I Can Copy Curses

"How much more can your body withstand?" the young man muttered, feeling curious.

On the other hand, Orion was sweating, thinking hard about the test. He wondered what was expected of him. He was sure it wasn't just surviving the young man's attacks, nor was it simply to be beaten by him. There had to be something else.

But what?

'Think, Orion, think!'

Orion's mind buzzed with various thoughts, but none provided the answer he sought.

"Well, let's try something else then," the young man mused before approaching Orion and tapping him with a finger.

Like a missile launched from a rocket, Orion was sent hurtling backward in a straight line, obliterating everything in his path. Buildings crumbled, construction sites were leveled, and even hospitals were torn apart by the sheer force of his trajectory. Anything that stood in his way was annihilated in an instant.

He flew through the city like a destructive force of nature, unstoppable until he finally reached its outskirts, where the dense cluster of buildings gave way to open spaces, and the dark silhouettes of distant forests came into view.

Orion lay there amidst the debris and wreckage. He couldn't tell if his body was damaged or not. He only felt the scratches from the sudden crash.

'Damn it! What the hell is this test?'

He had no clue. He couldn't defeat the young man, and no hint or clue about the test came to mind.

"Oh, you survived that too. It seems you haven't taken enough damage yet again, which is quite remarkable," the young man remarked, examining Orion.

"What is this test about? Any clue or hint you can give me?" Orion asked, feeling lost.

"Stupid! You're very stupid for someone with such a strong body," the young man sneered. "Think about it. The last test was a test of will. So what could this one be?"

Orion pondered for a moment. 'Test of will, test of strength? Test of intelligence? Test of courage?' He considered various possibilities, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Shall we continue?" the young man taunted, seeing Orion deep in thought. "Smashing you through buildings doesn't seem to hurt you at all. I might have to try something different to find your body's limits."

"I know what this test is about," Orion said suddenly, catching the young man's attention.

The young man looked intrigued. "Oh? Tell me what you've figured out."

Orion emerged from the rubble and said, "I can't defeat you. It's impossible. Winning isn't an option. So, I thought if I can't win, wouldn't I be defeated? And if that happens, wouldn't that be shameful?"

He continued, "Then I thought about defeat and realized this test isn't about winning—it's about accepting defeat when you're faced with an enemy you can't possibly beat, no matter how hard you try."

Orion looked directly at the young man. "I accept my defeat."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

"Good, very good," the young man laughed in admiration. "You've grasped the hint I gave you and reached the right conclusion. You'll be a great boon to humanity. You just need to grow stronger."

As he spoke, the world around them began to shatter like glass, breaking into small pieces. Orion found himself standing in the hall with the other participants once again.

[Participant Ray Wiser has passed the second test of the Trial of Heart—Test of Courage. You may proceed to the final test.]

Orion smiled lightly at the notification, eager to complete the final test. But first, he looked around at the other participants in the hall, realizing he didn't recognize anyone.

'I guess it's difficult to find someone from the same planet when there are hundreds of planets involved,' he thought as he walked toward the mist and disappeared into it.

Not long after, he found himself back at the ruins of the buildings he had destroyed earlier. Everything looked the same.

"Hehe, we meet again," the young man said, appearing before him. "Or should I say, you never left—for me, at least."

Orion frowned at the familiar surroundings. "What is this? Didn't I pass the last test?"

The young man laughed. "You did pass, but I noticed something unusual about you, so I decided to kill you here, ensuring you never awaken in the real world."

Orion frowned. "What do you mean? I didn't do anything unusual. What are you talking about?"

The young man sneered. "You don't need to know." He raised his hand and began to snap his fingers, deliberately slowing down, focusing intently on Orion.

Orion watched silently but didn't react to him. The young man finally snapped his fingers, causing Orion's body to explode into pieces.

When Orion opened his eyes again, he found himself in the same spot where he had exploded, with the young man smiling at him.

"How did you figure it out so quickly?" the young man asked, intrigued.

"Wasn't it obvious?" Orion replied smiling. "The first test was about will, the second about courage, so I guessed the last would test fear or death. Since you're asking, I assume I passed, meaning my guess was right."

The young man nodded. "You were almost correct. This test was about facing death. If you had resisted even a little, you would have failed. But there are other ways to pass this test besides just accepting death."

"Is that so?" Orion said, curious but dismissing the thought. "Well, it doesn't matter now. Just tell me if I can comprehend the true name of my Divine Soul now that I've passed the three tests."

The young man smiled. "To do that, you'll need to pass all three trials. So far, you've only completed the Trial of Heart. The other two—Trial of Mind and Trial of Body—are still ahead of you."

He added, "Check your vision. A new red dot should have appeared by now." Discover hidden tales at empire

Orion looked and saw that there was indeed a new red mark.

"By following that mark, you can track the locations of the other two trials," the young man explained.

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