The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 520

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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 520

I trembled as I gripped the Heavenly Sword, watching the seagull before me.

“Is… is it really you?”
“I missed you.”

She didn’t answer my question directly, but that single phrase—”I missed you”—was enough to confirm her identity. It was Merlin, who had long since transcended being merely mad and become a full-fledged stalker.

-Kgh… ugh…

Wrath curled his body inward like a turtle retreating into its shell.

-Why is the Mad Woman here of all places!

His sky-blue eyes trembled as if he couldn’t comprehend the situation.

-We parted ways in the heart of the Continent, so how could we possibly meet in this coastal village!
‘I have no idea either…’

I shook my head. I truly had no answer to give.

“You… ah.”

Just as I was about to question Merlin, I sensed combat erupting to my right. The aura felt similar to that of the Sea Mist Tribe member I’d captured moments before.

“Let’s put out the immediate fire first and talk afterward.”
“I can wait as long as you need.”

Merlin nodded as if to say I could do as I pleased, then settled onto my shoulder.

“Sigh.”

I exhaled briefly and stepped rightward using Taehwa Steps. The Sea Mist Tribe member’s energy was far greater than those I’d fought moments before. This one seemed to be the real deal.

As I turned into an alley shrouded in gray dust, I spotted three Sea Mist Tribe members gathered beside a massive fountain. Enormous mist surged upward from the fountain, and it appeared to be the barrier sealing off the city.

“Burn away the mist first!”
“It doesn’t burn in fire, and it doesn’t freeze either!”
“Damn it! It won’t even pierce with aura.”
“It’s a defense, but the attacks are too fierce. I’ve already taken eight hits!”

The swordmasters and mages in the city attempted to strike at the Sea Mist Tribe Members, but the mist was far too thick, and the monsters surrounding them blocked any path forward.
Instead, those who tried to attack were pierced by the Sea Mist Tribe Member’s mist and fell one by one.

Ching.

I adjusted my grip on the Heavenly Sword and assessed the Sea Mist Tribe Members’ condition. The young ones on either side were roughly comparable to the one I’d captured earlier, but the middle-aged Sea Mist Tribe Member manipulating the mist from the center appeared far stronger. He seemed to be their leader.

Boom!

I activated Tae Hwa Bo, targeting the one standing in the center. As I tried to pierce through the Sea Mist Tribe Member’s mist, the marine monsters scattered around the area began to swarm toward me.

‘Is he controlling the monsters too?’

I’d never heard that the Sea Mist Tribe Members possessed the power to control monsters. They seemed to be moving together because of the dragon’s command.

“Then….”

I drew the Heavenly Sword back over my shoulder. Stepping forward with my left foot, I pulled up the aura of Manhwagong that filled my dantian. The heat surging through my mana circuits traced the form of a dragon above the blade’s edge.

Manhwagong Hundred Flowers.
Flame Dragon Severing.

The breath of the fire dragon extending from the blade’s edge consumed all the monsters before my eyes.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

Due to the upper dantian issue, the precision of my swordsmanship fell short, but thanks to my increased stats, the raw firepower itself seemed stronger.

Whoooosh!

Not a single monster survived the heat of the Flame Dragon Severing, but the Sea Mist Tribe Members condensed their mist into a wall, perfectly blocking the flames.

“How bothersome.”

I charged across the scorched battlefield toward the mist, my feet pounding against the blackened earth.

Screeeech!

The gray mist controlled by the Sea Mist Tribe Member sharpened like a blade’s edge, slicing through the air with lethal precision as it targeted my vital points.

‘Show yourself.’

With the Ring of Fire and Wrath’s Eye of Fury operating simultaneously, I could perceive the mist’s flow with exquisite clarity—as if I could grasp it in my very hands.

Thud!

I executed the Garam Step to match the mist’s movements precisely. Like a salmon gliding upstream, I flowed smoothly into the mist with fluid grace.

“Kill him.”

As the middle-aged Sea Mist Tribe Member waved his hand, the younger ones standing beside him unleashed spears and swords forged from mist. Rather than targeting vital points, their sheer numbers threatened to skewer me like meat on a spit.

Screeeech!

I refused to retreat. Instead, I accelerated forward and drew Frost Chain. Silver blade and frost blade intertwined like shadows.

Crash!

The eerie grinding of metal shattered the Sea Mist Tribe Members’ weapons and drove me forward.

“B-Block it!”

Two Sea Mist Tribe Members belatedly tried to erect a mist barrier, but they were far too slow. Both blades had already reached the space between their brows.

Shhhhck!

The Sea Mist Tribe Members pierced by Frost Chain’s frigid aura lost control of their bodies and collapsed backward. Death was instantaneous. No matter how resilient their life force, enduring Frost Chain was simply impossible.

‘One left now… wait?’

As I swung the Heavenly Sword to ignite flames, a gray aura surged toward me like a tidal wave. The remaining middle-aged Sea Mist Tribe Member had used the two as bait and was now launching an inescapable offensive.

Boom!

I planted my feet firmly and shook the Heavenly Sword free. The flames coiling around the blade flickered with white light, engulfing the surging tidal wave of mist that poured down.

Raon Zigheart style swordsmanship.
Fifth Form: White Shadow Flash.

The blade, stained white, erased every wave of mist that had reached toward the heavens. Through the fog, I could see the eyes of the Sea Mist Tribe Member widened in shock in Sagrado.

Boom!

I seized the moment of the middle-aged Sea Mist Tribe Member’s confusion and carved through his space.

“Kugh!”

The middle-aged Sea Mist Tribe Member wrapped his body in the mist that blanketed the city, creating a gray tornado.

I stopped my advance and gently swept the Heavenly Sword. Red petals blooming along the blade began an elegant dance following the mist’s whirlwind.

Whoooosh!

The Fire Spirit, having gained a small enlightenment thanks to Wrath, mercilessly tore apart the mist tornado surrounding the Sea Mist Tribe Member.

“Ah….”

The middle-aged Sea Mist Tribe Member’s lips trembled as he watched the dissolving mist in disbelief.

Thud.

I approached the Sea Mist Tribe Member with measured steps. As he gnashed his teeth and attempted one final desperate strike, I drew the Heavenly Sword down.

Shhhhwack!

The middle-aged Sea Mist Tribe Member was split in half along with the hand he had raised to attack.

A moment of silence descended over the blood-soaked fountain.

“Hah….”
“He defeated three Sea Mist Tribe Members alone….”
“And he barely swung his sword more than a few times.”
“How does someone so young possess such power….”

The swordsmen and mages who had been fighting the Sea Mist Tribe members exhaled in disbelief. They couldn’t fathom how the mist barrier they’d thrown their lives at trying to break had shattered so effortlessly.

Uuuuuuoooong!

The mist that had blanketed the coastal city of Aikar began to dissipate. But it wasn’t disappearing entirely—only a quarter of it had been erased.

It seemed I would need to repeat this feat three more times to completely clear the mist from this place.

‘I need to move faster.’

It was just as I was sending the wounded toward the harbor and preparing to search for other Sea Mist Tribe members.

Kwaaaaaaaa!

A magnificent aura erupted from the sky above the city. It was unsettling, and the tremendous energy wave made my fingertips tremble.

Though the mist obscured the view, it was obvious who was up there.

‘Aris Zigheart.’

The eccentric who had handed off the position of Pirate King to her subordinates and lived freely was hovering in that sky.

I activated my Wrath’s Eye of Fury to pierce through the mist and saw Aris within it.

Aris stood with her eyes closed, her upper body bent forward, one hand resting on the hilt of her sword. A drawing stance. Her concentration and aura were trembling with incredible intensity.

The moment her pupils flashed with crimson light, the empty air split open lengthwise. An ultra-high-speed draw technique invisible to the naked eye. But the true significance wasn’t the speed of the draw.

Shrieeeeek!

Aris’s blade transcended space itself, severing the life force of every monster and Sea Mist Tribe member scattered throughout the entire city.

Kiiiiik.

As I turned into the alley behind me, the marine monsters that had been alive moments before were convulsing, torn cleanly in half.

Paaaaaaang!

The massive clouds of mist that had covered Aikar burst apart in an instant, and clear, crystalline sunlight poured down.

“Hah….”

I gazed up at the azure sky, my lips trembling faintly.

‘Is that even swordsmanship?’

I had witnessed countless sword techniques throughout my life, but never one that transcended space itself. It felt less like swordsmanship and more like witnessing magic.

-It is spatial manipulation.

Wrath twisted his expression as he observed the corpses of the monsters.

‘Spatial manipulation?’
-That thieving woman severed the very space where the monsters existed. In your terms, you would call it a Spatial Blade.
-A Spatial Blade….

I swallowed hard at the mention of a Spatial Blade. Though it seemed extraordinarily difficult to master, my chest burned with an intense desire to learn it. I desperately wanted to study this technique.

Uuuuuung!

The deep horn of a ship echoed from the harbor. The Pirate King’s flagship, Cheongpung, had arrived at the city. I could sense the movement of the crew members. It seemed everything was finally over.

Sheathing sound.

I slid the Heavenly Sword into its scabbard and turned my gaze to the right. The seagull possessed by Merlin was still there.

-Ah! That’s right! That mad woman!

Wrath trembled as he recalled Merlin once more.

“What exactly are you doing here?”

I sighed with an expression similar to Wrath’s.

“I was looking for you.”
“All this time?”
“Yes. The whole time.”

Merlin smiled brightly and nodded. In all my years, I never thought I would witness a seagull wear such a smile.

“My luck really is incredible.”

To meet at the edge of the Continent—it was a remarkable coincidence. It made me wonder if this was truly fate.

“Hm? It’s not luck.”

Merlin shook her head calmly.

“Not luck?”
“I’m currently controlling over a thousand animals.”
“Wh-what?”

My jaw dropped. My legs nearly gave out from under me.

“A th-thousand animals?”
“Not just here—I’ve scattered them across the entire Continent. They’re still moving around right now.”

Merlin laughed, saying it wasn’t coincidence but inevitability.

-A th-thousand animals…

Foam began to form at the corners of Wrath’s mouth.

-Did the True Demon King not warn you?! That one is dangerous! She’s the most dangerous of anyone we’ve encountered recently!

He tapped my shoulder urgently, telling me to flee.

“Hmm…”

I let out a groan and tilted my head in confusion.

“Is it even possible to control a thousand animals?”

Even for Merlin, possessing over a thousand animals and roaming the entire Continent seemed impossible.

“I developed a new spell. My body enters a deep sleep while I divide my consciousness and embed it into the animals.”
“Ha…”

I exhaled a long, weary breath.

‘What on earth is she?’

She developed a new spell just to find me?

Merlin casually uttered the most absurd statement—that she’d created magic that had never existed before. Anyone listening would think crafting spells was as simple as cooking a meal.

“I thought this spell wouldn’t lose to anyone, and I’m relieved it worked as intended.”
“Wouldn’t lose?”
“At finding you.”

Merlin twisted her wings bashfully, wrapping them around herself.

“Hmm….”

I closed my eyes tightly and asked the question that had puzzled me from the start.

“Isn’t that spell dangerous?”

If she was in a hypnotic state, she’d be completely defenseless. I was genuinely concerned.

“Ufufu.”

Merlin covered her beak slightly with her wing.

“Are you worried about me?”
“That’s not it….”
“I’m happy, but you don’t need to worry. I’m hidden away. And….”

Her eyes gleamed with an eerie fervor.

“Even if I died, you’d have to find me. I’m so grateful to be alive like this!”

Merlin spread her wings wide, as if nothing else mattered.

-Ugh….

Wrath’s shoulders trembled as he let out a small whimper.

-You’re truly a madman incarnate….
‘I can’t argue with that.’
-Why is my life like this?! I came to enjoy delicious food, the city gets destroyed, and why does that stalker Mad Woman keep following me?!
‘It must be fate.’

I patted Wrath’s shoulder in consolation. Merlin was frightening, admittedly, but I’d received so much help from her that I couldn’t simply fear her.

“How’s the wound?”
“My body?”
“You were pierced by the 10th Apostle’s spear.”
“Oh, right.”

Merlin had even forgotten she was injured, but she nodded slightly.

‘Really….’

Despite meeting her quite often, I still couldn’t adapt to that madness of hers.

“I’ve received your concern twice now, and I’m so happy about today that I might not be able to sleep.”

Merlin touched her cheek with her wing, as if embarrassed.

“Ah….”

She smiled brightly, then her body trembled.

“Why?”
“My emotions are becoming too intense—the spell might unravel.”
“What do you mean….”
“I’ve been maintaining this spell for over two weeks now, and my mana has been completely depleted.”
“Over two weeks?”

If that was true, it meant she hadn’t stopped the spell once since I disappeared—she’d created it and maintained it continuously.

“You really….”
“For you, Raon….”

Merlin started to say something, then suddenly her beak twitched. Her eyes changed. She vanished without telling me what the seagull wanted.

“Caw.”

The seagull bounded toward me with a long, purposeful stride.

“Caw-caw!”

It flapped its wings insistently, as if demanding I fulfill some request.

“What do you want?”

I swallowed hard as the seagull drew closer.

“I don’t know what you’re after….”

*

*

*

The seagull, having received nothing, refused to leave and instead settled upon my shoulder.

I had no choice but to survey the city alongside my unwanted companion. The meticulously maintained roads and buildings lay in ruins, black smoke billowing into the sky like the very gates of hell itself. What had been a jewel of a coastal city mere days ago had become a harbor of death.

The devastation extended beyond the structures. Everywhere I looked, corpses in various states of decomposition littered the ground. Countless residents—young and old, men and women alike—lay dead.

‘Hardly anyone survived.’

Not a trace of human vitality emanated from the surroundings.

‘It must be the dragon’s magic.’

Kaibhar’s relentless barrage of ninth-circle spells had shattered the city’s defensive systems, and the garrison had perished without raising a finger. The warriors who had survived the initial onslaught had desperately attempted to defend the city, only to be swept away by monsters and the Sea Mist Tribe.

Crunch.

As I turned toward the harbor, my teeth clenched involuntarily. Beneath the rubble of a collapsed building, I glimpsed a blood-stained rabbit doll and the small hand of its owner. The sight of that tiny, childlike hand constricted my chest as if barbed wire had been wound around it.

‘Damn it….’

I had initially thought this wasn’t my fight—that I could help Aris, gain what I needed, and return to the Zigheart family with that alone.

But seeing this ruined city and the innocent lives lost, reality crashed down on me like a bucket of ice water.

“You’re doing all this just because you hate humans?”

Whether from the emotions Wrath had given me or from my own malice toward dragons, a fury that clung to my soul began to boil up like wildfire.

-The hypocrisy of lizards has been legendary since ancient times.

Wrath twisted his lips as he gazed at the smoke rising above the city.

‘Hypocrisy?’
-When I do it, it’s romance. When others do it, it’s infidelity. You don’t know this?
‘Ah….’
-The lizards claim that ancient dragons don’t interfere with one another, so they impose no restrictions even when a dragon slaughters humans or other races. Yet the moment one of those lizards dies, they spring into action.

He sneered, saying the creature hadn’t changed one bit from before.

-Protecting the Continent is nonsense. They’re simply a filthy race.
‘That’s true.’

I nodded heavily. Dragons who spoke of protecting the Continent seemed far more demonic to me than Demon Lords like Wrath, who cherished his subordinates, or Sloth, who merely wished to sleep.

‘I’ve made my decision now.’

From this moment on, this fight is mine. This is a war to slay the dragon that massacres humans, to elevate my soul’s rank, and to claim the Serpent Heart needed to create Sylvia’s dantian.

With my resolve crystallized, the turbulent roiling within me settled.

“I couldn’t save them, but I’ll have my vengeance.”

I placed the blood-soaked rabbit doll into the small hands of a child and left the streets stained crimson.

When I arrived at the harbor late, I saw Aris, Rabawin, and the sailors standing there.

“All the monsters and Sea Mist Tribe members that invaded the city have been eliminated. However, the damage is quite extensive….”

Rabawin bit his lip as he gazed toward the back of the city.

“So how many are left?”

Aris Zigheart clicked her tongue sharply and asked.

“The city garrison has been completely wiped out, and only a third of the personnel we originally planned to move with remain. On top of that….”

Rabawin lowered his gaze as he continued.

“The fleet that was supposed to come from Yukal Village was apparently attacked by the Sea Mist Tribe and monsters.”

He exhaled deeply, lamenting that hunting Kaibhar had become far more difficult.

“Hmm….”

I furrowed my brow as I looked at Rabawin.

‘Half of them are dead.’

Originally, Aris had planned to gather the subordinate fleets and pirates here in Aikar to set out on a dragon hunt.

But since both cities where supplies and personnel had gathered were attacked, there was no way to know how to proceed.

“This place is located opposite to that creature’s lair, and the fact that it was attacked means….”

Aris Zigheart glared at the sea, her brow furrowing deeply.

“It means he knows everything about our movements.”

She was right. Kaibhar’s Lair and this city were quite far apart, and in different directions. The fact that both this place and Yukal Village, where reinforcements were coming from, had been attacked made it clear that Kaibhar knew all about our plans.

“What will you do? Since the plan has changed, this will be a difficult battle.”

Rabawin sighed and looked back at the sailors. Worry filled the eyes of every single one of them.

“Why so much worry? What reason would that mad lizard have to attack this city?”

Aris Zigheart smiled faintly and spread both arms wide.

“It’s because he fears us. Our determination to hunt him down. And because he’s terrified of humans.”
“Hmm….”

At her confident declaration, a faint gleam kindled in the eyes of the warriors around her.

“There’s no need to avoid a lizard that trembles before mankind. Our plan remains unchanged.”

Aris gazed toward the distant sea with a faint smile playing at her lips.

“The moment preparations are complete, we march. As for Kaibhar’s head….”

Her gaze shifted to Raon behind her.

“Raon and I will claim it.”

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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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