NOVEL NEXT Chapter 83: Selling a Sense of Security, My Specialty
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"Isn't this just robbery?" Jinx clicked her tongue, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
The red-haired woman turned her gaze to Jinx, smiling. "I prefer the earlier description.
Don't you think selling a sense of security to passing travelers sounds gentle and
convincing?"
"Using words to sugarcoat your intentions only makes you seem shallow and
pretentious, Miss Sarah," Link said, his eyes fixed on her. She had many names and
many identities: bounty hunter, Miss Fortune, Sarah, captain of the Siren, owner of the
Nine-Headed Serpent—
But Link preferred to call her "Good Luck Sister."
"Oh?" Good Luck Sister's watery eyes fell on Link. Holding a gun in her right hand and
another in her left, she sauntered over to him.
As she approached, the smoke cleared, and Link saw her figure—more vast and
turbulent than the ocean itself. Her slender waist, her cold, pale skin that still glowed
with vitality despite years of sun and wind, and her full, rounded thighs that jiggled like
jelly with every step.
The scent of tobacco, alcohol, and light perfume blended into a unique, mature
charm that made her all the more captivating.
Her bright red hair cascaded like a waterfall beneath a tilted tricorn hat, with playful
curls framing her forehead. Her expressive eyes reflected Link's image, enchanting
and mesmerizing.
This was the bounty hunter. This was Miss Fortune. This was the most dangerous
woman in Bilgewater.
"Handsome, have we met before?"
"I don't know about before, but we've met now," Link said, flipping his hand like a
magician to produce a Hextech revolver. He pressed the barrel against the midline of
Sarah's chest and abdomen, tilting it slightly upward.
Good Luck Sister lowered her chin, her gaze falling on the revolver in Link's hand. She
smiled sweetly.
"Handsome, this joke isn't funny at all."
"I think it's quite humorous," Link said, sliding the gun upward until it pointed at her
heart. "A confident pirate, taking advantage of the bad weather to force the airship
down, trying to make a quick buck and add some excitement to the stormy night."
"But—" Link leaned closer, his voice teasing, "this beautiful pirate overlooked one
thing. The sheep she thought she was preying on is actually a wolf in sheep's clothing.
All it takes is one breath, and she'll be reduced to ashes."
"Are you saying you're the wolf?" Sarah moved closer, their faces now just inches
apart, close enough to feel each other's breath.
"No, the wolf is my offspring. I'm the god who created the wolf."
As Link spoke with an arrogant smile, a low growl echoed from the corridor into the
lower cabin.
Almost instantly, the pungent smell of a beast filled the cabin, and a tall figure leaped
out from behind Link, charging violently into the smoke behind Good Luck Sister.
The guns raised in the smoke didn't even have time to fire before they were crushed
into twisted metal. The alchemically enhanced claws, capable of crushing a human
skull like a watermelon, swept through, knocking everyone to the ground.
"Ah—"
A piercing scream erupted behind Good Luck Sister, mingling with panicked cries and
desperate roars of resistance.
"Damn it, what is this?"
"Monster, monster!!"
"Don't be afraid! Hold your knives, grip your guns, and fight back! The captain is
watching!"
...
The chaos in the smoke quickly subsided. Aside from Vander, no one was left
standing. Some lay in pools of blood, while others writhed on the ground, clutching
their wounds and moaning in pain.
"Roar—" Vander's eyes glowed like molten lava as he shook his head violently. Jinx
sighed and approached him.
"Friend across the river, warm my hands—"
A soft, hoarse lullaby escaped Jinx's lips. Vander turned to look at her, the redness in
his eyes fading like a receding tide.
"I've lost everything, please show me some kindness..."
Vander's eyes cleared, and he looked down at Jinx, pulling her into a hug.
"It's okay, big guy. It's over," Jinx whispered, pressing her forehead against Vander's,
soothing her father's emotions.
Link's gaze shifted from the father and daughter to Good Luck Sister. He gestured with
his chin.
Good Luck Sister, resigned, dropped her weapons and said to Link, "I can pay a
ransom, but you have to guarantee the safety of my crew."
"Do you think you're in any position to bargain?" Link's confident smile widened. Good
Luck Sister tilted her head, reaching out to caress Link's face. "Please, promise me,
okay?"
Her breath was warm, her eyes like a shy, expectant fawn peeking through the grass,
utterly captivating.
"Sure, but first, you need to buy something from me."
"Buy what?"
"A sense of security."
Link's teasing smile made Good Luck Sister want to punch his teeth out.
But she was at his mercy, and she had no choice but to yield.
"Of course. Will everything a poor, helpless woman has be enough to pay the price?"
Good Luck Sister leaned in as if boneless, but Link stepped back, holstering his
revolver. "You have five minutes to brief your crew. I'll be waiting for you in the meeting
room."
"If you try anything funny, you won't be facing a wolf next time."
"Fortune's Daughter—"
Link gave her a meaningful look, uttering a title that sent chills down her spine.
Good Luck Sister's hair stood on end, goosebumps visibly covering her skin as a cold
shiver crawled up her spine.
Link chuckled softly and left the lower cabin.
Facing the airship's crew, Link barked orders, "Inspect the cabin for damage. Find out
how these pirates breached the lower deck. Clean up the battlefield, tend to the
prisoners, and have every member of the airship's management submit a 10,000-word
self-critique."
"Mistakes like this shouldn't happen in House Ferros, and they certainly shouldn't
happen in front of me!"
"If this happens again, you'll be selling sand in the Freljord!"
...
Good Luck Sister didn't keep Link waiting long. She arrived quickly, escorted by House
Ferros agents.
Link didn't even glance at her, focusing instead on the teapot as he waited for the
water to boil. He added tea leaves, watching them dance like ballerinas in the boiling
water.
Good Luck Sister waited anxiously, studying Link's face, desperately trying to recall if
she'd ever met him before.
But no matter how hard she tried, she drew a blank. The only thing that stuck in her
mind was the title he'd uttered—Fortune's Daughter—which made her feel as though
she'd been stripped bare and plunged into the icy sea.
When the tea was ready, Link poured himself a cup.
Only then did he look up at Good Luck Sister.
"Sarah, you have one cup of tea to convince me to spare you."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 140 on my patreon go take a look and remember if you reach 370 stones of power I will publish the next chapter.