This might be bad,

Is this some underground organization I'm not supposed to know about?

Most likely, but I'll still travel down here, maybe someone brought Bridge down.

It might just be the sewers.

As I climbed down, the air got increasingly cold. Like so cold it feels hot.

What is down here?

As I got to the bottom, the path continued. But this time I would here a faint voice, wait, multiple voices?

As the air got warmer, the voices sent out a screaming cheer, there was an audience down here.

Not just an audience, an entire underground community!

The people here wore swords on their backs, and had coats that flowed even though there was no wind. Cultivators.

I scrambled for any sign of Bridge.

As I traveled through out the area a voice bolstered a new product.

"1st level Mama Gathering bonds! We even have one with a wind tiger bloodline!"

The people crowded around the stand, and there sat Bridge in a large cage, that scammer, being treated as a king with his premium 2nd level wind sardines.

"Hey! That's my cat!"

I budged through the audience at a painfully slow rate, but it appeared that my unholy screeching did its job.

As I was immediately put into ropes,

Hold up, this wasn't part of the plan.

As I struggle to break free, I noticed the crowd of cultivators staring at me.

I heard their whispers,

"He should have Brocken out by now, that's normie grade rope"

"Fred, you sure that guy is a cultivator, I don't sense any mana!"

The conclusion came too fast.

"How die a normie break free from the arena?"

"Damn Normie's, always breaking the mood"

The stall owner looked at me with distain, but the two-face immediately started to hype the crowed.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Don't let the normie spoil the mood, this is a wind tiger bloodline! Almost gaurenteed 5th level mana gathering!"

The guy whispered to the guard,

'Take him back to the arena'

Wait the what?

"H-hey, That's my cat!"

The crowd immediately stared at me with scorn.

'tsk, how could a mana beast be a Normie's cat, this normies a nutjob, won't even survive his first match'

'Why do the Normie's always have to escape, really ruins the mood'

"But that really is my cat!"

My shouts for justice became void of meaning as a guy next to me shoved my to the ground, and started to pummel me with fist like anvils.

The last thing I saw was Bridges smug cat smile.

-----------------------

'He-'

"Hey n-"

"Hey new guy! What happened to you! Did you face a-"

I opened my eyes, it took a second to realize where I was, then-

Pain

I gasped for air, this was the I'm on fire type of pain. Just much, much wor-

------------------------

I don't know exactly when I woke up, it seems I should have adapted to the pain by now, but it hurts much more than I can describe.

It was clear my legs were crippled.

Theodor, the guy in the cell next to seems like a nice guy.

"You good bro?'

But in order tour him to survive here in this- underground fighting area thing, he must have some skill.

"What am I doing here"

I just barely was able to croak out words.

"What do you mean?"

Theodor would not give in, I don't know exactly when I got his name, its just there, but this old man is pushing my buttons.

"Where am I!"

I tried to yell but Words didn't come out. Theodor still responded.

"You're in the normie arena.'

Unlike his happy demeanor earlier, his words came out as cold as ice.

"Ands what's it about"

Theodore laughed

Why, I don't know, but it was certain that he found something about it laughable.

"Hahaha, you must have had your head hit pretty hard, the arena is gladiator battles between Normie's. The lord finds it entertaining"

"Who's this lord"

I responded to his answer with another question, all I know is that I definitely should not have gone down that trashcan.

"... We do not refer to him by name, some call him the master, but he manages the normie arenas, you won't last your first match, you will be a pig at the slaughterhouse, so enjoy your next few hours, try not to bleed out before then, ... On second thought, it might be better for you to bleed out."

It took me a few minuets to process that, in short, in order to get my cat, I was beaten up and put into a gladiator arena.

This is bad, like bad bad. The kind of bad you get in after eating the last cookie kind of bad.

My legs, mangled peaces of flesh at this point, were incapable of movement, and ever since the adrenaline ran out I've had a hard time staying conscious.

I grabbed some of the rope that was lying on the floor, which was used to bind me, why the left it there, probably because I'd kill over in the next day.

After grabbing a bunch of straw, I fashioned a splint for my leg, which probably wouldn't work.

By the time I finished the second makeshift splint, I threw up more times than I could count.

Theodore considered me a lost cause, so did I. There was little to no chance that I could survive my first match. But something awakened within me, pushing me to live, it was like an,

Instinct

'I will do anything to survive', I crammed as much knowledge about my surroundings as I could, even grabbing the died persons corps in the cell next to mine.

Luckily it contained a pouch with some water, and some bandages, why they were in there I asked Theodore.

"They give them out to winners of the duels"

As I did the voodoo magic that was bandage wrapping, theodore looked inquisited.

Why was this guy bandaging himself, shouldn't he ave accepted his death? That was probably what he thought.

The only other thing I found in the sack was a small stone, Theodore called it a mana stone, I don't know what it does, but it sounded important. So I kept it beneath my tongue.

I finally passed out, after 17 consecutive hours of pain.

"I will survive!"