The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 881

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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 881

‘How should I prepare him?’

I gazed at Ascara as if he were a meal I could devour in a single bite, my lips curling with anticipation.

-A fool, you say?

Wrath’s eyes widened in disbelief.

-What exactly are you trying to gain from that monster….

He trembled his jaw, unable to comprehend my intentions.

‘You’ll understand when you see.’

Leaving the bewildered Wrath behind, I approached Ascara, the King of Balrogs.

‘Hmm, the injuries are severe.’

It felt as though a blade had been driven into my core.

With just a single step forward, I felt a searing pain as though my core and mana circuits had been torn asunder.
It seemed to be the backlash from simultaneously using the Sword Realm Incarnation at full power.

Since the internal injuries had erupted from within rather than from external impact, the situation was gravely serious, but this was not the time to concern myself with such matters. First, I had to finish my battle with Ascara.

“What a pathetic vessel.”

I endured the excruciating pain radiating throughout my body and shook the blood from my hands.

“Wrath! What are you thinking!”

Deep fury flowed from Ascara’s breath.

“Do you truly wish to die by my hand!”

He tore open the dimension with his fingers as if he meant it, and a chillingly powerful aura erupted from the fractured rift.

“If you wish to kill me, then kill me.”

I spread both arms wide, telling Ascara to do as he pleased.

‘Ascara will never touch me.’

What Ascara desired was not Wrath’s life, but a duel with him.
If I remained still, he would not attack.

“Wrath….”

Ascara’s clenched fist trembled violently. He wanted to fight, yet found himself bewildered by the impossibility of doing so.

“Why won’t you fight! At least tell me the reason!”

Ascara stamped his feet in frustration, crying out for an explanation.

“Did I not say it? I have no interest in fighting the weak.”

I shook my head with a contemptuous smile.

“Me… I am weak?”

Ascara’s mouth fell open in shock—words he had never heard since his birth.

“The reason I did not kill you and instead cast you into the Demon Realm’s sea was because I looked forward to your future. Yet you have proven to be merely this level. How disappointing.”

I slowly lowered my eyelids with genuine regret.

-What?

Wrath blinked in disbelief.

-What is this! Why is he so good at acting!

He exhaled sharply, thinking that no actor could match this performance.

—Ascara! This is all an act! Come to your senses!

Wrath waved his hands up and down, pleading for me to understand.

“W-what are you talking about! I am worlds apart from who I was then!”

But Ascara had been so shaken by the suggestion that he was weak that he couldn’t even entertain the thought that he might be putting on an act.

“Why not verify it directly!”

Ascara tore the fractured dimension even wider. Despite the enormous consumption of demonic energy from the dimensional interference and his body being torn apart, he showed no signs of stopping.

“How disappointing.”

I clicked my tongue as I observed Ascara’s grip on the dimensional rift.

“You waste so much demonic energy merely crossing dimensions—how do you expect to fight the True Demon King?”

I shook my head, telling him to stop wasting effort.

“Wrath…”

Ascara ground his teeth in frustration, the sound of bone cracking audible from how hard he clenched.

“Do you truly wish to fight me so badly?”

I narrowed my eyes and looked down at Ascara.

“Of course! If I could face you, I would do anything!”

Ascara struck his own chest with his fist, speaking with absolute sincerity.

“I have no desire to fight the weak, but since you desire it so, I suppose I cannot refuse.”

I nodded calmly, as if sipping tea.

“Y-you truly mean it?”
“But not now.”

I waved my hand as I watched Ascara’s eyes widen.

“Not now?”

Ascara furrowed his brow as if asking what I meant.

“You’ve exhausted your stamina and fighting spirit piercing through dimensions. You’re not worth fighting in such a state. If we’re to battle, both of us should be at full strength.”

I brought both hands together in front of me and lowered my chin.

“Then….”
“When I return to the Demon Realm, I shall accept your challenge.”

I lowered my chin, proposing that we fight in the Demon Realm, not the Middle World.

“A-are you serious? You know that if you and I fight in the Demon Realm, the shockwaves would be catastrophic?”
“Have I ever lied?”

I gazed at Ascara with unwavering eyes.

“Besides, I have no reason to lose, so there will be no shockwaves to worry about.”
“…You’re certainly different from those hollow kings.”

Ascara nodded as if to say he could trust Wrath’s words.

“But your last statement is wrong. This time, victory will be mine.”

He clenched his fist with his hand engulfed in black flames, as if telling me to wait.

-Huh…? Eh?

Wrath gasped in surprise.

-What, what is this! I didn’t say anything, so why has a duel been decided!

He shook his chubby arms in exasperation.

-You madman! First you drained my abilities, and now you’re selling my very name! What’s next!

Wrath let out a complaint, demanding why he had to fight Ascara instead of me.

‘Just wait. The terms of this deal are perfect right now.’
-You’re the one benefiting from this deal! I’m the one cleaning up the mess! If I’m standing next to you, I bear the responsibility but gain nothing! What kind of deal is this!

He waved his hands frantically, insisting I stop this fraudulent transaction.

‘What? You’re actually going to lose to Ascara?’

I blinked at Wrath in disbelief.

‘The Lord of Wrath losing to Togui?’
-Nonsense! Even though you’ve been draining my power, I can still crush a mere Togui like that!

Wrath snorted, telling me to stop spouting nonsense.

‘Then it’s settled.’
-Right! Settled! I’ll win easily and be done with it… Huh?

Wrath had been smirking, but his eyes suddenly widened.

-Wait! This isn’t about winning or losing—why do I have to fight at all!

He ground his teeth, saying that even the Celestials wouldn’t sell someone out like this.

“Your sincerity shows in your eyes.”

Ascara nodded, acknowledging that his sincerity had been read.

‘Of course it’s sincere.’

I smiled faintly at Ascara.

‘Because I’m not the one fighting.’

I could speak with complete sincerity—Wrath would handle the battle himself, so I could fight without reservation or hesitation.
This seemed to be the opposite of what Wrath said: pleasure without responsibility.

“I do not speak falsehoods.”

I nodded calmly, leaving Wrath to his wailing behind me.

-That’s a lie! Every word that spills from this bastard’s mouth is pure fabrication!

Wrath thrashed in the empty air, pleading for someone to listen to him.

“When will you return to the Demon Realm?”

Ascara licked his lips slowly, already hungry for a fight.

“The True Demon King is currently enjoying the journey of his subordinates. Once this creature returns to dust, I shall return to the Demon Realm as well. There are also intriguing matters unfolding in this world.”

I answered that I would return only after this body’s life had extinguished.

“That long?”

Ascara’s eyes narrowed, as if the duration seemed excessive.

“My subordinate will live perhaps eighty more years at most. For us, such time is but a fleeting instant.”
“I understand. But merely thinking of our battle sets my blood ablaze even now!”

He raised his fingers, which burned with black flames, insisting he wanted to fight immediately.

“Rather than let your long-awaited duel end in disappointment, grow stronger while you wait.”

I waved my hand dismissively at the impatient Ascara.

“Eighty years….”

Ascara still seemed to think it was too long, grasping his head with both hands.
I had thought him composed and dangerous, yet when it came to combat, he was no different from a child.

‘This is where it truly matters.’

Having deceived Ascara this thoroughly, I couldn’t simply let him go.
Though not to the extent of Wrath, I needed to extract as much as possible from him.

“Then let us do this.”

I pointed a finger at my own chest.

“Convey the fighting spirit you possess to the True Demon King’s subordinates. When this body dies, the fighting spirit will return to you, allowing you to know when to face the True Demon King.”
“Hmm….”

Ascara’s eyebrows lowered as interest sparked in his gaze.

-Ah, so that was it!

Wrath clapped his hands as understanding dawned on him.

-You sold out the True Demon King, aiming for Ascara’s fighting spirit!

His blue eyes trembled as he muttered that the scheme was vicious.

-Don’t be fooled! It’s all lies! He’s acting to obtain your fighting spirit!

Wrath clasped his hands together, hoping his words would reach Ascara.

“Not bad at all!”

However, Ascara, unaware of Wrath’s plea, murmured that it was acceptable.

“Since fighting spirit remains in that body, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

He nodded, tempted by my words.

-Krraaaaaaagh!

Wrath’s scream echoed through the entire Underground as his last hope vanished.

“But if your subordinate lives eighty more years, that means his current age is twenty?”
“Approximately.”
“To possess that level of physical ability and aura at such an age—now I understand why you chose him as a subordinate. Very well.”

Ascara’s eyes gleamed with intrigue as he opened his palm. The blackened fighting spirit pierced through dimensions and wrapped around my entire body.
Unlike before, there was no killing intent mixed within it, so I stood still and accepted Ascara’s energy.

Whoooosh!

Through the trait 【Aura Manipulation】, the accumulated aura dispersed, and Ascara’s aura filled the void in its place.

My entire body felt like it was being seared on a hot griddle. The aura of Ascara, King of Balrogs, possessed immense power and heat in its very essence.
Through this aura, I sensed I could strengthen Manhwagong to an even greater degree.

I thought it would end quickly, but Ascara transferred far more aura than I had anticipated.
It was considerably more than the lightning aura I had recently obtained from the Heavenly Thunder Cultivator.

“You’re giving far more than expected. Is there a purpose behind this?”

I narrowed my eyes as I questioned what Ascara was thinking.

“It is a gift for a young powerhouse.”

Ascara straightened his posture and nodded with dignified authority.

“A gift for a young powerhouse?”
“I sensed that your subordinate, that young human, might one day reach a position equal to mine.”

He smacked his lips, saying this was a milestone he was leaving for that moment.

“Of course, I’ve arranged it so that if your subordinate dies, that aura returns to me. You said eighty years from now? I find myself greatly anticipating that day.”
-No, you fool!

Wrath flew at Ascara and shouted.

-This damned bastard will live disgustingly long under the True Demon King’s influence! He’ll definitely exceed a hundred years!

He frowned, saying I would live a long and healthy life. I couldn’t tell if that was an insult or a compliment.

“But what did you mean by that interesting matter you mentioned earlier?”

Ascara’s gaze shifted as if recalling his final words.

“There are times when those ugly Demon Lords and even uglier Celestials make a scene. It has its own entertainment value.”

When I eventually fight Derus Robert, the Celestials’ participation is as certain as fire.
Since this mad Balrog could prove useful in that battle, I had planted the seeds beforehand.

“A Demon Lord and the Celestial race…”

Ascara’s eyes narrowed with interest, but he shook his head once more.

“As you say, it’s intriguing, but right now I only anticipate one thing—a fight with you.”

While other battles held merit, he now desired a duel with Wrath, his eyes burning with fierce intensity.

-I won’t fight! The True Demon King will absolutely not fight!

Wrath shook his head vigorously, dismissing the notion.

“Then I shall wait for your return from the Demon Realm.”

As Ascara waved his hand lightly, the countless dimensional rifts he had created and the blood-red sparks vanished one by one.

“One last thing…”

Ascara turned as if to depart, then extended his pale white hand.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The dimensions that had been gathering like sewn threads tore apart once more, and his greatsword Bastar unleashed a tremendous black flame toward the empty space on his left.

“Gahhhhhhh!”

The White-haired Man burst forth from the shadow of a boulder that had fallen from the ceiling, screaming.
He attempted to disperse the black flame using demonic energy, but Ascara’s flames would not be extinguished.

“So it was you. The wretch who tried to lure me out.”

Ascara’s gaze hardened into something fierce and merciless.

“Wait, please! Just hear me out! We are—”
“A rat like you has only one sound to make.”

As he shook his chin, the black flame exploded, and the White-haired Man’s body was torn to shreds.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

Ascara had been considerate enough to ensure his flames didn’t touch the people embedded in the right wall.

‘Everyone is safe.’

Dorian and Borgos, along with the craftsmen, were all unconscious, while Burren, Martha, and Lunan barely had their eyes open, and Sheryl held two swords ready to join the fight if I found myself in danger.

They likely hadn’t heard most of the conversation due to the dimension Ascara had opened and the crackling of sparks, so I felt I should provide some explanation.

“Vermin.”

Ascara brushed his hands clean while releasing a chilling aura.

“Then I’ll be waiting.”

With those final words, he closed the last remaining dimension and vanished.

“Wow….”

I swallowed hard as I stared at the black flames that had even incinerated blood itself.

‘That was dangerous.’

Had Ascara simply decided to do so, I too would have left no trace of blood like that white-haired man.
A chill ran down my spine.

Wrath flailed his hand toward the space where Ascara had been.

Wrath swung his hand toward the space where Ascara had been.

“Blow this one up and burn him too! He’s a problem just by being alive! He’ll destroy the whole world!”

He shook his head, saying that he had to kill himself too.

“Why are you like this with a friend?”

Raon approached Wrath and grabbed his shoulder.

A friend? What kind of person in this world would sell out their friend!

Wrath ground his teeth and swatted my hand away.

‘I had no choice if I wanted to survive. I felt so sorry that I planned to buy you whatever you wanted to eat for a whole week, but it seems that won’t work now.’

I lamented the loss and smacked my lips regretfully.

-A, a whole week?

Wrath’s body turned toward me with agonizing slowness.

‘That’s right. I was even planning to buy dessert every time. Bead ice cream.’
-B, bead ice cream….

His eyes rose toward the heavens with deliberate languor.

-Ahem! If it was necessary for survival, then it cannot be helped! The True Demon King, with his magnanimous heart, shall understand!

He sidled up to me with obvious delight.

‘I knew you had a big heart.’
-Even in the vast Demon Realm, there is no Demon Lord with a heart as magnanimous as the True Demon King!
‘Then you’ll fight Ascara too? Honestly, if you put your mind to it, you could crush him easily.’
-O, of course! If the True Demon King exerts his power, he can easily crush him!

Wrath nodded with a smile that seemed somehow forced.

‘Good to hear.’

I was grinning and nodding when it happened.

[You have perfectly manipulated the King of Balrogs.]
[You have achieved a great Achievement.]
[All stats have increased….]
[The trait 【Gambling Operation】 has been converted to 【Ascara’s Gambling】….]

Rewards from defeating Ascara flooded in.

‘Well, since he’s a friend, this much is fine….’
-No.

Wrath shook both his fists and let out a cry of indignation.

—No friendship! You bastard! This is extortion, not friendship!

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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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