The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 242

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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 242

I hoisted Belga onto my shoulder and narrowed my eyes.

‘The Cheongru Tribe… speaking?’

The Cheongru Tribe communicated through bestial cries and howls. It was unbelievable that they could articulate human language, however clumsily.

“Who are you?”

I formed a wall of Glacial with my power to prevent the young Cheongru Tribe member from escaping, then posed the question.

“I… I mustn’t be discovered.”

The creature glanced around nervously before submerging its head beneath the water. Trembling pupils betrayed an overwhelming sense of dread.

I examined the young Cheongru Tribe member from head to toe. Its arms, legs, and torso bore deep gashes where flesh had been torn away, weeping green blood.

‘Those wounds…’

They were not inflicted by human hands. The scars bore the unmistakable marks of a beast’s claws and fangs.

‘Did this creature save Belga?’

Belga had been drifting unconscious across the water’s surface, pursued by other Cheongru Tribe members. From the circumstances, it appeared this young one had rescued Belga from its own kind.

“Did you save this person?”
“Mm-hmm.”

The Cheongru Tribe member nodded, its head still submerged. Those clear, bright eyes peering cautiously toward me and those small, human-like ears felt oddly familiar.

“Ah!”

My eyes widened as recognition struck. This was the small Cheongru Tribe member I had glimpsed in the water yesterday when the Nambuk Alliance drove them back—the one that had been watching me from beneath the surface.

“Have you seen me before?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Yesterday, in the river water, you looked in my direction.”
“No, that’s not it. This is the first time.”

The young Blue Demon shook his head as if denying it.

‘He definitely looked at me… Could it be?’

By the riverbank, besides the Gwangpung Unit and Tiller, there was one other thing—the corpse of a Blue Demon. The body of the Blue Demon that Tiller had cut down was sinking into the water, and it seemed this creature had been staring at that corpse.

‘So that’s why he looked so sorrowful.’

The reason I had thought the Blue Demon’s eyes were clear yet melancholic at the time was because of his kinsman.

“P-please, let us go.”

The young Blue Demon pointed to the Blue Demon shrieking with his arms and legs trapped in the underwater armor.

“W-we’re not doing this because we want to.”

He conveyed his resolve through halting words. Sincerity emanated from his clear eyes.

“Not doing this because you want to?”

From those words, I became certain that there was an external factor behind the Blue Demons’ rampage.

“What’s your name?”
“…I don’t have one.”

The young Blue Demon paused for a moment, then shook his head.

“I-I don’t have time. I can’t be discovered.”

He covered his face while speaking words similar to before.

“If not now, could you come out later?”
“U…”

At those words, the Blue Demon lifted his head in a daze. His trembling azure eyes studied me for a long moment before he slowly nodded.

‘I can trust him.’

He had saved Belga even while sustaining injuries, and he was the only creature I’d encountered in this life with eyes like the Blue Demons I’d seen in my previous existence. I decided to place my faith in him.

Whoooosh!

I nodded and activated my Water Manipulation. The ice upon the water’s surface melted away, and pale steam enveloped the surrounding area.

“Return to this place when the moon reaches the center of the sky.”
“Ah, yes.”

The Blue Demon gazed around with curious eyes before disappearing into the water. Now that I looked closely, he bore massive wounds across his back and neck. Though they had healed from injuries sustained long ago, the scars were disturbingly large.

“Kiiieeeek!”
“Kyaaaah!”

As the ice binding the other Blue Demon’s arms and legs melted, he frantically escaped.

I clenched my fist as I watched the young Blue Demon disappear in the opposite direction.

“At last, I have a clue.”

*

*

*

The Village Chief of Doran Village stared at me with a vacant expression.

‘This isn’t a dream, is it?’

Since his birth in Doran Village, he had gazed upon the Gazel River without fail each day. He had witnessed monsoons flood the village, earthquakes split the waterway, and massive tidal waves surge forth.

Having witnessed so much, he believed nothing the Gazel River could produce would surprise him—yet his heart thundered violently at the display of power I had just shown.

“I-ice, you say….”

Raon simply stepped on the water and created an enormous ice crown. Despite the ice surging up in an instant, it was so solid that the Cheongru Tribe couldn’t escape from it.

‘Even more impressive than Tiller.’

Tiller walked on water while wielding his long spear from his back for attacks. But Raon resolved every situation with merely a stomp of his feet.

‘He’s like a god of ice….’

Raon glided across the water as if riding a river, and with each stamp of his foot, he created prisons of ice. He appeared as a deity of water and ice itself.

“H-how is he creating ice like that!”
“Huh…”
“Unbelievable!”
“Is that even possible for a human?”

The people from the other villages were equally astonished, their mouths hanging open. Everyone who had been shouting about the Nambuk Alliance moments before now followed Raon with vacant, mesmerized eyes.

“Mm.”

The Village Chief swallowed hard as he watched Raon return with everyone safely frozen on the ice.

‘How is such a thing possible at such a young age?’

Tiller was in his thirties, while Raon hadn’t even reached twenty yet. The fact that this young man demonstrated abilities superior to Tiller, who had received direct instruction from the Nambuk Alliance’s leader, was simply unbelievable.

“So that’s Zigheart….”
“What do you think?”
“Ah!”

The Village Chief muttered Zigheart’s name before startling and glancing to his side.

“Our Raon is quite impressive, isn’t he?”

Rimer was grinning widely and waving his hand—apparently having arrived at some point.

“I-I never expected someone so young to display such martial prowess. My eyes have been truly blessed.”
“That boy is special. And Zigheart is special too.”
“Pardon?”
“There are many people who look down on us because we’ve paused our steps for a moment.”

Rimer gazed at the Village Chief with a gentle smile.

“Ah, I, I….”
“I understand. The Nambuk Alliance is closest to this village, and living by the river, you cannot help but be influenced by them. However….”

He tapped his scabbard without erasing the smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

“When Zigheart draws its blade, there is nothing in this world that can stand before us.”
“Ah….”

The Village Chief’s jaw trembled. There was no killing intent, no overwhelming pressure—merely a quiet voice. Yet a chill ran down his spine. He was not being threatened; he was being declared to. Submission through proclamation.

‘It’s different. Completely different.’

Just moments ago, when we shared drinks together, he seemed like an ordinary drunkard you could find anywhere. Now, facing him felt like standing before an unstoppable tempest.

“I trust you’ll make the right choice.”

Rimer waved his hand as he went to greet Raon approaching from the riverbank.

“A wrong decision cannot be undone.”

*

*

*

I returned to the riverbank an hour after my promise with the nameless Blue Demon.
As I listened to the gentle flow of the river, a round head poked out from the water directly before me.

“Hello.”

The Blue Demon tilted its head slightly.

“You actually came.”

I had worried it might not show, but it appeared right on time.

“Well, I promised, didn’t I?”

The Blue Demon slowly lifted its head.

“I see.”

I nodded and settled onto a nearby rock. The Blue Demon emerged from the water and sat down on the ground at a distance from me.

‘It’s definitely small.’

The creature was smaller than other Blue Demons, likely still young. Its fins and webbed feet were diminutive, which seemed to be why it possessed a form more similar to humans than the rest of its kind.

“Do you know that your kind is called the Blue Demons?”
“Mm-hmm.”

The Blue Demon nodded slowly.

“From what I understand, your Blue Demons lived independently, avoiding contact with other races. You didn’t attack—you would flee or hide at the mere sight of humans.”

I continued, recalling the innocent Blue Demons I had encountered before.

“So why did they change like that?”

I asked the question that had troubled me from the beginning.

“It’s… it’s because of me.”

The Blue Demon gripped its knees tightly, its lips trembling.

“Because of you?”
“I… I ruined everything.”

Transparent tears welled up in the creature’s eyes as though it might burst into sobs at any moment.

-Tch, what a frustrating creature, Wrath muttered dismissively.

Wrath clicked his tongue in disapproval.

‘Just wait a moment.’

I pushed Wrath aside and looked into the Blue Demon’s eyes once more.

“What do you mean by that? Does it have something to do with the way you speak?”
“Sigh…”

The Blue Demon exhaled deeply.

“I was….”

*

*

*

From the moment I was born, I felt different from my siblings.

Though our appearances were identical, the tribal language—expressed through fewer than thirty distinct vocalizations—could never satisfy my desires for expression.

So I defied my parents and secretly approached humans.

Of course, I lacked the courage to reveal myself openly. I simply listened to their words from places where human eyes could not see me.

I trembled with wonder upon discovering that humans could express countless meanings through language, expression, gesture, and the modulation of their voices.

Clinging to the underside of ships and listening continuously to human speech, I eventually came to understand their words. After some time, though awkwardly, I could even speak them myself.

I longed to converse directly with humans, but fear prevented me from approaching them.

Living as an outcast who belonged neither to my tribe nor could draw close to humans, he appeared.

“Can you speak the human tongue?”

Tiller. The human who discovered me practicing speech beneath a ship and was the first to speak to me.

I cannot recall precisely what my first words were, but I distinctly remember that excitement overwhelmed my fear.

“That’s impressive. I’ve never seen a Blue Demon speak before.”

He didn’t find it strange at all. Instead, he found it fascinating and personally taught me the language of humans. Thanks to him, I could not only speak but read books as well.

“Shall we be friends?”

Tiller brought up the word “friend” one day.

“Friends?”

I had heard the word before, but I didn’t know exactly what it meant.

“Yes. People who grow close and understand each other’s hearts are called friends.”

I nodded eagerly.

I was overjoyed. Being called a person, having someone who understood me—I felt I could die happy from such contentment.

Tiller recognized my thirst for knowledge and showed me much of the world. I accumulated vast learning and even mastered the art of reading nautical charts.

“Could I ask you for one favor?”

When I had learned much about rivers and the sea, Tiller smiled and extended his hand.

“A favor?”
“Yes. Friends help each other with their requests.”

At the mention of a friend’s request, I nodded without hesitation.

“This area has many reefs, making it dangerous for ships. I’d like you to create a nautical chart for me.”

Since I had already learned how to read maps and accumulated considerable knowledge, it wasn’t particularly difficult.

For Tiller’s sake, I traveled the various rivers from dawn to dusk every day, creating nautical charts.

Each time a chart was completed, human villages burned and many people died, yet Tiller merely called it culture and smiled gently.

Because it was my friend’s word, I believed him. I accepted it all so foolishly.

“Could you tell me about your kind?”

When I had completed half of the sea chart for the Gazel River, Tiller asked me to tell him about the Blue Demons.

I was delighted. Just as I took interest in humans, it seemed my friend was taking interest in me, and that alone brought me joy.

I told Tiller about the Blue Demons. I explained how they communicated, how they lived, what they liked and disliked.

But he wanted more.
He fired off question after question—how the Blue Demons wielded water sorcery, what their weaknesses were, why the Gazel River was clearer than other rivers—things that felt wrong to reveal.

I hesitated and shook my head. I didn’t know the exact reason, but it felt like I shouldn’t tell him.

“I’m disappointed that you won’t even grant your only friend’s request.”

Tiller left those words behind and departed.

I was anxious. With my only confidant gone, my hands trembled and I could barely breathe. Consumed by unease, I couldn’t even eat and spent the night awake with open eyes.

When Tiller returned after a week, rather than being angry, he gave me gifts. He presented me with human food and new books, apologizing for his behavior.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to know a little more about my friend’s people.”

With those words, my anxiety and restlessness vanished. Overwhelmed by happiness, I told him everything about the Blue Demons’ secrets.

I spoke of the Water Spirit Stone, a treasure of my clan that could purify water and command the Blue Demons, and I revealed that the Blue Demons’ emotions intensified in murky water, and I explained the Blue Demons’ custom of treasuring children.

Looking back now, that wasn’t joy—it was the answer to my anxiety. Out of fear that Tiller might abandon me, I had surrendered hostages.

Tiller thanked me and smiled broadly. Seeing that smile, the ominous feeling disappeared.

He returned two days later and told me he had prepared a gift, asking me to visit the Siren River.

With joy in my heart, I swam to the Siren River in one breath, but no matter how much I searched, I found no gift.

I waited until nightfall, but unable to find anything, I thought Tiller had made a mistake and returned.

And then I saw it.
In the crystal-clear Gazel River, a river of green blood flowing—a scream made manifest in crimson devastation.

The bodies of my kin lay scattered on the riverbed, and the survivors wore iron collars around their necks.

“Ah, you came?”

Tiller smiled as he always did, waving his hand. Blood from his brothers was splattered across his hand and face.

“Thanks to you, I was able to capture them without difficulty.”

He held the Siren Stone aloft while treading upon the tribal chief’s head.

“When I took the child hostage, they all knelt. Thank you, friend.”

For the first time, I let out a primal scream and lunged at him, and everything after that is a blur.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself alone in the depths of the Gazel River, with the corpses of my parents and siblings floating above me.

My back bore wounds that should have been fatal. It seemed they left me for dead, thanks to my family shielding me with their bodies.

I wept.
For an entire week, I alternated between crying and losing consciousness.

I buried all the anguish in my heart and pursued my kinfolk.

From a depth and distance where Tiller wouldn’t detect me, I tried to prevent my brethren from killing humans.

But there was little I could do.

I could only save a handful of people, and the thought of Tiller robbed me of the courage to seek help from others.

Each time I watched Tiller become a hero by slaying the Blue Demons he controlled, my heart withered into ash.

Today, as I despaired at my inability to save the humans, this human appeared before me.

Though this human exuded an aura far more terrifying than Tiller, his gaze was strangely warm.

And so, without thinking, I spoke in human tongue for the first time in ages.

*

*

*

“I see.”

I closed my eyes.

‘How tragic.’

Pity alone could not capture the depths of this Cheongru Tribe member’s suffering. Even compared to my past life, their existence was marked by relentless misfortune.

‘But then….’

Why am I so angry?

Though I have no connection to this creature, I cannot suppress my fury. It was not merely the rage that Wrath had instilled in me—my own original anger was rising to the surface as well.

I opened my eyes and gazed at the flowing river. The reflection of the young Cheongru Tribe member sitting nearby flickered in the water.

‘Is it because they are similar?’

The Cheongru Tribe member, leashed by Tiller and forced to attack humans, bore an uncanny resemblance to my past self—brainwashed, committing murders against my own will.

Because I saw my former self, gripped by Derus Robert’s hand, reflected in this Cheongru Tribe member, my emotions had become so turbulent.

“I… I’m not even sure why I said that.”

The Cheongru Tribe member tilted their head in confusion.

“I have a few questions.”
“Mm.”

When I turned my gaze, the Cheongru Tribe member nodded.

“I heard that the Cheongru Tribe became aggressive some time after the Gazel River turned murky. How did that happen?”
“W-we intentionally dragged out the time so there would be no apparent connection between the river’s change and the tribe’s aggression. During that gap, we were ordered to scout the river’s reefs and depths to create a map of this waterway.”
“So that’s how it was.”

The sailors had said the Cheongru Tribe roamed various parts of the river after the water turned murky. That must have been work carried out under Tiller’s orders to survey the reefs and depths beneath the water’s surface.

“So Tiller is using that reception stone to control the Cheongru Tribe and have them attack people, isn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“And his reason is to devour this place?”
“That’s right. He said he’d take the entire Gazel River.”
“As expected.”

I chuckled softly. Judging by the fact that he’d gone so far as to create a sea chart of the entire Gazel River, Tiller wasn’t just aiming for Doran Village—he intended to bring every territory touching this river under the Nambuk Alliance’s control.

‘He must think Zigheart is beneath him.’

The fact that he’d even dared to target the firmly established Zigheart Territory made it abundantly clear that Zigheart held no value in Tiller’s eyes.

‘I’ll have to teach him a lesson.’

Since he’d been the one to provoke first, I resolved to make certain he understood exactly what happened when someone touched Zigheart.

“So, then….”

The Cheongru Tribe stood up as if he’d said all he needed to say.

-Grrrrgh!

Wrath, who had listened to the Cheongru Tribe’s story without uttering a single word until now, bit his lip.

-Raon! Are you really going to let that bastard leave like this! Use that meddlesome nature of yours!

He sniffled as if he were about to cry at any moment.

I chuckled softly.

‘A Demon King, huh….’

Looking at Wrath, who was growing melancholic over the Cheongru Tribe’s plight, and that young creature who was no different from a newborn infant, I couldn’t tell who the real Demon King was—Tiller, who had enslaved the Cheongru Tribe by exploiting their psychology, or someone else.

-You bastard!
‘Wait.’

I stopped myself just as I was about to call out to the young Cheongru Tribe.

Unlike his previous life, that creature had lived without even a name. His back seemed impossibly small and pathetic—a solitary existence, belonging to neither side.

“You said you had no name.”

The Cheongru Tribe’s footsteps halted at my final words.

“What did Tiller call you?”
“You, or… friend.”

The Cheongru Tribe trembled without turning around.

“He never gave you a name?”
“No.”

The fact that Tiller had never bestowed a name made it clear—he had only ever intended to use this child. Revulsion washed over me.

“What about you? Did you give yourself one?”
“A name that no one calls has no meaning.”

Those words stirred something deep within my chest.

I rose to my feet and moved beside the Cheongru Tribe, gazing out at the river.

“Do you know the word ‘garam’?”
“N-no, I don’t.”
“It’s an archaic term meaning ‘clear river.'”
“Clear river…”
“Your name shall be Garam.”
“What?”

The Cheongru Tribe spun around, mouth agape.

“Tiller overstepped his bounds and dared to invade Zigheart Territory. I intend to deal with him myself.”

I extended my hand. In my previous life, no one had ever offered me a hand of aid. This time, I would be the first to extend it.

“Help me, Garam.”
“I…”

Garam didn’t answer. He stared blankly ahead, then clenched his teeth.

“I don’t trust humans!”
“Then why did you tell me your story? Why did you save the human?”
“That’s….”

He hesitated for a long moment before slowly opening his mouth.

“I… didn’t want to make my own kind kill people….”
“I see.”

I smiled faintly. That answer settled my resolve completely.

“I’ll handle Tiller. You save your own kind.”
“No. Tiller is strong. I can sense it.”

Garam’s pupils trembled slightly.

“Tiller’s mana is greater than what you possess.”
“That’s true.”

Tiller was a monster on the verge of reaching the intermediate Master rank. It was only natural that he was stronger than me, who had just entered the lower tier. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t kill him.

“Don’t worry.”

I smiled and gripped my sword. In the dark pupils reflected by the river’s surface, a brilliant crimson lightning flashed.

“I have some experience in disposing of trash.”

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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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