The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 552

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 552

I narrowed my eyes as I observed Glen Zigheart’s shoulders, which seemed unusually tense today.

‘Is he asking me to bring Periton Blanc white wine?’

But why would he ask me to do that?

If Glen Zigheart wanted it, he could easily drink the Sea artifact I’d acquired with great difficulty recently, rather than Periton Blanc.
I couldn’t understand why Glen Zigheart, who was more meticulous than anyone about separating public and private matters, was hinting that I should bring white wine.

-You’re being dense!

Wrath clicked his tongue in exasperation.

-You still don’t understand why that old geezer suddenly brought up white wine!
‘Then you know?’

I looked down at Wrath with my eyes still narrowed.

-Of course I do! The True Demon King is far more human than you, so I couldn’t possibly not know!

Wrath nodded and floated above Glen Zigheart’s head.

-What food pairs well with white wine?
‘Usually fish dishes.’

While not strictly fixed, there was a saying that red wine pairs well with meat dishes, and white wine pairs well with fish dishes.

-Exactly!

Wrath clapped his hands loudly in agreement.

-This old geezer is craving fish dishes!
‘….’

My eyes shifted from mere exasperation to something far more pitiful.

I laid thin slices of onion over the tender salmon, topped it with cream sauce, and popped it into my mouth….

Wrath’s cheeks puffed out as he chuckled, clearly reminiscing about the salmon dish he’d eaten in Aikar.

-Bring me salmon at once! What? Why are you lifting the True Demon King?! Put me down!

I hurled the muttering Wrath into the Lake and approached Glen Zigheart.

“I’ll make sure to obtain that wine for you.”

I still wondered why Glen had mentioned the wine, but since he seemed to want it, I offered to fetch it.

“Hmm, that was pointless of me to say.”

Glen nodded lightly as if he’d already forgotten about the wine.

“Turn around.”
“Yes.”

He wouldn’t do anything harmful, and even if he did, I couldn’t stop him, so I obediently turned my back. I felt his hand settle between my shoulder blades.

“Keep your mouth shut and stay still.”

Glen’s voice reached me as I tried to turn my head.

“The martial technique Periton created utilizes every mana circuit in the human body. In other words, you must master the intricacies of human physiology.”

With those words, Glen’s aura surged forward like a wave. It carried a lightning-tinged energy that stung like a burn.

“I’m not one for reading from books and explaining things step by step, so endure it well.”
“….”

I couldn’t open my mouth as Glen’s aura burrowed through my body, only managing to shake my head.

Roooooar!

Glen’s lightning-infused aura raced through the major mana circuits connected to my dantian, stimulating even the delicate pathways I hadn’t yet fully developed.
The movement of his aura was neither fast nor slow, making it manageable to follow his instruction.

“The human body is a universe unto itself. We call the body of a martial artist a microcosm for this very reason.”

I had heard such teachings before. There were accounts of how the human body possessed infinite potential, capable of transcending even the boundaries between life and death.

“At the center of it all lie the dantian and the mana circuits.”

As Glen Zigheart spoke, he moved his lightning essence simultaneously, stimulating all six mana circuits that branched outward from my dantian at once.
A sharp, crackling sensation of lightning energy surged to my fingertips before returning to my dantian, awakening the flow of Periton’s martial technique within me.

“Remember the path through which the lightning essence flows and the manner of its operation. If you wish to transcend Grand Master and ascend beyond, the sensation you feel now will prove invaluable.”

I couldn’t even manage a word of gratitude, my entire consciousness focused solely on perceiving the movement of the lightning essence.

Whooooom!

Glen Zigheart demonstrated the method of moving all six major mana circuits connected to the dantian twice before finally withdrawing his lightning essence.

“Haah…”

I exhaled roughly and collapsed to the ground. My body felt heavy as if waterlogged from the intense concentration, and sweat streamed down my entire frame.

‘This is exhausting enough to kill me. Still, I’ve learned so much.’

Glen Zigheart hadn’t merely transmitted the operational methods of Periton’s martial technique—he had enabled me to perceive the locations of the subtle mana circuits and the movements of both the dantian and the major mana circuits.
Thanks to this, I now had a sense of how to connect the artificial dantian with Sylvia’s damaged mana circuits.

“Thank you.”

I steadied my wobbling legs and rose to my feet, bowing my head to Glen Zigheart.

“I merely did what needed to be done.”

Glen Zigheart waved his hand dismissively as if it were nothing.

“Train diligently and develop all the mana circuits throughout your body to become wider and straighter than they are now. Should you succeed, you will be able to advance to even greater heights.”

He reached into his robes and tossed out a manuscript. It was the Periton martial technique, which I had already begun to master in its operational methods.

“Apply yourself with dedication.”

Glen turned away without hesitation and vanished into the shadows of the night.

“….”

I remained motionless in that spot for a long while, my head bowed, until Glen had completely disappeared from sight.

*

*

*

“Damn it!”

Rimer slammed his fist against the ground as he watched Glen return to the Main Mansion.

“Why does he have to make things so difficult? All he had to do was say yes to a drink!”

He grabbed his dirt-smudged hair in frustration, unable to comprehend Glen’s behavior.

“It cannot be helped.”

Sheryl leaned against a boulder and clicked her tongue softly.

“The Head of House is still wrestling with whether it’s right for him to approach Sylvia and Raon.”
“I understand that, but the progress is far too slow. At this rate, I’ll be the one passing away first!”

Rimer shook his head, his eyes squeezed shut.

“Sigh….”

Sheryl also sighed, seeming to agree that the grandfather-grandchild relationship wasn’t properly taking root.

“And Raon is strange too! The man has instincts sharp as a ghost, yet he becomes blind as a bat whenever he stands before the Head of House! Why would he have brought up drinking otherwise? He wanted to drink with you!”

Rimer ground his teeth as he looked at Raon, who was keeping his head lowered.

“Don’t blame Raon.”

Sheryl struck the back of Rimer’s head and shook her head.

“For Raon, the Head of House is an unreachable, lofty sky. Who would think that sky would feel ashamed before him?”
“Ah, the connection. The connection isn’t working. This is driving me crazy!”

Rimer struck his own chest and cried out in frustration.

“Hehehehe. There’s no need to worry too much.”

Roen smiled gently, watching Raon’s eyes as he slowly lifted his head.

“Because the connection has touched, even if only slightly.”

*

*

*

A month had passed.

I helped Sylvia with her physical training from dawn until afternoon, and at night, I focused on mastering Periton’s martial techniques.

Perhaps it wasn’t for nothing that it was called the Technique of Righteousness—the more I learned Periton’s martial arts, the more I could control even the minutest movements of my aura exactly as I willed.
It felt like becoming an artisan who painted pictures on leaves with a small twig.

Sylvia’s physical condition had improved, and I had grown accustomed to Periton’s techniques, so I decided today was the day to connect her dantian and mana circuits.

I approached Rimer and Dogyae, who stood before the Annex Building, and bowed my head.

“Then I ask for your support.”
“Don’t worry.”

Dogyae nodded readily, telling me to focus only on the task at hand.

“Relax your shoulders. If you tense up, even what should work won’t.”

Rimer smiled with his usual warmth and kneaded my shoulders. Seeing their faces put my mind at ease, if only a little.

“Thank you.”

I bowed to Dogyae and Rimer before stepping into the Annex Building.

“Young Master.”
“Please take care of the Madam.”

The maidservants maintained composed expressions while concealing their trembling hands. They were trying not to burden me.

“Deputy Commander! You can do this!”
“Everything will work out!”

Yua raised her hands with vibrant energy, while Julius clenched his fists tightly.

“….”

Judith maintained an outward calm, though her eyes betrayed the tension she felt as she bowed her head.

“I’ll bring good news. Just prepare the meal.”

I smiled at the maidservants and entered Sylvia’s chamber. While I could have chosen a safer location, I selected this place because it was where Sylvia’s heart found the greatest peace.
We could have done it in a safer place, but we chose The Facility because it was where Sylvia’s mind felt most at ease.

Raon.

Sylvia, dressed in black mourning clothes, turned around. Her complexion looked relieved.

“Why would I be nervous when you’re doing this?”
“Why would I be nervous when you’re doing it for me?”

Sylvia laughed without a care, saying that she believed in her son.

“That won’t happen.”
That won’t happen.

Raon approached Sylvia with a firm grip in his hand.

Don’t worry! If any problems arise, the True Demon King will take care of everything!

Wrath tapped on Sylvia’s shoulder—though she remained invisible to his eyes—and let out a hollow cough.

‘Right. I’m counting on you. Once we get through this, you can eat whatever you want.’
-What manner of being do you take the True Demon King for! This is no time to think of food!

He scowled, dismissing the comment as nonsense.

‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so….’
-But there will be salmon, yes?
‘Of course.’

I let out a deflated laugh. Thanks to Wrath’s absurd rambling, the tension had eased somewhat.
With trembling hands now stilled, I withdrew an artificial core and a Sea Spirit Flower stem from my spatial pouch.

Whoooosh!

Brilliant light bloomed from the artificial core, seeping into the translucent Sea Spirit Flower stem and casting an elegant, ethereal glow.

“What is this….”

Sylvia tilted her head, gazing at the glistening blue Sea Spirit Flower stem.

“It’s a Sea Spirit Flower stem. It revitalizes the core and mana circuits, and it’s excellent for purging impurities.”

Unlike the petals of the Sea Spirit Flower, only one stem could be used, but its power to purify the body was immense. This stem was precisely why I believed it could restore Sylvia’s mana circuits.

“Using something this precious on me….”

Sylvia trembled, not daring even to touch the stem.

“Then become someone worthy of both the artificial core and the stem.”

I smiled and placed the Sea Spirit Flower stem and artificial core into Sylvia’s hands.

“You really are….”
“Swallow them both at once. It won’t be difficult.”
“All right.”

Sylvia placed the artificial core and Sea Spirit Flower stem into her mouth simultaneously. The moment both touched her tongue, they dissolved like mist and slipped down her throat.

The Sea-Bloom Flower would flow like blood and revitalize the mana circuits that had hardened into stone, while the artificial dantian would move of its own accord, descending to where the original dantian should have been.

“Ugh….”

Sylvia’s face contorted in pain as the mana surging from the artificial dantian washed over her.

“I’ll begin right away.”

Every moment of delay would only compound her suffering, so I raised my hand and announced we would start immediately.

“All right.”

Sylvia turned her body with a forced smile, closing her eyes without a word—perhaps to spare me the burden of her distress.

“Hah….”

I steadied my breathing slowly, then shaped my aura into a delicate thread and pushed it into Sylvia’s body.

A harsh, brittle sensation transmitted back to me—like piercing frozen earth. Her mana circuits had been completely blocked, dormant for over twenty years without channeling aura.

‘I have to push through.’

I honed the tip of my aura into a blade-sharp point and forced my way inward, piercing through the accumulated waste clogging her mana circuits.

Sylvia’s shoulders trembled from the pain, but she clenched her teeth and endured without complaint.

Whoooosh!

Trusting in Sylvia’s resolve, I spread my aura throughout her entire network of mana circuits.

‘The essence of the Sea-Bloom Flower stem is moving.’

The pure mana crystallized within the Sea-Bloom Flower stem was breathing life into the stone-hardened mana circuits. To reconnect the dantian and the circuits, I needed to maximize that essence’s power.

I wrapped my aura around the Sea-Bloom Flower’s essence as it moved of its own volition.
After containing it so it wouldn’t waste any more vitality, I used that force to spread renewed life throughout her entire petrified network of mana circuits.

Rummmmmble!

Like a withered sprout drinking in the morning dew and lifting its head toward the sun, the natural essence that dwelled within Sylvia’s stem gently loosened the hardened mana circuits that had become brittle and rigid.

‘Loosening alone won’t suffice. I must also clear away the impurities.’

Sylvia’s mana circuits suffered from two distinct problems.
Unless I addressed both the hardened, rigid sections and the accumulation of impurities clogging the interior, it would be impossible to establish a connection between her dantian and mana circuits.

‘This much, I can handle.’

Having pierced through all nine strands of the Curse of Extreme Cold before, clearing away the impurities blocking the mana circuits presented no significant difficulty.

Whoooosh.

I applied heat from Manhwagong to the impurities within the mana circuits, then carved a path open using Glacius’s frigid essence, honed sharp as an awl.

As the vitality of the Haeryeong Flower’s stem, the heat of Manhwagong, and the cold of Glacius all performed their roles in perfect harmony, I felt the accumulated impurities draining from Sylvia’s body.

‘Slower. Take it slower.’

Rushing and increasing speed only invited disaster. I drew upon every ounce of my concentration, focusing entirely on clearing Sylvia’s mana circuits.

Shhhhiiing!

Like snowballs that had hardened throughout the winter melting beneath the spring sun, a crystalline essence bloomed throughout Sylvia’s entire body.

Only after expelling all the impurities through every pore of Sylvia’s body did I finally exhale the breath I’d been holding.

‘Phew….’

Though it had consumed considerable time, Sylvia’s steadfast endurance allowed me to clear all impurities from her primary mana circuits. Now only one task remained—connecting her dantian to her mana circuits.

‘If this fails, everything becomes meaningless.’

Should I fail to properly establish the connection between dantian and mana circuits, all my efforts would crumble to nothing. I elevated my concentration beyond what I’d summoned even in life-or-death battles, wielding both Manhwagong and Glacius with absolute precision.

‘I must connect all six mana circuits simultaneously.’

Six mana circuits were connected to the dantian. Only by linking all six primary circuits at once could the artificial dantian’s mana spread evenly throughout Sylvia’s entire body.

I gathered the heat from Manhwagong and covered Sylvia’s mana circuits with Glacsia alone.

‘This should be right.’

Kaibar was a Blue Dragon, so the scent of water attribute was deeply embedded within his mana. To properly utilize that mana, guiding it through Glacsia was the best approach.

Whoooosh!

By controlling Glacsia’s chill, I moved six mana circuits simultaneously. Using the aura manipulation I had learned from Periton’s martial techniques, I controlled the aura with even greater precision.

‘This is nerve-wracking.’

Though I had practiced extensively on my own body, attempting this directly on Sylvia made my heart race beyond my control. The backlash caused my aura manipulation to waver.

‘Focus. There won’t be another chance.’

I bit my lip and poured strength into my hands and aura. It wasn’t an ideal method, but there was no other choice now.
As I felt a tension sharp as thorns piercing my heart while moving six mana circuits simultaneously, the aura manipulation Glen had demonstrated through his body a month ago surfaced in my mind.
The way he had guided the aura’s movement through his neural pathways was remarkably similar to anchoring the mana circuits to the dantian now.

‘So that was it.’

Now I understood.

Glen’s sudden arrival to teach me Periton’s martial techniques wasn’t compensation for Valdemar’s misconduct. It was a father’s counsel for his daughter.

‘He was watching over us.’

I had thought he showed little interest in Sylvia, but I was wrong. Perhaps from afar, he was regretting the past.

With Glen’s guidance accompanying me, the tension dissolved, and the aura’s movement, which had been rigid and stiff, came alive once more.

Goooooooh!

I fluidly manipulated Glacsia’s chill and guided Sylvia’s mana circuits toward the artificial dantian.

Keeping Glen’s guidance, the knowledge gained from Periton’s martial techniques, and Sylvia’s nature in mind, I merged the six mana circuits at the optimal position of the artificial dantian, generating an intense chill.

Crackle crackle crackle!

I used the chill like welding metal, carving a deep passage that connected Sylvia’s dantian and mana circuits.

Boom!

The moment the mana circuit and artificial dantian merged perfectly, a tremendous explosion erupted within Sylvia’s body.
The vast mana dwelling in the artificial dantian surged like a tidal wave, sweeping away all the impurities that had accumulated in her mana circuits.

Whoosh!

Like the morning sun erasing the darkness of night, the enormous yet pristine mana pushed away even Glacius’s chill that had been assisting me, standing tall on its own strength.
Sylvia’s body stirred with a solemn current, like a seedling breaking through hardened earth.

“Exhale.”

I withdrew my hand from Sylvia’s back and opened my eyes.

Sylvia hovered a hand’s breadth above the ground, breathing with the essence of nature.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

The Annex Building trembled as vast mana condensed and dispersed repeatedly, a blue haze gathering above Sylvia’s head before being drawn into her nostrils.

Whoosh!

Sylvia descended back to the ground and slowly opened her eyes. A brilliant blue radiance flickered in her pupils—something I had never seen before.

“Ah….”

Sylvia leaned backward, her strength seemingly drained.

“Mother.”

I caught her body. Meeting her trembling gaze, I smiled.

“Welcome back.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————