Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 76

Chapter 76: A Draw!
As he recovered, a warm surge from the upgrade of his wandering clone infused his body, revitalizing his exhausted muscles and mind.

A small, metallic sound drew his attention, a reddish sharp tooth from the tyrannosaur dislodged during the battle, glinting with a bronze hue upon the leaf-strewn earth.

[Found [Loot: Red Fierce Fang]]!

Ryan, summoning the last reserves of his strength, reached out and picked up the tooth, a tangible trophy of his hard-fought victory.

[Loot: Red Fierce Fang] – A bronze-level trophy, the incisor of the red Tyrannosaurus Rex. Its cold, ivory surface glistens under a sheen of flame-like luminescence. It comes with an attached special skill [Concentration lv.1]: Reduces the charging time of the greatsword by 5%, and increases the accumulation speed of the special energy bar by 5% (Note: The corresponding ability has not yet been mastered, thus this effect is currently dormant).

“[Concentration]?!” Ryan’s eyes widened in surprise as he perused the gray-font description of the [Trophies: Red Fangs]. He hadn’t anticipated that his first specialty skill named [Concentration] would enhance the charging speed of his greatsword, a perfect match for his combat style.

His gaze shifted to the updated [Concentration lv.2], now showing a 10% reduction in charging time and a 10% increase in special energy bar accumulation. A genuine smile crept across his face, his joy uncontainable at such a fortuitous upgrade.

“Roar——!” The familiar cry of a dragon echoed through the air, snapping Ryan back to reality.

Gritting his teeth, Ryan hoisted his greatsword and, rather than fleeing, he hastened to the carcass of the Red Tyrannosaurus. With the last of his strength, he severed its massive tail, stowing it swiftly into his space ring.

After completing this task, he lifted his head just in time to spot a familiar red silhouette descending from the sky. “Always so timely,” he muttered with a resigned tsk.

“You’ll get it this time,” he murmured to himself, a pang of loss striking him as he regarded the fallen tyrant before him.

Unlike smaller special species like the Thunder Dragon, the immense body of the Red Tyrannosaurus, nearly 20 meters in length, could not fully fit into his already partially filled space ring. In haste, he salvaged only the tail, hoping to mitigate his losses and atleat get something.

“I need to find a way to get a bigger space ring…” he pondered silently, a practical resolve firming within him.

The male fire dragon leader descended amidst a cascade of blazing flames. In the inferno, Ryan stood resolute, locking eyes with the red flying dragon shadow above.

“Soon… soon…” he promised under his breath, his voice a mix of anticipation and determination.

“We will have our final confrontation.”

[Viewing Place]

Freni sat on the plush, moss covered ground of the viewing place, her hands clasped together in a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Her fluffy witch hat danced from side to side, a telltale sign of her mounting excitement.

“It’s open, it’s finally starting!” she exclaimed, barely able to contain her exhilaration. The battle that the Traveler had waged tonight had stretched on far longer than usual, and the suspense had been almost too much for her.

At last, the words on the magical viewing screen, “In battle, please wait for the final result,” began to dissolve into the ether.

“Great!” Ferni cheered, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm. “As expected of the Traveler I favored, the battle is finally over!”

Eagerly, she leaned closer to the screen, her eyes scanning the results. “Let me see, let me see, the investment interest rate is 5.4:1, the investment amount is 268…”

“1447 Spiritual Essence!” she cried out triumphantly. “A big gain!”

A flush of excitement painted her cheeks a delicate pink as she reveled in her good fortune. However, her celebration was abruptly interrupted by a new prompt that flashed onto the screen.

[It was detected that the “Novice Traveler” encountered other monsters in the battle with the “Red Tyrannosaurus Rex”, “Female Rathalos”…]

[Additional investment is being made…]

[Battle power comparison of the two camps: Traveler (27) vs Female Rathalos (34, weak state)]

[The ratio of the two sides – Traveler: Female Rathalos = 5.5:1.1, the minimum investment amount is 100 Spiritual Essence.]

[You have 30 seconds to place your investment bet…]

Freni blinked, taken aback by the sudden development. She hesitated, torn. With 1447 spiritual essences already in her possession, the stakes were high. Should she risk it all on the Traveler, especially given the daunting combat power gap highlighted on the screen?

Even the formidable Red Tyrannosaurus Rex had a combat power of only 30, she thought worriedly.

After a moment’s deliberation, resolve hardened in Furenee’s eyes, and she made her decision with a mixture of caution but she finally relented and betted on the Traveler. “700 spiritual essences, invest in the Traveler!” she declared, a gambler’s gleam lighting up her light blue eyes.

Only by daring to risk could one transform a modest vessel into a mighty ship, she mused, ready to face the outcome of her bold wager.

In the Viewing Area, Freni watched in anticipation as her recent “additional investment” began to yield unexpected results.

Words materialized before her, floating in the air:

[Battle Record:]

[The Traveler encountered the female fire dragon during a confrontation with the red tyrannosaurus…]

[A territorial dispute erupted between the red tyrannosaurus and the female fire dragon, escalating into a fierce ‘battle for monster territory’…]

[The injured Traveler seized this chaotic moment to make his escape.]

Freni blinked, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“What in the world? Seizing the opportunity to escape?” she muttered incredulously. “You’re supposed to be the hero of this story, not a coward!”

“And you, female fire dragon, what are you doing? Ignoring the Traveler and instead clashing over territory with the red tyrannosaurus? You’re totally off-script!”

She exhaled sharply, her frustration making her breaths short and choppy.

“But wait!”

“If the Traveler has fled, then who wins and who loses this mess of a battle?”

A sense of foreboding crept over her as she continued reading:

[The red tyrannosaurus, injured, retreated from the ‘Monster Territory Battle.’ The female fire dragon pursued it briefly before returning to her lair.]

[As the traveler had already fled, and the female fire dragon deemed him too insignificant to pursue, no direct conflict occurred between them… the encounter is deemed a ‘draw’.]

[Your investment failed, current [Spirit Essence]: 747]

[Warm reminder: Investment is risky, bet carefully.]

Freni stared at the screen, her mouth agape.

“A draw? A draw?!” she exclaimed. “I was prepared for a loss, even a win, but a draw? Since when is there a draw in investments?”

She shook her head in frustration. “And no warning that a draw was even a possibility! Oh, that damned traveler, playing by his own rules!”

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that the timer had run down and the next event was already unfolding, a meeting with a male fire dragon. The countdown expired, and with a resigned sigh, she muttered to herself:

“Well, if it’s a draw, it’s just as good as a loss. No gains either way.”

“The best solution now is to cut my losses and abandon this investment.”

Freni attempted to soothe her nerves, puffing her cheeks in concentration as she silently reviewed the situation. Yet, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

“This unpredictable traveler could bolt at any moment!” she fumed, her voice laced with exasperation.

With a heavy sigh, she tried to settle the tumult of frustrations brewing inside her. As she glanced at the “Please come back tomorrow” message flashing on the screen, a bitter smile tugged at her lips.

“Good thing I had the foresight to invest only 700 Spirit Essence, not everything,” she mused aloud. “I’ve still got 747 Spirit Essence left. Next time, I’ll be more cautious.”

Reassuring herself, Freni left the Viewing Area with renewed resolve.

…

As dawn broke over the horizon, where the sea kissed the sky, the Black Rose completed its resupply at North Island 1 and made its way to a spot ten nautical miles northeast. There, it halted in the calm waters.

At the ship’s edge, Ryan stood with a stern expression, gripping a professional fishing rod, ready to begin his day of sea fishing.

Nearby, Freni, equipped with identical gear, prepared her line.

“The Golden Spirit Fish are known to resides around the Whirlpool Islands, a rare and elusive creature,” she explained, her voice carrying over to Ryan. “It’s not particularly strong, but it’s incredibly alert. Normally, it won’t show itself, but it’s drawn to spiritually enhanced ‘sea worm bait.’ We infuse the bait with our rods, making it spiritually active enough to lure the Golden Spirit Fish.”

“Catching it is another challenge altogether,” she added, her tone mixing expertise with a hint of excitement.

Ryan, seasoned yet technically an amateur in fishing compared to his other skills, listened intently. He knew that Freni might outclass him in magical prowess, but in the calm art of fishing, he was determined not to be bested.

Glancing back at Freni who was skillfully baiting her hook, a competitive grin spread across his face.

“Ah, young witch lady, you think fishing is just throwing the line out there?” he chuckled silently. “Well, let the old ‘God of Nesting,’ as my friends used to call me, show you how it’s really done!”