Is this really a Game?!

‘Where am I?’ Reign asked himself as he opened his eyes, staring at the unfamiliar sky that appeared in front of him. He slowly got up, his thoughts a bit slow as he felt as if he had taken a long nap.

Looking around, he was able to see where he was. A field densely populated by weird blue rocks was laid in front of him, he himself standing on one such large rock right now. ｏｖ𝚕．ｃｏ𝚖

The sky above him was densely packed with stars while the white grass coming out of the soil made for a beautiful sight. He looked around, only to stop when he saw what he was looking for.

A person was sitting on a chair and drinking some tea. A small coffee table was placed in front of the person that looked exactly like Reign while another chair was placed opposite of him. Reign walked over and sat down on the empty chair, staring at the dark copy that was smiling at him.

“This is the first time we are meeting after you were able to evolve and become a Nephilim, well, the first time we are sitting down together like this.” The copy said with a soft smile present on his face while the teapot that was placed on the table moved.

It levitated in the air before getting above an empty teacup and tilted itself to the side, allowing the tea to fall down on the teacup and fill it up.

Reign still didn’t touch the cup, he didn’t even look at the teapot as it had been levitating and was only looking at the copy, staring at him with a calm expression while the latter chuckled.

“It seems you don’t trust me, I have to say, that hurts, especially after everything we had gone through together till this point.”

“Yes, that is because I now know what you are, and what you are planning on doing.”

“I also now know that you lied to me, telling me how it was me that had gone berserk back when Adam died, but I am now certain that it was you who has done it, making me lose my mind and act in such a manner.” Reign said with a cold voice as the copy shook his head.

“I told you already, that was all you brother, I had nothing to do with that.”

“As for why you should trust me, well, I can’t lie, they told you that much, right?” The copy asked with a smile as Reign nodded at him. Eldar had indeed told him that the copy that each Nephilim had was unable to lie, but that was only what he knew from talking with one Nephilim, and seeing how Reign and his copy were different, there was no certainty that this one was different.

“They did tell me that, but I still don’t trust you, nor your words.”

“Understandable, finding out that every Nephilim has a copy that can’t wait to take over their body and corrupt their minds does make a person skeptical, I do acknowledge that much.” The copy said as he drank a bit of his tea.

“Drink, I didn’t do anything to the tea for crying out loud, your voice is rough, wet your throat a bit.” The copy said as he drank a bit more before filling up his cup with more tea.

Reign stared at the cup before taking it and drinking the tea. Suddenly, a bitter taste assaulted him, making him cough and get up from the chair before bending over to the side and coughing some more.

“Hmm, seems like you need some sugar to go with the tea, huh?” The copy remarked as it flicked his finger, making a bowl of sugar and a teaspoon appear on the table. Suddenly, the copy clicked his tongue as he placed his left hand to the side, opening his palm and catching Reign’s punch.

“Come on, where are your manners, assaulting a person that is sitting and drinking tea, you’re better than that, Reign.” The copy said with a sigh before clenching Reign’s fist and suddenly throwing him up in the air.

Reign fell about 4 meters behind the copy. He quickly got up and stared at the copy that extended his right arm and motioned for Reign to sit. Suddenly, the sight in front of Reign blurred as the coffee table appeared in front of him, with the empty chair standing next to him, and the copy opposite of the table.

Reign stared at the copy with vigilance, this was the first time he had tried attacking the copy, only to be so cleanly blocked and sent flying. He couldn’t sense mana in this place, but he could sense the existence of his abilities, however.

Still, he didn’t use them.

The copy had never attacked him, nor tried corrupting him before. The bitterness of the tea made Reign think that the copy did indeed put something in it, prompting him to lose his calm and attack the copy, but he had now cooled down and realized that there really was nothing bad in the tea, only that it was very bitter.

“Please, sit, I wanted to talk to you, not fight or argue.” The copy said as Reign sat down and put some sugar in his still-hot tea. Upon taking a sip, he felt refreshed, the sugar helped with the bitterness and the tea tasted quite fine now.

“Talk about what, exactly?” Reign asked the copy who smiled at him before putting the teacup down on the table.

“About the future, of course.”

“You have just started your journey, and right now, you don’t have a clear goal, only living in order to help your friends and finally meet your uncle and Shadow’s parents again, that is fine for now, but once you manage to do that, what will you do next, simply continue fighting in order to save the planet, perhaps?” The copy asked before staring at Reign seriously.

“That is fine as well, it will provide yet another goal for you to accomplish, but what after that, what will you do when you become a Transcendent, help Laura out with destroying the demon maybe?”

“That is fine as well, what next though?”

“See if any other friends of yours need help, becoming even more powerful in order to help them out?”

“Will you do that until you reach the peak of the universe, only living so that you can help out others, as selfless as that may be, it is also incredibly stupid.” The copy suddenly said with a cold voice before getting up from the table.

“What I wanted to talk to you about, Reign, is the lack of drive you have, well, the lack of a personal goal and selfishness inside of you.” The copy stared at Reign from above as it spoke.

“I am you, and you are me, we are two sides of the same coin, which means that if you die, I die as well, and I don’t want to die, Reign.” The copy said in a low voice as he placed his hands on the table.

“I want you to think about this, think about why you are constantly doing your best to become more powerful, I want you to find a goal, find some reason, any reason at all, why you want to be powerful, is it because you maybe wish to explore the universe, see all the wonderful and horrifying things that are present in it?”

“Maybe you want to grow powerful enough so that nobody can harm your friends and loved ones, maybe you even wish to defend the Earth for all eternity?”

“Maybe you want to find love, and upon doing so do everything you can to keep her safe?”

“See Reign, you have no ultimate goal, no passion, nothing that will drive you forward and allow you to become more powerful.”

“Till now, it worked, you have enough to constantly become stronger, but once you reach the realm of a Transcendent, or even higher, becoming a Saint, you will see just how different things can be.”

“With the way you are thinking right now, you will never be able to reach Godhood, not to mention anything higher than that.”

“So, you got me over here just to tell me that, to berate me for my lack of a goal, lack of selfishness?” Reign asked the copy with a dark face as the latter nodded.

“I want you to look deep inside and think, realize what you are missing, it is only then that you can continue forward in the future.” The copy said somewhat enthusiastically while Reign finished his tea and got up.

“How about you mind your own business, huh?”

“Without me, you will die, why should I care about your life or death, you have done nothing to deserve such a thing.”

“My goals, the things that drive me forward, are mine, and I won’t allow you or anyone else to meddle in that.” Reign suddenly used his abilities, controlling light and darkness in order to coat his body, allowing him to move away from the field and get out.

“Stubborn bastard.” The copy said with a sigh, “I’m doing this for your own good as well, you know?”