I Can Copy Curses

As the ghosts noticed Orion, they charged toward him like ravenous beasts starved of sustenance. Their sheer numbers were staggering—a mass of dark, twisted shapes converging on him with relentless fury. If Orion had his eyes open, he would have been shocked by the overwhelming swarm in front of him, but he was immersed in another struggle altogether.

The ghosts surrounded him in a matter of seconds, swirling around like a storm, forming a thick, black mass that blocked out everything from view. From the outside, it seemed as though a dark cloud had consumed him, leaving no trace of his presence within.

Inside, however, Orion faced a different storm—one raging within his mind. His consciousness felt like a blank canvas, slowly being painted over by the most wretched emotions the world had to offer.

Negativity surged into him, flooding his thoughts and drowning him in a torrent of fear, despair, anxiety, and panic. It was as if the collective suffering of countless souls was being forced into his psyche, darkening every corner of his mind.

The pressure of it all made him feel like he was sinking into an abyss, where there was no escape from the overwhelming emotions clawing at his sanity.

As the wave of negative emotions crashed over him, vivid scenarios began to take shape, each one darker and more suffocating than the last. He was haunted by visions of failure, betrayal, and loss—his loved ones in danger, his dreams falling apart, and his sense of self slipping away. Each scene felt like it was dragging him down, threatening to drown him in despair.

But Orion stood firm, his determination unwavering. He had faced this torrent of negativity many times before, thanks to his intense training in Curse Transformation mode. He had built his mind into a fortress, battling against these very emotions day after day, and now they were helping him.

"Maybe not all," he thought, recalling how his mind had collapsed during the Trial of Heart.

Orion shook his head and refocused on the task at hand. He fought off the negative emotions, maintaining a state of calm throughout.

Time passed, and the number of ghosts surrounding him gradually diminished as they attempted to enter his body but were absorbed and never returned.

Orion stood there, unmoved, as the ghosts continued their futile attempts to overwhelm him with negative emotions, only to become a part of him.

After some time, all the ghosts had vanished.

He stood with a calm expression on his face.

"Well done," the young man appeared and praised him. "You've passed the Trial of Mind with ease."

Orion opened his eyes, nodding slightly as he pondered, 'If all these negative emotions don't affect me, why was I so overwhelmed during the last trial?'

He still couldn't understand how he'd lost control when he saw the life of Orion Stark. Everything had fallen apart at that moment.

"I'm surprised you passed this trial so easily," the young man continued. "I expected it to be more difficult for you, but you did well. Now, clear the final trial, and you'll gain the opportunity to comprehend your Divine Soul's true name."

Orion disappeared from the cloud world and reappeared on the ground near the lake where he had vanished before.

Experience more on empire

"That was easy," he muttered, opening the map and checking the location of the green marker.

"It's close," he noted and decided to head there immediately.

Orion floated into the air, arriving before a forest as he followed the direction of the marker.

"Where are you going?" A playful voice suddenly called out, and Orion stopped. He looked around but saw no one.

'There's someone here, but I can't sense them. Either they're at a very high level of platinum rank, or they're in another dimension,' he assessed, concluding that the person hiding was likely a high-level platinum rank.

After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and continued his flight.

He hadn't gone far when the voice spoke again.

"I saw your battle. You're strong, very strong."

Orion ignored the voice and kept flying toward the green marker. He believed the person would reveal themselves eventually.

"But I have to say, those opponents were weak—far too weak for you. Only by fighting stronger people can you truly measure your strength."

Orion acted as if he didn't hear the voice. He didn't know what this person wanted and wasn't about to fall into whatever trap they were setting.

"Ray Wiser, right?" The voice said his name, surprising Orion, but he still didn't respond.

"Let me tell you something. You may enter Dollas Academy with your strength, but you won't take the top rank in the final assessment. That rank belongs to someone else."

Orion guessed who this voice might belong to. He suspected they were part of the same group as the blue-haired guy he had fought earlier—a follower of Zeref, perhaps. He wasn't sure, but judging by what he had seen of the blue-haired guy, he didn't think he was far off.

"Why do I hear an annoying fly buzzing around?" Orion muttered aloud, glancing around as he flew. "Maybe I'm mistaken." He shook his head and continued his flight.

Some time passed, and Orion didn't hear the voice again.

He smiled and increased his speed, soon arriving above a vast desert, where all he could see was golden sand stretching in every direction.

"The last trial is the Trial of Body," Orion muttered, looking around but finding nothing resembling a trial in the empty desert.

"Oye!" A shout suddenly caught his attention. He looked toward the source and noticed a small hand sticking out of the sand.

"Huh? Is someone stuck under the desert?"

Curious, Orion landed near the hand. But as soon as his feet touched the ground, the sand beneath him vanished, and he fell. He couldn't fly, use his powers, or do anything as he plummeted down.

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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....