The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 1020

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 1020

Whoooosh!

I calmly suppressed the scorching heat of the Manhwagong that blazed above the Heavenly Sword.

‘He’s right. I’ve been obsessing over raw power in my swordplay.’

During training, I had drilled every technique from basic to advanced swordplay, but in actual combat, I relied almost exclusively on powerful, rapid-striking techniques.

‘Because I needed to end things quickly.’

If battles dragged on, my allies and subordinates could die, so I had always chosen the fastest path—which naturally meant employing advanced sword techniques with devastating power and wide range.

‘Of course, that wasn’t always the fastest approach.’

While advanced techniques were undeniably more powerful, had I thought strategically and applied the right technique for each situation, I could have ended battles far more efficiently and effectively.

But I had abandoned deeper thought, relying solely on brute force and speed to conclude every fight.
Shame burned across my face—knowing better yet failing to act on it.

‘Come to think of it, even my recent techniques have been remarkably similar.’

The destructive Flame Dragon Coil, the balanced Flame Sea Absolute Form, the techniques of the Spear-Bow Sword and Heavenly Thunder Strike, and among the swordplay I’d created myself, I had relied heavily on Void Slash and Whispered Wind.

‘If I deployed all those techniques now, I could probably defeat Brianna.’

No matter how formidable her soul, Brianna’s body and aura remained bound by the Akgeomhu’s rank.
If I fought with everything, even invoking Sword Realm Incarnation, I would ultimately prevail.

‘But winning that way would be meaningless.’

I had provoked Akgeomhu and Heekyuk Je because I wanted to face Brianna—the opponent Glen had warned me about.
Technique against technique. Sword against sword. Only by defeating Brianna this way could I discover why I came here and truly grow.

“You’ve had a revelation?”

Brianna twisted her lips as if finding it ridiculous.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not something you can grasp right now.”

She shook her head firmly, as if to say absolutely not.

“Understanding the Herbivore Sword isn’t a matter of talent—it’s something achieved through hundreds of thousands of repetitions.”

Brianna raised her softly glowing blade and narrowed her eyes.

“Even a genius like you would need countless years to master it.”

She smiled thinly as if she’d show me firsthand, then kicked off the ground.

‘Fast.’

Though she wielded the Akgeomhu’s body and aura, her footwork had reached its zenith, so Brianna appeared like a flash of light as she closed the distance before my eyes.

‘Her swordsmanship is nearly flawless.’

The Herbivore Sword focused on thrusts, but the moment Brianna extended her blade, she twisted the edge to slash and tear simultaneously.
The wounds across my waist and thigh were inflicted by that peculiar technique.
A stark difference had opened between the Akgeomhu and Brianna.

“Hundreds of thousands of times….”

I imprinted Brianna’s blade—sharp as an awl, seeping through my guard—into my eyes as I withdrew my left foot backward.

“I think I’ve done that much too.”

I stepped into the Threefold Harmony, infused with the mysteries of the Herbivore Sword. Like an autumn leaf falling to the ground to escape a human’s grasp, I deflected Brianna’s blade.

“Nonsense. Even if you’d wielded a sword since birth, it would be impossible.”

Brianna cried out not to spout such drivel as she twisted her wrist. The blade gripped in her hand bent at an unnatural angle and rushed toward my chest.

‘Speed and strength alone don’t make perfect swordsmanship. When blocking Brianna’s blade, I need….’

I rose onto the tips of my toes like a bird’s legs and drew a semicircle with the Heavenly Sword.

Crash!

The Heavenly Sword flowed like water, deflecting Brianna’s blade and unleashing a deafening roar as if thousands of plates had shattered.

Yet despite the cacophony, my hands remained completely unshaken by the impact.

‘I should have defended like this from the start.’

Directing the shock outward, away from my body.

Brianna had combined the supreme sword technique of Wizi Sword with the subtlety of penetrating power, so even when I unleashed powerful techniques, my body and spirit bore tremendous shock.

But now, harmonizing footwork and swordsmanship to suit the situation, the impact I’d felt when using Flame Dragon Severing or Flame Sea Destruction completely vanished.

‘Footwork is just as important as wielding the sword.’

In most battles, I’d relied on the swift Tae Hwa Step, but now the fluid Three Step or the weighty Five Step proved far more effective.

Whoooosh!

Brianna’s eyes narrowed in surprise at my unwavering defense, yet she thrust her blade forward again. From her extended sword strike, a black aura bloomed sharp as icicles hanging beneath eaves.

‘This isn’t a simple technique either.’

Though Brianna attacked like an ambush, she moved her sword strike to obscure the exact location she was targeting.

‘Even if I can’t determine the location, where it lands is ultimately fixed.’

I bent my knees to lower my stance. Raising the Manhwagong’s energy along the blade of the Heavenly Sword, I waited for the moment Brianna’s strike approached.

“Hmph!”

Brianna rotated her shoulders as if reading my movement, thrusting her blade one breath faster. It was a masterful disruption of the battle’s flow, preventing me from mounting a proper defense.

‘I anticipated that much.’

The moment Brianna’s strike came faster, I arched my back. Her sword slash passed deeply across my forehead.

“Hmph!”

Brianna had anticipated my evasion and reversed her grip on the sword, driving it downward toward my chest.

Ching!

The moment Brianna’s blade descended toward my chest, I unfurled the Heavenly Sword and unleashed the subtle principles of the Wavering Sword and the Illusory Sword, infusing them with trembling uncertainty.

‘The opposite of precision is disturbance.’

The Precise Sword was the art of striking exact locations, while the Wavering Sword was the art of shaking the blade to sow confusion. The Illusory Sword created deception through misdirection.
Since it was nearly impossible to block Brianna’s precise strike from a compromised stance, I invoked both the Illusory and Wavering Swords simultaneously to dismantle her technique.

Whoooosh!

Brianna’s blade trembled violently like a merchant vessel battered by ocean waves, striking not her intended target—my chest—but the floor of the Training Ground instead.

Shhk.

I seized the opening without hesitation, straightened my posture, and pressed the Heavenly Sword against Brianna’s throat.

“You said swordplay was like chess or siege warfare, didn’t you?”

I lifted her chin with the Heavenly Sword and smiled.

“I agree. There’s a certain satisfaction in breaching the castle gates and claiming the king’s head.”

I nodded, remarking that I’d learned something valuable.

“Hmm….”

Brianna frowned at the Heavenly Sword touching her throat, apparently not expecting a counterattack at the moment of her perfect offensive timing.

“Y-you won after all!”

Crain let out a relieved breath and began clapping.

“Master! I knew you’d win!”
“That’s ridiculous!”

Martha smacked the back of Crain’s head and snorted dismissively.

“You were trembling like a scared puppy, shaking your legs because you thought you’d lose the match!”
“I saw it too. I even heard you muttering that losing would be shameful.”

Burren laughed with his arms crossed, saying he’d relay this to Raon later.

“Raon won’t lose….”

Lunan nodded, his absolute faith in Raon evident in his expression.

“He’s realized something again!”

Dorian clasped his hands together, remarking that Raon was always like this.

The Gwangpung Corps swordsmen also gazed at Raon with relieved eyes, sharing the same sentiment as their commanders.

Whoooosh.

Raon withdrew the Heavenly Sword from Brianna’s neck as he heard the cheers of support from the Gale Wind Hall swordsmen.

“What?”

Brianna’s eyes narrowed in confusion at the meaning behind his action.

“You seemed careless, so I’ll give you another chance.”

Raon gestured with his finger for her to stand up.

“You’ll regret it?”

Brianna’s forehead tensed as she gripped her sword firmly.

“An opportunity like this won’t come again.”

She bit her lip, telling herself that she’d only fallen for an unexpected move this time.

“No, you’ll find yourself looking up at me from that same position again.”

Raon spun the Heavenly Sword as he said they should begin immediately.

“Fine. From now on, I acknowledge you—and I’ll break you properly.”

Brianna drew her sword back deeply as if gripping a spear, then unleashed it in a single breath.

Whoooosh!

Countless streaks of light converged like constellations scattered across a starless night sky, rushing toward me.
It was the Heavenly Sword technique that Akgeomhu had demonstrated, but the power, speed, and sophistication of the subtle principles woven into the blade were on an entirely different level.

Whoooosh!

I exhaled sharply as I witnessed Brianna’s swordsmanship—as if she were plummeting the very cosmos itself.

‘Beautiful.’

This was a transcendent art of the blade—one that could only be forged by refining each technique to its absolute limit, then comprehending and embodying every subtle principle contained within. My heart trembled at the sight of Brianna’s effort and talent.

—Now is not the time to admire her beauty!

Wrath struck my back to snap me back to reality.

—If you don’t block this properly, you’ll die!

He shouted that Brianna was wielding her true swordsmanship, and even blocking it would result in tremendous impact.

—Stop fooling around and unleash a powerful technique!
‘I don’t need overwhelming power. I’ll match her with aura calibrated to exactly her level.’
—Huh?
‘Sincerity deserves sincerity in return.’

I resonated the Ring of Fire at maximum intensity. Within the transcendent realm where time seemed to freeze, I meticulously read through every layer of Brianna’s swordsmanship.

‘The subtle principles of her technique haven’t changed much. Except for one thing.’

The principles woven into the Heavenly Sword remained the same: powerful strikes, swift strikes, precise strikes, and observant strikes.

But between them, the principle of explosive strikes—where aura condensed before detonating—had seeped in.

‘I need to destroy that technique before the aura finishes condensing. To do that….’

I lifted the Heavenly Sword with a laugh brimming with exhilaration.

‘If I create as many swords as there are stars, that should do it.’

Above the blade, glowing red-hot, a World Tree of flame blossomed forth. Petals shimmering with both brilliance and grandeur rose on the wind, blocking the absolute technique of the Wizi Sword pouring down like darkness.

Manhwagong Heavenly Fire—Flame Spirit.

Yet this was not the Flame Spirit I had always wielded. Within the countless fragments of fire, different sword techniques harmonized together.

Light, swift, heavy, dull, powerful, wind-wreathed, lightning-bound, erratic, sharp.
Countless fragments of flame bloomed like a thousand flowers, colliding with a sword strike that seemed to contain the cosmos itself.

Uuuuuuuung!

The absolute technique of the Wizi Sword pressed forward as if to devour the Flame Spirit, but the fragments of fire spread softly like fireflies illuminating the darkness, beginning to incinerate the cosmic sword strike.

Whoooosh!

Like a small spark igniting a massive conflagration, each delicate fragment of the Flame Spirit moved differently, burning away every trace of the absolute technique Brianna had unleashed with all her power, leaving not a single aura behind.

Whoooosh.

The fragments of flame, their work complete, withered into dry petals and faded away.

“What?”

Brianna’s jaw trembled as she stared at the embers settling to the ground, unable to fathom that her absolute technique, infused with all her power, could be blocked.

“That’s… that’s impossible. How could you…?”

She looked at me with eyes seeking answers, her confusion evident.

“If you want the answer, get up and come at me again.”

I pointed the still-heated blade of the Heavenly Sword at Brianna.

“If you can defeat me, I’ll give you that answer.”

I curled my lips upward, echoing her words.

*

*

*

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

Brianna couldn’t deflect my blade and was driven backward, carving a deep fissure across the Training Ground floor.

“Ugh…”

As she lifted her aching neck, she saw me standing motionless in that very spot.

‘How is this possible?’

Raon was clearly a swordsman who focused on aura quantity and blade power rather than understanding fundamental techniques.

Yet as they fought, he wielded perfectly embodied techniques—each one containing only the sword mastery necessary for that specific moment, as if he’d undergone some awakening.
She couldn’t fathom how such growth was possible in such a short span of time.

-What are you doing! Why are you just taking hits!

Bridget’s voice erupted in her mind, demanding she fight properly.

-You can’t lose to some kid!
‘Shut up.’

I silenced her voice and gripped my sword with trembling hands.

‘I won’t lose. Just watch.’

I’d lost count of how many times I’d died to Raon. My strength was draining, my head spinning, but I couldn’t collapse in defeat like this.

“Haaaah!”

Brianna drew a deep breath and thrust the essence of the Heavenly Sword toward me.

Kyaaaang!

However, Raon had already grasped the essence of Brianna’s sword technique, receiving her blade without the slightest wavering before launching a counterattack.

Whoooosh!

Brianna barely evaded Raon’s sword and bit her lip.

‘Damn it….’

Unlike Raon, who had comprehended her sword technique, she still couldn’t perceive his.

But that was inevitable.

‘No matter how skilled I am, I can’t possibly master every sword technique in existence.’

Raon kept changing the subtleties of the sword techniques he employed.

He wove new nuances into the techniques she’d just witnessed and unleashed them anew—no matter how confident she was in her eye for swordsmanship, it proved meaningless.
All the countless hours she’d devoted to the blade felt hollow.

“Is this what a true monster is….”

Unable to suppress her frustration, Brianna spoke without thinking.

“A talent that even defies time itself.”
“I told you.”

Raon shook his head as he observed the wavering in Brianna’s eyes.

“I’ve invested millions of hours into swordsmanship. If you look properly, you should be able to feel it.”

He thrust his blade forward before her eyes as if to say: look properly.

‘Properly?’

Brianna swallowed hard as she watched Raon’s sword extend before her like a perfectly straight horizon.

‘Wait. That sword….’

It wasn’t created through mere talent alone.

I could feel countless strands interwoven within what appeared to be a single sword strike.
That wasn’t a blade drawn in one moment—it was the product of effort poured in over countless hours, just like mine.

‘She’s like me.’

This girl was a swordswoman who had trained in the Mental World, just as I had.

Recognizing that someone similar to me had lived a similar life, the helplessness that had weighed on my shoulders transformed into exhilaration, filling my chest.

Clang!

Brianna parried Raon’s incoming blade with a sharp counter, her lips curling into a smile.

‘This is exhilarating.’

I want to keep fighting!

Unlike when she wielded her sword alone in the Mental World, vitality and joy now surged through her entire body and spirit.
Upon finding a kindred spirit, this simple act of blocking and striking felt profoundly joyful.

Whoooosh!

With Raon before her, Brianna sank deeper into the boundless world of swordsmanship.

*

*

*

“Huh?”

Raon blinked as he watched Brianna, frozen in place with her sword still raised, lost in a trance.

‘Again?’

Just as Heekyuk Je had fallen into a trance, now both Brianna and Bridget had entered that state.

‘This is ridiculous.’

I had come here to forge an alliance with the Five Sovereigns, yet I never imagined I would plunge their leaders into such a state of rapture. The thought was so absurd that a hollow laugh escaped me.

-Puhehehehe!

Wrath suddenly pointed a finger at me and burst into laughter.

-So you do have moments where you help others!

He clutched his belly and snickered as if he’d finally understood my true nature.

‘It wasn’t purely for their benefit.’

I lowered the Heavenly Sword and shook my head.

‘I simply remembered something I’d forgotten.’

Through my bout with Brianna, I had rediscovered the joy of swordsmanship and awakened the desire to create even greater techniques.
Though I knew it intellectually, reawakening that dormant sensation had infused my mind with renewed vitality.

‘This will prove far more valuable than any shallow enlightenment.’

I had understood that one must not recklessly cram every technique into swordplay, and that only the truly essential elements should be refined. Yet in actual combat, I had abandoned that understanding and relied solely on overwhelming power.

While not entirely wrong, such an approach would eventually manifest as a towering wall that blocked my path forward.

But having confronted this truth before hitting that wall, I was certain I could ascend to greater heights far more swiftly.

‘Ten Thousand Swords has grown as well.’

Though no visible changes appeared in my body or aura, the profound growth of Ten Thousand Swords was undeniable—I had wielded every technique and subtlety learned from my duel with Brianna, and the skill’s advancement had surged accordingly.

-Puheng!

Wrath twisted his mouth and waved his hand dismissively.

-The ascension of the Thousand Blades is nonsense! No matter how you slice it, you’re nothing but a fool who puts others into a state of selflessness!
‘I’m not a fool, I’m telling you.’
-A fool! A foooooool! Hehehehe!

Wrath teased me by flicking his tongue playfully. He seemed desperate to call me a fool.

‘Think whatever you want…’

I was smirking at Wrath’s cackling when it happened.

[You have bestowed the mercy of the Divine upon those who walk the same path.]
[The achievement of the Thousand Blades has increased.]
[All stats have…..]
[Traits…..]
[…..]

Messages appeared before Wrath, who was still sticking out his tongue.

-Ugh….

Wrath froze mid-taunt, his eyes trembling.

‘Seems like….’

I chuckled as I watched Wrath’s breathing grow ragged.

‘The only fool here is you, isn’t it?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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