Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 174

Chapter 174: Lava Monitor!
In the heart of the Dungeon Labyrinth, on its seventh floor, lay a redstone basin, a crucible of ancient and unfathomable power. Here, the sonorous waves of sound billowed and swirled through the air, a testament to the indomitable presence of the labyrinth’s guardian, the Lava Monitor.

The Lava Monitor, a colossal creature cloaked in fire and brimstone, ruled this domain unchallenged. Its scales, etched with glowing magma-like fissures, radiated heat so intense that the very air shimmered like a mirage around it. This formidable beast, known to spew streams of molten magma exceeding a thousand degrees, had reshaped its surroundings, bending the environment to its fiery will.

On this fateful day, however, a small human figure dared to defy the colossal beast. With a weapon not of steel or stone, but a spear forged from congealed blood, the challenger stood resolute. This blood-red spear, hurled with the precision and swiftness of a falling star, sliced through the heated air towards the Lava Monitor.

As the spear approached, a thick plume of black smoke billowed from the nostrils of the beast. With a cavernous roar, the Lava Monitor unleashed a torrent of glowing magma from its maw. The air around it warped and twisted under the ferocious heat, a testament to the unbearable temperatures that no ordinary being could withstand.

Yet, the spear was no ordinary weapon. Crafted from the very essence of its wielder, it carved through the scorching magma as if it were mere vapor, shattering the fiery onslaught with each twist and turn. The spectacle from afar resembled a meteor hurtling through a storm of exploding magma droplets, each burst a deadly dance of fiery petals.

With a soft hiss, the spear met its mark. It pierced the beast’s chest with unrelenting force, exiting through its spine, leaving a gaping wound from which rivers of scalding blood flowed. The beast reeled from the impact, its pain manifesting in a guttural roar that shook the labyrinth’s foundations.

In desperation, the Lava Monitor’s scales flared brighter, the magma lines across its body pulsating wildly. With an agonized bellow, it caused the magma within to surge, cauterizing the wound in a brutal self-inflicted conflagration. This act, though it stemmed the flow of blood, wrought great suffering upon the beast.

Blood-red eyes, now swirling with torment and rage, locked onto the advancing figure of the human, armed now with a blade that gleamed ominously under the cavern’s fiery glow. Initially dismissive of this audacious intruder, the beast had now recognized a formidable adversary, a hunter of such prowess that it stirred a primal fear within the monster, reminiscent of the dread it had felt as a youngling when facing a superior predator.

Despite the pain and the sudden shift in its perception, the Lava Monitor was no ordinary adversary. It stood its ground, gathering the fiery essence of its being, preparing to unleash its wrath upon this unexpected challenger.

As the undisputed ruler of the seventh level of the underground labyrinth, the Lava Monitor’s pride would not permit it to flee. Here, in this subterranean arena, the battle was not just for territory, but for honor itself.

“Roar!”

The furious bellow of the Lava Monitor caused the earth within the redstone basin to tremble. Cracks spider-webbed across the ground, and from these fissures, molten magma bubbled and hissed, filling the air with scorching heat. This was the beast’s innate ability, a terrifying skill known as [Magma Zone], which allowed it to manipulate the battlefield, summoning magma to create a domain where it reigned supreme.

The searing magma flowed freely, yet Ryan, clad in his [Ceratops Armor], only felt a mild warmth against his skin, thanks to his exceptional resistance to fire. His armor, combined with his innate resistances, reduced the magma’s blistering temperatures to what felt like a mere summer day’s heat.

As he stared into the glowing, furious eyes of the Lava Monitor, a confident grin spread across Ryan’s face. “Consider that just a warm-up. Now, the real fight begins…”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Ryan vanished from sight, moving with such speed that he appeared as nothing more than a blur.

“BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”

The ground erupted in a series of violent explosions where Ryan had just stood, his rapid movements triggering the Lava Monitor’s instinctive counterattacks. The beast roared, its back scales bursting open like a volcanic eruption, sending clouds of dark smoke billowing into the air and scorching the earth to a deep, fiery red.

Ryan reappeared just in front of the Lava Monitor, mere meters from its towering head. The cold gleam in his eyes mirrored the deadly sharpness of the greatsword he nonchalantly rested on his shoulder, gathering his strength for the next strike. His left hand flickered to his side, and from his space ring, he summoned a small, light blue orb, the [Pure Water Crystal].

The [Pure Water Crystal] shimmered with the potential of the deep sea. A rare treasure, born from strong water elemental forces, it held within it the concentrated essence of water, capable of countering the fieriest assaults. As Ryan held the crystal, a dense mist began to form around him, gradually expanding and cooling the air, creating an inhospitable environment for flames.

The battle lines were drawn, each fighter poised in their element, ready to test the might of fire against water.

As Ryan activated the [Pure Water Crystal], a dense mist of water vapor enveloped him, transforming the immediate environment into a damp and cool oasis. This “water vapor environment” had once rendered the fiery attacks of a lesser male fire dragon almost useless, and now, it worked its magic once again.

The scorching black smoke unleashed by the Lava Monitor clashed with the cool mist, getting rapidly condensed and pushed away, dissipating before it could reach its target. The beast, caught off guard by the ineffectiveness of its attack, paused, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

By then, Ryan had already finished his “three-stage charging.” With a fierce cry of “Kill!” he unleashed the full force of his attack. The sound waves of his battle cry, infused with his powerful spirit, rippled through the air. Though the Lava Monitor was a formidable beast of the third order, the sonic assault managed to distract it momentarily, a lapse that proved costly.

Ryan’s sword, blazing with intense flames, descended in a fierce arc. It struck with a resounding “crack,” much like a giant hammer smashing down on its target. The Lava Monitor’s head jerked back, its eyes swirling in dizzy confusion as it staggered and then toppled over with a thunderous crash.

The giant creature, several times the tonnage of a human and seemingly invincible, was now grounded by a single, well-placed strike.

Ryan approached the fallen beast confidently. He raised his greatsword, the [Greatsword·True Crimson Crown Horn], and charged it once again. “Thump—thump—thump!” the rhythm of his power building echoed in the silent battleground. The Lava Monitor, still dazed and disoriented, was helpless against the finishing blow.

With a brutal thrust, Ryan’s sword pierced through the Lava Monitor’s thick scales and deep into its skull. The force of the impact liquefied the brain tissue, a fatal blow that ensured there would be no recovery. The magma that once flowed like the lifeblood of the beast began to cool and harden, encasing it in a final, stony prison.

Ryan withdrew his sword, the blade slick with the remnants of his foe. He wiped it clean, then stood over the vanquished Lava Monitor, a hint of disappointment in his voice as he muttered to himself, “Too weak.”

Indeed, the creature was far weaker than expected. In comparison to the monsters he’d encountered in his travels, those that had daily skirmishes with peers of similar size, the Lava Monitor was unimpressive. It may have dominated this maze due to its sheer size and mass, but those attributes alone didn’t equate to genuine combat prowess. This realization only affirmed Ryan’s belief: true strength was forged in relentless conflict, something the Lava Monitor, in its isolated reign, had sorely lacked.