The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 829

—————

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

—————

Chapter 829

Screech!

The sea otter sensed danger and quickly spun around, diving back into the water.

Splash!

I stepped on the water’s surface with the Tae Hwa Step, summoning the winds of the Gwangpung Style as I reached toward the pentagonal stone the sea otter clutched so desperately.

Screech!

The sea otter tried to flee by abruptly changing direction, but I had already read its movements from its initial gesture.

‘I just need to check the stone.’

I blocked the sea otter’s escape route and reached for the stone it held.

‘Hmm?’

What is this?

Despite my hand touching the pentagonal stone, nothing happened. Even with my soul’s rank fully opened, I felt absolutely nothing.

‘Wasn’t this supposed to reveal something when touched?’

Merlin had said that at her level of cultivation, she could fall into the stone’s spiritual imagery the moment she touched it. Yet this stone emanated no energy or phenomenon whatsoever. It was simply an ordinary rock.

-Hmm.

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he looked at the pentagonal stone in my hand.

-My body’s condition isn’t great, so I can’t sense it precisely, but as you say, it seems like an ordinary stone.
‘So it’s not the one?’
-That’s right. That sea otter isn’t the Mad Woman either—it’s just a resident of this sea.

He released a relieved sigh, as if grateful for this outcome.

‘I already knew that.’

If that sea otter had been Merlin, it would have fled. I knew it was a real animal.
The shape and color of the stone the sea otter carried matched Rabawin’s testimony so closely that I had to touch it—but it turned out to be an ordinary rock.

‘I’m sorry.’

I returned the stone to the sea otter and nodded apologetically.

Chirp.

The sea otter bobbed its head as if to say it was fine, then swam away.

‘Even sea otters offer comfort these days.’

I let out a quiet laugh and surfaced back onto the water.

“What is it? Did you find something?”

Rimer approached from the side and tilted his head.

“No.”

I shook my head.

“The sea otter had a pentagonal stone, so I chased after it, but it was just an ordinary rock.”
“A sea otter? Ah! The stone it uses to crack shells?”

Rimer raised his fist as if he were a sea otter himself and tapped his own belly.

“That’s right.”

I nodded.

“The shape was similar and it had an emerald hue, but it wasn’t what we’re looking for.”
“That would’ve been hilarious if we’d found it that way.”

Rimer laughed as if he found the idea amusing.

“As you said before, since I’ve been staying at the Coastal Area this whole time, it seems right to assume the edges have been worn down. I think we should just search through all the stones here.”

He smacked his lips, realizing he’d need to examine every stone in this place rather than just hunt for a pentagonal one.

“It’s not difficult, but it will be quite grueling work.”

I let out a short sigh as I gazed at the stones sunk beneath the transparent seawater.

‘Even more so for others.’

This was family business for me, so I had no choice but to do it, but the sailors of the Gwangpung Corps and Cheongpung were different.
I felt a wave of guilt knowing I’d have to put them through considerable hardship at the Coastal Area for quite some time.

“Grueling or not, it’s work that must be done.”

Rimer drew a small smile, telling me not to worry too much.

“Uh…”

I blinked at Rimer in surprise.

“What?”
“I’m just amazed that someone who doesn’t even seem to know the word ‘comfort’ is offering me consolation…”

The Rimer I knew would have complained it was bothersome and gone to rest after a half-hearted search, but today he was searching for the Soul Stone with even more passion than Aris Zigheart.
He was so different from usual that I nearly laughed despite myself.

“Do you really think I’m that much of a madman?”

Rimer’s eyes narrowed as if he found it ridiculous.

“I’ve done some crazy things, sure—quite a few, actually—but I’m not so selfish that I’d abandon the Organization Master’s precious things and go rest. I know how much family means to me.”

He smiled gently as he spoke.

“So let’s keep pushing and find it.”

Rimer turned away abruptly, seeming embarrassed by his own words, and headed off to search for the Soul Stone.

“…Thank you.”

I bowed my head toward Rimer’s back.

‘I appreciate the encouragement, but I still can’t help feeling sorry about this.’

Only I, Aris Zigheart, Rimer, and Rabawin could locate the Soul Stones, which meant the Gwangpung Corps and the sailors had no choice but to engage in the tedious work of sorting through rocks.

I felt even more apologetic for putting such skilled personnel to such a monotonous task.

“Sigh…”

I exhaled briefly before diving back into the sea to search for the Soul Stones.

*

*

*

-Ugh! Grooooan!

As the moon waned and the sun began to rise again, Wrath let out a pained moan while clutching his head.

-Argh! This is unbearable!
‘What is?’

I brushed back my wet hair and blinked my eyes open.

-When will we find it! That island over there was so small there was nothing! At this rate, I’ll never even see ice cream again!

He was complaining that it seemed like it would take far too long to find the Soul Stones.

‘There’s no helping it. Just be patient a little longer.’
-You do it then.

Wrath gripped my shoulder tightly with his round hand.

‘Me? What am I supposed to do?’

Raon tilted his head as he looked at Wrath.

-What the True Demon King was trying to do! Open your soul and detect the soul stones in this vicinity!

Wrath said he could find it right away and raised his fist.

‘That’s something only you can do. I haven’t even reached transcendence yet.’

Wrath said that the size of one’s soul grows according to how one has lived.
No matter how much hardship he had endured, he could never match the soul of a Demon Lord.

‘Even my aunt can’t do it, so it doesn’t make sense for me to try.’
-Haaah….

Wrath let out a long sigh as if exasperated.

-Haven’t I told you from long ago! Your soul is incomparably vast compared to that pathetic power of yours!
‘You did say that….’

Raon nodded. Wrath often told him that the size of his soul was enormous, far exceeding what his power and age suggested.

-When you turned that cursed ring, your soul was greater than that ruffian!

Wrath pointed at Aris Zigheart with his finger.

-That’s why I keep calling it a fraud!

He lowered his hand, telling him to realize his own abilities.

‘Hmm….’

Raon placed his hand on his left chest where the ring of fire rotated and smacked his lips.

‘Even so, it would be difficult, wouldn’t it? Even if I open my soul at full power, it would only cover this area.’
-How foolish! What was given to you isn’t just your soul.

Wrath raised his hand and pointed to the bracelet hanging on his wrist.

‘The power of the Demon Lords….’
-Indeed. What has been given to you is not merely strength and characteristics, but a fragment of a Demon Lord’s soul!

Wrath struck his own wrist sharply, telling me to look properly.

‘I know, but….’

I bit my lip as I recalled the emotions of the Demon Lords bound to the edges of my soul.

‘I can’t utilize all of it right now.’

My own rank was insufficient to summon forth all the Demon Lords’ powers. I had to concentrate every ounce of my focus merely to draw upon the most familiar—wrath itself.
She had to concentrate all her nerves just to draw out the most familiar anger.

The True Demon King will help you.

Wrath’s plump fingers twitched as he settled onto her shoulder.

-I said I would help you control the power of those Demon Lord wretches.
‘But you….’
-It is true that I cannot exert physical force in my current state, but supporting you is entirely within my capacity.
“Currently, it’s difficult to use physical force, but it’s more than possible to support you.”

He tilted his chin nonchalantly as if telling her not to worry.

“No, that’s something that would be too hard on you.”

Even though I offered to help since Wrath said his spiritual body was in poor condition and he couldn’t exert power externally, I was worried first.

How dare a mere pipsqueak like you worry about the True Demon King! It’s absolutely ridiculous!

Wrath let out a scornful laugh, his rounded chin tilted upward.

And that’s settled! We’re starting now, so get ready! If you can’t keep up, I’m leaving you behind!

He twisted his mouth and told her to follow him no matter what.

“…Thank you.”

I thanked Wrath and closed my eyes.

Uuuuuuung!

I resonated the ring of fire and awakened the powers of the Demon Lords that slumbered deep within my soul.

Kugugugugugu!

Wrath, Sloth, Envy, Gluttony, and even Lust—the powers of the Demon Lords erupted like a volcano, spewing forth like molten lava, spreading beyond my control in all directions across heaven and earth.

-Now! Concentrate!

With Wrath’s cry, his rage seeped into me from my shoulders.

Kugugugugugu!

Unlike before, when his wrath sought to steal my soul, this was a unified force meant to control the powers of the other Demon Lords.

-The True Demon King cannot endure for long! Use those emotions as your hands and feet, and spread them across this entire coastal area!
‘Understood.’

Using Wrath’s cry as a foundation, I elevated my concentration to its absolute limit.

Hwaaaack!

The powers of the Demon Lords connected through the emotion of wrath, and I felt as though this entire coastal area was grasped in my hands.
It was an omniscient sensation as if my skin had become Giran Island itself.

‘Show me everything!’

The moment I entered a world of hypersensitivity where I could feel not just stones and pebbles, but the very form of each grain of sand.

Zzzzzzzt!

From the empty void, I felt Rust’s power distinctly.

“What is this…?”

My lips trembled. Rust, whom I thought had returned to the Demon Realm, was gazing at me from within the Pink Aura Entity.

-Kyaaaaaaagh!

The moment Wrath saw Rust, he startled and withdrew his hand from my shoulder.
That omnipotent sensation—that feeling of being able to accomplish anything—vanished in an instant.

“Rust? What are you doing here?”
“Ah….”

Rust, in her Pink Aura Entity form, released a sigh that sounded almost like a lament.

“Hehehehe!”

As I stood there gaping at Rust, a baby sea otter surfaced from the water and began to giggle.

“I told you! You went too close!”

A sea otter speaking human language. There was no need to ask who was inhabiting that creature.

“Merlin too….”
“Yep! That’s me!”

The sea otter nodded eagerly.

“What are you two doing here?”
“We made a little wager.”

Merlin laughed heartily, saying that thanks to her, the bet had ended in her victory.

“I’m sorry….”

Rust emerged from within the Pink Aura Entity, her face visible.

“I was just so happy that you were using my power, and I couldn’t help myself….”

She bowed her head deeply, genuinely apologizing.

-Uuuuugh!

Wrath whimpered and hid behind my back.

-Why did those Mad Women come here! Why do those lunatics travel together! At such a critical moment!

The creature let out a horrific shriek, wailing that everything was ruined.

‘You don’t need to worry.’

I tapped Wrath’s head as he howled in despair and shook my head.

“I’m curious what the wager is, but let’s talk about it later.”
“Are you looking for the Soul Stone? I’ll help too!”

Merlin reached out her hand, saying she would come with her true body.

“I’ve already found it.”
“Huh? You found it?”
-Really, truly?

Merlin and Wrath’s jaws trembled in surprise.

‘Yes.’

I nodded calmly. Though Rust and Merlin’s sudden appearance had startled me, my focus—now as clear as a mirror—did not waver. When my spirit extended across the entire Coastal Area, I had firmly grasped a gloomy emotion as if shrouded in darkness.
When his soul stretched across the entire shoreline, he firmly grasped the dark, gloomy emotion as if it were shrouded in Darkness.

“It’s here.”

Raon gazed at a pebble the size of his fist in the shallow sea not far from the Coastal Area.

Its edges were all rounded off, and it had a deep green hue that was even darker than emerald.

In these very pebbles, I could feel someone’s weeping, sorrow, and despair.

“Somehow, they don’t seem like a good soul.”

Still, I have to go.

Raon let out a short sigh and clenched his fists against the gravel.

Ahhhhh!

My vision darkened as I felt a sensation of floating, as though witnessing the memories of my ancestor.

*

*

*

Seven years old? No, even younger than that—a small girl appeared before me.

The girl trained her swordsmanship in the Training Courtyard before her home, and with such abundant talent, she grew noticeably with each passing day.

Despite her tender age, there were moments when the girl’s emotions wavered—she who had devoted her soul to the blade—and those moments came when she watched other children her age playing together.

The girl gazed blankly at the children who pondered what to play today, what to discover, her expression betraying envy.

One child approached her and extended a hand, smiling brightly as he asked her to play with them.

[Can I join?]

Just as the girl reached to take the child’s hand, a stern-faced Ogre Warrior emerged and blocked the path.

[Get lost.]

At the Ogre Warrior’s sharp voice, the child fled in tears and never appeared before the girl again.

[You have a purpose. Do not disappoint me.]

The middle-aged man, who appeared to be the girl’s father, barked his command with eyes devoid of warmth, ordering her to focus on her training.

From that day forward, the girl wielded her blade day and night.
She paid no attention to the laughter of children her age as they played, driven only by the singular resolve to meet her father’s expectations, swinging her sword each day without respite.

When three years had passed, the girl reached the level her father desired.

When the girl approached her father with excitement in her heart, he uttered only a single phrase.

[It is time. Let us go.]

Without a single word of praise—”You worked hard” or “Well done”—he rose to his feet and spoke of going somewhere else.

The Charm Girl felt no disappointment. Believing that joyful days lay ahead, she followed her father into an Underground Cavern whose depths she could not fathom.

The cavern was filled with children who appeared to be her age.

The Charm Girl was delighted to finally have friends, yet the other children harbored no such sentiment.
All of them gazed upon her father with eyes as cold and piercing as winter frost.

The Charm Girl’s life scarcely changed. She wielded her sword all day in the cavern, sleeping alone in a Solitary Cell at night.

She was granted neither time to befriend anyone nor proper rest.

The other children adapted swiftly to this Hell, as though it were familiar, but one child stood apart.
He seemed terrified by the gloom of the Underground, his eyes perpetually glistening with tears.

The Charm Girl’s heart drew toward this child, who reminded her of herself, and she began to care for him at her side.

It was when she had built a bond with the boy named Valde and begun to taste small fragments of happiness.

Even as dawn broke, she was not summoned to the cavern for training—only confined to the Solitary Cell where she slept.

Trembling between the joy of not wielding her sword and the anxiety of not seeing Valde, she heard a distant scream pierce the silence.

The next day. And the day after that. Continuously.

With each passing day, screams erupted in this cursed place. The Charm Girl, gripped by terror, called out her father’s name, but no answer came—as she had come to expect.

A week passed as she worried for her father and Valde. Then the door to her Solitary Cell opened, and her father entered.

[Father!]

The Charm Girl rushed toward him, crying for salvation, but her father looked upon her as one might regard an insect—and kicked her down.

As she rolled across the floor under his blows, a boy with cold, piercing eyes stepped into the chamber.

Valde. The young, inexperienced child with whom she had forged a small bond now stood with eyes identical to her father’s, sword raised before him.

[Valde. What are you…?]

As the Charm Girl cried out for Valde to lower his sword, his blade pierced through her heart.

Her chest burned with warmth. Only after sensing the hollow feeling of the aura accumulated in her dantian and her very soul being drained away did Valde withdraw his sword.

[Dad, Valde….]

With her last strength, the Charm Girl reached out her hand toward her only friend and father.

But her hand froze in empty air, and her father and friend left the darkened chamber without sparing her a single glance.

[Half a success, then….]

The Charm Girl heard her cold father’s voice and recalled her own life.
A cold father, a sword wielded her entire life, children extending their hands to play, and finally, the betrayal of the only friend she had made.

Tears of despair—the anguish of never living like ordinary children—streamed down her pupils.

I just wanted to play with other children like they did….

Kuuuuaaaaaaaa!

The Charm Girl’s body ignited in black flames, transforming into a colossal being of fire.
Death and despair, rage and agony—all the dark forces coalesced within the child’s soul.

‘Yes….’

Raon watched the child’s soul become black inferno and opened his hand without drawing his sword.

‘I will play with you.’

—————

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

—————