Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 136

Chapter 136: Face Off !
As the day turned into night, the sense of weightlessness fading as Ryan found himself back in the familiar environment of his travels. Opening his eyes, he noticed eleven miniature bronze-colored trophies adorning the raft’s mast, his gaze lingering on the eleventh.

During his last expedition, he had claimed this trophy after defeating the Bone Armor Dragon, but the abrupt attack by the [Superior] Blood Claw Dragon had interrupted his inspection. Now, he took the moment to examine the skull-shaped trophy, intrigued by its properties.

[Loot: Bone Dragon’s Hard Skull]: A bronze-level trophy featuring the remarkably dense skull of a bone dragon. It included an attached special skill [Stun Enhancement lv.1]: Increases the likelihood of rendering monsters unconscious with your attacks.

A spark of excitement flickered in Ryan’s eyes. The “fainting state” was a crucial advantage in battles, which will allow him precious moments to unleash powerful strikes with his greatsword. With the new enhancement from the trophy, targeting a monster’s head could now readily incapacitate it, providing him with a strategic upper hand.

Satisfied with the new capability, Ryan made his way to the campfire, activating the teleportation mechanism. As the sparks danced before his eyes, he teleported to [Campfire Point-Giant Tree Gap] to check on the status of the fire dragon egg he had been nurturing.

Thanks to days of careful nurturing with the “Red Crystal,” the egg’s condition had significantly improved. The display panel now even showed the exact time remaining until it would hatch:

[71:22:46]

Which means its just about three days away.

“Not bad at all,” Ryan mused aloud, his mind already weaving together a strategy for handling the newly hatched fire dragon eggs. With a preliminary plan set, he initiated another teleportation.

When his vision cleared, Ryan found himself at [Bonfire Point-Rotten Abyss Outpost], where the acrid stench of decay instantly assailed his nostrils. Gazing towards the “Rotten Miasma Abyss,” he briefly considered challenging the formidable [Upper] Blood Claw Dragon lurking within. However, the toxic miasma that shrouded the dragon made any engagement perilously complex. This beast, more a bloodthirsty specter than a mere predator, posed a daunting challenge.

In comparison, facing the [Upper] Unicorn Dragon, a creature he had previously battled, seemed a more calculable risk.

Ryan’s eyes then lifted to the cave above the campfire, noting the thick vines that blanketed the cave wall, offering an easy ascent. “Might as well get a better vantage point while I’m here,” he decided, springing into action.

With a powerful leap, he grasped a vine and climbed swiftly, his movements practiced and fluid. As he reached the narrow entrance of the cave, he slid his scale armor into his space ring to ease his passage and emerged into the harsh light of day, squinting against the brightness.

Once his eyes adjusted, Ryan surveyed his surroundings. He stood atop a small, rocky outcrop in the middle of a sprawling desert, strewn with stones of myriad sizes and forms. “Must be the second petal area,” he concluded, judging by the terrain’s general characteristics.

From his elevated position, Ryan quickly spotted the dividing wall between the “first petal area” and the “second petal area.” Descending from the rocky height, he surveyed the arid landscape, no monsters in sight, not even a trace of life. It was understandable; the surface’s brutal conditions were not kind to even the hardiest of creatures, unlike the more hospitable underground caves.

However, Ryan knew that any monster capable of enduring such extreme conditions would be extraordinary, much like the [upper] unicorn Dragon that had fled this harsh environment out of fear.

Resolute, he made his way towards the cliff wall that marked the boundary between the areas. His search was rewarded when he discovered a gaping hole more than ten meters high in the cliff face, surrounded by a network of cracks that ran for dozens of meters, the immense power of the [upper] unicorn Dragon’s collision in times past.

Standing before this monumental breach, Ryan took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead in this unforgiving terrain.

“Huh…” Ryan exhaled softly as he paused at the threshold of the “First Petal Area,” meticulously checking his gear one last time.

Fully equipped, with his attire being, the [Umbrella Fire Scale Armor Set] hugged his frame tightly, ready to deflect any assault. His quiver was stocked with [Light Crossbow·Ice Crushing] bolts, and the [Bloody Flintlock] rested at his side, primed for quick draws. On each hand, he donned rings, the [Black Eclipse Ring] and the [Energy Resistance Ring], coursing with protective energies. Most crucially, the dark gold blood-patterned gloves [Blood Embrace] adorned his hands, ready to conjure the formidable “Blood Great Sword” at a moment’s notice.

Assured that his arsenal was in impeccable order, Ryan strode confidently into the gap in the cliff wall, stepping into the sand-swept expanse of the “First Petal Area.” A fierce wind greeted him, laden with thick, yellow sand, stronger here than in the “Second Petal Area” likely due scarce water sources and the vast, open terrain.

The swirling dust clouded his vision, making it hard to see beyond fifty meters, despite his enhanced abilities.

Positioning himself firmly on the sand, Ryan didn’t waste time searching for the elusive [Upper] Unicorn. Instead, he took a deep breath and bellowed into the gale, “Unicorn Dragon, come out!” His voice, powerful and resonant, was designed to cut through the howling winds.

From their last encounter, Ryan knew the Unicorn Dragon had a keen ability to track vibrations, an acuity sharpened by its burrowing nature. He dispensed with the idea of setting a “hole trap” such tactics were futile in the desert’s shifting sands and against a beast adept at navigating underground.

“Come out… come out… come…” His challenge echoed into the wind.

After three tense minutes, a massive shadow loomed through the sandstorm in the distance. The Unicorn Dragon’s true red spiral horn jutted skyward, spear-like, threatening to pierce the heavens itself. Its wings, toughened and roughened by years of battling the abrasive desert winds, looked like the ultimate shield held by a knight of old.

As the armoured figure of the Dragkn advanced slowly, step by deliberate step towards the provocateur, Ryan raised his right hand. A glow of bloody light emanated from his glove, and in a swift motion, a serrated, blood-red sword materialized, its blade shimmering menacingly. He gripped the hilt firmly, pointing the sword downward in a line parallel to the unicorn’s threatening horn.

With a resolute step forward, Ryan closed the distance towards the [superior] unicorn. Face to face they approached, neither evading nor retreating.

In the midst of the howling winds and swirling sands, this was the purest form of challenge, the most poetic salute between knights of the desert.

The desert, a vast expanse of relentless yellow sands, whipped into a frenzied dance by the wind, yet it could not obscure the silhouette of a valiant knight.