The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 642

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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 642

I trembled as I stared at the wrist the Sword Saint had seized.

‘What… what is this?’

Genuine shock rendered me speechless—the kind that leaves you utterly paralyzed with astonishment.

A corpse I’d been about to incinerate had suddenly sprung back to life. Who wouldn’t be terrified?

—Kyaaaaaaagh!

Wrath shrieked like a startled monkey, launching himself into the air. He drifted like cotton candy caught in the wind.

“You show no panic whatsoever.”

The Sword Saint nodded with evident satisfaction.

“A bearing befitting his descendant.”
“….”

A grave misunderstanding. My heart was still hammering violently, and cold sweat trickled down my spine.
Had the Sword Saint’s eyes remained twisted, I would have struck his neck without hesitation.

“This is dangerous!”
“Fall back!”
“Organization Master…!”

Burren, Martha, and Lunan rushed forward, swallowing hard. All three drew their blades as if ready to strike the Sword Saint immediately.

“Ugh! Here we go again?”
“Organization Master!”

Rimer and Mark Goeten also widened their eyes and raised their weapons.

“It’s fine.”

Raon raised his hand to everyone while pressing down on his trembling chest.

“He’s a different person than before.”

The Sword Saint before me no longer bore the malice and coldness I’d witnessed at our first encounter. His eyes resembled those of a monk who had spent a lifetime devoted solely to cultivation and virtuous deeds.

“You read my soul. That’s beyond my expectations.”
“….”

The Sword Saint was misunderstanding again. I had merely read his temperament. But since explaining would only complicate matters, I kept silent.

“May I ask your name?”
“I am Raon Zigheart.”
“The more I see, the more impressed I become. I would love to hear of your life as well, but time is short, so let me begin.”

The Sword Saint exhaled softly. His calm gaze lifted.

“The first thing I must tell you is the true nature of this place. You may not know it, but originally, this region belonged to Zigheart’s Land.”

He lowered his voice as if sharing a tremendous secret.

“I’m aware of that.”

I closed my eyes briefly, then opened them calmly.

“Huh…?”

The Sword Saint’s mouth fell open in surprise that I would already know this.

“You… you already knew?”
“Yes.”

I nodded lightly. Through the First Patriarch of Zigheart’s memories, Delphos’s actions, and the Sword Saint’s corpse, I had already learned that this place was originally Zigheart’s Land.

“Well, if you already knew that, then this conversation will move faster.”

The Sword Saint scratched his head awkwardly.

“Then I’m not sure why this land was created. But this place….”
“It must be Zigheart’s Training Ground.”
“You… you already knew that?”

He fell silent, his eyes blinking rapidly.

“Yes.”

It was information I naturally knew, having witnessed the memories of Zigheart’s ancestors and reviewed the data in the Control Room.

“I had no idea whatsoever.”

Martha shook her head, clearly having never considered it.

“Raon kept saying it seemed like a training ground. Of course, I didn’t know it was Zigheart’s Land either.”

Burren let out an exasperated sigh.

“I knew everything.”

Lunan Slion placed his hands on his hips and lifted his chin confidently.

“You did?”
“How?”

Burren and Martha’s eyes widened as they stared at Lunan Slion.

“Raon said it the moment we got here. That this land was Zigheart’s Land.”

Lunan Slion nodded, recalling when Raon had declared this cavern to be Zigheart’s Land upon arriving on the 5th Floor.

“That’s not what we meant, you idiot!”

Martha shook her head in disbelief.

“If the Organization Master said it, I’d believe the sun rises from the ground!”
“But the sun does rise from the ground, doesn’t it?”

Lunan Slion tilted his head in confusion.

“…It’s done.”

Martha raised her hand, conceding defeat.

“Ahem.”

The Sword Saint pretended not to hear the strange conversation that had unfolded behind him and cleared his throat.

“Your insight is remarkable. What an astonishing perception of the heart!”
“….”

I watched as the Sword Saint’s eyelids trembled slightly and let out a short sigh.

‘He’s misunderstanding again.’

I learned the information he was sharing because I had witnessed the First Patriarch of Zigheart’s memories.
If that hadn’t been the case, I would have been just as astonished as everyone else.

“However, you couldn’t possibly know this. The one who created this Training Ground was….”
“The First Patriarch of Zigheart, I presume.”
“To think you’d reach that conclusion!”

The Sword Saint’s eyes widened as he clapped his hands loudly.

“You know everything as if you witnessed it directly! The true successor of that great one is indeed different!”
“….”

Not as if I witnessed it—I actually did witness it. I had seen the very scene of this Training Ground’s creation, so the Sword Saint’s words weren’t wrong.
But I couldn’t speak of it, so I remained silent.

I narrowed my eyes as I observed the Sword Saint, who seemed caught between bewilderment and delight.

‘There’s a strong scent of foolishness about him….’

Unlike when he fought without reason, the Sword Saint now felt strangely endearing to me.

“So, did you already know that I belonged to Zigheart?”

The Sword Saint had shifted from sharing information to posing questions, as if we were engaged in a riddle contest.

“No.”
“So you didn’t know that after all….”
“I merely made an educated guess.”
“You… made a guess?”
“Yes.”

I nodded calmly.

“While information about the Sword Saint was scarce, I observed his reverence for the First Patriarch of Zigheart, and I deduced from the ancient Zigheart insignia engraved inside the martial robes you’re wearing that you were connected to him.”
“Ha, your mind works even faster than his did.”

The Sword Saint let out an incredulous laugh. After a moment to collect himself, he nodded quietly.

“I belonged to Zigheart, but I was never part of its internal structure. I took on the role of protecting Zigheart from the outside.”
“What….”
“Wait, the Sword Saint was affiliated with Zigheart?”

Rimer and Burren stared at the Sword Saint in astonishment.

“I’ve heard that Zigheart was far more formidable in those days.”
“Since there are no records from that era, I thought it was merely legend.”
“The Sword Saint as an external guardian… that’s insane….”

The others, who had been completely unaware of this hidden history, stood slack-jawed.

“It was a path I chose myself to repay the debt I owed to the First Patriarch of Zigheart.”

The Sword Saint smiled faintly, as if recalling those distant days.

“You owed him a debt? But didn’t the First Patriarch and you operate in different eras?”
“Even after stepping down from his position as Head of House, the First Patriarch devoted himself to the creation of the Continent. I received his aid during that time.”
“I see….”
“After my retirement, I came here hoping to leave my martial knowledge with Zigheart one last time, but I never imagined things would become so complicated. I’m truly sorry.”

He bit his lip, grieved by the fact that his own hands had struck down the descendants of Zigheart.

“It’s all right.”

I smiled gently and shook my head.

“It’s not your fault, Senior.”

The Sword Saint was exactly the person I had believed him to be. The one at fault wasn’t him, but Derus Robert, who had orchestrated everything.

“One more thing.”

The Sword Saint smiled faintly and raised his hand.

“Contrary to that bastard’s words, I left behind two successors. Each inherited my sword and way.”

He gestured toward the lifeless Delphos and shook his head.

“Those reckless fools never spoke of Zigheart, but my martial arts will continue to be passed down. Find their descendants and make their strength your own.”
“I’m grateful for the offer, but there’s no way to find them….”
“I’ll show you how, starting now.”

The Sword Saint extended his hand toward Raon’s forehead.

I tried to step back, but when our eyes met, I found myself powerless. His gaze was pure, like dewdrops glistening in the light.

“Thank you.”

The Sword Saint offered a small smile, as if expressing gratitude for my understanding.
His hand touching my forehead was cold, yet strangely, it carried warmth as well.

“I’ve agonized over this. Even after enduring such trials, whether it was right to leave behind my martial arts, or if it would be better to let them die with me. But seeing you, all that doubt dissolves.”

The moment his voice ceased, a weighty aura seeped into my mind.

‘An aura?’

The Sword Saint’s profound aura flowed through my head and spread throughout my entire body. It was the aura of solid earth—unyielding and immovable.
His very essence, impenetrable to all, permeated the transmission.

Yet what the Sword Saint was conveying was far more than a simple aura. The martial arts he had cultivated—the Demonic Path Technique and the Demon-Slaying Sword Formula—seeped into my consciousness alongside the aura.

The Sword Saint had been dead for a long time, and his core was shattered, leaving little aura to spare. What he truly wished to impart was not the aura itself, but the martial arts.

Both the Demon-Slaying Sword Formula and the Demonic Path Technique were profound and complex, yet having faced the Sword Saint directly, they felt strangely familiar to me.

I closed my eyes slowly, feeling the blossoms of martial knowledge blooming anew within my inner consciousness.

*

*

*

The Sword Saint gazed at Raon, lost in meditation, and drew a faint smile across his face.

‘What a remarkable child.’

After being awakened by those wicked ones, my mind remained intact, but my body had slipped beyond my control.

Living through that hellish second life, I came to understand that the era had changed.

Much information had become distorted. I feared that numerous secrets would be buried in the earth as they were, but it seems that worry was meaningless.

This child, bearing the name Raon Zigheart, was grasping everything I had never taught him through his own strength alone.

‘The more I see him, the more alike he becomes.’

That brilliant golden hair like melted sunlight, those crimson eyes that burned with such intensity—they reminded me of the First Patriarch of Zigheart, my master.

‘Of course, what resembles him most is his character.’

Raon thought of the weak even in dangerous situations. The way he saved people first, even at a loss to himself, was the very foundation of Zigheart.

It is not difficult for martial knowledge and a family to be passed down. What is truly difficult is for the original spirit to continue.

This child, Raon, had inherited the very spirit and heart that the First Patriarch had pledged when founding Zigheart.

The reason I changed my mind about not passing on the martial knowledge was because of Raon.

The Sword Saint, alone with his profound misunderstanding of this human called Raon, drew a deep smile.

‘Everything is similar to the Head of House, but….’

His face is better-looking.

‘Head of House, your descendant shines even brighter than you do. And that….’

He nodded with satisfaction as he observed the Gwangpung Corps and Gonggeom Unit escorting Raon without hesitation.

‘All of them.’

The Sword Saint smiled softly as he gazed upon the golden radiance blooming from Raon’s chest.

‘It seems you need not worry anymore.’

Your flame remains in this place.

*

*

*

When Raon opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the smiling Sword Saint.

“Why would you do this for me….”

The Sword Saint had attempted to leave behind martial knowledge for his successors, only to fall victim to a tragic curse of spirit manipulation.
It would have been no surprise if he simply vanished, yet I never imagined he would pass his martial arts to me.

“I felt I could trust you.”

The Sword Saint nodded, his gentle smile unchanged.

“But I….”
“There is no need to speak.”

Just as I was about to say it was all a misunderstanding, the Sword Saint slowly and firmly shook his head.

“My soul, bound in chains, watched over you.”

A transparent luminescence bloomed across the Sword Saint’s dark eyes.

“At first, I wanted to die. The thought that my petty desires had caused you all suffering was unbearable—so much so that even though I was already dead, I wished to die again. However….”

As if to emphasize the sincerity of his words, he clutched at his chest with aching intensity.

“When I saw you, I was simply overjoyed. Watching you stand firm and fight before me with his martial prowess and swordsmanship—it was deeply moving. I was grateful that I still had eyes to witness it.”

The Sword Saint lifted his head, his gaze noticeably lighter now.

“The moment I saw you moving to save people even while fighting me, I became certain that you are his true successor.”
“….”

Unfortunately, that too was a misunderstanding. I saved those people merely to disrupt Derus Robert’s plan. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have bothered to rescue people who came here for my own selfish reasons.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have bothered to save people who came to The Facility for their own selfish desires.

“I am simply grateful that his martial arts, his sword, and his spirit continue through you.”

The Sword Saint met my eyes and gently stroked my head.

“And your face is better than his.”
“….”

It was meant to make me laugh, but no laughter came.

“As expected, the handsome Raon.”

I nearly let out a hollow laugh at Lunan’s voice suddenly coming from behind.

“There is one last thing I must tell you.”

The Sword Saint’s expression grew solemn as he lowered his voice.

“Zigheart has a true enemy.”
“An enemy?”
“I thought the Head of House had destroyed them all, yet their lineage still endures.”

He sighed and pointed to his own eyes.

“You remember these eyes of mine, where black and white are reversed?”
“Yes.”

When I first saw it, I was taken aback. Those eyes were identical to the monster I’d witnessed in the First Patriarch of Zigheart’s memories.

“That’s their trademark. The eyes of demons.”
-Why demons again! You’re far more wicked than they are!

Wrath shook his head, insisting that we were far more malevolent.

“What exactly are those creatures?”
“In my time, we called them ‘Anima,’ but I’m uncertain what they’re called now. They change their names so frequently.”
“Anima….”

They were undoubtedly connected to Derus Robert, yet I’d never heard that name during my time under him.

‘A curse within a curse, it seems.’

It appeared that the karmic bond between Derus Robert and me extended far beyond a single lifetime.

“But wait… huh?”

I was about to speak to the Sword Saint when my eyes widened. His body began crumbling into dust and scattering away.

“Hmm….”

The Sword Saint gazed at his own hand disintegrating like puzzle pieces, a faint smile crossing his face.

“It seems my time has run out.”
“Ah….”
“I transferred what little aura remained to you, so it appears I’ve reached my limit.”

He shook his head as if telling me not to worry.

“Still, I’m relieved. Seeing you has dispelled all my concerns.”

The Sword Saint reached out with his remaining left hand and grasped mine.

“If the current heir of Zigheart is of this caliber, I need not worry about the Head of House. Use everything I’ve left behind as you see fit.”
“Sword Saint. I am not the heir of Zigheart.”
“You’re not? Well, you’re still young, but soon enough….”
“That’s not what I mean.”

I shook my head briefly. I wanted to tell him the truth so he wouldn’t misunderstand, at least not at the end.

“I’m still from the Branch Family.”
“What…?”

The Sword Saint’s eyes widened in shock.

“B-Branch Family? You?”
“Yes.”
“No! That doesn’t make sense! How is a Branch Family member learning the Manhwa Palace and the Ring of Fire!”

He reached out his hand in disbelief. But his hand crumbled to dust before it could touch me.

“That’s….”
“Wait, just wait a moment! Wait! I can’t leave like this! Why are you from the Branch Family! Are there only cripples left in Zigheart now? Why are you from the….”

The Sword Saint cried out, but his body continued to disintegrate without pause.
His eyes, melting away for the last time, seemed to twist just as they had when I first saw him.

“….”

I blinked as I watched the ground where the Sword Saint had vanished.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything.”

I had spoken honestly because it was the end, but it seemed to have become poison instead.

-Sigh.

Wrath let out a deep sigh while holding his head.

-Sometimes there are things that need not be said….

He exhaled once more and furrowed his brow.

-Is it right for a Demon to teach a human about character?

*

*

*

I brushed the dust from my hands. What was the point in dwelling on what had already passed? Shaking my head to clear my mind, I turned back toward the Gwangpung Unit.

“Are you alright?”

Burren Zigheart approached, blinking his eyes.

“The Sword Saint seemed to cry out at the end….”
“It looked like he was struggling desperately. What exactly did he say?”

Martha tilted her head, equally curious.

“…It’s nothing much. He just said to live well.”

I shook my head, sensing they would be bewildered if I told them the truth.

“So the Sword Saint was our ancestor. Truly, there’s nothing ordinary about this.”

Serena, having regained her composure, let out a hollow laugh.

“What you said when you first arrived wasn’t wrong after all.”
“Indeed.”

I smiled faintly at Serena.

“Are you injured?”
“I’m fine, thanks to you.”

Despite her grievous wounds, Serena nodded as though nothing were amiss. She was the very embodiment of composure.

“Then let’s head out now.”

I gestured toward the Gwangpung Unit, the Gonggeom Unit, and the surviving Neutral Factions. Even excluding Zigheart’s warriors, the numbers were substantial—more than enough to serve as witnesses.
Even excluding Zigheart’s unmanned forces, the numbers were considerable. It was enough personnel to serve as witnesses.

“Going back up will be quite the ordeal.”
“There’s no need to worry about that.”

I shook my head and pointed toward the ceiling.

“I found the Control Room that manages this Training Ground. We can reach the surface in no time using it.”
“Excellent! Let’s go at once!”

Rimer nodded, muttering something about being thirsty for alcohol.

“I’m tired.”

Lunan Slion yawned drowsily, his eyes drooping.

“But we can’t all leave at once. Someone needs to operate the controls.”

Serena glanced around, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

“We can’t trust this to an outsider. Someone will have to stay behind….”
“We don’t have anyone to operate it, but we do have a chicken.”
“A chicken?”
“This one.”

I chuckled and pointed at the Phoenix Kaiyan, floating lazily in the air above us.

“Squeaky will handle it.”
[W-who’s a chicken?! And why me?! I’m not doing anything!]

Kaiyan shook his head, insisting he wouldn’t listen to humans anymore.

“I’m leaving too, you know.”
[Huh…?]
“If I leave, you can live comfortably. Are you really going to throw away that opportunity?”

I grinned and tapped Kaiyan’s wings playfully.

“If being with me is really that enjoyable, then I suppose I have no choice….”
[I’ll do it! Right now! I’ll send you up at maximum speed!]

Kaiyan flapped his wings rapidly, unwilling to miss this opportunity. The sand from the ground swirled upward, transforming into a tempest.

-This demon isn’t leaving forever, after all.

Wrath shook his head as he watched the scene unfold.

-There’s no helping a birdbrain like that….

*

*

*

A faintly crimson platform slowly ascended toward the sky. It was a secret passage that only those who controlled this Training Ground could use.

“There will be plenty of humans out there, won’t there?”

Rimer sighed as he glanced up at the ceiling.

“It would be stranger if there weren’t.”

Serena nodded in agreement, as if it were obvious.

“Ah, I’m already tired of fighting.”
“No. They must be there.”

Raon shook his head as he looked at Rimer.

“They need to be our witnesses.”
“I understand that, but it’s going to be exhausting.”

Rimer nodded quietly, as if he grasped what Raon meant by witnesses.

“I still can’t believe we actually encountered the Sword Saint.”

Burren patted his chest, his heart still trembling with emotion.

“I never imagined things would turn out this way.”

Martha agreed and scratched the bridge of her nose.

“Right. I want to sleep.”

Lunan blinked heavily, exhaustion evident in his eyes. He seemed to have lost all interest in the Sword Saint’s Legacy and everything else.

I surveyed the Gwangpung Unit, now finally at ease, and nodded slightly to myself.

‘They fought well.’

But they’re still a bit lacking.

If not for the convergence of several fortunate circumstances this time, it could have been far more dangerous.

It seemed I would need to significantly elevate the individual combat prowess of each swordsman.

‘I already have the materials in my hands.’

By skillfully combining the martial techniques from the Sword Saint’s Legacy, I could create new martial arts tailored for them.

As I was formulating ways to make them all stronger, Kaiyan’s voice echoed from the Control Room.

[Beep! Almost here!]
‘Before that, though….’

I nodded, gazing at the light scattering like sunbeams.

‘There’s something I need to do.’

With a sensation of the ground surging upward, the dark night sky came into view. The earth beneath my feet, which I hadn’t felt in a long time, felt as soft as down feathers.

“There are many.”
“Yes. Quite a lot.”

Rimer and Serena furrowed their brows as they surveyed the forest.
True to their words, this area was filled with a pack of hyenas waiting to seize the Sword Saint’s Legacy.

“Stay alert.”

Burren shook his head briefly, and the Gwangpung Corps spread their formation by extending their wings left and right.

“I’ll settle this with words.”

I stepped out of the formation the Gwangpung Corps was establishing and walked forward. Standing alone in the center of the forest, I stomped my foot.

Boom!

A colossal shockwave that seemed to reverberate not just through the earth but the very heavens radiated outward in all directions.
The thicket and trees swayed, and the pale complexions of the warriors who had been hidden from view were finally revealed.

“From this moment forward, this land belongs to Zigheart.”

I gazed down upon thousands of eyes brimming with desire and spoke with a thunderous voice.

“I’m giving you ten seconds. Either lay down your weapons or leave. Choose one.”

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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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