I Can Copy Curses

Whoever that old man was, he definitely knew many things.

Orion was sure of his conjecture. The old man was far too mysterious, and half of what he said went directly over Orion's head. Orion also had the sense that the old man was deliberately avoiding his questions.

'I have to find him.'

Orion clenched his fists in determination. He added another goal to his list. Now, there was one more reason for him to venture into the domain of the Archons. He believed if there was any place where he might locate the old man, it would be there.

That place remained a mystery to him, but he was certain it held many secrets. Now, everything seemed to be pushing him to enter the domain of the Archons.

'I'll come after the assessment. Just wait for me.'

Orion calmed himself further, taking a deep breath and letting it out.

'Let's see what I've got.'

He then checked the notification and was surprised to find he had passed, considering what he had gone through.

'The test must have been manipulated by that old man.'

As he thought about this, his expression grew serious. The ability to alter reality at will was the ultimate power, and that man had casually interfered with the assessment, toyed with him, and left.

This was enough to tell Orion that whoever the old man was, his strength far surpassed his own.

"Let's finish this trial of heart first."

With that thought, Orion began walking into the mist and disappeared from sight.

Moments later, he appeared on a street. It was a street very familiar to him, as it was the same one he had been seeing for almost three months. This street was located just across from Orion's house on Planet Nio, in Masturi City.

"Yo, Ray, I'm your opponent." A young man appeared in front of him and called out lightly.

Orion nodded. "Alright, so I just have to defeat you to pass this test?" he asked.

"It's not that simple." The young man smirked before flicking his fingers.

Bang!

Orion was blasted sideways, his body hurtling through the air before crashing into the side of a building. The structure gave way under the force of the impact, collapsing in on itself as Orion's body tore through it, leaving a trail of destruction.

Dust and debris filled the air, the crumbled remains of the building settling around him as he finally came to a stop amidst the wreckage. His body lay still for a moment, surrounded by the ruined stone and shattered beams, before he began to stir.

"What just happened?"

Orion felt as if this trial of heart was one big dream, as everything happening seemed impossible to him.

'It's been a while since I've been hit this hard.'

Floating out of the wreckage of the building he had crashed into, Orion felt pain all over his body. He quickly activated the Curse of Sacrificial Renewal, and the pain disappeared.

"Oh, you're a tough one." The young man appeared again, floating in the air just like Orion.

Orion looked at him with a frown. "What is this test? And what do I need to do to win?" Considering the young man's strength, Orion believed that even if he used his full power, he might still lose.

The last time the young man flicked his fingers, Orion had paid close attention, yet he hadn't seen anything before being tossed aside like an insect.

This led Orion to believe that the young man wasn't a participant but an NPC—that was the only thing that came to mind.

The young man spread his arms wide. "That's for you to figure out. If I told you everything, it wouldn't be much of a test, would it?"

With those words, he snapped his fingers again.

Bang!

Orion was once more thrown into the building he had just crashed into, this time passing through it and crashing into another one, demolishing both.

"Hey, will you stop for a bit?"

Orion asked, emerging from the debris. His clothes were torn, his skin was bleeding in places, and his hair was disheveled.

"Ah, you're fine again!" The young man frowned. "Such a strong body can only be achieved if you've maxed out your constitution stat, yet you have a talent that enhances your speed."

Orion grew cautious, seeing that the NPC was becoming suspicious of his unusually strong body, but he kept his expression neutral. "What can I say? I've got speed, so I needed a body that could take a beating." He shrugged.

The young man chuckled. "And it's certainly taking a lot of beating. Let's see how long you can last, though."

He snapped his fingers once more.

"No!!"

Orion's shout echoed throughout the empty city, reverberating off the silent streets and abandoned structures as his body hurtled through the air. Discover stories at empire

He crashed through one building, then another, the force sending debris flying in all directions. Each impact rattled his bones, and dust filled the air, but he couldn't stop the momentum until, at last, he came to a halt in the wreckage of a crumbling structure. The city remained eerily still, the only sound his ragged breathing as he lay amidst the rubble.

"That would've hurt."

Orion lay on the debris, reflecting on the situation. He realized that his body was incredibly durable. Being beaten like this was rare for him, so he didn't often get to test the limits of his resilience. But now he felt it—his body was incredibly strong.

Despite crashing through multiple buildings, the damage was minimal—mere scratches on his skin. No broken bones, no internal injuries. The pain that did shoot through him was muted by the Curse of Sacrificial Renewal, leaving him largely unscathed.

He flexed his fingers and moved his limbs, reassured by the lack of serious injury. His body was far stronger than he'd given it credit for. This durability... this strength. It was a reminder of how far he had come.

"Interesting, your body is insanely durable. To survive such powerful crashes with only scratches... You're very strong, Ray Wiser." The young man appeared in front of him, examining him closely.

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Some gifts would be appreciated as well, but up to you....