Chapter 965: 563 The Final Whisper

【You have acquired an extremely refined circus skill, so refined that you were invited by a royal court to perform, thus successfully activating the hidden Iron-Level Zhiyehuizhang : "Painted Clown"】

【Painted Clown: A special comedic performer commonly seen on stages, in circuses, and at carnivals, typically wearing oversized shoes and wildly colorful, eccentric costumes, usually skilled in juggling, and entertaining audiences by making themselves look foolish】

【Wearing Effect: After years of hard study and meticulous refinement, your performance as a Painted Clown has reached perfection—you not only master dazzling tricks, but even your everyday movements carry an endearing foolishness and an irresistible, clownish charm】

【Advanced Path: None】

【Hidden Trait (No Need to Wear): No one suspects a lovable fool—when you perform as a clown, everyone’s vigilance toward you plummets dramatically】

……

“See? I told you he’s a clown!”

Watching Leon’s garish outfit and the sudden appearance of a giant nose on his face, the young Prince Andre burst into laughter, then grabbed Leon’s arm and tugged impatiently toward the garden terrace.

“Hurry, hurry! Show my mother that trick you just did! If you perform well… Huh?”

As he spoke, he seemed to notice something strange, and the young prince paused, his eyes filled with confusion.

“Where’s your magical knife? Did you hide it?”

Magical knife?

Hearing the young prince’s question, Leon, who had been examining his new badge, blinked in surprise.

Did he mean the 【Silver Cutting Dagger】? But wasn’t it just in my hand… Holy shit!

Looking at the large handful of balloons now clutched in his own hand, Leon’s mind went blank.

Where’s my knife? I was holding it just a moment ago!

“Looks like your knife is gone.”

At that moment, a cold, distant voice suddenly emerged from the young prince’s mouth.

Whether he had “returned” again or had never truly left, the cheerful-faced Prince Andre gripped Leon’s wrist and nodded with satisfaction, despite Leon’s wary expression:

“That’s better. A clown’s hands should hold balloons, playing cards—things like that. What’s with carrying a knife?”

“...”

Ignoring Andre’s words, Leon immediately contacted Little Haha and three Scorpio Division cleaners—finding no response from any of them—and his eyes narrowed.

“None of my anomalies work anymore?”

“Of course not.”

As he continued pulling Leon toward the terrace, Prince Andre asked calmly:

“You’re just a Painted Clown in a circus now. Why would you have anomalies?”

“...”

“Remember: you are now the clown my father invited. That is your only identity. Any power or object not belonging to a clown will not appear on you—and you’d better not act against your role.”

“What if I do?”

“Then you won’t exist anymore.”

Facing Leon’s question, the young Prince Andre did not turn back:

“The canvas you now stand on contains a fragment of a dead material world. The scene I’ve painted with my brush is the rule of this world.

Just as the Dead Realm cannot contain true living beings, and the dead cannot linger long in the living world, according to the new rules I just painted, you in this world I control can only be a performing clown.

If you truly act against these rules, you will be rejected by the world, just as a living being who strays into the Dead Realm is—each violation deepens the rejection until the world’s will erases you completely, turning you into a smudge on the painting.”

This painting… contains a fragment of a dead world?!

After hearing Prince Andre’s answer, Leon sighed inwardly.

No wonder the 【Silver Cutting Dagger】 could cut through this painting but couldn’t maintain the cut—if Andre was telling the truth, this painting was essentially a world shrunk countless times.

The threshold for the 【Silver Cutting Dagger】 to cut open a world and move freely is 60 points of Corruption—my 59 points could only briefly pierce this world, but I could never truly escape from within…

What do I do now?

……

“I told you, after you refuse me, you’ll regret it.”

Glancing back at Leon’s expression, Prince Andre said coldly:

“First, this painting was drawn for myself. You’re neither my family nor my friend—if I had a choice, I wouldn’t want you here at all.

Second, I warned you not to act recklessly because I don’t want you to cause chaos, get rejected by the world, and become a dirty ink blot that stains my painting.”

“...”

“Lastly, your immortality only protects you from harm—but this rejection from the world’s will isn’t about life or death. It’s a complete ‘erasure.’

If you’re unwilling and don’t want to be my clown, and think you can resist with your immortality, go ahead. But I’ll have the guards move you far away beforehand, so your smudge doesn’t ruin this garden where the banquet is held.

“I see…”

After listening carefully to Andre’s warning, watching the young prince’s bouncing back, Leon fell silent for a moment, then quietly switched to the 【Profanity】 badge and asked gently:

“Prince Andre, that fragment of the dead world—is it the thing you obtained from the King-Slaying Society by sacrificing your entire family to ensure the Kolok royal bloodline’s extinction?”

“...”

Facing this brutally piercing question, even with his excellent self-control, Prince Andre shuddered violently. His still slightly chubby hand clenched tightly, digging his nails into Leon’s arm.

“Your Highness, you’re hurting me.”

After gently patting the young prince’s hand, Leon asked kindly:

“Did my words strike a nerve? Are you using this childish act—trying to tear the skin of a poor clown—to vent your rage over killing your own parents?”

“...”

“It’s fine. I forgive you.”

After patting the young prince’s stiff back, Leon said softly, eyes filled with pity:

“Though you’ve long been an adult, in my heart you’re still a pitiful giant baby who can’t face your own mistakes, hiding in a false world to masturbate your soul. How could I blame you?

Prince Andre, your entire life has been a meaningless farce. I, this clown you painted, merely wore a clown’s costume. But you—you’ve shown me, through your own life, what a true clown really is.”