Seraphina's workshop was a testament to organized chaos. Intricate glass beakers bubbled with glowing liquids, complex chalk diagrams covered every inch of the slate floor, and the air hummed with the energy of a dozen contained alchemical reactions. To an outsider, it was a bewildering mess. To Jin Park, now armed with the System Weaver talent, it was a symphony.
The moment he acquired the talent, the world snapped into a new level of focus. He didn't just see a bubbling potion; his new intuition showed him the flawed heat distribution in the cauldron, the inefficient mana flow in the chalk circle beneath it. He saw the very "rules" of Seraphina's alchemy, and could instantly identify a dozen ways to improve upon them. It was like a master musician gaining the ability to see the notes behind the music.
"My current project involves Phoenix Blood," Seraphina explained, completely oblivious to the silent theft that had just occurred. She led him to a central workstation where a single drop of fiery red liquid was contained in a powerful stasis field. "Its regenerative properties are unparalleled, but its thermal energy is so volatile it incinerates any stabilizing agent I introduce. But your suspension gel..."
She talked for nearly an hour, her initial caution forgotten, replaced by the fervent passion of a fellow genius. Jin Park listened intently, offering suggestions that were so insightful, so elegantly simple yet effective, that Seraphina looked at him with growing awe. He was speaking her language, solving problems that had stumped her for months.
"You have a talent for this, Jin Park," she said, her brilliant eyes shining with respect. "A true understanding of material science. The Culinary Division is wasting your potential."
"Cooking is just a different form of alchemy," he replied with a humble smile. "We simply use a different set of tools."
After providing enough revolutionary insights to solidify his position as a trusted peer, Jin Park politely excused himself, promising to collaborate again in the future. Seraphina, lost in the new possibilities he had unlocked for her, barely noticed him leave.
He returned to his own lab, the seamless door sliding shut behind him, sealing him in his sanctuary. The mask of "Jin Park, the friendly culinary prodigy" fell away. His face was a blank slate, his eyes burning with a cold, intense light.
He stood in the center of his lab, feeling the two new powers settling within him. System Weaver was a passive background process, already feeding him a constant stream of information about the world around him. But Material Synthesis... that was an active skill. A tool waiting to be used.
He looked at the Gnasher cleaver lying on his workstation. Heavy, durable, but ultimately just a piece of high-carbon steel. Then he looked at a small, unassuming gray rock he'd requisitioned from the vault. It was a "Wind-Channel Stone," a low-grade material known for its porous, lightweight structure that resonated faintly with wind mana.
He placed them side-by-side on the counter. He took a deep breath, and for the first time, activated his new skill.
[Activating Skill: Material Synthesis (Unique) - Lv. 1]
He placed one hand on the cleaver and the other on the stone. A huge amount of his mana began to drain from him, far more than Perfect Persona required. The skill was powerful, but its cost was immense.
The Gnasher began to glow with a soft white light. The Wind-Channel Stone glowed with a faint gray one. The light intensified, and Jin Park felt the fundamental properties of both items being broken down, dissolving into a raw, conceptual state under his will. He felt the idea of the cleaver's sharpness and durability. He felt the idea of the stone's lightness and wind affinity.
Guided by the intuitive genius of System Weaver, he visualized the outcome. He didn't want a lighter cleaver. He wanted a new material. He pushed the two concepts together, forcing them to merge.
The light flared violently. The mana drain spiked, nearly causing him to black out. After a tense moment, the light subsided.
The Wind-Channel Stone had vanished. It had turned to dust. The Gnasher cleaver lay on the counter, but it was different now. It was no longer a dull, dark iron color. The blade now had a faint, grayish sheen, and almost invisible, web-like patterns, like veins, ran across its surface.
He picked it up. It was shockingly light—at least half its original weight. He gave it a tentative swing. The blade cut through the air not with a heavy "whoosh," but with a sharp, whistling hiss.
He turned to the training dummy he had crippled earlier. With a casual flick of his wrist, he swung the new blade at its undamaged torso.
SHIIIING!
There was no clang of metal hitting polymer. The blade slid through the dense material as if it were soft butter, leaving a clean, deep gash. It was sharper. It was faster. The synthesis had been a success.
[You have successfully created a 'Zephyr Steel Cleaver' (Rare-grade weapon). Your understanding of Material Synthesis has deepened.]
[Skill: Material Synthesis (Unique) has gained a large amount of experience.]
He stared at the blade. This changed everything.
He could create new metals for weapons and armor. He could synthesize monster parts, combining the poison of one with the piercing fang of another. And for cooking... he could merge a Manaflow Herb with a Sun-Kissed Berry to create a new ingredient that both restored mana and provided a thermal boost. He could invent flavors and effects that had never existed.
This was a power that went beyond fighting or cooking. It was the power of creation itself.
A rare, genuine emotion flickered within him. It wasn't joy or excitement. It was the cold, supreme satisfaction of a god looking at his newly created world. The students of Zenith Academy, with their flashy combat skills and Legendary talents, were all playing a game.
He, with his stolen abilities and hidden kitchen, was about to start changing the rules.