The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 22

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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 22

“That book….”

I swallowed hard as I watched the burning tome. The book was so weathered it seemed ready to crumble at any moment, yet it blazed with a magnificent golden radiance that illuminated the Audience Chamber.

Whoooosh!

The book fell like a petal announcing the end of summer, and when it touched my fingertips, it burned with flames yet felt no hotter than body temperature—warm as living skin.

‘Ten Thousand Fires Technique?’

The title inscribed on the cover caught my eye. As I reached to turn the cover, the pages flipped open of their own accord, erupting into even greater flames.

Whoosh.

In an instant, the book reached its final page and scattered into ash like kindling that had burned its last.

“What?”

I tried to grasp the disintegrating tome, but it was futile. The paper had become powder, and the flames had turned to smoke.

‘What in the world….’

Standing dazed as I tried to comprehend what had happened, a message materialized before me.

[Ten Thousand Fires Technique: You have encountered the flames of ten thousand kalpas.]
[Ten Thousand Fires Technique has been remembered.]

The moment the message faded, a searing pain struck my mind like lightning.

‘Gasp!’

It felt as though someone had driven a massive spike through my brain. The pain exceeded even Wrath’s mental assault, and my knees buckled.

“Haaah….”

Fortunately, the pain lasted only a fleeting moment, and I managed to stay on my feet.

“Young Master!”

Roen, who stood beside me, rushed over and steadied me with his support.

“I’m… I’m fine.”

I thanked him and forced strength into my trembling legs.

-What did you just do?
‘I don’t know either. But…’

I remembered. The contents of the Manual of Myriad Fires, which had crumbled to dust, materialized vividly in my mind.

“Raon Zigheart.”

At the voice trembling with subtle emotion, I lifted my head. Glen was staring at me with eyes as wide as lanterns—a stark departure from his usual demeanor.

He seemed both angry and bewildered.

“What exactly did you just do?”
“I’m not entirely certain myself. However, I do remember the contents of the cultivation method that vanished from my hands.”
“The name of that book?”
“The Manual of Myriad Fires.”
“….”

Upon hearing my answer, Glen closed his eyes. He remained motionless for a long while, as though turned to stone, before slowly opening them again. The bewilderment had vanished from his expression.

“You said you remember the contents?”
“Yes.”
“Then that settles it.”

Glen waved his hand with his usual cold expression.

“The reward for the Dongseok faction has been fulfilled. You may leave now.”
“Mm….”

I glanced briefly at Roen. He stood with a bewildered expression before hastily returning to his usual smile.

“…I understand.”

I bowed my head and took a step backward, slipping out of the Audience Chamber. Glen and Roen remained motionless the entire time.

“Sigh.”

I had no idea what had just transpired.

‘Is the system responsible for embedding the contents of the Manywheel Scripture so deeply into my memory?’
-The system enhances your memory and cognitive abilities, but it doesn’t have the power to forcibly implant information into your brain.

Wrath’s voice carried a note of uncertainty as well.

‘Hmm….’

As I walked through the corridors of the Patriarch’s Hall, I sifted through the information about the Manywheel Scripture embedded in my mind.

Even a cursory examination made it clear.
The Manywheel Scripture was an aura cultivation method far more profound and exquisite than anything Shadow had to offer.

‘And that’s not all….’

Within the Manywheel Scripture lay not merely an aura cultivation method, but also a sword technique and knowledge of the ancient world.

If I were to properly master the Manywheel Scripture now imprinted upon my mind, I could reach a realm incomparably beyond what I had achieved in my previous life.

‘But why did he hand it over?’

The Manywheel Scripture was not an aura cultivation method one could obtain with a bronze medal.
Even a silver medal—no, even a gold medal wouldn’t be worth trading for it, yet I couldn’t fathom why he had given it to me.

-You’ve already received it, so why worry so much?
‘Fair point.’

There was no way someone of Glen’s caliber would take back what he’d given. Besides, it was already too late to ask for it back anyway.

‘Let’s head back.’

For now, I only possessed the knowledge—I hadn’t truly mastered it yet. I was eager to return and begin my cultivation immediately.

The moment Raon left the Patriarch’s Hall, he sprinted toward the Annex Building. His eyes blazed with anticipation as he ran at full speed.

*

*

*

The Audience Chamber, now empty of Raon, was shrouded in a silence as deep as night.

“P-Patriarch. The cultivation method that young master Raon took… surely it couldn’t be…?”
“Yes. It was his.”

Glen nodded while gazing at the empty space in the first shelf of the bookcase.

‘He took the Manywa Method…’

The cultivation method of the first Patriarch—something no one in Zigheart history had ever dared remove or read—was the very technique that had now passed into Raon’s hands.

He had retrieved the ancient bookcase to bestow a silver-rank cultivation method rather than a bronze-rank one, yet he never imagined Raon would take the Manywa Method.

Gulp.

Roen swallowed hard as he stared at the charred fragments of the destroyed cultivation manual.

“If this becomes known, young master Raon and young lady Sylvia could be in danger!”
“There’s no need to worry. No one knows about the Manywa Method.”

Glen shook his head. Knowledge of the Manywa Method only passed down after becoming Patriarch. It was impossible to learn of it unless one meticulously searched through the family’s entire history.

“Then… how do we explain the cultivation manual disappearing entirely…?”
“That’s fine too. It was transmitted to a person, wasn’t it?”

Raon had said he remembered the contents of the cultivation manual. Though the cause of such a phenomenon remained unknown, if it had been transmitted, that was enough.

“But the Manywa Method is a cultivation technique passed down to the Patriarch of Zigheart…”
“It was a cultivation method that couldn’t be used anyway. If it weren’t for that boy, it would have rotted away in that place.”

I was shocked, admittedly.
No, astounded would be the more accurate word. Yet because it was Raon who had conjured that golden flame in the discrimination test, I felt as though I had simply found the true master.

“Now that you have obtained the cultivation method of the First Patriarch, Young Master Raon shall become stronger than anyone else.”
“No.”

Roen shook his head slowly.

“To grow stronger, talent and martial arts are important, but what kind of person you are matters most. No matter how powerful the martial art, it cannot surpass a powerful human spirit.”

The reason Roen continued the discrimination test even after crossing the wall of demonic energy was to offer guidance suited to the children who had awakened their talents.

Now, he did not assess the children’s futures through mere talent alone.

“My apologies. I was so astonished by what I witnessed that I spoke without thinking.”

Roen placed his hand over his chest and bowed his head. The Roen who had reached a new realm had always emphasized that character mattered more than talent.

Of course, the family members still valued only exceptional martial arts and talent.

“It seems something will change from now on.”

Roen sank deeply into the back of the jade throne.

The Eternal Flame that had never allowed anyone to touch it. The golden flame that had appeared only once in the family’s history. Raon had taken it all.

‘Raon Zigheart.’

Though he was my grandson, that child—one I could not openly show affection toward—seemed destined to bring many changes throughout the family and beyond.

“There will be amusement in watching.”

If time permits, that is. Roen swallowed those words and closed his eyes.

*

*

*

Upon returning, Raon immediately entered his room. He had told everyone not to come in, but to be safe, he locked the door as well.

-How dramatic.
‘You know as well as I do. If I’m disturbed while cultivating aura, I could die.’

Unless one reached a certain level of mastery, if someone touched the cultivation while it was still finding its rhythm, serious consequences would follow.

That was also why I hadn’t synthesized the ring of fire until I was sleeping in my personal bed.

“Don’t disturb me either.”
-Hmm!
“You wouldn’t dare….”
-Just once.

A spinning smile bloomed between the blue flames.

“Just once?”
-I shall interfere exactly once while you’re doing that cultivation or whatever it is.
“You could end up a cripple before you even take my body.”
-I don’t care.

A bestial, guttural laugh emanated from Wrath.

-You won’t be able to overcome it, but I can save you even if your limbs are severed and your dantian shattered.

A chill ran down my spine from the sinister tone in his voice.

-When you become a cripple and abandon everything, that will be my opportunity.
‘As expected from this bastard….’

I was reminded once again.
Wrath was not an ally. He was a demon of the Demon Realm who would devour my body and soul at the first opportunity, the very embodiment of wrath itself.

“You said just once?”
-You know I don’t lie. I’ll interfere exactly once until you master that cultivation technique.
“I have no choice then.”

Raon rubbed his wrist. There was no point telling him not to do it—he wouldn’t listen anyway. Whether I liked it or not, I had to accept it.

—Live every day trembling in fear. I might pierce your mind whenever I please.

Wrath’s voice carried intense excitement. He was delighted to finally have a chance to torment me.

‘So this is what a king amounts to.’

Every time he used that childish title of “This King,” and considering how he boasted about being a lord of the Demon Realm, the King of Wrath, it was laughable that he took pleasure in such trivial things.

‘But still….’

It was true that even a single interference from Wrath would be dangerous.

The Manwheel Technique was a cultivation method that absorbed natural mana and accumulated aura in the dantian. If I was disrupted at a critical moment, my mana circuits or dantian could be damaged, leaving me a cripple.

Especially for me, with cold energy embedded in my mana circuits, the danger was even greater.

‘Still, I can’t back down.’

Wrath was the type who pushed harder when you showed weakness. Regardless of the outcome, I had to come at him strong.

“Go ahead. Try it.”

I concealed my true thoughts and smiled with ease.

—Let’s see how long that arrogant expression lasts.
“Then you’ll have to watch it for the rest of your life.”
—…I want to crush your mind right now.
“Go ahead. I just have to sit still and collect the stat points anyway.”
—A fledgling maggot who won’t shut his mouth.
“This maggot’s door is always open. Knock whenever you want.”
—Grrrrgh!

I waved my hand dismissively and sat beneath the bed. Wrath screamed as if raging, but I ignored him cleanly.

‘If he had any sense, he wouldn’t touch me now.’

I exhaled slowly and closed my eyes. I drew natural mana into my breath. I filled my entire body with refreshing energy, then exhaled again. I expelled the murky energy dwelling in my mana circuits.

‘It’s overlapping a bit.’

The flow of the Flame Dance and the Ring of Fire shared similarities befitting their names.

I accepted the mana with satisfaction and settled it into my mana circuits.

The flow of the Flame Dance began at my right wrist. That energy was fierce like fire, yet relentless like water.

Roooar!

Scorching mana surged through my entire body. The intense flow swept away the frigid energy embedded in my mana circuits.

‘I can’t let this slip away.’

It would be wasteful to discard such pure cold energy. I guided it along with the Flame Dance’s energy toward my dantian.

Whoosh.

The Flame Dance’s energy that rushed to my dantian dispersed uselessly in an instant.

‘Of course it would.’

It would be strange if I could master the Flame Dance in a single cultivation session.

Once the flow of the Flame Dance became as familiar as breathing, its energy would naturally settle into my dantian.

‘Besides.’

Since I was absorbing not just the Flame Dance’s energy but also the cold energy from my mana circuits, my cold resistance would grow rapidly as well.

“Hah….”

I exhaled hot breath and opened my eyes after completing one cycle of cultivation.

-Fire attribute, then.
“The single attribute is slightly concerning, but the cultivation method itself is remarkably excellent.”
-That’s a foolish thing to say, even for you.
“What?”
-The problem lies with those who master attributes half-heartedly. A properly mastered single attribute is no less capable than a versatile practitioner. When I was in the Demon Realm, I froze an entire fortress with cold energy—a tale recorded in history itself….
“I see.”

I let Wrath’s boasting words wash over me while focusing on what he’d said earlier.

‘A single attribute properly mastered.’

He was right.

Those who half-heartedly master a single attribute are treated as worthless, but those who transcend that threshold are revered as absolute beings.

You could tell from just one cultivation session.
The Flame Ring was special. It was in no way inferior to the legendary Ring of Fire passed down through legend.

‘I need to master it properly.’

I stood up, resolving to dedicate everything to the Flame Ring for a while.

“Before that.”
-You’re going to deal with it now?
“Yeah. The fact that it keeps visiting every night means it’s no coincidence.”

My crimson eyes gleamed like those of the Grim Reaper.

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten back to work.

*

*

*

Judith was a new maid who had entered the Annex Building a month ago.

Thanks to her good impression, bright personality, and meticulous work, she had earned the trust of everyone in the Annex Building in no time.

Yet after finishing her daily duties and supposedly heading to rest, she was hiding in a tree in the Garden, peering into Raon’s room.

‘Talking to himself again.’

Judith narrowed her eyes as she watched Raon muttering in his room. It wasn’t frequent, but occasionally he would speak to empty air.
They said he had been sickly since childhood, so it might be a result of that.

As Raon, who had been conversing with empty air, closed his eyes and settled into meditation, the flow of mana around him shifted dramatically.

He had fallen into meditation countless times before, but this was the first time a mana fluctuation had occurred.

‘So he really did go to the Patriarch’s Hall and learn the aura cultivation method.’

Raon appeared to have obtained the aura cultivation method using a bronze-colored card. The flow of mana was extraordinarily intense. It was a stronger cultivation method than I had anticipated.

‘I have more to report.’

Judith waited until Raon opened his eyes again and the lights in the room went out before descending from the tree.

She made her way to the small Lake at the end of the Garden and retrieved the paper and pencil she had hidden in the ground. She wrote down everything about Raon’s movements since his return to the Annex Building and all the information she had gathered.

Remarkably, the moment she wrote on the paper, the words vanished, making it appear as though nothing had been written at all to any observer.

“I can’t believe I have to do this.”

Judith exhaled a sigh. To survive, she was reporting information that could become a child’s weakness—and suddenly, a hollow emptiness washed over her.

“But I have to.”

The bitterness was fleeting. She filled the hollow ache with the excuse that there was no choice as long as there was something to protect.

Tap.

Judith folded the paper to the size of her thumbnail and set it floating on the Lake. By tomorrow morning, it would reach Karun Zigheart’s hands.

“Then I’ll head back—ah!”

She froze mid-rise, her heart clenching at the cold sensation of a blade against the nape of her neck.

“Open your mouth and you die.”

A frigid voice came from behind as her eyes darted about in panic.

“Move and you die.”

At the voice laden with death, goosebumps erupted across her skin.

“Lower your eyes and look at the Lake.”

I lowered my gaze at the voice’s command, my eyes settling on the Lake.

“Ah….”

Upon the dark waters of the Lake, cradling the night sky, Raon Zigheart’s crimson eyes were wide open.

—————
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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