Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 91

Chapter 91: Fall of the Sky King!
A severed dragon tail thudded to the ground amidst a spray of blood that splashed over Ryan, its corrosive nature searing his skin like acid.

“Dragon blood is corrosive!” he noted mentally, a reminder of the peril even in victory. But such concerns were only secondary rigjt now; the heat of battle still raged around him, and there was no time to dwell on the pain. The fight was far from over, and every second counted as he readied for the dragon’s inevitable counterattack.

Ryan hastily scooped up a handful of “Pearl Powder of Fertility” and shoved it into his mouth. The constraints of the [High-spirited War Roar] meant he couldn’t prepare by storing the powder earlier.

Having already enhanced his physique, the “one and a half power-ups” hadn’t even nudged the limits of his endurance. If not for the bounds of his spiritual energy, Ryan mused he might have attempted a second or even a third round of power-ups.

After depositing the severed dragon tail into his space ring with a swift motion, Ryan raced towards the dazed male fire dragon leader. Its enormous head thudded against the ground, still reeling from the multiple assaults: the spiritual sound waves, the tail severance, and a brutal collision with the cliff face that had resulted in grievous secondary injuries.

Without its tail, the dragon’s balance was utterly compromised. It floundered helplessly on the ground, struggling to right itself as Ryan charged his spiritual and physical energies for another “one and a half power-ups.”

“Surrender to your end!” Ryan bellowed as he raised his greatsword, now brimming with spiritual energy. The blade carved through the dense water vapor, leaving behind a shimmering trail of ice crystals, a path both beautiful and deadly.

With a resounding “Bang!” the sword slammed down, driving the dragon’s head forcefully into the soil.

Seizing the moment, Ryan felt a rush of exhilaration. The blade recoiled upward from the impact, and he skillfully twirled it for another strike. After a brief 1.6 seconds, he completed “one stage of charging,” and the greatsword descended once more.

“Bang!” Again, the dragon’s head, just lifting from the ground, was mercilessly smashed back down.

The sight was heart-wrenching; the once-feared overlord of the ancient forest was reduced to a pitiful state by a moment’s miscalculation. Two devastating blows had left a vast, gaping wound on its head, exposing the bone beneath. One more well-placed strike, Ryan knew, would shatter the skull completely.

“Roar!”

A thunderous roar shattered the silence, sending shockwaves that rippled through the air, visible to the naked eye. Ryan, caught off guard and standing perilously close, was hurled backward by the force of the sound. His body tumbled uncontrollably until it slammed into a massive tree, the impact leaving a spiderweb of cracks across its thick trunk. When he finally came to a stop, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Grimacing in pain, Ryan pushed himself up with his sword and knelt on one knee, trying to steady his breath.

He raised his eyes to behold the fearsome male fire dragon, now standing tall, its scales shimmering with an ominous glow. Bright red light spots began to surface on its skin, pulsing with a dangerous energy. The creature’s bulk expanded, and the light painted a bizarre, eye-like symbol on its chest.

Even the dragon’s severed tail wasn’t spared, as vibrant red energy spun wildly, forming a spectral tail of pure force.

“This… This is Red Flame Rage!” Ryan muttered under his breath, a chill running down his spine.

He had seen this terrifying transformation only once before on a Fire Umbrella Bird, but never had he imagined he’d face it again, especially not in the strongest of the fire dragons, the tribe leader itself.

A bitter taste filled his mouth, and despair crept into his heart. He knew too well what the “Red Flame Rage” signified, a monstrous increase in power. With merely a shred of his spiritual energy left, enough for maybe one and a half desperate attacks, Ryan’s odds were dire.

“Can I even survive this?” he pondered, doubt clouding his thoughts as the dragon roared again, its energy flaring like wild flames around its formidable frame.

The roar wasn’t just loud, it was oppressive, laden with power that seemed to press physically against Ryan, forcing him deeper into the dirt beneath his knees.

“Such formidable dragon power…” he murmured, steeling himself as he slowly stood. Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, he prepared for what might be his final stand. Failure loomed, but Ryan was not one to lie down and await death passively.

Just as he braced for another assault, the unexpected occurred. The powerful sound waves had been relentlessly battering the nearby cliff, and now, with one ferocious roar too many, the cliff gave way. A colossal mountain torrent burst forth, unleashing a deluge that swept away trees, rocks, and earth alike.

Caught completely off guard, the male fire dragon was engulfed by the violent water. Ryan, only a short distance away, had no time to react before he too was swept up by the raging torrent.

The water was cold and merciless, laden with sharp gravel and debris. Each surge against his scaled armor sent spikes of pain across his skin. But worse than the pain was the realization that he was sinking, weighed down by his heavy armor.

“Damn it!” he cursed aloud, his mind racing. “To think I might not perish by the claws of the fire dragon, but drown in this unexpected flood!”

“Gurgle…”

Water surged into Ryan’s throat as the flash flood swept him away, its force too strong and unpredictable for him to gauge the distance traveled. His lungs screamed for air as he struggled to maintain his breath.

Just as darkness threatened to consume his vision, a massive shadow loomed beneath the chaotic waters. Before Ryan could process the sight, the shadow surged upward, thrusting him towards the surface with astonishing force.

“Ahem!” Ryan coughed violently, gasping as fresh air flooded his lungs, reviving his senses.

As he regained his composure, Ryan glanced downward and was greeted by the familiar sight of Silver, a shark marked by distinctive light red veins. A wide grin spread across Ryan’s face. “Silver, it’s you! Why are you in the inner area?” He paused, his mind racing with questions. “Never mind, that can wait.”

The collapsed mountain wall had unleashed a torrential flash flood, transforming the landscape into a massive, fast-moving waterway that was now carrying everything toward the outer area, eventually to merge with the sea.

Ryan’s gaze fixed on the male fire dragon leader in the distance. The flood had carried them close to the outer area, where the once fierce waters were beginning to calm. For a creature as formidable as the male fire dragon leader, such a flood was inconvenient but not wholly debilitating.

The dragon stood, its once vibrant red energy flames now dimmed, its vigor visibly reduced. With Dayin by his side, Ryan sensed an unprecedented opportunity. “Let’s go, Silver! Let’s take down that behemoth together together!”

At Ryan’s command, Silver emitted a joyful hum, clearly elated at the reunion. Without hesitation, the shark surged forward toward the fire dragon, its bulk slightly larger than a few days prior, a clear sign of its recent successful hunts and the gains it had in its power.

As they approached, the male fire dragon leader, weakened but still daunting, roared feebly, a clear indication of its diminished strength. It flapped its wings desperately, attempting to lift itself into the air.

“Silver, target its wings!” Ryan instructed sharply.

Silver responded instantly, opening its formidable jaws. After a brief charge, it unleashed a beam of red rays that punctured the wing membranes of the dragon. The corrosive energy quickly began to eat away at the tissue, creating a gaping hole that spread rapidly.

Had the dragon’s energy not swiftly converged to the damaged area, the entire wing might have succumbed to the destructive force.

“Well done!” Ryan cheered, waving his hand enthusiastically as Silver responded with a low hum.

The growth in Silver’s abilities was evident. Unlike their previous encounter with the water fish dragon, where Silver had been depleted after a single attack, the shark now seemed far more robust, its energy reserves considerably larger. Even though visibly fatigued, Silver still possessed a reserve of strength.

With the wing now critically damaged, the male fire dragon leader made several futile attempts to fly before struggling toward the riverbank, its movements labored and desperate.