Global Necromantic Specialist

Of the 244 candidates who successfully passed the second round, more than 60 decided to retire. That left only 180 who chose to continue the exam.

Even though those who withdrew chose to step back, their performance during the second round had already demonstrated their strength. They would have no trouble entering average higher learning institutions. However, those who continued the exam were aiming for the prestigious institutions at the top of the rankings.

"The rankings after the second round will now be announced," the announcer's voice rang out.

1. Marsh, total points: 1605

2. Zuo Mei, total points: 470

3. Jeny, total points: 270

4. Wang Zihao, total points: 265

. . .

Wang Zihao jumped up, his voice filled with disbelief. "This is impossible!"

"How could he have so many points?"

In just 30 minutes, considering that a new monster appeared every five seconds, there could have been at most 12 monsters per minute. On Hell difficulty, each monster was worth 5 points, which meant the maximum score in one minute would be 60 points. Over the entire 30-minute test, that would total 1800 points.

However, the fight itself and other factors, like the time needed to deal with each monster, meant most people would score between 200 and 400 points. A good performance, like Zuo Mei's, which involved killing 80 monsters, was worth around 400 points.

But Marsh? Marsh had scored 1605 points. That meant he had killed 301 monsters—about 10 per minute, nearly the maximum possible. Everyone began to wonder: Was he a monster himself?

Wang Zihao couldn't believe it. He even suspected Marsh of cheating, though he dared not voice it aloud. To accuse someone of cheating in the big exam would be to offend the entire leadership of the Shenxia Empire. Everyone knew that cheating was impossible. The entire exam was under tight surveillance, and anyone caught would be punished severely.

Outside the exam room, David, the instructor, couldn't hold back his excitement.

"Old David, this student of yours is a bit of a freak," one of his colleagues remarked.

"Indeed, very freakish," another examiner agreed.

David, though excited, tried to hold his composure, his face flushed as his trembling hands spilled water from the cup he was holding.

"You're the ones who are freakish," he muttered, fuming. "The whole family is freakish."

David couldn't wait to find out how Marsh had managed to achieve such an incredible result. From his memory, no one had ever achieved this level of success.

Back in the day, Morkel had been incredibly talented, scoring 700 points in the second round. Last year, Lin Mohan had scored 650 points. But Marsh's score surpassed both of theirs combined.

The exam hall was filled with beams of light shining down on those who chose to continue. Under the radiance, fatigue and mental exhaustion vanished, and everyone's strength was restored.

"Next, the third round of exams will begin," the announcer continued. "This round also has three levels of difficulty."

"You will face a boss-level monster."

"Normal difficulty: 100 points."

"Nightmare difficulty: 300 points."

"Hell-level difficulty: 500 points."

The rules for this round were similar to the previous ones, but the focus had shifted. The last round had tested candidates' endurance, while this round would test their ultimate combat abilities.

They would each face a boss-level monster, fighting one-on-one. This was a major challenge for every professional since no external help would be provided.

Marsh was the first to make his decision.

"I choose Hell-level," he declared confidently.

The examiners looked at each other, nodding in agreement.

"As expected, this kid really did choose Hell-level," one examiner remarked.

"Given his skill and the power of his summons, he's definitely aiming for first place this time," another said.

"It seems like Jiangning Province's crown is his to take."

"Hold on," one of the older examiners cautioned. "It's not over yet. There are still two more rounds to go, especially the fifth round…"

They had presided over many big exams before, and they knew that sometimes even the most promising candidates could falter at the last minute. Though Marsh had performed exceptionally well so far, it was too early to say for sure whether he would win the provincial championship.

Wang Zihao, hearing the talk of Marsh's potential, clenched his fists.

"The first place is mine. There are two more rounds left, and I won't lose," he declared through gritted teeth.

Wang Zihao also chose Hell-level difficulty, his pride on the line.

Jeny and Zuo Mei, too, opted for Hell-level. They knew that they could handle it with their explosive powers. Jeny, with her elemental magic, and Zuo Mei, with her Stalker skills, were both confident in their abilities.

After everyone made their choices, the examiner signaled the start of the fourth round.

Suddenly, a massive creature appeared before everyone's eyes. It was a wolf-headed monster from the Orc Wolf family, holding a sword in each hand—like a professional swordsman among monsters.

[Wulf Orc Captain (Boss)]

Level: 15

Power: 1000

Agility: 800

Spirit: 500

Physique: 1000

Skill: Chaotic Wind Slash

Looking at the data, Marsh felt unimpressed.

This Hell-level boss didn't seem as dangerous as it was made out to be. It was a significant downgrade from what he had expected. Perhaps the exam organizers had decided to reduce the difficulty for safety reasons, given that Hell-level monsters could be far beyond what most candidates could handle.

This was a test of talent, not a death sentence. The monster before him might be tough, but it wasn't in the same league as a real Hell-level dungeon boss. It was more akin to an enhanced elite monster from a Nightmare-level dungeon.

Marsh could understand why the empire had made this decision. A true Hell-level boss would be too dangerous for most candidates to even approach.

As the battle began, Marsh gave his orders.

His two skeleton warriors charged forward, skills ready.

"Furious Blow!"

Bang! Bang!

The Wulf Orc Captain fell to the ground, dead before it could even retaliate.

It had taken just a few seconds.

The examiners were stunned, their jaws practically hitting the floor.

"Again, another instant kill!" one examiner exclaimed in disbelief.

"His summoned creatures can still use skills, and the power behind those skills is immense!" another examiner added.

"Marsh is doing it again—he's leaving no room for anyone else to play."

The examiners were left in shock. Marsh's performance was almost too much for them to process. His overwhelming strength made it clear that he was leagues ahead of the others.

for more Episodes visit

patreon.com/Noan994