The Return of the God Level Assassin

He tightened his grip on his daggers, moving quickly to dodge the incoming strikes. He sidestepped one golem's swing and, with a swift move, slipped behind it. With a sharp slash, he cut into its arm, and the golem froze in place, its movements halting.

He took advantage of the pause, delivering a quick strike to its back, targeting the joints where the ice was thinner, sending shards of ice scattering across the ground.

As another golem lunged, Luo Yan ducked low and moved swiftly, cutting upward with both daggers into the golem's chest. It stopped in its tracks, frozen for a moment, giving Luo Yan the chance to slash again at its torso, breaking off chunks of ice. He leapt to the side, avoiding a blow from another golem, and then struck out with his daggers, causing it to freeze as well.

Each time the golems paused, he moved in quickly, using the moment to land more hits. He darted between them, his movements sharp and precise, exploiting every opportunity the effect of his daggers gave him, methodically finishing the ice golem off one by one.

With the ice golems defeated, Luo Yan prepared to move forward. But then, a tingling sensation ran up his neck—a warning of something dangerous approaching.

He spun around just in time, raising his daggers to block the tip of a sharp sword that was inches from striking his face.

-----

Shen Ji Yun reached the end of the cave path he had chosen, having fought off monsters that ambushed him along the way. But at the end, he found nothing but a solid wall—a dead end.

He quickly sent a message to their team channel.

[I found nothing here. How about on your side?]

After sending that, he asked Dusk telepathically, [Dusk, have you found something?]

Dusk responded: [None. I'm going back.]

As Shen Ji Yun began retracing his steps back to the entrance, he checked the team channel. So far, the only response to his earlier message was from Su Yuqi.

[I haven't reached the end yet.]

He waited a few more seconds for Luo Yan's reply, but even after a full minute, there was still nothing. Shen Ji Yun's brow furrowed in concern. This wasn't like Luo Yan. Since no notification had appeared indicating Luo Yan had been eliminated, there was only one reason he could think of for the silence—Luo Yan was in the middle of a fight.

If the other couldn't respond while fighting, then his opponent—or opponents—must be strong. With that thought, Shen Ji Yun quickened his pace, breaking into a full run.

Even though this was just a game and Luo Yan wouldn't be hurt in real life, the idea of him getting hurt, even virtually, was still something Shen Ji Yun couldn't stand.

Just then, a new message popped up on the team channel. He thought it would be from Luo Yan, but it was from Bai Ze.

[We still can't figure out what team Mozu's clue is pointing to. TT__TT]

Shen Ji Yun thought back to the team Mozu's clue and then wrote a response.

[Consider a well-known valley or a location with an underground cave. Focus only on places that are famous in Arcadia.]

Shen Ji Yun hadn't paid much attention to Team Mozu's clue, as he was more focused on their own team's clue. It was far more important to find their third checkpoint and the clue to the next one than to worry about hindering the opposing team.

But now, with his concern for Luo Yan's safety pushing him, Shen Ji Yun's mind worked faster than usual, quickly analyzing team Mozu's clue in a short amount of time. Although he couldn't pinpoint the exact location, he could at least provide Bai Ze and Luo Jin with a starting point.

After sprinting at full speed, Shen Ji Yun finally emerged from the cave path he had just explored. Without pausing to rest, he immediately headed into the second opening from the left.

As he moved forward, he came across signs of a recent battle—scattered ice and deep cuts in the walls. He wanted to send a private message to Luo Yan to check on his situation, but he hesitated, worried that it might distract him and might even lead to his defeat.

Now, Shen Ji Yun regretted not taking better care of the earring that was a pair with Luo Yan's. It had accidentally broken during his fight with a team Siren member yesterday. He hadn't told Luo Yan about it yet. He's afraid that he might disappoint him. Especially since the earrings were one of their pair items.

If he still had the earring, it would be easy to contact Luo Yan and find out his situation. Now, without it, he was left to rely on the team channel and hope for a response.

Shen Ji Yun continued down the path, scanning the area for any signs of movement. He spotted more signs of a recent fight—scattered ice shards and deep gouges in the walls. He slowed his steps, his eyes narrowing on something ahead. Through the dim light, he caught a glimpse of a figure sprawled across the icy floor.

Drawing closer, he recognized the familiar outline—Luo Yan, lying still on the ground.

His brows furrowed as he stared at Luo Yan. Something felt off, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He shook his head and just knelt beside the other. Then he gently tapped Luo Yan's shoulder.

"Yan Yan, are you alright?"

Slowly, Luo Yan opened his eyes. The moment he did, Shen Ji Yun immediately understood the 'off' feeling he'd sensed earlier. A shadow crossed his face, and he quickly looked down to conceal his expression.

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