The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 279

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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 279

Crimson mist hung over Granseville’s night sky like dark clouds, swirling with light more brilliant than the sun itself.
The eerie red fog that sent shivers down one’s spine merely by looking at it coiled endlessly above the city, spreading an ominous aura.

Crack.

I clenched my teeth tightly.

‘A sorcerous formation….’

That crimson mist, which I could barely perceive even with the Ring of Fire, the Soul Reaper Sword’s essence, and Wrath’s demonic eye combined, could never have formed naturally. It was unmistakably a formation created by the White Blood Cult—and by a high-ranking executive with considerable expertise in sorcery at that.

‘Do these blood demons have no sense of restraint?’

They’d completely lost their minds.

Even if Granseville wasn’t particularly large, covering an entire city with a sorcerous formation was unimaginable. There was no word for it but madness.

‘That blood aura I sensed earlier must have been leaking from this.’

It would be impossible to maintain a formation of this scale perfectly without the White Blood Cult Master or one of the highest-ranking Apostles present.
The subtle blood aura I’d felt when I first arrived in this place seemed to have been seeping through the cracks of this sorcerous formation.

-So you finally noticed? You’re always slow.

Wrath scoffed, saying I moved like a snail. From his reaction, it seemed he’d known about this for quite some time.

Uuuuuuuung!

The Soul Reaper Sword, sensing the blood aura’s sorcery, unleashed a cry filled with rage and resentment.

I stroked the wailing Soul Reaper Sword while narrowing my eyes.

‘So that’s….’

What kind of formation is that?

The fact that such a massive Formation was hidden so discreetly that even the Master couldn’t fully grasp it made it clear there was a special purpose behind it.

‘It’s not blocking entry and exit….’

Since there was no problem entering and leaving Granseville, it wasn’t simply a method of controlling access.
Judging by the way blood energy continuously swelled from the crimson mist, it was likely a sorcery of serious danger.

‘I can’t tell from here.’

I’d seen the Forest from a distance; now was the time to identify what species of trees grew within it.

I calmed the energy I’d drawn up and descended from the Hill. Just as I’d come, I crossed Molve Lake back to Granseville while concealing my presence.

Perhaps because I’d committed it to memory once, I could detect the blood energy sorcery with only the ring of fire, without the Soul Reaper Sword’s spectral energy or Wrath’s demonic eye.

“Hmm?”

I examined the crimson mist and frowned slightly.

‘It seems like something’s been mixed into the blood energy.’

It was different from the blood energy I’d sensed until now.

Within the scarlet mist hovering in the void, I felt an unfamiliar yet strangely familiar energy. That power seemed to be one of the factors concealing the blood energy.

I exhaled a turbid breath, watching the crimson waves that pressed down on my chest.

‘At this range, they must have killed at least hundreds.’

Viewing it from directly below, I was overwhelmed by the scope and scale of the sorcerous formation. It was certain they’d indiscriminately slaughtered both warriors and commoners to accumulate this blood sorcery.

‘The saving grace is that the concentration is thin.’

Still, there was a problem. If that massive blood energy were to converge in one place, it would become an enormous force capable of obliterating half this city.

Tsk.

A dead end.

If I expose the fact that a formation is being operated here and try to evacuate the people, they’ll detonate the formation and obliterate the city. If I leave it alone, the completed formation will activate and something far worse will occur.
A path completely sealed off with no way forward.

‘And there’s more….’

There was one additional problem.

No matter how skilled a sorcerer might be, operating a formation of this magnitude without anyone detecting it was nearly impossible.

In other words, the number of White Blood Cult members in Granseville could be more than twice what I’d estimated, White Blood Cult members could have infiltrated the Black Market, or both could be true.

‘This is frustrating.’

The only people I could trust were the Gwangpung Unit, information was scarce, and with this formation liable to detonate at any moment, my chest felt as though it were clogged with frustration.

-How pathetic.

Wrath scrambled up onto my shoulder and let out a scoff.

-Watching you flail about helplessly on your own is absolutely delightful, I must say.
‘Do you know what that formation is?’
-Hmph, the True Demon King knows nothing of such inferior power.
‘You don’t know, yet you boast.’
-That’s different! It’s not boasting—it’s simply unnecessary knowledge!

He clicked his tongue while gazing up at the sky above Granseville.

-Had I been in my prime, I would have shattered such trivial energy into pieces from the front. As I’ve said countless times, absolute power renders all sorcery meaningless! Even when I was in the Demon Realm, there were plenty of fools trying to show off their petty techniques, and I crushed every last one of their….
‘Shatter it into pieces from the front….’

I mulled over Wrath’s words, my mind working.

‘To break the formation directly from the front…ah!’

I just needed to dissolve it.

Right. The formation is being operated through a Formation technique, so if I dismantle the Formation, that’s all there is to it. That was the way to shatter the formation head-on.

‘It’s entirely feasible.’

I had some knowledge of sorcery and considerable expertise in formations.
With the Ring of Fire allowing me to perceive the flow of energy and the Soul Reaper Sword capable of severing blood essence, destroying that massive formation was far from impossible.

‘If things go well, I might even turn this situation to my advantage.’

The minute flaw in the sorcery suggested it was absolutely not created by a Grand Master-tier superior apostle.

If not a superior apostle, they couldn’t activate a formation of such massive scale remotely.
I could wait here, and when the sorcerer emerged to activate the formation, I’d shatter it and take their head in one swift motion—ending everything in an instant.

‘As expected.’

I chuckled and patted Wrath on the back.

‘You’re the only one who can help me.’
-W-what are you talking about! What did I help with!
‘There is such a thing.’
-What is it! Tell me quickly!

Wrath swallowed nervously, his throat dry.

-What is iiiit!

*

*

*

Squelch.

A middle-aged man clad entirely in a pristine white robe walked through a dim corridor. His footsteps, which should have echoed crisply, were muffled by the sticky, crimson moisture pooling on the floor beneath him.

He passed through the blood-reeking hallway and entered a cavern where pale light spilled forth.

On the right side of the cavern, corpses of men, women, and children lay heaped in a mountain, their limbs hanging limp, while the floor beneath them was stained a vivid red with blood that had drained from their bodies.

“Apostle.”

The robed man knelt before the young man sitting beside the mountain of corpses.

“Ugh….”

The young man, shirtless, was tearing at the child’s shoulder with his teeth. A thin whimper still escaped the child’s parched lips—a sign the victim yet clung to life.

“Tus. I told you not to disturb me while I’m eating.”

The young man glared at the robed man with irritation blazing in his eyes. The sword scar carved across his chest writhed as though alive. The 7th Apostle—he who still bore the wound inflicted by Raon Zigheart stood here.

“Raon Zigheart has appeared.”

The middle-aged man called Tus bowed his head.

“Raon? Raon Zigheart?”

The 7th Apostle tore the child’s entire neck away and hurled the body backward. His blood-stained lips twisted upward in a grotesque grin.

“He truly came?”
“Yes. He entered Granseville this afternoon.”
“Kahahaha!”

He swept his blood-drenched hand through his hair, erupting into maniacal laughter.

“The Blood God has not abandoned me.”

The 7th Apostle wiped the blood trickling down his chin with the back of his hand, his smile turning sinister.

“How much longer until the ritual is complete?”
“Since we consumed Bruhul, our former master, less than a week remains.”
“Move it up to tomorrow night.”
“B-but we haven’t yet gathered enough blood essence to activate the ritual! The Blood Phantom Formation could collapse!”

Tus lowered his head, pleading for reconsideration.

“No, it’s enough. The sacrifice has come to us of his own accord.”

The 7th Apostle chuckled and shook his head.

“W-well then….”
“Yes. Raon Zigheart. I’ll use his blood as the final sacrifice for the Blood Phantom Formation. That should be sufficient, shouldn’t it?”
“Hmm, wouldn’t it be better to face him after completing the ritual?”
“You don’t know what Raon is like.”
“Pardon?”

Tus swallowed dryly. The 7th Apostle’s voice trembled with excitement like someone meeting a long-awaited lover. He was brimming with such fervor that he looked ready to tear out a throat at the slightest misstep.

“That bastard is a madman who shatters common sense. If I leave him alone, he might even discover the Blood Phantom Formation.”
“S-surely not….”

The White Blood Cult Master had created the Blood Phantom Formation, and she had woven such secrecy into the Formation that even a Grand Master couldn’t perceive it.

It was natural that the Blood Phantom Formation he’d created couldn’t match the Cult Master’s work, but it was impossible for a Master like Raon to discover the ritual formation.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that he’s special. Despite being an Expert, he shattered my aura and left me with this wound.”

The 7th Apostle ran his hand across the sword scar on his chest left by the Soul Reaper Sword, grinning wickedly.

“Besides, our guest has come all this way. It wouldn’t be courteous to keep him waiting long. Shouldn’t we welcome him in a manner befitting the Legend Sword Association’s reputation?”
“But….”

Tus furrowed his brow slightly, his expression clouded with worry.

“You don’t trust me?”
“N-no, of course not!”

Tus trembled as he bowed his head deeply.

“Well, the 4th Apostle did get stabbed in the back and died, so I understand your concern. But I’m stronger than the 4th Apostle now.”

The 7th Apostle’s subdued voice brimmed with composure and confidence. The faint anger that flickered at the edges only amplified his overwhelming presence.

“You focus on completing the ritual. In two days, I’ll extract the blood of the Continent’s youngest Master for you.”

The 7th Apostle grabbed someone standing right beside him and dragged them forward.

“I could kill him through brute force, but I won’t grant him such an easy end. I’ll give him the option of despair and let him choose.”

His cold laughter echoed through the Cavern.

“I’m curious what choice the Legend Sword Association will make.”

*

*

*

Martha wandered aimlessly through Granseville without designating a destination.
Dressed as a mercenary moderately drunk on alcohol, she scanned various locations, but all that caught her eye were the city’s brilliant lights and the moths entranced by their glow.

“Squad leader. Let’s call it a day and head back.”

A squad member walking alongside her in formation whispered.

“We’ve been wandering around too much. We might draw suspicion.”
“Tsk, understood.”

Martha clicked her tongue and nodded. Part of her wanted to search alone, but she couldn’t afford to repeat her mistakes. She suppressed her impatience and turned away.

“Let’s go—”

As she was about to suggest heading back, she collided with a Girl who looked somewhat disheveled.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

The Girl immediately bowed and rushed into the Alley between the Taverns.

“Annoyingly cute.”

Martha chuckled, watching the Girl’s retreating figure.

“Pardon?”
“Wait here.”

She waved her squad members to stay put and headed toward the Alley the Girl had entered. The child had already left, and the Alley stood empty.

“As expected.”

Martha nodded knowingly and turned right, crossing over the alley. The Girl had been examining a familiar wallet in the inner passage just moments before.

“Ah!”

The Girl startled and tried to flee, but Martha kicked off the wall in a single fluid motion and blocked the passage ahead.

“Hand it over while I’m asking nicely.”
“W-what do you mean!”

The Girl bit her lip and hid the wallet behind her back.

‘She’s just like me.’

Like I used to be.

Martha examined the Girl calmly. Her appearance was filthy, and bruises marked her body in various places. Seeing her own childhood reflected in the child stirred a faint nostalgia within her.

But that was then, and this is now. She couldn’t simply let a pickpocket go.

“Do you want to get beaten senseless and hand it over? Or will you give it gracefully?”

Martha snapped her fingers while speaking as gently as she could manage.

“U-ugh…”

The Girl trembled with fear, her jaw quivering, yet she still couldn’t bring herself to surrender the wallet.

Martha understood the reason perfectly.

‘She has to pay someone.’

Looking at the Girl’s condition, it was clear she was giving money to someone. The fact that she was desperate enough to pickpocket from a mercenary meant she had no other choice.

“Sigh…”

Martha tapped the Girl’s head lightly and snapped her fingers again.

“Return it now, and I’ll cover your meal. Hand it over.”

Under normal circumstances, I would have shattered that extortionist, but I was on a mission and couldn’t afford such indulgence. Memories of the past surfaced, and I decided to simply give her some silver coins and send her on her way.

“Really, sir?”
“Don’t like it? Then take a beating instead.”
“No, sir!”

The Girl shook her head and thrust her wallet forward with both hands.

“Good, then—hm?”

Martha let out a soft laugh and reached for her pocket, then froze. Her eyes fell upon the wound on the Girl’s wrist, and she swallowed hard.

“You—what is this!”
“Pardon?”
“Who did this to your wrist!”
“W-why are you suddenly asking that…?”
“Because I need to know.”

Martha’s teeth clenched as she grasped the Girl’s wrist.

She had to know, no matter what.

Because she could sense an extremely faint trace of blood energy emanating from the child’s wrist.

*

*

*

Raon circled through all of Granseville, which was laid out in a hexagonal pattern, observing the flow of the Formation. Despite the late hour, many people moved about the streets, and since he carried a wine bottle while feigning drunkenness, no one suspected him.

“Hah…”

I leaned my back against the Castle Wall and exhaled a shallow breath.

‘My head feels slightly foggy.’

The sheer scale made it difficult to examine thoroughly.

However, because the area was so vast, tiny gaps appeared here and there. It seemed that in focusing so much energy on concealment, I hadn’t perfectly calibrated the durability as well.

‘It’s definitely possible.’

After observing the entire formation covering Granseville, I felt certain.
It would take some time, but using the Ring of Fire and the Soul Reaper Sword’s essence, I could definitely unravel this formation.

‘The priority for Haejoo is finding that first.’

I needed to identify what other energy had seeped into the blood qi. Once I understood that, breaking the formation would become far easier.

‘I’m certain I know this energy….’

I smacked my lips and lifted my head. A brilliant moon approached very slowly beside the mist covering Granseville.

“Unnecessarily bright…huh?”

It was while I gazed upon the clear moonlight, so different from this grave situation, that damp blood qi began seeping out discreetly from within the city.

‘Blood qi?’

I furrowed my brow and rushed toward where the blood qi emanated. I stopped on the Central Avenue, where the most people moved about in Granseville, and my jaw trembled.

‘What… what is this….’

I sensed blood qi from every person before my eyes.

The person leaving the tavern, the courtesan seeing them off, the cart driver moving cargo, even the young Restaurant Staff greeting customers—I sensed blood qi from every living being breathing in this place.

No one else could sense it, but having examined the formation up until now, I could be certain.

It was so faint it couldn’t even be called White Blood Cult devotion, and it disappeared quickly, but the blood qi dwelling in their bodies was unmistakable.

‘Are all these people White Blood Cult devotees?’

That’s absolutely not it.

Members of the White Blood Cult learn the White Soul Aura, accumulating aura in their hearts like mages do.
The blood essence I sensed from these people wasn’t concentrated in their hearts—it was embedded throughout their bodies in scattered locations.
Blood demons would never violate their doctrine, so these creatures were absolutely not White Blood Cultists.

I swallowed hard and lifted my gaze, clenching my fists as I observed the mist of blood essence spreading like clouds of fog.

‘Could that formation possibly be….’

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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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