Awakening The Weakest Talent: Only I Level Up Chapter 3

Following the conclusion of the awakening ceremony, it was finally time for Lu Yu to step onto the stage.

Lu Yu moved forward, walking steadily toward the center of the platform.

The collective gaze of the audience was fixed upon him, sparking a buzz of intense speculation.

Throughout his academic career, Lu Yu had consistently performed at the top of his class in both scholarly pursuits and physical education.

Beyond his records, Lu Yu was known for his grounded nature and mature demeanor; he was simply regarded by all as an exemplary student.

“It’s Lu Yu’s turn at last. He’s so exceptional in every regard; there’s no way his awakened talent could be mediocre!”

“That stands to reason. Given that Su Qing already secured an A-level talent, Lu Yu should be at least a B-level.”

“I am green with envy. If only I possessed even a fraction of his brilliance.”

“It seems that in our entire cohort, Lu Yu is the only one who truly stands on par with Su Qing.”

Following these remarks, the crowd grew hushed, as if afraid to break the tension with further idle chatter.

Amidst the murmurs of the spectators, Lu Yu reached the heart of the array formation.

The attending mages manipulated the flowing energy within their palms to initiate the ritual.

......

As they triggered the array, the mages squeezed their eyes shut, attempting to perceive the internal energy.

Almost instantly, their brows furrowed in confusion.

They found it impossible to detect any energy fluctuations within Lu Yu’s body—a result that defied all conventional logic!

Opening their eyes, the mages traded concerned stares before dedicating more focus to the ritual's activation.

They performed precise, rhythmic hand gestures, causing a surge of energy to ripple through the surrounding space.

Noticing the troubled expressions on the mages, Lu Yu felt his nerves fray even further.

What was he to do if the talent he had awakened turned out to be an utter disaster?

Suddenly, one of the mages ceased his movements and opened his eyes.

With a deep, heavy sigh, he betrayed his growing frustration.

He then retrieved an ancient tome, the repository for every record of talents awakened through the ages.

It took a significant amount of concentrated flipping through the dense pages to locate the entry for Lu Yu.

[ Claw Attack: Enables the user to swing sharp claws to deal damage to enemies. ]

This was the entirety of Lu Yu’s talent. The description was brief, mundane, and utterly uninspiring.

His talent grade was merely an F.

Within the records of over a thousand recorded talents, Claw Attack sat at the 999th position.

It was objectively the most worthless and pathetic ability imaginable.

It had earned the unfortunate moniker of [ The Weakest Weapon Possible ].

The talent held no utility; it was ineffective in combat and offered no benefits for professional applications.

After the host received the results, he turned to the crowd and broadcasted Lu Yu’s status.

The students watched the host with bated breath, desperate to learn the nature of Lu Yu’s gift.

“Lu Yu’s talent is Claw Attack; his grade is F-level!”

As these words dissipated, a heavy, suffocating silence descended upon the hall.

Many students were familiar with the reputation of the talent labeled as the weakest weapon possible.

Leading up to this ceremony, they had squandered their time scouring textbooks for the perfect talent, dreaming of a glorious future once they awakened it.

It was beyond their most twisted nightmares that Lu Yu, of all people, would end up with such garbage.

“Is this a joke? Claw Attack? He really hit the jackpot of bad luck!”

“Suddenly, I feel a lot better about my own situation. My talent is also F-level.”

“I guess it’s true, most people are stuck with F-level aptitude.”

“At least he has something. I have absolutely no talent at all...”

Standing in the center of the array, Lu Yu tightened his hands into fists. He had never imagined he would awaken something so impotent.

This was truly a hell-mode start to his journey.

It appeared that if he held any hope for future growth, he would be forced to seek an evolutionary path.

Yet, evolution was a luxury far beyond the reach of an ordinary soul like himself.

For the moment, Lu Yu resigned himself to taking things one step at a time.

He stood upright, preparing to retreat from the stage.

“Wait...”

One of the array mages suddenly called out to him.

For a fleeting second, the mage had perceived something peculiar about Lu Yu’s talent.

He caught a ghostly glimpse of an unknown SSS-rank talent lingering at the periphery!

It wasn't until the ceremony concluded that he fully registered the Claw Attack result.

He hadn't been mistaken about its existence. Lu Yu’s talent felt fundamentally different from the standard Claw Attack.

The mage blinked hard and scoured Lu Yu’s aura once more, but nothing remained.

Everything appeared to be just Claw Attack, after all. He must have been seeing things.

Settling on that deduction, the mage waved dismissively, “It’s nothing. You may return now.”

Lu Yu offered a noncommittal shrug before making his way back into the masses.

The vibrant chatter of the students shifted into an awkward, icy stillness.

Every person there knew of his humble background. Without a strong talent, Lu Yu’s life ahead would be an uphill battle.

They longed to offer words of comfort, but the weight of his situation left them speechless.

Lu Yu’s F-level rank served as a stark reminder of the massive disparity between the school’s top two students. Fate truly is a cruel mistress.

Their homeroom teacher observed Lu Yu with a subtle shake of his head and a weary breath.

Su Qing and Lu Yu had been the two candidates he pinned all his hopes upon.

While Su Qing had exceeded his expectations, Lu Yu had become a source of profound regret.

Leading up to the event, he felt certain that an intellect as sharp as Lu Yu’s would yield a potent gift.

The reality, however, was a stinging slap to the face.

As Class Two’s ceremony concluded, the results were rapidly transmitted to the administration.

Inside the principal’s office, the head of the school sighed as he pored over the final records.

Prior to the ceremony, they had compiled a list of high-potential students, and Lu Yu had undoubtedly been among them.

The institution had intended to dedicate surplus resources to these select few.

Lu Yu had been a top priority for investment.

Now confronted with the reality of his results, the principal felt a sense of powerlessness.

He had no choice but to reroute those resources toward the more gifted students.

Once the ceremony finished and everyone returned to their classrooms, classmates began gathering around to console Lu Yu.

“Lu Yu, try not to lose heart. F-level is common; most of us ended up right where you are.”

“Despite all your hard work, talent is a fickle thing that no one can predict.”

“Don’t sweat it, Lu Yu. I’ve reached C-level. From now on, you’ve got me looking out for you!”

Lu Yu understood their intentions, but the pitying looks made his skin crawl.

So many others had also awakened F-level talents—why were they all fixating on him for consolation?

“I appreciate your kind intentions,” he replied quietly.

The group eventually dispersed, returning to the study of their own abilities.

Back in his seat, a flicker of memory hit Lu Yu regarding the mysterious interface he had accidentally stumbled upon.

Since he could verify the talents of others, was it possible he could gain insight into his own?

He peered down, and sure enough, a translucent panel manifested before his eyes!

The panel displayed the Claw Attack talent, but instead of standard level effects, it presented five distinct evolutionary paths.

[ Talent: Claw Attack. Five potential evolutionary paths. ]

[ Cat Claw Path ][ Bear Paw Path ][ Eagle Strike Path ][ Snake Tooth Path ][ Dragon Claw Path ]

[ Cat Claw evolution effect: Significantly enhances agility. Increases stealth, speed, and might in shadowed environments. ]

[ Bear Paw evolution effect: Significantly enhances physical strength. ]

[ Eagle Strike evolution effect: Significantly enhances offensive power, armor penetration, and grip strength. ]

[ Snake Tooth evolution effect: Grants attacks venomous properties. Allows for the firing of long-range poisonous fangs. ]

[ Dragon Claw evolution effect (Special Route): Effect currently unknown... Potential for growth is currently unknown... ]

Below these, a detailed list of the specific materials required for each evolution began to materialize.