Limitless Bloom : The Rise of a Vermillion

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Chapter 4 : Breaking Limits

I barely had time to process her words before a fist came flying at my face.

Instinct kicked in. I twisted my body, narrowly avoiding the blow—but the sheer force of the air pressure sent me staggering backward.

Mereoleona grinned, her stance relaxed yet predatory.

"Mana control is nice and all, but it won't mean a damn thing if you can't take a hit," she said. "Let's start with something simple—survival."

Her fists ignited with roaring flames.

I swallowed.

This was going to hurt.

The world blurred as a fist wreathed in mana slammed into my ribs.

Pain exploded in my side. The impact sent me flying, my body skidding across the dirt before coming to a stop. A sharp, burning ache spread through me, but before I could fully process it—

BOOM!

A shockwave tore through the air as Mereoleona stomped forward, her presence crushing.

I forced myself to roll to the side just in time to avoid the next attack.

A powerful heel drop crashed into the ground where my chest had been, sending dust and debris flying. Had I been even a second slower, I'd be unconscious right now.

Still, even as my body screamed in protest, I forced myself back onto my feet.

Golden eyes bore into me, blazing with challenge. Mereoleona Vermillion stood tall, her aura smoldering like an ember ready to ignite.

Her stance was loose, casual. A predator at rest.

But I knew better.

I inhaled sharply, my breathing ragged. I was sore, battered, and exhausted.

But I was getting used to it.

I rolled my shoulders, wincing slightly. "You sure this isn't just an excuse to beat up a kid?"

Mereoleona smirked. "You're still standing, aren't you? If you can still talk back, you can still fight."

I exhaled sharply. This was the routine now.

For the past week, training had been a relentless cycle of dodging, blocking, getting hit, and forcing myself to improve.

To an outsider, it might have looked like a one-sided beating.

But to me?

This was progress.

It was a lesson . 

A Lesson learned in Pain

I lowered my stance, locking onto Mereoleona's movements.

She wasn't even using spells.

She didn't need to.

Her sheer physical ability, enhanced by constant mana reinforcement, was already overwhelming.

Then—

She moved.

I barely saw it.

A fist shot forward, aiming straight for my face.

I reacted.

I twisted my upper body, narrowly avoiding the attack—

But she was already moving again.

A second punch. This one aimed at my gut.

No time to dodge.

I clenched my jaw and did the only thing I could—I braced.

BOOM!

The impact sent me skidding backward, but—

I was still standing.

The pain wasn't as bad.

I blinked, panting. What… just happened?

Mereoleona tilted her head, a flicker of approval in her gaze. "Hoh? You're finally doing it without thinking."

Doing what?

I focused inward. Traced the lingering sensation in my body.

That moment before the hit—I had reinforced my torso with mana.

It wasn't perfect. It wasn't controlled. But it had happened instinctively.

My eyes widened.

That was… Mana Skin.

I had been trying to learn it for days, but I had been forcing it.

Now, when I wasn't overthinking it—I had finally done it.

A slow grin crept onto my face.

This was a proof that I was definitely improving.

After what felt like hours, Mereoleona finally stopped, stepping back.

She exhaled, rolling her shoulders. "That's enough for now."

I collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard.

Everything hurt.

I groaned. "You mean this wasn't the real training?"

Mereoleona grinned, crouching beside me. "Nope."

I groaned louder.

She let out a small chuckle, tossing me a waterskin. "Drink. You'll need it."

I caught it, barely managing to lift my arm. "You really enjoy this, don't you?"

"Of course." She smirked. "This is what real training looks like. Your body will thank me later."

Doubtful.

But despite the pain, I knew she was right.

Lying on my back, staring at the sky, I let my thoughts wander.

A week ago, Mereoleona had pointed out a flaw in my entire approach—one I hadn't even realized.

"You're too focused on your attribute."

"Huh?"

"Magic isn't just about attribute-based spells. It's an energy that flows through you. Before you create techniques, master the basics."

She wasn't wrong.

I had been so focused on developing new cherry blossom techniques that I completely neglected the foundation of magic itself.

Even without a grimoire, every mage has access to core techniques.

"You need to stop relying on cherry blossoms and learn to use mana itself."

She had broken it down for me.

The Fundamentals I Needed to Master Mana Skin – being able of Coating my body in pure mana for natural defense.

 Improving my Mana Flow – Letting my mana move freely through my body without resistance. Reinforcement Magic – Strengthening my body beyond natural limits

Barrier Magic – Forming barriers with pure condensed man without relying on my attribute.

It will be very difficult afterall

Unlike attribute-based barriers, this technique relied purely on raw mana.

Most mages could only create shields made of their attribute—fire walls, ice barriers, earthen domes.

But Barrier Magic was different.

It is a type of basic magic , but there are very few people who can use just condensed mana to create a barrier , 

It works by pressurizing mana, creating a dense, nearly invisible wall of raw magical energy.

The stronger the caster, the stronger the barrier.

But the technique is harder than it sounds .

Well ,it isn't that practical , as it can't withstand heavy impacts ,but that isn't the point , only those with extreme control over there magic can do it , so it is more like a mana control training for me , and it will also help in creating defensive spells in future. 

People of this world just focus on amount of mana ,but if you can't even use it properly , what is the point of having massive amount of mana.

Mereoleona had explained it like this:

"Think of mana like a river. Most mages just let it flow. But you? You need to concentrate it, like condensing water into ice without changing its nature."

It wasn't enough to spread mana out—I had to compress it.

If I could master it…

Even without using cherry blossoms to soften the blow , I could block powerful attacks.

Next the reinforcement magic , one of the basic utilisation of mana .

Most mages only reinforced their bodies in combat—but they never fully controlled it.

True Reinforcement Magic wasn't just dumping mana into your body. It was about distribution.

Heart? Strengthen it to endure strain.

Muscles? Enhance them for faster reflexes.

Bones? Harden them to withstand force.

If used properly, even a physically weak mage could fight on equal footing with warriors.

As they say " If You want to be strong? Start with the body."

And I was going to.

I clenched my fists, determination settling in my gut.

This world wasn't peaceful.

And if I wanted to be strong enough to survive, I had to start here.

Master the fundamentals.

Refine my control.

Forge my own strength.

By the time real threats emerged…

I was going to make sure I was ready.

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Hope fully it is not bad , english is actually my third language and i don't have experince in writting .

still hope you all enjoy it . 

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