After going into the sea, I met the witch.

This place gave him the feeling of a monster's graveyard.

But why do these enormous monsters keep coming to this place before they die?

Ryan couldn't understand it.

But he didn't have time to figure it out now, because a blood-red figure had slowly emerged from the miasma in the distance.

It has a well-proportioned and slender body, with no scales on its surface. Instead, it looks like bright red muscle exposed after being skinned. It is nearly three meters tall at the shoulder and about fifteen meters long. Compared with the [high-ranking] Unicorn Dragon, it is much smaller in size, but it has a pair of dark red, ghastly claws.

These claws, which grow from the distal phalanx, are hook-shaped and have three rows of naturally formed serrations on the inside. If a fleshy body is caught by such a "weapon," it will inevitably tear off large pieces of flesh, causing a terrible hemorrhage.

-

Bloodclaw Dragon: A [High Rank] Fanged Wyvern, one of the overlords of the Rotten Abyss. Its sleek body and agile movements make the Bloodclaw Dragon an invisible assassin that moves through the miasma. The Bloodclaw Dragon's unique claw structure inflicts a "bleeding state" on any creature it scratches, causing it to bleed profusely. If not treated promptly, it will bleed to death.

—You feel immense pressure!

-

Ryan felt heavy-hearted.

Compared to the upright and honorable Desert Knight [Upper] Unicorn Dragon, the [Upper] Bloodclaw Dragon, a ruthless assassin who hides in the shadows and is agile, poses a greater threat to him.

Greatsword users' fighting style has always been to overpower enemies with brute force, which inevitably puts them at a disadvantage when facing highly mobile enemies.

Amidst the miasma, a crimson glint seemed to flash in the eyes of the [High-Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon. In the next instant, the miasma surged, and a figure reeking of blood attacked Ryan.

"So fast!"

Ryan was startled. Although he had witnessed the speed of the [High-Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon during his last travels, he had been off guard and hadn't had time to accurately assess it before losing his life. Now, facing it head-on, the speed unleashed by the [High-Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon shocked him.

A bloody claw lashed out at Ryan's face. In the moment of crisis, Ryan held his greatsword to his chest and charged forward.

——【Special Sword Skill: Defensive Charge】

"boom!"

The burst of blood-red light caused the [Superior] Bloodclaw Dragon's claws to bounce slightly upwards. With the power surging within him and aided by "blood energy," Ryan instantly completed a "first stage of charging" and unleashed a fierce slash.

"Crack——!"

If it were a [High Rank] Unicorn Dragon, it would have to take the blow head-on. However, the incredibly agile [High Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon was able to raise its other monstrous claw before the greatsword reached it, colliding with the silver-blue greatsword that was slashing upwards.

"Qiang!"

A harsh, acrid collision sound rang out, accompanied by exploding sparks.

Ryan's pupils contracted sharply as his gaze fell on the cracks that were gradually spreading across the middle section of the Greatsword - Ferocious Ice.

In the previous battle with the [High-Rank] Unicorn Dragon, the Greatsword Ferocious Ice had already suffered irreversible damage. The current violent collision has made this low-quality greatsword unable to withstand the impact any longer.

In Ryan's wide-eyed gaze, the Greatsword - Ferocious Ice shattered and crumbled, while a cruel, downward-pressing claw slammed into Ryan's face.

In an indescribable, excruciating pain, Ryan's vision was suddenly plunged into darkness.

"Tear-!"

Several sounds of flesh being torn apart rang out, and a few seconds later, the battle came to a complete end.

……

[Places for Viewing]

Standing in front of the observation deck once again, Freya nervously rubbed her hands together. The fluffy witch's hat on her head seemed to sway from side to side, just like its owner's anxious mood.

After the last visit, and after exchanging 29 [Tier 1 Spiritual Enhancement Crystals], Freyne only had 1291 "Spiritual Essence" left.

This sum of money isn't a huge amount, but it's not a small amount either.

If we can seize the opportunity and hit the bullseye like last time, then making a fortune in one fell swoop is not a dream.

However... after being tricked several times, the witch felt inexplicably uneasy, fearing that she would be tricked again if she wasn't careful.

"call……"

Taking a deep breath in and out, Freyne patted her large hat and encouraged herself, "Believe in yourself, Freyne, you can do it!"

After some self-encouragement, the girl at least outwardly regained her composure. She sat upright in front of the observation deck, quietly watching today's "traveler-style daily death."

Upon seeing the familiar mosaic figures in the image, the witch unconsciously revealed a faint smile.

After not seeing him for a day, she really missed the "traveler".

Before Freyne could wait long, the battle interface appeared on the screen, which immediately cheered her up, and she quickly became fully focused.

A wanderer with a "new heart" encounters a powerful enemy—a [High-Rank] Unicorn Dragon—and a great battle is about to erupt.

【Comparison of combat strength between the two factions: Wanderer (39) vs [Superior] Unicorn (41)】

Your current investment amount is [Spiritual Essence: 1292]

[Ratio between the two sides - Traveler: [Superior] Unicorn Dragon = 8.3:1.3, minimum investment is 100 Spirit Essence.]

You have thirty seconds to place your bet...

Looking at the page displayed before her, Freya blinked her bright eyes, a look of surprise in them.

Last time, when the traveler faced the Rathalos leader, her combat power was only 33. Unexpectedly, after only one day of not observing, this guy's combat power has increased to 39.

Having viewed it so many times, Freya had gained a basic understanding of the combat power system within the world depicted in the image.

0-9 is one rank, 10-19 is another rank, and similarly, 30-39 is also a rank. Within the same rank, a difference of 1 point in combat power can result in a significant difference in combat power.

Now, the traveler has 39 combat points, which is several times stronger than when his combat power was 33.

What did the travelers experience in the sights I missed last time?

The witch couldn't help but wonder.

With the countdown about to end, Freya hesitated.

Although the difference in combat power between the Traveler and the Unicorn Dragon is only 2 points, it is a 2-point difference across different levels. Under such circumstances, the gap in strength between the two sides will be extremely large.

The huge difference in return on investment also illustrates this point.

The unicorn's enormous body, incredibly sturdy helmet, and huge spiral horn in the picture made Frey feel a little uneasy, and the prefix "superior" that she had never heard before also highlighted the unicorn's extraordinary nature.

If converted to their own world, this [high-ranking] unicorn dragon would be at least a terrifying monster of the fourth tier, while the traveler with 39 combat points would be like a hero at the limit of the third tier.

Can a Tier 3 Limit Breaker defeat a Tier 4 beginner?

In the first and second tiers, there were occasional geniuses who could defeat powerful enemies across tiers, but from the third tier onwards, there are no records of such feats in the histories of various countries across the continent.

The difference is just too great...

How to choose?

As the countdown drew ever closer to the number "0", Freya finally gritted her teeth and decided to go all the way.

Investing in a [high-ranking] unicorn dragon yields extremely low returns. Even if you win, you only get a 30% bonus. With that little bit of spiritual essence, it would take forever to accumulate enough to exchange for anything on the second-tier list. In contrast, while investing in a traveler carries immense risk, the returns are exceptionally high.

Of course, Miss Witch was still a little cautious and did not choose to "go all in". Instead, she bet 800 spirit essences and kept 492 as a safety net.

In this way, even if this investment fails, there will still be capital to turn things around next time.

As the girl made her decision, the [observation deck] entered a paused screen displaying "Battle in progress..."

……

Ryan slowly opened his eyes. He did not get up, but lay quietly on the stone bed, feeling the lingering, tearing pain in his body.

"[Higher]... Blood Claw Dragon..."

"This is the second time..."

"The next time we meet will be the day we settle things!"

Ryan let out a long sigh before getting up from the stone bed.

At this moment, the horizon was beginning to lighten, around 5 a.m.

He stepped out of the cave and onto the beach, facing the sea breeze, to examine the main body's panel.

-

[Captain]: Ryan Reynland (Real name: Leo)

……

[Spirituality]: 4.8 → 5.3

[Physical Strength]: 14.36 → 17.44

[Path of Profession]: Gluttony Hunter (Tier 1, 25%), Pirate (Tier 1, 25%) - Feedback from Traveling Avatar

[Professional Skills]: ...

[Learned Skills]: Storm Swordsmanship (Mastery), Navigation (Beginner), Curiosities (Beginner)

[Special Skill]: Dragon Armor (Beginner)

-

Feeling the immense power within him, and looking at the [Storm Sword Technique] that had advanced to the "Mastery" level, as well as the newly acquired special skill [Dragon Armor (Beginner)], a faint smile appeared in Ryan's eyes.

Now, he should have the strength to directly confront a Tier 3 hero professional, right?

Chapter 117 "Feeding" - The Forging of a Brand New Greatsword (Two-in-One Chapter)

As the rising sun casts its warm and intense rays upon the world.

Ryan and his two companions also solved the breakfast problem.

"Captain, I'm planning another trip to Saint Toss City." Sitting by the campfire, Ryan explained today's itinerary to Freyne while cleaning up the leftovers from the meal.

“…Then you must be careful.” Freyne nodded slightly: “Although you now possess the mask of the Overturned Temple and are able to break free from the shackles of the ‘Holy Eye,’ you still need to be as careful as possible.”

"If you encounter an enemy you can't escape from, remember to use what I gave you before, and I will rush to your aid immediately."

"Oh, by the way, this is for you."

As she spoke, the dark blue spatial ring on the witch's slender white finger flashed, and eleven luminous crystals appeared in her palm.

"It's the same type of enhancement crystal as last time, but it enhances the physique instead of the spirituality. Also, this white crystal is used to heal injuries."

Ryan instinctively took the crystal, then paused for a moment, meeting the girl's smiling eyes with a slight intimidation.