The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 195

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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 195

During my days as an assassin.

If asked to name the most physically grueling training I endured, I wouldn’t hesitate for even a second before answering.

Sparring with the instructors.

It was training to block and counter the instructors’ vicious attacks with iron batons, targeting only gaps in defense and vital points. They showed no mercy—bruises were inevitable, and broken bones or torn flesh were commonplace.

The cruelest part was that whenever the children adapted to the attacks, the instructors would increase their strength and speed, striking more vital points and exploiting more weaknesses until blocking became impossible.

Every day, the children endured pain so intense they wished for death, constantly scheming ways to survive. Through this crucible, they learned to eliminate their own openings and, in turn, exploit the instructors’ vulnerabilities.

It was as agonizing and brutal as descending into hell itself, yet my skills advanced by leaps and bounds. In truth, the instincts forged in my body had saved my life more than once.

Now, with the Gwangpung Unit having obtained martial arts texts through Glen’s generosity to fill our gaps in knowledge, this was the perfect time to conduct such instinct training.

“Burren.”

I stood in the center of the Training Ground and beckoned Burren forward.

“How long are you going to keep watching?”

“Damn….”

Burren bit his lip and stepped forward, anxiety evident on his face—it hadn’t been long since his crushing defeat when we fought at full strength.

“No need for warm-ups. Come at me.”

“Haaaagh!”

Burren drew his aura to its peak and kicked off the ground. The moment he closed in to strike with his blade, I stepped into the Ethereal Step and glided smoothly away.

“Wh—where did you go!”

“Right here.”

I swept in from the side while Burren hesitated in confusion, and kicked his legs out from under him.

Thud!

Burren crashed to the ground in an ungraceful heap, his footwork disrupted mid-step.

“Ugh…”

Though the impact wasn’t severe, his pride clearly stung—his face flushed crimson.

“Using footwork doesn’t make you invincible. Move with greater awareness of your surroundings.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Burren gritted his teeth and charged again. I flowed his blade strike away as smoothly as rain cascading from a roof, then thrust my practice sword forward.

Zing!

The training sword’s blade trembled like reeds in the wind, then split into a dozen phantom strikes aimed at every opening in Burren’s defense.

“Ugh!”

Even as shock seized him, Burren immediately channeled his aura, spreading it outward like a circular shield to deflect the strikes.

Crash!

But hastily conjured aura proved insufficient to stop my blade. The training sword, glowing crimson with heat, tore through his pale green aura and struck him mercilessly below.

Thwack!

Of course, it was no ordinary strike. I had ruthlessly targeted every weakness and vulnerability in his current stance.

“Gah! Stop!”

Burren cried out in desperation and tumbled backward, curling his body not to defend but to survive.

“I yield! I yield!”

“Your reaction speed was adequate, but your response was lacking.”

I lowered the training sword and pointed to the scattered remnants of Burren’s aura hanging in the air.

“Had you observed carefully, you would have noticed the weaker sections of my strikes. But if you block everything with equal force, naturally it shatters.”

“Huh? When did you learn such varied techniques…?”

“I didn’t really learn any special blade technique. I just tried it out.”

I hadn’t learned any particular blade technique—I’d simply utilized the transformation of my aura to strike with my sword.

“Ah….”

Burren’s eyes widened as if they might burst from his skull upon hearing my answer. The shock seemed even greater than taking the blow itself.

“Once you’ve gone through all thirty-three opponents, it’ll be your turn again. Think about what you should have done in that situation just now.”

“Ugh….”

Burren’s complexion turned ashen the moment I mentioned returning to spar again.

“Lunan.”

“Yeah.”

Lunan glanced briefly at the battered Burren and rolled his eyes—an expression rarely seen from him. Yet he showed no fear, having discerned that this was different from the incident with the Gwangpung Sword.

“I’m coming.”

As I nodded, he transformed the ground beneath him into ice as if he’d been waiting, then unleashed his sword strike like a flash. The temperature in the Training Ground plummeted rapidly, and the crystalline frost that bloomed froze my body solid.

Boom!

With a single breath of True Resonance, I swept away all the frost coating the ground and air, then brought my sword down. The slender training sword, bending like a fragile twig, multiplied into five blades that simultaneously targeted Lunan’s head and shoulders.

Clang!

Lunan retreated with elastic resilience, as if bouncing back a rubber band, but she was already within my calculated range.

Whoosh!

I followed Lunan’s movements like a magnet, drawing my blade at a speed she found difficult to react to.

Crack!

In that brief instant, I struck her wrist as she attempted to defend, then pierced ten of her vital points simultaneously.

“Ugh.”

Even Lunan’s cry was subdued. She clutched at the struck pressure points, her eyes drooping downward. Her expression resembled that of a rain-soaked puppy.

—Tell me honestly. You came from the Demon Realm, didn’t you!

‘What nonsense.’

—Where exactly are the vital points on an ice cream girl that you’d strike ten times in such a brief moment! You demon!

‘This is how she grows stronger.’

Seeing Lunan’s expression made me feel somewhat guilty, but I had to steel my resolve. Everything I did was for their sake.

“Your elastic footwork is commendable, but you failed to properly assess your direction and failed to read my blade. Analyze your opponent’s sword and decide whether to evade, block, or counterattack.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll do the same thing in our next match. Think about how you’re going to counter it.”

“….”

For the first time, Lunan didn’t respond to my words and walked away.

“Then it’s my turn.”

Martha climbed into the Sparring Arena with a smirk, her competitive spirit blazing without a hint of fear as she gripped her training sword.

“Here I come!”

Without any starting signal, she charged forward and brought her sword crashing down. Raw power and speed—her blade descended toward my head with devastating force.

Clang!

I swept my training sword in a flowing motion like rippling water, deflecting Martha’s strike and countering with a blow aimed at her opening.

Thud!

Despite her body staggering from the powerful impact, Martha didn’t pause—she swung her sword again, determined to attack rather than waste time defending or nursing her wounds.

“Is that really the right approach?”

I chuckled softly, deflecting all of Martha’s attacks effortlessly while relentlessly exploiting her weaknesses and openings.

“Ugh….”

Martha’s expression twisted fearfully at the excruciating pain and the fact that she hadn’t landed a single blow.

“Raw power and durability are formidable weapons, but they don’t always work. There are those superior to you in every aspect, and there are those like me who can nullify your attacks entirely.”

I swung my sword horizontally. In an instant, the blade split into five, piercing through her aura without mercy.

“Kyaaaah!”

Martha, who had been gritting her teeth and enduring the assault, finally cried out and collapsed.

“Relying on the defensive power of Titan’s Aura is fine, but you have far too many openings. Learn to take the hits you must and dodge the ones you can.”

“Ugh!”

Anger burned in the black eyes that glared at me as she clutched the spot where she’d been struck.

“M-Master Raon, isn’t this a bit too harsh?”

Dorian’s face had gone pale as cold sweat dripped down his temples.

“Real progress comes from sparring like actual combat.”

I smiled and pointed to Dorian, who had just asked the question.

“Since you asked at just the right moment, you’re next, Dorian.”

“Hiiiiieek!”

*

*

*

The screams from the 5th Training Ground finally ceased when a half moon rose to the center of the sky.

“That’s enough for today.”

I slung the training sword over my shoulder and smirked.

“Ughhhh!”

“W-we… survived…”

“I really thought we were done for.”

“Haaah… haaah…”

The trainees couldn’t even respond, stumbling about like zombies before collapsing onto the training ground. Their exposed skin was covered in bruises, and their training clothes were drenched in sweat, bleached pale.

They would be sore and exhausted, but since I’d struck them without leaving lasting damage, they should recover considerably by tomorrow morning.

“Constantly think about why you were hit and how to avoid it. If you apply the martial techniques you’ve newly learned, you’ll improve that much faster.”

“H-how is that supposed to happen overnight?”

Burren barely lifted his head. From the third beating onward, he’d even abandoned formal speech and reverted to casual language.

“If you can’t do it, you get hit.”

“Ugh!”

He could only grind his teeth and say nothing in response.

“….”

“Damn it. Damn it! Bloody hell!”

Lunan Slion remained sprawled on the ground with his head pressed against the floor, unable to rise, while Martha lay staring at the sky, spewing curses in frustration.

“Argh!”

“I’m dying….”

“There’s not a single part of me that doesn’t hurt.”

All the trainees lay sprawled in various positions, groaning in agony.

“Today was just a light warm-up. Starting tomorrow morning, I won’t be holding back, so come out at dawn to loosen up and prepare yourselves.”

“L-light? This is light? And you’re saying tomorrow you’ll actually go all out?”

“Starting in the morning too?”

“Are you really trying to kill us….”

“C-Commander! Where are you! The Vice-Commander is trying to kill us!”

The Gwangpung Unit members clutched their heads and screamed in despair.

“If you have the strength to scream, you’d better hurry off and figure out how to avoid getting hit. Tomorrow will be even more grueling.”

Raon offered a cool smile and departed from the Training Ground.

Whoosh!

The moment Raon vanished, Dorian thrust his hand into his belly pouch and retrieved a high-grade sled.

“I want to go home!”

*

*

*

Rather than entering the Annex Building, Raon made his way to the Training Courtyard. Judith, who had been gazing at the Lake bathed in moonlight, lowered her head.

“Fortunately, I was able to obtain the swordsmanship you mentioned.”

Judith bowed and handed over a thin booklet.

“Thank you.”

Raon smiled faintly and accepted the booklet from Judith’s hands. Within its pages were inscribed sword stances and their explanations.

“Is this the White Fragrance Sword?”

The Hundred Fragrance Blade was an advanced swordsmanship technique that Garon had imparted to the Geumcheom-dan swordsmen—a harmonious blend of diverse transformations and exceptional spatial control.

When I needed to strike—or rather, educate—the Gwangpung Unit members, I’d asked Judith to look into acquiring the technique, and she’d procured it without delay.

Seeing that she’d brought diagrams and explanations drawn in her own hand, her eye for detail and instinctive grasp were clearly exceptional.

I read through the Hundred Fragrance Blade manual twice, then burned it using the Mana Furnace.

“I’m going to try it now. Can you watch?”

“Of course.”

Judith nodded and stepped back.

Shiiing!

I rotated my wrist and drew my blade.

Whoooosh!

The silver blade, cradling the wind, spread like spring blossoms, tracing four elegant curves.

The kaleidoscopic blade, adorned with dazzling transformations, unfurled at varying speeds and trajectories, shattering the moonlight reflected in the lake into dozens of fragments.

“How was that?”

After displaying all the opening moves of the Hundred Fragrance Blade technique, I approached Judith.

“A-almost perfect….”

Judith’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t expected that reading the manual twice would allow me to replicate the Hundred Fragrance Sword Technique.

“Only the speed seemed a bit faster, and the trajectories appeared to spread slightly wider.

“Like this?”

I took her advice and unfolded the Hundred Fragrance Sword Technique once more.

“Yes. It resembles the Hundred Fragrance Sword Technique I witnessed. How did you manage this with merely two readings of the manual….”

Her eyes trembled with bewilderment at the sheer impossibility of it.

“I’ve had some recent insights.”

Thanks to the Ring of Fire and the Flame Spirit, my understanding of variable swordsmanship and circular blade techniques had grown tremendously. That was precisely why I could replicate the Hundred Fragrance Sword Technique from mere illustrations and descriptions.

“With such skill, why did you ask me to gather materials on the Hundred Fragrance Sword? The martial knowledge you possess now must be superior.”

“This isn’t for me to master.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m going to break down the Hundred Fragrance Sword Technique and use its components to train the Gwangpung Unit.”

I planned to extract the variations and spatial control from the Hundred Fragrance Sword Technique and use them to attack the Gwangpung Unit, instilling in them a primal instinct—the instinct to overwhelm and devour the swords of the Geumcheom-dan.

“Ha….”

Judith’s eyes widened as she grasped the meaning of my words. Her expression shifted from surprise to outright shock.

“You’ve worked hard. Go rest now.”

“Young Master, you….”

“I’m going to refine my swordsmanship further.”

“You must be exhausted from facing swordsmen all day.”

“Time is scarce. I need to master this properly so I can make the unit members stronger.”

“Understood. Then I’ll take my leave.”

Judith nodded and entered the Annex Building.

‘Let me finish this quickly then.’

-Quickly, huh? Looks like we’re pulling an all-nighter.

Wrath frowned, muttering that he’d already slept enough.

“It won’t take long.”

I smiled faintly and unfolded the White Fragrance Sword. I dissected the transformations embedded in the first form and the spatial control, then wove their essence into my own blade.

The White Fragrance Sword decomposed piece by piece, its knowledge scattered like seeds into the soil where I would grow stronger.

While I focused on mastering the swordsmanship, Judith returned with a sandwich and placed it on the tree stump beside the Training Courtyard.

Judith kept her distance, quietly watching as Raon unfurled the Baekyang Sword, careful not to disturb his concentration. She pondered whether there might be anything she could do to help.

*

*

*

A month had passed since training consisted solely of sparring matches.

Raon would raise the intensity just as the Gwangpung Unit members began to grow accustomed to the swift and varied attacks, ensuring they could never adapt.

The members of the Gwangpung Unit found themselves trapped in a peculiar quagmire—training daily, taking beatings, and contemplating their progress, yet convinced their skills were not advancing at all.

“I’m… I’m going to lose my mind.”

“I want to die. Please… kill me.”

“I miss my mother. Mother…”

Even during the brief rest periods they managed to snatch, the swordsmen could not recover properly, their faces pressed against the ground as they struggled to regain their senses.

Of course, many swordsmen had considered fleeing, but upon realizing they could not escape Raon’s perception, they had all abandoned the idea.

“Sheesh!”

Rimer, who had been discharged from the infirmary and spent his time idling and eating rather than continuing his training, shook his head as he observed the trainees, his cheeks now noticeably fuller.

“If I were you, I’d have quit being a swordsman long ago. Phew!”

“Y-yes, Master Glen.”

“I give thanks to the heavens that I am not in your position.”

He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes in prayer, whether sincere or not.

“Hmm.”

Rimer, humming as he walked away, looked even more insufferable than Raon.

“B-Burren, sir. Are you truly going to tolerate this? At this rate, we’ll all perish!”

“That’s right! We’re not dying to external enemies—we’re being slaughtered by this internal monster!”

“That bastard Vice-Master! He’s developed a taste for beating us and grins every single day!”

The members of the Gwangpung Unit sought out Burren, the one who understood them best, and poured out their grievances. Lunan had fallen silent entirely, and Martha could only curse, leaving Burren as their sole confidant.

“I’ll die too, but there’s nothing I can do. The Master has completely washed his hands of it, and that ruthless Raon won’t show mercy under any circumstances.”

“There’s no need to stop the sparring matches entirely.”

Crain, who could now be called Burren’s loyal retainer, lifted his head.

“Wouldn’t it suffice if we simply took a few days’ rest from this hellish training?”

“Rest? How could we possibly rest?”

“For instance, this ground.”

Crain pointed to the floor of the Training Ground.

“Right now, the soft soil cushions the impact, so the injuries aren’t as severe. Without it, Raon won’t be able to roll around heavily either. Or we might have to postpone the sparring until we can procure more soft soil.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Burren nodded. All the Training Grounds were currently filled, so conducting sparring elsewhere was impossible. If they couldn’t do it here, they might actually get a few days of rest.

“Have you heard? A powerful typhoon is passing through tonight. The Vice-Master won’t be guarding this place at night, so why not take advantage of that typhoon?”

“Take advantage of the typhoon?”

“Yes. We remove the soil and overturn the ground, then blame it on the typhoon. The Vice-Master won’t be able to say anything. Since the Training Ground will need maintenance, sparring won’t be possible for at least two to three days.”

“Uh….”

Burren bit his lip. Normally, he would never accept such a thing, but if he continued sparring like this, he felt he would truly die.

‘Right. Just a few days. Just a few days of rest. It’s not me—the kids are dying.’

Having not slept properly for over two weeks, he completed his irrational self-justification and nodded.

“Fine. Gather everyone who can be reasoned with.”

Burren assembled everyone except Lunan, Martha, and Dorian, who could be considered Raon’s direct subordinates, and explained the plan.

*

*

*

That night.

Thirty members of the Gwangpung Unit, their legs unsteady, gathered in the darkened 5th Training Ground.

“We begin the work now.”

Burren assembled everyone and pointed to the soil on the ground.

“Group One will dispose of all the soft earth covering the Training Ground. Leave nothing behind.”

“Yes!”

“Don’t answer so loudly.”

“Group Two will till the ground. We need it to look like a typhoon passed through. Make it as natural as possible.”

“Yes!”

“I said don’t answer loudly!”

Since they had been training until moments ago, the swordsmen were already half-delirious with exhaustion.

“Group Three will work with me to scatter the area outside the Training Ground. Remember that naturalness is paramount. Everyone, begin work.”

“Yes!”

“Stop making such a racket!”

Burren commenced the operation, unaware that he himself was the loudest.

The swordsmen desired proper rest, even if just for a week or a few days. They gathered soil and disposed of it, turning over the earth.

Their efforts to survive were truly moving, yet they remained unaware of the crimson-eyed presence watching over everything from atop the Training Ground’s roof.

*

*

*

The following morning.

Raon entered the Training Ground at his usual time, yet the place had transformed into something entirely different from the day before.

The entire Training Ground lay in ruins, as though it had been subjected to a bombardment.

“What is this?”

“A typhoon passed through this area yesterday, it seems.”

Burren Zigheart approached, his brow furrowed.

“A typhoon? Ah, there was talk of one coming.”

“Yes.”

“It certainly appears that way.”

Raon gazed at the ravaged floor and smacked his lips.

“M-Master.”

Crain stood beside Burren with his hands clasped together.

“Wouldn’t sparring on a floor like this risk serious injury?”

“You’re right. It’s too dangerous here.”

I clicked my tongue regretfully and nodded in agreement.

“I need to discuss something with everyone. Gather in front of the Platform.”

“Yes!”

“Ah, yes!”

The faces of Burren and the swordsmen who had been working brightened at the thought that things were proceeding as planned. Their sluggish steps suddenly looked energetic.

“Sigh….”

I climbed onto the Platform and exhaled deeply.

“As you’ve all seen, the Training Ground is in poor condition. We’ll need to maintain it today.”

“Oh!”

“Yes….”

“Finally!”

The swordsmen’s faces brightened unmistakably at my words. But I wasn’t finished speaking yet.

“But! Fortunately, we have a way.”

“A, a way?”

“What kind of way?”

“Dorian.”

At my gesture, Dorian let out a deep sigh and walked toward the platform. With labored movements, he pulled out a large sack from his belly pouch.

“This is the malleable earth I requested from Porban City Hall. It’s soft and the safest soil there is.”

I smiled and pointed to the malleable earth Dorian had retrieved. It was this very soil I had first requested when I visited the mayor directly.

“It arrived just the day before yesterday. I was planning to swap it out after training was done, but this works out perfectly. Dorian, take it all out.”

“Yes, sir.”

Dorian answered with difficulty and laid out one hundred sacks of malleable earth in front of the platform. From the vacant look in his eyes, he had clearly given up all hope.

“Ah….”

“Oh….”

“Is, is this a dream….”

The swordsmen who had been basking in happiness moments before dropped their jaws, their faces now resembling those who had fallen into the depths of hell. They couldn’t have imagined such a turn of events.

“We’re running out of time. Let’s finish this today. Bring shovels and the Training Ground maintenance tools.”

At Raon’s command, the swordsmen turned around, their limbs trembling.

“Damn it….”

“We didn’t even sleep, and he made us do that nonsense….”

“That stupid bastard!”

“It was nothing but pure suffering.”

They glared at Crain, the one who had devised this plan, as if they wanted to kill him.

“S-still, at least today. There won’t be any sparring today. Let’s take comfort in that.”

Crain waved his hands, cold sweat dripping down his face.

“If that weren’t the case, you’d be dead right now.”

“Yeah, let’s at least rest today.”

“One day off—is that even anything?”

“Where are you all going?”

Just as the swordsmen were grasping for hope amid their despair, Raon’s blunt voice cut through.

“Huh?”

“W-we were just about to fetch the equipment as you ordered….”

“We need to maintain it quickly.”

“We’re just doing maintenance. There’s no need for everyone to leave.”

I smiled faintly and tore open one of the pouches, scattering its contents across the ground before the platform. Using my aura, I compressed the earth beneath my feet, instantly creating a makeshift sparring arena.

“Time is precious, and the duel draws near. Training must continue.”

“Ah….”

“Ugh….”

“Hack!”

The swordsmen’s faces drained of color as they watched the sparring arena materialize in an instant. With my foot planted firmly on the Training Ground and my chin raised, I looked like death itself ascending from the depths of hell.

“Ah, so this is hardened earth. It has a satisfying feel underfoot.”

I firmly packed down the ground and gestured to Burren.

“Why aren’t you attacking?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You’re the one who goes first, after all.”

“Ugh….”

Burren picked up the training sword Dorian had prepared, his expression on the verge of tears.

“Heeeere I goooo! Hack!”

He let out a shriek-like battle cry and charged forward, only to be struck down and sent rolling across the compacted earthen floor.

“Since the ground is soft, it doesn’t hurt as much, right? I think I can increase the intensity a bit starting today.”

“Huff!”

“Life….”

As Raon chuckled, the faces of the swordsmen holding maintenance equipment turned pale.

-Are you even human?

Wrath, who had been observing the entire situation, dropped a single remark.

-The more I see, the more you seem like one of us.

—————
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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