NOVEL SIMPLE 30 – Snow in the dessert?
It was a world of snow and ice.
The average temperature was minus ten degrees. There was almost never a time when there was sunshine, with snow and blizzards continuing everyday. How was snow present on a desert planet? Although it is true that sand and sun cover a huge amount of the planet’s surface, there was a remote area with a very unique spirit clime that allowed for such weather.
That was Ingrid’s world.
A mountain range with an elevation of ten kilometers was standing in the way like a wall. A forest of needle-leaved trees with heights over a hundred meters was spreading out at the foot of the mountain. Ingrid’s palace stood proud and majestic with that forest behind it.
The wooden palace looked similar to something from norse mythology. But rather than the palace, what was most worthy of mention was the large fighting arena created beside it. It was a circular fighting arena with a diameter that reached even ten kilometers. It was as though it was the center of this world. Roads spread out in a radial shape from the arena, forming a city.
It was a townscape without decoration, giving the impression of simplicity and frugality. Triangle roofs and walls with wooden texture laid bare. The entrance of these buildings were located on the second floor. Perhaps as a countermeasure against the snow and cold, there were also a lot of houses with double layered window. There was also a building with a height of nearly a hundred meters among them, but all of them were made from wood. The ship docking station was the only thing made with metal which made it look out of place.
The residents here were all people both of this planet and of other worlds who came because of Ingrid’s invitation.
The residents of this world were warriors whether they wished it or not, they were forced to fight daily at the arena. All of those battles were for the sake of this world’s god, Ingrid. The Vanderbach Federation’s champion was a woman named Ingrid von Hollsen.
And then, even now, a match was being carried out in the arena. However the eyes of Ingrid were lost. She was sitting from her grand balcony, but today’s fight had not picked up her interest. The strong are given privileges in her world. A ranking system has been implemented and the top 10 fighters are seen in good eyes and can even enjoy Ingrid’s presence.
But just what type of woman was Ingrid? Ingrid is a woman who possesses a voluptuous body figure, fair skin, and has long Nordic silver-blue hair wrapped in twintails. Her black armor denotes her affinity with the military forces. And her proton sword attached to her back is emitting a powerful aura that some say could go crazy if she wasn’t suppressing it.
In the past, Ingrid was a warrior woman living in an icy world. She has a special ability to regenerate every part of her body except her right eye which she keeps shut most of the time. She managed to obtain a secret stone that greatly augments her ability. Thus, she decided to put on the stone in place of her right eye. With her newfound power, she got so passionate about fighting and spent almost all of her life fighting repeating the process of defeating a powerful opponent which made her eventually unstoppable. The only reason she even joined the Vanderbach federation was just so she could indulge her thirst for combat.
Since arriving on Eleanor, she often imports powerful warriors from a different world and forces them to fight in a coliseum hoping that one of them will evolve into an opponent she can have an all-out battle. In her ranking system, by winning battles, the victors would be given wealth and better living conditions, whereas, the defeated will also suffer from not receiving rations and supplies if they kept on lowering their ranks. The battles are not specifically designed to kill but the act is not prohibited. The ultimate reward for the competition is dueling her on a one on one fight.
She also believes that people can grow stronger, however she only considers people with potential. Those she perceived as weak are trashes and not worth wasting effort. Villages with people not worthy of attention have been completely abandoned and left to fend for themselves.
“Your Highness, are you playing with a Rubik cube? I’ve only heard about it. Isn’t it considered a relic?”
The maid that approached Ingrid inquired as she was more focused on her toy instead of the fight. In this era seeing one was rare, as most toys usually revolve around digital portable gaming consoles.
“It’s far more challenging. The fight is boring. Maybe those 2 will eventually become stronger, but as they are now, they are not good. I wonder if I will ever experience it?”
“What exactly are you referring to?”
“Defeat. Is there no one capable of defeating me?”
“That is very unlikely, Your Highness.”
“I guess, you’re right. But at least it would be nice if someone could make me go all out. Not even the current rank 1 is a match for me. I hope the scouting team will eventually find new prospects for me.”
“It is very difficult for anyone to be a match for you. Because of your ability to plunder…”
‘Yeah. I know.”
Once an opponent loses to her, Ingrid can steal their special abilities as a sort of reward for their battle. She possesses enormous physical strength, easily overpowering most foes and is very swift with amazing reactions, able to deal with multiple opponents at once. Her Photon Arts are also deadly and precise. Fighting her when she has all these powers and the vast battle experience to back them up is like fighting a wall.
“I still hope for the result I envisioned. If a man becomes even stronger, the warriors around him will also grow stronger. They will steal the way he fights and surely even stronger people will appear by incorporating that. Such evolution of battle will create even stronger warriors.”
And then Ingrid looked up at the sky that was covered with thick clouds.
“This world exists for the strong’s sake. The weak exist to be their food. And then there is no limit to the evolution of strength. It is the law that the gods layed down. I’m certain of it. Battles are what give life purpose.”
“You are absolutely correct, Your Highness.”
“I’m going to take a bath now.”
Will I ever meet someone who’s strength can match my own? No matter how long it takes, there must be someone in this vast universe who can give me a run for my money and I will find him or her.
