The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 2

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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 2

The Continent holds six lights and five shadows.

The six powers that stood tall on the Continent like brilliant suns were called the Six Sovereigns, while those who dwelled in darkness and spread tyranny and terror were known as the Five Demons.

Among those Six Sovereigns, the Zigheart Family was the supreme ruler that dominated the Northern Region.

“Aah…”

I met the gaze of the Zigheart Family’s master and let my mouth fall open in wonder.

‘Is this… good?’

The Zigheart Family was a power that did not yield even slightly to the Robert Family, who had exploited me thoroughly in my past life before killing me.

If I could grow stronger here, the time for my revenge might come far sooner.

“Like Father and me, this child has golden hair and crimson eyes.”

As I pondered my next moves, Sylvia smiled gently and stroked my head.

“….”

Glen lifted me up while maintaining that dizzying aura of pressure.

‘Huh?’

My body trembled. The moment Glen held me, a warm yet gentle energy flowed through my wrists.

“Mmm…”

A soft moan escaped me as I felt the aura for the first time in ages.

‘What kind of aura is this…?’

Glen’s aura was not merely warm. It possessed an extraordinary purity, as if it carried the mana of nature itself.

‘It’s melting my body.’

Since my rebirth, I had become extremely sensitive to the cold. At first, I attributed it to having a child’s body, but it was a constitutional issue of considerable magnitude.

Yet the moment Glen Zigheart’s aura enveloped me, warmth flooded through my veins as if sunlight itself had entered my bloodstream.

Hum.

Glen Zigheart examined every corner of my body using his aura, then handed me back to Sylvia.

‘What is it?’

I narrowed my eyes. A warrior of Glen Zigheart’s caliber could not possibly be unaware of the problems with my body, yet his expression remained unchanged.

It was incomprehensible—knowing his grandson was abnormal, yet displaying such an indifferent face.

“Sylvia.”
“Yes.”
“I will name this child Raon.”
“Raon? Ah, Father. The meaning of the name Raon is….”

Sylvia’s brows furrowed deeply.

“Exactly as the name suggests. Live quietly like a shadow. Exist as if you are both present and absent.”

Unlike when he wielded his aura gently, a chill emanated from Glen Zigheart’s voice.

‘Hah….’

Is this fate?

The same name as my past life, and the meaning was identical as well. It was so absurd that a hollow laugh escaped me.

I had known Glen Zigheart was a cold person, but I never expected he would show no concern even for his ailing grandson.

“It is strange.”

As if Glen Zigheart no longer wished to remain here, he brushed off his blood-red coat and turned away.

“Wait! Father! At least give him a different name….”

Sylvia followed while cradling Raon in her arms, but Glen Zigheart did not turn back. He simply left the mansion.

Even if they weren’t father and daughter, their relationship looked cold enough to convince anyone they were strangers.

“Ugh…”

My lips trembled. I wanted to stay silent, but the chill seeping in from outside drew an involuntary whimper from me.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Sylvia pulled me closer, burying her face against my body. She seemed to be barely holding back tears.

‘There’s something I need to figure out. But I’m too drowsy to think clearly.’

I felt the cold wind sweeping across my entire body and Sylvia’s warmth simultaneously as I slowly closed my eyes.

‘This child’s body is truly inconvenient….’

*

*

*

The moon had risen to the center of the sky.
I quietly opened my eyes, lying in the infant’s crib.

‘She’s asleep.’

I turned my head to the side. Sylvia was fast asleep in the bed right next to mine.

Tap.

She didn’t wake even when I tapped the crib, so she must be in a deep sleep.

‘Sigh….’

I exhaled softly.

The past hundred days had been suffocatingly frustrating.
Sleep poured down endlessly, and even when I woke, I was with Sylvia, so I couldn’t manipulate mana or practice cultivation.
Even a light touch during cultivation could cause problems, so I couldn’t do anything, but finally the opportunity had come.

‘A heated crib.’

Following the advice of the head maid Helen, I would now sleep separately in a heated crib starting today.

It was right next to hers, but Sylvia wouldn’t wake up at this hour. The perfect time to begin cultivation.

‘Let’s start.’

I breathed out slowly.

‘The Ring of Fire synthesis.’

The cultivation methods of the Continent work by accepting nature’s mana through breathing and accumulating aura in the dantian.

But the cultivation method ‘Ring of Fire’ obtained through the fortuitous encounter of my past life was different.

Like a mage creating a circle, I synthesize a round ring in my heart to grow physical strength and body, while elevating mental power and mana sensitivity.

In other words, while it doesn’t create aura, the Ring of Fire was the cultivation method that provided the most perfect conditions for becoming a martial artist by growing body and spirit.

‘That’s not its only advantage.’

The Ring of Fire is a cultivation method that follows the natural flow. No matter how high-level a martial artist is, they cannot detect that I have synthesized the Ring of Fire.

In fact, even Derus Robert, called the strongest swordsman on the Continent, didn’t know that I had learned the Ring of Fire.

If I grow my body and spirit using the Ring of Fire and master the swordsmanship of the Zigheart Family, taking revenge on Derus Robert would be far from a dream.

However, my body had one very serious problem.

‘Frigid cold.’

The mana circuits through which mana flowed like blood vessels were blocked by a vicious chill.

I discovered this not long ago.
While pretending to sleep, I attempted to circulate mana for a moment, and I nearly cried out in shock when I felt the chill blocking my mana circuits.

I exhaled slowly.

I drew in a breath so gradual my lungs seemed to wither, sensing the mana dispersed throughout the air.

‘It’s scattering.’

My basic mana sensitivity was poor—unlike my past life, I could barely perceive the mana around me.

After consuming considerable time, I finally accepted the mana and allowed it to settle into my mana circuits.

‘Hmm.’

I began to synthesize a ring of fire with the absorbed mana, then stopped abruptly.

‘So I wasn’t mistaken after all.’

Roughly half of my mana circuits near my shoulders were blocked by a piercing chill.

‘No wonder I’ve been so drowsy and cold.’

The reason I’d slept over twenty hours and endured such bitter cold was this very chill.

‘Nine locations?’

I sent mana flowing through my entire body to examine it. There were nine mana circuits in total blocked by the chill.

‘This is serious…’

An infant’s mana circuits are wide open, unlike an adult’s. With the chill already filling more than half of them, as I grew older, the chill might seal my entire mana network.

When that happened, I would face cold and pain incomparable to now—or worse, I would die.

Before that moment came, I had to erase this chill by any means necessary.

‘I must break through the chill in my mana circuits while wielding the ring of fire.’

The Ring of Fire synthesis will be significantly delayed, but survival takes priority right now.

Whoosh.

I drew in a slow, measured breath and accepted the mana flowing into me. I sharpened the absorbed mana into a needle-thin point and pierced the frigid cold that blocked my mana circuits.

Crack!

Tiny shards of frozen cold scattered away, as if I’d stabbed a frozen waterfall with a fork.

‘Wait. Could I actually use this cold instead?’

I could expel the cold as is, but it seemed wasteful to discard such pure essence.

I guided the scattered cold along with natural mana through the pathways of the Ring of Fire.

The natural mana and the frigid cold that had blocked my circuits merged into one, beginning to circulate through all my mana pathways.

‘It works!’

I clenched my fist. The speed was far slower than in my previous life, but I could manipulate mana without major issues, following the flow of the Ring of Fire.

Hum.

I felt the cold I’d drawn in along with the mana settling into my body.

‘I have this child’s body to thank.’

If this child’s mana circuits hadn’t been so wide open, I wouldn’t have been able to circulate anything at all due to the cold. At least that was fortunate.

‘Next, I should… Wait, already?’

After using just a bit of thought and strength, drowsiness began to creep in. My eyelids fell like curtains, beyond my control.

‘Damn it…’

I let out a frustrated groan and closed my eyes.

As I drifted into sleep and the moon in the sky moved by three finger-widths, a figure appeared before the door.

Without even opening the door, the one who entered was Glen Zigheart, the patriarch of the Zigheart Family.

“….”

Glen gazed quietly at the sleeping Raon before extending his hand. A soft, sunset-hued light bloomed from his palm.

Whoosh.

My furrowed brow, creased by the chill of the mana circuit, smoothed out like velvet.

*

*

*

“Ugh.”

I exhaled a low sigh.

‘As expected, it’s not easy.’

My waking hours were brief, and most of that time I spent in the company of others, leaving no opportunity to form the ring of fire.

Yet despite the limited cultivation time—barely an hour or two—and the progress hindered by the cold, the results were surprisingly good. As if someone were helping me.

“Raon, shall we try moving around a bit more today?”

Sylvia bent down and shook a rattle. Since I kept responding to it, she seemed to think I liked it.

‘Playing is harder than I thought.’

To be honest, playing with Sylvia and the handmaidens was more exhausting than enduring the cold.

It was inevitable—an adult mind trapped in a child’s body.

“Aaah.”

I tilted my head and began crawling toward Sylvia.

Click.

The door opened smoothly, and an old man with white hair—whose name I didn’t know—stepped inside. He wore tattered clothes that looked like burlap, yet his eyes were as clear as a pristine lake.

“Oh? Uncle!”

Sylvia recognized the old man and rushed toward the door with a radiant smile.

“It’s been a long time.”
“Ah, no wait. Saint….”
“Ung.”

I was startled and let out an involuntary coo. The title of “Saint” combined with those beggar-like clothes made it clear who this old man was.

‘The Ragged Saint!’

Pedrick, the Ragged Saint, was one of the most renowned healers on the Continent.
His divine power and medical expertise reached the heavens themselves, yet his wandering nature made him impossible to find, no matter how desperately one sought him.

“Saint? Nonsense. Call me uncle like you always have.”

Pedrick chuckled warmly and approached the bed where I lay.

“I heard you’d given birth to a child, so I stopped by while passing through. Is this the little one?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Oho! Golden hair and crimson eyes? The first since you, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. Beautiful, isn’t he?”

Sylvia gently stroked my head and smiled warmly.

“Exactly as you say. Not even a year old and already so beautiful. Completely different from that savage Glen.”

Pedrick chuckled and waved his finger in front of me.

“What’s his name?”
“It’s Raon….”
“Raon?”

Upon hearing the name Raon, he furrowed his brow.

“You don’t mean to say his name is Shadow, do you?”
“That’s right.
…
.”
“Naming a child Shadow—what in the world is Glen thinking?”

Pedrick addressed Glen Zigheart, the patriarch of the Zigheart Family, with the casual familiarity of an old friend.

‘So the rumors that Glen Zigheart and the Saint of Rags are close friends were true.’

I studied Pedrick’s broom-like hair and clicked my tongue inwardly.

Having lived as an assassin, I possessed considerable knowledge of the world’s political landscape.

It appeared the information about Glen Zigheart and the Saint of Rags sharing a substantial bond was indeed accurate.

“Raon. Let this old man take a look for a moment.”

Pedrick gently palpated my shoulders and forearms, legs and chest.

“Hmm….”

His expression grew grave as he bit his lip, then finally unleashed a radiant white light. As it bathed me, a warmth like immersing oneself in a hot spring suffused my entire body.

“Phew.”

Pedrick exhaled a low breath and turned away.

“How is he? His growth has been slower than other children, and he’s always been sensitive to the cold….”

Sylvia approached Pedrick with her hands clasped tightly together.

“A curse of bitter cold.”

Pedrick’s brow furrowed.

“A c-curse? What do you mean all of a sudden!”
“The Curse of Extreme Cold isn’t an actual curse. It’s a constitution where severe cold blocks the mana circuits.”
“Ah…”
“It’s a constitution that rarely appears in girls. This is the first time I’ve seen a boy born with the Curse of Extreme Cold.”

He examined Raon’s body with an enigmatic gaze.

“For now, since the mana circuits are open, there shouldn’t be major problems. But once your circuits begin to close after age four, you’ll experience severe cold and pain.”
“That, that can’t be….”

Sylvia bit her lip anxiously.

‘I can handle it myself, so don’t worry.’

I shook my head gently.

It would take some time, but by operating the Ring of Fire, I could dispel the cold. There was no real need for treatment.

“There are nine chunks of cold blocking this child’s mana circuits in total. That’s a number I’ve never seen even in the girls I’ve treated. Moreover, each cold mass is formidable, so forcing it open could result in the child becoming a vegetable.”
“I-is there a way to treat it!”

Sylvia grabbed Pedrick’s sleeve urgently, looking as though she might collapse at any moment.

“Dilute a fire-attribute elixir and have them drink it like water once a day. From noon when the sun is highest, expose them to sunlight for two hours.”
“If we do that, will they recover?”
“As I said, this isn’t an illness but a constitution. If you follow my instructions, at least they won’t return to the heavens at a young age. However….”

Pedrick trailed off, creating tension, and everyone swallowed hard.

“The cold will consume this child’s constitution and vitality, so even after treatment is complete, becoming a warrior will be difficult.”
“That doesn’t matter.”

Sylvia shook her head firmly, as if as long as the child lived, nothing else mattered.

“I’m glad you see it that way. In any case, from now on, this child should….”

Knock, knock.

Just as Pedrick was about to offer additional advice, the door opened with a knock.

“Pardon the intrusion.”

A middle-aged man in an elegant black formal robe entered the room and bowed his head.

“The Patriarch seeks you, Saint.”
“Tell him I’ll come later.”
“He commands you to come at once.”
“Tch, that man never knows how to pick his moments.”

Pedrick clicked his tongue sharply and turned his head away.

“Sylvia, I’ll visit again later.”
“Ah, yes.”

Pedrick glanced at me briefly before leaving the room with the middle-aged man.

‘A curse of extreme cold, then….’

I rubbed my fingers together.

‘Finally, I understand.’

The nature of the frigid energy that had tormented me all this time was revealed. Yet nothing would fundamentally change.

Just as before, by synthesizing the ring of fire while simultaneously erasing the cold, I could cure the curse of extreme cold before reaching adulthood and forge a body and mana sensitivity superior to anyone else’s.

“Raon.”

The moment the door closed, Sylvia embraced me as I lay on the bed and pressed her face against mine. It was something she did when she was anxious.

“Mother will save you no matter what. Somehow.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, which had always worn only smiles.

‘What is this…?’

As I felt Sylvia’s trembling, my chest tightened as though something were lodged there. It was like rough wire scraping across my heart.

I didn’t fully understand what this emotion was, but I didn’t want to keep feeling this sharp, stinging sensation. So.

“Father.”

Raon wiped away the tears gathering at Sylvia’s eyes with his small hand.

“Ah….”
“Young Master!”
“Heavens, heavens….”

Sylvia’s eyes widened, and the maidservants let out short gasps.

“Raon….”

She kept her head bowed, tenderly caressing her damp hand for a long moment before abruptly rising to her feet.

“I need to see Father.”

All hesitation vanished from Sylvia’s expression.

*

*

*

For the first time since Raon’s birth, Sylvia made her way to the Patriarch’s Hall of the Zigheart Family.

The path lay wide open, for the Saint had just passed through moments before.

“M-Miss Sylvia!”
“The Patriarch and the Saint are currently….”
“Out of my way!”

She forced her way past the attendants and maidservants blocking her path and knocked upon the audience chamber door.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

After five thunderous knocks, the massive door began to swing open.

“What is the matter?”

Glen, who had been sitting across from Pedrick sipping tea, furrowed his brow.

“I’m begging you.”

Sylvia clenched her teeth and fell to her knees.

“Please save Raon!”

Despite the servants standing behind her, she pressed her forehead to the ground as if a slave bowing before her master.

“….”

Glen watched Sylvia lower her head without so much as blinking an eye.

“You must have heard as well? Even if that child’s constitution improves, it will be difficult for him to live as a warrior.”

Glen already knew Raon’s condition, having heard about it beforehand.

“Then we simply won’t raise him as a warrior!”
“A child bearing the name of the Zigheart Family who doesn’t become a warrior? Why should I help a worthless existence like that?”
“Because he’s your grandson.”
“A grandson you brought back after leaving the family and severing all ties.”
“That’s….”

Sylvia’s trembling eyes cast downward.

“All I can give that child is the name of the Zigheart Family. One foolish act is enough.”

Glen’s face was as cold as if encased in ice.

“The Zigheart Family is a place where only the strong survive. A weak grandson is better off not existing. Besides, you should be able to obtain elixirs from outside sources yourself, shouldn’t you?”
“The elixirs in the family’s treasury are far more effective than anything obtained from outside….”
“Those are treasures meant for those who have brought honor to the family name. Even if he is my grandson, there is nothing to give to a child who has accomplished nothing. Now leave.”
“Father! Please!”

Sylvia clenched her fists until blood dripped, then pressed her forehead to the ground once more.

‘I cannot back down!’

Had I been alone, I would have turned back here. Pride would have kept me from looking over my shoulder.

But now I had a child to protect. For Raon’s sake, I had to hold on until the very end.

“Drag her out.”

At Glen Zigheart’s curt command, warriors clad in black martial robes burst from behind the pillars. They seized Sylvia by both arms and dragged her toward the door.

“P-please! Raon!”

Sylvia cried out Raon’s name until the very end, but Glen Zigheart turned his head away as though he couldn’t be bothered to listen.

“Sigh…”

Pedrick, who had witnessed the entire scene, let out a weary breath.

“You summoned me to examine your youngest grandson’s condition, and you put on quite the performance. Is it really so difficult to be honest?”
“Quiet. Just tell me his exact condition.”
“As I said, nine of his mana circuits are blocked by frigid energy. He’s fine for now, but it will become more dangerous as he ages.”

Pedrick continued, sipping his tea.

“Still, thanks to you pushing back the cold with your aura, there shouldn’t be any major problems for a while.”

Despite Glen Zigheart and Pedrick having examined Raon’s body directly, they remained unaware that he was cultivating the Ring of Fire.

The Ring of Fire was an ancient cultivation method from a thousand years ago, and it didn’t rely on the dantian. Even with their absolute abilities, discerning the Ring of Fire would have been nearly impossible.

“Girls afflicted with the curse of extreme cold can become exceptional mages or swordmasters through pure frigid energy, but boys with abundant heat are different. As I said, it’s nearly impossible for your youngest grandson to become a martial artist.”
“It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t become a martial artist. As long as he lives, that’s enough.”
“You coerced Sylvia, yet now you say it doesn’t matter? The Northern Destruction King seems quite fond of his youngest grandchild.”

Pedrick chuckled softly.

“….”

Glen Zigheart ignored Pedrick’s words and traced his fingers through the empty air.

A low hum resonated.

The space splits into a cross, and a golden dimension opens. Three small wooden boxes tumble out from within the blazing void.

“You know what needs to be done, don’t you?”

He spoke those words and handed the boxes to Pedrick.

“Sigh… this is exactly why I never established a family in the first place.”

Pedrick exhaled deeply and accepted the wooden boxes.

“I’m counting on you.”

Glen Zigheart’s voice rang out with an oddly hollow chill.

“Everything’s fine, but why did you name that child Raon? There are plenty of good names out there, yet you chose one that means shadow…”
“The name Raon carries more than just the meaning of shadow.”

He shook his head and gazed upward at the golden sun hanging high in the sky.

“A thousand years ago, it held the opposite meaning as well.”

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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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