The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 230

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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 230

Roen stood midway up Bekmang Mountain, watching Raon depart from the Annex Building as he exhaled slowly.

‘He’s finally mastered it.’

In less than a month, Raon had acquired the Fragrant Sound Technique and woven his own martial philosophy into it.

‘But that’s not all.’

He hadn’t merely advanced his existing martial techniques through the Fragrant Sound Technique—he had elevated his swordsmanship itself through it. Though there was clearly room for improvement, achieving such a level in merely a month left me speechless.

“What is your assessment, Lord Glen?”

Roen turned and called out to Glen, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

“It appears he has extracted the essence of the Thrust Sword from the Fragrant Sound Technique.”

Glen’s voice was calm and measured, yet his lips curved upward in an unmistakable smile.

“He is no child merely following a well-paved road. He is a greedy creature who uses the tools given to him to forge a path superior to what came before.”
“I share that assessment.”

Roen nodded with a faint smile. Just as Glen said, Raon was a monster who, through endless effort and exceptional talent, elevated the very caliber of martial philosophy itself.

“Creating sound through the blade’s strike and the sword’s resonance is quite innovative. Since there are two types of sound, it’s difficult for enemies to discern, and the versatility is remarkable. I believe an excellent technique will emerge from this.”
“Well, that’s certainly true….”

As Roen praised Raon, Glen’s smile deepened and his movements became more animated.

‘In any case.’

Roen observed Glen’s reaction with a subtle smile.

‘He cannot be honest about it.’

Watching him grow flustered with joy at his grandson’s praise, he was unmistakably a doting grandfather.

‘I wish he would be a little more honest.’

I understood why Glen kept Raon and Sylvia at a distance, but this time I agreed with Rimer. I hoped that before it was too late, he would reveal his true feelings and their relationship would be restored.

“At the current rate of development, if that boy trains consistently for about six months, he’ll create his own martial art.”

Glen’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he watched his grandson grow.

“To create a new martial art in just six months rather than merely learn one—that’s terrifying.”

Roen let out a hollow laugh as he gazed at the now-calm Lake.

“However, even someone like Raon would be helpless against Harrian Zigheart.”

Dogyae’s true name was Harrian Zigheart. Though it had been some time, he was a master whom Glen himself had acknowledged, making it impossible for Raon to defeat him.

“He won’t even need to reach the level of a martial art.”

Glen clicked his tongue briefly.

“He won’t be able to surpass gambling, let alone drinking.”

Dogyae’s gambling prowess was worthy of his epithet—it could shake the entire Continent. For Raon, who had learned haphazardly from Rimer, to defeat him was absurd.

“And….”

Glen turned his back after watching Raon disappear from sight.

“Drinking is something one must learn from an adult, after all. Ahem!”

He gave a brief cough and vanished from that place like smoke.

“Hehe.”

Roen smiled faintly as he gazed at the spot where Glen had disappeared.

“Indeed. Learning from Grandfather would be the best choice.”

*

*

*

I stood before the Gambling House that Rimer had pointed out, accompanied by a trembling Dorian.

“Y-you’re really going in there?”

Dorian quivered as he stared at the entrance to the Gambling House.

“Dogyae! The Dogyae who’s made a name for himself across the entire Continent through gambling! He’s nothing like the marks you’ve faced before!”

He shook his head frantically, insisting this was a terrible idea.

“They weren’t marks either.”

I smiled faintly. The gamblers I’d crushed before were experts among experts. I’d only won so decisively because of Wrath—without him, I wouldn’t have dominated so completely.

“Trust me and follow.”

I patted Dorian’s shoulder and stepped into the Gambling House. Despite the daylight outside, the interior was packed with people and filled with a dim, humid vitality.

‘They said the center, right.’

According to the information Judith had brought, Dogyae always ran his games from the heart of the Gambling House. In the middle, I spotted a large table surrounded by a crowd.

“Ah!”

My eyes widened as I examined that table. Not because I’d spotted Dogyae. It was the red-haired Elf sitting outside the table that looked far too familiar.

“Gaaaah! Damn it!”

The red-haired Elf—Rimer—clutched his head and screamed. It seemed he’d scraped together money from somewhere and lost it all again.

“Just one more hand! This is infuriating!”
“You keep coming back like a zombie, never tiring.”

At the metallic-tinged mockery, I looked across from Rimer. A broad-shouldered, black-haired giant sat grinning, cards slipped between his fingers.

‘So the author is Dogyae….’

Black hair and crimson eyes. A massive frame rivaling that of a Monster, and the grotesque tattoos covering his skin matched the description Judith had provided. That beast-like grinning man was none other than Dogyae Harrian Zigheart.

‘He’s stronger than I expected.’

I furrowed my brow. I had assumed his skills would be lacking given his fondness for gambling and alcohol, but I was entirely wrong. Despite merely sitting there and laughing, he emanated an aura of power so formidable it was almost unbelievable.

“If you’re out of money, strip everything off and get out.”

Dogyae casually waved his hand and swept the gold coins on the table toward himself.

Whether he had won from others besides Rimer, a mountain of gold coins had accumulated before him. This too was one of Dogyae’s peculiarities—he conducted gambling exclusively with gold coins, never chips.

“Boss! I’ll be back! I swear I’ll be back!”

Rimer spouted dialogue worthy of a third-rate villain and rose to his feet.

“M-Master, you’ve been cleaned out again? Are you really leaving? I don’t want to see both the Unit Leader and Vice Unit Leader completely wiped out!”
“I’m different from the Unit Leader.”

I clicked my tongue briefly and walked forward, taking the now-vacant seat across from Dogyae.

“Shall we play a round?”

I smiled and met Dogyae’s crimson gaze.

“A brat who hasn’t even dried the blood from his birth. This isn’t a place for a pipsqueak like you.”
“Oh! It’s the Legend Sword Association!”
“Raon Zigheart?”
“Why is the Continent’s youngest Master here!”
“Could he have come for the Unit Leader’s revenge?”

Without needing to introduce myself, others revealed my name first.

“R-Raon?”

Rimer, who had been tossing off his clothes and even removing his shoes, widened his eyes.

“You really came?”
“Would I come as a fake?”
“No! Damn it!”

Rimer rushed over and grabbed my shoulder.

“That bastard is a real bloodsucker! If there’s even a hint of money to extract, he never lets it go! Get up quick!”
“It’s fine. I’m similar myself.”
“Huh? Well, I suppose that’s true….”

He muttered that the two of us were indeed alike.

“Don’t worry. Gambling is just the starting point.”
“So you really….”
“Yes. I must. The Three Oaths.”

I smiled faintly and nodded.

‘It’s a very good opportunity.’

Recovering the money Rimer lost was naturally part of it, but my true purpose was to fulfill the Three Oaths and make a wish to Dogyae.

“So you’re Raon Zigheart, the youngest Master in the Continent’s history.”

Dogyae, having left Zigheart, seemed to know only the rumors and not my face.

“That’s correct.”

I leaned back against the chair and nodded.

“Your name has some merit. But in a gambling den, you need money, not reputation….”
“Dorian.”

I cut off Dogyae’s words and called for my wallet. No—I called for Dorian.

“Sigh.”

Dorian exhaled heavily and reached into his belly pouch. When his hand emerged, it held five heavy bundles of cloth.

Clink, clink, clink!

I untied the cloth bundle and poured its contents onto the table.

“Five hundred gold coins. That should be sufficient, yes?”
“So you’re someone who speaks the language of reason.”

Dogyae gazed at the glittering heap of gold coins stacked upon the table, his lips curling into a long, satisfied smile. Yet the emotion reflected in his pupils seemed far removed from mere greed.

“You mentioned requesting the Samyak, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then you understand that if you lose, you’ll be stripped of everything you possess and cast out?”
“Of course.”

I nodded. This was why Rimer always ended up in such a wretched state—losing everything and being expelled each time.

“Very well. I accept your Samyak.”

He nodded and placed his hand upon the table. A card flickered between his fingers.

“Whoa!”
“Isn’t he the youngest challenger?”
“That’s right! Who challenges the Samyak at eighteen!”
“Insane! The Legend Sword Association versus Dogyae!”
“Should we open our own betting pool?”
“But this starts with gambling, not a duel. I doubt it’ll even reach the drinking stage—it’ll probably end at the gambling.”
“Yeah, what gambling experience could an eighteen-year-old possibly have?”
“Man, I really wanted to see them fight….”

The spectators, disappointed that I would likely falter at gambling and drinking before reaching the actual duel, clicked their tongues in regret.

“What kind of gambling do you prefer? Cards? Dice? Roulette?”
“Anything is fine.”

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

“Confidence is admirable. Then let’s start with poker.”

Dogyae let out a similar laugh and picked up the cards.

“Since this is your first time, let me offer you some advice. The rules here differ from the outside world. Deception is perfectly acceptable. The one who fails to detect it is simply incompetent and foolish. Do you understand?”

He flicked his fingers, cards wedged between them in a practiced motion. It appeared to be a gambling habit, and it irritated me immensely.

“In other words, as long as you don’t get caught, deception and fraud become justice in this game.”
“What happens if I discover your deception?”
“There’s no point discussing the impossible.”
“Then if I expose your tricks, would you face me with pure skill alone?”
“Sigh, there’s always someone like this who lacks understanding.”

Dogyae shook his head with a dismissive chuckle.

“Fine. Give it a try.”

He curled the corners of his mouth upward, as if inviting me to do as I pleased.

‘Wrath.’

I called out to Wrath as I watched Dogyae shuffle the cards. A blue light blazed forth from the bracelet.

‘Your turn. Find every element on Dogyae’s body that could be used for deception.’
-I refuse.
‘What?’
-Finding everything would be a loss for this king.

Wrath turned his head away sharply, as if rejecting the request outright.

‘Why suddenly?’

He had seemed willing to cooperate, but now this sudden refusal left me bewildered. I maintained my composure so Dogyae wouldn’t notice, then called out to Wrath again.

‘I’ll help you. Didn’t you say we should hurry?’
-It’s far too late now!
‘I had no choice—preparations were necessary.’
-You made me wait an entire month, and now you ask me to uncover all these hidden energies. No matter how I consider it, this is a loss for this king. So….’

Wrath lowered his voice, suggesting he wanted something else. The thought that he might demand my body made my throat tighten with a dry swallow.

‘That’s not possible right now.’

It was an impossible request, so I pondered what to do—but what emerged from Wrath’s mouth was entirely different from what I expected.

-I shall add one more pearl ice cream. This King desires three boxes of pearl ice cream!

Wrath cried out “ice cream” in a grave tone, as though he were threatening the world itself.

‘Ah….’

I closed my eyes briefly, then opened them again.

‘Ah, ice cream?’
-Indeed! I shall select every flavor according to my royal preference!

It was absurd, but I could certainly grant that request.

‘Receive it, then get one more box!’
-I shall do my utmost!

Wrath sprang up and lunged at Dogyae. His senses far transcended human limitations. Even if he had deceived Rimer, Wrath’s perception would not escape him.

-First, this ring. It appears to have an effect that dampens sound. And this necklace possesses the ability to distort perception.
‘I see how to use them.’

The sound-dampening effect would be used for palming cards, while the necklace would redirect attention elsewhere the moment I employed a sleight of hand.
The mana flow was so faint as to be imperceptible, marking these as premium artifacts crafted specifically for gambling.

-This tattoo on his hand is also strange. It seems connected to this card. The mana is so faint I can only detect it by scent.
‘I understand.’

I nodded and raised my chin.

“Dogyae. Remove the ring and necklace first.”
“What?”

Dogyae’s hand, which had been about to toss the card, froze abruptly.

“What did you just say?”
“I said to remove the ring and necklace.”

I pinched the ring and necklace that possessed abilities.

“These are just for style….”
“The ring on your right index finger reduces sound when you wish it, and the necklace disperses attention. Let’s drop the feeble excuses.”
“…How did you know?”

Dogyae’s laughter ceased for the first time. His jaw trembled in disbelief as his eyes rolled.

“I simply have a keen sense for these things.”

I smiled faintly and shrugged my shoulders.

-Keen sense my frozen ass! That’s the King’s power, isn’t it?!

Wrath waved his hand as if telling me to stop spouting nonsense.

“R-really?”
“He saw through Dogyae’s tricks right away?”
“Insane….”
“Wait, we haven’t even started the game yet and he’s already uncovering the cheating?”

The spectators’ jaws dropped as they watched me uncover Dogyae’s secrets in an instant.

“Ha, fine. You said you’d stop if caught, so I should keep my word.”

Dogyae removed the necklace and ring, placing them at the edge of the table.

“If you truly wish to abandon your tricks, you’ll need to erase that as well.”

I pointed to the tattoo inscribed on the back of Dogyae’s hand.

“With that, you can read our cards.”
“Truly….”

Dogyae chuckled and rubbed the back of his hand with his fingers. The tattoo that seemed to have been there his entire life vanished without a trace.

“Is that sufficient now?”

Despite being caught cheating, there was no hint of embarrassment. The way he shuffled a new deck with a tone suggesting mild annoyance made it clear his reputation across the entire Continent was well-earned.

“Then let’s begin properly.”

Dogyae chuckled and flipped the card.

Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed the card wedged between Dogyae’s fingers.

‘If you don’t get caught, deception is justice….’

Then today, I’ll be justice.

*

*

*

“Hmm.”

Dogyae rubbed his fingers together while staring directly into the eyes of Raon, who held the cards.

‘Does he think he could beat me if there were no tricks involved?’

Occasionally, there were fools who mistakenly believed they had reached this position through deception alone.
But deception was merely a tool to easily extract money from the gullible—in true high-stakes gambling between masters, victory belonged to whoever read their opponent’s psychology first.

That young brat’s instincts were certainly remarkable, but they couldn’t defeat him. Before long, he would be driven out after his every expression and action had been completely exposed.

“Let’s start simple—a hundred gold coins?”

Without even properly examining his hand, Dogyae pushed a hundred gold coins onto the table. It was a probing round to observe how his opponent would respond and what reactions he would show.

“Very well.”

Raon checked his hand with an impassive expression, then dumped a hundred gold coins into the center of the table.

“Then let’s reveal.”

Dogyae opened his cards. A triple—three consecutive matching numbers.

“Straight. I’ve won this round.”

Raon’s cards formed a straight from one to five. He offered a faint smile as he collected two hundred gold coins.

Dogyae remained composed despite losing one hundred gold coins.

‘It doesn’t matter how much I lose.’

I’m the one who will ultimately prevail.

I didn’t earn the epithet of gambling monster for nothing. Whether in martial arts or gambling, no one surpassed my ability to read an opponent’s psychology.

“I’ll deal this time.”

Raon shuffled the cards and dealt them out in sequence.

Dogyae observed Raon’s expression without even glancing at his own hand.

‘The face is expression without words.’

People reveal far more through their expressions than through speech, and nowhere does that truth shine more brilliantly than in a gambling den where all of life’s joys and sorrows converge. Reading the psychology of such a young boy was child’s play.

“Two hundred gold coins.”

Dogyae pushed forward double his initial wager.

“Accepted.”

Raon offered no resistance, pouring all his winnings into the center of the table alongside his stake.

Dogyae flipped his hand. This time he held a pair, but when Raon revealed his cards, he possessed two pair.

“I’ve won again.”

Raon smiled subtly as he gathered the cards once more.

“Good. Let’s keep going.”

Dogyae grinned. Money was the most fearsome weapon of all. As the gold coins accumulated on the table, cracks in that boy’s composure would inevitably begin to show.

But.

After ten rounds, Dogyae’s confidence had faded like mist.

‘Hmm….’

Dogyae swallowed a groan internally.

‘What is this guy?’

Raon’s expression remained unchanged whether his hand was strong or weak. It was as if a mask had been placed over his face—his psychology was utterly unreadable.

‘Is this really the expression of an eighteen-year-old?’

His emotions were so faint that it didn’t feel like facing an eighteen-year-old at all, but rather a seasoned gambler who had seen it all, a spy, or an assassin.

‘And I’m the one losing.’

Over ten rounds, the wins and losses were split evenly at five and five, but ultimately it was he who had lost money. Raon either ghosted the call when his hand was strong, or bet only small amounts, never taking a loss.

Dogyae checked his cards without letting his bewilderment show.

‘One pair.’

One pair, with two cards of the same number, was a weak hand. The suit was hearts as well, so the rank was mediocre at best. But he wanted to crack that composed face just once.

“1500 gold coins.”

Dogyae bet the same amount of gold coins that Raon possessed and poured them onto the table. The brilliant golden light swept across Raon’s eyes.

‘Huh?’

No anxiety?

Raon’s crimson eyes remained unshaken even as they gazed upon the mountain of gold coins stacked before him. Only serenity filled them, as always.

“I call.”

Raon poured out all his gold coins with eyes as calm as if he were sipping tea.

‘What in the world does he have? A stipple?’

To bet more than 1,500 gold coins, he had to have at least a pair or a straight flush, no matter how poorly he played.

I chewed the inside of my cheek while waiting for Raon to reveal his hand. But his cards fell far short of my expectations.

“Wow, one pair?”

Raon’s hand was the same one pair as mine. The only difference was that his spades ranked higher than my hearts.

“I won.”

Raon tossed two spades onto the table and grinned.

“What, what?!”
“He burned 3,000 gold coins on a one pair?”
“Insane! Both of them are insane!”
“But isn’t the Legend Sword Association winning consistently right now?”
“Exactly. Dogyae is getting completely crushed!”

The spectators swallowed hard as they stared at the mountain of gold coins piling up in front of Raon.

“This, this is just a beginner’s luck. It’ll end soon.”
“Yeah. The situation will turn around soon. Just wait!”
“Dogyae is a slow starter! This is just the beginning!”

Those who believed in Dogyae continued to chatter, but after five more rounds, they all fell silent.

“What is this….”

Dogyae couldn’t hold back and opened his mouth. Out of five rounds, I won three and lost two, but it was Raon who took the money this time as well. Now there were fewer than fifty gold coins left on the table.

‘How is this possible….’

This had never happened before. No matter how much luck a beginner possessed, it was impossible to selectively avoid good hands and only lose when they appeared.

‘Wait… Could it be…!’

Dogyae swallowed dryly.

‘Have I been read?’

With the odds nearly even at five to five, if only I was losing money while he was winning big, there could be only one reason: my expressions and reactions had been exposed.

“Ugh.”

I forced myself to manage my expression and lifted my head. Raon’s sunken eyes stared directly at me. Those vivid crimson irises sent an icy chill racing down my spine.

‘He’s certain.’

That bastard knows what cards I’m holding.

There was no other way I could have lost so much money and folded so many hands.

“What did you do?”
“What did I do?”

Raon wore the same serene smile he’d had when receiving his cards.

“Nothing at all.”
“Don’t lie. The odds were the same, yet I keep losing! I’ve stood in countless gambling dens, but never once has this happened!”
“No, sir. I truly did nothing.”
“What!”
“Didn’t Dogyae say it himself? If you don’t get caught, cheating isn’t a crime—it’s justice.”

Raon swept the gold coins stacked beside him toward himself with a smirk.

“The fool who gets deceived is the real idiot.”
“You….”

Dogyae unconsciously crumpled the stack of cards in his grip.

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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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