"W-which one… are you?"
As the Nether glared at Jared's new form, he was simply speechless.
Looking into his eyes, he could find traces of Jared, as well as the Aether locked within that same form.
It frightened him.
"We're a combination of both." The strange amalgamation between a mere human and a primordial entity spoke for itself.
In this new form, Jared Leonard and the Aether had become one. Just like him, they also had all the Arcanas.
'So what? It doesn't matter! We'll have a similar level of power, at the very least.' The Nether assured himself, deciding to test the waters.
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<
As he released his wave of negative energy, Jared smoothly disappeared from his position and appeared beside Kuzon, who was still suspended in his white orb.
The young Midas had passed out, and Jared seemed to be concerned about his well-being.
"Watch over him." He spoke to his comrades who were observing everything from their lower viewpoint, before sending the white orb to them.
It was insulting to the Nether, but he contained his frustration. Rather, a very suspicious and wary expression took over his face.
"I'd rather not desecrate this place any more than you already have. There's an entire expanse of space out there. I'd rather do this there…" Jared spoke, his tone a little low.
"And how does that concern me?" The Nether assumed authority, despite his caution.
He made sure not to show any sign of weakness, even as he observed the kind of power this new Jared possessed. Even if he was at his peak, Jared was still a human vessel. He could not hold too much power.
'Compared to me, who has acclimated for some time, he just got used to this power. It's my victory…' He encouraged himself.
"I will fight wherever I—"
>WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<
With a speed that not even the Nether could explain, he suddenly found himself flying higher into the sky.
"W-whut?!"
Even though he tried to stop, he found himself unable to. And as soon as he tried harder to break free from the pressure that pushed him upward, a powerful blast from Jared drove him further beyond the clouds.
Until finally, they got into the vast expanse of space.
"You were saying?" Jared smiled, appearing before the Nether after creating a considerable distance between them and this home world.
Tension permeated the void of space as both beings stood opposite each other—having at least ten meters of distance between them.
"How did you do it? How did you manage to overwhelm me? We should be equal in strength, at most." The Nether asked, his eyes narrowing at his opponent.
He was so close to getting everything he wanted, yet these people were getting in his way once again! And now, the ultimate foe was before him, yet why did he feel so stuck?
"Equal in strength? No, in terms of sheer power, you should still be superior."
Exactly! The Nether knew that much.
So why did he feel so pressured? Why had he been overpowered? It made no sense!
"However, you're going to lose based on one major factor." Jared's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
"SPELLCRAFT."
The instant Jared said this, the truth became obvious to the Nether.
All he had to do was take a proper look around him and everything suddenly made sense. Throughout the vast space and even going beyond the stars, the Nether could feel energy converging and dispersing.
He felt his influence dwindle and also realised that he was being boxed in by the surrounding power. And who was the one that controlled this power?
"Y-you…" The Nether could already feel it now.
Something he hadn't felt in so long.
FEAR!
"That's right. Using Spellcraft, I can control everything that is made up of Aether by utilizing the Aether in my possession."
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The greater the amount of energy one had, the more one would be able to influence their surroundings. Since I had a very large pool now, there was really no limit to my influence in this galaxy—at the very least.
It felt amazing, being connected to the world around me.
I could see so much, it felt beyond incredible!
This was my first time out in this void, outside my homeworld. The fact that so many other planets existed outside of it—as well as the fact that there was even more than one universe—simply amazed me to no end.
Still, I focused on the task ahead of me.
'I would have had to sacrifice my body to reach the level needed to stop the Nether, but with this, I only need to draw power from the Aether around me.' A smile crept up on my face.
Thanks to this loophole, I could exceed my limits many times over and overwhelm the Nether's current form.
~The plan hasn't changed, Lewis.~ A voice surfaced within me, and I recognized her instantly.
There was no way I could forget Aether's presence within me. Besides, she was currently the only Familiar I had.
~Take out [The World] Arcana from him, at the very least. If possible, remove all the Arcanas he has. Since you possess equal, no even greater power thanks to Spellcraft, it should be possible.~
"Understood!" I responded, eager to try out this new power in my possession.
I felt like I was at the very summit of Magic—capable of bending the laws and being one with the surrounding cosmos.
If this had been me in my past life, I would have been more than satisfied. However, I knew better than to simply be content with this.
After hearing all that Aether had to say about everything, I couldn't delude myself into thinking this was the limit.
What was that thing I couldn't hear back in the Root? What existed beyond this realm of reality? These other worlds that stretched far into the universe… how did they function?
After being granted so much knowledge and power, I realized that there was something I sought more than anything else.
MORE!
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[A/N]
Please check out my new book, called SWORDCRAFT: Reincarnation Of A Nameless Nobody.
It's yet another reincarnation novel, full of action as well as adventure, and I can guarantee your enjoyment.
Cheers!
