The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 245

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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 245

“Sweep out these thieves!”
“Crush the skulls of these worthless bastards!”
“Hah!”
“Uwaaaaah!”

Burren, Martha, and Lunan charged toward the pirates, unleashing fierce sword auras. The Gwangpung Unit swordsmen followed their respective leaders, cutting through the panicked pirates with their blades.

Kwaaang!

The two forces collided head-on, and a tempest of steel erupted across the deck. The Gwangpung Unit deployed the Grand Gwangpung Formation, and the pirates countered with a large-scale formation of their own.

It appeared as though the Gwangpung Unit was entering the jaws of the Nambuk Alliance beast, yet the swordsmen shattered the creature’s fangs and drove the pirates back.

“These are not mere humans! Show no mercy in your strikes!”

Burren unleashed a wind-infused sword aura, splitting through the pirates’ gaps.

“Oxygen is wasted on scum like you!”

Martha shattered the pirates’ formation with a devastating sword strike, channeling immense power without restraint—as if intent on sinking the entire ship.

“Step back.”

Lunan scattered frost to slow the pirates’ movements, then cleanly severed the neck of the foremost pirate.

“Ugh, argh….”
“What are these monsters!”
“Why are these young ones so strong!”

Despite outnumbering the Gwangpung Unit by roughly double, the pirates were helplessly pushed back by the momentum of their opponents.

I smiled as I observed Tiller’s furrowed brow.

“We trained for combat aboard ships. There are no surprises here.”

I activated the mana circuits throughout my body while keeping my sword trained on him.

“There might be one way. If you managed to defeat me, things would be different. But….”

I stepped forward with the Extreme Swift footwork, channeling the energy contained within it into the Heavenly Sword before striking down.

“That’s simply not going to happen.”
“Arrogant bastard!”

Tiller roared and spun his spear. Blue energy blazed along the spear’s blade in streaking waves.

CRASH!

With a thunderous boom as if the ship itself were being split in two, a violent gale composed of pure force erupted skyward.

SCREECH!

I smirked as I locked the Heavenly Sword against Tiller’s spear blade.

“If we keep fighting here, we’ll ruin the fun for our people. Let’s move.”
“What?”
“Get lost.”

I twisted the Heavenly Sword and kicked Tiller away. Drawing upon every ounce of physical strength, I sent him hurtling across the deck, which shattered beneath him, before he was flung toward the Rabel River.

“Grrgh!”

Even as he tumbled in shock, Tiller spun through the air in a graceful arc. Releasing all his force, he landed lightly upon the river’s surface.

“Can I trust you?”

I looked not at the gnashing Tiller, but at the Gwangpung Unit.

“Of course.”
“Then do your part.”
“Yes!”

At the responses from Burren, Martha, and Lunan, I smiled and leaped down from the ship.

Splash.

Despite leaping from such a height, I didn’t sink—not even a ripple disturbed the water’s surface. Tiller’s scowl deepened at the sight.

“You know my reputation, yet you dare fight me on this river?”

Tiller spun his spear. Azure energy shimmered along the shaft and blade, churning violently with the river’s current.

“You’re practically praying for death!”

As he thrust the spear downward, a ferocious wave surged forth, carrying the river’s raw power.

“Don’t worry.”

I gazed at the colossal wave threatening to swallow the ship whole and smirked.

“I always planned to break you right here in your own domain!”

I drew upon the Thousand Harmony Force and unleashed my Yeonseong swordsmanship. Sword strikes cascaded like starlight, shredding the wave of river energy without mercy.

A sharp hiss escaped.

Between the splitting crimson and azure energies, I caught sight of Tiller’s eyes—brimming with irritation.

‘He’s not serious.’

Tiller was holding back, reserving his strength for Rimer. There was no point in defeating an opponent who wasn’t fighting with full power.

“Stop wasting time. Fight me properly.”

I let out a derisive chuckle and flicked my fingers at him.

A heavy sigh.

Tiller shielded his eyes with his palm and exhaled sharply. His shoulders trembled as he chuckled darkly before lowering his hand.
His face twisted into something demonic—far more fitting than the composed expression he’d worn moments before.

“Fine. Zigheart’s Radiant Blade or whatever—I’ll deal with you first.”

He extended his left foot forward in a long stride and gripped the spear in one hand like a sword.

“I’ll tear your head off as you wish!”

Before his words even reached my ears, Tiller’s figure vanished. I predicted his movement from the ripples left on the ground.

‘Right side!’

I pivoted on my ankle and shifted my direction to the right. Tiller appeared as if teleporting and thrust his spear forward. A spiraling aura of energy erupted from the blade’s gleaming edge.

Whoooosh!

I lowered my stance to avoid being pushed back and unleashed the Crimson Ring Technique. With my blade infused with heat, I shattered the rotation of his spear’s strike.

Claaaaaang!

The tip of my blade locked with the tip of his spear, and the auras twisted violently. The riverbed carved deep before surging upward, and chunks of water cascaded down like a torrential downpour.

“Huff….”

I steadied my breathing while resonating with the Crimson Ring.

‘Manageable.’

Tiller’s martial power surpassed mine, but thanks to the Crimson Ring and my flawless defense, I could withstand his attacks without internal injuries.

“That was merely a greeting!”

Tiller glared with fierce eyes and spun his spear. A far more tremendous wave erupted from beneath his feet than before.

Boooom!

He rode the wave forward and thrust his spear. Above the blade shot forth like light, an aura infused with the subtleties of Warrior’s Path undulated.

“Ugh….”

It felt as though my flesh would be torn away by the energy wave erupting from the spear. It was a spear strike imbued with terrifyingly overwhelming power.

Whoooosh!

I pulled my shoulder back and tilted the Celestial Sword behind me. I drew the blade ablaze with crimson light, channeling the Thousand Flower Art to its peak intensity.

Thousand Flower Art, Hundred Blossom.
Flame Dragon Seal.

The heat erupting from the sword became the head of a dragon, spewing flames that would consume the world.

Kwaaaaaaang!

The blue wave and the crimson dragon collided, unleashing a tremendous explosion. Where water and fire clashed, white steam rose across the entire river.

“Haah…”

I caught my breath quickly. Clashing head-on with raw power left my chest churning. It was an inevitable sign of internal injury—I was compensating for my lower martial realm with physical ability.

‘Still, it’s manageable.’

As I prepared to engage again, a chilling aura rose from behind me. But that wasn’t the real threat.

Thwang!

I raised the Thousand Flower Art, Revolving Heaven toward my left.

Clang clang clang!

Spinning flames on the blade deflected the spear strikes raining down diagonally.

A subtle harmony of power and deception. It was an attack worthy of a warrior approaching intermediate Master rank, but it was ineffective against me—I had already discerned Dogyae’s tricks.

“Are you actually going all out now?”

I smiled, watching Tiller’s fierce eyes emerge from the steam.

“Come at me with full power.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll finish this right here!”

Tiller dipped his spear shaft into the water, then leaped into the air. He stepped on the wave that surged up with the shaft and thrust his spear forward.

Uuuuuung!

This time, it wasn’t just the faint aura infused in the spear—the spear itself rotated within Tiller’s grip. The shaft sang so loudly it rang in my ears. This was the first technique I’d encountered that contained such a warrior’s realm.

A deep, resonant roar echoed across the water.

I watched the rotation Tiller summoned and pushed off the riverbed.

A sharp, crystalline sound pierced the air.

I froze the river water like riding waves, retreating backward.

“Where are you running to!”
“Running?”

I gripped the Divine Heaven Sword with both hands and thrust it forward, my lips curling into a smile.

“That word doesn’t exist in my vocabulary.”

The moment the spear shaft summoning a tempest approached, I concentrated my aura into the Divine Heaven Sword. A perfect sphere of brilliant white light bloomed from the blade’s edge, erupting in tremendous sparks.

Raon Zigheart’s sword technique.
Second Form: Heavenly Rupture.

The heavy aura condensed as Tiller’s spear blade drew closer at accelerating speed. The instant his balance wavered, I detonated the Heavenly Rupture.

A catastrophic explosion tore through the air.

From the detonation of aura amplified by rotation and weight, a colossal waterspout rose up, waves and aura intertwined.

The river erupted beneath us.

I kicked the river water outward like a shove. Riding the waves with Garam’s footwork, I charged toward Tiller.

“Insolent bastard!”

Tiller seemed to share my sentiment. He stomped across the waves and brought his spear down. The warrior’s aura spiraling in a helix expanded to the size of a human torso.

A series of explosive impacts shook the water.

I laughed coldly and adjusted my grip on my sword. With aura burning so intensely it would sear even the waves themselves, I brought my blade down toward Tiller’s neck.

Crash!

*

*

*

“Hmm.”

Rimer rolled lightly onto the deck above the water.

The deck was littered with countless corpses of water demons. A handful of what appeared to be officers had resisted tenaciously, but it wasn’t long before they fell to the blades of Burren, Martha, and Lunan, their souls departing.

Now only the Gwangpung Unit remained on the deck.

“Uwaaaaah!”
“We won!”
“This is the power of Zigheart!”
“The Nambuk Alliance is no match for us!”

The Gwangpung Unit thrust their swords skyward, erupting in cheers. There were quite a few wounded, but none critically injured. It was nothing short of a perfect victory.

‘Garam is nowhere to be seen.’

Garam, who had been on the deck, had vanished, but I didn’t search for him—he was likely conversing with the awakened Blue Demons.

“Everyone, gather here.”

Rimer pointed to the towering water spout that rose as he drained the river dry. Within it, Raon and Tiller clashed sword and spear.

“This battle is as important as real combat. Don’t blink—commit every detail to memory.”
“Yes!”

Though visibility wasn’t ideal, understanding the flow of their attacks alone would prove invaluable.

‘Hmm….’

Rimer’s brow furrowed as he sensed the aura radiating from within the water spout.

‘Raon is falling behind after all.’

It was only natural that Raon would lag behind given the vast difference in the time spent building his martial foundation. He was holding his own through monstrous physical abilities and stamina, but the strain was evident.

‘Their approaches to fighting in the river are complete opposites.’

Tiller dominated the river as if suppressing it, while Raon rode the waves as if moving with the river itself.
Because Tiller’s realm was higher, he was overwhelming for now, but as time passed, Raon—who followed the natural flow—would ascend to greater heights.

‘Quite the remarkable fellow.’

I chuckled softly and shifted my shoulders, keeping my focus on their duel so I could intervene at any moment.

Yet the battle did not end easily.
Despite being pushed back head-on, Raon clung to the fight and continued to swing his blade.

“Huh?”

Rimer’s eyes narrowed as he watched Raon deflect Tiller’s spear. A thunderous boom had echoed across this distance, but that wasn’t what startled him.

‘What is that…?’

Tiller’s river energy and the rotation embedded in his spear grew stronger with each passing moment, yet Raon was now deflecting and parrying the spear with greater ease than before. The Master-level Raon was gradually gaining the upper hand against the intermediate-level Tiller.

‘Wait… could it be…?’

Rimer turned his head to look at Burren. A memory surfaced—that moment when Raon had first astonished him.

“That bastard again!”

*

*

*

I raised my Heavenly Sword, infused with the incantations of the Radiant Sword, to meet the spear hurtling toward my heart.

Clang!

The Celestial Sword was sent flying back with tremendous force, leaving a gap in my defense.

“Die!”

Tiller seized that opening and swung his spear shaft at me. I couldn’t afford to be careless just because the shaft lacked a blade—the rotational force channeled through it would tear my body in half if it connected.

Boom!

I stepped into Garam’s footwork, evading the spear’s trajectory. Tiller anticipated my movement and pursued, but I arched my back, slipping away. The spear shaft grazed my chest, and my torn uniform scattered into the air.

“Wretched little rat!”

Tiller gripped the center of his spear shaft and unleashed a spear technique. A spiral of rotation that engulfed the surroundings like a waterspout—I observed the profound technique of a warrior in the Celestial Realm, where even metal would be crushed upon contact.

‘Clockwise rotation.’

After identifying the direction of the rotational force in the spear blade, I channeled my own force through the Celestial Sword in the opposite direction.

Screeeech!

With a sound like splitting stone, both Tiller and I were hurled out of the waterspout.

“Ugh…”

As soon as Tiller’s feet touched the river water, he charged back as if he couldn’t believe it. He positioned the spear he held with both hands near his waist and thrust it forward. My lips trembled at the tremendous speed and force.

‘I can do this.’

I suppressed the churning in my stomach and widened my eyes. If I could see it clearly, I could block it.

‘This time, counterclockwise.’

The moment I saw the rotation turning opposite to before, I raised Glacial. Bending my thighs, I gathered force from my ankles and detonated it through the sword’s point.

Raon Zigheart-style swordsmanship.
First Form: Frost Chain.

The first sword strike clashed with the spear blade, and the second wave of frost that extended forth, together with the river water, repelled Tiller’s force.

Boom!

Raon and Tiller were thrust backward simultaneously as an ice barrier conjured by Seolhwa erupted between them.

Crash!

Tiller brought his spear shaft down and shattered the barrier, advancing forward. His face had turned crimson—not just his eyes, but his entire visage seemed ready to burst.

“What did you do?”
“What do you mean?”

I shrugged my shoulders with ease.

“How did you block my spear! I surpass you in both aura and martial technique, so how could you possibly—!”

Tiller’s hands trembled around his spear shaft as if he couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

“I’ve done it before.”

I adjusted my grip on my sword and let out a faint chuckle.

‘When I was teaching that arrogant brat.’

Watching Tiller’s warrior spirit, I recalled Burren from his arrogant days.

‘If you can’t overcome rotation, you neutralize it instead.’

I applied the subtle principles of the Void Palm technique I’d learned from Burren, infusing a counter-rotation opposite to Tiller’s to nullify his spear strikes. His unique warrior spirit had given me some trouble at first, but through continuous clashing, I’d finally grasped its nature. The internal injuries I’d already sustained were unavoidable, but now I could fight on equal footing.
His fighting style was unique, so I had a hard time at first, but thanks to continuing to clash with him, I’ve figured him out. The internal injuries I’ve already sustained are unavoidable, but from now on, I’ll be able to fight on equal terms.

“This is crazy! This doesn’t make any sense!”

Tiller puts force into his left foot thrust forward. The spear rotates roughly, and a sound like swarming bees fills the surroundings.

Whoooosh!

His body felt like it was being dragged along by the tremendous rotation occurring from Tiller’s spear.

Zing!

I drove my feet into the riverbed as I rolled, countering with the Thousand Flower Technique to generate an opposite rotation and held my ground.

Craaaaaash!

With a thunderous boom, the spear blade descended. I concentrated my aura into my lower body to prevent collapse, then drew Flame Spirit.

Whoooooosh!

Petals of flame that filled my vision rotated in curves, sweeping away the formidable aura contained within Tiller’s spear.

Boom!

Through the space where aura clashed against aura, the blue spear blade pierced through. An unpredictable ambush. But my senses had already anticipated this attack.

I withdrew my right foot backward and rotated my body simultaneously, summoning Glacial’s frigid essence to the Celestial Sword with extreme intensity. As I heard the river freeze, I infused the blade with the warrior’s extreme speed technique.

Zzzzzing!

The aura bent as if the spear tip would snap, then rebounded violently.

Boom boom boom!

Both Tiller and I were unable to withstand the force contained in our weapons and were pushed backward. The path we had traversed split white, and the river appeared to have been cleaved in two.

“Haaah….”

Tiller wiped the river water from his face and turned his head. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

“You erased the rotation embedded in my spear….”
“You’re slow to notice.”

I smiled faintly and nodded.

“Talent. Insane talent.”
“It’s not quite that much.”
“This is the first time my murderous intent has surged to this degree.”

Tiller spun his spear with his fingers. The spear shaft, which had rotated lightly like a pinwheel, gradually accelerated, spinning so fast that my eyes could no longer track it.

Whoooooosh!

As the spear rotated, the surging river water rose higher and higher until it touched the sky itself.

“That smile of yours will be your last.”

Tiller grasped the spear wreathed in its vast rotation and drove it into the ground. The waves coalescing behind him moved in unison, and my entire field of vision was consumed by his overwhelming force.

Sea-Devouring Heaven-Piercing Spear.

It was Tiller’s ultimate technique—one that annihilated enemies alongside every drop of water in the Rabel River.

I bit my lip.

‘Let me see this clearly.’

The raw power was terrifying, but the underlying principle hadn’t changed much. The problem was that the rotation kept shifting endlessly.

‘The solution is simple enough.’

I ignited Myriad Flowers in my right hand, gripped the Soul Reaper Sword with my left behind me, and deployed Glacial. I layered different rotations onto the faint force along the blade’s edge and advanced forward.

Screeeech!

The moment the Sea-Devouring Heaven-Piercing Spear closed in, I crossed both blades. The perfect convergence of Frost Chain and Rotating Heaven neutralized the warrior’s essence embedded in the spear, and the wave of force split apart in an X pattern.

“Kgh!”

Tiller’s eyes contorted within the torn waves. A wound identical to the one that had split the water erupted across his chest, and blood sprayed forth.

“How… how is this possible…?”

Tiller clutched at the sword wound on his chest, his jaw trembling. His expression was one of disbelief that his supreme technique had been shattered.

“You showed me far too much.”

I slung the Heavenly Emperor Sword across my shoulder and sheathed the Soul Reaper Sword.

“If you hadn’t held back from the beginning—if you’d fought with everything from the start—I’d be the one in your position.”

Tiller continued to keep his guard up against Rimer, wielding his spear technique with measured restraint. The Ring of Fire had allowed me to discern his martial arts with ease, which is why the situation had reached this point.

“Now I’ll end this.”

I aimed the Heavenly Judgment Sword at Tiller’s throat.

“This… this can’t be real.”

Tiller screamed and charged forward. Even consumed by rage, his spear technique overflowed with power and precision. His martial arts were so refined that one might believe him to be a successor of another of the Six Emperors rather than a mere thief.

‘Yet it remains meaningless.’

I applied a reverse rotation to the Heavenly Judgment Sword and deflected his attack with effortless grace.

Clang!

Tiller’s arm trembled violently as if the spear shaft might shatter in his grip.

“Damn it!”

Tiller gritted his teeth and unleashed a barrage of spear strikes, but I deflected them all before unfolding the Light Demon Sword.

Screech!

The shockwave from the Light Demon Sword snapped the tip of the spear shaft and carved across Tiller’s waist.

“Ugh…”

The wound cut deeper than the scar on his chest, and crimson blood streamed from his waist.

“Haa…”

Tiller gripped the shortened spear shaft, breathing heavily. Though his body and aura remained considerable, his expression revealed he had reached his mental limit.

“It’s over, I’m telling you.”

My bones felt as though they might fracture, my muscles were thoroughly damaged, and I continued swallowing blood that flowed backward from internal injuries, yet I smiled without showing any sign of pain.

“Hyaaaa!”

Tiller retreated backward, conjuring a wave—the most colossal one yet. Its magnitude was such that it would devastate not only me, but everyone behind me as well.

“I’m tired of this.”

I stomped my foot. The bone-chilling cold emanating from Dragon Spring surged skyward, freezing the towering wave in an instant. It was the full power of my Water Harmony amplified to its maximum.

Crrrunch!

The frozen wave lost its force and crumbled where it stood. But Tiller, who should have been behind it, was nowhere to be seen.

‘No way!’

I whipped my head to the left. There was Tiller, cutting through the raging waves, sprinting toward a small fishing vessel that had been immobilized by the turbulent waters.

“That insane bastard!”

I kicked off the water. Alternating between Garam’s footwork and Tae Hwa’s steps, I ran at full speed.

‘To think he’d stoop this low.’

In a life-or-death battle, abandoning the opponent before me to seize hostages—I never expected it. He was among the vilest creatures I’d ever encountered.

‘Damn it! I won’t make it….’

Tiller’s head start was too great. I racked my brain for a solution, but none came.

Whoooosh!

As I gritted my teeth and pushed forward, the fishing vessel and everyone aboard suddenly vanished like mist. I sensed the power immediately—to my right. Garam was extending his hand from beneath the water.

‘Did he do that?’

I wasn’t certain what he’d done, but the way the water’s mana shifted suggested Garam had hidden the ship and its people.

“A monster daring to obstruct me to the very end!”

Tiller realized what Garam had done and gnashed his teeth.

“Well done! Now run—”

I shouted for him to flee, but Garam’s strength had finally given out—his eyelids fluttered before falling still.

“Foolish bastard!”

Tiller seized the wave’s momentum to pivot sharply and caught Garam just as he sank beneath the water. The creature laughed with a rasping croak, gripping Garam’s throat and turning to face me.

“What will you do now? You tried to stop me, but look where it’s gotten you.”
“It’s… it’s fine.”

Despite Garam’s throat being crushed, his voice barely a whisper, he managed a faint smile.

“Yes, I knew you’d come like this. You’re a cowardly human, after all.”
“You wretch…”
“I… I don’t mind if you cut me down too. Just kill Tiller for me…”

He smiled without the slightest hesitation or regret.

“So many of my kin and people have died because of me. It’s fine. Cut us both down.”
“Garam…”

My brow furrowed. Garam knew that if I erased the ship, he wouldn’t be able to move either—yet he spoke without a moment’s doubt, urging me to strike.

“W-What nonsense is this!”

As I tightened my grip on the sword, Tiller shook his head frantically.

“Did you not call him a friend? You would kill a captured friend just like that?”

The creature clenched his teeth, unwilling to let slip this hard-won opportunity.

“You are of the Legend Sword Association, are you not! Would a sword cooperator truly kill a friend to cut down an enemy!”

Tiller forced his lips into a twisted smile.

“If you wish to save this monster, throw down your sword! Now!”
“Garam.”

I did not lower my blade, only gazed upon Garam. His expression held no attachment to life—his round eyes brimmed with original sin and suffering.

“I… I’ve committed far too many sins. B-but now I have a friend, so everything is truly fine now. Please, just let it be like this… *gasp*!”
“Shut your mouth!”

Tiller struck Garam across the face, silencing him.

“Drop the sword! I said drop it!”
“…”
“You won’t drop it? I knew you wouldn’t. Chivalry! What an absurdly hollow word! It’s carved into me as well, yet I’ve never once given a thought to such a thing as chivalry!”

He sneered with unmistakable pride.

“The fact that you won’t drop your sword here means you’re exactly like me. That’s right, of course! There’s no such thing as a human who treasures others more than themselves. Chivalry doesn’t exist in this world.”
“Perhaps you’re right.”

I nodded and sheathed the Celestial Sword. I’d never given chivalry a moment’s thought. Just as Sylvia said, I simply walked the path I believed in, following where my heart led.

“I don’t know what chivalry is, or if it even exists. I simply walk my own path.”

With those words, I hurled the Celestial Sword—sheath and all—into the river.

*Splash.*

Before the sound could even fade, Tiller moved. He thrust his spear forward with the fastest speed he’d shown yet, channeling every ounce of his remaining power into it.

“Fool!”

Even as I poured all my remaining energy into my defense, I kept Garam pulled close, ready to counter. Troublesome as he was, his movements were exactly as I’d anticipated.

Crimson light flickered across my eyes.

*Screeeech!*

The power of Glacial that I’d sealed within the sheath spun outward, propelling itself up from the water on its own.

*Clang!*

The moment the water-soaked sheath grasped my left hand, Tiller’s spear point was already inches from my face. I felt my skin tear against the razor-sharp edge.

*Whoooosh!*

The ring of fire resonates at its peak. The world slows. I feel the blood and aura flowing in rhythm with my heartbeat.

Dividing the fraction of a moment, I extended my left foot forward and gripped the sword hilt with my right hand. A cold sensation jolted through me like an awakening, and I drew a sharp breath.

The scattered and disorderly mysteries of the Dark Sword and Phantom Sword found their final piece in rotation, thundering through my mind with clarity.

Feeling an exquisite thrill cascade down my spine, I drew the Heavenly Sword.

The melody of martial arts I had cultivated thus far extended outward as auspicious light.

Raon Zigheart style sword technique.
Third Form: Silver Dream.

The crimson blade erased the world’s sound.

—————
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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