The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 156

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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 156

“You certainly have the skill to back up that arrogance.”

Horain narrowed his eyes and lowered his stance. It was like the pounce of a wolf I’d seen before. His posture remained the same, but the aura emanating from him was on an entirely different level.

“But you’re not my match!”

As the declaration left his lips, his blade erupted forward. The wavering sword technique multiplied into six strikes. The subtle interplay of aura-infused illusions and transforming blades—despite his shock, there wasn’t a single opening in his attack.

Roooar!

I resonated the ring of fire. Within my slowing vision, the variations of his sword technique reduced to three. They targeted my throat, left chest, and ribs.

Which one was he aiming for?

Not which one—all of them.
The three illusory strikes erased, the icy blade was targeting all three points simultaneously.

Whoooosh!

I aimed the tip of my blade at the ground, then swept through the air like a brush stroke. The flames coiling around the blade drew a semicircle, obliterating Horain’s three-pronged sword strikes.

“Hmph!”

As if he’d anticipated it, Horain spun his body mid-air and unleashed a second sword technique. His blade fell like a meteor, as fierce and deadly as the fighting spirit burning in his eyes.

Shhiiiing!

The sword strike slid through the air as if alive, targeting my heart and head. Powerful enough that a direct hit would leave me bedridden until training ended—yet I threw myself forward to meet it instead.

‘This is the right move.’

Horain’s aura was cold, and his swordsmanship was ornate and transformative. The more I retreated, the wider his space became—so now was the time to advance.

Claaang!

I unleashed the Gwang-a Sword’s Aun Strike against the two serpentine sword slashes intertwining like twisted snakes.

Fwoooosh!

The sword strikes collided at close range and exploded violently. A thunderous roar shook the earth, and a harsh shockwave erupted, sending the swordsmen clinging to the edges of the Sparring Arena tumbling backward.

Raon and Horain seized the opportunity created by the shockwave to retreat and regain their footing.

“You’re seventeen? I can’t believe it. Your swordsmanship isn’t even inferior!”

Horain shook his head in disbelief, utterly baffled.

“Still, I can’t lose. Here I come again!”

He glided forward as smoothly as if skating on ice and drew his blade horizontally. The straight line of the sword transformed into countless ice spikes targeting every vital point across my body. The sword strikes spread wide like waves of a great ocean, multiplying in number.

I activated Glacial and opened the sea of perception. Undulating waves. Within that flow, there was only one blade moving.

“Hm!”

I drew my sword as my senses commanded. Sharp teeth imbued with the Gwang-a Sword’s incantation rose like lightning.

Craaash!

A sound like bone shattering erupted, and Horain, who had been floating through the air, was driven back violently and planted his hand on the ground.

“How… how is that possible?”
“I simply have good intuition.”
“Intuition? You’re telling me this is possible with intuition alone? Unbelievable!”

Horain glared with fierce eyes and stomped his foot. The cold aura he wielded with full power began to swell gradually. Silver frost started spreading across the surroundings.

He stamped the ground while wrapping his entire body in that mighty aura. Strands of aura unraveled like tangled thread, and more than ten ever-changing blades of energy coiled through space.

‘I’ve already seen through it.’

My eyes grew distant and deep. I had finished observing the variable and illusory sword techniques Horain had displayed. What he showed now was more complex, but ultimately, the roots were the same.

Uuuuuung!

I advanced forward, slashing the wailing blade in my hand diagonally. The curved flame blade, as if carving through space itself, incinerated every one of Horain’s sword strikes.

“Surely not….”

Horain’s hand trembled as he gripped his sword.

“You’ve been learning Variable Sword Technique!”

He didn’t realize that I was mimicking his swordsmanship on the spot, and instead mistakenly believed I had learned Variable Sword Technique.

“You’re far beyond what the word ‘genius’ can contain.”

Horain swallowed hard as if he had encountered some kind of monster, even though he wasn’t human.

“To beat down someone like this for merely gold coins—it’s not worth the investment. But still, once you’ve started, you see it through like a man!”

His figure blurred and vanished. To the right. In a flash, he burrowed in from the side and thrust his blade forward. From the blade infused with blue light, torrents of aura poured down like rain.

‘This is my chance.’

A chance to elevate my Variable Sword Technique and Circular Sword Technique.

Manwha Master’s swordsmanship often drew the shape of flower petals. Using the Variable and Circular techniques I’d learned fighting Horain, I felt I could unfold those techniques far more perfectly.

“Not yet!”

Horain’s eyes blazed as countless transformed blades poured forth, relentlessly targeting vital points. The aura strands that had been tightening like a cage suddenly converged into a single point, aimed at my heart.

‘Such a transformation….’

I’d only thought of transformations spreading widely, never imagining concentrating them into a single point. This too became knowledge.

Whoooosh!

I burned his swordsmanship into my eyes with a ring of fire as I unfolded Manwha Master’s Revolving Heaven. The serrated wheel of flames advancing while tearing space collided with the condensed aura.

Boom!

Cold and heat tangled together as a tremendous explosion erupted, the ground flipped, and the Training Ground began to shake.

Roooaaar!

Horain plunged through the maelstrom of aura and unleashed a powerful strike. It was no ordinary blow. What descended was a cascade of sword slashes like bolts of lightning—an ascending swordsmanship technique infused with terrifying phantasmal transformations and variations.

I couldn’t yet match such transformations. I adjusted my grip and drew my blade upward from the ground. A magnificent sword strike that seemed to cleave the heavens erupted forth, shattering Horain’s attack.

“Ugh!”

Horain staggered from the impact, blood trickling from his lips, but he didn’t retreat. Instead, he surged forward and swung his sword again.

Crash!

I refused to be pushed back, planting my feet firmly as I detonated my aura-infused blade.

Bang! Boom!

Shockwaves and thunderous sounds far more intense than our previous unaura’d clash rippled across the entire Training Ground, and our fighting spirits shattered the earth beneath us.

Horain and I exchanged countless sword strikes at the center of the devastated Sparring Arena. Cold and heat radiated from each of our hands, yet neither of us yielded.

“Huff…”
“Haah…”

Despite our skin and clothes being torn, we both wore faint smiles.

“Our strength has drained enough. It’s time to settle this.”

Horain raised his sword to an upper stance. Assuming a posture as if piercing the heavens, he drew forth all his remaining aura. His blade trembled like a whip, releasing a tremendous wave of energy.

“Gladly.”

I drew my sword back and extended my left hand forward. It wasn’t the Dragon Breath technique I’d forced Milend to unleash his power against. Rather than my strongest swordsmanship to advance further, I drew upon something else entirely.

Zing!

A silvery flash erupted from Horain’s blade. The icy energy embedded in the steel spread like heat shimmer, transforming into nine massive whips. Each strand carried devastating power capable of shattering swords and crushing flesh and bone.

Crunch crunch crunch!

I unleashed a compressed inferno against the nine streaks of sword energy descending like lightning. The flame petals that had danced upon the blade bloomed as if spring itself had arrived.

Ten Thousand Flames Technique, Tenth Flame.
Flame Spirit.

A new hue painted itself across my swordsmanship, built up through countless trials. The petals that had scattered faintly began to multiply as if reflected in a mirror.

Roooaaarrr!

The whirlwind of petals incinerated the aura whip’s tendrils and surged forward toward my opponent.

The flame petals, devouring the cold aura and amplifying themselves, swept across the void in an instant and severed Horain’s blade.

Blazeeeee!

Late spring. The world was dyed with flame petals as if standing beneath a cherry blossom tree.

“Ah….”

Horain gazed at the fading flame petals as if his soul had left his body, then fell to his knees.

“I… I lost.”

He smiled and acknowledged his defeat, then collapsed.

“…Thank you for the match.”

I bowed my head to the fallen Horain. Though he was somewhat arrogant, he possessed skill worthy of his pride, fought fairly, and acknowledged his loss. He was a man even the Central Intelligence Agency would recognize.

“Hmm?”

I felt a faint ache and looked at my left hand. Frost clung to it from Horain’s cold aura. There was no great pain thanks to my water attribute resistance, but the fact that I had been frozen at all was remarkable.

‘Hmm, but if I use this well….’

I stopped as I was about to use the Ten Thousand Flames Technique to melt the frost on my hand. It seemed there might be a way to utilize this, so I turned away and urgently melted my hand with flames. The slight groans of pain that escaped between moments were merely an afterthought.

“Ugh….”
“Is… is this a dream?”
“He’s that strong?”

I shook the melted aura from my hands and lifted my head. The swordsmen who had been pushed back by the storm of aura stared at me with half-dazed eyes.

“Horain lost? How is this possible?”

Training instructor Lef trembled, his face drained of all color.

Meanwhile, Urek stared intently at his left hand, his eyes narrowing.

Seeing his reaction, I knew my intention had worked perfectly.

As I rotated my wrist while suppressing a smile, a message appeared.

[You have achieved victory against an opponent of intermediate caliber.]
[You have grown through your opponent’s martial arts.]
[You have achieved victory against the strongest opponent you have faced to date.]
[All stats increase by 3 points.]

-Huh?

Wrath’s jaw dropped at the message. His eyes widened in shock that all stats had risen by 3 points without any wager.

-Y-you’re telling me stats increased just from defeating a mere Expert-rank master? Does this even make sense?!
‘He’s the strongest opponent I’ve defeated so far, after all.’

I’ve faced many opponents stronger than Horain, but among those I’ve defeated, he was the strongest.

-Damn it! This system truly knows no bounds!

Wrath cursed at the system he had created for being excessive, then swept the message away.

‘This is exactly why I said there was no need to hide my strength.’

The Central Intelligence Agency probably thought they had grasped my combat ability, but that was only until now. By tomorrow, I would have advanced once more.

I smiled and tapped my scabbard lightly.

“Is there anyone else?”

*

*

*

Burren Zigheart had watched every single one of Raon’s matches from start to finish and reached his conclusion.

‘That guy is a real monster.’

When he first saw Raon after his return, the aura he sensed had grown fainter yet stronger, but he never imagined he would be capable of defeating Horain, one of the vice-captains of the Jeonroedan.

‘What has he been doing all this time?’

He had believed that he too had endured countless hardships in the Rebun Desert and achieved more growth than anyone else, but he was mistaken. Once again, Raon was the one who had climbed the highest.

Yet he felt no jealousy or resentment whatsoever.

‘Because I know what kind of person he is.’

Raon wasn’t someone who became strong through mere luck or elixirs. He was the epitome of a diligent cultivator—training relentlessly from dawn until dusk, growing through sheer effort and repetition.

He had confirmed it the moment he saw Raon Zigheart appear at the Training Ground before dawn the day after his return. That man deserved the strength he possessed.

‘Now that I think about it, that final sword technique… I feel like I’ve seen it before.’

The swordplay with petals dancing through the air that Raon used to defeat Horain at the end—he had witnessed it before. Back then, he had thought it beautiful yet powerful, but today it was far more dangerous and far more beautiful.

‘He’s even refined that technique on his own…’

Truly, this man knew no bounds.

‘But I won’t give up.’

Raon is Raon. I am myself. If I walk my own path without concerning myself with others, I will eventually catch up. In the Rebun Desert, I swore to my second benefactor that I would live without shame.

“That was magnificent!”

Burren offered his sole genuine applause to Raon, who glanced in his direction.

*

*

*

Night seeped into the Central Intelligence Agency’s director’s office. The flower vases that had radiated vibrant life from the windowsill surrendered to darkness, their petals drooping.

“Sigh….”

Director Urek stood vacant, brushing away the petals lodged in the vase with the back of his hand.

“Director, sir.”

Lef, the training instructor standing behind him, exhaled heavily and wrinkled the bridge of his nose.

“What should we do now? I never imagined that Raon would defeat even Horain….”

Lef muttered uncertainly about what to do next, releasing another sigh.

“There’s nothing we need to do anymore.”

Urek turned around and shrugged his shoulders.

“Pardon?”
“Raon’s physical strength is at a Monster level, and with aura, he’s strong enough to defeat Horain. We’ve confirmed he’s at the highest Expert tier, so the information the Lord instructed us to gather is sufficient. And besides….”

His pupils wavered like shadows of the night.

“His weakness has been exposed.”
“Are you referring to his hands freezing when struck by Horain’s cold?”
“Yes. He tried to hide it, but at the end, his hands froze solid, and he turned his back to conceal his expression. The curse of extreme cold that has plagued him since childhood—it hasn’t disappeared yet.”

Urek caressed the vase on his desk, curling the corners of his mouth upward.

‘I’ve obtained all the information I need.’

In just one day, Karun would surely acknowledge that he had grasped Raon’s combat prowess, strengths, and weaknesses.

“How should we proceed with training now? I can’t even spar with him….”
“You know the Prelate instructed us not to give him anything that would be beneficial, right?”
“Of course. Training that would completely destroy his body….”
“You fool! People’s eyes are on us—if you do something like that, what will they think of us!”

Urek furrowed his brow as he repeated the very criticism Karun had leveled at him.

“I’m s-sorry!”
“From ancient times, there has been a training method passed down through the Central Intelligence Agency—one that provides no benefit whatsoever, only diminishes skill and bores the trainee. Surely such a method exists?”
“Ah! You mean the Cave Wall Meditation, sir!”

Lef clapped his hands as the realization struck him.

“Certainly, since it’s a training method passed down from ancient times, no one could object. What a brilliant idea, sir!”
“Lock him in the cave for about two weeks.”

Urek let out a low chuckle and raised two fingers.

“So that arrogant bastard wastes nothing but time.”

*

*

*

A week had passed since Raon began his training.

The first day had been eventful, but from the second day onward, everything flowed smoothly without incident.

Not only the prosecutors of the Central Intelligence Agency, but also the instructors and overseers largely left him alone, allowing him to train freely. Of course, whenever he destroyed equipment, they would cry out in protest and stop him.

The items he had destroyed here were said to be worth close to six thousand gold coins—more than double his initial estimate. I felt rather proud of that.

As I was contemplating what I might destroy today and spread rumors about, the training instructor called for me along with Burren.

“Beginning today, we will commence special training.”

Training Instructor Lef raised his chin, his expression more stern than usual.

“Special training?”
“It’s a training method passed down through tradition at the Central Intelligence Agency. Take this pouch and follow me.”

He handed a bundle the size of a human head to both Raon and Burren, then left the Training Ground and ventured deeper into the Central Intelligence Agency.

After walking for some time, his footsteps came to a halt at Bekmang Mountain, which lay beyond the Central Intelligence Agency. The mountain was surrounded by towering stone walls, and at its center, ten caves had been carved out.

“Caves?”
“Indeed.”

Lef turned around and nodded.

“This is where the first Director of the Central Intelligence Agency achieved enlightenment through wall-facing meditation. He went without sleep for four weeks, contemplating and refining his thoughts repeatedly.”

He went on to recount how the first Director had assisted the first Household Head in achieving many great accomplishments.

“In any case, this wall-facing meditation is a rite of passage that all warriors of the Central Intelligence Agency must undergo, so take pride in it.”

He pointed to the caves with his finger and continued.

“You must endure in this cave for two weeks. If you minimize sleep and sharpen your mind, you will make significant progress.”
“We aren’t warriors of the Central Intelligence Agency yet, but trainees. Wouldn’t more practical experience be better than wall-facing meditation?”

Burren tilted his head and raised his hand.

“Didn’t I tell you last week? Here, you’re all warriors of the Central Intelligence Agency. This is an important opportunity for you, so prepare to enter.”
“Understood.”

Realizing his words wouldn’t get through, Burren exhaled a low sigh and glanced at Raon.

“It’s not entirely a lie. The first Director did train here, he did achieve enlightenment, and warriors do enter these caves. That part is true.”

Burren frowned and quickly surveyed the caves.

“But it’s rare for anyone to stay for two weeks. This training doesn’t have much practical value. Even at most, it’s ten days, so the fact that he’s demanding two weeks means he’s taken a real dislike to you.”
“That’s fine.”

Raon smiled faintly as he gazed at the cave.

“Is it really okay?”

Burren Zigheart’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting such a response.

“It sounds fun.”

This was exactly what I’d been waiting for.

While others would see this as mere suffering, to me—with the Ring of Fire and the System—hardship and struggle were the greatest opportunities to raise my stats.

Besides, I might obtain something left behind by the first Master of the Central Intelligence Agency. Entering this cave was far better than pointlessly destroying things in the Training Ground.

“Ahem! The water is inside. The bread in that cloth—eat one piece per day.”
“Understood.”
“Then enter.”
-What?!

As I nodded and was about to step into the first cave, Wrath, who had been silent as if sleeping, suddenly sprouted up like a seedling.

-One piece of bread per day? How am I supposed to endure that?!
‘It’s called ascetic training. That’s how you grow stronger.’
-Silence! I, who have transcended existence itself, why must I undergo such suffering?!

Wrath flailed his hands made of cold energy about wildly, insisting it was absurd.

-There’s even a saying that demons who eat well and die have a better complexion! How am I supposed to survive on one piece of bread a day? I won’t even have time to taste it!
‘Ah, sorry about that. This bread is tasteless—it’s that hard ration bread. It tastes like chewing rubber.’

I scratched my cheek. This was the bread I’d eaten most frequently during my days as an assassin. One piece was enough to fill my stomach, so I’d relied on it often.

-This is ridiculous.

I’d liked it for its convenience, but for Wrath, who valued taste, it was apparently the worst food imaginable. His head bubbled like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

-Two weeks of tasteless bread?! That’s not training, that’s torture!

Wrath’s fury and cold energy erupted from him, enveloping me before spreading throughout the entire cave.

-I’d rather kill you here! I’ll steal your body and escape right now…!

[You have been interfered with by Wrath.]
[Agility stat has increased by 1 point.]

-Ugh!
‘Huh? My stat went up.’

Raon let out a hollow laugh as he read the message. The experience accumulated in his stat was nearly full, so the moment he received Wrath’s cold and rage, his stat increased.

‘This is a good start.’

Raon whistled as he ventured deeper into the Cave.

‘I smell a pushover in this Cave.’
-What a truly cursed life. No, a cursed existence!

Wrath remained as he always was, even here.

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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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