Reincarnated Jester: Taming Players

The universe was vast and infinite, yet cats existed only on Earth. At least, that's what Jung believed—until he spotted a black kitten darting through the forest.

Cats were his favourite animals, he might even say they were the only creatures he genuinely liked.

Humans were peculiar. Most were obnoxious, with ugly souls and faces.

The same couldn't be said about cats. Foremost, they were cute, squishy, and funny. Acting like they owned the place was hilarious, but they caused no harm.

The cat in question appeared calm. It was watching Jung with curiosity, not fear, not alarm, but with interest. Those feelings were mutual.

As he got closer to the cat, the animal did the same. 'It's coming towards me.' He was about to pat the cat when he felt the monster's approach. 'Damn it, I am so close.' Hatred rose inside him.

No one should dare disturb his time with the cat. "Wait for me." Jung looked at the kitten and said in the softest voice he could summon. The fluffy animal examined him like it understood every word Jung tried to convey.

It even mewed for him. Cheering and saying it would wait for his return.

"My heart!" Jung roared in his weakness. "I must return victorious!" He made a promise and dashed again. This time, he'd bring back the heads of those who stood against him. There was no mercy for those who dared and tarnished his joyful occasion.

"This is a generational sin that I will not forget, I will not forgive. I, Balatro of Maskera, silliest of them all, shall vanquish all evil from this world." Maybe it was too much, even for him, but Jung didn't care.

Acting in distinct characters was part of his expertise. Besides that, he was serious about killing these freaks. Two were ogres, like the one he killed before but much stronger. The third was an oddity, something he had never seen before.

It was a beast with white feathers and 3 wings. Moving with 3 short legs and one small head, it appeared more intriguing than dangerous. It was spooky, but not in a scary way. Not to mention, it held tier IV.

Jung had his axe prepared more than ever. Materialising this weapon was hard for him in his first years, but after some trials and errors, his control over persona energy got better.

He dodged one fist after another, evading the force that could easily crush his bones.

Jung was an expert at blocking attacks with minimal power usage. Seeing all the right spots to aim and intercept the upcoming danger, he scrambled and twisted his axe non-stop.

He shed blood and sweat simultaneously, annihilating ogres with only one bruise, and it was his elbow that got grazed with bearable pain.

Announcing his kills, the system sent him a notification, but he didn't care.

The white beast stood motionless. Not interested in this fight until Jung was done playing around. 'This little tough guy is acting like a real shit.' He thought and collected air for his lungs.

After around 10 seconds, he bolted again. Meanwhile, the animal shrieked, announcing its willingness for battle. It was a deafening, loud noise, scattering birds from the trees in a panicked flurry.

'Now that's new.' Jung didn't slow his advance. Jumping from one place to another, he arrived before the beast, raised his hand to the sky, summoned all the force he could, and swung his chopper.

The air was sliced cleanly. A splitting sound was heard. But before the strike could land, the creature swept its wing. This one action called the wind, which felt like a force of nature, that was angry at Jung.

The wind was strong and chaotic, changing Jung's trajectory, which made him miss his mark. "It won't be an easy task." The boy could tell that the monster he was against was something formidable.

Possibly the strongest creature he had fought to this day. Baki, his father, stood as the sole exception.

Jung missed the target but hit the ground. He added every ounce of force into the attack, making it impossible to halt. This rough contact brought another pain to his elbow. A persistent ache that grew as the fight went on.

'I shall not bleed, but I shall break.' He was sarcastic, but the pain was real. His healing ability barely worked on this kind of injury. Thankfully, he knew how to fight while enduring the strain.

He may have been a lousy king once, but the hardships he faced were still with him. "I am fighting against Thanksgiving dinner, and it's not even funny," Jung said and examined the odd bird.

The animal was flapping its wings and skimming at him. It would attack anytime soon, and Jung waited for the action. "Come at me yourself." Raising his hand, he goaded the creature with mockery.

The turkey—as Jung liked to call it—moved. Similarly, the boy reached as well. Two opposing sides clashed to find the ultimate winner. This was a battle royal, with only one champion.

'Damn, I am getting my butt kicked.' Jung said after two seconds. Let alone winning, just surviving, this would be a challenge.

The turkey was stronger than your average Tier IV monster. Fighting against it felt like opposing nature's balance. As if he tried to defy the world itself.

'Guess today is not the day.' He thought and said before retreating. "Okay, you won, and I am running away like a bitch. Happy now? I admit, I got cooked, but next time you will be my dinner." As he turned to run, a familiar presence made him waver.

"No, no, don't tell me." Jung cried out, his eyes locked on the cat as it prepared to pounce on the bird. "Pussy Cat, stoop!" His shouting was ignored. With a sudden jump, the black cat smacked the white turkey.

It was a sight to behold. The bird flung a few meters and crashed into the tree, all light departing its eyes.

"Pussy Cat!" Jung's voice was soaring and eager. "You are one mighty son of a bitch."