The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 954

 Chapter 954

 

“Ugh…”

Raon bit down on his pale, dried-up lips. The blood flowing down his white teeth evaporated instantly. The sun’s heat, as if trying to burn him alive, made it impossible to keep his mind straight.

‘To borrow Wrath’s words, this is ridiculously damn hot.’

Even while pushing the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation to its limit, he couldn’t completely endure the sun’s heat. He had no idea what method had been used to create such an intensity.

‘But still…’

If I endure this heat here, will that have any effect in the real world?

The realm of swordsmanship was about mental growth, independent of the physical body, so what he learned here clearly continued into reality.

But he wasn’t sure whether growth in aura or physical aspects could carry over as well.

‘No… for now, I just have to trust.’

There’s no way the first head of house would have created a trial like this without a reason. Right now, the right thing to do was to believe in him and focus everything on cultivation.

‘The heat is so brutal, it’s making me think all sorts of things.’

If it were just pain, he could grit his teeth and endure. But the heat was so suffocating it robbed him of breath, there was nothing he could do.

Had he not been using the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, his soul would’ve melted like ice cream under the blazing sun.

‘The first head of house was a more ruthless man than I thought.’

In his memories, the first head of house always showed a warm and compassionate demeanor. He’d assumed the man was simply kind, but now, he could see the truth. He was ruthless, through and through.

‘I don’t want to lose when it comes to stubbornness either, but… ngh!’

Raon let out a thin smile before flinching and shrinking his shoulders.

‘Damn it.’

It felt like the heat was melting not just his skin and muscles, but even his bones.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling. A sharp pain rose up from within, like a blade tearing apart the flesh beneath his skin.

‘I can’t endure this like this.’

This wasn’t something he could push through with focus alone. He felt a grotesque sensation, as if his very soul was being erased.

‘Should I use the Glacier alongside it?’

Since the Glacier’s frost was the natural opposite of heat, maybe it could help, even if only a little.

Wuuuuuung!

Like in a desperate battle, he raised both the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the Glacier at once.

‘Even this isn’t enough?’

The cold energy of Glacier slightly reduced the heat near his mana circuits, but the difference was minimal.

The golden sun’s heat was too overwhelming for the frost to show any real effect.

“Khugh…”

A strained groan escaped from Raon’s cracked lips. It wasn’t something he let out consciously. His soul was screaming under the overwhelming heat.

Rumble!

It didn’t feel like he was beside a volcano’s charcoal kiln, more like he’d been thrown directly into one.

Ssszzzzz!

The sensation in his skin was disappearing. That meant the burns had gotten worse. Any more than this, and it would truly be dangerous.

‘T-The first head of house wouldn’t set a trial that’s impossible to overcome… right?’

The head of house had so far always given trials that, although painful and exhausting, were still possible to overcome. There had to be a way to endure this heat too, there had to be.

‘What method should I try? To accept the fire… ah!’

As he pondered the first head of house’s intent, a method he hadn’t yet attempted came to mind.

‘The Ring of Fire.’

The first head of house hadn’t passed down only the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Alongside it, he’d also left behind the Ring of Fire—a cultivation technique, yet at the same time, something beyond a mere cultivation method.

When cultivating aura, rather than engaging in battle, it was standard practice to use only one cultivation technique. But now wasn’t the time to follow such theoretical rules. There was absolutely no way the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation alone could withstand the heat of that sun.

‘Let’s try it.’

Raon clenched the fist resting on his knee and began operating the Ring of Fire and the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation at the same time.

Fwooooosh!

The Ring of Fire unleashed its clearest blaze yet, and began drawing in the torrential heat pouring down from the sun.

As the nine rings resonated, the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation also seemed to gain vitality, taking in a greater amount of heat.

‘The pain’s lessened.’

The searing pain hadn’t disappeared entirely. But it had dropped from the level of being inside a furnace to something more like lying on a heated metal plate, enough to endure.

‘So the answer was the Ring of Fire.’

It seemed the first head of house had wanted to teach him to always use the Ring of Fire alongside the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, not just in battle but in cultivation as well.

‘He could’ve just said so...’

He couldn't understand why he had to go through this painful ordeal to learn something that could've been explained with words. Still, thanks to that, he probably wouldn’t forget it for the rest of his life.

‘Let’s start again.’

Raon exhaled a breath soaked in heat and focused on the operation of both the Ring of Fire and the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.

The nine rings shimmered and chimed as they poured vitality into his entire body, while the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation converted the heat into aura and guided it toward his energy center.

Chyaaaang!

As the clear resonance of the Ring of Fire echoed, Raon sank into a profoundly deep trance-like state of no-self.

*   *   *

“You’ve grown stronger.”

The mysterious, blue-haired child gave a faint nod as he looked at Wrath.

“Is that the life you wanted?”

The child curled his lips upward in a sneer, as if mocking him.

“To think you'd make me remember that wretched time…”

Wrath pressed his lips together tightly as he looked at the child, who wore a bitter smile.

“You really do know how to foul the mood of the King of Essence.”

The blue-haired child was Wrath’s past, and at the same time, someone who was no longer him.

It was his lowest and weakest self, and just looking at it made his insides churn.

“Don’t pretend you’ve changed.”

The blue-haired child let out a scoff and shook his head.

“O King of the Trash Heap.”

His gaze turned chilling, as if commanding Wrath not to run away.

“Haven’t heard that name in a long time.”

Wrath clenched his trembling fingers.

“It's nostalgic... and damn unbearable at the same time.”

Though he was now called the monarch of Wrath, he hadn’t always been strong.

Born in the deepest darkness of the devildom, a hell where all the world’s filth gathered, he had once been weaker than anyone.

“Unbearable? Isn’t that hell your own creation?”

The blue-haired child bared his white teeth as he asked why Wrath had run away. His gaze was laced with both mockery and resentment.

“Ran away? What kind of bullshit is that! You know better than anyone what that damned war meant!”

Wrath let out a beast-like roar and reached out toward the blue-haired child.

“Go ahead. Tear my throat out. Just like you killed those precious to you with your own hands.”

The child spread his arms as if telling him to do as he pleased.

“He…”

Wrath, whose fingertips had begun to radiate killing intent, loosened his grip and pulled the blue-haired child into an embrace.

“…have never forgotten the past. He simply keeps it buried deep inside.”

He closed his eyes, recalling that hellish moment from a distant past, a moment that hadn’t faded despite thousands of years.

“Hah. You miserable bastard.”

The blue-haired child twisted his lips in dissatisfaction, then dissolved into smoke and vanished.

“…So that was the trial.”

Wrath exhaled as he looked around the now-empty cave.

‘So if he had lost control of his rage, he would’ve failed?’

Judging by the outcome, it seemed like reacting with anger toward the reflection of his past would’ve meant failure in the Chamber of Self.

‘Lucky me.’

He hadn’t expected Raon’s face to flash through his mind at that moment.

The reflection of his past had reminded him of Raon’s younger days, back when the boy harbored deep resentment and revenge.

Because he’d seen how Raon had changed, Wrath had been able to suppress the wrath that surged within him.

‘The Monarch of Wrath cannot be someone who’s consumed by it.’

Humans often misunderstand this, but Demon Kings, while deeply immersed in their authority, must also be able to control it more easily than anyone else.

This cave's trial seemed designed to determine whether one could control their anger.

"Chamber of Self, huh…"

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he looked at the mirror from which the blue-haired child had stepped out.

In the black mirror, he saw not his current self, but a young version of him, covered in wounds from head to toe.

"Whoever came up with that name, they sure nailed it."

He let out a smirk filled with irritation as he looked down at the mirror.

‘Still… He can feel that something has changed.’

Wrath looked at his hand, pale as if it had never seen sunlight, and narrowed his eyes.

Having overcome his past, he could feel the authority embedded within his soul growing stronger. He didn’t know who had named this place, but the Chamber of Self was an uncannily fitting name.

‘Of course, he probably won’t be able to obtain everything here…’

From what he could sense, this space had originally been meant for only a single soul. But with both him and Raon entering together, a small fracture had formed.

Because of that, he likely wouldn’t be able to take away all the power originally meant to be gained here.

‘A shame… but he’ll have to keep going.’

Clicking his tongue briefly, Wrath stepped into the mirror from which his past self had emerged.

Sssshhh…

As he moved, he felt a sensation like walking through water, and something soft like a blanket brushed against his toes.

Gooooooong—

When he slowly opened his eyes, a pristine white snowfield unfolded before him, untouched by any footstep.

At the far edge of the snowfield stood a world tree, as if sculpted from pure ice, stretching its branches all the way to the edge of the sky. Sitting atop one of those branches was a handsome man with black hair and black eyes.

“He thought it might happen… and you really did show up.”

Wrath bit down hard on his lip as he looked at the black-haired, black-eyed man.

“…The previous monarch.”

*   *   *

Huuuuu…

Hoooo...

Raon slowly lifted his heavy eyelids. In the sky above, he could see nine rings floating and countless swords drifting across the sky.

‘My mental world, huh?’

It’s always the same here.

Even when entering the mental world through the Chamber of Self, it didn’t seem like anything had changed.

‘No… something has changed.’

The nine rings of fire hovering in the sky were resonating powerfully, forming a shape like the sun, and the swords drifting in the air were clearly tracing more refined sword paths, built upon the experience gained here.

‘I’ve grown.’

Just by observing the mental world, he could feel how much stronger he had become.

‘Of course, it’s not over yet…’

He was already satisfied with the growth he had achieved, but the trial wasn’t finished.

He had to fully make the endlessly blazing heat of the sun his own, only then would this trial come to an end.

Goooooooong!

Staring at the resonating nine Rings of Fire, Raon activated the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.

He visualized his entire mana circuit filling with flames and drew in the heat toward his energy center.

Dooooooong!

His chest echoed like a drum being struck atop a high mountain. It wasn’t a sound heard by the ears, it was his very soul surging with energy.

That majestic resonance cleared his mind, and he focused fully on cultivating with both the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the Ring of Fire.

Before he knew it, the sun’s heat had filled his lower and middle energy centers and now surged into the upper one.

Fwaaah!

The refined heat, processed through the Ring of Fire and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, touched his upper energy center, and in that instant, he felt a mystical sensation, as if his soul were connecting directly with the heavens.

Wuuuuuung…

His three energy centers and mana circuits expanded even further, and the red flames filling them began to deepen into a rich golden hue.

With the sun’s heat fully absorbed, the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation broke past a new wall.

Yet his transformation wasn’t over.

Above the nine rings of fire, a new ring was slowly rising, beginning to overlap with them.

Screeeeech!

The tenth ring, formed of golden flame, was about to connect with the other rings when a blue fissure cracked open in the sky, shattering the mental world.

“Huff…”

Raon let out a ragged breath as he opened his eyes. The mental world had vanished, and only the golden sun that had tormented him remained above.

‘What just happened?’

Did it fail?

It felt like he’d been expelled from the mental world due to a failure in forging the new Ring of Fire, but something wasn’t right.

‘I was sure it was succeeding.’

The tenth Ring of Fire wasn’t something he had consciously created, it was forming on its own. He couldn’t understand why it had been stopped.

‘Now that I think about it…’

It looked like that blue fissure was what blocked the ring.

It felt like the moment the Ring of Fire was about to complete itself, the blue fissure suddenly appeared and shattered it.

“Damn it, how frustrating...”

As Raon furrowed his brow, the golden sun vanished, and from where it had been, a man descended. He looked like Raon, only a little older, with the air of someone who had walked a harsh and rugged path.

It was the first head of Zieghart.

“This wasn’t something I expected.”

The first head of house rubbed his neat jawline with a look of curiosity. His voice felt oddly familiar, but Raon couldn’t make out what he was saying, as though the words were being drowned by the sound of crashing waves.

“Perhaps… two souls… and so… the interference…”

The first head of house let out a soft, amused laugh.

“What are you saying? Please explain it properly.”

“If you wait… no need to be disappointed… this too is another opportunity…”

He gave a slight nod, as if Raon not hearing him had worked out for the better.

“Now that it’s come to this… we’ll see each other again.”

That final sentence from the first head of house came through clearly. As if to say they would cross paths again one day, he gave a wave and vanished into the white space.

Fwoooosh!

As the head of house disappeared, the golden radiance faded, and the summit of the sand mountain, where the first trial had taken place, returned to view.

It seemed he hadn’t moved from this spot at all since the beginning.

“So… is the trial over now?”

Judging from the meaning behind the first head’s words, it seemed everything he had arranged was now complete.

“That tenth ring is a bit of a loss… but I’ve gained far more than that.”

He had learned how to properly wield the versatile sword, and his swordsmanship itself had grown tremendously.

With all three of his energy centers and mana circuits having expanded, not just the flow of his techniques, but their power had reached an entirely new level.

‘Of course, there’s something even greater than that…’

Raon felt the heat burning within his energy center and curled his lips into a faint smile.

‘Ten-Star Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.’

Unlike the Ring of Fire, it was the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation itself that had ascended in rank. He couldn’t quite feel the change clearly here, but once he returned to reality, it would likely produce flames of an entirely different level.

“I really want to test this out as soon as possible…”

So why isn’t it over?

Even though the first head of house had said they’d meet again, this world still hadn’t ended and continued to hold its form.

He couldn’t help but wonder what was going on.

‘Now that I think of it…’

Did he say something about two souls?

He hadn’t heard it clearly, but the first head had definitely mentioned something about there being two souls.

‘One must be me, and the other…’

Could it be Wrath?

Before entering this place, he’d seen Wrath’s reflection in the mirror. That had to mean Wrath had entered alongside him.

‘Then… that ocean must be Wrath’s path.’

Before climbing the sand mountain, he’d felt something strangely familiar from the ocean he saw. Now he was certain, it was the path Wrath had taken.

The image of a ball of blue cotton candy swishing its tail as it drifted across that ocean flashed through his mind, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“So that’s what he meant by another opportunity.”

Raon clicked his tongue as he gazed at the blue ocean, rippling like Wrath’s hair.

“Guess it’s time to go shake our Wrath down a bit?”

 

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