Regression of the Vector Magician

The sun hung low over the castle that sat on the border of the Horizon Forest, casting golden rays across the stone floors of the training grounds. The air was unnaturally still, an eerie contrast to the storm of wind magic Min Hee was about to unleash.

Reyon stood in the center of the barren courtyard, his hands clenched into fists as he prepared himself for what was to come. He had sparred against A-rank monsters, dueled against skilled magicians, and even survived a battle with the Orc King—yet, something about his grandma made him feel truly helpless.

Min Hee's presence alone was overwhelming. Even standing still, she radiated an absolute dominance over the mana around her. If she willed it, the very air would bend to her command.

She looked at him with a gaze devoid of emotion, as if evaluating a mere insect struggling to fly.

"Before we begin, I will take something from you."

Reyon barely had time to react before his mana flow abruptly stopped.

It felt as if a massive weight had pressed down on his entire body. His chest constricted, his arms and legs felt heavy, and the vibrant flow of magic that usually responded to his command was completely sealed.

"W-What did you do?" Reyon gasped, his knees nearly buckling.

Min Hee raised her hand,

"This is your first lesson," she said calmly. "Survival without magic."

She stepped back and clapped her hands together. Immediately, the world around him changed.

The air roared as hurricanes erupted from thin air, spiraling around the courtyard. In an instant, Reyon found himself inside a massive vortex, its wind howling like a thousand screaming voices.

Dust and debris flew in all directions. The ground trembled beneath him as the air shifted violently, threatening to hurl him off his feet.

"This is my Wind Field." Min Hee's voice cut through the chaos. "If you do not move correctly, you will be thrown around like a ragdoll."

Reyon barely had time to process her words before the first gust hit him.

A violent updraft sent him flying ten meters into the air. His body spun uncontrollably as he was hurled towards the ground. Instinctively, he tried to activate a levitation spell—but nothing happened.

Damn it! I can't use magic!

He gritted his teeth and braced for impact. The ground rushed toward him.

With no other option, he twisted his body and focused on the natural force of gravity. He imagined shifting his momentum to the side, trying to create an invisible force that would slow him down.

It barely worked. His descent slowed slightly, but it wasn't enough.

CRASH!

His back slammed against the stone, pain exploding through his spine.

"Tsk, is that all?" Min Hee's voice was filled with disappointment. "If you cannot even stand in this wind, how do you expect to survive in real battle?"

Reyon clenched his fists. He refused to lose here.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up despite the pain. The wind roared around him, unpredictable and relentless. If he didn't find a way to stabilize himself, he would be thrown around again and again until his body gave out.

"Think, Reyon."

He couldn't control magic right now, but he still had Vectors.

Vectors were laws. Rules that governed motion, direction, and force.

If he wanted to survive this, he had to analyze the flow of movement around him.

He closed his eyes and focused.

The storm wasn't completely random. Each gust of wind had a direction, a force, and an acceleration. It was a pattern, a network of movements that could be read and manipulated.

He opened his eyes, and the chaos became clearer.

"That's it..."

The first step was counteracting the wind.

He let the next gust carry him upward, but instead of resisting, he leaned into the motion—redirecting his own force downward.

His body hovered for a moment before landing softly on his feet.

Min Hee raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? You adapted faster than I thought."

Reyon took a deep breath. He still wasn't stable—the wind continued to batter him from all sides—but at least he had figured out how to stand without falling.

Now came the second step.

"I can't just endure—I have to move."

He studied the way the wind shifted around him.

Every few seconds, the air would create temporary gaps between the vortexes. If he timed his steps precisely, he could move without being thrown off balance.

He waited… observed… and then—moved.

His foot landed exactly where the wind was weakest.

For the first time, he wasn't struggling against the storm. He was flowing with it.

Min Hee watched in mild amusement.

"You're starting to understand."

She raised her hand, and the vortex intensified.

More violent gusts. More unpredictability. More speed.

Reyon gritted his teeth.

"Damn it! She's increasing the difficulty—"

A sudden side gust knocked him off balance, throwing him toward a stone pillar.

I need to redirect!

At the last moment, he shifted his weight and angled his motion sideways.

Instead of crashing into the stone, he glided around it, landing smoothly on the other side.

"Yes!"

Min Hee smirked.

"Very well. Let's see if you can handle—

—the next stage."

With a wave of her hand, the wind vortex changed.

The wind began shifting directions every second.

What had once been a readable pattern was now pure chaos.

Reyon barely had time to react before the storm devoured him.

His body was hurled in all directions, spinning wildly as the forces tore away his sense of direction.

Everything was a blur. The world flipped upside down.

"Tch… I… can't stabilize—"

Suddenly, he saw Min Hee's foot hovering in front of his face.

BOOM!

She kicked him in the stomach, launching him toward the ground like a meteor.

CRASH!

The courtyard cracked beneath him.

Reyon gasped for breath, his vision spinning. His stomach ached from the impact, and he could taste blood in his mouth.

Min Hee sighed.

"Still too slow. If that had been a real battle, you'd be dead."

Reyon clenched his teeth, coughing.

Damn it… I can't… lose…

Then, it clicked.

This wasn't about speed.

It was about timing.

The moment the next gust of wind tried to lift him, he focused not on resisting, but on predicting.

He visualized where the force would take him, and adjusted his body mid-air.

Instead of being thrown off, he flowed with the momentum—then redirected it.

In one smooth motion, he landed directly behind Min Hee.

She turned, surprised.

For the first time since the training began, he was standing firmly inside the storm.

Min Hee smiled.

"Good. Now we can move to next step"

To be continued…