The All-Time Best Talent was F-Class Purification - Chapter 42

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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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42
Chapter 42 – An Elite Talent Awakened as an F-Rank Purifier
[Time Remaining: D-6]
Whirrrrr—
The ventilation fan in the Underground Workshop roared to life, yet the acrid stench of acidic fumes stubbornly refused to dissipate.
“Ugh, this smell is absolutely unbearable.”
Seo Eun-ha pinched her nose in disgust as she helped with the tedious task of sorting the mana stones I’d tossed her way by type, working at one corner of the Workbench.
“Bear with it. This is the only way to restore Park Jae-jung’s shield.”
I stood before a bubbling cauldron, my face concealed behind a gas mask. Inside, a thick emerald liquid churned and roiled—a mixture I’d brewed from the acidic slime secretions harvested from the Swamp Area last time, combined with a specialized hardening agent.
“Fight poison with poison. Toxin counters toxin.”
Park Jae-jung’s Gigas Shield possessed unparalleled physical defense, yet it remained vulnerable to acidic attacks. Even B-grade alloys dissolved under strong acid. The answer was singular: coat it with a substance resistant to corrosion.
“Park Jae-jung, I’m lowering the shield now.”
I suspended the Gigas Shield from a crane and slowly submerged it into the cauldron.
Kwaaaaaa—!
The moment the shield touched the liquid, a violent chemical reaction erupted. White vapor billowed upward, and the shield’s surface appeared to blacken and char.
“Boss! Isn’t the shield melting?”
Park Jae-jung asked anxiously.
“No. Right now, the resistant material is seeping into the microscopic pores on the surface. Now! Synchronize!”
I pressed my hand against the cauldron and infused my core energy. The viscous components of the slime infiltrated the spaces between the shield’s metal molecules, fusing them into a single unified layer.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes… sweat streamed down my forehead and stung my eyes, yet I couldn’t afford to blink.
“Raising it now.”
As the crane lifted, the shield emerged from the cauldron. The silver-gleaming Gigas Shield had vanished entirely. In its place hung a new shield, its surface dark as pitch with a smooth, lustrous sheen.
[Gigas Shield: Black Mamba]
[Grade: B+ (Modified)]
[Properties: Acid Immunity / Damage Reflection]
“Perfect. Now even if slime adheres to it, it’ll simply slide off. Moreover, any physical impact will be returned as a toxic shockwave.”
Park Jae-jung accepted the shield. Its weight remained substantial, yet the sensation against his fingertips was far colder and more rigid. He caressed the shield, his expression one of profound gratitude.
“Thank you, boss. This time… I won’t be breached.”
Whoooosh— Ting!
From a heap of scrap metal piled in one corner of the Workshop, a decrepit suit of plate armor rose into the air. A C-grade Steel Knight Order armor I’d procured from somewhere—its breastplate caved in from monster claws, corroded with rust, abandoned in a junkyard.
“Park Jae-jung, the shield alone isn’t enough.”
I placed the dented armor atop the Workbench.
“A tank must absorb all aggression from the front lines. If acidic slime crawls up your legs or gargoyles strike from behind, the shield becomes useless. You need to become a fortress.”
“But… that’s far too heavy and decrepit.”
Park Jae-jung stared at the rusted armor, clearly troubled.
“That’s precisely why we’re renewing it.”
I gestured toward the second cauldron I’d prepared nearby. A black liquid simmering with concentrated acidic slime extract and powdered Crystal Queen shell.
“Submerging it now.”
I plunged the ancient armor entirely into the cauldron.
Whirrrrr—!
The armor shrieked as it sank into the black liquid. I placed both hands on the cauldron and activated my Synchronization skill.
‘Dissolve. And seep through.’
No hammering required. My core energy temporarily loosened the metal’s molecular structure, allowing the specialized solution to penetrate the gaps and transform its very nature. The corroded iron absorbed the acidic solution, bonded with crystal powder, and was reborn as Bio Metal.
Ten minutes later, I hoisted the armor out with the crane.
The rusted, dented scrap metal had vanished without a trace. In its place stood a full-plate armor identical in composition to the Gigas Shield—jet-black and gleaming with a smooth, lustrous finish that commanded respect.
[Item: Black Mamba Armor]
[Grade: B+ (Modified)]
[Set Effect: When worn with Gigas Shield, physical/magical defense increases by an additional 30%. Complete immunity to acid.]
“Try it on.”
Park Jae-jung donned the armor. A heavy metallic resonance echoed through the workshop. Once he fastened the helmet, he resembled a walking obsidian fortress.
“…It’s light.”
He flexed his fists in wonder.
“It looks heavy, but the movement is as comfortable as leather armor. The mana circuits are assisting the joints.”
“Success. Now you can swim through the Acidic Swamp without a scratch.”
Next was Seo Eun-ha’s turn.
“I told you I hate armor? It’s heavy—I can’t cast magic in it.”
She crossed her arms and grumbled.
“I know. That’s why I prepared a different base for you.”
What I retrieved was a professional diver suit purchased from the Hunter Shopping Mall. It was flexible and lightweight, but its defensive properties were as fragile as paper.
“You want me to wear that? A skin-tight suit?”
“Not just wear it. I’m going to fuse thread extracted from the Queen’s shell into it.”
I draped a luminous white spool of thread over the diver suit. Then I cast Synchronization again. It wasn’t sewing—the thread unraveled on its own, weaving like a serpent through the fabric’s fibers.
Uuuung—
The rubber suit transformed instantly into a silvery-white, scale-like texture. The Queen’s thread, with its high mana conductivity, enveloped the entire suit, evolving it into a mage-exclusive suit with both defensive power and mana amplification capabilities.
“Put it on. The size will adjust to fit you automatically.”
Seo Eun-ha emerged from the Changing Room in her new attire. The form-fitting cut enhanced her nimble movements, and the silvery-white luster contrasted strikingly with her crimson hair, creating an intense impression.
“Oh…”
She moved before the mirror, testing her range of motion.
“It’s light. And… the suit itself is infused with mana. When I cast magic, it feels like the suit is breathing with me.”
“That’s the core principle. The suit absorbs your rampant firepower as a first layer, amplifies it, and releases it outward. Now your flames will never burn through your own clothes.”
“I like it. A hundred times better than that tacky armor.”
She laughed and struck a pose.
Last was Team Leader Lee Ji-young.
“I’m not a combatant, so I don’t need anything elaborate. Just a mask would be…”
She seemed intent on maintaining her usual style of blouse and skirt.
“That won’t work. Zone 9’s toxins penetrate stockings. If your skin melts and scars, I can’t take responsibility. Out of respect for your style, I prepared this.”
I retrieved a high-end trench coat purchased from a department store.
“This is… just a regular coat, isn’t it?”
“For now, it is.”
I placed the coat on the workbench and sprinkled it with transparently refined slime coating and finely crushed mana stone powder.
[Synchronization: Fiber Reinforcement and Barrier Bestowal]
Light poured from my fingertips, enveloping the coat. The ordinary cotton fabric pulled taut, transforming into a special fiber tougher than steel yet more flexible than leather. On the surface, it appeared to be a refined trench coat, but in reality, it had become a bulletproof coat capable of deflecting even formidable blades.
“Try it on.”
She donned the coat. As she cinched the belt, her distinctive urbane and intellectual aura came alive. Yet the subtle ripple of mana flowing across the fabric revealed that she was far from an ordinary civilian.
“It has waterproofing, poison resistance, bulletproofing, and heat resistance all built in. If you raise the collar, it functions as a respiratory filter too. It looks like office wear, but its performance exceeds A-rank protective gear.”
She touched the hem of the coat, a satisfied smile crossing her face.
“You have good taste. I was worried I’d have to wear something drab like a space suit.”
“And I prepared this as well.”
The Eye of Truth was powerful, but in contaminated zones, the toxic miasma interfered with vision, causing rapid overload.
What I handed her was a pair of ordinary-looking goggle-style glasses. However, the lenses were crafted from specially processed purification stone, cut paper-thin.
“They’re filtering goggles. When you wear them, they selectively erase only the contaminated mana wavelengths entering your field of vision, so you’ll be able to see only clean information even in the toxic atmosphere.”
She put on the glasses.
“…Wow.”
Her mouth fell open slightly.
“The world… looks different. All the noise is gone. With these, I could find every last ant larva in the Underground of Zone 9.”
She fingered the goggles, regarding me with an enigmatic gaze.
“You’re really… incredible. To accomplish all of this alone in such a short time…”
“I wasn’t alone.”
I grinned and took a long sip of coffee. My hands were covered in bandages, and dark circles shadowed my eyes.
“Everyone stayed up all night helping.”
I spoke as I removed my gloves.
“Well, that’s everyone outfitted with new gear now.”
In one corner of the Workshop, Park Jae-jung’s black armor, Seo Eun-ha’s silvery-white suit, and Lee Ji-young’s bulletproof coat hung in a row, displaying their splendor.
“Wait, what about the representative?”
Park Jae-jung asked, looking at me.
“You made gear for all of us and you’re still going to carry around that worn-out single dagger? The leader looking the most shabby—that won’t do.”
“As if.”
I smiled widely and opened a drawer in the Workbench.
“I prepared mine too, of course. I put the most effort into it.”
I retrieved two items.
The first was a black gauntlet in the form of a fingerless glove. Delicate silver circuitry was embedded along each knuckle, and a thin layer of transparent purification stone was inlaid across the back of the hand.
“My abilities—purification and synchronization—originate from my fingertips. Touching contaminated objects in Zone 9 with bare hands would be suicide.”
I equipped the gauntlet. With a soft click, it adhered to my hand like a magnet, automatically tightening.
“This was made by extracting the nervous system of the Crystal Queen. It transmits my core energy without loss and also serves as an amplifier, gathering and releasing energy when needed.”
[Item: Alchemist’s Hand]
[Grade: A (Crafted/Exclusive)]
[Effect: Purification energy efficiency increased by 50%. Contact target analysis speed increased.]
“And… this one.”
I unsheathed the worn E-rank dagger hanging at my waist. The blade was chipped, and the hilt was worn. But I had not discarded this dagger. Instead, I had removed the Crystal Queen’s sharpest tail stinger and overlaid it upon the dagger’s blade.
[Synchronization: Steel and Crystal Fusion]
Whoooosh—!
The worn steel dagger drank in the light, reborn as a transparent blade with a chilling edge.
“I call it White Fang. It’s a sort of syringe weapon—when it pierces, it explosively injects purification energy into the target’s body.”
I gripped White Fang in a reverse hold and traced the empty air. A white arc lingered like an afterimage. Light, sharp, lethal.
“And this uniform.”
I donned my combat suit last. Unlike Park Jae-jung’s heavy armor or Seo Eun-ha’s flashy suit, it was a deep navy tactical jacket. Unassuming at first glance, but the lining contained thousands of compressed protective films—a commander’s outfit that balanced both defense and mobility.
“Oh… now you’re looking the part?”
Seo Eun-ha whistled.
“From a neighborhood porter to finally looking like a guild master.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I stood before the full-length mirror. Gauntleted hands, White Fang at my hip, and the tactical jacket hugging my frame. For the first time, I felt worthy to stand on the battlefield as their leader.
All preparations were complete. We sat on pizza boxes spread across the workshop floor for our final meal before departure.
“Tomorrow we set out.”
Park Jae-jung said, pouring cola.
“Nervous?”
Seo Eun-ha asked Han Su-jin. She nodded, clutching her newly received Guardian’s blessing tightly.
“A little. But… I’m not afraid. Because now I have my sister beside me, the vice guild master, and the representative.”
Her words brought warmth into the workshop. Just a week ago, we were strangers—no, wary of each other. But after rolling through that hellish swamp together and crafting equipment through sleepless nights, we were becoming a true team.
“Let’s show them.”
I lifted a slice of pizza.
“That the place they sent us to die was actually a treasure vault for us. Coming back alive is the greatest revenge.”
“To that!”
We toasted. The sharp fizz of carbonation slid down our throats—far sweeter than the bitter taste awaiting us tomorrow.
[SYSTEM: Expedition preparations complete]
[Updating current party member status window.]
[Munglade District 9 Expedition – Final Specifications]
1. Lee Tae-hyun (Leader / Commander)
Rank: D-Rank (Physical ability standard / Latent potential S-Rank)
Unique Skills: [Purification – Master Proficiency], [Synchronization]
Exclusive Equipment:
Weapon: [Queen’s White Fang] (A-Rank / Purification energy injection specialized dagger)
Auxiliary: [Alchemist’s Hand] (A-Rank / Mana control gauntlet)
Defense: [Commander’s Tactical Jacket] (B+-Rank / Lightweight ballistic/toxin resistant)
Role: Command, close-range suppression, status ailment removal (purification), on-site equipment repair/crafting.
2. Park Jae-jung (Main Tank)
Rank: B+-Rank (Awakened state)
Unique Skills: [Iron Fortress], [Provocation Roar]
Exclusive Equipment:
Weapon: [Gigas Shield: Black Mamba] (B+-Rank / Acid immunity, damage reflection)
Defense: [Black Mamba Armor] (B+-Rank / Acidic slime alloy full body plate)
Role: Front-line defense, Han Su-jin protection, formation stability.
3. Seo Eun-ha (Main Dealer)
Rank: A+ (Renewal Complete)
Unique Skills: [Scorching Heat], [Inferno Storm], [No Casting]
Exclusive Equipment:
Weapon: [Red Queen’s Breath] (A-Rank / Flame Amplification Staff)
Defense: [Salamander Suit] (B-Rank / Mana Amplification and Heat-Resistant Bodysuit)
Role: Area annihilation, long-range bombardment, terrain destruction.
4. Han Su-jin (Main Healer)
Rank: Unmeasurable (S-Rank Talent)
Unique Skills: [Rapid Transfer – Pain Transference], [Light of Healing]
Exclusive Equipment:
Defense: [Guardian’s Vestment] (A-Rank / 50% Pain Distribution, Absolute Defense Barrier)
Role: Party survival maintenance, critical wounds/curse instant recovery. (Lee Tae-hyun’s purification care essential)
5. Lee Ji-young (Support / Analyst)
Rank: A-Rank (Special Classification)
Unique Skills: [Eye of Truth]
Exclusive Equipment:
Auxiliary: [Purification Lens Goggles] (Contamination vision blocking)
Defense: [Mithril Trench Coat] (Bulletproof/Toxin-Resistant Coat)
Weapon: Magical Gun [Valkyrie MK-4]
Role: Map reading, trap/weakness identification, long-range suppression fire.
“We’re departing.”
The next morning, we boarded the modified Moon Rover.

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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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