While the group was talking with the overlord, Rebecca was silently putting her plans in action... using her excellent control of earth magic, she began to control the dust in the air and made it attach to the body of the overlord little by little, but soon she felt the overlord’s gaze on her and began to sweat cold.

"Trying to be sneaky was the right answer, it is a pity that I have good senses," The overlord said and then made Rebecca lose control of the dust particles. "Being sneaky isn’t enough though, when the opponent is much stronger and skilled than you."

In a chilling display of its power, the overlord effortlessly manipulated the very dust in the air, compacting it into a dense, deadly projectile. With a sudden burst of speed, the concentrated dirt shot towards Rebecca with a terrifying velocity. Reacting instinctively, she raised her arms to shield herself, her armor absorbing the impact of the attack. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The force of the collision sent shockwaves rippling through the area, causing the ground to tremble beneath their feet. The sheer magnitude of the attack was astonishing, leaving the group momentarily stunned by the overwhelming display of power. How could a simple sphere of dirt be imbued with such destructive force?

As the dust settled, the aftermath of the attack became apparent. Vanessa had been caught off guard by the shockwave, her body launched through the air, spinning uncontrollably before finally coming to a stop at a considerable distance. The others exchanged worried glances, realizing that they were facing a foe of unprecedented strength and capabilities.

"She survived... the power of your armor enhanced by your trait certainly is something else," The overlord said. "If I add that effect to my body, my growth will never end, I assume. It is truly a power that could change the whole existence."

Terry’s frustration intensified as the overlord displayed a rapid understanding of the nuances of his trait. This confirmed what he had suspected—this creature’s age and experience exceeded his own by a considerable margin. Such mastery over its abilities was a testament to its longevity and the countless battles it had likely endured.

Moreover, the overlord’s words triggered a realization in Terry’s mind. The enemy’s proficiency in gravity manipulation and other forms of attacks likely stemmed from the same source as his own trait—the infusion of traits into its body. While Terry wasn’t entirely sure how this process worked, he had been experimenting with it himself recently. However, due to his other responsibilities, he hadn’t dedicated as much time to it as he would have liked.

Through his limited experiments, Terry had uncovered that not all blood was viable for this process. Attempts to use the blood of monsters yielded no results, leading him to believe that traits from sapient beings like himself held more potency. The intricate nature of the process was a puzzle he was determined to solve, but in the heat of the battle, he had to focus on immediate survival and strategy.

Rebecca got up and her wounds began to heal, but she was trembling a lot and wobbling. Another attack like that and she will be gone forever. Terry had to do something about that.

"... I didn’t train all that enough, but I should try it, I don’t have any other ideas in the end," Terry thought after taking a deep breath.

As Terry’s determination surged, a palpable shift in the atmosphere unfolded around him, catching the attention of the overlord. The creature sensed that Terry was about to unleash something noteworthy, and its mechanical essence processed this shift with an eerie accuracy.

With an intense resolve, Terry surged forward, his charge propelling him toward the towering enemy. His fist surged with kinetic energy as he aimed a powerful punch, but the overlord responded swiftly, parrying the attack with its formidable sword arm. The clash resonated through the air, creating a ripple of force that reverberated across the battlefield.

Amidst the clash, the overlord couldn’t help but contemplate the aura emanating from Terry. It seemed that its initial assessment of Terry’s energy had underestimated the complexity and potency hidden within it. This punch, while seemingly ordinary in nature, carried the additional force of Terry’s charge and weight behind it. It was strong enough to inflict substantial damage even to materials as resilient as blacksteel, yet it hadn’t yet surpassed the overlord’s formidable defenses.

Undeterred by the initial outcome, Terry rebounded with remarkable resilience. He launched the same punch again and again, each blow executed with precision and growing intensity. The overlord, once unyielding, began to experience subtle tremors as the power behind Terry’s strikes intensified...

"What are you doing? I don’t understand it," The overlord said once the next punch made the beast take a step backward.

Seizing the moment of surprise created by Terry’s unrelenting assault, his friends sprang into action with their own formidable skills. Vanessa’s lightning bolt crackled through the air, aimed at the vulnerable back of the overlord. The bolt of electricity struck true, causing the enemy to convulse as the electrical energy coursed through its metallic form.

Gustavo followed suit, channeling his mastery over telekinesis. With a focused gesture, he conjured a massive fist-shaped gust of wind that hurtled toward the overlord’s exposed rear. The impact generated a powerful shockwave that rippled through the air, further destabilizing the enemy’s equilibrium.

As the overlord struggled to regain its footing, Rebecca brought her expertise in magic to bear. Her control over the flames was impeccable as she conjured a massive fireball, which descended from the heavens like a blazing meteor. The fiery orb struck the overlord’s face with explosive force, engulfing the creature in searing heat and causing it to reel back in agony.

The group truly managed to cause some damage and the sound of the monster falling echoed in the area, but they couldn’t do much aside from that since the monster didn’t get up and that was too suspicious.