The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 99

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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 99

“Change the examination?”

Glen Zigheart lifted his head, pushing himself up from the backrest of his chair.

“Yes.”

Rimer bowed and nodded, his eyes gleaming with clarity for the first time since the battle with Gwahyeolgwi.

“The current graduation examination consists of either passing an instructor-designed course or receiving recognition through one-on-one sparring between trainees, correct?”

“That is correct.”

Only those trainees who either passed the examination course created by the instructors or earned recognition through one-on-one duels with their peers could become swordsmen.

“Then what would you change the examination to?”

“Survival.”

Rimer answered immediately, as if he had been waiting for the question.

“I wish to send the trainees outside without the name of Zigheart.”

“Send them outside?”

Glen’s upper body leaned forward slightly, interest kindling in his eyes.

“Yes. The children of the 5th Training Ground passed the test of momentum, and they won a duel of honor against the training knights of the Owen Kingdom. Both are things that wouldn’t be strange to see in the graduation exam.”

“You’ve employed various schemes, haven’t you.”

“That’s true. However, there were also things that exceeded my expectations. In the second mission, the trainees fought a battle with their lives on the line, and they crossed the great mountain of taking a life.”

Rimer smiled. Overlapping coincidences had caused him to move late, but thanks to that, the children were able to achieve both physical and mental growth.

“I want to make the entire exam not merely a rite of passage, but an opportunity for the children to grow. Even if becoming a knight is delayed slightly, I wish to provide them with a foundation to climb even higher.”

“You’re right about that. How one becomes a knight matters more than when one becomes a knight.”

Glen Zigheart closed his eyes, as if in agreement.

“I’m grateful for your understanding. The children now need new trials, not the conventional ones.”

Rimer raised his long index finger.

“Living alone without the family’s power, without the instructor’s aid, without the distinguished name of Zigheart—this will greatly help the children’s growth.”

“You’ve changed.”

Glen Zigheart, observing Rimer kneeling with confident eyes, lifted the corners of his mouth slightly.

“Pardon?”

“You said you would raise the children, but you seemed to lack genuine interest in the matter. Your preparations were rather haphazard.”

“Ah, well….”

Rimer’s eyes snapped toward me at the jab.

“Ever since you met those children, you’ve begun to change alongside them. You have no idea how different your expression is now compared to before.”

“Ugh, how embarrassing….”

“I concur.”

Roen, standing beside a pillar with a contented smile, nodded in agreement.

“Rimer, your expression has truly improved.”

“Turns out I have a talent for raising children, not just wielding a sword.”

Rimer scratched the side of his head, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Before long, I might even have the hand to forge the next king after the Lord of the House. In other words, I’d become a kingmaker.”

“You mean Raon?”

“Who knows? It could be Burren, or perhaps Martha or Lunan could rise to the throne.”

“I see.”

Glen Zigheart broke into a rare, unmistakable smile. He was genuinely pleased by Rimer’s newfound joy—the man who had once stood closest to him, wielding his blade.

“Within a week, prepare a report on where you’ll send those children and how you plan to cultivate their growth. If you can’t, we’ll pretend this never happened.”

“Of course.”

Rimer withdrew a folder from his breast pocket with a confident smile.

“I’ve already prepared it.”

*

*

*

Raon ascended Bekmang Mountain with the Ten Wounds Pill, bypassing both the Annex Building and the Dormitory, heading toward the location where the Charcoal Kiln once stood. A crisp, biting wind swept across his face as he climbed.

‘This place feels right.’

Perhaps because it was where I had first cultivated the Thousand Flower Technique and the Extreme Cold’s chill, practicing here brought me peace of mind, and I could sense mana far more clearly than anywhere else.

I settled before the Charcoal Kiln, now reduced to nothing but bare earth. Closing my eyes, I listened to the gentle whisper of trees and thickets brushing against the wind.

I extended my aura perception outward, scanning the surroundings. As expected, neither people nor animals lingered nearby. Balkan had chosen this location with remarkable precision.

“Hah….”

I rotated the Ring of Fire, drawing up the vital energy within my body, then opened my eyes. The wind and timing were perfect for cultivation.

Click.

As I opened the wooden box I’d received from Rimer, a crystalline fragrance rose up, sharp enough to numb the senses.

‘About fifty percent.’

The Tenfold Elixir is known as the “50% Spirit Medicine.”

While other spirit medicines absorbed roughly 30% of their contained energy, the Tenfold Elixir could absorb approximately 50% of its mana.

Thanks to its superior absorption effect and highly pure energy, the Tenfold Elixir was among the finest spirit medicines for martial artists in their growth phase.

-Then what’s the point? The contents inside wouldn’t amount to even dust.

Wrath let out a scoff as he examined the elixir.

‘Of course the quantity is small.’

Not everything could be perfect. The Tenfold Elixir possessed less mana compared to other spirit medicines.

However, this Tenfold Elixir that Rimer had provided compensated for that disadvantage by containing two Tenfold Herbs, offsetting the weakness of limited mana.

It possessed energy comparable to a decent mid-tier spirit medicine, so if I absorbed it properly, I could achieve significant growth.

“Then….”

I grasped the elixir between my fingers. Feeling warmth that contrasted with the cold mountain breeze, I placed the Tenfold Elixir into my mouth.

The moment the medicine touched my tongue, it dissolved like water and slid down my throat. A warm and pure energy bloomed above my navel, as if I had suddenly poured natural mana directly into my belly.

I activated the Heavenly Circle Technique to guide the surging energy of the Tenfold Elixir as it began to boil.

Whoooosh!

The essence of the Tenfold Elixir flowed smoothly through my mana circuits, untainted by any singular attribute—a true elixir’s nature.

As the elixir’s essence surged like waves, the frost clinging to my mana circuits melted away, and the murky impurities lingering from the battles were expelled outward.

‘The density is remarkable.’

Even for an elixir containing two Tenfold Herbs, the quantity of mana was modest. Yet the mana within it was pure as nature itself, warm and gentle.

For my unstable body, where the scorching fire of the Infernal Flame and the bitter cold shared the same dantian, this elixir was perfectly suited.

I alternately drew upon the fire and cold, layering the Tenfold Elixir’s pure essence into my dantian.

The essence gathered gradually, like building a sandcastle, yet the mana concentration was more stable than after consuming any other elixir.

Like the Immortal Lake formed from accumulated dewdrops, utterly pristine essence flowed through my mana circuits, and I surrendered to the bliss, sinking deeper into profound cultivation.

*

*

*

At the thin chirping of birds announcing night on Bekmang Mountain, I opened my eyes.

Flash!

His pupils burst with a golden radiance like flames dancing in a furnace.

‘I’ve obtained it all.’

Generally, absorbing even 40% of the essence when consuming a spiritual elixir is considered a windfall.

But just now, I had accumulated over 60% of the Ten-Luck Pill’s essence into my dantian. It was no mere windfall—it would be no exaggeration to call it a miracle.

“Haaah….”

As I closed my eyes to examine the state of the Ring of Fire, the Thousand Harmony Palace, and the bitter cold of extreme winter, then opened them again, messages cascaded across my vision.

[A new Ring of Fire has been forged.]

[Ring of Fire has advanced to 5-Star.]

[Your physical grade has risen.]

[You can now move with greater efficiency.]

[Strength has increased significantly.]

[Agility has increased significantly.]

[Stamina has increased significantly.]

As my physical attributes surged, a pleasant tremor began at my fingertips and rippled up to my shoulders.

[Your spiritual grade has risen.]

[Mental strength has increased significantly.]

[Perception has greatly increased.]

[Vitality has greatly increased.]

Before I could savor the joy, a second message materialized.

Aura flowed through the expanded dantian and mana circuits, refined and crystalline. With the emergence of a new ring, it seemed to have grown by a factor of 1.5.

“Phew!”

I rose to my feet, exhaling with exhilaration. I clenched my fists and drew up the mana core.

‘Magnificent.’

Both my body’s responsiveness and my aura’s reaction had accelerated far beyond what they were before. I felt certain that even if I couldn’t defeat Gwahyeolgwi now, I would no longer be toyed with so completely as I had been.

-What in the world!

Wrath, who had remained silent during my cultivation to avoid having his power drained, suddenly burst forth from the bracelet.

-Your soul’s rank has risen again! What exactly are you learning?! What is this ring of fire?!

“Who knows?”

-What kind of life were you living before I arrived?!

Wrath shook his head in bewilderment.

‘How could this be….’

The grade of one’s soul could only be elevated by those who crushed the strong, overcame crises, or accumulated achievements.

Of course, it could also be raised through cultivation. But that required a span of time so vast it couldn’t be measured in mere years.

For this little brat to elevate his soul’s grade through cultivation alone was something that shouldn’t exist even in the Demon Realm.

“Should I tell you?”

Raon waved his hand dismissively, as if swatting away insects.

Crunch!

Wrath gnashed his teeth.

‘This makes it even harder to devour him….’

Raon had blocked my fury and possession through his exceptional mental fortitude, an incomprehensible cultivation method, and water attribute resistance.

If his soul’s grade had truly risen, subduing him would become nearly as difficult as it was before I accepted the fury.

-Krrgh, don’t get cocky! No matter what effort you make or what you gain, your body and soul will eventually become mine!

“Stop whining and speak.”

-Who’s whining! I am the king of the Demon Realm….

“Yes. The Lord of Wrath. I understand. I understand.”

-Krrrrgh!

I snorted derisively and brushed the dust from my clothes. After tidying my appearance, I turned to head back to the Annex Building when I spotted a box lying on the ground.

I picked up the elixir box that had fallen and swept my hair back.

“Truly….”

One sought to devour me whole, while another desperately wished to help. The choice of whom to regard and how to act was already determined.

Among them, there was only one path forward.

“It seems the day you swallow me whole may never come.”

I ignored Wrath, who gnashed his teeth, and descended Bekmang Mountain.

*

*

*

The next day.

Burren headed toward the Training Ground, his chest swelling with satisfaction. Yesterday’s cultivation had gone remarkably well—he had absorbed more than half of the Shipun Stage’s energy.

With his dantian brimming full, he felt like a different person in just a single day.

‘If it’s now….’

A smile crossed my face at the thought that while defeating Raon might be difficult, I could certainly put up a good fight.

“Hmm.”

Burren waited for Raon with his back straightened confidently, eager to see the look of admiration in that man’s eyes.

Screeeech!

At the sound of the Training Ground door opening, I turned around—but it wasn’t Raon as I’d expected. It was Martha.

‘She’s absorbed quite a bit as well.’

From Martha, I sensed an aura as solid as stone yet sharp and cutting. She too had absorbed a considerable amount of energy.

“What are you staring at so irritatingly since morning?”

“….”

I turned my head away, unwilling to let my good mood sink into the mud.

‘Her temperament is foul, but her skill is undeniable.’

The aura I sensed from Martha was different from yesterday. While not quite matching my own, she had clearly absorbed a substantial amount of energy.

Screeeech!

The door opened again. Two sets of footsteps—one person walking, yet two voices. It had to be Raon and Lunan.

“Where….”

Burren turned around with a confident smile spreading across his face. In an instant, his expression shattered like glass.

‘What… what is that guy….’

The aura flowing around Raon moved with the natural grace of water. The smoothness that only masters possessed made me swallow hard.

The quantity of aura, the physical body, the balance that composed it all—everything was different from yesterday.

If I had changed by five, that monster had transformed by ten.

‘A true monster….’

Burren clenched his teeth. I had intended to make him admire me, yet instead I found myself astounded. The shock left me speechless.

“Ugh….”

I glared at Raon with a furrowed brow, but he simply tilted his head as if asking why I was looking at him. I acknowledged his effort and talent, yet that serene expression infuriated me.

‘But I won’t give up.’

No matter how quickly Raon grew or how strong he became, I had no intention of stopping my pursuit of him.

No matter how strong the opponent, running until the very end—that was the image of a Zigheart swordsman that I held in my mind.

“Begin!”

Rimer’s voice rang out from ahead. Perhaps because I had been so focused, I hadn’t even noticed his arrival.

“You’ve all changed.”

Rimer stood upon the Platform, surveying all the trainees with a satisfied smile. His expression reflected contentment at the progress of the strengthened trainees.

“Now we can begin without hesitation.”

“Begin, sir?”

“Begin what exactly….”

“This life here must come to an end now.”

He pointed his finger downward toward the Training Ground.

“Sir?”

“An end?”

“What… what do you mean by that….”

The trainees trembled with unease at the sudden mention of an end, their eyes wavering with uncertainty.

“You’ll need to take your graduation exam. No matter how much I enjoy this, you can’t remain trainees forever.”

“Huh?”

“Ah!”

“A graduation exam!”

At the mention of an exam, the trainees’ expressions brightened once more. The thought of finally becoming true swordsmen ignited their eyes like sunflowers turning toward the sun.

“Don’t get your hopes up just yet.”

Rimer clicked his tongue and wagged his finger, his smile turning mischievous as he regarded the trainees.

“The exam you’ll be facing is nothing like the graduation exams you’ve taken before.”

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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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