Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 202

Chapter 202: Draw the Sword and Fight with God
The Ancient God Society’s relentless pursuit leads them across the globe, searching tirelessly for the sealed strongholds of ancient demons. Once found, they break these ancient seals, unleashing the demonic entities confined within.

“By releasing these sealed demons, followers of the Ancient God Society can harness powers akin to those of myth and legend,” Miranla explained, her voice echoing with a mix of awe and warning.

“However, every power exacts its toll. The near-immortal capacity for regeneration these demons possess requires substantial spiritual energy.”

“The revival of the God’s remains was swift, indicating that its spiritual essence is but a shadow of its former glory. Therefore, if you can locate and conquer its ‘core,’ it can be utterly destroyed.”

“The location of the ‘core,’ though, is for you to discover.”

These words, though dense with information, were conveyed to Ryan in mere moments through a mystical whisper by the Fire Witch Miranla.

Ryan’s expression shifted, a flicker of realization crossing his features. The divine power emanating from the God’s remains stirred memories of the black-robed figures he had encountered earlier. “Could it be the ancient gods…”

Across from him, Pope Libra gripped his golden scepter, his aura swelling with formidable spiritual power. Although it seemed to merely scrape the boundary of the third tier, it dwarfed the presence of the formidable ‘Skeleton Knight’ Ryan had previously bested.

“God decreed: ‘All things under heaven can be measured,'” intoned Pope Libra, his voice steeped in piety. As he spoke, golden light coalesced into vibrant arcs of electricity, crackling with divine energy around him.

“Divine Punishment: Heavenly Thunder Field!”

With a powerful thrust, Pope Libra drove his scepter into the ground. Golden electrical pulses radiated outward, enveloping the entire sacred duel arena.

Ryan responded swiftly, summoning a “blood core” on his shoulder that blossomed into a protective “blood barrier.” Tiny golden sparks danced upon it, hinting at the impending restrictions it might impose on his movements.

The “blood core” dimmed gradually, signaling that it would sustain the barrier for no more than a minute.

Pope Libra’s gaze fixated on the dark-gold, blood-patterned gloves adorning Ryan’s hands, his eyes burning with greed and desire. “How dare a mere mortal desecrate the sacred relics of the gods?”

“Die!”

With a thunderous command, he pointed his scepter forward. A constellation in the shape of a Libra materialized overhead, from which a cascade of brilliant golden lightning plummeted towards Ryan with a resounding crash.

“Crackle…”

The lightning struck the ground, leaving a charred crater in its wake.

Near the crater’s edge, Ryan stood unscathed, his expression grave. Although no human could outrun lightning, he had anticipated its landing point and moved just in time to evade the strike.

“Boom!”

With explosive force, Ryan launched himself from his position, leaving behind a web of cracks on the ground. He reappeared beside Pope Libra, his greatsword tracing a faint arc of light as it sliced through the air.

As the blade neared, Pope Libra remained eerily calm, unflinching. Just as Ryan’s sword was about to connect, a sharp explosion of air burst next to his ear.

Two enormous purple fox tails, one arcing from the left and the other from the right, swept towards Ryan with formidable force. Despite their reduced “mini” size, each tail towered meters high and stretched over twenty meters long. Compared to these colossal appendages, Ryan, standing less than two meters tall, seemed no more significant than a mosquito.

The whistling of the tails through the air resonated deep within him. Ryan’s eyes glittered with icy determination, and he wielded his sword with unwavering resolve.

“Boom!”

The twin fox tails struck the “blood barrier” with tremendous impact, spidering the surface with fine cracks. The “blood core” at its center dimmed abruptly, struggling fiercely to maintain integrity, but it held together, refusing to shatter.

Ryan’s sword, aglow with black and yellow spiritual energy, descended ferociously towards Pope Libra.

Surprise flickered across Pope Libra’s face, a testament to the unexpected resilience of the “blood barrier.” He tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes capturing the descending blade, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“Clank—”

The sword halted abruptly, mere centimeters from Pope Libra’s forehead. Only then did a shimmering, nearly invisible protective shield ripple into view around him.

“You are indeed peerless among those of the third tier,” Pope Libra commented, his voice laced with amusement. He gestured with a slight movement of his hand, summoning nine purple fox tails that spiraled into a formidable cage around Ryan, offering no escape.

“But, I no longer dwell within the bounds of the third level…”

The tails tightened, weaving together to form an impenetrable barrier. Just as they seemed poised to crush him, a burst of faint blood light exploded from Ryan, causing the enclosing tail to fragment spectacularly.

“Bang!”

This sudden release of energy allowed Ryan to gather his strength, his stance braced for a powerful counterattack.

[Special Sword Skill: Defense Charge]

As the disarray of blood and energy reabsorbed into his body, Ryan seamlessly completed the “first stage of charging.” Utilizing the momentary breach as the Nine-Tailed Fox attempted to reconverge, he executed another stage of charging. Thus, his next strike was empowered as a “second stage of charging.”

Moreover, the activation of the special skill [Turning Defense into Offense] added an extra 20% damage to Ryan’s attack.

Now, as he faced the Libra Pope once again, faint “blood claws” seemed to manifest around his adversary, an effect of the [Blood Hunt] skill.

His greatsword sliced through the air, sending vibrations echoing around them.

Pope Libra’s expression tightened slightly, yet he remained motionless, his confidence in his invisible shield unshaken.

While subtle, this shield was a manifestation of the fourth-level “Religious Path” ability known as [Light of Faith]. Even under the restriction of the third-level spiritual limit, this shield’s protective power, though diminished, was formidable, akin to that of a newly ascended fourth-level professional. It was a barrier not easily shattered by a single blow.

Despite Pope Libra’s shock at the purple-masked warrior’s ability to escape the clutches of the Nine-Tailed Fox, he doubted such a feat could be replicated swiftly. The nine massive purple fox tails, momentarily dispersed, swiftly regrouped, poised to retaliate. Should Ryan’s next attack falter against the [Light of Faith], those tails were ready to rend him apart.

Peering through the crystalline shield, Pope Libra’s gaze met with Ryan’s fiercely bloodshot eyes, behind which a spectral beast seemed to roar with primordial fury.

A flicker of unease crossed Pope Libra’s heart, but the moment for reflection passed in an instant.

Because Ryan’s greatsword was already descending upon the shield with unstoppable force.

“Boom—!”

The shield shattered, sending fragments scattering like diamonds in a storm. Pope Libra’s pupils contracted as he frantically raised his hands in defense, but it was too late. The greatsword, bursting through the remnants of the shield, struck him with brutal force, slamming into his visage.

“Boom!”

The impact drove Pope Libra back, his boots carving deep gouges into the earth before he could stabilize. Lowering his trembling hands, he revealed a visage marred by blood.

“You seek your own demise!”

No sooner had he spoken than a fierce sword energy surged toward him. With a grimace, Pope Libra raised his bloodied hand and crushed the incoming force.

His body began to levitate, radiating intense spiritual energy that flared like a beacon. Trapped by the spiritual limits of his tier, Pope Libra resorted to an arcane technique, converting his spiritual essence from a gaseous to a semi-liquid state.

“God decrees: Those who defy justice shall be chastised!”

Ryan’s expression hardened. He leapt just as dense golden spikes erupted from the ground, seeking him with unerring precision as if guided by some homing mechanism.

Far from deterred, in mid-air not far off, Pope Libra’s right hand was aglow, coalescing golden light into a long spear, runic script etched deeply into its shaft, poised for release.

Ryan, caught in mid-air, squinted as options dwindled.

If evasion was futile, then retreat was not an option!

The “blood core” flared anew, encasing Ryan in a renewed “blood barrier” that parried the relentless golden spikes.

Upon touching ground, Ryan sprung towards the still-ascending Libra Pope.

The glow of the golden halberd in Pope Libra’s grasp dimmed, signaling its readiness, while his eyes blazed with an icy resolve.

With a subtle flex of his wrist, Pope Libra unleashed the halberd. It transformed into a blinding beam of light, hurtling straight for Ryan’s forehead.