The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1214

 Chapter 1214

 

“Hoo…”

Raon let out a heavy breath no one could hear as he stared at the back of priest Srude, who was giving off an ominous energy wave.

'I’m certain.'

That bastard is Derus Robert.

Priest Srude hadn’t shown any obvious change in words or behavior yet, but I knew instinctively. There was no doubt, this was Derus Robert himself, wearing priest Srude’s body like a shell.

What…?

Wrath furrowed his brow, as if asking what he was talking about.

Why do you think that thing is that insidious bastard?

He tilted his head, clearly sensing nothing unusual from priest Srude.

"Whoa!"

“It’s finally starting!”

"I never thought I’d see an archangel descend with my own eyes!"

“My heart’s racing for some reason. It feels like even I could achieve something!”

“Right? It’s got nothing to do with me, but I don’t know why I feel so proud!”

The residents of Heaven, seemingly unaware of any change in priest Srude, only stared up at the sky as the tower continued to rise.

Hey! He looks exactly the same to the King of Essence!

Wrath grabbed Raon by the shoulder, demanding an explanation for why he was so convinced priest Srude was Derus Robert.

‘Because it’s Derus Robert.’

Raon nodded firmly.

‘There’s nothing else to say.’

As Wrath said, there was no change in priest Srude, neither internally nor externally.

But I alone, who had lived my entire life on a leash held by that man, forced into a life I never wanted, only to be boiled alive in the end, knew.

No, I could feel it. The one inside Priest Srude’s body was Derus Robert.

You sound like he was your lover from a past life or something.

Wrath blinked, clearly curious but at a loss for words due to Raon’s absolute certainty.

‘From here on, every step is walking on thin ice.’

Raon took a slow, deep breath and deliberately released even the faintest trace of strength he had gathered in his fingers.

You’re letting your guard down that much?

Wrath let out a dry, incredulous laugh when he saw Raon completely relax his grip.

‘Of course.’

Raon smacked his lips, reminding himself that he was not Raon Zieghart, but Jilpen, a mercenary who had spent his entire life being trampled on, restrained, and abused.
‘You admitted yourself that he’s insidious. He probably came here because he’s suspicious of what’s happening. No, he’s suspicious of me. I have to be as careful as possible.’

The fact that priest Srude’s soul had suddenly been replaced by Derus’s made it clear that even if he didn’t suspect me outright, he definitely found something strange. Being cautious was the only right choice.

“Hhhng!”

Raon exhaled in harsh, ragged breaths, his fingers stiffening and trembling as they curved like hooked blades. It was not a reflex, but a deliberate performance, the exact posture and behavior he had repeatedly used while acting as Jilpen in Heaven.

“Haha.”

Derus Robert, still raising the tower, turned his head slightly.

"You seem pleased."

He met Raon’s gaze with a faint smile.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Raon snorted, meeting Derus Robert’s gaze without a shred of fear.

"I finally have the chance to become a Transcender and take revenge on those bastards who looked down on me! How could I possibly stay calm?"

Through Derus Robert’s snake-like, chilling gaze, Raon could feel that the man was now suspicious of him.

‘Luckily, he’s not certain yet.’

He was suspicious, but Derus had not come here because he possessed any concrete proof. His eyes slowly swept over me from head to toe, carefully inspecting me as if trying to catch even the slightest inconsistency or slip that could confirm his doubts.

"That certainly makes sense."

Derus Robert nodded calmly, perfectly maintaining his act as priest Srude.

“But revenge isn’t always sweet.”

Because priest Srude was nothing more than his avatar, every detail was replicated perfectly, his posture, the way his eyes moved, even the rhythm of his breathing were indistinguishable from Derus Robert himself.

‘This is Derus Robert’s test.’

Raon circulated the Ring of Fire and lowered his eyelids.

‘One wrong word, and everything falls apart. I could lose my head right here.’

Wearing priest Srude’s appearance like a mask, Derus Robert was deliberately engaging me in psychological warfare, testing me, provoking me, and watching for the slightest slip.

“Bullshit!”

Raon snarled like a beast, letting out a feral roar.

“I crawled all the way here for revenge, and now you’re telling me it’s not sweet? I don’t care how bitter it is, I’ll chew it up and swallow it whole! Just give me the power!”

He deliberately laid bare emotions such as greed, gluttony, envy, and wrath, roaring that he would never give up on revenge. At the same time, unlike his normal state, he carefully controlled the authority of the Demon Kings, ensuring that his presence felt more like that of a desperate, revenge-obsessed human than a being wielding demonic sovereignty.

“As expected.”

Derus Robert nodded calmly, as though he had already known that his words would not be heeded.

“In a way, you made the right choice. The moment of revenge is, above all else, exhilarating.”

Unlike just a moment ago, when he had said revenge was not sweet, he now spoke of it as exhilarating, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

“What…?”

Raon glared at Derus Robert, clearly confused.

“You said it wasn’t sweet earlier, and now you’re saying it’s exhilarating? What kind of nonsense are you spouting? If you’re thinking of breaking your promise now, I’ll take your head first!”

He clenched his fist, making it clear he was ready to fight at any moment.

"Y-You crazy bastard!"

Baif stepped forward, carefully watching priest Srude’s reaction.

“Just because you gained a bit of power and fame! How dare you act so insolent!”

Grinding his teeth, he seemed angrier than anyone at the insult directed at priest Srude.

“I’m only demanding what I rightfully deserve!”

Raon snorted at Baif.

“Your job was just to bring me here. Stay out of it!”

He straightened his back, showing boldness even to Baif.

"You really have lost your mind!"

Baif bared his teeth and unleashed his divine power.

Kugugugugugu!

An energy far stronger than Kirk's crushed down on Raon's body.

“Ugh…!”

Raon bent his waist deeply, pretending to be overwhelmed by Baif’s divine power.

‘This is a test too.’

Derus Robert could have stopped Baif immediately, but instead, he was watching to see how I would respond. One small mistake here, and I would lose my head.

‘Baif isn’t being serious either.’

Baif was acting as though he were protecting priest Srude. He was probably just trying to leave a good impression, so it was enough to respond appropriately.

'If it were Jilphen...'

Raon embodied the personality of Jilpen, driven mad by the desire for revenge, and lifted his upper body again.

“Don’t… look down on me!”

Without using any of his true power, he pushed back Baif’s divine energy using only the desire he had gathered in this place.

“T-this madman…!”

Baif’s jaw trembled as if he hadn’t expected Raon to overpower even him. His shaking shoulders showed genuine panic.

“You won’t come to your senses until you die—!”

“That’s enough.”

Derus Robert fixed Baif with a cold gaze.

“Believer Baif. This is not your place to intervene. Step back.”

He gestured calmly for Baif to retreat.

“I—I’m sorry!”

Baif bent his waist at a right angle toward Derus Robert, who had stopped him at the proper moment.

“Consider yourself lucky.”

Muttering that Raon should still show respect to priest Srude, Baif stepped back.

“Believer, I apologize on his behalf.”

Derus Robert bowed his head with a kindly, affable smile. Even when he had been Srude, Raon had thought his appearance alone was remarkable, but now that the real Derus himself had descended, the very atmosphere he carried was on an entirely different level.

If he had truly been Jilpen, he felt he would have been completely taken in by that smile.

“Fine, then hurry up and keep the promise!”

But now, as Jilpen driven mad by desire, Raon didn’t spare a glance at Derus Robert’s face. He frowned deeply, openly showing his impatience.

Haaah…

Wrath let out a hollow laugh, as if his head hurt.

The King of Essence can’t even tell how this psychological battle is unfolding anymore. Are you sure this hasn’t already gone wrong?

Rubbing his throbbing temple, he looked completely lost.

'I don't know anymore either.'

I understood why Derus had come down here, but I could no longer read the man’s intentions. From this point on, it was like riding a tiger, you could only grip tight and never let go.

“You seem impatient.”

Derus Robert let out a faint smile.

“How could I not be?”

Raon stomped his foot roughly, saying it was only natural for him to be impatient.

“There’s no need to worry. Heaven does not deceive its believers. As proof…”

Derus Robert nodded calmly and pointed toward the tower behind him.

“Your tower has been completed.”

Following the direction of Derus’s hand, Raon lifted his gaze. His tower had risen endlessly, piercing the blue sky and reaching the sacred clouds, the clouds believed to be the dwelling place of the gods.

“Wooooaaah!”

“I-it pierced the sky! Zilpen’s tower pierced the sky!”

“It’s real! The sky has finally opened!”

“This is insane! It’s overwhelmingly magnificent!”

“Hah… I never thought I’d see this with my own eyes.”
People burst into exclamations and cheers at the sight of the towering, majestic tower.

“Th-then what do I do now?”

Raon’s eyes were bloodshot as his hands trembled. Inside, he was cold as ice, while on the outside he acted like a blazing furnace.

“You should summon the archangel who can grant your wish.”

Derus Robert wore a gentle smile and extended his hands, hands so pale and pristine that they looked as though they had never once known hardship.

“Stand before the tower, take my hand, and call for the archangel. Only then will your voice reach that divine land.”

He nodded calmly, saying that everything after that would proceed naturally.

“You said all I had to do was build the tower, and now it’s this damn complicated!”

Raon snorted as he stared at Derus Robert’s hands approaching him.

“Ahaha! I’m sorry, but it can’t be helped.”

Derus Robert shook his head lightly with a thin smile.

“To be precise, that tower functions as an amplifier, and I am the one who transmits your voice through it.”

Saying they should go to the tower, he turned around first.

“What a hassle.”

“I heard that’s how it’s done too.”

“If it lets you become a Transcender, that much effort is worth it!”

“If it were too easy, it wouldn’t be fun. A little buildup is better!”

The people, grinning with anticipation, began walking toward the tower.

“Tsk.”

Raon clicked his tongue as he followed Derus Robert.

‘Is this the final test?’

Judging by the situation, Derus Robert clearly intended to take my hand and directly examine my soul.

‘He might have already seen through me.’

I had acted my best, but it was possible that Derus had already figured out my identity and was simply waiting for the right moment to kill me.

‘No… that’s not it.’

If Derus Robert were truly certain, he could have killed me already, without a single resident of Heaven ever noticing. The fact that he was still proceeding this way meant he hadn’t reached a definitive conclusion yet.

‘Then should I strike first?’

Raon quickly rolled his eyes, scanning Derus Robert’s entire body.

‘No. That won’t work.’

Derus Robert was already on guard, making the chance of a surprise attack extremely low.

And even if I somehow managed to land a strike, it would be meaningless. Derus was inhabiting an avatar, no decisive damage could be done that way.

The best course remained unchanged, summon the archangel and kill that one instead.

‘But if I take Derus Robert’s hand…’

Raon bit his lip as he stared at Derus Robert’s back.

‘There’s no way I won’t be exposed.’

Derus Robert was a monster with an immense soul, so vast that even Darkan feared him.

His might had reached just below Glenn’s level. Someone like him could undoubtedly pierce through even the nine Rings of Fire and see my true soul.

‘What should I do?’

As Raon steadied his trembling hand, Derus Robert came to a stop.

“Now then, let’s begin.”

Derus Robert stood before the tower that had pierced the sky and extended both hands again. Confidence filled his blue eyes, along with a faint but unmistakable contempt for humans.

‘There’s only one way.’

As Raon looked at Derus Robert’s unnaturally pale, unblemished hands, the corners of his mouth twisted upward.

‘I’ll break past the limit of the nine rings, right here.’

 

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