Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 229

Chapter 229: Victory Celebration Cut Short!
For an endless minute, man and beast locked gazes, neither yielding.

Amidst this standoff, the dragon’s fist quivered slightly, a sign of life as it struggled to muster what little strength it had regained.

Beneath his helmet, Ryan’s face broke into a defiant grin as the shadow of death loomed over him. The remnants of the Grand Stegosaurus meat he had ingested earlier had now fully digested, rewarding him with a crucial point of “Gluttony.” This minute gain fueled his recovery from the minor wounds inflicted upon him in the fierce battle.

With a swift motion, Ryan scooped up a piece of gravel, flipped his wrist, and hurled it at the Grand Shattering Dragon before him. The impact was inconsequential, a mere annoyance to the gravely wounded dragon that still boasted a formidable defense despite its dire state.

As the dragon’s colossal fist and foot drew back, poised to deliver a final devastating blow, Ryan lay at the bottom of a vast pit, his parched lips parting to utter a single word: “Explode.”

With a resounding “Bang!”, a surge of dark purple energy erupted within the dragon, triggered by the culminating fifth layer of the “Mark of Gospel.” This cataclysmic burst proved to be the decisive blow, draining the last vestiges of life from the dragon’s eyes.

The dragon’s massive limbs descended with crushing force, stirring a cloud of dust as they came crashing down. But without its master’s guidance, the attack veered off course, slamming into the pit’s edge and sparing Ryan from the intended impact.

Time passed before Ryan could muster the strength to extricate himself from the debris-filled pit. Clinging to a First-Order Healing Crystal, he managed to recuperate some of his vitality and mend his wounds.

Standing upright, leaning on his greatsword for support, Ryan gazed solemnly at the Blasting Dragon. The beast, still poised in a defiant gesture even in death, inspired a gesture of respect from Ryan. He bowed his head slightly and raised his hand in a knightly salute, honoring the formidable adversary.

As the dust settled, a brilliant golden light began to shimmer from the remains, a golden loot dropped by the Crown Blasting Dragon. It was the Blasting Dragon’s Sky Shell, a crown material renowned as the hardest part of its anatomy. Legend had it that items crafted from this material could wield world-altering power.

Included with this prized loot was a special skill enhancement, [Furious Punishment lv.3]. This skill would significantly boost Ryan’s damage output and critical hit rate by 10% whenever an enemy entered a “furious” state, an invaluable advantage considering his upcoming challenges.

Holding the golden artifact in his hands, Ryan’s expression mixed awe with anticipation. Each enemy he faced now seemed to possess some form of “violent” ability, making this new skill a formidable addition to his arsenal.

After securing the treasure, Ryan paused to reflect on his journey. He glanced at his level progress bar, now at 17 (51%), and sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and unyielded determination etched across his face. The path ahead was long, but with each battle, he grew stronger, his resolve ever firmer.

Drawing from his past encounters, Ryan understood that while the [Crown] Blasting Dragon boasted slightly more strength than the [Grand] Sword-Tailed Dragon, fundamentally, both titans stood on the same echelon of power: the elite “Crown One Star” level.

Yet, the experience points rewarded by the recent downfall of the Blasting Dragon weren’t substantial enough to push Ryan to his newly attained level 17.

However, the battle was not without its gains.

Glancing at the virtual panel floating before him, Ryan read the freshly updated notifications:

——

[Despite your weakened state, you have vanquished a ‘crown’ monster, bathing your spirit and physique in supreme elation…]

[The ‘Tide of Pain’s “Joy after Pain” sequence is flawlessly executed! You’ve earned a 50% professional compatibility bonus: +2 Spirituality, +2 Physical Fitness (accumulative).]

[Permanent gains include: Special skill [Dragon Power (Mastery)] – Enhances strength evaluations during actions such as jumping, attacking, and blocking. A +2 increase in strength judgment applies, halved against foes one rank higher and null against those two ranks higher.]

——

With the triumph over the dragon, the previously stagnant career compatibility percentage shattered past the 50% mark.

Though the professional bonus was modest, it was a step forward. Ryan particularly valued the elevation of “Dragon Power” to Mastery level and the prospective augmentation of his “Pain Value.”

This “strength judgment” effect, akin to a 20% enhancement in his physical prowess, was invaluable.

As his body recuperated, his “Pain Value” would climb to 75%, enhancing both his spiritual and physical capabilities dramatically. This progress promised easier conquests of crown monsters in future encounters.

While devouring the meat to replenish his strength, Ryan began harvesting the valuable body materials from the [Crown] Sword-Tailed Dragon.

Just as he was wrapping up, a sudden, oppressive sensation washed over him, as if monstrous eyes, filled with despotic tyranny, were fixed upon him.

His very cells quivered under the gaze, imbued with a voracious desire that seemed to hunger to devour the world itself.

This same ravenous impulse triggered a responsive surge of “gluttony” within Ryan.

Amidst this overwhelming sensation, Ryan sensed a fierce roar emanating from within him, the sound reverberating through his body, breaking the paralyzing effect of being “locked in gaze.”

Whirling around sharply, Ryan’s eyes scanned the horizon.

Several hundred meters away, along the path leading to the lava basin, a massive dark green figure lumbered towards him, radiating a palpable, frenzied aura that seemed eager to consume anything in its path.

The air shimmered with heat as molten magma scorched the landscape, distorting the very atmosphere itself with its blistering fury.

Ryan’s heart sank as he caught sight of the massive, dark green creature lumbering towards him from afar. His face contorted into a grimace, reflecting the direness of their predicament. Having just narrowly emerged victorious from a grueling battle with the formidable Grand Shattering Dragon, Ryan was weary. His strength had only partially returned, courtesy of the modest healing effects of the upgraded Warm Current, yet he was nowhere near full capacity.

In his current state, the prospect of facing this new monstrous entity, a beast that seemed to tower even above the notorious Top-Level Blasting Dragon in terms of sheer power was daunting. Despite the distance, Ryan’s keen hunter instincts immediately sensed the greater danger posed by this odd, loofah-shaped dark green monster.

He recalled the recent battle where the so-called Crown Blasting Dragon had fiercely clashed with him, he seem to recall that the dragon was injured by something, leaving it grievously wounded in a surprisingly short span. This dark green behemoth before him was undoubtedly the true terror of that encounter. If the Crown Blasting Dragon was ranked as a “Crown One Star,” then this enigmatic “Dark Green monster” must rank as a “Crown Two Star,” or perhaps even higher.

Ryan’s grip on his greatsword tightened, his palms slick with perspiration. He leaned forward, bending his knees in preparation to spring into action. Despite his diminished condition and the slim chances of victory, surrender was not an option for him. If this was to be his end, he would ensure it was not in vain. Perhaps, in confronting this beast, he could glean vital information that might aid others.

Unfortunately, at several hundred meters away, Ryan’s device failed to provide any insights into the “Dark Green Monster.” As if sensing Ryan’s gaze, the creature suddenly accelerated, its movements peculiar and oddly elliptical, closing the distance rapidly.

As it drew near, the creature reared up, gathering energy before unleashing a torrent of bizarre purple-red energy from its gaping maw. Ryan attempted to evade, but the blast was too swift, covering the hundred meters between them in a mere blink. The energy engulfed him, overwhelming his senses with a cacophony of pain, explosion, burning, numbness, cold.

This purple-red energy was unlike anything Ryan had ever encountered, and it ravaged his already battered body mercilessly. As darkness clawed at the edges of his consciousness, Ryan fixed an unwavering gaze on the “Dark Green beast” standing a hundred meters away.

“I’ll remember you…” he vowed silently, as the world around him faded into obscurity.