The site of the Unified Entrance Examination was a colossal, state-funded complex on the outskirts of the city, large enough to house a small army. This wasn't a test for a single academy; it was the single most important recruitment event of the year. Every accredited academy and university in the nation, from the god-tier Zenith National Academy to smaller, specialized regional schools, had sent representatives. These scouts, seated in privileged, glass-walled viewing boxes high above the testing floors, were here to witness the city's entire crop of new talent and draft the ones they wanted.
The air buzzed with the nervous energy of thousands of aspirants. Jin Park, in his plain clothes, moved through the throng like a ghost. His Imperceptible talent rendered him invisible in the chaos, just another face in a sea of hopefuls. He saw Kang-Dae holding court, surrounded by his followers, his expensive gear and confident aura acting as a beacon for the academy scouts who were already taking notes. Jin Park felt nothing. Kang-Dae was playing a loud, flashy game for the audience. He was playing a different game entirely.
Jin Park was directed towards the Life & Support Division's testing hangar, a facility so vast it had its own climate. The moment he stepped inside, the scale was overwhelming. In one massive section, blacksmiths hammered at forges, their rhythmic din a testament to their ambition. In another, alchemists stood before bubbling cauldrons, filling the air with colorful, pungent smoke. It was a dizzying display of the nation's future backbone.
He found the Culinary Division's section. It was a sprawling grid of gleaming stainless-steel workstations that stretched almost as far as the eye could see. There were well over a thousand other applicants here, a veritable army of aspiring chefs. The pressure in the air was immense.
High above them, in the viewing boxes, sat the representatives. Jin Park could see the logos of various academies: the silver eagle of Aegis Combat Academy, the golden scales of the Sovereign Mage Institute, and, most prominent of all, the deep blue zenith star of the academy he had listed on his application. He was an anonymous applicant, #742, but he knew they were all watching.
On a raised platform below the viewing boxes stood the panel of judges—a mix of renowned chefs and veteran hunters. Their job was not to pass or fail, but to score. The final scores would be broadcast to all the academy representatives, who would then make their offers.
"You are the future of this nation's logistics and support!" a lead judge's voice boomed, amplified by mana. "Your performance today will determine your path. You have three hours. Use the ingredient you have procured to create one dish. Show us your potential. Begin!"
A massive timer on the wall started counting down.
Jin Park walked to his station, #742. The kitchen erupted into frantic activity. He calmly unpacked his six beetle legs. Around him, applicants used flashy skills to show off, desperate to catch the eye of a scout. Jin Park ignored it all. He worked with a quiet, unhurried efficiency that was, in its own way, the most abnormal thing in the entire hall.
He cracked the beetle shells with surgical precision, revealing the pristine meat. He minced it, mixed it with herbs, and began hand-forming intricate dumplings. A roaming proctor paused to watch him, his eyes widening slightly at the boy's flawless knife work and steady hands before moving on, making a note on his data pad.
As the final minutes ticked down, he prepared his masterstroke: grinding the discarded shells into a fine, fragrant crimson salt. When the timer hit zero, he presented his dish. Three perfect dumplings, garnished with a light sauce and a sprinkle of the iridescent salt. It was one plate among a thousand.
The judging process was a long, tense affair. Jin Park watched as the judges tasted dish after dish, their expressions mostly neutral. After what felt like an eternity, his dish was brought to the central panel. The Head Judge, a world-renowned chef named Master Chef Jin-Woo, took the first bite.
The other judges watched him, and then the entire panel went still.
A murmur went through the nearby judges. Jin-Woo took another bite, his eyes closed in deep concentration. He then spoke into his microphone, his voice quiet but carrying to every representative in the viewing boxes above.
"Dish #742," he began, his voice filled with a strange mix of disbelief and excitement. "The technique is flawless. The concept—using the discarded shell as a mineral-rich seasoning to complement the stamina-enhancing properties of the meat—is revolutionary. This is not the work of a student. This is the work of a master." He looked at one of the hunter judges. "Your assessment?"
The hunter judge, a scarred veteran, looked stunned. "I... I feel it. The buff. It's clean. My stamina feels... restored. It's more potent than a standard low-grade stamina potion. And there's no mana residue. It's purely from the ingredients and the preparation."
High above in the Zenith Academy viewing box, a stern-looking woman who hadn't shown a flicker of interest all day leaned forward in her seat. "Pull up the file on Applicant #742," she commanded her aide.
The aide's fingers flew across a holographic screen. "Ma'am... there's not much. Jin Park. Nineteen. Orphan. No prior training records. Job: Chef. Talent: Enhanced Taste. Both Normal-grade."
The woman stared at the screen, then back down at the plain-looking boy standing calmly before the judges. A Normal-grade talent produced that? It was impossible. Unless... the talent assessment was wrong. Or the boy was something else entirely.
"This dish," Master Chef Jin-Woo declared to the entire hall, "is the highest-scoring dish in the culinary category." He looked directly at Jin Park. "Young man, what is your name?"
"Jin Park, sir," he replied, his voice even.
The name echoed in the hall. In the viewing boxes, a frantic scramble began as representatives from a dozen different academies all started shouting at their aides at once.
"Get me his file!"
"Who is Jin Park?!"
"Offer him a full scholarship! Now!"
The quiet, unassuming boy had just thrown the entire examination into chaos.