Sam didn't hurry in this test.
He levitated in the air and moved in a particular direction at a leisurely pace. Whenever he spotted a candidate, he went down and initiated the fight. Even before the barrier could fully form, he finished the fight.
It ended with at most three hits.
The tests are easy.
Sam guessed that even the remaining players will have an easier time in this realm. None of the peers are their competitiors.
Many candidates who already focused on Sam are now second guessing. If they had a choice of ganging up, then they would have a much better chance, individually at their current state they don't see it happening.
But one group among them, which is led by one of the seed candidates still decided to try their luck.