The Return of the God Level Assassin

Upon activation, the item transformed into a radiant orb that swiftly ascended above Zhu Lian. This extraordinary orb emitted a brilliant light that blanketed the surrounding area, extending with a 20-meter radius, with Zhu Lian at its center. The intense illumination spread over the river's surface, erasing all shadows in its path.

As the light expanded, it seamlessly integrated with the environment, creating a continuous barrier that encompassed the green line behind Zhu Lian. Even if Noctis managed to dive into the river's shadows, he would find himself trapped. The orb's powerful illumination effectively erased any shadows he could use to reappear.

Noctis would now be unable to utilize his shadow walking abilities, and would be left with no means of escape or passage. The orb's presence not only prevented him from crossing the green line, but also restricted his movement within the confined area. This could ensure that Noctis could not slip past her and bring the Aqua Relic beyond the green line.

And because of the brilliant light the orb was producing, even a sniper from afar would struggle to get a clear shot at it.

The fox, now alone, seemed to be momentarily frozen because of what had just happened to his master. Seizing the opportunity, Zhu Lian commanded the monsters, directing them to swarm the bewildered fox.

However, before the monsters could fully attack, a series of gunshots rang out from an unseen location. One by one, the monsters fell, each shot precise and lethal, cutting through the horde with uncanny accuracy.

Zhu Lian narrowed her eyes in a certain direction. Even with Yin Meiyu eliminated, the members of the team could still see the result of her tracking skill. So, she knew that the gunshots must have come from the gnome, who stayed a distance away.

She had been wondering when he would act, and it seemed he was now ready to launch a full attack from his position. That didn't matter, though. She just needed to make sure that those bullets wouldn't reach her.

She quickly glanced at the timer above. Only five minutes remained until the match's time limit. All she needed to do was stay alive until then. The item Yin Meiyu had given her would last for five minutes, keeping Noctis out of action until then. With her sister holding off Shen Ji Yun, Zhu Lian only had to worry about the fox and the gnome.

With that, Zhu Lian began to play another tune on her harp. As a Bard, her skills could only be activated through her music. Each melody signaled the use of a different skill. The one she had been using throughout the match was a special buff that only affected monsters. It caused them to lose control and attack any target she designated, as long as she had the coordinates.

Attacking team Yunyue at the start was easy because Yin Meiyu and Tao Ning were there to pinpoint the other team's location. After both were eliminated, Yin Meiyu's tracking skill continued to update Zhu Lian on their positions. However, the downside of this skill was that it could only focus on one location at a time, meaning she couldn't attack multiple targets in different areas simultaneously.

That's why she couldn't send monsters to assist her sister; she was already using them to attack Noctis and Eclipse. Since her skills required playing her harp, she couldn't activate two skills simultaneously. However, the monsters she had gathered were already frenzied and attacking Noctis and Eclipse.

Even if she paused to use another skill, it wouldn't significantly affect the already agitated monsters.

However, it was a different story if she used the skill to control monsters and send them to a distant location. That required her to continuously play her harp, leaving her defenseless—something she couldn't afford to risk.

If she were taken out, team Yunyue would automatically win by default. She couldn't allow that to happen.

After she used her skill, the monsters became even more frenzied. They surged towards Eclipse, who deftly fended them off with quick, precise movements. His agility and combat skills kept the creatures at bay as he slashed and dodged their relentless attacks.

Suddenly, bullets whizzed through the air, targeting Zhu Lian. Reacting swiftly, she paused her harp playing momentarily, and struck a different chord, summoning a shimmering water shield around her. The shield absorbed the bullets, deflecting them harmlessly.

She timed her pauses carefully, balancing between maintaining the monsters' frenzy and activating her water shield to protect herself from the gunfire.

Her fingers deftly plucked the harp strings, maintaining control over the frenzied monsters. She kept a watchful eye on Eclipse as he maneuvered through the chaos, feigning a retreat and drawing the monsters toward a cluster of rocks. His quick, strategic movements caused momentary confusion among the monsters.

Zhu Lian could see that he was biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She knew that even the slightest distraction could prove disastrous.

In the midst of managing her pauses to summon the water shield against the gunfire, she faced a sudden, intense barrage that demanded her full attention. As she summoned the shield, she noticed Eclipse weaving through the chaos, gradually closing the distance.

The timing was perfect—too perfect. Just as she was about to redirect her focus, Eclipse lunged forward. His dagger flashed, and a sudden cut appeared on her arm as the blade nicked her.

Her surprise didn't last long because she realized she couldn't move. Then, as if to rub salt to injury, the item that was floating high in the sky and illuminating the area like a small, blinding sun, suddenly cracked. And just as swiftly, shadows started to reappear on the river's surface.

Then, the elf with hair like moonlight jumped up from the shadows and rushed past the green line.

As soon as that happened, an announcement appeared in front of everyone.

[Team Yunyue successfully delivered the relic.]

[Team Yunyue wins!]