Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 238

Chapter 238: Heart of the Blade!
The initial exchange had laid bare the stark disparity in power between Ryan and the corpse dragon. In his past battles, the Sword-Tailed Dragon and Blasting Dragon, formidable as they were, had only possessed “Crown One Star” strength. This corpse dragon, with its sheer physical prowess and mastery over miasma, undoubtedly reached, or even surpassed, the “Crown Two Star” level, flirting with the upper echelons of draconic might.

The chasm between the [Upper Rank] and the [Crown Rank] was not merely wide, it was a gulf.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Ryan acknowledged the grim reality: victory was unlikely. His current goal shifted from conquest to reconnaissance; he needed to probe the corpse dragon’s capabilities to prepare for any future encounters.

With a resolve steeled by necessity, Ryan let the blade-shaped amulet slice across his fingertips, smearing his blood along the greatsword’s edge, enhancing its lethal weight.

His aura flared as he charged, the spiritual energy cloaking him flickering with vibrant hues of blue and green, the activation of [Storm Battle Body] evident. On his greatsword, the black dragon soul glinted menacingly, the enchantment [Food War: Sword-Tailed Dragon’s Sorrow] propelling him forward with enhanced speed.

Blood suffused the air around his hands, absorbing vitality from his veins, catapulting him into the formidable “third stage” of his combat form. Unlike previous skirmishes where he might have held back, Ryan dove into this fray at full strength, determined to unravel as much of the corpse dragon’s strategy as possible in this dire confrontation.

At this moment, the sheer force of Ryan’s relentless advance finally shifted the corpse dragon’s perception of him. No longer was Ryan seen as an insignificant threat, easily crushed and forgotten. Instead, the dragon’s eyes narrowed with a glint of serious recognition, acknowledging him as formidable prey.

The air thickened around them, almost tangible in its resistance as Ryan, like a dark specter, closed the distance to the dragon with startling swiftness.

With a thunderous roar that echoed ominously through the cavern, the dragon unleashed a storm of gray-white miasma that billowed violently in all directions.

This time, Ryan stood his ground.

Twin “blood cores” materialized on his shoulders, pulsing vividly as they conjured a robust “blood barrier” that enveloped him, warding off the miasma’s corrosive embrace.

His greatsword rested on his shoulder as he began to gather his formidable strength.

“Thump—thump—thump!”

Ryan’s energy surged, completing the three stages of charging in mere moments. Yet, before he could harness his full power, a slender dragon tail whipped through the swirling miasma with lethal intent.

The air shrieked under the tail’s assault, and as it struck, the blood barrier shattered, fracturing under the impact before erupting into a shower of crimson shards.

Undeterred, the dragon’s tail, still carrying devastating momentum, swept inexorably toward Ryan. The tail, deceptively slender yet packed with lethal force, threatened to surpass even the fearsome tail sweeps of the [Grand] Sword Dragon. Even clad in his Grand Armor, Ryan knew a direct hit could spell catastrophic injuries or worse.

In this critical moment, Ryan’s resolve was unshakable.

A blood-red aura flared around him as he activated the [Special Sword Skill – Attack Collision], countering the deadly sweep. The “Blood Demon of Tyranny” armor held fast, protecting him from interruption as he charged his attack.

A bloody gash burst upon the silver-white dragon’s tail as it recoiled slightly, the wound a direct result of the [Joyful Thorn Aura]’s retaliatory strike.

“Kill!”

Ryan’s roar echoed as he unleashed the pent-up power and spirituality within him. The greatsword slashed through the air, trailed by a spiritual flame that extended several meters behind it, a fiery testament to his power.

The empowered “True Sword,” bolstered by full buffs, struck true, cleaving into the corpse dragon’s head with a ground-shaking impact.

“Boom!”

The ground beneath them fractured, sending up clouds of dust and miasma. The recoil of the strike forced Ryan’s sword upward, and he staggered back, each step leaving deep, ragged indentations in the rocky floor.

Green dragon blood sprayed wildly, mingling with the dragon’s enraged roar. As Ryan regained his footing, a silver-white dragon claw emerged from the settling smoke and dust, lunging at him with unexpected speed.

“Bang!”

Caught off-guard after his mighty blow, Ryan had no time to raise a defense. The dragon claw struck him squarely on the chest with crushing force.

“Crack!”

The sound of his breastplate fracturing was ominous. Propelled backwards, Ryan’s body traced a bloody arc through the air.

“Ahem…” he coughed, the taste of iron sharp in his mouth as he struggled to right himself in the aftermath of the blow.

A hundred meters from the conflict, Ryan was half-kneeling on the blood-soaked ground. His armor, a patchwork of plate and pain, wept crimson from every joint and seam. Inside, the “Heart of Gluttony” churned frantically, striving to mend his battered body, but recovery was agonizingly slow.

Lifting his gaze, Ryan watched the corpse dragon emerge from a cloud of swirling dust and miasma. Silence enveloped him as he assessed the wound he had inflicted; a narrow, shallow gash across the dragon’s head. Despite the force behind his strike, it had barely made a dent in the dragon’s formidable defenses. This was his mightiest blow, and yet, it was woefully insufficient.

The reality of the chasm between their powers settled heavily upon him. At that moment, only four “Gospel Seals” were affixed to the dragon. Without a fifth, detonation was impossible. The odds of landing another successful hit or surviving another of the dragon’s devastating strikes were virtually nil. Despair crept into Ryan’s heart as he considered the futility of his efforts.

He knew even if he could discern the dragon’s tactics, the disparity was too great. Trapped on this mysterious island, his options for advancement were bleak, with only the formidable corpse dragon and the enigmatic “dark green loofah” as potential adversaries, his path to leveling up seemed utterly blocked.

Far off, the corpse dragon reared its head, the air around it coalescing into a dense, ominous miasma. It was clear that a devastating miasmic breath was imminent, signaling what might be the end of Ryan’s journey.

Clenching his teeth, Ryan wrestled with his resignation. Courage alone could not bridge the gap in their strength. No last-minute surge of power would save him now.

“Is it over…” he murmured, head bowed in defeat.

Yet, as despair threatened to overwhelm him, a glint of brilliant blue caught his eye from the depths of a crack in his fractured breastplate. The [Sacred Relic – Azure Medal] shone brightly, stirring something within him, a flicker of hope, perhaps, or the promise of untapped power.

In that moment, a message appeared, as if in response to his dire situation:

[You have successfully completed 100 special sword skills. The [Weapon – Great Sword] derivative skill tree unlocks a new sword skill – [Special Sword Skill – Blade Heart]]

[Special Sword Skill·Blade Heart]: This skill uses your own “blood” to forge two “Blade Hearts” within your body. These hearts amplify your existing sword skills, [Attack Collision] and [Defense Collision], pushing them beyond their limits and unveiling new, more powerful effects…

A surge of resolve washed over Ryan. With this new ability, perhaps he could turn the tide. The battle was not over yet, and with the [Blade Heart], he might just find a way to bridge the gap between desperation and deliverance.

Surprise and excitement mingled in Ryan’s eyes, emotions that shimmered with the intensity of a newly forged blade. It had been so long since he last delved into the depths of the [Weapon – Greatsword] skill tree that he had almost forgotten its potential. Now, in this dire moment, the tree had blossomed forth a new skill, as unexpected as it was vital.

The display panel flickered with an extensive explanation of the “Posture and Effect” of the new skill, but Ryan spared it no glance. Time was a luxury he couldn’t afford as the corpse dragon unleashed a corrosive breath that threatened to devour everything in its path.

Without hesitation, Ryan invoked the newly acquired Blade Heart to amplify his [Special Sword Skill – Collision Attack]. The twin Blade Hearts, freshly formed and brimming with potential, resided innately within him, their presence invisible yet palpably felt by his soul, a profound manifestation of blood, energy, and spiritual will.

This enhancement transformed the familiar [Special Sword Skill – Charge Attack] into something extraordinary. Originally designed to allow a short, protective charge that formed a “dominant blood membrane” during enemy attacks, the skill now propelled him across the battlefield with staggering speed and reach.

This was no longer just a collision, it was a Charge.

“Ding!”

Ryan’s form blurred into a streak of light, slashing through the space between him and the dragon in an instant. The surrounding scenery turned into a smudged whirl of colors as he moved faster than sound, rendering the miasmic attack futile as it sprayed downward in confused circles.

Empowered by the Blade Heart, the “dominant blood film” enveloping him thickened, withstanding the miasmic layers that tried in vain to erode it. As Ryan closed the distance, his greatsword swept upward from below, striking the underbelly of the dragon’s jaw with the full force of his supersonic assault