Free Web NovelChapter 29: The Jester’s offer
"You can call me... The Jester."
The words hung in the ruined gala hall like a child’s laugh in a graveyard. The bells jingled softly as the clown-like figure stood among the glowing dust and broken glasses. His bright red suit stood out violently against the blood and ash. White face paint, red nose, black tear lines running down his cheeks, and that wide, manic grin that never seemed to fade. His eyes were pitch black with tiny glowing white dots, like distant stars in an empty void.
Star did not waste time.
He raised his hand and unleashed a concentrated blast of the Disintegration particles straight at the intruder. The pink-silver light tore through the air with every ounce of lethal intent.
The Jester tilted his head, still grinning. He raised one gloved hand and casually flicked the attack aside. The particles scattered harmlessly into the air like fireflies.
What?
"Oh dear," he said in a sing-song voice. "Is that all?"
Star’s eyes narrowed. He stepped forward and fired a second, stronger wave, mixing it with raw mana and new powers from his Blooming Awakening. The attack was faster, sharper, and deadlier. A rather crude, rash decision he made on the spot but it was reasonable. The clown literally swallowed his fire blast moments ago.
The Jester hummed a little tune and sidestepped with theatrical grace. The blast missed him completely and disintegrated a marble pillar behind him instead. He caught a few stray particles between his fingers, examined them like curious snowflakes, and then swallowed them.
"Nothing like the taste of desperation," he remarked, licking his lips. "But this is still not enough to tickle me."
Star felt a surge of frustration. He activated Appeal at full strength while launching another barrage of Disintegration. The air around the Jester should have filled with overwhelming ecstasy and pain at the same time.
Instead, the Jester giggled and spun once, bells jingling wildly. The combined attack seemed to bend around him, as if reality itself refused to let it touch him at all.
"Spamming one powerful attack are we?" He laughed falling on the floor kicking it’s feet up in the air.
"You really thought you would harvest something" he then stopped suddenly and stood up, dusting it’s clothes from the glasses that stuck to him from his former position.
"If you want to defeat me," the Jester said cheerfully, "you have to get more powerful than that."
He wagged a finger.
"At this point, I have more power in my pinky toe."
Star clenched his jaw. He had never felt so powerless since the bracelet was removed. This entity was not normal, that was obvious. Every attack felt like throwing stones at smoke.
Jezebel’s voice was urgent in his mind.
[Star, stop. This is not a fight you can win right now. He is an abnormality. He does not follow the same rules.]
Great help, Jezebel!
Star finally lowered his hand, breathing hard. The pink-silver particles around him slowly faded. He stared at the Jester with cold, wary eyes.
"Who are you really?" he asked. "And why are you here?"
The Jester clapped his hands together once, bells ringing brightly. He took a theatrical bow, his red suit rustling.
"I am the one who watches when the script breaks. When someone like you decides to burn the stage instead of playing their part. You made quite the mess tonight, little star. So many pretty deaths. So much delicious chaos. How commendably marvelous"
He straightened up, still smiling that unnerving grin.
"I also sealed the Shattered Veil for you. Just a little favor. It was starting to crack dangerously due to your months of neglect. Madame Vesper would have been quite upset if it had collapsed completely."
Star’s eyes narrowed. "Madame Vesper?"
How did he know about her? Was the clown her proxy or a partner of some sort. He wanted to pry IT for answers but decided not to after thinking it through. If he really was an ally like he is insinuating to be then he just took care of a painful mission for him. It’s not as if he had the power to shut that veil anyway.
Jezebel confirmed it immediately.
[He is telling the truth. The Shattered Veil was destabilized by the amount of neglect it was given. He stabilized it.]
By shutting it?
[Yes]
Why, thank Goodness.
Star crossed his arms, keeping his distance from the clown. "Oh yeah? And you want a reward for that?"
The Jester giggled again, a sound that sent an eerie chill down Star’s spine. The lights in the hall flickered unnaturally. Shadows stretched longer than they should have. For a brief moment, the temperature dropped sharply.
"A reward?" The Jester tilted his head. "No, no. I simply enjoy watching good stories. And yours... oh, yours is becoming very interesting. From kidnapped beauty to cold-blooded reaper in silk. How marvellous!"
He took a slow step forward. The bells on his clothes jingled softly, but the sound felt incredibly wrong.
"I can offer you another path, Star," the Jester continued, his black eyes sparkling. "You are currently walking the road of calculated revenge. Power. Control. All very neat and orderly. But I can give you something better. True chaos. Freedom from every rule. Even the System. Even fate. You could become like me. A wildcard. A fracture in the story itself."
Star remained silent, studying the being carefully. The Jester’s presence felt incredibly wrong. Like something that should not exist standing right in front of him. Every instinct screamed danger, yet there was also a strange temptation in his words.
Jezebel spoke urgently in his mind.
[Do not trust him. He is not lying, but he is not telling the full truth either. Creatures like him thrive on interesting tragedies. He does not care if you win or lose. He only cares if the story is entertaining.]
Star finally spoke. "And what would this new path cost me?"
The Jester’s grin widened.
"Everything you think you know. Your plans. Your allies. Your precious little revenge story. But in return? Absolute freedom. The ability to rewrite the script whenever you want. No more cages. No more chains. Just pure, beautiful chaos."
He extended one gloved hand. The bells on his wrist jingled softly.
"So... what do you say, little star? Will you take my hand and dance off the stage? Or will you keep playing this tired old revenge plot until someone writes you a tragic ending?"
Star stared at the offered hand. The Jester’s black eyes seemed to swallow more light. The air around him felt heavier and colder.
The ruined gala hall was deathly silent except for the soft, constant jingling of bells; the clowns bells. freёwebnoѵel.com
Star’s mind raced. Part of him wanted to attack again. Another part recognized the danger. And a small, dangerous part of him... wondered.
But then he grounded himself.
He had spent months planning. Months enduring. Months becoming exactly what he needed to be. He was not going to throw all of that away for some painted clown’s offer.
Star took a step back.
"I already finished my revenge plot," he said calmly. "I have no need for a master."
The Jester’s grin faltered for the first time. He tilted his head, bells jingling.
The Jester sighed dramatically. "I have sealed the Veil... but I didn’t say I defeated what leaked out of it."
Star’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Monsters," the Jester replied, his voice dropping into a playful whisper. "Child-eating monsters. Flesh-eating monsters. Powerful monsters. The everything kind of monsters. They slipped through when you went on your little journey. I can help you track them down and kill every single one before they cause real havoc. In return, you hear me out properly next time."
Jezebel’s voice cut in sharply.
[Do not accept this, Star. I can detect a Veil creature in the next town, three days from here. We do not need him.]
Star nodded slightly. "Sorry, pal. I have to resist. I can do it by myself."
The Jester grunted, clearly disappointed. He shrugged theatrically, bells jingling.
"Stubborn little star. Fine. Until next time."
With a swirl of colored smoke and fading laughter, the Jester vanished.
The sound of bells lingered for a moment, then disappeared completely. Only silence remained in the ruined gala hall.
Star stood motionless, He stared at the empty space where the Jester had been, processing everything. The offer. The monsters. The power he now held.
[Incoming] Jezebel chimed in and Star tensed up, obviously ready for a fight.
"Star!"
Two familiar voices cut through the silence.
Rian and Lena burst through the broken main doors, weapons drawn, eyes wide with shock as they took in the devastation. Thier was Blood and destruction everywhere.
Lena’s eyes found Star instantly. Relief flooded her face.
"Star!"
She rushed forward without hesitation and threw her arms around him in a tight, desperate hug. Rian followed right behind her, wrapping his strong arms around both of them, holding on as if afraid Star might disappear again.
"Star... you’re alive," Lena whispered, voice cracking with emotion. Tears welled in her eyes as she buried her face in his shoulder. "We finally found you. We tracked you all the way here. I can’t believe it... we thought we lost you forever."
Rian’s grip was fierce, his voice rough and thick with held-back tears. "We came as fast as we could"
Star slowly returned the hug, obviously surprised by Thier presence, he had not expected them to be here, he had not even thought about them for ages and he felt bad for that.
He wrapped one arm around Lena and the other around Rian.
"I’m here," he said quietly, voice steady. "I’m okay."
Lena pulled back slightly, cupping his face with both hands, searching his eyes. "What happened? This place... it looks like a warzone. Are you hurt?"
Star shook his head. "I’m not hurt. Not anymore." He glanced around the destroyed hall. "I did what I had to do."
Rian stepped back but kept a hand on Star’s shoulder, studying him carefully. "Star...." He whispered to himself after noticing the unmistakable glow around him, to him Star had obviously changed and his mana level was off the charts.
Star gave them both a small, genuine smile and a tierd one too.
"It’s a long story. I’ll tell you everything on the way out. But for now... I’m just glad you’re both here."
Lena’s eyes filled with fresh tears. She hugged him again, tighter this time. "We’re never leaving you again. Never."
Rian nodded, his usual stoic expression cracking with visible relief. "We got stronger too. We trained like hell. We’re ready to stand with you, no matter what comes next."
[Uh oh, it seems that Rian pooh has caught on]
It doesn’t matter.
Star felt a warmth in his chest he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in months. These two had never given up on him. Even after everything and against all odds they came, they still cared.
"Let’s go," he said softly. "This place is finished."
They walked out of the ruined palace together. Star in the middle, Lena on his left holding his arm, Rian on his right. The three of them moved through the corridors and gates without looking back.
As they stepped into the cool night air outside the palace, Lena finally asked the question burning in her mind.
"Star... that power I felt when we walked in. It was you, wasn’t it? You’ve changed."
Star nodded. "Lets just say, i had to evolve " he said awkwardly.
Rian’s eyes widened slightly, but there was no fear in them. Only awe and pride. "You really did it. You got stronger " fгeewebnovёl.com
"I did," Star replied. "But it wasn’t clean. A lot of people died tonight. Some deserved it. Some... were just in the way."
Lena squeezed his arm. "We don’t care. You survived. You fought back. That’s what matters. And now you’re stronger than ever. We don’t have to worry about your safety as much anymore. You can protect yourself."
Rian nodded firmly. "We’ll still have your back. But yeah... you’re not the same person we left back at Green haven. You’re something more now."
"Heck! You are literally stronger than us now"
Star allowed himself a small laugh. It felt good..
. "I still have a long way to go. But for the first time in a while... I feel like I’m finally moving forward on my own terms."
The three of them walked away from the palace of Silverveil, leaving the destruction behind. The night sky stretched above them, full of stars.
Lena looked up at Star with a bright, determined smile. "Wherever you go next, we’re coming with you. No more separations."
Rian placed a hand on Star’s shoulder. "Together."
Star looked at both of them, the weight in his chest finally easing just a little.
"Together," he agreed.
But Star knew that deep down, it was a huge lie. Together was just a formality, It was just him talking, but for now he allowed himself the warmth of friends.
