Alpha

His face... His head was just some sort of 3D pixel block. Rough around the edges. No texture, basic coloring, no contrast,... It was not nothing, but it was not much either. His facial features were basic at most if not plain boring. This character had no nose and his eyes and mouth were just black and bold pixel lines over a flat face. Some people could argue that it was a minimalist choice. But the thing is: minimalists actually care about the aesthetic. Here, it was just laziness at its best. The lamest design ever. And Dave knew who was to blame for this mistake. Himself.

Dave reluctantly approached the weird NPC. As he was about to "click" on him to get more details about his code, the character grabbed his finger and asked:

— Excuse me, but what kind of trick are you trying to pull here?

— Woah! Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude! I- uh... Wait, you can see me?

— Yes? Are you alright? Do you need to get your head checked or something?

— That's just... Wonderful! Finally someone can see me! And talk to me! Oh-Oh! What's your name? asked Dave who could not keep his enthusiasm for himself.

— Alpha, said block head while trying to calm Dave down.

— Alpha? I don't remember naming any NPC like that in this village...

— What are you mumbling about? Do you have a problem with my name?

— N-No! Nothing like that! It's just that... People can't interact with me for some reason.Dave demonstrated his point as a man came rushing near them with his bag of potatoes by trying to gently push him out of the way. And as expected, his arm just phased through and an interface momentarily popped out. The text box disappeared as the man got further and further away.

— Interesting... So I cannot use the interface if the object is too far away from me, said Dave with a pensive nod. Anyway, see? This guy just passed through without a care.

— That's... peculiar to say the least. Also now that I take a good look at you... You do not have any health bar nor mana bar. Your name is not even indicated.

— Wait, is this supposed to be a real thing? You mean to tell me that you got a whole video game interface natively installed into your vision?

— Why, yes! It always has been like this. Even if it does not make sense for other people when I explain it to them. You are actually the first person who understood me right away. Who... Who are you?

— My name is Dave. I guess you could say I am the creator of... Suddenly, Dave puffed up his chest and extended his arms outwards before he proudly shouted:

— I AM YOUR GOD! Now, bow before me! MUAHAHAHAHAHAH! he laughed hysterically.Alpha punched this so-called "God". Dave took the strike fully in his jaw and fell down on his back.

— Dammit! What was that for? That-... That doesn't hurt. You're either really weak or maybe that's what to expect from the almighty god that I am.

— You... Are you sure you're okay? In the head I mean.

— Dude... You throw your punch at max speed and max power and you're not even going to apologize? You're even mocking me?

— Alright, I guess I went a bit too far. But why didn't my hand phased through you like the other man? If you're really a god, then I must be a god slayer?

— It's strange, indeed... Can I poke you for a bit?

— I guess you want to check my current status, right?

— Yup, but not only. See, I can also check out your code and see what's so special about you that you can interact with me unlike everyone else.Dave then tried to sucker punch Alpha who just stood still as if nothing happened and he even let out a little laugh of pity. Dave frowned at his reaction but then shifted his focus on Alpha's data.

— These lines... You're actually the model for the main character. The one I'm always using to test the game's features and skills. I didn't get the time to implement character customization though… The fact that you have access to all spells and skills right from the start despite being only level 1... The skill tree is also fully unlocked while your stats are average. Yup, there's no doubt about it. It's not possible to multi-class so many "Jobs" at once.

—You... Who are you really?

—I already told you. I am your god, said Dave with a large grin. No, seriously. I am the one who developed this whole world. But for some reason I can't even normally interact with it.

— You are actually telling the truth, aren't you?... Alright, tell me about yourself from the beginning, said Alpha who finally took Dave seriously.Dave then proceeded to tell Alpha that he was a game developer and he created this world. Then he explained that he died due to his lack of rest or something along these lines. And after meeting a mysterious figure, he got reincarnated into his own creation. He explained how he hoped to finally live out his own adventures but he can't for unknown reasons. He also told him about his newfound abilities of reshaping reality through manipulating the codes of objects.

— Even if you dared punch your god!- Please don't hit me again by the way, even if it doesn't hurt, I still don't like the feeling of being bullied like this- I'm still glad to have met you. It feels a little less lonely, you know?

— First of all, I promise to not hit you again if you let go of your god complex. Second... Well the feeling is mutual. Even if the villagers act like I'm just like them, like everyone... I can't help but feel like I'm not. I mean, look at my face. I don't even have an identity of my own. According to you, you're the one who created me. You're the one who modeled me and gave me my name. And somehow, in the past you even lived out the game through me! I don't even know if I am actually my own person at this point.

— Now that you mention it, it is strange. If I had to be reincarnated, you logically would have been my receptacle. However, I think that because you developed a personality of your own, I could no longer live as you because you're not an empty shell anymore.

— Ah! So not only do I not have an existence of my own, I also robbed you of your dreams. All of this is really pointless.

— H-Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. I just said that as a hypothesis. It doesn't mean shit. If there really is someone to blame, then it would be the white mask guy who sent me here.

— You know, my first memory was about wandering around this town. It felt like it was so long ago. Wandering. And wondering what my destiny could be. What was the meaning of my existence. Why did I suddenly start to be aware of my own self... What I want to say is: I have nothing of my own but I want to be able to own my own life. You on the other hand, your existence isn't even acknowledged by our world. However, you have this special power that may change our very fate... I want a meaning to my life AND a beautiful face and you, you want a body. You have this power and I can be the middleman between you and the rest of this World. Let's team up. What do you say?

Dave looked at the pixelated face of Alpha. It radiated with determination even though his face couldn't express it properly. Nevertheless, his speech inspired him. It gave him hope. Doing this alone would have been excruciating. Sure, he got punched, but he could feel the trust through his words.

— Sure. You simple mortal wouldn't have survived long without me anyway. I'll gladly take you with me out of pity! said Dave mockingly.Alpha couldn't help but laugh. He understood Dave was just trying to lighten the mood through his fake vanity.

— You see me honored, ô great one, replied Alpha with sarcasm.