The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 75

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

Chapter 75

I opened my eyes, feeling refreshed as though I had slept in. Beneath an unfamiliar ceiling, several messages floated into view.

[You have demonstrated abilities beyond your limits in an extreme battle.]

[All stats increase by 1 point.]

[You have defeated an opponent of higher rank than yourself.]

[The title 【Unbreakable】 has been created.]

[You have successfully ambushed an opponent stronger than yourself.]

[The trait 【Ambush】 has been created.]

All of the messages carried positive meaning.

“Hmm….”

I blinked and pushed myself upright. Inside a log cabin I had never seen before. It seemed I was still in Sebu Village.

“What is all this?”

I examined the messages once more. These were the stat increases and title traits I had gained from my battle with the Green Warrior.

—They’re giving me such rewards for defeating such a pathetic opponent….

Wrath ground his teeth, clearly displeased with the very notion of receiving a reward.

-He was nothing but a stubborn fool with grit, yet you grant him stat increases, titles, and traits? This is absurd.

‘Those are your own abilities.’

I pushed back Wrath, who radiated both frigid cold and seething fury simultaneously.

-Damn it! I didn’t realize it when I was using it directly, but that really is….

Even without finishing his sentence, I understood what he meant to say.

‘It’s definitely broken.’

I nodded slowly and summoned my status window.

【Status Window】

Name: Raon Zigheart.

Title: 【The Unbroken】.

Condition: Curse of Bitter Cold (Five Strands).

Traits: Wrath, Ring of Fire (4-Star), Water Resistance (4-Star), Sense of Legend (3-Star), Comic Artist (3-Star), Bitter Cold (3-Star), Fire Resistance (3-Star), Bleeding Curse (1-Star), Ambush (1-Star).

Strength: 57

Agility: 58

Stamina: 59

Stamina: 42

Perception: 64

The first thing that caught my eye was the title. It had changed from “First Victory” to “Unbreakable.”

Even though the title had changed, the stat bonuses it granted remained intact. I examined the newly acquired title.

Unbreakable

A title bestowed upon those who possess an indomitable spirit, never breaking even when facing formidable opponents.

Effect: All stats increase by 3% when fighting an opponent stronger than yourself.

‘Is this really happening?’

I narrowed my eyes. A 3% increase might sound trivial, but this was an ability that became increasingly powerful as one grew stronger.

Especially since most of the opponents I would face in the future would be stronger than me, this title would remain active almost constantly.

‘Now for the next one…’

I examined the second newly acquired trait: Ambush.

Ambush (1-Star)

When attempting a surprise attack or assassination, your presence diminishes and the probability of inflicting a fatal blow increases.

‘An assassination trait, then.’

It was an assassination trait that suppressed presence and increased the probability of fatal strikes.

‘If I had possessed this before….’

The Green Warrior had already sensed my presence before I even brought my sword down.

Had I possessed this trait beforehand, I could have cleaved him in a single stroke.

‘Well, if that were the case, I wouldn’t have obtained these abilities.’

Having grown stronger after enduring such a grueling battle, this was precisely what the saying “a blessing in disguise” meant.

I confirmed my elevated stats and closed the status window.

‘Thanks to you, I grow stronger with each passing day. I’m grateful.’

-Krrgh….

Wrath, unable to see the status window, fixed his blue eyes upon me.

-You will never die a gentle death. I shall gnaw upon your flesh, gnaw and gnaw again, then condemn you to a lifetime of agony.

‘By all means.’

Having already experienced the worst of deaths and now living my second life, Wrath’s fury and threats were merely something to dismiss with a smile.

“Ugh….”

I stretched and rose to my feet. With my stats increased, the muscle soreness that had plagued my body and the headache that had throbbed in my skull had both vanished entirely.

Click.

As I opened the door and stepped outside, the sky was dim, just as it had been when I lost consciousness. It seemed I had been asleep the entire day.

“They’ve rebuilt it.”

The Palisade of Sebu Village, which had been destroyed, now stood taller and more robust than before—a testament to the trainees working together to restore it.

“Raon?”

At the startled voice, I turned to see Lunan Slion standing there with a vacant expression. The washbasin in his hands suggested he had been heading to my room.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

I nodded. After a deep sleep, I had returned to perfect condition.

“Then let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Dinner. Everyone’s gathered.”

She pointed behind her with her finger.

“Hmm….”

I rubbed my belly. Having eaten nothing for over a day, hunger had begun to gnaw at me.

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

I followed Lunan Slion toward the center of Sebu Village. A large hearth blazed with fire in the middle, and the villagers and trainees had gathered around it.

Judging by the absence of several people, it seemed they were standing watch.

“Huh? Raon!”

“Raon!”

“Raon Zigheart!”

“Oh, our benefactor has awakened!”

“Benefactor!”

The trainees and villagers seated in a circle around the hearth sprang to their feet and cried out.

“A-are you alright? Is your body okay?”

“Are you unharmed?”

“Thank goodness you’ve awakened!”

Burren Zigheart rushed over first, eyes wide with concern, followed by the other trainees who hurried after him, their gazes filled with worry as they examined me.

“My savior!”

“Thank you for saving our village! My savior!”

“To fight so fiercely for our sake….”

The Village Chief and the other villagers rushed forward, dropping to their knees to offer their gratitude.

“….”

I watched them all, swallowing hard.

All their eyes.

The emotions contained within them touched my skin. Gratitude, thankfulness, repayment, reverence.

In the trainees’ gazes, I sensed shame and gratitude, respect, yearning, and admiration.

The yearning resembled jealousy in appearance, yet it was an entirely different emotion.

They did not envy me—rather, they harbored a desire to become like me.

They had chosen me as their role model, following in my footsteps and pursuing my blade.

“….”

I accepted the gazes of those drawing near, deep within my chest.

My heart pounds.

An emotion I had never once experienced seized my chest.

In my past life as an assassin, I had never received gratitude, recognition, or admiration.

Only life and death existed.

I risked my life for the Robert Family, killed, extracted information—yet the recognition and rewards went to those in the light, including Derus Robert.

This was the first time in my life I had received such acknowledgment.

A different thrill coursed through me—distinct from the sense of achievement I felt while training in swordsmanship or aura.

I looked at them all again.

The villagers cried out their gratitude, and the trainees watched me with eyes gleaming with admiration and wonder.

‘Yes. From now on….’

I clenched my fist tightly. My future would be that of a swordmaster, not an assassin. I would witness this countless times.

Desire bloomed within me.

A yearning welled up—to receive greater recognition, to bask in eyes filled with deeper admiration.

From now on, I would pursue more….

*

*

*

After finishing my meal, I sought out the Village Chief. He stood bent at the waist, his head bowed in confusion.

“Might I have a word with you?”

“O-of course!”

I helped the Village Chief straighten up from his contorted posture and led him to a secluded corner.

“Do you know who attacked the village?”

“Ah, yes. I understand they are creatures called Eden who control monsters.”

The Village Chief nodded. Even in this small village, Eden’s infamy had spread.

“But I cannot fathom why such beings would target this place. It is merely a humble village with nothing of value….”

The Village Chief muttered in bewilderment, shaking his head.

“During my battle with them, I overheard something. Did you perhaps retrieve a crimson jewel from Sebu Mountain?”

“A crimson jewel? Ah, yes. I found it in the mountain when I was young and brought it back to the village… Wait, surely not!”

“Yes. That jewel is precisely what they sought.”

The Village Chief’s eyes widened at my words.

“So this calamity befell us because of that stone….”

“That is correct.”

I nodded. I needed to be honest here so the Village Chief would willingly hand over the jewel.

“I… I nearly destroyed the village! Oh no! What have I done!”

The Village Chief collapsed to the ground and began striking the earth.

“As long as that jewel remains in the village, Eden’s spirits will continue to search for it.”

“Ever since I buried the jewel in the earth, the soil has become fertile and the cold has diminished, so I treated it like a guardian deity… I never imagined such a thing would happen.”

Hearing the Village Chief’s words confirmed my suspicions. The Goblin King was a monster with powerful fire attributes. The treasure it left behind must have warmed the village considerably.

“Then… what should we do? Should we discard the jewel now…?”

“I will take it with me.”

“Pardon? You, our benefactor?”

“Eden is a vile organization seeking to erase humanity from the Continent. If we abandon it, there is a high chance it will fall into their hands. I will take it to Zigheart instead.”

“I cannot allow you to commit such a transgression again.”

“It is fine. That is the way of Zigheart.”

“Ah!”

I recited words that Burren would have spoken. The Village Chief’s eyes glistened with tears of gratitude.

“Zigheart bestows upon us yet another debt of gratitude we can never repay.”

“Again?”

“Yes. The current head of Zigheart, Glen Zigheart, saved our village decades ago. I was slightly older than him back then.”

The Village Chief tilted his chin upward, gazing at the sky brimming with golden stars as if lost in memories of old.

“The head of the family?”

“Yes. Just like my benefactor, he saved our entire village and treated us with kindness and a smile.”

“Hmm….”

I tilted my head in confusion.

‘Kindness and a smile….’

Picturing Glen’s face as it was now, I couldn’t imagine such a scene.

“Ah, this old fool has gone and rambled on about pointless memories. Come this way. I’ll give it to you right away.”

The Village Chief scratched his head sheepishly and headed toward his house to the east.

‘So even he had such a time.’

I followed the Village Chief, imagining Glen’s icy smile.

*

*

*

The Village Chief’s residence was at the western edge where I had awakened. Typically, a chief’s house stood at the center of a village, so its location at the periphery was unexpected.

“So this is the Village Chief’s home. My apologies for the intrusion.”

“No, no! Not at all!”

The Village Chief waved his hand dismissively at me.

“But don’t most village chiefs typically reside in the center of their settlements?”

“I’ve lived here from the beginning, and I’ve grown so attached to the place that I couldn’t bear to leave.”

The Village Chief scratched his cheek and made his way toward the courtyard of his home.

“I buried it here. I thought the village would be blessed with warmth and good fortune, but it seems it brought misfortune instead.”

He began digging into the small garden plot in the courtyard. After nearly thirty minutes of excavation, he finally unearthed something wrapped in black cloth.

“That cloth…”

“It’s a wrapping cloth passed down through generations in my family. I wrapped it around this stone because it emitted such an intense crimson light that I wanted to conceal it.”

The Village Chief spoke thus as he unwrapped the cloth.

Whoooosh!

A fierce crimson light blazed through the dim garden, accompanied by oppressive heat. The world brightened as if a colossal inferno had been ignited.

‘So this is the Goblin King’s mana stone….’

If this mana stone were given to Eden, a new monster bearing the Goblin King’s power would be born.

“Elder, perhaps we should wrap it back in that cloth….”

“So that’s why.”

Just as I was about to suggest concealing the gem once more, a calm yet resonant voice cut through from my right.

“Gasp!”

Raon stepped forward to shield the Village Chief, lifting his gaze upward.

Could even a battlefield commander possess such presence?

His visage was crude and savage, his body a tapestry of scars. Despite his towering frame, the sight of him treading upon the slender palisade seemed incongruous.

What truly commanded attention were his eyes. Those saffron irises gleamed with a madness that made one’s hair stand on end.

‘I didn’t sense him at all?’

For someone of such massive build to arrive undetected—this was no ordinary master.

“Who are you?”

“Me? Who knows?”

The Ogre Warrior snapped his fingers, and a green helmet materialized before his eyes. Upon a rounded head, massive protruding tusks were bared both above and below, and a single horn jutted from the crown.

An ogre.

The helmet bearing the visage of the monster known as the sovereign of forests and mountains spun lazily in the man’s grasp.

“Who do you think I am?”

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————