The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman

“My answer is always the same.”

Raon did not reach toward Darkhan, who had asked the question. Instead, he extended his right hand toward Glenn.

“A steadfast sword that will not be broken by anyone. A strong sword that will not waver no matter what storm comes. That is the sword I desire.”

He brought forth the oath he had declared to Vulcan in the charcoal kiln and had kept until now.

“A sword that will not be broken by anyone…”

Glenn wore a faint smile, as if pleased with the answer.

“I like it.”

Darkhan grinned and drew a semicircle in the air with his hand.

“If you keep stabbing with a sword that doesn’t break, you’ll eventually be able to cut through Derus’s soul, no matter how massive it is.”

He laughed, suggesting that his own Heart Sword might also be the correct answer.

“However, there is one problem.”

Darkhan raised his index finger.

“No matter how thick and hard your Heart Sword is, if the blade is blunt, you cannot cut that bastard’s soul.”

He looked at Glenn as if asking for his opinion.

“He is not wrong. A Heart Sword must be sharper than a physical blade.”

Glenn nodded, saying that one had to hone the blade of the soul just as a master smith forged a legendary sword.

“Of course, I made mine blunt on purpose!”

Darkhan shrugged, explaining that he had not sharpened the edge of his Heart Sword in order to summon the enemy’s soul into his Mental World.

“Anyway, we’re in agreement.”

Darkhan smiled brightly and reached out to Glenn.

“I think you and I have a lot to do with him for the next month.”

“I suppose so.”

Despite agreeing, Glenn did not take Darkhan’s hand. He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

“The mind is clearest in the morning, so you cultivate his Will. In the afternoon, I will grow his techniques.”

Darkhan flicked his finger, suggesting they split the time to teach Raon.

“And finally, in the evening, the three of us shall discuss the Heart Sword.”

“Why are you being so serious?”

Glenn frowned as he looked at Darkhan.

“Because this moment is the sword.”

Darkhan took a solemn posture, describing his current life itself as a sword.

“…I understand.”

Glenn accepted the suggestion, sensing that Darkhan was sincere.

“Then I shall just watch.”

Despite saying he would watch, Darkhan did not step back and remained standing right there. As expected, he was an extraordinary man.

“Raon.”

Ignoring Darkhan, Glenn called Raon.

“Yes, please speak.”

Raon approached Glenn and bowed his head.

“Now that I think about it, I have a question.”

Glenn narrowed his eyes.

“Your Will has always been at a higher stage than your sword arts, and your Soul Rank has risen further, so why has the Will contained in your sword weakened?”

He furrowed his brows, unable to understand it.

“I am not entirely sure myself.”

Raon lowered his gaze and smacked his lips.

‘It’s just as Grandfather said.’

He had not neglected his Mental World training, so he was flustered to hear that his Will was lacking.

》”I don’t know about that old Nadine-bread geezer…”

Wrath landed on his shoulder.

》”But you should know, shouldn’t you?”

The creature narrowed its eyes as if wondering why Raon had not realized it.

‘What?’

Raon’s eyes widened as he looked at Wrath.

‘What do you mean?’

》”Your Will isn’t weak. It became weak.”

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

‘Became weak?’

》”What do you think Will is?”

‘It’s the power that manifests through the soul, the desire to realize what I imagine in reality.’

Will was the act of pouring an intense longing into the sword to turn the images drawn in the mind into reality.

》”That’s roughly correct. However, you…”

Wrath narrowed its eyes at him.

》”You mixed something else into that Will.”

‘Something else?’

》”My Authority and the Authorities of the other Monarchs.”

The creature’s pupils flashed a vivid blue.

》”During urgent battles where your life was on the line, those Authorities provided great strength. But in exchange, your own Will weakened.”

‘Ah, so that’s why…’

》”Since the Authorities of the Monarchs fulfilled your wishes for you, it is only natural that your Will weakened.”

Wrath snorted, as if mocking him for not being able to handle his own Authority properly.

‘Now I understand.’

He now understood why Glenn felt his Will was weak and why he himself had not noticed the decline.

‘The Authorities weren’t omnipotent.’

He had thought they only gave, but now he saw they were dangerous Authorities that could also harm him.

‘Then the way to recover it is simple.’

Raon immediately thought of a way to restore his Will and nodded.

“Raon?”

Glenn called the name of the lost-in-thought Raon.

“Are you alright?”

“My apologies. I was organizing my thoughts.”

Raon bowed to Glenn.

“Organizing your thoughts?”

“Grandfather was right. I believe my Will weakened because I focused on other Authorities. Therefore…”

He placed his right hand on Heavenly Drive.

“I would like Grandfather to attack me with sword arts imbued with Will.”

“Will you be able to endure it?”

Glenn narrowed his eyes, sensing that it might be difficult for Raon right now.

“I can do it. No, even if I can’t, I must.”

Raon nodded and drew Heavenly Drive.

“Very well.”

As if reading the determination in Raon’s eyes, Glenn raised Heavenly Tremor.

“However, it will not be easy to block.”

With a fierce gaze that revealed his seriousness, Glenn struck down with his sword.

Whoooosh!

Even though Heavenly Tremor did not contain strong Aura, a domineering energy wave erupted as if it would collapse the heavens.

“Nice!”

Darkhan clapped the moment Glenn unleashed his sword art. He sounded like a fan.

Clang!

Raon blocked Glenn’s descending blade by slashing Heavenly Drive diagonally upward.

‘The Will…’

He put strength into Heavenly Drive, hardening his resolve to not only block Glenn’s sword but push it back.

》”Not bad.”

Wrath nodded, noting that he was better than before.

“You’re doing well.”

Glenn smiled faintly, pleased with the start.

“I will likely weaken again, but please do not reduce the intensity.”

After making the request, Raon called upon the Authorities of the Monarchs that were sunken deep within his soul.

Zzzzzzt!

Six Authorities bloomed atop Heavenly Drive, and Glenn’s sword began to be pushed back violently.

》”Y-you! What are you doing?!”

Wrath’s eyes widened, wondering why he was suddenly doing something so crazy.

》”I told you that relying on the Authorities weakens your Will!”

The creature tapped Raon’s forehead, telling him to snap out of it.

“Hmm…”

Glenn also furrowed his brows, noticing that Raon had used a power other than Will.

“Do not stop. Please continue.”

Raon told him not to stop and began to separate the Authorities of the Monarchs that were trying to seep into his Will.

Zzzzzzt!

Instead of swinging the sword by combining Will and Authority as he had before, he made the two powers fight each other.

Rumble!

By forcing the Will and the Authority to clash, the power contained in the sword became weaker than when using Will alone.

Zzzzzzt!

Heavenly Drive was pushed back by Glenn’s sword, and Raon’s knees bent as if they were about to touch the ground.

“Are you truly alright?”

Glenn looked at him with eyes full of concern.

“Please continue!”

Raon nodded even as his waist bent under the pressure.

》”Y-you… what on earth are you trying to…”

Wrath blinked in disbelief.

》”Your Will and the Authority are competing, and both are being annihilated!”

The creature smacked Raon’s back, telling him to wake up.

‘This is the answer.’

Raon bit his lip and shook his head.

‘Just as muscles tear and regenerate thicker, energy also grows stronger by fighting against itself.’

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

Similarly, if he made the Will and the Authority fight, there was a high possibility that both energies would grow faster in order to overcome the other.

‘Moreover…’

Raon grit his teeth as he watched Glenn strike down with a heavy Heart Sword.

‘With the strongest opponent right here, I have no choice but to grow stronger.’

It felt like he was losing his mind trying to block Glenn’s sword while controlling the clash between Will and Authority, but this hardship would eventually make him grow. Just as it always had.

Kaaaang!

It was while he was somehow blocking Glenn’s sword, on the verge of collapsing.

Goooo!

He felt his soul become a layer thicker.

[Will is growing.]

[The Authorities of the Monarchs are strengthening.]

[Soul Rank has increased.]

Along with the messages appearing before his eyes, he could feel a small amount of power returning to his sword.

Chiiing!

For the first time, Glenn’s sword, which had been rushing in like a tide, was pushed back by about a palm’s width.

‘The struggle was worth it.’

In half a day, he had achieved a reward that he would not have gained even if he swung his sword alone for ten days. As expected, training with Glenn was worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.

“Good.”

Glenn also let out a small exclamation, sensing the change.

“He’s already improved? What is that kid, really?”

Darkhan let out a hollow laugh, amazed by the speed of Raon’s growth.

》”Ugh…”

Wrath also widened its eyes, not expecting the messages to appear so quickly.

‘See?’

Raon nudged Wrath with his elbow and smiled.

‘Kids grow by fighting. However…’

He bit his lip deeply and lifted his blurring eyes.

‘This is really tough.’

Trying to control the clashing Will and Authority while blocking Glenn’s sword was agonizing.

He had only trained for half a day, but it felt as if he had swung his sword for ten days without sleep.

‘Still…’

Raon smacked his lips and raised Heavenly Drive again.

‘I have to keep going.’

To see the end of this path.

“Again.”

Raon took his stance again and stood before Glenn.

“Please, once more!”

===

After finishing lunch, Raon faced Darkhan in the training hall.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Darkhan smiled, saying he had been waiting.

“What is it that my sword lacks?”

Raon said he would listen carefully and brought his hands together in front of him.

“Harmony.”

Darkhan waved his hand lightly. A strange sense of stability emanated from the Aura blooming on his palm.

“Harmony?”

“It’s true that your sword is moving toward perfection. I understand why Glenn tries not to interfere with your sword arts. But I am different.”

He raised a finger and pointed to his blindfold.

“After losing my eyes and learning to feel through sensation, I became extremely sensitive to the movements of others.”

Darkhan continued, the smile fading from his lips.

“I can feel the fine hairs on the back of my hand swaying in the wind even without operating Aura.”

He tapped the back of his hand, saying he could tell the strength and direction of the wind, and even the upcoming weather, just from that.

“Since all my senses except sight have surpassed those of a human, the way I perceive sword arts is also different.”

“I imagine so…”

Raon nodded.

“Those senses felt a small tremor in your sword.”

Darkhan nodded, explaining that because he lacked sight, he could feel the distortions embedded in the sword arts.

“If you tune that distortion like a piano string, your sword will reach a new realm.”

He reached out his hand, asking if Raon was willing to try.

“……”

Glenn remained silent, arms crossed, as if agreeing with Darkhan’s words.

“What should I do?”

Raon took Darkhan’s hand without hesitation.

“Perform your sword arts before me again.”

Darkhan nodded, telling him to repeat the sword arts he had shown at dawn.

“I understand.”

Raon caught his breath and performed the sword arts of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation in sequence.

Whoooosh!

After performing Returning Heaven, Crimson Flash, and Flame Spirit in succession, just as he was about to launch Heavenly Flame: Flame Dragon Break, Darkhan reached out.

“Stop. Do that last sword art again.”

He waved his hand, telling him to perform Flame Spirit again.

“I understand.”

Raon nodded and bloomed a tree of fire upon the blade.

“Again.”

Darkhan shook his head, still unsatisfied, and told him to do it again.

Whoooosh!

Raon continued to perform Flame Spirit, and Darkhan endlessly shouted “Again.”

As this repeated, countless traces of flame fragments were engraved on the floor of the training hall like fallen petals.

“Again.”

“I understand.”

Without a single complaint, Raon repeated Flame Spirit dozens of times.

“Why aren’t you asking why you have to do it again?”

Darkhan tilted his chin, looking curious.

“You said my sword lacked harmony. Since it hasn’t been fixed yet, I have to keep repeating it.”

“And you’re not even asking me to tell you how?”

“I can only grow stronger if I solve it myself without listening to advice.”

Listening to someone else’s advice only helped for a moment. One had to find the method personally in order to move faster and higher.

“Khahaha!”

Darkhan burst into laughter, clutching his forehead.

“I knew I judged this person correctly!”

He grinned and looked back at Glenn.

“You’ve raised a magnificent grandson! I never thought there would be anything I’d envy as much as your grandson!”

Darkhan pressed his lips firmly, as if he were being completely sincere.

“Ahem!”

The moment Glenn heard the sincere praise, his guard dropped and the corners of his mouth trembled.

“He’s not that great.”

Seeing his earlobes turn red, it seemed he was truly happy.

“Don’t pay attention to other things. Look at my sword.”

Raon strengthened the Subtle Principle of the Transformation Sword within Flame Spirit and unleashed the flames.

“Again.”

Darkhan shouted “Again,” still unsatisfied.

“I understand.”

Raon stepped forward with his left foot. He slightly weakened the Transformation Sword and Illusion Sword, which served as the center of Flame Spirit, and strengthened the Subtle Principle of the Swift Sword before extending his blade again.

Fwaaaa!

Despite not using much Aura, the flames blooming from the sword energy of Heavenly Drive blossomed in a gorgeous display, spreading across the entire training hall.

Whoooosh!

The splendor and variation inherent in Flame Spirit remained, but the flame fragments, now faster, enveloped Darkhan before he could even blink.

The sight looked similar to the sword of the first Head of House of Zieghart that he had seen in his memories.

[Proficiency of Ten Thousand Swords has increased.]

Perhaps because he had gained a realization on his own, a message appeared stating that his Proficiency of Ten Thousand Swords had risen.

“It seems you’ve finally felt it.”

For the first time, Darkhan said it was not bad instead of saying “Again.”

“Finally…”

As Raon smiled and nodded, Darkhan spoke again.

“Still, again!”

He waved his hand, saying it was still not enough.

“Sigh…”

Raon pressed his lips and shook his head.

‘This training is no joke either.’

Due to the higher-than-expected difficulty of the training, the strength left his legs and his head began to throb.

‘My mind and body feel as heavy as if they were soaked in water.’

》”Seeing you struggle like this makes me feel so refreshed!”

Wrath giggled and shook its head.

》”Just consider yourself dead and swing your sword for a month!”

The creature waved its hand, suggesting he relieve his stress through pain.

‘I don’t have to do that…’

Raon smacked his lips and shook his head.

‘I think I have another way to relieve stress…’

===

‘I’m exhausted.’

Raon slumped down in the training hall after finishing the sword training with Darkhan.

He had eaten a delicious dinner at the main building, but because he had spent so much energy since dawn, his head was still dizzy.

》”What a weakling.”

Wrath smacked its lips and shook its head. The creature’s face was devoid of complaints, seemingly pleased with the meal at the main building.

“Was today fun?”

Darkhan approached him and tilted his chin, asking how the training had been.

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

Raon nodded, saying he had found the path for his future growth.

“In the training with Grandfather, I learned how to further strengthen my Will, and in the training with you, I realized the minute differences in the Sword Art Principles.”

He felt certain that if he could endure the training of these two for a month, he could reach a new realm.

“If you can truly do it all, a corresponding reward will follow.”

Glenn nodded, seemingly sharing the same thought.

“Then, shall we finally talk about the Heart Sword?”

Darkhan sat beside him and tilted his chin.

“What do you think the Heart Sword is?”

“A martial study that hones one’s own soul to cut the soul of the enemy.”

Raon explained the Heart Sword as he knew it.

“Then mine isn’t a Heart Sword? Because my sword doesn’t kill the enemy.”

Darkhan tilted his chin, questioning if that was really the case.

“Ummm…”

Raon let out a low groan.

“You must not think of the Heart Sword as a simple martial study.”

Glenn calmly shook his head.

“Think first about what you can show through the Heart Sword.”

He turned away after leaving those words behind.

“Since it is the first day, we will stop here.”

Glenn waved his hand, telling him to go and think it over carefully.

“I’m telling you, we really click. How about we be friends? What year were you born?”

Darkhan followed after Glenn, seemingly having the same thought.

(T/N: I find Darkhan so cuteeee. hahaha.)

“Whew…”

Raon spat out the dust that had settled in his mouth in the now-empty training hall.

“Mental fatigue is starting to set in.”

After a morning of mental cultivation and an afternoon of repeating a single sword technique, receiving a riddle-like homework assignment made his head throb even more.

》I am so happy because you are suffering!

Wrath wagged his tail, delighted by his hardship.

》Still, if you endure, you will eventually get used to…

‘No, there is no need to endure.’

Raon let out a cold smile as he left the Head of House’s training hall and ran toward the 5th Training Hall.

“Huh?”

“Palace Lord? Why are you here?”

“Weren’t you supposed to be training with the Head of House?”

The Light Wind Palace swordsmen, who had been training at a relaxed pace, widened their eyes at the sight of him.

“I learned some interesting training today.”

A red madness flared in Raon’s eyes.

“And I wanted to share it with you all.”

Contrary to his inner thoughts, he wore a refreshing smile.

“Really?”

“Well, training with the Head of House and the former Holy Sword Alliance Lord must be special!”

“Yeah. It won’t be simple and mindless like just swinging a sword.”

The Light Wind Palace swordsmen licked their lips in anticipation of the training.

“Hic…”

Only Dorian, having read Raon’s eerie intentions through his Mind’s Eye, slowly backed away.

“I-I have to run…”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Before he knew it, Raon had stepped down from the platform and draped an arm over Dorian’s shoulder.

“G-gah!”

Dorian began to foam at the mouth as if he were about to faint.

“It is a very good training method I learned…”

Raon smiled brightly and tilted his chin up. In that moment, he looked like an angel descending from the heavens, yet also like an Evil Demon crawling out of hell.

“Let’s do it together.”

》Ha…

Wrath’s jaw dropped, as if he hadn’t expected Raon to vent his stress on the Light Wind Palace.

》They say a tiger does not sire a dog… It seems the world’s greatest lunatic has emerged from under the World’s Greatest Sword.