The Reincarnated Assassin Is a Genius Swordsman

Chapter 1233 Raon narrowed his eyes as he followed Glenn down into the underground levels of the audience chamber. 'It's deep.' Unlike the room he had descended to through the left door before, the stairs leading underground continued endlessly. What was fascinating were the stairs themselves. Golden flames burned atop the stairs, allowing him to see clearly below even without lanterns. 'It's not hot.' Perhaps they weren't real flames, as the fire blooming from the stairs didn't carry any particular heat. Strangely though, looking at the flames made not his body but his heart feel warm. 'There isn't a speck of dust on the stairs.' Whether they had been well maintained, not a single speck of dust could be seen on the stairs and walls. It seemed to be a more important place than he had thought. "This secluded cultivation ground was created during the time of the First Patriarch and has been passed down to this day." Glenn spoke calmly as if he already knew what Raon was curious about. "It's a glorious land that only the head of house and the successor can enter." He nodded, saying that only the head of house and the successor he chose could descend to this place. "Is it alright for me to go there?" Raon stopped walking and looked at Glenn's back as he descended ahead. "I'm not yet the successor, am I?" He was a bit worried since he wasn't yet the successor. "Don't worry." Glenn smiled gently and shook his head. "Because I acknowledge you." He waved his hand as if that was enough. "Hmm..." Raon clicked his tongue briefly and followed Glenn underground again. "And it seems this place also acknowledges you." Glenn looked down below and spoke again. "What do you mean this place acknowledges me..." Raon tilted his head, not understanding the meaning of Glenn's words. "Look at the ground beneath your feet and beneath mine." Glenn pointed to the stairs as if checking that would make it clear. "The stairs... hmm?" Raon listened to Glenn's words and looked down, then widened his eyes. 'It's different.' The stairs Glenn was stepping on only emitted golden light, but golden flames blazed from the stairs he was standing on. Just to be sure, he took another step down, and sure enough, flames only rose from the stairs he stepped on. Since it was created by the First Patriarch, it seemed to be reacting to the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation or Ring of Fire that he had learned. "The golden flames shining on these stairs." Glenn drew a gentle smile as he watched the flames burning softly from the stairs Raon had stepped on. "When I first became the successor and descended these stairs, I also thought I wanted to obtain such light someday. The color of the flames that the First Patriarch possessed was exactly this brilliant golden color." He brought up the story of the First Patriarch of Zieghart and paused his steps for a moment. "I was confident. I was called the greatest talent in Zieghart's history at the time, and had no rivals. However, his martial way did not open a path for me." Glenn chuckled as he produced red lightning different from the golden color at his fingertips. "On the other hand, his flames have been passed down to you, who suffered from a disease that could have killed you and were called the worst talent among the direct lineage. In a way, it might be fate. Interesting." He drew a gentle smile as he warmly watched the flames burning at Raon's feet. "Before your sword, many things of Zieghart—no, of the continent—will change. That too must be fate." Glenn slowly lowered his eyes as if he was looking forward to Raon's future even more. "Fate..." Raon clenched his fist as he repeated the word fate that Glenn had spoken. 'It really might be.' Obtaining the Ring of Fire in his past life, then being reincarnated in Zieghart with those memories and being chosen by Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation—there was no way to express it other than fate, as Glenn had said. 'Of course, this guy must be involved too.' Raon clicked his tongue as he watched Wrath yawning long as if bored. -What are you looking at. Wrath just rubbed his bulging belly with his round hands as if he was getting hungry. 'No.' Raon chuckled as he recalled when he first met Wrath. At the time, he was a scary yet annoying existence, but now that he had become an irreplaceable friend, he felt various strange emotions. -You're as bland as unsalted salmon. Wrath was scrunching up his nose as if telling him to finish what he started saying. "We've arrived." Glenn stopped walking and pointed to the door in front of the stairs. Unlike the elegant stairs, the door was a dull, rectangular iron door. "Inside here is the training ground where we will conduct our secluded cultivation." When he grasped and turned the door handle, a gentle golden light emerged along with heavy air flowing from inside the door. "Come in." Glenn familiarly cut through the heavy air and entered through the door. "Hmm..." Raon let out a short cough and followed Glenn into the iron door. Whoooosh! As soon as he entered through the door, his body became heavy. It felt like carrying a massive iron plate on his shoulders and back. No, it wasn't just a feeling. His body had actually become heavy. 'However...' That's not all. Raon trembled at his fingertips and struggled to lift his head. 'This place is applying pressure not only to the body, but also to the soul and aura!' There are quite a few training grounds that put a load on the body. In fact, they had even created facilities that manipulated gravity to apply pressure to the body in the newly designed fifth training ground. But this place was a terrible training ground that applied strong pressure not only to the body but also to the soul and aura, making it impossible to draw out one's original martial prowess at all. It was so absurd that he unconsciously let out a hollow laugh. "You've already figured out the secret of this training ground." Glenn said he was indeed impressive while stroking his chin with his back turned. "Yes. Pressure is being applied to the body, soul, and aura as well." Raon said it was an absurd place and bit his lip slightly. "That's right. This is a dangerous land that puts a load on all aspects of a martial artist. And the stronger you are, the more severe that pressure becomes." Glenn said it was a difficult place even for him and turned around to look at Raon. Heavenly Tremor was already in his hand. "Hmm!" As soon as Raon saw the blade of Heavenly Tremor gleaming, he reflexively twisted his shoulder. Shhhhk! He tried to turn his entire body to evade, but due to the pressure transmitted from his body and soul, he couldn't dodge completely and his shoulder was cut, blood splattering. "Grandfather...?" Raon looked at Glenn while feeling the sharp pain blooming from his shoulder. "Since you've also touched the absolute realm, there's no need to go easy on you anymore." Glenn raised his chin sharply as if he had deliberately cut him. "Come." He lowered the fingertips holding Heavenly Tremor, telling him to come forward. "Now let's fight for real." * * * "Congratulations!" "You've finally taken the seat that befits you!" "Palace Master. No, we should call you Head of House now!" "That's right! Now you're Head of House Karoon!" "As expected, the Head of House also trusted you, Palace Master!" The executives of the Central Martial Palace standing below the platform in the audience chamber threw flattering words toward Karoon. No, looking at their sparkling eyes, it wasn't flattery—they genuinely regarded Karoon as the head of house. "Not head of house, but temporary head of house." Karoon clicked his tongue briefly while holding a bundle of documents in his hand. "Be careful." He shook his head, telling them not to call him head of house without even giving his subordinates a glance. "Hey! What's good is good, isn't it!" "That's right! There's no one really listening right now anyway." "They say words become seeds. If we call you head of house, you might really become the head of house!" "Head of House! I want to call you head of house right now!" The executives of the Central Martial Palace continued to call him head of house despite Karoon's words, drawing deep smiles. "Isn't that right, Sir Roenn?" One of the Central Martial Palace executives waved his hand at Roenn standing beside Karoon. "Hehehe." Roenn just laughed, perhaps finding it fresh to see Karoon sitting on the throne. "It's not wrong. Even a temporary head of house is still a head of house." He drew a hollow smile as if it didn't matter to call Karoon head of house. "Well, since the Head of House entrusted it to you." Sheryl also shrugged as if she didn't particularly mind calling Karoon head of house. "There is only one head of house. I am still just a temporary head of house." Karoon firmly shook his head as if he couldn't acknowledge himself even with Roenn's and Sheryl's words. However, he revealed his desire for the throne by saying "still" while keeping his gaze fixed on the documents. "Ah, our big brother. You've become damn boring." Balder yawned with his mouth wide open as if mocking Karoon. "I didn't call for you, so go back." Karoon waved his hand dismissively without even giving Balder a glance. "Leave those trivial papers to the kids below and let's do something fun." Balder approached the front of the platform and rubbed his palms together. "Something fun?" Sheryl narrowed her eyes as if curious about what he meant. "Father and nephew have entered seclusion in the deep underground where our voices can't reach them. In other words, it means big brother can mold this family however he wants!" Balder stamped his foot loudly as if asking if he didn't know this well. "Honestly, big brother is being pushed back a lot by nephew right now. If you find and attack Eden at a time like this, you could achieve results that won't lose to nephew! No, since it would be an achievement made from the position of head of house, you could score even bigger points!" He said now was the opportunity and waved his hands vigorously. "Hehehe." "It would be nice if we could really do it." Roenn laughed hollowly again, and Sheryl crossed her arms and clicked her tongue as if telling him to try as he pleased. "......" For the first time, Karoon lifted his gaze from the documents to look at Balder. "How about it? Awesome, right! If big brother puts me at the vanguard..." "You're right." He nodded toward Balder, who was grinning ear to ear. "If we find Eden and succeed in attacking them, we would achieve great merit." "Then..." (E/N: What is this retarded conversation? 'Let's attack our greatest enemy while our greatest forces are away!') "However, I think the duties of a head of house should start not from achieving great merits, but from the small realm of understanding the detailed aspects of the family." Karoon turned his gaze back to the documents and shook his head. He calmly read through the current issues and clauses as if he truly wanted to understand more about Zieghart. "Huh!" "Hmm!" Roenn widened his previously narrowed eyes, and Sheryl unconsciously let out an exclamation. Both of Glenn's closest associates seemed impressed by Karoon's changed appearance. "Sir Karoon..." "Th-that's right! It's correct to start from small parts and go big!" "Whatever the Head of House does, we will follow!" "We will do anything together!" The executives of the Central Martial Palace bowed deeply as if they would follow Karoon no matter how he changed. "Huh..." Balder gaped as if he never imagined Karoon would respond like that. "You idiot! That guy isn't the jealous fool you knew anymore!" Alice smacked the back of Balder's head and snorted. "Ugh, I knew he had changed, but I didn't know he'd be like that." Balder looked at Karoon with awkward eyes and pouted. "Acting like that, he really seems like a head of house..." He shook his head, saying it gave him goosebumps. "Not head of house..." Karoon turned his gaze back to Balder. He firmly shook his head with red eyes that resembled Glenn's. "Temporary head of house." * * * Claaang! Raon barely avoided the consecutive sword strikes Glenn had launched and bit his lip. 'He's serious!' Grandfather is seriously attacking me. Glenn wasn't going easy on him moderately like before, but was unleashing sword strikes thick with killing intent as if it didn't matter if he suffered serious injuries. He had already cut his shoulder and waist, and perhaps due to the special nature of this place, he felt unbearable pain from the wounds. "If you stay still like that, you'll go back up half-dead without being able to do anything." Glenn fiercely thrust Heavenly Tremor with cold eyes as if looking at an enemy. Whoooom! He tried to dodge by turning his waist, but due to his injuries and the pressure created by this training ground, he couldn't avoid it completely again and his thigh was thinly cut. Red blood dripped from the torn flesh, adding hot heat to the training ground. "Huu!" Raon drew Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Ring Sword and let out a heavy breath. "Fine. Since you started first..." He boldly curled his lips as he drove the two swords into the ground where his blood had pooled. "Don't regret it!"