The Return of the God Level Assassin [BL]

Chapter 1219: YUNYUE VS CELESTIALS (III)

[AH YU, teleport to where I am right now!]

Song Liuli gritted her teeth. She could handle herself in most fights, but going solo against a Mage like Morganite was different. As a Priest, her offensive skills had longer activation times—by the time she lined up a decent hit, Morganite would have already pelted her with half a dozen skills.

That was why she had messaged Duan Yu. Her skill set thrived when paired with someone who could attack while she supported. Besides, she worked best with him specifically. And she knew he had that special teleportation item—the one that let him warp directly to her location whenever she needed him. He'd never confirmed it outright, but after all those times he'd miraculously appeared at her side mid-battle, there was no other explanation otherwise.

Just as Morganite continued pelting her with those damned orbs, Song Liuli watched thin cracks spiderweb across her barrier. The skill's duration was almost up—she could feel the golden light flicker weakly around her.

Morganite didn't let up. She summoned another volley of energy projectiles—this time, they hovered in a half-circle around Song Liuli, cutting off escape routes. A tactical play, forcing her to either eat the damage or drop the barrier early to dodge.

Song Liuli chose neither. The instant her barrier shattered, she slammed her staff into the ground and used [Sanctuary Pulse]. It's a radial shockwave of healing energy that, while meant for allies, had enough force to knock back enemies at point-blank range. The orbs fizzled out as the wave disrupted them, and Morganite staggered back a step.

But a Mage's cooldowns were shorter, especially for skills that didn't have much damage but could be used simultaneously. Before Song Liuli could follow up, Morganite had already recovered, raising her staff to activate another skill. Glowing chains shot from the ground, aiming to wrap around Song Liuli's ankles.

She barely yanked her feet away in time, but the movement threw her off-balance. Morganite capitalized instantly, flicking her staff to launch a concentrated beam of raw energy. Song Liuli twisted mid-fall, but the edge of the beam still grazed her shoulder—her HP bar dipped visibly.

Gritting her teeth, she rolled to her knees and healed herself. But she knew this couldn't continue. Without backup, Morganite would just wear her down through sheer skill spam.

Just as Morganite prepared another volley of orbs, a notification flashed in Song Liuli's vision:

Uriel: [Can't warp to you. Something's blocking teleport items here.]

Song Liuli's stomach dropped and her grip tightened on her staff.

***

Duan Yu jerked sideways just in time to avoid the bullet that nearly grazed his temple. Sending that message to Song Liuli had cost him—the split-second distraction almost got him shot.

When he'd first been teleported into this underground cavern and found himself face-to-face with the gnome, the strategy of the opposing team became painfully clear. Team Yunyue had deliberately chosen this terrain to limit the use of their wings. Worse, they'd been scattered intentionally, forcing each member of team Celestials into isolated one-on-one battles.

His first thought upon realizing their predicament was to reach Song Liuli immediately. She wasn't built for one-on-one combat—he'd seen Morganite take her away before his own teleportation. A Priest against a Mage was a terrible matchup for Song Liuli.

But the moment he tried teleporting to her, a system notification appeared, blocking the attempt. He quickly understood—the gnome probably had an item preventing teleportation. No, maybe it wasn't the gnome specifically. Another member of team Yunyue could be holding the item, activating it to lock down all teleportation within the area.

Team Yunyue had clearly gone to great lengths to teleport them into this cavern—of course, they'd have countermeasures to prevent escape. An item blocking teleportation wouldn't last forever, though. Everything had a duration.

That meant their team just had to hold out. If Yunyue couldn't defeat them before the restriction expired, the tables would turn. Surviving until then was the priority.

Duan Yu wasn't certain Song Liuli could hold out that long. It wasn't a matter of not trusting her—he simply knew her skill set too well. So, he had to reach her quickly. Fortunately, there's a way for him to know her exact location.

Song Liuli carried a bracelet that functioned as a GPS tracker, paired with the one on his own wrist. Yes, it might seem borderline stalkerish, but with Song Liuli's tendency to dive headfirst into trouble the moment someone looked away, he'd long accepted the necessity. If he couldn't get to her immediately when things went wrong, who knew what kind of mess she'd land herself in?

Now, he just had to think of a way to get out of here.

Duan Yu moved before the gnome's fingers finished squeezing the triggers. His body became a streak of black as his [Phantom Step] skill activated. The ice bullet meant for his chest instead shattered a glowing stalactite behind him, sending razor-sharp fragments everywhere.

The gnome's second pistol fired right after. Duan Yu felt the heat against his cheek as he twisted aside, then lunged, his dagger aimed for the other's gut. The gnome barely retreated in time—his small body blurring backward, guns already rising again.

With no time to breathe, the gnome crossed his pistols and fired—twin elemental bullets spiraling toward Duan Yu in an X-pattern. He dropped flat, feeling the ice bullet skim his back while the fire round exploded against the cavern wall, showering him in burning debris.

Rolling to his feet, Duan Yu triggered [Venomous Strike]. His dagger glowed poison-green as he closed the distance in three strides. The gnome tried to dodge, but the blade still grazed his arm—instantly turning the wound sickly purple.

The gnome hissed, switching tactics. He jammed both pistols into the ground. The cave floor then erupted in alternating pillars of flame and ice, forcing Duan Yu into a desperate backflip.

But when he noticed the gnome's attack had unintentionally carved a new path through the cavern walls, a smile subconsciously tugged at his lips.

A path to Song Liuli just opened up.