The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 581

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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 581

I swallowed hard as I watched Sterin’s bowstring grow increasingly taut.

‘Take it if you can’… did that mean…

He was going to teach me?

Recalling Sterin’s words, it seemed less like a challenge to fight and more like he intended to demonstrate his archery technique.

When we first met, he said we’d see each other again after the World Tree purification ceremony, but the fact that he was offering instruction now suggested that the advice I’d given Siyan had impressed him.

“The archery technique I use is called Gamhwasi. However…”

Sterin maintained a subtle smile as he drew the bowstring halfway and held it steady.

“Humans call it Igieoasi.”
“Igieoasi…”

Igieoasi—the pinnacle of archery, allowing an archer to control an arrow’s trajectory according to their will. My heart pounded with the joy of witnessing a transcendent martial art equivalent to Igieogeom right before my eyes.

“Prepare yourself.”

Sterin’s gaze remained composed, as if telling me to speak when I was ready.
Yet the arrow nocked on his bowstring emanated an ominous, bone-chilling aura.

I bit my lip as I gazed at the coldly gleaming arrowhead.

‘This is a stroke of fortune.’

To fight a Transcendent—and one who wielded the bow no less—was fortune among fortunes. Experiencing new martial arts would expand my mental landscape even further.

‘Even though we’re at close range, I mustn’t assume I have the advantage.’

In close combat between a swordsman and an archer, the swordsman would normally hold an overwhelming advantage, but that principle didn’t apply to Sterin, who could wield Igieoasi.
I had to fight believing I was significantly outmatched.

“I’m ready.”

Raon nodded, mentally visualizing how to block Sterin’s arrows.

“Quick preparations for someone so young.”

Sterin tilted his chin back slightly and drew his bowstring to its limit. The moment the string creaked as if it might snap, a chill ran down my spine.

‘The atmosphere has changed.’

Until moments ago, Sterin had radiated a calm presence, but now a sharp, almost vicious aura overflowed from him. This must be his true form when engaged in combat.

Merely meeting Sterin’s gaze made my hair stand on end. I felt as though I might be crushed beneath an overwhelming pressure that transcended the mere concept of strength.

‘I cannot break here.’

If I collapse now, I gain nothing. I resonated the Ring of Fire to draw forth a power greater than what I naturally possessed.

Whoooooosh!

Without even thinking to wipe the cold sweat trickling down my forehead, I planted the Heavenly Sword at mid-guard. The resonant hum of the blade loosened my rigid body ever so slightly.

“Good eyes.”

Sterin nodded approvingly and flicked the bowstring lightly.
The arrow he released closed the distance in an instant, arriving right before my face. It moved faster than sound itself—fast enough that I wondered if magic propelled it.

‘Right flank!’

At least I could discern his target from the killing intent embedded in the arrow.

Ching!

I angled the Heavenly Sword to the right from its mid-guard position, blocking the space where the arrow would have pierced.

‘What?’

Yet Sterin’s arrow stopped just before my flank, frozen in place without the slightest movement.
It was impossible for an arrow that arrived faster than sound to halt without any momentum, yet Sterin’s power made the impossible possible.

Whoooosh!

The moment the Heavenly Sword sliced through the air, Sterin shifted his arrow once more.
The white arrow surged toward my solar plexus far faster than when it had left the bowstring.

‘I’ve been deceived!’

I pushed off the ground with my heels and stepped into the Ethereal Step technique.
But the arrow came at my chest even faster than I could retreat.

‘Still, I’ve bought myself time.’

Using the momentary gap created by the footwork technique, I thrust the Soul Reaper Sword forward, which I’d caught in a reverse grip.

Ching!

The blue-tinged blade of the Soul Reaper Sword blocked the white arrow’s path, but Sterin altered its trajectory once again, targeting a different vital point.

‘I anticipated this.’

The frost blade that shadowed the Soul Reaper Sword’s movement struck the arrow’s shaft as it changed direction.

Crash!

Even though I’d struck the shaft rather than the arrowhead, my palm seared with pain as if it might split open. Now I could see that the entire arrow was protected by a formidable aura.

“Hmm!”

A small exclamation escaped Sterin’s lips.

“Two sword strikes in a single swing—quite impressive.”

He appraised the Frost Blade with a leisurely smile. The arrow vibrating in the air gently rose and returned to Sterin.

“I didn’t realize you could create sensory illusions using killing intent.”

I narrowed my eyes as I watched Sterin nock another arrow.

“So you truly meant it when you said to take what I could.”

Sterin didn’t offer guidance with the kindness of the Sword Ghost, but instead imparted cold instruction—take only what you could truly obtain yourself.

“What comes easily disappears just as easily.”

Sterin gave a brief nod. The fletching of the arrow trembled, influenced by his sharp resolve.

“If you understand, then you may proceed properly, yes?”
“Of course.”

I nodded and immediately surged forward, drawing the Heavenly Sword from where I’d held it behind me.
The aura sphere blooming from the blade’s edge opened its pitch-black maw and exhaled a breath of flame.

Roooaaarrr!

The crimson flames undulated with such grandeur they seemed ready to consume not just Sterin, but the entire Grand Forest.

“Your control still lacks refinement.”

Sterin smiled coldly and, the moment he released his arrow, twisted the flow of the Flame Dragon Technique.

Whooooosh!

The heat that had been spreading in a fan pattern condensed into a single line, aimed directly at Sterin’s chest.

“Deception upon deception, then.”

Sterin maintained his smile and released the bowstring. The white arrow became pure radiance, surging toward the Flame Dragon Technique.

Boooom!

The white radiance and the breath of flame collided, and a terrifying shockwave rippled outward in all directions.

But the flames of the Flame Dragon Technique couldn’t hold, beginning to melt away.

I frowned as I watched my flames dissipate.

‘The Flame Dragon Technique isn’t weak.’

The Guardian’s martial prowess is simply overwhelmingly superior.

Sterin didn’t simply shatter it with brute force—he exploited the trajectory of his arrows to pierce the gaps in the Flame Dragon Formation. It was a fight rich with lessons.

Boom!

Ultimately, the inferno of the Flame Dragon Formation couldn’t withstand Sterin’s arrows and was completely extinguished.

“Hah…”

I exhaled a turbid breath and adjusted my grip on the Heavenly Sword.

‘Let me observe this properly.’

I’m not here to defeat a Transcendent. That’s not why I’ve drawn my blade.

My true purpose is to glean insights into my mental landscape through this battle. I must remain focused on the fight while never losing sight of my objective.

‘How exactly do they manipulate their arrows and swords at will?’

Both Sterin and the Holy Sword Master command their arrows and blades according to their own will.
Since this isn’t a technique that can be used simply by touching Transcendence, there must be a special method involved.

Whoooosh!

I resonated the eight rings with extreme polarity while simultaneously deploying Wrath’s Demonic Eye and Seolhwa’s senses.
The surging quality of my soul summoned the realm of transcendent ascension, slowing the passage of time as I perceived it.

‘Just a bit more…’

Even as the savage arrow streaked toward my brow, I pushed my concentration higher still.

Roooar!

My upper dantian burned with agony so intense my skull felt ready to split, yet my concentration soared without limit. In this world moving in slow motion, only I and the arrow existed.

I leaned my upper body backward to evade the incoming arrow.

Whoosh!

But Sterin’s arrow, as if anticipating my movement, curved sharply and grazed past my right cheek.

I drew upon the sharp pain blooming across my cheek as fuel, pulling my concentration to an even greater height. The reflection of my face was visible in the crimson droplets scattering through the void.

‘Not yet… huh?’

As the ring of fire trembled as if it might shatter, I saw what looked like a white line passing through my blood.

‘An illusion? No, it’s not an illusion.’

It’s connected to the arrow.

The faintly wavering white line was passing in the exact same direction as the white arrow that had grazed my cheek moments before.

‘Could it be…?’

I shifted my gaze forward. The thin line connected to the white arrow was originating from Sterin.

‘Now I understand!’

I swallowed dryly and narrowed my eyes.

‘That line is the Guardian’s intent.’

Intent—the power dwelling in the will to accomplish something. Sterin’s intent, which had transcended beyond Grand Master, was freely manipulating the arrows.

‘The path of intent is truly boundless.’

I had thought intent merely added power to strength and momentum, but I never knew it could be wielded in such a manner.
This must be why warriors who cannot handle intent can never defeat those who do.

-Of course.

Wrath nodded briefly.

-Intent and the path of mental imagery are boundless. Even the True Demon King’s techniques require a certain mastery of intent to reveal their true power.

He gestured, noting that the reason I had grown stronger upon reaching Grand Master was because proper power had finally been infused into the intent I had been clumsily wielding.

‘Thank you for the advice.’
-A-Advice?! I merely explained a bit because you were being so foolish!

Wrath waved his hand, telling me to stop spouting nonsense.

I chuckled softly and refocused on Sterin’s arrows. Rather, I concentrated on his intent.

Whoooosh!

I felt Sterin’s arrow, which had retreated backward, spinning as it aimed for my back.

I stepped back to the left and unleashed the Heavenly Sword. A wall of crimson flames rose, but the white arrow slipped through the gap effortlessly and pressed inward.

The moment the arrow descended like lightning, I hurled the Soul Reaper Sword I’d been holding lightly.

Clang!

The Soul Reaper Sword, wrapped in the subtleties of blade technique, extended with a formidable demonic aura.

Yet Sterin’s arrow simply shifted its trajectory slightly, evading the Soul Reaper Sword and burrowing deeper into my space.

‘As expected.’

Since I’d anticipated Sterin would respond this way, I’d infused my intent into the Soul Reaper Sword.

Crackle!

Perhaps because this was my first attempt at transferring intent, a terrifying pain struck my mind. My upper dantian felt like it would be crushed entirely.

‘I have to keep going….’

This excruciating pain was the backlash of trying to manifest more than what I possessed.
I was clearly overextending myself, but as Sterin said, I had to endure it to gain even a little.

‘Go down!’

Go down and deflect the arrow!

The moment I sent out strands of intent recklessly, the Soul Reaper Sword’s aura connected with one of those strands, bursting with a thin light in the void.

Boom!

The moment I felt the sensation of the sword and myself becoming one, the Soul Reaper Sword dropped like a puppet with its strings cut and struck the arrow shaft.
It was only possible because the Soul Reaper Sword possessed its own will.

-Gasp!

Wrath’s eyes widened in surprise as the situation unfolded beyond his predictions.

Whoooosh!

Even Sterin seemed taken aback, as the white arrow wavered greatly, losing its trajectory.

But his arrow rose again as if it had never faltered, flying toward my chest.

“Ugh….”

I couldn’t move even as I watched the arrow approach. I had exhausted all my mental energy moments before, pushing my consciousness to its limit.

The arrow that had been flying toward me like death itself stopped just before my face, trembling faintly.

“Hah….”

I caught my breath and lifted my head. Sterin’s gaze wavered greatly, just like the arrow he was controlling.

“Just now….”

He parted his trembling lips slightly.

“Did you control the sword with your will?”
“I… I’m not entirely sure myself. I simply had the desire to try….”

I was being truthful. Lost in that state of transcendence, I barely understood what I had done.
But I could sense that the Soul Reaper Sword had helped me.

Whoooosh

Sterin flicked his fingertips. The white arrow was drawn back into his hand.

“What did you sense from me?”
“It appeared as though the arrow and you, Guardian, were connected by a thin thread. I could feel your will flowing through that thread….”

I conveyed honestly what I had sensed moments before.

“You saw it rather than merely sensed it?”

Sterin let out a hollow laugh while holding his arrow.

“I’ve heard many tales of monsters or geniuses appearing across the Continent, but most fell within reasonable expectations. Now I finally witness the genuine article.”

He shook his head in genuine astonishment.

“Then truly….”
“Yes. The foundation of Resonance Archery lies in intention and mental imagery.”

Sterin pointed to his temple with a finger.

“The more developed your upper dantian becomes, the more freely you can employ Resonance Archery. It’s remarkable. Even if your upper dantian is developed relative to your combat prowess, you shouldn’t yet be capable of manifesting it.”

His eyes narrowed in incomprehension.

“It’s likely because of this sword.”

I gently wiped the Soul Reaper Sword.

“Though it has become a demonic blade, since its original wielders were righteous, it appears to have followed my will.”
“I’m aware the demonic blade grasped your intention. What I’m saying is that your intention reached the demonic blade.”
“I’m not entirely certain about that myself.”
“That answer only confirms you’re a monster.”

Sterin answered decisively and reached into his robes. He withdrew a cherry-like red fruit and tossed it.

“Eat it. It will help settle your internal injuries quickly.”
“Thank you.”

I caught the fruit with both hands and bowed respectfully.

“I told you to obtain it, but I never expected you’d actually take it with you.”

Sterin chuckled softly and turned away.

“It might actually work out.”
“Pardon?”
“The World Tree purification ceremony is the day after tomorrow. Come along with Rimer.”

With those words, he turned back toward the forest path from which he’d emerged.

A gentle breeze swept through.

As Sterin receded into the distance, the forest grew denser, restoring the landscape to its original state.

“Hah…”

I exhaled a long sigh and sprawled out on my back.

“I’m exhausted. But…”

This is exhilarating.

Encountering a new martial art was always thrilling. It felt as though the inspiration that had stagnated since reaching Grand Master had burst forth all at once, refreshing my entire being.

My body and mind were so drained I couldn’t move a single finger, yet I wanted nothing more than to rise and wield my blade immediately.

‘And moreover…’

I would actually see the World Tree.

When I came to Sepia, I’d never imagined seeing the World Tree. I’d assumed it would never be shown to a human, yet here I was, granted another stroke of fortune.

‘How immense could it be?’
-Raon Zigheart.

As I smiled at the thought of the World Tree, Wrath approached me slowly, his expression unusually grave.

-I have an important proposal for you.
‘A proposal?’
-Indeed. The True Demon King will listen to whatever you ask…

He rarely spoke this way, so I felt a flutter of tension.

-Let me just taste one fruit from the World Tree. I’m dying to know what it tastes like!

Wrath wiggled his plump fingers, suggesting that eating just one in secret wouldn’t be so bad.

‘I should have known. Do you want me to spend my entire life being hunted by elves?’

It wasn’t just the leaves of the World Tree—if I ate its fruit, I would become the elves’ sworn enemy and spend my life dodging arrows.

-Even if we’re hunted, wouldn’t eating the fruit be worth it?
“….”

I closed my eyes tightly as I watched Wrath drooling from his mouth.

‘True Demon King, show yourself. Let me see your face.’

Why did I make this glutton my embodiment of Wrath!

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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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