The Laughing Man’s Decision

???? POINT OF VIEW

The man grinned

.

A sly, knowing smile, as if the universe had just shared its best-kept secret. His white hair hung in loose waves, streaked with silver, and his beard framed a face marked by age and mischief. His bright eyes held a spark—sharp, always a step ahead—like he was already enjoying the punchline to a joke only he understood.

He stood tall, lean yet strong, his long limbs moving with an easy grace. His battle-worn armor clung to a body built from experience—compact muscle, every movement purposeful, more about precision than brute strength.

This was the man who had sent Wes into the void for rebirth.

And now, he had just felt it—the ripple through the void, a whisper of something ancient brushing against his mind, delivering news on Wes's progress.

The kid was blowing his expectations.

He chuckled, a sound like dry leaves rustling—soft but somehow reaching every corner of the vast nothingness around him.

He had seen the void-eyed bastards break the rules before. They often did.

But they had been instructed by the ancient guardian to let it go—ancient agreements were in play, threads woven long before his time.

Then they did it again.

Going after Wes was just one example.

But that was when he had understood why they were told to let things slide…

The seer bastard chick had fallen to her void crystal corruption. The one whose void-touched eyes could see future possibilities had rebounded. Using her ability to send killers after future threats was breaking the rules, and the cost had been steep.

Her eyes had exploded right out of their sockets, leaving her stumbling through the dark, literally and metaphorically. The membrane that surrounded their universe had finally lashed out.

The man couldn't help himself. He laughed, loud and long, the kind of laugh that left his chest aching.

The idea of her, once all-seeing, now blind—no more peering into the future, no more easy wins.

He laughed so hard he had to wipe away a tear.

That was why the ancient entity had instructed them to do nothing…

The void-eyed bastards thought they were immune to tribulations, but they weren't since their human host bodies were still part of this universe.

"Foreign bastard," the man thought with a snort.

His grin widened.

And because the void-eyed bastards broke the rules, the membrane would allow them to choose their champions for rebirth, most of whom were a rank A or above.

He laughed again, a full-bodied laugh that echoed through the empty expanse.

The void-eyeds had been winning for so long, using seer to dance circles around everyone else. Seeing the future had its real advantages.

But now?

Now, the void-eyed bastards couldn't do a damn thing about them sending their own champions to the final war.

The universe membrane was allowing them to breaks rules with no consequence because of all the negative karma the void eyed bastards had built up killing future threats.

He laughed again, louder this time, enjoying the thought of finally doing something the void eyed bastard couldn't see coming.

Most chosen champions for rebirth didn't make it though, traversing the void for rebirth was hard…

Almost seventy-five percent were lost to the void, slipping away into nothingness.

It has hard to keep yourself…

But Wes?

The kid was floating around like he was waiting for his name to be called at the dentist's office.

The man's laughter broke free, a rich sound that rippled through the stillness.

"She's not going to like this."

He could already picture it—the flush of her halting cheeks, the sharpness of her words. She had been so against Wes. Convinced the boy was a mistake, a waste of potential.

She had lost the bet and she had promised to use her ideal on Wes if he survived.

And now?

He laughed again, a laugh that seemed to shake the very fabric of the void.

But then, his laughter softened.

His own life was nearly over. His cultivation had hit a wall—too much karma piled up, blocking his path.

The halfling had wanted him to use the void seed to be reborn, he had promised she could choose the next champion…

"Cultivation favors the brave," he murmured, then snorted. "And occasionally, the stupid."

He grinned wider, a warm, genuine smile as he thought about it.

He'd mostly been the latter.

And then he started laughing again—joyful, raw—and tears began to fall, heavy and unrestrained.

He had failed his homeworld.

The last time he had cried was then.

Since then, he had only laughed, because life was a joke.

Lost everything, even his ideal, but cultivators never came back from that…

Yet, he had.

He had walked the road of cultivation again and forged a new ideal.

"Alright, kid. I'm betting on you. Again."

If things played out just right…

He was going to break his promise to the halfling. He wouldn't be using the seed to be reborn…. He was sure she'd find someone good to give it too…

But hopefully, she'd keep her promise and use her ideal on Wes…

He quickly wrote a note for her just in case she got mad… well she was probably going to be mad but hopefully she'd still use her ideal on Wes…

Instead of being reborn, he would attach himself to someone being reborn and guide them.

It was a very long shot.

He'd probably die and fail. His friends would call him nuts—well, they already did that—but this? This would put him on the top of the "Certified Lunatic" leaderboard. If they found out what he was doing, they'd roast him for eternity.

Good thing he'd be dead.

He laughed, a deep, belly-aching chuckle that echoed through the void. "Joke's on them—I'll be too dead to care!" He thought inwardly.

His grin stretched wide, a hint of mischief sparking in his eyes.

Wes, though… The kid had a glow about him. Good vibes.

The ancient presence touched his mind again—a gentle nudge, a reminder.

It was time.

It would allow Wes a guide.

And he had volunteered.

The man couldn't wait to see Wes again. He was pretty sure he'd made a good impression, and Wes probably missed him as well.

If this worked—if Wes truly was the one—

Maybe the man would get a second chance.

A fresh start.

Then he felt it.

A shift.

The void around him seemed to deepen, a ripple of awareness brushing against his skin.

The void itself stirred—not just emptiness, but something more. Something ancient and alive, woven into the very fabric of existence, sending tendrils into his soul.

His soul began to unravel, threads of light and shadow pulling free from his body.

A gentle tug—

And he saw it.

A great limb, stretching through the void, its bark dark and ancient, its surface shimmering with constellations.

It reached out, slow and deliberate, pulling him in.

God, it was always beautiful.

The sentient being, guardian of the universe…

He grinned.

"Let's see how this plays out."

His voice was light, more to himself than anyone else.

As his soul began to fade, his laughter lingered—soft, a whisper on a breeze that wasn't there.

His last laugh with this corpse.

As the man's soul traveled through the void, pulled along by threads of destiny, he only smiled wider.

Because this story?

It was just getting started