The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 582

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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 582

I exhaled deeply, staring at the Soul Reaper Sword that Raon had placed on the ground.

‘Rise.’

I attempted to move the Soul Reaper Sword by awakening my consciousness in the upper dantian, but the blade refused to budge, as if asking what I was doing.

Whirrrrr!

I resonated the rings of fire as I had during my sparring with Sterin, drawing upon my power, yet the Soul Reaper Sword remained unmoved, emitting only a faint, ticklish hum.

“Ugh….”

I groaned, bracing myself against the floor with both arms.

‘Why won’t it work?’

The moment I returned to the Dormitory to preserve the inspiration gained from the sparring match, I began practicing infusing my consciousness into the Soul Reaper Sword, but I never expected it to refuse to move at all.

-Would the True Demon King like to know why it won’t work?

Wrath crept up beside me and grabbed my shoulder. His hand felt soft, like plump rubber.

‘Why won’t it work?’
-The reason is simple!

He raised his fist confidently.

-It won’t work because you’re hungry!
‘….’
-Originally, human strength comes from a full belly. Since you haven’t eaten since arriving here, how could you possibly have any strength?

Wrath, despite being a Demon Lord, spouted nonsense about how human strength comes from a full belly, insisting we go eat.
I couldn’t speak to his other qualities, but his consistency was unparalleled. I wanted to call him the Demon Lord of Consistency.

‘I’m getting tired….’
-I’m telling you it’s true! Just trust the True Demon King once!
‘Back off.’

As I pushed away the struggling Wrath and tried to refocus on my meditation, the Dormitory door burst open violently.

Crash!

A foot that appeared to have kicked the door open strode in brazenly.

“Head of House….”

I shook my head at the sight of Rimer kicking down the door even after coming home. Come to think of it, his consistency is absolutely impeccable.

“You haven’t eaten, have you?”

Rimer placed the tray he’d been holding in his left hand onto the table beside my bed.

“This place doesn’t hand out meals. You have to find and eat on your own.”

He grinned, mentioning he’d already brought meals to Dorian and Yua.

-Ooh!

Wrath let out an exclamation upon seeing the silver lid covering the tray.

-What’s gotten into this fool! Has he finally come to his senses?

He examined the tray from every angle, licking his lips.

“Thank you for the consideration.”

I rose and bowed my head to Rimer.

“Starting tomorrow, there won’t be such luxuries. But….”

Rimer’s eyes narrowed as he swept his gaze across my entire body.

“Why do you look so exhausted?”
“I just finished a sparring session with Sterin.”
“Sparring? Wait, sparring?”

He widened his eyes, clearly unaware that I had sparred with Sterin.

“Really?”
“Just as you mentioned, Sterin’s archery is on a different level. It was a valuable experience.”

I gave him a brief explanation of my sparring session with Sterin.

“Ha! He offered guidance and even told you to visit the World Tree?”
“Yes.”
“Our grandfather doesn’t even teach the Guardians directly. What on earth did you do?”

Rimer let out a hollow laugh, unable to comprehend the situation.

“Let me see the fruit he gave you.”
“Ah, of course.”

I pulled out the red fruit I hadn’t yet consumed and held it forward.

“This is a Sanrae fruit.”
“A Sanrae fruit?”
“Around the World Tree, trees grow that exist at the boundary between plants and spirits due to the influence of the Spirit Realm. Since it’s a fruit harvested from a tree brimming with natural essence, it should be far more effective than most spiritual medicines.”

He raised his thumb, explaining that while it wouldn’t dramatically increase aura, it was unparalleled for recovery.

“Are you certain I should accept something so precious?”
“He’s the one giving it. What can I do? If you don’t want it, I’ll take it.”

Rimer extended his hand, offering to accept it himself.

“I’ll keep it.”

I shook my head and pulled the Sanrae fruit back.

“Now that I think about it, you seem quite popular with the old men.”

Rimer laughed, finding the situation amusing.

“Me?”
“Yeah. The Saint Elder likes you, the Sword Ghost Elder said he’d teach you right away when you first met—though things are different now—and the Head of House likes you too.”
“I’m not so sure….”

I shook my head calmly. Regardless of what others thought, the Head of House evaluated people solely on their accomplishments.
While our relationship had improved from before, his personal affection for me wasn’t particularly strong.

“You really don’t understand.”

Rimer sighed and lightly kicked at the ground.

“A grandfather-grandson relationship should be like mine and my grandfather’s. You saw how I hugged him the moment I saw him, right?”

He struck an embracing pose, suggesting I should try hugging Glen Zigheart when we returned to Zigheart.

“Are you trying to get someone killed?”

I narrowed my eyes as I watched Rimer’s lips curl upward.

‘My head would fly off instantly.’

Looking at Glen’s murderous expression, I’d end up on my knees before I could even attempt an embrace.

“I’m serious….”
“Stop talking nonsense. Where did the Lord Elder go?”

The sparring match with Sterin had been quite loud, so I found it strange that he didn’t know about it.

“Erian said something strange was happening outside, so I went out for a bit and came back.”

Rimer nodded in agreement.

“Something strange?”
“Wild animals from the Grand Forest were reported standing in front of Sepia’s entrance.”
“Animals?”
“Yeah. Normally they shouldn’t sense anything because of the Barrier, but they were standing there as if desperate to enter. Strange, right?”
“Y-yes, that is strange.”

Upon hearing that an animal wished to enter Sepia, a single woman’s image materialized in my mind.

‘It couldn’t be.’

No matter who that woman was, she couldn’t possibly come here.

-No, the True Demon King believes it is her, he does.

Wrath shook his head, his jaw trembling violently.

-That Mad Woman is the one, she is!

He shook his head, suddenly insisting that animals couldn’t possibly behave strangely like this.

“Now that I think about it, there are no animals inside here.”
“Sepia has a barrier that prevents anyone who hasn’t received an invitation from the elves from entering.”

Rimer pointed his finger toward the sky, explaining that the brilliant light visible when I first arrived at Sepia was the barrier.

“Since the animals all disappeared once we went outside, it doesn’t seem to have been anything serious.”

He chuckled, suggesting that the animals had likely sensed the sharp energy just before the purification ceremony.

“I, I see.”

If it truly was Merlin, she would abandon any hesitation and find a way regardless. I would need to verify whether it was her after the purification ceremony.

“What are your impressions of Sepia?”
“It’s far more mystical than I imagined. However….”
“However?”
“The elves seem to take far more interest in people and others than I initially thought.”

Though not as chaotic as Rimer, a handful of the elves carried a scent similar to those who enjoyed spreading gossip.

“You’re saying that after seeing them spread rumors about you and Siyan?”
“Precisely.”
“You observe well.”

Rimer nodded peacefully without refuting, his expression serene.

“You weren’t like this before, but today I noticed you’re quite interested in other people’s affairs. I thought you were just observing the Human Village.”

He shook his head, saying it had gotten worse since he was in Sepia.

“Is it because of your relationships with people?”
“That’s part of it, but there are also those who’ve abandoned us.”
“Abandoned?”
“Yes. There are some who couldn’t endure life in Sepia and left entirely. They’ve changed the atmosphere of this place quite a bit.”

Rimer’s brow furrowed slightly, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.

“Still, many elves continue to live in harmony with nature, focusing only on themselves.”

He chuckled softly, saying elves would never become entirely human.

“Ah, I’ve been talking too long after bringing the meal.”

Rimer waved his hand, urging me to eat before it got cold.

-I’m certain they’ve brought a fruit pie that suits the True Demon King’s palate perfectly!

Wrath, who had been fidgeting in front of the tray, swallowed hard.

“Thank you. But what’s the meal?”

I nodded to Rimer and lifted the silver lid covering the tray.

“Huh?”
-Ugh… no…

Wrath’s mouth fell open as he stared at the plate. The reason his joy had turned to shock was simple.
Two brown chunks of bread sat on the white plate.

-N-Nadin bread…
“Since we’ve come this far, you should try the original at least once.”

Rimer laughed, saying the authentic taste would be different.

“Ah, yes.”

I blinked as I grabbed the nadin bread from Rimer.

‘I’m fine with it….’

Honestly, since I preferred nadin bread anyway, it didn’t bother me—but I could already picture what Wrath would look like, having anticipated a proper meal.

-I’ll kill you all!

Wrath’s entire body trembled as he lifted his head.

-I’ll slaughter every last one of those cursed siblings!
‘Just stay calm for a moment.’

I shook my head while operating the Ring of Fire to pin Wrath down.

“Thank you for the meal. I’ll eat well.”
“I never expected you to like it so much. From tomorrow on, I’ll make sure you get proper food.”

Rimer shrugged his shoulders, closed the door, and disappeared.

-Where are you running off to! Come back out this instant!

Wrath’s fury was genuine as blue flames ignited in his pupils, his limbs flailing wildly.

‘There’s no helping it.’

To calm Wrath, I immediately bit into the nadin bread. It was still warm from being freshly made moments ago, but the texture and taste remained like chewing rubber.

-Ggghhhhh!

Wrath’s convulsions ceased as he went limp like a deflated balloon.

-H-how can warm bread taste this terrible….

He gasped for breath as if facing his final moments.

-Truly, the food of demons….

Wrath buried his head into the ground, unable to endure any longer.

‘Not bad at all.’

It was warm, and the taste was better than when it was cold. Like heated rubber.

-I, I have a request.
‘A request?’

I turned my gaze toward Wrath while chewing on the half-eaten nadin bread.

-Could you eat that fruit from earlier to cleanse your palate…?

Wrath clasped his hands together, asking me to use the Sanrae fruit to freshen his mouth.

‘Well, I should heal my internal injuries anyway.’

I couldn’t resist those kitten-like eyes Wrath had taken on, so I accepted the fruit from Sterin and placed it in my mouth. A refreshing sweetness reminiscent of cherries and strawberries washed away the rubber-filled taste.
A refreshing sweetness reminiscent of cherries and strawberries washed away the rubber-filled taste.

-It’s, it’s sweet…

Wrath nodded while sitting collapsed on the ground.

-Thank you.

For perhaps the first time, he uttered those words of gratitude and sniffled.

‘It’s nothing to thank me for.’

Just as I was about to shake my head, a message appeared before my eyes.

[You have received gratitude from 【Wrath】.]
[All stats increase by 2 points.]

‘Does it give rewards for this too?’

While I was looking at the message in fascination, I heard a sound like Wrath’s head tapping against the ground.

-….

Wrath stared blankly at the message, then grasped his own throat with his hands.

-I’m just going to die! Eating nothing but Nadin bread every day! What’s the point of living!

I chewed on my second Nadin bread and shook my head.

‘He can’t die like that….’
-Gulp!

*

*

*

Siyan lifted her eyelids and bit her crimson lips.

“It’s still not working.”

I tried to achieve resonance the way Grandfather had taught me, but my spirit remained trapped within this wretched body, like water sealed inside a bottle with a tightly closed lid.

After hearing Raon’s advice, I harbored a glimmer of hope that perhaps I could change, but it was all for naught.

“Sigh….”

I buried my weary face into the blanket. My golden hair rippled upward like gentle waves.

‘My best effort, they say.’

Truthfully, while perhaps not my absolute best, I had maintained consistent effort. Yearning to become a High Elf praised by all like Grandfather, I practiced resonance relentlessly at every opportunity.

This world had never once opened its doors to me. By now, I even doubted whether resonance could ever truly become real.

‘I’m exhausted. Truly exhausted, but….’

I clenched my fists. Veins rose across my translucent hands as I pushed myself upright.

‘Still, I have to try.’

Ordinarily, I would have simply lain in bed thinking it was impossible anyway, but because I’d met Raon, I found myself wanting to put in a little more effort.

Just as Siyan closed her eyes again to practice resonance, a dull knock sounded at the door. There was only one person who knocked like that.

“P-please come in.”

She mumbled the invitation with her face half-hidden beneath the blanket.

Sterin entered carefully and sat in the chair beside the bed.

“That human you said was remarkable.”

He crossed his arms and smiled broadly.

“He’s the real deal.”
“Oh….”

Siyan’s eyes widened as she watched Sterin’s smile. It was the first time she’d heard her grandfather praise someone like this.

“Really, truly?”
“Yes. I could sense the natural talent and the endless hours spent wielding a blade. It’s been a long time since I’ve met a true swordmaster.”
“See? I told you so!”

She threw off the blanket and sat up, delighted as if she herself had been praised.

“Handsome Raon can burn fire and freeze ice too!”
“Hmm, I wouldn’t know about that.”

Sterin waved his hand to silence his granddaughter’s nonsense.

“I’ve invited him to the purification ceremony.”
“The purification ceremony?”
“Since he’s Rimer’s disciple, I thought it would be good to help if we can. So….”

He uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on Siyan’s shoulders.

“How would you like to come along?”
“I….”

Actually, when he’d asked me to come before, I’d refused. I’d said I’d stay in my room because I didn’t want to face the other elves, but hearing that Raon and Rimer would be going together somehow gave me courage.

Siyan gave a tiny nod while keeping the blanket pulled over her face.

“I-I’ll go.”

*

*

*

Raon bowed his head to the Blue-haired Elf Musician.

“Then I’ll ask for your help.”
“I’ll do my best.”

The elf, whose gaze carried a weight that seemed immovable even if the world crumbled, nodded while looking at Yua.

This Red-haired Elf is a musician introduced by Rimer and is said to be one of the most skilled in Sepia. He came here directly because he wanted to entrust Yua to her.

“I’ll study hard too!”

Yua clenched her fists so tightly that she even furrowed her brow. The way her pigtails swayed was adorable.

“Yeah. I’ll be back soon. Wait for me.”

Raon patted Yua’s head and turned away.

“Me?”

Dorian’s eyes gleamed as if asking what he himself was supposed to do.

“You…”

I didn’t really think about it.

He licked his lips and pointed at Yua with his finger.

“Keep an eye on Yua and make sure she studies well. Don’t let her slack off.”
“Yes, sir!”

Dorian raised his hand in a salute and nodded.

‘Good, that worked.’

I shook my head and approached Rimer, who had been waiting behind me.

“You’re quite the demon yourself.”

He muttered that it was terrifying and shuddered his shoulders.

“Only the Lord of Wrath would do that.”

I shook my head without backing down.

“Let’s hurry once we’re done. Grandfather will be waiting.”

Rimer quickened his pace, mentioning that Sterin valued punctuality.

“Did you hear? That human apparently earned the right to see the World Tree?”
“That makes sense. He’s the Spirit King’s contractor.”
“Well, if he truly contracts with the Spirit King, it’s not entirely unrelated to the World Tree.”
“Isn’t this the first time a human has seen the World Tree?”
“It’s not the first. I heard someone came before….”

The elves murmured among themselves as they watched Rimer and me pass by.

-You pointy-eared fools!

Wrath cursed at the elves.

-I am not some Spirit King, but the Lord of Wrath, you hear me!

He waved his hand wildly, insisting not to compare him to the Spirit King.

‘That’s right. Exactly.’

I chuckled softly as I watched Wrath shriek in indignation. With a leech like Wrath clinging to me, even the Spirit King would flee in terror. It would truly be difficult to become a contractor even if chosen by the Spirit King.

Leaving the elves to chatter among themselves, I followed Rimer, and before long we arrived at the residence of the guardian Sterin I’d seen yesterday.

“You’ve come.”

Sterin raised his hand lightly. He was already outside, leaning his back against a tree.

“What’s that?”

Rimer tilted his head, pointing at the blanket bundled tightly beside Sterin.

“What else? Your sister.”
“Ugh….”

When Sterin poked the blanket with his finger, it trembled violently.

“Siyan? Why are you still wrapped in that blanket even outside!”
“I-it’s comfortable. Don’t mind me.”

Siyan’s voice filtered out from beneath the blanket that covered not only her entire body but her face as well.

“You must be cursed with a fatal disease if you can’t leave that blanket. What is this?”

Rimer clicked his tongue briefly and approached Siyan.

“P-please don’t mind me….”

Siyan’s voice grew even quieter than yesterday, perhaps because she was now outside.

“Still….”
“Leave it be.”

I placed my hand on Rimer’s shoulder.

‘That took considerable courage on her part.’

Until yesterday, Siyan showed little interest in the World Tree purification. The fact that she came out—whether to witness the purification ceremony or for some other reason—was worthy of praise in itself.

“Oh, hello there, Raon the handsome.”

Siyan bowed her head while wrapped in the blanket, revealing only her golden hair.

“Ah, yes….”

I nodded awkwardly.

‘Everyone’s embarrassed, so why does she keep calling me handsome?’

I didn’t understand, but I refrained from questioning her out of fear of making things worse.

“Grandfather, I heard you had a match with Raon the day before yesterday.”

Rimer glanced at Sterin with a playful smile.

“How was he? Pretty impressive for my disciple, right?”
“Indeed.”

Sterin nodded calmly, though traces of astonishment still lingered in his eyes.

“He’s far too exceptional to be merely your disciple.”
“Oho!”

Rimer twisted his body in delight as if he himself had been praised.

“I know that occasionally monsters appear in the Human Realm, but that one is particularly severe. It makes me think that the gods and Demon Lords made a mistake.”

Sterin conveyed his astonishment from that encounter with perfect clarity.

-A mistake indeed.

Wrath nodded vigorously.

-Wherever this one goes, he transforms that place into hell itself, a true demon!

He muttered something about wanting to take me to the Demon Realm and cause mayhem.

“I’ve thought the same way from the beginning.”

Rimer lifted his chin proudly and nodded.

“That one’s destined for greatness.”

He smirked, as if asking for praise for his discerning eye.

“Enough idle talk. Let’s head in now.”

Sterin observed Raon briefly before gesturing with his chin.

I recalled Sterin’s words and licked my lips.

‘Head in?’

The phrasing was odd—not “go to” the World Tree, but “enter” it.

Yet his words held no deception.

As Sterin placed his hand on his wooden dwelling, a path of azure light rippled into existence like a lake opening in empty air.

All the green light of Sepia that had filled my vision transformed into blue, and transparent leaves flooded my sight.

A verdant wind caressed my hair, azure droplets kissed my skin, and a golden earth offered its gentle comfort.

Finally, a generous flame danced with my breath, tracing an ethereal hand across the air.

I gazed at the circular path of azure light, my fingertips trembling.

A massive tree trunk came into view, too vast to comprehend at a glance.

Its roots sprawled across the entire Continent with magnificent grandeur, its base so thick that every person in Zigheart combined could not encircle it, and its height stretched so far that even lifting my gaze to the heavens revealed no end—a pillar supporting the sky itself.

Countless transparent leaves adorned innumerable branches, fluttering as if in welcome, emanating a mystique that felt otherworldly. No mere word could capture the beauty of the World Tree.

‘Is this the World Tree Adrian…?’

I swallowed hard and stepped into the azure path.

‘But what are those burn marks?’

It was at that moment, observing the right side of the World Tree stained slightly black, that I sensed something was amiss.

Whoooosh!

The ring of fire undulated of its own accord, dyeing my vision a searing crimson.

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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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