EDF Exam

Zeralf entered and the scenery changed to a grandiose and breathtaking landscape. The inside of the building spread hundreds of meters in length and width, and the ground was covered in pale bluish snow. At the center was a fascinating structure.

Three ice cuboids each reaching ten meters in height and several meters in length and width stood erect and were positioned in such a way that they formed a triangle, slabs made from ice connected these three ice cuboids and they collectively formed one structure.

Runic lamps of different colours were attached to the ice walls and they shone colourfully. Beside the structure, was a cold bluish pool. White flowers and tall trees were used to decorate the exterior of the building and other areas enclosed by the wall.

A soft cold breeze that carried the smell of winter entered Zeralf's nose and he inhaled in awe while silently checking out the surroundings.

Buildings on Planet Golrich were made from ice, as most of its terrain was actually frozen planes so the builders mostly with the Dharma of Creation could reinforce this ice and build residential structures with them. Even the black wall outside was an alloy made from a mixture of ice and other metals.

Zeralf neared the structure and used space sense which captured everything within its range and relayed it to him. The ice cuboid facing the gate in Zeralf's six o'clock position had his name on top of the building, the one on his three o'clock position had Endra's name, and the one on his nine o'clock had a name he was not familiar with.

Outside, where the passersby candidates were still gossiping, one of them spoke to someone close to her in a tone full of curiosity.

'' Is that not Lady Kitasha's residence too? '' The petite girl in a thick brown jacket similar to what others were wearing, asked while pointing to the place that Zeralf just entered.

The male teenager in a black jacket whom she waa talking to did not even look in the direction of her finger before answering with excited and lustful eyes.

'' Of course, that's Lady Kitasha's residence, who knows maybe she is being too magnanimous and allowed those rats to stay with her, hmph. '' He voiced with utter disgust and envy.

The petite lady had a bewildered look when she heard this.

'' But the new boy seems... ''

'' What do you know. '' He interrupted in a condescending tone.' Frogs in the well. '' The boy snorted and started walking away and his rosy face darkened in annoyance.

Not in Zeralf's wildest imagination would he think that he had already started seeking some people's displeasure by staying in the same place with some Lady Kitasha whom he didn't even know.

'' What was Genzo actually thinking? '' Zeralf thought to himself annoyingly but his cold and indifferent countenance masked the irritation he felt with the whole concept of sharing a place with some people.

He entered the building and as soon as he did, Endra followed him with a sheepish grin. Zeralf turned and gave him a dark look before turning away.

The interior wall of each structure was painted white and Zeralf's was no exception. The living room he just entered had a rectangular space with tall ice sculptures of human figures that released serene auras making the atmosphere very calm.

The floor was transparent and underneath it, a bluish stream flowed quietly and small snow fish could be seen flowing along the stream's direction.

A light blue sectional sofa made from ice lay adjacent to the white door and a hexagonal table of matching colour lay close to the sofa.

Zeralf was wondering how one would sit on such sofa without feeling numb but he got his answer as soon as he touched the sofa. Contrary to the material, the sofa was very warm and it felt so smooth to the touch.

'' Damn you Devas with Dharma of Creation. '' Zeralf murmured in astonishment.

'' White haired. '' Endra called excitedly and Zeralf turned his head in his direction, his forehead slightly creasing.

'' You, just wait for my new divine cooking skills haha. '' Endra muttered with agitation and rushed towards the kitchen direction while grabbing a white apron. Yes, the only time Zeralf had seen his torso covered was when he wore aprons to cook and even that only covered his front.

'' What a thick-skinned person. '' Zeralf uttered in a hushed tone and opened the manual he was reading earlier.

Some minutes later, he finished reading the part about the EDF exam and he now gained a handful amount of information since he and Genzo didn't discuss a lot on this topic.

It happened that the EDF exam was a yearly exam and each Universal Cluster would conduct the exam for at least trillions of individuals who had awakened their Dharma. Each cluster had a minimum of five solar systems containing dozens of ginormous planets where the candidates underwent different activities to be examined.

Planet Golrich was one of those planets and the solar system it belonged to was the Goldra solar system which contained twenty-five gigantic planets with Golrich being at the edge of the solar system.

The exam had a low pass rate and out of trillions of participants who took part in the exam in each cluster, those that eventually qualified to enter the institute collectively, do not usually exceed a few tens of millions. Statistically, that wasn't even close to a one percent pass rate.

The competition between the contenders was very intense and being backstabbed was a usual occurrence.

Following the standard system, before becoming a Deva, every mortal was to attend an elementary school where they could gather the knowledge and skills needed to pass the exam should they dream of becoming EDF agents.

There were many cases though where mortals with strong backings had private lessons from skilled instructors such as in the case of Zeralf who had Genzo guiding him.

The exam would take place six months after the day of awakening across every solar system hosting it in different universes. This was to give each candidate time to familiarize themselves with their Dharma and to better hone their skills.

The exam had three parts, the written exam which was a general theoretical exam that everyone must attempt and pass. This was the first part of the exam and the disqualification was pretty moderate at this stage.

The next segment of the exam was the special exam. This was the exam designed for candidates with Dharmas that allowed them to work in unique professions such as the alchemists' exams and the artisans' exams. These exams were held a week after the written exam and although the pass rates were very low, those that failed could apply as assistants in such professions or fields since the number of people with these kinds of Dharmas was low, to begin with.

The last part of the exam was the combat exam, this was the most exciting of all and also the strictest with a high failure rate. Candidates were tested on different aspects of combat to see how good they were with their Dharmas and Zajra. It took place three weeks after the special exams and it spanned for a longer timeframe.

Those who had passed the special exams did not need to pass the combat exams except for those who wanted to apply for dual professions and earned more money and prestige.

Zeralf was not going to take any of the special exams since he didn't have any Dharma that suited such professions and neither would Endra, both were ready for hardcore combats.

Moments later, Zeralf's attention pulled out from the manual and he glanced at Endra who held a white oval tray and his face was cloaked in smugness and satisfaction.

A warm and marvelous aroma that sent Zeralf's brain in disarray hit his nose and he couldn't help but gulped saliva.

'' Haha see who is drooling. '' Endra shouted teasingly which made Zeralf look away with a slight frown.

'' See, I told you, my new culinary skill is divine hehe. '' He dropped the tray on the blue table while chuckling.

A plate of stir fried chicken marinated with who knows how many seasonings, herbs, and spices. Another plate contained different veggies cut into edible sizes, a thick fully creamed cereal, and a bowl of mixed fruit salad covered with thick sweetened yoghurt.

Endra watched with anticipation as Zeralf took his first bite and a slight blush mustered on his cold pale face.

'' Haha, you fucker, so you know how to blush. '' Endra screamed excitedly and started gulping his share of food slurpingly completely opposite to the elegant manner that Zeralf was dining with.

After having his full, Zeralf didn't hesitate to grab the manual and head to his room leaving the dishes for Endra who cursed loudly as Zeralf ascended upstairs.