The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 636

Delphros removed his hand from the crystal ball the moment Raon defeated the doppelganger Lord. The mana-drained crystal ball dimmed and sank into darkness.

“How… how is this possible?”

The Grandmaster collapsed, his legs giving way.

“We used over thirty barriers…”

Despite witnessing Raon defeat the doppelganger Lord firsthand, the Grandmaster trembled in disbelief.

“This makes no sense!”

Unable to contain his anger, the Grandmaster slammed his fist into the ground, splitting the skin on his hand and causing blood to flow.

“Hoo…”

Delphros sighed, gazing at the now-darkened crystal ball.

“Aah…”

The Grandmaster forced himself up, bowing his head.

“I-I’m sorry. I acted rashly…”

“Your plan wasn’t wrong.”

Delphros shook his head calmly.

“The problem was that Raon Zieghart is a monster beyond your plan.”

The doppelganger Lord, enhanced by the Grandmaster, possessed immense power. While it couldn’t maintain that power for long, it was enough to kill most humans who entered this tomb.

The failure of the plan was solely due to Raon Zieghart’s extraordinary talent.

‘He’s stronger than expected. No, more than that…’

He’s rapidly growing stronger.

The Grandmaster might not have realized it, but Raon Zieghart had been improving his own abilities while fighting the doppelganger Lord. In this short time, he had corrected his flaws and reinforced his strengths.

‘He’s truly a monster.’

Delphros could understand why the higher-ups were concerned about someone as young as Raon Zieghart.

“Should we block his path now? It might be difficult for long, but we could at least delay him…”

“No.”

Delphros shook his head firmly.

“It’s a meaningless gesture.”

Raon Zieghart had broken through the rules of each floor and made it to the fourth floor. It was better to confront him directly than to let him wreak havoc unseen.

“It’s the last floor anyway. I’ll handle this myself.”

A formidable yet steady energy radiated from Delphros, forming water droplet-like shapes at his feet.

“And…”

He glanced to his right, into the gray mist where black eyes flickered, his brows furrowing.

“When the time comes, send that down.”

“Understood.”

The Grandmaster bowed his head in submission.

“It’s time to end everything and start anew.”

Delphros vanished into the darkness with a smile that smelled of blood.

—

Raon opened his eyes upon reaching the fifth floor.

‘What is this place…’

It was an eerie space.

Light shone only on the ground from the ceiling, while the surroundings were shrouded in pitch-black darkness, making it impossible to see a way out.

The space wasn’t vast, giving it a claustrophobic feel, like being trapped in a sealed container. Thankfully, there weren’t many people, otherwise, the space would have felt even more suffocating.

Raon smacked his lips, looking at the fine sand covering the ground like a training field.

‘The aura of Phantom Swordsmanship is intense.’

The aura of the Zieghart founder who created this training ground felt incredibly close.

If he could decipher the barrier inscribed by the founder in more detail, he might be able to remove the dark energy left by Derus Robert.

Raon heightened his concentration, resonating the ring of fire. While analyzing the barrier deeply embedded in the ground, he also examined the people present on the fifth floor.

‘Not many.’

Even though the space was limited, there were less than thirty people on the fifth floor.

“…”

Most of the warriors had sustained minor to major injuries, and unlike the first floor, where they were somewhat restrained, here they seemed ready to fight at any moment.

Oddly, there were also quite a few corpses, which had died long before. He checked and was relieved that none of his team members were among them.

‘Our group isn’t here, thankfully.’

The sight of the corpses made Raon worry about the Light Wind Division. Just as he was about to move to find his team, he heard a familiar voice.

“Leader!”

Dorian’s voice echoed from the inside. Raon turned to see Dorian running towards him, his stomach bag bouncing.

– Oh! My wallet! You’re safe!

Wrath waved his round hands in relief.

“Dorian.”

Raon smiled faintly at Dorian. Thankfully, he seemed uninjured.

“Leader, is it really you?”

Dorian cautiously observed Raon, his lips quivering.

‘As expected…’

It seemed Dorian had also encountered a doppelganger.

“I wandered the snowy field all day and finally met someone. It was you, leader. I was so happy to see you! So I greeted you warmly…”

“And then?”

“But you responded so kindly! It was too strange!”

Was that strange? What did I usually do?

Raon tilted his head, gesturing for Dorian to continue.

“Though it felt odd, I went along with it. The fake leader suggested we move.”

Dorian smacked his lips again.

“I asked jokingly, ‘We won’t train here, right?’ and the fake leader said, ‘Of course, let’s rest here since it might be dangerous.’ So I slapped him!”

“…”

Raon swallowed dryly.

“The fake leader looked startled and ran away! I tried to catch him, but he was too fast!”

“And that’s how you figured it out?”

“The leader would never say not to train! It had to be a fake!”

Dorian shook his head adamantly, as if it was the most absurd notion.

“Hah…”

What does he think of me?

As Raon shook his head in disbelief, he heard a sound behind him. Turning around, he saw Krein walking towards him with wide eyes.

“Leader! It’s really you, right?”

“…”

“When the leader was walking without training, I asked why. The fake leader said he was worried about the others and wanted to hurry. I knew it was a fake and hit him on the back of the head!”

Krein smiled, pleased despite it being a fake.

“You too?”

“Yep, me too!”

Dorian and Krein suddenly high-fived above their heads.

Smack!

Raon massaged his temples at the crisp sound.

– Hahahaha!

Wrath clutched his belly, laughing.

– Didn’t I tell you? There’s no difference between that wallet and you!

‘Shut up…’

Raon pushed Wrath away, biting his lip.

‘What’s my reputation like?’

While he was sighing, more people entered the space. Among them was a familiar face: Martha, looking like a top-tier beauty with her mouth shut.

“Martha.”

“…”

Martha didn’t approach immediately, instead narrowing her eyes and beckoning with her finger. It seemed she had also encountered a doppelganger.

“You saw me too?”

“An incredibly weird guy.”

Martha nodded, biting her lip. She seemed so shaken that she forgot to address him formally.

“I was walking in the snowy field, and suddenly, you appeared. But…”

“But?”

“You started worrying about the others. It seemed odd, but I followed you. You just kept walking. No sword training, no footwork training, just walking!”

“How’s that strange?”

“You always train your footwork or swordsmanship while walking!”

She shouted, baring her white teeth.

“It was too strange, so I asked if you were training. The fake you said, ‘The others are more important now.’ A training maniac saying that?!”

Martha sneered, clearly pleased with herself.

“So what did you do?”

“I stabbed him in the back!”

“S-stabbed him?”

Raon swallowed dryly. Worrying about the others and then getting stabbed made the doppelganger seem pitiable.

“After I caught him, the path to this place opened.”

Martha dusted off her hands, explaining she waited for a few hours before coming down.

“You know the leader well!”

“Of course! He’s a crazy bastard!”

Raon shut his eyes, listening to the three talk.

‘What do they think of me?’

– What do you think?

Wrath scratched his belly, shaking his head.

– A crazy bastard.

‘…’

—

After Martha, two more Light Wind Division swordsmen arrived, but no one else.

“Do you think something’s wrong?”

Dorian bit his lip anxiously.

“They wouldn’t fall for a fake leader…”

Krein shook his head, saying it was impossible for the Light Wind Division to be deceived by a fake Raon.

“Hm…”

Raon folded his arms, leaning against the black wall.

‘It’s not just us; overall, the numbers are few.’

It wasn’t just the Light Wind Division. The number of warriors from the Six Kings and the neutral forces was also noticeably low.

There was no way the Devil Sword Master or the Six Apostles couldn’t have made it here, so the space must have been divided.

“We should wait a bit. There must be some—”

As Raon tried to calm the anxious swordsmen, a light flicked on, followed by several more, illuminating the previously dark space.

Tap, tap, tap!

Rows of magical lights brightened, revealing numerous similar spaces, forming a vast hall.

“Look!”

“Leader!”

“Burren?”

“Vice leader!”

“There are others here!”

The lights revealed numerous identical spaces, each filled with warriors. Though larger than Zieghart’s main training ground, it felt cramped due to the number of people.

“Leader!”

“You’re alive!”

“Leader! I saw a fake you!”

The Light Wind Division approached, their expressions filled with relief. Most squinted, recounting their encounters with the strange version of Raon.

“I did too!”

Rimmer nodded, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Someone asked me for gambling money, and I agreed right away! Crazy, right? I knew it was a fake, though.”

He sighed, saying he should have taken the money and then killed the fake.

“Me too. Fake Raon said he hated mint chocolate.”

Runaan licked her lips, having defeated the fake Raon who claimed to dislike mint chocolate.

“…”

Raon had much to say but decided to stay silent given the situation.

– It’s a relief.

Wrath’s cheeks puffed as he tried to stifle his laughter.

– Thanks to your crazy nature, there are fewer injured!

‘That’s true.’

While other factions had dead or severely injured members, the Light Wind Division had only minor injuries. Even if a battle broke out, they seemed capable.

‘The two Kings are unscathed too.’

Unlike the Black Tower on the third floor, the Devil Sword Master and the Six Apostles seemed unharmed. The doppelgangers’ attacks hadn’t worked on them either.

However, the two, once allies, now glared at each other like enemies.

‘Then the Sword Masters… hm?’

Raon narrowed his eyes at the gathering Sword Masters from the northwest. Serena’s waist was covered in blood. She seemed to have been severely wounded.

“Damn!”

Raon rushed towards Serena.

“Sword Master Serena!”

“Stay back!”

The vice commander, who seemed to have been with Serena from the start, blocked Raon, hand on his sword.

“…”

Serena said nothing, narrowing her eyes at Raon.

“Hm…”

Raon sighed, meeting Serena’s cold gaze.

‘Could it be?’

Had a doppelganger ambushed her in his form?

If not, there was no reason for Serena and her vice commander to react so coldly.

“Step back, Commander!”

The vice commander seemed ready for battle, biting his lip.

“Stop.”

Serena stepped forward, calming her vice commander.

“Commander!”

“That’s not him.”

She sighed, shaking her head.

“You met me?”

Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at her wound.

“Yes. Someone who looked exactly like you in appearance, demeanor, and voice.”

Serena’s eyes softened slightly as she sighed.

“We were searching for an exit when you ambushed us from behind.”

“…”

“I barely avoided a fatal blow and tried to counterattack, but he fled immediately.”

She shook her head, maintaining a calm expression despite her injury.

“No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out your motive. Now I understand. It wasn’t you.”

Serena smiled softly, certain.

“How can you be sure?”

“I’ve watched you since you were young.”

She smiled faintly.

“I told you, I tried to recruit you into the Sword Masters from the beginning.”

“Hm…”

“And look over there.”

Serena pointed to the opposite wall where the wizards of the Balkan Kingdom glared at them.

“Since we arrived, they’ve been looking at us like enemies. Now it makes more sense.”

“Hm…”

“It’s the same. They must have been ambushed by someone who looked like us.”

Examining the entire space again, Raon saw that many factions who had once allied or cooperated were now glaring at each other with intense hostility.

Some, like Serena, sensed something was wrong, but most were swept up in the atmosphere, showing their true feelings.

Raon clenched his fists, feeling the tension in the fifth floor rise.

‘Is this what they were aiming for?’

The intention wasn’t just to kill with doppelgangers but to cause division among the factions.

‘So that’s why there are corpses…’

He wondered why there were corpses in a place where only the living could reach.

‘Experts can tell who killed whom from the wounds on the corpses.’

The plan was to create division faster by leaving evidence on the corpses.

Delphros’s malicious cunning was impressive.

Raon clenched his fists, feeling the tension rise among the people.

‘But this division isn’t their final goal. What Derus really wants is…’

A war.

If he manipulated the corpses of everyone who entered this place and sent them out, it would ignite war among the Six Kings, the Five Great Families, and the entire neutral faction.

Derus’s goal was clearly continental war.

“Alright! Fine! I’ll kill you all now!”

“Who’s saying that!”

The neutral factions of the White Eyes Sword Sect and Blue Moon Sect pointed their weapons at each other.

“Kill them!”

“Annihilate them all!”

“Wait.”

Raon stepped between the two factions, ready to attack each other. Only he, who had dealt with the doppelgangers firsthand, could stop this situation.

“Please listen to me.”

“Who are you?!”

“Are you blind? It’s Raon Zieghart, the Dragonslayer!”

The middle-aged leader of the White Eyes Sword Sect cursed at the Blue Moon Sect leader.

“I’ve heard a lot about the Light Wind Division leader. I’d like to introduce myself, but now isn’t the best time.”

The White Eyes Sword Sect leader shook his head, gripping his flaming sword.

“Yes, we need to cut off these traitors’ heads, so move aside!”

The Blue Moon Sect leader bared his teeth, raising his sword.

“That’s precisely why.”

Raon infused his voice with aura, making sure everyone could hear. His calm tone cut through the tension, reaching the entire hall.

“I was in the snowy field on the fourth floor…”

As he began to explain, a light flicked on in the north, and the space opened up.

A man in a white robe sat on a golden throne, akin to an emperor’s seat, his short blonde hair exuding nobility and military discipline.

‘That guy…’

Raon bit his lip as he watched the middle-aged man elegantly lift a teacup.

‘Delphros?’

His face was older, but the aristocratic impression was the same.

Unlike the Shadow, who handled assassinations and information gathering, Delphros was one of Derus Robert’s assault captains who exercised direct power.

‘He’s in charge here.’

As Raon watched Delphros, the man also narrowed his eyes at him.

“Who are you?!”

“What are you doing here?!”

“Come down now!”

The warriors and wizards raised their voices, feeling the pressure from Delphros.

“I am the master of this tomb.”

Delphros nodded lightly.

“T-The master of the tomb?”

“Are you saying you’re the Sword Saint?”

“That’s impossible…”

“Let me clarify. I mean I found this tomb before any of you.”

He smiled faintly.

“You expect us to believe that…”

“Will this help?”

Delphros pulled out two thick books from thin air.

The red book was titled ‘Demonic Blade Techniques,’ and the blue one shone with the words ‘True Demon Swordsmanship.’

Both were inscribed with the majestic script of a master.

“T-The Demonic Blade Techniques and True Demon Swordsmanship…”

“It’s the Sword Saint’s martial arts!”

“The Sword Saint’s tomb is real…”

“If we have those…”

The warriors who had been baring their hostility now looked at the books in Delphros’s hands with greed and yearning. If they possessed those, they believed they could reach the Sword Saint’s level.

“You want these?”

No one answered Delphros, but their eyes burned with desire.

“Fine. I’ll give them to you.”

He smiled, waving the books.

“Give them?”

“Those books?”

“There’s a condition.”

Delphros’s chilling gaze fell on Raon.

“Kill that man, and both books are yours.”

Hundreds of eyes turned to Raon at that moment, like fireflies taking off simultaneously from a dark lakeshore.

“How do we know they’re real?!”

“Yeah! You’re obviously plotting something!”

The leaders of the White Eyes Sword Sect and Blue Moon Sect shouted in unison.

“You there.”

Delphros gestured to a middle-aged man in scholarly attire standing at the far end. He was a warrior from the Owen Knights.

“You’re Crassel, the Sword Master of Mantong, right?”

“…Yes.”

Crassel raised his head, nodding.

“You claim no one can beat you in martial arts history and interpretation. Verify this for us.”

“….”

Crassel hesitated, glancing at his companions before slowly climbing up to Delphros’s platform.

“Take it.”

Delphros confidently tossed the Demonic Blade Techniques to him.

“Hmm…”

Crassel quickly scanned the book, his face growing serious, sweat forming on his brow.

“It’s… it’s real…”

He couldn’t take his eyes off the book, nodding.

“This book is hundreds of years old, with no signs of forgery. The contents are genuine!”

Though he hadn’t read it all, he was convinced it was authentic, his lips trembling.

“That should suffice.”

Delphros flicked his fingers, and the Demonic Blade Techniques flew back into his hands.

“The one who kills him will be the new Sword Saint!”

Delphros tossed the books into the air, where an aura barrier formed, suspending them.

“Ugh…”

“Hmm…”

The leaders of the White Eyes Sword Sect and Blue Moon Sect stepped back, gripping their weapons tighter. Their cold eyes showed they were ready to attack at any moment.

“Hoo…”

Raon caressed the hilt of the Heavenly Sword, surveying the surroundings.

‘I’ve never been this popular.’

Hundreds of eyes filled with greed bore into him, tightening around his heart like a vice.

Yet he wasn’t afraid. This was Zieghart’s land, and the will of his ancestors was with him.

“When the master is absent, the dogs act like masters.”

Raon smirked, tilting his chin.

“It’s time to put the leash back on.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

Delphros leaned forward, frowning.

“Don’t act like the master of my land, you mongrel.”

“My land?”

Delphros pressed his hand to his forehead, laughing hysterically.

“Since when did this place become Zieghart’s territory? This is…”

“The moment I arrived.”

Raon stomped his left foot. With a resounding thud, the ground cracked, and golden flames spread out in elegant arcs, like the light of a million stars.

Whoooosh!

The intense heat waves formed a blazing sigil in the shape of Zieghart’s crest upon the yellow earth.

“What… what is this?!”

“What kind of flames are those?!”

“Aaah! Even my aura is burning!”

“Retreat!”

The once confident throngs of warriors, now the slaves of their desires, recoiled in fear, stepping back from the inferno.

“Light Wind Division, clear the path.”

“We follow your command!”

The Light Wind Division, uttering firm acknowledgments, moved to Raon’s sides. Their icy, sharp auras compelled the other warriors to swallow nervously and lower their weapons.

“Come down here, mongrel.”

Raon’s eyes glowed with a fierce red light. He stared up at Delphros, his gaze unwavering.

“That’s not your place.”