The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 87

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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 87

A night when the blue moon gazed down upon the world.
I stood in the empty field and unwound the bandages that had been wrapped around my arms and legs.

The wounds hadn’t completely healed, but the flesh had filled in almost entirely. It seemed there would be no major issues with resuming training.

‘Then.’

I drew upon the aura of the Taewhahbo and pushed off the ground in a fluid motion.

In an instant, I crossed from the empty field to the vicinity of the Lake. It was a speed so swift that even shadows couldn’t keep pace, yet my expression remained grim.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue sharply and narrowed my stance.

‘This isn’t it.’

The first step Glen had shown me was vast enough to reach anywhere on the Continent, and free enough to accomplish any movement imaginable.

The Taewhahbo Jincheon I had just executed was worlds apart from that.

‘He said it was a footwork capable of doing anything.’

Glen had called the Taewhahbo omnipotent and all-encompassing. It was arrogant and presumptuous, but seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t refute it inwardly.

‘Now is not the time to think of speed or power.’

My martial prowess was nothing but dust compared to Glen’s. Now was not the time to imitate him, but to lay the foundation for a greater vision.

‘Then again.’

I operated the Taewhahbo once more and stepped forward again. A slow but heavy stride—like the charge of a ferocious buffalo.

“This isn’t it either.”

I shook my head and reset my stance. Repetition, repetition, and more repetition. I operated the Taewhabo through the night until the moon fell and the sun rose.

“Damn it….”

I frowned as I watched the sun rise. Even with the talent that boosted my learning ability, mastering the Taewhabo wasn’t easy.

To be honest, I still hadn’t grasped even a thread of its essence.

‘No, perhaps that’s only natural.’

The Taewhabo was a footwork technique infused with the martial insights of Glen, the Continent’s strongest warrior. Such an absolute martial art wouldn’t open its doors easily.

-You trained all night, even disturbing this king’s sleep, yet you still haven’t mastered that footwork? I’m so disappointed I could weep.

Wrath, who had been silent all night, burst from the bracelet with a mocking laugh.

-This king grasped enlightenment the moment I saw that footwork. Truly, the inferiority of humans is pitiful beyond measure.
‘Yeah, yeah. You’re amazing.’

I let out a short sigh and collapsed onto the ground. Fatigue washed over me—perhaps because I’d trained through the night without my body fully recovering.

-Hah, when an earthworm crawling on the ground tries to gaze at the sky, of course it’s difficult. A worm should only look at the sky befitting a worm.
‘A sky befitting a worm….’

I muttered Wrath’s insults and gazed at Bekmang Mountain behind the Annex Building.

‘Now that I think about it….’

Rimer had said something similar on Bekmang Mountain. When discussing attributes, he said that how one’s attribute flows must be determined by oneself.

‘Then is this footwork the same?’

I reconsidered the Taewhabo. Glen’s Taewhabo transcended something. It wasn’t a footwork of reality, but something mystical—as if this single step could leap beyond space and time itself.

‘I’m not aiming for that level. I don’t even want something like that.’

I shook my head. What I wanted wasn’t something so unrealistic.

Just two things. Protecting the people in this Annex Building and driving a blade through Derus Robert’s throat—that would be enough.

‘For that, I need….’

I straightened my posture and closed my eyes. With thoughts of those I must protect at any cost and the one I must kill even if it tears me apart, I took a step forward.

Boom!

The resonance was different.
A violent surge beginning from the mana circuits in my soles pierced through my entire body like lightning splitting the heavens. Freedom flowed through my extending form.

My own image took shape.
A footstep inscribed with the freedom to protect those dear to me and to break the neck of my enemy became the foundation of that image.

Whoosh.

I opened both eyes. My pupils burned with clarity like the rising sun.

“….”

I lowered my head to look at the ground. Though my body hadn’t moved from that first step, my heart had.

This step was a martial art that could only be achieved by infusing it with heart—with the soul itself.

The foundation I had sought to complete today—the Taewhabo—was finished in an instant.

[You have acquired Taewhabo.]
[Taewhabo (1-Star) has been added to your traits.]

I clenched both fists tightly. As I mastered the Taewhabo, which I had thought impossible to obtain, a sense of accomplishment and exhilaration flooded through me—twice as intense as usual.

[Taewhabo mastery speed returns to normal.]

The moment I acquired the Taewhabo, the enhanced learning ability that had aided my progress vanished.

Watching the sun slowly rise, it appeared the ability had been limited to one night, as I’d anticipated.

‘It was good that I came out right away.’

Without that ability, I wouldn’t have mastered the Taewhabo even in a year, let alone a day. Setting aside my injuries and everything else to come out and train was the right call.

-What in the….

Wrath’s cold aura flickered violently like a candle flame before the wind.

-What have you done? How did you manage it in such a short time!
“Your words became the key.”
-A key?
“You said it yourself. A worm must see the sky through a worm’s eyes.”
-What does that have to do with anything?
“Just as you said, I have my own will and goals, and Glen has his. I didn’t need to simply copy him. So I infused that footwork technique with my own will and purpose.”

I muttered with an irritating expression that it worked anyway.

-Even so, that footwork technique wasn’t something to be learned so easily.
“True. Your system’s boost to footwork acquisition ability was an enormous help. Come to think of it, I owe both to you. I’m really grateful.”
-Ugh, this king never….

Wrath’s cold aura swelled up a vivid blue, as if about to explode at any moment.

“Don’t be so upset. I’m just stating facts.”

I grinned and waved my finger. I was about to provoke him further to make him burst with anger when—

“Raon!”

Sylvia leaped through the window at the rear of the Annex Building. Her agility was no different from Rimer’s.

“I told you to rest! What is this mess!”
“Sigh.”

I let out a sigh. The lords of the Demon Realm don’t frighten me, but I can’t stand against my mother.

*

*

*

I was dragged to her room by Sylvia, whose face was even more furious than Wrath’s.

“Raon. What did your mother say?”
“Well, I… uh…”

I scratched the back of my head and avoided Sylvia’s gaze.

“I told you very clearly to rest from training until your injuries heal!”
“I think… maybe you did say something like that…”

I remembered her words vividly, but I turned my head away as if I hadn’t heard them.

“You really are something!”

Sylvia crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

‘Ugh…’

When Sylvia grew angry, my heart felt more unsettled than it had during my fight with Gwahyeolgwi. I couldn’t comprehend why mere scolding could be so difficult to bear—it defied my understanding.

“Raon.”

Sylvia bent down to meet my eyes. Her gaze held worry and compassion. I found that look burdensome and lowered my head.

“Yes?”
“I know why you’re so devoted to your training.”

She continued while stroking my shoulder.

“You want to grow stronger quickly because you’re worried about me and the Annex Building.”
“…”

My lips trembled slightly in silence. Whether it was because she was my mother or because we’d spent so much time together, Sylvia understood exactly what I was thinking.

‘Though that’s not all of it.’

No one would ever know that beyond protecting Sylvia and the people of the Annex Building, I was also driven by a desire for vengeance.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry. It’s all my fault that you’ve come to think this way.”
“That’s not…”
“Every time I heard that you’d become the top trainee, won your duels, and achieved great feats in your missions, I was so proud. But…”

Sylvia pressed her lips together firmly as she patted my shoulder.

“You don’t need to go to such lengths for my sake. Mother said it herself—don’t worry about us, focus on doing what you want. That’s what matters.”

She spoke those words with a smile—a pristine, unforced expression. It was genuine, and that sincerity struck my heart all the more deeply.

“I’m telling you again, Mother is happier now than she’s ever been, so you don’t need to push yourself. Raon, walk at your own pace.”

In truth, my injuries were over eighty percent healed. At this rate, some light physical activity would actually aid my recovery. Both she and I knew that.

But looking into her eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.

“…I understand.”

I nodded, my heart stirring with emotion.

“You promised, right?”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful!”

Sylvia clapped her hands together and rose to her feet, her smile now radiant and open.

“Everyone, come in!”
“Yes, ma’am!”

At her call, the door opened and Helen along with all the maids from the Annex Building filed inside.

“Huh? What?”

My mouth fell open. I’d known the maids were waiting outside, but I hadn’t expected her to summon them in.

“You all heard that, yes? From today onward, if you see Raon training or exerting himself physically, report it to me immediately.”
“Yes, ma’am!”

The maids bowed their heads with cheerful smiles.

“Sigh.”

I shook my head slowly and exhaled a long breath.

“I fell for it….”
-Kuhahaha! Seeing you get caught like that is so satisfying!

**

“Sigh…”

Burren exhaled a heavy sigh, as if expelling lead from his lungs.

‘My head is spinning.’

Whenever I thought of that day when I clashed with Eden, my face still burned with shame. I’d made a lot of noise but accomplished nothing.

Knowing that I would have died if not for Raon, I felt nothing but embarrassment and mortification.

“I need to move my body around.”

Since I didn’t want to meet anyone, I headed toward the Small Training Ground tucked away in a corner of the Main Mansion.

Though it was a small training ground, it was kept immaculately clean. I drew my sword and brought it down in a swift arc.

Whoosh!

The sharp sound of the blade cutting through the air eased the tightness in my chest. Feeling satisfied, I continued swinging my sword relentlessly and practicing my footwork.

How much time had passed?

When I came to my senses and looked up, I saw several swordsmen and trainees in the training ground.

“Hah….”

I wiped the sweat dripping down my forehead with my sleeve and sheathed my sword.

‘The distracting thoughts have vanished.’

Moving my body had been the answer. Unlike before, no troubling thoughts remained.

‘Time to head back….’

I was turning to head back to the Central Intelligence Agency when it happened.

“Burren!”
“It’s been so long!”

Branch Family members who had failed the 5th Training Ground test and, nursing their wounded pride, hadn’t even visited the 6th Martial Grounds, approached me.

“You’ve been through such a difficult ordeal, yet you’re already training?”
“You truly are remarkable, Burren.”

The Branch Family members gasped in admiration, their eyes gleaming.

“I just came out because I was restless.”
“Restless, you say? Ah, of course!”

The broad-foreheaded boy on my right narrowed his eyes and nodded knowingly.

“That story must have been false!”
“What story?”
“The rumor that Raon killed the Green Warrior and fought the Gwahyeolgwi. That’s just a baseless rumor, right?”
“I thought so too. It doesn’t make sense that such a cowardly fellow would slay the Green Warrior and buy time for others to escape.”
“Instructor Rimer must have handled everything and simply gave Raon the credit. After all, the instructor favors him.”

Despite my silence, both of them were convinced that Raon had lied.

“It’s truly pathetic. Everyone in the Annex Building is shameless….”
“Hey.”

I bared my teeth and glared at the two trainees. Startled by my menacing aura, they flinched, their eyes trembling.

“Do you think our Zigheart is some mediocre organization that awards credit without proper investigation?”
“Huh?”
“W-well, that is….”
“Raon Zigheart slew the Green Warrior and never took a single step back before the Gwahyeolgwi. Without him, not a single trainee, including myself, would have survived.”
“Ugh…!”

The Branch Family members’ spirits were crushed by my growling voice, and they collapsed to the ground.

“If anyone else spouts such nonsense, bring them to me. I’ll shut their mouths personally.”
“Y-yes!”
“We’re sorry!”

I glared at the trembling trainees before leaving the Training Ground.

“Ah….”

Burren paused mid-stride as he walked toward the Central Intelligence Agency, lifting his gaze to the sky.

‘So that’s what it was.’

Now I understood why I’d felt so suffocated, why my chest had churned with such unease.

‘I hadn’t truly accepted him yet.’

I’d witnessed how hard Raon worked, and I’d given my all to catch up to him.

But whenever I thought I’d reached a sufficient level, Raon surged ahead, moving faster and farther than me.

In the previous duel against the Owen Kingdom, in the practical training against the orcs, and in this mission—I hadn’t accomplished much, yet Raon always dominated overwhelmingly on his own.

‘It was jealousy….’

Raon—quiet yet commanding, seeing through every situation, and possessing superior martial prowess.

Despite my words of catching up, I’d been envying his abilities all along.

“Haha!”

Laughter escaped me. Jealousy is inevitable for any human. Now that I’d acknowledged it, my heart felt lighter.

‘I’m not as great a person as I thought.’

But I wouldn’t reveal this ugly emotion. I’d keep it buried in my heart and use it as fuel to catch up to Raon.

‘I said it. I won’t give up.’

Burren bit his lip and returned to the Central Intelligence Agency with slightly lighter steps.

*

*

*

“Young master. You’re not heading to training, are you?”

Helen approached with a smile the moment I stepped out of my room.

“No….”

I shook my head and walked toward the lobby.

“Young master. Where are you going?”

Another maid scrutinized my clothing with a sharp gaze.

“Just taking a walk.”
“Ah, have a good one.”

I waved my hand, opened the door, and stepped outside.

“Young master? Surely you’re not going to train….”
“I’m not.”

The moment I spotted someone wiping windows outside the Annex Building, they brought up training.

“Young master….”
“Training….”

Everyone I encountered on the path to the Garden behind the Annex Building kept asking where I was headed and what I planned to do. It was becoming tedious.

“I’m just taking a walk! A walk!”

I frowned at the maids hanging laundry and fled into the Garden.

“Phew!”

I exhaled deeply, caught perfectly in Sylvia’s trap. Had it been anyone else, I would have brushed past it without hesitation, but she had a way of weakening my resolve.

‘This won’t do….’

The handmaidens, sensing an opportunity, lurked in various corners watching over me.

If I so much as took a step technique in this state, Sylvia would burst out like a cuckoo from a clock.

‘Well, so be it.’

At least this happened after I’d mastered Taehwa Technique. If I’d found myself in this predicament while my learning ability was still climbing, I would have done nothing but sigh.

‘Sometimes clearing my head like this isn’t so bad.’

I sat on a bench in the Garden and savored a rare moment of leisure. Realizing I wasn’t moving, the handmaidens watching me withdrew their gazes.

“M-Master!”

I’d been sitting blankly for some time, enjoying the cool breeze and the scent of grass, when a handmaiden’s voice called out from the Annex Building.

“S-Something terrible has happened!”

I opened my eyes and turned my head to see a handmaiden rushing toward me, her voice trembling.

“Hmm?”

At her expression and urgent tone, I rose from the bench.

“R-Rayden Zigheart has come to visit.”
“Rayden?”

The name was familiar.
He was the son of Valdemar, Glen’s fourth child, and I’d heard he’d recently returned to the family after earning distinguished service.

“Why did he come?”
“I-I’m not entirely sure. He began causing trouble with the Madam the moment he arrived….”

I heard nothing else. Only two words registered: Madam and trouble.

“Where is that bastard?”

My eyes darkened with the cold intensity of my assassin days.

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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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