The Reincarnated Assassin Is a Genius Swordsman

Chapter 711 With a thunderous leap, Sylvia sprang from the deck of the sinking ship into the river. Without even catching her breath, she immediately employed her footwork technique towards the next warship. With a flash, her body was once again enveloped in a golden radiance. It was the Light-Running Eight Steps of the Radiant Light Flow that Raon had taught her. "S-Stop her!" "Don't let that monster get any closer!" "Open fire!" Red flashes erupted from the South-North Union's warships as magic cannons and arrows were fired at Sylvia. With a whoosh, instead of blocking them, she increased her speed even further. Her body, empowered by the Light-Running Eight Steps, moved forward like a literal flash of light. The magic cannonballs fell into the river where Sylvia had just passed, causing massive waves. With a splash, Sylvia used the surging waves as stepping stones to leap onto the second warship. "Kill her!" "Block her path and push her back!" The Water Demons on the deck thrust their swords and spears at her as if they had been waiting. Dozens of aura streams extended, obscuring her vision. With a swift slash, Sylvia employed the Flash Strike of the Radiant Light Flow. The sea-colored radiance she summoned swept across the chests of the Water Demons. "Argh!" "Wh-What is..." "Monster..." The Water Demons' lives were extinguished along with their weapons, not even realizing what had hit them. "You damned wench!" The man who appeared to be the captain of this warship roared and charged at her. He bent his knees and shot out a fierce burst of Astral Energy. With a boom, Sylvia didn't defend. She twisted her upper body to the right to avoid the spear-like energy, then infused her downward-tilted sword with the light of the Radiant Light Flow. The blue light that erupted from her sword shattered the captain's spear and slashed across his chest. With a groan, the captain staggered backward, clutching the gaping wound on his chest. "Ugh..." His complexion turned deathly pale, as if experiencing unbearable pain. "Where is Beorn?" Sylvia pointed her blood-stained sword at the captain. "Beorn? As for where that bastard is..." The captain raised his chin with a twisted smile. "Ask in hell!" Defying his pain, he hurled his broken spear. The spear, enveloped in green Astral Energy, flew towards her at an incredible speed. "Then... die." Sylvia thrust her sword, employing the Radiant Light Flow. A sea-colored Astral Ring blazed from the blade, shattering the spear and forming an intense light cluster. With a thunderous roar, the terrifying wave of aura tore apart the captain's upper body, and the remaining Water Demons fell into the river, coughing blood. "Haa..." Sylvia lowered her sword and exhaled a heavy breath. Her hands trembled, as she had never committed such a massacre even before losing her power. But she couldn't stop here. She had to find Beorn, even if it meant killing every Water Demon in this place. Her teeth gritted audibly. Gritting her teeth, Sylvia turned her gaze. Bloody battles were raging across the entire Lable River. While Zieghart had the advantage in terms of raw martial prowess, the river terrain favored the South-North Union, making the battle nearly even. 'I need to move more.' While finding Beorn was important, she needed to destroy more warships to reduce Zieghart's losses. With a crash, Sylvia stomped heavily on the deck. The deck and keel crumbled, and the warship began to sink into the river. She kicked off from the bow and dashed towards her next target with a whoosh. As she boarded the third warship, she saw Zieghart swordsmen lying dead with their flesh mangled. A squad leader was among them, and the clean state of the deck suggested they hadn't even put up a proper fight. "Another moth has flown in." A middle-aged man in pristine priestly robes slowly opened his eyes. "The Yellow Sand Branch Leader." Sylvia bit her lip. She could immediately identify him as the Yellow Sand Branch Leader, the only eccentric Water Demon who wore priestly robes. However, he was more famous for his Grandmaster-level martial prowess than for his unusual attire. "That appearance. You're the very image of a witch." The Yellow Sand Branch Leader clicked his tongue, observing Sylvia's red eyes and disheveled golden hair. "Come, Red-Eyed Witch." He beckoned with his finger, as if daring her to attack. With a boom, Sylvia employed the Radiant Light Flow to its extreme and dove towards the Yellow Sand Branch Leader's right side. "Fast, but predictable." The Yellow Sand Branch Leader slowly extended his hand. The mere shockwave from his clenched fist sent Sylvia flying back. With a whoosh, Sylvia used the momentum from her backward stumble to charge at him again. She concentrated the Astral Energy in her sword and fired a blue Astral Ring. "Hmph." The Yellow Sand Branch Leader snorted and threw a boulder-sized fist. A white Astral Ring blazed from his fingertips. With a thunderous crash, the collision of the two Astral Rings created a shockwave that violently threw Sylvia back, slamming her against the railing. "Ugh..." Despite groaning from the impact on her back and wrists, she immediately regained her stance. "Your willpower is commendable, but an Astral Ring without Willpower is merely a concentration of Astral Energy." (E/N: oh, so she did not reach grandmaster properly yet) The Yellow Sand Branch Leader shook his head, commenting on her inexperience. "You cannot defeat me." "It doesn't matter if I can't win. I just need to kill you." A cold killing intent gleamed in Sylvia's red eyes. She became a golden flash, sweeping across the deck. With a sharp clang, her blue blade flew at an incredible speed, but the Yellow Sand Branch Leader easily blocked Sylvia's sword strike, frowning. "Didn't I tell you it wouldn't work?" "So what!" Sylvia's movements became even faster, to the point where even the Yellow Sand Branch Leader's eyes couldn't keep up. With a hiss, blood began to spurt from her shoulders, knees, and wrists. It meant she was pushing her body beyond its limits. With a boom, the Yellow Sand Branch Leader was pushed back, unable to withstand the force behind Sylvia's sword. A series of clangs resounded. Sylvia, ignoring her body's deterioration, relentlessly unleashed sword strikes to not lose the opportunity she had gained. "Hmm..." Unable to continually block Sylvia's fierce sword strikes, the Yellow Sand Branch Leader let out a low groan as his shoulders, waist, and thighs were cut. "A sword swung while killing oneself, what on earth have you been through?" "Do you know the word 'danjang'?" (E/N: I think there is no absolute proper translation for this term. The concept of danjang reflects the cultural significance placed on family bonds in Korean society, especially the parent-child relationship. It literally translates to "cutting the intestines" or "severing the belly". I decided not to translate this word since it is only used in very specific context which is why the enemy might not know what it means) Sylvia's hand trembled as she gripped her sword, her lips quivering. "Danjang?" "It's a word that means the pain of a parent losing a child. Literally, a pain so severe it feels like your intestines are being cut. I've experienced that twice because of your Five Demons! If I can't have my revenge, I'd rather die here!" She screamed as she slashed across the Yellow Sand Branch Leader's chest. "......" The Yellow Sand Branch Leader narrowed his eyes as he watched the blood gushing from his chest. "So you're Raon Zieghart's mother." He nodded as if finally understanding. "The attack after the life-and-death duel. I didn't like it either. To be honest, I wanted to stay out of this war too. But as long as I make a living through thievery, I have no choice." (E/N: What a stupid thing to say. "As long as I make a life being a scumbag, I have no choice but to be a scumbag". Maybe I'm too narrow-minded, but no one can convince me a grandmaster has no choice but to be a thief to live.) The Yellow Sand Branch Leader clenched his fist and bent his knees. "I'll send you off without pain." He extended his fist that had been tucked at his waist. As if his fist was stretching, a white line extended, and a massive Astral Ring surged before their eyes. With a flash, Sylvia drew out all the aura from her artificial energy center and unleashed the Hundred Spirits One Flash technique of the Radiant Light Flow. A thunderous roar followed. The second collision between Astral Rings. But once again, it was Sylvia who was pushed back. "Urgh!" Sylvia extended her sword, biting her lip until it bled. Although she had more aura, she couldn't block the Yellow Sand Branch Leader's fist strike. 'Is it because of that damned Willpower?' It seemed that, as he had said, an Astral Ring without Willpower couldn't defeat a real Astral Ring. 'Fine. I'll put in as much as you want!' Sylvia roared as she advanced towards the Yellow Sand Branch Leader's Astral Ring. With her eyes closed, she burned with a single desire. 'What I want is the enemy's death.' That was all. She infused her killing intent to sever the enemy's breath into the swelling concentration of Astral Energy. A killing intent so dense and deep that it pushed back the river water and made the wind flee blazed at the tip of Sylvia's sword. The intense murderous intent formed a blue sphere that engulfed the Yellow Sand Branch Leader's Astral Ring. A deafening explosion followed. The two distorted Astral Rings exploded, sending Sylvia flying and crashing onto the deck. "Ugh..." She coughed up blood as she struggled to her feet. "Impressive." The Yellow Sand Branch Leader nodded, expressing his amazement. Despite having a head-sized hole in his abdomen, his eyes remained calm. "They say Raon Zieghart is the continent's greatest talent. Now I understand why." He collapsed, saying that a lion's cub can only be born a lion. "Haa..." Sylvia's hands trembled as she got to her knees. Though she had won by luck, she had suffered severe internal injuries that made her head spin. She wanted to rest, but there was no time for that now. With a determined effort, she forced herself to stand and moved towards the next warship. 'I absolutely cannot stop.' Not until she found Beorn. * * * Raon closed his eyes, gathering the heat of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation in his right hand and the cold of Glacier in his left. 'In this state, they'll keep clashing.' The two energies continued to bare their teeth at each other, whether buried in the ground, forced into a sword, or even if the mental world itself was split. Fire and frost were elements of extreme incompatibility. Left as they were, they would endlessly conflict. 'But I can't immediately expand my mental world either.' My mental world had already expanded beyond its current level thanks to the Ring of Fire. To grow further from here, I'd have to increase the Rings of Fire to nine, which seemed impossible for now. 'In the end, it's about how to control the cold and heat...' Simply gathering them wouldn't lead to the growth of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier. I needed to give them a definite form. 'A form...' Right. It was always about the image. Glenn, Rector, Rimmer, and even Wrath. The strong ones always said that manifesting the image in your mind was crucial. 'If it's an image of flame and frost...' Raon looked up at the white sky, a faint smile appearing on his face. 'I have something perfect.' As he pondered how to strengthen Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier, the sun and moon naturally came to mind. Specifically, the golden sun and silver moon that rose when achieving the Divine-Demonic Harmony. These mystical images of the sun and moon, which normally could never intersect, would greatly aid the growth of Glacier and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Raon slowly closed his eyes. Envisioning the sun and moon of the Divine-Demonic Harmony, he drew out all the energy of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier. He shaped the sun made of flames to reveal ferocity within its weight, and the moon condensed from frost to reflect tranquility within its madness. With a resonant hum, as he painted his own sun and moon, the flames and frost that had been enveloping his mental world slowly rose, building their own castles in the sky. The sun, settled in the west, held brilliant flames, while the moon, rising in the east, was wrapped in an eerie cold that seemed to freeze at the slightest touch. With a magnificent surge, as the sun and moon rose simultaneously, a grand aura spread, saturating the mental world. But the changes didn't stop there. The swords embedded in the white earth began to emit vivid light, sprouting thicker buds. Raon let out a gasp as he watched the swords rise. 'Has my swordsmanship grown as well?' The swordsmanship techniques, freed from the pressure of powerful aura, revealed their own colors, bringing new achievements. He had thought swordsmanship and aura were inseparable, but it seemed that wasn't always the case. 'I've learned something new again.' Raon slowly caught his breath and raised his gaze. Eight Rings of Fire hung in the center of the sky, with the sun and moon orbiting between them. The sight, revealing both mystery and nobility, drew an involuntary exclamation from him. As he nodded with a satisfied smile, black cracks began to spread across the entire mental world. 'I guess it's time to go.' It seemed to mean that since Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier had reached a new level, it was time to leave. As he felt himself slowly falling like a feather, he opened his eyes. The mental world disappeared, and a low, transparent ceiling came into view. 'Am I underwater?' He could feel water flowing around him, but he had no trouble breathing. 'This means...' As he was considering the situation, a message appeared before his eyes. [You have achieved a great feat.] [All abilities increase by 30 points.] [The rank of the trait <Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation> has increased.] [The rank of the trait <Glacier> has increased.] [The rank of the trait <Fire Affinity> has increased.] [The rank of the trait <Water Affinity> has increased.] The rewards from the battle with Axe King Roman and the achievements realized in the mental world all came at once. Thanks to the sudden 30-point increase in all abilities, his body felt as light as a feather. His body moved freely as if on land, not in highly resistant water. But the greater change was internal. The heat of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the cold of Glacier rippling in his energy center gave him a sense of omnipotence, as if he could do anything. -Huh? As he was smiling happily at the messages, a startled voice came from above. -Wh-What is this! Why are these suddenly appearing! The fluffy blue cotton candy grabbed its head while looking at the messages. -All abilities increasing by 30 points! Isn't this too much! It shouted that this was ridiculous and thrust its head forward as if to grab Raon's collar. 'What do you mean "too much"?' Raon curled his lips as he looked at Wrath. 'It's the reward I rightfully deserve.' -Eek! Y-You, when did you wake up! 'Just now.' Raon smiled at Wrath, whose eyes were wide open. 'When did you wake up?' -When you were about to die! Wrath frowned, saying that a blade had nearly pierced Raon's heart. 'Heart?' Raon looked down at his left chest. As Wrath said, his Black Dragon Coat and uniform had a thin puncture. 'So you saved me?' -O-Of course I did! Wrath nodded quickly. -Because of you, the laws of causality have been disrupted again, so you must buy ten boxes of mint chocolate! (E/N: he has a conscience; it went from 20 boxes to 10 boxes) It spread its plump fingers, saying this wasn't something that could be overlooked. 'Hm? You broke the laws of causality, but you're not coughing?' -Huh? Uh... cough cough! Wrath coughed dryly, hacking. -I-It hurts... 'I guess even the Demon King who doesn't lie can't help himself when it comes to ice cream.' Raon chuckled as he watched Wrath roll his eyes. -Y-You, how did you know that! 'When you were asleep...' He was about to explain the situation while laughing. Suddenly, a door that seemed to be made of seaweed opened, and a Blue Lugh with a cute appearance like a baby pufferfish entered. "Raon!" The young Blue Lugh blinked its round eyes and rushed towards Raon. "Flumen." Raon smiled as he patted Flumen's head as it threw itself at him. "You saved me, right? Thank you." "We're friends!" Flumen shook its head, saying it was only natural. -D-Don't tell me you gave orders to this little one in advance? 'Yes. I asked him to save me or the Zieghart swordsmen if we were in danger. And it's not "little one", it's Flumen.' Raon wiggled his finger at Flumen. 'This little guy's skills have improved a lot.' Before the life-and-death duel, Raon had gone to the Gazelle River and met with Flumen. Although its martial prowess was still weak, it had studied magic to the extreme and performed incredible feats. So Raon had asked Flumen not to fight, but to save anyone in danger. -Hmph... Wrath lowered its head, its face turning red with embarrassment. 'Still, thank you.' Raon smiled faintly and lightly patted Wrath's head. -What? 'Flumen didn't do it alone, right?' Seeing that there were no injuries at all, it was clear that Wrath had helped too. No, apart from all that, just seeing that cotton candy again made him happy. 'How's your body?' -I've recovered to the point where I could eat 10 boxes of mint chocolate without getting sick! 'Hmm...' He wasn't sure how much Wrath had improved, but he was relieved to see it looking cheerful. "Flumen. What's the situation?" Raon gestured to Flumen as he got up. He could roughly guess the situation from being here, but he needed more detailed information. “Yeah. I’ve got it all figured out. People think you’re dead….” Flumen nodded and explained everything that had happened so far. "I see." It was as he expected. Thinking he was dead, Zieghart had declared war, and it seemed they were in the midst of fighting. "...Even now, humans are fighting each other. The friends living in the river are too scared to go near." It said sadly, its shoulders trembling. "Don't worry." Raon shook his head as he held Flumen's shoulders. "The war will be over soon." As he said this, he strapped the Heavenly Drive sword to his waist. It seemed he needed to move right away to avoid being too late. "Ah!" As he was about to leave the room, Flumen grabbed his wrist. "I saved one more person!" "You saved someone? Who?" "A human woman wearing a mask, the one who saved you." As soon as Flumen mentioned a masked human woman, Raon immediately knew who it was. -T-The madwoman? 'Yes. It must be Merlin.' Raon nodded heavily as he looked at Flumen. "Is that person here too?" "No?" Flumen lowered its eyes and shook its head. "I had to follow you, so I hid her in that river and moved..." It swallowed dryly before continuing. "When I came back, there were so many skeleton monsters around the river that I couldn't get close. If I don't cast a spell quickly, I think she'll be discovered..." Flumen's hands trembled as it said that even the spell allowing her to breathe would soon wear off. "Skeleton monsters?" Raon let out a surprised breath. 'Don't tell me...' Had the Specter been revived? Merlin had said she made it impossible for the Specter to revive. If new undead couldn't appear, yet they were swarming around, it meant that he had come back to life. "By any chance, was there someone wearing a skull mask among those who were tracking me?" "That's right! A skull! That human is surrounding the river." Flumen nodded, confirming that the human with the skull mask was searching the entire river. My guess was correct. It seemed Merlin had been caught giving me information, and the Specter had retaliated after being freed somehow. "Haa..." Raon let out a low sigh. "If that's the case..." -You'll have to make a decision. Wrath also grasped the situation and frowned. -Whether to go to the battlefield or to save that madwoman. Raon looked at Wrath and Flumen in turn, then clenched his fist. "I..."