Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 206

Chapter 206: Apostle of Joy and Storm Fighter!
The journey to professional advancement in the Kingdom of Augustus is one of arduous trials and profound realizations. It is often said to be a path both arduous and not, difficult due to the stringent demands of compatibility, yet attainable with perseverance.

In the elite echelons of the Black Knights, the most revered defenders of the realm, achieving 100% compatibility is a rarity, a feat accomplished by only a select few. These knights undergo rigorous training and are cherry-picked from across the nation for their prowess and potential. To attain full compatibility at the initial stage and be promoted directly to the second level is an honor that earmarks one as a potential candidate for the coveted seat of the Black Knight. This rarity underscores the challenge.

However, the ascension in ranks isn’t always bound by such exacting standards. A knight may ascend with as little as 60% compatibility, a more common threshold that many opt for, despite it leading to a lesser augmentation of their abilities. Those who do not seize this opportunity risk stagnating, their potential untapped as years slip by, possibly without ever breaching this crucial barrier.

After achieving 60% compatibility, enhancing it further is a daunting task, rarely accomplished by the average knight. But for Ryan, the aftermath of his victory over Pope Libra in the hallowed grounds of the [Holy Duel Arena] marked a pivotal moment. He stood on the brink of his professional evolution, not merely at 60% but at the pinnacle of 100% compatibility, a testament to his unparalleled spirit and readiness.

The process of advancement is likened to the nurturing of a seed planted at the inception of one’s career. With the right conditions met and after consuming the potent “Pirate Path” second-stage promotion potion, Ryan’s latent potential unfurled like a sprout breaking free from its seed coat.

As the system chimed with updates:

[[Pirate (Level 1)] Compatibility reaches 100%, [Spiritual] upper limit +1.5!]

[Spiritual sublimation in progress…’Promotion baptism’ in progress…]

[Current [Spirituality] is 10.3 (originally 7.8, Holy Seed +1.0)…’Promotion Baptism’ completed! ]

[[Spiritual] upper limit +10.3! Current [Spiritual]: 20.6]

A surge of unprecedented power coursed through Ryan, illuminating the vital importance of the spiritual ceiling set during the first level of his journey. He now understood why the Black Knights so highly valued those capable of 100% compatibility, recognizing them as prospective leaders.

Ryan marveled at the crucial resources he had once used to enhance his spirit, the [First-level spiritual enhancement crystallization], [Holy Blood Baptism], [Holy Seed], now realizing their true value.

As the system continued its prompts, a new chapter in his career began to unfold:

[[Pirate (Level 1)] promoted to [Storm Fighter (Level 2)]! ]

[Professional bonus: Spirituality +2.0, Physicality +1.0 (Spirituality +0.4, Physicality +0.2)]

[Obtain professional skills: Brave Strike, Storm Body, Throwing Expertise Enhancement]

1. [Brave Strike]: A signature skill of the Storm Fighter class, born from countless battles against formidable tempests. It channels the full might of the warrior’s spirit and strength into a devastating blow, delivered through a thrown weapon or a melee strike. The potency of this skill, symbolized as X%, scales with the warrior’s rank and spiritual force, encapsulating the essence of bravery in the heart of the storm. For a level two Storm Fighter like Ryan, with a spiritual strength of 20, the formula yields a formidable X value of 40%.

This encapsulates the struggle and glory of rising through the ranks within the Pirate path, illustrating not just the physical but also the profound spiritual journey a warrior like Ryan undergoes in his quest for greatness.

2. [Storm Fighting Body]: An emblematic ability of those who bear the title of Storm Fighter. The relentless duels against nature’s fury have not only imbued the Storm Fighters with a profound insight into the essence of storms but have also sculpted their very physiques to mirror these chaotic forces. This skill manifests in two forms, a passive effect bolstering physical strength by +1.0 and an active effect, the [Storm Fighter Body], which elevates the spiritual ceiling by a percentage determined by the formula: rank 10 + spirituality 1. When activated, the fighter’s attacks mingle the fierce attributes of wind and water, resonating for a duration dependent on the same formula, X seconds. However, the power comes at a cost, post-activation, the fighter is left in a weakened state for an hour, reflecting the toll such elemental fury exacts on the body.

3. [Throwing Expertise Enhancement]: A fundamental skill across melee professions, enhancing the prowess of weapon throws. This enhancement grants a flat 20% bonus to both Strength and Accuracy when launching projectiles, a significant advantage in combat.

—

Observing the trio of skills that now defined his ascent to the second level of the [Storm Fighter] profession within the “Pirate Path,” Ryan mulled over their implications.

“Hmm… much stronger than anticipated…”

The skills, encompassing one active, one passive, and one that straddles both crafted a versatile arsenal. The [Brave Strike] provided a robust offensive foundation, which, when synergized with [Throwing Expertise Enhancement], promised devastating projectile assaults. Ryan recalled the technique in action with the former one-eyed pirate, “One-Eye” Santas. Despite Santas’ shortcomings that led to his defeat against Ryan, the strategy itself was sound.

Ryan contemplated further. The fusion of “Blood Spear,” [Brave Strike], and [Throwing Expertise Enhancement] could elevate his throwing attack to formidable levels, particularly if modifiers like “Critical Hit” and “Fatal Blow” were triggered. Adding the surge from [Storm Fighting Body] into the mix? The potential was staggering.

As Ryan perused the attributes of his newly attained [Storm Fighter (Level 2)] status, his gaze momentarily lingered before shifting back to the system prompts with an air of anticipation. Though the promotion to [Storm Fighter] was an exhilarating development, it was but a precursor to the true zenith of his transformation, the [Apostle of Joy], a role far more significant and whose effects were primarily designated for his wandering clone, with only a fifth impacting his main essence.

—

[[Gluttony Hunter (Level 1)] promoted to [Apostle of Joy (Level 2)]! ]

[Professional bonus: Spirituality +3.0, Physical strength +3.0]

[Obtain professional skills: Joyful Aura, Tide of Pain, Gospel]

1. [Joyful Aura]: A unique skill exclusive to the Apostle of Joy. It converts pain into a source of joy, offering three variant auras each with a cooldown of ten seconds after switching:

– Joyful Thorn Aura: Utilizes spirituality to conjure ethereal thorns that inflict real damage back to the attacker proportional to S% of the damage received.

– Joyful Frozen Aura: The exuberance of joy coalesces into a chilling aura, freezing the enemy’s concept of speed by (S/2)% and its duration lasts for (S/10) seconds. This ‘real frozen’ state has a high priority and remains unremovable unless countered by a ‘Purification’ ability exceeding level 3.

Ryan’s mastery of these newfound powers not only highlighted his growth as a warrior but also poised him at a thrilling crossroads of potential and power, eager to explore the limits of his evolved capabilities.

3: [Joyful Flame Aura]: A vibrant manifestation of joy through elemental fury. This aura enwraps both Ryan and any enemy that dares strike him or is struck by him in a cloak of ‘real burning’ flames. For a duration calculated by S divided by 10 seconds, affected individuals find their ‘healing’ abilities severely crippled, working at only a third of their usual efficacy, while simultaneously losing 1% of their vitality, physical strength, and spirituality every second. This debilitating state is resilient against removal, only succumbing to purification abilities of a third level or higher.

The potency of this aura, determined by the formula rank 10 + spirituality 1, means that for a level two apostle like Ryan with a spiritual force of 20, the intensity of S calculates to 40.

2. [Tide of Pain]: A profound skill that explores the symbiotic nature of joy and pain. This ability posits that pain following joy cuts deeper, while joy born from pain carries a heightened turbulence, like an endless oceanic tide. Each instance of ‘serious injury’ endured by Ryan enhances his professional compatibility by 1%, accumulating up to a maximum of 25%. Beyond this threshold, a ritual known as ‘Joy after Pain’ must be completed to further the compatibility increase, with this cycle repeating for every 25% of compatibility achieved.

Each percentage point of job compatibility is transmuted into a ‘pain value,’ with each point granting a 1% bonus to both physical and spiritual capacities during combat. This transformative process permanently enhances Ryan’s abilities depending on the manner of completion each time the ‘Joy after Pain’ is undertaken. After four completions, advancement to a higher rank becomes viable.

3. [Gospel]: A signature skill that underscores the apostolic duty to disseminate ‘joy.’ Enemies engaged by Ryan, or those who engage him, are invariably branded with the ‘Gospel’ mark. Upon reaching five cumulative layers, the mark can be detonated at will, unleashing a ‘joy burst’ that drains 20% from the upper limit of an enemy’s vitality and spirituality. Should the spiritual reserves be insufficient, vitality compensates the deficit. A ‘kill’ effect is triggered if the enemy’s vitality dips below 20% during this burst. This effect steadfastly resists immunity from abilities not exceeding the third level.

—

As Ryan absorbed the extensive details of his new abilities, he found the [Apostle of Joy] significantly more intricate and potent than his former [Storm Warrior] class. The trio of skills, [Joyful Aura], [Tide of Pain], [Gospel] each outshone the last, befitting their status as second-level hidden path abilities.

Focusing first on [Joyful Aura], Ryan noted its unique active role among his new skills. It offered three diverse forms:

– Joyful Thorns Aura: Reflects true damage.

– Joyful Frozen Aura: Slows down the enemy.

– Joyful Flame Aura: Burns true, hampers recovery.

Each aura catered to different tactical needs, defense, control, and attack, respectively. Their high prioritization meant that at Ryan’s current level, only legendary beings of the fifth level could potentially counteract or become immune to these effects. Yet, against such formidable foes, the efficacy of these auras might be negligible.

The overarching theme of [Joyful Aura], that pain is also a source of joy, resonated with Ryan, prompting a fleeting contemplation of the myriad ways joy could be derived from suffering.

However, shaking off deeper philosophical musings, he shifted his focus to the [Gospel] ability, ready to dissect its mechanisms and strategize its deployment in forthcoming battles.