The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 640
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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 640
I gazed at the ring fitted on my middle finger. The surface of the ring bore the emblem of the Phoenix’s wings, as if Kaiyan’s feathers had melted into it.
I nodded briefly and summoned Manhwagong above the ring. The flames that had been burning on the ring transformed into golden light, unfurling magnificent wings of fire.
“W-what is that!”
Delphos immediately retreated at the sight of the solemn flames emanating from the ring. His expression was one of pure fear.
Whoooosh!
The wings of flame born from the ring descended upon my shoulders as if mocking Delphos’s backward steps, wrapping around my entire body.
I felt no heat. It brought only warmth, like the spring sunlight that erases winter.
Sizzzzzzle!
The moment the ring’s flames touched my skin, the wounds inflicted by the Sword Saint vanished in an instant. It was as if time itself had been rewound.
Not merely external wounds. The internal organs that had suffered damage returned to their original state, and the ruptured muscles, bones, and mana circuits were completely restored. The abdominal pain that had made my hands tremble disappeared without a trace.
Uuuuuung!
New currents of energy filled the dantian that had been completely depleted. The flames of Manhwagong and the frost of Glacia overflowed the dantian and spread throughout my entire mana circuit.
Finally, my spirit, which had been withering away through the extreme battle, became refreshed as if I had slept deeply in a room of the Annex Building and awakened.
I could unfold the Sword Realm again without difficulty.
-Y-you! What exactly have you done!
Wrath turned to look at me, his eyes wide with shock.
-I understand replenishing aura, but recovering mental fortitude is impossible!
He had said every time we made a deal that mental fortitude could not be recovered. It was natural to be astonished that this small ring had accomplished what even Demon Lords could not.
‘The Phoenix Ring.’
-The Phoenix Ring?
‘Just as the Phoenix resurrects even in death, this ring restores all of its owner’s wounds and aura. Even their mental fortitude.’
-That, that’s cheating!
‘More capable than you, isn’t it?’
-D, don’t! The True Demon King could do that too if I had my original body… Ugh.
Wrath couldn’t finish his sentence. It was a typical reaction from someone incapable of lying.
‘Still, there’s no need to envy it.’
I shook my head while gazing at the Phoenix Ring, its luster beginning to fade.
‘It’s single-use.’
This ring possessed restoration capabilities that surpassed even Wrath, a Demon Lord, but could only be used once.
-S, single-use? Hmm, it might be the right time to use it, but it feels like such a waste….
‘I know. It’s wasteful.’
An artifact that could only be used once—there was no way it wouldn’t feel wasteful. Wrath might be right that there could be a more opportune moment to use this ring in the future.
But my instincts and emotions judged that using the ring now was the right choice.
‘I won’t be satisfied unless I destroy that bastard with my own hands.’
I clenched my right fist and lifted my gaze.
“What are you?! What exactly are you?!”
Delphos screamed in bewilderment, clutching his head as if unable to comprehend.
“Still the same.”
I met Delphos’s eyes, clouded with confusion, and shook my head.
‘A coward.’
Delphos had countless opportunities to strike me down.
Every moment I spent fighting the Sword Saint was an opportunity for him to launch a surprise attack.
But Delphos displayed the stupidity of only moving when I burned the Moonless Scripture.
The reason was simple.
‘He’s a coward.’
Delphos, fearing he might fall victim to some hidden trump card I possessed, continued to press only the Sword Saint until the very end.
It seemed he intended to move only after I exhausted all my strength, but thanks to his hesitation, I was able to burn the Moonless Scripture and suppress the Sword Saint.
The proof was that Delphos retreated the moment my aura and wounds recovered.
‘That’s his limit.’
Derus Robert must have entrusted this place to him because he believed in Delphos’s cautious nature, but now he was betraying Derus’s expectations in the worst possible way. For me, it was remarkably fortunate.
“Not coming?”
I tilted my chin toward Delphos.
“You came charging like you were going to kill me. Why did you stop?”
“Ugh….”
Delphos didn’t move rashly despite possessing greater military strength. It wasn’t caution—it was fear.
“If you’re giving me time, I’m grateful for it.”
I shook my head and drove the Heavenly Sword and Soul Reaper Sword into the ground.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Once more, a golden sun and silver moon rose from the darkness. Beneath the radiant light illuminating the cavern, the divine and demonic blades ascended.
“You’re using the Sword Realm consecutively?”
Delphos’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“It would’ve been nice if you’d just kept watching from a distance.”
I gripped the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword, now burning even hotter and colder than before, and curled my lips into a smile.
“You will die more miserably than any death you’ve ever witnessed.”
“Bullshit.”
Delphos clenched his teeth so hard they looked ready to shatter.
“Through my battle with the Sword Saint, I’ve grasped every technique you possess. Even if you use the Sword Realm, I have nothing to fear!”
“You talk too damn much. If you won’t come….”
I extended my left foot forward. From the mana circuit embedded in the sole, I detonated the heat of Manhwagong. I layered Tae Hwa Bo onto my body as it shot forward like a projectile.
“I’ll come to you.”
The earth folded, and Delphos’s figure drew near in an instant.
“Your mouth alone will survive!”
Delphos swung his hand like lightning. The blade gripped in his grasp tore through space violently and burrowed toward my chest.
‘Was his claim about grasping my techniques a lie?’
He was perfectly targeting the moment Tae Hwa Bo connected. It seemed he hadn’t merely been watching the battle with the Sword Saint.
‘If that’s the case….’
I advanced faster than I retreated. Before his blade could gather proper force, I struck the flat of his sword.
Clang!
Despite not blocking a near-perfect sword strike, the impact was intense. It was a force that could sever my arm entirely if I’d mistimed it even slightly.
“Still far to go!”
Delphos leaned his upper body forward like a charging bull, driving his blade deeper, continuing the momentum he’d seized. The Kangwhan flowing across his blade surged forth like a runaway torrent.
Whoooosh!
I raised a barrier with the Demon Sword and unleashed the Heavenly Thrust with the Divine Sword.
I intended to defend with the barrier and counterattack with the thrust, but Delphos predicted my move, twisting his lips into a sneer.
“I’ve seen it all!”
He abruptly changed direction. Ignoring the barrier entirely, he pivoted to the right and smashed down through the Heavenly Thrust.
Crash!
The frigid aura forming the thrust shattered, and I stumbled backward a step.
“As I said.”
Delphos lifted his chin, his arrogant eyes gleaming with contempt.
“I’ve grasped every technique you possess. Now it ends.”
He raised his blade with blinding speed, determined to finish this swiftly.
“You said you’ve grasped all my techniques…”
I brushed back my disheveled hair, a faint smile playing across my lips.
“But which version of me are you talking about?”
*
*
*
“Die!”
Martha charged forward with blazing dark eyes, her aura burning as she descended upon the White Blood Cult members.
“I’ll tear you all to shreds!”
With each sweep of her ferocious blade, the cultists fell in sprays of blood. The epithet “Asura Woman” suited her perfectly in this moment.
“…This one doesn’t seem to require any concern.”
Burren turned his gaze away from Martha and looked toward where Raon stood. He was clashing his blade against the middle-aged man who appeared to be the source of this calamity, their swords singing with lethal intent.
“Will the Organization Master be alright?”
The opponent’s aura was stronger than Raon’s, and as the battle continued, it seemed their side held the advantage.
“He’ll be fine.”
Lunan shook her head while protecting Units One and Two to fill the gap Martha had left.
“Raon is calm right now. He can win this.”
She glanced at Raon’s back and lifted the corners of her mouth ever so slightly.
“If you say so, then it must be true.”
Burren nodded calmly. Lunan knew Raon better than anyone. If she said he’d be fine, then trusting her judgment seemed reasonable.
“Then we just need to finish our part cleanly.”
The Phoenix was holding back the monster, and the martial artists who had been consumed by greed regained their senses the moment the Heavenly Sword ignited.
If the Gwangpung Corps and Gonggeom Unit could crush the White Blood Cult and Holy Sword Association, they could end this entire situation.
“I knew your head was empty, but this time you’re being particularly dense.”
Rimer twisted his lips as he looked at the Gwimma Swordmaster.
“Do you really think those bastards will hand over the Heavenly Sword? That would be as foolish as me going all-in with my salary at the Gambling House.”
“The foolish one is you.”
The Gwimma Swordmaster bit his lips as ghostly flames ignited in his eyes.
“The Holy Sword Association would leap into the depths of hell itself for the sake of swordsmanship and blades!”
“Ugh, you sword fanatics….”
Rimer released a deep sigh.
“To burn the Sword Saint Legacy’s martial manuscripts right before my eyes! I shall rip out Raon Zigheart’s heart with my own hands!”
The Gwimma Swordmaster surged forward, radiating the most sinister intent I had ever witnessed.
Boom!
Though the aura had diminished, the malevolent intent was so potent that the impact cut deep. My artificial arm seemed to twist slightly under the strain.
“The same applies to you.”
The 6th Apostle gnashed his teeth as he glared at my back.
“Since I failed to complete the Cult Leader’s orders, I’ll at least take your head!”
“Your opponent is me.”
Serena stepped into her true form and brought her blade down. The tremendous weight that transcended the category of a greatsword crushed down upon the 6th Apostle’s entire body.
“You corpse-like thing! To the very end!”
The 6th Apostle attempted to push back the blade with his blood-burning technique, but Serena’s sword remained fixed in place as if rooted to the ground.
“You won’t pass until you kill me.”
Blood gushed anew from Serena’s abdomen, yet her eyes remained unwavering. Instead, she smiled and drove the 6th Apostle back with overwhelming momentum.
“Cursed wretches!”
“Very well! If that’s what you wish, I’ll send you to your deaths first!”
The Gwimma Swordmaster and the 6th Apostle charged forward, their eyes blazing with pure malice.
“Yes. It’s time we ended this.”
Rimer lowered his blade and raised his fingers. With a faint smile, he summoned the bitter northern wind.
“Sword Realm Manifestation.”
*
*
*
Clang!
Delphos deflected Raon’s gracefully curving blade strike and twisted his lips into a sneer.
‘I’ve seen that swordplay before.’
Raon’s sword was diverse and powerful, but having observed him continuously from the Second Layer, I had grasped all of his techniques.
Still, my mood was far from pleasant.
‘Originally, I shouldn’t have needed to fight at all.’
The original plan was to end everything with the Sword Saint’s Tomb, but Raon Zigheart had ruined it all.
The Sword Saint’s power had been severed, the monsters were being slaughtered by the Phoenix, and the division had ceased.
The entire plan had crumbled to dust.
‘But it’s still manageable.’
If I kill only Raon here, everything can be written off as an incident.
Seeing that the ring he used had lost its light, he wouldn’t be able to use it twice.
If I sever his neck here, I can smooth everything over.
‘But I need to end this as quickly as possible.’
Raon Zigheart possesses a special talent—he grows stronger as he fights. I must kill him as swiftly as possible to avoid the same fate as the Doppelgänger Lord.
[Sabi Commander.]
[Yes.]
[Enough with desire. Strengthen only my power!]
[Understood, though it won’t last long.]
[I have no intention of prolonging this anyway.]
[Very well.]
The moment the Sabi Commander finished speaking, power surged through my entire body. Aura from my core rose endlessly, and I felt an omnipotence as if I could grasp the world itself.
‘I’ll shatter it with full force!’
Delphos unleashed a sword strike that condensed his reinforced aura. The Black Heaven Sword, directly transmitted by Derus Robert, conjured a magnificent storm of aura.
Raon extended both blades simultaneously. Different lights rippled from each sword edge, creating an exquisitely swift slash that tore through space.
Screeeech!
The aura storm Delphos had summoned vanished as if it had never existed from the start.
“Wh…?”
I recognized that sword technique, but its power seemed considerably different.
‘What is this?’
As I swallowed dryly, finding it strange, Raon struck upward from the left. Without a flicker in his gaze, he drew down a diagonal line blazing with flames. A silver blade and a blue blade extended simultaneously.
‘Frost Chain!’
A sword strike created by Raon Zigheart himself. A peculiar technique that strikes twice with a single swing. Yet if one knew it, it was easier to defend against than anything else.
Screeeech!
I blocked the first blade and waited for the second, but it didn’t arrive immediately.
‘What is this now!’
Just as cold sweat began to flow from tension, the second slash came crashing down.
Screeeech!
It was far slower than the Frost Chain I knew. But what changed wasn’t just the speed. The power of Frost Chain had transformed entirely.
“Ugh!”
Delphos released the impact embedded in his blade and retreated backward.
“What exactly are you…?”
But there was no time to unravel the mystery. My attacks continued relentlessly.
A water dragon with scales raised bloomed above his blade. From its darkly twisted maw poured forth a bitter, piercing breath of frost.
‘The range is wide, but the power is weakened… wait?’
Delphos’ eyes widened as he halted mid-step. My sword strike, which normally crushed vast spaces, now concentrated and surged directly toward him.
“This… this can’t be!”
He stopped in his tracks and spun around in panic. He thrust his blade forward and drew out every ounce of aura he possessed.
Kuwaaaaang!
The moment my sword strike collided with his, a terrifying impact pressed down upon his entire body. His grip trembled so violently he nearly dropped his blade.
Hwaaaaa!
Following the water dragon’s roar came a torrent of flames. The energy concentrated at the tip of the fire sword extended forth in an instant.
Crunch!
The thick shield of aura he had raised crumbled. His blade began to shake as if it might shatter.
‘What… what is this power! And what kind of swordsmanship is this!’
It was a technique he recognized, and he had given me no time to prepare, yet my martial prowess far exceeded his expectations.
‘Could it be…?’
Delphos watched me approach with measured steps, his pale lips trembling.
‘Was he already in a strengthened state before fighting me?’
*
*
*
I let out a scoff as I watched Delphos, his eyes wide with shock.
‘He must be bewildered.’
The gap between the martial prowess he knew of me and my current level was simply too vast. He had no choice but to be astonished.
Yet this was only natural.
‘Because I truly have grown stronger.’
It wasn’t that my aura had visibly increased or my martial mastery had become overwhelmingly superior.
Through my life-and-death duel with the Sword Saint in this tomb, I had been able to perfectly consolidate all the enlightenment I’d gained.
My stamina, aura, and mental fortitude had been insufficient to fully express that growth, but thanks to the Phoenix’s ring, I could now display my complete level.
“What are you?! How long will you keep interfering?!”
Delphos shrieked and twisted his blade. From the darkened edge came a torrential downpour of strong aura.
Boom!
I burrowed into Delphos’s space. Watching his eyes, I curled my lips upward.
‘He’s afraid.’
Where Delphos had been attacking to kill me moments before, he now wielded only defensive strikes to protect himself.
He had reverted to his true cowardly nature.
I moved to his left side and drew Red Flame and Blue Rain.
Screeeech!
My enlightenment-infused blade extended outward, but it failed to pierce through the sword barrier Delphos had erected. It was forged with remarkable solidity.
‘He’s changed his swordsmanship too.’
Delphos’s swordsmanship shifted from the Black Heaven Sword to a purely defensive stance—a technique ninety percent focused on defense. Breaking through such an impenetrable wall seemed far from simple.
‘Still, persistent strikes will eventually crack any vessel.’
Convinced that his opponent’s capacity remained limited, I pressed forward toward Delphos.
Clang!
The Red Thirty-Six Strikes and Frost Chain descended simultaneously, hammering relentlessly against Delphos’s sword barrier.
“Get away!”
Delphos abandoned all offensive intent, repeating nothing but defense and evasion.
“Kill these wretches first!”
He retreated, then plunged toward the gathered people, using their presence to interrupt my wide-arc strikes. His cunning surpassed any opponent I’d faced thus far.
“You cannot escape this place! Here is your tomb!”
Even amid the chaos, Delphos hurled provocations like daggers.
“I shall send you to join those two!”
“….”
My eyes turned glacial.
I gazed upon where Koman and Raystel Barfil had fallen. Broken blades and shattered staffs met my gaze, and I bit my lip.
“Tch!”
Delphos seemed to sense the shift in atmosphere as well, drawing out all the aura he possessed to raise a sword barrier. A barrier made of River light pillars rose up like a wall.
“A hard shell means nothing. A turtle remains a turtle.”
I drew the Divine Sword back. Golden flames danced along the blade’s edge, roaring as they traced a magnificent arc. The surging inferno extended like a rushing tide, swaying in brilliant radiance.
[Beneath the crimson dusk where earth-spiders dwell, the blade shall not waver before the waves.]
Following the first incantation I had achieved when I cut down Seol Goehu, a new invocation resonates forth.
[It is not the sword that breaks through walls, but the person wielding it. One whose will has been honed can cut through anything.]
The revelation crystallized into technique, establishing a new sword form in my mind.
Raon Zigheart Style Swordsmanship
Seventh Form: Void Slash.
Time and space—a single blade that severed an instant pierced through Delphos’s sword barrier.
Screeeech!
The barrier remained intact, but behind it, Delphos’s abdomen split wide open.
Gushhhhh!
Delphos’s lower belly tore apart, and crimson blood poured forth.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
He clutched his abdomen, unleashing a scream that could hardly be called dignified. It was a pathetic wail.
But that was only natural. The wound extended far deeper than mere flesh.
Through the crimson spray, a massive concentration of aura erupted outward. His core had been severed, and the aura, now uncontrolled, burst forth in chaotic torrents.
“Ughhhh!”
Delphos’s complexion drained to a deathly pallor in an instant.
Crunch!
I stepped over the crumbling barrier and stood before Delphos.
“I deliberately spared your throat. You’re far too valuable to die so quickly.”
“W-wait!”
“I told you, didn’t I? I’d make your death far more wretched than any you’ve ever witnessed.”
I smiled with a chill that sent shivers down the spine and reached out my hand.
“You can look forward to it.”
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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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