The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 424

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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 424

Mustan swallowed hard as he gazed upon the space warped into deep emerald.

‘What is this?’

A dimensional gate of a structure he had never witnessed in his lifetime. Not magic, not sorcery—but an ethereal energy. It felt similar to the demonic aura wielded by the Black Tower’s demons.

‘No, that’s not the problem right now.’

The presence of the Strange Being dwelling within that dimensional rift was absolutely terrifying. He could sense no minor aura whatsoever, yet its mere existence made breathing nearly impossible.

‘Someone like me could be killed with just a fingernail….’

He couldn’t move, frozen like a mouse before a cat. As he stood petrified, unable to comprehend what to do, a second voice echoed from within the dimensional space.

“It’s rare to find a child who speaks of envy so honestly these days.”

The delighted voice of a young woman sent a chill racing down his spine.

“W-who are you?”

Mustan wrapped his hands around his throat and forced his tongue to move. Perhaps out of a desire to live, respectful speech tumbled from his lips instinctively.

“You called me, didn’t you?”

From the diamond-shaped eyes floating within the dimensional space, a pale green light glimmered.

“Called you? What do you mean by—”
“You cried out with your own mouth: ‘I’m consumed by envy. I’ll use every method in this world to take everything you possess. I will never let it slip away.’ Have you already forgotten?”
“Ugh….”

Mustan clamped his own mouth shut.

‘She heard those words?’

He had only screamed them from the depths of his heart, never imagining anyone would hear such words. Shame flooded his face and neck with searing heat.

“There’s no need to feel ashamed.”

A voice tinged with laughter flowed from within the dimension.

“Envy is an essential emotion possessed by wise sages, emperors above all men, and the greatest warriors under heaven. There’s even a saying that everyone nurtures a serpent within their heart.”
“A serpent….”
“Unlike those hypocrites who hide their true feelings behind masks, you’ve laid bare your heart with honesty. That alone makes you far superior to those two-faced wretches.”
“Ah….”

Despite the woman’s voice sounding far younger than my own, my heart trembled with profound resonance.

‘Am I better?’

Since meeting Raon, I had never been acknowledged by anyone.

Everyone chanted only Raon’s name, and even my master refused to see me. Now, receiving recognition from another after so long, my emotions surged so intensely that my hair stood on end.

“Emotions only gain meaning when expressed. You’re one step ahead of everyone else.”

The turbulent energy within my body that threatened to explode gradually subsided. It was like watching a fierce storm that had ravaged the coastline finally cease, revealing a clear sky where the clouds had parted.

“Then… you can grant me power?”
“Of course. That’s precisely why I’ve come here. Everything that human you envied will flow toward you.”

Within the dimension, crimson lips curved into a subtle smile. Though something incomprehensibly ominous emanated from that beautiful smile, I couldn’t bring myself to retreat when she offered me strength.

“Is it truly possible for his fame, talent, and the people’s recognition to become mine?”
“It’s hardly a difficult task.”

The woman answered immediately, as if there was no need to deliberate.

‘It’s impossible. And yet….’

Listening to her voice, I felt as though I could accomplish anything.

‘Who is she, exactly?’

Perhaps due to my shock, I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t received an answer to my first question.

“W-who are you?”

Mustan asked the woman in the rift once more, seeking her identity.

“I am the fifth Demon King of the Demon Realm. The Lord of Envy. I am Envy.”

A pale hand emerged from the fractured dimension, as though it had never once seen the sun.

“If you take my hand, I shall grant you everything that human you envied possesses.”
“Ah….”

Mustan’s jaw trembled as he gazed at Envy’s hand.

‘A Demon King?’

No, it had to be a Demon King.

Now that overwhelming presence made sense. Only a being who transcended species could dominate someone with mere presence alone, without any aura whatsoever.

‘Is this an opportunity, or….’

The legend came to mind—that Demon Kings and demons granted human wishes in exchange for their souls.

“Then, what must I offer you in return? My soul?”
“You will be with me.”
“Being with you means….”
“You will become one of my servants.”
“You mean I’ll become your subordinate?”
“Yes.”

Envy stated honestly what he desired.

‘A subordinate isn’t so bad, is it?’

After all, my current existence is barely living.

My master’s attention has shifted entirely to Raon, and since he only takes that bastard’s side, I’m wasting away as things stand.

If it didn’t mean losing my soul, this was a condition I could accept.

“Hmm….”

Mustan reached out his arm toward Envy’s hand before stopping. As he gazed at the snow blanketing the ground, the face of his white-haired master came to mind.

‘Perhaps I should ask my master about this.’

Envy’s presence had jolted him awake. He wanted to seek out Lectar once more and ask about his own worth and Raon’s value.

“Please, could you spare me a moment? There’s someone I wish to meet….”
“It’s already too late.”

Just as he was about to refuse, Envy’s hand shot out and seized his own in an iron grip.

“The contract began the moment you called upon me.”

The instant those words left his lips, a suffocating torrent of demonic energy flooded across the back of my hand.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

The deep emerald demonic energy swept aside my aura in an instant, seized control of my mana circuits, and burrowed into the very depths of my soul.

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

Mustan screamed as though his soul were being branded by a red-hot iron.

“Aaaaaahhhhh!”
“Just endure it a little longer. If you can just bear it, you’ll obtain what you’ve desired… hm?”

Envy, about to complete the contract from the outside, suddenly whipped his head toward the peak of Sturrin Mountains.

“Sloth.”

Her crimson lips trembled and curled into a thin smile.

“You were there all along?”

*

*

*

I lifted my head as the messages materialized before me.

[All stats increase by 12 points.]
[An additional 6 points are added due to the winning streak effect.]

All my stats surged by 18 points, and I felt an exhilarating rush as my muscles and mana circuits thrummed with vitality.
My mind was elevated as well, and the fatigue that had accumulated completely vanished.

‘It’s paying out properly, as expected.’

Just as Wrath had said, the system was rewarding me generously in accordance with the stakes of the wager.

-Wait, this is way too much!

Wrath’s eyes widened as he stared at the message.

-The True Demon King only asked for five pineapple pizzas, so why are the stats increasing by eighteen?!

He was howling about it being a fraudulent contract.

‘The system you entrusted me with handled it very fairly. What’s there to complain about?’
-Fair my ass! When the True Demon King returns, I’m destroying that thing first and rebuilding it from scratch.
‘Do as you wish.’

I shrugged and checked the next message that had appeared.

[Trait 【Seolhwa’s Demon Armor】 has been created.]

Another trait bearing Seolhwa’s name. It was oddly fitting for someone who was so fond of flowers.

‘What does this do?’
-D-Demon armor? Is this really insane?!

Seeing Wrath perform his dance of fury, this trait seemed quite exceptional.

【Seolhwa’s Demon Armor】
Harnesses Glacius’s frigid power to fortify both the internal and external structure of the body.

The content was straightforward enough to understand immediately. Seolhwa’s demonic armor possessed a defensive characteristic that reduced both internal and external injuries.

‘Not bad at all.’

Since it operated through chilling energy and wrath, I figured I could wield it without much difficulty.

‘Thank you for letting me borrow this today, my generous host.’

I tilted my head dramatically, teasing Wrath.

-You shall face divine punishment!
‘Divine punishment from a demon? I’m sure the heavens will be delighted to deliver it.’
-Grrr, I mean it, the True Demon King is… huh?

Wrath stopped grinding his teeth and turned his gaze downward along the Mountain.

-Why is that pathetic wretch here? Could it really have happened?

He let out a sharp cry, eyes wide with shock.

‘What is it? Why so sudden….’

I followed Wrath’s gaze, but all I could sense was Sloth’s breathing.

-Running away won’t be possible.

Wrath climbed onto my shoulder, his expression darkening.

-Wake up. And prepare yourself. Something is coming!
‘At least tell me what’s coming!’

I tried to look at Wrath to ask who it was, but I felt an overwhelming presence above my head—as vast as the sky itself.

‘This is….’

My jaw trembled as I lifted my gaze. A tall girl hovered in the air above me.
The moment our eyes met—this girl who seemed so utterly out of place in this location—my soul shattered like glass under an incomprehensible impact.

‘Could it be….’

Only twice had I felt a resonance of souls this profound—when I encountered Wrath and Sloth. This woman appeared to be a Demon Lord of the Demon Realm, just like those two.

I trembled as I examined the Charm Girl more carefully.

Despite her youthful appearance, her frame was slender and elongated like a flower stem. Perhaps it was the golden ornaments adorning her wrists and ankles—she radiated an atmosphere of both dreamlike enchantment and mystery.

From her deep emerald eyes flowed an intense torrent of emotion. Not directed at an individual, but at this entire world—a jealousy so profound and consuming that my heart felt as though it would burst when I glimpsed the depths of that sentiment.

‘…Could that be Envy?’

The only figure whose eyes could contain such emotion was Envy, the Demon Lord of Jealousy.

-Indeed it is.

Wrath furrowed his brow deeply.

-That foolish jealous wretch must have caused trouble.

At those words, I looked at Envy again. Behind her floated Mustan, his expression vacant and hollow.

‘He summoned her?’
-As I mentioned before, he was on the verge of crossing the Barrier. His emotions should have subsided after your blow, but something must have happened after he awakened.
‘Damn it….’

The thought crossed my mind that I should have struck harder, but it was too late now. I had to find a way out of this place, no matter what.

Roooooar!

As Envy descended slowly, the Barrier that Sloth had erected surged upward, blocking her path.

“Sloth’s Barrier? I thought I was mistaken about sensing it.”

Envy, unfazed like Wrath, extended her hand as if she had sensed Sloth’s Barrier.

Crackle!

As the deep emerald aura bloomed from her palm and surged forward like a serpent, Sloth’s Barrier of black energy twisted diagonally.

“What?”

Envy descended lightly onto the peak and tilted her head upon seeing me standing beside Sloth.

“Why is a mere human in this place?”

Her pupils swept across my entire body like a serpent’s tongue.

“I don’t sense any jealousy from you at all—just garbage. Though I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere….”

Envy narrowed her eyes before clapping her hands lightly together.

“Ah!”

She nodded and broke into a sweet smile.

“So it’s you. The one who received this child’s jealousy.”

Envy pointed to Mustan behind her and licked her lips.

“I was planning to just satisfy my greed moderately and move on, but to meet like this… how unfortunate for you.”
“Ugh….”

I bit my lip and lowered my stance.

‘Killing intent?’

Envy’s atmosphere shifted abruptly. The playful laughter of a teenage girl twisted into something monstrous—a demon of the battlefield shrouded in murderous intent.

She hadn’t even released her aura. Merely by shifting her emotions, a throbbing pain bloomed in my mind.

‘I have to endure this somehow.’

I rolled my eyes while operating the Ring of Fire and Manhwagong. Sloth remained motionless beside me, sleeping soundly.

‘Why isn’t he waking up? This is a dangerous situation!’
-Even Envy cannot kill Sloth in a single strike. That means there is no danger yet.

Wrath shook his head, telling me not to try to understand Sloth.

“Consider yourself unlucky.”

Envy’s clear voice rang out as he waved his hand with a casual motion that belied the tremendous surge of power flowing through it.

A deafening roar echoed across the sky.

The sensation of the heavens pressing down upon my entire body. A wave of terror crashed over me—the fear of being reduced to a handful of blood and vanishing from this world.

‘But this feeling….’

I had experienced it before.

The memory of Sword Ghost unleashing a sword strike wrapped in ten thousand blades surged back to life.

I activated the Rings of Fire with maximum intensity. Seven rings spun with the most precise rotation yet, drawing me into a realm of absolute focus.

-You fool. If you want to block it, awaken your wrath!

Wrath shouted that at my current level, I couldn’t safely block that attack without summoning rage. Since we shared the same emotion as Demon Kings, it seemed we could cancel each other out.

‘…No.’

I bit my lip until it bled.

‘I can’t use it now.’

To survive, I needed to preserve my trump cards. This was not the moment to reveal my wrath and sloth.

“Ugh….”

Trusting in my grown strength, I planted my feet firmly and drew the Heavenly Sword.

‘There’s no time to deflect or redirect it.’

I hadn’t expected the attack to come so immediately, and even in the realm of absolute focus, time was running out. Defense was my only option now.

I gripped the flat of the Heavenly Sword with both hands and thrust upward from below.

A tremendous clash erupted.

The Flame Barrier, the Manhwagong’s supreme defensive technique, blazed along the blade’s spine, spewing crimson flames. Not destructive fire, but protective flames born to shield their master, surging forth to forge a magnificent wall of inferno.

Whoooooosh!

I didn’t stop even after summoning the Flame Barrier Wall. I infused the rising shield of flames with the essence of both the heavy and light sword techniques. I abandoned softness and fluidity, focusing solely on defense.

Crash!

Envy’s deep green aura collided with the flames of the Barrier Wall, and the entire Sturrin Mountains trembled. A scorching heat that seemed to melt all the snow blanketing the mountain spread in every direction.

‘Ugh!’

Even though I was drawing up every ounce of aura from my core, my shoulders felt like they were being crushed.
With no technique whatsoever, just pure force bearing down—the impact was absurdly overwhelming.

-You fool! Use Wrath already!
‘Not yet.’

This isn’t a crisis yet.

I strengthened my legs that felt ready to buckle and extracted every bit of heat from Manhwagong. Enduring the searing pain as if my mana circuits were burning, I pushed back the deep green aura.

Crash!

The ice sheet at the peak of Sturrin Mountains shattered like a spider web, and Envy’s aura melted away without piercing through the Barrier Wall’s flames.

“Huh?”

Envy let out a hollow laugh and tilted her head slightly. Her eyes narrowed in irritation.

“You blocked that?”

In her palm, an aura far more dizzying than before began to gather.

-You’re just going to block that? Do you really want to die a dog’s death?!

Wrath flew up in front of my face, his lips trembling.

-Envy is targeting Sloth. Even if Sloth wakes up now, he won’t save you. He’ll rampage and crush you first!
‘Then what do you suggest?’
-There’s only one way for you to survive here. Surrender your body to the True Demon King!

The creature’s lips curled upward in an expression that was neither laughter nor a smile.

-Envy is different from Sloth, who finds thinking troublesome. I won’t be able to get past him with mere words like before!

Wrath said that things wouldn’t go as smoothly as they had with Sloth, urging me to surrender my body quickly.

‘If you enter my body, you’ll go berserk too. That means three Demon Kings clashing, so what happens to Lower Castle?’
-That old man is there, so we might hold out for a brief moment, but quite a few will die.

He said the aftermath of the power would be too massive to contain.

-Still, the True Demon King will try his best to regain consciousness as quickly as possible. After all, my subordinates are there.
‘Just one more thing.’

I swallowed dryly and opened my mouth.

‘You said there’s a natural barrier in Lower Castle made from the blood of humans and monsters. Does that break too?’
-Of course it shatters. The lizards will probably burst out and cause chaos.

Wrath shook his head, saying there was no helping it in this situation.

‘Then that won’t work.’

I shook my head. To save the people in Lower Castle, such an outcome could never be allowed to happen.

-You stupid bastard! Envy may be vile and pathetic, but he’s not an idiot! Your words won’t work on him! Hand over your body now!

Wrath grabbed my collar and shook me, saying there was no time.

‘Words… Ah!’

The method I’d used to overcome Sloth before and the information about Envy I’d learned through Wrath clicked together like gears, and the only way to survive here and now suddenly became clear.

“Making a trash without jealousy move twice.”

Just as Envy was about to make his second gesture, I stepped forward toward her instead.

“That’s enough.”
“A worm like you dares to speak now….”
“You’ve finally given me permission.”

I summoned forth the wrath I had never unleashed even in the face of death.

Goooooo!

Fury bound in cyan malice coiled around my soul, baring sharp fangs at Envy.

“W-wrath? Why would you possess wrath….”
“Lord of Envy, Envy. I am but a vessel serving the Lord of Wrath.”

At those words, Envy’s advancing hand froze in place.

-You fool! That won’t work!
‘I have no intention of stopping here.’

I swallowed the blood rising to my throat and dimmed my gaze.

“A vessel of wrath? Why would Wrath’s servant be in Sloth’s domain?”
“This land belongs to Lord Wrath.”
“You’ve lost your mind. Sloth is right here!”
“He too is under Lord Wrath’s command.”
“What do you mean by—”
-What the heeeeell?

Envy and Wrath’s eyes widened simultaneously.

“Lord of Sloth, Sloth has already come under Lord Wrath’s authority.”

A crimson gleam flickered in my eyes, melting jealousy itself.

-You scheming bastard! What are you plotting this time!

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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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