The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 914

 Chapter 914

 

“Haah…”

Rensia sank to the ground, feeling drained now that her role had ended.

"You endured it well."

Raon nodded with a smile.

“That’s right. Even Lady Chamber said that you enduring it was the most important thing.”

Martha hugged Rensia tightly, praising her for her resilience.

“You were so beautiful….”

Runaan gently patted Rensia’s head, her smile now looking much more natural. It seemed she now used words like ‘handsome’ or ‘beautiful’ simply as compliments.

“Well then, shall we take a look?”

Raon jerked his chin toward Rensia.

“Huh? Take a look at what?”

“You should see the results of your efforts with your own eyes.”

“What do you mean… Ah!”

Before Rensia could finish, Raon grabbed her waist and kicked off the fountain, stepping upwards into the air as if ascending invisible stairs. Together, they looked down at Montiro from high above.

Fwoooosh!

The path of flames that started from the fountain met with five silver orbs in the sky, forming a brilliant red pentagram.

The deep-red flames did not stop at simply forming the pentagram. They expanded further, creating a grand circle that encompassed the entire city of Montiro.

Gooooooooo!

Within that massive circle, five red stars glimmered. It was a spectacular scene, the true form of the Lantern That Awakens the Darkness.

“It’s beautiful….”

Rensia clasped her hands together as she gazed at the pentagram that enveloped all of Montiro.

"This is the spell called the Lantern that Awakens Darkness. You played the most crucial role in making it happen."

Raon pointed downward at the flames forming the pentagram.

“…Did I really help?”

Having spent her life trapped in the Black Tower’s grasp, Rensia still didn't realize how significant her contribution had been.

“Of course. Without you, this spell wouldn't have been possible.”

Raon nodded firmly, assuring her that she had done an incredible job.

“Ah…”

A faint smile of relief formed on Rensia’s lips as she clasped her hands.

“And the spell’s real effect starts now.”

At Raon’s snap of the fingers, the jewel on Rensia’s necklace shattered. As it did, the flames forming the pentagram began shifting from red to a brilliant blue.

Kyaaaaaaang!

At that moment, a deafening roar erupted, as if tens—no, hundreds of thousands—of glass windows were shattering simultaneously. From beneath Montiro, a pentagram magic circle tainted pitch-black surged up from the depths.

Kugugugugu!

As expected of the barrier that had concealed the Black Tower’s existence and hid the demonized humans and demonic energy within, the magic formation exuded a viscous, repulsive energy, like foul, stagnant filth seeping into the air.

It's filthy energy. Just like those wretches.

Wrath frowned as if disgusted.

The King of Essence wants nothing more than to freeze those filthy energies immediately.

He waved his hand, urging Raon to destroy the magic formation quickly.

"That is the barrier that had bound your arms and legs."

Raon bit his lip slightly.

“Ah…”

Rensia’s pupils trembled violently with fear.

"You don’t need to be afraid anymore. It’s about to disappear."

At Raon's gesture, The Lantern that Awakens Darkness descended and clashed against the Black Tower's magic formation.

Kuwaaaaaang!

The two magic formations, different in both color and nature, collided, unleashing a shockwave so powerful that it felt as if the land and sea of Montiro were crumbling.

Crackle!

The blue flames and black demonic energy fiercely pushed against each other in an intense struggle. However, before long, the black energy was consumed by the blue flames, and cracks began forming on the Black Tower's magic formation.

‘As expected.’

The barrier covering Montiro had never been designed for combat. Instead, its purpose was to conceal the Black Tower and gather demonic energy.

On the other hand, The Lantern that Awakens Darkness was created specifically to erase the Black Tower's barrier as swiftly as possible. Victory was inevitable.

Kyaaaaaaang!

In the end, the pentagram barrier that had ruled over Montiro melted away under the blue flames, and the Black Tower's barrier was completely shattered.

Fwoooosh!

With the destruction of the Black Tower’s magic formation, the once-clear sky began to darken ominously.

From the earth, demonic energy surged like writhing worms, and the emerald sea turned into a black, murky sludge, as if all the filth hidden beneath had now surfaced.

Even though they had destroyed the Black Tower's barrier, the once-beautiful land now looked as though it had transformed into hell itself.

“Ah…?”

Rensia's chin trembled as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"How... how did this happen...?"

“As I told you before, happiness doesn’t last forever. This is the true face of Montiro, hidden beneath all the laughter and happiness.”

Raon shook his head as he gazed at the darkness engulfing the ruined city, as if it had been swallowed by hell itself.

“I see….”

Rensia bit her lip but didn’t look away from the now grotesque Montiro.

"You've changed quite a bit. Before, you would have blamed yourself for this."

Raon smiled faintly as he looked into Rensia’s eyes.

"It's thanks to you, Sir Raon, and the others."

Rensia gestured toward Martha and Runaan.

“Thanks to the swordsmen, I realized that it's not my fault, but the Black Tower's fault, and that I should always have courage.”

She nodded calmly, saying she had learned a lot through this.

A tough one, indeed!

Wrath let out a breath of admiration as he watched Rensia.

She’s far better than you or those other brats! Good enough for the King of Essence himself to want to train her!

He waved his hands in the air, looking as though he genuinely found Rensia admirable.

‘I think so too.’

Despite growing up in a living hell, Rensia had always prioritized others over herself. Just as Wrath had said, her willpower surpassed even Raon's and the swordsmen of the Light Wind.

A pity. Had she been a bit younger, she would’ve become a great warrior or magician.

Wrath clicked his tongue regretfully.

‘Magic might not be too late for her.’

As Raon chuckled and shook his head, the ground beneath the fountain began to crack, very slowly at first.

But this wasn’t just an ordinary crack, the earth itself was opening to reveal a black dimension beneath.

Hmm….

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he examined the widening rift.

It may be contaminated, but at its core, it's true demonic energy.

Wrath clicked his tongue, sensing the energy of the devildom seeping through the rift.

‘True demonic energy….’

Raon clenched his fingers as he descended back to the ground.

‘The battles ahead won’t be easy.’

*   *   *

When Raon returned to the ground with Rensia, the dimensional rift had opened only as wide as a fingernail.

The demonic energy from within the dimension was so powerful that it seemed the gate would require significant time to fully open.

“Raon!”

Trevin came running with the Warring Steel swordsmen, waving his hand.

They looked completely battered, their bodies covered in wounds, proof of a hard-fought battle. But despite that, they had emerged victorious and even stronger than before.

“You've worked hard.”

Raon bowed his head to Trevin.

"It was a tough fight. No—honestly, it was dangerous. A high-ranking floor overseer suddenly showed up."

Trevin let out a long breath, explaining that the battle had been nearly even, but he had managed to turn the tide little by little until he finally won.

"That’s why I trusted you to handle it."

Raon smiled, saying he had never doubted him.

“Palace master.”

The second person to return was Mark Goetten.

“Fortunately, I was able to carry out your command.”

Mark Goetten cautiously bowed his head. Unlike the Warring Steel Division, he appeared unscathed, but mentally, he seemed far more exhausted.

“Did you engage in a quick-draw duel?”

“As expected, you saw through it immediately.”

Mark Goetten nodded, confirming it.

“I was lucky. My opponent lacked patience.”

“No matter what, victory in a quick-draw duel isn’t decided by luck.”

Raon placed a reassuring hand on Mark Goetten’s shoulder, acknowledging that his victory was earned through skill, not luck.

“Ughhh!”

“Ehehek!”

The third group to arrive was Dorian, Krein, and the other Light Wind swordsmen who had gone with them.

They collapsed to the ground, panting so heavily it wouldn't have been surprising if they’d died right then and there.

“Why did you send us to the statue?!”

“We seriously thought we were going to die!”

Dorian and Krein shot resentful glares at Raon.

“I-It was incredibly exhausting!”

“We barely took down the spirit magician Foreson, then demonized humans showed up, and when we defeated them, endless waves of demonic creatures kept coming!”

The other Light Wind swordsmen squeezed their eyes shut, recalling the endless waves of enemies they had faced.

“But you did it.”

Raon tilted his head slightly, as if he didn’t understand what the problem was.

“Huh?”

“Uh…”

"W-Well, we did... but..."

The swordsmen blinked blankly, unable to argue.

"No one died, and you all returned having grown stronger, even if only a little, right?"

"T-That's true..."

Dorian blinked before lowering his chin.

"Then that's all that matters, isn’t it?"

“…Yes.”

He quickly averted his gaze, as if too scared to argue any further.

“Hey! We agreed to complain together!”

Krein shook his head in frustration.

“Complain together, huh…?”

Raon took a step closer, his smile turning icy.

“Krein the first one to fall behind, you’ve grown bold.”

"Ah, no... I didn't mean..."

"Let’s talk more when we get back."

“I’m sorry!”

Realizing he’d made a serious mistake, Krein hastily lowered his head, but Raon’s cold smile remained unchanged.

“Oh, everyone’s already here.”

The fourth to arrive was Burren, waving a bloodstained hand.

“Burren. You…”

Raon’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at him.

“You've reached Grandmaster?”

Raon’s jaw dropped slightly in genuine surprise; he hadn't expected Burren would ascend to Grandmaster after Martha and Runaan.

“I was lucky. I had a breakthrough at the last moment.”

Burren responded humbly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“A breakthrough…”

“Rensia inspired me. I realized that breaking through a wall is about the right image.”

He mentioned Rensia while nodding toward Martha and Runaan.

Despite acting humble, it was clear that he wanted to show off to the two who had always been ahead of him.

"Sorry to tell you this, but..."

Raon stepped back, gesturing toward Martha and Runaan, shaking his head.

"Martha and Runaan reached Grandmaster too."

He pushed them forward so Burren could see for himself.

“…Huh?”

Burren’s breath hitched as he sensed their energy, realizing that it was at the same level as his.

"Oh dear! You thought you were the only one? How cute, our little brother."

Martha chuckled, patting Burren’s head as if teasing a younger sibling.

“Still last place….”

Runaan also found Burren’s boasting amusing and playfully wiggled her finger up and down.

“Ughhh…”

Burren let out a low groan, his face flushing red as if ashamed of his earlier behavior.

“You shouldn’t end up like him,” Raon whispered jokingly toward Rensia.

“W-Wait a second! Does this mean we have three Grandmasters now?”

Dorian exhaled in disbelief.

“No, four. The Warring Steel Division leader is one too.”

Krein corrected him, shaking his head.

“Even for a palace, aren't four Grandmasters plus a Transcender a bit excessive?”

Trevin tilted his head in amazement.

“At this rate, even if we are outnumbered, our martial strength itself might not be inferior even if we fought the Five Divine Orders.”

Mark Goetten laughed, saying that there wasn’t an armed organization comparable to the Light Wind Palace anymore.

“Hmm, Sir Mark, don’t you feel envious?”

Burren glanced at Mark Goetten, exhaling briefly.

“I’ve long passed the age of envying others because I couldn't reach that position or blame myself. I just want to congratulate you all.”

Mark Goetten smiled and clapped his hands, genuinely celebrating Burren, Martha, and Runaan’s achievement of reaching Grandmaster.

“Ahem!”

Finally, Morell Kazan from Balkar arrived, clearing his throat and approaching the fountain. He appeared entirely unscathed, clearly having unleashed his full strength during his battle. He nodded his head lightly in greeting.

“You’ve worked hard,” Raon smiled, politely bowing.

“The lantern has been properly lit. You did well too, Light Wind Palace master.”

For the first time, Morell Kazan spoke to Raon with clear respect, nodding in acknowledgment.

“Now, all that remains is for that door to open.”

“Yes. It will take some time, so please rest in the meantime.”

After finishing his conversation with Morell Kazan, Raon turned to the others.

“You guys too, take medicine and recover your stamina.”

He narrowed his eyes, pointing toward the slowly widening dimensional rift.

“Because the real war begins after this door opens.”

*   *   *

Pazzzzzik!

Like a giant forcing its fingers into a gate and twisting it open, the very ground was torn apart, revealing a vast dimensional rift pulsating with blackish-red currents of energy.

Unlike the rifts that had opened so far, the dimension opened by the Lantern That Awakens the Darkness was on an entirely different scale.

Even the huge city of Montiro seemed to be less than half the size of the dimension where the Black Tower existed.

Kugugugugugu!

A massive dimensional gate split Montiro in half, and from within, a towering tsunami of crimson-black demonic energy surged forth.

Its toxicity was so extreme that merely inhaling it caused the aura within one's energy center to ripple uncomfortably.

It’s been a long time since the King of Essence has smelled true demonic energy.

Wrath took a deep breath, his blue eyes flickering.

‘True demonic energy…’

He assumed they were mere imitators, but it seems this energy is true demonic energy, though contaminated. Those emerging from this dimension will be entirely different from the foes you've faced before.

He smacked his lips, saying that the beings inside that dimension were on a completely different level.

Kugugugugu!

Eventually, the land of Montiro tore open entirely, splitting all the way to the sea, fully revealing the dimension connected to the Black Tower.

The endless, surging waves of black-crimson demonic energy swallowed the sky, and an even more gloomy atmosphere arose.

“Hoo…”

Raon moved toward the edge of the newly opened rift, peering down.

Goooooo!

The dimension opened by the lantern was like a mirror reflecting Montiro’s land, yet it was vastly different.

In stark contrast to Montiro's white land, this dimension featured pitch-black earth with rivers of molten lava glowing scarlet. At its center, an enormous tower rose upward—or rather, downward—so tall its height defied measurement.

“So that’s the Black Tower.”

Raon bit his lip as he gazed at the gigantic, upside-down tower.

The tower itself exuded demonic energy as if it were a living creature. Enormous demonic creatures circled it, spreading their wings and unleashing ghastly roars.

Kuuuuuuung!

As Raon steadied his breath, the sky and earth trembled, and with a thunderous roar, the first floor of the Black Tower opened.

Screeeeech!

A massive gate, large enough for a giant to walk through, slowly swung open, and an uncountable horde of demonic creatures poured out.

Kuguguuuu!

Beast-like monsters, humanoid demons, and abominations that looked like they had been ripped straight from nightmare tales filled the entire field of vision, their red eyes gleaming with killing intent.

Crackle!

As the monsters positioned themselves before the tower, a second gate opened above them, from this floor emerged demonized humans, armed with blackened weapons, their expressions devoid of emotion.

They lined up behind the demonic creatures, as if forming a barricade, fixing their hostile gazes toward Raon’s party.

Kiaaaaaaaaa!

A door high in the Black Tower’s upper levels swung open, and a knight clad in darkness soared out, mounted on a massive black dragon. The moment the dragon let out a thunderous roar, the demonic horde and the armed demonized humans charged forward.

"T-That’s a lot of them..."

Burren’s eyes narrowed as he gave up trying to count them.

"Just taking all of them down will drain all our strength."

Martha let out a breath and shook her head.

“They’re tough…”

Runaan exhaled briefly as she observed the dense demonic energy surrounding the monsters and demonized humans.

“C-can we really stop all of them…?”

Dorian’s jaw trembled as he watched the flood of demonized humans surging forward.

“Gulp…”

Rensia swallowed nervously, watching as the army of demonic creatures and demonized humans rushed toward them like an endless black tide.

She had thought it was all over, only to face an even more overwhelming situation. The sheer shock left her breathless.

“You don’t have to worry.”

Raon reassured her calmly, watching the surge of demonic creatures and demonized humans approaching them.

"This battle isn’t ours alone."

As if responding to Raon’s words, dozens of magic circles suddenly appeared across Montiro's darkened sky.

Whoooooooom!

As the magic circles opened with a blue glow, silver knights bearing the emblem of a lion stepped forth.

“Charge!”

At the command of Owen’s Third Prince, Greer de Owen, the elite knights simultaneously drew their swords and cut down the onrushing demonic creatures.

“It’s been a while.”

Greer greeted Raon formally, hand placed over his chest in a knightly salute.

“You've grown into a swordsman so impressive that the word ‘astonishing’ isn’t enough to describe you.”

From another magic circle, Duke Tartan emerged, resting his sword on his shoulder with a broad grin.

Kuwaaaaaah!

The Black Tower’s demonized humans and creatures, shaken by the overwhelming presence of Owen’s knights, attempted to shift their attack to the left.

But even there, blue magic circles had already blossomed.

“Burn them.”

From within the newly opened magic circle, Princess Jaina of Balkar stepped forward, tilting her chin with an air of arrogance.

At her command, the mages, already prepared in advance, unleashed dozens of pre-cast spells.

Kuwaaaaaaang!

A massive shockwave erupted, incinerating the advancing demonic creatures into nothing but ash.

“……”

Jaina quietly lowered her head toward Raon, as if saying she had worked hard.

“……”

Raon slightly nodded his chin, accepting her greeting

Having watched her growth over the past month, he now felt that she deserved to be treated as a true princess.

Kiaaaaaaaaaaa!

The black dragon knight roared furiously and spread his wings.

His black-scaled dragon unleashed a furious screech, and the knight raised his darkly burning spear, descending like a thunderbolt aimed at Raon.

Fwoooosh!

Just as the black knight charged, ready to unleash the demonic energy embedded in his spear, another magic circle flared to life on the right side.

From within, a figure stepped out—cold and merciless.

"Pathetic insect."

It was Karoon. The moment he arrived, he swung his sword, decapitating both the black dragon and its rider in a single stroke.

The elite swordsmen of the Central Martial Palace, who had arrived alongside him, drew their swords without the slightest hesitation, swiftly cutting through the demonized warriors and creatures.

“Good work.”

Karoon gave a very brief greeting and crossed the dimension without hesitation.

“So this is the Black Tower, huh?”

Raon turned toward the familiar, clear voice and saw Chamber standing beside him, observing the tower.

“It’s even filthier than I imagined.”

Chamber clicked her tongue in disgust.

"It could use a bit of cleaning, don’t you think?"

"I agree."

Raon smiled and nodded.

“Alright.”

The moment Chamber clapped her hands, entire sections of the lower floors of the Black Tower, along with the demonized humans and demonic creatures stationed there, were severed from existence as if they had been cut away with giant scissors.

Kugugugugu!

More than a dozen demonized humans and demonic creatures were erased by magic spell that didn't even require chanting.

"Now that’s refreshing!"

Chamber chuckled in satisfaction, popping a lollipop into her mouth.

“Let’s go. We’re cleaning out that entire tower today.”

She showed not a single ounce of fear as she crushed the lollipop between her teeth.

“These people… all of them…”

Rensia’s jaw trembled slightly as she gazed at the large group of people standing before her.

"I told you, didn’t I? It’s not just me who’s strong. It’s all of us."

Raon grasped Rensia’s shoulder with a reassuring smile.

"By the end of today, that tower will be erased from this world."

 

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