The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 879

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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 879

“One… one strike?”

Borgos trembled as he stared at the Balrog whose head had been severed clean from its body, his blood-stained lips quivering.

‘To think he could cleave that monster in a single slash….’

I knew better than anyone the raw power of that demon wreathed in flames.
The creature that had crushed the supreme artifact Thunderstone Hammer with a pinky finger, that had reduced everything the Grey Hammer Guild had built to ash with a single spark—to have slain it with one stroke of the blade felt impossible.

‘It wouldn’t be strange to call him a new Sword Saint.’

I had heard rumors that Raon had ascended to transcendence, but I never imagined he would have already stabilized beyond the initial threshold. Terrifying talent. A growth rate that could overturn the very history of the Continent.

“That’s right!”

Martha struck her own palm with the hand holding her sword.

“That’s what it means to be the Master of the Gwangpung Corps!”

She nodded with satisfaction.

“Now he’s using lightning too?”

Burren let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

“Flame, frost, wind, earth, and now lightning….”

He furrowed his brow, curious about what power he would wield next.

“Raon is incredible today.”

Even as Lunan moved busily to protect the burned dwarves and craftsmen, his violet eyes never left my back.

“Hah….”

Sheryl severed five Demon Race warriors in a single stroke, then let out an exclamation tinged with astonishment.

‘That swordplay—he learned it from the Head of House this time.’

I recalled Glen’s excited expression when he offered to teach Raon the Heavenly Thunder Strike.

To think he’d learned that swordplay in just one night and deployed it in actual combat—against a monster that had transcended at that—and cleanly severed its neck. I was left speechless at the absurdity.

“I-is it finally over?”

Dorian lowered his sword, breathing heavily.

“Then let’s hurry back? This place is far too hot, which isn’t good for the wounded….”
“No.”

Raon cut off Dorian’s words with a shake of his head.

“This is just the beginning.”

The moment those words left his lips, a fountain of flames erupted from the severed neck of the headless Balrog.

Whoooosh!

The dense inferno, as if touched by a master craftsman’s delicate hand, meticulously restored the Balrog’s head complete with five towering horns.

“I didn’t expect you to strike so quickly. And at a speed beyond my perception, no less.”

Balrog muttered that Balrog was amazing as he rubbed the back of his own neck.

“Krraaaagh!”

Dorian screamed and collapsed, having never imagined the Balrog would resurrect.

“H-he survives even with his neck severed?”
“This is insane! What is he, a lizard?”
“As ugly as he is, he’s just as stubborn….”

Burren, Martha, and Lunan trembled with pale, rigid expressions, as if witnessing something they shouldn’t have.

“A Demon Race wouldn’t die just from having their neck sliced off. That would be stranger.”

I released my grip without the slightest hint of alarm.

-You knew it would revive?

Wrath whistled in surprise.

‘I’ve already witnessed this once before.’

The Flame Demon Army, a transcendent from the Black Tower, hadn’t died even when Wrath ripped its head clean off. If Balrog, one of the strongest among the Demon Race, could be killed simply by having his neck severed, that would be the true anomaly.
It was only natural to predict that he would regenerate his head.
I was expecting him to regenerate his head, of course.

“This bait is saltier than I expected.”

Balrog smacked his lips loudly, as if savoring something he enjoyed.

“Don’t put on airs.”

Raon looked up at Balrog with his jaw clenched.

“Even though I’m not dead, I can feel my energy draining.”

Balrog consumed quite a bit of energy regenerating his head.
“It’s no bluff.”

Balrog stretched his arms wide, his lips curling into a grin.

“I’m simply delighted to face a strong opponent like you. Whether I die, you die, or we both perish—it matters not! Come at me with everything you have!”

He stomped the ground, his killing intent so palpable it made my skin prickle. The thin crust of earth shattered, and magma and flames erupted from all directions.

“No. Only you will die.”

I bit my lip and drew my blade. A silver-white flash, as if frost flowers had crystallized upon it, tore through the raging inferno and plunged down toward Balrog’s head.

Raon bit his lip as he drew his sword toward the enemy island. A silvery-white flash, as if frost flowers had formed, cut through the fierce flames and pierced down toward Balrog’s head.
It was a sight as if a meteor soaring through the sky were sinking down onto the burning battlefield.

“I’ll crush you to pieces!”

As Balrog extended his hand into the roaring inferno, a massive sword with the viscous consistency of magma surged forth from its source and materialized in his grip.

Whoooooosh!

The flames erupting from Balrog’s greatsword roared as if to consume heaven and earth itself, obliterating the frigid air that Askaraini had conjured.

Crash!

Two blades—one wreathed in flame, the other in frost—collided with such force that the heavens and earth trembled from the deafening impact.

The frozen ground shattered into countless fragments, and the solidified lava reignited, spilling across the surface once more.
It was as if the apocalypse itself had descended upon the world.

“You’re not running?”

Balrog’s eyes widened in surprise as he regarded me with a sharp gaze.

“For a human, you’ve certainly taken a fighting stance. But it’s not a wise choice.”

He curled his lips into a sneer, as if to say I’d made a grave mistake.

“Your fragile body cannot withstand my power!”

Balrog poured more force into the hand gripping his greatsword, intent on crushing me beneath his weight.

Yet no matter how much strength he added, my arms and legs remained steady and unmoved.

“You’re… holding your ground? How is a human even—”

Balrog’s eyes went wide with disbelief.

“Now it’s your turn to endure.”

As I twisted my wrist with ease, the slender Heavenly Sword began to push back the towering inferno of his massive blade, which was as thick as a building’s pillar.

Crack, crack, crack!

Everyone—human and demon alike—gasped as Raon pushed back the Balrog, who was more than twice his size, through sheer strength.

“…Is this the power of a human?”

The Balrog, flustered by the realization that his raw strength was being overpowered, gripped his greatsword with both hands, yet he could only endure Raon’s force without gaining any momentum.

“If you’re already shocked, that’s a problem.”

I tilted my jaw as I looked into the Balrog’s bewildered eyes.

“This is just the beginning.”
-Hmph. Since I’ve been sucking the bones and flesh of the True Demon King, crushing a wretch like that should be child’s play.

Wrath snorted dismissively, saying it was strange that I was struggling.

‘That’s right.’

Thanks to Wrath, I had possessed physical capabilities that transcended transcendence even back when I was a Grand Master.
Now that I had ascended to transcendence, my stats and traits had increased astronomically, granting me a body that could match the Balrog’s.

“Excellent! Let’s settle this with pure strength!”

The Balrog, his pride wounded by the inability to overpower me through strength alone, stamped his feet and unleashed demonic energy with fervor.
The flames dancing across his greatsword intensified, and the air around him began to melt away into white wisps.

Screeeech!

I unfurled the Frost World Tree against the Balrog’s flaming sword as it surged toward me like a tidal wave.
Two strands of silver radiance split through the inferno and deflected the Balrog’s greatsword as it descended behind them.

Clang clang clang clang!

The Heavenly Sword I drew and the Balrog’s flaming greatsword collided repeatedly, charred fissures tearing open in pitch-black lines, and the entire tunnel convulsed.
As if chaos itself had descended upon this realm, the magma that filled the battlefield churned and scattered sticky embers in all directions.

Rumble rumble rumble!

The Balrog and I walked across the blood-red magma, unleashing tyrannical sword lights at each other.
With each step weighted by transcendence, the entire tunnel shook.

A collision of power and speed with no room for grappling. Infinite force that could tear the heavens and earth asunder clashed endlessly.

The whirlwind raised by the nimble blade split the lava, and soft stone chunks shattered and scattered into the distance. Everything around the two transcendents was disappearing.

‘Disregarding injuries and charging like a wild boar….

I parried Balrog’s greatsword as it came crashing down not to pierce but to burst through, my eyes narrowing.

‘Similar to a swordmaster, yet different.’

Even swordmasters who focus entirely on power and speed instinctively show movements to avoid vital strikes.

But Balrog advanced with power and fighting spirit, not protecting vital points as if willing to kill me and die himself. His swordsmanship itself was extraordinary, but his movements carried conviction and soul, making him difficult to face.
His swordsmanship itself was impressive, but what made him difficult to face was the conviction and spirit embedded in his very movements.

“Looks like you’re getting tired now!”

Flames cascaded like a waterfall, forming a long, smooth whip of fire. It looked exactly like a dragon’s tail.
The flames cascaded down like a waterfall, forming long, smooth whips of fire. It was as if one were gazing upon the tail of a dragon.

Ahhhhh!

As Balrog brought down his whip of flame, nine streams of fire poured down upon his own head. It was as if the fire dragon was endlessly spewing forth flames.

Whoooosh!

Raon exhaled shortly after raising a frost prayer bead Wall to block the flame whip.

“Does fighting make us stronger?”

The more Balrog fought, the stronger he seemed to become, unleashing increasingly powerful auras that pressed down upon himself.
“Such petty cold cannot stop my flames!”

Balrog mocked Glacia’s chill and transformed the whip back into a flaming greatsword, bringing it down.

Kuuuuung!

Whoooosh!

I managed to block Balrog’s greatsword, but the heat was so intense that the frigid aura enveloping the Heavenly Sword began to melt away.

-How dare he!

Wrath gnashed his teeth and lifted his head.

-What are you doing?! The True Demon King is being disrespected!

He ground his teeth as if questioning why I was taking this blow.

-Crush him with raw power!
‘I was already planning to do that.’

I nodded lightly. Now that I had grasped the full extent of Balrog’s swordsmanship and abilities, it was time to end this.

“Put more strength into it!”

As Balrog drew a molten horizon with his greatsword held in both hands, a deafening roar tore through the world.
The howling wind mingled with the oppressive heat, conjuring a terrifying wave of flames.
The entire space seemed to be gripped in Balrog’s crimson grasp.

Roooaarrr!

I thrust the tip of the Heavenly Sword toward Balrog’s charging greatsword.
A brilliant chill bloomed across the keen blade, spreading frost flowers throughout the entire underground.

The Lord of Wrath’s ultimate technique.
Silver Aurora.

The silver aurora drawn by swordsmanship bloomed in magnificent splendor within the transcendent realm.

Roooaarrr!

A bitter chill carved through the air, spiraling into the wave of flames. Where the differently colored currents collided, beautiful ripples of ice flowers blossomed.

The lava and inferno that had consumed the entire underground receded, leaving only a world of silver light.

It was the result of drawing upon the forces of nature itself from within the transcendent realm that transcended human limitation.

Crack-crack-crack!

Before the silver aurora, the frozen inferno swirled with a brilliant silver light, as if gazing upon the Frost World Tree taking Wrath’s form.

“Wait, hold on! This cold is—!”

Balrog ignited flames to push back the silver aurora, but the silvery world had already bound his limbs and constricted his torso and neck.

“You… what is your connection to the Lord of Wrath…cough!”

Balrog couldn’t finish his final words as his mouth and head froze solid.

“You talk too much.”

I twisted my lips and drew the Heavenly Sword.

Boom!

Balrog’s frozen body shattered, and all the churning lava and flames subsided. Unlike before, not even a trace of life emanated from his corpse.

“Phew…”

I lowered the Heavenly Sword and exhaled softly.

‘It certainly wasn’t easy.’

Though it seemed simple, it had been a hair’s breadth away from disaster. If I hadn’t drawn out Glacia’s full power using Wrath’s ultimate technique, I might have been burned alive instead.

-Well done, lad!

Wrath waved his round hands up and down excitedly.

-The fool dared to ignore the True Demon King’s power! How satisfying!

He wagged his tail while gazing at the fragmented Balrog.

‘Even you’re offering praise now. What strange times these are.’

I lowered the Heavenly Sword and smiled wryly.

-Praise? When did the True Demon King ever praise me?
‘You said I did well.’
-That, that was just something that slipped out! Don’t get cocky after catching someone who doesn’t even know how to use their power properly!

Wrath shook his head, insisting he was merely a fledgling.

‘I won’t get cocky. But transcendence really is different.’

The sword moved as I desired, and I could even control the forces of nature itself. Having defeated an ancient dragon and a Balrog, I finally felt the reality of having ascended to transcendence.

‘Hmm?’

I was smiling with satisfaction when my eyes narrowed. At the end of the tunnel where the lava had disappeared, I sensed a faint demonic aura.

‘This isn’t the Balrog’s aura…’

The Balrog’s energy felt composed like that of a warrior, but the traces of demonic aura lingering in the ground where the Balrog appeared to have been summoned emanated a repugnant energy.

‘As I suspected…’

Someone else had summoned it.

The Balrog I fought was certainly powerful, but not enough to tear through dimensions on a whim like the Demon Lords could.
Someone had clearly made extensive preparations to summon it.

‘It must be the Black Tower.’

There was no doubt. Only the sorcerers of the Black Tower used demonic aura tainted to this degree.

‘Did they intend to have me grow stronger in this space before pulling me out?’

It wasn’t certain, but it seemed they had summoned the Balrog in this underground to subdue the Dwarves, then claim both sides as their own forces.

‘I’m not sure whether to call this fortunate…’

By dealing with the Balrog and the Demon Race before they could grow stronger, I had prevented a situation where thousands or tens of thousands might have perished.

Yet with so many dead here, I couldn’t simply rejoice.

I felt a bitter taste on my tongue as I turned around, nodding with a smile to the people staring at me with tense expressions.

“It’s over. You can rest easy now.”

I brushed away the lingering heat of Balrog from my palm and nodded.

“D-does that mean it won’t come back?”

Dorian raised his trembling fingers, pointing at the frozen corpse of Balrog.

“Whether it resurrects or not, it won’t be a threat anymore.”

I shook my head lightly. Even if beings beyond humanity were to be revived, most would expend tremendous power in the process.
If Balrog were to resurrect now, I wouldn’t even need to step in—it would end at Sheryl’s hands.

“What exactly is this Balrog you mentioned earlier?”

Martha narrowed her eyes, recalling what had been said before.

“Demon Race.”

I turned to look at Balrog’s corpse and clicked my tongue.

“Among the Demon Race, they’re an exceptionally powerful combat species.”

I briefly recited the explanation that Wrath had given me.

“Balrog? Now that you mention it….”

Borgos lifted his head, his jaw trembling.

“I remember my father mentioning that such creatures exist. He said they were beings with strong greed for flames, combat, and weapons.”

He exhaled sharply, as if only now recalling it.

“He said they’re rarely matched among all the races, yet you….”

Borgos approached me on his knees, which were crusted with dried blood.

“Thank you. No, thank you so much. I can only say that I’m grateful.”

He thanked me for saving the Dwarf and the people, then knelt on the scorching ground where the heat still hadn’t subsided.
Even as his flesh seared, he bowed deeply without a single cry of pain.

“We are grateful.”
“Truly, we thank you….”

The Dwarf and the craftsmen of the Grey Hammer Guild, ignoring their own wounds, knelt behind Borgos and struck the ground with their fists—a salute among artisans.

“Please, don’t do this.”

I gestured for Borgos and the craftsmen to rise.

“I simply helped because I could.”

I shook my head, insisting it was nothing remarkable.

“No, it was remarkable. Without you, we would have perished in these flames, doing nothing but striking our hammers.”

Borgos said even this gratitude was insufficient and bowed once more.

“Then let’s tend to your wounds first and express your thanks later. This is overwhelming….”
-Raon!

I was shaking my head when I suddenly spun around in urgency. Wrath, sensing the same thing, cried out my name like a scream.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

The space where the Balrog had fallen split open. No—the very fabric of space was torn violently asunder, and an abyss-black wave surged forth.

ROOOAAARRR!

The underground space shattered like broken glass, unable to withstand the tremendous force of dimensional rupture.

CRASH!

I drew the Heavenly Sword and blocked the energy wave erupting from within the dimensional rift, but the force was so overwhelming that I was driven backward.
The others couldn’t endure the shockwave of the dimensional opening and were hurled back, their bodies slamming against the walls.

“Ugh….”

I wiped the blood trickling from the corner of my mouth and forced my gaze upward with great effort.

Boom!

From the pitch-black fissure splitting the space, two eyes blazed with crimson fire.

A sinister gaze as if dragged up from the deepest depths of Hell. Its form resembled the Balrog that had just perished, yet its essence was fundamentally different. I felt the majesty of an absolute being looking down upon all living creatures. Merely meeting its gaze felt as though my very soul was burning.
I felt the majesty of an absolute being looking down upon all who live. Merely meeting its gaze felt as though my soul was burning.

Why is that guy here!

Wrath let out a scream as if to say it was absurd.

-The True Demon King mentioned it earlier. That there exists a Togui who kicked away the Jade Throne of the Demon Realm of his own accord.
The True Demon King must have mentioned it earlier—that there is a Togui who kicked away the Jade Throne of the Demon Realm with his own hands.

He swallowed hard and continued speaking.

That fellow is Askaraini, the leader of Balrog in this era.

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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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