After hearing the details of Jester’s Law, Michael was almost certain Jester was shifting away from being solely a mind-controlling creature toward something fate-based.

He didn’t know how that would play out in the future, but he had his expectations. After all, the Law of Heavenly Revelation sounded genuinely impressive. Based on Jester’s choice of words, it was clear he was satisfied with it too.

Still, Michael couldn’t help feeling curious about how the Law could actually be applied. It was fate-related, after all. The mystery surrounding it stirred something deep in him.

"Why don’t we try using your Law a bit to better understand it."

As Jester’s master, this was his right and responsibility. Only Michael knew this was really just his curiosity pushing through.

Jester did not hesitate. "As Master wishes."

There was no resistance in his tone. Though the knowledge of his Law existed within him, it was still just knowledge. Even if Michael had not suggested it, Jester would have tested it in private eventually. Practical experience was necessary.

The faint golden runes etched across Jester’s surface began to glow slightly brighter.

"My Law requires a reference point," Jester began. "A target, to be precise. Fate cannot be observed in isolation. It must be anchored to something."

Michael nodded slightly. "That makes sense."

"To allow Master to better understand, I request permission to connect to your senses."

Michael didn’t hesitate. "Do it."

The moment he agreed, a subtle shift occurred. It felt less like something new and more like an additional layer had been placed over his existing perception. His vision remained the same, but something else overlapped it.

The sensation reminded Michael of a skill he hadn’t used in some time, the one that allowed him to share senses with his undead. As that brief nostalgia passed, the world around him expanded through Jester’s perspective.

Michael’s senses stretched outward rapidly, far beyond his usual range. Streets, buildings, distant figures, movement across the entire city, everything within eighty thousand metres became perceivable at once.

"...Interesting," Michael muttered.

Within that vast field of perception, countless targets appeared. Ordinary people. Awakeners. Some loose creatures still roaming the aftermath. Though dawn had barely begun to approach, there was movement everywhere.

Jester’s voice followed calmly. "We will select a simple target."

Michael didn’t object.

Within that massive field, Jester filtered through countless presences with a precision that bordered on unsettling before finally settling on one.

"They will suffice."

Michael’s perception shifted focus. Under a building some distance away, two ordinary Supers Association staff members stood in partial cover, speaking quietly to each other. Their voices were low, tired, and rough from exhaustion, but through Jester’s senses Michael heard them with unnatural clarity, as though he were standing only a few steps away rather than tens of thousands of metres distant.

"...I really thought I was going to die back there," one of them said, letting out a shaky breath. He was leaning against the wall, one hand pressed to his side. "When those things came out of the cracks, I honestly thought that was it."

The other gave a bitter laugh. "You weren’t the only one."

He lowered himself onto a broken slab of concrete and rubbed his face hard, as if trying to push away the lingering fear. "Fortunately those strong individuals appeared. If not for them, Brightgate would’ve been finished. Us too."

The other fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "When I graduated from the cultivation academy and chose to work for the Supers Association instead of going to the front line with the Federation soldiers..." He let out a dry breath. "Almost dying in my own city wasn’t exactly part of the plan."

The first one gave a weak snort. "That’s because you were naive."

"Maybe."

"In the end, the world was never truly safe." His tone turned quieter. "Whether you hide in a city, join the Association, or go to the front line, danger is danger. The only real protection anyone has is their own strength."

The other man didn’t argue. After a moment he nodded faintly. "At least we’re still better off than ordinary people. They couldn’t even defend themselves."

Michael listened from the living room, his expression turning slightly odd.

The clarity of it all surprised him. Not the words themselves, but everything surrounding the people saying them. Their breathing. The rhythm of their heartbeats. The slight tremble of lingering fear still present in their voices. Even the scrape of cloth when one of them adjusted his sleeve reached him with perfect precision.

It was absurd.

This wasn’t merely enhanced hearing. It was closer to direct interception of everything happening around a target, regardless of distance. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Michael couldn’t help feeling impressed. Even if Jester’s current use of his Law couldn’t yet produce anything spectacular in direct application, this alone was already deeply unsettling for information gathering. As long as Jester’s senses could reach someone, very little would remain truly private.

At the same time, Michael’s mouth twitched faintly. "...Why does this make me feel like a gossiper?"

Jester’s calm voice answered immediately. "Because Master is listening to a private conversation."

Michael was silent for a second. Then he admitted, "...Fair enough."

He let the silence sit briefly before asking the more important question. "Will this affect them?"

Jester understood immediately. "No, Master. As long as I do not interfere with their fate directly, they will not be affected in any way. They will not notice my observation, nor detect anything abnormal."

"Not at all?"

"At my current stage," Jester answered, "one would likely need to be at least a rank above me to sense my gaze with any reliability. If the target is ordinary, it becomes even harder. Their senses would be too dull to perceive something like this unless I made direct contact. This is based on what I absorbed from the old man’s memories. I would only need to be cautious of those within that rank."

That made Michael even more impressed.

At the same time, the mention of interfering with fate brought something else to the surface of his mind. Jester’s new skill. The fate-related one.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​