After a moment of serious contemplation, weighing the risks against the potential rewards, I made my decision and took the left path. The difference between a Transcendent-rank secret art and a Royal-rank technique wasn't even comparable - the power gap was enormous. If I could obtain such a valuable technique by taking a small risk, it would absolutely be worth the gamble.
Besides, if I couldn't manage to defeat a single Transcendent-rank being now, under controlled circumstances, how could I possibly hope to face the enemies that would eventually attack the city? In those future battles, Transcendent-rank beings would be nothing more than cannon fodder waiting to be slaughtered by truly powerful opponents. I needed to test my limits and push beyond them if I wanted to survive what was coming.