The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 981

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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 981

“Us… you want us to catch a Dragon by ourselves? Are you serious?”

Burren Zigheart swallowed hard.

“First he creates that strange song, and now his mind’s gone too…”

Martha twirled her finger against her head in a gesture of disbelief.

“Yeah. I’ll do it.”

Lunan Slion nodded calmly, as if he was entirely capable of the task.

“N-no way! I don’t want to!”

Dorian shook his head vigorously, his cowardly nature surfacing for the first time in ages.

“It’s definitely an Ancient Dragon! How are we supposed to catch it?”

He squeezed his eyes shut, adamant in his refusal.

“Y-you’re joking, obviously!”

Crain laughed awkwardly, studying Raon’s expression.

“No… he’s serious, isn’t he?”

Having taken the most beatings from me, he immediately recognized the sincerity in my gaze.

“A Dragon, huh…”

Mark Goeten licked his lips eagerly, his hand resting on his sword hilt.

“If the Commander orders it, we can’t refuse. But we need to think carefully—this might be an excessive task.”

Trevin looked at me, seeking confirmation that I’d thought this through properly.

“You’re right.”

Borgos exhaled a long sigh, his eyes narrowing with concern.

“Desiuros is an ancient dragon. I know the Gwangpung Hall’s military strength better than anyone, but I cannot face him without you.”

He released a heavy breath like smoke from a cigarette.

“The dwarves are having their very survival threatened by that cursed dragon. No, they’re not even truly living anymore. If I’m going to offer half-hearted help or salvation, it might be better to not help at all and simply turn a blind eye.”

Borgos lowered his brows, saying that offering false hope to those barely clinging to life was the worst possible action.

“Of course, I have no right to say such things either….”

He wrinkled the bridge of his nose and gazed down at his feet.

“I knew they were being exploited, yet I could offer no help whatsoever. Truly powerless….”

Borgos shook his head, saying he lacked the strength to help and couldn’t ask others for aid either.

“I understand.”

Balkan patted Borgos on the back.

“Even a demon wouldn’t ask someone to die for a matter unrelated to them.”

He clicked his tongue briefly, saying he would have made the same choice as Borgos.

“You are correct, Borgos. To face an ancient dragon, a transcendent must come.”

I nodded in agreement. When I had captured Kaibar, Aris had blocked most of his attacks. I had merely driven my blade home at the end.

“However, I am not jesting. I believe these fellows can slay that dragon.”
“Are you serious?”

Burren’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“No matter how I think about it….”
“Of course, I’m not asking them to do everything.”

I shook my head with a smile.

“I’ll block the breath and transcendent-level magic.”

Just like Aris Zigheart, I raised my hand while saying I would only defend against attacks that could wipe us out.

“Well then….”

Burren Zigheart’s eyes rolled as he sensed a glimmer of possibility.

“Then we can do this! Without the breath, it’s just a real lizard anyway!”

Martha clapped her hands loudly, saying she wanted to catch the dragon with her own hands.

“Yeah. I’ll do it….”

Lunan Slion gave the same answer as before, as if it didn’t matter either way, and nodded.

“I, I still don’t like it!”

Dorian trembled all over as if he were already inside the dragon’s belly.

“Come to think of it, maybe a dragon is less scary than the Lord Commander with a sword?”

Crain closed his eyes, trying to change his mindset.

“There’s no helping it….”
“Right. It’s not like he’s someone who won’t make us do it just because we don’t like it.”
“We just have to make it work somehow.”

The other swordsmen also nodded, accepting that they had no choice.

“Then everyone agrees.”

I nodded as I watched the Gwangpung Hall swordsmen building their resolve.

“Wait, I didn’t agree?”

Dorian raised his hand, but I ignored him.

That guy never changes.

Wrath shook his head in disapproval.

‘But once we’re there, he’ll fight well enough.’

Since awakening his mind’s eye, Dorian hadn’t fled or retreated from places where he needed to fight. Fear gripped him, certainly, but when his comrades were in danger, he would stand his ground properly.

“Please continue. Tell us about Desiuros.”

Raon nodded toward Borgos.

“Desiuros is a Red Dragon who has made his lair at the edge of the Eastern Desert. He’s a vile beast that reduces everything to ash with the heat of hellfire.”

Borgos exhaled sharply as he described where Desiuros dwelled.

“A desert? I thought he’d live near a volcano, given that he has Dwarves with him.”

Raon’s eyes narrowed as he regarded Borgos. While the desert was indeed scorching, a volcano’s proximity would be where Dwarf talents could be utilized most effectively. I couldn’t fathom why he’d chosen the desert.

“Because he provides the heat himself.”

Borgos twisted his mouth downward.

“His own firepower? Wouldn’t that be too intense?”

Raon let out a low groan.

“It means he doesn’t care whether his slaves live or die.”

Borgos shook his head, explaining that dragons, as everyone knew, regarded other races as mere insects.

“What a worthless creature….”

Burren Zigheart clenched his lips tightly.

“Sigh, whether it’s dragons or archangels, why is there not a single decent one among them?”

Martha shook her head, remarking that none of the stories her mother had read to her as a child matched reality.

“Yeah. The Demon Lords are kinder….”

Lunan Slion pouted, expressing his distaste for the Celestial Race and Dragons.

-Ice cream girl!

Wrath nodded with his hands clasped together, deeply moved by Lunan Slion’s words.

“Still, I’m relieved.”

I exhaled softly in relief.

“R-relieved? What do you mean by that….”

Borgos shook his head in confusion.

“I was worried I might accidentally harm a righteous Dragon, but it seems there’s no need for such concern.”

I drew a cold smile across my face.

“I’m relieved because I can kill it without any pangs of conscience.”

I grasped the hilt of the Heavenly Sword and slowly turned away.

“Just prepare yourselves.”

I glanced back slightly at Borgos and Balkan, whose eyes had widened in surprise.

“I’ll bring you the Red Dragon’s corpse.”

With that, I told them to get back to work and descended from Mirtan Village.

“Follow the Lord.”

At Burren Zigheart’s command, the Gwangpung Hall swordsmen followed behind, their sharp auras suddenly cutting through the air as if they hadn’t been joking moments before.

“Khh….”

Balkan shook his head while taking a swig of alcohol.

“The young ones have finally become properly honed blades.”

He smacked his lips in admiration just watching them.

“Indeed.”

Borgos nodded in agreement.

“Whoever polished them, they’re all masterwork blades.”

He shook his head in amazement.

“Whoever polished them? Look right there.”

Balkan pointed to Raon’s broad back walking at the front and laughed heartily.

“A craftsman who polishes blades better than any of us.”

He recalled the past Raon standing before the Charcoal Kiln, speaking of his goals, and a deep smile crossed his face.

“You still have far to go, don’t you?”

Keep moving forward. Raon.

*

*

*

A gray desert so withered and scorched that everything had burned away.

A dwarf with a brown beard hanging like rags moved weakly through the sand, searching.

“It’s not here anymore either.”

After searching the sand for a long while, the dwarf collapsed weakly and shook his head.

“I may have to turn more forests and mountains into desert.”

He shook his shoulders, his soot-blackened face hidden beneath hands caked with sand.

“Sigh….”

The Brown-bearded Dwarf Tribe member exhaled a sigh heavy with the weight of years, then lifted his head.

“I have to go. Still….”

He pressed his fist against his knee and pushed himself upright.

“This path is hell itself.”

The Brown-bearded Dwarf Tribe member shook his head and was about to turn back the way he came.

Whoooosh!

His body plunged into the sand as if he had fallen into the sea.

“Arghhhh!”

The Brown-bearded Dwarf Tribe member screamed and thrashed his limbs, but his feet touched soft ground within mere seconds.

“What, what is this place….”

The Brown-bearded Dwarf Tribe member’s eyes widened.

‘Frost? Why is there frost….’

Blue frost blazed like wildfire, forming a barrier that held back the encroaching sand. In decades of traversing this desert, he had never witnessed such a phenomenon.

“Are you perhaps of the Brown-bearded Dwarf Tribe?”

The dwarf spun around at the soft voice behind him.

“Hm!”

Behind him stood a tall human with golden hair and crimson eyes. Despite their different races, the sight of him was so radiant it was almost blinding.

‘What is that sword aura….’

However, even the human’s striking features paled in comparison to the magnificent sword aura emanating from his soul.

“W-well, that’s true. But why is a human here…?”

The Brown-bearded Dwarf Tribe member swallowed hard as he observed the golden-haired, red-eyed human and the swordsmen standing behind him.

“I came after hearing the words of Borgos, the chieftain of the Gray Hammer Clan.”

The golden-haired, red-eyed swordsman smiled gently and extended his hand.

“My name is Raon Zigheart.”

*

*

*

Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed the frightened expression on the Brown-bearded Dwarf’s face.

‘He doesn’t know my name.’

Not to boast, but there were scarcely any people on the Continent who didn’t know his name at this point.
The expression of someone who had never even heard of him suggested he had been trapped in this desert for quite some time.

‘And I’ve never seen a dwarf this emaciated before.’

Dwarves typically possessed compact, sturdy builds like logs.

Yet the dwarf before me was so gaunt that he appeared to be merely a short human.

“Borgos. He is…?”

The Brown-bearded Dwarf called out Borgos’s name openly, suggesting he held some position within the tribe.

“What position do you hold in the Brown-bearded Dwarf Tribe, if I may ask…?”

Raon narrowed his gaze as he looked at the Brown-bearded Dwarf.

“My name is Latiru. I am the chieftain of the Brown-bearded Dwarf Tribe.”

The brown-bearded dwarf introduced himself as chieftain and nodded.

“A-a chieftain, you say?”

Martha’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You appear to have suffered greatly from hunger.”

Burren Zigheart let out a sympathetic sigh.

“Would you like something to eat?”

Lunan Slion snatched the pastry Dorian had been eating and handed it to the dwarf.

“Hmm….”

I examined Latiru’s appearance once more and shook my head. Honestly, his condition was far too poor for me to have considered him a chieftain at all.

“Could you tell me what Borgos said?”

Latiru looked at me, his voice lacking confidence.

“He mentioned that there are dwarves being held captive by Desiuros. He hoped you would rescue them.”

I handed Latiru the letter Borgos had written.

“Hmm….”

Latiru read the letter over and over for a long while before folding it.

“I understand your feelings and Borgos’s intentions. However, I cannot accept your help.”

He exhaled a long sigh and shook his head.

“What is your reason?”

I lowered my gaze as I listened to Latiru’s weak voice.

“You all thought I didn’t look like a clan leader, didn’t you?”

Latiru smiled as he looked not only at Raon but at the swordsmen standing behind him.

“I-I apologize.”

Burren Zigheart bowed his head as if he had committed a rudeness.

“No, I understand. I would have thought the same—that I was just a beggar.”

Latiru nodded, examining his own appearance.

“But it can’t be helped. Only the executives of our tribe, including myself, are permitted to venture outside.”

He sighed, explaining that only the executives could leave to search for materials.

“Ah, the reason is….”

Raon caught on to what Latiru was saying and let out a trembling breath.

“Your suspicion is correct. Dwarves are a race with strong attachment to their tribe. That’s why we’re holding our tribespeople as hostages, ensuring we cannot escape.”

Latiru shrugged, saying that’s why he personally travels this desert.

“Desiuros is both powerful and cunning. Even if you’re strong enough to capture him, our tribe would surely suffer casualties.”

He shook his head, saying he couldn’t abandon a single tribesman who had endured until now.

“I’m sorry. I would have given my life if you had asked for it instead.”

Latiru shook his head, delivering a clear refusal.

“How much do you know about Borgos?”

Raon met Latiru’s gaze and brought up Borgos’s name.

“Too distant to call a friend, yet too close to call a colleague.”

Latiru shook his head, saying he was someone he could entrust his heart to. He seemed closer than expected.

“Borgos said the same thing. That’s why he asked me for help.”
“Hmm….”

He widened his eyes as he listened to my words.

“And we’re not moving solely for your benefit. There are many advantages for us as well, so I hope you’ll lend us your aid.”

Rather than offering help, I asked for it, bowing respectfully.

-This one certainly knows how to speak….

Wrath exhaled softly, watching Latiru’s expression shift gradually.

“I promise you this. We will sever that evil dragon’s head without losing a single soul.”

I nodded with unwavering conviction in my tone.

“You are….”

Latiru swallowed hard, meeting my gaze. Though we’d only just met today, I inexplicably inspired his trust. It seemed my sincerity was reaching him, beyond even Borgos’s letter.

“Believe in him. He’s a Transcendent, after all.”

Martha introduced me as a Transcendent and nodded.

“That’s right. Well, there have been various circumstances, but our former lord severed the Black Tower Master’s head as well.”

Burren Zigheart laughed, saying that if he trusted us, we would repay his faith.

“A Transcendent? The Black Tower…?”

Latiru swallowed hard, looking at me.

“I didn’t capture everything myself. But as I mentioned, we can capture Desiuros.”

I bowed again, asking for his help.

“No….”

Latiru’s jaw trembled as he watched Raon descend.

‘I should be the one asking for help….’

Because he lacked the courage to face his fear, the people who had come to help him were instead asking for his assistance.
Shame and embarrassment threatened to bring tears to his eyes.

“Sigh….”

Latiru exhaled a long breath with his eyes closed.

“Very well. Then what must I do?”

Regardless of his own fate, he wanted to grant salvation to the children who had become slaves to that dragon from the moment of their birth. With thoughts of his own death, he gave his answer to Raon’s request.

“Please tell me the exact location of Desiuros and the shape of the Lair. Continue living normally within the Lair as you have been, and when we make our move, lead all your tribespeople outside.”

Raon nodded, saying that would be sufficient.

“Wait, is that really all? What about piercing Desiuros’s scales or something like that…?”
“That won’t be necessary. You need only come to the surface.”

He nodded, saying the rest would be handled by them.

“Understood. The location is….”

Latiru provided detailed information about the location and scale of the Lair where Desiuros concealed himself.

“This is sufficient.”

Raon sketched the dragon’s position and the layout of the Lair on a map, then nodded.

“Then I will visit tomorrow.”
“T-tomorrow?”
“Yes. Dragons are perceptive creatures. Delaying could create complications.”
“Ah, I see. Then….”

Latiru blinked, still struggling to believe it, before departing toward the Lair.

“Bastards everywhere, no matter where you go.”

Martha ground her teeth and clenched her fists.

“The dragons I read about in books were mediators who protected the world….”

Burren shook his head, saying he was growing increasingly disappointed.

“Yeah. They’re worse than lizards….”

Lunan Slion lowered his brows, expressing his own disdain.

“This isn’t the time to be insulting lizards, is it?”

I shook my head as I looked at the three squad leaders and the swordsmen behind them.

“Don’t we lack time to even formulate a plan?”

I waved my hand, saying I wouldn’t be moving from here on out.

“Y-you’re right….”
“That damned lord said he wouldn’t help us.”
“What a spiteful bastard….”

Burren, Martha, and Lunan Slion let out short sighs.

“Come on, gather around. We need to hold a meeting first.”

Trevin clapped his hands and called the others over.

“First, let’s think about how to rescue the hostages.”
“That won’t be easy. There’s only one way out.”
“And it’s narrow at that.”
“Then we’d have to draw out the dragon….”
“If we draw out the dragon first, we can’t ambush it. We need to exploit the element of surprise if we’re going to capture it ourselves.”

The swordsmen began a serious discussion, each voicing their own opinions.

“Hmm….”

I crossed my arms and hummed a tune as I watched the scene unfold.

-This bastard….

Wrath’s eyes narrowed as he observed my delighted expression.

-What kind of look is that?

*

*

*

The next day at noon.

The Gwangpung Hall swordsmen were digging a tunnel through the desert, moving toward Desiuros’s Lair.

“Is this really the best we can do?”

I followed behind the Gwangpung Hall swordsmen, clicking my tongue in displeasure.

“What choice do we have? The exit is far too narrow. If we’re to rescue all the hostages and escape, we need to widen the passage first.”

Martha shook her head, saying that if the Dragon moved first, all the hostages could die.

“Right. We have no choice but to rescue the people from inside, block the Dragon’s attacks, and make our way out.”

Burren agreed this was the best approach and tossed sand behind him.

“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure….”

Lunan nodded, saying he’d follow along since Burren and Martha were doing it.

“Since we know the Dragon’s location and the structure of the Lair, we should exploit that advantage.”

Trevin also waved his hand, saying this method seemed best for now.

“Now, everyone be quiet. We’re almost at the Lair.”

Burren Zigheart examined the map and let out a short breath. The other swordsmen nodded silently, their mouths firmly closed.

“Hmm….”

I shook my head, my arms crossed.

“No matter how I think about it, this doesn’t feel right.”

After sensing the presence within the Lair right before me, I rose above the sand with frost trailing in my wake.

“Hey!”
“Raon!”
“Ugh!”

I flashed a dark smile at the screaming Gwangpung Hall officials before ascending further into the desert sky.

Gooooooo!

A massive sand mountain loomed before me. Desiuros and the dwarves were gathered beneath it.

“Huff….”

I drew in a deep breath and opened my mouth as wide as I could.

“You little lizard hiding in the desert! The heroes who will kill you have arrived! Come out right now!”

My roar-like shout sent the desert sand scattering, and the sand mountain trembled as if it would crumble.

Kuguguguguguguuu!

Responding to my cry, a tremendous surge of mana began to resonate from within the sand mountain.

Desiuros appeared to be revealing himself.

“Aaaaagh!”
“You crazy bastard!”
“Why are you doing this?!”
“We agreed the plan was good, so why are you pulling this nonsense?!”

The inspectors screamed in horror as Raon suddenly went berserk.

-I knew this would happen….

Wrath shook his head, noting that madness gleamed in my eyes.

‘You know it too.’

I twisted my lips into a grin as I watched the crimson scales slowly emerging from beneath the Sand Mountain.

‘Their methods won’t save the hostages.’

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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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