Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Luck of the Draw: SSS-Level Talent Successfully Copied
"Ahem!"
Realizing that she might have lost her composure, Sophia lightly coughed twice to regain her usual calm and emotionless demeanor. After thinking it over, she finally spoke:
"A variant ability... is still quite rare. For now, stand over here, and I'll make a decision later."
As she spoke, she gestured with her delicate hand, indicating a spot for Liam to stand.
There were already two people standing there.
This arrangement seemed simple, but it made everyone tense up, especially the man and woman standing in that spot. Their brows furrowed even deeper.
They were the two candidates with the highest-rated abilities from the previous tests. Although Sophia hadn't said it outright, most people present assumed that this area was reserved for candidates likely to receive guaranteed admission.
And now, all eyes turned to Liam.
Him? Why?!
An E-level ability, even if it's a variant, shouldn't be eligible for guaranteed admission.
This must be blatant favoritism!
In an instant, everyone was looking at Liam with various expressions—contempt, resentment, and more.
"Huh?" Liam himself was also stunned. He hadn't expected there to be a chance of a turnaround; he hadn't been immediately eliminated.
A chance was still a chance, and it was a good thing.
Without hesitation, he thought for a moment and then cautiously extended his hand toward Sophia, saying,
"Thank you for the opportunity."
At the same time, his Replica Hand system activated.
He hadn't used his replication chance for the day, and by all accounts, Sophia should be quite powerful. So Liam decided to take a gamble on her.
Although the success rate was low, and based on Liam's guess, the higher the talent level, the lower the success rate.
But... what if he got lucky?
However, what he did next shocked everyone.
Sophia stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the outstretched hand, her mind in a whirl.
This guy... the nerve!
Since she could remember, no stranger, especially no man, had ever dared to approach her casually, let alone initiate physical contact like this.
In front of everyone, the academy leaders exchanged puzzled glances, wondering if they should step in and stop Liam's audacity.
After all, others might not know, but they were well aware of Sophia's status.
Who was this reckless guy?
Meanwhile, the male students in the audience widened their eyes, watching Liam on stage as if he were some kind of god.
After all, doing something that everyone wanted to do but didn't dare required immense courage.
Heaven knows, Liam had no ulterior motives like taking advantage of Sophia.
He just genuinely wanted to try and replicate her ability, so he didn't think there was anything wrong with his behavior. He acted completely naturally.
And then, something happened that made everyone's jaws drop again.
Sophia lowered her head, her expression unreadable, but her hand slowly lifted, and she lightly shook Liam's hand.
In that moment, Liam thought he could hear the sound of countless hearts breaking...
But at that point, Liam didn't have time to care about what others thought.
Because the familiar "Replication failed" message didn't pop into his mind as usual. Instead, a different, more pleasant sound played.
[Replication successful. Acquired SSS-level talent—Ice Age!]
[Automatically enhancing talent...]
[Talent at maximum level. Unable to enhance further. Attempting to break limiter... Limiter breakthrough failed.]
A series of messages echoed in his mind. After a brief moment of surprise, a wave of pure joy surged through Liam.
Did it... work?
And at such a high level, too? He could finally experience what it's like to have a game-breaking talent!
Moreover, this woman in front of him had an SSS-level talent. He had just randomly encountered a protagonist-tier character!
His luck was off the charts—could this be a sign that his lifespan was about to shorten?
Raising his head, Liam looked at her stunning face and, out of nowhere, blurted,
"Amazing!"
Sophia's hand was still clasped by Liam's, her mind completely blank. Hearing his words brought her back to reality.
She discreetly pulled her hand away, nodded, and stood a bit stiffly.
After all, she was in a state of total disarray and had no idea how her hand had just reached out like that. Her mind was a blank slate.
Her ice-based powers kicked in, helping her suppress her emotions, which kept her from blushing.
They parted, Liam moved to the candidate area, and Sophia returned to continue her work.
But from then on, it was clear that Sophia was distracted, her mind preoccupied.
If earlier she had only had some suspicions about Liam's identity, now she was almost certain.
After all, the word "amazing" was something she had only heard from that online friend she had never met in person.
So, was it really him?
Could it really be this coincidental, meeting him in person without any preparation?
When chatting online, she had always found him unique and interesting. Now, seeing him in person, he was even more of an oddball!
But...
Did he recognize me?
How should I talk to him?
Should I even talk to him?
How do I interact with him?!!!
Sophia was all too aware of the vast difference between her usual public image and the persona she had when chatting with Liam online.
At that moment, she deeply understood what it meant to experience a "social death."
Now, her mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of Liam, and her overall state was highly unsettled.
This behavior didn't go unnoticed by most of the people present.
Anyone with sharp eyes could see that there was something subtly ambiguous between Sophia and Liam.
Soon, whispers began to spread through the crowd.
"An E-level power? With that level, it's hard enough to get into a top superpower academy, let alone get a guaranteed admission..."
"Variant? Honestly, is there any point to a variant of an E-level power?"
"After testing so many people today, his ability is the weakest... How could someone this weak be guaranteed admission?"
The students around Liam murmured their dissatisfaction in low voices.
Though they didn't dare say it out loud, it was clear what they meant—everyone believed this was blatant favoritism, and it was totally unfair!
This dissatisfaction was even more pronounced among another group—the candidates with the highest talents standing near Liam, all competing for the guaranteed admission slots.
Sophia had made it clear earlier that there were only five slots available.
But as time passed, there were now six people in this area, including Liam.
At this point, aside from Liam, the other five began to frown, occasionally casting sideways glances at Liam, each lost in thought.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone