Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 218

Chapter 218: Gold Level Loot!
Ryan knew the gravity of the situation boiled down to three potential outcomes:

1. He lands two successful hits on the formidable [Crown] Slash the Sword-Tailed Dragon.

2. He suffers two hits from the Sword-Tailed Dragon.

3. A mutual exchange, one hit landed by him and one hit received from the Sword-Tailed Dragon.

Ideally, Ryan wished for the first scenario, but reality often proved less accommodating. His best bet now was to strike the Sword-Tailed Dragon once before it could retaliate.

As he surged forward, the Sword-Tailed Dragon unleashed a thunderous roar. The “scorching field” around it flared with blinding intensity, the heat ramping up so fiercely that the air itself seemed to warp.

Ryan’s advance was halted by a shockwave of searing air. In that moment of hesitation, a burning red blade sliced through the atmosphere. It cleaved the air, creating a cone-shaped sonic boom, rendering everything in its path achingly slow, almost as if time itself had turned to syrup.

The terrifying might of the Sword-Tailed Dragon unveiled its full horror, unfettered by the slowing magic of the [Joyful Frozen Aura]. Against such a force, tank armor would be as flimsy as paper.

With no time for a calculated defense, Ryan instinctively activated his “Blood Barrier” and countered with [Special Sword Skill – Attack Collision]. The barrier, vibrant with life force, shattered instantly under the onslaught of the supersonic blade. Fragments of the two “blood cores” scattered like dust, while the tail blade, its force slightly diminished but still devastating, continued its relentless trajectory toward him.

A “dominant blood membrane” flickered into existence around Ryan, meeting the fiery blade in a fleeting standoff before disintegrating.

Even after penetrating both defensive barriers, the burning blade retained over 70% of its lethal power, a testament to the dragon’s restrained force during their initial encounter.

Ryan felt the icy grip of Death tightening. His pupils narrowed as he seized the fleeting moments bought by his shattered defenses. He adjusted his stance, gathered his strength, and with a burst of desperate energy, swung his greatsword to meet the oncoming inferno.

“Clang——”

The collision rang loud. The force of the impact shattered Ryan’s arms, and the relentless blade bore down, embedding itself deep into Ryan’s chest armor.

“Crack!”

The sound of his armor fracturing was crisp and chilling. The breastplate of his [Ceratops Armor] splintered, creating a gaping hole. Ryan’s body was catapulted back like a struck golf ball, hurtling through the air to crash against a rocky wall hundreds of meters away.

“Ahem…”

Blood trickled from every orifice, painting his vision a hazy red as it stained his retinas, each breath a gurgle of escaping life.

The chasm between their powers was stark and unyielding. As Ryan lay crumpled on the ground, he watched the [Champion] Sword Dragon Slayer at the far end, sheathing his blade with the grace of a master swordsman. A grim smile twisted Ryan’s lips, a fleeting glimmer of ferocity in his expression.

“It’s over…” he murmured, the resignation heavy in his voice.

Yet, at a distance, the Sword-Tailed Dragon, as if sensing its imminent victory, charged towards Ryan with its fiery red tail blade slicing through the air. Despite the dragon’s supersonic speed, it had several hundred meters to cover, a significant distance.

In contrast, Ryan needed but a single thought to unleash his attack, an advantage in speed he couldn’t afford to waste.

“Good news, blast!” Ryan whispered. The words were barely out before the Sword-Tailed Dragon erupted in a network of dark purple lines. This time, they twisted and coiled into a sickle-like shape, cleaving through the dragon from behind.

The faint sound of dripping liquid echoed in Ryan’s ears, like a droplet falling into a lake and sending ripples across the water’s surface.

A look of sheer terror flashed across the Sword-Tailed Dragon’s eyes. It flared its red energy in a desperate attempt to fend off the inevitable, but a burst of purple light consumed its gaze, heralding its end.

“Boom!”

The dragon’s supersonic burning red blade, now unchecked by its master’s will, crashed to the earth more than a meter from Ryan. The impact shattered the ground, creating a vast chasm as molten lava splattered across the cracked surface.

The ensuing collapse caused the rock wall to break apart, burying Ryan in the debris. Dust and chaos filled the air, obscuring everything in a thick haze.

Time lost meaning under the rubble. Eventually, the debris began to stir, and a hand emerged, clawing its way out. Ryan, gathering the remnants of his strength, pushed aside the solidified magma and rubble encasing him. He rose to his feet, walking over to where the [Crown] Sword Dragon still swung its tail blade, its life force extinguished yet its posture still proud, as if refusing to acknowledge its defeat even in death.

[Crown] the Sword-Tailed Dragon was defeated successfully!”

“Hahaha!” Ryan’s laughter echoed through the cavern as he leaned heavily on his sword, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. Despite the convoluted path to victory and the questionable tactics employed, a hunter’s success was never tainted by the means, only sweetened by the outcome.

Facing a “Crown Beast” head-on was beyond him at this stage. Even contemplating an upgrade, it remained uncertain whether he could match a Sword-Tailed Dragon of the Royal class.

Advancing wasn’t straightforward. To rise without defeating a “crown” class monster, he would need to vanquish at least four “upper three stars” a daunting task. And finding such formidable foes in the volcanic region was another uncertainty altogether. Ryan pondered this as he gazed into the smoldering landscape, the weight of the journey ahead settling in.

Monsters, unlike weeds, don’t just pop up everywhere, the more formidable the beast, the scarcer it becomes.

Exhausted from the day’s harrowing battle, Ryan tore into a piece of steak. His “Heart of Gluttony” surged into overdrive, working tirelessly to mend his battered body. As he chewed, a warm surge of energy from his recent upgrade helped speed up the recovery process, making his wounds heal almost visibly faster.

Had the “Heart of Gluttony” been a machine, it surely would have been overheating, smoke billowing from its relentless activity.

Ryan sighed deeply, his eyes drawn to the golden shimmer of the Sword-Tailed Dragon’s scales, which floated a meter above the ground, casting radiant, shimmering light. He approached with a mix of reverence and anticipation, reaching out to touch the floating trophy.

—

[Trophies: Sword Slayer’s Sky Scale]: Gold-level trophies, the crown material of the Sword-Tailed Dragon. This component, when integrated into equipment, is rumored to produce a dream item of world-conquering caliber.

Includes special skills [Concentration lv.1], [Craftsmanship lv.2]

—

“Gold level loot!” Ryan exclaimed, his voice tinged with excitement.

“And it comes with third-level special skills!”

These skills were particularly beneficial for Ryan. The [Concentration] skill could reduce the charging time for his greatsword, a boon considering he had already acquired two levels of [Concentration] through earlier spoils like the [Crown of the Fire Umbrella] and [Red Fang]. The [Craftsmanship] skill originated from his first trophy, the [Crimson Horn].

Combined, these enhancements would provide:

– [Concentration lv.3]: Reduces the greatsword’s charging time by 20%, and increases the special energy bar accumulation speed by 20% (though the corresponding ability remained unmastered, rendering this effect dormant for now).

[Craftsmanship lv.3]: Weapon sharpness +4.

Elevating [Concentration] from 10% to 20% represented a significant leap for Ryan. This enhancement meant that potentially, his ordinary swings could eventually mimic charged attacks, no longer a mere fantasy, but a tangible goal within reach.

While the benefits of third-level [Craftsmanship] might seem modest, its utility was undeniable. Initial levels increased sharpness by only +1, but by level three, this boost escalated to +4. While sharpness might appear marginal for heavy weaponry like greatswords, its importance couldn’t be overstated.

Without sufficient sharpness, a weapon’s ability to breach enemy defenses diminishes, drastically reducing its damage output. For Ryan, each increment in sharpness was a step towards turning his blade into an unstoppable force, slicing through any armor standing between him and his quarry.

The concept of “Sharpness +4” might not offer explicit amplification data, but Ryan could feel its potency, it was a notch above the 30% enhancement of the [Meteoric Sword Amulet]. By his estimates, the improvement hovered around 40%. This meant that each increment of sharpness added approximately 10% to his weapon’s effectiveness.

With the combined enhancements from [Craftsmanship lv.3] and the [Meteoric Sword Amulet], his sword’s sharpness had soared by 70%. Even though the primary material of his [Great Sword·True Red Crown Horn] was forged from lesser [Upper] Unicorn elements, it was now robust enough to breach the defenses of even “Crown” class monsters.

Ryan’s thoughts drifted to the formidable [Crown] Sapphire Behemoth he had encountered. It was a creature that effortlessly drove off the other [Crown] and barely flinched under the assault of the fiery tail blade. This beast’s defenses clearly surpassed those of the Sword-Tailed Dragon he had faced.

Without the benefit of [Craftsmanship lv.3], Ryan would have faced the grim prospect of needing a completely new weapon to stand a chance.

For now, though, his immediate concern was his battered armor. Glancing down at his fractured [Ceratops Armor], he exhaled wearily. It had barely saved him during the last clash, if not for its protection, the “Joyful Explosion” might have been his last stand.