I Can Copy Curses

"What have you decided?" Orion asked, noticing Mark silently pondering something.

Mark shook his head. "I don't trust you. I don't know you. I don't know who you really are, so I can't trust you at all." He began walking away as he said this.

Orion looked at him for a moment and said, "I know someone who might take you straight to who you're looking for."

Mark suddenly stopped. His body surged with energy as he appeared in front of Orion in a flash of purple lightning.

"You aren't joking, right?" he asked, gripping Orion's collar tightly, his eyes filled with rage and bloodlust.

Orion remained calm and replied, "I don't joke about deals. If you want to meet her, I can take you to someone who might make that happen."

"How do I trust you?" Mark asked, tightening his grip on Orion.

"You don't," Orion said simply. "You just have to trust your instincts. What do they say?"

Mark frowned. Ever since Ray's death, all he wanted was revenge, and he'd been searching for the woman responsible. But when he finally found her, she was already beyond his reach. Now, with this new hope, however faint, he had a chance to avenge Ray once again.

"What do you say?" Orion asked.

Mark closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. "What do I have to do?" he asked directly.

Orion grinned and said, "I'll let you know after the assessment."

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Mark stared at Orion for a moment before disappearing in a flash of lightning.

'Now that they know about our speed and strength, they'll definitely start researching our backgrounds,' Orion thought with a smile before vanishing as well.

***

Victor stood in the green plain, frustration evident on his face. He had just seen Mark race past him, heading back into the city.

'I'm too late,' he sighed, then hurried to catch up with Mark as he sped towards the distant city.

***

Back in the city, almost everyone was engaged in battles. Some participants sparred happily, while others were locked in hard-fought duels.

Orion arrived back in the city sometime after Mark and headed toward Erza and Tracy.

However, at that moment, a notification appeared in front of him, signaling the end of the Dreamshore trial.

[The trial has ended. Participants will log out in 10 seconds.]

Orion stopped in his tracks, looking down. 'I hope they take the bait I've given them,' he thought to himself.

Ten seconds later, he vanished from the Dreamshore as his consciousness returned to his body.

The pods opened automatically, one after another, as the trial ended.

'This feels strange,' Orion thought as he opened his eyes, feeling a bit exhausted. Though his body hadn't endured any physical strain, his mind felt completely drained. The mental exertion from whatever he'd experienced had clearly taken its toll.

With a deep breath, he pushed the pod door open and stepped out, his movements slow but steady. As he stood there, taking in his surroundings, he glanced at the other participants emerging from their pods. It was clear he wasn't the only one feeling the aftereffects.

Some young men, pale and trembling, collapsed to the ground the moment their feet touched the floor, their bodies giving out under the weight of their mental exhaustion. A few others stumbled forward, their legs weak, eyes glazed over as though they were still trapped in some surreal dream.

They clung to the edges of nearby pods or walls, trying to steady themselves, but the disorientation was evident.

'A side effect of VR?' Orion concluded, noticing that the others were going through the same exhaustion, though their symptoms were worse—likely because his stats were balanced and maxed out for each rank.

At that moment, Sir Edwill appeared in the hall. "Don't worry too much about what you're feeling right now. This is called Paradixium, a condition where the body and mind become slightly out of sync due to the brain's involvement in the VR world," he explained calmly.

"You'll all return to normal in about an hour. For those who feel fine, return to your rooms. Tomorrow will be a big day, and I suggest getting a good rest before the final assessment."

Orion and a few others nodded at Sir Edwill's words.

"Big Brother, I don't feel so good," Tracy's voice reached Orion's ears.

Orion quickly remembered his sister. "Are you okay?" he asked, turning to her.

"I'm sleepy," Tracy said with a small yawn.

Orion nodded and looked around, spotting Erza three rows away.

"Erza!" he shouted, waving to get her attention.

Erza saw him, noticed Tracy's condition, and quickly made her way over.

"Help me get her back to her room," Orion asked.

Erza nodded. "You'll be fine. Walk with me," she said, supporting Tracy as they headed for the exit.

"Aren't only those who feel fine allowed to leave?" Tracy asked weakly.

"Well, he didn't say we couldn't help those who can't walk, so it should be fine," Orion replied, leading them through the exit of the Vision hall. As he suspected, no one stopped them from leaving.

"Let's take the elevator," Orion suggested, guiding Erza and Tracy toward it.

Once inside, Orion made sure no one else entered, then set the floor for their rooms.

***

"Big Brother, come to my room. I wanted to tell you something, remember?" Tracy said as Erza was about to lead her into her room, and Orion was walking away toward his own.

Orion sighed, wondering what could be so important. "Alright, let's see what you've got," he agreed and followed them into Tracy's room.

He closed the door behind them as they entered the bedroom. The room was identical to his own, confirming his earlier thoughts that all the rooms in the building were the same.

Tracy lay down on the bed while Erza and Orion stood beside her.

"Big Brother, I wanted to tell you why the Black Reaper Guild faked my death and the reasons behind it," Tracy said, drawing both Orion's and Erza's attention.

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