The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1029

 Chapter 1029

 

“There it is!”

Rabawin raised his hand and pointed toward the land where the light had vanished.

“It’s hard to believe, but that harbor is Belder!”

He bit his lip deeply as he looked at the harbor that had sunk into darkness.

“Belder Harbor…”

Raon climbed up onto the ship’s railing, narrowing his eyes.

‘Has it already collapsed?’

Belder Harbor was darker than a moonless night sky. Had Rabawin not pointed it out, they would have passed by without even noticing its existence.

‘There’s no trace of human presence.’

He spread out his aura perception, but not even the slightest presence could be felt from Belder Harbor. It seemed as though every human that had been here was dead.

‘But the mana of the ocean is flowing.’

Unlike the vanished human presence, a thick flow of mana carrying the scent of the ocean surged through the harbor. If he could identify that energy, he might be able to clearly determine the attacker’s identity.

“Follow me.”

Raon gave a slight nod to the Light Wind swordsmen and kicked off the railing of the Azure Wind, leaping into the ocean.

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

Starting with Burren, the Light Wind swordsmen who were right behind him jumped off the ship in succession.

Toowooong!

Raon surged forward, striking the ocean as if shattering it with the Supreme Harmony Steps, heading into Belder Harbor where light and life had vanished.

Hooouuuuk.

The moment he stepped into the pitch-black harbor, a chilling cold crept up his spine.

‘This is really Belder Harbor?’

Rabawin had said that Belder was a fairly large harbor with over 300 residents, but now, not only were there no people, even the vitality they had left behind was completely gone.

Ssshhhh.

He could see seawater flowing beneath his feet. No, water was flowing throughout the entire village. It was as if a massive tidal wave had poured in and swept away everything that once existed in this harbor.

‘Are they really all dead?’

The faint hope he had felt deflated like a popped balloon. Even though they had departed the moment they received the news, it already seemed far too late.

There’s nothing here.

Wrath also shook his head, saying he couldn’t feel any human presence.

It feels like being inside the cold depths of the ocean.

He furrowed his brows, as if deeply annoyed.

‘I feel like I’m looking at a dead city.’

The harbor facilities meant for docking ships had been completely destroyed, the houses and buildings had collapsed leaving behind only fragments, and not even the smallest light remained to illuminate the surroundings. The harbor village, now filled only with darkness, felt like a kingdom that had fallen and vanished centuries ago.

“H-Heugh…”

“T-This is really Belder Harbor?”

“It’s all completely gone!”

The Light Wind swordsmen, arriving a beat later, gasped as they looked at the collapsed harbor and the blue stream of water flowing into the ocean.

“Everyone’s really dead…?”

Burren exhaled in disbelief as he stared into the darkness.

“There’s not just no people, there’s nothing left.”

Martha furrowed her brow, noting that not even a dog or an insect could be seen.

“Hmm…”

Runaan touched the water flowing toward the ocean with her palm, lowering her brow.

“It’s seawater. Very cold.”

She nodded slightly, noting that it was much colder than the ocean outside.

“Hmm…”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the stream of water flowing toward the ocean.

‘Just like Runaan said, it’s cold seawater, but…’

Just as much as the cold, the mana of the ocean was deeply embedded in it.

Throughout the entire harbor, mana imbued with the scent of the ocean was flowing thickly. One might think that natural for a harbor village or city near the ocean, but this concentration far exceeded normal levels.

‘Wrath. This energy…’

Raon flicked off the seawater from his fingertips and called to Wrath.

‘Doesn’t it feel similar to the mana that wolf possessed?’

The mana flowing through the ocean from this village was strikingly similar to the energy of the blue wolf they had first encountered upon entering the ocean.

Indeed.

Wrath nodded as he looked out over the dark ocean.

In fact, it’s not just similar, it’s almost exactly the same.

He furrowed his brow, saying that while there were minute differences, the flow, scent, and color were the same.

‘Did that wolf really attack this harbor?’

Raon hadn’t wanted to jump to the conclusion that the blue wolf was the culprit, but seeing the state of the harbor left no room for doubt.

‘But I still don’t know what exactly it did.’

He couldn’t figure out what kind of trick had been used to kill all the people without leaving behind a single trace.

‘Or maybe it didn’t kill them, did it drag them into the ocean?’

Just in case, he spread his aura perception toward the ocean, but all he could sense were ocean creatures and monsters.

“S-Scary…”

Dorian trembled as if frightened at the thought of entering a village where all the people had disappeared.

“There’s nothing to be scared of! That wolf ran away because it was scared of us!”

Krein shook his head, saying there was nothing to fear, but even he couldn’t step properly, taking only hesitant little steps.

“There’s nothing left to see, everything was swept away by the seawater.”

Burren sighed, saying even finding traces would be difficult.

“Maybe because it’s a harbor village… the remains of the buildings are all rotten.”

Martha clicked her tongue, brushing off the rust on her hand.

“It’s true that buildings near the ocean corrode quickly because of salt and humidity, but…”

Raon approached her and examined the remains of the building she was looking at.

“It doesn't corrode this quickly all the way to the inside of the house. This must’ve just happened.”

It's true that buildings near the ocean corrode faster than buildings on land due to the effects of salt, wind, and humidity. However, it is rare for not only the exterior materials but also the inside of the building to corrode.

'Don't tell me...'

Raon entered a building on the right and examined the walls and floor.

‘Same here.’

Not just the spot Martha checked, many of the other houses and building sites were also rotted from salt.

‘This means it wasn’t just a tidal wave that swept away this harbor.’

Whether it was magic or sorcery, it was certain that some special power had been used.

‘I should check for other traces as well… hm?’

Just as Raon narrowed his eyes and turned to look elsewhere—

Ruuuumble…!

An immense mana surged up from the ocean, pressing down on his shoulder like a boulder.

“What the!”

When he turned around, a giant wave that looked like it could reach the sky rose up, and within it, the face of the blue wolf appeared.

‘What is this…?’

Raon’s fingertips trembled as he looked into the blue wolf’s eyes.

‘It changed…?’

The blue wolf had grown even larger than before, its mana even stronger. But that wasn’t the only change.

‘It's malice has thickened and darker.’

If the blue wolf he had seen before stood somewhere between a spirit and a monster, the wolf that appeared now was in a state closer to a monster. Judging by the smell of blood, it seemed to be growing stronger by devouring humans.

“Doggy…”

Runaan bit her lip thinly as she looked at the blue wolf.

“It looks like it wants to cry…”

Even while sensing the chilling energy that reached them here, she felt pity for the wolf.

"I-I can't read that wolf's but..."

Dorian clasped his trembling hands together.

"It does feel like it's sad."

He clutched his head, as if he couldn’t trust what his own senses were telling him.

“What kind of nonsense is that! It’s glaring at us full of killing intent!”

Krein shook his head fiercely, saying he couldn’t even look the wolf in the eye.

“Whatever the case…”

Raon drew Heavenly Drive and stepped toward the ocean.

“I can’t just leave it like this.”

As he stepped into the water using the Supreme Harmony Steps, the wolf dissolved into seawater and foam, just like during their first encounter.

Running away again?

Wrath blinked, not understanding why it was retreating.

What the hell is that mutt thinking!

‘I don’t know either.’

Raon furrowed his brow as he looked at the foam and stream of water, now darker and tinged with a deep crimson.

‘Did it decide it couldn’t defeat me? Or maybe…’

Did it have something it wanted to say to me?

*   *   *

Whooooosh.

Raon sat on the prow of the Azure Wind as it cut through the blue waves, letting out a heavy sigh.

‘I thought I’d be able to resolve this quickly…’

No sign of progress.

It had been ten days since Belder Harbor collapsed, and though they had searched all along the nearby coastlines, the wolf hadn’t appeared again, and no other harbors or villages had been attacked.

‘This doesn’t mean the problem is solved.’

Rabawin and the Light Wind swordsmen had said that the blue wolf seemed to have fled out of fear of him. If that assumption was true, then the moment Raon disappeared, it would surely show up again, meaning the problem still remained.

Exactly.

Wrath nodded calmly.

The moment you’re gone, that sly mutt will start hunting again.

Twisting his lips, he seemed to believe the wolf had fled because it couldn’t defeat Raon.

‘Let’s try organizing the information.’

Raon leaned back against the railing and looked up at the clear sky.

Is there even anything to organize? Not a single thing remains in the villages attacked by that blue wolf, and all that beast does is grow stronger the more people it devours.

Wrath waved his hand dismissively, as if it was all obvious.

The fact that it showed up after becoming more evil is proof enough!

‘That might not be the case.’

Raon shook his head calmly.

"Because I haven’t seen that wolf attacking."

At Belder Harbor, he had felt the blue wolf’s energy, and it had shown up as if it had been waiting. At first, Raon suspected it too.

But considering what Runaan and Dorian, both known for their sharp senses even among the Light Wind swordsmen, had said, and the way the wolf disappeared without even trying to fight, he felt it was still too early to be certain.

So you’re going to let it go again?

Wrath clicked his tongue like Raon was being an idiot.

‘I’m not saying I’ll let it go. I won’t kill it right away, but next time, I’ll definitely confront it.’

Raon shook his head, saying he wouldn’t let it get away again.

‘But the wolf has to show up first… Hmm?’

Just then, the aura perception he had spread to find the wolf caught the presence of many people.

‘West?’

Focusing his vision westward, he saw four large sailing ships approaching. The fluttering flags on the sails bore skull symbols, they looked like pirates.

“Pirates! Pirates are coming from the west!”

Not long after Raon sensed them, the lookout on the mast lowered his telescope and shouted that pirates had appeared.

“So it really was pirates…”

Raon let out a short sigh.

“They’re called the Kusar Pirate Squad. Among the pirates in this area, they’re the strongest and most violent.”

Rabawin nodded as he looked at the four pirate ships now clearly visible.

“It seems they were planning to raid the harbor ahead and happened to run into us.”

He scowled, saying that the Kusar Pirate  Squad had been continuously invading the territory ever since Aris disappeared. From the way he spoke, they sounded like villains that wouldn’t be a problem to kill.

“Then I guess it’s time we paid them back.”

Raon gave a cold smile and nodded.

“Then we should begin preparing for battle…”

“There’s no need for that. We’ve got some friends over there who are already fired up.”

He cut through the magic cannonballs fired by the Kusar Pirates with Heavenly Drive and tilted his chin.

“Go. Bring the captain back alive.”

He pointed his sword at the four pirate ships and ordered the Light Wind to wipe them all out.

"As you command!"

Starting with vice palace master Burren, the Light Wind swordsmen kicked off the deck of the Azure Wind and leapt into the ocean. They stepped across the waves as if walking on solid ground and jumped up onto the pirate ships.

‘Not a bad opportunity for them to gain some results and experience.’

The pirates were warriors specialized in naval combat, and there were even a few at Master. It seemed like a decent opportunity for the Light Wind swordsmen to gain experience.

However, there was a part where he was greatly mistaken.

Kuwaaang!

Martha, who had been irritated after being on a ship for ten days, split one of the pirate ships in half. Trevin cut the second ship into dozens of pieces as if practicing his swordsmanship, and Runaan completely froze the third ship behind them.

“W-What the hell is this…?”

The captain remaining on the last pirate ship stared in disbelief, mouth agape at the unbelievable sight.

“Retreat! Fall back!”

But the swordsmen who hadn’t even drawn their swords yet charged madly onto the last pirate ship, unwilling to let their prey get away.

“Huh…”

Rabawin blinked blankly, realizing that while he had known the Light Wind was strong, he hadn’t expected such overwhelming power.

Ruuumble…!

Raon smacked his lips as he felt the explosion and shockwaves from the fourth pirate ship.

“It’s getting hard to even give the kids a chance to gain experience.”

He had thought pirates would be enough, but the swordsmen had become so strong that even giving them experience now felt difficult.

Kids?

Wrath pointed at the fourth pirate ship, now beginning to sink, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

How are those kids?! They’re just mad dogs!

He shook his head, saying they were becoming more and more like mad dogs.

*   *   *

“This is the one.”

Martha threw a middle-aged man in a red uniform with one eye in front of Raon.

“He’s the captain, apparently.”

She frowned, saying he was far too weak for a captain.

“Yeah. It was way too easy…”

Runaan also gave a small nod, saying it wasn't fun.

“That’s why I told you to hold back!”

Burren stomped his foot, saying the rest of the swordsmen couldn’t even get a chance to swing their swords because of them. It seemed he was the only one who understood Raon’s intention.

“Name?”

Raon tilted his chin as he stepped on the one-eyed man’s shoulder.

“P-Paros, sir.”

The one-eyed man trembled, clearly frightened by Martha and Runaan’s overwhelming strength.

“What were you trying to scavenge by crawling all the way out here?”

Raon brought Heavenly Drive to Paros’ neck and questioned him.

“We—we didn’t come down here because we wanted to…”

Paros swallowed dryly and shook his head.

“What do you mean by that?”

“All the harbors and villages in our territory were destroyed. We just needed something to eat, but there was nowhere left to go…”

He said the villages and harbors they had been protecting had all collapsed, so they came crawling to the territory the Pirate King had left behind.

'Don't tell me...'

Raon frowned as he looked at Paros.

“Yours was destroyed too? With not a single person left?”

“Y-yes. All four harbors we were protecting were completely wrecked. Not a single person remained, and the buildings were all ruined…”

Paros nodded, saying there was no way for them to make a living anymore.

“It’s the same.”

Raon met Rabawin’s eyes as he listened to Paros. What Paros had gone through was exactly the same as what happened at Belder Harbor.

“Did you happen to see the blue wolf too?”

Raon narrowed his eyes at Paros.

“I-I did. After that ship passed by and the harbor collapsed, it appeared.”

Paros gave a heavy nod, as if he had seen it all.

“Just as I thought… Huh?”

Raon stared wide-eyed at Paros.

“The ship passed by? The wolf wasn’t the one who destroyed the harbor?”

“Pardon? No, it wasn’t. The wolf appears after the village is already destroyed. The one that destroys the harbor is…”

Paros trembled all over as if the mere mention of the name terrified him.

“Th-The ghost ship.”

Advance Chapters