Three days later, Jin Park walked back into the civic services office. True to the administrator's word, a thin, plastic card was waiting for him. It was his temporary Citizen ID, complete with his new name and face. It was flimsy and marked with a "provisional" stamp, but it was official. It was the key to everything.
With his identity solidified, the next phase of his plan began. The Zenith Academy's Culinary Arts exam wasn't just about theory; its centerpiece was a practical test. Applicants were required to procure a primary ingredient from a list of designated monsters and prepare a dish under the watchful eyes of academy instructors.
He found a public information terminal and spent two Aurum to access the exam guidelines. He scrolled through the list of acceptable ingredients for the Zenith Academy's regional test. Most were from F-Rank or E-Rank monsters—creatures that, while weak by an Awakener's standards, were still lethal to an ordinary human.
His eyes settled on one option in particular.
Crimson-Shelled Sand Beetle: E-Rank. Found primarily in the Sun-Scorched Ravine (E-Rank Dungeon). The meat from its legs is tough but, if prepared correctly, has properties that can slightly enhance stamina. Its shell is notoriously difficult to crack without damaging the delicate meat inside.
It was perfect. The difficulty wasn't just in killing the monster, but in harvesting the ingredient properly. It was a test of precision, a quality he possessed in abundance from his past life. More importantly, choosing a difficult ingredient would make his eventual success seem that much more impressive.
The problem was, he was, on paper, a Level 1 Chef with abysmal physical stats. His Chop skill wasn't going to do anything against an armored, beetle-like monster the size of a large dog. He needed weapons. He needed skills.
His 30-day cooldown on Divine Copy was still ticking down. He had over three weeks left. He couldn't afford to wait. This meant he had to rely on the most common, and most expensive, method of acquiring power: the market.
Jin Park made his way to the outer district's Hunter Market. It was a chaotic, sprawling bazaar that smelled of monster blood, cheap steel, and desperation. Awakeners hawked monster parts from makeshift stalls while merchants in fortified shops sold weapons and skill books.
He knew he couldn't afford a skill book. Even a Normal-grade combat skill book could cost thousands of Aurum. The Rare-grade Battle Flow book that Kang-Dae probably had was worth a million. His life savings, even before the bribe, wouldn't have bought the book's cover.
He needed something cheap. Something functional. Something that wouldn't draw attention.
His Imperceptible talent was a godsend here. He moved through the throng of burly, scarred hunters without a single glance, his plain face and slouched posture making him part of the background. He browsed the weapon shops, ignoring the flashy, enchanted swords and spears that cost a fortune. He ended up at a dusty, forgotten stall run by a wizened old man. The stall specialized in second-hand, non-magical equipment.
"Looking for something, kid?" the old man grunted, not looking up from the knife he was sharpening.
"A butcher's cleaver," Jin Park said. "Heavy. Good steel. Something that can get through tough monster hide."
The old man finally looked up, his gaze assessing. "Not for a hunter, then. For a cook?"
"Something like that," Jin Park replied vaguely.
The old man rummaged under his counter and produced a heavy, thick-spined cleaver. It was old and stained, but the steel was high-quality carbon, and the edge was wickedly sharp. "This is a 'Gnasher'. Used to be popular with Goblin butchers. Good for hacking through bone and sinew. Thirty Aurum."
It was more than half of what little money he had left. He paid without haggling. The heavy cleaver, wrapped in oiled cloth, felt solid and deadly in his hands. It wasn't a hero's weapon, but it was a tool for a specific, brutal job.
Next, he needed a skill. Not a skill book, but a skill imprint.
He walked to a section of the market where shady-looking individuals lingered in alleyways. This was the "Imprinter's Nook," a place where desperate or opportunistic Awakeners sold access to their most basic skills. It was a well-known, if unregulated, corner of the hunter economy. The fundamental rule of imprinting was that it was a crude, inefficient process; no matter how powerful the imprinter, only Normal-grade skills could be transferred this way. Anything rarer required the refined magic of a skill book or a natural awakening. It was a system that made Rare skills expensive and anything higher a treasure.
He found a man leaning against a wall, a crude sign scrawled on a piece of cardboard at his feet: COMBAT BASICS - CHEAP.
"What do you have?" Jin Park asked, his voice low.
The man, who had a nasty scar across one eye, looked him up and down. He was probably a mid-level hunter who had hit his growth ceiling, now making side money from the foundational skills he learned years ago. "Got Power Strike. Ten Aurum for the touch. Toughen Skin. Fifteen Aurum. Both Normal-grade, rock solid."
They were the most basic skills imaginable, but they were exactly what Jin Park needed.
"I'll take both," Jin Park said.
The man's good eye lit up with greed. "Twenty-five Aurum. Up front."
Jin Park counted out the coins. The man pocketed them instantly. "Alright. In the alley. Quick."
They stepped into the shadows. "Touch my arm," the man ordered. "Focus your mana. The resonance is weak, so don't screw it up."
Jin Park placed his hand on the man's forearm. He focused his will, his own mana reaching out, and felt the faint, flickering imprint of the man's skills. It was like trying to hear a whisper in a storm compared to the clean, perfect transfer of his Divine Copy. After a few seconds of intense concentration, two dim lights appeared in his mind.
[Skill Resonance Detected. Would you like to learn [Power Strike (Normal)]?]
[Skill Resonance Detected. Would you like to learn [Toughen Skin (Normal)]?]
He confirmed both. The process was a pale, draining imitation of his real talent, but it was successful. The skills that settled into his mind felt shallow and weak compared to the Mythical and Legendary abilities hidden within him, but they were essential tools for the task ahead.
[Skill Acquired: Power Strike (Normal) - Lv. 1]
> Description: An active skill. Gather mana into a single point to deliver a strike with slightly increased force.
[Skill Acquired: Toughen Skin (Normal) - Lv. 1]
> Description: An active skill. Temporarily hardens the skin, providing minor resistance against physical attacks.
He now had a weapon and two combat skills. He was no hero. He was no Crimson Lancer. He was a Level 1 Chef with a butcher's knife and two bottom-of-the-barrel skills bought in a back alley.
It would have to be enough.
He walked away from the market, leaving the noise and desperation behind. He headed towards the city limits, towards the cracked earth and the looming maw of the Sun-Scorched Ravine. His funds were almost depleted. His identity was a fabrication. His life depended on his ability to kill a monster that, by all logic, should have been far beyond his ability to handle.
Jin Park, the unremarkable culinary applicant, was going hunting.