Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Black Cage!
“Tap, tap… tap, tap…” The rhythmic sound echoed ominously through the narrow passageway.

Trailing a mere five meters behind the enigmatic Lord Sproul, Ryan paused in his steps. At the same moment, the dark blue veins beneath his feet surged against the natural flow, conjuring up a form from the ether. The figure materialized completely, topped with a billowing witch hat that danced lightly in the salty sea breeze.

It was none other than Freni.

At the sight of her, despair washed over the faces of Lord Sproul and the renowned “Sword Master” Il. They knew then the gravity of their predicament, three formidable opponents stood before them. The absence of “Roshan” Salem now made a cruel kind of sense to the pair.

With only Salem, the so-called ‘mountain of meat’, to oppose them, the outcome was foregone. The [Skull] they had so covetously sought had, unbeknownst to them, already changed hands.

Lord Slop’s eyes darted between Ryan and Freni, a horrible realization dawning upon him. His voice trembled, laden with fear, as he almost whispered, “You… you are the [Dark Moon Witch] Freni?”

“And you, Ryan Leland, the Son of Blood. Weren’t you but a mere mortal?”

“How can this be? What of the guidance of the [Golden Rule]? Are you… are you a professional?”

In the face of Lord Sproul’s frantic queries, Ryan and his companions remained silent, offering no explanations.

Ryan’s hand gravitated towards the hilt of his sword, poised for action, but Freni’s hand reached out, halting him with a gentle but firm grip.

“Not yet,” she cautioned, her voice melodious yet imbued with a gravity Ryan had never before detected.

Heeding her warning, Ryan stilled, his expression hardening.

Ignoring Lord Sproul and Il, Freni’s gaze pierced beyond them, settling on the shadows that lurked behind Il. Her voice, cool and measured, broke the tense silence. “You in the shadows, do you intend to wait for an invitation? Or did you think such feeble tricks could elude my sight?”

“Black Knight.”

A chuckle emerged from the darkness. “Indeed, I cannot hide from you, Freni…”

The shadow behind Il twisted and writhed, gradually coalescing into a figure clad in black light armor adorned with silver patterns, draped in a hooded robe. Beneath the broad brim of his hat, the glint of a silver and black metal mask was just visible, mysterious and foreboding.

“I initially just wanted to try my luck,” he confessed, the weight of recent events coloring his tone. “I figured, after such a long streak without any success, the least I could do was engage in a skirmish or two. But as it turns out, I stumbled upon quite the prize.”

“You were remarkably easy to track down, Dark Moon Witch, Miss Freni,” a voice intoned, growing louder with each syllable.

As the voice spoke, a rich spirituality emanated from its source, creating light black ripples that spread visibly through the air.

Ryan’s posture tensed, his eyes narrowing sharply. His gaze locked onto the figure known as the “Black Knight,” a formidable presence identified by Freni.

In that moment, a prompt in gray font flashed before his eyes:

[Zero Stam: 30 years old, 185 cm tall, a member of the New Black Knights, Level 2 [Black Knight], skilled in Black Knight Sword and Shield (Proficient). Warning: This individual is significantly stronger than you and is deemed invincible. Evacuate the vicinity immediately.]

Such an overpowering sense of dominance enveloped him, marking the first time Ryan had ever encountered a second-tier professional. The information displayed only confirmed the vast disparity in their powers.

Yet, despite his nerves, Ryan was not thrown into panic.

He knew he was no match for the [Black Knight] on his own, but he was not alone; he had formidable allies at his side.

He cast a sidelong glance at Freni and Cecilia. Even though he had just returned from his travels that morning, significantly more powerful than before, the prompts made it clear that both women were still out of his league compared to the [Black Knight].

Ryan understood Freni’s capabilities; she was not only a [First-Level Scholar] but also wielded the powers of the “Sea Witch.” However, Cecilia’s status puzzled him.

Both were first-level professionals, yet the prompt suggested no hope of victory. It wasn’t until he witnessed Cecilia’s clash with a sword-wielding professional that the pieces fell into place.

“Could that be the ‘Thorn Sword Skill (Mastery)’ mentioned in the prompt?” Ryan mused silently. It appeared that achieving mastery in a skill significantly amplified one’s combat effectiveness, far beyond his initial expectations.

Although Ryan had recently acquired the [Storm Sword Skill – Breaking Waves], his mastery of the technique was still at the “entry” level according to the virtual panel that tracked his progress. His mind raced with thoughts that were numerous yet fleeting.

Standing next to Freni, Ryan’s voice was grave as he asked, “Ms. Freni, how should we approach this battle?”

“How to fight?” Freni was about to respond when the [Black Knight] across from them burst into raucous laughter. The laugh was so loud and mocking that he doubled over: “Haha…hahahaha…Young Son of Blood, encountering me, do you think you stand a chance of survival?”

“You’d be wiser asking how to flee!” he jeered.

As the knight’s laughter echoed menacingly, his gaze, fierce and red beneath his mask, shifted to Freni. From the depths of his feet, shadows spread quickly, materializing into three hulking shadow hounds, each nearly half the size of a man.

With a theatrical flourish, the Black Knight gathered a swirling mass of dark energy in his raised hand.

“So, are you prepared, Miss Dark Moon Witch?” he taunted.

“Be cautious,” Freni advised urgently, her voice a rapid whisper to Ryan, “This is the Black Knight’s exclusive power, [Shadow Hound] and [Black Cage]. The [Shadow Hound] ability summons three beasts as formidable as first-level professionals. They are creatures of shadow, impervious to mere physical attacks.”

“[Black Cage] traps both the target and the caster in a spectral arena, where no outside interference can prevail. The battle must reach a definitive end before the cage will dissipate…”

Before Freni could outline a full strategy, the Black Knight slammed his palm, charged with black energy, onto the deck. The dark power surged, and in an instant, both Freni and the Black Knight vanished from sight.

Cecilia, not far from the action, had dashed forward at the first sign of the Black Knight’s movement. Alas, she was just moments too late; the Black Knight had activated [Black Cage] with astounding speed. Before she could even react, the three shadow hounds were upon her.

Meanwhile, Lord Sproul and the “Sword Master” Il exchanged a knowing glance, silently forging an understanding between them as the chaos unfolded.

The air filled with the haunting melody of the piano, weaving a spell that seemed to touch both Il and the three shadow hounds accompanying him. Despite their deceptively mundane names, these creatures were formidable adversaries, fearless and peerlessly aggressive. Not even Lord Sproul or Il could confidently claim victory in a solitary confrontation with any one of these hounds, especially now as they were fortified by the eerie chorus of the War Song.

In this charged atmosphere, the trio found their strategy aligning. They turned their focus towards Ryan, who, despite his ominous presence as the “Son of Blood” with a greatsword slung across his back, appeared to be the least threatening among the defenders of the Black Skull.

“If we dispatch him quickly,” they reasoned, “we can then regroup with the shadow hounds to subdue the daunting female knight. Once the Black Knight joins the fray, victory will be within our grasp.”

Ryan exhaled softly, his breath steaming in the cool air as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his greatsword, Ferocious Ice Flower. The unfolding scenario was not what he had anticipated, but he was far from defeated. The battlefield’s dynamics shifted unpredictably with the sudden appearance of a formidable second-order black knight, turning the tide in favor of the enemy.

Ryan’s comrades were quickly entangled, leaving him exposed to the enemy’s advance. “So be it,” Ryan thought, his resolve hardening. “Let’s see how they handle their match.”

With a metallic cry sharp as a dragon’s roar, Ryan unsheathed Ferocious Ice Flower, ready to face whatever challenges came hurtling his way.