The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 829

 Chapter 829

 

Kyaooong!

The sea otter, sensing unease, quickly turned its body and dove into the sea.

Paaaang!

Raon stepped into the waves using the Supreme Harmony Steps. Summoning the wind of Light Wind Flow, he reached out toward the pentagonal stone tightly clutched by the sea otter.

Kyaoo!

The sea otter abruptly changed direction, trying to flee, but Raon had already predicted its movement by observing its gestures.

‘I just want to check the stone.’

Blocking the sea otter's escape, Raon extended his hand toward the stone it was holding.

‘Hmm?’

‘What was this?’

Even as his hand touched the pentagonal stone, nothing happened. Even with his soul’s level unleashed, he felt nothing.

‘Wasn’t I supposed to feel something upon touching it?’

Merlin had said that someone at his level could immerse themselves in the soul’s essence the moment they touched the stone. However, from this stone, there was no energy or phenomenon to sense—it was, quite literally, just an ordinary stone.

‘So it’s not it after all?’

Hmm.

Wrath furrowed his brow, staring at the pentagonal stone in Raon's hand.

The King of Essence’s condition isn’t great, so he can’t feel anything clearly, but as you said, it seems like an ordinary stone.

‘So it’s not the right one, huh?’

Indeed. That means the sea otter isn’t one of those madwomen but a resident of this sea.

He sighed in relief.

‘I knew that.’

If that sea otter had been Merlin, it wouldn’t have run away, so it was clear that it was just a regular animal.

The stone it carried resembled the one Rabawin had described too closely for him to ignore, which is why he checked it. But it turned out to be an ordinary stone.

“Sorry about that.”

Raon returned the stone to the sea otter and gave it a slight nod.

Kwooo.

The sea otter nodded back as if to say it was fine and swam away.

‘Do sea otters comfort people these days too?’

Raon chuckled to himself and surfaced again.

“What’s up? Did you find it?”

Rimmer approached, tilting his head.

“No.”

Raon shook his head.

“I chased after the sea otter because it had a pentagonal stone, but it turned out to be just a regular stone.”

“A sea otter? Oh! You mean those stones they use to crack shells?”

Rimmer thumped his own belly with his fist as if he were a sea otter himself.

“That’s right.”

Raon nodded.

“The shape was similar, and the color was emerald-like, but it wasn’t the right one.”

“It’d be hilarious if you actually found it that way.”

Rimmer laughed, imagining how amusing that would’ve been.

“Like you said earlier, it's probably been eroded by the seawater over time. It seems more reasonable to search through all the stones here instead of looking for a specific pentagonal one.”

He smacked his lips, suggesting they’d need to comb through all the stones in the area.

“It’s not difficult, but it’s going to be a grueling task.”

Raon let out a brief sigh, looking at the stones scattered beneath the transparent sea water.

“Especially for others.”

For him, it was a matter of family, so he had no choice but to do it. But for the Light Wind swordsmen and the Azure Wind’s crew, it wasn’t.

Feeling guilty about making them endure such a tedious task, he sighed deeply.

“It’s grueling, but it must be done.”

Rimmer smiled lightly, telling him not to worry too much.

“Uh…”

Raon blinked as he looked at Rimmer.

“What?”

“I’m just surprised. Someone like you, who doesn’t seem to know the meaning of comfort, actually tried to comfort me.”

The Rimmer he knew would have searched half-heartedly and gone off to rest because it was bothersome, but today he was searching for the soul stone with more enthusiasm than Aris.

It was such a stark contrast from his usual self that Raon couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Do you think I’m some kind of lunatic?”

Rimmer furrowed his brows, offended.

“I’ve done some crazy things, sure, maybe even a lot. But I’m not selfish enough to slack off when it comes to something so important to our division leader.”

He drew a gentle smile, saying he knew how important family was.

“So let’s keep our spirits up and keep searching.”

Rimmer, perhaps embarrassed by his own words, quickly turned around and went off to search for the Soul Stone again.

“…Thank you.”

Raon bowed his head towards Rimmer’s retreating figure.

‘Thank you for comforting me. Still, I can’t help but feel guilty.’

The only ones who could actually identify the soul stone were Raon, Aris, Rimmer, and Rabawin. The Light Wind swordsmen and the crew had no choice but to perform the tedious task of picking up stones.

Using such skilled people for such monotonous work made his guilt grow even heavier.

“Huuu…”

Letting out a short sigh, Raon dove back into the sea to continue searching for the soul stone.

*   *   *

Ughhh!

As the moon set and the sun rose again, Wrath groaned, clutching his head as if in pain.

This is so frustrating!

‘What is?’

Raon brushed his wet hair back, blinking at Wrath.

When do you plan on finding it at this rate? Even that small island over there had nothing! At this rate, the King of Essence will never see bead ice cream again!

Wrath growled, enraged by the seemingly endless search for the soul stone.

‘It can’t be helped. Just hang in there a little longer.’

You do it.

Wrath grabbed Raon’s shoulder with his round hand.

‘Me? What do you want me to do?’

Raon tilted his head.

The thing the King of Essence was going to do!? Fully unleash your soul’s level and locate the soul stone nearby!

Wrath clenched his fist, confident it would work.

‘You said only you could do that. I haven’t even reached Transcendence yet.’

Wrath had explained before that the size of a soul grew with one’s life experiences. No matter how many hardships Raon had endured, he couldn’t possibly match the soul of a Demon King.

‘Even aunt Aris couldn’t do it, so how could I?’

Haaaaah…

Wrath let out a deep sigh, exasperated.

He’s been telling you since long ago! Your soul is incomparably larger than your pathetic martial prowess!!

‘You did say that….’

Raon nodded. Wrath often told him his soul’s size was enormous, far surpassing his age and martial prowess.

When you rotated that damn ring, your soul’s size was greater than that of that punk Aris!

Wrath pointed his finger at Aris.

That’s why the King of Essence keeps saying it’s cheating!

He slammed his hand down, telling him to realize his own abilities.

‘Hmm….’

Raon placed his hand on his left chest, where the Ring of Fire rotated, and clicked his tongue.

‘Even so, it’ll be hard. Even if I unleash my soul to the fullest, I can only sense the area around me.’

Idiot! What you have isn’t just your soul!

Wrath gestured to the bracelet on Raon’s wrist.

‘The Demon Kings’ authority….’

Exactly. What you’ve been given isn’t just strength and traits but fragments of the Demon Kings’ souls!

He smacked Raon’s own wrist, telling him to look properly.

‘I know, but….’

Raon bit his lip, recalling the emotions of the Demon Kings gathered at the edge of his soul.

‘I can’t fully use all of that right now.’

His realm wasn’t high enough to summon all the Demon Kings’ authority. Even drawing out the one he was most familiar with <Wrath> required his full focus.

The King of Essence will help you.

Wrath landed on his shoulder and wiggled his plump fingers.

‘What?’

He will help you control the Demon Kings’ authority.

‘But you…’

Though it's hard for me to use physical power right now, supporting you is definitely possible.

Wrath tilted his chin up confidently.

‘Still, wouldn’t that strain you?’

Raon hesitated. Wrath’s spirit form was in poor condition, unable to exert much power.

Hah! Worrying about me, a Demon King, you little brat! How ridiculous!

Wrath scoffed, lifting his round chin arrogantly.

Enough talk! We’ll begin now, so prepare yourself! If you can’t keep up, He’ll leave you behind!

Wrath twisted his lips, urging Raon to follow him no matter what.

‘…Thank you.’

Raon thanked Wrath, closing his eyes.

Wuuuuuung!

Resonating the Ring of Fire, he awakened the authorities of the Demon Kings that had been sleeping deep within his soul.

Kugugugugu!

<Wrath>, <Sloth>, <Envy>, <Gluttony>, and even <Lust>. Like a volcanic eruption spewing lava, the authorities of the Demon Kings surged beyond his control, spreading in all directions.

It begins now! Focus!

With Wrath’s shout, his wrath seeped in from over his shoulder.

Kugugugugu!

This time, the wrath wasn’t attempting to devour Raon’s soul. Instead, it was a condensed force to restrain and control the other Demon Kings' authorities.

He can't hold on for long either! Use those emotions as your hands and feet and spread them across this entire shoreline!

‘Understood.’

Using Wrath’s shout as a foundation, Raon heightened his focus to the extreme.

Fwoooosh!

As the authorities of the Demon Kings connected through the emotion of wrath, he felt as if the entire shoreline was in the palm of his hand.

It was an omnipotent sensation, as if his skin had transformed into the entirety of Giran Island.

‘I can see everything!’

Raon entered a state of ultra perception, where he could perceive not just stones and pebbles, but even the shape of each grain of sand.

Crackle!

In the empty void, Lust's authority was vividly felt.

‘What… is this?’

Raon’s lips trembled as he stared. Lust, who he thought had returned to the Devildom, was gazing at him from within a pink current.

Kiaaaah!

Wrath shrieked the moment he saw Lust and immediately released his grip on Raon’s shoulder.

The omnipotent sensation Raon had just moments ago vanished in an instant.

“Lust? Why are you here?”

“Aaah…”

Lust, in her pink current form, sighed deeply.

“Hihihihihi!”

As Raon stared, stunned, a baby sea otter surfaced from the water and began to giggle.

“I told you! You got too close!”

A sea otter that spoke human language. There was no need to ask who was inside it.

“Merlin, too…”

“Yup! It’s me!”

The sea otter nodded energetically.

“What are you two doing here?”

“We made a small bet.”

Merlin grinned mischievously, declaring her victory with a triumphant laugh.

“I’m sorry…”

Lust emerged from the pink currents, her face appearing clearly.

“I was just so happy that you used my authority…”

She bowed her head deeply, saying she was truly sorry.

Ack!

Wrath whimpered, hiding behind Raon.

Why are those madwomens here?! Why are those madwomens together! And why now of all times?!

He screamed, saying everything was ruined.

‘You don’t have to worry.’

Raon patted Wrath’s head and shook his own.

“I’m curious about the bet, but let’s save that for later.”

“Are you searching for the soul stone? Let me help!”

Merlin reached out, eager to join.

“I already found it.”

“What? You found it?”

R-Really?

Merlin and Wrath’s jaws dropped in shock.

‘Yes.’

Raon nodded calmly. Though he was startled by Lust and Merlin, his focus, as clear as a polished mirror and as still as calm water, did not waver immediately.

When his soul had spread across the coastline, he had clearly sensed a dark, gloomy emotion cloaked in shadow.

‘It’s here.’

Raon’s gaze fixed on a shallow section of the sea, not far from the shore. A fist-sized, smooth pebble stood out. Its rounded shape and deep emerald-green hue were striking.

From this very pebble, Raon felt weeping, sadness, and despair.

‘It doesn’t seem like a good soul.’

But still, he had to go.

Raon let out a short sigh and grabbed the pebble.

Fwoooosh!

With a sensation as if his body was floating, like seeing the memories of his ancestor, his vision turned black.

*   *   *

A girl appears, seven years old? No, perhaps even younger.

She was practicing swordsmanship in the empty yard in front of her house, growing remarkably day by day, as if overflowing with talent.

Despite her dedication, her emotions wavered occasionally—specifically when she watched children her age playing together.

She would stare blankly, enviously, at children debating what games to play and where to go.

One of the children approached her and extended a hand, smiling brightly as they invited her to join.

[Me too?]

The girl reached for the child’s hand, only for a stern-looking middle-aged man to appear and block her path.

[Get lost.]

At the sharp voice of the middle-aged man, the child ran away on the verge of tears and never appeared before the girl again.

[You have duties to fulfill. Don't disappoint me.]

The middle-aged man, who seemed to be her father, uttered words telling her to focus on training, his eyes dry and devoid of any affection.

From that day forward, the girl practiced tirelessly, day and night.

She no longer glanced at the laughing, playing children, dedicating herself solely to fulfilling her father’s expectations.

Three years passed, and she finally reached the level her father had sought.

When she excitedly approached him, her father said only one thing.

[It’s time. Let’s go.]

No words of praise. No acknowledgment of her efforts. Only a command to follow him to an unknown underground cavern.

The cavern was filled with children who seemed to be her age.

The girl was delighted, thinking she had finally found friends, but the other children seemed not to have such thoughts.

They all had cold eyes, the same gaze they directed at her father.

The girl's life didn't change much. She swung her sword all day in the cavern and slept alone in a solitary cell.

She wasn't given time to get close to anyone, nor proper time to rest.

Other children quickly adapted as if they were familiar with this hell, but one boy was different.

He always had tears in his eyes, as if terrified by the gloom of this underground cavern.

Perhaps seeing herself in the boy, the girl began to look after him.

The girl began to feel a small happiness as she built a bond with the boy named Baldera.

Even at dawn, she wasn't called to the training cavern and was kept only in her solitary cell where she slept.

While trembling with the happiness of not having to swing her sword and the unease of not seeing Baldera, she heard someone's scream from afar.

The screams continued, day after day, growing louder and more frequent.

Terrified, she called for her father and Baldera, but no one answered.

After a week, her cell door opened, and her father entered.

[Father!]

She ran to him, begging for help, but he kicked her away with a disdainful gaze.

As the girl rolled on the floor after being hit, a boy with cold eyes stepped in front of her.

Baldera. The young, immature boy with whom she had built a small bond was holding his sword with eyes just like her father's.

[Baldera. Why…?]

As the girl shouted for him to lower his sword, Baldera's blade pierced through her heart.

Her chest felt hot. Only after feeling the empty sensation of all the aura accumulated in her energy center and her soul being sucked away did Baldera withdraw his sword.

[Father… Baldera…]

Using the last of her strength, she reached out to the only two people she had ever formed a bond with.

But that hand stopped in mid-air, and her father and friend left the dark room without giving her even a fleeting glance.

[A half success, huh…]

As her father’s cold voice echoed, her life flashed before her eyes.

Her cold father, the sword she had wielded all her life, the children who once invited her to play, and even the betrayal of the friend she had made at the end.

Her eyes were filled with tears reflecting the despair of never having been able to live as an ordinary child.

I just… wanted to play with other kids…

Kuwaaaaaah!

The girl's body burned with black flames and transformed into a giant monster of fire.

Death, despair, anger, and pain—all dark energies were embedded in the girl's soul.

‘I see…’

Seeing the black-flamed soul, Raon did not draw his sword but instead extended his hand.

“I’ll play with you.”

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