The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 1045

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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 1045

“You….”

I exhaled sharply as I stared at Darkan’s face.

“How do you have your eyes….”

Unlike moments before, Darkan’s eyes gleamed with perfect clarity, no longer hidden behind the eye patch.

“This place is my Mental World.”

Darkan pointed at the gray earth with his finger, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“It’s a space that reflects the soul, not the body, so there’s nothing strange about having eyes like this.”
“The Mental World….”

I surveyed the space where only gray earth was visible, my brow furrowing.

“Don’t tell me you’re seeking revenge for what happened back then.”

When we had met at the Holy Sword Association Holy Ground, Darkan had tested me and accidentally touched Wrath’s soul, dragging me into his Mental World.
I thought he had brought me into his own Mental World to take revenge for that incident.

“No.”

Darkan shook his head firmly.

“Didn’t I tell you? I said I would repay the debt for the help you gave me. Besides….”

He smiled faintly as he looked at me.

“Why would I seek revenge for that? It was an enormous help to me.”
“An enormous help?”
“Yes. Thanks to that experience, I was able to grasp the thread that would lead me to forge my own Sword of the Soul.”

Darkan laughed, saying he actually wanted to express his gratitude to Wrath.

“What does ‘my own Mental Sword’ even mean?”

I narrowed my eyes as I watched Darkan’s relaxed expression.

“Isn’t the Mental Sword just a martial technique that severs an enemy’s soul?”
“I thought so too.”

Darkan nodded calmly.

“Your grandfather’s Mental Sword is the ultimate manifestation of that very image. If he hadn’t tried to sever multiple enemies simultaneously, I would have ceased to exist long ago.”

He exhaled softly, remarking that Glen’s Mental Sword surpassed even the instant-death magic found in mythology.

“Since that was the only Mental Sword I’d ever witnessed, I initially walked that same path. But….”

Darkan stroked his neatly groomed chin.

“It wasn’t fun.”
“What?”

I blinked as I watched Darkan lower his hand.

“What do you mean it wasn’t fun….”
“Exactly what I said. Learning the Mental Sword is exhilarating beyond measure, but the moment you actually wield it to sever a person’s soul is so fleeting that it feels hollow.”

Darkan clicked his tongue, saying it didn’t suit his nature.

“I’m different from your grandfather. My purpose isn’t to kill an enemy perfectly. I want to see what swordsmanship they learned and how. I want to witness the culmination of the blade that swordmaster has built.”

A crimson fervor ignited in his eyes.

“That’s why, after experiencing what the Blue King inside you did to me, I conceived of my own Mental Sword.”
“Could it be….”

I murmured in realization and lowered my gaze to the gray battlefield.

“Yes. My Mental Sword doesn’t sever an enemy’s soul—it draws their soul into my Mental World.”

Darkan nodded, explaining that he was able to create such a Mental Sword thanks to the experience he’d had with Wrath.

“In this world, we clash sword against sword, and soul against soul.”

He curled his lips upward, saying it was no different from paradise.

“Don’t you think it sounds wonderful?”
“Ha!”

I let out a hollow laugh as I watched Darkan, whose smile was utterly flawless.

“You’re insane….”

There’s no other word for it. He’s completely mad.

The Mental Sword—the ultimate stage of swordsmanship where one hones their own soul to cleave an enemy’s soul in a single stroke. Glen pursued it, and so did I.

But Darkan had created this absurd Mental Sword not to kill his opponent, but to taste and experience their swordsmanship more perfectly.
In a way, it felt less like a Mental Sword and more like an incarnation of the Sword Realm itself.

“Of course, this Mental Sword doesn’t always succeed.”

Darkan continued, stroking the bridge of his nose.

“You need at least a Transcendent-tier soul to be drawn into this world. Anything below that is too weak—they die before I can even pull them in.”

He chuckled thinly, saying that’s why he never intended to summon me here from the start.

“I see….”

I felt a sharp ache in my mind and massaged my temples.

“It’s a Mental Sword perfectly suited to you.”

If Wrath had witnessed this, he would have hurled accusations of madness repeatedly, but to me, it was an ability that fit Darkan far too well.

“But your Mental World is rather sparse. The ground has an unusual color, but there’s nothing else.”

I swept my gaze across the world where only gray earth was visible and furrowed my brow.

“What are you talking about?”

Darkan shook his head as if I was seeing things incorrectly.

“What you’re standing on isn’t ground—it’s a sword.”
“A… a sword?”

I widened my eyes as I looked down at the gray battlefield again.

“Follow me.”

Darkan flicked his fingers as if to show me directly, then rose into the empty air.

“Hmm….”

I smacked my lips briefly before following Darkan upward into the sky.

“This should be high enough. Look down.”

After ascending into the sky for quite some time, Darkan lowered his hand, gesturing for me to look below. When I followed his instruction and cast my gaze downward, the battlefield that had appeared to be nothing but ground revealed itself as the massive form of a colossal sword.
Following his words, I lowered my gaze, and the Battlefield, which had only appeared to be land, was shaped like a massive sword.

“Crazy…”

Raon let out a gasp of astonishment without realizing it.

“Really? It was a sword?”

As Darkan had said, what Dun was stepping on wasn’t ground—it was a massive sword honed to a razor’s edge. Now he finally understood why the floor was gray.

“This isn’t just being obsessed with swords, is it?”

I’ve entered other people’s minds a few times before, but this was the first time I’d seen someone so consumed by a single thought. It didn’t feel like observing a human—it felt like watching a beast.

“You…”

Raon let out a hollow sigh as he looked at Darkan.

“Is your sword really that good?”

He had often heard people say he was obsessed with the sword, but it was nothing compared to Darkan’s level.

‘No, there’s no need for such questions.’

Darkan was among the strongest on the Continent, yet he was someone who had learned to beg while taking blows to the face from me to elevate his swordsmanship.
Seeing how he had created an ability not to kill enemies with his Mental Sword, but to witness more sword techniques, it was clear he was obsessed with the blade to a degree I couldn’t even approach.

“That’s right. All my interests and curiosities are devoted to the sword.”

Darkan twisted his lips as he spoke of how both his hobby and specialty were swordsmanship.

“If I could unfold the ultimate sword with my own hands, I would be content to die right here and now.”

He gazed at the massive blade he had personally honed and offered a serene smile.

‘Saying he’s obsessed with the sword doesn’t even begin to cover it. But….’

I watched Darkan’s eyes burning with fervor and licked my lips.

‘Come to think of it, I’m not so different.’

While Darkan had constructed his Mental World with a single massive sword, I had filled mine with countless blades and sword techniques. The paths differed, but the ideals we pursued were similar.

‘If my goal hadn’t been to take revenge on Derus Robert, perhaps I too would have sought the ultimate sword like Darkan.’

Since training with the sword had been more enjoyable and fulfilling than arduous or tedious, I could now understand Darkan’s feelings somewhat.

I had postponed such pursuits because I had something I needed to accomplish even if I died twice, but had I lived an ordinary life, I might have thought only of the sword like Darkan.

“I’ve seen all of your Mental World now, so let us begin.”

I placed my hand on the Heavenly Sword as I regarded Darkan.

“There’s no need for lengthy words with you—I truly appreciate that.”

Darkan laughed and nodded.

“Your task is simple: engage me in swordplay until you leave this world.”

He waved his hand as if the mere thought brought him joy.

“Nice.”

I smiled and drew the Heavenly Sword from my waist.

“I’ve come this far—I should display all the swordsmanship I possess.”
“I thought you would understand me.”

Darkan summoned a black sword from the void and nodded.

“Then let us begin.”

As Darkan’s voice deepened, his aura—no, the very essence of his soul—swelled with terrifying intensity.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

An overwhelming wave of force shook the vast Mental World. The fool who had been debating with me and the beggar ceased to exist.
The Dark Night Sword God, Darkan—a presence so formidable that merely witnessing it made bone and flesh tremble—descended before my eyes.

“You go first.”

Darkan gripped the black sword in his right hand, a sinister smile crossing his face. His tone was resolute—he would offer no mercy as a senior. Yet the words suited him perfectly.

Whoosh.

From the start, Darkan fought with genuine intent, kicking off from the void and vanishing. His presence reappeared at my right side.

“Since it’s come to this…”

I twisted my lips upward as I deflected Darkan’s blade with a swift draw technique.

“I’ll savor every moment.”

*

*

*

Clang!

I clashed blades with Darkan head-on, exhaling a turbid breath.

‘How much time has passed?’

I had no idea if it had been hours or days.

Since I had crossed swords with Darkan without sparing a thought for time itself, I couldn’t grasp how long I’d been in this place.

“I never knew that even a soul could grow weary.”

My vision wavered as though my time in this world was drawing to an end, and my body—forged from soul—refused to move properly.
Even with Darkan holding back his strength, I was in this state; had we fought at full power, it would have ended long ago.

“It seems you’ve reached your limit.”

Darkan lowered his blade and clicked his tongue.

“Well, you’ve earned the right to be exhausted. No one has ever lasted this long in this world before.”

He let out an exclamation of wonder, marveling that I had endured so long in this realm.

“It’s remarkable. How can a mere boy who barely passed twenty possess a soul far greater than his martial prowess?”

Darkan let out an empty sigh, saying that the quality of his spirit was more appalling than his lack of power.

“Going forward, it would be better for you to refine that soul rather than your swordsmanship….”
“Hey.”

I released a short breath and called out to Darkan.

“If time is running short as you say, we shouldn’t end this with mere conversation, should we?”

I raised the Heavenly Sword toward him and jerked my chin forward.

“I still have one final sword technique left.”

I had displayed every sword technique I’d mastered through my duel with Darkan in this place, but I had not yet revealed that final technique. Only after unleashing it would I feel truly satisfied.

“Ha! Kuhahahaha!”

Darkan burst into laughter so violent that the space itself trembled, clutching his forehead.

“There’s someone even more obsessed with the sword than I am!”

He wasn’t angry—he nodded with unmistakable delight.

“Excellent. Come.”

Darkan spread both arms wide as if ready to accept everything.

“You should be careful.”

I gripped the Heavenly Sword tightly with both hands, biting my lip.

“This time will be different.”

I poured every sword technique I had mastered and all the emotions I felt while learning them into the blade before my eyes.

Sword Realm Manifestation—Genesis.

Brilliant golden radiance bloomed across the silver blade.
The light of the Sword Realm stretched majestically through Darkan’s gray-filled Mental World, declaring it as my own.

“Better than expected!”

Darkan laughed with excitement, baring his teeth.

“I’ll take it!”

He brought his black sword crashing down toward my endlessly rising Sword Realm. The desire and will of a swordsman who had walked only one path his entire life fell like black flames.

A deafening roar erupted!

Golden brilliance and black radiance collided, shattering Darkan’s Mental World—forged entirely of swords—into thousands of fragments.

Crackling energy burst forth!

As I opened my eyes, feeling my soul twist, I saw Darkan before me, his eyes hidden behind an eye patch.

“Ugh!”

I clutched my chest and fell to my knees on the debris-strewn floor.

‘Did I come back?’

It seemed I had been struck within Darkan’s Mental World and returned to reality.

“Raon!”

Lectar, who had been watching the sparring match, rushed over and helped me to my feet.

“What happened?!”

He stared at me with worried eyes and bit his lip.

-You fool. Where have you been?!

Wrath struck my shoulder.

-Your soul vanished from this world for approximately one minute!

He furrowed his brow, saying that if it had taken any longer, he would have devoured my body.

“I entered Darkan’s Mental World and came back out.”
-Mental World?
“A… Mental World, you say?”
“Actually…”

I explained to Lectar and Wrath what had transpired within Darkan’s Mental World.

“Hah…”

Lectar exhaled in disbelief, as if he had never considered such a thing possible.

-Insane… there’s no other word for it but insane!

Wrath gasped in exasperation upon hearing that Darkan’s Sword Heart had changed because of me.

-Finally, a madman who’s a perfect match for you has appeared!

He bit his lip, considering himself and Darkan to be equals.

“That was a magnificent sword.”

Darkan nodded calmly, as if satisfied.

“The pity is that I witnessed it before the sword was complete.”

He smacked his lips briefly, having noticed that Apocalypse was not a finished blade.

“Let me offer one piece of advice—your final sword lacked the Mental Sword within it. If you harmonize the Mental Sword as well, it will become something entirely different.”

Darkan offered counsel on what was needed to develop Apocalypse further, then waved his hand dismissively.

“The Mental Sword….”

I furrowed my brow as I watched Darkan’s smile.

‘I truly didn’t have the luxury to consider it.’

Since I couldn’t yet achieve the Mental Sword through my own power alone, I had never even contemplated incorporating its flow into Apocalypse.
If I refined that aspect, it seemed I could indeed create an entirely different Apocalypse, just as Darkan said.

“I appreciate the advice. However….”

I tilted my chin toward Darkan.

“Apocalypse has no end. It’s a sword that will ascend even higher than completion.”
“A sword that ascends higher than completion, you say….”

Darkan’s expression brightened with delight as he recalled the final form of Apocalypse he had witnessed.

“Remarkable confidence. Yet your words are not without merit.”

He nodded, as if anticipating that day.

“And you said you’d teach me, but it seems like you enjoyed it more than I did?”
“Perhaps.”

Darkan chuckled without a hint of embarrassment.

“But I’ll definitely keep my other promise.”

He nodded toward me.

“Derus Robert. I’ll stop him.”

Darkan spoke those words with conviction, his lips curving into an eager smile. He seemed to be anticipating Derus’s swordsmanship.

“I’ll trust you on that.”

I retrieved a transparent orb from my spatial pouch and tossed it to Darkan.

“Once the plan is finalized, I’ll contact you with this, so keep it on you.”
“Well, since I need to leave this place anyway, it’ll come in handy.”

Darkan agreed it was a good idea and slipped the orb into his pocket.

“You’re leaving?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I gained enlightenment as a beggar, so now I need to find a different path.”

He was already seeking a new direction despite having only recently attained his enlightenment.

“What are you planning to do next?”
“Who knows? I’ve been a king and a beggar, so maybe I’ll try building an ordinary family this time.”

Darkan gazed at the houses around him, a faint smile crossing his lips.

“I suspect one reason your Grandfather reached his current level is because of you.”

He waved his hand, suggesting that building a family for that purpose wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“If you’re going to do it, do it properly. If not, don’t bother.”

I shook my head firmly.

“A family isn’t something you build alone. If you can’t be sincere with others, you’re making the same mistake as when you pretended to be something you weren’t.”

I furrowed my brow as I told him to think of responsibility first if he was going to build a family.

“I know. You taught me.”

Darkan nodded as if telling me not to worry.

“Then.”

He waved his hand in farewell and disappeared into the darkened alley.
The way he left without any hesitation suited his epithet as the Dark Night Sword God perfectly. Of course, he was still dressed in tattered rags like a beggar.

“In any case, it seems to have ended well.”

Lectar exhaled a sigh of relief as if grateful.

“Yes. Honestly, I thought just succeeding in persuading him would be a great gain, but we obtained additional benefits as well.”

I smiled and nodded.

“Additional benefits?”
“Yes. As I mentioned, thanks to being pulled into Darkan’s Mental World, my swordsmanship has improved significantly.”

Though Darkan had summoned me into the Mental World purely for his own enjoyment, I was able to elevate my mastery of ten thousand swords by exchanging blades with a supreme transcendent.

-Hmph. It’s not that meaningful anyway. It’s not enlightenment, and you didn’t gain a trait….

Wrath was snorting dismissively and shaking his head when—

[You have engaged in a soul clash with a mighty one who touches the heavens.]
[All ability stats increase by 20 points.]
[Your soul’s grade rises significantly.]
[Your mastery of ten thousand swords rises substantially.]
[The trait 【Mind Sword (Spirit)】 rises in grade.]

As if mocking Wrath, rewards for this ordeal came pouring in.

-Huh? Wha—what?! Why is this suddenly….

Wrath’s eyes widened as he stared at the message in disbelief.

‘As expected from Wrath, always giving without reservation.’

I laughed as I watched Wrath’s trembling lips.

‘Your words are my fortune. Thank you.’
-That’s not what I meant!

As if commemorating this new bond with Darkan, Wrath’s scream echoed through the Royal Capital Back Alley.

Ahhhhhhhhh!

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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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