Chapter 739: Hostage
When Nox had asked this question, there was a flicker of hesitation on Doran’s face before it shifted into confusion.
"What the fuck is that?" Doran shouted back.
Nox simply smirked. He had already seen through the pirate leader—he was a very bad actor.
’He probably doesn’t want to reveal... just like how I hid it at the start.’ Nox deduced.
Either way, he had to fix the current situation. The last thing he wanted was for a neighboring kingdom to die on his shores and discourage others from doing business with him.
His eyes flicked from one pirate to the next, counting. Six of them, plus Doran, and at least four hostages in immediate danger. His mind raced through possible moves. He could likely take out two or three pirates swiftly before they reacted... but not all at once. The moment he struck, the others might panic and harm the captives. It was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.
Seeing Nox remain hovering and silent, Doran seemed to gain confidence.
"Here’s what’s going to happen," the pirate leader declared loudly. "You’re going to fly away, demon man. Let us go, or these people die. We’ll be taking this ship and whatever cargo is left as compensation for the trouble you caused. Do that, and maybe I won’t feed your corpse to my shark."
At the mention of the shark, Nox glanced toward the creature. The giant fish was circling back, its black eyes fixated on him.
Despite the burnt mark on its side, it was recovering, gathering strength for another attack. They were stalling for time, he realized. If the shark came at him again while he was distracted with the hostages, things could get complicated.
"If I leave," Nox said, projecting his voice, "what’s to stop me from hunting you down later, Doran? You and your pet can’t hide forever."
Doran clicked his tongue, frustration crossing his face that Nox hadn’t immediately caved.
"We’ll be long gone, that’s what! You think I’m stupid enough to stick around? I know these waters better than anyone. You won’t find us again." He tried to sound confident, but Nox detected the flicker of uncertainty. The boy was bluffing. He was afraid, even if pride wouldn’t let him show it fully.
One of the henchmen hissed, "Cap’n, we should go! There’s only a few of us left." The man’s eyes darted nervously between Nox and the circling shark, as if unsure which was more dangerous.
"Shut up, I’m handling it!" Doran snapped, though he didn’t take his gaze off Nox. The teenager was breathing hard, adrenaline and anger warring with fear.
Nox realized he might defuse this without bloodshed—or at least without the hostages being hurt. He just needed to be smart. Slowly, he raised his hands to show he held no weapons—not that he needed any; the pirates didn’t know that.
"Alright," he said evenly. "You want me gone? Fine. But let the hostages go first."
"Do I look stupid to you?" Doran spat. "You leave first, or they all die right here, right now."
To emphasize, he nodded to one of his men. That pirate pressed his dagger closer to the throat of a frightened teenage girl in noble attire, drawing a whimper from her.
Nox’s expression remained neutral, which irritated Doran, as it felt like none of his threats were reaching the demon man.
Slowly, Nox lowered himself a little, hovering just above the deck.
"Sir... please..." The whisper came from the merchant ship’s captain, the old man trying to speak despite the blade at his neck. Blood trickled down his collar. "They’ll kill us anyway. Please don’t come any closer."
Nox ignored the plea for the moment, keeping his eyes on Doran. He had to play this just right.
"I’ll back off," Nox said, louder so all could hear, "but mark my words, pirate—if any of those people come to harm, there won’t be a hole in this ocean deep enough for you to hide in."
"Spare me the threats and get moving!" Doran snarled. But Nox didn’t miss the way the boy’s shoulders sagged a fraction in relief. He truly hadn’t wanted to fight head-on; he just wanted to escape.
Nox slowly began to ascend, pretending to withdraw. His wings flapped, carrying him higher above the ship. He moved back a dozen yards toward the shore as if conceding defeat. On the deck, the pirates kept their knives on the captives, inching toward the railing. The plan was clearly to use a lifeboat or jump overboard and regroup with the shark.
The giant shark itself took Nox’s retreat as its cue to guard its master’s exit. The creature surfaced again, positioning itself near the merchant ship’s side, ready to ferry Doran away once he and his men jumped into the water.
Doran began to back toward the rail, dragging the old captain with him as a shield. The others followed, pulling their hostages along, eyes never leaving Nox.
From the corner of his eye, Nox saw a few merchant crew members still free, watching from behind barrels. They looked terrified but also confused at seeing their savior apparently back off.
He gave them a subtle hand signal from above—palm out, meaning wait. Whether they understood or not, he couldn’t tell, but he had no time to do more.
Just as Doran reached the railing, Nox made his move. In a burst of speed, he plummeted straight down toward the deck like a falling star.
FWOOOSH!
One moment he was hovering meters away; the next he was a black blur crashing onto the deck in the midst of the pirates.
BANG!
The impact shook the entire ship. Wooden planks splintered under his feet, and the shockwave knocked nearby pirates off-balance. Before they could react, Nox became a living storm.
Dozens of ice lances materialized out of the air and pierced the chest of the pirate who held the noble girl. The man didn’t even have time to scream. With a flick of his arm, Nox sent out another ice lance.
In the same breath, he pivoted. His left arm swung in a sharp arc, releasing a crescent-shaped blade of flame.
The slash whipped through the air and cleaved two pirates at once, cutting them down before they could blink. They collapsed, their blades never touching their intended victims.
"Fuck, who is this person... why did he have to show up today of all days?" Doran was already regretting his life choices, but then a sudden thought struck him.
"More importantly... why does he know about the Beast Tamer class?"