The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 442

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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 442

I sprinted toward the passage where the Cheoljeon Unit had last been spotted, flicking my fingertips as I ran.

‘The trail vanished abruptly on the road, they said.’

According to the information booklet Chad had provided, the Cheoljeon Unit had spent a night in Roilan Village before disappearing entirely on their way back.

The fact that Master-tier Trevin and the entire Cheoljeon Unit had vanished without leaving a single trace made it clear that some special power or artifact was at work.

‘I need to figure out what it is….’

But right now, I had no answers.

Since the Cheoljeon Unit’s disappearance had occurred at dawn, there was too little information to solve this mystery.

Rion’s lips were slightly parched as he narrowed his eyes.

‘Marun and Binghyang.’

The two floor masters of the Black Tower that the Bi-Yeon Society had investigated were demons with the aliases Marun and Binghyang respectively.

Despite his name, Marun wielded two pairs of wheels that shone with such a pure white light they seemed almost sacred. However, when he manipulates more than fifty percent of his demonic energy, the wheels’ color darkens to a murky deep-sea hue, unleashing power that operates on an entirely different level.

Binghyang, on the other hand, lived up to her name by controlling water-attribute energy with the freedom of her own body. There was a strange rumor that when she unleashed her true power, a fragrance emanated from the cold, and anyone who caught that scent would die before taking five steps.

‘Both of them rank above the Black Tower Master.’

The Black Tower’s hierarchy was determined by which floor one belonged to, and both Marun and Binghyang were known to operate from higher floors than the Black Tower Master I had dealt with.

Since both Marun and Binghyang had been notorious demons for quite some time, subduing the Cheoljeon Unit wouldn’t have been particularly difficult. Either one of them alone could have annihilated the entire unit.

‘But….’

No matter how powerful Marun and Binghyang were, making the Cheoljeon Unit vanish without leaving any trace was beyond their capabilities.

‘One of them. Or perhaps both of them have acquired new abilities.’

Even the elite information network of the Bi-Yeon Society couldn’t discern how the Cheoljeon Unit vanished, so I had to gather intelligence as quickly as possible.

I decided to start from here.

I activated the Ring of Fire and Seolhwa’s senses simultaneously.

Whoooooom!

The resonating Ring of Fire and the sharp flow of the Demon King’s technique meshed together like gears. As internal and external mana unified, my vision and perception expanded several times over, as if a blind man had suddenly opened his eyes to the world.

Within the spreading perception, countless presences became apparent.

Below, where the thicket grew dense and the river flowed, I sensed the movements of small wild animals and insects. Above, where the snowy plain stretched white and empty, silence reigned, yet I could hear the faint breathing of animals hibernating beneath the earth.

I expanded my perception further, clenching and unclenching my fists.

Something felt off.

The range had grown beyond what it was before.

My perceptual range had expanded by more than ten percent compared to just before returning to the Family Estate. Since my return, I’d focused solely on sword training rather than aura cultivation, so I couldn’t fathom why this was happening.

Moreover, even while deploying both my perception and footwork at full power, I felt barely any strain. It seemed I could unleash my full strength even if combat erupted right now.

Had they elevated not just my swordsmanship, but my entire martial realm itself?

Glen and Lectar had gone beyond merely teaching sword techniques—they’d expanded the scope of my martial foundation itself.
To achieve such growth in merely a week… it was no wonder they stood at the pinnacle of swordsmen across the Continent.

Yet…

Even with my expanded perception, I detected nothing.

Despite the increased range and sensitivity of my perception, I sensed no demonic energy or traces of combat.

Wrath.

I furrowed my brow and tapped Wrath’s head as he perched on my shoulder.

“Don’t you feel anything?”
-Not particularly until now. But do you really think the True Demon King would tell you even if I did?

He stuck his tongue out with a mocking expression.

“Fair point. You’re that kind of bastard.”

Raon furrowed his brow and flicked Wrath’s extended tongue with his finger.

-Aaah! My ten million gold coin tongue! The tongue of a god!

I left Wrath—a Demon King obsessed with finding divinity—alone and refocused my attention on sensing the energy.

‘Though I did learn something thanks to that bastard.’

Wrath claimed he’d given no hints, but he’d said there was nothing until now. In other words, from the moment I crossed the dimensional gate until this point, there was nothing worth investigating.

I smiled faintly as I watched Wrath rubbing his swollen tongue with tears welling in his eyes.

‘Wrath truly gives without reservation.’

*

*

*

Raon and the Gwangpung Corps rode relentlessly until they arrived at Roilan Village, where the Cheoljeon Unit was last spotted.

“Wow, what kind of village is this?”

Martha squinted as she surveyed Roilan Village.

“Indeed. There’s absolutely no consistency to it.”

Burren Zigheart nodded slightly in agreement with Martha’s observation.

“Tall and short.”

Lunan tilted his head, alternating his gaze between the buildings with steep roofs and those with flat ones.

In truth, it was only natural that the Gwangpung Corps soldiers were so startled.

Roilan Village was a medium-sized settlement—neither particularly large nor small—and true to its position between the Northern Region and Central climates, the architectural styles of the buildings above and below were starkly different.

The Northern structures rose with sharply pitched roofs to prevent snow accumulation, while the Central buildings, where snow never fell, had such blunt angles they appeared almost flat.
To an uninformed observer, it would seem as though two villages from entirely different regions had been forcibly merged.

‘It never ceases to be peculiar.’

I entered Roilan Village, which remained unchanged from my previous visit.
Perhaps because I had learned of the Cheoljeon Unit’s disappearance and the Black Tower’s movements, the village atmosphere was suffused with both foreboding and frenetic activity.

“Welcome.”

Before I could survey the village further, a dark-haired middle-aged man in a yellow robe bearing a small bird emblem at its hem approached and bowed respectfully.

“I am Lugen, the Eighth External Eye of the Bi-Yeon Society.”

He murmured softly that he was an external intelligence operative for the Bi-Yeon Society. Though I could sense it from his attire and demeanor, I had heard from Chad that there would be someone to assist me, so I nodded immediately.

“I am Raon Zigheart, Commander of the Gwangpung Corps.”
“It is an honor to meet you.”

Lugen nodded with eyes burning with genuine sincerity.

“What is the current situation?”
“It likely differs little from the information you received previously.”

He sighed, explaining that though he had been combing through Roilan Village and its surroundings meticulously, nothing had actually changed.

“I have searched every single villager and every building, but nothing unusual has surfaced.”
“The Black Tower’s members have not appeared here?”
“Correct. No one has even seen a black robe itself.”

The Black Tower’s distinguishing feature is their dark robes that seem to wrap them in shadow. Lugen shook his head, confirming that the Black Tower had not appeared here at all.

“Does that even make sense?”

Martha furrowed her brow, sweeping her gaze across the village from left to right.

“The Black Tower bastards emerged from around here too, didn’t they!”
“Yes, that’s correct.”

Lugen nodded without hesitation, clearly already familiar with Martha’s temperament.

“The Cheoljeon Unit was last spotted not far from here either, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then how is it that only the people in this village don’t know anything about it!”

Martha rolled her sharp eyes, unable to make sense of the situation no matter how she thought about it.

“There’s definitely someone who knows. Let’s just find that one person.”
“How are you planning to find them?”

I sighed as I watched Martha snap her fingers.

“What do you mean ‘how’? Obviously we beat it out of them. There’s nothing that can’t be solved by beating someone up!”

Martha shouted something I’d heard before, requesting permission to proceed.

“Truly impressive.”

Lunan gave Martha a thumbs up in praise. But then he tilted that thumb downward as he continued speaking.

“Only a demon woman could come up with such a stupid idea.”
“You sluggish bastard!”
“Hmph.”

Martha and Lunan began kicking at each other and started fighting.

I shook my head and closed my eyes. I drew upon Wrath to heighten Seolhwa’s senses to their maximum. Feeling my skin spread across the air, I scraped through the entire village searching for any traces of the Cheoljeon Unit and the Black Tower.

‘As expected, nothing.’

Just as Lugen had said, I sensed neither the presence of the Cheoljeon Unit nor the demonic energy of the Black Tower. Neither had left any traces in this place.

I opened my eyes. Martha and Lunan were now locked in a hand-to-hand test of strength.

“Stop.”

I raised my palm to separate the two men and shook my head.

“Beating someone for information just because you’re in a hurry isn’t a good approach. I doubt beating them will even yield any information.”
“Uh…?”
“What?”

At my words, the Gwangpung Corps swordsmen lifted their dazed eyes.

‘Wait, isn’t that what you do all the time!’
‘You did it to us too, not just enemies!’
‘Whenever things don’t go well, you wonder if we need more beatings!’

The Gwangpung Corps swordsmen recalled all the words and deeds Raon had shown until now and dropped their jaws, but Raon paid them no mind.

“Enough. We’re heading out again. Get ready.”

I gestured to the Gwangpung Corps and approached Lugen behind me.

“Could you guide us to the place where the Cheoljeon Unit’s last traces remain?”
“It’s quite a distance from here. Would that be alright?”
“It’s fine.”
“Then let’s depart immediately.”

Lugen nodded and exited the village, moving with a lightness technique. His raw power didn’t seem particularly impressive, but his footwork alone was so swift and graceful that he appeared to be a master of the art.

Following behind him, I opened my senses to their maximum. I observed the flow of wind, the movements of animals and people, and the disturbances in energy.

Yet both the forest and the snowy plain were nothing but peace itself. I found nothing until Lugen finally came to a halt.

“This is the place.”

Lugen exhaled roughly and pointed ahead. A small path came into view, slightly off the main road of Hopiren.
Above lay a lake frozen in a pale black hue, while below, a clear lake shimmered as it caught the descending sunlight.

A small, narrow path crossing between the two starkly contrasting lakes—a beautiful spectacle that would make anyone, not just the Cheoljeon Unit, pause in their tracks.

“The Cheoljeon Unit’s traces ended here for the last time. However….”

Lugen trailed off mid-explanation and turned his gaze elsewhere. Swordsmen clad in gray uniforms emerged from the passage between the lakes he had pointed to.

Their eyes were as sharp and resolute as a blade honed by a master craftsman, and their emblems bore an inverted flaming sword. They were the White Lotus Society swordsmen Glen had summoned first.

Due to the nature of their leadership, the White Lotus Society was always patrolling the exterior, so encountering them like this was the first time since the Eden Branch assault.

I assessed the swordsmen’s presence and clicked my tongue softly.

‘They’re certainly formidable.’

Because they repeated nothing but combat and missions in the field, the White Lotus Society carried a fiercer aura than the Cheoljeon Unit, though they were stronger.

‘However….’

They died far more often.

Not everyone could become a hero. While those who survived grew stronger, far more swordsmen perished unable to endure it, which is why the White Lotus Society constantly requests large numbers of personnel. Among the swordsmen visible now, only one face was familiar.

“The White Lotus Society.”
“They said they were coming too….”
“Why are they staring like that? Are they looking for trouble?”

The Gwangpung Corps also recognized the White Lotus Society and clicked their tongues.

“The Gwangpung Unit? Why are they here?”
“They said they were additionally deployed for this mission.”
“Deployed? What would they be used for?”
“And they’re not the Gwangpung Unit anymore—they’re the Gwangpung Corps now.”
“Ah, right, they got promoted.”

The White Lotus Society also recognized the Gwangpung Corps and narrowed their eyes slightly. An unsettling quality emanated from their tone.

‘How pointless.’

I exhaled briefly and approached the White Lotus Society swordsmen.

“Where is the commander?”
“Where did he go, I wonder?”

A swordmaster who appeared to be the squad leader whistled and shook his head dismissively.

With time running short, I had no desire to waste energy on pointless posturing, but the White Lotus Society seemed to have other ideas. It appeared they believed the Gwangpung Unit had volunteered for this mission to steal their glory.

“You….”
“Hey! You bastard!”

As I furrowed my brow, a barrage of curses erupted from behind me. The culprit was naturally Martha.

“Do you have no respect? Can’t you see our commander? Huh?”
“Uh….”

The squad leader swordmaster hadn’t expected to be cursed at so suddenly and widened his eyes in shock.

“He knows the Gwangpung Unit was promoted, yet he’s still starting trouble. He’s asking to die.”

Martha glared at the White Lotus Society swordmasters with fierce, gleaming eyes as if she might charge at them at any moment.

“Well done.”

Lunan, rarely showing such sincerity, gave Martha genuine applause and nodded his head.

“That rat-faced bastard….”
“I’ll rip his limbs off.”
“If you don’t want to die, keep your mouth shut.”

It wasn’t just Martha and Lunan. The entire Gwangpung Unit glared at the White Lotus Society with eyes gleaming with wet madness, ready to tear them apart at any moment. One more provocation and they would charge without hesitation.

“Stop.”

Under normal circumstances, I would have let the Gwangpung Unit have their way, but time was precious now. I needed to discuss matters with the White Lotus Society commander and move forward immediately.

“Tell me. Where is he?”

I didn’t even need to raise my presence. The squad leader, his spirit broken by the Gwangpung Unit’s madness, trembled and pointed toward the lakeside below.

Following his gesture, I spotted a tall man standing at the center of the White Lotus Society swordmasters.

His shoulders were broad as a whale’s, and his jaw was angular. His appearance evoked mythical titans, but his true power lay in his aura. A presence as heavy as a colossal mountain itself pressed down upon everything around him.

I didn’t channel my aura. I simply endured Airand’s overwhelming presence through sheer willpower, bowing my head.

“I greet the White Lotus Society Master.”
“It’s been a while, Commander of the Gwangpung Corps.”

Airand nodded slowly. Unlike the other White Lotus Society swordsmen, he didn’t openly express his displeasure at not monopolizing the mission, but the murky glint in his eyes made it clear he viewed me unfavorably.

‘There’s no reason for him to welcome us anyway.’

For now, all that mattered was finding the Cheoljeon Unit, so I decided not to dwell on it.

“The traces of the Cheoljeon Unit vanish at this location.”

He clicked his tongue softly while gazing toward the lakeside.

“There are no signs of combat, and no bodies have surfaced around the lake. It’s peculiar. However, regardless of what force might have been at work, they couldn’t have left the Hopiren region itself.”

Airand turned his gaze toward me.

“The best search method is simple. Spread one member each from the Gwangpung Corps and White Lotus Society to search all of Hopiren. If the swordsmen move in pairs, we can cover everything before dawn.”

He nodded, stating that this was the only way to find traces of the Cheoljeon Unit in this land.

“First, you head east. Search thoroughly from the entrance….”
“I’m sorry, but I refuse.”

I shook my head as Airand was about to unfold the map. Spreading our forces one by one in a situation like this was absolutely not a good strategy.
Even if we could find traces quickly, the casualties could be severe, so I couldn’t accept it.

“Huh….”
“D-did he just….”

The White Lotus Society swordsmen trembled, their lips quivering as they glanced sideways at Airand, clearly not expecting an outright refusal.

Gooooooo!

Airand crumpled the half-unfolded map in his grip and straightened his posture. A gaze as piercing as the north wind and as heavy as stone bore down upon my soul.

“Say that again. What did you just say?”

His gaze became a fierce aura of energy that pressed down upon my shoulders. Though my skin stung as if a blade were being driven through it, I pushed back with the strength of my soul, fortified by the ring of fire, and stepped forward to face Airand.

“I told you I refuse.”
“You’ve always been fond of saying no, haven’t you?”
“There’s no need to create victims intentionally.”

My crimson eyes clashed with Airand’s gray ones, and the once-tranquil lake began to twist and contort beneath the pressure of our collision.

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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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