Third person's POV
The owner of the mask was none other than Lucian. Lucian squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the tall man before him.
This man bore some resemblance to Derek, though Derek was more robust and burly than this individual.
His gaze lingered on Wilmot's face. That was a face devoid of any distinctive features, a face he had never encountered before.
Could it be that he wasn't here to kill him?
"Do you know me?" Lucian asked, puzzled.
Hearing the voice, Wilmot stepped forward, grabbing Lucian's collar with a cold stare. "Tell me, how did you end up here?"
Lucian found this man's attitude quite odd. If he were one of the people pursuing him, he would have seized the opportunity to blow his head off, rather than wasting time with questions.
Who could he be?
The kick Wilmot had delivered earlier had landed squarely on Lucian's wound, causing it to tear open and bleed, staining his clothes red.
Before Wilmot could press further, shouts of terror echoed down the hallway from the crew, "Pirates! Pirates are coming!"
A flash of coldness crossed Wilmot's eyes. Had they really encountered pirates? These damned scoundrels.
The sound of the crew's hurried footsteps followed. Though it was just a regular cargo ship, it was equipped with high-pressure water cannons and firearms for safety.
In the past, when the seas were chaotic, everyone had their own means of survival. They had finally enjoyed a few years of peace, only to be disrupted by pirates today.
Wilmot immediately tied up Lucian and left him aside, saying, "Stay put."
Then he strode away. Regardless of Lucian's intentions, he wouldn't harm Tabitha. Compared to that, the pirate threat was far more significant.
At this moment, Lucian's mind was filled with thoughts of those two kids. Damn it, why did pirates have to appear at this crucial moment?
Captain was in his room, happily playing with the two kids.
He found that although they were very young, their intelligence was quite high. Their mental maturity far exceeded that of children their age.
"Little genius! Helios, you are a little genius," Captain exclaimed.
He had intended to teach Helios how to play chess to pass the time but was surprised to find that Helios quickly grasped the essentials and could adapt and learn rapidly.
In just a few days, he found himself unable to beat a child not yet three years old.
If word got out, he would be the laughingstock.
As for Ayla, though she didn't like chess, she was very interested in his computer.
Children at their age might not even learned the alphabet fully, yet these two kids already recognized many common words.
Helios moved the "Bishop" piece, creating a double "Bishop" attack on the "King" with the "Rook" supporting below.
No matter how he responded, he was bound to lose. The game had barely begun five minutes ago.
Captain was thrilled, thinking that if this child received systematic education and training, he would undoubtedly achieve great things in the future.
Before he could entice Helios to continue playing, a commotion outside interrupted him.
"Captain, we're in trouble! Pirates' are here!"
The door burst open with a loud "bang". A young crew member, sweating profusely, stood at the entrance.
He hadn't been on the ship long and had never encountered such a critical situation.
Captain's smile disappeared, replaced by a stern expression. "What's there to be afraid of? What must come will come."
He put down the "King" piece.
He gently stroked the heads of the two kids. "Stay here and don't go out, no matter what. I will protect you."
Ayla tugged at his clothes, pleading, "Don't go."
"Ayla, I'm the captain. I must be responsible for my crew. Don't be afraid. I promised to bring you ashore safely."