The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 969

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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 969

“Krraaaaaaagh!”

Martha reached the peak of the Sand Mountain and screamed at the sky.

“This damnable heat!”

She brushed the sand clinging to her arms and legs as if she’d stepped into a boiling cauldron.

“I can’t seem to adapt to this cursed Sand Dune.”

Burren stood beside Martha and exhaled heavily.

“I feel like my skin is cooking even now.”

He muttered in distress as he shook out his hands, which had turned a deep crimson.

“Save… me….”

Lunan swayed like reeds bending in the wind, his eyes closing.

“H-here, please have some water.”

Dorian retrieved a cool water bottle from his waist pouch and handed it to Lunan.

“Thank… you….”

Lunan didn’t even finish his gratitude before he bit down on the water bottle like a child.

“M-me too! Give me one as well!”

Dogyae reached out and snatched the water bottle from Dorian’s hand. The amount of sweat pouring from him had noticeably decreased, as if much of the alcohol had been sweated out.

“Please drink slowly.”

Mark Goeten wiped the sweat streaming down Dogyae’s forehead with a look of sympathy.

“No, no, no….”

Crain stomped his foot heavily and twisted his mouth in frustration.

“How does that guy finish treatment so quickly and walk out like that!”

He cried out, unable to comprehend Raon.

“They said Aris ascended to transcendence again, but how did he achieve that in just three days without even breaking the curse! I thought it would take at least a week!”

Crain shouted that Raon had emerged from the Cultivation Chamber far too quickly, kicking up the sand beneath his feet.

“Do you still doubt that monster?”

Trevin called Crain a fool and lightly tapped his head.

“I felt it from the moment I first saw Raon. I immediately recognized, ‘Ah, that one is different from us.'”

He chuckled thinly, saying he could sense Raon’s extraordinary nature from their first sparring match.

“He knows it too.”

Burren shook his head as he watched Crain waving his fists.

“Right. He’s just throwing a tantrum because it’s hard.”

Martha snorted and struck Crain’s back.

“Ugh!”

Crain, suddenly struck, sprawled across the scorching sand beach and cried out.

“I want some bead ice cream….”

Lunan, unusually struggling, whined in a way unlike her usual self.

“Is this ice cream?”

Her mind growing hazy, she brought her mouth down to the golden sand, mistaking it for lemon-flavored ice cream.

“Is this actually insane?”

Martha urgently reached out and stopped Lunan Slion from eating sand.

“Get your head on straight! You fool!”

She furrowed her brow while gently brushing the sand from Lunan Slion’s face.

“Huff, huff!”
“Ugh….”

As Yua and Julius climbed the Sand Dune last, all the swordsmen of Gwangpung Hall had completed their ascent.

“W-water… I need water….”

Dorian, who had helped create this Sand Dune, watched their expressions carefully and sprinkled water on them.

“But where did our lord go this time?”

Martha narrowed her eyes and looked around, searching for Raon.

“Knowing his nature, he’s probably watching us from some dark corner….”
“He’s right behind you.”

Just as Crain clicked his tongue, my voice came from behind him.

“Kyaaah!”
“Ugh!”

Crain and Dorian beside him jumped up like startled rabbits.

“I watched from behind to see how you all climbed up.”

I examined the Gwangpung Hall swordsmen in order, from Burren Zigheart to Yua, and nodded.

“You’ve adapted to the sand now and are climbing quite well.”

I spoke of their improved movements and drew a satisfied smile.

“C-can’t you stop this for a moment?”

Dogyae exhaled a long sigh, his eyes like those of a rotting fish.

“I really can’t breathe. I feel like I’m going to die…”

He shook his head, asking me to consider his age as well.

“Exactly!”

Crain stepped forward and nodded in agreement.

“Training is fine, but no matter how much we do this, we can’t adapt. It’s always so hard!”

He furrowed his brows, suggesting I change the method.

“You all say you’re dying, but you look fine to me.”

I observed the Gale Wind Hall swordsmen and shrugged my shoulders.

“And it’s not just you—it’s all of you.”
“Huh…?”

Crain blinked and turned to look behind him.

“Hmm…”
“Now that I think about it, we do seem better than before…”
“It’s hard, but… it feels manageable now.”

The Gale Wind Hall swordsmen tilted their heads, observing themselves still standing upright.

“On the first day, all of you collapsed after climbing this sand dune twice. But…”

I counted on my fingers and pointed to the sand dune we had all climbed.

“Today you’ve already climbed it three times and you’re still standing.”

During the first training session, the Gale Wind Hall swordsmen had collapsed like they’d lost consciousness after completing the second ascent. Their stamina and mental fortitude were completely drained, so I couldn’t push them any further.

However, the Gwangpung Hall swordsmen now stood perfectly upright before me, even after completing their third ascent.

“I… it wasn’t me…?”

Lunan Slion tilted sideways into the sand like melted ice cream, managing only to wiggle his fingers feebly.

“….”

I turned my head slightly away.

-Are you ignoring him?

Wrath rolled his eyes as if exasperated.

“On top of that, I’ve been gradually increasing the heat of the sand each day. The flames dwelling in this sand today are roughly twice as strong as on the first day.”

I touched the sand with my hand and nodded slightly.

“Y-you increased the heat?”
“I had no idea….”
“So that’s why we couldn’t adapt.”

Burren Zigheart, Martha, and Trevin let out hollow laughs as they finally understood why they hadn’t adapted to the heat.

“You’ve all achieved tremendous growth during this time. Your mental fortitude has been honed like a blade, and your physical abilities have developed significantly.”

I spoke with conviction and released the restrictions I had placed on the Gwangpung Hall swordsmen’s bodies and dantians.

“Ah….”
“I feel power surging from my feet.”
“My body feels so light, as if the weight has vanished.”

The Gwangpung Hall swordsmen trembled throughout their entire bodies as they felt their transformation through the restored aura and physical abilities.
It seemed similar to the exhilaration one experiences upon gaining a massive increase in stats.

“But that’s not all.”

I raised my fingers toward the Gwangpung Hall swordsmen.

“You’ve climbed the Sand Dune and gained fire resistance as well. You should be able to ignore lower-tier fire magic now.”

The heat I generated from the sand today was stronger than third-circle fire magic. The swordsmen of Gwangpung Hall would now be able to disregard any fire magic below the third circle.

“To achieve such growth merely by climbing a dune….”

Burren Zigheart let out a hollow laugh as he gazed at his own hands in disbelief.

“Now I understand why that bastard earned the Head of House’s highest praise.”

Martha nodded, finally comprehending the expressions Glen Zigheart and Karun had worn after emerging from the Chamber of Self.

“Damn it, Raon….”

Lunan Slion cursed, not caring about the newfound strength but resenting having been pushed into such oppressive heat. Given his ice-aligned constitution, it must have been grueling, yet he had persevered to the end—truly admirable.

-The True Demon King endured it as well!

Wrath waved his hand, claiming his very soul was made of ice.

-Having withstood such heat, we should treat ourselves to bead ice cream today!
‘….’

I dismissed him outright.

-Tsk! Don’t ignore the True Demon King!

Raon let Wrath’s protests fall on deaf ears and reassessed the condition of the Gwangpung Hall swordsmen. Seeing they still had stamina remaining, it appeared we could proceed to the next phase.

“It feels like we could do anything now?”

Crain, delighted by the sudden growth, performed a somersault in mid-air with a grin.

“Hey! You shouldn’t say things like that….”

Burren Zigheart tried to stop him, but it was already too late.

“You think you can do anything now?”

I held Burren’s mouth shut while grinning at Crain. I’d been wondering how to start the second training right away, but thanks to his words, it seemed I could begin immediately.

“Uh…?”

Crain realized he’d stepped into a trap and swallowed hard.

“Wait, just a moment. That’s not what I meant….”
“Perfect. Since I’ve received permission from our own Crain, we can head out right now.”

I told everyone to follow me and descended the sand dune.

“Crain….”
“I knew that mouth of yours would cause trouble.”
“Let’s talk after training today….”

The swordsmen cursed Crain under their breath as they made their way down the sand dune.

“Ugh!”

Crain clutched his head as he realized what was about to happen, his face contorting in distress.

“So you’re the one doing it after all.”

At that moment, Dorian grabbed Crain’s shoulder and smirked.

“I’m done!”

He hummed cheerfully as he descended the mountain, relieved that he’d finally escaped being tormented because of the sand dune.

“Dammit!”

Crain slapped his own mouth and let out a curse.

*

*

*

I stood in the 5th Training Ground, observing the swordsmen of Gwangpung Hall.

“This is… terrifying…”

Crain swallowed hard, his throat audibly dry as he lowered his gaze.

“There’s no need to be afraid! We conquered that hellish Sand Mountain!”

Martha shouted encouragement and struck Crain’s back forcefully.

“That’s right. Stay strong.”
“We can endure this together.”

Burren and Trevin nodded, assuring him it would be fine.

“No, that’s not… it’s not about that…”

Crain bit his lip, his eyes darting nervously.

“The Lord will obviously call on me first!”

He cried out something about being Crain, sniffling as he insisted the Lord would definitely summon him first.

“Ah…”
“Yeah, that’s true.”

Burren and Martha nodded, understanding Crain’s fear perfectly.

“May you rest in peace…”

Dorian withdrew a goddess statue from his chest pocket and began praying as if Crain were already dead.

“You lunatic!”

Crain gnashed his teeth and raised his fist toward Dorian.

Boom!

I struck the ground with the Heavenly Sword, drawing everyone’s attention.

“From now on, we begin the second phase of training. As you’ve all sensed, you’ll be sparring against me. The first opponent is….”
“Grrrrgh!”

Crain stepped forward without being called, moving on his own initiative.

“Martha. Come forward.”

But I called Martha first, not Crain.

“Huh? Me?”

Martha’s eyes widened in surprise as she stepped forward.

“Wh-what?! No no no!”

Crain cried out that he’d been spared, shrinking his shoulders as he retreated. Color returned to his ashen complexion.

“Draw your sword and come at me with everything you have.”

I tilted my chin, inviting her to try whatever she could.

“Fine. Don’t blame me if you die.”

Martha charged forward, grinding her teeth. She unleashed a series of heavy sword strikes while maintaining a perfected Kangwhan stance.

Whoooosh!

Martha’s blade descended as if carrying the weight of the earth itself, but I deflected her strike effortlessly with my slender sword.

“Ugh!”

Martha couldn’t withstand the recoil from my blade and was driven backward.

Whoosh!

I seized the opening and closed in, striking at her waist.

“Grrgh….”

Martha couldn’t withstand the sudden impact and tumbled across the ground.

“Surely you’re not saying you can’t even endure that much.”

I told her to give up if she couldn’t rise, then waved my hand.

“Who do you think you’re talking to!”

Martha gritted her teeth and stood, bringing her blade down upon me once more—a sword imbued with the weight of the heavens.

Whooooom!

Raon resonated the Ring of Fire. Following Martha’s swordsmanship, he showed her a path to become stronger.

Clang!

Though our blades clashed with identical technique, Martha—clearly outmatched—was driven backward, her feet carving deep grooves into the Training Ground floor.

“Damn it!”

Martha’s pride wounded by being pushed back by her own swordplay, she snarled and charged forward.

Crash!

I pushed the enraged Martha back lightly and shook my head.

“Think. Consider what makes your blade different from mine.”

I pressed her with her own swordplay while offering the most crucial counsel.

‘What am I lacking?’

Martha narrowed her eyes to slits as she studied my blade.

‘Now that I think about it…’

I wasn’t using my true power—I was wielding my sword with strength and speed comparable to hers.

‘What is this? Why am I being pushed back when we’re using the same technique?’

He couldn’t understand why he was being pushed back when they possessed similar strength and aura, and wielded the same swordsmanship.

“If you don’t understand, you’ll just have to keep getting hit.”

Raon smiled brightly despite his brutal words, striking Martha’s entire body with crisp, clean blows.

-Isn’t this just you venting stress?

Wrath let out a hollow laugh as if he found it absurd.

‘Absolutely not.’

I curled my lips as I watched Martha rise despite the barrage of strikes.

‘Look at those eyes.’

Martha’s entire body was covered in bruises, yet her eyes remained alight with fierce determination. If she didn’t have a sword, she looked ready to bite and cling with her teeth.

“Uuuaaaagh!”

Martha roared and charged at me. When she was pushed back, she ran forward again; when she bounced away, she charged once more.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

At this point, I’d lost count of how many times she’d been struck.

‘What’s the difference?!’

Martha gritted her teeth as she blocked my sword strikes with her body.

‘His sword and mine are completely identical… wait, hold on!’

Why was he concentrating aura near the sword’s tip?

Unlike herself, who spread aura across the entire blade, Raon was concentrating a large amount of aura around the sword’s tip.

‘Could it be…!’

Martha bit her tongue and stomped the ground. She brought her sword down while concentrating aura at the tip, just like Raon.

Boom!

Her aura-infused sword technique collided with Raon’s, erupting in a tremendous explosion.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

Unlike before, Martha didn’t bounce back immediately—she remained standing, her blade locked against Raon’s.

“Adding weight by channeling aura into the sword technique makes such a tremendous difference?”

Martha’s shoulders trembled as she experienced a profound revelation.

“I never realized it was so fundamental….”
“True change and growth always emerge from the smallest details.”

Raon patted Martha’s bleeding shoulder, relieved she had grasped it herself.

“You could have just told me….”
“Self-realization is what gives it meaning.”

A warrior must understand their own shortcomings to ascend further. The First Patriarch likely wanted to teach me this very lesson.

“Next, Burren.”

I gestured for Martha to step back, then called Burren forward.

“I’m ready!”

Burren bowed respectfully and approached the center of the Training Ground.

“Phew….”

Crain exhaled in relief.

‘Thank goodness.’

He had tensed watching Martha struggle so desperately, but fortunately his name hadn’t been called. It seemed Raon would finish with all the executives first before moving on to the regular swordsmen.

‘If I’m lucky, maybe I won’t have to go today?’

Raon had sparred with Burren for over two hours. At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to train until tomorrow.

‘Should I take sick leave?’

As he was contemplating how to escape, Raon turned around.

“Martha. Just as I’ve enlightened you, now it’s your turn to teach the others.”

Raon gestured to Martha, telling her not to rest and to look after the swordsmen below.

“First is….”

Raon smiled ominously as he looked at Crain.

“You know who it is, right? You can repay him for what he’s done to you.”

He turned away again, saying he could do as he pleased.

“Huh? Uh-uh-ugh!”

Crain trembled violently as if struck by lightning.

“Good. Very good.”

Martha’s lips curved into a sinister smile as she grabbed Crain’s shoulder.

“Come with me. Your older sister will teach you kindly.”

Her cold eyes gleamed with the determination to repay everything she’d suffered at Raon’s hands.

“W-wait, please! I’ll learn from the Master! Please spare me!”

Crain dropped to his knees, desperate to avoid facing Martha.

“Don’t worry. You’ll learn from me too.”

Raon smiled faintly and shook his head.

“It won’t work!”
“Yes, it will!”

Martha grabbed Crain by the nape of his neck and dragged him into the corner.

“Aaaaaaahhhhh!”
“As expected, it always starts with Crain’s screams.”

I nodded in satisfaction as I listened to Crain’s cries.

-Madman….

Wrath shook his head in utter exasperation.

*

*

*

After finishing my training at Gwangpung Hall, I returned to the Annex Building at dawn.

Too exhausted to appreciate the Garden, I was heading straight to my room when I noticed someone standing before the Lake. The silhouette was familiar.

‘Why is he here at this hour?’

I approached the Lake immediately and bowed respectfully.

“I greet you, Head of House!”
“Keep your voice down. Others are sleeping.”

Glen Zigheart turned slowly. He placed a finger to his lips, signaling me not to raise my voice.

“My apologies.”
“How is the training of the swordsmen progressing?”
“They are following well and growing faster than I anticipated.”

If things continued smoothly at this pace, I could elevate them all by at least one level in the not-too-distant future.

“You applied the cultivation method you obtained from the Chamber of Self directly to your subordinates? You’re quite an unusual one.”

Glen Zigheart regarded Raon with eyes full of admiration.

“Most martial artists keep their most important cultivation methods hidden, after all.”
“I prefer for everyone to grow stronger together.”

Raon spoke without the slightest hesitation, expressing his desire to grow stronger alongside everyone in Gwangpung Hall.

“I see.”

Glen Zigheart nodded, a thin smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“While it’s fortunate, it seems you have something to ask of me.”

He smacked his lips slightly, mentioning that he might not be able to conduct training for the Gwangpung Hall swordsmen for a while.

“Is it a mission?”

Raon exhaled sharply, narrowing his eyes.

“It is a mission of sorts, but it will be something far more important than that.”

Glen Zigheart withdrew a white envelope from his breast. Five stars were drawn on its surface.

“The Five Emperors Conference.”

He handed her a letter that seemed to emanate nobility.

“I wish you would participate as the hero who killed the Black Tower Master.”

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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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