Chapter 75: THIRD POV [BONUS Chapter]

’Damnit!’ Jacob cursed beneath his breath.

He bit his lip, his mind racing through his options.

He felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He realized that maybe he might’ve been too reckless.

If he retreated now to avoid the guns, he might be able to find a place to hide, but the captives behind him would be pulled into the gun fray.

They had no armor, scales, and no way to defend themselves against a volley of bullets.

He looked at the stairs, then at the terrified faces of the slaves. If he stopped, they’d all be captured again or killed. If he kept going, he might be the one to die.

"Fire!" the first mate hollered. His voice was cracked with panic, a high-pitched scream that cut through the sound of the wind.

Without hesitation, the remaining pirates standing at the top of the stairs opened fire.

They didn’t care about aim or precision; they just pulled their triggers in a desperate attempt to stop the monster climbing toward them.

A torrent of bullets came raining down into the narrow, wooden stairwell.

As the lead balls closed in, Jacob’s vision shifted. It was a strange sensation he had felt before during the heat of battle.

As if his mind suddenly tightened in a way that made the world around him slow down.

He could see the sparks flying from the flintlocks and the orange flames leaping from the barrels of each gun.

He was able to perceive the ripples in the air as the bullets tore through the smoke.

Yet even then, the bullets were still quite quick. Even with his heightened senses, he wasn’t a god.

He was in a cramped space with nowhere to run, and a dozen guns were pointed right at his chest.

"F*CK it!" he growled. He didn’t try to turn and run. Instead, he grounded himself, digging his bare toes into the wood of the steps and bracing his muscles.

He crossed his arms in front of his face, calling upon every bit of that strange, scaly power he had discovered.

CLANG!

CLANG!

The sound was like hammers hitting an anvil. Several bullets bounced off the thick, black scales that had spread across his forearms, spinning away to embed themselves in the walls.

But Jacob wasn’t fully covered. He was still mostly human, and his defense wasn’t perfect.

Ngh!

A sharp, hot sting flared in his shoulder, followed by another in his thigh and a third in his side.

Several bullets went past his armored arms and pierced deep into his flesh.

The pain was frustrating, mostly because Jacob could do nothing about it. He felt the heavy impact of the lead, the way it tore through skin and muscle, sending shocks of agony through his nervous system.

For anyone else, this would have been the end. A normal man would have collapsed instantly, his body giving out from the shock.

For one who was taking bullet after bullet, it sure was dumbfounding to see him only gritting his teeth.

He didn’t scream, nor did he fall. He just stood there, his boots splashing in the blood that was beginning to pool on the steps.

His own blood.

Jacob looked as if he’d already experienced something far worse than a few pieces of lead.

Well, he did experience something far more painful, if one recalled how he was beaten nearly to the brink of death by Persephone in that underwater cave. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Compared to the crushing weight of the deep ocean and the magical wrath of a sea mistress, these human weapons felt lesser in comparison.

They hurt, and they were dangerous, but they couldn’t break his spirit.

And yet, the pain of the bullets couldn’t be underestimated. Each one felt like a brand of red-hot iron being pushed into his body.

His vision blurred for a second, and he felt his strength flickering like a dying candle. He knew he was bleeding out, but the anger.

His pure, raw need for victory, to save the captives, kept his heart beating.

"You blooming idiots?!" the first mate screamed. He was partially frightened now, his face turning a sickly shade of white.

He watched through the haze as Jacob remained standing in place, even after receiving bullet after bullet.

Right now, with his clothes torn, his skin covered in blood, and those black scales gleaming, the guy looked like a literal demon from hell.

The first mate’s hands shook as he tried to reload his own pistol.

The fact that even now, after a full volley, Jacob was still persevering on, solidified his thoughts.

The man before him was no doubt a superhuman. And not just any average one, but one who was extremely dangerous.

The pirates continued to fire. Those who had extra pistols pulled them and let loose. Soon, the entire stairwell was filled with the thick, acrid smoke of gunpowder.

It was so dense you couldn’t see your own hand in front of your face. The smell of sulfur was overpowering, choking the air.

Eventually, the frequency of the shots decreased. One by one, the pistols clicked empty.

The pirates stood at the top of the hatch, peering into the gray cloud, waiting for the smoke to clear so they could see the corpse of the man they had shot.

There was no more gunfire. There was only the sound of the ocean and the creaking of the ship’s hull.

All that was left was the thick smoke that enshrouded the stairs to the lowest deck. Silence stretched out for a heartbeat, then...

Thud.

The pirates all shivered at the sound of a heavy, wet sound.

Thud.

The sound of gradual footsteps soon began coming from within the smoke. Moving ever so slow, yet present nonetheless.

Thud.

The footsteps continued to grow louder. Every pirate on that deck felt their blood run cold.

Of course they’d be since they had given him everything they had, and yet, he was still coming.

AN: Sorry for the late update guys, today was more hectic than I expected, but I still wanted to complete these four Chapters as soon as possible. I really am sorry, hope you enjoy the bonus Chapters.