The week following his acquisition of Material Synthesis was one of intense, secret productivity. By day, Jin Park was the model culinary student. He attended his sparse classes, submitted insightful but not overly brilliant analyses on mana theory, and spent time in the academy's grand library.
It was in the library that he confirmed the true, terrifying value of his abilities. He found a book on high-level appraisal techniques. It described how even the most powerful Appraisal skills could be blocked by specialized artifacts known as "Veils of Secrecy" or high-level passive skills. The world was a game of bluffs and hidden cards.
For everyone else.
Later that day, he saw two senior students sparring in a public arena. The fight was a dazzling display of power. An instructor stood nearby, watching them alongside Dean Elara. A first-year from a general class, brimming with confidence, attempted to use his Appraisal skill on the Dean and immediately recoiled, his face pale.
"Don't be a fool," the instructor chided him. "Trying to appraise Dean Elara is like trying to measure the ocean with a teacup. You'll just hurt yourself."
Jin Park, standing at a distance, simply looked at her. And the information flowed into his mind, clear as day.
[Name: Elara Vane]
[Job: Archon of the Shield (Mythical)]
[Level: 147]
[Talent: Fortress of Will (Legendary)]
[Skills: [Aegis of the Protector (Unique)], [Immovable Object (Unique)], [Sanctuary (Rare)], ???]
His ability wasn't an "appraisal." It was a fundamental perception of the System itself. No veil, no skill, no level gap could hide the truth from him. He was the only person in the world playing with a perfect, unobstructed view of the game board.
This knowledge solidified the core of his strategy. He would never need to show his full hand, because he could always see the cards everyone else was holding.
His nights were spent in his lab, which he now called "The Kitchen." He took the leftover meat from the Gale-Wing Hawk and combined it with a "Spark-Stone," a low-grade fire-elemental material. The result, after a few failed attempts that cost him a significant amount of mana, was a new ingredient.
[You have successfully created 'Flash-Cooked Hawk Jerky' (Rare-grade consumable).]
> Description: A piece of jerky that, when consumed, provides a temporary, minor boost to Agility and reaction speed.
The XP gain from this single creation was enormous, pushing him another level.
[You have leveled up!]
[You are now Lv. 6.]
He was growing at a monstrous rate, all within the locked doors of his lab.
A week after his admission, a chime echoed through his suite. A holographic notification appeared in the air.
[Attention, Prime Division Students. The first 'Ranking Spar' of the semester will be held in three days.]
[Participation is mandatory. Performance will be logged as a minor factor in the upcoming Bi-Annual Evaluation.]
Jin Park's eyes narrowed. A mandatory spar. A public performance. He couldn't refuse. This was the academy's way of preventing its prodigies from becoming pure researchers. They had to be able to defend themselves.
This was his first test. Not of strength, but of control. He had to participate as "Jin Park," the Normal-grade Chef whose only noteworthy skill was his miraculous cooking technique. He needed a weapon that fit his persona.
He accessed the academy vault once more. He didn't order rare metals or monster parts. He ordered two of the most basic items imaginable: a standard-issue, low-grade iron cooking skillet, and a single, Normal-grade "Binding Resin."
When the items arrived, he took them to his workbench and activated Material Synthesis.
[You have successfully created a 'Reinforced Skillet' (Normal-grade weapon). Durability has been slightly increased.]
It was still, fundamentally, a frying pan. It was heavy, awkward, and had no edge. It was the most ridiculous weapon imaginable for an Awakener.
It was perfect.
He spent the next three days practicing in front of the training dummy with his new "weapon." He learned its balance, its weight, and how to use its flat surface for brutally effective blocks and strikes.
On the day of the Ranking Spar, he walked into the Prime Division's private training arena. Most of the other thirty students were already there, assembled in the center. They were a collection of geniuses, prodigies, and monsters.
Jin Park walked in carrying his new weapon: a simple, black iron skillet.
A wave of snickers and outright laughter rippled through the gathered students.
"Is that a joke?" a brawny fourth-year with a massive war axe strapped to his back guffawed. "The culinary prodigy brought his favorite toy to a fight."
A graceful female swordswoman, whose body radiated a chilling frost, shook her head with a pitying smile. "Be gentle with him during the matchups. He might bruise."
Jin Park ignored them all. His gaze swept over the crowd, his mind a cold, calculating machine. He saw the ice swordswoman, a powerful second-year named Yuna. He saw the boisterous axe wielder, a fourth-year named Goliath. He saw a dozen other prime targets, their talents and skills laid bare before his unique perception. The cooldown on his Divine Copy had Started days ago. It was ready.
He had come here not just to fight. He had come to shop.