The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 394

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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 394

Burren Zigheart’s jaw trembled as he watched the Death Knight’s fragmented body sink into the depths.

‘A Death Knight… destroyed in a single strike?’

Was such a thing even possible?

Having crossed blades with the Death Knight myself, I understood its strength. It wasn’t merely the aura of death that was formidable—its swordsmanship had reached a profound level.

That the monster, which had effortlessly dispatched the entire Gwangpung Unit and Mark Goeten while revealing the characteristic emerald eyes of a mid-tier demon, had been slain in a single strike was incomprehensible.

‘What in the abyss is that man?’

I knew Raon was formidable. Perhaps better than anyone else.
But to slay a Death Knight that had ascended to mid-tier rank—and a special one at that, empowered by the swamp itself—in a single blow? I had never imagined such a thing possible.

“That damn…”

Martha’s hand trembled as she gripped her sword, her gaze fixed upon Raon.

‘That monster of a man!’

As the Death Knight’s aura grew ever stronger and threatened to shatter the Gwangpung Formation, Raon stepped forward.
His eyes commanded us to retreat, and though indignation burned within me, a petty part of me wished he would experience this trial himself.

Since this was my first encounter with a Death Knight that grew stronger through combat, I believed even Raon would struggle to defeat it easily.

‘I thought he’d resort to his usual flashy fire and ice nonsense.’

Raon’s combat style was as flamboyant as his face. I expected him to unleash flames and ice as he always did, yet he cleaved the Death Knight’s soul asunder with a single draw of his blade.
Even having witnessed it with my own eyes from the closest vantage, such overwhelming power was beyond belief.

“Wow….”

Lunan Slion’s mouth fell open in a perfect circle, his eyes sharper and more intense than usual.

“Raon really does look handsome today.”

Ensia had insisted that I always add “handsome” before Raon’s name, so I’d been calling him that without much thought until now, but today he truly looked the part.

The sight of Raon’s black dragon robe fluttering through the mist as he brought the Heavenly Sword down in a diagonal arc was nothing short of a masterpiece.

But what struck me more than his beautiful appearance was the sword technique that had cleaved the Death Knight in a single strike.

The destructive power and precision contained in that blade strike were so overwhelming that my spine still tingled.

“Captain! If you finish it that easily, what are we supposed to do!”
“Was that really a Death Knight?”
“It definitely was! We almost died back there!”
“And it kept getting stronger too.”
“So why did it die in one hit!”

The Gwangpung Unit also stared at Raon with wide eyes, unable to believe this absurd situation.

“Haa…”
“What… what did I just witness?”
“Is this the true power of the White Sword Dragon?”
“They say he holds the Twelve Continents beneath his feet…”

Freica and the other Rangers were also trembling with shock, their jaws quivering as they sat in the swamp.

“Wow! Young master!”
“That was… an inspiring sword technique!”
“Well done.”

Yua and Julius laughed brightly and bounced with joy, while Mark Goeten quietly bowed his head.

Raon smiled at the two children, then gazed at the Heavenly Sword still radiating heat.

‘Not bad at all.’

For the first time, I had combined the flames and darkness from the Manhwagong with the sacred power blooming within them to execute the sword technique, and the effect exceeded my expectations.

A Death Knight of the mid-tier level—and one strengthened by the power of this swamp at that—crumbled without even a chance to resist.

‘I’ve gained a powerful force capable of piercing the Black Tower.’

While my holy power was insufficient to exhaust even a single sword technique, it seemed it would prove invaluable in the battles ahead.

-You shameless wretch!

Wrath gnashed his teeth and thrust his face forward.

‘What now?’
-How could you handle it like that!
‘You said it was dangerous yourself.’

He’d gestured that his subordinates were in danger, yet I couldn’t fathom what he was complaining about.

-You didn’t need to step forward so brazenly! Merely raining down shadow strikes from behind would have sufficed!

Wrath scowled, calling me a weasel who stole opportunities from the children.

‘That’s strange.’

Even with support from behind, we could have defeated the Death Knight, though it would have taken considerably longer.
It was suspicious that someone with such a personality disorder—unable to endure even a moment of boredom—would say such a thing.

‘If this is what he dislikes… Ah!’

I turned to look at Wrath, my lips curling upward.

‘He’s throwing a fit over the rewards we’d gain from defeating the Death Knight.’
-Hic!

Wrath’s pupils trembled as if struck at his weak point. His cottony form quivered as though caught in a breeze.

-W-what nonsense! The True Demon King would never think such a thing, w-would he?
‘Your panic proves I’m right.’
-That’s not it, the True Demon King doesn’t care about such trivial matters….

He lowered his voice to an ant’s whisper and hid his body within the ice-flower bracelet.

As expected. Wrath hadn’t given the Gwangpung Unit a chance because he was reluctant to part with the stat increases he’d gain after defeating the Death Knight.

‘Honestly, it’s not cute at all.’

I shook my head and gazed at the Death Knight’s skull.
A faint green flame flickered in the hollow eye sockets.

‘This is the spoils of war.’

When you defeated a Death Knight, this skull was the prize you obtained.
The faint flame lingering in the eye sockets served as proof of defeating a Death Knight, making it an item that sold for an exorbitant price.

‘Just to be safe. It would be better to gather more.’

I gestured to Mark Goeten.

“Could you bring me the head of the Dullahan and the horse you captured earlier?”
“Understood.”

Mark Goeten retrieved the head from the Dullahan’s corpse that he had impaled on a vine floating above the swamp.
Crimson eyes gleamed from the grotesquely twisted face.

‘These two should be sufficient.’

With the skull of a Death Knight at the peak of the Intermediate Rank and this massive Dullahan’s head, gaining dominance within the Arian Family would not be difficult.

Whoooosh!

I drew up Glacia’s chill with fervor while employing Seolhwa’s senses.
I spread my perception in all directions, but I felt no presence of undead monsters.

‘The swamp is subsiding too.’

Perhaps because I had eliminated the Death Knight that had caused the problem, the water level of the swamp was slowly receding.

‘It’s all over.’

I had eliminated the Death Knight and all the undead whose numbers had multiplied, and the swamp was subsiding. Everything was finished. Now only the return remained.

I placed the Death Knight’s skull and the Dullahan’s head into my spatial pocket and turned back.

“Gwangpung Unit.”

At his call, the Gwangpung Unit, who had been suppressing their internal injuries, lined up.

“Ugh….”
“Ngh.”

Sensing something ominous, the Gwangpung Unit couldn’t meet Raon’s gaze properly and only swallowed hard.

“It’s unfortunate. Still, I saw you all give your best effort in combat.”

At Raon’s unexpectedly gentle tone, the Gwangpung Unit lifted their eyes.

“You worked hard.”
“Uoooooh!”
“Thank you!”
“As expected of our unit leader!”

When Raon said they worked hard instead of assigning additional training, the Gwangpung Unit’s mood brightened like flower petals caught on the wind.

“However….”

Raon raised his hand as the Gwangpung Unit began to get excited.

“The fact remains that you failed to eliminate the Death Knight. I clearly told you to deal with it.”
“B-but we just worked hard.”
“Yes. You said we gave our best effort!”

The Gwangpung Unit protested with trembling lips, but naturally, it had no effect on Raon.

“I prefer doing well over merely trying your best. You should have found a way to eliminate it.”
“How were we supposed to deal with that thing! It’s a Death Knight!”
“And it wasn’t just any Death Knight—it was a monster that kept growing!”
“Its head kept getting bigger….”

Burren, Martha, and Lunan shook their heads, saying it had been an impossible task.

“That’s all because your training is lacking. I cut it down in a single strike.”
“Ugh!”
“Damn it!”
“My sleep….”

Since those words came from Raon, who had just cleaved the Death Knight—a monster no less—in a single blow, the Gwangpung Unit couldn’t offer any rebuttal and simply bowed their heads.

“Once we return, I’ll have a special menu prepared for you. Look forward to it.”
“Ugh….”
“Damn it.”
“This life….”

The Gwangpung Unit exhaled a deep sigh as they thought about what awaited them upon their return to the Family Estate.

-Your personality is truly vile.

Wrath climbed back onto the bracelet, his expression darkening.

-A demon so wicked and depraved that even the Demon Realm rarely sees his kind….

As he spoke of how insufferable I was, a message suddenly appeared.

[You have harmonized different powers to defeat a powerful enemy in a single strike.]
[All stats increase by 5 points.]
[Blade Drawing Technique proficiency increases.]
[The grade of 【Holiness Blooming from Darkness】 increases.]

It seemed like a reward for successfully harmonizing aura and holiness for the first time to take down the Death Knight in one blow.

‘But….’

The timing was perfect.

I couldn’t help but laugh as the reward appeared the moment Wrath emerged from the bracelet after fleeing—as if it had been waiting for him.

-T-this is exactly why I didn’t want to come out!

Wrath gnashed his teeth upon seeing that message.

-Stop tormenting those brats and the True Demon King already!

*

*

*

The Audience Chamber of the Arian Family.

Wigen rested his hand on his protruding belly, which bulged like a frog’s, and smacked his lips with satisfaction.

“Things are going according to plan, aren’t they?”

He seemed anxious, so he reached out and tore into a large beef rib with his teeth.

“Have no concerns, sir.”

Bainder lifted his gaze and smiled.

“The children will handle it well on their own.”
“Still, something feels off about this.”

Wigen licked his oil-slicked lips and furrowed his brow.

“Even if things go wrong, it won’t matter.”
“It won’t matter?”
“With the Head of House’s silver tongue, you could easily manipulate those little brats however you wish.”

Bainder smiled faintly and raised a finger.

“Besides, with that person backing us, even the White Dragon won’t dare make a move.”
“Ahem! That’s true!”

Wigen cleared his throat and nodded in agreement.

‘All those bribes I’ve been spreading around weren’t for nothing.’

The Arian Family had been able to ignore the duties passed down through generations simply because they showered bribes upon the executives of Zigheart.
Now it was time to harvest the fruits they had so carefully cultivated with their lavish spending.

“Bainder speaks the truth!”
“Now that we understand what kind of person this Raon is, we’ll be able to handle him with ease.”
“What can those fools possibly accomplish with their pressure? We have backing!”

The Chief Steward, Finance Minister, and Supply Officer all bowed obsequiously to Wigen, fawning over him.

“Since he told us not to worry, I shall place my faith in the Head of House alone.”

Bainder lowered his eyelids to conceal the light in his eyes as he bowed his head.

“Yes, yes. Trust only me!”

Wigen nodded with a smile, basking in the flattery of his executives.

While the Arian Family’s executives laughed and reveled amongst themselves, Wendy stood behind the door, her fists clenching tight. With the expression of one who had made a resolve, she left the Patriarch’s Hall.

*

*

*

I watched the gates of the Arian Family Castle slowly swing open, my hand reaching into my spatial pouch.
I withdrew the Death Knight’s skull and the Dullahan’s head from within, handing them to Burren and Dorian.

“Hm?”
“Kyaaaah!”

Burren accepted the Death Knight’s skull with ease, while Dorian let out a shriek as he took hold of the Dullahan’s head.

“Why are you giving us these?”
“The people here need to know as well.”

I gazed into the castle gates with cold eyes.

“That Wigen and his executives nearly brought this family to ruin.”

As I moved toward the open door, Wendy rushed out urgently.

“Raon… you’ve arrived… what?”

She had been bowing her head, but the moment she saw the Death Knight’s skull and the Dullahan’s head held in Burren and Dorian’s hands, her jaw dropped.

“A, a Death Knight! And it’s even a high-tier one?”

Wendy trembled violently at the sight of the Death Knight’s skull, as if losing her mind.

“A, a Death Knight, you say?”
“Look at that! It’s, it’s real!”
“With those green eyes, it has to be high-tier!”
“Something like that was in the Swamp of Death?”

The knights and villagers standing behind Wendy gasped and stumbled backward.

“C, could it be that Death Knight was actually in the swamp?”
“Yes. It was standing on a pillar at the end of the swamp.”

I explained what had transpired in the swamp. I infused my voice with aura so that not only Wendy but everyone gathered at the castle gate could hear.

“Freica.”

Wendy looked at Freica standing to her right. Freica nodded, confirming that everything was true.

“Ugh…”

She seemed to be overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, biting her lip as she lowered her head. Her cheeks and earlobes flushed crimson.

“Phew!”

Wendy took a deep breath and lifted his head. He raised his hand with a determined look in his eyes.

“Let us proceed to the Audience Chamber.”

I nodded and followed Wendy toward the Patriarch’s Hall.

The villagers cheered as if welcoming heroes’ return and expressed their gratitude to the Gwangpung Unit, but gradually, more people began to harbor suspicion toward the officials.

“A Dullahan and a Death Knight!”
“The Swamp of Death has changed so drastically….”
“But the superiors said there was nothing unusual….”
“See! I told you something was wrong! If nothing was happening, why would the water level in the swamp rise!”
“The grapes withered too.”
“Those damned executives….”
“We should have backed Wendy.”

I felt the anxiety rippling through the surroundings and smiled.

‘It’s working perfectly.’

To transform this family, I needed to change not just the pig lounging at the top, but also the psychology of those crushed beneath him.
The grotesque head of the Dullahan was proving to be a powerful catalyst for that shift in thinking.

Without uttering a single word, I let doubt and anxiety burn brighter as I entered the Patriarch’s Hall.

Wendy opened the door to the Audience Chamber without even knocking.

I could see the Head of House Wigen and the executives of the Arian Family gathered on the platform as if in conference. From the situation, it appeared the news had already reached them.

“Ah….”

Wigen raised his hand with an awkward smile.

“You’ve all worked hard!”

Unlike when he first arrived, he now treated us with respect, speaking with clasped hands and a formal tone.

“Y-you’ve endured much hardship!”
“To capture a Death Knight—the valor of the Gwangpung Unit truly lives up to its reputation!”
“Thank you for exerting yourselves for the Arian Family.”

The executives wrung their hands like flies, their smiles twisted and forced. It was a complete reversal from the cold glares they had cast before.

“Dorian.”

I smiled faintly and extended my right hand. Dorian handed over the Dullahan’s head, which he had been holding by his fingertips alone.

I grabbed the Death Knight’s skull and hurled it onto the Platform.

Crash!

The remnants of blood still clinging to the Death Knight’s skull sprayed across the heads of the pigs grinning falsely atop the Platform.

“Ahhhhhhh!”
“W-what are you doing!”
“Eek! This thing is still alive!”

The executives who locked eyes with the Death Knight—its crimson gaze still gleaming even in death—shrieked and collapsed to the ground.

Thud.

I ascended the Platform, trampling the crimson carpet of the Audience Chamber beneath my feet. A dry, oppressive aura of discomfort coiled around my shoulders.

“Gasp!”
“Ugh…”
“Argh!”

Crushed beneath the sinister momentum, the executives trembled violently, their luminescence extinguished, their expressions those of the soon-to-be-dead.

I didn’t spare them a glance, ascending to the apex of the Platform.

I thrust the Death Knight’s skull toward Wigen, who thrashed about in his chair. The green flames still burning within flickered ominously.

“Ahhhhh!”

Unable to bear the Death Knight’s weight in his panic, the Jade Throne toppled backward.

“A Death Knight born at the end of the Swamp of Death.”

I dragged the Jade Throne where Wigen had been sitting and placed the Death Knight’s helmet upon it.

“Had the Patriarch not summoned us, this skull would have been sitting upon this throne, treading over your corpses.”

The Death Knight’s skull blazed with green flames still burning, as if to prove my words.

“B-but Wendy could have handled something like that!”

Wigen’s lips trembled as he failed to properly observe the Death Knight’s skull perched on the chair.

A sneer bloomed across my lips.

“Does he not even understand rank?”

Seeing him speak such words even while witnessing the verdant glow emanating from the Death Knight’s hollow eye sockets suggested his mind was equally vacant.

“…I cannot defeat that.”

Wendy bowed his head from behind, his expression brimming with shame for his family.

“F-Freica! You speak! That Death Knight is….”
“That is a Death Knight of the middle tier. Moreover, there were two Dullahans as well. Had they attacked directly, we would have been annihilated….”

Freica relayed without embellishment the accounts she had witnessed.

“Ah….”
“Ugh!”

The executives could offer no rebuttal to the truth the Rangers had spoken and bowed their heads in silence.

I let out a cold laugh and placed my hand upon the Jade Throne where Wigen had been seated.

Crunch!

Unable to withstand the force channeled through my palm, the massive iron throne crumpled like scrap metal.

“Wigen Arian, you are unworthy of this throne. I hereby strip you of your position until further directive comes from Zigheart….”
“W-What are you saying!”

Wigen rose to his feet, his shoulders trembling, his accumulated jowls and belly fat rippling in the process.

“I am the Head of this Family, by what right do you—!”

He gnashed his teeth, insisting it was nonsense.

“Right? You….”
“Rights be damned!”

I was about to respond with a scoff when Martha stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with an intensity I’d rarely seen as she ascended the platform.

“This pig still hasn’t come to his senses!”
“Pig? You little brat!”
“Because of you, everyone in this family nearly died—and you still have the audacity to speak?”
“What would you know…”
“I know plenty, you swine!”

Martha launched herself forward and drove her fist directly into Wigen’s face.

Crack!

Wigen didn’t even manage to defend himself before the blow sent him crashing to the ground.

“Gaaahhh!”

He tumbled down from the platform, his cry echoing like a wounded beast.

I narrowed my eyes, watching Martha’s trembling form wreathed in fury.

‘Old memories surfacing.’

I didn’t know the exact details, but it seemed her village had been destroyed by the White Blood Sect, which explained why her rage burned deeper than anyone else’s.

“You think you can do this and walk away unscathed!”

Wigen rose with a broken tooth exposed, pointing an accusatory finger.

“Do you know who stands behind me….”
“I do.”

My eyes gleamed with a piercing light as I descended the platform. The Overlord’s aura radiated from me as naturally as breathing, and a chilling presence swept through the entire Audience Chamber.

“Speak.”

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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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