26. Oppression

Facing the old man’s aggressive posturing, Ning Changkong cast a nervous glance at Ma En. Although she knew Ma En was no ordinary person, she had no idea of the extent of his capabilities or whether he could handle such monsters. If worst came to worst... she had already prepared herself to lose a little finger.

Ma En raised his right palm. Following his movement, several coins drifted out of his pockets and began to circle slowly around his arm. The three individuals opposite him froze at the sight.

"What if I refuse?" he asked curiously, as if he genuinely wanted to know the answer.

The old man narrowed his eyes. "Do you think we’ve never seen an esper before? Let me tell you, everyone here is at least a Tier I esper. Furthermore, on the second basement level, there are over a dozen legendary Tier III espers. They are the ones who set these rules. Do you think you can challenge them?"

Ma En asked, puzzled, "Are you a Tier III esper?"

The chitin-covered woman stepped forward. "This is the Queen’s territory. If she finds out that a newcomer like you is stirring up trouble, regardless of the outcome, you will be offending her majesty. If you ask me, this is not a wise choice."

Ma En asked with a look of pure innocence, "Is she a Tier III esper?"

All three of them were at a loss for how to respond. Ma En’s attitude instilled a significant amount of wariness in them, yet no one could be sure if he was just bluffing or if he truly possessed the strength to match his demeanor.

The old man’s bony fingers began to glow as he stepped forward. "I’m doing this for your own good..."

The circling coins stopped.

Ma En’s raised hand curled slightly inward. The old man, who had just taken a step forward, froze in place. Then, he violently clawed at his own neck, as if trying to tear away something invisible.

The other two, suddenly alarmed, reacted immediately. The chubby, fish-like man charged toward Ma En, his bulky frame whistling through the air like a metallic war chariot. The insect-like woman leaped toward the wall, then bent her legs and lunged directly at the young girl behind Ma En.

Ma En looked at them.

The two high-speed figures stopped almost simultaneously, remaining frozen like statues in the middle of their advance, their eyes alone betraying a flicker of terror as they stared at Ma En.

"It seems you are not Tier III espers," Ma En said, relaxing his hand.

The insect-like woman crashed heavily to the ground, the fish-like man stumbled backward and fell, and the old man, nearly suffocated, collapsed to his knees, gasping in agony.

The young girl watched his back quietly. Ma En seemed somewhat different from when they were at the hospital, but... he was now more in line with her initial expectations.

"Now, it’s my turn to ask questions," Ma En said gently. "Does anyone have an objection?"

Everyone stared at him in fear. He nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Now, how do I get to the second basement level?"

The old man, shrinking back, spoke with a trembling voice, "The stairwell doors on every level are guarded by powerful figures. Anyone who goes down without permission is treated as an intruder by the entire floor. Many Tier III powerhouses have fallen because of this. If people from other levels want to earn the qualifications to become residents of the second basement, they must obtain the approval of the rulers and then take the elevator down."

Ma En asked, "Just how powerful are those guarding the stairs?"

The old man put on a sycophantic expression. "Sir, I am just a commoner who scavenges for scraps outside. Only the rulers know the answers to such questions, and only they know the specific paths to the stairs and elevators."

In truth, he had been to the second basement level before. That meant he might have already obtained the approval of these rulers. If he were lucky, he might just need to announce his presence to return above. However, if they found out he had left before... the situation would be reversed. They would surely covet his method of departure and try every means to obtain it.

This meant these subterranean inhabitants could all be his enemies. Without his past memories, he could easily be captured and imprisoned by a group of espers—if he were in their shoes, that’s exactly what he would do. Therefore, Ma En decided to first make contact with this "Queen" to gauge her attitude before considering how to reach the second basement.

Ma En asked, "Do the residents of the second basement ever go to other places?"

The old man shook his head respectfully. "The powerful ones who go to the second floor don't come back down easily. I’ve heard this is a condition set by the rulers; they don't allow people from other floors to enter the second floor at will. I heard that in the past, residents from the second floor would occasionally return to the levels above, but even then, they were rarely seen. For the last dozen years or so, no one has heard of any second-floor residents coming up—though it’s possible they have, and we just didn't know it."

Ma En nodded slightly. "In that case, lead the way."

The old man turned around timidly. When he saw his two companions, a flicker of rage crossed his eyes, but he immediately extinguished it. They were no match for Ma En; until they met the Queen, no matter how unbearable his inner frustration was, he could not risk provoking Ma En again.

The old man glared fiercely at his two companions. "Quickly, lead the way."

Ma En added, "You can walk further ahead. Don’t worry about me not being able to keep up." He wasn't just referring to the distance.

The silent girl watched them walk away and finally spoke. "Your way of handling things seems completely different from when we were above."

Ma En looked at her, arching an eyebrow. "In my view, I have always acted in the most efficient manner. There were things on the surface waiting for me to show a flaw, so I was forced to keep a low profile. But here... showing strength can sometimes make things simpler."

The girl’s lips curled into a smile. "I even felt just now that this was the version of you I was meant to see."

He continued to explain, "Moreover, the social rules here are completely different from those above. The civilized society we lived in before isn't suited for this approach. Regardless, I don't advocate using violence to solve problems."

The girl curled her lip; the man spoke as if he hadn't just been on the verge of strangling the people opposite him.

"If you need it, I can help you see what others look like. I also have an ability that allows me to sense something like an aura. But for some reason, when I’m near you, I can’t feel the presence of anyone else."

Ma En replied, "I do need your ability. If we encounter that shapeshifter, you can quietly warn me. She is likely to change her appearance."

He still remembered that Xu Wen had mentioned before they entered that Li Fen had also been taken care of by him. If nothing went wrong, she was likely here as well. And in Ma En’s view, Xu Wen had told him that specifically—much like how the old man leading them kept reminding him to find the Queen.