
-And… it seems she still doesn’t know the true usage of those two items.
If that’s the case, then we’re fortunate indeed.
Her clearing speed will slow down soon enough.
Even an EX-Awakened can be delayed for at least several days.
I had to devise a countermeasure in that window.
-But our lie will be exposed eventually, won’t it?
-That’s precisely why a lord exists—to smooth things over skillfully.
Right.
That’s what a lord is for.
-The method for Haeju was flawed—we can spin that however we need to.
Tower conquest has always been like that.
Even if the theory is sound, if it fails in practice, it fails.
It’s difficult to blame Italy simply because Haeju didn’t work out.
-What’s crucial is hiding the fact that you cast the curse.
-Yes. And we must protect Italy’s top ranking among rankers.
Those two things were paramount.
-I’ll look into some methods as well. For now… we still have time.

* * *
Contrary to the Naples Lord and Vicario’s expectations, Choi Kang-mok’s clock ticked forward rapidly.
“Two hours have passed.”
Thanks to the cooldown reduction effect of Blood Lineage Blessing +9, re-entry was possible.
While his mental energy had been somewhat depleted from failing to complete the energy barrier, his physical stamina remained perfectly preserved.
[You have entered Seoul Tower Floor 33.]
[Challenge: Defeat 50 Flame Giant Knights]
I had learned this while clearing Floors 31 and 32.
The official challenge was to defeat the Flame Giants, but destroying that Forgotten Fire Spirit’s Stone Tower would clear the floor immediately.
“You could call it a clear mechanic.”
Above the stone tower on this floor, a single flame phantom drifted lazily.
The epicenter of the curse that had ensnared all of South Korea.
I could sense it at a glance.
───────
[Forgotten Fire Spirit’s Stone Tower (Remodeled 2)]
───────
‘It evolved to Remodeled 2?’
On the surface, it didn’t look particularly different from the previous floor.
But with a ‘2’ attached, there had to be some kind of upgrade.
‘Let me analyze the structure first.’
Know your enemy and know yourself, and victory is assured in every battle.
The Flame Giant Knights would soon begin clawing their way up from the ground, but I wasn’t in any rush.
-Those Flame Giants are merely background-level threats.
-Mayo’s friend-or-foe identification is operating flawlessly.
Fully enhanced Mayo was holding the line.
Since neither shields nor friend-or-foe identification could be breached, I could focus entirely on understanding the structure and magic.
‘Hmm?’
While concentrating, I sensed something strange.
Beneath the stone tower, something buried somewhere deep.
Owen’s teachings bore fruit.
Back then, I had also excavated hidden truths from the depths below.
“…This is similar to Mayo, isn’t it?”
This is similar to Mayo.
While fundamentally a Small World conceptual entity, it was systematically classified as a Small World-emanating artifact.
“In other words, it’s a device that emanates a Small World.”
The moment I recognized that fact, the puzzle pieces began to align.
“The clear rank reduction curse—this has Small World characteristics.”
It wasn’t a simple debuff.
A systematic rule that forcibly lowered the climber’s rank.
In essence, this entire floor was built upon such laws.
“It’s similar to the awakening-release incantation I saw on the 20th Floor.”
A bitter smile crossed my face as I finally grasped it.
“So my avoiding the curse on Floors 31 and 32 was also…”
The answer was unmistakable.
The energy floor’s damage had been so overwhelming that
it had shattered the Small World emission artifact buried underground.
“It seems the structure changes with each remodeling—buried deeper, protected more thoroughly.”
That’s why there appeared to be no significant difference on the surface.
The Tower was actually bait; the real thing lay beneath.
-Could I still destroy it?
Choi Kang-mok scoffed.
Compared to the “unbreakable boulder,” this was nothing.
“I’m not sure about energy bolts alone.”
But an energy floor would be sufficient.
“I’ve almost finished analyzing the structure—ugh, what a fright.”
While I was concentrating,
a flame giant knight had somehow crept right before my eyes.
Standing four meters tall.
Its size and presence were on an entirely different scale from the existing flame giants.
Fortunately, it didn’t recognize me as an enemy (thanks to friend-or-foe identification) and simply passed by, though my heart skipped a beat.
“…In any case, let me complete the spell first.”
As the floor increased, the stone tower would have grown more durable as well.
Then wouldn’t I have an opportunity to complete the floor spell this time?
[Skill, Energy Floor (Creation) is activated.]
I fired energy bolts in succession, stacking layers as I drew the floor.
First, I concentrated the energy bolts within the domain.
[Forgotten Fire Spirit’s Stone Tower (Remodeling 2) has been destroyed.]
[Seoul Tower Floor 33 has been cleared.]
[Clear Grade: EX]
“Wait, hold on.”
I exited the Tower.
“No matter how I think about it, this is unfair.”
I’d made less progress than on Floor 32.
Before the floor even activated, the stone tower had been completely obliterated by just a few energy bolts.
“Damn. It must be because of my level-up.”
My level was already 64.
As my level rose, the power of my magic increased accordingly, and now I’d become far too strong.
Seeing my body ache in various places, the recoil from the damage was becoming increasingly severe.
“No, wait.”
I shook my head.
The original goal was to clear an EX-Rank floor.
Having accomplished that, there was no reason to feel regret.
“Everything went according to plan.”
Fortune did not stop there.
[!Seoul Region-Wide Announcement!]
[The curse shrouding Floor 33 of Seoul Tower has been destroyed.]
The flame phantom that had been drifting above the stone tower vanished.
Shortly after, another System Message appeared.
[You have obtained the Title ‘Curse Breaker (National Region)’!]

* * *
Countless Awakened ones.
Among them, those who specialized in Haeju tilted their heads in confusion.
[The curse was destroyed? Not lifted?]
Usually it’s phrased as ‘the curse was lifted,’ not ‘the curse was destroyed.’
[There is a theory that if you deal damage above a certain threshold, the curse can be destroyed regardless of its settings]
└ Is that not just a meme?
└ There are still people who believe the extreme damage curse theory?
└ But what if it’s actually real…?
[In most cases, curses have a core mechanism or medium, and destroying that lifts the curse as well]
└ This seems right
This has potential to be a hit.
In any case, the curse had been destroyed.
Vicario collapsed with a heavy thud.
“Ugh.”
His head throbbed as if it might split open.
As the one who had cast the curse, the backlash from its destruction struck him directly.
“What is this?”
Vertigo washed over him.
Hearing the distant news that ‘the curse on Seoul Tower has vanished,’ his mind went completely blank.
“How in the world did they manage this?”
He needed time to comprehend what had happened.
He hastily contacted the Naples Lord.
-What happened, ugh!
-Vicario, what’s going on!
-It seems some damage was transmitted when the curse was destroyed, ugh!
The Naples Lord Spaloti had no time to even check Vicario’s condition.
-Floor 31 cleared, then Floor 32 cleared 2 hours later. Floor 33 cleared 2 hours after that. At this rate….
-There’s a high probability Floor 34 will be cleared 2 hours later as well.
Floor 31, Floor 32, Floor 33.
Everyone had lost their first-place position.
Vicario’s pride—universally acknowledged as the world’s greatest holy knight—was crumbling.
-Actually, this works out well, *cough*, doesn’t it.
-Works out well?
-On Floor 35, the Queen of the mid-boss flame giants appears.
The reason for mentioning something already known.
It meant there was ‘real information’ that hadn’t yet been revealed.
-Vicario, you’re hiding something.
Vicario hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
-If you clear Floors 31 through 34 consecutively at SSS rank or higher, the difficulty of Floor 35 increases exponentially.
But an EX-rank awakener?
They cleared consecutively at the EX rank itself.
-An unimaginable monster will emerge.
Amid the chaos, judgment could falter.
Perhaps they’ll offer a sacrifice before even analyzing the situation properly.
-Even if they’re fortunate enough to survive… those two items they possess won’t be usable from Floor 36 onward. Once sacrificed, they cannot be recovered.

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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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