The moment Soren's blood barrier caught the prisoner's stomach, the entire cafeteria froze
It was instantaneous. A collective intake of breath. Every conversation stopped mid-sentence. Every movement halted. Hundreds of eyes turned toward the sound of violence, toward the sight of a prisoner dropping to his knees, vomiting blood onto the stone floor
Then silence
Complete, absolute silence descended over the massive hall. The only sound was the prisoner's gasping for air, the wet sound of his suffering, the drip of blood against stone
Soren stood motionless, observing the reaction
It was like another version of him had come alive. Not the one that had been fragmenting, spiralling into mental breakdown in the cell. Not the desperate survivor clawing for existence. This was something colder. Something more calculating. Something that understood that violence was communication. That blood was a language everyone in this prison could read
Good. I wanted to test the limitations of the magic suppression. At least now I know I won't have to fear being ganged up on by those weaker than myself
He looked around the cafeteria, scanning the faces for any reaction that deviated from the silent shock and confusion dominating the space. Most prisoners simply stared. Their eyes wide. Their bodies frozen. Fear radiating from them like heat
But Soren was looking for something else. He was looking for the people who didn't look shocked. The people who looked calculating. The people whose expressions suggested they were assessing what had just happened rather than simply reacting to it
His eyes found Garrick first
The man with the metal jaw stood near his group of Iron Pact members. He was watching Soren with an intensity that hadn't been there before. His cold dark eyes were narrowed, analytical. Garrick wasn't shocked. He was processing. He was understanding what Soren had just demonstrated
Soren knew that there was basically one main gang that held all the social power in this prison. The Iron Pact under Garrick's leadership dominated through sheer numerical superiority and brutal enforcement. The Chainhands under Tovin were smaller, more specialized, maintaining their own sphere of influence without directly challenging Garrick's authority
And Soren also knew that Garrick was already wary of him and Noelle. Two new rank 2s coming into the prison could shift the tide of power depending on their character and allegiance. The appearance of new high-level fighters always disrupted the equilibrium
This attack had sent a message. Soren was not someone to be casually tested or dismissed
But would Garrick retaliate?
Soren watched the Iron Pact leader carefully. Garrick stood there, his metal jaw catching the light, his expression unreadable. He looked at the bleeding prisoner on the ground. He looked at Soren. Then, deliberately, he turned back to his group and resumed his conversation as if nothing had happened
A calculated non-response. A choice not to escalate
Soren's eyes shifted, searching for Tovin
The mechanical eye gleamed red in the cafeteria's light as Tovin observed from the blacksmithing area. His expression was similarly neutral. He made no move toward Soren. No gesture of alliance or hostility toward Garrick. He simply watched, assessed, and returned his attention to his work
Neither gang leader was reacting. Both were choosing to let this moment pass
Soren understood why. The prisoner he had attacked maybe belonged to neither faction. When Soren had interrogated him earlier, there had been no tell that suggested gang affiliation, but he did pick the shadiest looking person he could find. The probability had been low. Maybe one in four chance that this guy belonged to the Iron Pact or Chainhands. And based on the way the prisoner had spoken about both gangs with equal uncertainty, this all might have meant that he was an unaffiliated prisoner. Or maybe he was wrong and maybe those two would rather wait than take immediate action. There could be a numerous amount of answers to this, after all Soren still lacked too much knowledge about the rules regarding this place so he kept his mind flexible and chose not to assume anything for now
Soren had also learned something else from this act of violence
The collar prevented killing. That much had been established. But it wasn't absolute. The restriction didn't prevent injury. It only prevented the final, lethal blow. Which meant he had discovered something valuable. A form of both protection and intimidation that existed within the boundaries of what the guards would tolerate
He could hurt people. He could establish dominance through violence. He could test people's resolve. And the collar would stop him before he went too far, but it wouldn't stop him from making his point
That was good to know
Soren looked around the cafeteria one more time, satisfied with what he had learned
The whole vibe in the cafeteria changed
It wasn't as loud as before. Constant conversation still happened, but now it was more tense. More quiet. The energy had shifted from casual prisoner life to something more guarded. People now directly avoided Soren as he moved through the space, turning away when his scarred face came into view, creating distance where there had been proximity before
Even though they didn't retaliate immediately, Soren thought to himself, I can't be too careful. So for now, let's be a coward and find and hide behind Noelle. After all, even if they are to attack me, it would be much harder to fight two rank 2s rather than just me
He quickly made his way to Noelle
She was standing in the same spot where he had left her, observing the cafeteria with that serene expression. When she saw him approaching, her green eyes focused on his face, studying him carefully. She looked at him and asked quietly: "Why did you do that? Did that person speak of the goddess's name in vain?"
Soren stared at her for a moment
How did she come to that conclusion? She's weird. She doesn't think like a normal person. She definitely has got a screw loose?
"I was testing something out," Soren said simply
He shared with her what he had learned about the collar's kill rule and what he thought of the gang leaders. He explained that they seemed to be passive for now, choosing not to escalate
Then he asked her directly: "If they were to attack me, what would you do?"
Noelle didn't even think for a second. The light seemed to vanish from her green eyes as she looked at him, her expression becoming something harder, something more resolute
"Well, of course we would have to kill whoever wishes to attack us," she said calmly. "After all, this concerns matters regarding our goddess. Her will must be protected"
Soren heard this and processed it
Some people would be happy to know they had a trusted ally like this. Someone who would fight beside them without hesitation. Someone whose loyalty was absolute
But Soren's thoughts were different
Whilst he knows that he can rely on Noelle, her faith in him is still a mystery. It's still weird. He knows that she has made some assumption about him, some connection to her mission that he doesn't fully understand. He knows that she is on some sort of pilgrimage, that she believes he's part of something divine. But he doesn't know why. Doesn't understand the logic that makes her trust him so completely. However maybe she knows more than she's letting on. Maybe she knows more in detail about what exactly the phrase 'prophesied ones' actually means. After all since being summoned to this world Soren still had no clue what this phrase actually meant despite the weight is seemed to imply, but for now he set these thoughts aside
For now, he had other priorities
"Let's go to the notice board," he said to her. "We should see if any of us has any upcoming fights"
Soren and Noelle made their way toward the giant notice board
It was held up by massive metal chains that dangled from the ceiling, suspending it in the middle of the cafeteria like some artifact of importance. As they moved closer, the crowds of people seemed to deliberately disappear from their view. Prisoners who had been standing nearby suddenly found reasons to be elsewhere. They turned away. Moved to different sections of the cafeteria. Created distance
After Soren's last stunt, no one wanted to be near him
When they reached the notice board, Soren could see why people found it intimidating to approach
The board had rows upon rows of names. Makeshift sketches of people drawn in charcoal or ink. Some were crude, barely recognizable. Others were more detailed, clearly the work of someone with actual artistic skill. Just from looking at it, it seemed like a complete mess to navigate. It was difficult to make sense of the chaos of information
There were clear rows regarding the dates and which days the fights were to take place. That structure helped. But there were simply too many names. Too many fighters. Too many upcoming matches crammed into the schedule
Another thought crossed Soren's mind
How were they even going to identify whose who? They didn't know what Soren's name was listed as. If the guards had recorded his real name, if his actual identity was on this board, he would have already been recognized. Taken away. Put to death by whatever authority the king had managed to place here
So either his name wasn't on the board, or it was under a different name entirely
He looked at Noelle and asked: "Can you tell if our names are on here?''