The All-Time Best Talent was F-Class Purification - Chapter 9

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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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9
Chapter 9 – An Elite Talent Awakened as an F-Rank Purifier
I voiced the single possibility that had flickered through my mind moments before.
“When it performs self-repairs, the control core in its chest becomes exposed. I’ll target that moment.”
“That’s not as simple as it sounds.”
Park Jae-jung immediately objected, his voice thick with urgency.
“The core is positioned three meters above Ground Level. Unless we can fly, there’s no way to reach it.”
I fell silent, allowing the scattered puzzle pieces in my mind to align.
‘The core exposes itself during repairs. The core sits three meters high. Repairs require materials. Materials come from the scrap metal piles nearby.’
I leaned toward Park Jae-jung again.
“Can you lure it toward that Waste Dump over there?”
I pointed to the mountain of discarded metal where the Golem had gathered scrap for its earlier repairs.
“I’ll wound it enough to trigger repair mode. While it’s distracted pulling metal, strike its ankles. It’ll stumble for exactly three seconds. In that window…”
“You’ll climb its body and attack the core directly?”
Park Jae-jung finished my plan, disbelief flooding his voice. The very notion of scaling a four-meter steel monstrosity was madness.
“What are the odds of success?”
“I don’t know. But this is our only option.”
He said nothing for a long moment, his gaze shifting between his dented shield, the blood staining my ribs, and the oppressive presence of the distant Golem. Then, with visible resolve, he answered curtly.
“Understood. If we fail, I’ll curse you from hell.”
Park Jae-jung’s grim words carried no bravado—he was genuinely staking his life on this. He roared and slammed his shield against the Floor with tremendous force. A C-Rank Tank skill—Taunt’s Roar. Crimson energy erupted from his body, forcibly locking the Golem’s gaze upon him alone.
The Golem’s single red eye fixed solely on Park Jae-jung. I seized the moment, moving silently to scale the Collapsed Structure near the Waste Dump behind the creature. Beneath my feet, jagged metal scraps jutted upward like spikes. One misstep would impale me like a skewer.
‘Now it’s a race against time.’
Park Jae-jung desperately lured the Golem toward the Waste Dump, abandoning his defensive stance. Even a B-Rank shield couldn’t withstand those iron fists indefinitely. He mobilized every ounce of experience and technique, narrowly evading attacks while drawing the creature forward.
“Grrraahhh”
Enraged by its repeated misses, the Golem pressed Park Jae-jung more savagely. Finally, its feet touched the boundary of the Waste Dump.
‘My turn now…’
I adjusted my grip on the short blade atop the structure, concentrating all my core energy into its tip. As power beyond what an E-Rank dagger could contain compressed within it, the blade began to emit a faint, anguished hum.
I hurled the dagger with all my strength toward the massive steel H-beam lodged precariously in the creature’s body.
Whoosh—
The dagger, infused with purification energy, traced a blue arc through the air and pierced the H-beam’s center with perfect accuracy.
Crack-crack-crack!
Spiderweb fractures radiated outward from where the blade struck. The H-beam tore free from the Golem’s body, ripping away part of its shoulder plating. A gaping wound opened.
“Kuooooh”
The Golem emitted a pained mechanical shriek. As predicted, it ceased combat and spread its arms wide, drawing the Waste Dump’s scrap metal toward itself. It entered full-scale self-repair mode.
“Now! Hold on, Park Jae-jung!”
The moment repairs began, a tremendous surge of corrupted energy flooded outward, sweeping across the area. Park Jae-jung positioned himself before me, driving his Gigas Shield into the Floor and absorbing every shockwave with his entire body.
“Grraahhh..”
The shield shrieked under the impact, and his body was driven backward. Yet he held firm.
“The ankle!”
At my shout, Park Jae-jung summoned his last reserves of strength and smashed his shield against the Golem’s right ankle joint. Distracted by repairs, the creature’s massive frame stumbled, dropping to a kneeling position.
Mere seconds. Time that Park Jae-jung had purchased with his life.
Without hesitation, I hurled myself from atop the Collapsed Structure toward the creature’s shoulder.
Thud—a dull impact as I successfully mounted its body. Beneath my feet, I felt the irregular vibrations of countless mechanical gears grinding in chaotic motion. I clawed desperately across the slick surface of its armor, advancing toward the gaping chasm of its chest cavity and the crimson-glowing Corrupted Control Core that pulsed within.
The Golem began thrashing violently to dislodge me. I barely managed to grip a steel reinforcement rod embedded in its frame. The Core was within reach. Steadying my wavering form, I extended my palm toward the source of that sinister red luminescence.
And I pressed my hand directly against its center.
“Purify.”
The Golem’s movements ceased. The crimson light of the Core began transforming into pure white radiance.
From my fingertips, a wave of pristine white energy surged backward through its circuitry.
With a sound like ku-ku-ku-ku, thousands of scrap metal pieces that had clung together like magnets lost their cohesion and rained down like a deluge. The colossal steel giant began disassembling under the overwhelming force of a single touch.
In the end, the Golem lost all form, leaving behind only a cleanly purified heap of scrap metal and a fist-sized Core floating at its center.
“Haa… haa…”
I slid down onto the pile of scrap metal and collapsed there. Park Jae-jung, leaning against his shield, was also breathing heavily.
Within the heap of scrap lay the Core that had been the Golem’s heart mere moments before, radiating with brilliant light. I approached and picked it up.
[You have obtained a Corrupted Control Core (C-Rank).]
[Grade: C-Rank (Material Item)]
[Description: A Control Core that once served as the power source for an ancient Golem. Severely corrupted and unstable, but containing powerful energy within. Its value can increase significantly upon purification.]
‘Upon purification, its value increases…’
I carefully secured the Core. Beyond where the Golem had collapsed, a new Passage revealed itself. From within it flowed an aura far deeper and more chilling than anything we’d encountered before.
“It seems the real thing must be beyond there.”
Park Jae-jung spoke with a bitter smile. But we could advance no further. My Core energy was depleted, and Park Jae-jung’s Gigas Shield bore cracks that threatened to shatter at any moment.
“Let’s retreat for now. We need to find a safe place to rest.”
He agreed with my assessment. We dragged our exhausted bodies back the way we came, returning to the spacious chamber where the battle had taken place. There, in a corner, we discovered a firmly sealed Management Office door.
Park Jae-jung approached first, pressing his ear against the door to listen for any sounds within. Hearing nothing, he grasped the dented handle and twisted it with all his strength. With a crack, the lock mechanism shattered and the door swung open, releasing a cloud of stale dust.
A cramped space barely twenty square feet. Atop a dust-covered desk and chair, and along the walls, sat obsolete monitors that had ceased functioning long ago. Far from luxurious, this enclosed space became our sanctuary. Park Jae-jung closed the door and retrieved a sturdy steel pipe from nearby, wedging it through the handle to create a perfect barricade.
“This should buy us time against most monsters.”
With a metallic clang as the pipe settled into place, we finally released the tension we’d been holding. I sank directly onto the floor, my back against the wall. Park Jae-jung set down his Gigas Shield and sighed as he examined the countless scratches and fresh cracks covering its surface.
“Even a B-Rank shield ends up like this. That thing was truly a monster.”
In silence, we removed our gas masks and helmets. The cool air of the Management Office felt refreshing against our faces, slick with sweat and dust. Park Jae-jung retrieved two emergency ration bars from his pack and handed one to me.
“Let’s have something to eat first.”
I unwrapped the ration bar and muttered.
“A hundred-million-won meal.”
Park Jae-jung chuckled at my words.
“In the Upper Dungeon, even this is a luxury, Director. There are places where you have to survive on monster meat.”
A hundred-million-won ration bar. The cheap sweetness lingering in my mouth tasted more delicious than any fine cuisine. Sitting back-to-back on the dusty Management Office floor, we shared quiet laughter, savoring a brief moment of peace.
After finishing our meal in silence, I quietly placed my hand on my wounded side. As I activated my self-healing skill, a faint but warm energy enveloped the wound.
Once my strength had recovered somewhat, I retrieved the spoils from earlier—the Corrupted Control Core. The fist-sized crystal pulsed with an ominous red glow, flickering unstably like labored breathing.
“Director, are you planning to purify that?”
“Yes.”
Park Jae-jung had sensed my intention and asked. I decided to attempt purifying it as a test. Concentrating my Core energy, pure white light enveloped the Core, and the dark crimson corruption within rapidly dissipated. Shortly after, the Core shed its sinister radiance and was reborn as a perfect C-Rank Control Core, now emanating a stable and pristine blue light.
Park Jae-jung watched the process in breathless silence. He accepted the purified Core, his eyes brightening as he felt the pure and stable energy contained within it.
“Director, this is something on an entirely different level from Magic Stones. It’s a core component used in the Guild Base’s automated defense turrets and training golems. A core with this level of purity is an essential part for upgrading defense systems—it trades for an astronomical price.”
From that explanation, I could dimly grasp the value of this item. At that moment, Park Jae-jung’s gaze fixed on the damaged Gigas Shield he had set down. He stood frozen like a man who had just realized something momentous.
Without a word, I gestured toward his shield.
“Jae-jung, let me see that shield.”
Park Jae-jung’s expression showed confusion, yet he readily handed over his Gigas Shield. The surface bore vivid cracks from blocking the golem’s devastating strike, and the mana circuits flickered precariously with unstable light. It was in a state that would easily cost tens of millions in repair fees.
I placed my hand on the cracked section of the shield before his eyes and cast Purification.
Uuuuuung—
A purification light far more familiar and potent than before erupted outward. The jagged surface of the alloy smoothed over as if new flesh were blooming across a wound. The flickering mana circuits regained their stable azure glow. It was a perfect restoration.
Park Jae-jung stared at his repaired Gigas Shield with astonished eyes. He ran his fingers across the smooth surface of the shield several times, then, as if reaching a decision, looked at me with grave seriousness.
“Director, may I ask one question based on everything I’ve observed?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“What are the limits of your Purification ability? You annihilate monsters, heal human wounds, restore contaminated Magic Stones, and now you repair damaged equipment. Is it possible that all of this works infinitely, without any restrictions whatsoever?”
He desperately wanted to understand the nature of my power. I fell silent for a moment before speaking calmly.
“No. The restrictions are clear.”
I pointed to the C-Rank Control Core resting on the table.
“This core was contaminated. Your shield was damaged. The short sword I Purified was corroded. Whether from core energy or the passage of time, they all shared one thing in common—they had lost their original state.”
I met his gaze directly as I spoke.
“My ability is the power to restore things whose essence has been compromised back to their original condition. If it falls under the concept of contamination, I can do it repeatedly, no matter what it is. But I cannot create something from nothing, nor can I defy natural phenomena.”
Park Jae-jung exhaled slowly, his expression showing he had grasped the rules of my ability. His eyes had changed.
“I understand. That alone is more than enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“We can operate equipment with zero risk.”
He began explaining in detail.
“Every Hunter fears equipment damage. Especially high-value equipment of B-Rank or above—if it breaks during combat, the repair costs consume all the earnings from that hunt. That’s why they always hold back. But we’re different. If we can restore even this level of damage so perfectly, we can extract 120% performance in every battle without worrying about equipment durability!”
He was right. We were free from the greatest shackle that bound other Hunters.
“That’s not all.”
He took it further.
“This is nothing short of revolutionary. All those damaged luxury items flooding the secondhand market at bargain prices—they’re all things whose essence has been compromised. We buy them all up, you Purify them, and we resell them. It’s a new market only you can create, one that could overturn the market itself.”
Park Jae-jung continued, excitement blazing in his voice.
“That Control Core you just Purified, and the damaged high-end equipment market we’re targeting—this rewrites the market’s rules. What others discard becomes treasure for us, what others fear becomes opportunity for us. Production, distribution, maintenance… all the money in this industry will flow to your fingertips.”
‘Scrap alchemy, then.’
I spoke calmly.
“It’s a good idea, Jae-jung. But we’re still inside the Dungeon.”
As I pointed my finger to emphasize that we were still within the Dungeon, Park Jae-jung seemed to come to his senses and took a deep breath. Yet the flame of ambition burning in his eyes did not extinguish.
“Which is precisely why your safety is paramount. You are the heart of our operation. From now on, I will take the vanguard in every battle. I will identify dangers first and face threats before you do. You move only when all preparations are complete, only in the safest moment. This is the first principle of our operation.”
I nodded quietly.

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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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