The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 371
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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 371
I lowered my gaze to examine the messages cascading down like steps.
[Soul Reaper Sword has absorbed all the dark mana.]
[A new trait is being generated.]
[Trait 【Sanctity Blooming from Darkness】 has been created.]
The name of the newly acquired trait was peculiar. I wanted to examine its details, but more messages remained.
[Soul Reaper Sword offers purified dark mana.]
[The rank of trait 【Ominous Adaptation】 rises.]
[All stats increase by 8 points.]
The second message conveyed that Soul Reaper Sword had purified the dark mana and granted me its power, resulting in the elevation of my trait and stats.
-W-What is this!
Wrath thrust his mouth forward and burst in front of the message.
-Why does the True Demon King’s power diminish when that lowly creature grants energy! This is utterly unfair!
He puffed out his thick cheeks in evident displeasure.
‘The world was never meant to be fair.’
-Silence! I can bear this no longer! I shall crush that wretched creature and find enlightenment!
‘You’re a Demon King….’
Enlightenment was a word used by priests. Hearing the Demon King of Wrath speak of seeking enlightenment was so absurd that I could only let out a hollow laugh.
‘Move aside for a moment.’
I pushed Wrath away and examined the newly created trait.
【Sanctity Blooming from Darkness】
A reversed sacred force born from the intermingling of ominous energy, blood essence, and demonic power—capable of blending with other forces.
“Huh?”
I stared at the trait description, my jaw dropping.
‘So I can fuse mana and holy power together?’
Normally, mana and holy power couldn’t be fused.
Even those who possessed both energies had to store them separately and use them independently, but this trait claimed to make that impossibility possible.
Uuuuung!
As I read the trait again, a subtle yet auspicious energy from the Soul Reaper Sword seeped into my dantian.
‘Is this holiness blooming from darkness?’
Remarkably peaceful.
If it were ordinary holy power, chaos should have erupted the moment it entered my dantian, but the quiet seeping told me it was indeed the special holy power described in the trait—compatible with mana.
However, the amount of holiness was modest. One use would deplete it entirely, and replenishing it would take considerable time.
‘Cultivating this won’t be easy.’
I’d need to raise the trait’s rank to increase both quantity and quality, which would demand significant time and effort.
-H-Holiness?! Preposterous! Why does holiness emerge from blood energy, demonic energy, and demonic essence?!
‘That’s why it’s holiness blooming from darkness.’
-This isn’t even the True Demon King’s trait! Why would such a thing… Ah, I see!
Wrath’s eyes spun wildly toward the Soul Reaper Sword.
-That wretched creature did this! I shall never forgive it!
Wrath unleashed fury and frigid energy upon the Soul Reaper Sword, unable to contain himself.
Uuuuung!
The Soul Reaper Sword erected a barrier of demonic energy as if welcoming the challenge.
-Insolent!
Wrath unleashed the tremendous fury and frigid aura he’d accumulated, his irritation genuine and absolute.
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
Despite the Soul Reaper Sword’s growth, the fundamental gap in power crushed the demonic energy barrier in an instant.
Uuuuoooong….
The Soul Reaper Sword cried out in agony.
‘Let me try something.’
I drew upon the sacred power dormant deep within the Soul Reaper Sword’s demonic energy and dantian, stepping forward to block Wrath’s assault.
Uuuuuuoooong!
Silver-gleaming sacred power intertwined with the demonic energy, forming a magnificent barrier that repelled Wrath’s onslaught.
Crash, crash, crash!
Hardened and reinforced by the sacred power, the demonic energy barrier not only perfectly withstood Wrath’s assault but launched a counterattack.
-Grrrrgh!
Wrath recoiled, flailing his hands as if scalded by boiling water.
-You dare employ that filthy, abominable sacred power!
Tears trickled from Wrath’s large eyes, his fury evident.
‘How’s that? Does it feel like genuine sacred power?’
-Indeed it does! There’s no foul stench, but it reeks of abominable sacred power nonetheless!
‘Good.’
The fact that it affected Wrath, a Demon King, confirmed the presence of sacred essence within it.
‘However….’
Too little.
The amount of holy power was barely a pittance. Even now, blocking Wrath once had completely drained it.
Uuuuung!
The Soul Reaper Sword let out a small cry, as if thanking me for saving it.
‘Grateful, huh.’
I chuckled softly and patted the Soul Reaper Sword gently.
-They really do play well together! Hrmph!
Wrath snapped his head around and exhaled a long, bison-like snort.
‘Then I’ll praise you too.’
I snickered and patted Wrath’s head as well.
‘But whose power is this holy force….’
As I tended to the Soul Reaper Sword and Wrath while pondering the characteristic, Dorian’s jaw trembled.
“W-why are you smiling?”
“Hm?”
“That sinister grin! What are you planning now!”
“No, I was just….”
“You can’t do anything! Just kill me instead!”
I had merely tended to Wrath and the Soul Reaper Sword, yet Dorian, eyes wide with terror, stumbled backward before leaping down from Stone Mountain.
“Hmm….”
I watched Dorian scramble down Stone Mountain like a beast, licking my lips.
“Jumping off a cliff? If I suppress my aura and command it, that could work as courage training.”
At my words tinged with amusement, Mark Goeten broke into a cold sweat for the first time.
‘Should I really be following this person…?’
*
*
*
I finished my preparations to depart and turned around.
Mark Goeten stood at attention, as if serving as an escort.
He seemed to have shed his years as a mercenary and returned to being a knight once more.
“Are your preparations complete?”
“Yes.”
Mark Goeten relaxed his posture and nodded.
“You have no luggage.”
“I’ve always traveled with just my weapon, so there’s nothing to bring.”
He tapped the shabby sword hanging at his waist. It seemed he’d purchased a cheap blade after it broke during our sparring match.
‘I should acquire a proper one for him soon.’
Regardless of its condition, Mark Goeten was a Master. I wanted to provide him with a weapon befitting his caliber.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
I turned to my right at the sound of something being chewed—like a squirrel gnawing on fallen leaves. Dorian was pulling snacks from his pouch and eating them.
“Are you really going? Won’t you receive heir training?”
“The Merchant Guild Master said I absolutely must follow the Deputy Guild Master and see many things. And…”
He pulled a small round orb from his pouch.
“He said he would provide my education through this.”
Dorian laughed heartily, delighted at the prospect of departing together.
“You’re going to handle my training AND teach the successor? That’s quite the enthusiasm.”
Raon chuckled softly, looking down at Dorian.
“Uh….”
Dorian’s shoulders trembled as the reality of training finally dawned on him.
“W-wait, wasn’t training supposed to be exempted?”
“Who said that?”
“But I’m the successor of this trading company….”
“And I’m your master, aren’t I?”
As Raon shrugged, Dorian’s face went pale.
“I-I’ll stay here and complete my successor training properly, then return….”
“Mark.”
“Yes!”
Mark Goeten seized Dorian by the scruff of his neck as he tried to back away. Having experienced both knighthood and mercenary life, his instincts were sharp.
“Sir! We climbed the mountain together! Is this already betrayal?”
“I’m sorry.”
Dorian struggled with glistening eyes, but Mark Goeten refused to let go.
Raon turned away, gazing toward the distant sky.
‘I’ll be twenty when I return to the Family Estate.’
My teenage years had finally ended and I’d entered my twenties, yet it felt strangely hollow. All I could think about was that two years remained until my duel with the Demon King.
“Let’s go. To Zigheart.”
“Yes….”
“Yes!”
Leaving behind a dispirited voice and a spirited one, the three departed from the Sepia Trading Company.
…
Adis Sepia watched with a smile as Raon and Dorian departed.
“Even their departure is entertaining.”
“Are you certain it’s wise to let them go like this?”
Rigwin approached his side with a soft sigh.
“You’ve been wanting to continue meeting with Young Master Dorian, haven’t you?”
“A month and two weeks was sufficient. Anything more would be greed.”
“Still, you could have kept him here under the pretense of heir education…”
“I’d prefer that boy to see more of the world.”
Adis gazed at Raon walking ahead of Dorian, his smile subtle and knowing.
While receiving heir lessons here held importance, watching Dorian grow by observing that man’s back would prove invaluable for both Dorian and the Sepia Trading Company.
“The White Sword Dragon is a connection money cannot buy. He’s given me considerable inspiration as well.”
Rigwin nodded, following Adis’s gaze.
“Indeed. A truly… remarkable… fellow…”
Adis’s fists suddenly trembled with fury.
“That money-obsessed bastard! If he keeps chasing coin at that age, he’ll be bald by thirty!”
“M-Merchant Guild Master?”
Rigwin’s eyes widened as he witnessed Adis’s sudden outburst.
“Calm yourself!”
Only after grasping his shoulders and shaking them did Adis’s eyes return to normal.
“I-I apologize. I’ve simply lost too much.”
Adis shook his head and exhaled deeply.
‘The expenses exceeded my projections.’
Raon’s demands didn’t end with developing the surroundings of Zigheart—that was merely the beginning.
He articulated every single requirement with the firmness and precision of one preparing for war itself.
Unable to grasp exactly how much gold would be needed, Adis felt his head throbbing.
“That man would have become great even without being a warrior. And….”
Adis nodded heavily, watching Raon’s receding figure. His gaze trailed after him before settling on Dorian, who had begun walking on his own.
“That child will develop an even greater capacity by observing him. However….”
“Hm?”
“He’s taken far too much from me! Raon Zigheart, you scoundrel!”
“M-Merchant Guild Master!”
*
*
*
A solitary beach.
Upon the golden-gleaming White Sand Beach, a pristine white cot lay in repose.
“Ahhh!”
Tacheon reclined upon that cot, a subtle smile gracing his lips.
“How peaceful.”
The Severed Soul Sword, standing before the beach, ignored those words and gazed only toward the distant sea.
“Peace?”
The answer came not from the Severed Soul Sword, but from the right.
“No such thing exists in this world.”
A man cloaked in robes as dark as shadow itself, wearing a skull mask from whose eye sockets burned blue flames, shook his head.
“It is all nothing but false colors. Just like this beach right now.”
When the skull-masked man snapped his fingers, the azure sea darkened as though ink had been poured into it, and the golden beach became drenched in crimson blood.
“Phantom Soul Ghost. Why must you make things so tedious?”
As Tacheon snapped his fingers again, the hellish beach was restored to vibrant life.
“….”
Though the transformation was as extreme as it was sudden, the Severed Soul Sword remained standing before the sea, gazing only toward the distant horizon.
“Phantom Soul Ghost. Have you confirmed ‘that matter’?”
“Yes. It was there.”
At Tacheon’s question, the flames filling the Phantom Soul Ghost’s eyes dimmed to a low glow.
“The quantity was precisely 1.65 times greater than the intelligence suggested. If it detonates, that entire region will be erased.”
“Excellent. Then I shall entrust that matter to you.”
“Understood.”
The Phantom Soul Ghost rose from his chair and bowed his head.
“You’re leaving already? There’s no need to handle it with such urgency. All the schedules are interconnected, after all.”
“I’m occupied cleaning up the mess that fool created.”
As the Phantom Soul Ghost clicked his tongue sharply, the air tore open with a thin sound, and Merlin burst forth.
“Who are you calling a fool?”
Merlin, wearing the mask of an old woman, regarded the Phantom Soul Ghost with a chilling smile.
“Fools have a habit of appearing whenever I mention them.”
The flames burning in the Phantom Soul Ghost’s eyes flared with deeper intensity.
“Now, now, let’s not quarrel.”
Tacheon chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. He glanced at Merlin, then clapped his hands as if something had just occurred to him.
“Ah, have you heard? Raon Zigheart has touched the Black Tower.”
“….”
It wasn’t Merlin who moved first, but the Severed Soul Sword. His head turned slightly backward.
Tacheon continued speaking, savoring the reaction as his lips curled into a long smile.
“Eden, the White Blood Cult, the Nambuk Alliance, and now the Black Tower. It’s been quite some time since someone made enemies of four of the Oma.”
Tacheon narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Merlin.
“Merlin. What do you think?”
“Not interested.”
Merlin waved her hand dismissively and lay down on the simple cot.
“Not interested? Don’t you have family within Raon Zigheart? You should seek your revenge.”
“If I could have saved Rocta, I would have crushed flesh and bone. But soul consumed soul. It’s too late now.”
She exhaled a deep sigh and closed her eyes.
“My only goal now is restoration.”
“For once, the fool speaks something sensible.”
“Isn’t the fool the one with not a single strand of hair on his head?”
Merlin let out a scoff while looking at the Phantom Soul Ghost.
“Shut your mouth.”
“It’s my mouth, isn’t it?”
“Huuuh….”
An eerie chill emanated from the Phantom Soul Ghost’s fractured skull.
“If you’re upset, want to fight here? Your older sister will entertain you.”
“Still as mad as ever.”
The Phantom Soul Ghost and Merlin rose simultaneously, unleashing tremendous mana.
Tacheon watched Merlin and the Phantom Soul Ghost quietly, his smile desiccated and unsettling.
*
*
*
Zigheart 5th Training Ground.
Only when the sun that had illumined the world sank below the horizon, and the moon that rose belatedly reached the center of the sky, did the shouts echoing from the Training Ground finally cease.
“Phew….”
Burren lowered his sword and exhaled a ragged breath.
“That’s enough for today!”
At his call, the members of the Gwangpung Order scattered across the Training Ground collapsed to the ground, ceasing their sword practice.
“Ughhhh….”
“This is exhausting.”
“I’m going to die….”
Because everyone in the Gwangpung Unit had trained with all their might, not a trace of regret remained on their faces.
Tsk.
Martha clicked her tongue in disdain as she watched the collapsed members sprawled on the ground.
“Not getting up? You need to cool down after training!”
She kicked the prone swordsmen and forcibly hauled them to their feet.
“Couldn’t we do this later?”
“I really have no strength left….”
“We trained under both the Unit Leader and the Chief Steward today—I’m going to collapse.”
“Shut up and get up.”
When Martha glared at them, the swordsmen lying on the ground reluctantly got up and began stretching.
However, there was one person Martha could not manage to rouse.
“Yawn….”
Lunan Slion lay sprawled on his back, gazing up at the star-filled night sky as he yawned.
“You should do it too!”
“No.”
Martha tried to pull him up, but Lunan Slion remained motionless, as if glued to the ground.
“What on earth—gasp!”
A pale blue chill rose from the ground beneath Lunan Slion. She had frozen his back to the earth, making it impossible to separate.
“This is absolutely insane!”
“Ugh….”
Martha strained with all her might to tear him away, but Lunan Slion continued pouring out frigid energy, keeping his back frozen to the ground.
Burren Zigheart smiled as he watched Martha engage in this battle of pride with Lunan Slion.
“You’ve changed quite a bit too.”
“What!”
“You told them to stretch because you were worried the unit members might get injured.”
The old Martha would have paid no mind to what others did, simply gone about her own business, or left the Training Ground entirely.
Now that training had ended, watching her manage and instruct the unit members showed just how much her heart had transformed.
‘It must be thanks to Raon and the Head of House.’
Martha had opened her heart after that conversation between the Head of House and Raon. I didn’t know what the two of them had discussed, but it seemed she had finally begun to invest her heart in the Gwangpung Unit.
“That’s not it at all!”
Martha’s face flushed crimson as she released Lunan Slion’s collar and turned away.
“It hurts.”
Lunan Slion, who had bumped his head on the ground, furrowed his brow.
“Raon isn’t here, so I’m doing it instead! When the hell is he coming anyway! Even if the seasons change, he shows no sign of returning!”
Martha scowled at the sky, her expression darkening.
“I miss that handsome bastard Raon.”
Lunan smacked his lips as if savoring ice cream.
“I thought he’d come rushing back, demanding we train immediately, but the damn fool won’t show!”
Martha turned away, grinding her teeth.
“He is taking quite a while, though.”
Burren narrowed his eyes and nodded.
“But thanks to that time, we’ve steadily improved our skills. When Raon returns, we’ll have nothing to apologize for.”
To avoid being criticized by Raon, we endured hellish training from Dogyae, the Chief Steward, every single day, and conducted personal training at dawn and late into the night.
We trained with such intensity we nearly died, and our skills had genuinely improved, so I was confident even when Raon returned.
“Exactly. To be honest, I’m confident no matter what training he throws at us.”
“We’ve completed all the demonic training from the Chief Steward and the Unit Master. The Deputy Unit Master is nothing. Child’s play.”
“Right. When you think about it, the concentration enhancement training just means losing sleep and going mad from fear. At our current level, we can handle it.”
“When he comes back, won’t he be shocked seeing how much stronger we’ve become?”
“That’s definitely possible!”
The Gwangpung Order members exchanged glances and smiled. Their consistent training had filled every face with confidence.
“That’s definitely possi…ble?”
“Ah….”
Burren and Martha trailed off mid-nod, their mouths falling open as they stared into the darkness beyond the Training Ground’s perimeter.
“To be honest, isn’t the Deputy Unit Master’s training a bit too crude? We do get stronger, but it’s so excessive. People age from that kind of thing.”
Crain continued speaking without properly noticing the expressions on their faces.
“Training should have a system and foundation, but the Deputy Unit Master’s training lacks both. Since he’s a genius, he just makes it up as he goes, so it’s just brute force training, and we’re the ones bleeding from it…huh?”
He tilted his head, observing how Burren, Martha, and the other swordsmen’s jaws had dropped so far they nearly unhinged.
“What… cough!”
Crain turned to follow the unit members’ gazes and stumbled backward in shock.
“The, the Unit Master!”
Raon stood before them, his crimson eyes blazing with an unsettling light, a smile playing at his lips.
“I see. So my training was crude and lacked proper foundation.”
Raon’s smile deepened as he nodded to himself.
“No, that’s not what I meant….”
“Fortunately, I’ve prepared a new training regimen. This will be truly foundational practice.”
His crimson eyes gleamed like those of a predator.
“Since you seem to have been waiting for me, there’s no need to delay. We’ll begin training immediately.”
“But, we just finished training….”
“Right, today’s training was quite exhausting.”
“Not at all. Now is precisely when human instinctive strength emerges.”
“Ugh!”
Burren and Martha fell silent at the sight of Raon’s chilling gaze.
“Hm.”
Dorian watched Raon’s expression from the side, his lips trembling as the color drained from his face.
“I’ve glimpsed a demon….”
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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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