There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Gray was not discouraged. He also had his own pride in combat, but my concealment gave him the confidence to continue sparring and testing weapons.

Gray gripped the sword with both hands and spun the hilt at lightning speed. The rainbow greatsword that I had stopped soared up like a dragon emerging from the sea, and, guided by him, thrust diagonally upwards.

Although this move isn't fatal, the attack location has changed from the arm to the head, and if I'm not careful, I could cut off my ear.

The system sound I hear in my ears.

"Combat command prompt: Friendly combat target has been automatically selected."

Then, Gray's sword lost its target halfway through its trajectory!

I, who was originally within the range of the sword strike, disappeared in a flash and instantly appeared three steps behind him, neither too close nor too far, still at the same assassination distance!

At this moment, Gray began to sense the danger.

If my first move was just relatively fast and still within his detection range, then this second move was completely beyond his ability to detect!

My movements, footsteps, the airflow caused by my movement, and the rhythm of my breathing were all calm and composed, yet I achieved a high-speed leap and flashed behind him!

"Terrifying skill..."

Gray took a deep breath, sheathed his greatsword, and held it in front of him, gathering his strength. His eyes locked onto me once more. Before the eyes can see the opponent clearly, the mind must see the opponent first.

When he felt that the whole world consisted only of the figure of the person opposite him, he finally moved, launching a rapid and fierce barrage of attacks.

The greatsword is designed for wide, sweeping attacks; if it hits an enemy, it can overwhelm them with sheer force. However, its relatively slow attack rhythm is its weakness.

Therefore, greatsword users need excellent stamina to achieve their goals by using a series of interconnected, unpredictable, and relentless killing moves. No matter how agile the opponent is, they cannot afford to gamble! Once hit, it means instant death. Thus, in this extremely energy-consuming attack, both the attacker and the attacked are fighting hard, but it is often the passive party that is defeated.

Sebala's teachings were still ringing in Gray's ears when he began to execute them smoothly and fluidly.

The greatsword, like a viper's hiss, thrust out from in front of Gray, aiming for my chest. The move was nothing more than turning the blade and lunging forward two steps; it was swift and ruthless, appearing before me in the blink of an eye.

But the next moment, I exerted a little force with my left foot, turned around on the spot and dodged the attack. I only shifted one body length and remained calm and composed.

"The salted fish's spike is not bad."

Since the system manages my body, I still have time to make a joke.

Gray's eyes were serious. He changed his sword move, immediately switching from a thrust to a sweep, bringing my location into the attack range. The whole process was calm and composed, without revealing any killing intent, as smooth as flowing water.

Faced with this deadly move, I touched the ground with my right foot in front of me, and my whole body retreated, dodging Gray's attack range by less than five centimeters. Then, as if pulled by an invisible thread, I returned to the three-step assassination line.

Gray's gaze grew even more serious. He abruptly changed his attack halfway through the sweeping motion, drawing an arc around me before slashing down from the top of the arc. The rainbow-colored blade transformed into the Asgardian Rainbow Bridge, spanning the nine realms and descending from the sky.

It's clear that this move is no longer something Gray can easily control. If my reaction isn't quick enough, I'll be cut in two.

But in that critical moment, I didn't even raise my head, continuing to respond to the attacks with a slightly slower pace. Just as the sword light was about to fall, even Gray, who was wielding the sword, was terrified, unable to even imagine the consequences.

"boom!"

After a heavy thud, Gray stood sideways in the dust, having simply turned his body to neutralize the sword strike without even taking another step!

My voice finally arrived, albeit belatedly.

"That move, which could split Mount Hua, was utterly ineffective."

Chapter 144 Ultimate Instinct

"call……"

Gray exhaled a breath of stale air. The series of attacks he had just unleashed had not only left him physically exhausted but also mentally stressed. However, the result was completely unexpected. The unarmed man in front of him was not only not out of breath, but also had not a single scratch on his body. On the contrary, it was he, the one who had initiated the attack, who was exhausted.

"Let's continue, Gray."

I now understand. This friendly combat mode command isn't just about running away in panic; it's about subduing the enemy without a fight.

For example, my evasion of continuous attacks is not simply running away, rolling, or parrying. That kind of evasion would give the opponent the illusion that they have an opportunity to attack, further stimulating their desire to attack, and would also leave me looking disheveled and miserable.

The system's three-step assassination line position is probably determined based on my weapon. Within three steps, the weapon in the arm armor has a "white rainbow piercing the sun" effect. As long as I stand calmly in this position, I will put immense mental pressure on my opponent. Even if I don't make a move, they will feel the suppression of my aura.

Further experiments are needed to confirm my hypothesis. It seems that Gray is the only suitable candidate!

Gray rested his sword on the ground, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice, "I'm about to make my move!"

He then lowered himself again, raised his sword high, and thrust it towards where I was. But unsurprisingly, the strike missed again.

My figure appeared at a right angle; the fierce wind only ruffled the hem of my clothes, failing to harm me in the slightest.

Gray didn't care at all, swinging his rainbow greatsword like a windmill, constantly attacking my location.

Both sword strikes deliberately cut along my movement path, attempting to block my movement range while detecting my little habits when I dodge.

For example, some people habitually use their right leg as a pivot point for rotation, and will subconsciously turn to the right. On the other hand, people who are very aware of the distance in front of them are often hesitant to move to the rear where they cannot see.

These small details accumulate over time in daily life, and once formed, they are difficult to change through willpower. Understanding the details of the enemy's actions in battle is also an effective tactic.

"Impossible... Why are his movements so unpredictable?" Gray thought in shock.

After numerous tests, he discovered an unbelievable reality: my movements showed no bias whatsoever!

Every turn, step back, close in, and flash I made was based on the trajectory of Gray's greatsword, employing the simplest and most effective dodging method. After dozens of moves, not a single dodge was exactly the same!

Even if he uses the same moves repeatedly, I will adapt to the different circumstances and dodge accordingly.

Of course, there is one most obvious pattern that cannot be ignored: I have always stubbornly stuck to the position of the three-step assassination line, and the return point of each evasion is on this line.

But is this a flaw? Of course not!

Gray's offensive was inherently characterized by high-speed movement, with each attack involving a flexible shift in position to compress the opponent's space. Therefore, the three-step assassination line centered on him was constantly changing.

This persistent behavior is not a weakness, but rather a provocation. Only someone with exceptional skill, whose movement speed and attack prediction far surpass their opponent's, could do such a thing!

This sounds as absurd as marking a boat to find a lost sword, but what's even more absurd is that the sword was actually retrieved!

After Gray's greatsword struck in vain, it was once again brought back to his front. After catching his breath briefly, he cleared his mind of all distractions and began a new round of attacks.

He continued to use rapid thrusts, forcing me to constantly dodge left and right with his high-frequency attacks, but the tip of his sword always hovered within five centimeters of me, unable to get close to my body at all.

Suddenly, he changed his attack, swinging his sword in a full-moon arc. The rainbow-colored sword shadows almost covered the open space in front of me. If I hesitated even for a moment, I would be cut in two.

I quickly retreated, using my usual method of retreating and then advancing, intending to maintain the initiative when Gray Sword's moves ran out.

But then, Gray suddenly roared, "You've been hit!"

After his initial slash, he didn't stop. Using the momentum, he swung the greatsword again, swinging it at an even faster speed than before, filling the entire arena with rainbow light!

Gray has already figured it out; he can't find any of my potential weaknesses except for the three-step assassination line. As long as I adhere to this principle and expose myself to the greatsword's attack range, he can use this opportunity to launch an effective attack.

For example, right now, just after his attack ended, I stopped moving and prepared to pull myself back to the three-meter assassination line, that's my weakest point!

If I move, I will be putting myself under the sword's edge.

If I don't move, I will be hit by him as he pursues me.

In his prediction, all I could do was use my arm guards to block and defend, then take the opportunity to escape the danger zone. But that would mean I wouldn't be able to remain so calm and collected. If he could break my super dodge and overcome the pressure of the three-meter assassination line, Gray would have won the match!

But is it really that simple?

Admittedly, in this situation, most people are caught between a rock and a hard place, and will have to make a choice: whether to parry and break the opponent's defenses, or to be hit hard.

But when the rainbow-like light was about to cover me in Gray's eyes, my figure did not stop to defend, but instead resolutely rushed towards the sword's edge!

Is this person insane?!

He will die!

A flash of white light appeared before Gray's eyes. He felt his sword blade buzzing and crackling in the air. Due to inertia, the sword had become so heavy that even he could not control it properly. After swinging it for the second time, it suddenly broke free from his hand and turned into a flying arrow, piercing into the trees in the distance!

But what about people?

At that speed, there's no way the boss could dodge it!

"What are you looking around for?"

Gray was thinking to himself when he suddenly turned his head upon hearing this.

I stood in his blind spot, like a nail firmly holding the three-meter assassination line. The rapier on my arm armor was already extended, gleaming with a ghostly blue light under the moonlight.

"...On the battlefield, you would have died tens of thousands of times like this."

Gray felt that the person in front of him was an invisible ghost, omnipresent yet never existing. His phantom could be seen under the moonlight, and his avatar could be seen high in the sky, always maintaining a polite and indifferent angle, aiming his deadly weapon at the enemy.

This composure, this disregard for human life, this lawlessness, cannot be described in words; it almost rises to the level of truth.

It's that kind of truth: "I'll take your life, what's it to you?"

Gray swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly: "Boss... what kind of technique is that?"

I pondered for a while and decided to give it a catchy and fitting name.

"Ultra Instinct, want to learn it? I'll teach you."

Chapter 145 The Invisible Murderer

"I lost..."

Gray, feeling utterly defeated, lay sprawled on the ground, feigning death.

I switched to a friendly fighting stance and kicked him up: "Enough! Stop wasting your time pretending to be the Fire Cloud Evil God! Do you even remember why we're sparring?"

Upon hearing this, Gray's dull eyes gradually regained their clarity: "It's to decide the outcome... no! It's to test the weapons!"

"It's good that you remembered. I worked so hard to cooperate with you in the test, and you actually got into it, getting more and more excited as you fought?"

"Sorry, boss... I've never sparred with anyone before, and I couldn't resist the urge to settle things once I had the chance," Gray said apologetically.

This is normal. People with a special skill often have a competitive spirit, especially those who have studied combat techniques. If they don't control themselves well, they can easily injure or even kill someone, and the thrill is so intense that they can't stop. There's a saying that goes, "Huo Yuanjia, when will you ever be the best in Tianjin?"

"Alright, enough chit-chat, what's your opinion on the weapon?"

Gray stood there, holding the Rainbow Greatsword in both hands, slowly recalling his battle experience, drawing on the motor memory of every muscle, and began to organize his thoughts.

"This weapon combines the agility of a broadsword, the slashing power of a cleaver, and the thrusting ability of a knight's sword. It can be described as a formidable weapon on the battlefield, capable of handling all kinds of situations. As long as it's in hand, no one can afford to be careless..."

I nodded: "It seems you've grasped another layer of meaning to weapons. A whole new realm beyond practicality, convenience, and versatility. That is deterrence!"

"Deterrence...?"

"That's right. The most dangerous moment for a weapon isn't during the attack, but in the instant before it's drawn. No one knows whose life it will take; that sense of oppression and being watched is an attack that strikes straight at the soul!"

Gray looked like he suddenly understood: "No wonder you kept hovering around me without attacking! It was to let me understand the threat! Indeed, the feeling of having an enemy constantly following you and lurking around would drive any normal person crazy."

Hmm, I guess you're overthinking it.