The All-Time Best Talent was F-Class Purification - Chapter 63

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

63
Chapter 63 – An Elite Talent Awakened as an F-Rank Purifier
“Come at me. I’ll wash you clean.”
My provocation sent Mad Dog’s eyes rolling back. Whether the red ampoule had reached its peak potency or not, veins bulged across his entire body as if they might burst.
“You bastard… how dare you!”
Crash!
Mad Dog’s jungle knife came crashing down on the rooftop floor. The concrete cracked like paper, sending shards flying in all directions. One grazed my cheek. A sharp sting. Blood trickled down.
‘He’s insane.’
That’s B-rank strength. Maybe even higher. So this is what a rampage ampoule could do. Artificially forced power wouldn’t last long, but the real problem was whether I could survive long enough for it to wear off.
“Grrr… kill… I’ll kill you all.”
He charged at me with bestial sounds. His eyes had lost all reason. Only the primal charge of a savage beast remained.
I rolled to the side. His blade carved through the space where I’d been standing, leaving a deep gouge in the floor.
“Running? Don’t you dare run!”
Mad Dog swung his knife wildly. I held my breath and tracked his trajectory with my eyes. Without my C-rank agility and the tactical jacket’s reinforcement, I would’ve been cleaved in half by now.
Clang!
The blade’s edge grazed my shoulder. The jacket didn’t tear, but the heavy impact reverberated through my bones, numbing my arm.
‘A direct confrontation is suicide.’
That sensation from when I’d dealt with his subordinate. The power of reduction—decomposing the opponent’s mana and making it my own. It was certainly a remarkable ability. But theory and practice are different beasts.
Does an ant drinking an elephant’s blood kill the elephant? No. The ant’s belly bursts instead. With my current capacity, I couldn’t handle this rampaging energy, let alone absorb it all at once.
He raised his knife again. An opening. I seized that moment and drove myself into his guard.
“What…?”
My left hand pressed against his abdomen. I didn’t try to absorb his mana. Instead, I condensed my purification power into a needle-sharp point and drove it deep into his core.
Then I twisted.
“Purify.”
Crackle!
My mana collided with his corrupted mana, sending sparks flying. I felt something snap inside his body through my fingertips.
“Ugh!”
Mad Dog shrieked and shoved me away with a massive palm strike to my chest. The air exploded from my lungs as my body flew through the air.
Thud!
I crashed into the floor. My back throbbed, but I gritted my teeth and glared up at him.
Success.
“Huh…? Huh…?”
Mad Dog froze, touching his own body. The muscles that had been swollen and taut began to shrivel rapidly. The crimson glow in his eyes faded, his focus dissolving.
What I’d done wasn’t absorb his mana—it was purify away only the active components of the rampage ampoule he’d consumed. The artificially elevated output plummeted along with the drug’s effects. And what came next was a terrible backlash.
Collapse.
“Gasp… wheeze… my body… why…”
Mad Dog fell to his knees. Cold sweat poured from his entire body like rain. Sudden withdrawal. The nervous system that had been artificially sustained by the drug was going into shock and collapsing.
“Aaaah… it hurts… it’s burning…”
He no longer had the strength to grip the knife. He clawed at the floor and began to retch.
I wasn’t strong. I’d simply stripped the drug addict of his drug, and he’d crumbled on his own.
“Haah… haah…”
I wasn’t unscathed either. It had been just one contact, but forcing my way through B-rank energy had drained my mana completely. My fingertips trembled, and my vision blurred.
Still, I forced myself to my feet.
Mad Dog’s Gang was watching. If I showed weakness here, those bastards might rush me again. I steadied my shaking legs and slowly approached Mad Dog. One step. Then another. My shadow fell across the face of the man collapsed on the ground.
“Save… me… please…”
Mad Dog trembled as he grabbed my pant leg—a pathetic end for someone who once ruled the Lower District.
I stared down at him expressionlessly.
“Without your drug-fueled strength, you’re nothing.”
I raised my white dagger. No flashy skills or grand magic were needed. A simple strike to the vital point of a defenseless beast would suffice.
Thud.
The dagger pierced his throat. Mad Dog’s body convulsed once violently, then went limp. Mana poured from his corpse—I could purify it and make it mine. But I shook my head.
Not now. If I forced it down in this state, my blood vessels would burst.
I rummaged through his clothes and took only the bundle of key cards. Then I slowly turned my head. Mad Dog’s Gang huddled in the corner—about twenty of them. Their eyes were filled with fear. But it wasn’t fear of overwhelming power.
It was primal terror of that strange ability that had erased the Boss’s strength in an instant and killed him so pathetically. I regarded them silently. My hand held a blood-stained dagger. My eyes were exhausted, but my killing intent remained sharp.
Silence fell. Only the wind brushing across the rooftop could be heard.
And then.
“H-hyeeek!”
Someone screamed. That was the signal. They threw down their weapons and began to flee. Down the staircase, through the emergency exit, anywhere…
The thundering footsteps faded, and I was alone again.
Mad Dog’s corpse and me. The wind growing cold. And silence.
As tension drained from me, my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the rooftop floor. Ragged breaths tore from my chest.
I had won.
But I felt no joy.
I looked around, but no one was there. Not Seo Eun-ha’s flames, not Park Jae-jung’s shield, not Han Su-jin’s healing, and not Lee Ji-young’s gaze.
Only corpses and the smell of gas.
Suddenly, the moment the transport ship’s hatch closed flashed through my mind. Seo Eun-ha’s tears. Park Jae-jung’s screams. Lee Ji-young’s cries. And the transport ship growing smaller and smaller. The Sector Gate opening like a gateway to heaven, then closing shut.
‘I’m alone.’
A hollow emptiness opened in my chest.
After sitting there for a long time, when the rooftop’s cold began to seep into my body, I finally forced myself up.
“…Let’s go back.”
If I spent the night here, I’d lose my mind.
As I left the shopping mall, the streets of the Lower District were deathly silent. A ghost city where residents had evacuated due to the gas leak—or simply died.
I walked through the darkness like a zombie, the streetlights not even lit.
Footsteps. My footsteps. Nothing else.
In the Middle District, neon signs would be painting the night sky at this hour. The bright lights of 24-hour convenience stores. The boisterous laughter of food stalls open late into the night.
The nights when Park Jae-jung would bring chicken after work and come to the Officetel.
‘Director, what did you eat today? Ramen again? No, no, that won’t do. Come here, I brought something delicious.’
His rough voice echoed in my ears.
I lowered my head and quickened my pace. Don’t think about it now. If I think, I’ll break.
After walking for a long time, I came upon a familiar alley. The smell of mold blooming on the wall, broken paving stones, a narrow passage where a faulty fluorescent light flickered.
The alley I had struggled so desperately to escape from. At the end of that alley stood a dilapidated building.
A Goshiwon.
My old sanctuary—the place I’d left behind without even unpacking when I moved to the Middle District Officetel.
Creak—
I pushed open the iron door and climbed the stairs. The corridor was still dark and damp, carrying the same stench as the day I’d last left. A mixture of mold, moisture, and despair.
On impulse, I tried the door, and with a click, it swung open.
A two-room space blanketed in dust. The musty reek assaulted my nostrils. A folding desk, a rusted coat rack, and a narrow bed with a thin mattress.
I collapsed onto the bed without even unpacking.
I stared at the ceiling. Mold stains marred the surface. Just days ago, I’d fallen asleep gazing at pristine white wallpaper.
I thought I would cry.
But instead of tears, only a hollow laugh escaped.
“Back where I started.”
F-rank porter Lee Tae-hyun. Back here in the end. I wanted to give up.
What if I just closed my eyes here? What if when I opened them tomorrow, all of this had been a dream? What if I woke up in the soft bed of the Middle District Officetel, ate miso stew that Park Jae-jung had made for breakfast, and lived an ordinary day…
But reality was.
I pulled my phone from my pocket.
[Service Unavailable in This Area]
I sat up and looked out the window. Only darkness. The artificial lights of the Lower District had been broken for so long that this place was like an eternal night.
‘What do I do?’
My mind was chaotic. I tried to organize my situation.
One. I was trapped in the Lower District.
Dominion had sealed every passage leading to the Middle District. The elevator shaft was destroyed, and the Sector Gate was locked. There was no legitimate way up.
Two. My abilities were growing. Purification. Erasing contamination and restoring essence. And the power to convert the remnants into pure mana. Since ascending to C-rank, when I released the core energy of ability users, that energy strengthened my mana circuits.
The problem was mana capacity. After the Awakening, people had randomly gained abilities. But that randomness was cruelly unfair. Skill rank and mana capacity were separate matters. Some received E-rank skills with massive mana pools, while others received S-rank skills but had barely any mana capacity to use them properly.
Han Su-jin was like that. An S-rank Healer. She possessed the miraculous skills of Holy Breath and Atonement, but her mana capacity was only E-rank level. After using her skills a few times, she’d collapse from exhaustion. Even when she saved all five members of the Lee Seung-ryong Party, she was practically crawling by the end.
In contrast, Park Jae-jung was a B-rank tank but had unusually large mana capacity. That’s why he endured even in prolonged battles. Standing at the front with his shield, he protected his allies without tiring. And me? I’d just reached C-rank mana capacity, but it was still far too small. The potential of my Purification skill was immeasurable, but my current vessel had clear limits. I’d nearly exhausted my mana just fighting Mad Dog alone.
‘I need to grow stronger.’
The common monsters of the Lower District weren’t enough. I didn’t know how much I could grow, but to advance beyond this point, I needed more concentrated contamination.
I approached the window and looked down at the Ground Surface.
The source from which monsters poured forth. A land of death teeming with Ma Seok gas and ancient-species monsters. Now a place where the leaking gas made it impossible for ordinary people to breathe.
But for me?
That deadly gas was entirely my experience points, and the monsters were entirely my potions.
“I’ll go down.”
To reach the Upper Levels where Mother was. To break through the sealed doors and climb up.
I had to descend to the lowest place first—the Floor.
The next day.
I left the dilapidated Goshiwon. The temporary hideout that our Moonglade had used for Lower District operations.
The Repair Shop where I’d stayed with the Lee Seung-ryong Party, where we’d had that meat gathering.
The streets were still empty. Occasionally, I heard monster cries, but they didn’t approach. Probably because the lingering traces of Purification still clung to my body.
Soon after, I spotted a half-open shutter. The same shutter that had been half-crushed when Iron Fist attacked.
I stepped inside and flipped the switch. Beneath the flickering fluorescent lights, a familiar scene revealed itself.
In the center of the Factory, our Moon Rover—a specialized tactical vehicle we’d invested a fortune acquiring—sat in a pitiful state of ruin. The front windshield was shattered, the tires torn to shreds.
The hood was dented from blunt force trauma, and crude profanities spray-painted by Iron Fist thugs scarred the vehicle’s side.
I approached slowly and brushed away the crumpled metal of the hood.
Park Jae-jung had cherished this vehicle. I could still see him, his rough hands working a cloth over the surface, muttering about applying wax once we returned from our mission.
“…I’m sorry, Jae-jung.”
I bowed my head, then quickly steadied myself. There was no time for sentiment.
The vehicle was destroyed, but the trunk and interior compartments might still be intact. I reached through the shattered window, searching for items we’d left behind in our hasty departure.
A steel gauntlet Park Jae-jung had kept as a spare. An emergency medical kit and detoxicant set that Han Su-jin had meticulously organized. A box of high-calorie energy bars that Seo Eun-ha had dismissed as tasteless and shoved into a corner.
And then.
“This is…”
A small note emerged from the passenger seat drawer. Park Jae-jung’s crude handwriting.
[To the Boss. I’ve packed backup equipment for emergency use. The gauntlet is made of B-rank materials and can withstand most impacts. The detoxicant was personally formulated by Su-jin, so it’s highly effective. The energy bars are ones Eun-ha wouldn’t eat because she said they taste bad, so I didn’t eat them either, but in emergencies, nothing beats these. —Park Jae-jung.]
I carefully folded the note so it wouldn’t crease and tucked it into my chest.
They had been looking after me. Even without my knowing, they’d prepared for any contingency that might arise.
“…Idiots.”
My voice cracked, but I didn’t cry.
“Thank you, all of you. I promise I’ll come back.”
I swept the items into my backpack. I checked the Alchemist’s Hand I was already wearing—an A-rank gauntlet, still intact. The B-rank steel gauntlet Park Jae-jung had kept as a spare went into my pack as backup for any unforeseen situation.
Though they weren’t S-rank equipment, they were the most precious treasures I could ask for right now.
‘But this alone won’t be enough.’
To face the ancient species on the Ground Surface, I’d need better equipment. Fortunately, I had a way. With my purification ability, I could transform scrap metal into usable weapons. I’d search for materials as I descended.
Finally, I tapped the dented hood of the Moon Rover one last time and headed toward the Factory’s back exit. Now only the descent remained.
Behind the Factory. Beside the collapsed freight Elevator shaft entrance stood a small iron door.
[Emergency Inspection Spiral Staircase]
[No Entry – Danger]
A narrow, steep staircase that maintenance workers used when the Elevator broke down. I’d have to walk down 30 meters from the Lower District to the Ground Surface—the height of a ten-story apartment building. But if I included the Underground, I’d need to descend even further.
When Dominion detonated the Elevator shaft, they hadn’t touched this emergency staircase. They probably figured no one would use it anyway.
“Actually, that works in my favor.”
I spoke to myself. It was narrow enough that large monsters couldn’t enter. I could handle smaller ones. I brought my short blade down against the chain.
Clang—
The door swung open, and humid, acrid air from the Underground rushed against my face. The stench of rotting water. The thick, pungent odor of toxins.
I chewed and swallowed one of the detoxicant tablets Han Su-jin had left behind. Bitterness pricked my tongue. But that bitterness sharpened my senses.
I gripped the railing with my gauntleted hand and looked down. Darkness without end. Iron steps spiraling downward in a helical pattern. What awaited me below?
Monsters. Toxins. Death.
But at the same time.
There would also be prey that could make me stronger.
“Let’s go.”
I placed my foot on the first step.
Creak.
The rusted iron plate screamed under my weight, but it held. Thank goodness.
One step. Then another. I descended the spiral staircase.
The darkness deepened with each footfall. The fluorescent lights had long since burned out. Only the faint glow of purification energy emanating from my palm illuminated the path beneath my feet.
Ten steps. Twenty steps. Thirty steps.
The air began to change. Damp and clammy moisture clung to my skin. And the stench of decay assaulted my nostrils. I was drawing closer. To the Ground Surface. The land humanity had abandoned. The domain of monsters.
The place where I might be reborn.
I did not slow my pace. I did not look back.
Once I descended these stairs completely, I could never return to being the old Lee Tae-hyun. Not the F-rank porter. Not the C-rank Guild Master. I would either emerge as a monster clawed up from the depths, or I would vanish forever. One or the other.
It didn’t matter.
My Mother and my comrades were waiting for me. And there was a place I needed to return to.
So I had to go.

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