The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 503

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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 503

Even in the depths of winter, the Robert Family Grand Garden swayed with verdant foliage beneath the sky.

As Derus Robert gazed at the moonlight rippling through the clouds, a small-framed woman dressed as a maidservant prostrated herself behind him.

“We’ve received word from Siris.”

The maidservant lifted her bowed head, revealing eyes devoid of emotion—cold and dry as stone.

“Who has arrived?”
“The Holy Sword Master has come leading the Sword Wing. The Yonghyeon Sword Master has become one-armed, and it appears there was also someone who looks to be the Holy Sword Master’s disciple.”
“A disciple? Is it Quirel?”

Derus inquired with evident interest about the Holy Sword Master’s disciple.

“No. It’s said to be a newly taken disciple, and they’ve already reached Grand Master rank.”
“The youngest disciple is a Grand Master. So he wasn’t merely hiding away.”

He nodded with a faint smile playing at his lips.

“What of the others?”
“The White Blood Cult Master has come personally, bringing the 3rd Apostle and the 10th Apostle.”
“That wretched spirit never deviates from expectations. So there are two. It seems he has yet to arrive.”
“And finally….”

The woman in the maidservant’s dress smacked her lips briefly.

“Merlin has appeared.”
“Merlin?”

Derus lowered his gaze for the first time, as if taken aback.

“Eden should have no leisure at present.”
“It appears Merlin alone has been targeting Raon Zigheart. She’s currently in confrontation with the 10th Apostle, or so I’m told.”
“Even after all that, she still hasn’t come to her senses.”

He clicked his tongue dismissively, shaking his head twice.

“What’s the situation?”
“Inside the city, the Holy Sword Master, the White Blood Cult Master, and the leaders of the Divine Continent Five Regions are locked in an even battle. The Heavenly Sword Master and Gwangpung are holding back the Yonghyeon Sword Master and the Apostle…”

The woman in maid’s attire paused for a moment before continuing.

“Outside the city, Raon Zigheart has defeated the Holy Sword Master’s disciple.”
“What?”

Derus Robert’s previously calm eyes rippled with shock.

“Kubara.”
“Yes.”
“You said the Holy Sword Master’s disciple was a Grand Master, correct?”
“That is correct.”
“Then Raon Zigheart has reached Grand Master rank?”
“That is not the case.”

The woman called Kubara remained unintimidated by Derus Robert’s chilling gaze as she spoke calmly.

“He used Sword Realm Manifestation.”
“Ha! Sword Realm Manifestation?”

Derus Robert clutched his forehead and exhaled sharply.

‘At twenty-one, the Sword Realm? It can’t be a complete form. But even so…’

It was more astounding than reaching Grand Master rank.

I had pored over countless texts and records, and had even kidnapped and dissected members of the Main Lineage who could wield the Sword Realm, so I knew more about Sword Realm Manifestation than any warrior of Zigheart.

The Sword Realm of Zigheart was a barrier that manifested in the present world the inner landscape containing a swordsman’s life. Its applications were infinite and changed as the swordsman grew.

Because it contained one’s life, even a genius required considerable time to achieve it—yet that madman Raon Zigheart had created his Sword Realm at merely twenty-one years old.

‘This cannot even be compared to the achievements he has accomplished thus far.’

I had thought there was nothing left to surprise me about Raon, but this transcended even that imagination.

“Which Sword Realm?”
“I haven’t heard of it.”

Kubara shook her head slowly.

“What do you mean?”
“The moment Raon Zigheart’s Sword Realm extinguished, he said that his aura had hit rock bottom and immediately declared he would strike, then cut off contact.”

She sighed, noting that Siris had moved without waiting for orders.

“Will you stop him?”
“Hmm….”

Derus Robert stroked his chin while gazing at the rippling blue leaves.

‘His words aren’t wrong.’

The Sword Realm was the trump card of a Zigheart swordsman. Once deployed, it drained stamina and aura to the point of complete exhaustion.

If the scales of balance within Barene had achieved perfect equilibrium, few would come to rescue Raon.
If an experienced warrior like Siris had made his move, it meant he’d spotted a genuine opening—trusting his judgment seemed reasonable.

“Let it be.”

Derus Robert cupped the moon breaking through the clouds in his palm, his lips curving into a cold smile.

“Regardless of what happens, Raon Zigheart won’t survive today.”

*

*

*

I halted behind a tree trunk as wide as an adult man’s torso, releasing my meager aura to sweep the surroundings.

‘Indeed, an assassin’s movements. And….’

Identical to those Shadow operatives.

Each assassin organization has its own distinctive characteristics.

The Blood Veil pursues speed above all else, while the Death God Sect values concealment that eludes everyone.

But Shadow adapts their methods according to circumstances. When stealth is required, they move darker than the Death God Sect; when speed is paramount, they strike faster than the Blood Veil, eliminating their targets with lethal efficiency.

‘The fact that even Shadow operatives are making slight sounds as they approach….’

They knew my body was in the worst possible condition.

Shadow was clearly rushing to eliminate me before I could recover my stamina and aura.
It seemed they had been observing the situation from somewhere high above.

Yet watching them move with such speed while erasing their presence, each one appeared to be an elite-class assassin.

‘Of course he wouldn’t send just anyone.’

The assassins Derus Robert sent couldn’t possibly be ordinary. They were certainly hiding something special.

‘I need to avoid a direct confrontation.’

Fighting head-on now, drained of both aura and stamina, was not a wise choice.

-Yaaawn.

Wrath, satisfied that the Gwangpung Corps was safe, yawned and retreated into the flower bracelet.

-This is boring. Wake me when it’s over.
‘Well then….’

I bit my lip thinly and drew the Soul Reaper Sword.

‘My condition is dire, but it’s not hopeless.’

Let me return to my old ways.

I feigned retreat and entered the Forest, using concealment techniques as I passed beneath the massive tree trunks. Though winter had left the trees and thickets bare, the cover was still serviceable.

This wasn’t the shadow martial art I had mastered in my previous life. It was the White Shadow Technique, an improved version of the Black Shadow Technique, refined through the martial knowledge I had gained living this new life.

I climbed the tree while perfectly suppressing my presence using White Blood Veil.

‘I’ve arrived.’

Even a Master-level expert wouldn’t notice, but this entire area was teeming with assassins.

I surveyed my surroundings and gripped the Soul Reaper Sword in reverse.

‘As expected, I can’t find them.’

Unlike when they had rushed forward desperately, they failed to detect me in my concealment and merely circled the area.

‘But I’m having difficulty pinpointing them as well….’

With my stamina, mental fortitude, and aura all depleted, I couldn’t accurately locate the assassins’ positions.

‘It’s been a long time since I felt this way.’

Combat between assassins differs fundamentally from battles among martial artists.

It was pure information warfare—discerning the opponent’s location and condition—a silent war where a single careless movement meant your neck would be severed.

‘Every last one of them possesses supreme concealment techniques. Whoever trained these people did an excellent job.’

They felt like corpses—utterly devoid of presence and vitality. Their concealment mastery transcended the highest tier.

I exhaled with the wind’s breath, spreading my senses with greater precision.

‘They hide remarkably well.’

My body was in its worst condition, the enemies’ presence was faint, and their vitality was nonexistent, making it difficult to pinpoint their exact locations.

‘Yet I cannot rely on Seolhwa’s senses either.’

Seolhwa’s senses consumed not only Wrath but also my aura and mental fortitude.
If I used them and failed to identify all the assassins’ positions, the situation would spiral beyond control. Now was the time for patience.

I placed my hand on a thin branch and closed my eyes. I issued a command to the ring of fire circling slowly around my heart—find the enemy as quickly as possible.

Ching!

Seven rings resonated violently, sharpening the blade of perception. I overcame exhaustion that bordered on collapse and painted the forest a pristine white.

Within that white expanse where only nature existed, dark presences kindled embers. The auras of assassins.

‘Found them.’

Like a net cast across the forest, I pinpointed the locations of twenty-four assassins. Yet even knowing their hiding places, it proved difficult to sense their life force. They were truly corpse-like.

‘Did they develop a new martial technique?’

As I pondered whether they’d created a technique that killed even their own life essence like corpses, a faint resonance rippled across the entire forest.

[Hidden so well we can’t even see your hair.]

A voice distorted in a peculiar way. They seemed to be using an artifact to conceal where they were speaking from.

[The White Dragon Sword of Zigheart hiding from enemies right in front of him—if word of this got out, you’d be quite embarrassed, wouldn’t you?]

I nodded calmly as I listened to the mocking tone in Raon’s voice.

‘As expected.’

There’s a leader separate from the rest.

Normally, Shadow assassins had a commander directing their operations, and the one speaking now seemed to be that commander.

‘Where is he?’

Among the twenty-four assassins I’d located moments ago, there was no commander. His concealment technique appeared to be something far more exceptional.

[If you drag this out, your precious Gwangpung Corps will all die. I sent people there too.]

The assassin commander began his provocation, urging me to come out quickly.

‘Tsk.’

I clicked my tongue sharply inside my mouth.

‘That can’t be right.’

Derus Robert had no interest in the Gwangpung Corps. All he desired was the death of a single man—Raon Zigheart.

‘Is he trying to shake my resolve?’

I was confident in that arena myself.

I stepped on Baek Yeong-bo and moved behind the nearest assassin.

The man was concealed beneath the roots of a tree to my right, his gaze fixed on the center.

‘His presence is indeed different.’

Despite being this close, I sensed no vitality emanating from him. It seemed Derus Robert had truly created a new martial technique.

Shhk.

I silenced the assassin’s mouth and drove the Soul Reaper Sword through his throat in a reverse grip.

‘Not even a twitch?’

Even for an assassin, I hadn’t expected him to show no movement whatsoever as he died. It felt like piercing a doll.

‘How thoroughly has he brainwashed them?’

I found Derus Robert’s methods abhorrent and moved to the next one. When I silenced his mouth and split his heart open, something unexpected occurred.

‘Ugh!’

The blood flowing from the assassin’s chest touched my wrist, and my flesh melted as if I’d been burned.

‘Poison? No, that’s impossible.’

Even for assassins, it made no sense to carry poison potent enough to dissolve my skin mixed into their blood.

‘Wait, now that I think about it…’

When I’d approached to silence their mouths, they all had abnormally low body temperatures—as cold as corpses.

‘Blood tainted with venom, and a corpse with a lowered body temperature?’

The moment I thought of the assassins as corpses, the plan Derus Robert had mentioned in my past life came flooding back.

‘Could it be… these things!’

As I released the assassin’s corpse and began to retreat, the voice of the leader commanding the shadows reached my ears.

[Found it.]

The moment that voice resonated, the neck of the assassin I had just killed by piercing its heart rotated a full 180 degrees. Like a zombie, it reached toward me with a gaping hole through its chest.

Crack, crack, crack!

The one whose neck I had pierced initially charged forward with its waist bent at an unnatural angle, and the assassins concealed in the shadows all revealed themselves at once, surging forward in a coordinated assault.

‘Insane!’

I retreated backward, biting my lip.

‘So he finally completed it?’

The Water Fire Guest.

Now I understood why those assassins had appeared so lifeless. They were all corpses. Derus Robert had finally succeeded in completing his plan to create assassins from the dead.

[Not a dragon, but a rat? Running away like a little rat, aren’t you?]

A mocking voice followed behind the Water Fire Guests that were trying to close in. It was clear that he was controlling them.

‘Assassins that don’t die, and blood that is acidic poison. So that’s been achieved as well.’

In truth, the most terrifying aspect of the Water Fire Guest was not that they were already dead. The truly frightening thing lay elsewhere.

‘He’s probably aiming for that as well.’

I needed to prepare to escape this situation by exploiting that very fact.

“Ugh! Come out!”

Raon feigned extreme panic while deflecting the assassins rushing toward him.

The undead assassins naturally felt no fear. Even with limbs severed, they sprayed poisoned blood and continued their relentless assault.

‘Just a little longer.’

Raon circled around, pretending to evade the poisoned blood, and drew the Heavenly Sword the moment the four water-fire assassins moved in unison.

Shhwaaaaaack!

A sharp blade strike that extended like an elastic band simultaneously severed the necks of all four water-fire assassins.

In that instant.

[Caught you.]

With a voice brimming with amusement, the bodies of the assassins whose necks had been severed gleamed as if coated in oil.

‘Here it comes!’

Raon bit his lip hard and condensed his dwindling aura through the mana circuits in his feet, executing the Taehwa Step. He drove off the ground with force and retreated backward.

Kuwaaaaaaaang!

The moment he escaped between the headless water-fire assassins, a tremendous explosion erupted as if the very air had shattered, carving a bottomless pit in the space where he had stood moments before.

‘Tch….’

Raon examined his hands and legs, his expression darkening.

‘I took some damage.’

The distance had been too close to completely evade the explosion. Severe wounds had opened across the back of his hands and thighs.

‘That’s why they’re called water-fire assassins.’

They earned that name because, like vengeful spirits, they dragged the living down to the afterlife alongside them.

‘Still, the plan should have worked….’

The one controlling the water spirit must think I’m dead from the explosion earlier.

I needed to prepare an ambush for the moment he descended.

[Hmm….]

The assassin let out a groan while observing the shattered space without revealing himself. After a long silence, he chuckled.

[Not dead? Impressive.]

Cold sweat trickled down my back at those words.

‘He figured it out?’

I had avoided using an aura shield to prevent suspicion, relying only on footwork, yet he still saw through it. Whether it was intuition or ability, he was no ordinary opponent.

‘I have no choice.’

Even if my internal injuries worsened, I would need to use Seolhwa’s senses to pinpoint his location.

As I exhaled and rubbed my aching lower abdomen, a small movement erupted behind me. I tensed, thinking it was the assassin, but the presence was extremely faint and came from beneath the ground.

Pop!

A mole wearing snow on the ground as a hat poked its head out cautiously.

‘From the tremor earlier….’
“Struggling?”

The mole spoke.

‘Merlin?’

My jaw dropped as I quickly covered my mouth.

“Aren’t you fighting the 10th Apostle?”
“I am fighting. But I need to watch you too.”

Merlin tilted her head as if asking why I would question something so obvious.

“I saw you use Sword Realm Incarnation. It was truly beautiful dawn.”

She touched both cheeks, her face flushed crimson.

“This isn’t the time for such words….”
“Want some help?”
“Huh?”

Merlin chuckled and descended back into the earth from which she had emerged.

‘What did she mean?’

She asked if I wanted help, then vanished—I couldn’t fathom her intentions.

Just as I thought how utterly incomprehensible this woman was, the sky blazed with light. Lifting my gaze, dozens of magic circles bloomed like constellations, radiating vast brilliance before unleashing indiscriminate bombardment.

BOOM!

Spells detonated in succession, uprooting trees and splitting the earth, yet the tree sheltering me burned only at its crown—completely unscathed.

‘It’s Merlin.’

The Merlin who had vanished moments ago had sensed my situation and was providing aid.

‘I can’t waste this opportunity.’

I’m no fool who’d reject a gift handed to me. Concentrating my meager aura into my hands and feet, I deployed only the Ring of Fire.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Amid the cascading explosions of magic, a faint presence stirred—the aura of the living, distinct from the dead.

A low rumble echoed.

Crimson energy surged from Raon’s eyes.

‘Found you.’

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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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