Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Sea of ​​Fire!
“Boom!”

With a thunderous crash, the Fire Umbrella Bird plummeted to the earth, tearing through a curtain of vines and branches in its chaotic descent.

Clouds of dust billowed into the air as debris scattered, leaves fluttering like desperate birds caught in a storm. The cold wind sliced through the forest, nipping at Ryan’s cheeks and whipping his hair into a frenzied dance.

Hovering at a formidable height of over ten meters, Ryan, still in the air falling to the ground, remained a pillar of serenity. His eyes, cold and unyielding as glacier ice, locked onto the tumbling form of the Fire Umbrella Bird below.

With a mighty roar, Ryan’s greatsword arced through the air, a blur of steel driven by unstoppable force. The Fire Umbrella Bird, caught in its descent, had no escape; it could only feebly raise its wings in a futile attempt to shield itself.

The blade met feather and bone with a sickening crunch, cleaving a gaping wound at the root of the bird’s left wing. Blood surged like a crimson tide, unveiling the stark whiteness of bone beneath. The wing trembled pitifully under its own weight, a clear testament to the bird’s agony.

“Swish!”

Ryan, relentless, recalibrated his strike, targeting the maimed wing with precision honed through countless battles. His greatsword clashed against the scale-covered feathers, the recoil propelling him into an elegant backflip that ended with his boots thudding against the forest floor.

The fire bird’s cries tore through the air, a mournful sound that echoed its physical torment. Its wing, struck again, fractured further and hung uselessly at its side.

With both blows delivered, the functionality of the bird’s wing was utterly obliterated. Ryan’s lips curled into a grim smile of satisfaction. The bird, though still a formidable opponent, had lost its aerial advantage, its primary means of escape.

Breathing heavily, the fire bird dripped saliva that sparkled with embers, each droplet hitting the ground to ignite tiny, fierce flames.

Fury blazed in the bird’s eyes, transforming its gaze into molten rage. It understood now, the intruder had exploited its moment of vulnerability. Such treachery would not go unpunished.

Deep crimson streaks marred the bird’s plumage, and its eyes bled red, a mist of scarlet enveloping it as it shrieked in both pain and rage. The bird’s aura intensified, signaling a terrifying escalation in its power.

Ryan’s expression tightened. The lines on the Fire Umbrella Bird’s body, once a mere detail in the monster’s description, now pulsated ominously, heralding a formidable resurgence. The battle was far from over, and the stakes had never been higher.

“Red Rage?!” Ryan gasped in disbelief, watching as the Fire Umbrella Bird underwent a terrifying transformation. He had hoped to intervene, but the metamorphosis was alarmingly swift; within mere seconds, the creature had completed its change.

The bird’s frame expanded, its body now etched with vivid crimson lines that spiraled around each feather scale. At a glance, it resembled a demon from the abyss, each scale glinting like dark red eyes set deep within a monstrous visage.

Thankfully, Ryan noted with a breath of relief, the Fire Umbrella Bird’s injured wing remained limp and unhealed despite its furious transformation. His eyes narrowed as the bird, now fully engulfed in its enraged state, opened its beak. A swirling orb of orange-red fire burst forth, hurtling directly at him.

Ryan’s reaction was calculated; he made no move to dodge. Instead, his space ring flickered briefly, and he drew forth a thumb-sized, transparent blue bead, the Pure Water Crystal. His mission here this time was not only to hunt but to gauge his resistance to fire, a test crucial for his impending confrontation with the fire dragon leader.

Despite the unforeseen complication of the bird’s Red Flame Rage, Ryan saw an opportunity. If anything, the enhanced fire attack would provide a more rigorous test.

As the Pure Water Crystal manifested, it exuded a dense mist, enveloping Ryan in a protective sphere of water vapor within a three-meter radius. The menacing fireball entered this dampened realm, its ferocity and brightness diminishing rapidly, reduced to a mere flicker by the time it reached Ryan.

With a deft movement, he caught the now-tame fireball in his palm. A warm tingling spread through his skinn a stark contrast to the expected sear of flames.

“Huzi…” The sound was soft, almost incredulous.

Ryan inspected his palm, noting the slight reddening of his skin, far from any burn. “The effect is so good?!” he marveled, his voice mixing awe with a hint of newfound confidence. The test was not only a success but had also given him valuable insights into the robust protective capabilities of the Pure Water Crystal against intense fire-based attacks.

Surprise flickered in Ryan’s eyes as he marveled at the efficacy of the Pure Water Crystal. Before the test, he had anticipated that the crystal might reduce the flame’s potency by 70% to 80%. Yet, the reality far exceeded his expectations, the “water vapor environment” had nearly neutralized the flame attack entirely, making him unscathed in the sea of fire.

This revelation led him to a promising conclusion: even the fearsome flames of the male fire dragon leader would likely be reduced to a tolerable intensity by this misty water vapor barrier.

Pleased with the results, Ryan prepared for further confrontation, but the Fire Umbrella Bird was visibly unnerved. In all its years, never had it witnessed a creature handle its fiercest fireball with such nonchalance, emerging completely unscathed.

Ordinarily, such a sight would have sent the bird fleeing, but consumed by its “Red Flame Rage,” its instincts were overpowered by a blind drive for destruction. With its reasoning eclipsed, the bird charged at Ryan like a crimson comet, its form blurring as it darted through the dense forest.

Ryan’s expression turned grave. He tucked the Pure Water Crystal into his armor, feeling a refreshing chill spread across his body. Grasping his sword firmly with both hands, he prepared for the next phase of battle. Fire was no longer a concern; it was the physical onslaught of the bird that posed the real threat.

As it neared, the Fire Umbrella Bird powered its legs for a leap, awkwardly using its remaining right wing to propel itself into an aerial assault, its sharp claws aiming for Ryan.

Anyone else might have met a gruesome fate under such sharp talons, but Ryan remained stoic. He inhaled deeply and then unleashed the [High-spirited War Roar]. Spiritual sound waves radiated outward, stunning the bird mid-leap.

Its right wing faltered, and its body skewed mid-air, rendering its attack clumsy and imprecise.

Boosted by the morale from his war cry, Ryan’s stature and agility surged. He sidestepped with fluid grace, evading the bird’s clumsy claw attack with ease.

The Fire Umbrella Bird crashed to the ground, its senses muddled, struggling to regain its footing.

One second, two seconds.

Ryan seized this brief respite to gather his strength. The [Storm Sword Skill – Breaking Waves] reached its peak power. With a focused glare and a powerful cry, he swung his sword down in a fierce arc, channeling all his might into the blow.