God of Tricksters

"Oh, shit!"

Theo gritted his teeth before he heard someone's voice echoing in his ears. "Why do I need to die?"

"Why are you still alive?"

"This is not fair. You're just a mere clone. You don't deserve to live."

"I'm the original, so I should be alive right now."

Those words shook Theo's heart as his body trembled before realizing the scenery had changed.

Instead of the bridge, Theo found himself in front of a black fence that bound his soul… his original soul.

His body was in tatters and covered with bruises. His left leg and arm were amputated and the left side of his body had started to rot with some maggots chewing on his ribs.

The soul glared at Theo and snarled, "Why do I need to endure all this? I still have my own goal! Where is my brother?"

Theo's expression turned grim. He couldn't help but remember the injury he suffered that day.

The turtle struck his left side, so his left arm and leg might be crushed from that attack. At the same time, his ribs were broken, but he didn't see the full condition. So, he thought it must be worse back then.

"I was forced to watch all this!" Soul Theo gritted his teeth, showing a screen of everything happening in the real world. How Theo could become MVP of the Grand Gaia Competition… How he could become the person standing before him…

Theo didn't know why but his heart became calmer the more he talked. It was as if the soul in front of him was releasing all his pent-up emotion.

"You are just a clone of mine… Why do you need to take everything from me? This is mine." Soul Theo glared at Theo, feeling jealous of Theo's current achievement.

Theo closed his eyes for a moment, taking the full brunt of Soul Theo's insults.

Soul Theo continued spouting everything in his mind.

'If I was in his position, would I do the same?' Theo thought while his expression darkened. He couldn't help but imagine himself watching all his efforts, achievements, journey, and even his girlfriend while being unable to do anything. No, while being tortured in this place.

'Haha… I'm pathetic…' Tears couldn't help but flow out of the corner of his eyes. Obviously, he couldn't describe the feeling if he was the one experiencing all this. It wasn't an easy journey, but it was very fulfilling.

  "I now have a grandfather who loves me, a girlfriend who supports me, and a few friends I can trust. I would be jealous of myself…" Theo smiled and looked at Soul Theo.

Soul Theo stopped for a second, bewildered by his statement. He thought this was an insult to him, but Theo immediately continued.

"I know that my soul has gone to the reincarnation path. However, I'll treat you like my original soul for the time being." A sad smile appeared on Theo's face.

"…" Soul Theo was confused by his words, not knowing what Theo wanted to say.

"I might be a mere clone, but what I have experienced in the last three years are real. On the other hand, my original body has endured his gruesome childhood.

"It's precisely because I am your clone that I respect you for enduring such a thing. What if I die in the future and my clone needs to take over my name and body? What if fate oppresses both of us once?

"Even I can't imagine what kind of hatred I will harbor to this world. But in the end… you're still the same person as you used to be…

"At the end of your time, you cursed humanity. They are truly idiotic, greedy, prideful, resentful, depraved, and so on.

"But we are also human. No matter how hard I try to do things right, some people will still call me an idiot, believing their thoughts are right. People will call me greedy just because I have more than them.

"They'll call me prideful even though I'm just showing my strong side. And look at you, you're resentful of your own clone… I might be the same if I were in your shoes. Depraved? Sooner or later, since I can't stop thinking about her…

"Still, everything is different now. I've matured and seen more about the world. I even know why our parents did all that stuff to you… no, to us!

"Do you want to take over my body? Do you want to exchange our places?" Theo smiled and clutched his chest, showing his determination. "That is something I can't give up. If my clone tries to take over me in the future, I'll show him who the boss is. Thanks to you, I have learned something… I'm selfish, so I want to take everything.

"What can be seen never exists, but what can't be seen has existed since the beginning. I can see you… You're just a mere illusion. But we're fated to meet here. Fate is something that can't be seen but has existed since the beginning.

"Even then, I'll show you that I won't be defeated anymore. I won't end up like my original soul. I won't let fate mislead me anymore… No, I won't let it control me."

"If you think about it, doesn't this riddle mean Illusion or reality? It's just… which one can be seen and which one can't be seen?" Theo remembered what he said in the lightning mountain right before he received his Order. "That's right. No one can tell whether the world I have been living in is an illusion or not. Even that bridge keeper can't!

"I only know and believe that this world is real. And you or even this planet might be just an illusion of mine. Even Order and Authority might just be the image planted in our minds…

"In that case, there's only one answer. I shall now become the one in control. Who cares if it's an illusion or not… This world is an illusion of mine? No! If I say this world is real, this world shall become real! If I say I'm Theodore Griffith, I shall be the real Theodore Griffith! From this point onward, I, Theodore Griffith, shall tell no lie because everything I said shall become a reality!"

The golden circle on Theo's chest suddenly vibrated and glowed, neutralizing all the hands that covered his body, including the illusion.

The scenery had returned to the bridge with the bridge keeper standing in front of him.

However, Theo hadn't realized the change because he had something to declare to the entire world.

With eyes filled with conviction and a voice full of belief and fate, he declared out loud. "I'm THEODORE GRIFFITH. I'm here to revive myself!"