The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman

》”It is exactly as you said.”

Wrath nodded as he scanned the foot of the mountain.

》”They shaped a powerful aura with extreme precision. They are no ordinary humans.”

He narrowed his eyes, noting that they far exceeded ordinary Transcendents.

‘Wait.’

Raon clenched his fists as he watched the flame and frost clash, as if they were trying to kill each other.

‘The earth aura supporting that flame and frost…’

For some reason, it felt familiar.

The earth aura was imbued within the violently colliding flame and frost, and strangely, it felt similar to the martial study he had been taught by the Sword-Blade Master.

‘Could it be…’

》”Now is not the time to be lost in thought, is it?”

Wrath flicked Raon’s shoulder with his tail, urging him to go down and investigate properly.

‘I suppose that’s for the best.’

Raon nodded and sprinted down the mountain.

Screeeech!

The two energies, entwined with flame and frost, burned through their own forms as if they had met a mortal enemy, each trying to devour the opposing attribute.

However, because the flame and frost were perfectly matched, they exhausted every ounce of their power without leaving a single fragment behind, eventually vanishing into gray smoke.

“Damn it!”

Raon reached the mid-slope of Stehrin Mountain a moment too late. The flame and frost had already vanished, and the dimension that had summoned the two energies had closed.

》”I told you to hurry!”

Wrath shook his head in frustration.

‘At that speed, I wouldn’t have caught them even if I had reacted instantly.’

It was true that he had paused to think about the earth aura, but it hadn’t been for long. Even if he had descended the moment he saw them, he would have been too late.

“A-Are you okay?”

Dorian’s voice drifted down from the mountain peak.

“I’m fine, so don’t come down.”

Raon raised his hand toward Dorian, who looked like a tiny dot from this distance.

“B-But I’m scared! What if you wake up the Demon King!”

Dorian stamped his feet, pleading to come down.

“He won’t wake up. Probably…”

After shouting for Dorian not to worry, Raon examined the ground where the flame and frost had collided.

‘Transcendents. And either on my level or above me.’

Martial arts of this magnitude were not easily created even by Transcendents. These were undoubtedly powerhouses who had left their names in history.

‘However, this kind of aura…’

Raon narrowed his eyes, scanning the traces on the ground.

‘I’ve never seen it before.’

It was a martial study and aura he had never encountered. Not among the Five Kings and Five Demons, nor within the Five Divine Orders.

‘Are they hidden experts?’

The history of the continent was vast and long. It wouldn’t be strange if there were hidden experts he didn’t know about.

‘The problem is…’

Raon clicked his tongue, looking up at Stehrin Mountain as the vibrations subsided.

‘Why are they fighting? And why in a different space?’

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand why they would transmit their aura to the mid-slope of Stehrin Mountain and risk waking Sloth instead of fighting on their own land.

‘Do they hold a grudge against Sloth?’

Raon wrinkled his nose, glancing toward the peak where Sloth slept.

》”That fellow isn’t the type to earn grudges. He endures so much that the title of Demon King doesn’t even suit him.”

Wrath shook his head, dismissing the possibility.

“Hearing that makes it even harder to understand.”

Just as Raon frowned and let out a sigh.

Screeeech!

Two cracks opened before his eyes once again, and red and blue auras burst forth.

The flame and frost charged forward, emitting powerful energy waves as they tried to kill each other once more.

K-BOOM!

The aura of flame and the energy of frost collided head-on, sending out a terrifying shockwave. Stehrin Mountain, which had barely stopped shaking, twisted as if it were about to collapse.

“Urgh…!”

Raon was pushed back like a piece of paper caught in the wind.

‘Just as I expected.’

As he had sensed from afar, the flame and frost colliding before him were martial arts launched by Transcendents.

‘The flame is swordplay, and the frost is a Blade Art.’

The flame and frost contained different martial principles. The flame was a precise sword technique designed to pierce the opponent’s vital points, while the frost was a fierce Blade Art meant to cleave the enemy in half.

Screeeech!

Once again, the two energies created a massive wave as they tried to devour one another, only to fade away futilely once their power ran out.

“Whew…”

Raon caught his breath and nodded.

‘I think I get the gist of it now.’

》”Eh? What do you get?”

Wrath raised an eyebrow, confused.

》”All we know right now is that there are two crazy people.”

‘It’s not entirely certain yet. I’ll tell you later.’

Raon lowered his hand, saying he would let him know once he was sure.

》”Fine, then can you solve this?”

Wrath licked his lips, seemingly eager to resolve the matter quickly so they could go to the Frost Branch and eat.

‘That…’

Raon blinked slowly.

‘I don’t think I can.’

》”What? You just said you understood!”

‘I understand, but there’s no way to solve it. I can’t enter that dimension.’

He had a rough idea of who was doing this, but he still didn’t know where they were or why they were doing it.

“And I can’t keep blocking these attacks forever.”

Using his own power, he could push the two forces away or erase them to prevent Sloth from waking.

However, that would only be a temporary fix. Sloth would eventually go on a rampage.

“What should I do about this…”

Just as Raon let out a long sigh while looking at the melted snow and ice.

“Shall I solve it for you?”

A squirrel doll popped out from his chest, accompanied by a voice filled with excitement.

Pop!

The squirrel doll set off a small firework and transformed into Evelyn, who was elegantly dressed in a purple robe.

“H-How did you…”

Raon’s jaw dropped as he looked at the beaming Merlin.

“I definitely left the squirrel doll at the annex!”

Evelyn had told him to carry it at all times, but he had left it at the annex out of fear. He had no idea why it was in his inner pocket.

“I cast a Blessing of Binding on the squirrel doll and you. So that we can always be together.”

Evelyn clasped her hands as if praying, mentioning that even if he left it at home, it would eventually cling to him.

“B-Blessing of Binding…”

Raon’s fingertips trembled upon hearing the name of a magic whose ability was all too predictable.

》”T-That’s not a blessing, it’s a curse! A vicious curse!”

Wrath screamed in disbelief.

“That aside…”

Evelyn wore a deep smile, leaning her pale, white face close to his.

“I don’t think this was our agreed-upon time or place?”

She shot him a burning gaze, asking why he had departed first.

“T-That’s…”

Raon swallowed hard and slowly stepped back.

“But it’s okay. I saw everything.”

Evelyn stroked Raon’s shoulder, noting that he had become much stronger.

“Hng…”

Raon’s eyelids fluttered at Evelyn’s touch.

》”T-This is not the time to worry about Sloth!”

Wrath shook his head violently.

》”Escaping that Madwoman comes first! Hurry!”

The creature screamed, but Raon’s legs wouldn’t move from the ground.

‘It’s already too late…’

“So…”

Evelyn licked her lips as she looked at the mountain where the snow and ice had melted.

“You’re saying the aura that created these traces and caused this ‘inter-floor noise’ belongs to martial artists?”

“Exactly. However…”

Raon spoke, leaning his back against a shattered piece of rock.

“The problem is that those martial artists are Transcendents. And monsters who have reached the very top of that rank.”

He frowned, adding that they might be similar to him in strength, or perhaps even stronger.

“Then we just need to find those nuisances?”

Evelyn smiled faintly, as if it weren’t a difficult task.

“Right. But I don’t think finding them will be easy. Seeing as they use dimensions, they’re likely far away from here.”

Raon clicked his tongue, looking down at the traces of aura.

“Don’t worry. Dimensional and Space Magic are my specialties.”

“Specialties?”

“Yes. I had some great sunbaes.”

Evelyn, who was already skilled, bumped her fists together, mentioning that she had learned higher-dimensional magic from Chamber and Larian.

“Of course, there is one problem.”

She flicked her finger and stepped closer to Raon.

“I think I need to see it with my own eyes to find the location.”

Evelyn shook her head, explaining that she couldn’t find clear traces of mana due to the impact of the powerful aura.

“Don’t worry about that.”

Raon smiled and lowered his hand.

“They’ll appear again soon if we wait.”

Seeing as they had burst through twice as soon as Sloth fell asleep, the aura would likely reappear without much waiting.

“Really? Then let’s wait.”

As Evelyn clasped her hands and scattered mana, a blue veil spread around Stehrin Mountain. It looked like a barrier designed to track the location of whoever was opening the dimension.

However, even after Evelyn maintained the barrier for two hours, the dimension did not open again.

“Are you sure we only have to wait a little bit?”

Evelyn looked at Raon with narrowed eyes.

“They came out immediately when I was here…”

Raon scratched the back of his head, apologizing.

“If it’s too tiring, you can release the barrier. Let’s take a break and try again.”

Since Evelyn was operating the barrier manually rather than it being a stationary installation, he felt guilty.

“That doesn’t matter…”

Evelyn licked her lips and took a step closer. Her warmth seeped through where their shoulders touched.

“It’s a bit chilly. Shall we huddle up and talk?”

She pressed closer, close enough for him to hear her breathing.

“I-I can hear you even if we stand apart!”

Raon laughed awkwardly and took a step away from Evelyn.

“My hearing isn’t very good.”

Evelyn wore an even deeper smile and stepped closer to Raon.

“Then you should get it treated. I’ll call the Saint when we go back.”

Raon’s jaw trembled as he moved further away.

“Forget it. I think I’ll feel better if I’m close to you.”

Evelyn murmured and clung to him tightly.

“I-I’m a bit hot…”

“It’s okay. My body is cold.”

“It’s not cold at all…”

“This is cold enough.”

Raon and Evelyn circled the flattened mountain endlessly, like a windmill.

》”I-Is this a matter of compatibility? To think the greatest madman on the continent is completely helpless…”

Wrath let out a heavy breath, concluding that even Raon could not defeat the Madwoman.

Ssssss.

It was as the two people and one Demon King spent the night in a silent war.

Vroooom!

As the sun rose, two dimensions opened, and the aura of flame and the energy of frost erupted from within.

“Evelyn!”

Raon stopped his sidestepping and called out to her.

“I need to confirm the dimensional coordinates! Stop those energies from exploding!”

Evelyn gritted her teeth, noting that the power of the aura was too strong for her to examine the dimension properly.

“Got it.”

Raon nodded and drew Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Wheel Sword.

Igniting the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier upon the two blades, he dove between the flame and frost that were about to collide.

Whoosh!

He blocked the flame with the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation to prevent the shock from spreading and entwined the frost with Glacier.

K-BOOM!

Raon gripped Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Wheel Sword as if to break them, biting his lip.

‘The aura is heavier than I thought.’

The energy was so powerful that he barely managed to match it by operating the Divine-Demonic Harmony State. Just blocking it made his back soak with sweat.

‘I can’t use the Divine-Demonic Harmony State again, so…’

He decided to release his Will.

Though he had consumed a lot of his Will and the Authorities of the Demon Kings, there was no other way.

Thump!

Raon stomped a powerful True Step, operating the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier at their peak.

Vroooom!

Imbuing his powerful Will and Authority into the blades of fluctuating flame and frost, he struck down the aura that had emerged from the dimension.

K-BOOM!

Finally gaining the upper hand, the flame and frost began to slowly vanish, pushed back by the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier.

Haaa…

After overcoming the two streaks of aura that had pierced through the dimension with his own strength, Raon collapsed on the spot.

“Haa…”

As soon as the dimension closed, a ragged breath escaped him. After the duel with Sloth, blocking the energy of two Transcendents left him so drained that his body began to tremble.

“Evelyn. Did you get it?”

Raon looked at Evelyn’s back with trembling eyes.

“I found it thanks to you.”

Evelyn turned around with a beaming smile.

“It’s not that far from here.”

She nodded, explaining that while walking would be difficult, she could construct a Teleportation magic circle.

“Where is it?”

Raon forced strength into his trembling grip and stood up again.

“Over there…”

Evelyn tilted her chin toward the north, beyond Stehrin Mountain.

“It’s above the North Sea.”

“C-Can’t I come too?”

Dorian clasped his hands, looking at the deeply sleeping Sloth.

“I really brought everything except for things that don’t exist!”

He knelt, pleading for them to take him along.

“It might be dangerous there. This is the safest place.”

Raon pressed down on Dorian’s shoulder, telling him to stay with Sloth.

“B-But he’s a Demon King!”

“He’s fine. Just think of him as Runaan.”

Raon shook his head, saying it was just a matter of taste.

“Pardon…?”

Dorian blinked blankly.

》”As if that would work! You crazy bastard!”

Wrath shook his head in disbelief.

‘Regardless, it’s true that where we’re going is more dangerous.’

Raon shook his head coldly.

‘A fight could break out the moment we enter.’

Since combat could erupt immediately upon stepping through the Dimension Door, taking Dorian was out of the question.

“But why isn’t it opening again?”

Evelyn frowned, looking at the ground where the dimension had opened.

“I blocked the aura of those two.”

Raon clenched his fist.

“They must have felt that there was interference on this side.”

A day had passed since he blocked the flame and frost, and the dimension had not opened. It seemed they had realized something was present at this location and stopped the fight.

“Then shall we just move?”

Evelyn licked her lips, saying she had already finished the calculations for the Teleportation magic.

“No, let’s wait a bit longer. Catching them in the act is the best…”

Just as Raon was shaking his head.

Vroooom!

He felt a massive aura piercing through a dimension on the opposite slope of the mountain.

It seemed they had felt the interference and changed their location.

“Evelyn. Now!”

Raon placed his hands on Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Wheel Sword and called out to her.

“I’m already on it!”

Evelyn clasped her hands rapidly, as if telling him not to worry. A chillingly dense mana sparkled above her palms, and a blue Dimension Door opened.

“Just go right in!”

“Thanks.”

Before he could even finish saying thank you, Raon stepped through the Dimension Door Evelyn had opened.

Whoosh!

As soon as he entered the dimension, warm air rushed over him. He had heard it was above the North Sea, so he didn’t understand why such a warm breeze was blowing.

Thump.

Raon used a quick Movement Technique to exit the dimension.

Vroooom!

As the intense light subsided, what came into view was a cold-looking man holding a stern blade and a woman with a benevolent face holding a sword from which flames bloomed.

And behind them, he saw the Gold Dragon submerged in the North Sea.

[Stop it already!]

The dragon screamed at the man with the sword and the woman with the blade.

[Just how long are you two going to keep having a marital spat!]

“Uh…?”

Raon, who had been thinking only of battle, stared blankly.

‘A marital spat?’

》”…Are the people here crazy too?”