Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 146

Chapter 146: Inheritance Crystal Storm Sword Art!
Leaving the alley behind, Ryan decided not to linger in the bustling city of Santos. With time still on his hands before Master Golden Hammer completed his forging commission, he pondered his next move.

He retraced his steps to the beach area, noting the sealed entrance to the cave where Freni and Cecilia were likely engrossed in their training. Opting not to disturb them, he returned to his own secluded cave.

Settling onto the stone bed, Ryan drew a blue octahedral crystal from his space ring, its facets catching the light as he began to prepare for what lay ahead.

—The [Crystallization of Inheritance] that records the complete “Storm Sword Art.”

Having fully mastered [Storm Sword Skill – Breaking Waves], Ryan was now ready to embark on learning the next technique in the series.

With a mixture of excitement and anticipation, Ryan placed the [Inheritance Crystal] against his forehead, channeling his spirituality into it.

The azure crystal began to shimmer, and within moments, the “verification procedure” was complete. Suddenly, Ryan found himself standing on a ship’s deck. Before him stood the familiar tall figure of his mentor.

“Boom!”

Thunder rumbled across the sky, which was shrouded in dark, menacing clouds. The fierce wind whipped up turbulent waves on the sea, battering the ship. Yet these waves were mere ripples compared to the colossal wall of water, nearly 100 meters high, that loomed ahead.

As the gigantic wave bore down on the ship, its mast dwarfed by the impending doom, it seemed certain that the vessel would be shattered to pieces. However, the man on the bow deck remained undaunted. With a silent resolve, he drew the greatsword from his back and rested it on his shoulder, beginning the “charging power” that Ryan had seen so many times.

A high-speed stream of white light enveloped the sword in the man’s hand.

“Thump—thump—thump—!”

Spiritual energy surged like a blazing inferno. In an astonishingly short time, the man completed the “three-stage power accumulation” and unleashed a powerful slash.

A massive arc of sword energy tore through the air like a hurricane, momentarily halting the monstrous wave in its tracks.

But the man did not pause. He swung the sword in a wide arc and rested it back on his shoulder. A white light, far more intense than the previous “three-stage power charging,” illuminated the blade.

“Cut!”

With a resounding shout, he unleashed a vertical slash of immense power. The sword energy, towering even higher than the hundred-meter wave, cleaved through the water with unstoppable force.

“Boom!”

Water exploded into the sky as the massive wave was split in two, collapsing into the sea under Ryan’s stunned gaze.

“This is the second technique of the Storm Sword Art – [Sea Dividing].”

“Do you understand?”

The man’s calm voice resonated in Ryan’s ears as the scene began to fade.

…

Inside the cave, Ryan opened his eyes slowly, still awestruck by what he had witnessed. The words lingered in his mind.

“Storm Sword Art’s Second Technique – [Sea Dividing]…”

The enormity of the technique and its power left a lasting impression on him, filling him with a renewed sense of determination and wonder.

The massive wave towered nearly a hundred meters high, its destructive power so immense that even superior species couldn’t withstand it. Yet, the man in the [Inheritance Crystal] had cleaved it cleanly in two with his sword, the sharp and terrifying sword energy seemingly striking fear into the very “anger of the sea.”

“The man in the [Inheritance Crystal] must be at least at the fourth level…” Ryan murmured, awestruck by the display of power.

After a moment of contemplation, he rose and walked to the beach outside the cave, drawing his sword to practice.

Having absorbed the knowledge from the [Crystal of Inheritance], Ryan now possessed a foundational understanding of [Storm Sword Skill – Dividing the Sea]. Unlike the first technique, [Breaking Waves], the second technique branched into two distinct variations.

The first was sword energy.

Previously, no matter how many times Ryan charged his sword, the resulting attack was purely physical. With [Dividing the Sea], he could now generate sword energy attacks based on his charging. While these attacks lacked the sheer power of a direct greatsword strike, they offered a new tactical advantage, particularly against airborne enemies, expanding his medium and long-range capabilities.

The second change was what intrigued Ryan the most.

In addition to the “three-stage power charging,” there was a new derivative—”true charging.” This technique enabled the sword to sever hundred-meter waves, far surpassing the power of the three-stage charge, which now seemed like “child’s play” in comparison.

Ryan dubbed this technique “True Charge,” signifying a genuinely charged greatsword slash.

Now, he was eager to attempt it.

Channeling his spirituality, Ryan gathered his strength. Soon, he completed the “three-stage power charging.”

Following the inheritance’s instructions, he adjusted the speed and flow of his spiritual energy, concentrating it into a sphere. When the sphere compressed to its limit and exploded, it would unleash a “true power” slash.

However, despite his efforts, Ryan couldn’t compress the spiritual sphere to the critical point of explosion.

His [Spirituality] of 5.3 did not meet the minimum threshold for using “True Power.”

After a few seconds, the gathered spiritual ball disintegrated. Ryan lowered his sword and sighed.

Based on his estimation, to utilize “True Power,” one required a [Spirituality] of at least 10.

In other words, this was a sword skill he couldn’t use at his current level.

In fact, a [Spirituality] of over 10 was typical for the third level. Ryan’s dual professions and the benefits of being a [Gluttonous Hunter] gave him higher spirituality than usual, but even that wasn’t enough. Without these enhancements, even a second-level practitioner wouldn’t meet the requirements for this technique.

Compared to [Spirituality], for normal professionals, the difficulty of this sword skill lies equally in [Physical Strength].

The highly compressed spiritual ball demands a body robust enough to endure the strain. Thus, the minimum [Physique] requirement for wielding the “Storm Sword Technique’s Second Sword Skill – [Dividing the Sea]” is identical to [Spirituality], both set at 10 points.

Achieving 10 points of [Physique] at the third level for normal professionals?

It’s nearly impossible. Even those following the “Soldier Path,” which emphasizes physical fitness, can only reach this [Physique] requirement at the third-level limit.

“No wonder only the basic version of Storm Swordsmanship is widely practiced. The difficulty spike in this sword technique is realy great,” Ryan reflected, shaking his head.

Unable to perform the “true power charge,” he decided to focus on the sword energy attack aspect of the “three-stage power charge.”

This effort revealed to Ryan the complexity of sword energy attacks. The charging process for the greatsword involves compressing both spirituality and physical strength before releasing it explosively. Adjusting the spiritual structure mid-process to convert it into sword energy proved challenging.

Ryan found that he could reliably produce sword energy only during the “first stage of charging.” At the “second stage of charging,” the success rate plummeted.

“I have a lot more practice ahead of me,” Ryan muttered, facing the rustling sea breeze.

…

Time flies during practice.

By the time Ryan stopped, evening had fallen.

The soft, vivid moonlight spread across the sea, instilling a sense of calm and peace.

After a brief dinner, Ryan bid farewell to Freni and Cecilia and set off once more for Saint Tos City.

—

Golden Hammer Blacksmith Shop.

Seeing that the “Under Forging, Closed” sign was no longer on the door, Ryan pushed it open with a faint smile.

A familiar giant figure stood in the hall. Master Golden Hammer greeted him with a booming voice:

“Right on time, it’s just nine o’clock.”

“Follow me, your forged sword is in the back.”

“I must say, this is truly an extraordinary material. The greatsword crafted from this unicorn horn is not just top-notch, it surpasses the finest quality!”

Under Master Golden Hammer’s guidance, Ryan entered the back room of the blacksmith shop and laid eyes on a formidable sword displayed on a special weapon rack.

Its overall color was a striking black and yellow. Both the sword’s body and hilt were much larger than conventional designs. The surface of the massive blade bore a keratin-like texture, exuding a raw, violent, wild, and bloody visual impact.

At just one glance, Ryan was captivated, unable to tear his eyes away from the magnificent weapon.