The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 789
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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 789
“Is that really true?”
Raon gazed at Merlin with trembling eyes.
“Is there really a way to wake her up?”
Even the Saint of Nenma, Pedrick, had said he didn’t know how to awaken Sia, so I had been half-resigned to despair. My heart began to race as if it might burst from my chest.
“P-please, I’m begging you!”
Sylvia approached Merlin and grasped her hand.
“Tell us how to wake Sia!”
She fell to her knees, declaring she would do anything.
“Your word wouldn’t be a lie, would it?”
Edgar approached Sylvia’s side and nodded.
“I too beseech you. Help us awaken Sia.”
He knelt before Merlin just as Sylvia had.
For the couple who had thought they’d lost their daughter and found her again, there seemed to be nothing to fear.
“Just tell us the way.”
Glen Zigheart stepped forward before Merlin, his gaze heavy with resolve.
“She’s been asleep for twenty years. We cannot leave her as she is.”
His trembling hands clenched into fists as he declared he would pay any price.
“I feel the same.”
Lectar bit his lip as he listened to Sia’s shallow breathing.
“I cannot go anywhere without seeing my granddaughter awaken.”
He too bowed his head to Merlin, asking for her help.
“Merlin.”
Raon approached Merlin and clasped his hands before him.
“Please. Tell me how.”
I spoke with sincerity and bowed deeply. It was not for my two grandfathers, mother, or father.
I had glimpsed my past self in Sia’s life, and I wanted to break the demonic grasp of Tacheon that bound her soul and grant her freedom.
“Why are you all being so burdensome?”
Merlin stepped forward with a bright smile, her words belying the weight she claimed to feel.
“Don’t worry. I’m certain I can awaken her.”
As she spoke, she squeezed Sylvia’s hand more firmly.
“Really? You truly mean it?”
Sylvia’s tears fell freely as she chose to believe those words.
“Of course. But it won’t be easy. It’s not something I can do right now either.”
Merlin clicked her tongue softly, as if disappointed.
“Something you cannot do right now?”
Raon tilted his head, looking at Merlin with confusion.
“Couldn’t you just enter the Mental World like you did before?”
“The situation is different this time.”
Merlin shook her head firmly.
“At that time, the young lady’s Mental World was opened by the Green-haired Queen, but now she’s alone. If you or I were to enter using that magic now, our souls could suffer severe damage. If that happens….”
She snapped her fingers roughly.
“There’s a high chance she’ll never wake up again.”
“Then what do we do….”
“We need materials that allow us to face the soul safely.”
“What materials?”
“A Soul Stone.”
Merlin raised her hand as if the real explanation was about to begin. A mirror wrapped in iridescent radiance materialized above her palm.
“It’s an object that lets you face a soul without any burden whatsoever.”
“You’re talking about that mirror?”
I swallowed dryly as I gazed at the shimmering mirror in Merlin’s grasp.
“What I saw was this mirror, but there should be other forms as well.”
Merlin exhaled heavily, noting that finding one wouldn’t be easy.
“Where is that mirror?”
Glen’s eyes narrowed as he observed the mirror Merlin displayed.
“It’s one of Tacheon’s artifacts.”
Merlin floated the mirror into empty space, her brow furrowing.
“He uses it when crafting special helmets or masks. Since he always carries it with him, and we don’t know if he’s alive or dead right now, we won’t be able to find it.”
She clicked her tongue in disappointment.
“You said there are other forms? Where would those be?”
I clenched my teeth as I watched the mirror gradually fade from view.
“I don’t know either.”
Merlin shook her head slowly.
“No one would know what form it takes or where it exists.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“A soul stone isn’t something you can find even if you want to. It only manifests by chance.”
“By chance?”
I asked again, unable to grasp her meaning.
“Once every few decades. When the sun and moon draw closest to each other, the celestial passage closes briefly, and sometimes a wandering soul settles into a nearby object. That’s when a soul stone is created, accompanied by rainbow light.”
Merlin conjured the characteristic rainbow of a soul stone above her palm.
“We call it a soul stone, but since it’s created by chance, it might not actually be stone. It could be dead wood, a plant, or something that’s already passed through human hands. I’ve even searched the entire Continent through the eyes of animals, but I never found one.”
“I see….”
“It doesn’t emit any special mana or aura, and this brilliant light only shimmers in the instant a soul stone is created, so very few people even know of its existence.”
She let the wavering light in her palm settle, saying that the search would need to begin from now.
“Then how can you identify a soul stone?”
“Someone at your level or transcendents would be able to tell just by touching it. The mental world of another person lies open within a soul stone.”
Merlin exhaled softly, mentioning that Grand Masters might also be capable of it.
“Explain in more detail, if you would.”
Glen extended his hand to Merlin, as if wanting to commit this to memory with certainty.
“Of course.”
Merlin nodded and organized everything she had told us so far into a coherent explanation.
-So you were talking about a wandering soul.
Wrath nodded as if he finally understood.
‘You know about it too?’
-Even the True Demon King saw it only once in the Demon Realm. It had no taste and no meaning, so I discarded it immediately.
He smacked his lips, saying it was a shame to have thrown it away.
“Hmm….”
“A Soul Stone….”
“This won’t be easy.”
The others’ expressions darkened as well, hearing of Soul Stones for the first time.
It was an object created by chance, bore no distinguishing features when formed, and could only be sensed by those who had reached at least Grand Master rank—so their despair was inevitable.
“Sia….”
Sylvia finally couldn’t hold back and began to weep, gripping Sia’s hand.
Seeing her cry again after maintaining such an unblemished smile for so long made it feel as though the world itself was imposing trials upon her.
“There’s something I’d like to ask.”
I turned my gaze from Sylvia toward Merlin.
“Sia—or rather, my sister—if she doesn’t wake for a while, what problems might arise?”
“Right now, her state is no different from sleep. As long as we provide proper nutrition, it should be fine.”
Merlin winked with one eye, assuring me there was no time pressure to worry about.
“That’s correct. Sia’s body is currently in a state of sleep.”
With Pedrick’s confirmation, I felt somewhat more at ease.
“Of course, if this state continues for years, there’s a possibility the gap between soul and body could widen further.”
Merlin shook her head, saying we still shouldn’t delay.
“Roen.”
At Glen’s call, Roen suddenly dropped from empty air where nothing had been.
“Yes, Head of House.”
Roen lowered his head with a grave expression, clearly understanding the severity of the situation.
“Contact the Black Market and every Branch, Vassal House, and allied faction. Leave none out.”
Glen Zigheart gathered the long robe draped over his shoulders and left the infirmary, evidently intending to move personally.
“I need to search for other methods as well.”
Pedrick also headed toward the medical office, saying he would contact other physicians and priests.
“Sylvia. Let’s go home today. Sia will be suffering even more.”
Edgar led Sylvia, who was crying as though she might collapse, back to the Annex Building.
“….”
Lectar bit his lip. Once again, he followed Edgar without having been able to touch his granddaughter.
“Merlin. There’s something I want to ask you.”
After everyone else had left the infirmary, Raon approached Merlin.
“What is it?”
Merlin tilted her chin, inviting him to speak freely.
“If we bring the Soul Stone, everything will be resolved? There won’t be any problems at all?”
“…Of course.”
She drew out her words barely perceptibly before nodding.
“Are you really sure?”
“Yes. Just trust me.”
Merlin smiled, as though promising to awaken the young lady.
“I mean, will there be no problems for you either—not just for her?”
I narrowed my gaze as I studied Merlin’s eyes.
Since it involved magic that manipulated souls, I needed to confirm whether it would cause her any harm.
“You’re worried about me even in a situation like this? There’s really no one like Raon!”
Merlin exhaled a heated breath and threw herself toward me.
“Ugh….”
I urgently stepped back using a movement technique, creating five paces of distance between us.
“There’s no need to go that far.”
Merlin clicked her tongue regretfully, drawing it out.
“Just answer the question. Are you really okay?”
“Of course. It’s no different from entering a helmet.”
She waved her hand dismissively, saying there was nothing to worry about since she had the soul stone as a medium.
“Well, that may be true, but… in any case, if there’s a problem, tell me clearly.”
“Got it!”
Merlin placed her hand on top of her head in a salute-like gesture.
“You have plenty of people to contact anyway. Go on.”
She tapped my wrist, asking if I wasn’t busy.
“Right….”
I nodded, glancing at Sia.
Even excluding the Black Market since Glen would handle that, there were many people I needed to contact, so I needed to move quickly.
“Thank you.”
I bowed to Merlin and left the infirmary.
“We don’t need words like that between us.”
Merlin waved her hand lightly in farewell as Raon departed.
“Sigh…”
She exhaled softly, watching his retreating figure.
“Neither path will be easy.”
Merlin settled into the chair before the bed, her eyes hollow and distant.
She stroked Sia’s hair, her smile tinged with melancholy.
“Though it’s strange to say, I find myself envying the young lady…”
*
*
*
A pirate ship rode the towering waves with dignified grace, as if sketched by a child’s crude hand.
“Water’s seeping in! Bail it out, quickly!”
“Pull from here! We’re capsizing!”
“Is Aris holding the helm? Why is it rocking so much!”
Unlike the ship’s elegant undulation, the crew on deck moved as if possessed of four limbs, battling the waves with desperate energy.
“Ugh, how bothersome…”
Aris, who had been blinking at the bow, placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
The moment her hand drew the silver blade, the dark clouds and tidal wave bearing down on the ship split cleanly in two.
Whoooosh!
As a spatial rift tore through heaven and earth, the black tempest cowered in fear and subsided, while the sun revealed between the parting clouds poured its warm blessing upon the pirate vessel.
“Sigh…”
Aris gazed at the now-calm sea and exhaled deeply.
“Have I neglected him too much?”
She turned to look at the fake captain Rabawin, who had approached without her noticing, and scratched her head.
“I raised him rather harshly, but I never thought he’d go this long without contacting me.”
Aris Zigheart frowned at the bridge of her nose, thinking she should have treated him more warmly.
“If you had been warmer, he likely would have returned before the young master departed.”
Rabawin met Aris’s melancholic gaze and let out a hollow laugh.
“I’m curious about the young master’s whereabouts as well, but there shouldn’t be any real problem. As you always say, he’s not the type to get beaten down wherever he goes.”
He shook his head, telling her not to worry.
“He’s quieter than Raon, but he did have some desire for power. That’s why I thought news would come naturally, but I never expected him to be this silent.”
“I suspect he may be concealing his identity. With all the wars breaking out here and there lately, rumors of rising powerhouses have been spreading. He could be one of them.”
“Concealing his identity… That could be it. That fool has no interest in fame whatsoever.”
Aris gazed at the calm waves and clicked her tongue softly.
“Sigh, seeing Raon made me think of my son. I suppose I’m failing as a mother.”
She shook her head regretfully.
“Unlike the young master, Raon is clumsy at such things.”
Rabawin drew a subtle smile as if understanding what he meant.
“The young master was skilled at everything. Martial talent, human relations, tactics and strategy—there was nothing he couldn’t do. Of course, Raon possesses even greater talent, but strangely enough, when it comes to human relations, he was clumsier than a child.”
“Right. I’ve never seen a child struggle so much with calling someone aunt.”
Aris chuckled as she recalled Raon’s awkward expression.
“He only managed to call me aunt after joining the Main Lineage. It was refreshing yet absurd.”
She nodded, remembering how entertaining it was when she and Grandfather competed over who he would address first.
“You’re right—our son is too perceptive for such games, which makes it no fun. But hearing Raon call me ‘aunt’ suddenly made me want to see him.”
Aris Zigheart brushed back her crimson hair and clicked her tongue.
“Just to be safe, I’ll also gather information on recently famous swordsmen. The young master might be hiding his identity.”
“Don’t just search for swordsmen—investigate all martial artists. That boy might suddenly resort to bare-knuckle fighting.”
“Understood.”
Rabawin was about to withdraw with a faint smile when it happened.
Screech!
A white seagull descended and landed before Aris Zigheart. It lifted its leg, where a rolled paper was bound, as if urging her to hurry.
“Impudent creature. What could be written here to warrant such urgency… Hmm?”
Aris Zigheart chuckled softly and unfolded the paper from the seagull’s leg. The moment she read its contents, her breathing grew ragged.
“What is the matter?”
“Two years ago….”
Aris Zigheart checked the note’s contents twice, her hands trembling.
“Someone has seen my son?”
*
*
*
“Sigh….”
Raon exhaled a thin breath atop the platform of the 5th Training Ground.
‘No word yet.’
Four days had passed since I shared the information about the Soul Stone, yet no contact had come from anywhere.
The fact that Glen Zigheart remained silent suggested that even Zigheart’s intelligence network and his connections had failed to locate it.
‘Well, she did say it would be hard to find.’
Even Merlin, who had provided information about the Soul Stone, said it would be difficult to locate. Finding it so quickly was actually the strange part.
-To be honest, it’s quite remarkable that humans have discovered such an object at all.
Wrath furrowed his brow, saying there was no helping it.
‘Wrath. I told you I had a way to go to the Demon Realm, didn’t I?’
-You’re going to the Demon Realm because of that? Fool! It’s impossible for you right now, and it will take a very long time!
He shook his head, saying it was far too roundabout a path.
‘Yeah, I suppose so.’
I gazed up at the sky and ran my hand through my hair.
‘For now, I should focus on other matters.’
At least the fortunate part was that Sia had no major problems at present.
Since Pedrick said he would look for medical treatment methods, I too needed to consider various approaches.
After settling my thoughts, I lowered my gaze to observe the Gwangpung Corps training.
‘I’ve grown quite accustomed to the Master realm now.’
Yua and Julius still needed time, but all the other swordsmen had become comfortable with aura manipulation. The actual combat experience from this war seemed to have been tremendously helpful.
‘And…’
I observed the squad leaders who were instructing the swordsmen while conducting their own training.
Lunan was continuing to grow as I had seen recently, and Martha and Burren wielded their swords with desperate eyes as if refusing to fall behind.
All three of them were on the verge of breaking through their shells.
‘Experience truly is important.’
I rose to my feet with a faint smile. Just as I was about to begin my training, the Training Ground door opened and Lectar entered.
“Ah.”
I descended from the platform immediately and approached Lectar.
“…Grandfather?”
“It seems I’ve interrupted your training.”
“No, sir.”
I shook my head, saying I was just about to begin.
“Since there’s nothing more I can accomplish here, I intend to return to the Holy Sword Association.”
Lectar nodded, saying he would search for the soul stone directly at the Holy Sword Association.
“What will you do?”
“Hmm…”
I exhaled softly, meeting Lectar’s steady gaze.
“When do we depart?”
“I plan to leave tomorrow.”
Lectar answered without hesitation, as if his decision was already made.
“I will accompany you.”
I nodded. Since remaining here would change nothing, it seemed better to follow Lectar and prepare to seize any opportunity that arose.
“And there is one thing I wish to ask of you.”
“A request?”
“Yes. When we go to the Holy Sword Association this time…”
I was about to broach the subject of my request to Lectar.
Boom!
The Training Ground door burst open with violent force, and Dorian entered with breadcrumbs clinging to his mouth.
“Organization Master! Have you heard the news?”
Dorian rushed over as if he’d been waiting for me, shaking his round face with excitement.
“Heekyuk Je came all the way to the Main Gate and requested an audience! With the Head of House!”
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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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