The All-Time Best Talent was F-Class Purification - Chapter 36

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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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36
Chapter 36 – An Elite Talent Awakened as an F-Rank Purifier
That evening. In the Upper District of South Korea, at the highest point stood the Dominion Guild Headquarters. In the office of Kang Chang-gyung, the Strategic Planning Director.
Kang Chang-gyung stared at the monitor with narrow, serpentine eyes. The screen displayed a recent report on the rapidly rising Moonglade.
“How intriguing.”
He murmured while swirling his wine glass.
“An obscure new guild devours Steel Fang, fortifies a mine… and works alongside Hunter Association’s Lee Ji-young?”
His secretary stood tensely.
“And Director. This is unconfirmed intelligence, but there’s been a report of someone presumed to be Seo Eun-ha spotted recently in the Lower District.”
“Seo Eun-ha?”
Kang Chang-gyung’s eyebrows twitched. His gaze turned ice-cold in an instant.
“That waste? The woman dying from alcoholism?”
“Yes. However… according to eyewitness accounts, she suddenly vanished after making contact with someone. And the vehicle that person arrived in… belonged to Moonglade.”
Crack. The wine glass in Kang Chang-gyung’s hand fractured. Seo Eun-ha. The genius he had personally orchestrated into ruin. It was impossible for her to rise again. Her circuits were burned out. But what if—just what if—she had recovered with someone’s help? And what if that power was directed at him?
“Lee Tae-hyun…”
Kang Chang-gyung tapped the name on the report with his finger. Tap. Tap.
“I thought he was just some merchant, yet he dares to dig through our garbage?”
He pressed the intercom.
“Have the car ready. Cancel all my appointments tomorrow.”
“Where are you going, sir?”
“I need to do some shopping.”
The next morning at 10 AM. Golden Tower 35th Floor, Moonglade Representative’s Office.
I was wrestling with the monitor, drafting a customized training program for Seo Eun-ha, while Park Jae-jung reviewed mining output reports on the sofa beside me. It was a peaceful morning.
Beep—beep!
The security intercom on my desk pierced the silence. It was the Security Team Leader from the Ground Level lobby. His voice carried bewilderment rather than urgency.
“R-Representative. We have a visitor.”
“A visitor? There shouldn’t be any scheduled appointments.”
“That’s the thing… there’s no reservation, but the Strategic Planning Director of Dominion Guild is currently at the main gate.”
Park Jae-jung stopped reviewing his documents. Dominion. The weight of that name shifted the very air.
“The entourage isn’t threatening to break down the door or causing a disturbance… they’re simply parked at the main gate and waiting. Their attitude suggests they won’t budge until we open it. We ran the license plate and confirmed it’s Director Kang Chang-gyung himself. What should we do?”
I paused to think. Rather than forcing their way in, they were standing at the main gate, politely demanding entry while wielding authority.
“…A seasoned move. If they were causing a scene, we could call the police or turn them away. But when a heavyweight wields their authority like this with silent pressure, the security team can’t handle it.”
Park Jae-jung shook his head as he spoke.
The real power of South Korea’s premier guild stood at our door. If we refused entry, Moonglade would bear the rumor of turning away Dominion at the gate. If we opened it, we’d lose the psychological battle from the start.
“Let him in.”
I gave the order.
“Understood. We’ll guide him through the VIP Exclusive Elevator.”
I stood up, put on my jacket, and adjusted my tie while looking in the mirror.
“What about Seo Eun-ha?”
“She’s still at the Training Ground. It would be best not to let them meet, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes. If she sees you right now, she might lose her mind and attack. The timing isn’t right yet.”
My reflection in the mirror was composed. A body and spirit that had grown to D-rank, they granted me serenity even before the massive wave bearing down upon me.
“Since we have a guest, we should greet them properly.”
Moments later, the VIP Exclusive Elevator doors slid open, and a man descended, flanked by his entourage.
Kang Chang-gyung. His impression in person was far sharper than in photographs. Premium tailored clothing wrapped his lean frame without a single wrinkle, and behind eyes as narrow and elongated as a serpent’s gleamed an icy intelligence.
With each step he took, the very density of the air seemed to shift. The oppressive aura unique to high-tier A-rank Hunters—not an intentional killing intent, but the sheer difference in presence that crushed opponents through existence alone.
Park Jae-jung instinctively moved to position himself in front of me. Even he, a B-rank tank, felt the threat on a primal level.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Guild Master Lee Tae-hyun.”
Kang Chang-gyung extended his hand first. His voice was smooth and courteous. Yet that hand—I couldn’t tell if it was offering a handshake or reaching for my throat.
“Welcome, Director Kang. Thank you for visiting our humble establishment.”
I held Park Jae-jung back and stepped forward to take his hand. It was cold. Like touching the skin of a reptile.
“Humble? This is the hottest spot in the Middle District these days. The interior design is quite refined, too.”
He gazed around the office with leisurely composure, his gaze appraising—like a wealthy investor surveying a property acquisition.
“Please, have a seat.”
We settled onto opposite ends of the sofa. His entourage formed a wall behind him, while Park Jae-jung stood at my side, glaring at them.
Kang Chang-gyung withdrew a thick file from his briefcase and placed it on the table.
“Let me cut to the chase. Dominion values talent and technology.”
He stared directly at me.
“Moonglade’s Renewal technology, and the quality of the mine you recently secured. Quite impressive, I must say. Frankly, it’s almost too much for a D-rank Guild Master to manage.”
He didn’t mince words. Hand it over—that’s what he meant.
“So I’ve come to make you a proposal.”
He slid the file toward me. The cover bore bold letters: [ACQUISITION AND MERGER PROPOSAL].
“We’d like to incorporate Moonglade as a subsidiary of Dominion. We’ll guarantee you operational control. In exchange, all products and raw materials produced will be supplied exclusively to Dominion.”
He spread his fingers.
“The acquisition price is fifty billion won. Full payment in cash, upfront. Money that an ordinary Hunter couldn’t spend in a lifetime.”
Fifty billion won. An astronomical sum. Considering Ma Seok-gi had risked his life for two billion, Kang Chang-gyung’s offer was extraordinary. But the toxic clause lurking beneath was unmistakable. Exclusive supply. In other words, he wanted to turn Moonglade into Dominion’s subcontractor factory.
I pushed the proposal aside without even opening it.
“The amount is a bit disappointing.”
Kang Chang-gyung’s eyebrows twitched at my response.
“Is it insufficient? If you’d like, I could add another ten billion or so.”
“It’s not about the money.”
I leaned back against the sofa.
“Fifty billion. You’re treating it like cheap goods. Moonglade isn’t for sale. And I have no intention of becoming a dog that bites its master. Take the proposal with you. The paper’s too good to waste in a shredder.”
A refusal. Clear and absolute.
The smile that had lingered at the corners of Kang Chang-gyung’s mouth slowly faded. The temperature in the room plummeted. The hands of his entourage slipped into their jackets.
“…Guild Master Lee Tae-hyun.”
Kang Chang-gyung whispered low.
“You seem unfamiliar with how the world works. This isn’t a proposal. It’s an opportunity I’m offering you.”
He leaned forward, a posture like a serpent eyeing its prey.
“When Dominion extends its hand, if you don’t take it, that hand becomes a fist that comes flying. Burying a small guild like yours is nothing to us.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Advice, rather. You seem quite confident after crushing Steel Fang recently… but that was just a street-level brawl. We’re different. We operate through law, capital, and force. We can make it so you can’t even breathe.”
His words were no empty boast. Dominion was a colossal power that wielded influence over both the legislative and judicial branches. If they decided to move against us, they could torment us through countless means—revoking mining permits, launching tax audits, fabricating criminal charges.
But I refused to back down. The moment I surrendered to fear, I would become their slave forever.
“Try it.”
I smiled as I spoke.
“I learned one thing while dealing with street thugs. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
My provocation made Kang Chang-gyung’s eyes gleam with murderous intent. A suffocating tension filled the air. It felt like mana could explode at any second—a powder keg waiting to ignite.
Then, suddenly, Kang Chang-gyung burst into laughter. He withdrew his killing intent and returned to his composed expression.
“Ha ha ha. You’ve got some nerve, I’ll give you that. I like it. Forcing things through brute strength isn’t my style, anyway.”
He rose from his seat. As he straightened his clothes, he tossed out his next words casually.
“But you see, Guild Master, there’s been an interesting rumor circulating in the Lower District lately.”
My heart sank.
“A defective product we disposed of at Dominion has gone missing, or so the story goes. Seo Eun-ha, I believe… though I’m not sure if you’d know anything about it.”
He stared directly into my eyes.
“That woman is a criminal who caused us enormous losses and was cast out from our guild. Surely—just in case, one in a million chance—Moonglade isn’t harboring that criminal, is it?”
He knew. Whether he was fishing based on suspicion without proof, or already certain and applying pressure, either way it was dangerous. If the fact that I was protecting Seo Eun-ha came to light, Dominion would use it as justification to attack Moonglade. They had plenty of charges they could fabricate—harboring a criminal, technology theft allegations, and more.
I saw Park Jae-jung’s fists clench. I maintained my composure and responded calmly.
“Well… why don’t you check the Lost and Found Center? This is a guild, not a waste disposal facility. If any of your garbage turns up in my territory, I’ll give you a call. Tell you to come clean it up.”
“I see.”
Kang Chang-gyung smiled meaningfully and walked toward the door.
“Well, you’ll find out soon enough. Some smells can’t be hidden, no matter how hard you try.”
He stopped in front of the elevator. Without turning around, he left his final warning.
“The fifty-billion-won offer ends today. The next time I come, I won’t be bringing a contract… I’ll be bringing an obituary. Look forward to it.”
Ding—the elevator doors opened, and he and his entourage disappeared.
The moment the doors closed, the crushing pressure that had suffocated the office vanished instantly. Park Jae-jung collapsed onto the sofa as if his legs had given out. Cold sweat drenched his forehead.
“…That man’s a monster. Just standing there nearly suffocated me.”
“Yes. High-rank A-Class isn’t an exaggeration, it seems.”
My own shirt was soaked through at the back.
But defiance burned hotter than fear. He saw us as prey—an arrogant little mouse he could devour whenever he pleased.
“Park.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Double Seo Eun-ha’s training schedule.”
I watched the Dominion limousine convoy receding in the distance through the window, my fists clenched tight.
“And contact Team Leader Lee Ji-young. Tell her we need to do some more shopping. One A-Class won’t be enough.”

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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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