Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 228

Chapter 228: The Final Standoff!
A hundred meters from the epicenter of chaos, Ryan slowly lowered the arm armor that had shielded his face, his gaze piercing through the billowing smoke toward the [Crown] Blasting Dragon. Half of the beast’s face was shattered, revealing the stark whiteness of its skull beneath the remnants of its dark blue shell. Blood dripped steadily from the gruesome wound, each drop a stark testament to the dragon’s ferocity, it seemed more dangerous now, wounded and wild, like a tiger whipped into a bloodthirsty frenzy.

The Blasting Dragon breathed heavily, each exhale sending a swirl of light yellow powder into the air, causing the atmosphere around it to shimmer with the threat of imminent explosion. With ground-shaking force, it advanced toward Ryan, its steps gaining momentum like a locomotive thundering into action. Dark green slime molded its path, marking its trail with explosive dust and setting the stage for a perilous confrontation.

Ryan, ever the strategist, stood his ground. With calm precision, he raised his sword, adopting a stance primed for charging.

“Thump thump thump!”

As the distance closed to less than thirty meters, Ryan finalized his “three-stage charging.” Time was tight, leaving no room for the full potency of a “true charge.”

At that critical moment, the [Crown] Shattering Dragon’s limbs, now smeared with a dangerous mix of yellow and red slime, raised threateningly. The beast was poised to strike, a devastating blow imminent.

The wind howled around them, carrying the tension of the impending clash. Ryan, his focus unwavering, simply uttered, “Explode!”

A muffled detonation sounded from within the dragon’s rushing form, followed by the appearance of strange purple patterns across its shell. The internal “true damage” wreaked havoc, causing the massive creature to lose its footing. It stumbled and crashed to the ground, its head landing perfectly within the lethal reach of Ryan’s greatsword.

Ryan’s extensive battle experience allowed him to gauge distances with deadly accuracy. Amid the swirling dust, his sword now pulsated with the final surge of “True Charge,” fueled by his own blood channelled into the [Holy Relic – Embrace of Blood]. The [Secret of Fire] enhanced his damage potential while [Liberation of Power] boosted his critical hit chance to an impressive 65%.

As the [Grand] Blasting Dragon was still reeling from its explosive disruption, Ryan delivered another fierce blow to its head. The sound of cracking bone echoed as the greatsword deepened the existing wound, splitting the skull further.

Suddenly, the dragon, awakened by the severe pain, lashed out reflexively. Ryan, caught mid-air and at close range, had no opportunity to evade. A massive fist, larger than his entire body, struck him squarely.

“Boom——”

The impact sent him flying like a ragdoll, his form tracing a rapid, straight trajectory before slamming into the solid volcanic rock. His body created a concave crater upon impact, a stark imprint of the collision.

Coughing, Ryan extricated himself from the debris, his face ashen, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Despite the tremor in his hands and the evident pain, his resolve did not waver as he landed back on the ground, ready to continue the fight.

Despite drawing his sword in the nick of time to form a hasty defense, Ryan felt the full brunt of the Blasting Dragon’s assault as its massive fists and feet crashed against him with the force of a mountain avalanche. It was an overwhelming power, undeniable and crushing, reminding him painfully that human flesh and bone could hardly compare to the titanic strength of such a colossal creature.

The only way to stand a chance against these monstrous titans was to leverage every advantage he had: weapons, protective gear, and an arsenal of magical skills.

Thankfully, his [Reverse Blade Armor] proved its worth. Its formidable defensive capabilities, combined with the inherent damage reduction, meant that the impact of the Blasting Dragon’s punch inflicted less than 30% of the potential damage on Ryan’s body. Without such protection, he might have been reduced to nothing more than a gruesome remnant.

Ryan took a deep, steadying breath as the “Heart of Gluttony” within him whirred to life, accelerating his recovery from the recent trauma.

Emerging from the swirling smoke and dust, the Blasting Dragon had undergone a terrifying transformation. Its dark blue shell was now veined with crimson lines that pulsed like flowing magma. The dragon’s body had expanded, and with each of its newly energized limbs, it radiated a crushing aura of dread.

The air grew thick with a reddish mist as it exhaled, and from its stomping feet, dark green slime mold spread like wildfire across the lava basin. In mere seconds, it enveloped everything, layering even the magma with a viscous film. This expansive spread was reminiscent of the domain ability Ryan had witnessed in his final battle with the [Crown] Sword-Tailed Dragon, different in form, yet identical in its essence.

“Is this a power unique to the [Crown]?” Ryan mused, his voice low.

As the [Crown] Blasting Dragon entered its formidable “Red Flame Rage” state, Ryan was not idle. Sensing the climax of their confrontation approaching, he delved deep into his arsenal. From his space ring, he retrieved a red fruit and a piece of roasted meat, consuming them together. The meat, known as [Food War: Sword Dragon Slayer’s Sorrow], was particularly potent, enhancing his speed by 30% and potentially inflicting a debilitating “laceration” state upon his foes. The red fruit, a rare [Super Strength Fruit] he had gathered in the volcanic region, would boost his strength by 10% for the next three minutes.

But Ryan wasn’t finished. He deliberately cut his index finger with a sword-shaped amulet, then ran his bloodied fingers across the blade of his [Crown Dragon Slaying Greatsword], mysteriously increasing its heft.

Meanwhile, the [Crown] Blasting Dragon approached steadily, the air around it a volatile haze of light green slime mold spores. Any wrong move or external impact could trigger an explosive reaction, rendering ranged attacks like crossbow bolts useless, as they would be obliterated before even reaching their target.

With a determined stride, Ryan advanced toward the looming dragon. As he moved, a radiant spiritual light enveloped his body. He activated [Storm Battle Body] and [Joyful Frozen Aura], channeling both intense spirituality and enhanced physical prowess. His eyes blazed with a fiery passion for battle, and with a powerful flex of his legs, he surged forward to meet his formidable adversary head-on.

“Boom——”

Ryan catapulted into the sky, his body arcing like a meteorite as he collided with the formidable Blasting Dragon. As he breached the perimeter of the volatile “slime mold area,” the surrounding air ignited in a vibrant display of yellow and red explosions.

“BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”

The concussive forces battered Ryan’s blood barrier relentlessly, stretching it to its limits, threatening to shatter it at any moment.

Through the dense smoke of the explosions, a colossal fist and foot emerged, their trajectory altered from the earlier confrontations. This time, the dragon’s claws were outstretched, grasping, ensnaring Ryan within his fragile shield.

“Boom!”

With a ferocious grip, the

Blasting Dragon seized the spherical barrier encasing Ryan, slamming him into the earth below. The dragon’s other limbs, primed and ready, pounded down with relentless fury.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Each strike reverberated through the lava basin, mimicking seismic tremors. The ground beneath them cracked open, fissures sprawling out for meters. The dark green slime exploded with each contact, magnifying the devastation of each blow.

After the trio of brutal impacts, the dragon’s onslaught paused, not out of mercy, but from necessity. Its body, marred by cracks and oozing blood, showed signs of significant weakening, its aura diminished.

Buried in a crater now pooling with lava, Ryan was a grim sight, bleeding profusely from every orifice. Though still alive, his condition was dire. The dragon’s initial ambush had been too swift, too enveloping, leaving Ryan no chance to evade as he was driven into the ground.

In that moment of desperation, Ryan shifted his strategy. He transformed his [Joyful Frozen Aura] into the [Joyful Thorn Aura], a tactical move born from necessity.

[Joyful Thorn Aura]: This skill uses spirituality to condense invisible thorns, turning any damage received into a substantial rebound attack. After activating his [Storm Battle Body], Ryan’s spiritual power surged, ensuring that any enemy making contact would suffer nearly the full impact of their own assault as rebound damage.

With Ryan’s defenses, the actual harm he endured was lessened by his armor and skills, yet the damage returned to the dragon was raw and unmitigated. Consequently, each of the dragon’s strikes was devastatingly reflected back upon itself.

Though the successive blows nearly ended Ryan, the [Crown] Shattering Dragon fared worse, its energy spent, breathing laboriously, barely able to stand, let alone continue the assault.

The tide of battle had turned unexpectedly, now hinging on who could recuperate faster.

Vision blurred by blood, Ryan could only make out the vague silhouette of the dragon, each breath he took slicing through him like a blade. The residual force of the impact had exhausted his “gluttony,” the only thing that had kept him on the brink of survival.

Now, devoid of “gluttony,” his body’s natural healing processes were critically impaired. His limbs felt shattered, and he couldn’t even reach into his space ring to extract a [First-order Healing Crystal].

In the smoky haze of the battlefield, Ryan lay battered and bruised, his survival hanging by a thread as he faced the monstrous dragon, each waiting to see who would rise first.

In that suspended moment, time seemed to stretch into eternity.

The formidable Crown Blasting Dragon, now teetering on the brink of demise, could no longer sustain its “Slime Mold Field.” Even the once fearsome “Crimson Fury” that cloaked its form had dissipated.