Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 113

Chapter 113: Escape!
“Dang!”

A resonant clash echoed as the blade met the unicorn Dragon’s tail, sending vibrations up the sword and jolting Ryan’s frame. A series of forced steps back followed, his right hand, gripping the greatsword, tingling and nearly numb from the recoil from his sword.

His pupils expanded in shock as he surveyed the damage, a mere superficial white scratch on the unicorn’s thickly armored tail. Not even a dent.

In simple terms, it was a clear “failure to breach the defense.”

[Greatsword·Ferocious Ice Flower], the weapon that had once cleaved through the leader of the male fire dragons in the ancient forest, was now ineffectual against the superior defenses of the unicorn.

“Damn, how am I supposed to fight this thing?”

Desperation tinged Ryan’s thoughts as his scalp tingled with dread. While lack of strength could be compensated for by avoiding direct confrontations, and insufficient speed could be mitigated by using skills to disrupt charges, the greatsword’s inability to penetrate the unicorn’s armor left him feeling utterly powerless.

Each of these special species possessed formidable size, correlating with a vitality that bordered on the unbelievable.

Defeat them by mere scratching? Such a feat seemed possible only in dreams.

As the unicorn recovered from its temporary daze, shaking the sand from its mane with a ferocious snort, Ryan made a decisive choice. He sheathed his greatsword and sprinted away.

This was a battle he was not prepared for, not yet.

Fortunately, his retreat was aided by proximity to the “second petal”. With every stride, he closed the distance, the gap between safety and peril narrowing swiftly.

Behind him, the unicorn shook off the effects of its fainting spell, its superior physiology allowing for a rapid recovery. Seeing Ryan escape, it unleashed a thunderous roar that split the air and gave chase, determined not to let its prey escape so easily.

The sound waves imbued with intense spirituality shook the unicorn to its core. Its brain scrambled by the powerful vibrations, it continued its charge on sheer inertia, its coordination thrown into disarray.

Seizing this moment of confusion, Ryan’s legs coiled like springs. He vaulted into the air, rising several meters as he readied his greatsword overhead. With all his might, he brought the blade swooping down in a mighty arc, aiming to strike a decisive blow while the beast was still reeling.

Empowered by the dual strengths of [spirituality] and [physique], “second-stage charging” had transformed into a trivial task for Ryan.

The greatsword, pulsing with white and swiftly flowing spirituality, hummed with an unparalleled might as it reached its second-stage charge. It crackled with energy, its blade promising devastation.

Ryan felt the tug of gravity pulling him downwards. Fortuitously, as he descended, the unicorn’s formidable front half charged toward him, its dragon-like tail swinging perilously close to where he was set to land.

Having reaped the rewards of “breaking the tail” previously, Ryan had developed a certain fondness for physically dismantling the monstrous creatures he subdued. His newly acquired skill, [Destroyer lv.1], ensured that his efforts would yield significant results with minimal exertion.

His greatsword plummeted toward the ground, a dazzling display of ice-blue and crimson trails weaving through the air, striking with the force of a meteor.

Ryan was covered in dust, crouching in the shadow of a massive rock formation. His eyes were fixed on the unicorn dragon thrashing its tail violently, just dozens of meters away. He barely dared to breathe, every muscle in his body tense with the effort to remain still.

Minutes crawled by, each one feeling like an eternity. The unicorn dragon, oblivious to Ryan’s presence, suddenly vented its frustration on a nearby boulder, shattering the several-meter-high rock with a single powerful blow. The ground trembled under Ryan’s feet. The dragon, seemingly satisfied or perhaps bored, turned with a snort and retreated through a gap in the cliff wall back to the first petal area.

Only then did Ryan dare to exhale, a deep sigh of relief escaping his lips. He leaned against the rock mass, the cool shade providing a brief respite. His heart rate slowly returned to normal as he surveyed his surroundings.

The second petal area was markedly different from the first. Towering rock formations dominated the landscape, interspersed with deep fissures that seemed to lead to subterranean caverns. A cool, moist breeze wafted up from these crevices, hinting at the hidden depths below.

Ryan had taken advantage of this labyrinthine terrain to evade the dragon. Even a creature as formidable as the unicorn dragon couldn’t smash through every giant rock in pursuit of him. For now, he was safe.

“My luck is terrible today,” he muttered, dusting himself off. “Damn unicorn dragon, I’ll remember this grudge.”

From the information displayed on his panel, Ryan knew that the unicorn dragon was a formidable overlord even within the treacherous Flower and Stone Wasteland area. This region housed creatures far stronger than those in the outer areas, yet few could rival the male fire dragon leader, making it to the [Upper] level.

“The first petal area must be the unicorn’s territory,” Ryan speculated. “It withdrew quickly upon entering the second petal area, probably because there’s another overlord here.”

In nature, powerful creatures rarely encroach on each other’s territories, avoiding conflicts that could be mutually destructive. Ryan knew this well and took it as a good sign that the unicorn had retreated.

With the immediate threat gone, Ryan emerged cautiously from his hiding spot and began to explore. The second petal area was a harsh environment with sparse green vegetation and yellow sand stretching out under the rocky formations.

He soon found himself standing before a dark, narrow passage leading underground. Giant rocks dotted the landscape above, but the lack of vegetation suggested that any exploration should be directed below. Ryan’s curiosity was piqued by the potential caves beneath the rocks.

The passage was tight, barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through. With a determined breath, Ryan stowed his large sword into his space ring, lay flat on his stomach, and began to crawl into the darkness.

The dim passage was eerily silent. The only sounds were the faint friction of his movements and the subtle trickle of water echoing from the depths. As he crawled, Ryan’s mind raced with possibilities, each step taking him further into the unknown.

After crawling for about half a minute, Ryan felt the passage gradually widen. Soon, he found himself in a space where he could stand without feeling cramped. The air was humid, and the sound of flowing water grew clearer, confirming his suspicion that another ecosystem lay beneath the second petal area.

As he moved further, the dimness of the passage gave way to a soft glow. Algae clung to the rock walls, emitting a gentle fluorescence that lit his way. Ryan pressed on, his spirits lifting when he saw a gurgling stream ahead.

The presence of the stream hinted at life nearby. If he could find and defeat a unique species with a weakness, he could complete the awakening of the [Azure Medal]. Ryan was convinced that not every creature in the vast Wasteland was at the [Upper] level.

Following the stream, Ryan soon entered a massive cavern. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, casting a faint white light across the space. His arrival startled a group of small, deer-like creatures drinking from the river. They bolted in fear, disappearing in the blink of an eye. However, a few curious ones paused to glance back at Ryan, who continued walking, causing them to scamper off again. One was so frightened that it dropped something.

Ryan bent down to pick up the object. It was a horn.