Super Training: Strengthen and fortify various parts and functions of the body through physical training.
Zhao Yao unfurled three skill branches at once. He picked Heart Strengthening, Bones of Steel, and t.i.tanium Tummy.
Any kind of workout or exercise would help him grow stronger, faster. His skeletal system would be reinforced. His digestive system would function more efficiently and could even eliminate toxins or poisons that entered its tracts.
As long as he kept training, the power would keep on giving.
It would bring more than just improvements. It would be completely transformative.
"The Sphynx would have to train everyday to reach those heights," Zhao Yao thought.
He needed to talk to the cat.
He patiently explained the effects of these new-found abilities. The Sphynx listened, but he was doubtful. It sounded like a lot of hard work for powers that he could not even see.
Zhao Yao did not worry about that. As long as the Sphynx started training, he would experience these changes first-hand. He would understand.
And once he gained the combined powers of six cats, these transformations would be his too.
"I"ll only level the Book after the Sphynx reaches a certain standard."
Having come to a conclusion, Zhao Yao left the extradimensional belly happily. He then expended the rest of the experience points on Matcha, whom was upgraded to level 7.
This extended the duration of TimeFreeze sevenfold. It still lasted 12 seconds, but for Zhao Yao, he had 84 seconds to use.
A new branch was also unveiled on Matcha"s skill tree. As usual, two choices were made available - Time Distortion (Intermediate) and Dust of Time.
The former would reduce the cooldown duration of Time Distortion from 24 hours to just six while the latter would reduce the speed of other people.
Zhao Yao did not hesitate to select Time Distortion (Intermediate).
"If there"s an intermediate stage, there would be an advanced stage. The six hours could be reduced to just one, or even half an hour. I"ll be unbeatable then. I could screw up multiple times and I still would not die."
It held so much potential that Zhao Yao"s head was spinning. Self-preservation would no longer be much of an issue again.
He heaved a sigh of relief.
"I"ll just have to make sure the Sphynx keeps training and upgrade the Book when he"s ready. And everything can finally go back to normal. Oh, wait, seems like there"s a few more things I have to handle."
The things he was referring to were Old Cat, Red Packet, and the magical Royal Catmint.
He had a pending task to collect intel from Old Cat, then think about how he can make good use of Red Packet"s powers to raise the cafe"s profits and rake in those experience points.
As for the Royal Catmint, he decided not to use it for now. It was the kind of treasure that would grow more valuable the later it was used.
For now, however, he did not want to start on any of that. He needed a little break, so he whipped out his laptop to do a bit of online shopping.
"Hmm, let"s see if there"s equipment the Sphynx can use to train."
The interwebs had no shortage of weights and fantastic equipment, but none of them were right.
The Sphynx was remarkably strong. One swipe of his paw would feel like being smashed by a few tonnes of pressure. No normal training gear would be enough to help him grow stronger.
Zhao Yao"s online search proved futile, but an idea soon found its way into his head.
"I could just use...gravity."
He had once weighed the cat down with a force that was ten times the power of gravity. The additional pressure almost burst his brain and organs, leaving him immobile and unable to fight back.
"Ten times is too much. The Sphynx could take something two or three times stronger. He would adapt and get fitter."
Armed with this great new idea, Zhao Yao made his way back into the belly and headed straight for the Sphynx.
Ares was not next to him this time. He was alone in his cage, watching Ares playing with Catherine, Diana, and Caesar in the distance. There was a hint of a smile on his lips.
Zhao Yao smiled as well.
"Ares doesn"t know the side-effect of your power, does he?"
The Sphynx turned to face Zhao Yao. His expression morphed into something hateful and terrible.
"What do you want?" he spat.
"You like training, don"t you?" Zhao Yao asked, "I"m giving you a chance to start training again. Grow stronger. Get better. Train until you"re good enough to beat me, then take Ares and leave this place."
"Beat you? Take Ares and leave this place?" the Sphynx repeated dumbly.
"What? You don"t want to?"
The cat looked back at Ares for a moment, then turned to Zhao Yao. This time, there was no anger or hate in his eyes.
There was only fierce determination.
"That"s it. That"s the look I remember," Zhao Yao could not help but grin, "My silly Sphynx, keep training and help me grow stronger."
He then lifted a finger and pointed at the cat. In an instant, a pressure that was three times the force of gravity hit the Sphynx, causing him to dip towards the ground.
"The cage door is open. You can leave whenever you want. The confines of the cage have been altered to contain that extra pressure you feel now. You can come back anytime to train here."
Zhao Yao shot him a smile.
"So, what say you? Is three times the gravitational force too much? I can always turn it down…"
"No!" the Sphynx exclaimed, gritting his teeth.
He got onto his feet gingerly. He felt the familiar sensation of his internal organs being squished from the unbearable pressure. It was pure torture, but he compelled himself to move.
"Wait and see. One day, I"ll grow strong enough to beat you and I"ll leave this G.o.d forsaken place with Ares!" he declared.
Zhao Yao watched in delight as the Sphynx immediately got to work in the cage.
"Supercats may be super, but they"re still easy to trick. I hope this fiery determination lasts. A month or two shouldn"t be an issue, huh?"
Now that the cat was doing exactly as he wanted, he made his way to Old Cat. He needed to check up on him and the insightful essay that could earn him a neat 2,000 experience points.
Old Cat was seated, a phone between his paws. He was typing on it furiously.
Zhao Yao activated TimeFreeze and snuck up behind the cat. He quickly read through the words on the screen.
"I am terribly sorry for the mistakes that I have made. I never, ever should have started on this road to sin, debauchery, and lies. I will not make any excuses for my horrible behavior. I will use my actions to prove that I…"
In the next moment, time resumed and Zhao Yao asked, "What is this nonsense that you"ve written?"
His sudden appearance caused Old Cat to jump in fright.
"Well, these are my reflections. I"ve been mulling over the terrible things I"ve done and experiencing the regret that I deserve."
Zhao Yao smacked the cat behind the head.
"No one wants to see your stupid reflections," he started, "I want you to give me a blow-by-blow account of what you"ve been doing at Chuan Xiao District. Don"t you dare omit even one detail!"