The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 965

 Chapter 965

                   

'Damn it....'

Aris bit her lip hard, feeling her mana circuit hardened like a plaster statue.

‘So it’s not going to work after all.’

She had thought she was mentally and physically ready. But the mana from the Dragon Heart was leaking out between her cursed, frozen mana circuit and energy center.

‘I haven’t lost that much mana yet. But if this continues throughout the entire cultivation process…’

She’d suffer a huge loss.

Because of the curse that had ruined her body, when she absorbed 10 units of the Dragon Heart's mana, 4 of them were dissipating into thin air.

She could accept this if it were a temporary phenomenon, but continuously wasting mana would result in a huge loss.

‘The problem is…’

Aris shook her head, feeling the massive mana surging from the Dragon Heart.

‘There’s nothing I can do about it.’

Both her mana circuit and energy center were hardened. She had already begun cultivating, so she couldn’t stop or turn back now.

Just as you can't take back a word once it's spoken, she couldn’t retrieve the mana that had already slipped away.

‘Raon… I’m sorry…’

Because she knew her own talent, she had been confident, up until she started cultivation, even if her power had been absorbed by that damned sword.

But maybe I was too impatient, frustrated that I couldn’t become the benefactor. I had been resting for a long time, and my injuries were severe… and so, this ended up happening.

‘If I'm not careful, I might not even reach Transcendence.’

If her aura continued to be wasted like this, she wouldn’t just fail to regain her original realm, she might end up stuck at the realm of Grandmaster.

‘No. Let's focus now.’

Aris clenched her trembling fingers and slowly exhaled.

The tension of losing mana was making it harder to focus.

If she suffered any more losses, it could really all fall apart. That’s why she had to give it her all right now.

‘For Raon’s sake too.’

Her nephew, who had not only given her the Dragon Heart and comforted her but was also standing guard for her, was watching. She had to overcome this no matter what.

Hoo…

As Aris bit down on her molars and focused on her cultivation, she felt a hand touch her back. A warmth like sunlight. It was Raon’s hand.

‘Raon? What are you…’

She was caught off guard, not understanding why he’d suddenly placed his hand on her back, but then a gentle warmth began to flow from his palm.

Uuuuuuung!

The mana Raon sent flowed gently through her cursed and hardened mana circuit, as if it had originally belonged there, and settled into her energy center.

‘This is…’

The mana I lost.

Raon was gathering the mana she had spilled from the Dragon Heart and returning it to her. And he was doing it by following the flow of her cultivation method so she wouldn't lose it again.

‘Are you out of your mind?!’

You'll be in danger too!

Raon and she practiced completely different cultivation methods. Interfering so suddenly like this was dangerous for both of them.

But Raon was passing the mana to her so gently, it felt as if they were using the same cultivation method.

‘Ha…’

Aris tightened her grip on the Dragon Heart and swallowed dryly.

‘Is this really possible?’

It would be hard for even father.

He wasn't healing her, nor had they planned this beforehand. Yet he was matching the flow of mana perfectly to her body, a feat even Glenn would have a hard time pulling off.

‘The only thing I can say is that this is insane.’

A hollow laugh escaped her lips, how could Raon suddenly step in like that and still match the flow of her cultivation so perfectly, as if it were his own?

‘Just how far are you planning to keep surprising me?’

She had been shocked when he killed the mad dragon Kaibar, again when he kept appearing stronger every time they met, and once more when he returned from the last war after slaying the Black Tower’s master.

She had thought that nothing Raon did could surprise her anymore, but once again, he left her stunned.

‘Huu.’

Aris bit the tip of her tongue and nodded faintly.

‘No more thinking. Focus now.’

Raon is going this far for me.

This isn’t the time to thank him. Whether she expressed her gratitude for helping her, or scolded him for putting himself in danger, that could all come after the cultivation was over.

Hoooooo…

Aris slowly exhaled as she embraced the warmth radiating from Raon’s fingertips with her entire body.

‘So warm…’

Raon’s hand, and the mana he was passing into her, were both warm. The heart and body that had frozen over after being stabbed by Sif were now slowly melting. It truly felt like even the curse was being lifted.

Fwaaaaa!

Aris thought back to her pleasant first meeting with Raon as she sank deeper into her mental world.

*   *   *

Gooooooh!

Raon gave a slight nod as he watched Aris begin to properly absorb the mana from the Dragon Heart.

‘Thankfully, it worked.’

He had considered that Aris, knowing her personality, might reject his help out of concern for his safety, but she quietly accepted it, understanding his intent.

That punk’s not a fool, after all.

Wrath snorted, saying Aris might be simple, but she wasn’t a fool.

‘Punk, huh…’

Raon let out a faint smile as he accelerated the flow of mana circulating through Aris’ body. The natural mana spun rapidly, starting to melt the hardened mana circuits.

‘I’ve missed that wild side of hers. I hope it returns.’

If you asked who the most free-spirited person in Zieghart was, everyone would point to Aris.

But after the incident with Sif, she seemed like a different person —sunken in gloom. Hoping she would regain even a bit of her spirit, he helped circulate her aura as if it were his own.

Pashhh.

Raon, now fully immersed, continued guiding her aura when the Dragon Heart in Aris’ hand lost its glow and crumbled into white powder.

All the mana that had sustained the Dragon Heart had been used up, leaving it unable to retain even its skeletal form.

‘Now it truly begins.’

Raon gently lifted his hand from Aris’ back. With the mana of the Dragon Heart now embedded in her energy center and mana circuits, it was her own fight from now on.

Without a sound, he stepped back and returned to his role as a guardian.

‘But still…’

Raon licked his lips as he sensed the nine rings coiling around his heart.

‘The Ring of Fire really is mysterious.’

To be able to intervene naturally in someone else’s cultivation. The Ring of Fire was a miraculous cultivation method that made the impossible possible.

Of all the factors that contributed to his rapid growth, the greatest had to be the Ring of Ring.

‘If only I had reached 10-stars…’

He recalled how, within the Chamber of Self, the tenth ring had failed to fully form and had scattered instead. He still felt frustrated that he had left without completing it.

You greedy bastard…

Wrath scowled in disbelief.

You’ve raised two cultivation methods to 10-stars, and even your swordsmanship, body, and soul grew, yet you're still not satisfied?

He gritted his teeth, muttering that even Greed would have been satisfied with that much, if only briefly.

‘But aren’t I supposed to be the vessel of a demon god? I can’t be satisfied with just that.’

Raon shrugged as he looked at Wrath.

W-well, that’s true…

Wrath blinked, accepting even his own ridiculous words. Really… no matter how many times Raon saw him, he was always an amusing demon king.

‘Though he was terrifying in the Chamber of Self…’

Facing the real Wrath, not his cotton candy form, had required more courage than expected. If it hadn’t been inside the Chamber of Self, he wouldn’t have been able to stay on his feet.

‘Right. I still have a long way to go.’

Raon nodded calmly and began to use the Ring of Fire again.

‘Even this moment shouldn't be wasted.’

As he cultivated, picturing the tenth ring in his mind, Aris's body floated into the air.

Wuuuuuuung!

The mana particles that had been scattered around the cultivation chamber, or rather, the entire main building, began to surge like waves and bloomed into blue-hued flowers.

Fwaaaaaaah!

The radiant blossoms bloomed in full before gently fading, as if their lives had come to an end, and drifted into Aris’ entire body.

Fwooooosh.

After accepting all the blue petals, Aris descended once more to the ground. A single clear tear slid down her cheek as she opened her eyes.

Just like when they first met, Aris locked eyes with him, her gaze brimming with confidence and that unmistakable spark of freedom.

“Thank you….”

Aris whispered her gratitude, biting her trembling lips.

“Who are you?”

Raon repeated the exact same words he had spoken to Aris when he first woke up on her pirate ship.

“What?”

“I asked—who are you?”

“…I…”

Realizing what he meant, Aris took a quiet breath and slowly straightened her back.

“Aris Zieghart. That Aris Zieghart.”

She repeated the words Raon had once said to her — this time as her own.

"It seems you've finally returned."

The Aris Zieghart who had been stabbed by Sif and buried beneath the earth had now shattered her own grave and stepped out of it on her own.

She hadn’t yet regained all her martial strength, but the heaviness that had weighed on her heart had finally lifted.

“Welcome back. Aunt. No…”

Raon lightly hugged Aris and shook his head.

“Pirate King Aris Zieghart.”

*   *   *

After entrusting the now-exhausted Aris to Federick, Raon returned to the annex building.

He, too, was drained after helping her cultivate for over two days, so he headed straight for his room. But just as he was about to go in, the sound of a sword being swung rang out from by the lake.

‘Sia?’

He turned toward the sound and saw Sia standing in front of the lake, practicing the forms of the Fangs of Insanity he had taught her.

She’s improved quite a lot.

Wrath smacked his lips, impressed by how quickly Sia was progressing.

‘Yeah. Faster than I expected.’

Even though she had lost her memory, Sia had originally been a Grandmaster. So it made sense for her to grow quickly.

But even taking that into account, the progress she was showing now far exceeded his expectations.

‘Could it be… she’s more talented than I thought?’

It seemed like Sia might even possess more talent than him, someone who used the Ring of Fire.

Just as Raon was thinking how amazing she was, the annex building door opened, and Judiel stepped out, walking over to his side.

“She’s changed a lot, hasn’t she?”

Judiel softly nodded as she watched Sia practicing with focused intensity.

“She said she wants to swing her sword as beautifully as you, Sir Raon. She’s been training from morning to night.”

She let out a small smile, saying it seemed like Sia had become completely absorbed in swordsmanship.

“From morning to night?”

If that were true, then this wasn’t just talent, it was the fruit of effort. He had only taught her casually, never expecting her to train this hard.

“Of course, Sir Edgar has been blaming you Sir Raon, saying you’ve ruined Lady Sia.”

Judiel shook her head, saying Edgar was throwing a fit because he couldn’t play with Sia anymore.

“That’s understandable. He probably knows there isn’t much time left to treat her like a little girl.”

From what Raon felt, Sia had matured significantly lately. She looked to be around five when they first met, but now she seemed older than ten.

“Since you’re here, why not give her some advice?”

Judiel raised her hand, suggesting he give her some guidance.

“I think it’s better to wait until later.”

Raon shook his head, looking at Sia’s back.

“She’s fully immersed right now.”

Sia was fully focused on her sword practice, unaware that Raon and Judiel were even watching.

At times like this, it was best not to interrupt and just watch quietly.

Fwoooosh!

Listening to the sharp yet smooth sound of Sia’s sword slicing through the air, Raon stepped into his room.

You must not sleep yet!

Wrath raised both hands in front of the bed.

If you’re going to sleep, at least eat something first!

He scrunched his nose, saying Raon hadn’t eaten for over two days and should at least have breakfast.

‘I wasn’t planning to sleep right away anyway. I still have something to do.’

Oh! That’s good, then! In that case, hurry and—

‘I need to check the rewards.’

While Wrath was still smiling in anticipation, Raon called back the reward messages he had dismissed in the cultivation chamber.

Urgh…

Wrath froze with a smile, clearly having forgotten about the reward, froze mid-laugh.

[You have achieved significant growth within the Chamber of Self.]

[You have experienced 101 deaths.]

[All stats increase by 50 points.]

Aaaaaaaaagh!

Wrath let out a scream so loud it sounded like his throat was being torn open as he saw the reward messages for the third time.

Stop pulling that thing up already!

‘I barely even checked it the first time.’

Raon smiled as he pressed down on Wrath’s trembling head.

Damn it, every time the King of Essence looks at it, his hands start shaking! What did you even do to deserve a whole 50 points?!

Wrath ground his teeth, furious that Raon had gotten such a reward without even defeating a Transcender like the Black Tower’s master.

‘Because I trained hard.’

Everyone trains hard… Wait, what?

Wrath’s eyes went wide, as if he’d just spotted something.

‘What is it?’

As Raon narrowed his eyes toward Wrath, a new message appeared.

[A new trait, <Crisis Detection>, has been created.]

‘Crisis Detection?’

<Crisis Detection>

A special ability obtainable only by those who have experienced countless deaths. It allows the user to sense the moment death approaches.

‘Huh…’

Raon let out a soft breath after reading the description of Crisis Detection.

‘That’s practically cheating.’

If it worked as described, it meant that even if he encountered a Transcender stronger than himself, he could at least avoid an instant death.

Of course, it would need a higher rank to be fully effective, but even having it was satisfying enough.

C-Crisis Detection!? Why the hell did that get created!?

Wrath screamed, saying that an enormous amount of authority must’ve gone into creating <Crisis Detection>. Whatever he had been thinking before, he clearly forgot all of it upon seeing this.

‘You’re the one who made it for me.’

Raon gestured towards Wrath with his chin.

Don't talk nonsense! Why would the King of Essence create something like that!

‘Read the description carefully. It only exists because you kept killing me.’

Since the trait could only be obtained by someone who had experienced countless deaths, it was clear that the trait was born thanks to Wrath repeatedly killing him.

Ah… Aaaaagh!

Realizing that, Wrath grabbed his head and screamed.

‘We're not done yet, so keep it down.’

Raon brushed aside the wailing Wrath and checked the next message.

[The rank of the trait <Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation> has increased.]

[The rank of the trait <Glacier> has increased.]

[The rank of the trait <Water Resistance> has increased.]

[The rank of the trait <Fire Resistance> has increased.]

[The rank of the trait ＜Water Affinity＞ has increased.]

[The rank of the trait ＜Fire Affinity＞ has increased.]

[The rank of the trait ＜Spiral Power＞ has increased.]

[The rank of the trait ＜Wrath Release＞ has increased.]

[The rank of the trait ＜Flame that Overcomes Death＞ has increased.]

[The rank of the trait ＜Blade that Severs Death＞ has increased.]

[The rank of the trait ＜Authority Amplification＞ has increased.]

[The rank of the trait ＜Authority Control＞ has increased.]

The next set of messages showed the rank increases of various traits. As the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier rose in rank, his resistance and affinity for both fire and water also improved simultaneously.

‘Even my death-related traits went up.’

Perhaps due to dying a hundred times, both the <Flame that Overcomes Death> and the <Blade that Severs Death>, traits that allowed him to resist and fight against the energy of death, also increased simultaneously.

On top of that, from constantly clashing with Wrath, even the <Authority Amplification> and <Authority Control> had gone up.

He’s going to lose his mind! This is infuriating! This is too much!

Wrath threw his chubby fists at the air, shouting about how absurd it was that so many traits were increasing.

As Raon chuckled, watching Wrath perform his usual solo drama, another message appeared.

[The rank of the trait ＜Backstab＞ has increased.]

Backstab?

Wrath furrowed his brow, clearly bewildered.

Now why the hell is that increasing too!

‘That’s probably because of you too.’

Raon waved his hand casually.

Wha? What? You've never surprise attacked the King of Essence!

‘You didn’t get surprise attacked, I did.’

Since Raon had been surprise attacked and killed by Wrath every time they met in the Chamber of Self, the experience points for <Backstab> had built up significantly. Whether he was the one landing the surprise attack or getting hit by it, the system counted it all the same.

Ugh… He had no strength left. He swore he was never doing anything ever again…

Wrath muttered weakly and collapsed onto the bed.

But the surprises weren’t over for him yet.

[The trait <Backstab> has surpassed its limit and evolved into a new trait: <Death God>.]

D-Death God? Deaaaaath God?

Wrath slammed the bed the moment he saw the word <Death God> in the message.

Death God, my ass! The King of Essence will become the death god instead! He'll kill them all....

You eating or not?

…Eating.

It seemed that even a death god couldn't resist food.

 

 

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