The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 687

Raon held his breath, fixing his gaze on Ogram’s back.

‘Why has he appeared in my mental world?’

Even though Ogram had taught him the *Bursting Lotus Fist*, only his swordsmanship was embedded in his mental world.

Despite having mastered the martial arts perfectly as a child, they didn’t exist in this place. He couldn’t understand why Ogram appeared.

*Whoooosh!*

Ogram thrust his fist into the air as if unaware of Raon watching him from behind.

There was a vast freedom in his well-disciplined movements. It seemed like he was demonstrating his martial arts at full power.

Raon swallowed nervously and approached Ogram.

‘What’s going on…’

Ogram looked exactly the same as when Raon had seen him in the Sran tribe village—except for one thing.

His eyes.

His gaze was desperate, as if he were fighting a mortal enemy.

The ever-composed and confident Ogram was now showing an urgency Raon had never witnessed before.

“Hmm.”

Raon bit his lip as he watched the despair in Ogram’s eyes.

‘Now’s not the time to wonder why he’s here.’

The instinct that had saved him countless times was telling him that if he missed this opportunity, he would never see Ogram like this again.

Raon activated the Ring of Fire to its full extent. The eight rings, rotating slowly in the air, resonated in an instant, pulling out the focus needed to reach the domain of ascension.

*Whooosh!*

A gust of wind swept out from Ogram’s left fist, carrying the whirlwind of the Gale Stream, while a shockwave erupted from his right fist, amplifying the heat of the Flame Sphere.

He wasn’t merely showing his martial arts but demonstrating how to utilize his energy efficiently.

*Boom!*

With each punch Ogram threw, the world of Raon’s mental space twisted. The force behind his martial arts wasn’t due to the destructive power of his punches or the precision of his aura.

It was the *Bursting Lotus Fist* infused into the very essence of his strikes.

‘Is this the real *Bursting Lotus Fist*?’

The more he watched, the more impressed he became.

The *Bursting Lotus Fist* he had learned from Ogram was a technique that pierced through the enemy’s aura and delivered a shock to their body.

But the *Bursting Lotus Fist* Ogram was displaying now didn’t just pierce aura—it seemed to penetrate everything, even the physical body.

In other words, it looked like there was no limit to what it could pass through.

Raon never took his eyes off Ogram’s martial arts, determined to absorb everything so he could someday reach the pinnacle of *Bursting Lotus Fist*.

Just as it seemed like both a fleeting moment and an eternity, Ogram’s movements changed abruptly.

*Thud!*

Ogram shifted his stance as if an enemy had appeared before him and began unleashing a barrage of strikes.

‘Dodge to the right, then strike with a Hundred Palm Thunder. Now break through the front with the Huangquan Fist?’

He wasn’t just simulating a fight.

‘He’s really fighting an enemy.’

Raon wasn’t sure who Ogram was battling, but unlike when he had shown his strikes earlier, Ogram now fought as if facing a real opponent.

It seemed as if the invisible enemy launched an overwhelming attack, causing Ogram to hunch over, clenching his fists.

Using *Bursting Lotus Fist* to its full power, Ogram thrust his fist forward. The flow of aura tore through the heavens and earth.

*Rumble!*

Even though Ogram was sure of his victory, he didn’t let his guard down, pouring all his focus on the enemy.

‘It’s over.’

Just when Raon thought it was all over, a jet-black blade shot up from Ogram’s left, tearing through his arm.

‘Is that… demonic energy?’

The dark energy swirling around the black blade felt eerily familiar.

‘No, that’s the energy of death.’

The force that severed Ogram’s arm wasn’t demonic energy but the energy of death he had sensed before the Tomb of the Sword Saint.

There was no doubt it was Derus Robert’s aura.

Even though Ogram had been taken by surprise, he didn’t stop fighting. Minimizing his evasive maneuvers, he began a two-on-one battle.

Ogram was one of the strongest among the transcendents, but he couldn’t withstand the onslaught from both sides.

In the end, the web of death energy enveloped him, trapping him completely.

Raon’s lips trembled as he watched Ogram sink into the darkness.

‘What is going on…’

Unable to understand the situation, he exhaled a hollow breath as his mental world began to collapse.

It signaled that his time there had come to an end.

‘Could it be…’

Raon bit his lip, not focusing on the crumbling mental world but on the space where Ogram had disappeared.

‘Has something happened to the real Ogram?’

—

*Huff…*

Garona exhaled heavily, pressing forward. He was carrying the chief of the Sran tribe on his back, and though he himself was gravely injured, coughing up blood, he didn’t stop walking.

‘I have to keep going…’

If he stopped even for a moment, he wouldn’t be able to keep moving.

The man in the red robe who had blocked their path was strong. Even though he wasn’t a disciple, he wielded power greater than a disciple’s, and Garona had barely survived each time their fists collided.

If not for the realization he had gained from *Bursting Lotus Fist*—the martial art he had learned in his desperate attempt to assist his master—his heart would have been pierced, leaving him to die on the cold ground.

“Ugh…”

The chief of the Sran tribe, carried on his back, groaned, tapping Garona on the shoulder.

“Garona… leave me behind. You must survive…”

The chief’s lips were pale from the heavy blood loss, and his voice was weak, urging Garona to abandon him.

“I can’t.”

Having already left Ogram behind, leaving the Sran chief as well would render him unworthy of ever looking back on himself.

It would be better to die here than commit such an unforgivable act as a warrior of the Beast Alliance.

The communication crystal was shattered, and the warriors and shamans following behind were too injured to carry the chief. Garona was the only one left capable of bearing the burden.

“Why hasn’t the leader arrived yet?”

“Do you think the Blood Demon Cult Leader defeated him…?”

“Hmm, that’s the only explanation…”

The warriors of the Sran tribe, their heads hanging low, were muttering about Ogram’s absence. It was natural for them to think such thoughts since he had yet to return long after the battle had ended.

“Nonsense!”

The chief, who had been on the verge of death, turned his head and shouted angrily.

“Do you think the leader would fall to a mere vampire like that? He’s simply diverted their attention away from us by retreating in a different direction!”

His voice was filled with strength, firmly believing in Ogram’s abilities.

Garona bit his lip and nodded.

‘Yes, we have to believe…’

If the Beast Alliance didn’t have faith in their leader, Ogram, then who would?

With renewed determination, Garona pushed forward, pressing his heels into the ground as he continued to walk.

Time passed, and just as he reached the limits of his endurance, shadows emerged across the dark plains.

At the center of the group, a man on horseback appeared, his attire ill-suited for the plain—he was a young, handsome man dressed like a scholar.

“Vice Leader…”

Though Garona usually frowned at the sight of him, today he was more than glad to see him.

“Vice Leader!”

Garona stopped in his tracks, his shout almost a scream, mixing with a roar of relief.

*Crackle!*

The moment the vice leader heard the cry, he vanished from his horse, reappearing before Garona in an instant, like a flash of lightning.

“Garona!”

“Why are you so late?”

Just as Garona was about to collapse, the vice leader caught him, supporting his waist.

“What happened?”

“Contact the Six Kings immediately…”

Garona’s emotions, long held back, burst forth as his eyes reddened.

“Our master is in danger!”

—

“Do you really expect me to believe that?”

Glenn Zieghart scowled as he stared at the communication crystal.

[Ah, this is frustrating.]

In the crystal, the Grand Mage Chamber tilted her head.

[Even though I enjoy jokes, do you think I’d lie about something like this? Huh?]

Chamber furrowed her delicate brows, asking Glenn to believe her.

Gone was her usual coy demeanor, revealing her true personality.

“……”

Glenn narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Chamber before giving a slight nod.

“Fine. Continue.”

[Look, I’m not your subordinate, okay? You know that, right?]

“I understand. Start from the beginning.”

[Oh, for the love of… I swear, Raon is the only one in your family I can stand!]

Chamber sighed deeply and began to recount her story, though her gaze remained sharp.

[After hearing about the Blood Demon Cult Leader’s attack on the Chiran tribe, Ogram rushed there alone. Later, Garona and the Sran tribe chief followed… and well, that’s when I got involved.]

She relayed the story just as she had heard it from Garona and the chief.

[…and that’s why they contacted me. Of course, since I only heard the story from Garona, I can’t tell you what exactly happened inside the fog.]

“Garona…”

Glenn repeated Garona’s name. He recalled Ogram introducing him once, saying he might become his successor one day.

“So, Ogram hasn’t shown himself since?”

[That’s why I contacted you.]

“Hmm…”

Glenn frowned. Normally, Ogram was confident no matter who his opponent was, and would often invite people to witness the battle.

For him to tell them to flee and then disappear meant he had either died or was clinging to life.

‘Or maybe he’s still alive, barely holding on.’

The Blood Demon Cult Leader was known to drink the blood of living people to enhance her power.

To her, Ogram would be a rare and exquisite delicacy she wouldn’t kill off so easily.

“Have you visited the site?”

[Yes. The area was still filled with the lingering energy of a transcendent’s power. Traces of Ogram’s *Bursting Lotus Fist* and the Blood Demon Cult Leader’s Blood Feast Paragon Fist were evident. But the black fog Garona mentioned turned out to be a rather ordinary illusion magic.]

Chamber nodded calmly.

“What about the outcome?”

[There were no conclusive signs. But the last trace that remained was blood energy.]

“I see…”

[This news is spreading faster than any rumor.]

Her eyes gleamed coldly, like a blade.

[You know what that means, right?]

“…It means the balance of power is about to shift.”

[Exactly. This is a serious situation. No, it’s beyond serious—it’s a colossal mess.]

Chamber clicked her tongue.

[There will be a Six Kings Meeting soon. Make sure you attend. And…]

She slightly lowered her eyebrows.

[Consider what you’ll do about Raon’s life-and-death duel.]

“……”

[See you at the meeting.]

With a light wave, Chamber ended the communication.

“Hmm…”

Sheryl leaned against a pillar, letting out a shallow breath.

“The thought of the Beast King losing to the Blood Demon Cult Leader is hard to believe.”

Her lips trembled as she tried to process what had happened.

“Surely, the difference in power, and their combat affinities, would have favored Ogram.”

Roenn also scowled, sharing the same sentiment.

“Nothing is confirmed yet.”

Glenn shook his head calmly. It was too early to reach a conclusion, as it had only been a few hours since the battle.

To be honest, the idea that Ogram had lost to the Blood Demon Cult Leader was hard to believe—and Glenn didn’t want to believe it either.

But since the incident had already occurred, they needed to think about their next steps.

“Is Raon still training?”

Glenn turned his gaze to Rimmer, who had been sitting silently.

“…Yes.”

Rimmer’s brow was deeply furrowed, as if he had also been thinking about Raon’s upcoming life-and-death duel.

“Haa…”

Glenn exhaled a low breath, nodding.

“When his training ends, summon him immediately.”

—

Raon opened his eyes abruptly. Though he had trained in his mental world many times, this was the first time he had woken as if from a nightmare.

‘What in the world happened?’

He was filled with questions—about Ogram’s sudden appearance in his mental world, his martial display, and how he was dragged away by the energy of death.

One thing was certain: something had happened to Ogram.

‘It felt like he wanted me to understand something.’

In the mental world, Ogram hadn’t seemed to ask for help, but rather for his situation to be understood.

[You’ve gained new insights in your mental world.]

[All your swordsmanship techniques have advanced.]

[All of your attributes have increased by 10 points.]

[Your proficiency in *Bursting Lotus Fist* has greatly improved.]

As Raon tried to stand, a message appeared before his eyes, rewards from the experience in his mental world.

‘Wrath isn’t awake yet.’

If Wrath had been awake, he would have been shouting in excitement upon seeing this message. But it was silent, meaning Wrath was still asleep.

‘All swordsmanship techniques advanced…’

This was likely a reward for training in the ways of the transcendents.

It was almost as though his mastery of the sword had risen to a new level, a significant improvement.

‘And *Bursting Lotus Fist*…’

The knowledge that *Bursting Lotus Fist* could pierce more than just aura was the greatest reward of all, gained from watching Ogram’s focused combat.

Incorporating *Bursting Lotus Fist* into the new sword realm he was building also seemed feasible now.

‘But this isn’t the time to think about that.’

Though these were incredible rewards, there was something more urgent at hand.

Raon opened the door to the training ground and stepped outside.

‘Is it dawn?’

The cool dawn air lingered in the empty training grounds, with no one else in sight.

‘Of all times…’

Just as he furrowed his brows, thinking he had chosen the wrong moment, he heard a rustling sound from above.

“You’re finally awake?”

A voice, slightly hoarse as if from sleep, accompanied by Rimmer’s face peeking down from the ceiling.

“Vice-captain?”

Raon blinked in surprise at the sight of Rimmer. He wasn’t even around during the day, yet here he was in the early hours.

“What are you doing here?”

“Nothing much.”

Rimmer shrugged as if it was no big deal and then descended to the ground.

“Actually, I’ve been waiting for you. I have something to tell you.”

He let out a long sigh and raised his gaze.

“Something to tell me…”

Raon instinctively knew that what Rimmer wanted to say was the same question he had been meaning to ask.

“Ogram has fallen to the Blood Demon Cult Leader.”

“…Ah.”

His hands trembled involuntarily. If that were true, then the Ogram he had seen in the mental world had been a reflection of the harsh reality.

“No one knows the exact details yet. But one thing is certain—Ogram has gone missing.”

Rimmer explained the confrontation between Ogram and the Blood Demon Cult Leader.

“Is there any sign of interference from a third party?”

Raon asked, recalling the death energy that had blocked Ogram’s strikes.

“According to Chamber, there were no traces of anyone else.”

“……”

That made it even more suspicious. If Derus had been involved, he wouldn’t have left any evidence.

“So…”

“Vice-captain!”

Raon interrupted Rimmer, raising his gaze.

“I must go there.”

“There?”

“To the place where Ogram and the Blood Demon Cult Leader fought!”

In the mental world, Ogram had seemed like he wanted Raon to understand something about his situation. There was a high chance that some trace remained at the battle site.

“Right now!”

A crimson lightning bolt flickered in Raon’s eyes.