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Max Harrows was just your average gamer. He spent his days locked in a battle against demons, orcs, and any other creature the game designers could throw at him. Today, however, was different.
He was deep into a boss fight in Eternal Wars: Demon's Domain, and everything was going perfectly. His fingers flew over the keyboard like a seasoned pro, and the massive, hulking boss was almost done for. He could taste victory.
But then... the screen froze.
"Are you kidding me?" Max shouted, furiously clicking the mouse. His character, mere seconds away from landing the killing blow, was now frozen mid-swing.
A message popped up: Connection Lost.
Max sat back, staring at the screen, trying to comprehend what just happened. His internet was fine. He'd checked just before the fight.
He clicked the mouse one more time, hoping the game would magically unfreeze.
Nothing.
His temper flared. I've had it. He grabbed his soda can and, without thinking, hurled it at the screen.
But as the can flew through the air, something bizarre happened. A sharp, electric jolt ran through his body. The world around him seemed to twist and blur. Max's last thought was This is probably gonna hurt—before everything went dark.
When Max finally woke up, it wasn't in his comfy gaming chair anymore.
He was on a cold, hard floor in the middle of a giant, fancy room. Tall golden columns lined the walls, and red velvet curtains hung like something out of a medieval fairytale. Max looked down. He was wearing something... ridiculous.
A jester's costume.
"What the hell?" Max muttered, running a hand through his messy hair, only to find it was covered by a massive jester's hat. There were bells on it. Bells. On his head. And a giant, painted smiley face mask glued to his face.
He jumped up. "Where the hell am I?" His voice echoed off the walls, and the sound was oddly... cheerful. Not at all what he expected from a moment of panic.
"Ah, you've arrived!" came a booming voice from the front of the room.
Max spun around to see a king sitting on a giant throne. This wasn't a normal throne, though. It was bedazzled with more shiny stones than a middle schooler's glitter project. The king himself was decked out in a ridiculous outfit—bright colors, feathers, and a crown that was way too big for his head. He looked... like he just stepped out of a circus.
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Max's jaw dropped. "What... What's going on here?"
The king grinned—way too much. "Ah, yes! You're here, my royal jester! Welcome to the kingdom of Giggloria!"
Max blinked. "Royal jester? Are you serious?"
The king clapped his hands and laughed. "Oh, yes! You've been chosen to entertain the court and bring joy to our land!"
Max was speechless. "I... what? I was just playing a game. How the hell did I get here?"
The king leaned forward with excitement, practically bouncing in his seat. "Magic! You were chosen! You must have the gift—the gift of laughter!" He spread his arms wide as if he were unveiling some great treasure. "A jester's magic, you see, is a very special thing. It only works when you make people laugh. The more they laugh, the stronger your magic becomes!"
Max stared at him, completely lost. "Wait, magic? What kind of magic?"
The king's grin widened. "Funny magic, of course!" He was practically vibrating with excitement. "Tell a joke, make the court laugh, and boom! You'll feel the power surge through you!"
Max raised an eyebrow. "Are you for real? Is this a joke?"
The king waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, no, no. No joke here! Now, come on! Make us laugh! Show us what you can do!"
Max glanced around at the people in the room. They were all staring at him, eagerly waiting, like this was some sort of reality show.
"Uhhh..." Max scratched his head, trying to think of something funny. He had no idea what kind of magic this was, but he wasn't going to just stand there and look like a fool.
Then, in the strangest twist of fate, an idea popped into his head. He cleared his throat dramatically and said, "Knock, knock!"
The room fell silent. One person in the back awkwardly called out, "Who's there?"
Max grinned. "Lettuce."
There was a pause. A few people exchanged confused glances.
"Lettuce who?" someone asked.
Max leaned in closer and said with a big smile, "Lettuce in, it's freezing out here!"
For a second, no one moved.
Then, the entire room erupted into laughter. The sound was deafening. It was as if the air itself was shaking with joy. Max stood there, blinking in shock as the laughter echoed off the walls.
"See?" the king laughed. "You've got the magic!"
Max felt a strange warmth surge through him, almost like the entire room was charging him up with some kind of energy. He didn't know how it worked, but he could feel it. It was like a wave of power, but all it took was telling a dumb joke.
Before he could even process what had just happened, the king stood up and clapped his hands again.
"Excellent! You're perfect! Now, I have a task for you, my jester," the king said, a twinkle in his eye. "There's a land far to the east, a place where laughter is forbidden. I need you to go there, bring joy, and restore their laughter. Only then will you truly prove yourself as the Royal Jester!"
Max blinked again, unable to keep up with the whirlwind of insanity that was his life right now. "Wait, wait—hold on a second. Did you say... forbidden laughter? What do you mean?"
But before he could say anything else, the king raised his hand dramatically, and the floor beneath Max seemed to vanish. He felt his stomach drop as the world spun around him.
In a heartbeat, everything went black again.
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