Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

“Hmph! You’re no fun at all! Aren’t you happy? Don’t you know what it means to be the successor of this place? Oh, wait! You didn’t get to experience the rest of the games this place has to offer, so how could you possibly know?”

‘The Guardian snorted at Mira’s lack of reaction, but Mira just stared at him with a deadpan look that said “please get on with the explanation”.

“Alright, alright. I’ll tell you a little about this place and what benefits you get for inheriting everything here. First, I’ll start off by saying you didn’t make it to the 1,000th step of those stairs you were just on. Surprisingly, you made it to the 999th step, but you weren’t going to make it if you had kept going so I pulled you early. And before you say anything, no, you didn’t actually have to make it to the 1,000th floor. Realistically, it didn’t really matter what step you made it to. You only have to reach your limits, then exceed your limits to the point where you’ll die.”

“Don’t look at me like that! It’s your fault for not understanding the trial! No-“

“Bullshit! How was I supposed to understand anything!? It’s not like there were any instructions telling me what to do or how long I needed to survive or what each test actually entails!”

“That’s exactly the point. Wouldn’t you subconsciously limit yourself if you knew you only needed to reach the 500th floor in order to pass? There are several other reasons for your lack of knowledge of each test. The first is to test your intelligence. The second is to test how well you do under extreme pressure. The third is to test your deduction skills. Lastly, is to test your will to survive. That last one might be the most important. Everyone wants to live, but many people have a breaking point. This is the case for both mortals and immortals, even gods have a breaking point. Honestly, you wouldn’t understand just how many immortals commit suicide or force themselves to reincarnate due to boredom.”

“Back to what I was saying, the point of the stairs is to die… sort of. You’re supposed to reach the point where you will definitely die while still struggling to live even under such hellish conditions. If at any point, you were relieved that you’d finally be free from the pain when you die, then you’d fail the test. Surprisingly, almost every being in existence goes through a myriad of emotions before they die. Some feel unwilling, some feel sorrow for leaving their family, while others feel a mix of relief and acceptance. Oftentimes, people will go through almost every emotion possible before they die and when it finally happens, they ultimately accept their fate.”

“Those are not the type of people to last very long in these tests! We don’t need weaklings like them to taint this place! That’s what the previous tests are for, to weed out the dregs! You, on the other hand, are different from everyone else. Even when you lost your mind, you held on. When your soul was constantly being ripped apart, you didn’t lose your will. When your body was torn apart and death had its scythe pressed against your neck, you still fought on. You weren’t just unwilling to die there, but you welcomed it! Not because you wanted to die, but because that feeling of death meant you were still alive and breathing and as long as you’re alive then nothing can stop you!”

“That’s exactly the type of person that deserves to inherit this place. The type of person who isn’t afraid of death and will even use it for your own gain.”

‘The Guardian explained with a fervent look on his face. It seems he was really happy that someone like Mira finally showed up. Mira, on the other hand, was stunned by his explanation! Although, she didn’t quite understand some parts, like why doesn’t it matter what step she made it to? She knew that things probably weren’t as simple as they seem on the surface. Isn’t that the whole point of these tests in the first place?

What she was stunned about is how highly ‘The Guardian’ thought of her. Though he wasn’t exactly praising her, he was indirectly saying that he respects her to a certain extent.

She also wasn’t sure whether she should be happy or not. Her goal was to make it to the 1,000th floor, but in the end, she failed. Even with all her preparations and planning, she wasn’t able to make it. Yet, even though she didn’t reach that goal, she completed another and that was to succeed in passing that test.

In the end, she was left with a bittersweet feeling in her chest. However, she quickly shook off those thoughts when she thought about the benefits of getting past the stairs.

“Okay, now that we’ve established how amazing I am, why don’t we get onto the benefits I get for being amazing?”

Mira asked with a faint smug grin on her face. ‘The Guardian’ was a bit shocked to hear Mira’s words as he didn’t expect her to say such a thing, but in the end, he just started laughing.

“Hahaha! You have the nerve to say you’re amazing in front of this deity?! How bold!! Hahaha!”

“What? You said it yourself that I’m literally better than everyone else, so how can I not be the best and most amazing person in existence?”

“Heh! Second only to me!”

Mira smirked when she heard that.

“Really? We’ll see about that… ‘Mister Guardian’.”

“Wha-!”

“Speaking of which, why don’t you be a good Guardian to this successor here and tell me what I get for being this ‘successor’ or whatever it is.”

Now it was ‘The Guardian’s turn to be speechless. Never, in all of his life, has he ever been treated like this by someone else, much less a little girl who’s still wet behind the ears. A girl who isn’t even worthy to be the grass beneath his feet or the earth at which he stands on.

This girl just ordered him around like he’s some kind of servant or something. He’s reminded of the saying ‘If you give an inch, they’ll take a mile’ except Mira wasn’t satisfied with just a mile. No, she wanted the whole damn world!

Just how arrogant can one person be?! Though, if he’s being completely honest, Mira does have the right to be arrogant, at least in terms of her mentality and willpower. Her strength might be pitiful, but she has a bearing that isn’t much inferior to his.

‘The Guardian’ should be feeling angry from such a comment said by an ant directly to his face, but he knew that Mira didn’t actually mean it. Sure, she wanted him to explain the benefits of what being a successor meant, but she also had a weird sort of respect for him. Not due to his strength, but because he was willing to talk to her as equals, as another person, even with his strength, status, and background. He knew she didn’t mean anything bad by what she said and truthfully, he found it amusing!

“HAHAHAHA~ Very well, let’s get on with the benefits of being a successor. Here, I’ll show you around the place so you can see exactly what you’re getting. Though I can assure you, that the things you’ll receive will be more than worth your pain and suffering. In fact, any one of the things I’m about to show you is more than enough to make up for it, but you don’t only have to pick one, because you get it all!!”