Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Dance of Ice and Thunder!
As the dust settled, a silence fell over the forest, muting even the faintest rustle of leaves and the usual symphony of insect calls.

Hidden behind a towering tree, Ryan inhaled sharply, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword sheathed on his back. With his presence now revealed, there was only one path forward, combat.

A fierce determination kindled in his steely eyes, slowly transforming into a blazing resolve. This was his arena, a realm where he could battle with abandon, freed from the shackles of mortality.

Such reckless exhilaration…

Nearby, the cold hunter, the Static Thunder Dragon, approached with silent, graceful steps. An almost electric charge shimmered along the snow-white hairs bristling on its tail, creating a palpable tension in the air.

Despite its massive frame, the creature moved with astonishing stealth.

Twenty meters, then fifteen…

As the gap closed to just ten meters, the dragon’s white fur bristled dramatically, crackling with static energy. In the blink of an eye, its form blurred, transforming into a swift blue shadow that lunged at Ryan.

“It’s on now!” Ryan exclaimed, his voice a mix of thrill and wariness.

He drew his silver-blue blade in a swift arc, its gleam slicing through the dim light of the forest. With a resounding clash, the dragon’s formidable claws, nearly as long as a man is tall, swiped down. But Ryan met the attack head-on, his blade intercepting the strike.

The impact drove him back, his boots sinking into the soft earth, yet he stood unyielding.

Facing this Static Thunder Dragon, a lesser threat compared to the dragon-headed giant crab he had battled before, Ryan felt a surge of confidence. His physical strength, nearly eight times that of an ordinary man, may not match that of some legendary warriors, but it was more than enough to hold his ground against this formidable beast.

Static Thunder Dragon: An ancient forest dweller of the dragon lineage, adept at using the friction between its hairs and specialized organs to generate bursts of static electricity. It can unleash powerful electric shocks through its tail and head. Its barbed claws not only enable it to deftly maneuver through the trees but also endow it with extraordinary agility.

‘You are under immense pressure!’ the system notification declared, yet Ryan’s he only become more determined, ready to turn the tide of this electrifying confrontation.

As Ryan skimmed the text in gray, his pupils constricted sharply.

—heavy pressure.

This grim warning revealed that the “Static Thunder Dragon” before him far surpassed his own power, a chasm as vast as the one that had existed between him and the colossal crab when he was but a level 4 novice.

But did that matter?

In the past, he’d faced the dragon-headed giant crab without suitable weapons or the knowledge of the [Storm Sword Skill]. Fear had not ruled him then, nor would it now. With a fierce shout, Ryan unleashed his spirit in a powerful wave.

[High-spirited War Cry] echoed through the air, momentarily disorienting the Static Thunder Dragon, its scarlet eyes clouded with confusion. Seizing the moment under the “morale boost” effect, which amplified his strength and speed, Ryan stepped back, freeing his great sword from the dragon’s oppressive force. He slung the heavy blade onto his shoulder, beginning to gather energy for his next move.

Yet, to Ryan’s dismay, clarity returned to the dragon’s gaze in less than a second. The effect of his war cry on the Static Thunder Dragon was significantly less than it had been on the giant crab, likely due to the sound waves dissipating in the open air.

Realizing he couldn’t afford to charge his attack fully, Ryan swung his sword in a desperate, partially-powered strike of the [Storm Sword Skill – Breaking Wave].

“Take this—”

The blade cleaved through the air, striking the dragon’s scales and tearing a deep gash. Blue blood sprayed into the air. Ryan had aimed for the head, but in a swift evasion, the dragon twisted, redirecting the blow to its right forelimb.

The Static Thunder Dragon hissed in pain, the sound blasting Ryan’s ears at such close range that he momentarily felt the full force of his own war cry.

Thankfully, the icy chill emanating from his blade, the [Big Sword: Ferocious Ice Flower], snapped him out of the brief disorientation. Instantly, he assumed a defensive stance.

But the anticipated counterattack did not come.

Writhing in agony, the Static Thunder Dragon recoiled, swiftly coiling around the trunk of a massive tree. It perched there, glaring down at Ryan with newfound wariness, particularly towards the sword that had wounded it. Its body trembled, and the scarlet in its eyes deepened, signaling a mix of pain and escalating fury.

As the Static Thunder Dragon trembled, the thick white hairs along its spine and edges bristled, emitting a crisp, crackling sound as violent light blue electric currents surged through them. From afar, the dragon appeared to swell in size, its aura seething with fury.

Ryan’s expression grew more guarded. The dragon’s current state reminded him of the dragon-headed giant crab when it entered its “berserk mode,” triggered by the approaching “Red Sun.” However, this Static Thunder Dragon’s transformation seemed unrelated to external influences but was no less daunting.

The threat posed by the dragon in this “explosive” state had escalated dramatically.

The two adversaries, man and lizard, locked eyes in a standoff, one above and one below. The Static Thunder Dragon moved slowly, meticulously searching for any vulnerability in Ryan’s defense, while Ryan continuously adjusted his stance, bracing for the onslaught he knew was imminent.

Time seemed to dilate, stretching each second into eternity.

Without warning, the Static Thunder Dragon sprang into action. With a swish and a subtle crackle of electricity, it vanished from Ryan’s direct line of sight.

A gust carrying the acrid scent of ozone struck Ryan from behind. Though not taken aback, thanks to his readiness, he pivoted on his right foot, executing a swift half-turn. His sword traced a flawless semicircle in the air, aiming a slashing counter at the dragon as it attacked from behind.

“Cang!”

His great sword met the dragon’s electrically charged scaly tail in mid-strike.

The collision resonated a metallic hum, unleashing a force triple in intensity than any before. The impact hurled Ryan backward, tumbling across the forest floor until his back slammed against a massive tree, halting his momentum.

Electric currents, remnants of the dragon’s attack, lingered in his hands and around his body. They tingled painfully, numbing his limbs and sapping his ability to move, leaving him temporarily paralyzed in the aftermath of the clash.

In his current state, Ryan was utterly defenseless. Should the Static Thunder Dragon decide to press its attack, his travelling avatar would surely perish.

Mercifully, the dragon was faring no better.

Its massive scaly tail, wounded by Ryan’s [Great Sword: Fierce Ice Flower], now bore a spreading frost that began at the gash and extended outward, encompassing the previous injury on its right limb. This encroaching ice not only stifled the pain but also interfered with the dragon’s ability to generate static electricity, effectively forcing it out of its “explosive” state.

Within a couple of seconds, Ryan noticed the electric currents around him begin to ebb. Though a residual tingling remained, it no longer hindered his movements.

He rose to his feet, clutching his great sword, and observed the fading frost on the dragon’s body, which still lingered at a distance.

Once again, man and dragon squared off, the tension palpable between them.

After a tense ten seconds, the Static Thunder Dragon began to back away slowly, its retreat marked by a cautious, deliberate pace.

It had conceded.

Confronted with an adversary capable of inflicting serious harm, the dragon opted for retreat, a rational and instinctual decision.

This behavior is common in the natural world. Predators, when faced with prey that can match them in strength or cause significant injury during the hunt, typically abandon the pursuit unless driven by extreme hunger.

In this instance, the risks clearly outweighed the potential rewards.