Chapter 33: The Last Laugh of the Forgotten

Chapter 33: The Last Laugh of the Forgotten In my small and peaceful life, I always had a feeling that Fate held a personal grudge against me. Not the casual kind—no, this was the kind that spans generations and ends in blood. Even in my last life, it didn’t just screw me over, it did it with pleasure. And this life was no different. If I ever met the bastard who writes Fate, I swear, I would take a rusty iron pole and shove it somewhere anatomically creative. Sideways. Anyway, the point was: I was pissed. At that shitty little Fate, for the situation it had put me under. The Forgotten Trickster or whatever this maniac was... laughing its heart out while a very familiar figure glared at me like I had just exploded its friends and cursed out his whole generation. Which, in my defense, I had done. Because the creature was none other than the alpha bear I had killed a few moments ago. "Do you like your assistant?" The Trickster’s voice echoed through the space like a bad joke. "No..." Like hell I wanted an assistant whose first act of loyalty would be to rip my spine out and floss with it. The bear would’ve been a fantastic asset... if not for the small inconvenience of me murdering his entire friend group. Seriously, that beast wasn’t just brawn. He had technique and precision. From what I saw during our fight, the bastard was a full-on martial artist. And the worst part? He copied my VoidPulse Steps—a movement skill that took me twenty agonizing days to master—within seconds. Like, excuse me? I bleed, sweat and hallucinate my way to perfection and this furry murder-machine just yoinked it after watching once? What kind of cosmic injustice was that? So no. I didn’t want him as my assistant. Unless, of course, I had some deeply buried kink about being strangled by an angry martial artist bear. Which—let me be very clear—I do not . The Trickster clapped like a child who had just found his favourite toy. "Oh, I knew you’d say that," he chuckled. "That’s what makes this pairing perfect. You see, loyalty forged in hatred tastes so much sweeter." I stared at him. "You’re insane." "We all are." he said cheerfully. He leaned forward, tapping the air like it was a touchscreen and a glowing string of symbols connected me to the bear. "What the hell are you—?!" [You Have Gained A New Nexus Exclusive Skill: Jester’s Assistant.] [???? Has Been Registered As An Assistant] "Contract complete!" he announced. "Congratulations on your new assistant. No returns. No exchanges. Good luck not dying." The bear growled as his blood-red eyes locked onto mine. The Trickster, still grinning, waved his hand lazily. "Oh and don’t worry. He can’t hurt you. He’s bound to you now." "Bound?" I narrowed my eyes. "A servant of the soul. He’ll obey you... even if every part of him wants you dead." The Trickster’s smile widened. My stomach twisted. I wasn’t sure if I had just gained a powerful ally... or inherited a curse with teeth. I didn’t trust the guy—not even a little. But the system? That was different. No matter how powerful he was, not even a god could manipulate such a notification. That made me even more curious about something. "How did you interfere?" The heavenly principles didn’t allow such... direct intrusion. So, how the hell was this guy casually resurrecting dead as a servant while giving me a skill? This was definitely against the principles. "Hahahahahahha" The Trickster’s spine bent as he couldn’t control his laughter anymore. "This is my final performance... so I’m merely paying the price with my life." He said it between chuckles, like it was a joke. But it wasn’t. This mad bastard was burning out his last breath. "Don’t worry about me..." he muttered, still smiling like it was all a performance. "I was destined to vanish in a few years anyway. I’m just... speeding up the curtains." His laughter softened into something almost human. "It’s boring to be lonely, you know?" Just then—- The domain began to tremble. Cards scattered everywhere like birds, their edges burning before vanishing. The colors around us started fading into a grey. It was like the dream was ending. The Trickster’s smile softened, just a little. "I can grant you one small miracle," I could see his body starting to glow with red light. "Ask away." A dozen options came to mind. Immortality. Invincibility. But I asked for the one which I truly wanted. "Can you make me an SSS-Rank Resonant?" I asked, almost hopeful. The Trickster cackled, nearly doubling over. "Shortcuts aren’t amusing, dear boy. And I can’t do that—not with what little power I have left. At most, I can trick fate slightly. But I can’t grant you any power.." Tch... so much for a miracle. Well it was no fun to be instantly overpowered anyways... it wouldn’t be thrilling. Still, I had a list of things. But as the domain started vanishing around us, I found myself asking the one thing that surprised even me. "...Can you bring back the bear’s friends?" The bear beside me—the one who had been glaring at me like a caged beast—faltered. He actually gasped. A sound so human I had to blink and make sure I hadn’t imagined it. Even the Trickster paused. "Are you sure?" he asked, his eyes filled with mischief and curiosity. "Why that miracle?" It wasn’t guilt and I sure as hell wasn’t doing it for being a saint, thank you very much. I just didn’t want an assistant who was two bad dreams away from strangling me with my own intestines. With his friends back, he’d at least... respect me. Maybe even follow me with his full will. And honestly? He could become my greatest weapon if I played this right. Not a tool. A blade. One forged in vengeance and now tempered by something stranger. Loyalty. I knew it wasn’t the smartest use of a miracle. Power could be earned but survival needed planning. And most importantly I still didn’t trust the Trickster. I didn’t know what it would try if I asked it for something related to me. Like skills or artifacts. So, asking a miracle about the bear’s friend was me playing it safe. I mean if something does end up happening to them... I wouldn’t be responsible. But I couldn’t just say this all... so I replied in simple words. "Maybe I’m just acting on my whims." The Trickster looked at me for a moment and then laughed. By now, I had completely forgotten the count of how many times this guy even laughed. "Good, good! That’s exactly how it should be." He raised a hand and straightened his hat as if checking something. Then after a short pause, he continued. "They are weak and have only been dead a few minutes. That much... I can manage." The bear beside me didn’t move but I could feel his confusion. His eyes never left me. But I ignored it for now. The Trickster winked, snapping his finger. "It’s done." He turned to me, his body visibly transparent by now. "It seems my time has come." "Remember this, Rael... Even jesters draw blood when they forget to laugh. Even blades break when wielded without joy. And when the world turns its stage against you... Look not for applause, but for silence. That’s when the final act begins." With that, he bowed and the world shattered like glass. Of course, the bastard had to exit with some weird-ass prophecy. This was my last thought before everything turned dark. _______ Author’s Note: For anyone wondering why Rael didn’t wish for power—remember, the Trickster wasn’t omnipotent. He said it himself: he could only trick fate a little at his current condition. Rael played it smart. He chose the one thing that could turn a deadly enemy into a loyal weapon. So why could he bring the bears back if he wasn’t omnipotent? It’s all because they were weak and had been dead for a few minutes. He didn’t revive them—he simply tricked fate to make it look like they never died. It wasn’t resurrection. It was a deception. A final performance of a fading Trickster.