30. Sparring (Seeking Continued Readership)

"Is there any enemy you would like to eliminate?" Man asked tentatively. "Or perhaps something you desire? You may name your price."

In truth, the most valuable thing he could offer was the opportunity to leave this place, but Man could hardly say that directly, and she would not be so quick to believe him anyway. Besides, he still did not know what the method for leaving actually was.

"I do have enemies I want to settle scores with, but the problem is, any opponent I could easily kill, I have already disposed of," she shrugged. "As for those still alive, there is only the Cannibal King on the seventh floor.

"Setting aside whether you could even defeat him, even if you could, I would want to kill my own opponent myself. So, in that regard, you cannot help me.

"But now that you mention it..."

The Tigress pondered for a moment.

"Let's put it this way: I am planning to challenge this Cannibal King, but attacking other rulers would provoke hostility from all the floors, so I am looking for an opportunity.

"There are several kinds of trials to reach the second floor. As long as you complete any one of them, you will not be attacked by them when you enter the second level.

"The easiest way is to obtain the verbal consent of all the rulers, while the hardest is to fight any other ruler and emerge victorious.

"The third, and most common, is to defeat up to three warriors who challenge you. If your methods are brutal enough, there might only be one challenger.

"These challengers are the strongest subordinates under other rulers, mostly the elite among Tier IIs. There have even been Tier III warriors in the past, though those were special cases.

"I can help you organize this trial, provided you choose the third method. I will arrange for the Cannibal King's warrior to face you, and you must kill him for me. The duels themselves are often to the death, so you don't need to worry about any complications.

"But are you confident you can pass the trial without getting injured?"

Man nodded slightly.

"I believe I can."

His abilities were quite comprehensive; he faced no difficulties in defense, offense, or control. Even if he failed to meet that specific requirement, it wouldn't matter. Man’s only goal was to be discharged.

The Tigress nodded.

"I also want to remind you that if your goal in going down is to leave this place, you must ensure you do not suffer any injuries. Furthermore, only the person who passes the trial is eligible to descend. What about the girl by your side?"

Ning Changkong did not reveal any emotion.

"I will find a way," Man said.

She shook her head.

"At that time, four other rulers, as well as an envoy from the second floor, will bear witness. If you pass the trial, he will inform the other members of the second floor to accept your arrival.

"That means there will be five Tier III members present in total; there will be absolutely no room to cut corners."

This prompted Man to reply, "I understand."

By then, Man might be able to gauge the entire second floor's attitude toward him through the demeanor of this visitor.

Whether they were acquaintances, friends, or enemies—or perhaps they hadn't even noticed him yet, or were coveting his method of departure—knowing the situation below in advance would be highly advantageous.

The Tigress nodded slightly.

"You seem very confident. As I said, you are strong, but whether you have the ability to pull this off remains an unknown. So, before I go to summon the other rulers, you must convince me."

She did not want to lose face in front of the other rulers.

Man proposed, "Perhaps we could spar."

As he spoke, she stood up, the corners of her mouth curling to reveal sharp fangs.

"Just as I intended.

"If you can hold your own against me, it will prove that these things are easily done for you. But if you can't even handle me, you'd better give up the idea of leaving this place..."

Man leaped back lightly, then drifted in the direction away from her, rapidly widening the distance.

The Tigress did not remain idle; her legs bent slightly, her tiger claws digging firmly into the ground, and then she lunged forward, whistling toward the hovering Man like a gale.

Then, she felt a faint resistance.

As her distance to Man continued to close, this resistance increased at a steady, moderate pace, while Man observed the Tigress throughout the process.

She landed heavily, calculating her distance from Man...

Two more leaps.

The agile beast pounced again.

Man simply stared at her.

*Boom.*

The moment she felt the resistance, it pressed down on her spine with a force beyond her imagination. The beast could only stumble onto the ground in panic, and at that very moment, the air on all sides seemed to solidify, pinning her in place.

Although the Tigress felt she could still struggle, doing so would inevitably lead to injury, and this was only a spar.

"Being so gentle, I can't tell if you're strong enough," the Tigress shouted from where she stood. "I just don't want to get hurt, but that doesn't mean I lack the ability to fight. On a real battlefield, your opponents won't stop in their tracks."

"How about this?" Man asked.

As his words fell, the intensity of his telekinesis multiplied several times over.

She suddenly felt a sense of suffocation, and the hair all over her body stood on end. Instinct told the Tigress that she should not make any more moves.

"Or this?" he continued. "Try to break free."

The Tigress looked at him, puzzled. She did not speak, as doing so might cause injury.

"Trust me," Man said.

She tried.

Nothing happened.

The Tigress blinked.

Man withdrew his power.

"How did that feel?"

Ning Changkong still couldn't understand what had happened. In her eyes, the upright tiger had simply lunged at Man, and then it seemed as if Man had won.

What was going on?

The Tigress's entire body relaxed.

"I tried to struggle, but I was shocked to find that my body didn't respond at all. Before that move, I couldn't even resist.

"How long do you need to prepare that final move?"

This would determine the minimum distance she would need to defeat Man.

He replied, "It doesn't take long; I can use it with ease during combat."

The answer was: instantly. He had merely used telekinesis to bind her; there were no delicate operations involved, and it could hardly be called a technique.

"That is truly a terrifying ability," the Tigress said. "Now I believe you have the certainty to safely reach the second basement, though there is still little chance of you reaching the passage in one piece."

Although the Tigress's expression was calm, she actually had no idea what to say. Man's power was almost unimaginably strong; as she was now, she had almost no chance of victory against him.

However, despite being deeply shocked, she did not reveal her true emotions.

Tigers are cunning hunters.

"How is your physical strength compared to other Tier II ability users?" Man asked the most important question.

She pinched her shoulder and said:

"To maintain my rationality, I suppress my beastification, and I keep it at a level where I can step into Tier III at any moment. If you're asking about my physical strength...

"I have never encountered anyone stronger than me at the same tier."

Man nodded with satisfaction. This meant that other Tier II ability users were unlikely to be able to hurt him, though he was still unsure how other Tier III ability users compared to him.

"If I want to start immediately," Man asked, "when can you arrange this trial?"

"Tomorrow," the Tigress said decisively.