Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 184

Chapter 184: Facing The Python Alone!
 

The dark labyrinth echoed with a thunderous roar, reverberating through its twisting corridors and ominous depths. Centered within this cacophony was the Black Mud Python, a divine remnant bearing the scars of celestial battles of the past. Though merely a shadow of its former glory, the creature still wielded a fraction of the divine power it once commanded, a formidable force capable of absolute dominion over lesser beings.

The labyrinth itself seemed to respond to it’s fury. The ground cracked violently, dense fissures radiating from the beast at its heart. From these chasms, thick, viscous mud surged, transforming the eighth level of the underground maze into a treacherous black swamp.

In the face of such overwhelming power, most would falter, but Yellow Sand and Ryan stood resilient. Yellow Sand, a seasoned witch, was less affected by the divine suppression thanks to her elevated magical prowess, which far surpassed that of ordinary spiritual entities.

Ryan, though spiritually constrained, relied on his robust physicality to resist the crushing pressure. More importantly, a mysterious crimson glow enveloped him, emanating from his gloves, the [Relic·Embrace of Blood]. These were no ordinary artifacts but remnants of a god from the Age of Gods, specifically [The King of Blood]. Even dormant, these relics scoffed at the divine energy trying to subdue them, as if awakened by a challenge to their dormant majesty.

Ryan assessed the situation, his gaze fixed on his blood-streaked gloves. “This isn’t just resistance; it’s a counter-assertion of authority,” he muttered, understanding dawning upon him.

Yellow Sand, her voice steady yet urgent, delivered her analysis directly into Ryan’s ear. “It’s transcending its limits, not fully a fourth-tier entity but its spirit… it’s there, without a doubt.”

“Take Cyan River and the others to safety, Yellow Sand. I’ll handle this beast until you can rejoin me,” Ryan commanded, his voice a low rumble of determination.

With less than an hour remaining in their mission, Ryan’s resolve hardened. His previous encounter with the “Hanged Man” had only showcased a fraction of his capabilities. He was not about to back down now, not when he had yet to unleash his full potential.

“Understood!” Yellow Sand didn’t hesitate. She turned to evacuate with her team, her decisive actions drawing the ire of the Black Mud Python.

The creature, with the ghastly visage of the “Hanged Man” melded into its form, unleashed a massive orb of dark energy towards her. But before the attack could reach its target, a blood-red streak cleaved through the air, intercepting and detonating the orb in a spectacular mid-air explosion.

Ryan’s hands glowed ominously as he channeled more of his blood into the [Relic·Embrace of Blood], entering a state of deliberate vulnerability. With his blood acting as a conduit, he activated the [Secret of Fire], his aura flaring with a fierce and defiant energy that promised a battle of epic proportions.

“Your opponent is me,” Ryan declared, his voice ringing with authority as he locked gazes with the sinister figure looming above the Black Mud Python. A reckless grin spread across his face, fueled by the surging power within him. The “Hanged Man” in its initial form, while formidable beyond ordinary third-tier adversaries, seemed almost underwhelming to him. This challenge, it appeared, had not yet satisfied his thirst for a true contest.

The behemoth before them was indeed a spectacle of size, a common trait among spiritual creatures where larger often suggested more formidable, but not necessarily superior in might. This was a nuance many professionals grappled with when facing such oversized foes, uncertain of where to strike or how to engage effectively.

But Ryan was undaunted. Compared to the heft of a male fire dragon leader, the Black Mud Python seemed almost manageable. His readiness and fervor redirected the beast’s attention squarely onto him, away from Yellow Sand.

The “Hanged Man,” now a shadow of its former self, stretched its arms wide and let out a feral roar, echoed by the python’s own thunderous cry towards the heavens. The air itself seemed to burst as the creature’s massive tail swept menacingly towards Ryan.

Standing before the sweeping tail, Ryan appeared minuscule, almost trivial against the creature’s mass. Yet, his eyes remained unshaken, his demeanor calm. With a deliberate motion, he hoisted his greatsword onto his shoulder, gathering his strength in a display of defiance.

From a safe distance, Cyan River, under Yellow Sand’s protective lead, watched with a mix of awe and trepidation. The spiritual pressure around her intensified, rendering her speechless, her thoughts a jumble of worry and muted fear.

“Please, Purple Wind,” she whispered into the howling wind, her voice barely a thread. In her desperation, she found herself invoking unseen forces, a practice she had once scorned. Now, faced with overwhelming odds, she understood the frailty of human endeavor against such monstrous power, and prayer seemed the only solace.

As the python’s tail bore down on him, a shimmering aura of blood enveloped Ryan. He unleashed his [Special Sword Skill·Collision Attack], countering the monstrous force. The impact was colossal; not only did it halt the tail, but it also sent it recoiling.

Unmoved from his spot, Ryan flashed a defiant smirk at the “Hanged Man” and, with a fluid, practiced motion, swung his greatsword in a powerful arc. The blade, charged to the second stage of his sword skill, cleaved through the air, releasing a crescent of lethal energy that soared toward its target.

[Storm Sword Skill – Divide the Sea]! Ryan’s understanding of his own capabilities had deepened, allowing him to harness and project the sword’s energy across the battlefield with precision and deadly intent. The sword energy sliced through the distance, aiming straight for the “Hanged Man,” promising a confrontation that was both inevitable and decisive.

As Ryan’s sword energy surged toward its target, the “Hanged Man” atop the Black Mud Python reacted with grotesque agility. The beast’s flesh, a horrifying amalgam of black mud and snake scales, twisted and swelled grotesquely. Within moments, a bizarre barrier, a flesh wall, formed between Ryan and his target. The sword energy hissed as it tore through the wall, scales and mud splattering in its wake, penetrating deep but failing to breach completely.

The wall dissolved, revealing the “Hanged Man’s” blood-red eyes, which burned with malevolence as they fixed on Ryan below. In a swift, menacing motion, the python’s massive head swooped down, its jaws gaping monstrously wide, so vast that it could easily engulf a structure several stories tall.

Ryan sprang to dodge, but an eerie force clutched at his feet. Glancing down, he saw a chilling sight, dozens of pale, spectral hands emerging from the now swampy earth, grasping his ankles with desperate strength. As he struggled, the hands shattered under his force, but their brief hindrance cost him the precious chance to evade the python’s lethal bite.

With the python’s gaping maw mere meters away, Ryan’s eyes flashed with a wild resolve. If escape was futile, he would meet the attack head-on! Concentrating, he summoned a “Spear of Blood” from his left hand, hurling it even as he gripped his greatsword with both hands, charging forward instead of retreating.

The spear punctured the python’s skull with a sickening ‘puff’, eliciting a pained howl from the beast. The spear forged a clear hole from the upper jaw through the back of the head. Regrettably, it missed the “Hanged Man” due to the angle of attack; Ryan had to rely on guesswork, obscured by the python’s yawning mouth.

Though the strike was not fatal, this beast’s brain was not its Achilles’ heel, it slowed the creature momentarily. However, driven by relentless momentum, the python continued its assault, burying its jaw into the mud and enveloping both the black earth and Ryan in its voracious bite.

In that dire moment, a brilliant burst of blood light exploded from within the python’s maw. The force was so intense that it forced the beast’s jaws apart. Inside, Ryan was not passive; he used the feedback from the blood light to boost his power, rapidly completing a charge cycle.

“Thump—thump—thump!” The energy built in rapid succession, Ryan’s greatsword now wreathed in leaping white flames, a manifestation of his surging spiritual force.

With a thunderous cry of “Kill!” Ryan swung his greatsword. Cellular activity within his body skyrocketed, his spiritual energy peaking with ferocious intensity. This was the [Critical Strike], a devastating blow magnified further by the [Fatal Blow] technique. The combined power of these skills, augmented by the successful activation of a 40% critical rate from [Sword Drawing Skill lv.1] and [Flaw lv.2], was staggering, far surpassing any of his previous attacks.

The sword carved through the black mud flesh, shattering it, the blade driving relentlessly upward through the solid skull of the giant python. The clash was cataclysmic, the outcome a testament to Ryan’s unyielding spirit and formidable prowess.

As Ryan’s sword descended with unyielding force, the colossal black mud python seemed to freeze in time, its formidable visage shattered by the shockwave of the strike. Scales and flesh erupted in a chaos of black and yellow light, culminating in a brilliant explosion from the top of the python’s head. As the debris scattered, the “Hanged Man” watched in horror, his pupils dilating in terror as the force bore down upon him.