The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 98

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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 98

After the rest and recovery period ended, the 5th Training Ground opened once more.
Raon headed to the 5th Training Ground for the first time in a while to resume his training.

‘Hmm?’

Everyone I passed on the way to the training ground regarded me with peculiar gazes.

Where before they had looked at me as if I were a pebble on the roadside, now their eyes held the wonder of observing some curious creature. Interspersed among these looks were glimmers of admiration and, occasionally, undisguised hostility.

-That is the nature of humans, indeed.

Wrath, who had been embedded in my bracelet, began to seep forth.

-They despise the weak and revere the strong. Humans are creatures ruled by power, no different from beasts.
‘Lately, I find myself agreeing with you more often.’

I nodded in acknowledgment. Wrath was right—the fact that they directed such gazes toward me was proof that I possessed strength.

Of course, not all the looks were favorable. There was jealousy, resentment, and even something darker—raw, undisguised murderous intent.

‘What is the Demon Realm like? It must be even more severe, I imagine?’
-Curious, are you? If you wish to know, I shall tell you. It is not what humans imagine. Though it is true that the weak are treated worse than livestock there as well.

Wrath muttered that there was nowhere in the world where the powerless received respect.

-You performed well this time. You gathered the emotion of wrath and utterly crushed that ugly wretch. You even subdued his father. For the first time in ages, your actions pleased me.
‘Is that so?’
-Indeed. There is but one regret. That you did not kill him. When I was in the Demon Realm, I would turn anyone who touched me into frozen blocks of ice….

Before Wrath could finish speaking, a message materialized before my eyes.

[【Wrath】 is greatly satisfied.]
[Perception has increased by 1 point.]
[Stamina has increased by 1 point.]

Wrath was satisfied, and the message indicated that his stats had increased.

‘Where did this windfall come from?’

I rounded my lips in surprise. The unexpected reward had lifted my spirits since dawn.

-This damned system! Why do you only acknowledge me as your master at times like this!

Wrath glared at the System Message that still refused to obey him, stoking his rage higher.

‘Thank you. Your help is accelerating my growth.’
-Shut your mouth. Seeing you happy makes my anger boil over.

Less than ten seconds after Wrath expressed his satisfaction, he was on the verge of exploding in fury again. He was a living demonstration of what a personality disorder looked like.

“Really? I’m pleased about it.”
-You’re really pushing it!

I hummed a cheerful tune as I entered the Training Ground. Wrath hurled curses at me, but I paid them no mind.

“Hm?”

Upon entering the Training Ground, my eyes widened. Standing on the platform was someone who had no business being there.

‘Rimer?’

The lazy elf who never showed up for dawn training and habitually arrived late to morning sessions was now sitting on the platform.

“Oh! Our lucky charm! Trainee Raon has arrived?”

Rimer spread both hands wide with a grin. His long fingers were adorned with rings set with gemstones of every hue.
His wrists and neck were draped with ornate bracelets and necklaces.

‘What is this?’

I had never seen that elf wearing such precious metals before. They didn’t appear to be artifacts with any particular power—just expensive jewels.

‘And “lucky charm”?’

I couldn’t fathom why he’d suddenly earned the nickname “Lucky Bastard.” Just as I was convinced the Sword Manifestation technique had scrambled his brains, Burren approached from behind.

“Gambling.”
“What?”
“That man. He openly ran a betting ring during your duel with Rayden. Word is he cleaned up big because your odds were so high.”

Burren’s expression twisted with irritation as he spoke, muttering that he wanted to gouge out his own eyes for ever finding Rimer impressive.

‘He’s done it again.’

I let out a quiet laugh. I’d wondered why he was wearing such flashy jewels—apparently they were spoils from his gambling winnings.

Gambling, drinking, laziness—he walks a path entirely opposite to the elves I’d known before. In a way, he’s a remarkable man.

-That arrogant pointy-eared bastard.

Wrath gnashed his teeth as he glared at Rimer.

‘Why are you upset now?’
-Seeing that wretch makes my blood boil. If not for him, your body would have been mine….
‘I see.’

I nodded in understanding. Thanks to Rimer’s timely arrival during that desperate moment when I nearly fell to Gwahyeolgwi, I’d managed to avoid surrendering my body to Wrath.

Wrath had always disliked Rimer for his arrogance, but now it seemed to border on hatred.

Of course, unlike Wrath, I understood Rimer’s true nature.

Despite appearing like an idle wastrel, he carefully observed each trainee and provided appropriate instruction.

Since I owed my life to his guidance, I could easily overlook him using me as a betting chip.

“Pathetic.”

Martha turned away with a cold expression as she watched Rimer show off the rings adorning both his hands.

Hmph.

At the snort from behind, I turned my head. Lunan had drawn near without my noticing, waving his hand slightly with a vacant expression.

I swept my gaze across the trainees gathered in the Training Ground.

I recalled how they had cheered and roared for me here in the Training Ground. When I heard their voices, my chest had warmed as if I were sitting before a winter hearth.

It seemed that the people of the 5th Training Ground, not just those from the Annex Building, were becoming meaningful to me in their own way.

“Well then, is everyone here?”

Rimer, who had been flaunting his jewels like a nouveau riche on the platform, clapped his hands.

I thought it was his usual gesture to draw attention, but the instructors behind him brought forward an iron box.

Thud!

As they set the box down on the Training Ground, sand scattered with a heavy thud.

“What do you think this is?”
“Something you won gambling?”
“Oh, correct!”

At Burren’s interjection, Rimer nodded proudly.

“Sigh, you’ve shown off enough. Stop bragging and let’s begin training.”
“Ah, this is for you all.”

Rimer descended from the platform with a grin, approaching the box and placing his hand upon it.

“Pardon? For us?”
“That box?”
“What do you mean….”

The trainees tilted their heads in confusion, looking between Rimer and the box.

“This gambling king made two wagers, you see. The first is this money! This incredible fortune! Jewels! Kahahaha!”

Rimer referred to himself as the gambling king and once again flaunted the rings adorning his fingers.

“And the second is….”

He chuckled as he opened the box, releasing a serene and crystalline medicinal fragrance that calmed the mind.

I narrowed my eyes, studying the contents. Dozens of small wooden boxes were stacked inside the larger one.

‘Spirit elixirs?’

The refined appearance of the wooden boxes and the bitter aroma seeping from them confirmed it—these were definitely spirit elixirs.

“Spirit elixirs.”

Rimer immediately satisfied the curiosity of the trainees who tilted their heads in confusion.

“S-spirit elixirs?”
“That’s all of them?”
“There must be at least forty….”

The trainees examined the boxes containing the elixirs, their jaws dropping in astonishment.

“That’s right. And they’re all made with Tenfold Sage.”
“Tenfold Sage!”
“There’s that much of it?”
“Wow….”

Tenfold Sage was an herb whose leaves split into ten segments, and because it leaned toward no single attribute, it could purify both the body, the dantian, and the mana circuits—a precious spirit elixir ingredient.

Spirit elixirs made from Tenfold Sage were well-balanced, expensive, and difficult to obtain, so having over forty of them was naturally cause for amazement.

“These are for you all.”

Rimer lifted his chin proudly, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he gestured toward the boxes.

“Exactly forty-three. Take one each.”
“Huh?”
“R-really? They’re really ours?”
“What?”
“Huh?”

The trainees were stunned, and even Burren and Martha’s jaws dropped in disbelief. Lunan stood motionless, sniffing at the elixirs like a curious puppy.

“Ah, so these fools have been living in deception all along.”

Rimer clicked his tongue and tossed the elixir box from the top of the pile to Raon.

Thud.

Raon caught the elixir box without thinking and opened it. Inside lay a green orb the size of an adult’s thumb.

“It’s a Tenfold Essence Pill. It doesn’t contain a tremendous amount of mana, but it’s as pure as raw ore. It will be beneficial for all of you.”

Rimer explained the Tenfold Essence Pill and distributed the elixirs to the trainees.

“Where did you obtain these, sir?”

Burren Zigheart examined the Tenfold Essence Pill, narrowing his eyes. Elixirs weren’t items one could easily acquire simply by having money. He couldn’t fathom where forty-two Tenfold Essence Pills had come from.

“I won them.”
“Y-you’re saying you won these through gambling, sir?”
“Not gambling—a wager. A wager.”

Rimer spun his finger in a circle and closed the lid of the now-empty box.

“Against whom did you make this wager…?”
“The Master of Jinmu Hall.”

He answered lightly, as though it were nothing of consequence.

“What?”
“T-the Master of Jinmu Hall…?”
“Valter Zigheart!”
“Eek!”

The moment the Master of Jinmu Hall’s name was spoken, the trainees’ faces drained of all color. Some even dropped their elixirs in shock.

“Ah, don’t worry. He’s far too preoccupied to concern himself with this place right now. He likely thinks I’ve sold everything off, so he won’t cause you any trouble.”

Rimer reassured them and instructed everyone to return today and consume the elixirs while cultivating their aura.

‘Sigh…’

I exhaled sharply. That red-haired elf had openly wagered against Valter Zigheart, the Jinmu Hall Master and Glen’s son, to obtain forty-three elixirs—she was every bit as unhinged as I was.

“Thank you.”

Gratitude was gratitude nonetheless. I bowed my head to Rimer, expressing my thanks.

“Th-thank you, Instructor.”
“We’re grateful for your generosity.”

The trainees followed my lead with excited expressions, offering their thanks in unison.

“Right, yes, yes.”

Rimer waved his hand with a broad smile.

“We’ll enjoy them.”
“Thank you.”

Burren shed his usual sullen expression and bowed, while Martha fingered the elixirs reverently and lowered her head.

It was remarkable how elixirs could draw the same response from such distinctly different individuals.

“Now then, everyone return to your quarters. This isn’t the hangover talking—elixirs are most potent when consumed immediately.”

Rimer clutched his chest and waved his hand dismissively. Now that his boasting had ended, the hangover seemed to be catching up with him.

He cut a pathetic figure as always, yet no one dared reproach him. For today, at least, Rimer was the trainees’ hero.

“Thank you!”

The trainees offered their gratitude once more and departed.

“You stay.”

As I turned to follow them, Rimer—his face now ashen—grabbed my shoulder.

“You don’t look well, sir.”
“Ah, well, I pushed myself a bit hard yesterday.”

Now that I thought about it, it wasn’t just Rimer whose face was flushed—the instructors’ complexions were equally ruddy. It seemed they had been drinking heavily with him.

“Give that back.”

Rimer pointed to the elixir box in my hand.

“This one’s yours.”

He withdrew a new elixir box from his robes and opened the lid. A bitter aroma wafted out, far more pungent than the Essence of Ten Clouds.

“This is….”
“An elixir with two Essence of Ten Extremities mixed in. Originally, it was meant for Rayden to consume, but the world works in mysterious ways—here you are taking it instead.”
“Are you certain I should accept this?”
“You made me wealthy, so I suppose I have a talent for gambling after all.”

Rimer brushed his hands together once more. The rings and bracelets clinked against each other with a brilliant shimmer.

‘He won’t hold onto it for long.’

Watching him, I was certain that Rimer would squander that fortune away through gambling soon enough.

“The Essence of Ten Clouds is an efficient elixir. You can absorb up to 50% of the mana it contains. However, the elixir itself carries limited mana—someone like you, who possesses auras of two attributes, would barely notice its effects.”

When Rimer mentioned the two attributes, he lowered his voice so no one else could hear.

“This one contains roughly twice the mana of a standard Essence of Ten Clouds, so you should be able to cultivate both your frost and flame auras.”
“…Thank you.”

I bowed my head. He could have simply given me the elixir, but the additional consideration he showed within that gesture filled me with gratitude.

“Go on. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rimer waved his hand.

“Instructor, please don’t overindulge.”
“Oh, are you worried about me? It’ll be at least ten more years before that becomes a concern!”

He patted his own shoulder and walked toward the Chief Instructor’s Office.

“Hmm….”

I gazed at Rimer’s retreating figure while turning the box containing the Ten-Cycle Pills over in my hands.

‘Is this what a master truly is….’

In my previous life, it was an instructor who raised me. Our relationship was nothing more than that of a keeper and beast, or a tamer and wolf.
He harbored no emotion toward me, and I carved only malice into my heart—the desire to kill him.

‘I thought this place would be no different.’

Zigheart was a house notorious even across the Continent. I had assumed they would raise trainees like animals, yet they nurtured them with humanity. They preserved each child’s individuality and allowed them to grow.

Even the trainees who had failed the previous examination were not abandoned—they continued their training at the 6th Training Ground. Contrary to my expectations, Zigheart was far more human than I had imagined.

Rimer in particular was someone better described as a master than an instructor. Thanks to him, I had accomplished much and grown far more rapidly than I otherwise would have.

I bowed my head once more to Rimer as he grew distant, then left the Training Ground.

*

*

*

Rimer took a three-hour nap in the Chief Instructor’s Office before heading to the Patriarch’s Hall around lunchtime.

“It’s been quite a while since you’ve visited.”

Roen opened the door to the Audience Chamber with a bright smile.

“Yes, it has been a long time.”

Rimer grinned and held up all ten fingers. Roen chuckled lightly as if unimpressed and entered the Audience Chamber.

“Hmm….”

Disappointed that Roen failed to appreciate these brilliant jewels, my lips pouted slightly. I exhaled a small sigh and followed him inside.

Glen remained as he always was, seated upon the throne he had constructed for himself, surveying the world with an expression of profound boredom.

“I pay my respects to the Patriarch!”

Rimer bowed deeply, his wrists elevated by all ten fingers in a gesture of utmost deference.

“The older you grow, the more pathetic your antics become.”
“Hah….”

Rimer rose with an incredulous grimace, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.

“Come now, shouldn’t you praise a subordinate for earning some coin? I’ve finally managed to fleece a fool after all this time.”
“That fool happens to be my son. You expect me to praise you for that?”
“If he gets fleeced by me now, he won’t fall for real swindlers later.”
“You certainly have a silver tongue.”

Glen’s jaw tightened as his gaze turned glacial.

“So what brings you here today?”
“I distributed Shiwun Pills among the trainees.”
“I suspected as much, yet you relinquish such precious elixirs with remarkable ease.”
“How should I put it? The children have grown far beyond my expectations, so I find myself wanting to feed them more. Perhaps this is what a parent’s heart feels like.”

Rimer chuckled softly, and Glen observed him with an enigmatic expression.

“My instruction has been extraordinary, certainly, but the trainees have endured countless trials and emerged stronger than any generation before them.”

Glen nodded slightly, as if in agreement.

“Therefore, I wish to make a proposal.”
“A proposal? I entrusted all training matters to you, did I not?”
“This concerns something other than training.”

Rimer’s voice, which had been brimming with playfulness, now burned with intense conviction.

“Grant me permission to alter the content of the trainees’ graduation examination.”

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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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