Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 177

Chapter 177: Unexpected Boost!
Ryan’s expression hardened. Initially poised to dodge, he caught a glimpse of the dragon’s subsequent movement and instantly recalibrated his strategy. Hefting his greatsword onto his shoulder, he summoned his inner reserves of spiritual and physical strength, his muscles tensing in anticipation.

Just as the boulder neared, a crimson glow enveloped Ryan, a prelude to his counterattack. With a burst of speed, he charged, a technique known among the elite as [Special Sword Skill: Attack Collision].

“Boom!”

The impact resonated through the arena as Ryan’s “blood membrane” repelled the boulder, deflecting it with a force that belied his size. Unyielding, he surged forward, reaching the second stage of his charge but refraining from pushing further. Instead, he swung his greatsword with all his might.

The dragon, following closely behind the boulder, met Ryan’s attack head-on. The clash was titanic, his blade against the dragon’s claw, a meld of black and deep red.

“Boom!”

The collision sent shockwaves through the field. Ryan’s body shuddered violently under the impact, akin to being struck by a high-speed train. He was hurled back dozens of meters, his landing marked by a cloud of dust and a splatter of blood.

As he staggered to his feet, blood trickled from his mouth, and his hands trembled violently around the hilt of his sword, still oozing blood, a warrior pushed to his limits yet unbroken.

As Ryan’s blade clashed with the beast, the momentum of the Black Roar Dragon’s aerial assault was suddenly halted. The dragon’s claw, robust and seemingly impervious, showed only a pale white scratch from the mighty blow of Ryan’s greatsword.

“Damn it!” Ryan cursed under his breath, his features set in a stern line.

The force of their collision had laid bare the vast chasm of power that yawned between him and the formidable dragon. Even clad in his [Ceratops Armor], Ryan knew he wouldn’t withstand many such assaults from the behemoth before him.

Without a moment’s respite, the Black Roar Dragon launched itself forward again. The ground thundered under its powerful limbs as its gaping maw, lined with razor-sharp teeth, threatened imminent destruction.

“Bang! Bang!” The sound of its charge was a harsh drumbeat to the impending doom.

This time, the dragon’s movement, dubbed the “Dragon Chariot,” was terrifyingly swift, faster even than its initial pounce. In a mere blink, it had closed the distance between them, bearing down on Ryan with lethal intent.

“So fast!” Ryan thought, his mind racing even as he braced himself.

“Boom!”

A surge of blood-red light enveloped him as he activated the [Special Sword Skill – Defensive Charge], effectively halting the dragon’s relentless charge. The energy feedback from this maneuver not only completed his “stage of charging” but also activated his [Switch from Defense to Offense lv.3 (max)].

[Switch Defense into Offense lv.3 (max)]: This skill, after a successful defensive parry, boosts damage by 20% for the next 60 seconds. Unlike game mechanics where such increases are numerically displayed, here it manifested as a warm current that invigorated Ryan, enhancing his strength and agility.

Seizing the brief moment the dragon was staggered by the interruption, Ryan quickly built up his power. In a flurry of focus, he completed the last two stages of power accumulation.

“Just Die!” Ryan bellowed, his voice a weapon in its own right, carrying spiritual sound waves that momentarily stunned the Black Roar Dragon, halting its counterattack.

The air around him vibrated with the power of his swing. As his greatsword cut through the air, a strange sensation gripped Ryan, a premonition or perhaps the thrill of a warrior in the heat of battle. The sword wind howled, fierce and chilling, as metal cleaved toward scale in a dance as old as time itself.

Ryan’s cells surged with newfound vigor, his spiritual energy crackling with intensity. This extraordinary state heightened the destructive force of his strike exponentially, a phenomenon he hadn’t fully anticipated.

“What is this?” Ryan murmured, initially bewildered by the sudden amplification of his power.

He quickly realized that this wasn’t just an ordinary boost, it was a rare activation of his heart rate mechanism, something that despite his low odds had never triggered before. Today, however, fortune had favored him. The critical strike now unleashed was augmented not just by his base skill but by a combined 40% critical rate from his [Sword Drawing Skill lv.1] and [Flaw lv.2].

The air around the sword’s path howled, as if mourning its impending impact.

With a mighty heave, Ryan’s greatsword descended upon the Black Roar Dragon’s skull with ferocious force. The power dormant within him awakened, [Fatal Strike lv.1]now in full effect, amplifying his damage to a staggering 2.6 times the normal amount.

“Boom!”

The sound resonated like a bronze bell, deep and ominous, as the dragon’s head was brutally driven into the ground. The earth beneath them cracked and cratered, forming a massive pit nearly ten meters across, testament to the sheer power unleashed.

Ryan stood, wide-eyed, the adrenaline surging through his veins. He could scarcely believe the might of his own sword, which now lay buried in the dragon’s skull, leaving a network of stark, bone-deep cracks.

The sight was gruesome. The formidable scales and bones of the dragon, though stronger than any typical creature of its kind, were no match for Ryan’s charged attack. The beast’s skull was cleaved open, exposing the stark whiteness of bone beneath.

Ordinarily, such a devastating blow would leave any creature reeling or unconscious, but the Black Roar Dragon was no ordinary foe. Its resilience, honed in countless battles, was legendary; even on the brink of defeat, it refused to yield.

With a sudden, explosive effort, the dragon thrust upward, dislodging the greatsword embedded in its skull. The force of its movement sent Ryan staggering back, his footing unstable.

Now, the beast entered a state of frenzied rage. Its scales flushed a dark, ominous red, mimicking the lava flows of a primed volcano. Its body swelled with fury, muscles bulging and eyes blazing with renewed ferocity.

Ryan watched, heart pounding, as the dragon, now looming even larger from the pit, threw back its head and unleashed a deafening roar that shook the very air around them.

“Roar—!!!” The sound was a primal declaration of survival and impending retaliation, echoing ominously across the battlefield.

As Ryan’s sword swung through the air, a sudden surge in the activity of his cells amplified his spiritual energy to unprecedented levels. This unexpected state sharply increased the destructive force of his blade, slicing through the tension of battle with newfound ferocity.

“What’s happening?” Ryan muttered, his confusion quickly giving way to realization.

This rare enhancement, it seemed, was triggered by an increase in his heart rate, a physiological reaction he seldom experienced. Despite his inherently low 10% chance of a critical strike, which had never manifested before, the current devastating blow was powered by an impressive 40% critical rate, thanks to his [Sword Drawing Skill lv.1] combined with [Flaw lv.2].

The air around him howled in sympathy as the greatsword descended with brutal force upon the Black Roar Dragon’s head.

At that moment, a latent power within Ryan awoke [Fatal Strike lv.1] sprang into action, doubling the usual damage and, with the skill’s enhancement, amplifying it to a terrifying 2.6 times the normal impact.

“Boom!”

The sound reverberated like a bronze bell, resonating deep into the earth as Ryan’s sword drove the dragon’s head into the mud with cataclysmic force. The ground beneath them buckled and split, rapidly forming a vast pit nearly ten meters wide.

Ryan, even as the instigator, was taken aback by the sheer magnitude of his strike. The realization that such destructive force had originated from his own hands was both shocking and awe-inspiring.

The dragon, now a pitiful sight, lay wounded and partially buried. Its normally impenetrable scales and bones were compromised, the gash in its skull exposing the stark white of bone beneath. Ryan’s blade, now lodged deep in the dragon’s head, left a web of severe cracks across its surface.

Under normal circumstances, such a critical blow would incapacitate even the most formidable creatures, sending them into a deep faint. However, the Black Roar Dragon was far from ordinary.

As a being forged in the crucible of countless battles, its endurance was still quite high. Under Ryan’s astonished gaze, the dragon rallied its strength, heaving the heavy sword from its skull. The movement sent Ryan stumbling backwards from the force.

In response to its grave injuries, the dragon’s body reacted violently. Its scales turned a dark, ominous red, reminiscent of molten lava ready to explode, and its form swelled menacingly.

Ryan watched, breath held, as the wounded beast slowly raised its head from the crater. Its mouth opened wide, and from the depths of its throat, a bone-chilling roar erupted, echoing a war cry of survival and imminent vengeance.

“Roar—!!!” The sound was a primal scream, resonating through the battlefield, promising that the fight was far from over.

An earth-shattering roar from the Black Roar Dragon reverberated through the air, its power unmatched by any ordinary force of nature.

Ryan, well aware of the dragon’s formidable “roar” ability, had preemptively fortified his spiritual defenses around his ears. Despite this, the roar’s impact was devastating. It was a purely physical assault, devoid of any spiritual essence, which perhaps explained why his protective measures fell short. The raw force of the sound waves slammed into him, causing his face to blanch and his body to be hurled backward with brutal force.

As Ryan steadied himself dozens of meters away, blood spattered his skin, and he could feel the jarring toll it took on his internal organs. Yet, as the dragon approached with a menacing gait, a defiant smirk formed on Ryan’s bloodied face, his smile a stark, grim slash across his visage.

Reaching into the space ring on his hand, he retrieved a piece of roasted steak and tossed it into his mouth. The meat was swallowed quickly, fueling him with renewed vigor.

“Let’s kick off the second round, shall we?” Ryan muttered, readying himself as he activated his special skills.