The All-Time Best Talent was F-Class Purification - Chapter 29

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

29
Chapter 29 – An Elite Talent Awakened as an F-Rank Purifier
In the Outskirts of Gyeonggi Province, at the Third Mana Stone Mine owned by Moonglade, a facility that had once teetered on the brink of closure now blazed with round-the-clock production. The night sky glowed with an ethereal blue radiance.
“Be careful. That’s a C-Rank raw stone. If you scratch it, your annual salary won’t cover the damage.”
“Deep Level 3 Tunnel, loading complete. Send in the trucks.”
Dozens of massive trucks flowed ceaselessly through the Main Gate, while hundreds of hard-hatted workers moved like ants across the site. From deep within the mine shafts, a brilliant blue mana light suffused the night sky. The mine had become Moonglade’s new heartbeat.
Yet beneath that vitality, three hundred meters underground in the Deep Section, the air felt different.
“Squad Leader, something feels off.”
A Young Miner gripping a work pickaxe wiped sweat from his brow, his eyes reflecting unease as he stared at the wall. They were working on the very vein I had purified—a magnificent forest of gleaming gemstones. But today, their luminescence trembled ever so slightly.
“What do you mean, off?”
The Work Foreman replied dismissively, too absorbed in recording extraction figures in his notebook.
“The sound, sir. For a while now, I’ve heard something scratching from inside the wall.”
The miner swallowed hard.
“And the ground… it’s humming. Not like machine vibrations—more like a massive creature breathing.”
“Nonsense. You’ve been working too many night shifts. Stop overthinking and focus on the work.”
The Squad Leader dismissed him with criticism, yet he too felt it—the subtle tremor transmitted through the soles of his boots, the strange presence that had permeated the entire mine for days.
It must be my imagination.
Thirty minutes later, another miner came sprinting over, shouting.
“Squad Leader! The mana detector in Zone 3 is malfunctioning!”
The needle on the portable device in his hand was oscillating wildly.
“The mana concentration keeps rising. It’s 30% higher than ten minutes ago!”
“What?”
The Squad Leader snatched the detector. The numbers climbed in real time.
“Stop! Cease all operations. Prepare full evacuation!”
The instant the Squad Leader’s cry echoed out—
Uuuuuuung—
Every light in the mine shaft began to flicker.
It wasn’t simple power instability. The mana concentration in the air surged violently, creating electromagnetic interference with electronic devices.
The workers fell silent, abandoning their tasks. As the deafening roar of the excavators ceased, only silence remained.
And from that silence came a sound.
“Kiiieeeeeek—!”
A piercing shriek like stone scraping or glass shattering. It emanated not from the mine entrance, but from deep within the floor and walls beneath their feet.
“Wh-what is this…”
The Young Miner stumbled backward. Suddenly, the ground beneath him collapsed.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
“Kim!”
The floor tore open like paper. His scream was cut short. From the darkness below, hundreds of crimson eyes blazed to life simultaneously.
“Run. It’s collapsing.”
“Monsters! Monsters are emerging from the walls!”
The peaceful mining site transformed into chaos in an instant. The beautiful mana stones on the walls shattered, and through the cracks poured scorpion-shaped creatures encased in razor-sharp crystalline armor.
No alarm sounded. There was no time for one to sound. It was the moment the mine’s heart stopped beating.
At that same moment, Golden Tower 35th Floor, Moonglade Headquarters.
“Yesterday’s sales broke through 15 billion. The waiting list for Renewal Shop’s premium line alone exceeds 3,000 people.”
Park Jae-jung handed over the tablet PC as he reported. His voice carried more accomplishment than exhaustion. I sank deep into the sofa and sipped my coffee. The view of the Middle District visible through the window was peaceful.
A month had passed since merging Steel Fang and normalizing the mine. Moonglade had become a force wielding influence rivaling mid-sized enterprises.
“Should we expand the production lines further? We’re struggling to meet the volume demands.”
“No. I think we should control the pace.”
I shook my head.
“Rush things and problems arise. For now, focus more on maintaining quality and security. Especially the mine side….”
Mid-sentence, my gaze caught on the red emergency hotline phone on the desk. That phone was connected exclusively to the mine’s central control room—an emergency-only line. That phone, which had never rung once, suddenly began blaring loudly.
Ring-ring-! Ring-ring-!
I set down my coffee cup and picked up the receiver.
“This is Lee Tae-hyun.”
“R-Representative! Something terrible has happened!”
The voice on the other end belonged to the Work Foreman overseeing the site. His voice was fractured with terror, and behind it came horrific screams mixed with the deafening sound of something collapsing.
“Calm down and tell me. What’s happened?”
“Deep Level 3 Tunnel has collapsed! It’s not ground subsidence—monsters have appeared. Crystal creatures have broken through from underground!”
“Casualties?”
“Five advance team members missing… presumed dead. We’ve sealed the entrance and deployed Hunters, but their numbers are too great—our defensive line is about to break.”
I closed my eyes, then opened them. My mind went cold.
“Evacuate everyone.”
“Sir? B-but then the equipment and ore stones…”
“Abandon it all if necessary. Save lives first. Immediately lower the Zone 1 barrier wall and withdraw everyone to ground level. Have the Hunters focus only on securing the escape route. That’s an order.”
“Y-yes! Full evacuation! Evacuate!”
I hung up the phone. My hands were damp with sweat. Park Jae-jung stared at me with a grave expression.
“The mine?”
“Yes. Monsters have appeared, they say. From the deep section.”
I rose from my seat and walked to the window. My face reflected in the glass was rigid and taut. This was no simple accident. This was inevitable.
‘Purification was the problem.’
When I purified the contaminated ore vein, I thought only of obtaining clean energy. But I had overlooked something crucial. Monsters instinctively crave high-purity core energy. That massive, pristine ore vein I had created was nothing less than an enormous buffet emanating an irresistible scent to the powerful beings slumbering deep underground.
The miracle I created had summoned catastrophe.
“Jae-jung.”
“Yes, Representative.”
“Immediately halt all sales at Renewal Shop.”
Park Jae-jung’s eyes widened at my words.
“Halt sales? We still have inventory remaining. Moreover, if we stop sales now, the customers with reservations will…”
“An announcement comes first.”
I cut him off decisively.
“Raw material supply unavailable. Indefinite sales suspension. Cite mine safety inspections as the reason. If word of the monster outbreak leaks, the Guild’s credibility will plummet.”
The mine is the heart of our business. With the heart stopped, I cannot let only the limbs move. Containing this crisis and resolving its cause takes priority over immediate profits. If we lose the mine as things stand, both Scrap Alchemy and Moonglade will crumble like sandcastles.
“…Understood. I’ll take care of it immediately.”
Park Jae-jung grasped my intent and moved at once. He tapped his tablet, issuing urgent directives to the server management and PR teams.
Moments later, the main screen of Renewal Shop transformed. In place of the dazzling product listings, a stark apology message appeared on a black background in white text, dominating the entire display.
[URGENT NOTICE: Temporary Sales Suspension Due to Raw Material Supply Issues]
[We sincerely apologize to all our valued customers who support Moonglade.]
The response was instantaneous. The Hunter Net forums erupted.
[Title: Hey, did Renewal Shop just crash? What’s with the sales suspension?]
– Damn it, I was waiting in queue to click at 5 PM today.
– Raw material supply? Didn’t you guys buy a mine? What’s the problem?
– Heard the rumor? There was some gossip going around that the mine collapsed.
Lol, see? I told you this no-name New Guild was getting too big. Aren’t they just trying to catch scammers before they run off with the money?
As if on cue, malicious comments and rumors flooded in. Rival companies deployed hired commenters to stoke public sentiment, and angry calls from disappointed customers paralyzed the customer service center. The phones in the 35th Floor Office rang incessantly.
Though the situation had shifted dramatically, I remained unmoved. This level of criticism was a price I had to pay.
“Jae-jung. Gather your gear.”
“You’re going in person?”
“Yes.”
I entered the workshop and equipped myself with an E-Rank Purification Short Sword and specialized alloy combat suit. Then I retrieved the portable miniature Dungeon Core from the safe, along with emergency potions.
“Since this is my responsibility, I need to handle it directly.”
I spoke to Park Jae-jung.
“And this won’t be simple monster subjugation. It seems the entire mine is transforming into a Dungeon.”
“A Dungeon…”
Park Jae-jung equipped his Gigas Shield, his expression hardening as he nodded.
“Understood. I’ll forge a path through once more.”
We stepped into the elevator. Leaving behind the glittering penthouse, we headed once more toward the dust-laden battlefield. But this battle wasn’t for earning a billion won. It was a desperate struggle for survival—to protect everything we had built.
The elevator arrived at Ground Level and the doors slid open. Yet in the lobby, an unexpected visitor awaited us.
A beige trench coat. Sharp, piercing eyes. And behind her, Hunter Association Investigation Team agents lined up in formation.
“Team Leader Lee Ji-young.”
She stood with her arms crossed, her cold gaze fixed upon me.
“Guild Master Lee Tae-hyun. I think we need to have a conversation.”
She held out her smartphone. The screen displayed the sales suspension notice.
“An abrupt sales halt. And abnormal mana fluctuations detected from the mine. For a simple safety inspection, something smells very wrong.”
She took a step closer.
“I told you to shut down early if you were planning fraud. I’ll verify this myself. What exactly is happening at that mine of yours?”
She showed no sign of backing down. It wasn’t so much a matter of justice as it was an insatiable curiosity—a drive to uncover the mysteries of the unknown.
I noticed the hands of the Investigation Team agents standing behind her moving toward their waists. I had to avoid armed conflict. Fighting here would only create problems far worse than the mine’s collapse.
Park Jae-jung stepped forward, positioning himself in front of me. His back muscles were taut with tension.
“Team Leader. This is not a convenient time. The site is in an extremely dangerous state. It will be designated as a civilian restricted zone, so entry by outsiders is—”
“Outsiders?”
Lee Ji-young let out a derisive laugh.
“Don’t be mistaken, Vice Guild Master Park Jae-jung. I am the Chief Appraiser of the Hunter Association. I have the authority to monitor and investigate any anomalies related to Dungeons or Gates. The mana fluctuations being detected from your mine right now exceed D-Rank Dungeon levels. You’re going to insist this is just a safety inspection and block the Association’s involvement? Don’t you think that’s even more suspicious?”
Her logic was flawless. The moment monsters emerged from the mine, it ceased to be private property and became a designated outbreak zone requiring containment. The Association had more than enough justification to intervene.
I grabbed Park Jae-jung by the shoulder and pulled him back. Then I met Lee Ji-young’s gaze.
“I warned you it was dangerous.”
“I can handle it, so step aside.”
“This isn’t a simple investigation. People die doing this.”
Despite my warning, her eyes remained unwavering.
“Is that a threat?”
“No. Advice.”
I paused to think. If I couldn’t stop her anyway, I might as well use her to my advantage. She was a troublesome Watcher, but simultaneously an elite with detection and analytical abilities approaching A-Rank standards. Her Eye of Truth could prove invaluable in understanding what was happening in the mine and uncovering its cause.
After a moment of silent standoff, I nodded.
“Fine. Go in and die, and I take no responsibility. But if you’re determined to proceed, follow me. However, I have conditions.”
“Conditions?”
“Keep your investigation team on standby. Only you enter the site.”
She hesitated briefly, then gestured to her agents.
“Wait here. Don’t move unless I signal.”
“But team leader—”
“That’s an order.”
She turned back to me with a provocative smile.
“There. I’ve removed the dead weight.”
I smiled bitterly and pressed the elevator button.
“Let’s go. Time to see hell.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————