I really like the idea of an AU where Desir is a bit older and worked in the Tower of Magic before the Labyrinth. Just like, idk, intern/researcher/answering letters from annoying nobles person.
And after he comes back from the future (and Zod and him got together in the Labyrinth) he knows that he's gonna be figured out in a day if he tries to tell anything Zod in person, so he starts leaving clues and very high level magic research for Zod to find. Records and warnings about stuff that's gonna happen etc. All of it anonymusly of course.
Zod is VERY interested in who the hell is their mysterious informant, notices how the puzzles seem to be left for him specificly, and how to figure them out he needs to use information that he didn't tell anyone who's still alive. (He might starts to fall a bit for how clever this person is. Maybe. But you can't prove anything.)
After combing through the files of everyone working in the Tower of Magic, and finding nothing, Zod teams up with Desir because he's the one who deals a lot with people, and he's the only one he's not suspicious of.
Desir knows that if he gets confronted he will fold immidietly. He goes along with watherver Zod's plan is to find their person, all the while praying that he doesn't get found out.
Zod halfway decides that Desir is actually very smart and could have left all the notes, with how witty he is, and he knows how to play the North sea's rule and is not pushy about topics that he does not want to share at all even tho they are pretty much laid out in front of him and ,oh, OH, fuck.
And now Zod knows but he doesn't know if Desir knows that he knows, so he decides to be stupid about it, except Desir has been dealing with the Tower Master for over a decade now and figures out in less than a week that Zod definately knows, and starts dropping hints about knowing that Zod knows.
It's a mess. It's beautiful. It's half the tower's nightmare fuel. Chess flirting and lab dates. Zod's both clueless and very much aware of everything. Desir is allergic to talking about feelings. They'll figure it out. Maybe.
They didn't have to go so hard with the volume 5 cover but damn they sure did
Like??? Just look at him!!! Look at this man!!
Also, let's be honest someone really REALLY loves him, him getting new clothes every single time we see him considered (i'm not complaining I'm So Not complaining)
But like, also, you just know that there must be at least one gossip magazine in universe solely dedicated to 'And this is what The Tower Master was wearing today folks!'
I just reread the scene in the novel, and I'm kind of obsessed with it, but also am in awe of how well it established the dynamic between Desir and Zod, something that I feel like the manhwa didn't really do, so, I'm doing a bit of comparing under the cut.
Also, if you like these characters in the manhwa, then you should 100% read at least these few chapters, because, as I said before, they are amazing.
So the manhwa starts us off with how Zod is an "odd fellow", he's always been that, and how he lead civilization into a new era of magic, he's achievements are endless, and is Desir's irreplaceable friend.
Now, in the novel, Desir says that Zod accepted his request because he was intrigued by it. (True) He says that Zod single-handedly renewed interest in magic.
(Also, fun-fact: someone wrote a book about all of his accomplishments, and it's thicker than most encyclopedias.)
(Also also, in the manhwa he looks like 40, in the novel that's 30)
The next scene plays out almost the same, except that we learn, in the novel, that Zod has an 'archaic feeling to his words'.
While in the manhwa he's all nice, and smiley etc. novel!Desir points out that until the North Sea's rules are mentioned, Zod's so impatient to get on with the match that it can almost be heard in his tone, which for this old man is VERY impatient.
And then of course Desir drops the bomb, that yeah, he wants to play the Rule set that originates from Zod's homeland and n!Desir immediately points out how much more relaxed Zod gets from hearing that.
The chess match starts, and in both mediums Zod's like, this kid is pretty good, but he's still just a kid, and "[He's] too hasty with [his] moves"
Desir, when he's on the verge of losing, makes the bet. It goes in the novel as it goes in the manhwa, except that a) Zod's like, 'I know that everything you did so far was to make this wager, and I hope you see how suspicious you are.' and b) At this Desir's just like, 'Wow, you're very interested, huh? Then I won't tell you until I win.'
And then the whole 'you play like a whole different person' thing happens in the manhwa, 'oh, well, I played against him in the future so of course I know how he plays', 'I've been the same person this entire time' etc. etc.
So. That does not happen in the novel.
What happens instead is we get the explanation as to why is Desir losing:
He's been playing with Zod for 6 years, yes,
However, this Zod plays differently than other Zod
In the future, his play style is more aggressive
Now he focuses on counter-play and he's more reserved
And Desir deduced this in the first few steps in their game, and been sacrificing pieces since then to analyze Zod's play style.
And also, yes, Desir did figure the greatest mage of all time out in what? 20 minutes?
And Desir might be losing, but because of the time limit Zod's going to make some stupid moves, which Desir deducted will happen, then he makes even worse moves, and the next thing Zod knows is that he got ripped to shreds in 3 minutes.
In the novel, Desir mentions that in the last minutes of the match, Zod's straight up panicking over how bad the situation has gotten for him.
Then, when Desir mentions the trade, Zod tries to calmly explain to him why that's not possible "You're asking to exchange a bar of gold for a peanut"
Desir of course doesn't budge and after a bit of "bartering" it's clear just how fed up with this "boy"'s bs Zod is and reading this scene after the manhwa is kind of shocking
Zod expressed disdain at the boy's choice. "I expected you to choose more wisely. You've rejected my offer, and I can't accept your deal. With that, the negotiations are over." The man rose to get up from his seat.
(...)
"So you think this is a fair deal." The Tower Master was audibly upset by Desir's words.
And I'm very sad that this scene in this form didn't make it to the manhwa, because while we see Zod being dismissive and uninterested in Desir's idea before he sees it to himself, we don't see him being, well, like this.
Prideful, kind of cocky, and straight up offended that a mere student would even dare to suggest that his idea worth as much as support from the Tower of Magic, upset to the point that Desir has to actively put out 'fires' during the conversation so that it can progress.
Which is a beautiful way of showing us how, yes, Desir does know this guy, he knows why he's upset he knows what to say to get him to calm down enough to listen and also how to say it.
What in the manhwa is essentially just 'Well if I show you that my idea is worth it then it will be fine, right? Let me show you then.' in the novel is Desir going on first about how of course what he's saying is outrageous, and Zod is right to be upset, but shouldn't Zod know that impossible things are sometimes real? And then he starts explaining how 20 years old Zod Exarion becoming the Tower Master was an impossible feat, or maybe, perhaps, even more impossible, a student defeating him in chess! Which happened just now, and That is when Zod tells him to show him his idea.
This scene alone reaffirms to the reader, that Desir doesn't just know Zod as a tactician, but as a person, he knows how to talk to him, he knows how to talk sense into him, and that Desir did this enough in the past that this comes like second nature to him.
Zod being stone headed and stuck to his ways until Desir reminds him that he's been just like this boy in the past is also one of the most Old Person Thing TM Zod does in the entire novel, showing and not just telling us that the G is not just for show in that GILF he is actually old.
After that the "reveal" scene plays out pretty similarly except that Zod gets a bit more info out of Desir, one of them is that he didn't necessarily discover the technic but he "knows of it", and Desir lets the reader know that the person who discovered it was in fact Zod, just 3 years into the labyrinth, and as he starts explaining the theory Zod catches up extremely quickly, actually taking over Desir's explanation of how resonance is better than the enchant method.
When Desir mentions that he has more ideas like this, Zod tells his secretary to cancel every plan he has until he says otherwise, which is a very entertaining turn of events in my opinion.
So to wrap it up, while I love how the manhwa did this scene, (this is probably my favorite two chapters from it) I'm kind of sad that most of the little tidbits of building up the relationship between Zod and Desir, that would be important later got lost in adaptation.
Zod Exarion in the novel, my favorite scenes that were left out or not included that much, fun facts and more
Chess chess chess
(Novel chapter: 29)
So the manhwa isn't really telling with Zod's moods throughout the scene, but Desir put him through the gutter with that mach.
Desir thinks a lot about the differences between this Zod and the one from the labyrinth, between their play styles, and how the labyrinth affected him in the long run in small ways. It's also mentioned that the two of them carved out their chess pieces themselves.
Also Zod's pretty upset with Desir, like straight up how dare you suggest your idea worth as much as a sponsorship from the magic tower get out of my sight kind of upset. It's pretty funny actually, especially when Desir shows him just how much his idea is worth, and he straight up cancels all of his meeting that day.
Actually just go read that scene it's not long but it does so SO much to establish these two's relationship for the whole story it's really just amazing.
Fun fact: In universe, there's a book that details all of Zod's accomplishments; it's thicker than most encyclopedias.
Fun fact 2: While in the manhwa he's described as a man in his forties, the novel says that he's at worst 30 which is pretty funny.
Fun fact 3: In universe he has an 'archaic feeling to his word' which I think is pretty cool, like??? Yeah. I can see that.
Who are you really?
(Novel chapter: 84)
So the interrogation scene's also a bit different, Desir is very stressed out while Zod is fucking with him, admitting to not even wanting an answer in the first place, and during that convo Desir describes Zod this way:
Desir only saw Zod acting as the master of the Magic Tower, cold and calculative in all circumstances, and as the Seventh-Circle wizard with an insatiable curiosity in finding the truth of all things.
Which is not really a description that we get in the manhwa, but it definitely puts a lot of things into perspective.
Also, this chapter has a lot of important moments in it regarding some things that will be said later, a few notable mentions:
"My intuition tells me to trust you. And when I gave you all of my power, I decided to believe this groundless intuition."
His intuition as a wise man was telling him that Desir was very reliable.
He would never know the circumstances surrounding Desir but he could see his heart.
Where he admits that he trusts Desir taking the weight of his secret off his chest
"Haha... I'm sorry. But I give you my word. I won't ask about your identity anymore. Everyone has their own secrets that they can't share with anybody. I also have a bunch of secrets that I don't want anybody to know."
Where he reassures him when he sees that Desir isn't handling his little fuckery well
Zod's smile was amazingly warm. It was like the smile of a grandfather looking at his grandson.
And of course this motherfucking sentence which is a gut punch and a half ngl.
So clearly chapter 84 putting down the groundwork for *the scene that the mannwa haven't adopted yet and at this point I'm not sure if they will,* aka: the most painful thing ever
But before that:
Fun fact 3: apparently Zod's a good actor? Lol.
The flying ship of death flag
(Novel chapter: 249)
So of course a lot of things happened between these chapters but this is the one that I want to point out because. Well.
So in the manhwa Desir says 'build a flying ship' Zod builds a flying ship and all's well that ends well right? Not really.
You see The Flying ship Valkyrie is not just any random insane idea that Desir came up with but in fact The Ultimate Dream Project of Zod Exarion - the one from the labyrinth, y'know - and isn't that just great?
There's something poetic about Desir making sure Zod can manage to reach his dream, his ultimate goal, even after death. (Something something the student carrying their master's will something something reaching your parent's goals after their passing to feel closer to them etc. etc.)
Oh, it's also a pretty big death flag, but don't worry about that.
Fun fact: this scene emphasizes the fact that Zod wasn't "just" a magician, a lot. "The ship was the ultimate goal he wanted to reach as an engineer", "he lamented that he couldn't spend his life satisfactorily as an engineer"
Fun fact 2: And he whined about it a lot! No, I'm sorry ranted.
I'm gonna just put his here because god dammit I love this man:
In Desir’s previous life, Zod often lamented over the fact that he couldn’t spend his life satisfactorily as an engineer. When the Shadow Labyrinth arose, he was forced to discard his position of Tower Master and bear his title as the lone Seventh-Circle magician.
Desir recalled these scenes of frustration as clearly as if they had happened yesterday. Most often, Zod would rant while they played chess.
The quiet before the storm
(Novel chapter: 275)
So the fact that there is a traitor is revealed and we get this very cute scene:
Realizing that Desir had immediately jumped to the worst situation, and his mind had consumed itself with the task of discovering who, Zod immediately rushed to calm Desir down.
Zod had always been like this, even in Desir’s previous life. He was Desir’s rock, the one who would support him in his times of need. That was why Desir trusted Zod more than anyone else.
Which again alludes to the *surprise* we will be slapped with in the face soon, but really this is just nice.
“I have some good news. Actually, I only dropped by to share this.”
Zod’s eyes changed. The wise eyes, which seemed to encompass everything, were nowhere to be found, and the eyes of an excitable child appeared within a moment.
‘Here we go again.’
As an engineer, he used to show such eyes when he was discussing things that interested him. No matter how much time passed, Zod Exarion was a reliable constant.
And I'm also just putting my favorite quotes here, don't mind me. There's also a point I'm making, and I will get to that when I reach the end.
Oh hi Priscilla what are you doing with that artifa-
(Novel chapter: 278)
So this is exciting because we get the first second appearance description for Zod which is
He looked as miserable as the smashed tower.
Glossy black hair moved in the breeze.
So that's funny.
Actually I could start describing this scene in great detail, go over every little thing I wish was in the manhwa, but really, you should go read it because it's a lot. This act kind of starts from 275 and is I think the saddest one in the story.
For instance, Zod admits that he's thinking of the battle in chess terms and that makes him think of Desir, how he apparently lost a mach the first time in decades.
He's thinking a lot about his and Desir's relationship, and we get golden lines like this one:
It was no exaggeration to say that Desir was the only one who could share ideas with Zod throughout all the fields of his expertise, and talk casually with him.
The act also really drives home how Zod is THE BEST OF THE BEST when it comes to magic. He holds his ground with only his own mana to help him against Priscilla and 4 swordsmen, whose defense equals the aurora system!
Fun fact: He lost both an arm and a leg during the fight, while the manhwa only showed the loss of an arm
Fun fact 2: Zod's cane, which was a constant in the novel (read: It wasn't changed every time it appeared) had a first tear magic stone in it that was like a national treasure.
Aaand we reached where the manhwa is right now... kinda
I was going to add another segment and a long, Long rant to the "2nd half" of this post, but I don't want to ruin the kind of positive vibe of it, so I'm going to put that one in another post.
First I will go through the things that made That Scene in the novel work, why I'm disappointed how he manhwa's handling it, predictions on how the whole "Helena thing" will play out and then some final thoughts, so that's coming soon.
Hi! The next stop of this journey (going through every chapter that has Zod in it) is here! SPOILERS UP UNTIL CHAPTER 232!
Chapter 44:
So, this chapter and the next are my absolute favorites, especially because of these two pictures.
First of all: this outfit, hell yes this outfit !!! | love it so much, it looks kind of comfy idk?? And the little gloves :3 Anyway, I just really like this pic, our first look at Zod (this world's at least) he looks confident, proud, but also not too threatening. And also keep in mind that this is how Desir sees him.
He's Now officially more than a looming shadow!! Interesting detail that the light shines at one half of his glasses, making it so that we can't see both of his eyes, which often represent characters hiding secrets. In this case, that Zod thinks Desir is with the Outers.
| love how on these panels he is clearly closed off, he puts a "barrier" between him and Desir the chess board, however he opens up a bit when Desir mentions the North Sea's rules. However, there is also the "You don't look like you're from that area", he probably suspected from the start that the chess was just a trap.
THIS. This is the face of a man who thinks you are a terrorist, I'm sorry I'm not making the rules.
Hi! Bit of self promo, I didn't do the 'going thru the manhwa and looking for Zod thingy because i was procastinating on it by *checks notes* wiriting a fanfic.
After the Shadow Labyrinth, The Outers, Priscilla, and a well deserved break, Desir finally comes to work at the magic tower, except nobody told him, that crossing the Tower Master has unfortunate consequences. He and the so-called Tower Master also forgot to mention some key information.
5 times Desir gets away with what some might call criminal offense + 1 time people realize why
It's Zod / Desir, because of course it is, and it deals with canon by not dealing with it :D
Hi! Welcome to insanity, where I go through this one amazing manhwa "A Returner's Magic Should Be Special" and make a post every time Zod Exarion appears, just because. Please be aware that these posts can have spoilers up to chapter 232, so you might want to read that before these :)
Chapter 40:
Alright, so this is our first "official" look at this world's Zod, which is pretty exciting.
This picture is 100% him, this is his expression in at least half the Manhwa, so,,, good job? This is his very essence, staring at magic items intensely, probably a slightly crazed look in his eyes, knowledge and chaos shining though them. :'D
When l first saw this panel I honestly thought : wow this person must be very smart and powerful, but also a) what the fuck is up with him and b) I would like to not be in the same city as him ever thank you very much. In fact, I would appreciate at least one country between us at all times if that's possible :D
And then the villain vibes, who let this man have the villain vibes??? I don't think l even realized until my third reread that this was Zod. Why are you standing in a black room next to a big chair in front of a big ass window creepy lighting and all like some overrated eccentric super villain ready to take over the world??
Then I realized that in chapter 1 we saw Zod through the eyes of Desir, just like how we see him every time after this. This might be the only time when we see him how everyone, who haven't spent the last 6 years getting their ass kicked by him in chess, sees him. The very serious, looming figure with unimaginable power and knowledge. Someone who's pulling the threads in the shadows.
There's a very big contrast between these panels and every other appearance of his. While everyone sees the expressionless almost godlike genius, who's capable of anything and everything, Desir sees his friend, the very human, very real person, who he spent the last 6 years trying to keep sane by playing chess with him, and the person who did the same for him in return.
I might as well could say that in this picture we see "The Sage of Wisdom", the person everyone relies on, and everywhere else we see Zod Exarion, who, at least Desir knows, also needs to rely on someone.
Honestly, the more I stare at the last picture, the more I think him "breaking down" after finding Helena's ring(???) was coming for a long time. I mean, how long was he tower master for at this point? 71 years?? Jfc.
