Mysteries On Marvel

The jester that emerged from the purple orb looked as though it had just broken free from some great restraint, bursting with joy.

Still suspended in midair, it did several somersaults in a row. Then, a bright red sphere suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The multi-colored jester landed lightly upon the floating sphere, sitting on it with perfect balance.

Stretching lazily, it waved a hand in passing, conjuring a rainbow before itself. Having frolicked enough, the jester finally cast its gaze upon Eren, who was standing a short distance away.

Sniffing the air once, the jester's painted face lit up in delight. "Oh! I smell a jester's scent on you. How interesting!"

In the next moment, the vibrant jester vanished from sight, reappearing on Eren's shoulder. Its palm-sized body began climbing all over Eren, as though scaling a mountain wall—pinching here and there, thoroughly enjoying itself.

Seeing the jester hopping and prodding about on his body, Eren frowned slightly and asked, "What…are you?"

Eren had used the Fate Compass for countless draws, but this was the first time he had ever drawn a living creature from it.

Hearing Eren's question, the jester hooked a finger on the hem of Eren's clothing and swung back up onto his left shoulder.

"I'm certainly not some 'thing.'"

It paused mid-sentence, seemingly realizing the wording was off, then jabbed an accusing finger at Eren's nose.

"Wait—did you just call me a 'thing'? No, you're the thing—your whole family's a bunch of things!"

Furious, the jester went off into a string of curses. Then, as though suddenly recalling something, it raised its voice:

"I am the greatest Jester Who Gambles With Life in the universe…"

But the jester's shrill declaration suddenly cut off, as if it had remembered something else.

"I recall…I destroyed the Wheel of Fate. Then, a bunch of gods dragged me down to die with them… So this…?"

It hesitated for a couple of seconds. Then, the clown's multi-colored face cracked into a wide grin.

"Oh, so I've actually been dead all along! Teehee!"

The Jester Who Gambles With Life seemed utterly unconcerned about its own demise. Gazing up at the colossal Scale of Fate that loomed above the endless River of Fate, the tiny figure perched on Eren's shoulder seemed to comprehend something.

"So now I'm just a phantom somebody fished out of the annals of history? Fascinating. But…"

"Fate's Wheel can't control my destiny. And you, a corrupted little scale, want to manipulate my life? Screw you and your 'fate!'"

All of a sudden, it turned to Eren and announced, "Watch closely, kid—this is what a real jester is."

Without waiting for Eren to reply, the clown stood proudly atop its hovering red orb, raising a finger toward that primordial, unchanging Scale of Fate, towering above the silver river.

"In the name of jester's folly—reverse it! Fate!"

With the jester's manic cry, an overwhelming aura began to flow from its fingertip. It was an energy very much like that of the River of Fate nearby, yet wholly different at its core.

The instant that energy appeared, the vast river—so broad it resembled a great galaxy—quivered ever so slightly.

Then, a silver-white phantom river manifested behind the jester, as though a Milky Way hung upside-down in the sky. It surged in reverse, rushing toward the massive, towering Scale of Fate.

Eren stood not far off, dumbfounded by the sight. He never imagined that something summoned by the Fate Compass could actually attack the Scale of Fate itself.

Having only just performed his first Advanced Draw, Eren had no idea if this was an unusual quirk of high-level items, or if this particular Jester Who Gambles With Life was simply special. After all, he had drawn purple-grade items before, but never something like this—a living being that defied all expectations.

In the face of the jester's rebellion, the ancient, unmoving Scale of Fate seemed to shudder. A tremendous power—far mightier than anything Eren had witnessed—burst forth.

Vast and all-encompassing, it rippled through the scale, making it impossible to describe in words. In that instant, the very space around them turned upside down; even time itself appeared to invert.

All of it converged on the upward-surfing phantom river, crushing down upon it.

In a single blink, all light, sound, and sensory perception vanished. The mighty phantom river, which looked ready to wash away heaven and earth, was mercilessly obliterated by that indescribable force. Nothing remained; it was as if everything had been purified and returned to its most fundamental origin, the fragments flowing back into the Scale of Fate.

Yet, even faced with such crushing defeat, the jester rushing along the phantom river only wore a mocking grin. Its lively eyes seemed to mouth two words:

"Dumb f*ck."

In that next moment, an immeasurable force poured down over the jester, leaving it in ashes.

Eren thought it was finally over. Then, to his shock, the Jester Who Gambles With Life abruptly reappeared on the pivot of the true Scale of Fate. A heartbeat later—

"Ptui!"

"Screw you and your fate!" the clown spat. "Even if I'm only a phantom, I'm no plaything of yours…"

Just as the jester's spittle was about to land on the scale, that crushing power descended once more. It erased both spit and clown alike without a trace, leaving no remnant behind.

…

"Seems like it's finally finished off now."

Watching from a distance, Eren let out a slow breath of relief. Surely the jester was truly dead this time—there was no way it could reappear yet again.

But at that precise moment, a booted foot suddenly materialized behind him and delivered a swift, brutal kick to his backside. The force sent Eren flying forward. Simultaneously, the [Clown] potion coursing through his body reacted as though triggered, instantly completing its digestion.

"Hey, kid—remember this: jesters are the freest spirits in all the realms, unbound by rules or shackles…

Whether it's potion or any other power, never forget: you wield it. Don't let it trick you into being its pawn. 'Acting' is just a tool to help you master that power. Don't ever let yourself become the role you're acting…

Accept this gift. Grow to your heart's content! Maybe one day, you'll break free from—topple—"

Before Eren could fully catch the jester's words, the figure that had appeared behind him in a blink was struck by an overwhelming force from the sky, dissolving it to nothing.

This time, the Jester Who Gambles With Life truly seemed gone; Eren lingered for a good while, but it never reappeared.

Standing there, Eren could sense two distinct changes inside himself: first, the [Clown] potion had been completely absorbed; second, a strange new power had taken root within him.

He remained silent for a long moment. Finally, he turned his gaze to the now-quiet Scale of Fate in the distance, exhaling slowly.

This one Advanced Draw had been quite the roller-coaster ride. Even the Scale of Fate clearly had not foreseen that the jester it summoned would take a shot at it. On the upside, Eren had gained a rare firsthand glimpse of the scale's tremendous might, deepening his understanding of its power.

Although the jester had been obliterated, Eren had still come away with a real benefit. In that last sneak attack, the jester had somehow helped him completely finish digesting the [Clown] potion, while also implanting a special seed of power within him.

It was called the Power of Jester's Folly—extremely elusive and equally extraordinary.

Born of Fate yet shunned by it, this energy could conceal itself from destiny's watchful eye. It could draw nourishment by "toy­ing with fate," gradually increasing its potency.

If grown strong enough, the Power of Jester's Folly could even twist destiny itself and rewrite the fate of all things.

Of course, for now, it was just a fledgling seed of strength—nowhere near capable of altering anyone's destiny. Even so, Eren's eyes flickered with thought as he regarded that lofty, ancient scale. Perhaps this power represented a hidden chance…

…

The jester's appearance—and that final kick that instantly finished digesting Eren's [Clown] potion—had pretty much derailed his original plans. He had intended to do another quick round of draws to see if anything useful might turn up, then slip away to hunt down the Hydra leader who had tried to kill his clown clone.

Now that he had fully digested the [Clown] potion—and could break through at any moment—he naturally decided to shift priorities. Before going after Hydra, it was time to level up.

In the Seer pathway, Sequence Seven [Magician] marked a turning point, where one moved from simple support abilities to remarkable power.

Upon ascending to [Magician], Eren's capabilities would undergo a complete metamorphosis. Armed with an array of mystical and uncanny techniques, dealing with Hydra would be far easier.

…

All the same, Eren chose not to attempt his advancement in the Balance Space. Instead, he retrieved a vial he had drawn long ago: [Magician] potion.

With it in hand, he returned to the real world.

In the vial, shimmering clouds of red, orange, yellow, green—and more—billowed and faded like fireworks. Eyeing the [Magician] potion, Eren flipped his fingers, and a certain coin appeared between them—a coin now imbued with a glimmer of spirituality, one he'd practically cultivated into his personal divination tool.

With a crisp ring, the coin spun into the air. Eren was using divination to check if the advancement would go smoothly.

Clink!

It landed heads, a positive sign.

"Excellent."

Confident, Eren did not down the potion immediately. First, he went and showered, then changed into fresh, comfortable clothes. At last, he picked up the [Magician] potion once more and brought it to his lips.

With one swift motion, he tipped his head back and swallowed the multi-colored liquid in a single gulp.

"Glug."

The cold fluid slid down his throat. Multihued bubbles fizzed and burst along the way, blooming like tiny fireworks as they entered his body.

Almost immediately, blood vessels bulged across Eren's forehead, shimmering strangely with the rainbow hues that pulsed to the rhythm of his heart. The rush of blood in his veins sounded like the crash of water against a rocky shore.

The [Magician] potion was many times more intense than [Clown]. Floods of uncanny knowledge and power, punctuated by unspeakable murmurs, poured into Eren's mind all at once.

The liquid itself broke into countless microscopic particles, endlessly reshaping him on a cellular level and imprinting his being with exotic new abilities.

This time, though, Eren found it easier to handle the dreadful whispers. They affected him far less than the ones he'd faced upon becoming a [Clown].

(End of Chapter)

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]