The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 896

 Chapter 896

 

“Black Tower….”

Raon lowered the hand gripping Heavenly Drive and narrowed his eyes.

‘Is he serious?’

There are many speculations, such as the White Blood Religion being underground or Eden’s headquarters being in the sky, but no one currently knows the exact location of the Five Demons.

Among the Five Demons, the Black Tower was so shrouded in secrecy that not even its general direction was known.

Even the Archmage of Eternal Flame, Chamber, had given up on finding it, so it was hard to believe that the DemonBlade knew of its location.

“I-I swear it’s true!”

The DemonBlade bit his lip as he struggled to lift his upper body.

"It was the Black Tower that helped me complete this sorcery!"

He shook his head, insisting that he was not lying.

“Wasn’t it Derus Robert?”

"Derus Robert? No. The one who sought me out and offered to fill me with the energy of death even stronger than in my prime was a floor overseer of the Black Tower." (changing floor master to floor overseer)

The DemonBlade raised his trembling hand, stating that the floor overseer of the Black Tower had personally approached him and made an offer.

"They said they would prepare all the sorcery in advance and, in return, asked that I help them just once in the future."

He lowered his gaze as he spoke of his deal with the Black Tower.

“Black Tower….”

Raon looked down at DemonBlade, whose shoulders were trembling, and nodded.

‘If it wasn’t Derus, then it must be the Black Tower.’

The Black Tower was owned by a demonized human, but it was also home to numerous sorcerers and necromancers skilled in handling energy of death, making it entirely plausible.

“Then how did you find out the location of the Black Tower?”

"There was a chance they were trying to use me, so I followed the floor overseer."

The DemonBlade swallowed dryly and lifted his gaze.

"I was trying to find their weakness, but I was lucky enough to discover an area that led to the Black Tower."

He nodded heavily, stating that he had found a passage leading to the Black Tower.

"If… If you let me live and set me free, I’ll tell you the location of the entrance."

His blackened lips trembled as if asking what Raon’s decision would be.

“Fine, I’ll spare you. Now, speak.”

Raon nodded and even took a step closer to The DemonBlade.

Hey, that’s the face of someone who has no intention of keeping his promise!

Wrath let out an incredulous huff.

And why is there killing intent in your voice when you say you’ll spare him?

He shook his head, wondering why Raon wasn’t even pretending to act as he normally would.

‘Words won’t work on him anyway.’

A man like the DemonBlade would only speak if he was absolutely certain of the conditions. No matter how it was phrased, words alone wouldn’t be enough.

"You're saying that while letting out such a murderous gaze."

The DemonBlade let out a low groan and shook his head.

"Swear on the soul of the Transcender Raon Zieghart that you will not kill me."

His violet eyes gleamed as he demanded a soul-bound vow.

"Torturing me won’t work! I have placed a sorcery upon myself, if I experience pain beyond my limit, my memories will be erased! Even if I want to speak, I won’t be able to!"

The DemonBlade shook his head, insisting that the only way to obtain the Black Tower’s location was to let him live.

"A soul-bound vow…."

Raon lowered his hand and furrowed his brows.

For a fool, he actually thought this through well.

Wrath crossed his arms and snorted.

Even a promise-breaking bastard like you shouldn’t take a soul-bound vow lightly. It’ll affect you in a big way.

‘What do you means?’

If you swear upon the soul of a Transcender, as he said, it will interfere with your strength. You might not be able to grow any stronger. That is also why the King of Essence does not lie.

Wrath shook his head, explaining that the stronger one was and the higher the rank of their soul, the harsher the penalty if you violate the vow.

“…Fine.”

Raon gazed down at the DemonBlade and nodded.

"If you reveal the location of the Black Tower, I will not kill you with my sword."

My sword, huh….

Wrath smirked faintly and smacked his lips.

“Swear properly.”

The DemonBlade, still unconvinced, firmly shook his head.

"Swear it using your name."

"I swear on the name of the Transcender Raon Zieghart. If you reveal the location of the Black Tower, I will not kill you with my sword and will let you go."

Placing his right hand over his chest, Raon made the soul-bound vow.

The moment he spoke, a chilling sensation spread through him, as if chains had wrapped around his soul.

"Then remove this first."

The DemonBlade pointed to the Blade of Requiem, still embedded in his chest, making sure Raon didn’t forget.

“Before that.”

Raon gestured with his chin.

“You swear as well, that your information about the location of the Black Tower is real.”

“Of course.”

The DemonBlade nodded without hesitation, as if he had nothing to hide.

"I swear on the name of the Transcender Derek Royton that I will reveal the true location of the Black Tower. If my words are false, I will carry these wounds for the rest of my life."

His entire body gleamed faintly in purple, a clear sign that he had genuinely made a soul-bound vow.

“Good.”

Raon nodded and pulled the Blade of Requiem from the DemonBlade’s chest.

Wuuuuung!

The Blade of Requiem let out a deep resonance, as if questioning why it was being removed, but a green wind swirled around it, calming the vibrations.

“Then, as promised, I will reveal the location of the Black Tower.”

The DemonBlade, now free, parted his blackened lips.

“The Black Tower is in Montiro.”

“…Montiro?”

Raon repeated the name, his eyes narrowing.

“You expect me to believe that?”

Montiro was a city in the south. Though tucked away in a remote corner, it was still a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to the sea. The idea that the Black Tower could be hidden there was hard to believe.

“I’m telling the truth….”

The DemonBlade shook his head, insisting he wasn’t lying.

“Then tell me exactly what happened.”

Raon wanted to hear the full story before believing him.

“I have mastered a technique called Ashen Stealth—it’s a sorcerous technique, not one that relies on energy of death or aura, making it exceptionally difficult for others to detect.”

The DemonBlade ran his tongue over his lips as a grayish energy flickered around his hand.

“Using this stealth technique, I directly tailed the floor overseer of the Black Tower. He changed his appearance multiple times as he moved through different cities and villages, but since he was using the same energy of death, he couldn't escape my eyes.”

He nodded and recounted how he had followed the floor overseer.

"The place where he finally stopped after countless detours was Montiro. At first, I thought he would change his appearance again, just like in the other villages, but this time, he vanished completely. It was as if he had never even set foot in Montiro, his presence was entirely erased."

The DemonBlade clenched his trembling fingers into a fist.

"I waited for several days but didn’t notice anything unusual in the city. Thinking I had lost him, I was about to leave when he reappeared. And he wasn’t alone, he was with another demonized human whose presence I recognized."

He raised his head and looked at Raon.

"That convinced me the Black Tower was hidden in Montiro. So, I conducted a slow and careful search until I found a small passage. It was only possible because I could manipulate the energy of death. But… I couldn’t enter the passage."

“What do you mean by couldn’t enter?”

“A sorcery was placed on the passage to prevent outsiders from entering. If I had forced my way in, my identity would have been exposed.”

The DemonBlade let out a short sigh, stating that he had only confirmed the Black Tower’s location before returning.

“The floor overseer you followed, who was he?”

“One of the higher floor overseers, Batorutan. He’s covered in spike-like demonic energy. After that second appearance, I never saw him again.”

“And where exactly did you find the passage?”

"In Soven Street, where they sell street food. I found it in an alley, but it only opens when they come out. Since you don’t have the energy of death, it’ll be difficult for you to find."

“…..”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed the DemonBlade, who had just finished speaking.

‘It doesn’t seem like a lie.’

The DemonBlade valued his own life more than anything. There was no way he would risk making a soul-bound vow just to tell a lie.

Montiro was such an unexpected location, but precisely because of that, it seemed plausible that the Black Tower could be there.

“It seems you’ve realized that I was telling the truth.”

The DemonBlade let out a relieved breath.

"Then, let me go."

He struggled to lift himself as he urged Raon to keep his promise.

“I will.”

Raon nodded and took a step back.

“…..”

The DemonBlade clicked his tongue softly as he observed him.

'You think I don't know what you're planning?'

Raon Zieghart had no intention of letting me go. He would surely call his subordinates from the back to strike me down the moment I turned my back.

‘Even if I’m gravely wounded and have lost my energy of death….’

One last card remained.

If he drew out the energy of death hidden deep within his heart, he could create a sorcery to kill Raon’s men and escape while Raon was caught off guard.

“Then….”

Just as the DemonBlade was about to turn around while plotting his survival, Raon suddenly stepped forward.

“W-What are you trying to do?! You swore you wouldn’t kill me!”

"Of course, I’ll keep my promise."

Raon nodded as he placed Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem on the ground.

“…Are you seriously thinking of attacking me with your hands just because your vow only mentioned your sword?”

The DemonBlade twisted his lips into a smirk, mocking Raon.

“Do you really think a soul-bound vow has such a loophole?! The very act of attacking me with intent to kill would violate the vow!”

He widened his eyes and scoffed, calling Raon a fool.

“Don’t worry. That’s not what I’m doing.”

Raon gave a faint smile and shook his head.

‘Wrath.’

He gestured toward Wrath, who was frowning.

'This might be a little troublesome, but could I ask you to lend me just one finger?'

Troublesome? Who cares! That scum, who sacrifices his own subordinates, is someone the King of Essence would gladly kill with his own hands!

Wrath nodded fiercely, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

‘I knew you’d understand. If this goes smoothly, I'll let you eat whatever you want for ten days again.'

With that promise, Raon relaxed the muscles in his right hand.

Sssssssss.

Wrath’s wrath, which had always been a source of power, seeped deeply between Raon’s fingers, carrying a deep and unwavering will.

It gathered within his right index finger—where the presence of the Demon King of Wrath took hold.

“Y-You’d better think carefully! If you lay a hand on me, you’ll be cursed for life!”

"I don’t think so."

As Raon calmly shook his head, his finger, imbued with Wrath’s power, rose on its own and pointed at the DemonBlade.

“I swore that my sword wouldn’t kill you. But the one killing you isn’t me, it’s an entirely different existence.”

The moment those words left his lips, the tip of his index finger gleamed, unleashing a silver flash toward the DemonBlade.

“Hrrk!”

The DemonBlade instantly unleashed a surge of energy of death, attempting to block the frost-like light.

Fwaaaah!

But the silver frost effortlessly shattered his energy of death and froze his hands into ice before creeping over the rest of his body.

“AAAAARGH!”

The DemonBlade let out a piercing scream as he watched his body slowly freeze over.

The pain was worse than when his arm had been severed or when his flesh and bones had been torn apart.

'What did you just do?'

It’s called the Snow Demon's Shroud, a torture technique.

Wrath clicked his tongue.

Even when frozen to the bone, the victim’s nerves don’t go numb. Instead, it feels like their flesh is being endlessly torn away

Wrath wrinkled his nose in disgust.

A leader who sacrifices his own subordinates deserves to suffer in hell.

“This… this dreadful cold energy! You… you’re working with that blue demon king!”

The DemonBlade’s eyes twisted as if he had only now realized Wrath’s presence.

“Ugh… If you had the Demon King’s power, you could’ve erased my sorcery… then why did you make that vow?!”

His trembling jaw made it clear, he was asking why Raon hadn’t simply tortured the truth out of him instead of making a soul-bound vow.

“It was faster.”

Raon calmly tilted his chin.

“…What?”

"Torture is tedious and takes too long. That soul-bound vow got me the answer instantly."

The DemonBlade might look pathetic now, but he was still one of the few Transcenders in the world.

Erasing his sorcery and extracting information through torture would have taken at least half a day, so Raon had simply chosen the quicker method.

“Ah….”

DemonBlade trembled all over, seeming to fear Raon more than the Demon King, Wrath.

“I… I can’t die here… I won’t die here….”

Desperate to escape by any means, he began channeling the remnants of his energy of death into a spell. His will to survive was terrifyingly strong.

Worm.

Wrath scoffed and flicked his finger.

Smack!

Suddenly, the silver frost intensified, freezing not only the DemonBlade’s mouth and eyes—where he had been chanting his spell—but even the energy of death flickering around him. His entire being was sealed within that glimmering frost.

A worm like you doesn’t even deserve to keep breathing any longer.

As Wrath lowered his hand, the DemonBlade crumbled to dust and sank into the ground.

As if feeling extreme pain and fear until the very end, the dust that was once the DemonBlade trembled as it scattered.

It’s finished.

Wrath snorted and withdrew his presence from Raon’s finger.

Hah… Even this much is exhausting…

He let out a long sigh and massaged his body, even breaking into cold sweat. It was clear that torture technique had drained him.

Whoooosh.

Once Wrath left, feeling returned to Raon’s finger. Strangely enough, it felt warm rather than cold.

‘You did well.’

Raon stroked Wrath’s head as he dripped with cold sweat.

Hmph! The King of Essence didn’t do it because of your request! He was just furious that he sacrificed his own subordinates!

Even as he panted for breath, Wrath shook his head to show that he had only been venting his anger.

And….

‘And?’

You will keep your promise, right?

‘Of course.’

Raon nodded with a smile.

‘One week of eating whatever you want—’

It was TEN days, you swindler!

Even in his exhausted state, Wrath seemed to remember the details of their agreement and shook his head furiously.

‘All right, all right.’

Raon chuckled as he lowered his hand. At that moment, heavy footsteps sounded from behind him.

“Division leader!”

“Raon!”

“Are you okay?!”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan, whom he had instructed to stand back, rushed over as soon as they sensed that the battle had ended.

Their eyes full of worry as they carefully examined him.

“I’m fine. It’s over.”

Raon flicked the blood off Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem before stepping forward.

“D-Did you really defeat the DemonBlade?”

“You actually managed to bring down one of the heads of the Five Divine Orders? Even seeing it with my own eyes, I still can’t believe it…”

Martha and Burren let out hollow laughs, still unable to believe what they had witnessed.

"I believed it…."

Runaan, who had seemed to trust him completely from the start, simply raised her thumb.

"It was bound to happen someday, but I never thought it would come this soon…."

Trevin bit his lip, staring at the frozen dust of what used to be the DemonBlade.

“The era is truly changing.”

Letting out a deep sigh of admiration, he turned his gaze toward Raon.

"That's a bit too much of an exaggera—ugh!"

Raon chuckled and waved a hand dismissively, only to suddenly clutch his abdomen.

‘The energy of death is raging inside me again.’

Now that the battle had ended, the effect of Ascara’s Combative Energy had disappeared, allowing the energy of death lingering in his body to rampage once more.

Wuuuuuuung!

Just as he tried to suppress it, a faint light and wind rose from the Blade of Requiem. It then began absorbing the remaining energy of death within his body.

Before long, the Blade of Requiem had devoured all of it, and let out a deep hum, as if in satisfaction.

‘T-Thanks.’

Raon gave a small nod to the Blade of Requiem in gratitude.

Wuuuuung!

The sword responded with a soft, almost indifferent hum, as if saying it was no big deal.

‘Ever since master’s soul entered it, something’s changed….’

Its will has grown even stronger.

The Blade of Requiem had always possessed a consciousness of its own, but after Rimmer’s soul entered it, that will had become even more pronounced

‘I really have no idea what he’s thinking.’

Uuuuugh….

As Raon shook his head, thinking about Rimmer, Wrath suddenly began trembling all over, just as Raon himself had moments ago.

‘What’s wrong? Are you also experiencing aftereffects…?’

Even though Wrath was a Demon King, affecting the physical world as a mere spiritual entity consumed immense energy and drained his soul.

It seemed the aftereffects were worse than Raon had expected.

It’s coming….

Wrath trembled, his lips quivering as he spoke.

‘The pain?’

No! That damn thing! The worst existence in this world is coming!

Just as Wrath gritted his teeth and spread his hands wide in panic, a blue message window appeared before Raon’s eyes.

[You have achieved a great feat.]

[You have brought an era to an end.]

[All stats have….]

[Traits have….]

What appeared wasn’t the worst existence in this world, but rather the rewards for defeating the DemonBlade.

He knew it! He can tell just by feeling it! This damned system!

Wrath let out a furious scream, shaking his head wildly.

‘….’

Raon stared at him with an ice-cold gaze.

D-Don’t look at me like that! If you had all your fur ripped out, you’d be just as miserable as me! Kyaaah! Why are there so many today?! This is just too much!

“…..”

Raon’s gaze grew even colder as he stared down at him.

Stop looking at me like that!

 

 

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