The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 103
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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 103
I stood facing Rimer in the center of the Training Ground, my hand resting on the hilt of my sword.
“What’s gotten into you? You’re the type who wouldn’t even bother watching.”
“Every now and then I need to loosen up, or my joints will rust over. And….”
Rimer drew his blade with a sly grin.
“It pains me to see my disciple’s shoulders drooping because all his sparring partners have run away.”
“I see.”
I nodded and unsheathed my sword.
‘He really is a pure-hearted person.’
Rimer was certainly lazy, but his care for his disciples ran deeper than that. He seemed to have come here with no ulterior motive—purely to help.
‘This is the perfect opportunity to elevate my Light Devouring Sword in one leap.’
Rimer was a swordsman standing on a far higher plane than I was. Sparring with him wouldn’t just improve my Light Devouring Sword—my overall skill would ascend as well.
“It’s a shame we have only one spectator, but shall we begin?”
“Yes.”
We both looked toward Lunan Slion, who stood in the center.
“Begin.”
Lunan Slion nodded at our gaze and lowered his raised hand.
“Hgh!”
I clenched my teeth and pushed off the ground. Weaving the incantations of the Light Devouring Sword through my body, which was suffused with the energy of the Ten Thousand Flower Technique, I brought my blade down in a devastating arc.
The air shredded like a saw cutting through wood.
“Impressive—you’ve grown considerably.”
Rimer drew his sword with admiration, and a circular aura of green energy embroidered the empty air.
Ching!
The ferocious sword strike of the Gwangah Sword clashed against the gentle energy Rimer had unleashed.
‘This is….’
I narrowed my eyes. Rimer neither deflected nor blocked the Gwangah Sword’s strike—instead, he dampened the force contained within the sword momentum.
To reduce the power of a ferocious sword strike like the Gwangah Sword, he was truly no ordinary swordsman.
“Fascinating, isn’t it?”
Rimer spun his sword, gleaming in deep green, and smiled knowingly.
“It’s a swordsmanship technique that spreads thinly-layered sword energy in bundles to control an opponent’s strike. There are many ways for a sword to face another sword. It’s worth considering not just your own blade, but also how to utilize your opponent’s.”
“I see.”
I nodded, and the incantation of the Gwangah Sword sharpened the young blade further before unleashing it.
I immediately prepared the next technique. It was the fifth form of the Gwangah Sword—Cloud Shape Slash.
Consecutive sword strikes brimming with tremendous momentum erupted forth.
Boom! Crash!
Rimer lowered his stance and positioned his sword diagonally, pouring all his effort into defense.
‘Then this approach is better.’
Sparks ignited in my eyes. The Gwangah Sword was a technique that shone brighter the more the opponent fell into a defensive position. I had seized the advantage.
Screech!
I employed every technique of the Gwangah Sword to pierce through Rimer’s defense.
Intense sword strikes exploded like a colossal wolf tearing into its prey, yet Rimer’s defense remained an impenetrable fortress.
“Tch!”
I bit my lip and unleashed every technique of the Radiant Sword, yet no opening appeared.
“Growing frustrated bit by bit?”
Rimer chuckled through the gap where our blades met.
“The power of the Sensory Sword you’ve mastered is remarkable. Despite your technique still being underdeveloped, you shatter other swordplay with ease. But you’re far too one-dimensional!”
“Ugh!”
Rimer twisted his wrist. The powerful recoil sent me flying backward.
“Hmm….”
I released the aura wrapped around my blade and steadied my stance.
“The Sensory Sword relies on intuition as its name suggests, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think. Especially with what you’ve learned—you must wield your blade with deliberate thought. Consider why it bears that name.”
“The name? What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve told you enough. You can’t expect me to hand you everything on a silver platter, can you?”
Rimer shrugged his shoulders.
“Sigh….”
I exhaled heavily and nodded.
‘He’s right about that.’
If I relied solely on my master, I would eventually become incapable of acting independently. Having received such a hint, I needed to think for myself and move forward.
‘The name. The name….’
The more I used the Radiant Sword recently, the stronger its power became, yet my thinking grew increasingly simplistic.
I was consumed by a single desire: to thrust my blade into every opening I perceived.
‘Just now too.’
I had ended the sparring match by thrusting my sword toward the gaps Rimer created. I couldn’t grow this way.
“I need to push myself a bit further.”
“Good. Come at me.”
Rimer smiled and flicked his four gathered fingers at me.
“Hah!”
I drew a deep breath and kicked off the ground. I thrust my blade toward Rimer, who remained in his defensive stance.
Clang!
Steel sang against steel, the sharp metallic ring echoing through the Training Ground.
Whoosh!
My blade was pushed back slightly, so I reversed it and brought it down in a continuous strike. Rimer’s sword pivoted to the right. A flawless defense—an impenetrable guard just like before.
I activated the Ring of Fire. My swordplay remained fierce, but my mind grew calm.
In that moment, as my vision focused solely on attack, Rimer’s left flank came into view. It wasn’t an opening—it was a well-defended area.
‘But.’
A premonition pierced my mind—I could create an opening there.
Whoosh!
I drew my blade diagonally downward. As the strike fell with the force of a waterfall, Rimer raised his shoulder smoothly to meet it.
Clang!
In the recoil from the collision, my wrist was pushed back—and in that instant, a gap appeared in Rimer’s left flank.
I immediately twisted my ankle to alter the blade’s trajectory. I thrust forward, channeling rotational force from my calf through my thigh.
“Huh!”
For the first time, surprise flickered in Rimer’s eyes. He stepped back and swiftly spun his blade to intercept.
Clang!
He couldn’t withstand the fierce energy contained in Raon’s blade and stumbled backward three steps.
“W-what was that just now? Why did you suddenly change your sword technique…?”
“I saw it.”
“You saw it?”
“Yes.”
When I freed my mind from being consumed by the relentless assault of the Radiant Sword, I began to perceive the gaps in my opponent’s defense.
No, not gaps—I saw the method to create them. In other words, I could now read his moves.
“How?”
“I can’t reveal all of that to you.”
I laughed, repeating the very words Rimer had once spoken to me.
“I never intended to teach you the words themselves.”
“Children naturally learn by observation.”
Raon tapped the ground lightly with his foot before charging toward Rimer, who hadn’t yet fully regained his stance.
“Then I’ll come again!”
*
*
*
Whistle.
Rimer whistled as he watched Raon rush toward him, immediately raising his blade to meet the attack.
“You still have a long way to go.”
Just as he laid his sword horizontally into a perfect defensive posture, Raon’s movement shifted—he twisted the blade he’d been swinging upward and aimed for Rimer’s left wrist instead.
‘Damn it!’
Rimer’s brow furrowed, and he pivoted his body. He wove aura along the blade’s edge to defend, then sought an opening for a counterattack.
A sharp metallic ring echoed through the air.
Yet Raon’s blade descended again. It moved like a trained beast—not driven by instinct alone, but by experience honed through countless encounters, each strike finding the gaps in his opponent’s defense.
‘This monster….’
I’d given him merely a hint, and already he was beginning to awaken the true nature of the Radiant Sword. It was astonishing—my hair stood on end.
A resonant hum filled the space.
Rimer slashed his blade with tremendous force. The emerald aura coalescing along the edge unfurled, blocking every approach from all directions. Save for one—a single gap invisible to the untrained eye.
Raon’s eyes flared crimson. He twisted the blade he’d been wielding with savage power, driving toward that singular opening.
‘He’s got it!’
A rueful laugh escaped me. Through this brief exchange, Raon had grasped the true Radiant Sword.
‘Then my role as his teacher is to help him walk that path even faster.’
Though this was my first time as an instructor, every moment brought joy—thanks to Raon and the other trainees.
“Excellent. Keep coming!”
Rimer unleashed an endless barrage of strikes, creating a single gap that only a master swordsman could detect.
Raon thrust his blade into that minute opening as though reading my very thoughts, his strike lethal and precise.
‘Insane.’
A breath escaped involuntarily. His sword path was refined, yet his strikes were savage. When that blade reached completion, ordinary warriors wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
“But it’s no fun if it’s too easy.”
Rimer sealed the gap. He unleashed swordplay that the current Raon couldn’t penetrate, pressing him relentlessly.
Though the power of his sword and the clarity of his swordsmanship were both superior, Raon refused to yield.
Rather than searching for openings with that eerie gaze as he swung his blade, he began to create them.
‘That’s it.’
Rimer nodded approvingly. On the battlefield, opponents never deliberately create openings—one must forge them oneself. The Radiant Sword was the finest technique for carving such gaps.
Clang! Clang!
Rimer and Raon exchanged endless sword strikes at close range, their blades singing against each other.
‘He’s growing stronger by the moment.’
His sword force intensified, and his rhythm flowed without flaw. The boy’s progress was skyrocketing explosively.
“Haaah!”
Raon roared as he brought his blade down. The moment he assumed a defensive stance, a counter-attack twisted that very defense apart. The transformation was terrifyingly swift.
‘What kind of monster is this….’
As the boy continued to shatter his defenses, even while holding back, a chill ran down his spine.
Yet he could not grant him victory—not yet.
“Go eat more and come back!”
Rimer wrapped his blade in a tempestuous wind. He unleashed the aura concentrated on the sword’s edge in one devastating strike. It was the Gale Soul Slash.
‘Let’s see how he handles this.’
The technique he’d just unleashed was still beyond what Raon could withstand. He watched with anticipation, his lips curling slightly.
Whoosh!
Raon charged forward with his blade angled back. Heedless of the wind from the Gale Soul Slash tearing at his clothes, he brought his sword crashing down.
Boom!
The Wind Soul Spear didn’t shatter even under Raon’s fierce blade strike. But I didn’t stop. I retreated with swift footwork while continuing to swing my sword relentlessly.
The Wind Soul Spear, which had been gradually splitting apart, finally revealed its breaking point. A gap formed.
Kwaaaah!
I exhaled a long breath and drew my blade. A blazing red light, like the scorching sun, flashed brilliantly, and the Wind Soul Spear melted away into nothingness.
“Huh!”
Rimer’s jaw dropped open.
‘What did that bastard just do?’
I’d told him to improve upon the Radiant Sword technique after observing the Wind Soul Spear, but he’d completely shattered it instead. What kind of madman was he?
Whoooosh!
I stood confidently in the center of the Training Ground as thick dust swirled around me.
“Hey. You….”
“Not now.”
As Rimer tried to approach me, Lunan Slion came over and grabbed his arm.
“Huh?”
“Not right now.”
At those words, Rimer looked ahead. My pupils were unfocused.
‘A state of enlightenment?’
It seemed that bastard had gained an epiphany while fighting the Wind Soul Spear.
‘This is ridiculous….’
Most people experienced enlightenment once or twice in their entire lives, yet why did this guy seem to achieve it so frequently?
Lunan Slion released Rimer’s hand and exited the Training Ground. It seemed he was trying to block anyone who might approach.
‘How did he notice?’
I hadn’t even realized I’d fallen into a state of complete absorption. It was a mystery how Lunan Slion, standing so much farther away, had managed to perceive it.
“That bastard’s blessed, I tell you.”
Rimer shook his head in exasperation and collapsed onto the ground. It seemed he had no choice but to continue protecting me.
“I was hoping to finish this quickly and go drink.”
He gazed at the setting sun and smacked his lips with anticipation.
*
*
*
I exhaled deeply.
My eyes opened to darkness. The sun that had hung in the sky had transformed into the moon, yet I felt no surprise.
‘I entered a state of complete absorption.’
Facing Rimer’s overwhelmingly powerful final strike, a sudden enlightenment had awakened within me.
Whether to advance further or preserve the insights already gained—I chose to push forward, and in doing so, I obtained an even greater understanding.
“Looks good?”
Rimer, sprawled on the ground, furrowed his brow.
“Thank you.”
I sheathed my sword and bowed respectfully.
Even lying there so casually, Rimer’s aura enveloped this entire space. He had clearly been protecting me all along.
“Tell him over there too.”
Rimer pointed his finger toward the back. Silver hair fluttered at the Training Ground entrance.
“Is it over?”
Lunan Slion opened the door and entered.
“That bastard noticed your state of no-mind before I did.”
I nodded and stood before Lunan Slion.
“Thank you.”
“Did you get stronger?”
“Yeah.”
“So we don’t have to spar anymore?”
I nodded with a faint smile, and Lunan Slion’s face brightened slightly.
“Seeing you so confident about getting stronger, it seems you’ve truly grasped the enlightenment.”
Rimer stood and brushed the dust and dirt from his clothes.
“Yes. The Fang Sword is the teeth of a wild beast, but it’s also a momentary flash of brilliance. A beast with cold reason—that is the true Fang Sword.”
The Fang Sword was not merely a savage and brutal sensory blade. It was a special swordsmanship that could twist open an opponent’s openings by utilizing not just instinct, but experience and spirit as well.
I still had far to go, but it felt as though I had taken my first step into the true Fang Sword.
“The time was well spent. Today’s drink will taste good.”
Rimer chuckled and headed toward the Training Ground exit.
“Thank you.”
I bowed again, and he waved his hand as he left the Training Ground.
“Raon, let’s train.”
She approached from the side and drew her sword. It meant practicing swordsmanship rather than sparring.
“Understood.”
I owed Lunan Slion another debt. I could help with training to any extent.
I examined Lunan Slion’s swordsmanship carefully. Thanks to mastering the Light Sword technique, I could see at a glance what was lacking.
“When you unfold the second stance, extend your feet about a finger’s width further, and straighten your knees a bit more.”
“Got it.”
Lunan Slion’s swordsmanship became more refined and sharper. Seeing how a single piece of advice transformed her technique, her talent truly was boundless across the Continent.
I offered Lunan Slion a few more pointers before lifting my gaze. I watched as an enormous moon illuminated the Training Ground, nodding faintly to myself.
‘I’m nearly ready to depart.’
Save for one thing.
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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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