I Can Copy Curses

Orion added, "But if that's all you've got, you're going down."

As he said this, he held his sword in one hand, surprising everyone around him—he was still able to handle the heavy-built guy's strength so easily.

"You!" The heavy-built guy himself was shocked, but what he saw next stunned him to the core. Orion used his free hand to create a swirling ball of condensed wind around his palm.

"You can feel it, right?" Orion smiled at the heavy-built guy. "This thing in my hand contains wild wind energy compressed together. If I release it, what do you think will happen?"

"No—" The heavy-built guy tried to retreat, but Orion was faster. He immediately slammed the swirling ball of condensed wind straight into the guy's stomach.

Bang!

The heavy-built guy was blown away once again, but unlike before, he disappeared midway as he was blasted away.

He was eliminated.

Orion then turned his attention to the other three. "Now, it's your turn," he said, but just then, he noticed pink-colored petals falling all around him. Before he could react, the petals exploded in bright pink light.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several explosions occurred in rapid succession where Orion had been standing, enveloping the area in bursts of blinding pink light. The bored-looking guy and the winged lady, who had just climbed out of the pit, watched the spectacle unfold, their faces illuminated by the dazzling display. It was like a firework show, but the danger was all too real.

Moments later, the explosions ceased, leaving thick, pink smoke billowing across the battlefield, obscuring everything in a haze of glowing mist. The air crackled with residual energy, the area eerily silent as everyone waited for what would come next.

"You're good." A voice sounded from within the smoke, startling the other three. "Attacking me while I was busy with the big guy. Very good."

The pink rose-haired lady's eyes widened in disbelief as Orion's voice cut through the silence. Despair washed over her; she was certain her petals had struck him, yet here he stood, unharmed. It made no sense—how could he survive such a barrage?

A calm wind blew, sweeping away the lingering pink smoke. As the haze cleared, Orion's figure emerged. His clothes were singed, with a few burn marks visible across his body, but other than that, he appeared almost untouched.

The realization hit them hard.

The pink rose-haired lady's heart sank, the winged lady's wings fluttered in hesitation, and the bored looking guy grimaced, but even he felt a wave of unease. They had all seen Orion tank those explosions head-on, and yet he stood there as if the attacks had been mere nuisances.

The bored-looking guy, already sensing the danger, began to back away, his usual lazy demeanor replaced by caution. He had seen enough—Orion was not someone they could take lightly.

"I'll leave. Just don't—" Before he could finish, Orion appeared in front of him, holding a spiraling ball of wind in one hand.

"Then go away." Orion slammed the ball into his gut, while his other hand gripped his neck.

Bang!

"No!" The bored-looking guy screamed as the attack hit him point-blank. His clothes and skin were instantly destroyed, and then he disappeared.

Orion turned his attention to the pink rose-haired lady, who was now panicking and retreating like the bored-looking guy had.

Find more to read at empire

"Go home."

He swiped his hand toward her, releasing a wind blade that cut through her, causing her to vanish. If she hadn't panicked, she might have blocked the attack—but alas, she had given up upon seeing Orion's strength.

"Just kill me," the last girl, the one with wings, sighed, giving up.

Orion nodded and stabbed her with his sword, and she too disappeared.

Just then, a notification appeared in front of him.

[Conditions met. Transporting Ray Wiser to the Trial of Mind Realm.]

Orion suddenly found himself standing in a strange place. Everything around him was surrounded by clouds—white and blue clouds—and he seemed to be floating in the air.

"We meet again."

A voice echoed, and a young man appeared before Orion. This was the same man who had helped him during the Trial of Heart.

"You?" Orion was surprised to see him but didn't dwell on it. "What's the test this time?" he asked.

The young man smiled and said, "The mind is a crucial part of a human, and once it's affected by the things around you, it begins to corrupt. This corruption is something our brain only comprehends when it starts affecting us."

He pointed in a certain direction and asked, "Do you see something?"

Orion looked where the young man indicated and narrowed his eyes. He saw ghost-like figures floating in the air—hundreds, maybe thousands of them—searching for something as they drifted about.

"Those are negative emotions—intense negativity. Everything negative in this world is in those ghosts," the young man explained. "There's only one test in the Trial of Mind: to survive the onslaught of these negative emotions."

"Just survive?" Orion nodded, calming himself.

At that moment, the young man added, "Also, you can't use any powers here. You have to mentally repel all these negative emotions on your own."

Orion nodded, thinking this trial should be easy for him. He had tempered his mind constantly with negative thoughts from his Curse Transformation mode and had gotten used to the flood of negative emotions.

"You have one minute before those ghosts find you," the young man said before disappearing from Orion's sight.

Orion took a breath, calming himself completely, and closed his eyes.

Time passed, and the minute ticked away.

But Orion didn't open his eyes. He kept them closed.

---

Also, I was hoping you could leave some comments or reviews to let me know your thoughts!

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