I Can Copy Curses

Orion was back in the courtyard in Grimshore, in the inn where he had been kindly persuaded to stay.

"I'm back here," he thought as he opened his status.

---

[Name: Orion Darkwood]

[Level: 1 - 0.9%]

[Divine Soul: #$&#$& - Soul Form]

[Soul Shard: (1) 3-star]

[Soul Power: 2%]

---

"I'm still level 1, and my soul power is also very low." Orion checked his status before deciding to go hunting to increase them as fast as possible. Only by reaching 100% soul power would he be able to transform the Divine Soul from image form to solid form.

"But first, I have to meet Mark here," Orion thought as he left his courtyard.

He sneaked out of the inn, peeking around to ensure the coast was clear, then headed out of the house in relief. He did not want to encounter that lady again.

"Let's see... he mentioned he'd be in front of the tallest structure in Desmere City." Orion ran through the streets, spotting the tallest structure in the distance—a black tower reaching into the sky, touching the clouds.

He ran for a few minutes before arriving in front of the tower, noticing an unusual crowd gathered there. The crowd was larger than any he'd seen, except for those at the walls where people went hunting.

Curious, Orion walked toward the tower and soon spotted Mark in the distance. He waved, and they quickly met up.

"Damn, it's good to finally see a familiar face," Orion sighed in relief.

Mark nodded. "Are you going hunting?" he asked.

Orion nodded. "We don't know when the war might start, so I want to level up as quickly as possible," he said solemnly.

"Well, let's go then," Mark replied. "I also need to level up fast."

Orion glanced at the tower in front of him. "What's that tower about? There are so many people gathered here for what seems like nothing."

Mark explained, "That tower is like a hub where people from every city can do business. It's a hub connecting everyone in Grimshore."

Orion nodded. "Let's go for our hunt then," he said, and Mark led him toward the city's encircling wall.

***

Sometime later, they stood by the towering walls with many others. The crowd seemed excited to hunt, checking their weapons and gear.

Orion, however, was experiencing déjà vu. This scene felt oddly similar to a dream he'd had while drugged by the assassins from the Hades Reapers.

"Forget it. That was just a dream," he told himself, shaking his head.

Soon the doors opened, and everyone walked out of the city. Some ventured into the wild alone, while many formed teams. Orion and Mark moved together before disappearing into the wilderness.

They hadn't gone far when Orion suddenly stopped.

"What? There are no monsters here. Every monster here has already been killed," Mark observed, pointing at the forest.

Orion nodded. "I understand, but I didn't stop for that. I want to see what my Divine Soul actually is before we start hunting."

"You haven't checked it?" Mark was shocked.

"Hehe, last time I was here, I kind of messed up and wasn't able to really see what my Divine Soul was, so I want to try now," Orion replied with a grin.

Mark shrugged. "Do as you wish."

Orion nodded, calming himself. He took hold of his sword and summoned his Divine Soul.

Suddenly, dark clouds gathered over the forest, and the wind began to rage.

"Damn, what is this guy's Divine Soul to cause such a disturbance just by summoning it?" Mark was stunned. Knowing Orion's true identity, he'd expected a powerful Divine Soul but hadn't imagined it would be strong enough to affect the atmosphere around them.

Orion's hair whipped wildly as shadows of black and dark red light swirled around him and his sword. The energy around him built up to a breaking point until—

WHOOM!

A beam of dark energy exploded from Orion, streaking into the sky with terrifying intensity. Mark, standing nearby, was thrown backward by the shockwave, barely managing to regain his footing as he braced against the surge of power.

The beam's ominous glow stretched across Grimshore, visible in every city, piercing the heavens like an otherworldly signal. People stopped in their tracks, fear pooling in their chests as a crushing weight pressed down on them. In that instant, every Divine Soul in Grimshore trembled, laid bare in the beam's dark aura.

The pure and the corrupt alike felt their truest natures quake in the shadow of that black light, as if something ancient and insatiable had come to life.

Somewhere in Grimshore, a man with golden hair stood with a blood-red sword in his hand, resting on it with closed eyes. Sensing something, his eyes shot open, and he smiled.

"Finally, the Black Sword has been born," Kane murmured, looking toward the distant mountains and forests. "Orion, you made me wait a long time." He smiled and disappeared.

***

Sometime later, the black beam of light faded, and Orion was left holding a pitch-black sword. Red hues glowed along the blade as it vibrated with power.

"My Divine Soul is just a sword?" Orion muttered, unimpressed. He had seen Zeref's Divine Soul, which was so impressive, and in comparison, his seemed lackluster.

"It just looks like my previous sword was painted black and turned into this thing," Orion muttered, dissatisfied as he examined it.

"Is that your Divine Soul?" Mark asked, coming over.

Orion nodded. "I didn't expect my Divine Soul would be a sword."

"What can it do?" Mark asked.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Orion shrugged. "Who knows."

"What do you mean 'who knows'? When someone summons their Divine Soul for the first time, they should know everything about it aside from its name," Mark frowned.

---

I'm open to any suggestions to improve my book. Just join the channel and share your ideas.

Comments, reviews, and gifts are appreciated, but only if you feel inclined to share!