Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 185

Chapter 185: Skeleton Knight!
In a desperate attempt to shield himself, the scattered remnants of black blood and flesh surged towards him, forming a barrier far denser than any before. But to Ryan, it was as futile as a mantis blocking a chariot. His sword carved through the makeshift wall with unstoppable momentum, slamming into the “Hanged Man’s” face with a gruesome “Puff!” The head burst open like a ruptured fruit, and the blade continued its merciless path, cleaving the figure in two.

With the “Hanged Man” vanquished, the python’s body rapidly deteriorated. Flesh peeled away, and its bones disintegrated into a fine black crystalline powder that drifted away like ash. Ryan’s landing echoed with a heavy “bang,” leaving a deep imprint where he stood, his gaze fixed on the remnants of his foe.

As he watched, the scattered black meat and mud began to coalesce with alarming speed. In mere moments, the eighth level of the Labyrinth was clear of any debris, replaced by the sight of a knight half-kneeling on the ground. This figure, clad in slim-fitting armor, presented an eerie silhouette, slender to the point of distortion, with a strangely elongated appearance.

Two orbs of sinister red light burned in the helmet’s eye sockets, casting eerie shadows over a gigantic skeletal sword wreathed in black flames that seemed to draw their darkness from the abyss itself. The knight exuded a heavy, ominous aura, far more potent than before.

The air stirred into a fierce gust, causing Ryan to squint against its force, his expression turning grave. “The third form…” he murmured, steeling himself.

The Skeleton Knight rose, locking its blood-red gaze with Ryan’s. For a brief, charged moment, their eyes met, recognizing the impending clash.

Then, in a blur of motion, the Skeleton Knight vanished, reappearing in an assault so swift it outpaced even Ryan’s enhanced reflexes. The skeletal sword, ablaze with dark flames, swept through the air like a sinister crescent moon.

Ryan’s eyes tracked the movement, knowing his body couldn’t match the knight’s speed. At that critical moment, a glimmer of icy blue erupted from his shoulder, detonating into a cloud of frost.

The blast, known as “Ice Bloom,” was Yellow Sand’s doing. It didn’t stop the Skeleton Knight but frosted his armor, visibly slowing his movements. From behind Ryan, Yellow Sand raised her hand, her skin etched with ice-blue veins that crept up her neck and beneath her mask, a sign of her channeling her full witchly power.

This icy intervention bought Ryan a crucial pause, a moment to recalibrate and prepare for the relentless fury of the Skeleton Knight’s next move.

With Yellow Sand’s intervention, Ryan felt a surge of relief wash over him. He smoothly sidestepped the suddenly sluggish sword strike and raised his own weapon, the [Greatsword·True Red Crown Horn]. Although the sword itself lacked inherent magical power, in Ryan’s hands, it became a formidable weapon.

The Skeleton Knight, caught off-guard, could barely raise his giant skeleton sword in defense. When the blades collided, the force of the impact sent him reeling backward, his armor clanking discordantly.

“Strength, it seems, has not improved…” Ryan mused aloud, his voice laced with contemplation. Despite the Skeleton Knight’s enhanced speed, his strength appeared unchanged from his initial form. This disparity was a small yet crucial advantage, had the knight’s strength increased alongside his speed, Ryan doubted even Yellow Sand’s aid would tip the scales in their favor.

“Still in the fight,” Ryan thought, a surge of determination welling within him. As this realization took hold, a blood-red light enveloped his dark gold blood-patterned gloves. The massive blood loss drained the color from his face, visible even beneath his mask, but it also catapulted him into the “third stage,” fully primed for combat.

“Matching third stages… seems fair, doesn’t it?” he muttered to himself, a faint golden flame flickering around his body as he triggered the special skill [Liberation of Power].

The transformation didn’t end there. With a flicker from the space ring on his finger, a piece of meat just the right size for a quick bite, appeared, and Ryan swallowed it in one go. Shadows danced along his sword, signaling the activation of [Food War: Black Roar Dragon’s Sorrow]. This enchantment, borne from the soul of a black dragon, enhanced his speed by 20% and imbued his attacks with shock damage that could potentially render enemies rigid.

Though the Skeleton Knight’s movements were slowed by the frost, Ryan’s newfound speed from the dragon soul narrowed the gap between them. Now, although still not as swift as the knight, Ryan could at least react and contend with him.

Their swords clashed in the darkness, each strike ringing out like iron being forged, a continuous melody of metallic clashes.

“Clang!” Sparks flew as their swords met, each collision more ferocious than the last.

Ryan pushed back, using both hands to drive the Skeleton Knight away. He then shouldered his greatsword, gathering energy for another powerful strike. Spiritual energy surged within him, coalescing into raw, tangible power.

Sensing the potential threat, the Skeleton Knight, wary from the previous exchange, chose not to engage directly. Instead, he thrust his hand forward, unleashing a cone of black flames from a distance.

Ryan, seeing the fiery onslaught and the knight’s reluctance to close the distance, had to halt his charge. As he retreated, the Skeleton Knight exploited the distraction, using the cover of the black flames to maneuver swiftly behind Ryan.

In a flash of insight and agility, Ryan turned just as the knight launched a sudden attack from behind, the critical moment chosen precisely when Ryan had ceased to accumulate power. The battle’s intensity escalated, each fighter pushing their limits in this dance of blades and shadows.

As the whistle of slicing air approached from behind, Ryan’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. He was a seasoned warrior who never underestimated an opponent, especially not one as formidable as the Skeleton Knight. This battle had shown Ryan that the knight was a blend of human cunning and bestial ferocity, reminiscent of hardened veterans whose years on the battlefield had honed their instincts to lethal sharpness.

Anticipating the knight’s tactics, Ryan had prepared a cunning ploy. He’d feigned vulnerability by charging up his power, a ruse to draw the Skeleton Knight into a hasty attack. This was a calculated risk, based on his earlier successful defenses and the unlikely chance of the knight being fooled by the same maneuver twice.

As the Skeleton Knight’s blade descended, it met a hastily erected “blood barrier.” The barrier dimmed significantly, absorbing much of the attack’s force, surprisingly, this strike was potent enough to match the ferocity of a [Upper] Thunder Dragon, though Ryan knew it was only because this particular barrier had been formed using a mere third of his available “blood energy.”

The barrier shattered with a crisp crack under a relentless second slash, the skeleton sword bearing down on Ryan. Inside his protective shield, Ryan maintained his charging stance, his eyes locked on the knight. The flicker of hesitation in the knight’s glowing red eyes was evident, he wanted to halt his strike, but momentum carried it forward relentlessly.

“Bang!”

The greatsword struck Ryan, the impact reverberating with a clash of blood and energy. This collision not only neutralized the attack but also catalyzed Ryan’s energy absorption, propelling him into the “third stage of charging.”

“Cut!” Ryan roared, unleashing his now fully-charged greatsword. The blade sliced through the air, trailing flames that sculpted a brilliant arc of light, accompanied by the spectral roar of a giant black and red beast, an ode to the [Absolutely Strong One].

“Boom!”

As the greatsword connected with the Skeleton Knight’s head, a violent shock wave erupted. The [Food War: Black Roar Dragon’s Sorrow] effect triggered, locking the knight into a state of “forced stiffness.” His spiritual energies were abruptly halted, immobilizing him as the blade continued its deadly path.