The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 543

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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 543

Lunan Slion lifted his gaze and swallowed hard, his throat dry.

“Where am I…?”

A room as dark as a moonless night.

No—this wasn’t a room at all. It was a vast expanse too immense to take in at a glance, and every inch of it lay submerged in darkness.

From within the undulating shadows came the acrid stench of blood so thick it made my spine crawl. My fingertips trembled with inexplicable dread.

“Ugh…”

Lunan bit his lip and turned around. Unlike the oppressive darkness looming ahead, a crystalline blue space came into view.

A small house carved from ice stood there, and within it were arrayed figures that looked as though they’d been sculpted from frozen cream.

I recognized them instantly. Father, Mother, Raon, and all of the Gwangpung Corps—each figure stood with its own distinct character.

And finally, my sword, Seolhwa, drifted gently through the air. Unlike the realm facing the darkness, this place warmed my heart merely to behold it.

“Come here.”

As Lunan extended his arm, Seolhwa descended slowly and settled into his grasp.

‘What is this place?’

I couldn’t fathom why I was here, or where here even was.
I only knew instinctively that I must not approach the darkness.

“Mother, Father and I were eating together… Ugh!”

As Lunan stroked Seolhwa, a sharp groan escaped him. A crushing headache flooded through me, and fragmented memories surged back to life.

‘The Helm!’

That’s right. I put on Baphomet’s helmet.

I recalled how Sylvia had forcibly placed Baphomet’s helmet on my head. Then the answer was clear. This dark space was undoubtedly Baphomet’s domain within the helmet.

Whoooosh!

As Lunan gripped Seolhwa’s sword with trembling hands, a harsh resonance erupted from the darkness.

Craaaaaack!

The black ground split open, and something surged forth from the dense shadows.

Shrieeeeek!

It stood on goat’s hooves, its waist thin and upright like a human’s, and from the head of a goat with spiraling horns stretched long came a sound like a child’s wail.

Waaaaaaah!

Baphomet lifted his gaze. Black flames burned in his elongated oval eyes.

“Ugh….”

Lunan pressed his chest with his left hand, his jaw trembling. Merely meeting Baphomet’s eyes left his insides churning as if he’d suffered internal injuries. The presence was overwhelming.

Boooooom!

Baphomet approached, suppressing the darkness with each step. His strides were enormous. It seemed he would arrive here without taking many more steps.

“Ah….”

Lunan’s lips trembled as he retreated. Baphomet loomed ever larger. No matter what I did, victory seemed impossible.
I had known he was a powerful monster, but I never expected such an overwhelming gap in power.

‘What should I do….’
Boooooom!

As Lunan’s lips turned pale, Seolhwa’s blade rang out with crystalline clarity. It was a solemn resonance that dispelled fear and awakened the spirit.

Tiiiiing!

Seolhwa trembled her blade, signaling me to enter the Ice House behind us.

“You want me to go into that house?”
Uuuuoooong!

Seolhwa released an even more powerful resonance, confirming her intent.

“Understood.”

Lunan nodded and struck his thigh with his fist. Forcing my rigid body to move past Baphomet’s oppressive aura, I entered the Ice House.

‘It’s warm.’

Despite being constructed of ice, the interior radiated warmth and comfort as if a fire burned within.

But there was no time to savor that comfort.

Kuuuuoooong!

Baphomet advanced toward the Ice House, his grotesque aura blazing. As his hooves trampled the azure ground, darkness seeped into my space like black ink spilled upon white paper.
As his hooves touched the blue earth, darkness began seeping into my space like black ink dripping onto white paper.

“There’s no point in hiding.”

Human speech flowed from Baphomet’s mouth, his voice thin and trembling like a goat speaking.

The more you resist, the more painful it will become.

The creature’s body swelled to the size of darkness itself, finally inflating as if it would touch the sky.

“Good. I’ll crush you like the bug you are.”

Baphomet lifted his leg. He stomped down on the Ice House with a foot the size of a house.

“No way. Absolutely not!”

Lunan Slion shouted that he absolutely must not collapse while holding Seolhwa tightly in his grasp.

Crash!

The moment Baphomet’s leg crashed down upon the Ice House, a violent shock tore through my skull as if struck by a hammer.

“Ahhh….”

The agony of my mind being torn to shreds forced me to my knees without conscious thought.

“If you emerge now, I shall grant you a painless death.”

Baphomet tilted his head, the blood-red whip still clasped in his grip.

“N-no.”

Lunan shook his head. The moment I stepped outside this house, Baphomet would devour me and seize my body. I had to endure to the very end.

“Fool.”

Baphomet furrowed his brow and brought the whip down from where he’d slung it over his shoulder.

Craaaaaaash!

As the whip descended upon the Ice House, a shockwave twisted the very battlefield beneath us, sweeping across the surroundings.

“Aaaahhh!”

Lunan collapsed with a shriek of agony. The pain that consumed my mind was as though I myself had been struck by the whip, not merely the Ice House—an overwhelming torment that made me want to tear the flesh from my own bones.
It wasn’t the Ice House—it was as if he himself had been whipped, and an enormous pain consumed his brain. It hurt so much he wanted to tear his own flesh off.

“I… I understand now…”

This home is my mind, and the dolls inside it are the people I hold dear.

I was in the midst of a war with Baphomet over my body and a value that I could never allow to be taken from me.

“Ugh….”
“Ugh…”

Lunan Slion got to his feet, leaning on Seolhwa.

“Absolutely not.”

I have things I must do.

I need to sever Sylvia’s neck, save my mother and father, and repay the debt I owe to Raon.
And finally, I wanted to spend more time with the Gwangpung Corps, so I couldn’t collapse here.

With the resolve to endure even unto death, I forced my anguish-ravaged body to rise.

“Utterly foolish.”

Baphomet sneered and brought his whip down in rapid succession. The lashes fell like a downpour, relentlessly battering the Ice House.

Crash!

Each time the whip lashed the Ice House, I felt a pain as though bone and flesh were being torn asunder.

“Ugh!”

The agony was so intense that my hands and feet convulsed, and my mind grew numb. I found myself wishing I could simply walk outside and die.

“It’s too late for regrets. I’m only just getting warmed up.”

Baphomet seemed to relish Lunan’s screams as he brought down the whip wrapped in deeper malice, even channeling magic through it.

Crack!

The whip felt like a blade heated in flame, slicing through flesh, while the magic felt like an icy awl piercing my vital points.
As the pain layered upon itself, my spiritual body began to fracture, and blood began to seep forth.

“Ah….”

With a pallid face, I gazed up at the ceiling of the Ice House. Large and small cracks were beginning to form in its once-solid structure.

‘It’s because of me.’

As my mind crumbled under the pain, the Ice House was undoubtedly fracturing in response.

‘I must endure….’

I knew I had to persevere, but I could see no answer to how much longer I could hold on, nor how I could possibly overcome that monster.

Lunan pressed his lips together firmly and lifted his head. Every space had been stained by Baphomet’s darkness, and even this Ice House was on the verge of shattering. I felt as though everything had come to an end.

‘I should hold on just a bit longer…ah!’

The moment I resolved to endure once more, Baphomet’s sharply ground whip plunged into the center of the Ice House.

Craaaaaash!

The ice, now etched with deep fissures, shattered, and the ceiling came crashing down.

“Now I can see you.”

Baphomet thrust his eyes through the hole in the ceiling, releasing a chilling laugh. He extended his fingers into the Ice House.

“It’s all over.”
“Ah….”

Lunan fell to his knees, watching Baphomet’s fingers draw ever closer.
I had wanted to endure until the very end, but with the Ice House destroyed, resistance was impossible. As my consciousness crumbled, the ice that had sustained the structure melted away.

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

Baphomet’s enormous finger descended, completely demolishing the ceiling of the Ice House as it approached.

“I’m sorry.”

Lunan turned away. I closed my eyes, embracing the delicate dolls.

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

The moment I thought of death and bit my lip, a clear, resonant voice came from the direction of the dolls.

“You held on well, Lunan.”
“What?”

As I opened my eyes, the Raon doll I had been holding leaped skyward.

Whoooosh!

Raon’s puppet drew a toy-like sword and severed Baphomet’s finger as it pierced through the Ice House.

“Screeeeeech!”

Baphomet’s finger, thicker than a castle pillar, split apart, and he retreated backward.

“Let’s fight.”

Raon’s puppet descended to the ground and turned around. He nodded with eyes brimming with confidence, just like the real Raon.

“I can win this.”

*

*

*

I shifted my gaze away from the bewildered Lunan and looked down at my own hands.
My fingers were reduced to two, as if I were wearing mittens, and my arms and legs were stubby. I had literally become a doll made of ice cream.

‘It must be because I entered Lunan’s mental world.’

Since this was Lunan’s Mental Realm, I had transformed into the form she had embedded here.

-Ehehehehehe!

Wrath pointed at me with his round finger.

-What a fitting appearance for a wretched creature like you! I wish you looked like that in reality too!

He burst into genuine laughter, ignoring the gravity of the situation.

‘Just laugh at your own pathetic form.’

I shook my head. Since Wrath didn’t exist in Lunan’s Mental Realm, he had become nothing more than a pea-sized cotton candy floating in the air.
Honestly, it wouldn’t be strange to call him dust.

-Huh?

Wrath blinked as he observed his own body.

-What, what is this! Why has the True Demon King become so small!

He bounced indignantly, insisting that none should disrespect the Lord of Wrath, but his form was no larger than a flea.

-No, that’s not important right now! Ice cream girl!

Wrath flew toward Lunan Slion and wagged his tail.

-Don’t worry! From now on, the True Demon King shall assist you!
“Wait, you’re really Raon?”

Lunan Slion ignored Wrath and approached Raon.

“Yeah.”

Raon nodded with a composed tone.

Lunan Slion bit her lip, her clenched fists trembling. Transparent tears like dewdrops welled up over her hazy eyes.

“You held on really well.”

Raon smiled, gently tapping Lunan Slion’s shoe. These weren’t mere words of comfort.
For Lunan Slion, who hadn’t yet properly opened her Mental Realm, to have endured this long was truly remarkable. I spoke with genuine admiration.

-As expected of the True Demon King’s subordinate! How commendable!

Wrath patted Lunan Slion’s shoulder, praising her efforts.

“But what is that?”

Lunan Slion pointed a finger at Wrath, tilting her head as if she couldn’t hear what he was saying.

“….”

Raon stared blankly at Wrath for a moment, then shook his head.

“I’m not sure either. It seems like dust that got dragged along?”
-Yaaaaaah! Explain it properly!

Wrath flailed his arms and let out a piercing shriek.

“Anyway, that dust isn’t what matters right now.”

Raon pushed aside the screaming Wrath and looked at Lunan Slion. The height difference was so vast that even looking up took considerable effort.

“We can’t leave this place unless we defeat that Baphomet.”
“Right. Then together—”
“No. You have to be the one to defeat him.”

Raon shook his head.

“Me? I have to?”
“This is your Mental Realm. You’re the master here, and I’m just a guest. Only you can truly kill that monster.”
“Ah…”

Lunan Slion’s lips trembled as she watched Baphomet slowly rise to his feet. Her expression was crushed beneath terror—it was clear she’d suffered greatly before I arrived.

“I… I don’t know how to defeat that thing…”
“It’s alright.”

Raon kicked off the ground and stood upon Lunan’s shoulder. He smiled as he infused her with the power of Manhwagong.

“As I said, this is your world. Here, mental strength matters more than aura, physique, or martial mastery.”
“Right…”
“You overcame Sylvia’s brainwashing on your own. You’re more than capable of winning.”

It wasn’t a lie. That Baphomet was certainly a formidable entity, but Lunan’s mental fortitude was equally formidable.
With a push from behind and a little assistance, she could absolutely win.

“Really?”
-That’s right! It’s all size and no substance! It’s mint chocolate chip ice cream without the mint!
“It’s all size and no substance. It’s mint chocolate chip ice cream without the mint.”

Raon repeated Wrath’s words verbatim to encourage Lunan Slion.

“Hah.”

Lunan’s lips curved upward. She smiled faintly, gripping Seolhwa tightly in her hand.

“I understand. I trust you.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Okay.”

Lunan nodded and pushed open the shattered door of the Ice House, stepping outside.

-Yaaaaaaah!

Wrath rushed toward Raon and let out a sharp cry.

-That’s what the True Demon King said! Think about copyright!
‘It doesn’t matter who said it. What matters is that Lunan found her courage.’
-Ugh….

He was frustrated, but with nothing to say, he merely gnawed at his lips.

“How dare you!”

Baphomet regenerated his hand and swelled his body even larger. The entire world seemed to be consumed by Baphomet.

“Ugh….”

Lunan let out a low groan, crushed beneath the overwhelming presence of Baphomet, who commanded the darkness.

-Worthless creatures always puff themselves up like this. Think of them as cookies without the cream!
“Lunan. Worthless creatures always puff themselves up like that. Think of them as cookies without the cream.”
-Don’t repeat me!

Wrath seized me by the collar and roared as if he’d kill me.

“Got it.”

Lunan nodded with vacant eyes, having overcome her fear at those words.

“I shall crush you!”

Baphomet raised his massive foot and brought it crashing down toward Lunan.

“Lunan!”
“Got it.”

Lunan kicked off the darkened battlefield. Her elegant and mysterious footwork pushed back the viscous darkness, granting her wings upon her back.

Kuwaaaaang!

Baphomet’s colossal foot shattered only empty ground with futile force.

Terrooong!

Lunan ascended the fractured earth and shifted to Baphomet’s left side.

“Picture the strongest warrior you’ve ever seen. Or imagine yourself grown stronger in the future.”

Raon offered counsel drawn from his own enlightenment regarding the Mental Realm, steadying Lunan’s spirit.

“That’s already decided.”

Lunan answered with unwavering resolve and stepped forward with her left foot. She folded the ground beneath her stride and closed the distance to Baphomet in an instant, unleashing a vicious blade strike.

Shwaaaaaaack!

Frost energy bloomed from Seolhwa’s blade, surging endlessly and slashing across Baphomet’s ankle.

“Kraaaaaaah!”

Baphomet’s ankle tore open, and darkness—not blood—flowed from within.

‘That movement just now….’

The footwork resembled Taewhwa Steps, and the swordplay seemed like that of Manhwagong’s Red Blade.

‘Is it me?’

Lunan was now painting my image as that of a powerful warrior.

‘Why on earth…’

There were countless martial artists stronger than me, yet I couldn’t fathom why he’d thought of me.

I wanted to ask him the reason, but I didn’t want to steal Lunan’s concentration, so I simply offered encouragement.

“You’re doing great! A bit faster, a bit stronger!”
“Got it.”

Lunan’s eyes had returned to their usual vacant sharpness as he dodged Baphomet’s whip and sliced through his shin.

Crunch!

Baphomet couldn’t withstand the impact and tumbled backward.

“Now’s the moment.”

Lunan nodded and unleashed a frost-laden blade strike toward Baphomet’s heart. The towering edge of glacial energy descended in a sweeping arc.

“Begone!”

Baphomet detonated his aura, and a tremendous shockwave rippled outward, sending Lunan skidding back.

Whoooosh!

Baphomet’s form rapidly diminished. He reverted to his original shape, his entire face contorting with wrinkles. He was thoroughly enraged.

“I’ll kill you!”

Baphomet gnashed his teeth and brought his whip crashing down. Though the whip’s power had diminished, its speed was incomparably faster than before, infused with the subtleties of a ferocious martial art.

“It contains the principles of swiftness, transformation, and illusion. If you observe the whip’s tip carefully, you’ll be able to evade it.”
“Understood.”

Lunan nodded and drove forward into the aura-drenched whip. He flowed through the cascading trajectories of the whip strikes like rain and closed the distance to Baphomet.

“I won’t endure any longer!”

Baphomet retreated, apparently sensing the danger of Lunan’s blade. He unleashed a relentless barrage of whip strikes and magic, rendering approach impossible.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed the space where magic and aura clashed violently.

‘At this rate, Lunan will be at a disadvantage.’

Lunan had expended most of her mental power protecting the Ice House. If this dragged on, her concentration would falter first.

‘Then I should help her in a different way.’

Raon cupped his mouth with his open hand and tensed his abdomen.

“No matter how much you struggle, it won’t help! Your partner is already dead!”

Raon raised his voice, declaring that Sylvia outside was already dead.
Recalling the Dragonian he’d encountered before, the Monster inside the helmet and the Eden ghost outside had been able to communicate to some degree. It would definitely work.

“Don’t lie!”

Baphomet lashed out with his whip even more viciously, as if rejecting the nonsense. The serpentine aura tore mercilessly across the ground.

“Ugh….”

Lunan was doing her best to maintain her footwork, but the gaps were steadily closing.

“Think about it carefully. If your partner were outside, how could I, a stranger, have entered this place?”

Raon spoke the truth plainly, letting out a scornful laugh.

“There’s no lie. Your partner died by my hand.”
“Sh, shut up!”

Baphomet’s movements grew larger, and the scale of his magic expanded. It was an offensive of terrifying power, but conversely, gaps that had been invisible began to appear.

Boom!

Lunan didn’t miss that moment and kicked off the ground. With Seolhwa’s blade gripped in both hands, she tore through the darkness and drove her sword into Baphomet’s throat.

“Gah….”

Baphomet drew his sword and attempted to retreat, but Lunan Slion refused to release him, biting into the demon’s arm with his teeth.

Crash!

The frigid aura blooming from Seolhwa spread beneath Baphomet’s neck, and his entire body began to freeze solid with a pale blue hue.

“I… I will not fall to mere humans…!”

Baphomet’s eyes widened in shock as he watched his body stiffen in the cold grip.

‘It worked perfectly.’

Baphomet’s mental fortitude surpassed Lunan Slion’s, but the shock of hearing that Sylvia had died prevented him from leveraging that advantage.
I was fortunate that the psychological warfare had taken hold.

Slice!

Lunan Slion clenched his lips and completely severed Baphomet’s neck. The demon crumbled into dust and vanished as though he had never existed from the beginning.

Whoosh!

The darkness that had been staining this entire world also dissolved into particles and melted away.

“Well done.”

Raon climbed down from Lunan’s shoulder and tapped her ankle.

“….”

Lunan Slion did not respond. The remnant energy left behind by Baphomet’s death descended upon her, imparting new strength.

I recalled the time when I had captured the Dragonian Rocta and gained enlightenment.

“Excellent.”

Raon smiled as he observed Lunan Slion lost in transcendent focus. He had wanted to grant her a reward for overcoming such agony, and he was pleased that everything had unfolded according to plan.

-How admirable, indeed.

Wrath sniffled as he watched Lunan Slion, his nose twitching with emotion.

-Seeing that little brat grow so well and overcome adversity… the True Demon King feels so proud… huh?
“Hm?”

I blinked, staring down at my palms. The energy Baphomet had left behind wasn’t descending only upon Lunan Slion—it was flowing into me as well, transmitting its power.

-Why are you consuming that!
‘It seems the energy Lunan couldn’t fully absorb has seeped into me instead.’

The undigested energy that Lunan Slion couldn’t process appeared to be permeating my being. I could feel my Mental World expanding and solidifying further.

“Indeed, one must always perform good deeds…”
-The True Demon King did too!

Wrath let out a sharp cry.

-The True Demon King performed a good deed as well! All those words of comfort you spoke to the Ice Girl came from the True Demon King, so why are you the only one reaping the benefits!
‘You’re not even human.’
-That’s species discrimination!
‘Now he’s finally saying it right. That’s true. It’s not racism, it’s species—’
-Shut your mouth!

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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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