Chapter 562

[Colorful-faced Clown: A special comedian commonly found in stages, circuses, carnivals, etc., often wearing oversized shoes and extremely contrasting costumes. They usually possess a certain level of juggling skills and entertain the audience by making themselves look clumsy.]

[Wearing Effect: After years of hard research and careful study, your skills as a colorful-faced clown have reached perfection. Not only can you perform great magic tricks, but even your everyday movements exude an amusingly silly charm that makes people laugh uncontrollably.]

[Advanced Path: None]

[Hidden Trait (No need to wear): No one will guard against a lovably foolish idiot. When you perform as a clown, everyone’s vigilance towards you will drastically decrease.]

…

“See? I told you he’s a clown!”

Looking at Leon’s colorful outfit and the big nose that suddenly appeared on his face, Young Prince Andre couldn’t help but burst into excited laughter. He then grabbed Leon’s arm and eagerly pulled him towards the garden stage.

“Hurry! Quickly perform that trick for my mother! If it goes well… Hmm?”

At this point, he seemed to notice something strange and stopped abruptly, looking puzzled.

“Where is your magical little knife? Did you hide it?”

Magic little knife?

Hearing the young prince’s question, Leon, who was checking his new badge, couldn’t help but blink in surprise.

Does he mean the “Silver Knife”? Wasn’t it in my hand just now… Wow! Looking at the bunch of balloons in his hand, Leon’s mind went blank for a moment.

Where’s my knife? It was still in my hand earlier!

“It seems you’ve lost your knife.”

Just then, a cold and distant voice suddenly came from the young prince.

Not sure if he “came back” or never left in the first place, Prince Andre, with a sunny expression, grabbed Leon’s wrist and nodded satisfactorily when Leon looked alert.

“This looks better. A clown should be holding balloons or playing cards, not a knife. What kind of situation is that?”

“…”

Ignoring Prince Andre’s words, Leon immediately communicated with the puppy and three cleaners from the Scorpio Division. Upon receiving no response from any of them, his eyes narrowed involuntarily.

“All my anomalous items are useless?”

“Of course.”

Prince Andre continued pulling Leon toward the stage while calmly countering, “You’re just a clown from the circus whose job is to amuse people. Why would you have anomalous items?”

“…”

“Remember, you’re now a clown invited by my father, and that’s your sole identity. Any power or item not belonging to a clown won’t appear on you. You’d better not act against your identity.”

“What if I do?”

“Then you won’t exist anymore.”

Facing Leon’s inquiry, Young Prince Andre said without turning his head:

“Just like how the world of death can’t have real living people, and the dead can’t stay long in the world of the living. According to the new rules I’ve drawn, in this world under my control, you can only be a clown performing tricks.

If you really act against the rules, you’ll be rejected by the whole world like a living person mistakenly entering the world of death. The rejection will deepen each time you violate the rules until the world’s will completely erases you, turning you into a stain on the painting.”

Is there a fragment of a dead world in this painting?!

After hearing Prince Andre’s reply, Leon couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

That’s why the “Silver Knife” could cut through this painting but couldn’t maintain the ‘cut’. If everything Prince Andre said is true, then this painting is equivalent to a world shrunk countless times.

And the threshold for the “Silver Knife” to cut through a world and travel freely is the True God-level 60 Taint Value points. Being short by one point, I can only briefly break through this world but can’t truly escape from it…

What should I do…?

“I told you, after refusing me, you will regret it.”

Glancing at Leon’s expression, Prince Andre said coldly, “First, this painting is for myself. You’re neither my family nor my friend. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want you here.

Second, the reason I’m warning you not to mess around is because I don’t want you to be rejected by the world, turn into a dirty ink spot, and ruin my painting.”

“…”

“Lastly, your indestructibility merely means immunity to harm. However, this rejection from the world’s will doesn’t involve life or death but rather a more thorough ‘erasure’.

If you feel dissatisfied and think you can endure it relying on your indestructibility, go ahead. But I’ll let the soldiers take you far away beforehand so that the stain won’t remain in this garden where the banquet is being held.”

“Ah, I see…”

After carefully listening to Andre’s warning, Leon remained silent for a while, then quietly switched to the “Profanity” badge and gently asked, “Your Highness, isn’t that fragment of the dead world the thing you obtained from the Execution King Assembly by sacrificing your entire family and ensuring the Crocodile Royal Family’s bloodline would be severed?”

“…”

Faced with this inherently defensive-breaking and malicious question, despite Prince Andre’s excellent patience cultivation, his body still trembled involuntarily. His chubby hands clenched tightly, gripping Leon’s arm forcefully.

“Your Highness, you’re hurting me.”

Gently patting the young prince’s hand from behind, Leon asked kindly,

“Did my words hit a nerve, causing you to resort to such childish behavior, trying to vent your anger over killing your own parents by scratching a poor clown’s skin?”

“…”

“It’s alright, I forgive you.”

Patting the stiff back of the young prince gently, Leon said sympathetically,

“Although you’ve been an adult for a long time, in my heart, you’re still someone unable to face their mistakes, creating a false world to comfort yourself. How could I blame you? Your Highness, your life has been nothing but a meaningless comedy from start to finish. I’m just a clown painted by you, dressed up as one. As for you… you’ve successfully shown me what a true clown is.”