The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 157

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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 157

Unfortunately, the rumors that Raon had destroyed the Central Intelligence Agency’s training equipment, beaten their practitioners with sheer force alone, and finally toppled Horain, the vice-leader of Jeonroedan, never spread beyond those walls.

After all, everyone who witnessed that shocking spectacle belonged to the Central Intelligence Agency—why would they spit in their own faces?

Director Urek and Training Master Lef had imposed additional silence, so those remarkable events quietly sank beneath the Training Ground of the Central Intelligence Agency.

But where in this world do secrets truly remain hidden?
The secrets that everyone at the Central Intelligence Agency wished to conceal were about to spill forth in the Old Tavern in Southern Zigheart—from one person, or rather, from an elf whose tongue was as loose as a feather.

“Ah, this is supposed to be a secret, I really shouldn’t be saying this….”

Rimer scratched his red hair and smacked his lips.

“You’ve been building suspense this whole time—what secret are you talking about!”
“Thirty minutes have passed! Just tell us already!”
“Yeah. How much longer are you going to drag this out! What did Raon do!”
“I’m dying of curiosity here!”

The patrons in the tavern shouted at the hesitant Rimer and hurled drinking cups. He kept promising to reveal the secret while wasting time, and their irritation had reached a boiling point.

“Tell us before we lose it!”
“I can’t take this anymore!”
“Rimer!”
“Enough of this!”

Everyone in the spacious tavern gripped their forks and knives, their eyes fixed on Rimer’s mouth. Some swordsmen even had their hands on their hilts as if they were about to draw their blades.

“Ah, I can’t help it then. Since you’re all like this, I’ll tell you. But you absolutely cannot spread this around. Absolutely not.”

Rimer recited the typical words of someone who never keeps secrets while scanning across all the people holding their cups.

“We get it! We’ll spread it properly! Just tell us already!”
“Yeah. What trouble did Raon cause this time!”
“Damn it! That elf is more human than that bastard!”
“Hmph!”

He nodded with evident pleasure at the attention of the crowd before taking a refreshing swig of beer.

“So let me begin. My brilliant disciple Raon, who inherited all my finest qualities, has started his training at the Central Intelligence Agency. And there….”

Rimer explained how Raon didn’t merely keep pace with the Central Intelligence Agency’s training—he overwhelmed it instead, and how he had single-handedly defeated all the agency’s swordsmen through sheer strength.

“Here’s the highlight: when Raon achieved five consecutive victories, do you know who appeared? Horain, Vice-Leader of Jeonroedan. That genius challenged him to a duel, and my disciple Raon accepted. In other words, two so-called geniuses finally clashed properly. At first, it was pure swordplay without aura, and Raon dominated Horain to claim victory.”
“Woooow!”
“Gasp!”
“R-really?”
“Raon defeated Horain?”

The tavern patrons gasped in shock at the news of Raon’s victory over Horain, their cups and dishes clattering to the floor.

“But that’s not all. Horain accepted his defeat and proposed a rematch using aura. My disciple Raon coolly accepted, and the second round began. Raon wielded a flame aura while Horain commanded an ice aura, and they both kicked off the ground simultaneously!”
“S-so!”
“Who won!”
“Tell us already!”
“Rimer! I think I’m dying here!”
“Ahem! Cough!”

Rimer fell silent, pressing his throat and feigning a dry cough.

“Ah, my throat’s parched. I need to finish the story before my voice gives out, but it’s so dry….”
“Damn it! Barkeep, bring that damned elf five mugs of beer!”
“My stomach’s a bit empty too….”
“I’ll cover the appetizers! Order everything on the menu!”
“I don’t even have money for gambling today….”
“Shut up and take my coin!”

As Rimer left them hanging at the climax, the frustrated patrons hurled silver coins at him.

“Ah, the honor of the Continent lives on! Thank you all!”

Rimer wiped his eyes theatrically while pocketing the shower of silver coins.

“I’ll think of this money as an investment in my future jackpot day….”
“Enough already! Just continue with the story!”
“I’m dying from the suspense!”
“Tell us more! Tell us more! Tell us more!”
“I, I’m not sure what you mean, but I understand.”

Rimer felt a creeping dread that if he delayed any longer, he might actually die. He resumed his tale.

“Raon and Horain clashed head-on. As you know, Horain’s swordplay consists of the Deceptive Blade and the Illusory Blade. Raon countered those techniques….”

He recounted the battle between the two with such vivid presence that the tavern patrons felt as though they were witnessing the duel firsthand.

“Gasp!”
“Whew….”
“Insane. He’s insane!”

Everyone gasped in unison at the revelation that Raon had shattered Horain’s blade with a swordplay technique that conjured a tempest of flame-wrought blossoms.

“At seventeen, he defeated a Vice-Leader-class master who was fighting with true intent?”
“I’ve sensed it since the rumors started circulating, but that boy is a monster.”
“It’s a shame I didn’t see the duel myself. A storm of flowers woven from flames, you say….”

Even those who had appeared disinterested gathered together, chattering endlessly about Raon’s martial prowess and swordplay. Before long, his name spilled from every mouth.

“Hehe.”

Rimer slipped away from the clamor and counted the silver coins in his possession, grinning wickedly.

“Now this is what I call a win-win situation.”

Raon gained renown while he earned coin—a perfect two-for-one outcome.

He demonstrated once more the true nature of a deplorable mentor as he headed toward the Gambling House.

“Today reeks of fortune!”

*

*

*

Damn it!

I continued deeper into the cave alongside Wrath, who was throwing a tantrum.

-You fool! Those bastards aren’t idiots—do you really think they’d let you into a cave containing their ancestral legacy?

Wrath scanned the cave walls with a frown etched across his face.

-The cave that ancestor entered is somewhere else entirely. This place is meaningless, and it’ll only be grueling for nothing.
‘That’s probably true.’

I nodded in agreement. Given that Lef had sent me to Cave 1, the First Central Intelligence Agency Director’s legacy certainly wasn’t here.

But even if it was a fake, if I trained hard enough, the system’s power would grant me sufficient rewards.

-A waste of time, no—a waste of provisions! Two weeks eating that garbage bread! I’d rather die here!

Wrath threw himself flat on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum at the market, thrashing about wildly.

‘I’m not wasting anything. It’s fine. Whatever’s in there, that magnificent system you created will provide me with ample rewards.’
-Ugh….

Wrath understood the implication of those words better than anyone, so he ground his teeth.

-One day that arrogant attitude of yours will be humbled!
‘Ah, that’s fine too. My pride is pretty high as well.’

I smiled and brushed my nose smugly.

-Krrgh! That’s not what I meant!

Wrath spread his hands as if ready to lunge at me, but since I’d just given him stat points, he held back from attacking again.

‘Let’s just go in and see what happens.’
-There’s no need to go in! Something’s twisted about this place!
‘Twisted?’

I asked again, but Wrath turned his head away with a pout and didn’t answer. Since I figured I’d understand once I saw it myself, I continued deeper inside.

The cave was longer than I expected, and it took nearly ten minutes of walking before I finally reached its end.

Orange light cascading from a small luminescent stone illuminated the cramped, uneven space.

The floor, walls, and ceiling were covered in bizarre scars as if pierced by thick greatswords. They looked like children’s scribbles, yet somehow familiar—as if I’d seen them somewhere before.

The moment I entered this space, my breath caught in my throat and my stomach churned, leaving me no leisure to examine the marks on the walls closely.

The mana flow in this place was distorted in an unnaturally twisted manner.

“I wasn’t imagining it.”

I bit my lip. I’d thought the mana’s movement seemed strange the deeper I went, and now I understood—it was because of this very distortion.

“Was that warping you mentioned earlier this mana distortion?”
-Indeed. It seems powerful beings clashed in this place long ago. The mana flow is twisted like rose vines, all tangled and coiled.

Wrath nodded, sweeping his gaze across the floor and ceiling.

-Human bodies naturally follow the mana flow spread throughout nature. But the mana here moves as recklessly as your temperament.

Frigid energy bloomed from Wrath’s hand, swirling wildly as if caught by the wind.

-For a human like you, blessed with such unnecessarily keen senses, merely being in this place would be torment.
“You’re right about that. The headaches and dizziness are only getting worse.”

I steadied my breathing and nodded. Just as Wrath said, the world spun endlessly around me. My stomach churned as if I were aboard a pitching ship, and my breath came shallow, as though a boulder pressed upon my chest.

-So those bastards really do hate you. Throwing you into a place where you can’t even train properly.
‘Can’t train?’
-With the mana flow twisted like this, if you attempt aura cultivation or use aura to perform swordplay, your mana circuits will become distorted and you’ll suffer internal injuries.

Wrath shook his finger side to side in disapproval.

-With senses as keen as yours, training is impossible—even enduring this would be beyond you. Since there’s nothing to gain anyway, leave now. And take that rubber-like bread with you immediately!
“Hmm.”

I closed my eyes, ignoring Wrath’s fierce advice.

‘It’s definitely affecting my mana circuits.’

It wasn’t just my head throbbing—the mana I breathed in was causing my mana circuits and dantian to tremble slightly with each breath.

‘He said to reduce sleep and sharpen my focus, but if this is the result, I have no choice but to become sharp.’

With my head pounding and my dantian and mana circuits churning, my nerves would sharpen, and I wouldn’t be able to sleep properly.

-Then get out already.
‘I don’t want to.’
-You stubborn bastard! The world of culinary delights awaits us, so why are you being so difficult!
‘Burren is enduring it too right next to me, so I can’t leave first.’
-Fool. You’re the only one suffering like this.
‘What?’
-The other caves have mana distortions too, but nothing like this. Unlike this place, they only have very slight nausea. That pint-sized brat is probably just feeling a mild headache and thinking it’s boring.

Wrath said his investigation was already complete, furrowing his brow.

“So that was it.”

I turned around and let out a small laugh. It seemed Lef had blocked my path and sent me to Cave 1 first for this very reason.

“If I couldn’t endure it and came out, he was probably planning to mock me for not being able to bear it, then send me to another cave.”

It seemed to be revenge for the multiple ways I’d humiliated the Central Intelligence Agency. It was truly petty and pathetic.

‘Burren didn’t know either.’

Given that he said the training had no practical value, it seemed Burren didn’t know that the mana flow in Cave 1 was more severely distorted than the other caves.

Burren, who couldn’t accept unreasonable situations, would never have stayed silent if he’d known this fact.

-If you understand now, get out. You can’t endure this.
‘I said I don’t want to.’
-I’ve explained it kindly, and you still plan to endure? Just eating that flavorless bread?

Wrath seemed to dislike eating the tasteless bread even more than the situation with the distorted mana.

“If you’re going to meet expectations, you have to deliver.”
-This crazy bastard!

I ignored Wrath’s outburst and sat down on the ground.

‘I can’t use Mana Circle or Glacial for now.’

My mana flow was twisted, and if I used energy biased toward a single attribute, my body would suffer immediate damage.

‘But the Ring of Fire should work.’

The Ring of Fire was an ancient cultivation method that followed nature’s flow despite its name containing fire. With such purity, it should be able to refine even this twisted mana.

I closed my eyes and rotated the Ring of Fire. Five rings intersected, creating harmonious resonance like a musical instrument.

Whoooosh!

The mana flow, crumpled and twisted like rusted barbed wire, loosened as if heat had been applied, beginning to seep into the clear resonance created by the Ring of Fire.

‘It’s working.’

I couldn’t control external mana, but the distorted mana and mana circuits within my body were beginning to stabilize.

‘Let’s do this properly.’

I wanted to see the look of shock on their faces.

I felt the heartbeat echoing through the cave and sank into deep concentration.

*

*

*

After sending Raon and Burren into the cave, Lef didn’t leave but stood at the entrance with a cool smile.

“Both of them are inside?”

At the low voice from behind, Lef’s head turned. Urek, the chief administrator, approached while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Hmm? Did you really send that bastard to Cave 1?”

Urek’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the open entrance to Cave 1.

“My apologies. I couldn’t restrain myself.”

Lef bit his lip as he met Urek’s gaze.

“I simply had to see that arrogant bastard suffer humiliation.”

Cave 1 was a cavern where mana distortion was extraordinarily severe, regardless of any connection to the first Central Intelligence Agency director.

Originally it had been sealed, but after witnessing Raon’s shameful display, I unsealed it and threw him inside.

“…I understand.”

Urek slowly nodded. His own rage toward Raon had not yet subsided, so he fully grasped Lef’s feelings.

“Did he just go in?”
“Yes.”
“Then he’ll come out within an hour.”

The mana distortion in Cave 1 becomes harder to endure the stronger a martial artist is. Even Expert-level intermediate martial artists couldn’t last three hours, so that bastard wouldn’t even survive an hour before crawling back out.

“I was worried Burren Zigheart might stop me, but fortunately he didn’t notice.”
“There’s no way he would. He’s visiting this place for the first time as well.”

Urek nodded while looking at Cave 5, where Burren Zigheart had entered. Since this place could only be accessed after obtaining examiner credentials, Burren Zigheart wouldn’t have known about it either.

“Once that bastard can’t take it and bolts out, you’re planning to thoroughly humiliate him.”

Urek nodded, having seen through all of Lef’s intentions.

“Exactly. I think I’ll only be able to sleep once I see that damned bastard’s face crumple.”

Lef muttered that he hadn’t slept in days and clenched his fists.

“I’m curious about that expression too. I should stick around and watch.”

The two of them stood before the cave, waiting for Raon to emerge, and laughed coldly.

But Raon did not emerge from the cave even after two days had passed, far exceeding the one hour they had anticipated.

*

*

*

-Tsk….

Wrath clicked his tongue at length as he rose above the bracelet. Even after two days had passed, Raon remained motionless in that exact spot.

-Hey.

I tapped Raon’s shoulder twice. There was no reaction whatsoever. He sat with his eyes closed like a puppet, unmoving.

-Raon Zigheart!

Even calling that weasel’s name changed nothing. He continued his cultivation, breathing so slowly it seemed he might be dead.

-His mana is becoming increasingly stable….

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he examined Raon’s interior. His insides had become far more serene than two days ago. It was as if a tsunami of the great sea that had soared to the heavens had transformed into shallow waves along the shore.

-The Ring of Fire….

Not only did it block my own rage, but seeing him accept and purify even this distorted mana suggested the Ring of Fire was a martial art that transcended human limits.

-Good. The Ring of Fire is good, and the stabilization is good, but….

Wrath ground his teeth as he looked at Raon.

-He hasn’t eaten a damn thing for two days!

Since dwelling within Raon, my only pleasure had been meals, and for these two days it had been completely cut off. I would have gladly chewed on that rubber-tasting bread.

—You damned brat! Just eat that tasteless bread if you have to! Please!

Wrath struck Raon’s shoulder and let out a shriek.

—I’m telling you, I can’t live without eating now!
‘….’

My concentration shattered by that wail, I came to a certain realization.

A Destruction King? Nonsense.
Wrath was undoubtedly a Demon King masquerading as Wrath—when his true nature was Gluttony.

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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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