Journey to Become the Zenith

Breaking Limits Beneath the Sky

Victor sat unmoving at the center of the Mystery Woodland, his body still as stone, yet his mind anything but.

He was doing three things at once.

Thinking.

Absorbing.

Refining.

A fog curled close at first, then faded each time he breathed out. With every exhale, invisible energy nearby began to shift, pulled inward without sound. This force slipped beneath the skin, tracing old paths inside. It joined what was already there, deep within. Strength built - not fast, but steady, grain by grain.

Faster than a storm, his mind cut through ideas one after another.

Sharp. Precise.

He replayed the visions again and again—every movement, every spell, every impossible technique burned into his memory.

And while doing all that—

He adjusted the flow of mana inside his body.

Guiding it.

Smoothing it.

Improving it.

The circulation grew cleaner... faster... more efficient.

But then—

A subtle shift.

A resistance.

Like a door closing.

Victor’s brows furrowed slightly.

The mana flow... stopped.

Not completely—but it refused to enter any further.

Like water hitting a filled vessel.

He paused.

Focused inward.

And then—

Understanding.

...I’ve reached the limit.

For now.

What little strength remained began to fade fast. The weight of exhaustion settled deep into his bones. Every breath came slower now. Stillness crept through him like cold water. There was no more left to give. How long he’d held on, nobody knew.

Any more -

Would destabilize everything.

Victor slowly exhaled.

A hush followed as the fog pulled back, its pull now broken.

Here comes the part where balance matters most. Keeping things steady takes focus right now. The next move is about holding firm without rushing ahead.

His eyes opened only after that.

Faint glimmers of golden iris lit up where the forest stayed dark.

Calm.

Sharp.

Alive.

And just as expected—

She was there.

Diana.

Standing quietly nearby.

Her long black hair swayed gently with the movement of the air, her crimson eyes fixed on him without wavering. The dark robe she wore shifted slightly as she moved, the slit revealing glimpses of her toned legs as she adjusted her stance.

She hadn’t moved far.

She never did.

Victor didn’t say anything at first.

Instead—

His stomach growled.

A low, very real sound that broke the silence.

He blinked once.

Then let out a quiet breath.

”...Right.”

Two days.

He had been meditating for two full days.

Without eating.

Without drinking.

Without moving.

His body finally reminded him that it wasn’t invincible.

Victor reached into his supplies without hesitation, pulling out preserved food and a water flask. He ate without ceremony, but not carelessly either—every movement controlled, every bite efficient.

Still—

There was a faint edge to it.

Hunger.

Real, physical hunger.

The kind that came after pushing the body beyond normal limits.

Diana didn’t interrupt.

She simply stood there.

Watching.

Waiting.

For two days, she had remained by his side like a silent shadow.

Three times, something had tried to approach.

Three times—

She had ended it.

Orcs.

Lost ones.

Wandering beasts drawn by the dense mana of the woodland.

Pathetic creatures.

Even with her restrictions, they posed no real threat.

Still—

She had killed them cleanly.

Efficiently.

Without letting even a drop of blood reach Victor.

Her gaze softened slightly as she watched him eat.

Not visibly.

But subtly.

Something in her eyes flickered.

...Then vanished.

Victor finally finished his meal, taking a long drink before exhaling in satisfaction.

His body felt lighter.

Recharged.

Alive again.

Diana spoke.

”How are you feeling master?”

Her voice was calm, smooth, carrying that quiet depth it always held.

Victor stretched his fingers slightly, then rolled his shoulders once.

A faint smile touched his lips.

”Really great... also there are a bunch of things I want to try out.”

There was something different about him.

Diana noticed it immediately.

His mana—

It had changed.

Not just increased.

It had... deepened.

His capacity had expanded.

His reserves thicker.

Stronger.

Denser.

If it were anyone else, absorbing this level of mana would have been impossible. Their body would have rejected it—or worse, collapsed under the pressure.

But Victor—

Did it like it was natural.

Effortless.

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer.

Then—

He moved.

Victor extended his hand forward.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

Mana gathered.

Not wildly.

Not violently.

But smoothly.

Controlled.

Perfectly woven.

’So not only the strength and capacity improved, even the flow is much better than before.’

The thought passed through his mind as he felt it.

The difference.

Before—

There were slight resistances.

Tiny delays.

Now—

Everything flowed.

Like water following its path.

Diana watched silently.

He didn’t chant.

Didn’t hesitate.

He simply—

Wove.

Mana threads formed in the air, intertwining, shaping, building something larger.

Something alive.

Seconds passed.

And then—

It appeared.

A massive body of water surged into existence, twisting, compressing, forming—

A dragon.

Its scales shimmered with liquid brilliance, its form fluid yet defined. Its eyes glowed faintly as it opened its mouth in a silent roar.

The air trembled.

The forest stilled.

And then—

It moved.

The water dragon shot upward, tearing through the air with terrifying speed, heading straight for the invisible barrier above the sky.

Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Let’s see...

The moment the dragon struck—

It shattered.

Not the barrier.

The dragon.

Dispersed instantly into nothing but scattered droplets.

Victor didn’t react with frustration.

Didn’t frown.

Instead—

His smile widened.

”Again.”

Another dragon formed.

Then another.

And another.

Each one more refined.

More controlled.

More aggressive.

They surged upward one after another, colliding against the unseen barrier with relentless force.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

The sky trembled faintly with each impact.

Water exploded.

Mist spread.

The forest below was drenched in the aftermath.

Victor didn’t stop.

He couldn’t.

Not now.

His eyes gleamed with something wild.

Something excited.

Something... dangerous.

This is it.

This is what I saw.

Control... flow... refinement—

More mana surged out of him.

Faster.

Harder.

Without restraint.

Dragon after dragon slammed into the barrier.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Until—

His body reached its limit.

His vision blurred.

His breathing staggered.

His control slipped—

And just like that—

Everything went dark.

Victor collapsed.

Completely out of mana.

His body gave in instantly.

But—

Even as he fell—

There was still a smile on his face.

A wide, satisfied, almost boyish smile.

Diana moved instantly.

Catching him before he hit the ground.

Her arms wrapped around him, steady, firm, supporting his unconscious body with ease.

She looked down at him.

At that smile.

And for the first time—

A trace of confusion appeared in her eyes.

”...What exactly are you trying to do... master?”

There was no answer.

Only the quiet sound of the forest.

And the faint, lingering excitement still etched onto Victor’s sleeping face.