Sophia's performance received unanimous approval from the examiners.
Julian swung his large blade, decapitating the Wolfkin Warrior before him.
His face bore a bloodthirsty expression, his lips twisted in arrogance.
Berserker – the name suited him.
In combat, his reason diminished, and he became utterly wild.
And this was before activating his Rage.
Once that happened, he might lose all rationality completely.
"If he goes all out from the start, his efficiency will likely drop significantly later."
"He doesn't understand how to pace his stamina. That's an area for improvement."
"Compared to Sophia, he falls short."
The examiners valued not just how many you killed, but your adaptability in combat.
First, how well you could last the full 30 minutes.
Second, the difference in combat effectiveness between the start and the end.
Real battles often last a while.
If you go all out immediately, there might not be a 'later'.
Comparing Julian and Sophia, the examiners already had their answer.
Sophia was clearly superior.
Zoe, like Julian, had also chosen Hell difficulty.
Compared to Julian's wide-open, forceful combat style, Zoe utilized the Stalker class's agility to its limit.
Her movements were fluid and nimble.
She flowed around the Wolfkin Warrior like a ghost, toying with it effortlessly.
Every action was crisp and precise, without a single wasted motion or ounce of expended stamina.
The dagger in her hand was fast, ruthless, and accurate, dealing considerable damage with each strike.
She also skillfully used her skills at the right moments to control the Wolfkin Warrior or even interrupt its skills.
She demonstrated a very high level of proficiency with her current skill set.
Zoe's performance also earned the examiners' approval.
After this round of observation, the examiners had a good understanding of the various candidates.
They had established their evaluation criteria in their minds.
Then they switched back to Morintis's feed...
The examiners were speechless.
"This kid... is a bit much, isn't he?"
"I agree. It really is a bit excessive."
"He actually keeps food in his pockets? What was he thinking?"
"Are sweet potatoes that delicious? Watching him eat makes me a little hungry."
Morintis was taking slow, deliberate bites of a sweet potato.
He had taken the sweet potato out of his storage and put it in his pocket before entering the examination hall.
Since storage space was locked during the exam, what if he got hungry?
Now, with his Skeleton Warriors instantly killing the monsters, he had nothing to do.
Naturally, he started eating the sweet potato.
"Eating during the National Exam... the first one in history."
"Note that down.
Ensure his name is remembered for posterity."
"I think the exam is too easy for him.
Should we increase the difficulty?"
The examiners gritted their teeth in frustration.
While others were fighting for their lives, Morintis was having it so easy.
But his score was far ahead of everyone else's.
"No need. Regardless, the exam must be fair," Alistair said calmly.
Alistair hadn't spoken since this round began.
But one could see from his eyes that he was very interested in Morintis.
"This youngster is quite interesting."
During the 30 minutes, people continuously gave up or were injured and withdrew.
Continuous fighting was a severe test of endurance for every professional.
It wasn't like a dungeon where you could rest if tired.
Only Morintis could have even taken a nap without issue.
As time passed...
Finally, the 30 minutes ended.
All monsters vanished simultaneously.
"It's finally over!"
"Any longer and I wouldn't have been able to hold on."
"That was terrifying.
I'm not even this tired running dungeons."
Most people collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
In just 30 minutes, their stamina was almost completely drained.
Sophia's face was also slightly pale.
During those 30 minutes, she had tried her utmost to regulate her skill usage, saving energy wherever possible.
Her Spirit was almost entirely depleted.
With storage space locked during the exam, she couldn't use additional potions to recover Spirit.
It was genuinely difficult.
"Finally, it's over."
"I killed over 200, right?That's over 200 points."
Julian was completely slumped on the ground.
His efficiency towards the end was far lower than at the start.
Massive stamina consumption and skills on cooldown had drastically reduced his combat power.
"I killed over 50, I think. This Hell difficulty is no joke."
Among everyone, only Morintis was in the best condition.
He had spent the 30 minutes as if watching a play.
"This round of the exam has concluded."
"Out of 522 participants in this round, 278 have lost eligibility to continue due to injury or voluntarily giving up."
"The remaining 244 candidates are eligible for the next round.Of course, you may also choose to forfeit now."
"The next round has higher difficulty and intensity.
There may be life-threatening dangers.
Please consider your choice carefully."
Everyone received the prompt simultaneously: they could choose to stop now or continue.
Continuing meant facing an even harder exam, with potential mortal danger.
Stopping now felt like giving up, leaving them unsatisfied.
Instantly, many were caught in a dilemma.
The examiners wore mischievous smirks.
"I wonder how many will choose to quit this time."
"Based on previous years, at least a third will choose to quit."
"This year's pass rate is similar to last year's. About 60% have been eliminated so far."
Out of the original 632 main combat class participants, 244 remained.
"They seem to be struggling with the choice. Let's give them a little push, help them decide."
The majestic voice sounded once more.
"Even if you forfeit the exam now, your scores are sufficient for entry into a higher academy."
"You now have 60 seconds to decide.
If no choice is made after 60 seconds, you will default to continuing."
This statement was like the final straw that broke the camel's back, shattering the psychological defenses of many.
"I choose to forfeit!"
"I quit!"
"I can't go on.
I might die if I continue!"
Many students chose to quit.
But even more chose to continue.
Having come this far, it would be a shame to stop now.