Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 248

Chapter 248: Apostle of Joy], career compatibility 100%!
The Fourth Black Knight’s body skidded across the ground after being thrown dozens of meters, landing with a heavy thud. Pain shot through his body as he tried to push himself up, his vision swimming for a moment. He caught a glimpse of his broken **[Shadow Armor]**, shattered across his chest, and the once-pristine **[Middle Black Knight Armor]** beneath it, now fractured and compromised. His eyes twitched in disbelief.

*”What kind of monster is this?”* he thought, his mind racing. Was this Ryan Rayland some kind of sea creature disguised as a man? A giant trapped in a human’s body? Nothing made sense.

Raising a hand to wipe the blood dripping from his chin, the Black Knight’s gaze hardened. His cruelty returned, mixed with desperation. Everything he had witnessed in this fight went against the kingdom’s intelligence reports. Ryan Rayland, the wanted criminal supposedly no more than a second-level threat, possibly a third, was nothing like they had been led to believe.

*This isn’t a human.*

This was a **monster**—a humanoid force of nature, the kind even he, an elite Black Knight, had no chance of defeating in a fair fight. Yet, here he was, facing down this impossible foe. There was no room for retreat. He had only one option left: to give everything he had, or die trying.

Before he could finish his thoughts, a powerful gust of wind signaled Ryan’s sudden appearance in front of him, the greatsword already descending from above. Charged with raw spiritual energy, the blade sliced through the air, the force of it enough to make the atmosphere tremble. The sheer pressure of the attack sent shockwaves through the battlefield. The Black Knight could feel it—if this blow connected, it would cleave him in two.

But the Black Knight didn’t raise his sword to block. Instead, in a swift, desperate move, he brought his left hand up, fingers forming a gesture with his index and middle finger pressed together at the center of his brow.

Suddenly, a black ripple expanded from the Black Knight’s position, warping the space around them. Ryan’s assault was abruptly halted, a powerful thrust forcing him back, pushing him more than ten meters away from his target. The air around them distorted as if reality itself was bending to the will of the dark power now being unleashed.

The Black Knight exhaled slowly, regaining his stance. He was now surrounded by a dark, cube-shaped space—**[The Black Cage]**. This was no ordinary technique. It was a signature ability of the Black Knights, one they learned upon reaching the second tier of their profession, a space designed specifically to trap witches and the most dangerous of individuals.

What outsiders didn’t know was that **[The Black Cage]** wasn’t just a standard ability. It could be strengthened as a Black Knight ascended in rank, sacrificing growth potential for a hyper-specialized power—a cage that could imprison even the strongest of enemies.

And now, Ryan was trapped inside.

Ryan stood motionless within the confines of the **[Level 4 Black Cage]**, his movements sluggish. It was as though invisible hands of shadow were gripping him from all sides, restricting every action. His breaths came slow and labored, each one taking more effort than the last. Even his spiritual power, which had surged through him like a river, now felt like it was trickling away, draining steadily.

It was subtle but undeniable—his energy was being sapped by the second.

The Black Knight hovered a meter above the ground, suspended in the air like a dark wraith. Shadows from all corners of the cage swirled toward him, converging into a writhing mass of power that seemed to feed him, growing stronger as time passed.

“Welcome to my hunting ground…” the Black Knight sneered, his voice low and filled with malice. His eyes gleamed with a cruel satisfaction. In this space, he was the master, the ruler of a twisted domain where all who entered were subjected to his will.

Ryan, though imprisoned, met his gaze without fear. But the Black Knight knew that the odds had shifted. Here, within **The Black Cage**, he was no longer at the mercy of Ryan’s monstrous strength. Here, Ryan was just another **prisoner**.

The knight’s lips curled into a sinister smile as he savored the moment. In this cage, there would be no quick death for Ryan. Only **torture** and **destruction**, drawn out until there was nothing left.

The battlefield was his now, and Ryan would soon learn the true meaning of despair.

Ryan said nothing as he took a deliberate step forward, his gaze fixed on the four Black Knights. His footsteps echoed within the shadowy confines of the **[Black Cage]**, a place he had once dreaded. He remembered vividly how, in the past, he had stood helplessly outside this very cage, watching as Freni had been pulled into its depths. Back then, he could do nothing but wait, powerless, for the outcome. But this time was different.

This time, **he** was the one trapped within the cage. And now, he had the power to determine the ending himself.

Golden flames flickered to life along Ryan’s body, swirling and mingling with the blood that still clung to his wounds. The resulting mix of blood and flame took on a striking, molten **blood-gold** hue. His body surged with energy, marking his entrance into the fabled **third stage** of power.

The Black Knights’ eyes narrowed in response. They could feel his strength building, his aura swelling to an overwhelming peak. In an instant, countless shadowy chains, each one etched with intricate, glowing runes, shot from every direction, aiming to ensnare Ryan, to stop him in his tracks.

But Ryan was ready.

Two **blood cores** formed on his shoulders, swirling into existence with a dark red glow. They expanded quickly, forming a **blood-red barrier** around him, shimmering with energy. The chains struck the barrier, but every impact only caused ripples to dance across its surface. Each strike dimmed the blood cores slightly, but the barrier held firm, deflecting the chains effortlessly.

Ryan’s eyes locked onto the four Black Knights, his voice a low whisper, carrying a weight that echoed through the cage.

**”It’s time to end this…”**

As the words left his lips, Ryan’s body blurred, dissolving into a streak of blood-gold light. In a flash, he launched himself toward the Black Knights.

**——[Special Sword Skill: Collision Attack (Blade Heart)]!**

Moving faster than the eye could track, Ryan tore through the invisible hands of shadow that tried to grab hold of him. Each barrier shattered like glass before his blood-gold flames, burning away the darkness as he surged forward.

The Black Knights frantically summoned their power, conjuring a wall of crossed shadow blades, each one aimed at stopping his approach. But Ryan didn’t flinch. He let the shadow blades strike his body, trusting in his **Blade Heart**-enhanced **Domineering Blood Membrane** to absorb the attacks.

**Clang!**

The force of his attack was like a hammer hitting steel, sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. The impact caused the visors of the Black Knights to snap off, revealing the twisted, enraged face of the middle-aged man beneath. His eyes bulged with fury, veins pulsing as he roared in defiance.

**”Aaaaarghhh—!”**

With all the strength he had left, the Black Knight tried to resist the greatsword bearing down on him. His arms shook, muscles straining as he pushed back against the inevitable.

Ryan’s face remained cold, unbothered by the knight’s desperate struggle. His grip tightened on the hilt of his greatsword, and with a single, forceful movement, he pressed down harder.

**Crack.**

A sharp, clean sound echoed through the air as the Black Knight’s sword snapped in two, unable to withstand the pressure.

**Sizzle—**

In one smooth, final motion, Ryan’s blade cut clean through the Black Knight’s body, slicing him in half. As his opponent’s form collapsed, the **[Black Cage]** shattered with it, the dark space dissolving into nothingness. Ryan found himself once more standing in the open world, the oppressive shadows retreating as the barrier broke.

Hundreds of meters away, the shadows recoiled and surged backward, reforming into the bodies of the four Black Knights. They stood, barely, their faces pale, drained of all color. One of them—eyes wide with fear—realized the danger they were in. He didn’t wait, didn’t hesitate. Panic surged through him as he turned on his heel and fled, running as fast as his legs could carry him. His mind was consumed by terror, so much so that he didn’t even think to warn his fellow Black Knight, still frozen nearby in disbelief.

There was only one thought in his mind now: **escape**.

Though the battle between Ryan and the four Black Knights seemed to stretch on in intensity, in reality, less than a minute had passed. The scene that unfolded left even Durand, watching from a distance, stunned and speechless.

The remaining Black Knights, now desperate and retreating, attempted to flee. Ryan, however, showed no intention of chasing them. He watched them run for a moment before raising his hand. The dark gold, blood-patterned gloves he wore glowed faintly, and in his palm, a blood-red spiral spear materialized—deadly and precise.

With a calm step forward, Ryan bent at the waist, muscles coiling as he gathered strength. In one fluid motion, he launched the **Blood Spear** with devastating force. The air crackled as it was torn apart by the speed of the throw, shockwaves rippling in its wake. Powered by **[Brave Strike]** and his **[Storm Battle Body]**, the spear’s velocity surpassed the sound barrier.

Before the fleeing Black Knights had a chance to react, the spear found its mark.

**Pop!**

The spear pierced through the heart of one knight, and with such force that it left a hole clean through his chest, the wound so deep it was visible from the back. The others stumbled as the life drained from their comrade.

The Black Knight staggered forward a few steps, then collapsed to the ground, his strength completely gone. The other knights faltered, realizing the fate that awaited them.

Ryan approached the fallen knights with measured steps, the sound of his boots tapping against the ground. His gaze was cold, devoid of mercy. Without hesitation, he swung his sword in a swift arc, and the head of the lead Black Knight rolled to the ground, his eyes still wide with confusion and disbelief.

Even at the very end, the knights couldn’t comprehend how a mere man—one who had never wielded the forbidden powers of magic—could possess strength far beyond anything they had ever encountered. Their questions, however, would never be answered.

As the blood sprayed into the air like a dark flower in bloom, it marked the end of the fourth Black Knight, a warrior of legendary strength capable of hunting fourth-tier witches. Yet here he lay, defeated.

Ryan exhaled lightly, his body relaxing as the tension of battle dissipated. The fight had been easier than he had expected. Among the many factors that contributed to his victory, his newly acquired sword skill, **[Blade Heart]**, had been crucial. The ability to channel such force in close combat had tipped the scales in his favor, reinforcing the importance of charge-type skills for melee fighters like himself.

For a close-quarters warrior, the ability to close the gap quickly and strike was invaluable.

As he reflected on the fight, a series of notifications flashed before his eyes, illuminating his internal status panel.

——

**[Defeat the fourth Black Knight, remove the threat, and your body and mind feel the ultimate joy…]**

**[[Tide of Pain]’s “Joy after Pain” is perfectly achieved! Received 100% professional bonus for compatibility: Spirituality +4, Physicality +4 (cumulative)]**

**[Gain the following permanent benefit: Special skill [Dragon Power (Master)] – In any physical action, such as jumping, attacking, or blocking, strength judgment is +4. (Effectiveness decreases if the opponent’s rank is one tier higher: three-quarters effective; two tiers higher: one-quarter effective; three tiers higher: ineffective.)]**

**[Having completed “Joy after Pain” four times, the compatibility of [Apostle of Joy (Level 2)] has reached 100%… Judgment in progress… Judgment passed!]**

**[You can now obtain the employment information for the third-tier hidden profession along the path of Original Sin!]**

——

Ryan’s lips twitched in a faint smile. The satisfaction of his progress settled over him like a wave of calm. With each battle, he drew closer to unlocking the full potential of his abilities.

The four Black Knights were no more, but their defeat marked a turning point. Ryan had not only won a battle; he had gained something far more valuable: a deeper mastery of himself.