Wang Zihao didn't hesitate to choose hell difficulty. To him, killing a monster in hell was worth five on normal, and he had full confidence in his combat prowess.
"That kid might have won the first round, but no way he's beating me in this one."
Gripping his massive saber, his weapon of choice as a Berserker, Wang Zihao was determined.
"Hey, someone's going for hell difficulty!"
[Wang Zihao, Level 16, Berserker]
"Figures. Berserkers are powerhouses in rare professions."
"They're built for sustained combat. He should do well in this round."
Meanwhile, Xia Xue opted for normal difficulty. As an Elemental Mage, she knew she wasn't suited for close combat or battling high-intensity monsters solo, especially without a tank. Her plan was to focus on quantity rather than toughness.
The examiners, keenly watching Xia Xue, noted her decision with approving smiles.
[Xia Xue, Level 15, Elemental Mage]
"A wise choice."
"Elemental mages pack a punch, but they're in trouble if the monster gets too close, especially at lower levels when they lack complete skill sets."
Zuo Mei, who had taken second in the first round, went for hell difficulty.
[Zuo Mei, Level 16, Stalker]
The examiners shifted their focus.
"A Stalker, eh? They're deadly in close combat. Nightmare or hell—both are good options for her."
"Indeed. She's a strong candidate."
Finally, all eyes turned to Lin Moyu. He had yet to choose his difficulty.
Lin Moyu reviewed the test rules carefully. "This round is really testing everyone's stamina in combat."
"Thirty minutes of battle will test any profession's limits… except mine." A small smile tugged at his lips.
He made his decision.
"I choose hell difficulty."
For Lin Moyu, the harder, the better. His skills were exceptional, and the higher the difficulty, the more points he could rack up.
One of the examiners chuckled. "As expected, he chose hell."
"Necromancer, huh? With powerful summons, he won't have to worry about monsters closing in on him."
"And his skills are potent. With summons to back him up, he'll probably excel in hell."
"Most summoners taking the exam have gone for hell difficulty, too."
"Let's see how he fares."
Outside the exam room, the principals of several high schools from Jiangning Province had gathered to observe.
"Lu, looks like your school's star is shining bright."
"0.1 seconds—haven't seen that kind of performance in years."
"Two out of the top three are from your school. You're making a name for yourself!"
"If Lin Moyu bags the provincial championship, Lu, you'll be on cloud nine."
Lu Yun's face flushed with pride. Lin Moyu's success had left him almost speechless, his hands trembling from excitement.
With all the candidates locked in, the countdown for the second round began.
A glowing orb materialized before Lin Moyu—the entrance to the dungeon.
From the orb emerged an armored beast, roaring as it stepped forward.
Lin Moyu's skeleton warriors were ready. With just a slash, they attacked.
At the same time, Lin Moyu activated his detection skill.
[Wolf Orc Warrior (Elite)]
[Level: 13]
[Strength: 500]
[Agility: 300]
[Spirit: 150]
[Endurance: 400]
Lin Moyu took stock of the monster's stats—they were weak.
Compared to the monsters in the West Sea Mine, even those of Nightmare difficulty, this one was far inferior.
He quickly understood why. This was an exam, designed to be fair for most participants. If the monsters were too tough, the exam would lead to mass eliminations, which wasn't its purpose.
The goal here wasn't to eliminate but to assess talent.
One slash from his skeleton warrior tore into the beast, leaving it barely alive.
Before the orc could counter, a second strike finished it off.
"Two hits."
Lin Moyu summoned another skeleton warrior, positioning them on either side of the glowing orb, ready for the next monster.
Five seconds later, another Wolf Orc appeared, only to be immediately felled by the skeletons' synchronized strikes.
"Too easy."
He quickly deduced the pattern: every time he killed a monster, another would spawn after five seconds.
The exam was clearly focused on endurance.
The examiners watching him were stunned.
"How is Lin Moyu's summon so powerful?"
"Stronger than any summoner's we've seen before."
"And he's got two of them!"
"This profession… it's incredible."
Between his formidable skills and his nearly unstoppable summons, Lin Moyu's Necromancer class seemed unbeatable.
With his skeletons guarding the orb, no monster could last more than half a second before being cut down.
The examiners eventually grew bored of watching his effortless performance and shifted their focus to other candidates.
Xia Xue, casting spells with her staff, faced much weaker monsters on normal difficulty. Her strategy was to conserve her energy, using just enough magic to take out the monsters while keeping her mana consumption low.
Although her battle was repetitive, it was far more dynamic than Lin Moyu's relentless takedowns.