The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 863

Chapter 863

Sterin left Seifia and travelled out into the boreal forest.

Unlike the other elves, he didn’t move through the forest, but walked effortlessly through the dense trees and bushes as if he were one of them.

“Ha….”

Raon let out a small gasp as he followed behind Sterin.

“So that’s how you go with the flow of nature.

Sterin was breathing with nature as if he were an elf, as if he had assimilated himself into this world.

It was unlike the other Transcendents, who were forced to draw from nature.

‘So I’m learning again.

He mimicked Sterin’s breathing and movements with his entire body, thinking that if he couldn’t do it for anyone else, he could do it for himself with his ring of fire.

‘But….

Where are you going?

Raon lowered his eyebrows, watching Sterin’s back as he continued to walk. He didn’t think he’d get very far, but he kept going as if he was going to traverse the boreal forest.

-I thought you were going to throw me a bunch of martial arts books, but it looks like you’ve become a nuisance.

Lars rolled his eyes, wondering what he was doing without dinner.

‘That’s what I thought.

He’d thought Sterin would give him a martial arts book, or teach him a martial arts lesson, but after travelling this far, that didn’t seem likely.

-But that old man with the earwax.

‘The old man?

-Because he’s the grandfather of the earwig, isn’t he?

Lars pouted, as if to say don’t argue.

‘So what?

-He’s weakened a lot, and I think it’s really close to time to leave.

He tilted his head, as if he could feel it too.

‘…I know.’

Raon chewed his right lip thinly.

‘Because I can see it.

He didn’t need to feel it with his aura like Rath did, he could see it with his eyes, that Sterin’s body was aging.

It didn’t look like he had much time left.

‘Damn….’

There was really no answer to the question of longevity.

I had come to announce Limer’s death, but my heart ached as if I had learnt the end of another person.

“Do you think Shi Yan will make it?

Sterin’s steps stopped as she wondered if Shiyan, who had lost both her brother and grandfather, would be okay.

He turned around in front of a sharp, rocky hillside.

“Guardian. Why are we here….”

Raon cocked his head. He looked around, but couldn’t see anything, which puzzled him.

“Come this way.”

Sterin jerked his finger down the back of the sloping hill. It looked like he wanted me to look where he was pointing.

“Ah, yes.”

Raon nodded and walked over to where Sterin was. He could see something rounded rising from the shadows behind the hill.

“Berries?”

Three red berries, each about the size of a small plum, swayed in the evening breeze.

“These are….”

“They’re called Sagon’s berries.”

Sterin looked down at the berries and smiled softly.

“They are not elixirs that hold large amounts of mana or increase attributes, but they are very effective in stabilising a person’s mind and hardening their soul.”

He carefully plucked the fruit and placed it in his hand.

“I know of the fruit of Sagon. But how did this precious thing get here….”

Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at Sterin’s hand.

The Fruit of Sagon was a special elixir that nourished the mind, not the body, and was therefore rarer than even the highest elixirs.

He hadn’t expected to find it in this corner of the world.

“Men and elves alike look too much upward,” he said, “sometimes good things come from looking down.”

Sterin’s advice was not just about the fruit, but about life.

“Of course, you seem to be doing fine on your own.”

He laughed softly, as if he knew he’d been watching for movement behind him.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Compliment. Compliment.”

Sterin shook his head, saying he didn’t need to apologise.

“At your age, when you’ve reached Transcendence, you’re supposed to be a little arrogant, or maybe even cocky, but it’s amazing how you’re constantly looking up. But look down sometimes, too. There might be something you can learn from it.”

He offered his heartfelt advice and held out the sagon fruit.

“Are you sure you want to give this to me?”

“Give it to your aunt and sister. It won’t make much difference to them, but it will be a great help to a mentally exhausted man.”

Sterin told him to pass them on and placed the sagon fruit in his hand.

“But why three….?”

“One is for the errand. You eat.”

He said it tasted good and waved his hand lightly.

-Ma, you say it tastes good? Let’s eat it now! The king is a market!

Rath’s tongue flicked out, eager to taste it.

“…Thank you.”

Raon pushed Rath away with his elbow and bowed to Sterin.

It was an elixir for Sia and Aris, and he couldn’t refuse.

“I expected the Guardian to give me some martial arts, or to challenge me to a duel, but I didn’t expect such a great gift. I’ll be sure to give it to them both.”

I thanked him again, sincerely.

“Haha, you’ve grown greedy in my absence.”

Sterin clicked his tongue for a long moment.

“What? What’s that….?”

Raon narrowed his eyes at Sterin. He didn’t understand what she meant by suddenly being greedy.

“I gave you three of Sagon’s fruits, and now you want me to teach you martial arts, you have no conscience.”

“Oh, no, no, no, no!”

I held up my hands impatiently.

“I just wanted to say thank you….”

“I’m kidding. You’re too serious for grown-ups. Try to take a little of your master’s flirtatiousness with him.”

Sterin chuckled, wishing he could be as lighthearted as Remer.

“Oh, that’s a bit….”

Raon shook his head emphatically.

“Kahahahahaha!”

Sterin curled his lips into a smile.

“Yeah. I can see that.”

He cupped his chin in understanding.

“I know I have a lot to learn from you, Master, but I don’t want to emulate your swagger and lightness of touch.”

-You don’t need to learn. Your madness is more than an earwax.

Rath snapped his fingers, saying madness need not be downgraded.

“That’s not true!

-I am.

‘I’m not any crazier than you, Master….’

Raon shook his head, and Sterin pulled out the bow and arrow he had slung over his back.

“Alright, let’s see how much you’ve grown, shall we?”

Sterin nocked an arrow to his bow, as if he really intended to challenge her to a duel.

“Oh, no, I’m not, I just thought so….”

“As I’m sure you realise, I don’t have much time left.”

He shook his head, his right hand trembling slightly as he held the arrow.

“I can handle the power of nature, but my body is not up to the task. If it were not for now, I would not be able to teach you.”

Sterin jerked his chin, as if to say, “Grab your sword.

-You know, it would be rude to withdraw it when it comes out like that.

Rath lowered his eyes as if to say, -Get your sword.

“I see.

Raon nodded, biting his lip.

“Then I will learn gratefully.”

Raon drew his Celestial Sword and pointed it at Sterin.

“I am honoured that you are my final opponent.”

Sterin drew a smile to his wrinkled lips, pleased to face the future Absolute.

“Then I shall go.”

I made the first move, suspecting that Sterin was about to give me a lesson in the ways of dueling.

Tsk!

He curled his Heavenly Sword and stepped forward, bringing it up towards Sterin’s waist.

The pure white blade sparked a wild flame that threatened to obliterate the old elf’s existence.

“Quick and strong.”

Sterin let out a small whisper of admiration and swung his bow into an arc. The blue glow of the bowstring extinguished the flames on the enemy island, and he gently struck down with the Heavenly Sword.

Koooow!

Raon’s uplifted Heavenly Sword struck the ground without even reaching its target, Sterin.

‘Defence is perfect.

He wasn’t Seifia’s guardian after all, letting his sword strike fall with just his bowstring.

“Good.

Raon narrowed his eyes and turned to Sterin’s left. From his square, a flame slid across the blade. It was a manga ball spin.

Hwaaaaah!

As the flames of the spinning fire penetrated, Sterin vanished like a phantom and rose up from his left, five paces away.

It didn’t feel like a jutsu, it felt like an alter ego.

“Try to block my arrows this time.”

Sterin drew back the bowstring with a soft laugh.

The arrow flashed blue and crashed into his eyes.

Bullfight!

Raon stepped on the taihua boards and retreated to the right, but Sterin’s arrow followed him as if it had eyes, sending out a fierce wave of energy.

Kyaaah!

Raon drew a frost kite and deflected Sterin’s arrow aimed at his left chest.

Chiiiiiiing!

But the azure arrow didn’t break or bounce off of her, instead, it floated back up and chased after her.

“Ganyu Hua Si!

This was the absolute mastery of an archer who could shoot arrows as freely as a Yi Yi sword.

“Then me too!

Laon let go of the Heavenly Sword. The upper battlefield was open, and the Iguar Sword was in action. The Heavenly Sword floated up of its own accord, blocking Sterin’s attempt to decapitate him.

Zzzzzzzzzz!

A powerful shockwave erupted from the collision between the transcendental sword and the fire poem, and a black crack appeared in the air.

“So that’s the Yi Yi Sword that avenged his enemies.”

Sterin nodded with pride.

“It is a very well-honed blade, with a sense of harmony despite the mixing of so many different swordsmen.”

He nodded in agreement.

“Your teachings have been of great benefit to me as well.”

Raon used the winds of Garunua, which he had learnt from Rimmer, to push away Sterin’s emotional poetry.

“You’ve captured your grandson’s martial arts, then you shouldn’t lose as a grandmother.”

Sterin smiled thinly, snapped his fingers, and his arrow swirled around and shot towards the Heavenly Sword.

Kaaaaaah!

A thunderous roar echoed through the night sky as the Yi Yi Sword and the Xuan Hua Sword clashed again.

”Looks like you’re not able to exert your full power right now.

Sterin was in poor physical condition, and the aura contained within the poem wasn’t very strong.

He lifted his gaze, thinking he had overwhelmingly pushed it away.

“Huh…?

However, Sterin’s arrow had not only perfectly blocked the Heavenly Sword that contained the flame of the cartoon ball, but had actually pushed it back.

“Interesting, huh?”

Sterin smiled narrowly at the wide-eyed Raon.

“The aura you contain is more overwhelming, but it’s not being pushed back.”

“That, yes.”

Raon’s lips quivered.

“It is nature.”

Sterin lifted his hand. The whole world seemed to be reflected in his wrinkled grasp.

“Transcendence is the state of being able to touch all things in this world. If one’s own powers are insufficient, one can borrow from nature, something dragons have been able to do from the beginning.”

He snaps his fingers, explaining that the battle of the transcendent is about the extent of one’s reach.

“It won’t work at first. It’s not easy to force nature’s energy, much less borrow it. But with someone of your calibre, it won’t take long… Huh?”

Sterin’s mouth dropped open as he stopped to offer advice. The winds of the boreal forest were gathering around Raon’s Celestial Blade.

“It’s like this. It’s a bit difficult, but I think I get the idea.”

Raon nodded, as if he could feel it.

“Bar, it’s straightforward?”

Sterin’s chin twitched in disbelief.

“Actually, before I came here, I watched my lord and lady duel, and both of them used not only their Auror powers, but the power of nature as well, and from your behaviour today, I think I know a bit.”

Raon bowed his head in acknowledgement of the realisation that had dawned on him as he watched Sterin move with nature as his ally.

“Kahahahaha!”

Sterin laughed, ruffling his white hair.

“I see you’re still true to that gnome’s word.”

“Him?”

“Your mentor, my grandson.”

He glanced down at Remer’s sword with clear eyes.

“Raon said you always exceeded his expectations, and you have.”

Sterin nodded, saying he still did.

“He’s still very raw, though. You think you can do a little more?”

“Of course.”

She said, and sheathed her blade.

“Then let’s try again.”

“Yes!”

Raon felt nostalgic and enjoyed his late-night training with Sterin.

* * *

As soon as Sterin finished his duel with Raon, which lasted until dawn, he returned home and flopped down on the floor.

“That wasn’t easy.”

After only a few hours of dueling and teaching, he was already aching like a sore muscle. It meant I’d overexerted myself.

My prime. No, a few years ago I could have fought all day and had no problem, but this level of fatigue told me it was time to go.

‘At least it’s fun.

A sense of pride washed over him, more than fatigue and pain, for he had taught the young Transcendent that his grandson had raised.

I was about to drift off to sleep when a white letter fell in front of my eyes.

“This is….”

Sterin lifted a trembling hand and opened the letter. As soon as he read it, he sighed, but his eyes hardened.

After burning the letter, Sterin left the house and headed for the northern end of the boreal forest.

As he climbed the chilly yellow hills, a woman in a golden coat turned to face him.

Her rhomboid eyes were snake-like. A dragon in human form.

“You’re late.”

The dragon jerked its chin in a haughty manner.

“The sun hasn’t risen yet, so it’s my time.”

Sterin clicked his tongue briefly.

“And the day you were supposed to come is not today, but four days from now?”

“On reflection, I see no reason to give you more time.”

Dragon lowered his hand, as if it would be better for both of them if they jumped to conclusions.

“Am I wrong? I think you’ve come to your own conclusion.”

“You’re right.”

Sterin nodded, unconcerned.

“And the answer?”

“No. Seifia will not side with the dragon, nor will she turn away from the Great Yellow.”

He rejected every offer the dragon made, not wanting to create even the slightest opening.

“I don’t suppose Seifia is capable of protecting herself now?”

The dragon bared its white teeth in a threatening manner.

“Do you really think the Great Yellow Emperor would risk his life for you?”

“That is irrelevant. There is no point in living in vain, for those who betray their faith will be corrupted and eventually destroyed.”

Sterin shook his head, unwilling to live like the Dark Elves.

“Threaten, retaliate, whatever. As long as I live, I will stop them all.”

He straightened up, not a trace of remorse in his voice.

“Retaliation….”

The dragon shook his head thinly.

“Good, because I already have.”

“What’s that….”

Sterin swallowed dryly and turned around, just as a roaring fire erupted from the entire boreal forest surrounding Seifia.

Koo-koo-koo-koo!