Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 104

Chapter 104: Ryan vs. the Black Knight
The Black Knight’s mind whirled with confusion, during their collision, it had felt as if he had struck a wall of steel, not flesh. The mere recoil from Ryan’s counterforce had been overwhelming.

“Monster…” he murmured, a mix of awe and fear weighing on his heart.

Meanwhile, among the audience, a seasoned Black Knight’s expression shifted noticeably for the first time, his thoughts racing. “Pure physical strength crushing? Is this man a humanoid monster? No, this level of power… it’s unprecedented for such a physique!”

Back on the bloody stage, the blood from the Black Knight’s wounds dripped onto the sword and the ground, weaving into intricate patterns. Suddenly, with a surge of dark energy, three formidable shadow hounds materialized, springing towards Ryan, this was one of the Black Knight’s signature skills, [Shadow Hound].

Ryan recognized the technique. He had encountered it before when Cecilia had neutralized all three hounds in their last confrontation. He wasn’t fully familiar with their attack pattern, but he knew enough to be wary.

These creatures, denizens of the shadow realm, moved in erratic, ghostly bounds, able to merge into and spring from shadows at will. Only solidifying at the moment of their attack, they presented a unique challenge.

While the Gray Light Wolves also harnessed shadow powers, these shadow hounds were on another level entirely. Against a typical second-level elite professional, a trio of such beasts could spell disaster. Unfortunately for them, they now faced Ryan.

Armed with a heightened 3.8 [Spiritual] perception, Ryan didn’t even need the digital prompts detailing their positions. His senses alone were sharp enough to track the spiritual essence of the advancing hounds, preparing him to counter their imminent strike.

From the shadows behind Ryan, a shadow hound lunged, while its brethren targeted his head and lower body simultaneously. As Ryan braced to dispatch these spectral assailants, the Black Knight, despite his weakened state, managed a trembling gesture.

In the blink of an eye, Ryan’s surroundings warped dramatically. He found himself whisked away into a confined, ethereal realm—[Black Cage]: a spiritual space that isolates its captives from the outside world until a victor emerges, only to be breached by an entity of higher power.

Ryan was aware of the [Black Cage] but hadn’t anticipated the Black Knight’s desperate move to drag him into such a confrontation at this crucial juncture.

Momentarily disoriented by the abrupt transition, Ryan’s slight hesitation proved costly. The three shadow hounds, unaffected by the shift, seized the opportunity and struck.

“Crack!”

The chilling sound of snapping jaws echoed through the cage. The shadow hounds’ teeth, sharp enough to shear through metal, closed in. Normally, their ability to bypass armor made them formidable foes. Most armor had few gaps, concentrated around vital areas, making such spots difficult targets. But today, they met their match against Ryan’s [Umbrella Fire Scale Armor Set], a low-level but exquisitely crafted piece.

The hounds attacking his waist and leg found their teeth shattered against the impenetrable armor. The one aiming for his neck was not so lucky either; Ryan caught it deftly by the throat, its form dissolving into a cloud of black mist with a mere squeeze of his hand.

With a fluid motion, Ryan’s greatsword swept through the air, dispatching the remaining hounds in a swift, decisive blow.

As the [Black Cage] dissolved, revealing the physical stage once more, Ryan caught sight of the Black Knight. The man was now kneeling, defeated, a shadow of fear yet defiance in his eyes. Ryan felt a twinge of respect for his adversary’s unyielding spirit.

“What a pity…”

“Bang!”

The sound of shattering glass marked their return to reality. Ryan stood over the Black Knight who now lay motionless, his battle ended in what seemed an eternal slumber.

This dramatic turn of events caused a stir among the spectators. In the audience seat, another Black Knight clenched his gauntlet tightly, while Caius, the tavern owner seated in the special section, couldn’t help but exclaim, “To defeat a second-level knight with such ease, this fellow truly is a monster.”

As the arena quieted down from the skirmish, the voice of the Blood Witch Serena echoed once again across the stage, her tone now imbued with excitement, signaling the climax of this “performance.” The air tingled with anticipation as she prepared the audience for what was yet to come.

“Even the mighty ‘Pope,’ sovereign of the continent, cannot halt the advance of the ‘Hero'”

Amidst the tense atmosphere, as the ‘original witch’ neared liberation, a melodious peal resonated from the sacrosanct cathedral. In that divine moment, a figure, bathed in a cascade of celestial light, descended upon the earthly realm.

He was the earthly emissary of the Divine, cloaked in authority and mystery.

His power was celestial, transcending the grasp of mere mortals.

They called him ‘Angel.’

“‘Hero,’ press on, for he stands as the final barrier before you…”

The high-pitched incantation of the blood witch Selina echoed through the chamber as the Black Knight’s form descended into the shadows of the stage, giving way to another who slowly ascended.

As the Black Knight rose, his face armor bore the golden insignia “12,” and Ryan’s gaze held no surprise.

From the moment of the Black Knight’s departure, Ryan had anticipated the reveal of the ‘Angel.’ Among those gathered, only the occupant of the twelfth seat among the Black Knights seemed fitting for such a role.

“How intriguing,” Ryan mused aloud. “Since when did a formidable greatsword warrior like you align with the Dark Moon Witch Freni? The entire intelligence division should fall on their swords in shame.”

The knight of the seat spoke in a deep timbre, halting a mere twenty meters from Ryan. Around him, a dense aura of shadow fire ignited, trailing along the length of his drawn silver-black longsword.

A surge of spiritual power, far surpassing that of an ordinary knight, erupted from him, manifesting as a crushing wave of spiritual pressure that swept towards Ryan.

“Crack…”

Beneath Ryan’s feet, the blood crystal floor webbed with tiny fissures.

As the knight advanced, his longsword scraped the ground, trailing a path of black fire. Ryan’s expression tightened with resolve.

Typically, a first-tier professional would achieve a [Spirituality] level of around 3.0 at full synchronization.

Upon advancing to the second tier, this figure would double to 6.0, marking only the beginning of that tier.

As synchronization deepened, [Spirituality] grew exponentially stronger.

The knight before Ryan was nearly at the second tier’s zenith, boasting a [Spirituality] nearing 9.0 or more.

This far outstripped Ryan’s own 3.8 [Spirituality], highlighting the profound gulf between them. This ‘spiritual pressure’ was the oppressive force of a mighty spirit; without needing to strike, its mere emanation could suppress and debilitate those of weaker spirit.

Such a strong spirituality fortified the knight’s physical prowess, ensuring it was nothing short of formidable.

Ryan exhaled softly, his lips curving into a faint smile as he gripped the hilt of his greatsword.

In this charged moment, even Caius, the tavern keeper seated in the “special audience seat,” leaned forward with a grave countenance.

The night wind whispered through the arena, brushing past the two figures advancing towards their inevitable clash.

“Bang—!”

The sound was like a sledgehammer against the ground as the two warriors engaged.

“Clang!”

Silver clashed against black in the moonlit dance of their blades, each reflecting the fierce determination in their eyes.

The seated knight staggered back three steps, each one imprinting the ground deeply, the force from Ryan’s greatsword sending tremors through his arm.

In that instant, the seated black knight truly grasped the raw force his subordinate had contended with earlier.

“Such domineering strength… Where does he hail from, what is this power?” he muttered, perplexed. Never had he encountered such unique prowess in any known profession.

Meanwhile, Ryan’s expression was etched with concern. The sinister black shadow fire trailed up his greatsword to his hand, each flicker of dark flame voraciously consuming his spiritual essence.

With each burst of shadow fire, Ryan calculated the toll it took, his spirituality had already diminished by 0.5. Just seven more such exchanges, and his spiritual reserves would be utterly depleted.

“What a dreadfully strong force, far surpassing the previous knights…” Ryan’s gaze upon the seated black knight was icy, measuring.

As their eyes locked once more, a silent agreement was struck, and they lunged forward.

“Clang!”

Their weapons met with ferocious impact, driving the Black Knight back five paces this time.

“Has his power increased?” the Black Knight pondered in alarm, brow furrowed.

Unbeknownst to him, Ryan had tagged him with the [Blood Hunter Mark] during their first clash, amplifying the subsequent damage by 10%.

“The foe wields some sort of technique that amplifies his might continuously through battle. If this persists, his shadow fire might consume his spirit, but my flesh will fail first,” the Black Knight concluded internally.

With swift resolve, he extended his hand in a commanding gesture towards the advancing Ryan. Shadows under Ryan’s feet stirred ominously, and a massive, grotesque maw emerged, aiming to devour him whole.