As the battle raged on, the doll struck a stance that made Ray flinch. It was an orthodox stance, with open paws like a Kung-Fu master, but the doll's footwork was reminiscent of a marathon runner. If there was one thing that was beaten in Ray to near death was to never be cocky in the solider program, and so he kept his crimson red eyes locked on the doll, ready to strike with his Sanjiegun [modern_footnote] three-section staff[/modern_footnote]. at a moment's notice.
Meanwhile, the audience watched in worried silence. They knew this stance all too well. Zula raised her voice in concern.
"Overseer, we need to stop this. This should be enough. The kid can't take on something like this," she said with concern.
Allister also interjected, pleading with the overseer to stop the fight. "Sir, this is too dangerous. Please, stop it. Ray will get seriously hurt if this continues."
The overseer, however, remained focused on the battlefield. He heard the pleas of the children, but he didn't think there was much to be concerned about. High humans were built differently from ordinary humans. They could survive injuries that would kill most others.
"You all worry too much. I'm not worried. The baby goliath has splendid skill in weapon usage," he said, crossing his arms with a stern expression.
The others sitting beside him were completely shocked by the overseer's remarks. They knew that he only ever complimented two people in his life - Ivan for his extraordinary discipline and leadership, and Asashia for her genius and ingenuity. Both Allister and Zula looked desperate to stop the battle, but the overseer had made up his mind. Once he made a decision, he did not change it, no matter what.
With hope that the overseer's confidence was not misplaced, they looked out at the battlefield with a glimmer of hope that the worst wouldn't come to pass. The others listened to the conversation without complaint. For them, the overseer's words meant near-absolute certainty. They expected as much from someone with so much experience.
"I wonder how much time it will take. I will stop the battle if necessary, so don't worry," the overseer said seriously.
"The fact that he could barely keep up is impressive beyond belief. That Regaer stone doll was on the lowest setting at 10%, emulating myself. I'm surprised it chose to use Ro Shah of all things to battle a toddler. Sometimes my luck terrifies me. Either I'm extremely lucky, or we're in extreme danger right now. Now let's see what the case is. I will personally deal with it if it's the latter," the overseer thought, followed by a chuckle as his crimson eyes locked onto Ray, and unbeknownst to him, Allister noticed the smile that sent chills down his spine.
"He smiled? What the fuck?" Allister thought, feeling absolutely chilled by it.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, just moments passed. Ray stood resolute. He knew he couldn't charge in, not with the speed difference between him and the doll. He could only wait and counterattack when the doll made its move. He stood firm, his eyes locked onto the doll's every move. Finally, the doll made a stance and planted a foot on the ground. Ray braced himself.
"BOOOM"
Before Ray could even react, he was hit in the gut with a force that left him breathless. The impact was so powerful that he felt like his insides had turned to mush. He stumbled backward, unable to hold onto his Sanjiegun [modern_footnote] three-section staff[/modern_footnote], which fell from his grasp. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he collided with the ground and skidded across it like a kite, rolling over and over. The doll quickly made it to the other side when Ray was going to land. The Regaer Stone Doll, relentless in its attack, closed the distance between them in a flash, its speed beyond anything Ray had ever seen before. It made a stance and delivered a swift kick, aiming for Ray's head, but he was ready this time.
Gritting his teeth, he reacted quickly, using his hand to flip himself onto his feet and dodge the attack, never once taking his eyes off the doll. He read the doll's movements and anticipated its next move.
"Back Kick (Ushiro Geri)," he thought as he saw the doll move again.
Ray reacted accordingly, grabbing the doll's leg with his left hand, and with a shout and pouring his full strength into his strike
"AHHHHH"
He struck the leg's kneecap joint of the doll, hearing the snap in two, and tried to grab the doll before it retaliated. Ray recalled a special technique that was taught to him by an instructor in the Super Soldier training program.
"An unavoidable technique of a chokehold that shatters the vocal cords while ripping the entire head with a precise technique taking advantage of the weak points using only one hand. It was an ancient art of war that was forcibly taught to him back in the soldier program by a master of a lost era. I need to make this count. I won't be able to stand after another strike from this thing," he thought, determined to end this battle.
"Magshima Veith(touch of death)," he exclaimed, as he grabbed the doll's neck and used it to execute the technique. The overseer saw the battle and commented with a little disappointment,
"It's over."
As he slowly made his way to the battlefield, his crimson eyes locked on the scene before him.
Ray was desperate, and in his desperation, he failed to notice the doll's secret move. Just as he planned to finish the fight with one blow, the doll made its move very secretively with an instant double palm strike, creating a wind shockwave that hit Ray dead center in the same spot where he had previously been hit. Before the momentum could push him away, the doll followed up with a punch that spun like a vortex, generating an air vortex from its sheer speed. The force of the attack flung Ray through the air, hurtling him from the training barracks to the massive trees a hundred feet away.
As Ray collided with the tree, he hit it with so much force that it created a small crater in the trunk. He was knocked out completely, and his body slowly fell from the crater to the ground below.
"That's enough," the overseer said as he approached the doll and infused it with his magical energy, causing it to stop moving and deactivate. He then walked over to Ray's unconscious body, casting a shadow over him. His expression was dead serious, and he approached with purpose. The others quickly followed behind him, but a loud voice stopped them in their tracks.
"STAY BACK EVERYONE. THAT'S AN ORDER. I NEED TO CONFIRM SOMETHING," the overseer commanded, his voice booming and sending the nearby birds and animals scurrying from the massive trees. The tree trunk was as thick as a small two-bedroom house, one of the many things unique to the estate. They had built a little town of sorts for themselves
The wind from the doll's attack still lingered in the air, carrying with it the scent of freshly fallen leaves and the earthy aroma of the trees. The trees swayed and rustled, their branches creaking and groaning as the wind whipped through them. Ray lay still, his chest rising and falling with each breath, his face ashen and battered from the doll's devastating strike. The overseer knelt beside him, examining him closely as the others stood back, their faces etched with concern and fear.
The overseer's face contorted with rage as he raised his fist, and channeled an immense amount of magical energy into his palm. The air pressure around him shifted violently, causing the environment to pulsate with waves of force that threatened to tear everything apart.
The concentration of magical energy in his palm was palpable, Using "force" in its highest form and his stare was deadly. He glared down at Ray, his cold, dead eyes filled with an intense, murderous intent that made everyone around him quiver with fear.
"If it's an abomination, it will reveal itself no matter what. If it's not then I'll just give him the benefit of the doubt. Let's see what we have now," the overseer thought, a cold and deathly grin forming on his lips.
Everyone was terrified by the sheer murderous intent and intensity of the magical energy emitting from the overseer. All but one guy was unable to stand and fell to their knees in fear.
"Reveal yourself, or I will end you," the overseer said with a calm, cold voice that sent shivers down everyone's spines.
The air was still, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the trees as everyone held their breath, waiting for something to happen. Ray lay unconscious, his body battered and broken from the doll's powerful strike. The overseer stood over him, his fist still raised, ready to unleash his deadly force if he deemed it necessary. No one dared to move, no one dared to speak, as they watched the overseer in silence, waiting for what would come next.