The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1240

 Chapter 1240

 

“Hoo…”

Raon, facing Glenn, very slowly let out a breath. Throwing away the turbid air remaining inside his lungs, he steadied his mind with a cold breath.

Gooooo—

A terrifying pressure was transmitted from Glenn, who was holding Heavenly Tremor in his hand.

Under a weight heavier than even the pressure given by this training ground, Raon’s shoulders were crushed down, and it felt as if his feet were digging into the ground.

Though the spar hadn't even begun, it felt as though Glenn’s blade was already resting against his throat.

‘Is this the real Glenn Zieghart.’

Ever since entering this training ground, Glenn had seemed like a different man, swinging his sword without a moment’s rest.

Freed from the enormous responsibility of being the head of house and having returned to being a swordsman, his sword felt chilling enough to slice into the heart just by holding it, and carried a freedom that seemed as though it could stretch out anywhere.

‘The man standing before me is, without a doubt, the strongest on the continent.’

Glenn poured out the energy wave of an absolute being as if even ignoring the pressure created by the training ground.

If this man wasn’t the strongest on the continent, then no one deserved that title.

Raon bit down hard on his lip and tightened his grip on Heavenly Drive.

‘I’ll barely be a match only if I fight with the resolve to kill.’

He, too, had cut back on sleep and trained relentlessly since coming down to this training ground, but he hadn’t achieved a change on Glenn’s level.

If anything, the gap felt wider than before. Unless he went all out, the outcome would be decided in a single exchange.

‘If it’s the current grandfather….’

He could even defeat the Heavenly Demon.

Grandfather from one month ago had said he was pushed back by the Heavenly Demon’s pressure, but the current him would absolutely not lose. No, I could not even imagine grandfather losing to anyone.

Certainly…

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he looked at Glenn.

He has changed. No, it wouldn’t be strange to say he became a different person.

Wrath nodded, seeming to agree with Raon.

The King of Essence can feel a will and might that the word ‘strong’ fails to describe.

He let out a dry breath, saying he never expected Glenn to emit such a chilling energy wave.

‘It seems having been crushed by the Heavenly Demon’s combative energy hurt his pride.’

Raon’s lips curled faintly.

‘Now, he definitely wouldn’t lose.’

Thanks to the Heavenly Demon, Raon’s heart raced at having faced even a little of the true might of the man called Glenn.

The King of Essence’s thoughts are a little different.

Wrath shook his chin once.

‘Different?’

Raon lowered his brows, turning only his eyes.

Your geezer didn’t sharpen himself like this because of the Heavenly Demon.

Wrath snorted, as if there were another reason.

You’ll understand once you finish today’s spar with him.

Telling Raon to cross swords with Glenn first, Wrath stepped back.

‘What does that… huh?’

Raon frowned and turned his eyes forward again, then his entire body trembled.

Gooooooo!

Glenn was still staring at him in the exact same stance as before. His focus wasn’t on some future enemy like the Heavenly Demon, every ounce of his intent was fixed on Raon.

‘This wasn’t the time to be distracted.’

Raon bit the inside of his lip until he tasted blood.

‘Pouring my entire soul into this might not even be enough.’

Even though he knew that even focusing his entire mind on every single sword strike would still not be enough, he nonetheless allowed himself to respond to Wrath’s conversation.

To make up for the mistake, he focused on the Ring of Fire.

Wooooooong!

Ten rings spun fiercely, steadying his heart and scattered mind. Soon, the world turned black and white, and only Glenn standing before his eyes possessed vivid color.

Hoo.

He heard Glenn’s breathing, and could feel his will. A single sword. One sword, far too sharp, standing in the shape of a person.

‘This is….’

‘A contest of a single sword.’

Glenn had no intention of a prolonged fight today. He radiated an intent to cut not just Raon’s body and soul, but his very will to wield a sword, all in one blow.

‘I have to take it head-on.’

Raon nodded calmly, set down Wooden Ring Sword, and gripped Heavenly Drive with both hands.

‘With the strongest sword I can draw out right now.’

Because Glenn possessed a sword of the heart larger and sharper than his own, colliding directly with body and sword was the best option.

“Your eyes are back where they should be.”

Sensing Raon’s change, Glenn nodded calmly and lifted Heavenly Tremor a little higher, an open invitation to come at him however Raon chose.

“Here I come.”

Raon held his newly gathered breath and kicked off the ground. The Supreme Harmony Steps, footwork that carried the extreme swiftness of a blade that pierced space itself, sent him straight at Glenn.

From the silver arc of Heavenly Drive, a piercing golden flash bloomed. Like a sun that banished darkness, a radiant brilliance burst forth as the pinnacle of the sword Raon had built up blossomed.

Sword Field Creation, Genesis.

Genesis was a growing sword field. The sword path that the swordsman called Raon Zieghart had built up over his entire lifetime rippled like rays of sunlight and covered the first head of house Zieghart’s training ground.

Hoooh!

Even Wrath couldn’t hide his amazement, eyes wide at Genesis’s growth.

Hwaaaaaaaa!

It was the moment when the wide, high training ground was wrapped in Genesis’s golden light and seemed about to erase Glenn himself.

Pajik!

Between the golden canvas created by a single sword, , a tiny bolt of lightning sparked to life.

Pajijijijik!

The lightning, smaller and thinner than a human hair, spread in an instant like a shadow announcing the night and covered the golden radiance Raon had created.

Kyaaaang!

The rays of sword-light that Raon had built up over his entire life were erased, and in their place intense lightning filled the gaps. In an instant, the golden light of dawn sank, and red lightning came to dominate the entire world.

“Guh—!”

The shock of his fully unleashed Sword Field Creation, Genesis shattering sent Raon crashing to his knees. Having poured out his body, aura, and mind entirely, the backlash was severe, dark red blood spilled from his mouth.

Ssshhh.

The red lightning that had covered the entire training ground in place of the golden radiance subsided, and Glenn walked forward. As if he had taken no damage at all, he looked at Raon with calm eyes.

“It has become an even more magnificent sword.”

Glenn shook Heavenly Tremor lightly and nodded.

“It makes me curious how that sword field will look once it’s complete.”

Saying that the changes in Genesis were astonishing, he curled the corners of his mouth.

“Ah… I still have a long way to go.”

Exhausted, Raon stumbled as he forced himself upright.

“I couldn’t even receive grandfather’s single sword.”

Having said he would help Glenn, yet feeling like he’d done nothing at all, he bowed his head deeply.

“Is that how you think of it?”

Glenn let out a faint smile while looking at Raon.

“Yes. So…”

Raon wiped the blood flowing from his lips and stood up. He even pulled out Wooden Ring Sword that had been embedded in the ground and took up a combat stance again.

“I’ll help you however I can!”

Since the one-strike duel Glenn had wanted was already over, Raon said they should move straight on to the next thing and rushed in holding Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Sword.

“You’ve helped enough, but….”

Glenn chuckled as he watched Raon rush him fiercely.

“Do as you please.”

*   *   *

“Ggh…”

In the end, after pouring out all his strength and mind, Raon collapsed in the training ground and lost consciousness.

As if he had truly expended everything, he fell straight into sleep, letting out only small breaths.

“Hoo.”

Glenn wiped the sweat flowing down his forehead and let out a turbid breath.

“His body surpassed mine long ago, and now even his stamina and willpower seem to be above mine….”

He let out a hollow laugh as he looked at Raon sleeping on the floor.

“How is that even possible?”

Every single day, Raon threw himself in at full force, collapsed unconscious, then got up the next morning as if nothing were wrong, only to charge in again.

No one else on the continent possessed such stamina, recovery, and willpower.

‘And that terrifying rate of growth.’

By sparring with him every day, Raon’s experience of how to move when fighting the strong, what to think about, and what preparations to make had greatly increased.

His growth in martial arts was frightening, but growth in those aspects was especially outstanding, to the point that he could no longer be dealt with carelessly.

‘Today was even more difficult.’

Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at Heavenly Drive still clutched in Raon’s hand, even after he had lost consciousness.

‘Because I used my full strength.’

I always said I fought Raon at full strength, but in truth I’d been holding back. If I truly used my full strength, the gap between use would be too wide, the training would lose its meaning.

But the sword field Raon had shown earlier left me no choice but to go all out.

No, if I had held back even a little, I might have been the one to fall. Even though this was the first head’s training ground, where true full strength could not be used, it was an astonishing thing.

‘It really was that dangerous.’

I knew Raon could used two different sword fields, and that the sword field containing everything about him was the Genesis he had used today.

But I had not expected it to show such power or completion. Pride swelled in my chest, but at the same time, I could see just how hard Raon must have pushed himself, and that pained me.

“You’re sorry you couldn't help me?”

Glenn let out a hollow chuckle as he looked at Raon, his face smeared with blood and dust.

“No. Because of you, I was able to return to who I truly am, to Glenn Zieghart, the swordsman.”

Because Raon always fought desperately, as if he were directly engaging in a duel to the death, he himself was also able to pursue nothing but the sword without the slightest hesitation.

‘Now…’

I could defeat the Heavenly Demon.

Since coming down to the first head's training ground, I had returned to the way I was as a child first learning the sword, thinking of it with every breath, imagining it, chasing it endlessly.

My body had aged, my stamina had waned, but the sword I carried in my heart, the sword honed with my very soul, shone brighter and sharper than ever before.

This was certainty. My resolve to never lose to the Heavenly Demon had transformed into the conviction that I would win. And all of it was thanks to my grandson, lying there on the cold floor, using it as his bed.

“Thank you.”

Glenn bowed his head slightly toward the sleeping Raon.

The King of Essence….

That solemn and noble sight lingered for a long time in the eyes of a Demon King, in Raon’s place.

Envy you.

*   *   *

“Hoo…”

Karoon slid the neatly finished documents to his left and let out a short breath.

“Huhuhu!”

Roenn laughed heartily as he received the documents Karoon passed over.

“Looks like you’ve finally gotten used to paperwork.”

He nodded as he checked the documents Karoon had signed.

“You’ve adapted faster than I expected. Running the Central Martial Palace for so long wasn’t for nothing.”

Sheryl, as if impressed as well, let out a whistle.

“It’s just past noon now, are you heading to the training ground as usual?”

She smiled, knowing exactly where he was going.

“That’s right.”

Karoon nodded calmly.

“Since becoming the acting head of house, my sword path has been coming together unusually well. I don’t want to waste that momentum.”

He rose from the throne, saying he wanted to focus on training while his swordsmanship was flowing smoothly.

“…And there’s someone I need to keep an eye on.”

Karoon formed a faint smile, as if thinking of Burren, who was following his training well.

“He really does fight well.”

Sheryl smacked her lips, as if acknowledging Burren.

“I’ll escort you.”

She was just about to step behind Karoon when—

Boom!

The doors to the audience chamber burst open, and Chad, the master of the Shadow Agents, rushed in.

“A-Acting head of house!”

As always, Chad stumbled over his words as he hurried to the center of the chamber.

“What is it this time? I know it’s urgent, but there’s no need to come crashing in like that.”

Karoon sighed and shook his hand lightly, signaling him to calm down, as though Chad’s hasty manner were already familiar to him.

“N-No! It’s not that—”

Chad lifted a paper marked “urgent report” and raised his head.

“The demons of Eden have started moving!”

 

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