The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 638
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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 638
“The Sword Saint…?”
Raon swallowed hard as he watched the old man treading through pools of blood.
‘That’s the Sword Saint?’
Since the Sword Saint had lived centuries ago, information about his appearance couldn’t even be found in the Black Market.
All that was known was that he was a transcendent warrior who wielded a blue sword and a red saber, and this old man matched that description perfectly.
The old man approached with his aura overwhelming everyone present, his blade gleaming like a galaxy and his saber burning endlessly like molten lava.
Except for the dark circles around his eyes and his milky pupils, he looked exactly as the records depicted the Sword Saint.
‘No matter how transcendent the Sword Saint was, it’s impossible for him to have survived this long as a human. In other words, this means….’
The dead had been resurrected.
A sharp crack echoed.
Though his aura was too immense to fully comprehend, the old man lacked the vital life force that a living person should possess.
He was undoubtedly being controlled as a corpse.
“The Sword Saint, you say?”
“The master of this tomb…?”
“That doesn’t make sense! The Sword Saint was human from hundreds of years ago!”
The warriors widened their eyes in disbelief at the sight of the Sword Saint.
“It must be a fake, right?”
“Look at that sword and saber! They match exactly what’s recorded in the Sword Saint’s history!”
“Demon Plague Saber, True Demon Sword… The Sword Saint’s weapons and techniques share the same names, and that’s exactly their form….”
People retreated as they witnessed the bizarre aura the Sword Saint emanated and the eerie gleam of his weapons.
“There’s no need to doubt. That is indeed the Sword Master.”
Delphos swept his short hair upward and shook his head. A glimmer of composure had returned to his eyes.
“This cavern you’re standing on right now was the Sword Master’s Tomb’s true resting place.”
“Then his legacy….”
Raon furrowed his brow as he stared at Delphos.
“Yes. I took it.”
Delphos nodded matter-of-factly.
“The Sword Master seemed to harbor a deep regret at having no successors, so he left behind his weapons, martial techniques, and his own corpse in this place. Thanks to that….”
He gazed at the Sword Master standing before the platform, a smirk playing at his lips.
“I even gained the opportunity to command the Sword Master himself.”
Delphos gestured his hand as though conducting an orchestra.
“Truly, only a transcendent can remain intact even in death. He left behind some incomprehensible will, but there’s no need to concern myself with it.”
He chuckled, grateful that the Sword Master was foolish enough to be manipulated.
“….”
I bit my lip as I gazed into the Sword Master’s vacant eyes, hollow with despair.
‘My suspicions were correct.’
The First Patriarch of Zigheart had created this training ground for his successors, and the Sword Master, respecting him, had journeyed here to leave behind his martial techniques and weapons for Zigheart.
But it seemed that afterward, this land had fallen outside Zigheart Territory and been forgotten by all.
The Sword Master had certainly left his legacy here with noble intentions, but through the machinations of Derus Robert, that monster of an era, this land had become a hell, and the martial master who once stood for righteousness and cooperation as a neutral faction had become a malevolent specter that slaughtered people even in death.
-You wretched bastard!
Wrath bit his lip as he now grasped the situation.
-Humans curse the Demon Race every single day, yet looking at this, you’re far more vicious!
‘He’s right.’
Despite having a mouth, I had no words to refute him. Both Delphos and Derus Robert were no different from malevolent spirits wearing human masks.
“Sword Saint.”
As Delphos snapped his fingers, the Sword Saint bowed to him—a gesture of utmost deference, as though a vassal paying homage to his king.
“Kill them all. But do not tear them apart. I have a use for the corpses.”
“….”
The Sword Saint nodded and turned his back. Within his pale eyes, a deep crimson bloodlust bloomed.
I bit my lip as I gripped both the Divine Sword and the Demonic Sword.
‘A use for the corpses?’
The fact that he ordered them not to be torn apart suggested he still intended to carve false wounds into the bodies to incite war.
‘That cannot happen.’
Whatever else occurred, I had to prevent war.
“Ugh….”
“Wait, just a moment!”
The warriors near Delphos’s platform couldn’t move a single finger, overwhelmed by the killing intent radiating from the Sword Saint.
Swishhhhh!
The Sword Saint’s left hand transformed into light. A blue radiance flashed as his blade descended toward the warriors’ necks—a deceptively light slash imbued with terrifying speed.
Clang!
I stepped into Heavenly Footwork, advancing before the Sword Saint and channeling weight into the Divine Sword’s flames.
I intercepted his descending blade—a stroke of azure wind—with a spiral of fire.
Clang!
The flaming sword collided with the azure blade, unleashing a devastating shockwave that rippled across the ground, leaving cracks in its wake.
“Ugh.”
I trembled as I gripped the Divine Sword, biting my lip.
‘It feels like my palm is being shredded.’
The pain far exceeded my expectations—intense enough that I thought the Sword Realm itself had stopped.
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
The Sword Saint’s eyes held neither curiosity nor malice as our blades remained locked. His pale pupils simply rolled mechanically, as if executing Delphos’s orders without question.
“R-Raon, sir?”
“Why did you…”
“Save us?”
The barely surviving warriors widened their eyes, bewildered as to why I had rescued them after they had attacked the Gwangpung Corps.
“I know you didn’t attack intentionally. Retreat now!”
I shook my head rapidly.
“Th-thank you!”
“We will repay this debt!”
The warriors hastily bowed and fled backward.
-How amusing. You actually saved those insects.
Wrath tilted his chin with genuine curiosity.
-There is no merit in performing good deeds at this late hour!
‘That’s not why I did it.’
I didn’t save them to appear virtuous, nor because I found them beautiful.
I saved them because I needed as many survivors as possible to disrupt Derus Robert’s war plans.
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
The Sword Saint’s blade grew heavier with each exchange. I couldn’t tell if he’d inherited the full power of his transcendent strength, but one thing was certain—he was stronger than I was now.
Whoosh.
I drew a deep breath before thrusting my demonic blade toward the Sword Saint’s shoulder with my left hand.
The Sword Saint, as if he’d been waiting, raised his crimson blade to block my demonic sword’s edge.
Clang!
Blade against blade, sword against saber—they clashed as blackened sparks scattered in all directions.
Boom!
I stepped into the Taehwa Sambo stance, sliding backward across the ice field. I ignited the Manhwa Palace at my right heel, channeling fire energy into my lower body as I advanced, unleashing the Jeoksem Thirty-Six Strikes toward the Sword Saint’s chest.
“….”
The Sword Saint was a warrior who could unleash his full power even with his balance compromised. From his demonic saber, crimson aura blazed forth like a divine dragon.
Boom!
My divine blade and the Sword Saint’s demonic saber collided, sending a violent inferno surging upward to strike the cavern’s ceiling.
Thud.
I pressed deeper into the Sword Saint’s space, and instead of letting my divine blade be pushed back, I repositioned my demonic blade.
The blue light within it split into two streams, piercing simultaneously toward his throat and heart.
Screech!
The Sword Saint’s left hand erupted with an aura like a halo. His Purification Blade released an eerie dragon’s cry, forming a thick barrier to block my demonic blade’s edge.
Boom!
Both the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword failed to pierce the Sword Master’s Tomb’s defense, sinking away uselessly.
A tremendous shockwave rippled outward, causing the entire cavern to tremble, but it meant nothing.
“Ugh….”
I parted my lips, which I hadn’t realized I’d been clenching so tightly.
‘Even in death, a transcendent being possesses this much power….’
While I surpassed it in raw strength and agility, its aura reserves and mastery of martial arts were far superior. I should have been grateful merely to avoid being completely overwhelmed.
Thud!
The Sword Master’s Tomb took its first step. A heavy footfall that seemed to crush the ground itself. Yet its speed matched the Heavenly Harmony Step without falling behind.
The Sword Master’s Tomb, now dangerously close, brought both sword and saber down simultaneously.
“Gah!”
I tried to slip away, but the pressure the Sword Master’s Tomb generated wouldn’t allow it.
I summoned the Jade Bead Wall with the Divine Sword and the Void Gold Fragrance with the Demonic Sword.
The Void Gold Fragrance, which wrapped around and erased the enemy’s aura, and the Jade Bead Wall, which blocked all offensives, collided head-on with the Sword Master’s Tomb’s martial technique.
Screech!
I was driven backward, my brow furrowing. Even though I’d erased most of the Sword Master’s Tomb’s aura with the Void Gold Fragrance, the impact was strong enough to shatter the Jade Bead Wall.
‘This isn’t an opponent I can defeat alone.’
Perhaps because it was dead, it showed no restraint with its aura. If I continued fighting like this, my torso might be torn clean off. It was a monster beyond my current capacity to handle.
Whoosh!
After firing a restraining Kangwhan toward the Sword Master’s Tomb, I turned my gaze backward.
“I’ll be there soon! Just hold on a bit longer!”
“Damn it. If only I weren’t injured….”
Rimer and Serena were occupied dealing with the 6th Apostle and the Gwimma Swordmaster.
Rimer still hadn’t grown accustomed to his prosthetic arm, and Serena bore grievous wounds, so it was only natural.
Screeeech!
The Sword Saint wielded the Demon-Slaying Blade and Demon Spear with eyes that showed no fatigue, as befitted one already dead. Blue and crimson light erupted from the blades, transforming into a tempest of steel.
‘I have no choice but to face this alone.’
It was the moment I clenched my teeth, accepting the inevitable.
Boom!
A colossal bolt of lightning erupted from the left, striking down the Sword Saint’s blade, while a heavy sword strike extended from the right, pressing down upon his weapon.
Whoosh!
In the moment the Sword Saint retreated for the first time, two figures surged forward. They were Koman and Raystel Barfil.
The expressions on their faces as they glanced back seemed to carry the resolve of those prepared to die.
“You’ll find it burdensome alone.”
“We’ll help.”
“It’s dangerous.”
I shook my head as I looked at Koman and Raystel Barfil. Both were in no condition to fight, and one careless moment could cost them their lives to the Sword Saint’s blade.
“Didn’t I say so? That I would repay my debt. I’m fortunate the opportunity arrives so swiftly.”
“My sentiments are the same.”
The two men shook their heads as though death held no consequence and took their positions beside me.
“Heh heh.”
Delphos let out a scornful laugh, his arms crossed.
“Do as you wish. But will three be enough?”
“….”
Raon clenched his teeth without answering. It was frustrating, but the creature was right—the Sword Master’s Tomb’s power remained formidable. Even if three of them attacked together, there was no guarantee of victory.
“Waiting grows tedious. Let me make a move as well.”
Delphos snapped his fingers, and figures in black uniforms emerged from the darkness.
‘The Younggwidaе.’
They were warriors of the Younggwidaе, the military organization to which Delphos belonged. Unlike Shadow, who had mastered assassination techniques, these were warriors who had properly cultivated martial arts.
“Kill them.”
At his command, the Younggwidaе warriors rushed toward the martial artists who had yet to regain their senses.
Shhhhwack!
Beyond the disparity in martial strength, the situation itself unfolded so rapidly that the warriors of the Neutral Factions could not hold their ground and fell swiftly.
“Mm….”
Raon glanced back, his fingertips trembling.
‘They cannot die.’
To prevent war, I needed to save as many people as possible.
But the Gwangpung Corps and the Gonggeom Unit were blocked by the White Blood Cult and the Black Tower, unable to help.
“We must save these people.”
Koman turned around and shouted to his subordinates.
“Koman Knight Order, hold back the Ghost Guests!”
“The rest of you, assist the knights and protect the people!”
Raystel Barfil also nodded, giving orders to protect the people.
The words of these two men, offering help in any way possible, seemed to come from the heart.
“Then I shall begin as well. I will take the vanguard!”
Koman let out a refreshing roar and charged directly at the Sword Saint.
Clang!
His thick blade bounced off the Sword Saint’s demonic sword like a twig, light and effortless.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Yet he neither retreated nor gave ground. Planting his feet firmly, he drew his blade again and pressed the Sword Saint relentlessly.
Crackle!
Raeseo dropped a massive lightning stem shaped like tree roots while the Sword Saint’s gaze was directed toward Koman.
Boom!
While blocking Koman, the Sword Saint raised his True Demonic Blade and shattered Raystel’s lightning with a flexible yet formidable sword aura.
Crash!
I kicked the ground, igniting crimson light, and thrust both my Divine Blade and Demonic Blade toward the Sword Saint’s subdued aura, their edges gleaming in contrasting radiance.
Shatter!
The aura fractured, and both blades halted inches from the Sword Saint’s face. His gaze remained eerily serene.
I twisted my wrists, channeling every ounce of aura from my core, and planted my feet with crushing force.
Rumble!
A fire dragon erupted from the Divine Blade’s tip while a water dragon surged from the Demonic Blade’s edge, both exhaling brilliant breath. It was the Flame Dragon Breath unleashed in Sword Realm Incarnation state.
Roar!
Flames and frost detonated in an instant, completely shattering the Sword Saint’s aura.
“Argh!”
“Thunder Shadow!”
Koman swung his sword down through the shattered blade barrier, and Raystel burst a massive sphere of thunder aura.
Kuwaaaaang!
A second tremendous explosion erupted, and the ground where the Sword Saint stood caved inward.
“Is it over?”
As Raystel exhaled, a black gleam flickered through the dark smoke.
“Ugh!”
“Ah….”
Koman and Raystel, having poured everything into their assault, couldn’t even think to dodge. They could only stare blankly at the light.
Chiiing!
I bit my lip and rushed forward. I spun the Divine Sword and raised a shield of roaring flames from below.
Kuuuuung!
The flame barrier shattered in an instant under the ferocious strike. I immediately laid the Demonic Sword horizontally and erected a shield of frost.
Kuwaaaaang!
I barely managed to block it, but every bone in my body seemed to resonate. The difference in aura quality and sheer power was overwhelming.
Huuuuk!
The smoke cleared, and the Sword Saint’s form was revealed. His robes were torn, yet not a single drop of blood stained his pale skin.
‘He really is a corpse, but… wait?’
I narrowed my eyes as I examined the Sword Saint’s interior. The pattern on the garment he wore beneath his robes resembled Zigheart’s.
‘That’s right. The Sword Saint was said to revere the First Patriarch of Zigheart.’
If that were true, he might recognize Manhwagong.
I wielded Manhwagong to its fullest extent, drawing forth the Fire Spirit.
Hwaaaaaaaah!
Petals of flame, born from the nourishment of fire itself, scattered in all directions before ensnaring the Sword Saint.
If it was the Fire Spirit—the very essence of Manhwagong’s nature—perhaps it could restore his consciousness.
Chwaaaaack!
Yet the Sword Saint wielded his blade with brutal force, as if felling timber, and extinguished every crimson petal that stained the darkness.
‘It seems it won’t work after all….’
Awakening someone who had been brainwashed and resurrected through martial arts alone appeared to be something possible only in stories.
‘So be it. Perhaps this is for the best.’
I adjusted my grip on both blades, twisting my lips as I gazed into the Sword Saint’s vacant eyes.
‘I won’t even need to obtain martial arts texts. I’ll extract everything I can right here.’
*
*
*
Kuguguguguuu!
A colossal shockwave erupted, sending Koman flying backward to crash against the wall, while Raystel tumbled across the ground, coughing blood.
“Cough!”
“Ugh….”
Koman managed to rise, though his legs trembled violently, while Raystel remained on his knees, unable to stand.
“Haa….”
I wiped the blood trickling from the corner of my mouth and shook my head.
‘As expected, someone who was once a Transcendent is different.’
Even as I wielded the ring of fire with fervent intensity, discerning the Sword Master’s martial technique proved far from simple.
Even if I grasped his martial technique, the Sword Master’s aura and will were so formidable that I couldn’t create an opening.
“This is strange….”
Koman trembled as he gripped his sword, drawing slow, measured breaths.
“Why isn’t his aura diminishing?”
“Hmm, even if he’s a Transcendent, there should be limits….”
Raystel nodded briefly in agreement.
‘Now that I think about it….’
I stroked my chin as I observed the Sword Master.
‘The quantity of his aura is the same as it was at the beginning.’
I could understand why his stamina wouldn’t diminish—he had been dead and resurrected, after all.
But the Sword Master wielded his aura as though it were infinite.
Despite pouring his full strength into each strike, his aura never waned.
“Is he like a Lich?”
“A Lich?”
Koman turned his head as if questioning what I meant.
“A Lich can be resurrected endlessly as long as the phylactery containing its soul remains intact, and can use mana without limit. It seems similar to that.”
“Then… we can’t kill him?”
“That’s not necessarily true.”
Raystel shook his head.
“Even if he created a soul vessel, there are limits. Using such power surely comes with corresponding drawbacks.”
He gritted his teeth, insisting that there was no way such power could be wielded without any conditions or limitations.
“You’re right. There must be a weakness somewhere.”
Raon steadied his breathing and raised both the Divine Sword and the Demonic Sword.
“Let’s continue.”
“Sigh, I already said it, so I can’t back out now!”
Koman rushed toward the Sword Saint, his complaint barely concealing his determination.
“Thunder Dragon!”
Raystel unleashed lightning from his staff without even managing to stand properly. The golden aura took the form of a dragon, extending toward the Sword Saint’s left side.
“Hng!”
Raon stepped into the True Angle. Rotating to the right, he carved Sword Flash with the Divine Sword and Silver Sword Dream with the Demonic Sword.
Shhwaaack!
As the three Grand Masters’ full-powered assault connected in perfect coordination, the Sword Saint’s blade and sword gleamed brilliantly.
Kuaaaaaang!
Just as he had at the start of the battle, he unleashed tremendous power and simultaneously pushed all three of them back.
‘If only I could hold back the Sword Saint, then maybe I could find something….’
We were gradually losing ground, but the Sword Saint’s stamina and aura seemed endless.
If the battle continued like this, even if I decoded his martial techniques, victory would be impossible.
“Huu….”
As Raon endured the Sword Saint’s blade strike with his lips pressed tight, a very subtle presence approached from behind and suddenly leaped over his head.
“I’ll take the Sword Saint’s martial techniques!”
It was someone who had been hiding quietly until now. An old man with long, ebony-black hair cascading down his shoulders. He was the Muryeong Ghost Guest who had first discovered the map to the Sword Master’s Tomb and opened this place.
He seized the moment when everyone’s attention was diverted and reached toward the Sword Master’s martial scripture.
Screeeech!
The instant the Muryeong Ghost Guest’s hand touched the martial scripture, the Sword Master yanked the True Demon Sword he’d been using to block the Thunder Dragon upward with brutal force.
Splaaaaash!
The azure blade of the True Demon Sword tore through the Muryeong Ghost Guest’s body like sheets of paper.
“Fool. Did you truly believe a master swordsman would allow his own martial scripture to be stolen?”
Delphos sneered as he gazed upon the Muryeong Ghost Guest, his torso cleaved in twain.
“Your role ended the moment you opened this tomb. A fitting death for vermin.”
“Ugh….”
The Muryeong Ghost Guest’s eyes remained fixed on the martial scripture he would never possess, and then his breath ceased.
“….”
I wasn’t watching Delphos or the Muryeong Ghost Guest. My gaze was fixed on the Sword Master, and I swallowed hard.
‘Could it be….’
Was that it?
For just an instant—the moment the Muryeong Ghost Guest’s hand touched the Sword Master’s martial scripture—I witnessed a connection form between the Sword Master and the scripture, a resonance of energy binding them together.
No one else might have perceived it, but I possessed the Ring of Fire. There was no way I could have misread what I saw.
I slowly lifted my gaze. As my eyes fixed on the martial scripture suspended in the air, a crimson luminescence—deeper than blood itself—ignited within my pupils.
‘I found it.’
That is the core of the Sword Master’s Tomb.
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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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