The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 24

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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 24

I opened my eyes, feeling the warm sunlight seeping through the window.

‘This is difficult.’

During my vacation, I had spared no sleep to cultivate, but I had failed to create an aura.

‘This isn’t an ordinary cultivation method.’

From Glen’s expression and the Manywa Technique imprinted in my mind, I could sense that this cultivation method was not something to be obtained with mere copper badges.
Even dozens of silver badges—no, gold badges—would not be too great a price for this.

‘Why did he simply give it to me?’

It was clear that Glen disliked both Sylvia and me, yet I couldn’t fathom why he would hand over such a remarkable aura cultivation method without reservation.

What was most astonishing was that the book had crumbled to dust, and though the knowledge existed only within me, he took no precautions whatsoever.

‘Is there a flaw in the aura cultivation method?’

Perhaps it wasn’t a perfected technique, but rather a flawed aura cultivation method that he gave me simply for experimentation.

“Hmm….”

I methodically reviewed the contents of the Manywa Technique stored in my mind.

‘There don’t seem to be any particular issues.’

Though no obvious flaws appeared, I felt I should proceed with caution just in case.

-You cannot think of only that.

Wrath surged forth from the ice flower bracelet, thrashing about.

-If you do not keep me in mind, your soul and body will be consumed by my wrath.
“I suppose you’re right.”

I nodded as I watched Wrath chuckle to himself.

-Such insolence I have not witnessed even in the Demon Realm. This time, I shall crush that arrogance of yours by any means necessary.
“You keep talking. If you can do it, then do it.”

I waved my hand dismissively and left the room. I could never show weakness before Wrath. A mind like still water—like a midnight lake that does not ripple. That was what I needed to maintain.

“Raon.”
“Young Master Raon.”

Sylvia, Helen, and the other attendants were waiting in the lobby.

“It’s only been a few days, and we barely talked, and you hardly ate anything….”

Sylvia’s eyes glistened with tears as she poured out her grievances.

“Now I can come every weekend.”

Unlike when I was a temporary trainee, becoming a formal trainee meant I could visit the Annex Building on weekends.

“Still….”

Sylvia’s melancholy seemed to spread to the other attendants, and the lobby’s atmosphere grew heavy.

“I’ll be back soon.”

This awkward sentiment and situation were unbearable. I quickly waved my hand and walked toward the Annex Building’s door.

As I opened the door, my eyes met those of Judith, who stood at the end of the line of attendants.

“Hup!”

Judith stifled a scream, covering her mouth. Cold sweat streamed down her forehead, and her eyes trembled like aspen leaves. It was the textbook image of a human consumed by the monster of fear.

‘There’s no need to worry.’

Though things had unfolded as I desired, dominating humans through fear was not my preferred method.

If she managed to extract the vital intelligence from the Central Intelligence Agency where Karun Zigheart resided, I would reward her properly.

-A monster of a person.

Wrath let out a sigh upon seeing Judith’s expression.

‘Getting praise for being a monster from a monster himself isn’t so bad.’

I smiled faintly and headed toward the 5th Training Ground, which I’d left a week ago.

*

*

*

I arrived at the Training Ground about ten minutes before the assembly time.

The number of children had visibly dwindled. Of the original 160, only 42 remained, making the Training Ground appear eerily empty.

Only a quarter had survived. Unlike the lightness Rimer usually displayed, he was as sharp as a blade when it came to results.

“Raon Zigheart….”
“Hmm!”
“Something feels different about you again….”

The way the children looked at me had changed dramatically from before.

Six months ago, their eyes had held mockery, ridicule, and a hint of pity. Now they gleamed with envy, astonishment, and admiration.

But I had no interest in them.
While I was warming up my body, thinking only of the Mana Palace, I heard light footsteps. They were followed by a sniffing sound, as if someone were catching a scent.

‘Those footsteps….’

I turned around, and as expected, there was Lunan with her eyes wide open.

-Now she’s tracking you by scent. Was she a dog instead of a cat?
‘Who knows. She seems like both a puppy and a cat.’

I met Lunan’s gaze with an awkward expression. She stepped one pace closer than usual and stopped.

“Thank you.”
“Huh?”

What was that?
I had no idea why she’d suddenly thanked me.

“….”

Lunan had thanked me and now wore the eyes of a cat waiting for food. Unlike usual, her pupils gleamed with an unusual brightness.

“Uh, yeah.”

I answered with a bewildered expression, and Lunan gave a small nod before stepping back one pace. Now we were at our usual distance again.

“Mm!”

Then she clenched her fist as if she’d accomplished something.

“Why did you thank me?”
“Because I’m grateful.”
“Ah….”

If anything, Lunan tilted her head as if I were the strange one. Looking at her like that, I doubted I’d get any clearer answer even if I pressed further.

-What, what is it? What does this girl want to do!
‘I have no idea either.’

Even searching through both my past and present lives, I’d never encountered a child like Lunan. Staring into those dull violet eyes was like gazing into a campfire—my mind simply went blank.

But since she wasn’t interfering or picking a fight, there was nothing I could say. After all, she had thanked me without explanation.

‘Is it because I don’t understand emotions?’

The thought occurred to me that I couldn’t grasp why Lunan had thanked me because I was poor at reading others’ feelings. Wrath was equally bewildered, but that wretch’s personality was too broken to be of any help.

‘So this is how I come to understand the emotion of confusion.’

I exhaled a long breath. No matter how much I thought about it, no answer came. I turned my head to clear my mind.

“Young Master!”

Dorian rushed toward me, his verdant hair fluttering like wings.

“Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you!”

He bowed at a perfect right angle, as though greeting an instructor.

“How have you been? I thought I was going to die, truly. Even as a provisional trainee I felt like I was dying, but now that I’m a formal, formal trainee, I can’t even imagine how much harder it’ll be. I had nothing but nightmares during my rest period. Ugh….”

Dorian rambled on without waiting for my response, speaking only what was on his mind. Rather than taking pride in becoming a formal trainee, he was terrified—this fellow was certainly a peculiar one.

“Still, I’m grateful that you ranked first, Young Master Raon. If Young Master Varen had ranked first, I honestly don’t think I could have breathed. I’d rather have failed the exam…”

Just as Dorian spoke those words, Varen and the Branch Family members entered the Training Ground.

“Eek!”

Dorian let out a startled shriek at Varen’s cold gaze and collapsed to the ground.

“Hic! Hic!”

Dorian began hiccupping, his limbs trembling uncontrollably.

“Raon Zigheart.”

Varen paid no mind to the terrified Dorian and walked toward me.

“A week ago, I showed you an ugly side of myself and lost to you. I apologize.”

Varen bowed his head at a perfect right angle without the slightest hesitation.

“Huh?”
“Gasp!”
“V-Varen, sir!”

The trainees nearby gasped in shock, their mouths falling open.

“However!”

Burren’s eyes blazed with fierce intensity as he lifted his gaze.

“I haven’t given up. No matter what effort it takes, I will stand before you again. I don’t retreat, and I don’t surrender. And of course, I have no intention of losing to you.”

Burren pointed his finger not only at me, but also at Runan, before walking toward the left.

“I… I thought I was going to die.”

Dorian trembled as if seized by a chill, struggling to his feet.

“W-what should I do? Shouldn’t I go after him and apologize?

His eyes were now shaking at least twice as fast as before. It was remarkable that he could maintain any semblance of sanity in such a state.

“There’s no need to worry.”

I shook my head. Burren’s gaze was fixed only on me and Runan. Everyone else was beneath his notice.

-The fool takes a beating and still doesn’t learn his place. Go after him at once and tear out his eyes.
‘That’s actually impressive.’

For a child not yet thirteen to acknowledge his own mistakes and speak of a second attempt was no simple feat. It was befitting of a direct descendant of the noble Zigheart house.

-Impressive or not matters little. It displeases the King of Wrath, so kill him.
‘Ha!’

I let out a hollow laugh. The moment one fell silent, the other started his tirade. There was no peace to be found.

Whoooosh!

As I turned my ankle while letting Wrath’s fury pass through one ear, a gust of emerald wind surged over the wall.

“A bit late, aren’t I? I drank some yesterday and overslept. Sorry about that.”

Rimer appeared alongside the refreshing green breeze, scratching the back of his head—which looked as if a bird had nested there—with a carefree laugh.

Crunch!

The sound of grinding teeth came from behind. It was Burren.

-How dare you make me wait, you insolent pointed-eared fool! I’ll tear those ears off right now!

Wrath could no longer contain himself and began gathering his rage. Watching him now, I realized Wrath and Buren were cut from the same cloth.

Rimer climbed onto the platform while humming a tune.

“Did you rest well?”

He waved his hand, his languid appearance suggesting he hadn’t fully shaken off sleep.

“Yes!”

The children, in stark contrast, bellowed their response so loudly it seemed the Training Ground itself might shake.

“First, congratulations on becoming official trainees.”
“Thank you!”
“Well, you probably already know this, but those who failed have decided to participate in training at the 6th Training Ground of their own volition. Don’t worry too much about friends who didn’t make it.”

Rimer smiled as he said they’d meet again later.

“From today, we begin formal training. The overall framework won’t change. You’ll undergo training that pushes your limits—whether mental, physical, or martial. That’s the fastest and highest path you can take.”

He continued, saying there was no end to fundamental cultivation.

Yet watching his lazy yawns, his words lacked conviction.

“Several new training regimens will be added going forward. First is aura cultivation. Starting tomorrow, you’ll practice aura cultivation at dawn and dusk.”

Everyone nodded, knowing that dawn and sunset were the optimal times for aura cultivation.

“We’ll also begin the sword and martial arts training you’ve all been so eager for.”
“Yes!”
“Finally!”

At the mention of sword and martial arts training, the children’s eyes sparkled like jewels.

“And….”

Just as Rimer was about to speak, the Training Ground door burst open with a bang.

Whoosh!

Before the door, where sand and dust swirled into the air, stood a girl who appeared to be in her mid-teens.

Her hair, dark as ebony, cascaded over her left shoulder, while her pupils—starkly contrasted in black and white—gleamed like pearls. Her skin, by contrast, was as pale as fresh snow.

“Oh?”
“Uh….”

The boys in the Training Ground fell silent at her refined beauty, a stark contrast to Rimer’s rougher appearance.

But then.

“Damn it. Why won’t this door open!”

The curse that spilled from her lips made the boys’ jaws drop for an entirely different reason.

“Perfect timing.”

Rimer chuckled and pointed toward the approaching girl.

“She’s not under my supervision, but she’s a failed trainee from the previous cohort. Since you’ll be training together going forward, you should introduce yourselves.”
“I’m Martha.”

The girl who introduced herself as Martha lifted her chin and furrowed her brow. Despite her refined appearance, her words and demeanor were no different from a street thug.

“She’s actually a good kid, despite how she seems. If you all get along—”
“I’ll handle my own affairs.”
“Well, there you have it.”

Rimer laughed and shrugged his shoulders. Meanwhile, the trainees’ mouths remained agape.

“Today, we’ll just warm up. Regular training begins tomorrow. That’s all.”

He glanced over each of the children and smirked.

“Now run. Full speed.”
“As expected.”

I nodded and pushed off the ground, but three shadows suddenly burst forward ahead of me.

It was Lunan, Burren, and Martha—the one who had failed.

“Y-young master.”

As I tried to chase after them, Dorian approached me.

“For her to show up here… w-what should we do?”
“You know that woman?”
“Y-you don’t? She’s direct bloodline too.”
“Direct bloodline? I’ve never seen her in the examination.”
“Ah, not in the conventional sense. She was adopted, you see. Purely for her talent.”

Dorian explained that Martha had been adopted as the daughter of Denier Zigheart, Glen’s third son, and solely because of her exceptional talent.

“Talent, then.”

I watched Martha surpass both Burren and Lunan, nodding quietly. Though she was a year older, her talent was clearly extraordinary even at a glance.

“From what I know, Martha was also the top trainee of the previous cohort, just like you, young master.”
“Then why did she fail?”
“B-because she fought.”
“Hm?”

Dorian’s clasped hands trembled as he continued.

“Not long after training began, she apparently beat five trainees half to death. Two of them were direct bloodline members.”
“Two direct bloodline members…”
“Her temperament is said to be quite vile, so p-please be careful.”

I nodded slightly and pushed off the ground.

‘I’ll be careful.’

She wouldn’t catch me off guard.

I had no intention of hiding my strength. If she came at me, I would crush her without hesitation.

*

*

*

“Haaah….”

I finished the endurance training that had stretched into the evening and exhaled heavily.

“Ugh….”
“I’m… dying.”
“After just a week off, this is….”

Most of the trainees collapsed onto the Training Ground floor, their groans filling the air.

“Pushing too hard now could affect tomorrow’s training, so we’ll stop here for today.”
“Th-thank you for your guidance.”
“We appreciate it.”

The trainees bowed to Rimer and the instructors before collapsing again.

“As I mentioned, we’ll begin aura cultivation training starting tomorrow. I’ll distribute the cultivation manuals now, so any trainees who haven’t learned aura cultivation should come forward.”

At Rimer’s gesture, books thin as fingernails appeared on the platform.

“Don’t be disappointed that these are basic cultivation manuals. The Linden Aura Cultivation Method works anywhere on the Continent.”

Most remained still, while a handful of commoner-born trainees stepped forward to receive their manuals.

“Hmm?”

Rimer’s gaze turned toward me. I had no aura yet, and I wasn’t stepping forward.

“Raon Zigheart.”
“Yes.”
“I believe you don’t have aura either?”
“I’ve obtained an aura cultivation method and intend to practice it.”
“Hmm!”

It seemed I had received a martial arts manual from the head of the family using a token of the same rank.

‘He must have given me a cultivation method beyond silver rank.’

Glenn cared for Raon more than he let on. He had certainly bestowed a cultivation method superior to Linden’s.

“Trainees who have already mastered aura cultivation methods should practice at dawn in your respective chambers. Those who received manuals today and Raon Zigheart are to come here at dawn tomorrow.”
“Even me, sir?”

Raon tilted his head in confusion.

“You haven’t mastered aura yet.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Then we’ll call it a day—”
“Wait. I have something to say.”

Martha raised her hand, not a single bead of sweat on her despite completing the physical conditioning.

“Who’s the top student here?”

She swept her gaze across everyone, hand planted firmly on her hip.

“I am.”

Raon met Martha’s piercing stare and spoke.

“Losing to someone without aura? The direct line and the Vassal Families must all be finished.”

She sneered at Burren and Lunan, then stepped before Raon.

“I can’t stand seeing someone weaker than me ranked above me.”

A chill emanated from Martha, enveloping my entire body.

“Let’s fight.”

—————
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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