Void space

It's been three months, and I'm now four years old. Damn, I've only learned how to control the wind. I went to Master, and he said, "Let's see how well you can control wind magic. You'll use it, and I'll just deflect it. Start."

Without hesitation, I ran toward him. I condensed the surrounding wind into small, focused balls and hurled them directly at him. With a casual flick of his hand, Master barely moved, and the windballs vanished into thin air as if they'd never existed.

Undeterred, I quickly formed a hand gauntlet out of the wind, its swirling gusts hardening into solid force, and threw a punch aimed at Master's chest. His expression didn't change. He didn't flinch. With one swift motion, he grabbed my wrist, twisted it, and sent me flying toward a nearby tree with a powerful throw.

But just as I was about to crash into the tree, I surrounded myself with a burst of wind, steadying my body and adjusting my position in mid-air. With a graceful landing, I hit the ground on my feet, the force of the impact dissipating through the wind I controlled.

Master's voice rang out with a mischievous tone. "I taught you more than this. Don't disappoint me, brat."

A smirk tugged at my lips. It was time to show him something more. I raised both hands, spinning the wind around me like a storm, gathering it into a massive, violent vortex. The swirling wind took form, a violent whirlpool of force twice the size of Oliva's. With a powerful gesture, I launched the massive wind whirlpool directly at Master.

The air howled as the vortex tore through the space between us, but Master merely snapped his fingers. In an instant, the whirlpool vanished, as if it had been consumed by an invisible force.

I groaned inwardly. Only one-fifth of my mana remained. There wasn't much time. I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing. I began the mana breathing technique, slowing my breath as I deliberated while attacking. I could feel my mana slowly replenishing, the channeling process drawing on the mana in my blood vessels.

I fired another wind ball, this time pushing it to double the speed of the previous one. It was a perfect shot—until Master snapped his fingers again, effortlessly dismissing the ball with a flick of his wrist.

"Condense it three times more than this one," Master said, his voice cool and commanding.

Nodding, I focused even harder, pushing my limits. The wind compressed tighter, the energy more volatile, and I shot off a dozen wind slashes, each one cutting through the air with deadly precision. With no time to waste, I rushed toward Master, the wind whirling around me, forming a protective shield. My gauntlet crackled with power, ready to strike.

The instant I was within range, Master formed his own wind slash and shot it toward my slashes. The two attacks collided in mid-air with a deafening crack, sending a shockwave of displaced air in all directions. The force of the collision sent me skidding back, my feet sliding across the ground.

I wasted no time. With the wind still swirling around me, I darted forward and thrust my gauntlet-covered hand at Master's chest. In a flash, he grabbed my wrist with one hand, his grip like iron, and with a flick of his other hand, he slammed me into the ground with devastating force.

The world spun for a moment as I hit the dirt, but I gritted my teeth and pushed myself up. My body stung from the impact, but I refused to show any weakness. I wasn't going to cry, not after everything Master had taught me.

Master stepped back, a mixture of disbelief and admiration in his eyes. "How is the human body this strong? I thought you'd be crying by now, with your bones broken."

I stood up, dusting myself off with a grin. "You see, I've got a pretty sturdy body."

Master raised an eyebrow, his voice growing serious. "But you'll need a stronger body than this to defeat a god."

I nodded, my expression hardening. "Yeah, I'm well aware of that."

He smiled, clearly impressed. "You're too smart for a boy your age."

I wasn't finished yet. My eyes burned with determination. With the last of my mana, I began to shape an immense ball of wind, twice the size of my own body and compressed it even further. The air around me crackled with energy as the ball formed—dense, powerful, and ready to be unleashed. I fired it toward Master with everything I had left, my body shaking from the effort.

Master's eyes widened for a split second, his calm composure faltering. In an instant, he formed his own wind ball, much smaller but compressed to an extreme degree. He shot it directly toward my massive windball.

The two attacks collided with a deafening roar. The explosion was like a thunderclap, an enormous shockwave that knocked me off my feet, sending me flying through the air. The force of the collision sent a surge of energy through my body, overwhelming me. I crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

I blinked, disoriented, before opening my eyes. Master was standing over me, a concerned expression on his face.

"What happened?" I asked, groggy from the impact.

He grinned but his voice was soft with worry. "You fainted after that last attack."

I smirked weakly. "Then why are you making that worried face?"

He let out a small chuckle. "I was worried about my student."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so?"

He looked at me with a teasing grin. "Were you using the mana breathing method while fighting?"

I nodded, slightly out of breath. "Yeah, I used it so my mana could replenish while I fought. I was channeling mana through my blood vessels while attacking, so I could keep up the pressure and recover at the same time."

He gave me an impressed nod. "That explains how you managed to fight for so long and pull off that enormous attack. Honestly, I didn't expect that."

I smiled. "Yeah, I could see the surprise on your face."

He chuckled. "Aren't you getting full of yourself?"

I grinned, teasing him. "Oh, old man, just admit it—you were surprised."

Master laughed heartily. "You little brat, calling me old."

I raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you the one who's so proud of being nine hundred and fifty years old?"

He burst into laughter. "You little—Alright, alright, I admit it. I was surprised by your last attack. Now, let's go inside. I need to make dinner, and you should meditate while I cook."

It was already noon. I started meditating, focusing on refining my control over the god's power. As I did, I felt my mana core refining, and a powerful, building energy surged through me, preparing me for whatever came next.