Capítulo 40: Prodigals From Other Clusters
Somewhere far away in the Southern Cluster in a known enormous galaxy.
Solar system Nemea had thirty-three planets that orbited its giant scarlet sun with an endless number of comets, asteroid belts, black holes, dead stars and other astronomical bodies. The twelfth planet from the sun in this solar system was Planet Bryx, a planet that was also hosting the EDF exam.
Planet Bryx received a sufficient amount of hot scarlet energy from the sun and it was in fact the first planet in line, whose temperature could barely compare to the mortal planets as the eleventh planet upward were masses of burning planets.
It had seven big moons each representing a light spectrum in the visible light and when they shone together, they radiated a powerful white light making the night on Bryx looked more like a day.
Although the moons all received the same amount of scarlet energy, they reflected different lights as a result of the different matters that each moon was made of.
In a wide open space, many participants could be seen engaging in one or two fights with the lava creatures before them intensely, and most of them were drowned in their battles that they could hardly know what was happening to the participants near them.
This was a testing location on Bryx and contrary to Planet Golrich's cold atmosphere, here was a furnace.
The open space was a sea of lava that spread long and wide with none of the participants seeing its ends currently.
Inside the sea of lava, however, there were stationary rocks that were placed randomly from each other and on these rocks were the participants standing in alert mode.
In order to pass this phase, they had to cross the sea of lava whose boundary was, they did not know yet.
Just crossing the sea of lava, however, wasn't challenging enough according to the examiners' standard, hence, mindless creatures made of lava were introduced and these creatures would jump at the participants, and if the latter got overwhelmed, they would be dragged into the lava meeting their doom.
'' Eliminate me already you devils, killing newly awakened Devas as if they were vermins just because they didn't meet your standards, so majestic of the EDF. '' A burly youth with short messy navy blue hair, large eyes, pumpkin nose, plump lips, and honey skin cried hatefully.
He was in a sleeveless hazel shirt, and white trousers and his short stout physique matched the short battle axe he was carrying.
He was engaged with two lava creatures and it was obvious that he was barely coping. One of the lava creatures took an octopus form while the other took a turtle form.
He just jumped on another rock avoiding the pincer attacks of the two lava creatures and he had yet to regain his balance when a tentacle shot at him from his blind spot.
By the time he realized and jumped up while trying to parry the tentacle with a Barrier of Darkness, it was already too late as the tentacle pierced his right ankle which was still in midair and flung him forward.
The boy felt despair and hopelessness as he saw his body descend downward about to enter the lava and burn, forever remaining forgotten.
'' Why? '' He questioned himself in hate and remorse.
'' Why did I bother to participate in the exam if death would be my reward? '' He was filled with contempt as his head finally collided with the lava…?
SOME SECONDS EARLIER
A petite figure of a girl could be seen standing on a rock while holding two pistols in both hands as she fired continuously.
She had long wavy black hair that flew down to her knees and her crown had strawberry-coloured flowers attached to them.
She was blindfolded with a white silky fabric that pressed on her porcelain skin masking what her eyes looked like. She had a small nose and small red lips that gave her an air of cuteness. She was adorned in a white umbrella gown that covered her knees in the front, and in the back, it formed a triangle end that reached her ankles.
'' Sis…sister Carah. '' She called out in a gentle and timid tone that could barely be heard by others. Just like her petite figure, her voice sounded pretty young and sweet.
'' Uhh? ''
'' Elza? Is something troubling you? Should big sister wipe out the asses of these ugly creatures? '' A feminine voice brimming with dominance replied to Elza's timid call.
She had strawberry-blonde hair that was cut with a left-side flick and it fell right above her slim waist. Under a white hip-length alchemist coat that was unbuttoned throughout, revealing one of her milky shoulders, were pieces of black gym bra with a matching pair of panties.
Her amethyst eyes were flirtatiously chilly and one could only see the warmth in them when she was talking to Elza.
If not for her alchemist robe, one could mistake Carah for the bad bitch that was heading to a late-night summer picnic.
'' Him. '' Elza pointed her pinky finger in a particular direction which made Carah furrow her eyebrows.
'' Please, sis…ter. '' She spoke in a pleading tone.
'' Just this time Elza, you can't go around helping everyone. ''
'' Mm. '' Elza nodded her head thrice agreeing to Carah's judgement but the latter, knowing Elza's character knew she would still go around saving people.
'' Hmph, such a weak man. '' Carah snorted and casually waved her left hand in the direction that Elza pointed her finger.
Thick long roots left her hand and shot at great speed avoiding the different lava creatures in their way until they reached their target.
The boy that was about to crash into the lava dazedly opened his eyes when he felt the rising temperature stop and the burning effect that he was expecting ceased to come.
He opened his eyes amidst the confusion but he started coughing after inhaling the poisonous sulphuric gas that was being evolved by the lava. He was still processing the sudden change of events when he felt a pulling force around his ankles.
'' Uwarrhh. '' The boy out of fright, screamed when he found himself being pulled in midair until he landed on a safe rock.
He turned around confusedly and he saw thick elongated roots leaving his body and going back to their source.
His eyes widened in surprise and appreciation when what happened dawned on him.
He had been saved by an unknown lady in panties?
'' Thank… thank you. '' He quickly bowed despite being in the midst of danger.
'' Thank her. '' Carah didn't spare him one glance and she simply pointed in Elza's direction.
They were all a few rocks apart so they could see each other without obstruction.
'' Ah, no need to thank me I was just helping out. '' Elza spoke while shooting a lava creature that was ready to jump at her.
Evidently, her Zajra was in the form of a gun whose shape, she could change depending on the power output and speed that she wanted.
Each shot fired condensed Ki with high penetrative power and depending on the shape of her gun, she could even fire explosives.
Pistols however were her favourite as they had lesser damage output and she could restrain her enemies with them instead of killing them.
Carah on the other hand waved her left hand again and a thin root in the shape of a needle shot at the boy whom she just saved.
'' Argghh! What… '' The boy's mouth was wide opened in alarm and agony with his eyes ready to pop out.
'' Kiki. '' A soft creepy laugh escaped Carah's mouth.
'' Pain. '' She muttered with fascinated looks. '' Feel pain in exchange for my free treatment kiki. '' She chuckled again eerily.
The boy however was rather amazed after the intense pain had subsided, the wound on his ankle had vanished and so was the bundt mark on his forehead.
'' Al…al…alche…mist? '' He stammered the words out while almost choking on his saliva.
Just how rare were alchemists? And to meet a skilled one as a fellow participant?
The truth was just too astounding for him to believe. Most alchemists and others who took the special exams were usually deemed as being weak in combats, hence most of them only focus on the special exams since passing them would grant them entry to the EDF institute.
Now, however, he could see an alchemist as a participant who casually healed his wounds with just a thin root and not only that, she was trashing the lava creatures like they were some failed specimens.
Could he even question the EDF's standard any longer? There were just too many monsters across the universes and a few hundred deaths meant nothing to them.
Even the gentle figure of the timid girl was not to be joked with, the way she fired each shot with precision was just epic and a new realization made his heart tremble in terror.
The innocent looking blind girl had not for once used her Dharma since the beginning of the combat exam.
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