The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1157

 Chapter 1157

 

“Don’t think about the technique, but about why it takes that kind of form.”

“Not the stance, but focus on the will.”

“What’s more important than qi (mana/aura) is the spirit. Always temper your sword with your heart.”

Glenn went around the training ground, giving the swordsmen the advice they needed. With each of his steps, the proficiencies of a swordsman who had reached the peak of the realm unraveled like threads.

Squeeze.

Raon bit his lip as he looked at that sight.

‘How frustrating.’

It had been two weeks since I entered the head of house’s training ground. In that short time, the swordsmen were raising their martial proficiency as if the concept of a wall didn’t exist, thanks to Glenn’s guidance and advice.

But Glenn had not given me a single piece of advice during those two weeks. No, advice wasn’t even the problem, he was treating me like I didn’t exist here at all, like I was invisible.

‘Why in the world is he acting like that?’

I knew better than anyone that Glenn cherished me, so I could not understand why he was pretending not to see me.

‘It can’t be that he has nothing to teach.’

Glenn had given precise and important advice even to the Sword Sovereign and the War King, as if they were far beneath him. It made no sense that he had nothing to say to me, who wasn’t that far behind them.

“Hoo.”

Raon sighed and looked over the Light Wind Palace swordsmen.

‘Runaan and Dorian, who received the Demon King’s authority, of course, and Karoon, Martha, and Krein too, are growing so fast it’s like I don’t even recognize them anymore.’

Runaan and Dorian becoming rapidly stronger was natural since they received the Demon King’s authority. But thanks to Glenn’s teachings, Karoon, Martha, and Krein were improving no less quickly.

Isn’t it a good thing that those kids are growing?

Wrath tilted his head, as if wondering why Raon seemed displeased.

‘Why would I dislike it? Of course it’s good. It’s just….’

Raon let out a short sigh.

‘I feel like I’m the only one stuck.’

At this rate, in just a month, everyone except Transcenders and peak Grandmaster level swordsmen would rise at least one level.

Everyone was running, and I was standing still, of course it was frustrating.

‘No, even the Transcenders are changing.’

Raon lightly bit his lip and looked toward the sparring ground on the right.

Clang clang clang clang!

The Central Martial Palace master Karoon and the War King Huber had abandoned composure and calmness, unleashing savage offensives like beasts. It truly looked like wild animals baring their teeth and tearing into their opponent.

Their endless clash was so violent that no one was training nearby.

‘And….’

Raon turned his body and looked at the sparring ground on the left.

Whoooooooo!

In contrast, the left sparring ground was quiet like a library. Even though the Sword Sovereign and Aris were the ones who usually caused more uproar than Karoon or the War King, they stood with their swords raised like enlightened monks, merely observing each other.

Kyaaaaaang!

Unlike at the beginning, the Sword Sovereign and Aris no longer clashed every ten seconds. They searched for openings and thrust their swords only once per minute. A polar opposite form of training compared to the War King and Karoon.

But whether the training was effective or not, all four Transcenders had grown noticeably compared to before. Not only in martial skills but also mentally, they felt stronger.

‘Am I the only one with no change?’

I had been the first to come to the training ground every day for two weeks and the last to leave, yet my level had not changed at all from two weeks ago.

With my current training, I could only maintain the status quo, without a special trigger, I couldn’t go any further.

‘At this rate….’

Raon clenched the hilt of Heavenly Drive with all his strength.

‘I may be overtaken again in the level I barely caught up to.’

Among the Transcenders belonging to Zieghart, I was currently the second strongest after Glenn. I had surpassed Karoon and Aris long ago, and with the awakening I recently reached, I had even overtaken the Sword Sovereign and the War King’s levels.

But if things continued like this, I would surely be overtaken by the Sword Sovereign and the War King.

‘I have to do something.’

Although my aura and stats were growing bit by bit, allowing me to become slightly stronger, I felt a suffocating impatience stabbing into my chest because I had no martial growth at all.

‘If Grandfather won’t say anything, then I need my own method of training… ah!’

As Raon watched the swordsmen’s training and sparring, he snapped his fingers.

‘Let’s learn from the other swordsmen.’

I remembered learning their swordsmanship by sparring with them at the fifth training ground long ago. This training ground didn’t just have the Light Wind Palace, it had all the talents of Zieghart gathered here, so it would likely be even more effective.

‘No matter what method I use….’

Raon drew Heavenly Drive and gave a firm nod.

‘I will become stronger.’

*   *   *

“Hmmm….”

Burren swallowed a low groan as he watched Raon swinging his sword desperately next to Serena of the Void Sword Division.

“Is Raon really okay?”

He frowned, calling Raon by name, rather than palace master, as he usually did.

“It looks like he’s using a new training method, but I don’t see any change.”

Burren scratched his chin, saying it didn’t seem like a good situation.

“Raon’s situation does suck.”

Martha let out a short sigh.

“Since the head of house isn’t saying anything to him, he must be frustrated.”

She nodded heavily, saying she understood Raon’s feelings.

“Mmhh….”

Runaan opened her eyes and smacked her lips.

“He’s having a really hard time….”

Despite her worrying words, she let out a long yawn.

“H-he’s really not okay, right?”

Dorian approached from behind them, his pupils slightly trembling.

“I told you it was really strange this time!”

He lowered his eyebrows, saying Raon’s condition had been bad starting two weeks ago.

“I can see it now too….”

Krein exhaled, saying he could now sense Raon’s condition.

“But, you know….”

He rolled his eyes slightly.

“Does our palace master even need to get stronger here? Honestly, it’s strange if he gets even stronger!”

Krein shook his head, saying he couldn’t understand why Raon, who had grown without knowing any limits until now, was acting like that just because there hadn’t been even a little change.

“To you, it probably looks that way. You and the others rode a two-horse carriage. But….”

The Gambling Monster approached, pouring water into his mouth instead of alcohol.

“Raon has always driven a four-horse carriage. No, an eight-horse carriage, alone. So it’s natural he’s frustrated about not growing right now.”

He slowly nodded, saying he felt like he knew how Raon felt.

“T-Then why is the head of house giving advice to everyone except Sir Raon? He must know exactly what Sir Raon needs to do to get stronger….”

Dorian looked at the Gambling Monster with desperate eyes, asking for an answer.

“Well….”

The Gambling Monster peeked at Glenn and narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t know either!”

He snorted, saying how could he know the thoughts of the continent’s peak, then returned to his seat.

“Let’s just not worry too much.”

Martha waved her hand.

“Instead of worrying about that monster, we should swing our own swords.”

She lifted her sword, saying they should resume training.

“That’s true.”

Burren chuckled, saying he couldn’t argue.

“Who am I to worry about anyone.”

Saying it was nonsense for him to say such things, he swung his sword again.

“Mmhmm…….”

Runaan watched Raon polishing his swordsmanship, then slowly closed her eyes.

“Just believe.”

With a faint smile, she returned to sleep.

“Y-you say believe, and then you sleep right away?”

Dorian shook her shoulder in disbelief, but only quiet snoring came from her.

* * *

Kuuuuung!

Raon ground his teeth hard enough to make a cracking sound, Heavenly Drive stabbed into the ground.

‘No change.’

He continued the training of learning other swordsmen’s sword techniques for two weeks, but still, there was no change at all. Now it had been a month. During this one month in which others crossed over a single wall, he remained standing in the same place.

‘Damn it!’

The war with Derus Robert was approaching in one year, and realizing that he had achieved nothing made his stomach twist as if he were about to vomit.

‘I don’t have time to be doing this.’

I had to grow quickly and enter that absolute ‘realm’ where Glenn and Derus Robert stood, yet I felt unbearably stupid for only treading in place.

Damn it.

Feeling impatience burning in his chest, Raon grabbed Heavenly Drive again.

You look impatient.

As he was about to draw his sword, Wrath approached to the side with a yawn.

‘It’s because I can see others developing quickly.’

Raon shook his head, saying it was only natural he felt rushed.

Natural to feel rushed? Are you truly crazy?

Wrath scoffed as if it were ridiculous.

‘What?’

Look carefully. You are currently close to that sun.

Wrath lifted his chin and pointed at the sun hanging in the sky.

On the other hand, the others are still crawling on the ground, or barely starting to run. Your positions are different, so of course your speeds of growth will differ!

Wrath frowned, saying his greed was excessive, far too excessive.

‘That’s true, but….’

Raon smacked his lips and pointed toward the Transcenders.

‘Those people are growing quickly.’

Even if those things grow quickly, they still can’t catch you!

Wrath smacked the back of Raon’s head with his round, bread-like fist.

You, whenever you’re bored, you enter awakening, you go to the bathroom and awaken, you eat ice cream and awaken, how could they possibly catch up to that!

He ground his teeth, telling him to stop whining.

Raon Zieghart! The emotion you’re feeling right now is the very emotion others have always felt whenever they looked at you!

Wrath looked down at him with a far more serious gaze than before.

The King of Essence knows better than anyone how much more you have worked compared to others. To the point that the King of Essence couldn’t sleep.

As he continued, he glanced toward the other swordsmen swinging their swords even now.

But even with that effort, your growth has been far too fast and excessive because of the King of Essence and several strokes of luck. What do you think others felt when looking at you?

Wrath narrowed his eyes, saying the other swordsmen must have lived carrying hundreds of times the emptiness Raon was feeling now.

‘That is….’

Raon couldn’t refute and lowered his gaze.

‘You’re right.’

Those who had watched my growth had felt not just emptiness but even despair. I had ignored it until now, but I finally felt like I understood a little of their feelings.

He’ll say it again.

Wrath furrowed his brows deeply.

Even if you gain nothing while staying in this training ground, that is not a strange thing.

He nodded, saying that he was in an entirely different realm from them now, so even if he didn’t grow, it was only natural.

Just do nothing and rest! That is the answer!

Leaving behind those words, don’t swing your sword and just rest, Wrath went back into the ice flower bracelet.

Fwaaaak!

Raon drew Heavenly Drive from where it was embedded in the training ground. Dust fell away along the silver blade. No, rather than dust, it felt as if the distress lodged in his heart had vanished cleanly.

‘Maybe I should rest a bit?’

During this month, I had swung my sword more than ever before. My chest still felt stuffy, but as Wrath said, resting didn’t seem like a bad idea.

Hoo….

After sheathing Heavenly Drive, Raon slowly exhaled and looked at the swordsmen who were deep in their training.

The swordsmen were not missing this opportunity, and using Glenn’s advice, they were letting their own martial arts blossom more brilliantly.

They’ve really developed a lot.

While I had wasted the month, everyone else had grown and was showing appearances different from before. A month, no, it looked as if half a year had passed.

‘No, let’s not think about that part anymore.’

Feeling the swordsmen’s growth made impatience rise again, so he emptied his head and closed his eyes.

‘Let’s sleep while listening to the sound of sword winds.’

Even though he wasn’t swinging, hearing the sound of other people’s swords made his chest feel strangely calm. Gradually his thoughts faded, and only the sound of swords being swung and Glenn’s advice could be heard.

“Lower your posture and raise the sword. Think of offense and defense at the same time.”

‘Ah, he’s giving advice to Dorian.’

Just from the sound of the sword wind and Glenn’s words, Raon felt he could tell who was swinging which sword.

With his eyes closed, Raon pictured the scene unfolding in the training ground and eased his weary mind.

Like that, when dawn arrived and the sound of sword wind could no longer be heard in the training ground, he slowly opened his eyes.

Hoo!

Raon curved his lips, letting out a refreshing breath, not the frustrated sigh he had released for a month.

‘It really feels better when I just rest.’

I should stay still tomorrow too.

I had never had time to just sit down and rest, always sharpening my swordsmanship, but after truly emptying my mind and resting, it felt as if all the negative thoughts had been washed clean.

‘Thank you, Wrath.’

Raon raised his thumb toward Wrath, saying he felt better thanks to him.

Uh…?

But Wrath’s expression was strange.

W-what, what is this? Why are you…?

Wrath trembled his jaw as if he were looking at something he shouldn’t be seeing.

Why have you gotten stronger! You only rested!

This is not what the King of Essence wanted!

 

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