The All-Time Best Talent was F-Class Purification - Chapter 41

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

41
Chapter 41 – An Elite Talent Awakened as an F-Rank Purifier
I pulled on my gloves. Park Jae-jung lifted the hammer, and Seo Eun-ha ignited the mana furnace. With each hammer strike, our war preparations began in earnest.
Crack! Thwack!
Sharp bursts erupted as black smoke billowed across the workbench.
“…Failed again.”
I tore off my gloves and raked my fingers through my hair in frustration. The workbench was littered with melted metal chunks and shattered mana stone fragments—a grotesque monument to failure.
The night my conscription notice arrived, I sealed myself in the Underground Workshop. My objective was singular: craft perfect protective equipment capable of withstanding Zone 9’s lethal toxins.
But it was proving far more difficult than I’d anticipated.
“The materials… they won’t bond together.”
Park Jae-jung spoke carefully from where he’d been observing.
“Yes. That’s the problem.”
I picked up a fragment of the Crystal Queen’s shell with tweezers. This material possessed top-tier physical defense and mana resistance. But the problem was its uniqueness—it refused to combine with any metal or fiber on Earth. Whenever I forced integration by channeling mana, their wavelengths would collide and detonate.
“Welding doesn’t work, adhesives won’t stick, and mana pressure just makes it explode…”
I exhaled heavily. I wasn’t a master blacksmith or alchemist. I was merely a Hunter with one tool: Purification. Attempting to work with S-rank materials without crafting skills was like trying to carve stone with bare hands.
‘Is there any way?’
I sat in my chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. Zone 9’s toxins penetrate through skin respiration. A single gap means death. In other words, I had to fuse the materials together perfectly, with no seams.
‘Purification… purification…’
Until now, I’d only used Purification to eliminate filth—erasing poison, dispelling curses, stripping away rust.
But what if I redefined impurity differently?
Two substances fail to bond because of microscopic air layers between them, oxidation films, or the incompatibility of differing mana wavelengths. What if I classified that boundary incompatibility itself as contamination? Or what if I defined the repulsive force pushing the materials apart—that invisible wall—as impurity and simply erased it? Then couldn’t they become one?
“…Park Jae-jung. Could you bring the Crystal Queen shell fragment and titanium alloy plate again?”
“You’re going to try again? It’s already exploded more than ten times.”
“This time will be different. I have a feeling about this.”
Park Jae-jung looked anxious, but without complaint, he retrieved the materials.
I placed both materials side by side on the workbench. Then I rested each hand on one of them.
‘Focus.’
I closed my eyes and channeled purification energy through my fingertips. This time, instead of releasing it outward, I coated my palms with an impossibly thin membrane. I concentrated solely on that microscopic gap where the two materials met—that boundary line.
[Target Set: Mana Resistance Between Materials and Impurities.]
I could see it. Where my consciousness touched, the invisible repulsive force pushing the materials apart became visible, along with microscopic dust particles bristling like thorns.
‘That’s the obstruction. All I need to do is remove that.’
I carefully, delicately pushed the energy forward.
“Purification: Fusion.”
Shhhhiiiing—
This time, there was no explosion. Instead, a quiet, gentle sound emerged—like ice melting into water, or two droplets merging into one.
White light seeped beneath my palms. That radiance dissolved the wall between the materials, inducing molecular-level bonding. The mana of the crystal shell and the molecules of the alloy began interlocking, filling each other’s gaps.
Thick beads of sweat rolled down my forehead. My core energy drained like a faucet left wide open. It demanded tremendous concentration.
“…Director, the light… its color is changing.”
Park Jae-jung sounded astonished.
The purification light, originally pure white, was transforming into an ethereal hue blending soft blue and gold.
Ting!
With a crystalline chime, the work was complete. I withdrew my hands and examined the result.
“…Success.”
Park Jae-jung’s eyes widened. The crystal shell and titanium alloy were no longer two separate objects. There were no seams at all. As if they had been one from the beginning, they had fused perfectly into a new material—reborn as a lustrous silver-blue substance.
In that moment, a System Message materialized before my eyes.
[Congratulations!]
[Through repeated attempts and new insights, your skill evolves.]
[Your unique skill Purification has risen to [Mastery].]
[You have acquired a new sub-skill: Attunement.]
[Skill: Attunement]
Description: Purifies the discord between materials or mana of differing natures, fusing them into a perfect whole.
Effects: Dramatically increases success rate in item crafting/repair; enables combination of heterogeneous materials.
“Ha… haha…”
A hollow laugh escaped me. This wasn’t a blacksmithing skill at all. I had merely cleared away the obstacles, yet the result was the most perfect adhesive in existence.
“Jae-jung. Look at this.”
I lifted the fused plate and handed it to Park Jae-jung.
“Try breaking it. With all your strength.”
Park Jae-jung took the plate with skepticism, gripping it with both hands and applying force. A B-rank Hunter’s grip strength could crumple steel.
“Hrraaagh!”
Veins bulged across his arms. Yet the plate remained pristine, without a single scratch.
“…That’s impossible. It’s harder than a B-rank Gigass Shield?”
“It’s a success. If we make protective gear from this, not even the toxic miasma of Zone 9 —nor a monster’s fangs—will penetrate it.”
Exhilaration consumed me, and I forgot my exhaustion. Now I knew how to make it. What remained was deciding what to create.
“Jae-jung, could you call Seo Eun-ha and Su-jin? And contact Team Leader Lee Ji-young—tell her to come to the Workshop.”
“Right now? It’s 3 AM.”
“Doesn’t matter. I need to take measurements immediately.”
I unfolded a new blueprint across the Workbench. The first thing I needed to create was equipment for Han Su-jin—the heart of our party.
‘Mere armor won’t suffice. I need functions to support her substitution ability.’
The pain that transfers every time she heals. To reduce it, I’d need to embed special circuits within the garment that protect the nervous system and block mana backflow. And in emergencies, I’d need to set absolute-defense barrier stones as well…
Countless ideas exploded in my mind. With Attunement, complex designs that were once impossible now seemed achievable.
Shortly after, my teammates shuffled down into the Workshop, rubbing their sleepy eyes. Seo Eun-ha was in pajamas, dragging her slippers, while Han Su-jin was wrapped in a blanket.
“Seriously. You won’t even let people sleep—what’s this about?”
Seo Eun-ha grumbled.
“I apologize. But once you see this, you’ll be wide awake.”
I showed them the crystal-titanium alloy plate I’d just created. And I demonstrated the new radiance emanating from my fingertips—the Attunement energy.
“I’ve acquired a new ability. Now there are no material limitations.”
I looked at Han Su-jin.
“Su-jin. A painless garment, made just for you. We’re starting production today.”
Her eyes widened.
“Is that… truly possible?”
“Yes. The theory is complete. I just need to pull a few all-nighters. Shall we begin?”
“Come on, spread your arms. If you move, the measurements will be off.”
3:30 AM. Beneath the fluorescent lights of the Underground Workshop, Han Su-jin stood hesitantly on a makeshift stage. She wore only a thin slip, and her face had flushed crimson with embarrassment.
“Do… do we really have to do this?”
“Of course. The poison from Zone 99 seeps through even the tiniest pinhole. It has to fit your body perfectly—not a single millimeter of error.”
I picked up the measuring tape and carefully measured her shoulder width, arm length, and waist circumference. Beside me, Seo Eun-ha yawned repeatedly as she jotted down the measurements.
“Shoulders 38, arm length 56… Hey, you need to gain some weight. You’re way too thin.”
“I’m eating well…”
Han Su-jin answered in a barely audible voice.
In truth, her thinness was more than simple malnourishment. Five years of suffering and corruption had left her frame skeletal, her muscles atrophied. The thought of her darting across battle sites in this condition, casting heals—it was a cruel puzzle. I had to minimize weight while maximizing defense. I measured her dimensions with the gravity of someone crafting not armor, but a life-support system.
“That’s all. You can come down now.”
I draped the measuring tape around my neck and returned to the Workbench. There lay the crystal-titanium alloy plate I’d just created using Synchronization.
“Now the real work begins.”
Beside the alloy plate, I laid out a bundle of white fabric. It was no ordinary textile. It was a special weave made from the silk of white spiders—creatures renowned among monsters for their high magical resistance. I had already infused it with the fragrance of Reverie Grass, an herb with analgesic properties.
“You’re going to combine this hard metal with that soft cloth?”
Park Jae-jung, who had been dozing, rubbed his eyes and asked.
“Yes. If I make it from metal alone, it’ll be too heavy for Su-jin to move. But if I use only fabric, there’s no defense.”
I layered the two materials together. Two substances that could never physically mix. But I possessed a new key.
‘Synchronization.’
I placed both hands over the materials and closed my eyes. A soft luminescence flowed from my fingertips. This time, not melting and bonding—but an image of filling each other’s gaps.
The flexible fibrous tissue of spider silk began to weave like serpents through the spaces between the metal’s molecular structure, intertwining at the atomic level. A molecular wedding of metal and thread. The cold titanium absorbed the warmth of the spider silk, while the delicate silk gained the hardness of steel.
Whoooom—
The air in the workshop vibrated subtly. This was no mere fusion. In the process, I had to embed circuits within the fabric that would counteract Su-jin’s pain-transfer penalty.
‘Disperse the flow of mana without reversing it across the entire garment.’
Like grounding electricity, the entire coat would absorb the shock of pain she’d endure and expel it as vibrations. To achieve this, I wove thousands of layers of hair-thin mana circuits into the weave.
I lost all sense of time. Sweat poured from my forehead like rain, and I could hear my core energy scraping against empty reserves.
“Boss, you’re bleeding from your nose…”
Park Jae-jung wiped my face with a towel.
“I’m fine. We’re almost done.”
6:00 AM. With no windows in the Underground Workshop, I hadn’t noticed morning arrive, but finally—my hands completed the work.
Brilliance erupted!
A coat materialized on the Workbench in a dazzling flash. A material that had never existed before—combining the rigidity of metal with the softness of silk. It gleamed pure white overall, but when light caught it, a subtle silvery-blue luster shimmered across its surface.
[Item: Guardian’s Vestment]
[Grade: A (Crafted)]
[Durability: 999/999]
[Option: Pain Dispersal – The garment absorbs 50% of all mental and physical damage the wearer receives and expels it outward.]
“…It’s complete.”
I collapsed into the chair. I didn’t have the strength to move a single finger.
“Wow… it’s beautiful.”
Seo Eun-ha lifted the coat in admiration.
“Is this really metal? It’s light as a feather.”
“Su-jin, try it on.”
Han Su-jin carefully draped the coat over her shoulders. It fit her body like a custom-tailored suit. The long coat style descended past her knees, yet it imposed no restriction on her movements whatsoever.
But what truly astounded her was the sensation of wearing it.
“…It’s warm.”
She ran her fingers along the coat’s collar.
“And… my body feels lighter. It’s like someone’s embracing me.”
The analgesic properties of the Reverie Herb woven into the fabric, combined with my purification energy, were stabilizing her unstable nervous system.
“We need to test its performance.”
I gestured toward Park Jae-jung.
“Jae-jung, give her a light flick on the forehead.”
“What? On Su-jin?”
Park Jae-jung flinched. A flick from a B-Rank tank could cave in a normal person’s skull.
“Gently. Very gently. Just check if the pain is reduced.”
Han Su-jin squeezed her eyes shut nervously. Park Jae-jung carefully flicked her forehead. A soft tap.
“Ah…?”
Han Su-jin opened her eyes.
“It… doesn’t hurt. It just felt like something tapped me?”
Park Jae-jung had applied considerable force, but the impact rippled across the entire coat like a wave before dissipating completely.
“Success.”
As I smiled, cheers erupted throughout the Workshop.
“No way! Does that mean I can get hit without it hurting too?”
Seo Eun-ha stroked the coat enviously.
“Yours is different. You’re not meant to take hits—you’re meant to deal them.”
I turned back toward the Workbench. One down. Still ahead lay Park Jae-jung’s shield coating, Seo Eun-ha’s protective suit, and Lee Ji-young’s analysis equipment—a long road remained.
“Come on, no time to rest. Bring the next materials.”
I downed an energy drink. As caffeine coursed through my veins, my heart began racing again. Though the sun hung high outside, our night was only just beginning.

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