The return to his cell was a grim wake up call, a cold drenching of reality that washed away the lingering warmth of Lyra’s bedsheets.

The difference between the silken luxury of the elite quarters to the shitty, metallic stench of the slave room was jarring, hitting Quinn’s senses like a physical blow.

The air here was thick with the scent of unwashed bodies, rust, and the stagnant dampness of stone that never saw the sun.

’Hahh....good things always end’ Quinn thought..

He sat heavily on his thin straw mat, the dry stalks poking through his tunic. The weight of the upcoming fight pressed down on his shoulders, heavier than the iron collar around his neck.

" I wish I could just live in a room like that forever," he sighed, the sound echoing hollowly in the small space.

Quinn leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

He remembered his previous life vividly...the sharp suits, the boardroom battles, and the way he conquered powerful Milfs, the contrast to his current status as a "rat" in a cage was painful, a bitter taste that stuck in his throat.

But at least he had the system now, it’s not the end of the world...

"Alright... let’s see what this new skill I got..."

A floating, glowing book materialized in the center of his dark cell. It pulsed with an inner radiance, casting long, flickering shadows against the grime streaked walls.

Quinn reached out, his fingers tingling as they touched the ethereal parchment, and opened it.

A blinding, golden light illuminated the cramped space, and the knowledge within the book began to pour directly into his mind.

Swosshh.....

It was the memory on how to use and execute the skill, a phantom experience etching itself into his mind.

The whole thing lasted for few seconds before everything turned still...

"This is a masterpiece of a skill!" Quinn grinned, feeling a surge of raw power settle into his frame.

"Survival shouldn’t be a problem now. Still, I just hope the bastards don’t put me up against something completely, impossibly hard..."

He closed his eyes, visualizing his new abilities and how they moved with his body, but he wasn’t done yet.

Quinn opened his status window, eyeing the 34 unused points he had earned from the ecstatic, 5 hours session with Lyra!

He didn’t hesitate and distributed the points , 15 points into Strength and 15 points into Agility...

He put the remaining 4 points into Endurance, as for the Mana it was set aside...for now, it’s best to pick those what he needed the most.

Quinn wanted to check his current stats, but a sudden, heavy knocking sound echoed through the door, vibrating the very stone.

"Rat! Go out now! Time for battle!" A loud, booming voice commanded, dripping with the indifference of someone sending cattle to the slaughter.

"Shit... This is it, I guess. Let’s see if I can survive this shit first."

Quinn stood up, his body feeling lighter and more coiled than ever before. He exited the cell, but what he saw waiting for him wasn’t a massive monstrous being. Instead, it was a small, peculiar creature.

The being had large, circular eyes and a round body covered in thick, fluffy fur. Its ears were tufted like a cat’s, and to any observer from Earth, it would have looked adorable...if not for the aura it radiated.

Ting!

[Danger! Danger! Danger!]

[Strong Entity Discovered!]

[Cannot see description... Host is too weak!]

Quinn was utterly shocked. The system’s warnings were screaming in his mind, turning the "adorable" creature into a nightmare.

’Shit!! What kind of monstrous being is this little creature!?"

As he delved into the fragmented memories of the previous Quinn, and a name surfaced that chilled his blood.

’Nekoball.’

The name didn’t do justice to the monstrosity these beings represented. They were whispered and gossipped in the dark corners of the prison..beings that could unhinge their jaws and swallow a small house whole.

Quinn shivered as a specific memory surfaced, an arrogant slave who had survived ten matches and thought himself a superior...died miserably...

The man had disrespected a Nekoball, but hadn’t even had time to scream before the creature’s mouth expanded into a void, swallowing him in a single gulp!!

The being in front of him seemed to be a worker or a herald of some kind of monstrosity, its eyes reflecting a cold, ancient intelligence.

"Follow" the Nekoball ordered, though the sound was more like a low frequency hum.

Quinn gulped and nodded, following the creature as it bounced or rolled down the long, winding corridors.

As they ascended floor after floor, moving away from the stench of the pits and toward something far louder.

KILL FOR OUR SATISFACTION!

KILL! KILL! KILL!

GLORY! GLORY! GLORY!

The deafening roar of a crowd began to seep through the stone walls. It was a chaotic, bloodthirsty symphony that made the floorboards tremble.

They reached a massive, towering door at the end of the final hallway. A bright, artificial light spilled through the cracks, illuminating the Nekoball’s fur.

"Proceed, Rat. Bring victory and glory for us," the creature said, its figure remaining stationary in the shadows of the doorway.

’Shit! I can’t really run from this! Quinn cursed internally, no one escaped the Crucible.

Even the ball-shaped being from before had mocked the very idea of freedom. The only way out was forward, through the blood and the carnage.

Without hesitation, Quinn stepped through the massive door. The moment he crossed the threshold, a deafening explosion of sound hit him, nearly knocking him off his feet.

He had to close his eyes for a moment, the arena was blinding. Everything was white and gold, a searing brilliance that burned his eyes..

"HERE WE GO!! THE CHALLENGER FOR TODAY’S GAME!!" a voice boomed over the crowd, amplified by some unseen magic.

"THIS RAT IS CURRENTLY HOLDING TWO WINS FROM HIS PREVIOUS TIME! BUT WILL HE RETURN ALIVE AFTER THIS!?" the being shouted with all its might!

WOAHHH!!

GLORY! GLORY! GLORY!

When Quinn finally forced his eyes open, he was met with a sight of utter fascination and cold dread. He was standing in the center of a colossal arena.