The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 502

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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 502

I bit down hard on my lips. My body felt drained of strength, and my vision blurred. If I didn’t regain my composure, I would collapse right here.

‘The recoil is as severe as I heard.’

Rimer and Dogyae had told me that Sword Realm Incarnation was like a lethal weapon.
They advised that using it meant I absolutely had to kill the enemy, or at the very least, end the battle itself.

Only now could I understand why they had said such things.

‘It feels like all my muscles have been torn apart. My core is completely drained.’

My limbs swayed as though I would collapse at any moment. Both the heat and cold from my core were utterly depleted, leaving only the essence of wind and the sanctity blooming from darkness.
If I hadn’t managed to cut Cloud down at the end, I would have been the one defeated instead.

‘Phew….’

Still, I could endure this.

Thanks to my various titles and the recovery effects of Sloth, my stamina and aura were rapidly replenishing. A little more patience and I would recover enough to move normally.

I was more confident than anyone at feigning composure. Hardening my eyes and mouth as if unharmed, I approached Cloud, who knelt with two sword scars carved into his chest.

“Ugh….”

Cloud clawed at the two streaks of sword marks etched across his chest with his fingernails.

“Krraaaagh!”

He could not hold back, letting out a scream carved with excruciating agony.

Looking closely now, no blood flowed from the wounds.
The sword mark drawn from his left shoulder was scorched, the wound seared shut, while the gash torn from his right shoulder was frozen solid with frost.
Because of the burns and frostbite, blood could not flow, but the pain appeared far worse than death itself.

“Aaahhhhgh!”

Blood and foam dribbled from Cloud’s lips. His ruptured eyes, veins burst and rolled back, made him look less like a human and more like a demon.

“This… this monster…”

He forced his head up with trembling effort. His lips quivered with pain as he began to mutter.

“You’re not human. No human could do this…”

Cloud dragged his crimson-stained jaw downward, spitting blood. He spoke of demonic talent and struck the ground with a powerless fist.

-That’s right! Finally, someone who understands!

Wrath nodded eagerly.

-This monster merely wears a human mask—he’s a different species entirely! Not even a Demon Race! Just a madman unto himself!

He tapped my shoulder repeatedly, insisting I should be the True Demon King instead.

“I’m a perfectly normal human. More human than anyone, in fact.”

I answered both Cloud and Wrath simultaneously.

-Don’t make me laugh! The humans the True Demon King has seen don’t look like you!
“That’s… that’s absurd!”

A human and a Demon Lord shook their heads in unison.

“And… you’re wrong about something else.”

Cloud clutched at the wound on his chest, biting his lip.

“The Holy Sword Association didn’t lose to Zigheart. I lost to your talent…”
“Here we go with the talent nonsense again.”

I kicked Cloud’s jaw upward with my right foot.

Crack!

Despite lacking aura and being exhausted, Cloud’s body was naturally powerful—he flew upward the length of my height, blood-soaked teeth scattering from his mouth.

“Kugh…ugh…”

Cloud let out a moan, belatedly covering his mouth where teeth had been knocked loose.

“If you’ve lost, keep your mouth shut.”
-As expected, the Demon King’s talent is truly something.

I pushed Wrath aside as he caressed his jaw, then seized both halves of Cloud’s broken blade in my hands.

“W-what are you doing!”

Cloud dragged his feet backward in retreat. Without aura and with his body shattered, he moved slower than a snail crawling through mud.

He managed only a few steps before his back struck a tree trunk reduced to its base, forcing him to stop.

“Nothing much.”

I exhaled calmly and approached Cloud, whose jaw trembled violently.
Dropping to one knee, I drove the broken blade I held in my right hand into his left shoulder.

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

With Cloud’s protective aura shattered, the blade tore effortlessly through bone and muscle, burrowing deep into his flesh.

“Aaaahhh!”
“Quiet.”

I backhanded Cloud’s jaw as he screamed with a voice that threatened to split his throat. Three more teeth scattered before his mouth finally clamped shut.

“It would be wise not to move.”

This time, I drove the broken sword into his lower abdomen. His entire body convulsed from the agony, but fear of further injury kept him from resisting.

Squelch.

Since I didn’t withdraw the blade, the wound sealed around it, and blood trickled out in the thinnest of streams.

“Kgh…hgh…”

Cloud couldn’t overcome the pain, his eyes rolling back as he released a grotesque moan.

“The blade I drove through your shoulder sits directly above your heart, and the one in your abdomen is lodged beside your dantian.”

I seized Cloud by the hair, my gaze turning glacial.

“Ugh….”

Cloud didn’t dare meet my eyes, lowering his gaze instead. Fear—the kind that brooked no resistance—had taken root in his mind.

“If you move, the blade will pierce either your heart or your dantian.”

I smiled coldly and slammed Cloud’s head against the base of a tree.

-Hmm? You’re not killing him?

Wrath tilted his head in surprise.

-Haven’t you eliminated all those who would become threats in the future?
‘That’s true. But this situation is different.’
-Ah, because of that one.

He glanced toward Barene, where the Holy Sword Master resided, blinking thoughtfully.

‘Right. I can’t predict how that sword-obsessed madman will react.’

Wrath was correct. Since I couldn’t foresee how the Holy Sword Master would respond to his disciple’s death, I had no choice but to keep Cloud alive.

If the Holy Sword Master abandoned all else to seek vengeance for his fallen student, the Gwangpung Corps would face annihilation.

But by keeping Cloud alive, that possibility diminished considerably. Even a disciple who suffered such a devastating defeat—one who had reached Grand Master—wouldn’t be abandoned.

Not much time had passed since this incident erupted. News of what transpired here likely hadn’t reached Zigheart yet, so I couldn’t rely on the family’s support.

I had to plan and act under the assumption that the Holy Sword Master might move in the worst possible direction.

“Heh… so in the end, you fear the Rion Lord too.”

Cloud’s lips twisted. He seemed to have realized that I couldn’t kill him because of the Rion Lord.

“Next time, I won’t lose. Before you can even use the Sword Realm, I’ll twist your neck….”
“I never lose to someone I’ve beaten once. If you’re so scared of my talent, are you planning to win next time?”
“Ugh….”
“And what are you mistaken about….”

I smiled coldly and channeled the essence of Manhwagong and Glacia into my fingertips, stimulating Cloud’s mana circuits.

“It’s not over yet.”
“What, what did you do!”
“Wait and you’ll find out.”

I drove heat into the area near his spine one final time before withdrawing my finger.

“Kugh!”

Cloud’s body contorted like a squid. His bones and muscles twisted, and thick veins bulged across his face as he experienced the worst form of torture—the sensation of thousands of insects devouring his flesh, combined with both freezing cold and scorching heat.

“Grrrrgh!”
“Hm? If you move, you die, you know?”

The moment I chuckled, Cloud’s body flinched and went still.

“Aaah….”

But he couldn’t endure the agony and soon began thrashing again.
Thicker streams of blood began flowing from the blades embedded in his shoulders and abdomen.

“Krraaaagh!”
“I said if you move, you die. You shouldn’t scream either.”
“Hngh….”
“You’re not very bright. Keep your limbs still too. Otherwise your heart will split apart.”
“Stop, stop! Please!”
“Why don’t you ask your precious Rion Lord to release you.”
“Nngh….”

Trapped between excruciating agony and the terror of death, Cloud trembled violently across his entire body, foam beginning to form at his lips.

-Wow….

Wrath shook his head, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

-Is this truly human nature?
‘Well, they’re human, so it must be.’
-Ah, I suppose so….

I left Wrath muttering to himself and grabbed Cloud’s hair once more.

“What did you say earlier? That you’d kill me and slaughter all our children to eliminate the threat?”

I exhaled hot breath as I stared into his eyes, twisted with terror.

“Try it if you can. The moment you meet me again, your head will be the first thing to fly.”

I curled my lips into a smile and hurled Cloud’s body roughly away.

“Kugh—hack!”

Cloud clenched his teeth around the blades embedded in his shoulder and abdomen to keep from dying. Yet his entire body trembled as he lay on the ground, the pain only intensifying.

“Hah….”

I turned my gaze toward Barene, where a grotesque vortex of wind spiraled upward.

‘I hope they’re alright.’

I was worried about Rimer and Sheryl, but returning there now would be foolish. I’d only be a hindrance, not a help.

I pulled the Heavenly Sword and Soul Reaper Sword from the ground, praying for Rimer, Sheryl, and the Heavenly Sword Squad’s safe return. For some reason, both blades felt unusually heavy.

*

*

*

The Holy Sword Master’s black blade drew a semicircle through the sky as he reveled in the swordsmanship of Akgeomhu and Sageomma, unleashing a dark flash of steel.

“This is….”

Akgeomhu narrowed her eyes as she observed Eomgeom’s movements.

“No… surely you didn’t…?”

Sageomma forcibly flicked Eomgeom away, baring yellowed teeth.

“Did you imitate my swordsmanship?!”
“A fine technique unburdened by formality. I quite like it.”

The Holy Sword Master nodded slowly. As if mirroring his delight, Eomgeom drifting through the void sang out with a thin, crystalline note.

“Huu…”

Akgeomhu exhaled deeply, sheathed her blade, and immediately drew it once more.
The blade emerged soundlessly as an immense force compressed into a single point and extended outward—thinner than a single strand of hair, yet containing within it the true essence of a swordmaster who had transcended mortality.

“That’s quite impressive…”

The Holy Sword Master’s cheeks flushed faintly as he nodded. Eomgeom, which had been pressing down on Sageomma, teleported before him in an instant, raising a sword barrier no larger than a palm.

Kuwaaaaaang!

A deafening roar erupted—impossible to imagine from such a minuscule clash between blade and barrier. The sky crumpled as if seized by a fist, and a colossal fissure tore open across it.

“Tsk.”

Akgeomhu clicked her tongue sharply. Yet she showed no hesitation, immediately preparing her next assault, as though she had never expected to end the Holy Sword Master from the start.

“Mm…”

Sageomma gathered his wits, clenched his lips, and wrapped his blade in violet aura before conjuring a hexagonal sword formation in the void.

Despite their shock at the Holy Sword Master’s power, they remained true transcendents, trusting utterly in their own martial prowess.

“Krahaha!”

The Holy Sword Master laughed aloud, gazing at the warped heavens.

“Yes. This is how it should be. This is what makes it worth stepping into this world.”

His face flushed as if he’d downed a drink. The eyes of Akgeomhu and Sageomma gleamed crimson with their lust for the sword.

“I’m curious about that too, but….”

The Holy Sword Master’s Order turned his head to the right. Raon and Cloud’s auras simultaneously subsided, making it impossible to discern who had won.

I wanted to draw upon my senses to understand the situation, but the distance was too great. If I let my mind wander while fighting two transcendents, I could suffer a counterattack. Now was the time to focus on this battle.

“Kellin.”

At his call, a swordmaster with a masked face descended beneath the Sword Wing.

“If Cloud has defeated Raon, kill him. If not, bring both of them to me.”
“Understood.”

As the woman called Kellin snapped her fingers, warriors in identical attire appeared behind her.
They were the Ghost Soul Squad, invisibly guarding the Sword Wing’s airborne front.

Thud!

As they moved toward the collapsed Castle Wall, a crimson bolt of lightning descended from the void.

Boom!

It was Rimer. While operating the Sword Realm, he had been surveying the entire battlefield, and it was he who blocked Kellin’s path.

Yet the Yonghyeon Sword Master’s blade seized that opening, grazing Rimer’s waist.

Slash!

It was not a deep wound, but in combat between masters of the highest caliber, such a mark could determine victory or defeat.

“Tch….”

Rimer furrowed his brow and bit his lip.

“I’ve heard tales of Sword Realm Incarnation, but it’s real.”

The Yonghyeon Sword Master flicked the blood from his blade and nodded slowly.

“And a brain too? Did you beg Glen for that?”
“….”
“Either way, you’re different from before.”

A twisted smile spread across his lips.

“So disciples matter more than subordinates?”
“Shut your mouth!”

Rimer couldn’t withstand the crude provocation and charged at the Yonghyeon Sword Master.

“Mm.”

Kellin nodded to the Yonghyeon Sword Master and tried to move back toward the Castle Wall, but this time a white flash cut across and blocked her path.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The moment Sheryl raised her sword barrier, the Apostle extended his hand as if he’d been waiting. A transparent aura descended with terrifying speed.

Kuwaaaaang!

It wasn’t just the speed. The sheer force that seemed to split the very Battlefield drove Sheryl’s feet deep into the ground.

Kyaaaang!

Even with her legs immobilized, Sheryl remained unflustered, crossing her two blades. Black and white auras scattered like sunlight on the Lake, violently deflecting the Apostle’s strike.

“You idiot!”

She cursed at Rimer with her lips trembling.

“Don’t fall for provocation!”
“I know. I know! But….”

Rimer’s expression was no longer vicious. His eyes, as if they might cry at the slightest touch, shook as he shook his head.

“Sigh, you fool….”

Sheryl murmured “fool” in a different sense than before, as if understanding Rimer’s heart, and pulled both her legs free from the ground.

“The Heavenly Sword Squad will hold the Castle Wall!”

She slammed her bloodied bare feet against the ground, her roar echoing across the crumbled fortifications.

Crack, crack, crack!

The Heavenly Sword Squad raised a tempestuous wall of sword energy above the shattered Castle Wall, as if declaring they would not yield even in death.

“Come then, if you dare.”

Sheryl twisted her lips as she positioned her white sword high and her black sword at middle guard.

“The only thing leaving this place will be your heads!”

*

*

*

Tsk.

I clicked my tongue sharply as I sprinted back the way I had come.

‘I’ve come too far.’

After my fierce battle with Cloud ended, a moment of respite allowed my thoughts to turn to the Gwangpung Corps. My concern for them had grown with each passing second.
Though I had calculated victory while accounting for the escorts of Ensia and Deningrose, an ember of unease still burned in my chest.
I had factored in their strength, but doubt gnawed at me nonetheless.

‘Damn it.’

My aura reserves were insufficient to deploy Taewhabo consecutively, and I found myself biting my lip in frustration without realizing it.

-It will be fine.

Wrath shook his head from where he perched upon my shoulder.

‘Hm?’
-Aren’t they the True Demon King’s subordinates? They should all be alive.

Wrath shook his head, saying that he wouldn’t raise his subordinates to be so weak.

‘They’re my subordinates, and I raised them. You didn’t do anything….’
-Regardless, those ones are the True Demon King’s children!

Wrath shook his head, saying that Demon Lords always kept their word once spoken.

‘Is that so.’

I chuckled as I looked at Wrath. He seemed to be trying to ease my worries in his own way. So I shrugged my shoulders.

-You brat!
‘My shoulder was itchy.’

I continued down the path while chatting with Wrath.
As I moved while rapidly recovering my aura in case we’d be fighting soon, Wrath’s nose wrinkled.

-The battle has ended.
‘What?’
-There’s no one at that location.

He shook his head, saying that all traces had completely vanished.

-It seems the True Demon King’s subordinates have won.

Wrath grinned, saying that the children had indeed turned out well.

‘Then….’

I stopped walking and gazed toward where Camelrun lay.

‘They must have headed there.’

Just as I trusted the Gwangpung Corps, they would trust me.

The fact that no one remained at that location made it clear that Burren Zigheart was leading the Gwangpung Corps toward Camelrun.

-However….

As Raon moved toward Camelrun, Wrath smacked his lips.

-It seems you still have unfinished business.

The moment those words ended, the forest fell silent. A faint noise threaded through the still air.

Someone was approaching. Like a shadow, moving with concealment.

-What in the world have you been doing all your life?

Wrath tilted his head, his tone questioning.

-You’ve only lived twenty-one years and already have this many enemies! What are these creatures now!
‘I have no idea either. But….’

I extended my senses throughout the forest perimeter, my brow furrowing.

‘That familiar stench….’

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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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