Julian didn't hesitate and chose Hell difficulty.
In his view, killing one monster on Hell difficulty was equivalent to killing five on Normal.
Moreover, he had immense confidence in his own combat prowess.
"That guy who got first place, even if you won the first round, don't think you'll beat me in the second."
Julian gripped a giant war blade, his class weapon.
"Look, someone chose Hell difficulty."
[Julian, Level 16, Berserker]
"Not bad.
The Berserker is considered strong even among Rare-tier classes."
"Berserkers have good sustained combat ability.
He should achieve a decent score this round."
Sophia thought for a moment and chose Normal difficulty.
Elemental Mages weren't skilled in close combat, nor were they good at soloing high-strength monsters without a tank.
So she chose Normal difficulty, planning to win through quantity.
As the third-place finisher in the first round, Sophia also received attention from the examiners.
A live feed of her also appeared before them.
When Sophia chose Normal difficulty, they nodded with knowing smiles.
[Sophia, Level 15, Elemental Mage]
"A very smart choice."
"Although Elemental Mages have good burst damage, it becomes troublesome if they can't kill the monster before it closes in."
"This is especially true at lower levels when skills are limited."
The second-place finisher from the first round, Zoe, chose Hell difficulty.
[Zoe, Level 16, Stalker]
The examiners also paid attention to Zoe's choice.
They offered their commentary after her selection.
"As a Stalker, an assassin-type Rare class, she possesses superhuman close-quarters combat ability."
"So ,whether she chooses Nightmare or Hell, both are good choices for her."
"Indeed, she's another promising seedling."
"I wonder what difficulty Morintis, the Necromancer, will choose this time."
Now all the noteworthy individuals had made their choices, leaving only Morintis.
After listening to the exam rules, Morintis reached his own conclusion.
"This round truly tests everyone's sustained combat capability."
"Thirty minutes of continuous fighting poses significant pressure for any class."
"Except for me, that is."
A faint smile touched the corner of his lips.
Morintis made his choice.
"I choose Hell difficulty."
Frankly, for him, the higher the difficulty, the better.
Both of his skills possessed top-tier power.
Therefore, a greater difficulty meant more points per kill, which benefited him greatly.
An examiner chuckled, "He chose Hell difficulty, as expected."
"He is both a Mage and a Summoner.
With summons, he doesn't fear monsters getting close."
"And his skill power is very strong.
Combined with his summons, he can definitely achieve a good score on Hell difficulty."
"Actually, most Summoners who took the exam in the past basically chose Hell difficulty too."
"Let's wait and see."
Outside the examination hall, principals from major high schools across Jiangning Province had gathered.
"Old Stone, you're about to strike it big this time."
"Tsk tsk, 0.1 second. How many years has it been since we've seen a score like that?"
"You've got two out of the top three, Old Stone.
You can't help but succeed."
"Your First High is going to make a huge splash this time."
"If Morintis can bring home the Provincial Top Scorer title, Old Stone, you'll be on top of the world."
Victor Stone's face was flushed red, and he was visibly excited.
He never expected Morintis to achieve such an outstanding result.
He was so overwhelmed that he was momentarily speechless, his entire body trembling slightly.
All examinees had made their choices.
As the countdown ended, the second round began.
A sphere of light appeared before Morintis.
The sphere rotated in the air, looking much like a dungeon entrance.
Then, a monster clad in armor emerged from the light sphere with a furious roar.
Morintis willed it, and the Skeleton Warrior beside him stepped forward to meet it.
It swung its blade directly at the monster's head.
Simultaneously, Morintis's Detection Skill landed on the creature.
[Wolfkin Warrior (Elite)]
[Level: 13]
[Strength: 500]
[Agility: 300]
[Spirit: 150]
[Constitution: 400]
These stats...
Were weak.
Much weaker than the monsters in the Nightmare difficulty Westsea Mine Dungeon.
Morintis understood immediately.
This was, after all, an exam designed to accommodate the majority.
If the monsters were too strong, it would lead to mass elimination.
That would defeat the purpose of the exam.
The goal wasn't to eliminate candidates but to select outstanding talents from among them.
The Skeleton Warrior's blade landed on the Wolfkin Warrior.
Flesh split open.
With just one strike, the Wolfkin Warrior was on the brink of death.
As the Wolfkin Warrior tried to retaliate, a second strike fell.
The Wolfkin Warrior died miserably.
"Two strikes."
Morintis watched, then pointed a finger, summoning a second Skeleton Warrior.
The two Skeleton Warriors took up positions on either side of the light sphere, waiting for the next monster.
Five seconds later, a second Wolfkin Warrior appeared.
Immediately, the two Skeleton Warriors raised their blades and struck.
The Wolfkin Warrior died instantly.
"A bit too simple."
After a few rounds, he understood: five seconds after killing one monster, a second one would appear.
This round tested the sustained combat ability of each class.
The examiners were stunned.
"Why are Morintis's summons so strong?"
"They're stronger than any summoner's summons we've ever seen."
"And he has two of them."
"This class...is impressive."
His skills themselves are powerful, and his summons are formidable too.
This class is simply phenomenal.
Morintis's side was becoming tedious.
Two Skeleton Warriors guarded the light sphere.
Monsters died the moment they emerged, surviving less than 0.5 seconds.
The examiners had lost interest in watching him and turned their attention to other professionals.
Sophia gripped her staff, casting spells.
She had chosen Normal difficulty, so the monsters weren't strong.
Basically, two spells could kill one.
She constantly adjusted her spell intensity, striving to minimize her Spirit consumption.
While still somewhat monotonous, it was far more engaging than Morintis's side.