The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 499

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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 499

“Haah….”

Mark Goeten fell to his knees, breathing heavily. After releasing a roar of anguish that purged all the accumulated frustration from his heart, his chest felt as though a great weight had lifted from it.
It was as if a decade-long stagnation had finally broken free in a single moment.

‘I’ve finally ascended.’

To the intermediate Master realm.

For nearly twenty years, I had remained stagnant at that threshold.
Even as my seniors, peers, and juniors surged ahead, I stayed fixed in place—until now, when I finally shattered that barrier and climbed one precious step forward.

‘Yes. Just a single step.’

To others, it might seem like an insignificant rung, but to me, it was worth more than life itself.

‘I made the right choice following him.’

Meeting Raon was the first stroke of fortune I had ever experienced in my life.
It was fortunate that I abandoned what little pride and honor remained and grasped at his coattails.

‘Without that, I would never have felt what I feel now.’

The refreshing breeze that cooled my sweat after pouring everything into my training, the warmth of sharing meals with comrades walking the same path, and the profound satisfaction of breaking through barriers built by accumulated effort.

Through Raon, I rediscovered emotions I had forgotten long ago.
Even now, I believe that choosing to follow in his footsteps was the greatest decision of my life.

‘Thank you. Truly….’

Mark Goeten offered his gratitude to Raon, who was not present here, and closed his eyes.
As I felt the rhythmic breath of the dantian pulsing like a heartbeat, the sound of clashing blades echoed from behind.

“Ah!”

Mark Goeten’s eyes snapped open.

‘That’s right. This wasn’t the time to be distracted!’

The situation wasn’t over yet. There was no time to hesitate here if I wanted to save my Gwangpung Corps comrades.

“Ugh!”

As I tried to stand, unbearable pain surged through me. My flanks and thighs were torn open, and internal injuries left me dizzy with agony, but this wasn’t the moment to dwell on such things. I forced my body upright and turned to look behind me.

“Huh….”

The moment Mark Goeten turned around, his eyes widened in shock.

‘It’s all over…?’

All the Master-rank swordsmen who had come with the Holy Sword Union Master’s disciples were dead, and only three of the Water God Guards remained.
They too bore grievous wounds and seemed on the verge of their final breath.

The White Blood Cult members who had swarmed like ants were all dead, their bodies pierced through by shards of frost.

“When did this….”
“Did I do well?”

As Mark Goeten’s lips trembled, Burren approached from the side.

“Burren? No, you…!”

Burren’s condition was far from normal. His entire body was covered in wounds, and he appeared to have sustained internal injuries as well, yet his eyes blazed with a radiance that hadn’t been there before.

His very aura had transformed. Such a change would have been impossible without breaking through the wall and ascending to a new realm.

“Did you reach Master rank?”
“Yes. And it’s not just me.”

Burren broke into a rare, broad smile and raised his hand. Following his gesture, I saw Lunan Slion sitting collapsed on the ground.

‘His injuries are severe. But….’

Lunan Slion’s injuries were more severe than Burren Zigheart’s. Flesh had been torn away, leaving her waist and shoulders completely soaked in blood.

Yet the energy radiating from her was qualitatively different from before. What had once been a gentle aura like a tranquil lake now undulated like a turbulent sea.

“Both of you became Masters?”
“It just happened that way. Though we nearly died in the process.”

Burren Zigheart let out a hollow laugh as he examined the sword scars etched across his body.

“So that’s what he meant by that.”

I had been too focused on the battle to pay attention, but now I finally understood why Valben had said the situation had gone awry.

“Gahhhhh!”
“Ugh….”

The last of the Water God Guards’ necks flew, and their hearts were pierced through.

Ensia’s and Deningrose’s guards had also eliminated the Holy Sword Association’s swordsmen, so there were no enemies left standing.

“We… we won….”

Crain wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and collapsed onto his back.

“Phew, I thought we were done for.”

Dorian carefully set Martha down and wiped away the cold sweat from his brow.

“Ahhhhhhh!”
“We won!”
“You bastards! This is Zigheart, and we are the Gwangpung Corps!”
“Oma dares to defy us….”

The Gwangpung Corps raised their fists in celebration of victory.
Yet they too were greatly exhausted, their voices and raised fists lacking strength.

“Hmm….”

Lunan Slion staggered to her feet. Despite being the most severely wounded, she approached Burren Zigheart and Mark Goeten with a composed expression.

“Lunan, Lunan!”
“You’ve taken this much damage….”

Burren Zigheart and Mark Goeten trembled as they witnessed Lunan Slion’s injuries up close. The wounds were far more severe than anticipated—it was a miracle she had survived at all.

“I’m, I’m sorry. I should have ended my fight faster….”
“So should I. I was too absorbed in my own battle.”

Both men clenched their teeth as they gazed upon Lunan’s wounds, which looked as though she’d been mauled by a beast. Those scars would likely leave permanent marks even after receiving treatment from a saint.

“You did well.”

Yet Lunan harbored no resentment. Her trembling hand, quivering from the pain, rose to gently tap the shoulders of Burren Zigheart and Mark Goeten.

“No one died.”

She turned and gestured toward the Gwangpung Corps. Though not a single person had escaped unscathed, she nodded, affirming that everyone had survived.

“The Rakshasa woman is safe too.”

Lunan bore the most severe wounds of anyone present, yet her smile radiated warmth—a smile unmarred by even the slightest shadow of doubt.

“You….”

Burren Zigheart swallowed hard as he gazed into Lunan’s transparent eyes.

‘Is this really Lunan?’

Lunan had always been the most isolated member of the Gwangpung Corps.
He’d believed she gave her affection only to Raon, showing no warmth toward anyone else—yet here she was, rejoicing more than anyone else that the Gwangpung Corps had survived.
Witnessing the transformation of someone he’d known since childhood stirred an ache in his chest and a sting at the bridge of his nose.

“Ugh! I told you not to move!”

Ensia rushed over from behind, seized Lunan, and began frantically scattering white powder from her hand.

“It hurts.”
“Bear with it! I need to stop the bleeding and apply regeneration potion!”

Ensia alternated between applying hemostatic powder and holy water to Lunan Slion, while Deningrose fed him some unknown medicine.

“You two should receive treatment as well.”

Deningrose handed internal injury medicine to Burren Zigheart and Mark Goeten before pulling Lunan Slion away alongside Ensia.

“Is it because of that man? Everything’s changing…hm?”

As Burren Zigheart watched Lunan Slion being dragged away with a hollow laugh, he heard a sniffling sound from beside him.
Turning his head, he saw tears the size of sesame seeds falling from Mark Goeten’s sharp eyes.

“M-Mark?”
“Ugh….”
“Are you crying again?”
“N-No.”

Mark Goeten wiped his eyes with his sleeve and shook his head.

‘I can’t hold it back.’

The hand that had grasped his shoulder moments ago when Lunan Slion said he had worked hard was so warm. It carried a kindness that reminded him of his former comrades.

He had joined the Gwangpung Corps late, and the age gap between him and the other members made it difficult to fit in.
Since being in the same space and organization didn’t necessarily make one a true comrade, he had harbored a subtle sense of isolation—but Lunan Slion’s single word had washed away all that sorrow.
Now, for the first time, he felt as though he truly belonged to the Gwangpung Corps.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Burren Zigheart, understanding Mark Goeten’s heart, offered a gentle smile and patted his back.

“No, but what do we do now?”

Mark Goeten rubbed his reddened eyes and turned to face Burren Zigheart.

“Should we wait for Raon here? Or should we chase after him now….”
“No.”

Burren Zigheart raised his chin to gaze at Barene. The spire crumbled, and buildings collapsed. The battle of the transcendents was still not over.

“We should leave this place as quickly as possible.”

Whether it was Raon or Barene, going after them wouldn’t help. I was concerned about the Heavenly Sword Squad and Rimer, but our immediate priority was to escape this location.

“Especially that monster—there’s absolutely no need to worry about him.”

Burren glanced back in the direction Raon had disappeared, then shook his head.

“That’s right.”

Lunan Slion, who had returned at some point, nodded in agreement. Her face, pale as if dusted with flour, blinked wearily.

“Once we get to Camelrun and eat some ice cream, he’ll catch up with us.”

She spoke with absolute certainty.

“I share the same thought. Someone like him will catch up on his own.”

Deningrose nodded, looking at Lunan Slion.

“But….”

Ensia’s fingertips trembled as she gazed toward where Raon had vanished.

“The Lord will be fine. There’s no need to worry….”
“Even Raon, who surpasses the Holy Sword Union Master’s disciple, should be fine, yet we can’t even capture that on camera. Ugh!”

Just as Mark Goeten was about to tell Ensia to trust Raon, she let out a deep sigh.

“Hmm….”

Burren shook his head firmly and clapped his hands.

“Everyone, stand up! We’re leaving this place immediately!”

*

*

*

Kuwaaaaang!

The shockwave erupting from the collision of their drawn-sword techniques tore across the darkened earth.
Raon retreated five steps, but Cloud was pushed back only three.

Tsk.

I narrowed my eyes as I gazed at the cratered ground beneath my feet.

‘So he does have the advantage in direct confrontation.’

I drew my drawn-sword technique simultaneously, but his blade was faster and more ferocious.
Though I surpassed him in physical strength and agility, the gap in realm was clearly a decisive factor.

“Is that all you have?”

Cloud lowered his sword with ease, a smirk playing at his lips.
Not carelessness—he was deliberately provoking me, his expression dripping with arrogance as if he stood far above me.

“Your tongue seems sharper than your blade.”
“Only lions go all out from the start. I’m a dragon.”

I spun the Heavenly Sword with a shrug of my shoulders.

“You’re overflowing with composure. Aren’t you concerned about those you left behind?”

He rolled his eyes toward the direction where I’d left the Gwangpung Corps, his smile widening.

“By now, your subordinates’ heads should be rolling one by one.”
“I didn’t raise those bastards to be that weak.”

I lifted the Heavenly Sword. Flames of thermal aura blazed across the silver-grey blade, their serene flow illuminating the pitch-black darkness with ethereal beauty.

“Stop worrying about others’ children and focus on your own survival.”
“A man with flowers blooming in his head, I see.”

Cloud furrowed his brow and pushed off the ground. Though it appeared to be a light thrust against the floor, the tremor that reached me was devastatingly swift.
In an instant, he crossed the space between us and brought his blade down from above in a cutting arc.

‘A heavy strike?’

My shoulders buckled under the weight, my legs growing heavy. The sword strike cascading down upon my head carried the crushing force of a mountain.

His swift and powerful strikes from the footwork technique had been formidable, but this heavy technique surpassed them entirely.
A direct block would have caused internal injury, so I pivoted my body to the right and applied the subtle principles of flowing deflection along the Heavenly Sword.

Screeeech!

Just as the Heavenly Sword was about to redirect Cloud’s strike, his blade twisted like a serpent’s head and drove toward my chest.

‘This is….’

A severing strike?

In a heartbeat, the heavy technique transformed into a severing strike, creating a crack in my flowing defense. I hadn’t anticipated such rapid transitions in sword technique.

‘No time to block.’

The Heavenly Sword was angled downward, leaving insufficient time to intercept Cloud’s blade.
I hastily arched my torso backward. Cloud’s sword grazed my forehead, and my bangs were severed clean away.

“You’re quite skilled at running away.”

Cloud let out a derisive laugh and twisted his wrist. The blade that had been cutting through empty air bent unnaturally and fell sharply toward Raon’s neck—a swift and precise thrust.

I channeled the heat of Manhwagong through the mana circuits in my waist and thighs, raising the Heavenly Sword to meet the strike.

Claaang!

The second form of the Snowwind Sword technique, infused with the principles of the severing strike, harshly repelled Cloud’s blade.
But my center was off, and I couldn’t absorb the full impact. A sharp pain flared through my waist.

“You….”

I stepped back and narrowed my eyes as I regarded Cloud.

“Have you mastered the Ten Thousand Sword Techniques?”

Only those who trained in the Ten Thousand Sword Techniques could employ multiple sword arts and transition between them so fluidly.

“How presumptuous of you to even know of the Ten Thousand Sword Techniques.”

Cloud nodded as he rested his blade across his shoulder.

“Indeed. I walk the path of the Ten Thousand Sword Techniques, following in the footsteps of the Rion Lord. No matter what mysteries your swordsmanship holds, they cannot reach me.”

He flicked his fingers, signaling that the finished battle should not be prolonged—come at him now.

“How entertaining.”

I let out a faint laugh and stepped into the Heavenly Harmony Stance.

“All you can do is charge in like a wild boar.”

Cloud laughed coldly and drove his blade downward from his shoulder. The sword strike, shattering the wind itself, descended with such devastating speed that my body felt pulled toward it.

‘Swift sword technique combined with suction. But….’

Speed could be suppressed by slowness and precision.

I thrust the Heavenly Sword forward. Compared to Cloud’s swift strike, my speed seemed sluggish—a different dimension entirely.
Yet my blade had already claimed the most critical space.

Clang!

Cloud’s sword collided with the Heavenly Sword before it could fully gather force, and it bounced away.

“This bastard….”

He furrowed his brow in disbelief and brought his blade down once more.
A violent explosion erupted across the blade’s surface. The aura burst like magic, and the explosive sword technique rippled along the flow of the strong blade.

Boom!

Even as I witnessed the explosion tearing through space itself, I did not retreat. Instead, I pressed forward.

‘Explosive Sword and Strong Sword techniques should be enough to block this.’

I wrapped confidence in myself around the Heavenly Sword and raised my wrist. As I swept upward from the earth, I wove the subtleties of Medium Sword and Shield Sword into the cutting edge of the Snow Wind Sword technique that surged forth.

Crash!

Blade clashed against blade, and a tremendous shockwave swept across the surroundings.

The two swordsmen, having torn through the earth, were hurled back through the gray dust. This time, however, I retreated four steps while Cloud retreated three.

“You… surely not…?”

Cloud’s eyes blazed with killing intent as his lips twisted into a grimace.

“That’s right.”

I nodded without waiting for Cloud to finish his thought.

“I’m also mastering the Ten Thousand Swords technique.”

I continued with a mocking smile.

“It’s hilarious watching you strut about as if you’re the only one who’s achieved the Ten Thousand Swords.”
“You wretched bastard…!”

Cloud’s killing intent surged as he ground his teeth together.
Yet he didn’t make the foolish mistake of charging recklessly. He hadn’t reached Grand Master for nothing, it seemed.

“Now I understand why Rion Lord and the Blood Sword Master said your talent was special. It’s because you’re mastering the Ten Thousand Swords. But…!”

He scraped the ground lightly with his foot, his words dripping with provocation.

“Our talents are in a different league!”

Cloud surged forward, his desire for talent—or perhaps his inferiority complex—laid bare. The subtleties of Swift Sword and Illusory Sword were woven into his footwork. Despite his twisted nature, his martial technique was clearly well-honed.
The subtle principles of quick inspection and thorough inspection that permeate even the law itself. Despite their clashing personalities, it seemed he had trained his martial skills as properly as Muhak.

Ding!

Cloud, who had split his body into three illusions using the subtleties of Phantom Sword technique, merged back into one from the right. Simultaneously, the blade that extended forth carried within it the mysteries of both Broken Sword and Collision Sword.

‘The power is formidable.’

I exhaled a low breath and unfurled the Silver Wind Reversal, a supreme technique of the Snowwind Sword Art, against Cloud’s blade strike.

Kuwaaaaang!

A robust cutting technique mystery that surged forth with silver wind came crashing down upon Cloud’s sword. The fractured blade struck the ground and erupted in a tremendous explosion.

‘Now.’

I seized that opening and penetrated Cloud’s space. I unleashed the opening techniques of the Snowwind Sword Art in rapid succession, applying relentless pressure, but he, true to his training as a master of ten thousand swords, escaped the offensive by channeling the mystery of an unyielding heavy sword.

Zzzzzzzzzzzt!

Though we fought with similar levels of aura, Cloud’s blade strikes, backed by a higher realm, gradually revealed superiority. Without the stat gains from the system and the Ring of Fire, I would have been overwhelmed long ago.

‘Indeed, the wall of a Grand Master is formidable.’

As I felt the exceptional nature of a Grand Master and steadied my blade, Cloud lifted his sword toward the heavens.

“Let me show you why I am in a different class from you.”

Cloud carved through the frozen earth with a sneer playing at his lips. His sword curved in a form I seemed to have witnessed before, summoning a fierce wind.

‘Could it be….’

I widened my eyes and raised the Heavenly Sword. Just as I was about to unfold the Light Sword technique, the wind coiling around Cloud’s blade strike severed the flow of my Sensory Sword and came crashing in.

Zzzzzzzzzzng!

The power of a cutting technique that severed swordsmanship itself. It was a movement strikingly similar to the techniques of the Snowwind Sword Art.

“Did you see?”

Cloud raised his chin as he summoned wind once more.

“I can replicate your sword techniques as easily as I wish. No, I can unfold them with even greater power.”

He seemed intent on shattering my spirit, so he recreated the Silver Wind Reversal Flow—a technique he’d demonstrated once before—but this time with an even more powerful current.

Whoooosh!

The scraping gale tore away the aura clinging to the Heavenly Sword, shredding it like skin being flayed.

“Do you feel it now? What true talent really is? I’ll take that dragon’s title you’ve been given in this place.”
“Experiencing it from the opponent’s perspective… so this is what it feels like.”

Raon slowly lifted his head. A crimson gleam of exhilaration bloomed in his glistening eyes.

“You’ve got plenty for me to devour.”

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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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