After going into the sea, I met the witch.

[Loot: Crimson Horn]: A Silver-tier loot, [High Rank] the pride of the Unicorn Dragon, a symbol of knightly honor, and proof of the hunter's bravery. Comes with a special skill [Defense to Offense Lv.2]: After successfully parrying with your weapon, your damage is increased by 10% for the next 40 seconds.

Looking at the attributes of the silver loot in front of him, Ryan's eyes widened slightly.

"Level 2 special skill?"

This was the first time he had seen a loot item come with a level 2 special skill. Although the skills that came with bronze-level loot items were different, without exception, the level of the special skill was level 1.

"Not bad, not bad..."

Ryan was overjoyed, especially since the special skill attached to [Loot: Crimson Horn] was one he already possessed.

From [Loot: Mud Dragon's Large Water Bag].

The combination of these two elements gives this skill a completely new look.

[Turn Defense into Offense lv.3 (max)]: After successfully parrying a defensive move with your weapon, you will deal 20% more damage for the next 60 seconds.

Upgrading to level 3 of [Switch to Offense] resulted in a dramatic change in attributes.

The extended duration was secondary; the key issue was the increased damage. It wasn't the expected 5% increase per level, but a direct 20% increase.

This is an incredibly exaggerated increase!

It could even be said that with the addition of this special skill, his attacks reached another level.

Of course, there are gains and losses.

Looking at the "max" next to the skill, Ryan showed a look of regret.

"Max" means that the skill level has been raised to the maximum level. Obtaining loot with this special skill or equipment with this special skill will not make this special skill stronger.

"Ugh……"

After sighing, Ryan turned his gaze to the horn of the [High Rank] Unicorn Dragon that he had cut off not far away.

The "Loot: Crimson Horn" is not the horn he severed. In fact, the loot itself is not a part of the monster's body; it is more like a condensation and manifestation of the monster's essence.

[High Rank] The most precious material from the entire Unicorn Dragon is its horn. In previous introductions of the Unicorn Dragon, it was emphasized that this horn is an excellent material for forging equipment.

And this is also the best main material that Ryan prepared for himself to forge a brand new [Superior] Greatsword!

"The Diablos Greatsword? Just thinking about it is awesome."

Ryan's lips curled into a faint smile.

After collecting as many materials as possible from the [High-Rank] Unicorn Dragon, Ryan felt a pang of regret looking at the large chunks of flesh still remaining in front of him.

"Before my next trip, I absolutely have to get a bigger storage ring!"

"I'd be willing to shamelessly beg Freyne for it!"

Ryan's eyes were resolute.

-

(Thanks to the generous donors "Peng Zhentao", "Qianmeng Yihun", and "Book Friend 20210327164630705" for their generous donations! I am extremely grateful~)

Daily book recommendation: *The Clow Card Magician in Marvel*

"Becoming a magical boy is one thing, but at least leave me a little Kero as a guide!" Su Heng held the empty Clow Book in both hands, feeling like crying, and began his mission to retrieve the Clow Cards alone in the Marvel world.

Chapter 116 The First "Pleasure"

"Crackling..."

The sound of the campfire burning was clearly audible in the quiet environment.

Ryan flipped the grill in his hands, his eyes filled with intense anticipation.

After defeating the [High Rank] Unicorn, he packed up and returned to the [Campfire Point - Corruption Outpost], then teleported to the [Campfire Point - Gap in the Giant Tree].

The reason for this was that he was prepared to savor the taste of the flesh and blood of a high-ranking monster, and the stench of decay permeated the air of that godforsaken place, "Rotten Abyss Outpost," which was a disastrous destruction of the flavor of the food.

Perhaps some people love this particular flavor, but Ryan is certainly not one of them.

At this moment, what's being grilled on the grill is a large flank of meat from a [superior] unicorn dragon.

After a long and careful roasting process, the pork ribs exude an enticing aroma of caramelization, and the surface of the meat develops a golden-brown crispy crust.

Feeling that it was almost cooked, Ryan picked up the roasted meat from the campfire and, unafraid of burning his mouth, took a big bite.

Cooked meat loses its firmness from when it was raw, but the large and coarse muscle fibers still affect the texture to some extent. However, the richness of the meat itself is enough to make up for all the shortcomings.

Ryan's face showed satisfaction. At this moment, he was extremely grateful that he had stacked a high level of fire resistance, which allowed him to ignore the high temperature and eat the delicious food immediately.

The enjoyment of the taste buds was secondary; what pleased Ryan the most was the rapid increase in the "Gluttony Level" of the [Gluttony Heart].

In the battle against the [High-Rank] Unicorn Dragon, in order to recover his stamina and injuries, including replenishing the "blood energy" of the [Relic: Embrace of Blood], Ryan consumed too much "Gluttony", causing it to drop to a pitiful "3/100". It can be said that all the previous accumulation was lost in one fell swoop.

But now, looking at the "Gluttony" level on the panel that jumps by 10 points every second, he feels that it's all worth it.

The nutrients contained in the flesh and blood of higher-rank monsters far surpass those of lower-rank monsters, and the level of satisfaction for [Gluttony] is completely different.

Ten seconds later, the "Gluttony" of [Gluttony Heart] reached "100/100". The next moment, Ryan felt an indescribable warm current burst from his stomach and spread throughout his body. At the same time, the panel prompt appeared in front of his eyes.

[[Gluttony] has reached "100/100", completing the first "Gluttony Pleasure". Based on the food consumed during this period, the following permanent buff is granted: Special Skill [Dragon Armor (Beginner)] - Permanently reduces damage taken by 5% (Rank-based effect applies; if the rank is one level higher than the owner, only half the effect applies; if the rank is two levels higher, the effect is completely lost).]

[[Gluttony Hunter (Tier 1)] Compatibility increased by 25%, Spirituality +0.5!]

It took Ryan several minutes to recover from the afterglow of the "binge eating pleasure," the feeling of having his appetite completely satisfied was simply irresistible.

"[Dragon Armor]?"

Looking at the prompt in front of him, Ryan's eyes lit up with joy.

A 5% damage reduction isn't a huge amount, but it's not insignificant either. In crucial moments, this damage reduction might just allow him to withstand one more enemy attack, turning defeat into victory.

In addition, Ryan found the rating system for this special skill very interesting.

Unlike the special skill levels that come with loot, which are indicated by "lv.1" or "lv.2", the permanent buff skill brought by "Gluttony Pleasure" uses the same "beginner" or "master" format as learning skills.

Neither method is inherently better or worse; perhaps it's related to the differences between the main character's interface and the interface of the traveling clone.

Ryan thought about it for a moment and then didn't pay much attention to it.

After the "gluttony," he continued to eat until he finished all the grilled steaks and his "gluttony level" reached 30 before he finally stopped, still feeling unsatisfied.

If he could, he would love to reach "Gluttony" again. Unfortunately, the flesh of each monster only provides a huge boost the first time you eat it. After that, the effect will be greatly reduced. Right now, he is already very full. If he wants to reach "Gluttony" a second time, he either needs to accumulate it slowly or eat the flesh of other high-ranking monsters that he has never eaten before.

Lying by the campfire, Ryan digested his food for half an hour before getting up and leaving [Campfire Point - Corruption Outpost].

He planned to explore the Rotten Abyss.

Currently, Ryan is not in good condition—the "blood energy" of the [Artifact: Blood Embrace] is only a pitiful 10 points, which is not enough to even materialize the Blood Greatsword. The only weapon he can use is the [Greatsword: Ferocious Ice]. Although it is a bit unfair to his old friend to say this, the [Greatsword: Ferocious Ice] is okay for killing low-rank monsters, but it is really too powerless against high-rank monsters.

Moreover, his current "Gluttony" level is only "30/100", which is not enough to support another high-ranking monster extermination battle.

Even in such poor condition, Ryan still wanted to continue exploring, intending to use his own life to find out more about the Rotten Abyss, and ideally, to learn more about the [High-Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon, so as to make sufficient preparations for the next expedition.

The notes left by the deputy leader of the hunting party gave him a vague sense of unease.

The situation in the Rotten Abyss might be even more bizarre than he imagined.

The approaching Red Day... traces of the ancient dragon...

Ryan never forgot that his ultimate goal in traveling to this isolated island was to find the "anchor point," and all indications suggested that this "anchor point" was likely an ancient dragon.

As mentioned in the previous introduction of "anchor points," "anchor point" is just a name; its real-world counterpart could be some kind of treasure or some kind of powerful monster.

Ryan is very self-aware.

He had exhausted all his methods and barely managed to defeat a high-ranking monster. While this level of strength was certainly not weak among hunters, it was definitely not among the strongest. To think he could defeat an ancient dragon with such strength was nothing short of a pipe dream.

The ancient dragon's power was so great that even the vice-leader of a hunting party, who was suspected to be level 20 or higher, felt a chill, but...

If Gu Long is indeed the "anchor point" he must eventually face, then he should still try to do some preliminary preparations.

After all, he didn't have many other travel experiences, but he had a lot of lives.

A strong stench filled his nostrils, and Ryan frowned as he arrived at the place where he had previously encountered the Bone Armor Dragon.

This time, he was extra careful, trying to walk close to the rock face covered with grayish-white coral plants, and his steps were very slow.

Surrounded by miasma, Ryan felt his lungs being constantly eroded by the poison. Fortunately, his improved physique allowed him to endure for a longer period of time, about 15 minutes, before he felt his body reach its limit.

Not daring to slack off, Ryan ate an Elimination Fruit and, taking advantage of the time when his body had developed resistance, he quickened his pace as much as possible.

As you venture further in, the rock face above you is covered with a strange, grayish-white fern, scattered with tiny gray particles.

The environment is getting worse and worse...

Ryan felt a heavy weight in his heart. In this environment, unless there were enough [Elimination Fruits], it would be impossible to defeat high-ranking monsters.

Although there are [Elimination Fruits] growing in the poisonous miasma, there aren't many of them. Along the way, Ryan only found two plants and collected five fruits.

Such a number is simply insufficient to sustain a prolonged battle.

But it's not without good news.

As we ventured deeper, the poisonous miasma in the environment began to thin out, perhaps indicating that we were approaching an area where the miasma was less dense.

Ryan pressed on, and before the resistance from the [Disinfecting Fruit] wore off, he broke out of the poisonous miasma area. Before he could catch his breath, a sharp cry came from ahead, followed by several monsters that spread their nearly three-meter-long membranous wings and swooped down.

It resembles a pterosaur, but is much smaller, and the panel promptly provided a notification.

[Rotten Pterosaur: A small pterosaur species that inhabits rotten miasma areas and feeds on carrion. They usually move in groups and have flexible feeding standards. Even when faced with living creatures, they will actively attack, kill them, and then let them decompose before eating them.]

"call……"

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought it was some kind of special species; if it was just an ordinary monster…

The silver-blue greatsword was drawn, tracing a graceful semicircle in mid-air. The three rotting dragons that attacked in parallel had no time to react before being cleaved in two by the greatsword.

Upon seeing this, the rotten pterosaur behind it turned tail and ran, fearing that it would be caught if it was even a step too late.

Ryan ignored the fleeing Corrupted Wyverns; these ordinary monsters posed no threat to him at the moment.

Squinting, I looked around and what came into view was a strange cave composed of a large number of giant bones.

These bones stuck in the ground include skulls, ribs, tailbones... all kinds of types. The only common feature is that they are big. Even the shortest one is taller than Ryan.

In a daze, Ryan seemed to see many enormous monsters coming to this stinking, miasma-filled land on their deathbeds, falling into an endless slumber, their scales and flesh rotting away little by little, until only a pile of white bones remained.

"call……"

Ryan let out a deep breath, his expression solemn.