The All-Time Best Talent was F-Class Purification - Chapter 30

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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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30
Chapter 30 – An Elite Talent Awakened as an F-Rank Purifier
The highway stretched toward the Outskirts of Gyeonggi Province. Silence hung thick in the back seat of the SUV that Park Jae-jung was driving. I monitored the field situation in real-time on my tablet from the front passenger seat, while Lee Ji-young in the back gazed out the window, lost in deep thought.
“Park Jae-jung.”
It was Lee Ji-young who broke the silence. Her gaze found Park Jae-jung through the rearview mirror.
“That shield of yours. It’s a Gigas Shield, isn’t it?”
Park Jae-jung stiffened. His equipment bag in the trunk—she must have scanned it back at the Lobby.
“Yes, that’s correct, but—”
“That’s strange. If I remember correctly, that shield was deemed impossible and scrapped a few months ago. The mana circuits were destroyed and it was discarded as scrap metal, wasn’t it?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Yet the energy I saw in that shield just now exceeded its prime condition. Like it was freshly born.”
Her gaze slowly shifted toward me.
“Mun Glade’s Renewal products. They’re all the same. Dead items miraculously resurrected and returned. What secret are you hiding?”
She was striking at the heart of it. I answered indifferently without lifting my eyes from the tablet.
“It’s not polite to ask about trade secrets so openly.”
“I’m curious. Whether it’s a technique or… someone’s ability.”
She already suspected. But she lacked confirmation. Instead of answering, I changed the subject.
“The field situation is deteriorating. Tunnel 3 has completely collapsed, and the monsters have pushed up into Tunnel 2.”
I turned the screen toward her. Drone footage of the scene. Hundreds of red points flickering in pitch-black darkness. And massive scorpions with transparent crystalline shells emerging from the rubble.
“Crystal Scorpions.”
Lee Ji-young’s expression hardened.
“D-Rank monsters. They’re characterized by their hard exoskeletons and paralytic venom in their tails. Normally they inhabit areas near mana veins deep underground, but it’s rare for them to swarm upward this close to the surface.”
“What do you think caused it?”
When I asked, she stared directly at me.
“I’m not sure. Something must have provoked them. Something very powerful and pure…”
Her words struck true. That massive, pristine mana vein I had purified—it was an irresistible buffet for them. The reality that I was the cause of all this crashed over me once again.
An hour later, we arrived at the Mine. But the scene before us was nothing like the bustling production facility I remembered.
“Aaaah! Help me!”
“Block it! Seal the entrance!”
It was a war zone. Smoke blanketed the sky, and explosions and screams echoed from every direction. Injured workers and Mercenary Hunters were being carried out from the Main Gate, drenched in blood.
“Director.”
The Work Foreman who had been commanding the scene rushed toward us. His face was caked with soot and blood.
“What happened? The defensive line?”
“It’s broken through! There are too many of them! The mercenaries tried to hold them back, but their shells are too hard. Standard weapons don’t even scratch them!”
Then a deafening roar erupted from the Tunnel Entrance.
Boom!
A massive boulder shot upward, and through the gap emerged a scorpion the size of a house. Its transparent crystalline carapace gleamed, and its tail curved wickedly. It was a Crystal Scorpion.
“Shrieeeek!”
As it swung its pincers, the barricade in front was torn to shreds like paper. A fleeing worker stumbled and fell into the creature’s strike range.
“Danger!”
I was about to shout and rush forward when a shadow burst past me first. It was Park Jae-jung.
“Hrraaagh!”
He used his momentum to launch himself into the air, positioning himself in front of the worker and brought his Gigas Shield crashing down.
Kwaaang!
The scorpion’s massive claw collided with the B-rank shield. A heavy impact reverberated through the air, but Park Jae-jung didn’t budge an inch.
“Run! Get out of here!”
At Park Jae-jung’s shout, the worker scrambled away.
The scorpion, enraged that its attack had been blocked, began firing the venomous barbs from its tail in rapid succession.
Shwick! Shwick!
Sharp crystal shards rained down like a downpour, but the Gigas Shield’s azure mana barrier deflected everything flawlessly.
“Impressive durability.”
Park Jae-jung grinned wickedly and adjusted his grip on the shield. This was no longer the dented shield from before. It had been perfectly restored and reinforced through purification—a true iron wall.
“Lee Tae-hyun! There!”
Lee Ji-young’s voice rang out from behind. Her eyes glowed crimson. The Eyes of Truth.
“The creature’s carapace—the seam between its neck and body. The mana flow is severed there. That’s its weakness.”
She had identified its weak point in an instant. I didn’t hesitate. My D-rank enhanced leg muscles exploded with power. While Park Jae-jung drew its attention, I darted toward the creature’s flank.
An E-rank purification dagger was in my hand. As I leaped, I drove the blade directly into the seam at the creature’s neck.
Crack!
The sound of the hard crystal shell fracturing echoed as the dagger sank deep. And instinctively, I channeled purification energy through it.
“Vanish.”
Ssshhiiiing—!
The blade carved through the carapace’s crevice. My mana, recognizing the creature’s core as a contamination mass, surged backward in a devastating reversal. The creature let out a brief shriek before crumbling to the ground.
“Kieeeek!”
The once-massive crystal monster became dust, all light extinguished in an instant.
Silence fell over the area. The fleeing workers and the mercenary hunters all stared at us in shock.
“That just now…”
Lee Ji-young approached me. Her gaze wasn’t fixed on the dead scorpion—it was locked on the dagger in my hand.
“That wasn’t just a stab. You reversed the monster’s mana circuit and destroyed it. What exactly are you…?”
Instead of answering, I shook the dagger clean.
“Explanations later. This isn’t over yet.”
I looked toward the crumbling tunnel entrance. In the darkness, countless crimson eyes stared back at us. This was merely the vanguard. The main force still lurked deep underground.
“Squad Leader. Evacuate all personnel now and seal the entrance. We’ll handle this.”
I turned to Park Jae-jung and Lee Ji-young.
“We’re going down. Unless we address the root cause, this mine will never be safe.”
Park Jae-jung nodded silently. Lee Ji-young hesitated briefly before agreeing.
“…I agree. I need to see with my own eyes what’s happening down there.”
The three of us stepped together into the tunnel as darkness yawned open before us, unaware that this marked the beginning of a long isolation.
Rummmble!
The moment we entered the tunnel, a deafening roar erupted from behind. The entrance’s ground couldn’t withstand the monsters’ assault and collapsed. Massive boulders cascaded down, cutting off the last ray of light from the surface above.
Thud!
Perfect darkness. The communicator’s signal had cut out. We were trapped 300 meters underground, deep within the monsters’ lair.
Boom!
A tremendous tremor shot up through my feet and reverberated to the crown of my head. The sound didn’t end with a single impact. With a grinding rumble, the bedrock from the ceiling came crashing down, completely sealing the entrance we’d used to descend.
The last sliver of light vanished. Perfect darkness. And silence.
Before the dust could even settle, the damp scent of earth and the acrid stench of monsters filled the narrow tunnel shaft. My ears rang with pressure. I instinctively covered my mouth and crouched low.
“Park Jae-jung? Lee Ji-young?”
My voice echoed through the darkness.
“I’m here.”
Park Jae-jung’s voice came from right beside me. Then, with a sharp hiss, a red emergency flare ignited. Beneath the flickering light, Park Jae-jung’s hardened face came into view, and behind him, Lee Ji-young was straightening her clothes as she rose to her feet.
Fortunately, neither of them appeared to be seriously injured. Park Jae-jung had used his Gias Shield to block the falling rocks.
“The entrance is completely sealed.”
Park Jae-jung shone his light on the collapsed rubble pile. Not even a gap was visible.
Lee Ji-young showed no sign of panic as she pulled a communication terminal from her coat. After checking the screen, she frowned.
“No signal. We’ve lost all contact with the outside. Whether it’s because we’re too deep underground for the signal to reach, or…”
“Jamming signal.”
I finished her thought.
“This wasn’t an accident. They deliberately brought the ceiling down on us.”
I picked up a crystal fragment from the floor. It was a piece of the Crystal Scorpion’s tail. The moment we’d entered, they’d concentrated their attacks on the weak ground near the entrance, cutting off our escape route. It was a cunning hunting method that seemed impossible for monsters to employ.
“We’re trapped.”
Lee Ji-young summarized the situation tersely. Rather than showing fear, her eyes were sharp and calculating as she surveyed the surroundings. She truly lived up to her reputation as the Hunter Association’s chief Appraiser.
“What do we do? Should we try to break through?”
Park Jae-jung was already holding his shield, ready to charge at any moment.
“No. It would take days just to clear that rubble pile. And if we’re attacked while we’re doing that, we’re finished.”
I shook my head and pointed deeper into the tunnel, toward the greater darkness ahead.
“We have to go down. I remember the mine’s layout. There’s a maintenance passage connected to an emergency ventilation shaft at the 400 meter underground level—it’s our only way out.”
Lee Ji-young stared at me intently.
“You make quick decisions. Most people would panic in a situation like this.”
“You have to get used to it if you want to survive.”
I answered calmly and checked my equipment. An E-rank purification dagger and emergency potions tucked at my waist. I was ready.
“Then let’s divide our roles.”
I said.
“I’ll take point. Dealer and pathfinder.”
“I’ll defend the rear and flanks. Tank duty.”
Park Jae-jung naturally took his place beside me.
And our gazes turned simultaneously toward Lee Ji-young. She wasn’t a Hunter. A non-combatant. To be honest, in our current situation, she could become a liability.
But she didn’t avoid our stares. Instead, she pulled out a peculiar magical tool that resembled a pen from her coat pocket.
“Don’t misunderstand. I can protect myself just fine. And…”
Whirrrr—
As she activated the magical tool, her eyes began to glow red once more. Her unique skill: Eye of Truth.
“My eyes will be more useful than yours for finding the way. I can see everything—mana flows, monster weaknesses, hidden traps. All of it.”
It was no bluff. Even in the darkness, her eyes scanned the surroundings like an infrared camera. Crimson circuitry overlaid her pupils. In the pitch-black gloom, only she could perceive light.
“There are no secrets where my eyes reach.”
Her voice was arrogant, yet reassuring. She was our finest navigation system and analyst.
“Understood. Lee Ji-young, you’ll handle information support and analysis from the center. Vice-Guild Master, your priority is protecting her.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Deal struck.”
An unlikely party had formed. A D-Rank Guild Master, a C-Rank tank, and an elite Appraiser from the Association. An incongruous combination, but survival left no room for choice.
“Let’s move.”
We descended deeper underground.
As we ventured further down, the landscape transformed strangely. This place had once been a beautiful Gem Mine that I had purified. But now that beauty had returned as poison.
The raw mana stones embedded in the walls still radiated a brilliant azure glow, yet that light wavered turbidly and unstably. And following that glow, countless monster shadows danced and flickered.
“The mana concentration is abnormally high.”
Lee Ji-young spoke, her eyes darting about as she analyzed our surroundings.
“It’s three times—no, five times denser than a typical Dungeon. And this mana is incredibly pure. As if someone had refined it.”
Her words struck my chest like a blade. She was right. This was my doing. In my zeal to purify the contamination, I had made the energy far too pure, transforming this place into an all-you-can-eat buffet for monsters.
‘I have to take responsibility for this.’
I bit my lip and gripped my short sword tightly.
That’s when it happened.
“Stop!”
Lee Ji-young’s sharp voice pierced the mine shaft. Park Jae-jung reacted instantly. Without hesitation, he raised his shield and blocked the path between her and me.
Clang! Clang!
Transparent projectiles shot from the darkness ricocheted off his shield, scattering sparks. Upon closer inspection, they were sharp crystalline spines.
“Ceiling. Twelve o’clock and three o’clock on the wall.”
Lee Ji-young pointed with her finger.
“I see them. They’re camouflaged with the walls. Seven Crystal Scorpions—no, wait, there are seven of them.”
She was right. Between the glowing azure mana stone walls, they had achieved perfect concealment using their transparent carapaces. It was a camouflage impossible to detect with the naked eye. Without her, we would have been caught completely defenseless.
“Kieeeek!”
Exposed, the creatures shrieked and burst from the walls. Seven scorpions the size of houses filled the narrow mine shaft and charged forward. There was nowhere to escape. We had to break through or be devoured.
“Coming!”
Park Jae-jung roared a taunt and slammed his shield downward. A crimson shockwave rippled outward, drawing the attention of the three leading scorpions. Their pincers struck his Gigas Shield indiscriminately.
But the problem was the remaining four. Ignoring Park Jae-jung, they scaled the walls and ceiling, diving toward Lee Ji-young and me from behind.
“Lee Tae-hyun.”
Lee Ji-young remained composed, firing mana bullets from the pen-shaped magical tool in her hand to intercept them. But their crystalline carapaces were too hard. The bullets bounced off without leaving a scratch.
“Move aside.”
I stepped forward in front of her. My D-Rank enhanced senses caught the creatures’ movements as if in slow motion.
The first scorpion thrust its tail’s venomous stinger at me. I ducked my upper body to evade while simultaneously driving my blade beneath its abdomen.
‘The joints.’
The weak point I had identified in the previous battle. I gripped my purification dagger in reverse grip and precisely severed the seam where the creature’s leg connected to its body.
Skreeeech—
As the purification energy channeled through the dagger severed the creature’s mana circuits, it let out a grotesque shriek and plummeted to the ground.
But there was no time to rest. The second and third creatures lunged at me simultaneously from both sides. A coordinated assault. I had nowhere to dodge.
“Park Jae-jung. Three seconds.”
At my shout, Park Jae-jung—who had been facing three creatures ahead—twisted his shield without hesitation, carving out space. He sacrificed his own position, using his body to block one of the tail attacks that had been hurtling toward me.
“Ugh.”
His sacrifice created an opening. I pushed off the ground and launched myself upward. Mid-air, I twisted my body and landed atop the backs of two scorpions.
“The weak point is the tip of the tail! That’s where the mana core is!”
Lee Ji-young’s voice cut through the chaos. New information. So there were weak points not just at the neck joints, but in the tail as well. I trusted her analysis and drove my dagger into the tail tip of the creature beneath my feet.
Squelch!
Screeeech—!
The purification energy channeled through my dagger shattered its core. The scorpion convulsed violently, then hardened into stone.
“One down.”
I immediately hurled myself toward the next creature.
The fierce melee continued. A narrow tunnel shaft, outnumbered and disadvantaged. Yet somehow, we held our ground. Park Jae-jung’s impenetrable defense, Lee Ji-young’s precise tactical analysis, and my decisive action—three gears meshing together, turning in perfect synchronization.
When the last creature fell, we stood gasping, eyes meeting across the blood-soaked passage.
“Better coordination than expected.”
Park Jae-jung wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled.

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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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