Reign didn't immediately take the hand offered to him.

Instead, he paused, taking in his surroundings again and carefully observing the person standing before him.

Everything appeared real, and the Evil Monarch in front of him look like the real deal, but he couldn't shake the doubt in his heart.

Had he truly gone mad and imagined up all those experiences?

Summit City?

George?

Mellisa?

Cyril?

Wick?

And all the trials he endured to become stronger?

All the humans he had to kill and devoured to get stronger ?

Was it merely the dream of a young kid desperate to escape reality?

'No, I don't believe that,' he gritted his teeth in anger and frustration.

"Hey, stop pretending you're real," Reign's voice rang out coldly in the room, his expression contorted into a deranged glare.

His eyes, filled with annoyance, remained fixed on the individual standing before him, unblinking and filled with intensity .

The Evil Monarch didn't react immediately; instead, he lowered his hand and gazed at Reign with an expression that had a tinge of guilt.

"I know you're confused. Let me heal your mind so you can forget all this suffering," he added in a calm tone.

"Stop talking bullshit. You're just a figment of my imagination. There's no way my father would talk like that. I heard from Mom that he's the most egotistic and narcissistic person alive. There's no way he would save me or even care." Reign's sneer dripped with contempt.

"Did she really tell you that I'm like that? So she hasn't forgiven me yet after all." The Evil Monarch forced a wry smile, his words carrying a hint of regret.

"Stop using my mother's name, you're not even real," Reign forced himself to stand up and locked gazed with the Evil Monarch.

"Strong-willed, now I'm sure you're my son," he chuckled, "But this place isn't ideal for talking. Come with me."

"I'm not going anywhere, and I know you can't force me," Reign asserted defiantly.

"You're supposed to be a genius, the most powerful being in the world. There's no way you can't force a weak kid like me. So, it means you can't do it." He added with a taunting smile on his lips.

He felt even more confident in his assumption; he was finally seeing the inconsistencies.

This was, in fact, a dream.

'That's right, I am no longer that weak child, I am no longer the Reign from before. I am... I am me...'

With each movement, he felt light and agile, and to his relief, all his powers seemed to be in perfect working order.

[DING!]

[System: Congratulations for completing the Trial of Self.]

Judging from the name of the trial, it was a test to determine if he was strong-willed enough to be confident in himself.

It was a trial where indecisiveness would lead to failure, and because he wasn't tricked by all those illusions, he was able to pass it.

[Domain Completion: 25%]

Seeing that his Domain increased by 25%, he guessed that he still needed to complete three more tests to succeed.

[System: Please Complete The Trial of Elements ]

"The Trial of elements? "

As Reign contemplated about the Trial of Elements, the ground began to shake. Six gates protruded from the ground, each bearing its own unique design.

Instinctively, he knew what each one signified.

>Metal

>Flame

>Disease

>Death

>Lightning

>Negative Energy

These were the attributes that he currently possessed. It was strange that there was no wind among them, but he figured that perhaps he needed to absorb a more unique Breathing Technique to acquire it.

"System, how many gates can I enter?" he inquired, seeking clarification first.

[System: One]

'I can only pick one in the beginning. If these gates are arranged from weakest to strongest, then Negative Energy might also be the hardest among the six,' Reign speculated.

Following that logic, Negative Energy seemed like the obvious choice.

However, he felt that for a domain, he would rather choose Lightning. Its high penetrating power made it more useful in combat.

While negative energy was useful for boosting his overall damage output and was highly adaptable, he couldn't shake the feeling that lightning would be a more advantageous starting point.

Plus, as he upgraded his domain, he would have the opportunity to incorporate additional elements, so there was no harm in picking lightning first.

'I'll pick lightning,'