After the ultimatum was issued, more than a dozen people raised their hands in succession and left the hall with low spirits. The atmosphere in the examination room grew increasingly heavy. Many people looked around, wavering on the brink of giving up.
"Anyone else? There isn't much time left to decide!" Ibiza continued pressuring the candidates who were especially shaken.
For some, Ibiza's words were the final straw. Under his sharp gaze, several candidates began trembling involuntarily. In the end, they reluctantly raised their hands and forfeited their right to volunteer for the second exam.
Ibiza looked over the forty-five people remaining in the hall and saw that they had withstood the pressure. His mood gradually calmed, and determined expressions appeared on their faces. After further probing and confirming that many of them would not withdraw, he spoke in a low voice.
The people who remained in the examination room silently watched Ibiza, waiting to hear what he would say next.
"Yes, yes," Ibiza said happily. "Then congratulations. You have passed the first test of the second exam!"
"What? That was the first test of the second exam? What's going on?" one of the candidates quickly shouted after hearing Ibiza's words.
"Yes, what was that?" the other candidates asked in surprise.
Of course, the cleverer candidates wore knowing smiles at the corners of their mouths. They had probably understood Ibiza's meaning at once.
"Hahaha." Ibiza laughed for a moment before saying, "This test was meant to test the choices you would make when facing great difficulties—whether you had the courage to make sacrifices."
"There are missions that cannot be refused no matter how dangerous they are. When the time comes, you must have the courage to sacrifice yourself and the ability to overcome hardship. Those are necessary qualifications for becoming