Unknown to his colleagues and those who knew him, Reed Sterling was a man who had battled with inferiority his whole life.
Sure, he had a considerable amount of Mana—compared to everyone else. Plus, he Awakened at the age of five, the normal age for children at that time.
He was by no means untalented in Magic. No, he was incredibly skilled in it, and his knowledge of the concept exceeded most of his peers.
However, there was a certain reason why he still felt inferior. Something that always gnawed at him no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.
And that was the existence of far more talented individuals.
Reed was powerful, knowledgeable, and very skilled. That was all true. However, there were people who were far greater than him in those departments.
A prime example was Mordecai Kaelid. They were not even on the same playing field when it came to talent or skill. Reed only had the edge in his research and diversification of theories.
He lost in other areas… badly.
Even though he'd tried to ignore this unfair reality, he had been forced to admit it when it had been shoved in his face in the form of the Headmaster of Ainzlark.
While watching the young ones grow, and nurturing the buds that would lead the Eastern Kingdom into far greater heights, Reed Sterling encountered young prodigies that exceeded his expectations.
Students who had displayed such talent and skill that he became overcome with envy. Not only had they been blessed with amazing Mana, but they had also been adept at using it extremely well.
One of them, in particular, had stood out above the rest.
Reed Sterling could not forget how he had felt when he'd experienced this. The painful feeling he'd had within him—how his heart had tightened and his insides had churned.
He had dedicated himself to growing, for several years, yet some kids easily boasted the same level of ability.
His Original Magic which took decades to master had been achieved by someone whom he'd considered a child.
It had been this unfairness of reality that finally drove him to the edge of despondency. And with said despondency came desperation.
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"Why don't you join our group?"
Legris was the one who brought Reed into the Cult.
He had been working as a staff for some time, but the Headmaster suspected that something had been up with him.
When he finally cornered and confronted him, Legris revealed that it was all a ploy to see if Reed was someone worthy of joining the Nether Cult… and that he had passed successfully.
Reed would have normally avoided something as shady, ominous and repugnant to his ideals. However, after weighing the humiliation he'd had to suffer for so long, he decided to hear Legris out.
In return for a small favor—serving as a bridge between the Eastern Kingdom and the Nether Cult—Reed was given a power that made him completely dumbfounded.
When even more of that power was offered if he decided to become a member, Reed found himself unable to hesitate any longer.
How could he say no to the appeal of an Arcana?
Thus, he joined the Nether Cult.
He'd attained all he had ever wanted… power beyond his peers.
He rose in status, and climbed up to the higher ranks—becoming an Upper Seat. While it was painfully clear that he was out of his league among the Upper Seat within the organization, Reed was able to comfort himself with the fact that everyone there were either not human, or far older than he was.
As far as he was concerned, he was the strongest ordinary human in the Nether Cult, and that gave him immense satisfaction.
He had far transcended everyone he knew in the Eastern Kingdom—to the point where they didn't matter to him any longer.
He was stronger than Mordecai. He was stronger than Elrich. Even his most talented pupils—Serah and Neron—wouldn't stand a chance against him now.
That was all that mattered to him… what he still wanted more than anything.
"Power!"
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"Every member of the Cult has their agenda. I'm just going to achieve my goals through them. That's how it goes." Reed deepened his smile and narrowed his saggy eyes.
He didn't care much for a conversation, so he stretched out his hands even further.
"Give me the Arcana. This is the last time I'll ask."
Neron's response was a sigh. The Arcana was in his possession—still locked between his fingers—though he had no intention of budging.
He glanced at Serah, who had recovered from her initial shock, and was now shaking her head in exasperation.
"You've disappointed me, old man." Her tone no longer contained the flustered element she had displayed earlier.
Her gaze was daring, and her lips had curled up in a smile. She folded her arms and simply stood still.
The couple clearly gave their stance to the old man.
"I see. It's regrettable, then. I'll just kill you."
>VWUUUUUUUUUYUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<
A massive surge of energy instantly emerged from Reed Sterling's body. He was emanating so much power that the destruction and debris parted way for his concentrated energy to manifest itself.
The sky parted and everything around them vibrated due to the sheer pressure caused by the magnitude of his power.
"With the Arcana [The Magician], I have infinite Mana. I have transcended the very limits that shackles all Mages!" Reed Sterling declared, bursting forth even greater waves of Mana.
The ground shattered, and everything shook for miles.
He could use his Original Magic without any limits. He could spam Spells as much as he wanted. He could induce Mana Shock. He could overwhelm their Spells with his.
There were many ways Reed Sterling could defeat his foes, no matter how powerful they were. He had indeed reached the pinnacle of Magic!
"So this is why you left. I can understand, considering the fact that no one would normally stand a chance against you…" Serah murmured as she stared at the manifestation of the unreal energy.
Even with her [Invincible], she didn't have an Infinite amount of Mana. Her power simply kept rising to compensate for the power levels of her opponent. She simply got stronger until she beat whoever she targeted.
The problem with fighting someone like Reed was that his limits were not defined. He had boundless Mana, making him impossible to triumph over.
Reed Sterling was truly invincible.
