The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1076

 Chapter 1076

 

“My answer is always the same.”

Raon extended his right hand, not toward Darkan who had asked the question, but toward Glenn.

“A steadfast sword that does not break before anyone, a strong sword that does not waver before any storm. That is the sword I desire.”

He once declared it to Vulcan at the charcoal kiln, and now he brought out the vow he had upheld until this day.

“A sword that does not break before anyone…”

Glenn drew a faint smile, as if pleased with his answer.

“Not bad.”

Darkan smirked and drew a half-circle with his hand.

“If you keep striking with an unbreakable sword, then no matter how enormous Derus’ soul is, eventually you’ll be able to cut it down.”

He laughed, saying that Raon’s Heart Sword could be the answer.

“But there’s one problem.”

Darkan lifted his index finger.

“No matter how thick and solid your Heart Sword is, if the blade is blunt, it cannot cut his soul.”

He turned to Glenn as if to ask what he thought.

“Not wrong. The soul’s blade must be sharper than any blade of reality.”

Glenn nodded, saying that one must sharpen the blade of the soul as a craftsman forges a fine sword.

“Of course, I deliberately made mine blunt!”

Darkan shrugged, saying he hadn’t sharpened the blade of his Heart Sword too keenly in order to summon the enemy’s soul into his mental image.

“In any case, we’ve reached an agreement.”

Darkan smiled lightly and reached his hand toward Glenn.

“Looks like you and I will have a lot to do for the next month.”

“Indeed.”

Instead of taking Darkan’s hand, Glenn closed his eyes, then opened them again.

“In the mornings, when the mind is clear, you’ll help cultivate his will. In the afternoons, I’ll refine his technique.”

Darkan crooked his finger, suggesting they divide the times to teach Raon.

“And in the evenings, the three of us will discuss the Heart Sword together.”

“You, why are you being so serious?”

Glenn narrowed his eyes at Darkan.

“Because this moment is the sword.”

Darkan expressed that his life itself was a sword, taking on a solemn demeanor..

“…Very well.”

Glenn seemed to sense Darkan’s sincerity and accepted his suggestion.

“Then I’ll just watch.”

Darkan, while claiming he was just watching, didn’t step back and remained standing right there. Indeed, he was no ordinary man.

“Raon.”

Glenn, ignoring Darkan, called Raon.

“Yes.”

Raon approached Glenn and bowed his head.

“Now that I think about it, there’s something puzzling.”

Glenn narrowed his eyes.

“Your will has always been at a higher realm than your swordsmanship, and your soul’s level has risen even further. Then why has the intent within your sword weakened?”

He furrowed his brow, saying he couldn’t understand.

“I don’t know either.”

Raon lowered his gaze and wetted his lips.

‘Grandfather is right.’

I hadn’t particularly neglected training my images, so to hear that my will was lacking left me bewildered as well.

That Nadine bread old man may not know, but…

Wrath perched himself on Raon’s shoulder.

Shouldn’t you know it yourself?

He narrowed his eyes, as if wondering why Raon hadn’t realized it.

‘What?’

Raon widened his eyes at Wrath.

‘What do you mean by that?’

Your will is not weak. It has weakened.

Wrath shook his head, telling him to get it straight.

‘Weakened?’

What do you think will is?

‘It’s the power where the wish for what I imagine to come true in reality is realized through the soul.’

Will was the act of pouring into the sword the intense wish for the visions I conceived in my mind to be transformed into reality.

Roughly correct. But you…

Wrath narrowed his eyes at him.

You’ve mixed something else into that will.

‘Something else?’

The King of Essence’s and the other Demon Kings’ authorities.

Wrath’s eyes flashed icy blue.

In desperate battles where your life was at stake, those powers became a great strength, but because of that, your will has weakened.

‘Ah, so that’s why….’

Since the Demon Kings’ authorities fulfilled your wishes in your place, it’s only natural that your will weakened.

Wrath snorted, as if Raon couldn’t even properly handle the power he possessed.

‘Now I get it.’

I understood why grandfather had felt my will had weakened, and why I myself hadn’t noticed.

‘Authorities aren’t an all-powerful strength.’

I had thought they only gave, but now I see, they were a dangerous power that could even harm me.

‘Then the way to restore it is simple.’

Raon immediately thought of how to recover his will and nodded.

“Raon?”

Glenn called his name as Raon was lost in thought.

“Are you all right?”

“Forgive me. I was organizing my thoughts.”

Raon bowed his head to Glenn.

“Organizing your thoughts?”

“Grandfather is right. My will grew weaker because I was focused on another power. Therefore….”

He placed his right hand on Heavenly Drive.

“I ask that grandfather attack me with swordsmanship imbued with will.”

“Can you endure it?”

Glenn narrowed his eyes, as if it might be too much for him right now.

“I can. No, even if I can’t, I must.”

Raon nodded and drew Heavenly Drive.

“Very well.”

As if reading the will in his eyes, Glenn raised Heavenly Tremor.

“But it will not be easily blocked.”

With a fierce gaze, he swung Heavenly Tremor, showing he meant to do it seriously.

Fwoooosh!

Though Heavenly Tremor wasn’t filled with strong aura, a tyrannical energy wave surged as if it could bring down the sky.

“Excellent!”

Darkan clapped the moment Glenn unfolded his swordsmanship, as though he were a fan.

Claaanng!

Raon slashed Heavenly Drive diagonally upward and blocked Glenn’s descending Heavenly Tremor.

‘Will….’

As he blocked Glenn’s sword, Raon poured strength into Heavenly Drive, resolving to push back in return.

Not bad.

Wrath nodded, saying it was better than before.

“You’re holding up well.”

Glenn also gave a faint smile, as if the start was good.

“It will weaken again, but do not lower the intensity.”

Raon asked him not to hold back and summoned the Demon Kings’ authorities lying deep in his soul.

Crackling!

Six authorities flared above Heavenly Drive, and Glenn’s sword began to be pushed back roughly.

W-what are you doing, you fool!

Wrath widened his eyes, shouting why he was suddenly doing something crazy.

Didn’t he tell you, relying on the authorities weakens your will!

He tapped Raon’s forehead, telling him to come to his senses.

“Hmm….”

Glenn too frowned, realizing Raon was using another power besides will.

“Don’t stop. Please continue.”

Raon said he must not stop and separated the Demon Kings’ authorities that were trying to seep into his will.

Crackling!

Instead of wielding the sword by combining will and authority as before, he made the two forces fight each other.

Rumble!

When he made will and authority collide, the strength within his sword became weaker than when he had used will alone.

Crackling!

Heavenly Drive was pushed back by Glenn’s Heavenly Tremor, and Raon’s knees bent as if they would touch the ground.

“Are you truly all right?”

Glenn looked at him with concern in his eyes.

“Please continue!”

Even as his waist bent, Raon nodded.

You… what exactly are you trying to do….

Wrath blinked, dumbfounded.

Your will and authority are clashing and both are being extinguished!

He smacked Raon’s back, telling him to snap out of it.

‘This is the answer.’

Raon bit his lip and shook his head.

‘Just as muscles tear and then regenerate thicker, energy too grows stronger when it clashes.’

The flames of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier’s frost were opposing attributes, so they fought endlessly, and through that conflict they both grew stronger together.

Likewise, if will and authority were made to fight each other, there was a high possibility that the two energies would grow faster in order to defeat the other.

‘Besides….’

Raon ground his teeth as he watched Glenn bring down the heavy sword of will.

‘With the strongest opponent before me, I can only become stronger.’

Though making will and authority clash while blocking Glenn’s sword felt like my mind would break, this hardship would ultimately make me grow. Just as it always had.

Kyaaaaaang!

At the moment he was barely holding on, blocking Glenn’s sword without collapsing—

Wooooong!

He felt his soul becoming thicker.

[Will is growing.]
[The monarchs’ authorities are becoming stronger.]
[The level of the soul has risen.]

Together with the messages rising before his eyes, he could feel that his sword gained just a little more strength.

Chiiiing!

For the first time, Glenn’s sword, which had been pressing in like a tide, was pushed back by about a hand’s length.

‘Worth the struggle.’

What I couldn’t gain even after swinging my sword alone for ten days, I achieved in half a day. Training with Glenn truly was worth more than gold.

“Good.”

Glenn, too, let out a small exclamation, as if he had sensed the change.

“He’s already improved? What in the world is that?”

Darkan let out a hollow laugh, saying the growth was far too fast.

Ugh….

Wrath also widened his eyes, as though he hadn’t expected a message to appear this quickly.

‘See that?’

Raon nudged Wrath with his elbow and laughed.

‘Kids grow while fighting. But….’

He bit his lips hard and lifted his blurring eyes.

‘It’s just… really tiring.’

Trying to control both will and authority as they clashed while blocking Glenn’s sword felt like dying.

Though it was only half a day of training, it felt like swinging my sword for ten days without sleep.

‘Even so….’

Raon wetted his lips and raised Heavenly Drive once more.

‘I have to keep going.’

To see the end of this path.

“Again.”

Raon took his stance once more in front of Glenn.

“Please, once more!”

* * *

After finishing lunch, Raon faced Darkan in the training ground.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Darkan smiled lightly, saying he had been waiting.

“What is it that you find lacking in my sword?”

Raon brought his hands forward, saying he would listen properly.

“Harmony.”

Darkan lightly waved his hand. From the aura that rose upon his palm, a subtle sense of stability could be felt.

“Harmony?”

“It’s true that your sword is heading toward perfection. I can understand why Glenn doesn’t want to interfere with your swordsmanship. But I am different.”

He lifted a finger and pointed to his eyepatch.

“Since losing my sight and relying on my senses, I’ve become extremely sensitive to the movements of others.”

Wiping away the smile on his lips, Darkan continued.

“Even without using aura, I can feel the fine hairs on the back of my hand being stirred by the wind.”

He tapped the back of his hand, saying that with only that, he could discern the strength and direction of the wind, even predict the weather to come.

“Having all my senses, except sight, surpass the human limit has also changed the way I perceive swordsmanship.”

“That makes sense….”

Raon nodded.

“With those senses, I felt a small distortion in your sword.”

Darkan nodded, saying that because he had no eyes, he could feel the distortion ingrained in Raon’s swordsmanship.

“If you tune that distortion like adjusting the strings of a piano, your sword will rise to a new realm.”

He asked if Raon had the resolve to try, reaching his hand out to him.

“……”

Glenn said nothing, simply folding his arms, as if in agreement with Darkan’s words.

“What must I do?”

Without hesitation, Raon took Darkan’s hand.

“Show me your swordsmanship again, in front of me.”

Darkan nodded, telling him to perform once more the swordsmanship he had unfolded at dawn.

“All right.”

Raon steadied his breathing and began to unfold the sword techniques of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation one by one.

Whoooom!

After displaying the Revolving Sky, the Crimson Slash, and the Flame Spirit in succession, when he was about to unleash the Flame Dragon Art, Darkan raised his hand.

“Stop. Repeat the sword technique you just performed.”

He gestured for him to perform the Flame Spirit once more.

“Got it.”

Raon nodded and bloomed a tree of flames above the blade of his sword.

“Again.”

Darkan shook his head, dissatisfied, telling him to do it again.

Whooosh!

Raon continued to unfold the Flame Spirit, and Darkan endlessly ordered him to repeat it.

As that repeated over and over, the training ground floor became etched with countless traces of flame fragments, as though petals had settled there.

“Again.”

“Got it.”

Without uttering a single complaint, Raon repeatedly unfolded the Flame Spirit dozens of times over.

“Why don’t you ask why I keep telling you to do it again?”

Darkan tilted his chin, as if he found it curious.

“You said my sword lacks harmony. Since that hasn’t been fixed, you’re making me keep repeating, aren’t you?”

“And you don’t even ask me to tell you how to fix it?”

“Because only by solving it myself without relying on advice can I truly grow stronger.”

Advice from others only lasts for the moment. You have to find the method yourself to advance faster, and climb higher.

“Khahahahaha!”

Darkan clutched his forehead and burst into laughter.

“I knew I judged the right man!”

He grinned and turned to Glenn.

“You’ve raised one hell of a grandson! To think there’s something else I’d envy as much as your sword!”

Darkan pressed his lips tight, as if he truly meant it.

“Ahem!”

The moment Glenn heard Darkan’s sincere praise, his guarded demeanor broke and the corners of his lips trembled.

“It’s not that much.”

But with his earlobes flushed red, he clearly looked delighted.

“Don’t let your mind wander elsewhere, watch my sword.”

Raon strengthened the principle of variable sword within Flame Spirit and then bloomed the flames.

“Again.”

Still dissatisfied, Darkan once more demanded he repeat.

“Got it.”

Raon thrust his left foot forward. Weakening slightly the variable sword and illusion sword that formed the core of Flame Spirit, and strengthening the principle of the swift sword, he swung again.

Whoooosh!

Though he hadn’t used much aura, flames blossomed in splendid form from the sword edge of Heavenly Drive and spread across the entire training ground.

Fwoooosh!

The splendor and variation embedded in Flame Spirit remained, but the fragments of flame that now moved faster wrapped around Darkan before he could even blink.

The sight resembled the sword of Zieghart’s first head of house he had seen in his memories.

[Your proficiency in the versatile sword increases.]

A message appeared that his proficiency in the versatile sword had risen, perhaps because he had attained a small enlightenment on his own.

“Looks like you’ve finally begun to feel it.”

For the first time, instead of saying “again,” Darkan said it wasn’t bad.

“At last….”

Raon nodded with a smile, only for Darkan to open his mouth again.

“But still, again!”

He waved his hand, saying it still wasn’t enough.

“Haa….”

Raon pressed his lips tightly and shook his head.

‘This training is no joke either.’

The difficulty of the training, beyond what I had expected, left my legs without strength and my head aching.

‘Both mind and body feel heavy, like soaked in water.’

Seeing you staggering around like that makes me feel refreshed inside!

Wrath chuckled, shaking his head.

Just think of yourself as dead and swing your sword for a month!

He waved his hand, telling him to relieve stress through pain.

‘Even without doing that….’

Raon smacked his lips and shook his head.

‘I think there’s another way to relieve my stress….’

*   *   *

‘I’m exhausted.’

After finishing sword training with Darkan, Raon collapsed onto the training ground.

I had eaten a delicious dinner at the main building, but since I’d been drained of strength since dawn, my head was still spinning.

Pathetic weakling.

Wrath clicked his tongue, shaking his head. Judging from his expression, the meal at the main building had satisfied him enough that his complaints had disappeared.

“Did you enjoy today?”

Darkan tilted his chin at him, as if asking what he thought of the day’s training.

“It wasn’t fun, but it was a great help.”

Raon nodded, saying he had found the path for how he should grow.

“In training with grandfather, I learned how to further strengthen my will. And in training with you, I realized the subtle differences within the principles of swordsmanship.”

If I endured training with those two for a month, I was certain I could reach a new level.

“If you can truly do all that, an appropriate reward will come your way.”

Glenn, seemingly of the same mind, gave a nod.

“Then shall we talk about the Heart Sword at last?”

Darkan tilted his chin while sitting down beside him.

“What do you think the Heart Sword is?”

“A martial art that tempers one’s own soul to cut down the enemy’s soul.”

Raon explained what he knew about the Heart Sword.

“Then mine isn’t a Heart Sword, is it? My sword doesn’t kill the enemy.”

Darkan tilted his chin, as if asking if that were truly correct.

“Hmm….”

Raon let out a low groan.

“You must not think of the Heart Sword as a mere martial art.”

Glenn shook his head calmly.

“First, think of what it is you can show through your Heart Sword.”

Leaving those words behind, he turned away.

“Since it’s the first day, let’s end here for now.”

Glenn waved his hand, telling Raon to give it good thought.

“We really get along, don’t we? How about being friends? What year were you born?”

Darkan, too, seemed to agree with Glenn and followed after him.

“Phew….”

Left alone in the training ground, Raon spat out the dust that had gathered in his mouth.

“Fatigue is piling up in my head.”

In the morning I went through mental training, in the afternoon I endlessly repeated a single sword technique, and now, having received a riddle-like assignment, my head was beginning to throb even more.

Seeing you suffer makes me happy!

Wrath wagged his tail, happy that Raon was having a hard time.

Still, if you endure it, you’ll get used to….

‘No, I don’t need to endure.’

Raon let out a cold smile and left the head of house’s training ground, running toward the fifth training ground.

“Huh?”

“Palace master, why are you here?”

“Weren’t you training with the head of house?”

The Light Wind swordsmen, training leisurely, widened their eyes at him.

“I learned an interesting kind of training today.”

A red madness flared in Raon’s eyes.

“And I want to share it with you.”

He wore a bright smile at odds with his words.

“Really?”

“Well, of course! Training with the head of house and the former master of the Holy Sword Alliance must be special!”

“Yeah. It wouldn’t be swinging swords around as simply and stupidly as we do.”

The Light Wind swordsmen licked their lips, as if anticipating the training he was about to share.

“Ugh….”

Only Dorian, reading Raon’s eerie thoughts with his mind’s eye, slowly stepped back.

“I—I have to run….”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Raon had, before anyone realized it, stepped down from the platform and slung an arm over Dorian’s shoulder.

“Ngghhh!”

Dorian foamed at the mouth as if he might faint on the spot.

“This very good training I learned….”

Raon gave a faint smile and lifted his chin. That appearance looked at once like an angel descending from the heavens, and at the same time like a demon rising up from hell.

“Let’s do it together.”

Ha….

Wrath gaped, as if he couldn’t believe Raon was going to relieve his stress through the Light Wind.

No dog is born under a tiger, yet under the world’s greatest sword has come the world’s greatest lunatic….

 

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