《I Can Copy Curses》


 Chapter 1: 1. It’s never too late

    <h4>Chapter 1: 1. It''s never toote</h4>


    ''It''s never toote.''


    The saying was firmly established in the beliefs of all, unanimously agreed upon without any doubt.


    It provided a source of hope for those who had stumbled, those who had not yet reached their goals, and those in search of meaning in their lives.


    Because it was a fact: there is always the opportunity to chase after one''s dreams¡ªno matter what they are. Just one first step was needed to start a series of events that would bring everything together, leading to eventual sess.


    That was the shared conviction.


    That''s what Orion used to believe in, at least.


    ***


    In a room of a ten-story building, a bed was ced with its bed sheets tucked in a corner.


    A messy table was close by, its top covered with a disorganized mix of books, some open, others piled randomly, each narrating a different tale.


    Nevertheless, it was the floor that really drew the eye. Littered all over it like fallen leaves were empty chip packets and crumpled snack wrappers, indicating the upant''s indulgence or possible distraction.


    A man in his thirties sat at the opposite side of the room, his face depicting worry as he focused closely on theputer screen in front of him.


    His hair was in ck, ubed, and he had faint dark circles under his eyes, showing he was tired from the current pressures.


    Completely absorbed in what he was doing, his fingers moved swiftly over the keys, filling the room with the rhythmic sound of typing.


    After a while, he paused, his gaze fixated on the monitor before him, his mind fully absorbed in the task at hand.


    "The cut-off marks have finally arrived."


    He was drawn to the screen by the link leading to the page containing the list of passing exam candidates and cut-off marks.


    As he hesitated and hovered over the link to the exam results, he felt a surge of emotions.


    It wasn''t the fear of not seeding that prevented him from moving forward, but a much more sinister anticipation.


    This was Orion''sst chance for redemption¡ªhis final opportunity. One more failure would signal the conclusion of his journey, determining his destiny in a manner he feared to consider.


    A 30-year-old man was unable to keep taking exams, signaling the start of his problems. His family''s savings were all used up after a tragic ident, leaving him with zero funds.


    In addition to his troubles, he had taken a loan from thendowner to pay for his exam expenses. If he did not seed this time, the repercussions would be much worse than just failing academically.


    "I can''t run away from this. I have to check it sooner orter anyway. So, let''s do it now."


    When he found the courage to click the link, his heart pounded in his chest with the fear of the unknown. The screen came on, showing the harsh truth of what was toe, with his name noticeably missing from the list.


    Observing the cut-off marks, Orion experienced a sudden shock that ran through his entire body. He was shocked and couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw the number: 350.


    He was struck by a bitter realization when he saw the cruel irony of his fate. His score, just one point below the necessary cut-off, taunted him on the screen: 349.


    A single mark separated him from being saved, a barrier that appeared impossible to ovee and destined him to a fate worse than failure.


    In that instant, he discovered himself standing at the entrance of hopelessness while contemting the repercussions of his failure spreading out like fragments of shattered ss. Every shattered hope pierced him more deeply each time, leaving him vulnerable to the unpredictable winds of uncertainty.


    At that moment, Orion''s heart started to beat faster. With every passing second, its speed increased, causing a low thumping sound all around him. However, he appeared to be unaware of it as he wallowed in his despair.


    "Thump!"


    "It''s just one mark."


    "Thump!" "Thump!"


    "IT''S JUST ONE MARK!"


    "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"


    "Why? Why am I so unlucky?"


    "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"


    "WHY?! I worked hard for years, and I still didn''t pass. Why?!"


    "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"


    "Why?"


    He yelled at his fate¡ªhis ipetence. He had tried so hard,e so far that losing here would mean everything he had done would turn into nothing but waste.


    "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"


    "My heart?! Why is it so fast? I can hear the sound of its beating."


    "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"


    "But why is¡ª"


    Orion''s voice got stuck in his throat, his sentence left hanging as an intense pain tore through his chest. With onest, painful breath, his heart, already beating rapidly, sumbed to the intense pressure.


    Suddenly, everything around him turned into a red blur as blood flowed from his broken heart, gathering in a grim scene of closure.


    His head bowed down onto the desk while the remaining shreds of awareness faded away, enveloped by encroaching darkness.


    Orion''s journey was abruptly and prematurely cut short in that tragic moment, leaving only the resounding silence of his unfulfilled dreams.


    ***


    "What happened?"


    A scream sounded in a quiet and gloomy ce.


    The cry came from a teenage boy of fifteen, with messy ck hair and a dusty face. His garments looked like they hadn''t been cleaned in a while, and he had the overall look of a beggar.


    ''Where am I? I was just thinking about why my heartbeat increased so fast, and suddenly I am here.''


    The kid, or rather Orion, pondered his situation. As he surveyed his surroundings, he was struck by an even more shocking sight.


    Fourteen kids, ranging from fifteen to twenty years old, surrounded him in aparable situation. The cruelest part was that they were all chained, with their hands and legs bound, and attached to a wall.


    "What is this ce?"


    The children responded to his question by remaining silent and staring at him strangely, giving no answer.


    Ignoring them, Orion tried to stand up from his seat but soon discovered he couldn''t. Attempting to rise, he faced the sound of chains clinking in response to his unseen struggles.


    Puzzled, he looked down and suddenly realized his situation was simr to the other children, all trapped here by the same chains.


    However, what really surprised him was not the incident itself, but rather the fact that he was also a child like them.


    ''I am a kid! How is this possible?''


    The revtion shocked him and yet another thought soon crossed his mind.


    ''Have I transmigrated into this kid?''


    This was the only scenario in which he could imagine himself reverting to a childlike state.

 Chapter 2: 2. Pirates

    <h4>Chapter 2: 2. Pirates</h4>


    ''But why did I transmigrate in such a situation where I can''t even move?''


    The thought kept guing Orion''s mind as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.


    He looked around and noticed that the room they were in had a musty smell, with the walls covered in moss and slime. The only light source was a small window high up on the wall, letting in a dim light that barely illuminated the room.


    Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching, and a group of rough-looking men entered the room. They were dressed like pirates, with bandanas on their heads and swords at their hips. They looked menacing, and Orion felt a shiver run down his spine.


    One of the pirates approached him and roughly pulled him to his feet. "Come on, you little brat. It''s time to work," he growled. Orion stumbled and almost fell, but the pirate''s grip on his arm was too tight.


    The other pirates approached the kids in the room and opened their shackles.


    They were then led out of the room and onto the deck of a ship. After that, all the pirates left Orion and the kids here.


    Orion''s heart raced as he looked around the ship, taking in the sails pping in the wind and the salty smell of the sea. He couldn''t believe that he was actually on a pirate ship.


    His mind raced with questions¡ªhow did he transmigrate here? What would happen to him now?


    As he looked around, he saw the crew members going about their duties, some scrubbing the deck, others hoisting the sails. They all seemed to be in a hurry, as if they were on a mission.


    He tried to speak to one of the crew members, but they all ignored him as if he didn''t exist. Orion felt a sinking feeling in his stomach¡ªhe was alone, with no one to turn to for help.


    As the ship sailed on, he stood on the deck, lost in thought, trying to make sense of his situation. He wondered if this was all a dream or if he had actually transmigrated into another world. But one thing was certain: he had to find a way out, no matter what it took.


    At this time, one of the pirates came towards Orion and the other kids. He looked at them with disdain.


    "You kids are pathetic for getting caught by us," he sneered. "But if you do as you''re told, we won''t mistreat you. If you don''t, well... you''ll regret it."


    All the kids''s faces turned pale with fear as they heard the pirate''s words, and some even took a step back.


    ''Have I been transmigrated into a ve here?''


    Orion cursed his luck as he thought about this.


    Even though he was almost twice the age of the other kids around him, he couldn''t shake off the constant feeling of fear and anxiety that consumed him as he heard the pirate''s words. His heart raced, his palms sweated, and his mind raced with negative thoughts.


    Despite his best efforts to blend in and appear confident, he felt like an outsider and struggled to find peace within himself.


    As he cast his gaze towards the other kids, fear and panic were evident in their eyes. Despite this, he couldn''t help but notice the remarkableposure and self-control that they exhibited.


    It was as if they had undergone extensive training to remain calm in such situations. Within moments, the frenzy had subsided, and the kids had regained theirposure. Only some of them, while others were still trembling in fear.


    At this moment, the pirate who talked to them previously continued.


    "Now, you see those cleaning tools over there. Go and take them and start cleaning the whole ship."


    All eyes shifted to where the pirate gestured, revealing a multitude of cleaning tools scattered in a corner of the ship.


    "Now go and do your work."


    The pirate atst ordered.


    All the kids, Orion among them, felt powerless as they headed towards where the tools were ced. Upon reaching their destination, they individually chose cleaning tools for their own use. Choosing the most basic choice, Orion grabbed a broom.


    Aware of the pirate''s watchful gaze, Orion scanned the deck for a suitable area to clean.


    However, he quickly realized that most of the surrounding surfaces were wet. Undeterred, he embarked on a thorough exploration of the ship until he discovered a spot where dust had umted.


    Upon reaching the chosen spot, Orion swiftly wielded his broom, stealing asional nces to ensure the pirate''s attention had shifted. To his relief, the pirate eventually turned away and retreated inside the deck.


    ''Why am I so scared? I have probably already died earlier, so what''s there to fear?''


    Orion sought sce in contemtion, pondering his next steps. The prospect of enduring a life enved to pirates filled him with dread; the thought of an uncertain fate in this environment weighed heavily on his mind.


    Lost in thought, Orion was startled when someone approached him from behind.


    Turning around, he recognized the child as one of the kids who were shackled, but the expression on the kid''s face was unsettling. Trembling and wide-eyed, as if he had witnessed a ghost, the kid pointed at Orion, his terror palpable.


    "B-behind you."


    Muffled words escaped the child''s trembling lips, barely audible to Orion in their proximity.


    However, this proximity also triggered a sense of foreboding within Orion, as he suddenly felt a wave of unease wash over him.


    ''Is something behind me?''


    Inhaling deeply and with his heart pounding, he gradually shifted his body to confront whatever lurked behind him. While looking around, he saw something that terrified him and made him feel sick to his stomach.


    He felt a surge of fear as his brain tried to make sense of what he was seeing. It felt as though he was in a nightmare, confronted by a twisted and grotesque figure lurking in the darkness, its eyes ring at him with malicious intent.

 Chapter 3: 3. Centipede

    <h4>Chapter 3: 3. Centipede</h4>


    Orion never felt fear so deeply in his life as he was feeling now. His legs frozen, his body trembling and his mind went nk as he stared into those eyes.


    ''Run. Orion. Run!!!''


    Every fiber of his being screamed at him to run, to flee from the terror. Yet, something held him in ce, a morbid curiosity perhaps, or simply the paralyzing grip of terror.


    Whatever the reason, Orion remained rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to think, trapped in the suffocating embrace of fear.


    However, Orion wasn''t alone in witnessing those menacing eyes; the other kids saw them too.


    "L-look, what''s that?"


    "Are these eyes?"


    "How can such a monster exist?"


    "I don''t want to die."


    Their collective gasps echoed through the silence, confirming that Orion was not alone in witnessing the ominous gaze that pierced through the darkness.


    Panic spread like wildfire among the kids as they realized they were all caught in the same harrowing moment, bound by the chilling realization that they were not the only ones being watched.


    A shiver ran down Orion''s spine as he realized the magnitude of the situation they were all facing together.


    ''Damn, transmigrating just to die again?''


    He swore at his bad fortune.


    Nevertheless, the pirates remained unusuallyposed as if this was a typical urrence for them.


    However, their leader had a serious look on his face. A man of middle age, with long ck hair and beard, wore a ssic pirate cap that framed his face.


    The most noticeable thing were the detailed designs engraved on his cheeks, mirroring an elephant''s teeth pattern.


    "Captain, what happened?"


    A worried pirate couldn''t resist asking, observing the anxiety on the captain''s expression.


    The crew knew that the captain had more knowledge and experience in maritime affairs than all of them put together.


    "We are in trouble. That''s not those low rank beasts. It''s a gold rank water centipede."


    Upon hearing what their captain said, the pirates also started to feel afraid, understanding that they were not equipped to handle beasts with a gold rank.


    The captain being ranked only as iron, two ranks below, highlighted the difficult task ahead even more.


    "Captain, what should we do? If the beasts attack, our ship won''t be able to hold."


    "Yes captain. What should we do? Should we evacuate?"


    However, in this critical moment, their captain''s expression shifted from a mere frown to one of absolute terror, causing him to involuntarily take several steps back.


    "Everyone, sail back as fast as you can."


    Watching the captain''s response, the pirates turned their heads in the same direction to see the figure in the distance. What they saw rendered them speechless, with jaws wide open in utter disbelief while fear clenched their souls tightly.


    As predicted by their leader, they came across a massive sea centipede that was muchrger than their boat. Its shimmering, dark blue exoskeleton, decorated with countless legs, gave off a foreboding aura as it covered its huge body.


    However, the most frightening aspect was its huge jaws - its entire top half was a wide open mouth filled with teeth of different sizes, running from its head to the end of its tail.


    Orion, observing everything, finally realized that the some god had been teasing him in order to allow him to reincarnate and subjecting him to such a brutal death.


    ''Is God toying with me?''


    At that instant of enlightenment, he experienced a sudden rush of anger and the feeling of being betrayed flowing within him. He suddenly understood that he had been just a pawn in the gods'' twisted game.


    He felt a burning sense of unfairness as he realized the harsh irony of his situation: being given the opportunity for rebirth only to face a horrific death.


    However, in the midst of his emotional turmoil, a spark of determination and hope was kindled within Orion.


    ''I don''t want to die a second time. I don''t know if it was really a god''s n to transmigrate me or not but now that I have been given a second chance I don''t want to waste it.''


    After much contemtion, he summoned the courage to conquer his fear and found the strength to take a step forward.


    However, as he prepared to move, he observed a suddenmotion onboard¡ªeveryone, including the pirates, began leaping off the ship.


    ''I only turned away from the beast for a moment and something happened?''


    Turning, he saw the giant centipede''s mouth releasing torrents of water toward them.


    ''Damn!''


    Before anyone could react, the waves of water hit the ship with such force that it turned upside-down.


    Orion experienced a brief moment of disorientation as he turned around, only to suddenly find himself engulfed in the depths of the ocean, struggling to stay afloat.


    ''I can''t swim.''


    He paddled his hands and legs, attempting to mimic the swimming movements he had observed in his previous life, only to be reminded of a bitter truth: he inhabited the body of a fifteen-year-old child.


    Instead of helping him, this made matters worse as he found himself unable to move forward despite swinging his arms and legs.


    ''I am going down.''


    He was filled with panic when he realized he was descending into the water. The recognition that he was being pulled down into the depth of the water caused a rush of adrenaline to flow through his veins, his heart beating wildly in his chest with fear.


    As time went by, the water surrounded him more and more, smothering him in its cold hug.


    ''Move up damn it!''


    Desperation gripped his throat as he resisted the inevitable tug of the current, his muscles straining against the unforgiving pull dragging him downward.


    All his attempts proved to be in vain when he acknowledged he could no longer hold his breath. Feeling a sinking sensation in his stomach, he acknowledged the harsh truth that he was helpless against the relentless hold of the water.


    In a final gesture of eptance, Orion gave in to the inevitable, his body yielding to the depths as darkness began to engulf his mind.


    Yet, right before the end, he experienced the sensation of the water pushing him ahead.


    Slowly but steadily, the waves rose, carrying him to the point where the ship was afloat¡ªexposing a sight that would never be forgotten.


    He watched in horror as the giant centipede approached the ship, its massive form coiling around it and breaking it apart.


    This was thest thing Orion saw before he lost his consciousness.

 Chapter 4: 4. Orion Darkwood

    <h4>Chapter 4: 4. Orion Darkwood</h4>


    It was a kingdom embellished with white marble and exquisite chandeliers. Each resident was dressed in luxurious clothing, looking like royalty in their majestic glory.


    All of a sudden, a grand hall appeared in front of them, with a man sitting on a throne like a ruler, wearing a magnificent golden crown.


    ...Orion felt confused and lost, not knowing where he was, but he could make out a man sitting on the throne talking to a woman.


    It appeared that the man and the woman were having a heated argument, leading to the woman crying and leaving the area.


    Currently, the man resembling a king directed his attention towards him.


    "Orion Darkwood," the man said, addressing Orion. "You are my youngest son yet my most shameful creation. You do not have any talent yet you bore the most devilish curse. I do not want to condemn you but I am also helpless. My only wish for you is that you live a peaceful life and if, by any chance, you remember anything, then think of those memories as nothing but once blissful moments of life."


    "Sigh..." Barion Darkwood sighed heavily, "I hereby announce that I disown my youngest son¡ªOrion Darkwood."


    Orion, confused by the interaction, was suddenly pushed ahead as if driven by gut feeling, his body automatically approaching the man on the throne.


    "No, father, please don''t disown me. I am just a child¡ªten years old. Give me five more years. Father, please grant me this wish," Orion pleaded desperately.


    He bowed deeply before the man on the throne, his father, and repeatedly banged his head against the floor in a gesture of reverence. However, his desperate pleas fell upon deaf ears, ignored by his father.


    "Men, take him away," Barionmanded.


    Orion cried out to his father.


    "No, father, no. I beg you, please I don''t want to leave. NOOOOOO, mother, where are¡ªHey wake up,"


    Suddenly, everything around him vanished, leaving behind nothing but an epassing darkness that enveloped him entirely.


    "Hurry and wake up," someone urged.


    "WAKE UP!"


    Orion was suddenly awoken, shocked by the noise, his body soaked in sweat, his breathing in irregr wheezes. Severe agony pulsed through his head, causing confusion and rattled by the intensity of his dream.


    ''Hhhhh....hhhhh....hhhhh. What happened?... Was I dreaming? But that didn''t look like a dream. It looked like I was in there¡ªin the dream or whatever it was.''


    Orion was puzzled and lost, trying to understand the dream, but his main worry was his current situation.


    Seated on the wet earth surrounded by sand, he became aware that he was drenched, leading him to examine his environment and evaluate his circumstances.


    Observing the area, he saw the individual who had roused him beforeing closer. Suddenly, he grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him vigorously.


    "Hey, wake up, are you still drea¨C"


    "I am awake," Orion interrupted and stood up.


    In that moment of rity, he recognized that the person shaking him was one of the children he had encountered on the ship.


    He appeared to be in his fifteenth year. His face was sharply framed by his pointed ck hair, sleek strands falling on the sides and a neatly tied bun in the center of his head. Although he looked young, his face disyed a level of maturity that surpassed his age.


    "Are you alright?" the boy asked.


    "I am fine," Orion replied.


    He looked around and found nothing but an endless ocean stretching as far as his eyes could see.


    Scanning the surroundings, Orion realized that he and the peculiar-looking child were not alone in this ce.


    Two additional kids were present in this location. There was a girl of a simr age. Her vibrant pink hair was cut short, cascading neatly to the back of her neck. Despite Orion''s obstructed view, he managed to see several cutting scars on her right cheek.


    The second one was a boy who appeared a little older than they did. His long red hair flowed gracefully down his shoulders, vibrant and shoulder-length. His perfectly structured face radiated a remarkable attractiveness that outshone everyone else.


    As Orion watched the boy with red hair, the boy looked back at him.


    "Took you long enough," the boy remarked.


    He and the girl with pink hair then came near them.


    "I think the waves of the water sent us to this nearby ind here but..."


    The strange haired kid took the lead in talking but he paused for some reason.


    "But what?"


    The only girl present here spoke in a rather annoying manner.


    Orion was also curious.


    Seeing this, the strange haired kid continued.


    "But when we were on the ship I didn''t see any ind from there¡ªas far as my eyes could see, I only saw nothing but water everywhere."


    "So."


    The red haired kid urged.


    The strange haired kid shook his head.


    "So, nothing. I just find our situation rather strange.


    Orion also frowned at the condition they found themselves in.


    He asked not knowing what to do.


    "What should we do now?"


    "I say we explore this ind and see if we can find anyone; otherwise standing here would do us nothing," the strange haired kid suggested.


    The red haired one nodded.


    "Let''s do it then but first let''s introduce ourselves. I am Ryfin."


    "I am Famir," said the strange haired kid.


    "I am Orion... Darkwood," Orion introduced himself.


    Orion didn''t know why he suddenly added Darkwood at the end. It was like¡ªinstinctual. Like he always introduced himself like this. But that was not correct. On earth, he had the surname of Stark but now he suddenly uttered Darkwood.


    ''Is it because of the dream?'' Orion wondered.


    At this moment, thest one also introduced herself.


    "M."


    That was it; that''s the only thing she said.


    Famir then took the lead in talking.


    "You guys see that structure over there. It looked like walls from a fortress or something. So, our destination will be that ce."


    He pointed towards a direction.


    Orion looked around and saw that the spot they were in had noticeably fewer trees than the rest of the heavily wooded ind.


    He could see a tall wall-like structure in the distance, taller than any of the trees surrounding it, with the rest of the ind covered in a mix of different tree types.


    Soon after, they set off on their journey towards the intimidating wall they had spotted.


    Yet, Famir''s face turned sour after just a few minutes of walking.


    "Look at that."


    Famir pointed towards a massive rock in the distance.


    Orion''s gaze followed, and he was shocked to see a hand protruding from behind the rock. Before they could react, the hand was swiftly yanked back by some unseen force.


    Witnessing this, panic gripped Orion.


    "What happened to the hand?"


    Famir looked at the rock seriously.


    "I think we are in some serious trouble."


    As soon as the words left her mouth, a giant appeared from the side of the rock.


    Standing at double the height of a person, its blue color mirrored the ocean''s deepness. It held a heavy wooden club in one hand, while the other tightly grasped a leg drenched in blood with its fat figure. Its circr face was devoid of any hair, except for a lone horn sticking out of its forehead. However, what was most unsettling was its solitary, sizable eye, focused on them with careful concentration.


    "What the hell is this!"


    Orion eximed as soon as he saw this behemothe out of the rock.

 Chapter 5: 5. System

    <h4>Chapter 5: 5. System</h4>


    "Get back, everyone!"


    Famir''s voice echoed as he hastily retreated.


    Orion and the others didn''t hesitate, sprinting back as fast as their legs could carry them. Their hearts pounded in unison with the frantic rhythm of their footsteps, fleeing from the ominous monster they had just encountered.


    Every rustle of the leaves, every whisper of the wind, seemed to taunt them with the looming threat of the unknown.


    Adrenaline surged through their veins, propelling them forward with a primal instinct to survive. In that moment of terror, there was no room for hesitation, only the instinctive urge to escape the encroaching danger.


    As they ran, Orion nced back and saw the beast seemingly pursuing them, but its speed resembled that of a snail''s crawl, much to Orion''s relief.


    "Look at the rock over there. Go behind it," Famirmanded, pointing ahead.


    Orion turned and spotted a massive rock obstructing their path. Summoning all his strength, he dashed towards it and swiftly took cover behind it, the others following closely behind.


    "What was that? There are monsters here!!" Orion eximed, catching his breath.


    "Indeed. That means we couldn''t rule out the possibility that the whole ind is full of monsters," Ryfin remarked, his back against the rock.


    Orion''s anxiety grew at Ryfin''s words, imagining being trapped on an ind full of such monsters.


    "I hope it''s not," he added, his voice trembling.


    Famir, previously quiet, turned serious as he addressed them.


    "I am going to ask you guys a question, and I request that you answer it truthfully because this may very well decide whether we are going to live through this ordeal or not," Famir said, his tone grave.


    "What is it? If it can really help us survive, then I will definitely tell you," M replied, her impatience evident.


    Famir nodded and revealed something to them.


    "I am from earth, and you guys too, right?" he asked, surprising them.


    "What!" M gasped.


    Orion was stunned to realize that there were others who had also undergone transmigration with him.


    Recalling the scene where he had witnessed about fourteen children shackled in chains, he realized that among them, the four individuals here, including himself, were part of that transmigration event.


    Although Ryfin and M had not explicitly mentioned their transmigration, the shock evident in their expressions upon hearing Famir''s words spoke volumes.


    This led Orion to ponder whether all fourteen children aboard the ship were transmigrants like them.


    ''The possibility is high.''


    Ryfin raised his suspicion over Famir''s knowledge of them being transmigrators.


    "How did you know that all of us are transmigrators? We didn''t tell anyone, and I myself have not thought about such a scenario. I thought that only I was a transmigrator."


    "Wait... I hear something," Famir interrupted, his expression suddenly changing as he nced at the side of the rock.


    As he turned to look at them, his eyes conveyed a sense of dread.


    "That monster is closing in on us. We don''t have time for an ideal charter. So, let me ask you: What talents do you all possess?"


    "Talent?" Orion tilted his head in confusion.


    Ryfin and M replied back and forth at Famir''s words, respectively.


    "I can teleport anywhere in a ten-meter range," Ryfin said.


    "My talent is not that useful, I think, as I only seem to control the branches of trees and make them move," M added.


    Famir nodded as he also mentioned his.


    "I can control lightning, so I will be the main attacker," he said, turning to Orion.


    "What about you?" he asked.


    Orion was totally confused.


    "I don''t know what talent you guys are talking about."


    Famir frowned at him.


    "Didn''t you get your system when you transmigrated?"


    Orion was astonished at Famir''s revtion.


    "Do guys have a system?"


    He was thrilled at the idea of getting a system, but his excitement turned into disappointment when he realized that he was the only one who didn''t get one.


    Famir''s frown deepened at Orion''s question.


    "Are you acting? Because if you really are, then you were probably a famous actor on earth."


    Orion anxiously waved his hands.


    "I am really telling the truth. I don''t have the talent or the system you talk about."


    Famir closed in on Orion and stood in front of him as he grabbed his cor.


    "Are you telling me that whoever transmigrated us gave all of us a system and forgot about you¡ªonly you? Coward. If you don''t want to fight, just say so. Don''t makeme excuses. Pathetic."


    He then pushed him behind, though Orion managed to stabilize as the push wasn''t powerful.


    However, his emotional state was an entirely different matter.


    Orion couldn''t deny that he felt angry at this moment. Anger simmered within him towards the one who hadn''t bestowed upon him the system and towards Famir, who doubted him and treated him in this manner.


    ''Damn you, Famir.''


    He tightened his grip on his fist, pondering the situation.


    Moreover, his resentment towards Famir was based more on his own opinion of Famir''s character rather than the suspicion directed towards himself.


    At first, Orion saw Famir as having a rxed, dependable, and leadership-focused personality. Yet, it seemed that his assessment waspletely wrong.


    ''But what now? What should I do in this situation?''


    Despite his indifference to whether Famir and the others believed him or not, the gravity of their current situation weighed heavily on Orion. Hisck of the system ¡ª his absence of talent ¡ª only made the situation worse for him.


    Recalling the giant that from earlier, he felt fear thinking if there were other monsters like that on this ind.


    And if there were, then even god couldn''t save him in that situation.


    ''Why did I not get a system? Why? You made me fail on earth, made me transmigrate here but you didn''t give me system. Why so unfair to me?''


    He wailed internally, but his questions remained unanswered.


    Famir nced at Orion, who remained silent with his head lowered. Disappointed, he turned his attention to the other two.


    "So, what are your thoughts? Fight or hide?"

 Chapter 6: 6. Talent

    <h4>Chapter 6: 6. Talent</h4>


    M pondered for a moment to answer while Ryfin agreed to fight.


    "Let''s fight."


    Famir nodded and redirected his attention to M, who seemed to be deep in thought. It was clear that she found it difficult to decide if she should participate in battle, as her skills were better suited for assisting others rather than facing someone head-on.


    ''I don''t want to fight but if I don''t then maybe¡ªmaybe they will leave me alone on this ind because of my cowardice.''


    While she pondered the situation, her expression shifted frequently, but Famir, who seemed to be waiting, was unaware of her struggle and had no time to acknowledge it as the beast drew closer


    "Are you going to fight or not?" He asked in urgency.


    M felt overwhelmed with panic as Famir pressured her to choose, knowing she had not yet made a decision. Nevertheless, after witnessing Famir''s resolute look and remembering his response to Orion before, she reluctantly agreed to participate in the battle.


    "I will fight, I will fight."


    A smile appeared on Famir''s face.


    "Good," he said.


    "Now, we will move ording to my n. Ryfin, you teleport in front of him and distract his attention ande back. M, you control some tree vines and wrap it around his legs to hinder his movements."


    As Famir quickly formted a n and assigned roles to the others, Orion, who had been silently observing, interjected with a question.


    "Have you guys tried using your talents before? What if you guys failed to use your talents in the middle of the fight?"


    Famir frowned at Orion''s words. As much as he hated his cowardice, he couldn''t deny what he said.


    Forget Famir, even the other two hadn''t used their talents because they hadn''t gotten any chances during their stay in the pirate ship.


    Yet this didn''t falter Famir''s decision as he had already made up his mind to fight.


    However, the situation appeared different for the other two. Upon hearing Orion''s question, they began to doubt their decision, particrly M, who had made a hasty choice earlier influenced by Famir''s eagerness.


    Orion, catching a glimpse of their contemtive demeanor, couldn''t resist stealing a nce at the rock. He wanted to find other options if their n failed.


    Encircled by thick vegetation on every side, the group found little relief in the small open area where they stood. Tall trees stood above, their branches intertwined to create a natural canopy that filtered the sunlight, casting speckled shadows on the ground of the forest.


    Thendscape was scattered with rocks covered in moss, making footing on the uneven terrain difficult. The forest reverberated with the distant calls of birds as the thick smell of decaying leaves and faint wildflowers filled the air.


    In this peaceful setting, the looming danger of the monster''s arrival lingered ominously, darkening the group''s already fragile state.


    Observing his environment, Orion observed the thick forest surrounding them on all sides, while the open space where they were positioned provided little relief, with scattered boulders ced sporadically.


    His mind was muddled with uncertainty while considering the arrangement of therge rocks. Surrounded by dense vegetation on every side, the puzzling sight of random rocks in this area with few trees continued to confuse him, enveloping the path in secrecy.


    But he didn''t have the time to think about it and focused his eyes on the monster.


    But once he saw it, a shudder ran through him and his face twisted into an expression of pure terror. With an urgent tone, he quickly spoke to them.


    "Let''s run, the monster is here."


    While he was surveying the area, he didn''t see it at first because it was in his blind spot. However, when he shifted fully to the side to view the monster, he then realized it was just a short distance away.


    ***


    Famir shook his head at Orion''s words. He knew the risk of fighting without any training with their talents might result in casualties but he had a n for this beast¡ªthis particr beast.


    "We will fight the monster. We don''t know what type of monsters we will encounterter on this ind and I highly doubt we will get a better training partner than this monster who is as slow as a snail. If our talents don''t work, we can run from it as well. So, there isn''t much risk in it."


    Ryfin contemted Famir''s words carefully.


    He was intrigued by the idea of fighting the monster, especially as he had the system and aspired to level up, like the characters in the games and novels he enjoyed in the same genre.


    Thus, even though he had doubts and worries about his safety, the appeal of possibly obtaining power through fighting was stronger than his caution, causing him to decide to join the others in battle.


    Looking at Famir, Ryfin agreed to fight.


    "I will fight."


    M nodded weakly, her reluctance evident


    In the face of her inner conflict and dread, shecked the bravery to express her wish to evade the uing fight.


    Her fear of letting down Famir and Ryfin, as well as being seen as a coward, pushed her to reluctantly agree to confront the monster.


    ''Damn, we could just run and hide in some ce where you could also try your talents but you have to fight here.''


    Orion cursed them silently.


    On the other hand, Famir took themand.


    "Ryfin go and do what I told you before."


    "M, be ready when Ryfin returns, it''s your turn."


    Ryfin and M both nodded in approval, and shortly after, Ryfin started emitting shades of blue light from his body before disappearing.


    The unexpected disappearance shocked everyone, leaving them amazed and surprised since it was the first time they had seen someone vanish right in front of them.


    Swiftlyposing themselves, they cautiously advanced towards the rock and nced around its edge.


    Surprisingly, they noticed Ryfin standing perilously near the monster''s legs, but the creature remained unaware of him.


    However, Ryfin teleported again, this time positioning himself urately on the monster''s right side.


    At first, therge blue creature was taken aback by the sudden arrival in front of it, but after seeing how small the being was, it rxed and started approaching it.


    Watching the massive figure nearing him, Ryfin tried to use teleportation to return to safety, but was horrified to discover he was unable to aplish the task.


    He made another attempt in desperation, but it was unsessful. Fear overwhelmed him when he understood he was unable to teleport to safety.


    "System, why can''t I teleport myself?"


    [The host''s power level is too low and hasn''t reached the Bronze rank¡ªthe required rank to freely use one''s talent. Therefore, with the measly amount of mana you have in your current level, you could only use two times your teleportation skill until your mana is restored.]


    "Damn!"


    A curse escaped from his lips as he ran back with all his strength.

 Chapter 7: 7. Reality Check

    <h4>Chapter 7: 7. Reality Check</h4>


    As confusion clouded the minds of the other two at the rock due to Ryfin''s actions, Famir saw Ryfin''s predicament as an opportunity. Turning to M, he swiftly formted his n.


    "It''s your turn."


    M''s weak nod marked the start of her attempt as she began to vigorously wave her hands. Little by little, green tendrils started to appear from the ground, looking like twisting snakes slithering out to wrap around the monster''s legs.


    In every direction, the earth obeyed her order, creating vines that quickly wrapped around the huge body of the blue giant, trapping its legs in a green hug.


    Still, Famir and Orion swore when they noticed the vines'' thickness, which seemed as fragile as a nt''s stem to them.


    However, her vines managed to be sessful.


    The giant''s legs were quickly entwined by vines, causing it to be immobilized and unable to move further. The being nced with curiosity at its twisted legs, rendered ineffective by the vines.


    Observing this, Famir realized it was now his chance.


    Famir emerged from the safety of the rock and lifted his right hand in the air.


    Famir''s outstretched hand was surrounded by swirling golden beams of light that danced together to create a concentrated energy mass.


    He focused his determination, molding the pure energy into a lightning bolt that sizzled and flickered in his hand. While he maintained a firm grip on it, shimmering beams of golden electricity emerged from the bolt, surrounding Famir in a stunning disy of energy.


    Famir noticed the monster''s tangled legs and took advantage of the distraction.


    With precision, he carefully aimed his eyes at the target. Preparing for the crucial throw, he adjusted his stance to achieve perfect bnce, ensuring every muscle was ready for action.


    With a smooth movement, he released the lightning bolt, pushing it forward with his determination, trying to hit the creature when it was most defenseless.


    "Boom!"


    The lightning bolt zoomed through the air so fast that it reached sonic speeds, causing a loud boom as it traveled towards its destination.


    The bolt sped ahead with unmatched strength, colliding with the huge creature with a thunderous noise.


    Lightning cascaded through the massive creature, lighting up its silhouette with blinding brightness.


    "Ggghhhh!"


    A pained scream echoed in the atmosphere as the enormous creature writhed in pain, its massive body shaking from the impact of the force.


    In the midst of disorder, the twisting vines tightened their hold, trapping the creature even more in a tormenting web.


    Famir closely observed, his pulse racing with excitement as he saw the result of his strike. He was aware that they needed to take action quickly, while the creature was still vulnerable from the attack.


    "Keep it restrained!" he shouted to M, urging her to maintain control over the vines.


    However, it seemed that his lightning didn''t impact the giant as he had expected.


    He observed the lightning twisting around the creature''s form like a serpent, causing minimal damage and leaving it seemingly unhurt except for the charred spot where the lightning first hit.


    While he thought about his next move, something unusual happened.


    The creature abruptly grabbed its head with its hands and began to shriek loudly.


    "Gggghhhh!"


    Then it began to move its head slowly, as if experiencing some kind of internal agony. Momentster, the movement intensified dramatically, apanied by a piercing scream, giving the impression that the giant was indeed in excruciating pain.


    "Did our attack work?"


    Famir, witnessing the unexpected transformation of the situation, muttered to himself.


    "Is the monster going mad?"


    Observing from a distance, Orion contemted as he gazed at the monster.


    Suddenly, he noticed something glinting in its eye.


    Suddenly, the massive giant''s huge eye lit up in a bright green light, spreading a shining color all over the battlefield. The air buzzed ominously as a scorching heat wave approached Orion and M, its intense heat aimed at them.


    "Duck!"


    Orion shouted a warning as the light in the monster''s eye drew his focus, but the attack happened too quickly for him to respond in time. He had no choice but to instinctively crouch down and shout at M to follow suit.


    Nheless, it seemed that M either didn''t catch Orion''s caution or wasn''t able to respond quickly to his abrupt yell, and she stayed in ce.


    As the heatwave moved onward, its powerful energy pressed heavily on therge rock with relentless strength. With a loud noise, the strong boulder gave way, surrendering to the persistent heat as it dissolved.


    Without any obstacles, the scorching wave continued to move forward, heading directly towards M and surrounding her with its zing warmth. Her torso yielded to the unforgiving heat, slowly melting under its relentless hold until the surge finally started to fade away, unveiling a trail of devastation.


    Orion stood motionless next to him, his eyes filled with terror, watching the tragic event.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    A scream tore from his throat, escaping into the air, as if to punctuate the surreal scene before him.


    Involuntarily, he stumbled backward, his gaze fixated on her lower body¡ªa silent reminder of the devastation wrought by the merciless heatwave.


    The sheer terror that gripped Orion was suffocating, his heart pounding against his ribcage as adrenaline surged through his veins.


    The realization that such a powerful force could obliterate life with no remorse paralyzed him, filling him with a primal fear of the unknown.


    In that moment, as the acrid scent of burning flesh tainted the air, Orion''s world shattered, leaving him trembling in the wake of unimaginable terror.


    At this very moment, he realized this was not a game but their life¡ªtheir very reality.


    ''But how am I going to survive in this world?''


    Fear gripped him as he realized his vulnerability¡ªhe was the weakest, with no special talent or system to rely on. Just an average guy in a world of fantasy, surrounded by monsters that could kill him in the blink of an eye.


    However, as hope waned and despair threatened to engulf him, a whisper pierced the darkness within him, a faint voice echoing in the depths of his being.


    [Congrattions on awakening the system.]

 Chapter 8: 8. Awaken

    <h4>Chapter 8: 8. Awaken</h4>


    During the darkest, most hopeless period of his life, Orion was engulfed in despair until the system''s awakening shone like a brilliant light, breaking through the surrounding darkness.


    ''System!''


    When Orion saw the system revealed before him, he didn''t realize the solitary tear that formed and rolled down his cheek symbolized deep relief and a glimmer of hope.


    ''Finally something that I can work with.''


    Orion took a deep breath, doing his best to regainposure as his mind raced.


    He forced himself to push aside the traumatic images he had just witnessed¡ªthe fate of poor M.


    For now, he had topartmentalize those haunting memories and focus solely on the giant looming before him.


    Currently, the massive giant stayed bent over, holding its head, while deafening screams kepting from its monstrous shape.


    Yet, Orion observed that the giant''s lone, cycloptic eye remained unresponsive even as it cried out in distress.


    ''Eye?''


    As he studied the beast''s massive, unblinking eye, a spark of inspiration struck Orion.


    He swiftly turned his attention to Famir.


    "Famir, hit it with the lightning bolt once again, but aim at its big eye."


    Orion shouted to Famir, who was visibly distraught and struggling to regain hisposure.


    Deep down, he was consumed by self-me for M''s tragic death, tormented by the thought that if he had simply listened to Orion and left this ursed ce, the unfortunate ident may have been averted.


    ''Get a hold of yourself. Now is not the time for this.''


    He forcefully calmed himself down.


    Upon hearing Orion''s words, Famir''s eyes lit up with a newfound glimmer of hope. He berated himself inwardly, wondering why he hadn''t considered Orion''s idea himself.


    Despite this, he felt a surge of thanks for his fast decision-making. Famir gave Orion a positive thumbs-up and then gazed at the massive being with a serious expression.


    As golden lightning started to gather and form, he lifted his right hand up high.


    Electricity bathed his whole body in crackling arcs. His target was the enormous creature''s huge eye, nning to release the powerful strike right into its one-eyed stare.


    Nevertheless, Famir paused when the massive creature iled aggressively, violently swinging its head from side to side. The unpredictable motion hindered the ability to urately aim at the fast-moving target.


    Although he could take a shot at that instant, the likelihood of the lightning bolt hitting the monster''s eye was very low.


    He frowned deeply as he brought down his charged hand and faced Orion, prepared to describe the situation.


    Due to the giant''s frenzied movements, he couldn''t afford to use the charged attack recklessly. There must be an alternative method to coordinate a decisive attack on such an unstable target.


    "I can''t aim at it if it keeps shaking his head."


    Upon hearing Famir describe the giant''s uncontroble thrashing, Orionpsed into a moment of silence, lost in contemtion.


    His gaze swept the surroundings until it settled on a partially melted rock nearby¡ªa remnant from the extreme heatwave they had experienced beforehand.


    Orion immediately walked over and grabbed a fist-sized rock from the still-hot debris of the boulder. As he turned it in his hand, the first thoughts of a n started taking shape in his mind.


    ''I am sure I won''t miss such a big target.''


    Examining the stone carefully, he strategized his attack in his mind. Once prepared, he redirected his attention to the giant running amok.


    Lifting his arm, he aimed carefully, adjusting his position to align his throw correctly. Orion tossed the stone with all his strength, letting out a grunt as he did so.


    The piece of rock flew through the sky in a steep curve before unexpectedly hitting the creature''s enormous stomach with a muffled noise.


    The sudden effect made the huge monster stop holding onto its head right away. It froze, gazing at its belly with a nearlyical and puzzled look, as if questioning what had hit it just now.


    The giant''s temporary confusion served as an adequate distraction.


    In that brief moment of opportunity, Famir took action. A loud explosion could be heard when he released the electrified lightning bolt he had prepared.


    The amazing bolt of electricity appeared suddenly and was aimed straight at the monster''s vulnerable eye.


    Encountering no opposition, the bolt ripped through the giant''s eye socket with a powerful explosion. It kept moving destructively, fiercely boring a burning hole directly through the rear of the creature''s head.


    The massive creature didn''t have a chance toprehend the situation or scream before its enormous body fell lifeless to the ground with a loud thud.


    "We did it!"


    Famir cheered loudly in triumph, releasing a victorious whoop.


    Orion, standing close to the remains of the melted rock, nodded firmly and let out a deep sigh of relief. He started walking towards him.


    Ryfin appeared from behind a different boulder, where he had sought shelter while the battle raged on. He also let out a deep breath, his shoulders visibly easing as the enormous danger was eliminated.


    Nevertheless, as the festivities were starting, an unusual event took ce involving the monster''s lifeless corpse.


    It started shining with a strong, vivid red glow, and in no time, the giant''s body disappeared quickly, transforming into a glimmering red cloud of particles that scattered in the air, leaving them amazed.


    Even though the huge creature had disappeared, it seemed to have left a physical remnants behind. A few items could be seen among the fading red particles.


    "Should we check it out?"


    Famir asked Orion, who arrived before him just now.


    "We might as well. Maybe there will be things that we might need in the future."


    Orion agreed with him. At this moment, Ryfin also joined them.


    The trio slowly moved towards the spot where the giant''s body had vanished entirely. After the persistent red particles vanished, various objects on the ground became visible.


    Initially, they noticed an intricately designed sword shining in the surrounding light.


    Beside the object was an borately carved staff, just a bit taller than a standing person.


    Three bulky volumes were positioned close together, their old leather covers and well-used pages suggesting that they held valuable information.


    Still, the thing that caught their eye right away was a dazzling blue orb, shining with an almost captivating glow. It seemed to be approximately the size of a closed hand, emitting a gentle, energetic hum.


    The three looked at each other with confusion as they were met with a surprising reward after winning a difficult fight with the giant.


    Just what secrets and powersy contained within these mysterious items?

 Chapter 9: 9. Curse

    <h4>Chapter 9: 9. Curse</h4>


    "Do these function as loot when we defeat a monster in a game?"


    With excitement, Ryfin eximed while examining the staff. Fashioned from wood, its top carried a dazzling blue crystal that glowed radiantly.


    "You are correct; these items are indeed drops; however, you are mistaken as this is not a game whatsoever."


    Orion responded by grasping the sword. In this dangerous environment, he was desperately in need of a weapon.


    Famir meticulously studied the books, and after reading the information in them, he got so thrilled that he began shaking uncontrobly.


    "Hey, these are skill books, and after checking with my system, I found out that we can only acquire skills by either creating them or using these books. However, the system also exined that when we use the book, the skill we receive will be random and will be based on our talent."


    He eagerly described the skill system to them.


    "Each of you should take one."


    Famir gave one to Orion and one to Ryfin.


    Once Ryfin grasped the book, a notification popped up in his vision.


    [Do you want to use a skill book?]


    Ryfin nodded with excitement, for as a shut-in gamer, nothing could thrill him more than acquiring a new skill himself.


    However, not everyone shared his tion. Orion''s expression darkened as he eyed the notification that appeared before him.


    [Host can''t use a skill book or skills in particr. For more information, check your status.]


    He hadn''t had the time to check his status earlier because of the battle but now,


    ''Status.''


    [Name - Orion Darkwood


    Rank -


    Talent - Copy Curse


    Curse - Null Body


    Strength -


    Stamina -


    Agility -


    Perception -


    Constitution -


    Mana - Nil (Due to the host''s curse¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Please check your curse for more information.)


    Skills - Nil (Due to the host''s curse¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Therefore, the host is unable to use any skills. Please check your curse for more information.)]


    ''What the hell is this curse? And why are all my stats empty?''


    Orion focused on the curse, and a new window appeared in front of him.


    [Curse ¨C Null Body - A body devoid of any mana, a body that can''t feel any form of mana.]


    ''That''s it? Nothing else? And why do I have a freaking curse on myself? This system is the worst.''


    Cursing the system, he turned to Famir and Ryfin.


    "Guys, do you also have a curse?"


    Famir sighed in relief as Orion asked the question.


    "Thank god, it isn''t me alone who has the curse. At first when I checked my status and saw the curse, I thought I was unlucky but hearing you talk about it seems everyone has this."


    He turned to Ryfin as he said this, confirming whether he had it or not.


    "Don''t look at me. I also have a curse."


    Ryfin gave him a wry smile.


    Famir nodded and pondered for a moment.


    "It seems we have been given a talent and a curse both with the system. Also I noticed my stats are nk and I only have three skill slots. What about you guys?"


    He said this as he looked at them.


    Ryfin nodded to Famir as he confirmed hiis thoughts.


    "Me too and about the stats, I asked the system it said we can only have stats when we reached the Bronze rank."


    He further exined the situation with their stats.


    As for Orion, he vehemently cursed his predicament. His curse had robbed him of any avable skill slots and, worse still, left him without a shred of mana. He pondered how he could grow stronger while shackled by this overwhelming curse.


    However, as he recalled his talent, he cursed that as well, wondering if some higher power toyed with his fate.


    ''What the hell is a copy curse talent? What am I going to do with another person''s curse?''


    But he still checked it.


    [Talent ¨C Copy Curse - Host can copy any curse in the world.


    Requirement ¨C Physical touch with the person whose curse host wants to copy.]


    ''Damn, it would look so much better if the curse word got reced by talent.''


    He couldn''t help but think as he looked at his talent.


    "Orion?"


    Famir asked Orion as he seemed to be busy in his own thoughts.


    "Ah, yes me too. I also have three skill slots."


    Orion lied as he didn''t want them to know about his peculiarity.


    ''But atleast my stats are normal.''


    Sighing he looked at the other two.


    "I will keep the sword."


    "I will take this staff then."


    Ryfin took the staff.


    Famir nodded to them.


    "Take it, my talent doesn''t need any weapons to work with."


    He addressed them, his focus shifting to the final item¡ªa spherical ball.


    Grasping the orb, a notification promptly materialized before his eyes.


    [Do you want to upgrade your rank to Bronze?]


    Famir trembled, his eyes fixated on the notification. He could scarcely believe that this unassuming spherical object held the key to their advancement.


    Turning to the other two with barely contained excitement, he eximed.


    "Guys, I think I found how to upgrade our rank to the Bronze rank."


    Ryfin and Orion both became excited hearing the Famir''s words.


    "How? How?"


    Ryfin asked eagerly.


    Orion''s gaze turned to Famir, his eyes alight with anticipation.


    As Ryfin had mentioned earlier, their stats would only unlock upon reaching the Bronze rank, and it seemed Famir had uncovered the means to advance to that coveted tier.


    Seeing the shared excitement mirrored in the others'' expressions, Famir revealed the discovery.


    "This spherical object in my hand, when I touched it earlier I got the notification to upgrade but I haven''t done it. So, I was asking if I could upgrade first."


    "Yeah go for it. After all, you did the most work in defeating the monster."


    Orion concurred with Famir upgrading himself first. As much as he desired to enhance his own abilities, he could not deny that without Famir''s talent, oveing the giant would prove exceedingly difficult.


    "But not here. Let''s find a safe ce first," Orion cautioned, unwilling to take further risks after their devastating loss.


    Ryfin nodded in agreement, raising no objections to Famir upgrading before them.


    Famir nodded to both of them.


    "Alright. Let''s look for a ce as we continue our exploration of this ind."


    He agreed to go to a safe ce as he didn''t want to repeat the same mistake as he did earlier. Thinking about this, he turned to see that the lower half of M''s body was stillying on the ground.


    "But before that we will bury M properly."


    Famir approached them, addressing them as he walked toward her.

 Chapter 10: 10. Horrifying Upgrade

    <h4>Chapter 10: 10. Horrifying Upgrade</h4>


    In a dimly lit space where sunlight barely reached, three teenagers, aged around fifteen to sixteen years old, stood solemnly.


    Their faces were etched with sorrow as they gazed at the ground, where a makeshift gravey.


    Atop the grave, arge stone was embedded with the name ''M'' inscribed upon it.


    After a moment of silence, they moved to a different part of the cave, leaving the makeshift grave behind.


    The cave they were in seemed to be within arge mountain, with ample space all around them. Moving around was easy, as the cave appeared more spacious than the forest they had been in earlier.


    In the corner where the three kids stood, Famir addressed the other two.


    "I am going to upgrade to the bronze level now."


    Orion and Ryfin both nodded in agreement to Famir''s words. They understood the necessity of having someone strong among them, given the precarious situation they found themselves in.


    "Start the upgrade."


    Famir addressed his system, holding the spherical ball in his hands as he spoke.


    [Initiating Process. Upgrade starting in 3, 2, 1, and start.]


    In that moment, Famir''s body began to emit a golden aura-like hue before he suddenly erupted into screams of agony.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    "Are you alright?"


    "What is going on?"


    Orion and Ryfin were immediately filled with concern as Famir''s screams pierced the air.


    Before they could utter another word, however, they witnessed something horrifying unfold before their eyes.


    They watched in horror as Famir''s body began convulsing, his muscles contorting, and his bones audibly cracking. Unable to withstand the torment, Famir copsed to the ground in agony.


    But that wasn''t the end of the horror they witnessed. A strange and unsettling transformation began to unfold before their eyes.


    Famir''s body seemed to shrink in reverse, his limbs retracting and his hands and legs diminishing in size until only his head remained unchanged.


    Throughout the ordeal, Famir''s screams had not ceased. The excruciating pain he experienced during this transformation was unlike anything he had ever felt in his previous life. It was truly unparalleled in its intensity.


    "What happened to him?"


    Ryfin panicked as he witnessed Famir''s transformation, but he couldn''t help but think that his decision to not upgrade himself at that time had been a wise choice.


    Orion, with a ghastly expression on his face, struggled toprehend what was happening. This transformation was supposed to be an evolution, an upgrade.


    Yet, as he looked at Famir, whose only recognizable feature remained his head, while the rest of his body had transformed into that of a toddler, confusion and horror washed over him.


    While visibly worried, Orion''s panic was tempered by a glimmer of hope. He noticed that the golden aura-like hue surrounding Famir still persisted, leading him to believe that perhaps the transformation process had not yet beenpleted. Therefore, what they were witnessing at that moment might just be a midway result.


    ''I hope it''s as I thought; otherwise, we will be doomed.''


    Orion thought anxiously as he waited, his eyes fixed on Famir, hoping for some sign of rity or resolution.


    After a while, the intensity of the golden hues surrounding Famir''s body increased, and a transformation began to unfold. First, his hands and legs began to twitch before growing back to their original size.


    His previously deformed muscles wriggled as they condensed, while his bones seemed to regenerate and reconstruct themselves. His entire body shook at irregr and odd angles as the transformation progressed.


    After a moment, the transformation process was finallypleted.


    When Orion and Ryfin looked at Famir, they couldn''t believe their eyes. He appeared to be fit like those athletes on Earth, and he even seemed to have grown taller.


    Yet the most noticeable change urred in the part with the least transformation¡ªFamir''s head.


    His hair seemed to have grown significantly, and his face had undergone the most striking transformation. To both Orion and Ryfin, Famir now resembled the handsome actors seen in movies.


    [Congrattions on upgrading your level to bronze rank. Check status for more information.]


    At that moment, Famir, feeling as though he had reached the pinnacle of his life, noticed a notification appear in his field of vision.


    Ignoring the notification for the time being, Famir turned to face Orion and Ryfin, who were looking at him with intense jealousy. He felt confused for a moment, uncertain about the reason behind their reaction.


    "What happened? What''s with that look?"


    Orion waved his hand and posed a question to Famir in return.


    "Nothing; how do you feel? Stronger?"


    "Not just stronger. I feel like every part of my body seems to have improved a lot, even my brain."


    Excitedly, Famir began to exin how he felt after the transformation, but he had even more good news to share with them.


    "And you know what''s the best?"


    "Just tell us, what''s with the suspense?"


    Orion asked, his expression tinged with irritation.


    Famir smiled as he gazed at both of them, then proudly disyed the spherical ball for their inspection.


    "I think you two can also upgrade with this help."


    "What? We can?"


    Ryfin excitedly eximed, but the memory of Famir''s excruciating and bone-chilling upgrade process gave him pause, causing him to doubt whether he should undergo the upgrade himself.


    Seeing Ryfin''s doubtful expression, Famir understood his hesitation and sought to reassure him.


    "Don''t worry about the pain. Think about the gain."


    ''He is right. Think of the gain after the upgrade. I can have my own stats after leveling up. But the pain...''


    Ryfin pondered to himself. Though he desired the upgrade, the fear of the excruciating pain he would have to endure during the process filled him with dread.


    In the end, he sumbed to his gamer instincts.


    "Fine, I will do it."


    At that moment, Orion offered Ryfin a valuable suggestion.


    "Alright, you upgrade first, but not here. Just go to some ce where we can''t hear or see you. Just looking at Famir''s upgrade made me think I will have nightmares tonight."


    Though the suggestion would primarily benefit him, he wouldn''t want to witness a simr scene of that nightmareish transformation again.


    Ryfin nodded solemnly as he looked at them, acknowledging their suggestion.


    "Alright then, I will be back in a while."


    "Just don''t go too far."


    Famir added, watching as Ryfin walked away, his expression thoughtful.

 Chapter 11: 11. Electrostatic Disruption

    <h4>Chapter 11: 11. Electrostatic Disruption</h4>


    Seeing that Ryfin was gone, Orion''s eyes shone with excitement as he turned to Famir, focused on his own agenda.


    "You look pretty handsome and fitpared to before."


    He said this to Famir as he drew closer, his eyes sparkling with intensity.


    ''What''s with that look?''


    Famir interpreted Orion''s demeanor and words as something entirely different.


    "Hey, you are not ''those'' guys, right?"


    He replied cautiously as he took a step back, sensing the gravity of Orion''s approach.


    "What do you mean ''those''?"


    Orion appeared confused by Famir''s response, reaching out to touch Famir''s shoulder with his hand.


    [Do you want to copy curse - Electrostatic Disruption?]


    ''Yes.''


    [You have copied the curse - Electrostatic Disruption. Check status for more information.]


    "Back off. I am not into guys."


    At that moment, Famir shouted, feeling a surge of dread greater than when facing the giant monster earlier.


    "What? No! I was just checking your muscles."


    Orion eximed as he also stepped back, taken aback by Famir''s odd words.


    Famir eyed Orion with suspicion. Turning away, he settled against the cave wall, keeping a watchful, wary gaze fixed on him.


    "I am going to check my stats. Don''t disturb me."


    "Yeah go. I have my own things to do."


    Agreeing, Orion also sat down and opened his status to inspect his new curse.


    ''Status.''


    [Name - Orion Darkwood


    Rank -


    Talent - Copy Curse


    Curse - Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption


    Strength -


    Stamina -


    Agility -


    Perception -


    Constitution -


    Mana - Nil (Due to the host''s curse¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Please check your curse for more information.)


    Skills - Nil (Due to the host''s curse ¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Therefore, the host is unable to use any skills. Please check your curse for more information.)]


    Looking at his status, Orion noticed an additional curse had appeared in his curse section, leaving him unsure whether he should feel sad or happy about it. Nheless, he proceeded to check what it entailed.


    [Electrostatic Disruption ¨C It''s a curse designed for those with lightning affinity. Using lightning continuously would make their bodies filled with electrostatic energy causing chaos and disturbance within them.]


    ''That''s it? Then what is the benefit of me copying this curse? Or is there no benefit at all and I can only copy their curse to store inside my body?''


    He felt a wave of sadness and hopelessness wash over him as he contemted the situation. In a desperate attempt to improve his circumstances, he had hoped that copying someone else''s curse might offer a solution.


    However, he quickly realized that he was wrongpletely wrong.


    ''What should I do now? Without any talent, I will be pretty much useless here.''


    Panic consumed his entire being as he faced the dread of his situation. He realized that being powerless in a world ruled by monsters spelled certain doom.


    Recalling the horrific scene of M''s death, he couldn''t shake the feeling that his fate would mirror hers.


    ''But I just got transmigrated, and I don''t want to die now.''


    Fear overwhelmed himpletely. Aware of hisck of control of his power and the dominance of terrifying monsters in the world, he realized he was in significant trouble.


    His heart raced like a sprinter, pounding hard against his chest. Sweaty palms clenched into tight fists, and his breaths came in short, shallow gasps. Trembling uncontrobly, he could feel the chill of fear coursing through his veins, making every hair on his body stand on end.


    ''What can I do if we were to face some more monsters again?''


    Despair filled himpletely as he thought of his situation.


    Yet, in all this despair, there was a glimmer of hope, a notion that rang particrly true for Orion.


    Famir noticed something peculiar as he examined his stats. Turning his attention to Orion, he noticed small stones, each the size of his fist, hovering up and down while Orion kept his head bowed in despair.


    ''So, this is his talent; what is its name again?... Telekinesis?''


    He was surprised when he looked at it. Then he remembered how Orion said he hadn''t awakened his system, and he recalled M''s death. His mood darkened, thinking that if Orion had used his talent back then, maybe M wouldn''t have died.


    ''No, I have to trust Orion too. He said he didn''t awaken his system, so it must be that he awakened it after the battle with the monster.''


    Famir shook his head, attempting to refrain from ming Orion, yet he failed to grasp that the seed of doubt had already taken root within him.


    Setting the issue aside, he inquired about Orion''s talent, seeking confirmation if it aligned with his thoughts.


    "Orion, is your talent telekinesis?"


    "Huh?"


    Orion, seemingly despairing about his life, initially interpreted Famir''s words as mocking hisck of talent. However, as soon as he turned his head to look at Famir, his eyes were captivated by the stones floating in the air.


    For a moment, he questioned his senses, pondering how stones could autonomously float in the air.


    Yet, in that instant, his thoughts shifted to Famir''s earlier words, and now, as he observed the scene before him, he connected the dots and grasped the situation entirely.


    ''I can make things float in the air.''


    Surprised by this revtion, Orion witnessed the floating stones losing their enchantment as they fell down.


    However, instead of feeling disheartened, his face radiated with joy, for he had unraveled the mystery behind their levitation.


    "Electrostatic energy can be used as a telekinesis if one knows how to manipte that energy.''


    Delighted, he contemted how to reactivate his curse, but in his excitement, he seemed to have overlooked something important.


    "Orion?"


    Hearing his name, Orion then remembered Famir as he turned to him.


    "Ah, right. Sorry, I was thinking about some things. So, you were asking if my talent is rted to telekinesis, right? Then you, my friend, are indeed correct, hahaha."


    Orion hastily answered Famir as heughed awkwardly.


    Famir nodded with suspicion as he nced at Ryfin. He debated whether to share his own stats but ultimately decided to wait until Ryfin finished his upgrade. By doing so, they couldpare their statsprehensively and identify any differences between them.

 Chapter 12: 12. Skeletons

    <h4>Chapter 12: 12. Skeletons</h4>


    Orion found himself pondering how his electrostatic energy had worked, realizing he had done so unconsciously.


    He picked up a stone from the ground and stared at it intently, willing it to levitate, but nothing happened. It stayed still, unmoved by his desperate efforts.


    Frustration boiled within him as he realized his failure. He had hoped that maybe, just maybe, he could tap into his hidden reserve of strength, but it seemed that even the simplest of tasks eluded him.


    ''How did it workst time?''


    Confused, he tried every trick up his sleeve but failed measurably.


    Despite his best efforts, nothing seemed to work, leaving him increasingly bewildered and desperate.


    ''Curse those who have skills. They just think, and their skills work. And here am I, trying all sorts of things to even know how to use my talent or curse.''


    He felt frustrated by his power, which seemed to elude him no matter how hard he tried to harness it. It felt like grasping at shadows, always just out of reach when he needed it most.


    "Guys, skeletons! There are skeletons here!"


    However, at that moment, a shout broke Orion from his deep thoughts.


    Looking up, he saw Ryfin running towards them, but he couldn''tprehend what he meant by "skeletons" until a momentter, when he saw three skeletons trailing behind Ryfin, likely in pursuit.


    To his horror, these skeletons, devoid of any flesh or muscle, raced across the ground with an eerie swiftness, their bony legs moving with surprising agility.


    In their skeletal hands, they wielded gleaming swords, their empty eye sockets fixating on their prey with an unsettling gaze.


    Despite theirck of flesh, the skeletons moved with a haunting grace, their rattling bones echoing through the air as they closed in on them when Ryfin approached them.


    "Prepare for battle."


    Famir shouted as he raised his hand, beginning to condense his lightning bolt. Meanwhile, Orion panicked at the side, unsure of what to do in this situation since he couldn''t use his powers at all.


    "I can hold them in ce, you guys attack."


    Ryfin shouted to Famir and Orion, raising his staff and pointing at the three iing skeletons.


    "Space Lock."


    As if he had cast a spell, the three skeletons suddenly froze in their tracks, their bone-white forms immobilized as if trapped in invisible shackles. No matter how they struggled, their limbs remained motionless, as if bound by an unseen force.


    Observing this, Orion sighed in relief. However, his attention was soon captured by the trembling stones around his feet, as if he were a giant stomping on the ground. Despite his stillness since the arrival of the skeletons, the stones continued to tremble persistently, stirring a growing unease within him.


    ''Is it the result of electrostatic energy? But how did it activate itself when I tried so many methods and still failed?''


    "Boom!"


    His thoughts were interrupted by a booming sound, prompting Orion to turn his head just in time to witness a lightning bolt striking the group of three skeletons.


    In the dim light of the cave, a golden light shed for a moment.


    With a sudden jolt, the skeletons copsed to the ground, their brittle bones shattering upon impact. Limbs disjointed and fractured, bone fragments scattered in all directions, creating a macabre scene of disarray.


    "Thank god, it''s over."


    Ryfin sighed in relief, but it appeared he had spoken too soon, as something unsettling urred to the bones scattered over the area.


    As if possessed by dark magic, the shattered bones of the fallen skeletons began to stir, drawn together by an unseen force. Piece by piece, they joined and fused, forming a towering figure twice the size of the original skeletons.


    With four arms now instead of two, the amalgamation bristled with menace, each hand wielding a deadly weapon¡ªthree swords gleaming with malevolence and a bone spear poised for attack.


    However, what was most horrifying was its blood-red eye socket, gleaming in the darkness of the cave.


    While the source of their terror was the aura emanating from it, which was far more frightening than that of the giant they had encountered earlier,.


    Witnessing such a monstrous transformation, the three of them began trembling with fear. Their bodies froze in terror, and their minds struggled toprehend the horrifying spectacle unfolding before them.


    In the face of such overwhelming aura, rational thought abandoned them, leaving only primal instinct urging them to flee from the nightmare that hade to life.


    But the paralysis of fear held them captive, rooted to the spot as the monstrous entity loomed closer.


    It wasn''t their fault that they felt fear upon seeing something like this. Before transmigration, they were no more than humans on Earth. In their former lives, they had never encountered such unearthly horrors and never imagined that such abominations could exist beyond the realm of myth and legend.


    The sudden confrontation with the unknown shook them to their core, once again reminding them of their vulnerability in a world far stranger and more perilous than they had ever imagined.


    Even though they had fought against the giant, it had been a long-distance battle where they maintained a safe distance. However, the skeleton menace now stood right in front of them, presenting a much more immediate and terrifying threat.


    ''Move, move your body, damn it.''


    Famir internally screamed at himself to move, but it was as if his body had been seized by an invisible force, rendering him unable to budge no matter how hard he tried.


    Meanwhile, Ryfin''splexion drained of color, his trembling hand releasing his precious staff, which ttered to the ground as he watched in horror as the menacing figure drew closer.


    On the other hand, Orion appeared as though he had seen a ghost. His face contorted in terror, his body trembling uncontrobly as his mind grappled with fear.


    ''Am I going to die?... Maybe this is myst thought.''


    He could only think in terror as he watched the skeleton draw closer.


    The trio found themselves rendered useless, overwhelmed by fear in the face of the monstrous skeleton.


    Despite their best efforts to move, they remained rooted to the spot, as if fate had sealed their doom at the hands of the menacing skeleton.

 Chapter 13: 13. Control

    <h4>Chapter 13: 13. Control</h4>


    ''No, no. I don''t want to die.''


    Trembling and panicking, Orion murmured to himself as he watched the skeleton giant approach them. Unaware that the trembling of the stones beneath his feet had intensified, the number and size of the stones had also increased.


    They seemed on the verge of flying out at any moment, but something was preventing them from doing so.


    At this moment, as the skeleton approached them, Orion noticed it gravitating towards Ryfin, who appeared to be the closest to it.


    ''Damn it.''


    He cursed inwardly as he witnessed the scene, feeling powerless to intervene. In that moment, he harbored a deep resentment towards whoever had bestowed this power upon him.


    Before long, the skeleton giant loomed in front of Ryfin, who seemed to have lost hisposure, staring nkly at it.


    Famir could only watch from the side as the skeleton approached Ryfin. His mind flooded with memories of M''s death, which he still vividly remembered, ming himself for it.


    ''No. Not Ryfin too.''


    He screamed internally, attempting to move with all his strength, but to no avail. His body remained immobile, trapped by the increasing aura emitted by the skeleton as it closed the distance between them, making it even more difficult to move.


    In despair, he watched as the skeleton raised its sword and brought it down toward Ryfin.


    ***


    "NOOOOO!"


    Orion, also witnessing the scene, screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been flipped. The stones at his feet, as well as therger ones nearby, started trembling and began to float in the air. In no time, all of these stones, big and small, flew towards the skeleton like bullets through the air.


    "Bam!"


    The skeleton was bombarded with stones of various sizes, then hit byrger ones, causing its skeleton body to be sted back and crash onto the other side of the wall.


    Strangely, it appeared as though the stones had a mind of their own; they floated back and rammed into the skeleton as it attempted to stand up, shattering its bones.


    Despite its efforts to stand up, the skeleton continued to be bombarded repeatedly until all its bones were shattered into fragments, rendering it unable to move.


    Orion finally sighed in relief as he noticed the skeleton no longer attempted to stand up.


    In that moment, he also came to understand something important about his powers.


    ''It seemed my power only responds to me when I feel negative emotions.''


    ***


    As the lifeless skeleton fell, the oppressive aura lifted, and all three slumped to the ground, gasping for air. Waves of relief washed over them as they realized the immediate danger had passed, but the ordeal had taken its toll on them.


    Exhausted and shaken, theyy on the ground, trying to catch their breath and process the harrowing experience. The tension that had gripped their bodies like a vise slowly dissipated, leaving them drained both physically and emotionally.


    "You did a good job, Orion. Also, thanks for saving our lives here."


    Famir thanked Orion once he had calmed down a little.


    Orion nodded in acknowledgment, but he wasn''t in a good mood. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he would always have to be in despair to even use his powers on a regr basis.


    ''That''s such a sh*t power.''


    On the side, Ryfin also appeared to have calmed down, but his expression remained solemn. His furrowed brows suggested he was deep in thought, pondering something important.


    "Ryfin, give me the spherical ball, I am going to upgrade myself too."


    Orion requested the ball, intending to upgrade himself before figuring out how to use his powers without falling into despair.


    Ryfin threw the ball to Orion, who caught it and headed toward a suitable location to undergo his upgrade.


    "Don''t go too far."


    Famir reminded.


    Orion nodded silently before disappearing from their sight.


    ***


    He appeared at a location not far from them and sat down, addressing the system.


    "Start the upgrade."


    [Initiating Process. Upgrade starting in 3, 2, 1 and start.]


    Intense pain overtook him as soon as he began the upgrade process. Like Famir, his body started to dpose, deconstruct, and reverse growth, but his head remained unchanged. Despite his efforts to hold back his scream, the pain became unbearable, and he finally let out a scream.


    "Aaghhh!"


    After a while, his body began to reconstruct itself, growing back to its regr size, and the pain gradually subsided. He knew then that he had sessfully upgraded his rank.


    He nced at the spherical ball that had once held immense power to facilitate their upgrades, but now ity in his hand as nothing more than a pile of dust.


    At this time, a notification appeared in his vision.


    [Congrattions on upgrading your level to bronze rank. Check your status for more information.]


    ''I feel so much stronger than before. It''s like I am a new person all together.''


    Sensing his strength, he checked his status.


    ''Status.''


    [Name - Orion Darkwood


    Rank - Bronze


    Talent - Copy Curse - 1%


    Curse - Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption


    Strength - 10


    Stamina - 10


    Agility - 10


    Perception - 10


    Constitution - 10


    Mana - Nil (Due to the host''s curse¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Please check your curse for more information.)


    Skills - Nil (Due to the host''s curse ¡ªNull Body, host isn''t be able to feel any form of mana. Therefore, the host is unable to use any skills. Please check your curse for more information.)]


    Looking at his previously empty stats, which were now filled with 10, Orion found himself pondering something.


    ''If previously all my stats were 0¡ªhence it appeared empty¡ªthen now all of them have been added by 10.''


    But soon, he caught a glimpse of his talent, and to his surprise, he noticed a new addition: a 1% appeared beside his talent, "Copy Curse," which hadn''t been there thest time he saw it.


    ''1%, what does it mean? Why has it suddenly appeared? Thest time I checked my system, I am pretty sure, there wasn''t anything like that.''


    He pondered for a moment but couldn''t make any sense of it at all.


    Then he recalled what Famir had mentioned about asking the system questions regarding skills and how it had provided answers. Drawing upon that, he decided to do the same.


    ''System, what is the percentage beside my talent?''


    In that moment, a voice sounded in his head.


    [It represents your mastery over your talent. If it doesn''t reach 10%, then you won''t be able to upgrade to the next level¡ªIron rank. Simrly, to upgrade from iron rank to silver rank, you will have to have your talent at 20% mastery; otherwise, you can''t upgrade.]


    Orion understood now that the system exined to him.


    ''It seems I will have to increase the mastery of my talent, and seeing that it has increased to 1% on its own means it isn''t difficult.''


    He thought, attributing his increased mastery to his sudden outburst against the skeleton.


    At that moment, another question arose in his mind.


    ''System, why has my system awakened sotepared to others?''


    [Your body doesn''t possess even a bit of mana, which was required to awaken the system. So, the system took an alternate route and awakened itself when you were inplete despair by using the power of your curse.]


    Orion grasped the implication of what the system meant, but he still seemed puzzled about something.


    ''What is the power of the curse you said earlier?''


    [I can''t exin that. I can only exin things rted to your status.]


    ''It seems I will have to find that myself.''


    Sighing, he contemted his next course of action.

 Chapter 14: 14. Dimensional dissonance

    <h4>Chapter 14: 14. Dimensional dissonance</h4>


    After a moment of contemtion, he reached for the sword that had been strapped around his waist all this time.


    ''Let''s see if I can use my power effectively.''


    Orion held the sword in his hands, focusing his thoughts on something dark. He recalled how M''s death had affected him, reying the moment of her demise and the overwhelming feelings of despair, hopelessness, and fear that had consumed him ever since he transmigrated.


    As he delved into these emotions, Orion noticed his sword starting to float above his hands. With steady concentration, he began to control its movement, allowing it to revolve around himself. To his surprise, he seeded, watching as the sword circled around him.


    However, his attention was soon drawn to the small stones at his feet, which began trembling once again as they floated up and followed the sword in its revolution.


    ''It seems I can control anything that doesn''t have too much weight.''


    He was excited as he thought about this, but as soon as he allowed himself to feel that delight, both the stones and the sword fell to the ground.


    However, Orion didn''t let this setback dishearten him. Instead, he realized that he had finally unlocked the key to controlling his powers.


    He understood that he needed to keep his emotions in check when using them; otherwise, they wouldn''t work as intended.


    ''It''s tough, but this is something I can work with.''


    A whileter, Orion decided to return.


    However, as he approached their location, he noticed a yellow light illuminating the entire area.


    ''What happened?''


    Running quickly, he approached them, only to find Famir and Ryfin engaged in conversation beside a pit of fire.


    "Orion, what''s your stats?"


    Upon seeing Orion return, Famir asked a question, his expression curious or expectant.


    "10 in all."


    Orion replied as he joined them, taking a seat. However, at that moment, his stomach growled audibly.


    "Hungry? We are, too. But we can only look for something to eat during the day tomorrow."


    Famir gave a wry smile in response to the growl, while Orion nodded and turned to address the two of them.


    "So, you guys also got 10 in all stats?"


    "Yeah, only 10."


    Famir nodded in agreement as he responded.


    At that moment, Ryfin, who had kept his head down for a while, suddenly stood up and directed his gaze towards the two of them.


    "We almost died just now, and I don''t want to repeat what happened a while earlier. That feeling of death being so close to me made me aware of something."


    Ryfin''s expression turned serious as he proceeded to speak further.


    "We are weak¡ªpitifully weak. We aren''t safe here, and nobody knows when we will be attacked again by these monsters. So, I am suggesting we train ourselves and prepare for any situation we may face in the future."


    Orion nodded in agreement, sharing Ryfin''s sentiment. He too wanted to delve deeper into the exploration of his curse¡ªElectrostatic Disruption he got from Famir.


    Thinking of this, he thought he hadn''t copied the curse of Ryfin.


    ''Might as well do it.''


    Standing up, he approached Ryfin and touched his shoulder as he spoke to him.


    "I agree with you."


    Famir also nodded as he stood up.


    Ryfin addressed the two of them, noting their agreement.


    "Alright, let''s first train ourselves before we go looking for some weak monsters to fight."


    Orion nodded in acknowledgment as he made his way to the ce where he had defeated the skeleton. He carefully searched through the ruins until he retrieved three swords from the debris.


    "Need it?"


    He asked the other two.


    "Give me one."


    Ryfin took one of the swords, initially opting for the wand due to his low mana reserves, which limited his teleportation abilities.


    However, after his upgrade, he realized that his mana had increased sufficiently for continuous teleportation for a period of time.


    Therefore, he concluded that he no longer needed the staff but something that could be used for attack. Hence his decision to take one of Orion''s swords.


    Giving the sword to Ryfin, Orion went to the side as he opened his status.


    ''Status.''


    [Name - Orion Darkwood


    Rank - Bronze


    Talent - Copy Curse - 1%


    Curse - Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption, Dimensional Dissonance


    Strength - 10


    Stamina - 10


    Agility - 10


    Perception - 10


    Constitution - 10


    Mana - Nil (Due to the host''s curse¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Please check your curse for more information.)


    Skills - Nil ( Due to the host''s curse ¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Therefore, the host is unable to use any skills. Please check your curse for more information.)]


    ''So, this is his curse. Let''s see what it does.''


    [Curse ¨C Dimensional Dissonance - This curse intermittently phases the individual''s body in and out of dimensions or spatial nes, causing moments of intangibility and disorientation. This instability makes it challenging to interact with the environment and control powers effectively.]


    ''The side-effects are too severe.''


    As Orion continued to concentrate, a doubt crept into his mind as he considered the exnation of his curse.


    ''Curses are primarily known for harming people''s bodies if they overuse their talents,'' he mused, ''but when ites to me, I used the curse of Electrostatic Disruption, and nothing happened to me at all. So, does that mean curses don''t apply to me, or perhaps it didn''t work because I don''t have lightning affinity?''


    He pondered it for a moment before recalling some negative aspects of his own curse.


    ''Because of my own curse, I can''t seem to feel any form of mana,'' Orion contemted. ''So perhaps whatever disturbances and side effects these curses would have brought, they were unable to affect me, as they may manifest in the form of mana, which my body cannot perceive at all.''


    Contemting this aspect of his curse, he felt torn. On one hand, it allowed him to use curses without experiencing any side effects. On the other hand, it prevented him from using his skills. He couldn''t decide whether to appreciate this aspect of his curse or not.


    ''I will practice Dimensional Dissonanceter. First, let me be an expert in using the Electrostatic Disruption curse.''


    Thinking it over, Orion gathered all three swords in his hands. One he retrieved from the item after killing the giant, and the other two from the skeletons.


    He concentrated, once again delving into dark thoughts, attempting to induce despair. As he did so, he noticed the three swords starting to float up. Allowing them to circle around him, they floated and revolved around him in a mesmerizing disy of control.


    ''This can''t be the only thing I can do with Electrostatic Disruption, right?''


    He continued to concentrate on inducing despair, trying hard not to let his thoughts be distracted.


    ''ording to the science on earth, electrostatic energy is mainly responsible for the attraction and repulsion of objects. So, can I do the same?''


    On Earth, he had majored in physics, so he had some understanding of electrostatic energy. However, he struggled toprehend how to manipte attraction and repulsion, as making things float seemed to work more instinctively for him.


    ''There has to be some way I could control the electrostatic energy in my body. If I can do that, then I think I can figure out the attraction and repulsion easily.''


    He pondered over how to control the electrostatic energy within his body, realizing that mastering this ability could significantly increase his strength.

 Chapter 15: 15. Training

    <h4>Chapter 15: 15. Training</h4>


    ''Should I meditate?''


    Orion contemted his options. He had heard that in ancient times, people concentrated while meditating to control their inner selves.


    However, his main reason for considering meditation wasn''t solely based on this. Instead, it wasrgely influenced by the numerous novels he had read, where meditation was depicted as a method to easily control one''s powers.


    ''Might as well do it.''


    Seated cross-legged, he managed to calm himself entirely, but at that moment, a thought urred to him.


    ''If I calm myself down then how will I be in despair to activate Electrostatic Disruption?''


    Once again, a problem arose, but he chose to ignore it, opting to focus on the present moment instead.


    ''Whatever, I will just be in despair and try to see if I can control the energy or not.''


    With that, he surrendered once more to despair, grasping a sword tightly in his right hand. His intention was clear: to wield the power of repulsion within this de.


    Closing his eyes, he concentrated, allowing a torrent of negative thoughts to flood his mind.


    Before long, he found himself enveloped in the darkness of his despair, a void where nothing seemed to exist.


    Yet amidst the eerie silence, his gaze was drawn to something¡ªa flicker of light amidst the shadows.


    Turning around, he beheld two orbs of light gleaming in the darkness. One radiated a pure white glow, while the other emitted a mesmerizing blend of red and blue hues. Yet, despite their brilliance, they paled inparison to the oppressive darkness surrounding him.


    Fixing his gaze upon the orbs, Orion became certain that the red and blue ones belonged to the Electrostatic Disruption.


    Focused intently on the red and blue sphere, he advanced step by step, drawing nearer to it.


    Suddenly, as he closed in, the sphere began to tremble and pulsate erratically before erupting into a dazzling disy of blue and red particles, scattering them throughout the darkness.


    It was as if a fireworks disy had ignited, casting a radiant glow that illuminated the entire void.


    ''I am back?''


    Soon after, he found himself inexplicably emerging from the darkness, as if transitioning seamlessly from mesmerizing the spectacle of shimmering red and blue particles to suddenly returning to his own body in an instant.


    ''Something happened to the Electrostatic Disruption ball of light there. It scattered into the darkness all of a sudden. But what can it mean for me? Can I use my powers effectively now?''


    With a determined gaze, he focused his attention on the sword in his grasp, willing it to be repelled backwards.


    To his astonishment, crimson hues of light began to emanate from the de before it was forcefully wrenched from his grip, soaring through the air until it impaled itself into the wall directly across from him.


    ''It worked!''


    Excitement surged within him as he beheld the sword firmly lodged in the wall before him.


    ''Let''s try attraction.''


    With intense concentration, he directed his focus to his right hand, which soon began to emit a gentle blue glow.


    Next, he turned his attention to the sword handle, causing it to also illuminate with the same blue hue.


    Before long, the sword embedded in the wall began to quiver uncontrobly, then swiftly flew out from its position, disappearing in a sh before reappearing in Orion''s waiting hands.


    Witnessing this remarkable feat, his eyes sparkled with excitement and wonder.


    ''It''s so cool.''


    Filled with excitement at the discovery of his newfound abilities, he realized the potential of harnessing attraction and repulsion to great effect.


    Throughout the night, he dedicated himself to training these powers.


    It was not only Orion who was training, but Ryfin and Famir were also practicing refusing to rest as they remained vignt, wary of the potential threat of another monster encroaching upon their territory.


    ***


    In the morning of the next day, the trio went on a searching mission for monsters¡ªmonsters that they could kill.


    "Guys, I think this cave or whatever we are in is definitely the ce for those skeletons; otherwise, we wouldn''t have encountered them here."


    Famir nced at the other two, then proceeded to share his thoughts.


    Ryfin, wearing a serious expression, chimed in with his own thoughts on the matter.


    "What I know from games is that skeletons usually don''te to life all by themselves. They have to be revived by some necromancer or someone like that."


    Orion frowned at Ryfin''s words.


    "So, are you saying someone attacked usst night and it wasn''t just a mere ident?"


    Ryfin nodded, his suspicions growing stronger ever since their initial attack.


    He pondered the possibility that, just as they had acquired powers like space magic and the ability to wield lightning, there might exist individuals capable of raising the dead to serve their whims.


    Although it was merely spection, something else had urred to him that bolstered this belief.


    Ryfin turned his gaze towards Orion and Famir, exining to them why he found this notion increasingly usible.


    "Remember the giant we killedst time?"


    Orion and Famir nodded in understanding as Ryfin continued.


    "It had dropped skill books, weapons, and that spherical core we used it to upgrade, but this monster didn''t. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe all the monsters don''t drop things, but what if I am true?"


    Orion and Famir''s expressions shifted to seriousness as they listened to Ryfin. His words carried weight, suggesting a usible truth rather than mere spection.


    "That''s why I decided to kill monsters. That way, we can also gain experience in fighting and will also know if what I said is true or not."


    As their conversation continued, they emerged from the cave into the vast expanse of the jungle, its dense canopy of trees stretching out endlessly before them.


    Famir gazed at the towering trees, inhaling the crisp morning air, before turning to Orion and Ryfin, his expression shifting to one of seriousness.


    "I think all the other kids who were with us and the pirates were also stuck on the ind. So, we have to be careful if we encounter them. Also, our goal for today will be to find some food, hunt some monsters if we can, and finally move towards the center of the ind, where that tall wall is, in the hope that we can escape this hell."


    Orion and Ryfin nodded with a grave expression.


    Amidst a forest teeming with monsters, their driving force was the hope, however faint, that at the heart of the ind, they might discover something¡ªa potential means of escape from this perilous realm infested with monsters.

 Chapter 16: 16. Hunting Goblins

    <h4>Chapter 16: 16. Hunting Goblins</h4>


    In the depths of the forest, three figures moved with caution.


    Leading the group was a figure wielding a sword, followed by a young individual with peculiar hair, and bringing up the rear was a youth with three swords secured around his waist.


    These were none other than Ryfin, Famir, and Orion.


    They moved in close proximity to one another, navigating through the shifting shadows cast by the sunlight filtering through the forest canopy.


    Remarkably, they had not encountered any monsters for nearly an hour, a stroke of luck they deeply appreciated.


    Unfortunately, they also failed to find any sustenance. The trees around them seemed tall and dense, devoid of any edible fruits.


    Adding to their misfortune, they hadn''t stumbled upon any small animals like rabbits that they could catch and cook for a meal.


    At that moment, Ryfin voiced his frustration.


    "We''ve been trekking for two hours now, and we haven''t found a thing¡ªnot even monsters."


    Famir responded with a shake of his head.


    "No need toin. At least we haven''t encountered any high-level monsters."


    Reluctantly, Ryfin nodded.


    "True, it''s almost as if there are only two types of monsters on this ind: the giant and the skeletons that we encountered earlier and not anything else."


    "Shh, quiet for a moment."


    Orion, trailing at the rear, suddenly interjected, his attention drawn to a faint sound.


    "There''s something to our left," he whispered to the group.


    Famir, now fully alert, furrowed his brows.


    "I heard it too."


    "Let''s investigate."


    Ryfin took the lead, with Famir and Orion close behind.


    On tiptoe, they advanced cautiously to their right until they finallyid eyes on what they had been searching for.


    In the space nestled between two towering trees, the scene unfolded before them.


    Two humanoid creatures, slender and green in appearance, with pointed ears and small stature, were in pursuit of an unusual sight: a rabbit with two heads instead of one.


    "It''s goblins!"


    Ryfin eximed in a hushed tone as he caught sight of them.


    "This could be our perfect first battle," he continued, drawing on his knowledge from games.


    "Goblins aren''t strong and can be easily dispatched."


    Famir nodded in agreement, already formting a n.


    "Orion and I will take the first shot from a distance. If they''re still standing, you''ll teleport in for the finishing blow," he directed towards Ryfin, who and Orion both nodded in agreement.


    "Alright, let''s do this."


    Famir''s right hand crackled with a golden lightning bolt, casting a brilliant glow over their surroundings, while Orion''s sword began to hover in the air, poised for action.


    "You go for the left one, and I''ll take the right," Orion directed Famir as his sword darted towards the goblin on the right with the grace of a gentle breeze, cleanly severing its head. Green liquid gushed from the decapitated body like a fountain.


    Simultaneously, a faint thunderp apanied a streak of golden light as it pierced through the left goblin, leaving a burning hole in its body.


    Unexpectedly, the lightning bolt, having dispatched the goblin, veered towards them.


    "Watch out!"


    Orion shouted, preparing to intercept the bolt midair with his sword.


    "Step aside, you two."


    Without hesitation, Famir pushed Orion and Ryfin to the side just as the lightning bolt surged towards them and with quick reflexes, he caught the bolt back in his hand.


    "What just happened? Why did the lightning bolte back?"


    Orion inquired, puzzled by the unexpected turn of events.


    Famir, feeling a twinge of embarrassment, exined.


    "I had a thought¡ªif you can control your sword, why can''t I do the same with my lightning bolt? So, when the bolt killed the goblin, Imanded it to return, though I wasn''t sure it wouldply. Surprisingly, it did."


    Orion nodded in acknowledgment, but his attention was soon drawn to Ryfin''s shout.


    "Guys, look! The goblins are disappearing," Ryfin eximed.


    Turning their gaze towards the scene, Orion and Famir witnessed the goblins disintegrating into red light particles before vanishing into thin air.


    "They''ve left behind two spherical balls, just like the giant did. Looks like we can upgrade ourselves again," Ryfin eximed excitedly as he moved towards the orbs.


    Orion and Famir followed suit, but upon closer inspection, they noticed that these balls were smaller than the one retrieved from the giant.


    "Why are they so small?" Orion wondered aloud, eyeing the balls in Ryfin''s hands.


    Famir pondered for a moment before offering an exnation: "I''m not sure, but I think it''s rted to the size of the monsters. The giant we defeated was massive, so its core was equallyrge. These goblins were much smaller, hence the smaller cores."


    Orion considered Famir''s reasoning and found it usible.


    Meanwhile, Ryfin''s eyes gleamed with excitement as he interjected, "Guys, the system just gave me a notification to absorb them. But it didn''t mention anything about upgrading, so I think absorbing these will increase our stats."


    "Really!?"


    Famir and Orion both eximed, visibly thrilled by the prospect.


    "But there are only two."


    Orion pointed out, noting the number of balls avable.


    Famir sighed and gestured to the others.


    "I upgraded firstst time, so this time, you two go ahead and increase your stats."


    Orion and Ryfin exchanged nods of appreciation with Famir as they quickly reached out to grasp one core each.


    As Orion held the orb in his hand, a notification appeared before his eyes.


    [Do you want to absorb the core?]


    He nodded inwardly to the system, and in response, he felt a gentle, refreshing sensation wash over his body.


    [Your agility has increased.]


    Another notification shed in Orion''s field of vision as he essed his status.


    [Name - Orion Darkwood


    Rank - Bronze


    Talent - Copy Curse - 3%


    Curse - Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption, Dimensional Dissonance


    Strength - 10


    Stamina - 10


    Agility - 12


    Perception - 10


    Constitution - 10


    Mana - Nil (Due to the host''s curse¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Please check your curse for more information.)


    Skills - Nil (Due to the host''s curse ¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Therefore, the host is unable to use any skills. Please check your curse for more information.)]


    As soon as he nced at his status, his attention was drawn to the mastery of his talent, which had increased to 3%.


    ''Nice. It looks like all the training I did yesterday finally bore fruit.''


    After that, he nced at his stats.


    ''So, it only increased my agility by two points. But¨C''


    He paused in his thoughts, sensing a sudden rise in temperature around them. Before he could react, he heard Famir''s urgent shout.


    "Watch out!"


    Startled, Orion turned just in time to see a zing red streak hurtling towards him at breakneck speed.

 Chapter 17: 17. Others

    <h4>Chapter 17: 17. Others</h4>


    As the zing red streak hurtled towards him, time seemed to slow to a crawl for Orion.


    With no time to summon his flying swords for interception, he focused all his energy on one thing: defense. Concentrating intently, his head began to glow with red hues.


    In a split second, the streak collided with his head, but instead of causing an explosion or impact, it was deflected to the side, ultimately striking a nearby tree.


    "Boom!"


    As the zing red streak struck the tree, the trunk erupted into mes, engulfing it in a fiery ze.


    ''Thank god the repulsion worked timely.''


    Orion thought.


    "Oh, you can change its direction. That''s pretty good. But sadly for you, you have already lost."


    At that moment, a sneer echoed from the direction where Ryfin stood.


    Orion''s unease deepened as he registered the sound. Swiveling around, he caught sight of a woman with ck hair pulled back into a ponytail, brandishing a ck dagger at Ryfin''s throat.


    Beside her stood a boy of their age, his fiery red hair drawing attention, his hands confidently ced on his hips, a sneer etched on his face.


    The dreaded scenario Orion had feared had be a reality.


    ''Damn it.''


    Orion frowned as he saw this.


    However, Ryfin being the one held hostage instead of him and Famir was a relief, considering Ryfin''s ability to teleport at will. Thus, Orion didn''t feel overly concerned about Ryfin''s safety.


    What did unsettle him, though, was the sudden appearance of the two individuals. Recalling their brief time on the boat, Orion was sure he hadn''t seen them among the shackled kids.


    "Who are you two?"


    Observing their passive demeanor, Orion inquired about their intentions.


    In response, the red-haired boy burst intoughter.


    "Who are we? Hahaha, if you don''t want to die, then kneel down and throw your weapons away."


    Orion frowned upon hearing this. He couldn''t grasp the necessity of fighting in this situation.


    Most importantly, he sensed that these individuals were stronger than their group, prompting him to avoid confrontation.


    This wasn''t merely a gut feeling; rather, it was evident from the formidable armor they wore.


    The red-haired boy sported orange braces and body armor, much like the woman apanying him. However, to Orion''s eyes, their armor appeared more futuristicpared to anything he had seen on Earth.


    This observation led Orion to believe that they weren''t just lost ones like themselves; rather, they seemed prepared, as if they anticipated encountering monsters in this ce.


    Hence, he was adamant about avoiding any conflict with them, fully aware that they would be vastly outmatched in a confrontation.


    "Why are we even fighting? We can talk here. Just let our friend go, and we can see what we can do for you."


    The red-haired kid chuckled at his words, as though he had just heard the most amusing joke of all time.


    "Hahaha. Are you kidding me? We are going to have a talk with mobs now?"


    As he finished speaking, he raised his hands, and a ming bow materialized within his grasp, casting an illuminating glow across his face.


    "Now, will you surrender or not?"


    Orion cursed inwardly, reluctant to engage inbat but feeling as though they had little choice in the matter.


    Surrendering willingly to them wasn''t a viable option, was it?


    ncing at Famir, who had been observing the situation in silence, Orion conveyed his readiness for battle through a serious look in his eyes.


    Recognizing the gravity of Orion''s expression, Famir nodded in understanding.


    Observing Orion and Famir bracing themselves for the impending confrontation, the previously silent woman seized the initiative to speak up.


    "Do you really want to fight us? You should know that we are about to reach iron rank¡ªa rank above bronze rank that you guys seem to have just arrived at. So, it will be better toe with us than fight instead."


    Orionughed at their hypocrisy.


    "It was you guys who started it first. You attacked me right in the head, and if it weren''t for my talent, then I would have been dead already, and now you want us to listen to you guys. How generous of you."


    He couldn''t deny feeling anger rising within him. A mere second''s dy in activating his powers would have resulted in his head exploding like a watermelon.


    Thedy''s expression soured at Orion''s words, her frown deepening as she heard him.


    "You don''t know the situation at all."


    Orion sneered at her.


    "Oh, then tell us. We also like to know what excuse you two have to first attack us and then kidnapping and asking for us to follow."


    At this juncture, Orion had already mentally geared up for a confrontation with them. He reasoned that at least in a fight, they would have a chance to escape, whereas surrendering left their fate uncertain.


    The red-haired boy grew increasingly irritated by Orion''s stubbornness at this moment.


    "Liira, do it."


    Thedy, whose name was Liira, sighed heavily, steeling herself to use the dagger to threaten Ryfin, intending to employ torture to coerce surrender from Orion and Famir. She despised resorting to such tactics, but their circumstances seemed to leave them no choice.


    However, just as she poised to drive the dagger toward Ryfin''s neck, her weapon met nothing but thin air, and the body she had been holding disappeared into thin air.


    ''What happened?''


    Turning around, she found the individual she had been holding until now had reappeared beside the other two.


    ''Space rted talent? Sigh, it seems like a fight is inevitable.''


    She hadn''t anticipated that one of them possessed a talent rted to space, considering its rarity.


    Meanwhile, both Orion and Famir breathed a sigh of relief as Ryfin sessfully teleported himself to safety. Even though they were confident in his abilities, witnessing his escape from the clutches of thedy brought them relief.


    At this juncture, Orion turned his attention to the boy and the girl.


    "Now, we can both leave and pretend like nothing happened, or we can only fight."


    Thedy shook her head.


    "We don''t have the choice to go back. So, prepare yourself. Although we won''t kill you, it will definitely be painful."


    ''Can''t they just go away?''


    Orion heaved a sigh as one of his swords began to levitate in the air.


    The red-haired boy wore a crazed smile as he gazed at the trio.


    "You guys will regret your decision to fight."


    He dered as three ming arrows materialized on his zing bow, poised to shoot at the three of them.

 Chapter 18: 18. Fight

    <h4>Chapter 18: 18. Fight</h4>


    "Shoo." "Shoo." "Shoo."


    The red-haired boy released the ming arrows, sending them hurtling towards each member of Orion''s team.


    The ming arrows streaked towards them like three redser lights, illuminating the path, and in a split second, closed the distance between them.


    "Not the same trick again."


    Orion swiftly reacted, his sword bing a blur as it deflected all three of the me arrows, sending them scattering towards their surroundings.


    "Boom." "Boom." "Boom."


    Three explosions urred at the same time as a result.


    Before anyone could react, the ck-haired girl suddenly materialized behind Orion, her dagger pressed against his neck.


    "Don''t move, or his head will roll down."


    Liira issued a threat to the other two.


    Famir and Ryfin nced at Orion, cursing the girl''s talent under their breath.


    ''She is too fast. I didn''t even notice when she moved when all my attention was on her. But what now?''


    Famir swiftly considered his options, maintaining his focus while keeping a vignt eye on the red-haired boy for any potential sneak attacks.


    ''Damn it.''


    Ryfin entertained the idea of teleporting behind thedy to attempt a simr maneuver, but he refrained from taking the risk, fearing that Orion might get hurt in the process.


    On the other hand, Orion seemed just as bewildered as the others. He couldn''tprehend how she had managed to appear behind him so quickly.


    Despite paying close attention, all he noticed was a sudden gust of wind before feeling the dagger at his neck.


    Observing the expressions of the other two, whose faces contorted into expressions of displeasure, thedy continued speaking.


    "Now, will you follow us?"


    "Why did you want us to follow you, and to where?"


    Orion asked this time. His curiosity piqued, and simultaneously, he hoped to distract thedy for a brief moment.


    Liira took a moment to ponder before responding to him.


    "Just follow us, and you will know."


    "Who knows, we will be walking to our deaths by following you."


    Orion sneered as he nced at the sword lodged in the tree, a result of her interruption while he had been controlling it earlier.


    He then employed his power of attraction on the sword, causing it to glow with a blue light.


    Simultaneously, he attempted to do the same to her head. However, he encountered an inexplicable obstacle that prevented him from proceeding further.


    Sensing the resistance, he halted his attempt on her head and instead directed the attraction towards his own head, causing it to glow with the same blue light.


    Liira intended to respond to Orion when she noticed his head starting to glow.


    "What did you do?"


    She inquired as she tightened her grip on him, her dagger poised to pierce him, but her attention was diverted by a shout from the red-haired boy.


    "Look out!"


    At that moment, she only caught a glimpse of a sword hurtling towards them at incredible speed, aimed directly at their heads.


    ''I knew he could control swords, but this is too fast, and this ising straight to... his head. Does he want to blow his own head or...he wants to blow both of our heads?''


    Thinking quickly, her form began to blur just before the sword reached Orion, and she reappeared at a distance from him. To her surprise, the sword came to a sudden halt just an inch away from Orion''s head.


    Orion, realizing he was now free from the immediate threat, shouted at Famir and Ryfin.


    "Go for the other one. Leave the girl to me."


    Ryfin and Famir quickly nodded in agreement, and Ryfin began to exin his ns to Famir.


    "We will use the same method that we used against the skeletons before it went... you know... berserk."


    Famir nodded at him.


    At that moment, Orion observed Liira''s form blur once again. Reacting swiftly, he summoned his other two swords, allowing them to float around him as a form of defense against Liira, while he tightly gripped one in his hand.


    In that precise moment, she reappeared in front of him, brandishing a sword in her hand and swinging it straight at him.


    Reacting instinctively, Orion swiftly maneuvered both swords into a cross position, intercepting her attack.


    "ng."


    A metallic collision resounded, sending sparks flying around Orion and Liira.


    ''She is too strong.''


    Orion appeared to be struggling as he blocked her attack. His two swords in the air trembled incessantly, as if the defense they provided could shatter at any moment.


    But before that could happen, the sword that had faced his two swords in the air suddenly vanished, along with thedy he had been fighting.


    ''Behind me!''


    Realizing he couldn''t react faster than Liira, Orion swiftly released the sword he had been holding in his right hand, sending it behind him with a simple movement of his hand.


    Simultaneously, he hastily used the properties of repulsion in his sword, causing it to glow with a vibrant red light.


    "ng!"


    As soon as his sword turned red, Liira reappeared behind him, and their weapons shed once again. However, this time, Orion remained steadfast and didn''t struggle.


    In contrast, it was Liira who suffered, as she found herself forcefully propelled backward by some unseen force, her body soaring through the air.


    ''What happened just now?''


    She thought to herself as she swiftly stabbed her sword into the ground, using it to anchor herself as her body slid along the rough surface of the earth. Eventually, she gradually came to a halt.


    However, at that very moment, both Orion and Liira suddenly felt a searing heat engulfing them, followed by a blinding light that enveloped thempletely. Then a deafening collision echoed through the surroundings.


    "Boom!"


    Turning around, they witnessed a spectacr sight: a lightning bolt, towering to their height, shed head-on with a ming sword of equal stature. The collision produced a dazzling disy of golden and red light, enveloping the entire scene.


    Beneath the point of impact, the ground had been scorched to a deep ck, with cracks spider-webbing across its surface. Nearby trees were either engulfed in mes or torn asunder by the sheer force of the collision.


    ''These attacks are so strong. Will I be able to survive if one of the attacks hits me?''


    Orion doubted the possibility of his survival in that situation.


    "It seems your friend is in trouble."


    Liira smiled at Orion, her gaze fixed on the spectacr scene unfolding before them.


    Even without her saying a word, Orion''s attention had been drawn to Famir the entire time. He noticed that Famir''s face seemed to be twitching, sweat cascaded down his cheeks, and his legs trembled with apparent unease.


    ''He can''t hold for long.''


    Orion contemted whether he should intervene, but before he could make a decision, he heard thedy say something once again.


    "Haven''t I already told you earlier that you guys just upgraded to bronze rank, and we have been in this rank for quite some time now? This resulted in us having more stats than all three of youbined."


    Liira once again sneered at him, prompting a frown from Orion. His concern wasn''t about the mention of ranks but rather what she said about stats.


    ''Do they also have a system?''


    He wondered.

 Chapter 19: 19 Deal?

    <h4>Chapter 19: 19 Deal?</h4>


    ''Let''s focus on the fight first.''


    Orion shook his head as he focused all his attention on Famir, ready to intervene if needed.


    Liira, seeing Orion''s concerned face, understood his intentions.


    "You don''t think I will allow you to intervene between their fights, do you?"


    Orion frowned, knowing she wouldn''t allow him. But at this moment, he had no options left.


    Looking at Famir, who appeared to be struggling, and Ryfin, who seemed to be using his skill on the red-haired boy to immobilize him, he knew that if Famir were to falter, that ming sword would be upon them in no time.


    If that happened, they would definitely get injured. Even if Ryfin were to escape with his teleportation skill, that would still leave Famir alone in his exhausted state to bear the attack of the ming sword.


    As Orion seemed to be pondering over this, Liira gave him an offer.


    "We can stop all of this right now, and your friends will be alright, but the condition is that you three have to follow us to our ce. How does that sound?"


    Orion frowned as he heard her.


    But having no options, he began to consider her offer. As much as he liked to avoid the two, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, the situation demanded otherwise.


    Personally, he didn''t want to work with them or have anything to do with them. Yes, he was biased towards them, and who couldn''t be if the first thing they did was to attack you out of nowhere¡ªan attack that could kill.


    The memory of their aggression lingered like a bitter taste in his mouth, fueling his distrust and reluctance to have anything to do with them.


    Yet, as much as he resisted, Orion couldn''t deny her offer. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but sometimes situations required difficult choices, even ones that went against his instincts.


    However, he couldn''t understand one thing.


    ''Why us? What do they need from us?''


    He reasoned that he, Famir, and Ryfin would likely be weaker than their team, especially considering Liira''s mention of them leveling up soon. Thus, he contemted the circumstances that would require their assistance.


    As he mulled over this, he nced at her.


    "First, tell me, what is it that you need from us? If it''s anything we can help with, then I will agree, and if not, then..."


    He didn''tplete the sentence, for there wasn''t a need to.


    Liira frowned at his words and hesitated whether to tell him the reason or not. She knew that he would definitely not agree if he were to know their reason, but thinking of the perilous situation her sister could be in, she bit her lips and gritted her teeth as she silently made a decision.


    "We discovered a way to escape this ce, but there are many monsters guarding that area. So, we needed help from other people. Hence, our intrusion."


    Orean''s eyes shone as he heard her. He didn''t doubt her at all because he had previously spected that they should have deliberatelye to this ind fully prepared, as he saw both of them wearing armor that couldn''t be found on this ind and also because they weren''t from the boat they had been on earlier.


    Therefore, he thought that if they knew how toe to this ce, then they should definitely know how to leave this ce as well.


    But he still had doubts about something as he turned to ask her.


    "Then how do you exin the attack on me?"


    In the end, it all boiled down to this moment. If her reasoning aligned with his perspective, he would agree to the deal. However, if it didn''t, the agreement would crumble before it truly began.


    Despite recognizing the insignificance of their attack in therger scheme, he couldn''t overlook the previous attempt on his life. The mere recollection of it fueled his anger.


    Liira, who heard his question, answered him directly, as if she knew he would ask it.


    "It was just a bluff to see if you could dodge that attack or not. After all, we will be facing a horde of monsters there, and if you can''t even dodge that simple attack, then forget about fighting those monsters."


    Orion mulled over her words, finding them somewhat reasonable, yet he still had one pressing question regarding their approach.


    They could have simply asked for help, as he, Famir, and Ryfin were also seeking a means of escape from the ind.


    However, just as he was about to voice this question, Famir''s muffled scream pierced the air, drawing both of their attention.


    "Aggh."


    Turning around, Orion observed Famir kneeling down, grasping one leg while extending his right hand high into the air.


    "Don''t tell me he is about to use another lightning bolt!"


    He eximed as he turned towards Liira.


    "Tell your friend to stop the attack."


    He understood that maintaining one lightning bolt against the ming sword had already drained Famir, so the idea of conjuring a second one was daunting.


    However, his concern grew when he realized he was toote to intervene, as Famir had already summoned another lightning bolt. Witnessing this, Orion''s anxiety intensified.


    "Famir, don''t use it. You will get seriously injured if you do that, and we will make a deal with them so there isn''t a need to fight them now."


    Hearing him, Famir slowly turned his head toward him.


    "Don''t.....worry."


    Two low-sounding words escaped his lips before he shifted his gaze toward the ongoing sh between the ming sword and his lightning bolt, which wreaked havoc in the surrounding area.


    Famir, observing the spectacle, then hurled the lightning bolt in his hand. It streaked toward the other two attacks like a golden sh, colliding with both the ming sword and his initial lightning bolt.


    "BOOM!"


    As a result, an orange light covered the whole area, and a small mushroom-like explosion erupted from the collision.


    The force of the st sent shockwaves rippling through the earth, causing the ground to tremble and crack beneath their feet.


    Nearby trees swayed violently, their branches thrashing in the gust of wind generated by the explosion. Some smaller trees were uprooted entirely, whilerger ones suffered splintered branches and scorched bark from the intense heat.


    The ground itself bore the brunt of the impact, with deep gouges and craters marking thendscape where the force of the explosion had struck hardest.


    In the aftermath, smoke and debris hung in the air, casting a pall over the once serene surroundings.

 Chapter 20: 20. Curse Activated

    <h4>Chapter 20: 20. Curse Activated</h4>


    Orion staggered back, tumbling to the ground from the explosion''s momentum. He instinctively raised his hands to shield his eyes from the blinding light as the shockwave rippled through his body.


    At the same time, Liira swiftly blurred into motion, seeking refuge behind a towering tree for cover.


    Famir and Ryfin were forcefully propelled backward by the explosion, their bodies flung like rag dolls in the chaotic aftermath.


    However, the red-haired boy remained unmoved, standing in ce, his body bearing the brunt of the explosion''s aftermath. This was because Ryfin''s skill ''Space Lock'' was still active on him, keeping him rooted in position.


    In due time, he conjured a hexagonal shield of me that absorbed the momentum and pressure from the explosion.


    As moments passed, the dust settled, and the air grew calm. The echoes of the st slowly faded into silence, leaving behind an eerie stillness.


    Gradually, the haze of smoke dissipated, unveiling the full extent of the damage caused by the sudden eruption.


    Orion stood up in shock. He hadn''t anticipated that Famir''s final attack would lead to such a devastating explosion.


    "Aggh!"


    At that moment, he heard muffled sounds once again. Turning around, he saw that the noise emanated from Famir, whoy on the ground, while Ryfin sat beside him, tending to his injuries.


    "Famir!"


    Seeing the rming sight, he hurriedly rushed towards Famir. Upon reaching him, he witnessed ck lightning writhing around Famir''s body, causing him to scream uncontrobly. The tendrils of ck lightning resembled snakes slithering around his form.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    Famir screamed non-stop as a result.


    Seeing this, Orion hastily asked Ryfin.


    "What happened to him?"


    Ryfin shook his head anxiously.


    "I don''t know. He was fine one moment, and at the next he started screaming."


    Orion''s expression soured as he observed Famir, who seemed to be in intense distress. Famir''s body convulsed, trembling uncontrobly, while tendrils of ck lightning danced around him.


    ''Is this his curse?''


    The thought crossed his mind, although he wasn''t entirely certain, as he had never witnessed anyone experiencing anything like this before.


    "It''s his curse taking effect."


    At that moment, a voice sounded, dispelling his doubts. Turning around, Orion saw Liira materialize before them.


    "Get away from here."


    Ryfin shouted to her as soon as he saw her.


    Liira smiled at Ryfin''s words.


    "Really? Then who will save your friend from this torture?"


    "You can?"


    Ryfin asked surprisingly, but soon his face turned full of suspicion.


    "You think you can bluff here, and we will believe you."


    At that moment, small rocks, debris, and broken tree branches began to gather around Famir, coalescing and making their way towards him.


    "What''s this? Why are these thingsing towards us?"


    Ryfin saw this and was surprised.


    Observing the phenomenon, Orion confirmed that Famir''s curse had indeed taken effect. He was well aware of Famir''s curse, Electrostatic Disruption, and understood it better than anyone else present. To him, this curse was more of a talent than a curse.


    Pondering over this, he turned to Liira.


    "Did you say you can help him?"


    Ryfin was taken back by Orion''s action.


    "Orion, they are our enemy!"


    Orion then looked at Ryfin as his expression turned serious.


    "Then do you know how to fix this? How to let his curse return to normal?"


    Ryfin raised his eyebrows.


    "Did you believe her? She could be lying to us, you know."


    Orion sighed as he shook his head.


    "We don''t have much choice anyway. So if listening to her can help Famir, then why not?"


    Ryfin really didn''t want the help of his enemies, but looking at Famir, who seemed to be struggling, he nodded his head to Orion.


    Seeing this, he turned to Liira once again.


    Having understood what Orion wanted, Liira proposed another deal.


    "You three will being with us after I help him."


    "See! What did I tell you? They are enemies. There is nothing good about them."


    Ryfin erupted as soon as he heard her demands.


    Orion moved his right hand at him to signal him to stop as he looked at her.


    "We agree. Now help him."


    Liira looked at Orion for a moment before she held her hand and touched Famir on his arm. A whileter, ck lightning wriggling around Famir''s body disappeared, and he stopped screaming, losing consciousness as a result.


    "What did you do?"


    Ryfin asked after seeing Famir''s problem get solved in seconds.


    Liira turned her head towards him before looking at Orion, ignoring Ryfin altogether.


    "He will wake up in some time."


    Orion nodded in acknowledgment, but Ryfin felt a wave of shame wash over him. As a gamer, he had always been introverted, and now, having mustered the courage to initiate a conversation and beingpletely ignored, especially by ady, left him feeling deeply embarrassed.


    Orion then asked about the same thing Ryfin asked.


    "How did you help him?"


    Liira thought for a moment before answering him.


    "This person just has their curse activated, and a curse can only be activated if they use too much of their talents when their stats are not high enough to handle that much talent. To solve it, it''s simple: just inject a portion of your mana into the person''s body who is suffering through their curse, and after losing consciousness for a while, he will be up in no time."


    Orion nodded at her in understanding. However, he couldn''t help but wonder if he, too, would eventually fall victim to the curse, given that he had been relying on it constantly, unlike everyone else.


    At this time, Liira turned to Ryfin.


    "Can you let go of your skill with Dion?"


    Hearing her, Ryfin had a moment of realization.


    "Ah, I-I forgot about that. No-no not forgot. It''s-it''s just that this skill takes very little mana, so I forgot it has been active all this time."


    He stuttered as he quickly deactivated his skill.


    Orion shook his head in a wry smile as he saw Ryfin fumbling as he talked.


    At this moment, Famir opened his eyes slowly.

 Chapter 21: 21. Getting to know each other

    <h4>Chapter 21: 21. Getting to know each other</h4>


    Opening his eyes, Famir noticed Orion and Ryfin standing beside him, their expressions filled with concern, alongside the girl. However, upon spotting her, he felt a surge of anxiety and began to crawl backward, keeping his back to the ground.


    "Hey, hey, hey it''s fine now, it''s fine now."


    Observing Famir''s reaction, Orion swiftly bent down and ced his hands on Famir''s back.


    "Remember the deal I talked about, we agreed upon it, and they are not enemies now."


    Famir nodded in acknowledgment as he gradually regained hisposure and stood upright. Recalling the intense pain he had just experienced, he shuddered at the memory.


    ''It was more painful than leveling up to bronze rank.''


    He thought as he moved his body to see if he seemed alright or not.


    However, at this time, a voice sounded full of mockery.


    "Regret it now? I have already said that but you three didn''t listen to my kind advice at all."


    Turning around, Orion and the others saw that the one who spoke just now seemed to be the red-haired boy whose name ording to Liira appeared to be Dion.


    "Wanna have a go again?"


    Famir red up as he heard Dion''s mockery.


    "Nah, I think next time you will end up dead."


    Dion denied as he waved his hand at him.


    Seeing this, Famir was about to continue when Orion put his hand on his shoulder.


    "Hey, are you fine? Are there any side effects you are feeling because of the curse?"


    Orion directly changed the topic when he saw the situation between them.


    "Other than the sore body and a little headache, I feel fine."


    Famir answered him.


    Orion nodded as he turned to Liira.


    "Can you give us a moment?"


    Liira looked at Orion for a moment before signaling Dion as they moved away.


    Seeing this, Orion looked at Famir with concern.


    "Hey, are you really alright? You seem to have lost your calm in the fight with Dion, and this happened again just now."


    Famir sighed at Orion''s words as he sat down on the ground and looked at the sky.


    "On earth, I was from a very wealthy family. All the kids that were born there were thrown into the cruelpetition of doing better than the others. I was one of them. And due to thatpetition, I turned into someone who always wanted to win¡ªno matter the cost. Losing was never a choice for me, so during the battle earlier, when I saw that I would lose, my instincts kicked in, and I gave myself to that will¡ªthe will to win."


    Orion felt surprised. He hadn''t thought that Famir had such a past. Comparing himself to him, he thought he appeared to be the exact opposite of what Famir had been in his previous life¡ªa failure.


    At this time, Ryfin chimed in.


    "That must have been a tough life, I guess.


    Famir nodded to him with a mncholic look in his eyes.


    "It was indeed a tough one."


    Ryfin nodded at him as he told them his story.


    "You know, I was just a nobody on earth¡ªying games all day and doing nothing. So, when I came to this world and got this system, I made a decision for myself to live a more impactful life than before and leave a mark on this whole new world."


    Orion had somewhat figured that Ryfin must have been a gamer in his previous life, but he didn''t know he had such goals in this new life.


    Famir''s mood became a little better as he heard Ryfin''s story.


    "Haha, I have already guessed that, you know."


    Heughed a little as he turned to Orion.


    "What about you, Orion? What were you on earth?"


    Orion smiled with a wry expression.


    "I was just an average guy who wanted to get a job and live a normal life, but I failed miserably, died of a heart attack, and found myself here."


    Famir and Ryfin nodded. They understood that everyone had their fair share of problems in their past lives, and being transmigrated here gave them a chance¡ªa second chance at their lives.


    At this moment, Famir remembered the deal Orion talked about.


    "So, what is the deal you made with them?"


    Orion''s expression turned serious as he told him about the deal.


    "The deal is simple. She will help you get rid of your suffering from your curse on the condition that we follow them to their base and help them fight monsters that are blocking the exit area."


    Famir frowned as he heard the first few lines, but his eyes shone when Orion said thest line.


    "By the exit area, you mean the ce where we can leave this ce?"


    Orion nodded at him.


    However, Famir didn''t let his excitement cloud his judgment as he thought about some other things.


    "How sure are you that they know the exit?"


    Honestly, Orion didn''t know much about the situation. All he knew was that they had arrived on this ind seemingly prepared for encountering monsters, judging by the armor they wore.


    However, even that was merely his assumption,cking concrete evidence.


    As he pondered further, he realized he had no certainty whether they actually knew how to leave the ind or if they were merely bluffing.


    "Well, we have to ask them directly for this, but I am about seventy percent sure that they know how to leave this ind."


    Orion didn''t want to take chances here, so he exined to Famir and Ryfin what he learned about those two.


    "Have you seen that armor on those two?"


    Famir and Ryfin nodded as they somewhat understood what Orion had in mind.


    "Their armor appears to be man-made, which led me to think that they knew there are supposed to be monsters here so they came prepared. Hence why I think that they also know how to leave this ce."


    He thought for a moment before continuing.


    "But that''s not all that led me to ept their deal. It''s their knowledge. They seemed to know about this ce, this talent and this curse we have¡ªthis system we awakened. But most importantly, we really need some help here. Otherwise, who knows, the next time we encounter a monster like the skeleton, we won''t be as lucky as that time?"


    Famir nodded in agreement. Their situation demanded immediate attention, and what better way would there be other than to join others who had some knowledge about what''s happening here than wandering alone on this hellish ind?


    Famir then turned to Orion.


    "Alright, then let''splete our end of the deal."


    Orion pondered for a moment before turning to Ryfin.


    "We''ll do it, but before that, I need to talk to Ryfin in private."


    Hearing this, Famir felt a pang of difort, wondering what topic Ryfin needed to discuss that excluded him. Despite his difort, he retreated a little.


    Observing Famir''s reaction, Ryfin also felt a bit of embarrassment as he nced at Famir, then turned his gaze to Orion.


    "So, what do you need from me?"


    "Can you..."


    Orion told him his ns.

 Chapter 22: 22. Secret Of The Island

    <h4>Chapter 22: 22. Secret Of The Ind</h4>


    After having a little talk with Famir and Ryfin and discussing the deal in detail, Orion turned to Liira and Dion, who were standing far away, signalling them as he waved his hands at them.


    Seeing the cue, they arrived near the trio.


    "Done with your little talk?" Liira asked.


    Orion nodded.


    Liira then turned to look at the vast forest surrounding them.


    "Alright, then let''s go. Our camp is around that huge wall."


    She pointed at the broken wall standing far behind the forest. This had been the destination of Orion''s group since they stumbled upon this ind.


    "Alright, let''s go."


    Liira urged as she and Dion led the way. Seeing this, Orion''s trio exchanged looks before following them.


    After walking through the woods for a while, an awkward silence ensued, and no one spoke.


    Liira, sensing the moment, took the opportunity to ask some questions.


    "So, where do you threee from?"


    Orion felt confused by her question. Did she ask where they came from or where they lived? Regardless, he only knew the answer to the former.


    "Well, all of us were in a boat, and it got destroyed by a huge centipede. As a result, we drowned in the ocean, only to find ourselves on this ind."


    Liira''s eyes narrowed at Orion''s answer.


    "What about you two?"


    Orion had been curious about their origins, and seeing this as a chance to learn more, he didn''t hesitate to ask her.


    Liira thought for a moment before answering him.


    "Before I answer, I have some bad news for you three. This ind that we are on is not some ce but a dungeon."


    "Dungeon? Like those in the games?"


    Ryfin got excited hearing about the dungeon.


    Liira cast an odd gaze at him before continuing.


    "Yeah, like those in the games, but much more realistic than that. So if this is a dungeon, then how will one escape from here?"


    "By killing the boss of the dungeon."


    Ryfin excitedly answered.


    Liira smiled, looking at Ryfin.


    "You are right, but not just the boss, but all the higher beings present in the dungeon. But don''t worry, we have already killed all the higher beings except for the boss."


    Orion, who had been walking silently while listening to them, appeared confused.


    "What are the higher beings?"


    Liira frowned at his question, thinking they really didn''t know the basics about the dungeon or were simply faking it. Nheless, she answered them while they were on this topic.


    "Any being that can talkes under the category of higher beings. In this case, the monsters that can talke under this category."


    Orion nodded at her while thinking to himself.


    ''So that''s why there are so many monsters roaming around here. But the question is, how did we end up in this dungeon?''


    Now that he knew they were in a dungeon, the question became more obvious.


    ''Did we enter the dungeon after we drowned in the ocean, or is this entire scenario¡ªthe boat, the pirates, even the huge centipede¡ªall part of a massive dungeon, with this ind at its centre?''


    He had some guesses, but he didn''t know if any one of them could be true.


    At this moment, a thought came to his mind.


    ''They should have a system considering they talked about stats and such, so all the people in this world possess a system?''


    The more he interacted with this world, the more fascinated he became by it. And if what he thought were true, then this world they transmigrated to was truly a world of fantasy.


    But he didn''t know whether he should ask them about stats or not. Even if there was a chance¡ªalbeit a minute one¡ªthat the stats they talked about earlier referred to general terms rather than the exact stats like in the system, revealing such information could potentially lead to their secrets being leaked, resulting in even more unwanted troubles for them.


    Although he had initially trusted them, Orion couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off about Liira and Dion. Their overly friendly demeanour and willingness to answer all of their questions seemed contradictory to their aggressive behaviour upon arrival.


    ''I hope this is just my intuition.''


    However cautious Orion may have been, there was another individual who seemed to be the exact opposite: Ryfin. He eagerly asked Liira about the system.


    "Hey, you talked about the stats earlier, so do you guys also have a system?"


    Orion facepalmed himself at Ryfin''s question. He had been deliberating all this time whether he should ask her or not, and here he was, asking the exact question without giving it a second thought.


    In contrast, Famir lightly pped Ryfin''s head from behind.


    "You just don''t stop when ites to gaming, are you?"


    Looking at the reactions of the other two to the third one''s question, Liira seemed confused.


    "What''s with that reaction? And about the system, we all have it."


    Ryfin''s eyes shined at her answer.


    "You all have it? Then do you know how to upgrade to a higher rank quickly?"


    Eagerness consumed him as he asked another question. This time, even Orion and Famir looked at Liira for her answer.


    Observing the reactions of all three of them, Liira confirmed that these guys truly didn''t know anything about the system or the dungeon. But she couldn''t understand why they were so uninformed.


    As far as she knew, every in their star system had an academy that taught the basics of their star realm until they awakened their system.


    However, seeing them like this, she didn''t know what to make of them.


    Although she had her doubts, she still answered them.


    "Every human being awakens their system at the age of fourteen. As for how to upgrade yourself, that''s a veryplicated one. For example, if one wants to upgrade from bronze rank to iron rank, then that person has to increase one of their five attributes to its maximum potential, i.e., 100 points in that attribute. That''s the first condition."


    "The second condition is their mastery of their talents. If we take the previous example, then that person would also have to have 10% mastery in his talent before he became eligible for the upgrade."


    "As for thest one, it''s called mutagens. Now that the person''s stats have reached their limit by maxing one of the attributes and they have the required level of mastery over their talent, all that is needed is a catalyst to break that limit and ascend to a higher rank. That''s where the mutagense in. And mutagens are the genes of these monsters we kill."


    Orion, Famir, and Ryfin listened in silence. When Liira finished speaking, they were surprised, as they hadn''t imagined that upgrading to a higher rank would be so difficult.

 Chapter 23: 23. Unexpected Situation

    <h4>Chapter 23: 23. Unexpected Situation</h4>


    But Orion got confused over some parts Liira exined, so he turned to her for rification.


    "You said one will have to let one of his attributes attain a maximum potential of a hundred points, but what about other attributes?"


    Liira hade to terms with the fact that these individuals had no knowledge about the system or anything rted to it. Therefore, she kindly took it upon herself to exin things to them.


    "No human body is perfect in this world and has many limitations ced on it. So, if one were to blindly add stats to all the attributes at the same time, then even before reaching the halfway point in any of their attributes, their body would have reached its limits, disabling them from adding any more stats to their attributes."


    She paused for a moment, allowing them to digest the information she had shared, before continuing.


    "So it is advised that one should add stats to only one attribute that suits their talent and make it reach its maximum potential. That way, one could also focus on the path they are walking and don''t have to worry about their limits."


    Orion and the othersprehended Liira''s exnation.


    As they walked and conversed, time passed, and steadily they drew nearer to their destination.


    They also shared their names with each other as they conversed, allowing them to get to know each other better.


    During their journey, they unexpectedly didn''t encounter a single monster. This puzzled Orion''s trio, as they had anticipated encountering at least one or two.


    However, after asking Liira, they understood the reason. During their approach, it turned out that they had already cleared all of the monsters along the path.


    Before long, they arrived at their destination¡ªthe broken wall that Orion''s trio had been eager to reach since they firstid eyes on it.


    To their surprise, the ce appeared grander than they had ever imagined. The broken wall they had been following turned out to be the only one standing, and an empty throne made of skulls stood below it as the most eye-catching feature.


    The base of it all appeared to be made of marble-like stones, spanning the entire area in a circr shape, resembling the size of a football field. However, cracks now marred its surface.


    At the opposite end of the skull throne, there was a circr wall-like structure that shone brightly with red light, illuminating the entire area around it.


    "Is that a portal?"


    Ryfin pointed to the shining circr wall in the distance, drawing their attention to it.


    Liira''s expression darkened as she looked at the empty throne, prompting her to share her thoughts with them.


    "Yes, it is. This was supposed to be a boss area of the dungeon, but for some reason the boss is missing from here. My team has been here for two weeks now, but we can''t find the boss at all, and without killing the boss, we won''t be able to leave this dungeon."


    Liira''s words hung heavy in the air as Orion studied the empty boss arena before them. The broken wall loomed high, with the shimmering red portal glowing ominously in the distance.


    ''This ce is fully empty; there is not a single monster here.''


    His grip tightened on his sword''s hilt as suspicion gnawed at him.


    "You said monsters surrounded the exit," Orion stated, turning a wary gaze on Liira. "But this ce is deserted."


    Famir tensed beside him, finally catching the undercurrent of unease that Orion had felt all along. Ryfin, too, seemed to pick up on the wrongness of the situation.


    Liira stared at Orion, her expression unreadable. At length, she sighed. "I haven''t been fully truthful with you."


    The words were like a metal vice around Orion''s heart. He knew it; he had known all along that something wasn''t right.


    "Your task..." he began, dread coloring his words. "It was to lure us here, wasn''t it?"


    Then, a cruel smile split Dion''s features.


    "Took you idiots long enough to figure it out."


    Orion''s hand trembled as murderous rage gripped him. Before he could draw his de, armoured figures materialized around them with readied weapons.


    "I''m afraid there is no leaving this ce," Liira stated impassively. "My mission was to deliver you three here, no matter what it took."


    "You..." His words dripped with venom as he red at the woman who had deceived them.


    "I trusted you, and you betrayed us."


    Staring intently at Liira, he yelled directly at her face as he swiftly released his sword, aiming it straight towards Dion.


    His goal was Dion knowing with Liira''s speed, she would definitely dodge his sword.


    But before his sword could reach its target, it unexpectedly plummeted to the ground, creating a small crater upon impact. And before he could make sense of the situation, he felt his body being weighed down by an unseen force, making it difficult to remain standing.


    Orion''s muscles strained against the invisible pressure pressing down on him, every fibre of his being screaming with exertion.


    He gritted his teeth as he pushed against the weight bearing down on his body, but it was like trying to move a mountain. His breaths came in short,boured gasps as he fought against the oppressive force, his limbs trembling with the effort.


    However, despite his best efforts, he couldn''t withstand the weight on him and was forced to kneel down.


    Looking at Famir and Ryfin, Orion noticed that they too had knelt down under the weight of the invisible force.


    "Damn!"


    Curse escaped his mouth as he turned to look at the cause of their predicament.


    However, despite their struggle, Liira appeared unfazed as she observed the scene unfold before her.


    "One should know one thing in this world, and that is to never trust anyone."


    She muttered, though it wasn''t clear if she was speaking to Orion or to herself.


    "What do we have here?"


    At that moment, a voice sounded, and a golden-haired man descended from the sky, appearing to be around the same age as Orion and the others. He was adorned in golden armor and boots.


    He then turned to Liira, ncing down at Orion''s trio.


    "Good job; now there is only one left. However, that individual is as strong as I am. So, leave that guy to me."


    Liira and Dion nodded respectfully at him, indicating their deference.


    He then shifted his attention to the six individuals who had apanied him, gesturing towards Orion''s trio.


    "Take care of these three for me while I go for thest one."


    With that, he flew into the sky and disappeared.

 Chapter 24: 24. Imprisoned

    <h4>Chapter 24: 24. Imprisoned</h4>


    Seeing the golden-haired man disappear into the sky, Orion noticed that the weight that had been holding him down had also vanished.


    ''A chance.''


    Taking advantage of the moment, he unleashed all three of his swords, each gleaming with red light, towards the three men standing on the sides of Famir and Ryfin.


    "Watch out, everyone!"


    Liira shouted to warn them.


    Despite the apparent unexpectedness of Orion''s attack following Liira''s warning, the three individuals targeted by his three swords reacted swiftly.


    One of them drew a spear to defend against the gleaming red sword, but as soon as his spear made contact with Orion''s sword, the figure holding the spear was sted back.


    Meanwhile, the other two gleaming red swords reached the remaining two individuals, resembling red arrows flying through the air.


    One of them, ady, pped her hands, and a blue hexagonal shield materialized in front of her, casting a blue glow on her face, acting as a barrier against the iing attack.


    "ng!"


    Sparks crackled around the red sword and the blue shield before the shield too was sted back slightly by the force of the impact.


    Orion''sst sword appeared behind a man, who simply punched the red, gleaming sword with his bare fist, seemingly unfazed by the attack.


    "ng!"


    Surprisingly, the sound of metal colliding against metal reverberated, and dust flew from the ground before he too was thrashed away.


    All of this urred within a matter of seconds.


    Observing the oue, Orion turned to Ryfin.


    "Ryfin, now."


    Gritting his teeth upon Orion''s words, Ryfin thought reluctantly, ''I don''t want to do this, but...''


    He cast onest nce at Orion before teleporting himself to Famir, touching him, and then teleporting both of them out of there. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared from the scene.


    Only Orion remained.


    At this time, the other three individuals came beside him with their weapons ced an inch away from his neck.


    "Hahaha. You guys are too slow."


    Orionughed wildly, mocking them without a hint of worry about being killed. He was certain they wouldn''t go that far, especially considering their earlier attempt to lure him here.


    ''Thank god, I have already made a n for this situation.''


    He thought quitely.


    Now, the question remained: what did they want from their team?


    On the other hand, Liira frowned deeply, her mood souring further as she realized that the other two had managed to escape under her watch, especially when she remembered that Runo had entrusted them with the task of looking after them.


    ''Runo won''t be happy about this.''


    She felt a headacheing on at the thought of Runo''s inevitable reaction to their failure.


    At that moment, a hand appeared on her shoulder.


    "Don''t worry, at least he is in our grasp."


    It belonged to the only woman among the six individuals who had earlier materialized a shield to block Orion''s sword.


    Liira held her hand tightly.


    "I know Rina. I am not worried about that. I am thinking of my sister. If anything were to happen because of my mishap just now, then I don''t know what I will do."


    Rina smiled at her as she gave her head a fist bump.


    "Don''t worry. I am here, so nothing will go wrong from now on."


    The womanforted Liira, then shifted her attention to Orion. She pped her hands, and a momentter, a blue spherical force field materialized out of thin air, enveloping Orion within its embrace.


    Orion didn''t struggle; he knew it would be almost impossible to escape from them right now. Instead, he decided to wait and see what their ns were.


    He grew increasingly curious about their intentions. Listening to what the golden-haired man had said, it seemed they had been gathering others as well.


    At that time, Liira looked at Orion and turned to Rina.


    "Give him to Derek, but before that, take all his swords from him. After that, we will go for a thorough round of checking where I previously found them to look for the ones that just escaped."


    Rina nodded as she enveloped all the swords, which appeared to be floating in the air around Orion, in a separate spherical force field.


    "Wait here. I will be back."


    With that, Rina led Orion deeper into the area where the throne of bones and the portaly.


    After a while, she came to a stop. Orion noticed that they had arrived in front of a massive tree.


    ''It''s so big.''


    He hadn''t imagined that such a colossal tree could ever exist. It appeared to be asrge as the long, broken walls beside the skull throne, and its thickness was impossible to gauge from his vantage point inside the spherical force field.


    At this moment, the sun appeared to be just above them, but due to the massive canopy of the tree, it seemed as though night had already approached.


    ''Anything is possible in this world, I guess.''


    He observed as the blue-haired girl turned and began to walk around the sides of the enormous tree, the chirps of leaves being stepped on, sounding with each of her steps.


    ''Probably looking for the entrance.''


    Orion''s suspicions were confirmed when they reached arge hole at the base of the tree. If he hadn''t already seen the massive tree from a distance, he might have mistaken it for a cave in a mountain or something simr.


    As she walked inside the cave-like entrance, Orion was greeted with something that reignited the darkest fear he felt upon arriving in this world.


    It was a skeleton¡ªnot just one, but a whole bunch of them, roaming around the spacious interior of the tree trunk.


    ''So they really are the ones who attacked the cave that night.''


    Recalling that fateful night and remembering the fear that had gripped him so tightly, an overwhelming and monstrous anger consumed Orion. He hadn''t forgotten that feeling¡ªthe sensation of death looming so closely over him.


    ''He was basically toying with our lives.''


    He forcefully calmed himself down, knowing very well that he couldn''t let his emotions run wild, especially in enemy territory.


    The blue-haireddy walked past all the skeletons, seemingly unnoticed by them, or perhaps they had beenmanded not to harm their own kind.


    At the other end of the spacious area, there appeared to be a man-made staircase.


    Rina climbed up and entered what seemed to be a prison, where about four more kids around Orion''s age sat with their heads down in silence.

 Chapter 25: 25. Other Curses

    <h4>Chapter 25: 25. Other Curses</h4>


    Observing all the kids gathered here, Orion realized that he had seen them before on the pirate''s boat he had been on earlier.


    ''All of them are from the boat. What do they want from us?''


    But he couldn''t understand what Liira and his team wanted from them.


    Further down the spacious area, Orion noticed a man of about the same age as himughing as he yed with a skeleton. He had ck hair that reached down to his shoulders, but the most striking feature was the ck me mark etched on his forehead.


    ying with the skeleton in a twisted sense, the man seemed to be toying with them. Bits and pieces of the skeleton''s remains were scattered around him as he watched the skeleton reconstruct itself.


    However, once it was whole again, the man would break it once more, only to watch its reconstruction with an unsettling satisfaction on his face.


    ''So this crazy dude is responsible for that night.''


    Looking at the man''s antics, Orion thought that this guy had a screw loose in his head.


    At this time, the blue-haired girl¡ªRina approached the crazy guy.


    "Derek, here is another, and keep a close eye on this one as he appeared to have some strength, which caused us some losses."


    Derek turned to look at Rina, then at Orion, but as his eyes fell on Orion, his body began to tremble uncontrobly. ck mes seeped out of him as he pointed usingly at Orion.


    "He is the one who destroyed my three cute special skeletons. I am going to kill him."


    As he yelled, all the skeletons guarding the kids in the hall turned to look at Orion and made their way towards him.


    Seeing this, Rina frowned.


    "Stop it, Derek. You also know he wants them alive and not in pieces, right?"


    Derek made a face as if he had been scolded by his parents.


    "But what about my cute little skeletons? He killed them."


    Rina had a headache thinking about how to deal with him when she came up with an idea.


    "When our task is over, you can kill him anytime you want, but for now, don''t touch him. Is that alright?"


    Hearing her, he reluctantly nodded. Although he wanted to have revenge for his skeletons, he couldn''t deny that he wanted to leave this ce all the more.


    "Alright, I''ll leave them for now."


    Satisfied with Derek''s behaviour, she let Oreon escape from her force field.


    "Take good care of him."


    With that, Rina left Orion with the crazed maniac before leaving the huge tree.


    Orion had heard everything they talked about, and because of this, he couldn''t help but wonder how that skeleton seemed to be as cute as the man said. ording to him, if anything appeared, it would be pure monstrosity.


    Seeing Rina leave, Derek turned to look at Orion, his expression still gloomy.


    "Go sit down and don''t cause any trouble."


    Having said that, he once again started ying with his skeletons.


    Seeing this, Orion observed the spacious hall and found a ce where no other kids were sitting. Reaching there, he sat down and opened his status.


    [Name - Orion Darkwood


    Rank - Bronze


    Talent - Copy Curse - 3%


    Curse - Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption, Dimensional Dissonance, Velocity Burst


    Strength - 10


    Stamina - 10


    Agility - 12


    Perception - 10


    Constitution - 10


    Mana - Nil (Due to the host''s curse¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Please check your curse for more information.)


    Skills - Nil (Due to the host''s curse ¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Therefore, the host is unable to use any skills. Please check your curse for more information.)]


    Looking at his new curse, Velocity Burst, Orion smiled. He had copied this curse from Liira when she had taken him hostage.


    [Velocity Burst ¨C It afflicts you with an elerated metabolism that cannot keep up with your speed. Each burst of super speed causes your body to rapidly overheat, leading to severe exhaustion, dehydration, and tissue damage. The more you push your limits, the greater the risk of internalbustion, turning your incredible speed into a deadly curse.]


    Observing the details, he wondered how this curse would be useful for him since he didn''t seem to have super speed.


    ''Let''s activate this curse as well as Dimensional Dissonance.''


    He thought as he mediated and let his dark thoughts and memories consume him. In no time, he once again appeared in an area full of darkness.


    Looking around, he found what he had been looking for. Two orbs floated in the air. One shone as brightly as the sun, while the other radiated heat like fire.


    Without wasting time, he went towards the two orbs, and as he closed the distance between them, the one that glowed like the sun started sahking erraticly before disintegrating like fireworks all around the imposing darkness.


    Seeing this, he went close to the other one as well, and it resulted in the same way as the prior. It also disintegrated into particles scattered around the empty darkness.


    When two orbs disappeared from the abyss of darkness, Orion found himself returning to his body.


    ''The sudden shift between the darkness and my real body is kind of abrupt.''


    To him, it felt like he was in the domain of darkness in one moment, and at another, he found himself back in his own body. This sudden shift made him go momentarily nk for a moment, as he couldn''t react to the change in his surroundings so fast.


    Putting this thought aside, he pondered whether he should use his curses here or not.


    On one side, he didn''t want to draw attention, and on the other, he wanted to know what effects these two curses would have on him.


    The feeling of having powers and not having knowledge of their uses made Orion really irritated. Especially in this situation where having extra cards would always be good for him.


    ''Dimensional Dissonance deals with space, so I shouldn''t use it here. As for Velocity Burst, I don''t know how it will affect me. But I guess it''s time to find out.''


    In the end, he decided to use his Velocity Burst to see how it would affect him.

 Chapter 26: 26. Flame Creation

    <h4>Chapter 26: 26. me Creation</h4>


    After deciding, Orion closed his eyes, immersed himself in despair, and tapped into the curse of Velocity Burst.


    Slowly, he could feel something inside of him.


    ''It felt hot.''


    His body started to heat up from within him, but strangely, this heat didn''t have any effect on him.


    Opening his eyes, he concentrated this heat on his right hand, particrly how he had used the properties of attraction and repulsion.


    A momentter, popping sounds could be heard, and pure red mes materialized in his right hand. But without a second thought, Orion cut his connection to the curse, as it soon got extinguished.


    He didn''t want to draw any unnecessary attention from that crazy dude ying with his skeletons; otherwise, who would know if that kid decided to go crazy here?


    ''So, this heat inside of me will ultimately result in mes.''


    Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but wonder if Liira also felt her body burning if she ever overused her talent.


    Feeling satisfied with the power of mes, Orion turned his attention to the other kids, who still had their heads down in despair.


    ''Are they transmigrators or not?''


    Although he had already spected that the chances were that all the kids in the boat could be transmigrators like him, he didn''t feel sure about that.


    And now, looking at their faces filled with nothing but fear and despair, Orion felt that they ought to be transnmigrators, as only they would be filled with fear towards the ones who used powers and were way more powerful. Also, the presence of monsters in an unknown world would definitely make them terrified.


    But he also couldn''t let go of the fact that they could be just mere children, hence their terrified reactions.


    ''Anyway, what should I do now?''


    Orion pondered, as he didn''t know what to do. He couldn''t escape from here, given the presence of so many skeletons and the absence of his swords.


    Even if he could leave, he didn''t want to. He understood that only defeating the boss monster could help them escape from this dungeon, which seemed to be missing from this dungeon for some reason, and whatever Liira''s team had been doing, Orion had a feeling it was rted to the boss monster in some way or another.


    As a result, he wanted to take advantage of that opportunity to find out what their n was.


    ''It will take some time, I think, to start whatever their n is. So, what to do till then?''


    As he pondered, he remembered a very crucial moment in his fight with Liira. He thought back to how she had taken him hostage and how he had tried to use attraction on her head but failed miserably.


    ''What can''t I use my repulsion and attraction on her? Or is it that I can''t use it on humans? But I seem to be able to use it in my body, so there is definitely not that.''


    After thinking for a moment, he could onlye to two conclusions.


    ''Either I simply can''t use it on another person''s body or my mastery over my talent is too low to use over another person''s body.''


    Orion thought thetter to be most likely true.


    ''But first I should learn how to fully use it on my body. If I can make weapons float in the air, then I should definitely be able to fly in the air if I practice well.''


    With that thought in mind, he closed his eyes and meditated as he controlled the electrostatic energy to cover his own body.


    A momentter, he could feel his own body floating, but it was only an inch above the ground. He couldn''t go above that, no matter how many times he tried. It felt as if some other forces had been pulling his body downward as he tried to float upward.


    ''It seems my power isn''t enough to get free from the gravitational forces. I have to increase my mastery over my talent before I can do that.''


    He thought as he stopped doing altogether and waited, waiting for the time to pass.


    ***


    A few hourster, Orion felt that evening should have already approached.


    During this time, he waited and waited and eventually got bored of it, so he tried to use his Dimensional Dissonance curse but didn''t use it widely and only used it in his hands.


    But he felt amazed by the power it held.


    He could vividly remember how his hands vanished into thin air. Although he could still feel them right here, his eyes couldn''t see that. It felt like his hand had entered a different dimension, or something like that.


    However, the best part of this curse would be its ability to make his body intangible.


    Earlier, when he had used this curse on his right hand, apart from having his hand go into different dimensions, he also made his hand tangible.


    He had tried to let his hand touch his body, only to have it pass right through it. It felt so surreal that he couldn''t believe what he was seeing at that time.


    ''If I am able to use that power freely, then attacks won''t be able to hit me at all.''


    Although he had made his hand tangible earlier, it happened by ident. He didn''t have control over how to do that, apart from the invisibility stuff.


    But Orion still felt excited over the prospect of having such powers in the future.


    "You seem happy."


    At this time, a voice sounded from the other end of the hall, and Orion turned to see that it belonged to the golden-haired man who had earlier used some gravity-like talent to make him kneel to the ground.


    Liira, Dion, and that blue-haireddy¡ªRina¡ªalso appeared beside him. However, their faces didn''t look good, though.


    ''It seems they failed to capture Famir and Ryfin. Good.''


    Orion secretly felt happy about that.


    The golden-haired man, however, appeared to have the worst mood of them all. And why wouldn''t he be?


    Thinking of the man he went to capture and the fight that followed, only to be defeated by him ultimately, made him very angry. In his sixteen years of life, he had never felt so humiliated as he felt today.


    And when he came here and heard that, two of the three individuals that he ordered everyone to watch carefully somehow escaped. This made him unable to control his anger at all.


    Therefore, the reason he came here was simple¡ªit was toplete the final step of their n as soon as possible before he went mad as a result of his anger.

 Chapter 27: 27. Anger Issues

    <h4>Chapter 27: 27. Anger Issues</h4>


    But before that, he needed to do something. He had to vent his anger a little bit so that he remained in control and didn''t go berserk during the important times of their mission.


    Looking at the kid he saw smiling when he entered the hall, he remembered Liira mentioning that the other two escaped due to this guy''s antics.


    "What''s your name?"


    He asked, looking at him.


    Orion felt puzzled by the golden-haired kid''s curiosity about his name, but he decided to answer nheless, realising it wouldn''t cause him any harm.


    "Orion Darkwood."


    The golden-haired kid nodded as he mentioned his own name.


    "You can call me Runo."


    He then looked at the other four children in the room, frowning a little before turning to Orion.


    "Follow us for a sec."


    Saying that he led the way towards a different hall inside the giant tree. Orion didn''t understand the need for this, but he followed him nheless, considering he was their captive right now.


    Upon reaching there, Runo smiled and asked for something from him.


    "Why did you do that?"


    Orion appeared confused by his words.


    "What?"


    Runo''s smile turned brighter at Orion''s confusion.


    "Why did you let your two friends escape from here?"


    Orion wondered if this guy had a screw loose up there, like the skeleton guy.


    "Because I wanted to," he said. "You won''t expect someone to just willingly be kidnapped by others, do you?"


    An amused smile appeared on Runo''s face.


    "You know what? I do. I do believe that everyone should do what I tell them to do, and what you did definitely went against my rules. So, I''ll have to punish you a little."


    As his words escaped his mouth, Orion once again experienced the sensation of something heavy weighing down on his back. This time, however, the weight felt ten times more intense than on the previous asion.


    His body slumped to the ground, yet the pressure did not diminish. Instead, the overwhelming weight seemed to increase every few seconds, bearing down on him relentlessly.


    The trunk of the tree he slumped on started having cracks appear on its surface all around Orion.


    "Agghh!"


    A painful scream escaped Orion''s mouth as he writhed beneath the overwhelming weight.


    Every part of his body¡ªhis hands, his foot, his head¡ªwas engulfed in excruciating pain.


    Witnessing Orion''s struggle, Runo experienced a twisted sense of pleasure, but he remained unsatisfied. He needed something more from Orion before he would feel truly content.


    "Now, beg for mercy, and I shall forgive your crimes if you do that."


    Orion moved his head slowly upward as his eyes, filled with hatred, looked at Runo and spat at him.


    "Beg for mercy? Damn! Who do you think you are? Some sort of king or prince? ... No, nothing. You are nothing but a brat¡ªan arrogant and insolent brat who thinks everyone should obey you just because of your strength, or is it your family background? Scrap these, and what do you have? A kid with anger issues. Nothing more than that."


    He didn''t hold back at all and released every bit of frustration he felt just now.


    Because he failed several exams in his previous life, he always lived in depression. Never in his life had he felt genuine happiness after the ident of his parents. Therefore, he too had difficulty controlling his anger whenever he felt angry about something.


    And what happened just now made him very angry¡ªso angry that he wished he could kill Runo right now. But he also wondered: if he could kill, would he be able to take thest step to end someone else''s life? He didn''t know this right now.


    Moreover, he felt that this kid had some serious issues in his head after hearing him say those things about how everyone should obey him or what not. It made him wonder if all these kids from this world would be like that.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Liira and Rina covered their mouths in shock at Orion''s words. They couldn''t fathom that someone could speak so boldly to Runo.


    Dion also began to retreat, aware of the potential consequences of speaking such words to Runo.


    On the other side, Runo trembled when he heard Orion. Never had he ever heard anyone say so disrespectful things to him. More importantly, the words Orion said were like knives stabbed straight at him, for he knew these words held some truths in them.


    His jaw clenched as he fought to contain his rising anger.


    ''Damn him!'' he cursed inwardly.


    Looking at Orion, who still struggled under the crushing weight, Runo felt a mixture of frustration and wounded pride.


    How dare this insolent boy speak to him in such a way? He was ustomed to unquestioning obedience and respect, not this tant defiance.


    Unable to control his anger anymore, he unleashed the full potential of his talent, causing Orion to scream in pain.


    "Aaagghhh!"


    Blood spurted from various parts of his body as Orion struggled to maintain consciousness amid the intense pain.


    Yet, despite his agony, he didn''t regret his earlier words. Even if given a second chance, he would speak the same truth.


    Though Orion had been a failure in his past life, he had never been a coward.


    Thus, despite feeling fear towards the monsters, towards this world, and now towards Runo, he refused to simply sit back and allow them to dictate. That wasn''t his style.


    If his previous life had taught him anything, it was the will to never give up.


    ***


    "Runo stop! You will kill him."


    Liira shouted to Runo upon seeing Orion''s body covered in blood. They needed all the kids alive; if any of them died, their chances of leaving this ce would vanish.


    "No, he needs to learn his ce."


    Runoughed maniacally as he intensified the pressure even further.


    At that moment, a blue glow materialized over Orion''s body, and he became enveloped in a spherical ball of force field once again.


    Observing Orion losing consciousness, Rina took matters into her own hands. She utilized her talent to shield him from Runo''s onught.


    "What are you doing?"


    Runo, enraged, shouted angrily at Rina. Unintentionally, the pressure he exerted shifted from Orion to her, causing her body to m forcefully onto the ground.


    "No!"


    Seeing the impact of his actions, he shouted in distress and hurried to Rina''s side. Reaching her, he cradled her body in his hands, checking carefully for any signs of injury. Finding none, he sighed in relief.


    "Thank god."


    Rina smiled sweetly at him as she saw his anxiety.


    "I am fine, dummy, and if you are really worried about me, then learn to control your anger."


    Runo nodded hurriedly.

 Chapter 28: 28. Sacrificial Renewal

    <h4>Chapter 28: 28. Sacrificial Renewal</h4>


    "Liira, you go and get Jarth and have him heal Orion."


    Rina turned to Liira while indicating Orion in her spherical field.


    Liira nodded and left swiftly.


    A momentter, she returned with a man with green hair, who timidly nced around the ce, clearly confused as to why he had been summoned there.


    Soon, his attention was immediately drawn to the injured figure of Orion trapped within a blue spherical force field, and he understood his task.


    Rina nced at Jarth''s timid expression and couldn''t help but reprimand him once more.


    "Jarth, how many times do I have to tell you to be confident in yourself? Don''t be so timid all the time."


    Jarth nodded at her, though he couldn''t help but appear somewhat timid, despite his efforts to exude confidence.


    "I-I heard you, Rina. You don''t have to keep reminding me."


    Rina sighed at his timid nature before turning her attention back to the main topic.


    "Heal him quickly, and then you can go. But make sure you''re ready early tomorrow morning. We''ll be leaving at that time."


    She then lowered Orion and deactivated her talent.


    Seeing this, Jarth approached Orion and ced his hands on his body. Momentster, a green halo enveloped Orion''s body, while a red halo surrounded Jarth.


    Shortly after, Orion''s wounds visibly closed, hisplexion regaining its rosy hue. Most importantly, the intense pain that had gued him dissipated, leaving him feeling oddly refreshed, as if the torture he had endured moments before hadn''t happened at all.


    At this time, a notification appeared before his eyes.


    [Do you want to copy the curse Sacrificial Renewal?]


    Orion didn''t fully understand the effects of the curse, but he epted it nheless. After all, why not? He had nothing to lose, and if the curse proved to be beneficial, then it would only work in his favour.


    However, in that moment, Orion failed to notice Jarth''s condition due to his own distraction with the notification.


    Jarth''s face turned pale, and his body trembled as he gritted his teeth to suppress any screams of agony.


    Meanwhile, Rina, Liira, Dion, and even Runo watched with concern as Jarth worked to heal Orion. They were well aware of the grim nature of Jarth''s curse, known as Sacrificial Renewal.


    This curse forced him to experience all the pain of the person he was healing.


    Yet, despite the agony it caused him, Jarth couldn''t stop healing others. He understood that only by regrly utilizing his talent and enduring the suffering could he hope to increase his mastery over his talent. Otherwise, he would always remain in the bronze rank forever.


    After a moment, the glowing halos surrounding both Jarth and Orion faded away, signifying thepletion of the healing process.


    Exhausted, Jarth slumped to the ground, his body drenched in sweat as he struggled to catch his breath.


    Runo regarded Jarth with pity as he issued hismand.


    "Jarth, return, and rest," he instructed gently.


    Jarth nodded wearily, rising to his feet and slowly making his way out of the area.


    Turning to Rina and the rest of the group, Runo addressed them.


    "Let''s also depart. There''s much to prepare for tomorrow."


    With nods of agreement, they followed Runo and exited the area.


    Orion silently watched them leave as he opened his status to see his new curse.


    [Sacrificial Renewal ¡ª Your ability to heal otherses at a profound cost to yourself. Each time you use your healing powers to mend the wounds or ailments of others, you absorb their pain and afflictions into your own body.]


    ''So, this is its effect. But how will it affect me?''


    Contemting, he once again delved into the abyss of darkness and activated the curse of Sacrificial Renewal there.


    ''It says it can absorb the pain and afflictions of others while healing, so can I also do the same to myself?''


    Considering this, he nced around and spotted a small, pointed piece of wood. He grasped it and used it to prick his index finger on his left hand. A red dot emerged at the tip of his finger as Orion experienced a slight stinging sensation.


    Observing this, he activated the curse of Sacrificial Renewal, and as he did, the stinging pain in his finger vanished. However, the point-marked injury didn''t heal; it remained as if nothing had happened.


    ''So, with this curse, I won''t feel any pain from any injuries, but the injury itself will still remain. Interesting.''


    This new curse truly intrigued Orion because it didn''t offer any significant increase in strength. Nevertheless, he considered that he would use this curse for a long time.


    ''Let''s rest for a bit.''


    Following that, he rested and waited for the next morning''s arrival.


    ***


    As soon as the next day dawned, Runo and the others returned to the prison.


    Runo surveyed the four kids sitting there with their heads down as he started to address them.


    "Everyone, I know I have kept you here, but I meant no harm. I only wish to leave this ce like you guys. Though I don''t know the exact method, I know that it requires all of your help. So, are you willing to leave this ce or not?"


    All the kids, upon hearing Runo, had their eyes ignited, a sudden shift from their usual despairing selves.


    It was as Orion had suspected. These kids were transmigrators like them, finding themselves in the midst of very on a pirate ship. However, their worst fears were realized when they arrived at the ind, encountering true terror.


    They hadn''t imagined encountering monsters here; some fled, some managed to escape, while others perished.


    Later, when they got kidnapped by individuals much stronger than themselves, they despaired, pondering what fate awaited them.


    Now presented with an opportunity, they were determined not to let it slip away, fearing regret in the future. Thus, when they heard Runo discussing departure, excitement bubbled among them.


    Observing all of this, Orion couldn''t help but acknowledge that Runo was quite adept at controlling others.


    Seeing the excited expressions on the faces of the four kids, Runo proceeded.


    "Alright, follow us then."


    He then instructed them to follow him as he led the way out of the massive tree.

 Chapter 29: 29. Big Bees

    <h4>Chapter 29: 29. Big Bees</h4>


    The four kids and Orion soon followed Runo and the others to the exit of the massive tree.


    Outside, the colossal tree cast a dappled shade on the ground.


    But Orion''s attention was somewhere else. He stared in awe at a massive figure that loomed before him. The man''s leather armour was too tight for his broad shoulders, and he carried arge crimson shield on one arm, as big as a doorway. A collection of weapons, shining in the sunlight, protruded from his back: spears, swords, halberds, and a menacing whip.


    ''What a big guy!''


    Orion thought.


    At that moment, Liira approached the big guy and retrieved three swords from him before turning towards Orion and making her way over to him.


    When she got to him, she handed him the three swords as her eyes narrowed.


    "Take it; you might need it, and don''t turn it against us. Otherwise, the result will be worse than what Runo did to youst time."


    Orion remained silent and epted the swords. These swords were his source of strength, and the fact that Liira was handing them to him indicated that they were headed somewhere that wasn''t likely to be peaceful.


    He then noticed that the other four were also being equipped with weapons of their choice.


    "Grrrr!"


    Orion''s stomach growled at this time.


    ''I am hungry. I hope I can get to eat something on our way to wherever we are going.''


    When everything was prepared, the team promptly set off towards their destination.


    Orion observed that they were heading in the opposite direction from where he, Famir, and Ryfin hade.


    The journey continued with no end in sight, with the unforgiving sun shining through a thickyer of trees that blocked out the sky. The atmosphere was dense, filled with the smell of wet soil and rotting nts.


    As they walked further, the previously scattered trees transformed into a dense barrier of green vegetation. Thick vines, as wide as a man''s arm, twisted through tall tree trunks, casting moving shadows on the wet forest ground.


    A disturbing silence surrounded them, interrupted only by the asional movement in the bushes and the screech of a surprised bird. Orion felt a prickling of difort creeping up his back.


    This made him question if they were going the right way, but seeing Runo refer to a map asionally made him think otherwise for a moment.


    "Buzz!" "Buzz!"


    A soft buzz filled the air. The familiar hum of bees that usually peacefully buzzed around Orion, coaxing flowers to open, was absent. This noise had a lower tone¡ªa threatening sound that made him shiver with fear. He held onto the handle of a sword Liira had provided, ready to attack at any moment if needed.


    "Big bees are here! Everyone be prepared."


    It wasn''t until he heard Liira''s cry that he realised these were not ordinary bees.


    Liira''s hand quickly rose, with her finger pointing upwards. Orion whirled around, his heart pounding in his chest. A wave of crimson rushed through the surrounding in their direction, a gathering unlike any he had previously witnessed.


    These were not the same buzzing yellow bees that fluttered among the native wildflowers. No, these creatures were terrifying, their bodies shining like red gems, wings moving quickly as they hummed menacingly.


    Orion was getting ready to wield his swords when he saw therge red beesing closer, but suddenly they all fell to the ground simultaneously. A mere momentter, three fiery arrows showered down on them, leading to an explosion that ended up destroying the bees.


    Their bodies were visible on fire, with fragments of body parts scattered everywhere. Just a momentter, the lifeless bodies glowed red and then vanished, leaving numerous cores and a few skill books in their wake.


    Orion turned to see that it was Runo and Dion who appeared to have just utilized their talents.


    ''Runo''s talent must be rted to gravity.''


    He thought looking at them.


    At that moment, Liira went over to the area where the scattered items had been dropped and picked them up. Then, after receiving a nod from Runo, she made her way towards Orion and the other transmigrators.


    Upon reaching them, she gazed at them before dropping all the items she had retrieved from the Big Bees near them.


    "Take what you need."


    The four other transmigrators disyed hesitation regarding whether they should take the items or not, but Orion did not hesitate. After exchanging a nce with Liira, he stepped forward and selected five cores from the items scattered on the ground.


    Orion understood that in the situation they were in, they needed every bit of strength possible if they wanted to make it out of here alive. Even if it means taking things from their supposed enemies to get stronger,.


    Seeing Orion take the initiative, the other four also went and took some items from the ground.


    Gazing at the system notification that appeared in his vision, Orion frowned.


    [Do you want to absorb the core?]


    The reason he frowned was because it didn''t say anything about which attribute the acquired stats would be allocated to. Last time he did this, the system automatically increased his agility by two point.


    Recalling what Liira had previously told them, they needed to have one attribute of max level before they could upgrade.


    But the system didn''t ask for which attribute the acquired stats would be added to and just distributed them randomly previously. And looking at the notification, Orion had a feeling it would be like thest time.


    He was confused about this and confronted the system directly.


    "System, which attribute are you going to add the stats from the core to?"


    [It will be distributed randomly.]


    Orion''s suspicions were right.


    "No, first max out the agility attribute before adding to the remaining attributes."


    [You don''t need to do that since your body doesn''t have limits, unlike others. Limits on a person''s body depend on the amount of mana they have when they are born. But since your body doesn''t have any mana to begin with because of your Null Body, you don''t need to worry like others about reaching the potential of your body.]


    His eyes shone at the system''s answer.


    "You mean I can have max stats in all my attributes before I upgrade?"


    [Affirmative.]


    Receiving the confirmation, Orion felt like jumping all of a sudden, but mindful of their situation and his surroundings, he didn''t do that and silently congratted himself.

 Chapter 30: 30. Strange Statues

    <h4>Chapter 30: 30. Strange Statues</h4>


    Orion then quickly absorbed all the cores he had acquired just now and felt rejuvenated all of a sudden.


    ''The feeling of absorbing core is so refreshing.''


    After that, he proceeded to check his status.


    [Name - Orion Darkwood


    Rank - Bronze


    Talent - Copy Curse - 5%


    Curse - Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption, Dimensional Dissonance, Velocity Burst, Sacrificial Renewal


    Strength - 12


    Stamina - 11


    Agility - 13


    Perception - 11


    Constitution - 11


    Mana - Nil (Due to the host''s curse¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Please check your curse for more information.)


    Skills - Nil (Due to the host''s curse ¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Therefore, the host is unable to use any skills. Please check your curse for more information.)]


    ''My strength increased by 2 and all other attributes by 1 stat point. That means one of the cores gave me two stat points.''


    He spected that maybe some of the big bees that died just now must have been stronger than the usual big bees.


    ''My mastery over my talent also increased.''


    Looking at his mastery, Orion rubbed his chin as he pondered.


    ''It seems I can increase my mastery of my talent as long as I can copy more curses.''


    Orion could only think of this reason as to why his mastery over his talent seemed to be increasing without him doing anything.


    As Orion was busy increasing his stats, the group continued to move forward.


    Before long, they heard the sounds of a river flowing, and only a whileter, they reached the banks of a river.


    At that moment, Runo, who seemed to be looking at the map, smiled as he turned his attention to the river, particrly to the two statues on either side of the river.


    "We are on the right track. Our destination is at the source of this river. So, continue to head in the direction where the river ising from."


    Giving themands, he took the lead, and everyone followed him from behind.


    Orion didn''t follow them, as his attention appeared to be more on the two statues than on Runo''s order because the two statues to him looked like the exact opposite of each other.


    One appeared to be that of a man with the brightest smile and shoulder-length golden hair, his hands spreading to the front as if weing them, while the other was that of a woman with blue hair like a sea, but her hands seemed to be in a cross position, and along with the distressed look on her face, it appeared as if she was telling them not toe here.


    ''These statues are rather strange.''


    Orion couldn''t help but think as he looked at the two statues.


    At that moment, a rush of wind washed over his body before he saw Liira appear in front of him.


    She seemed rather annoyed as she looked at Orion with a furrowed brow.


    "Are youing, or what?"


    Orion sighed as he looked at her.


    "Coming."


    After looking at the two strange statues that conveyed opposite meanings, he had a bad feeling and didn''t want to go with them, but recalling Runo''s strength, he felt powerless and could only do what he was told.


    ''The life of a transmigrator is so difficult.''


    He sighed as he followed behind Liira.


    ***


    As the group followed along the river bank, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks filled the air. At that moment, the sun seemed to have reached the exact opposite position from where it had been in the morning.


    "Grrrr!"


    Orion''s stomach growled as he walked a little slower than everyone else in the group.


    ''I need food. I haven''t eaten anything since I came to this world.''


    Depressed, he continued to walk, not wanting to be left behind, lest some monsterse from the water and eat him up, filling their stomachs instead.


    So, he walked slowly and slowly for a time until he felt that he couldn''t walk anymore.


    His legs felt like they had their weight increased, as he couldn''t take a single step, no matter how hard he tried. He felt his body spinning as if all the energy in him had been sucked dry by something, leaving him nothing but a body without fuel.


    ''Damn, I should have added all those stats to stamina if I had known this would happen.''


    Feeling all weakened, he slumped to the ground tiredly as his eyes gazed at the setting sun in the distance.


    However, at that moment, something strange seemed to have happened. Orion saw that, from the setting sun in the red sky, a shadow seemed to be zooming in towards him.


    ''What''s that?''


    He felt sacred for a moment, wondering if it was a monster or something, but upon closer observation, he realized that it appeared to be a guy walking towards him.


    Sighing in relief, he calmed down. A momentter, the person closed in, and he saw that it was none other than the one who healed himst time¡ªJarth.


    Orion saw that Jarth had arrived in front of him with a very kind smile. Seeing this, he wondered if it was some kind of fairy who came to help him in his time of need.


    Jarth then handed him some bread and other consumables.


    "H-Here, take this and eat up. Others are waiting for you at a little distance from here, so hurry and eat up."


    As always, he stuttered as he spoke, but Orion didn''t care about those things as he took the bread and other foods and started gulfing them down like a hungry wolf.


    For a while, Jarth heard sounds of munchinging as he waited at the side.


    "Burrrrp!"


    It didn''t take long for Orion to finish his food as he released a loud burp.


    After eating and feeling his strength return to his body, he stood up and turned to look at Jarth at the side. He really appreciated the food he got now.


    "Thanks, man, you are a lifesaver."


    He gave him a thumbs up.


    Jarth''s face became red upon receiving Orion''s appreciation.


    "You don''t need to thank me. I did what I thought was right to do."


    Orion felt surprised by his attitude and couldn''t help but ask something as he saw that.


    "You are a very good guy. What are you doing with these viins?''


    Jarth''s face became somewhat odd at Orion''s words as he pointed in the distance.


    "What? They?.... It''s not what you think. Let''s go while I tell you the whole story."

 Chapter 31: 31. Temple

    <h4>Chapter 31: 31. Temple</h4>


    As Orion and Jarth went towards the group who were waiting for them, Jarth exined some things to them.


    "You see, we have been trapped in this dungeon for more than a week now because we can''t seem to find the boss monster, no matter how hard we try. And now that we have found a clue, everyone is just so anxious about it."


    He paused for a moment to let Orion digest his words before he continued.


    "As for Runo''s attitude towards you, well, I can only say that he is a good guy who cares deeply for every member of the team, but he is just a little proud inside."


    Orion nodded to Jarth in apparent understanding, but inwardly, he couldn''t help butugh. He understood everything Jarth had said, yet he couldn''t shake off the feeling of disdain towards Runo''s kingly demeanor.


    Recalling Runo''s assertion that people should obey his everymand simply because he said so made Orion cringe.


    But what irritated him the most was the disrespect he had been shown. That was something he simply couldn''t tolerate.


    ''I will have my revenge one day.''


    Despite appearing calm on the surface, Orion knew that it was merely a facade he had adopted in his previous life to cope with the challenges of everyday life on Earth.


    In his past life, he had been a failure¡ªaplete one at that. Consequently, society mocked him wherever he went. Some openly jeered at him, while others spoke to him politely, yet Orion could still discern the disdain in their eyes as they looked at him.


    In the end, he became thoroughly fed up with them and felt deeply depressed. However, over time, he learned to disregard their opinions and didn''t dwell on what they said about him.


    It was this resilience that allowed him to remain calm in the face of everything that had happened to him since joining Runo''s group.


    Moreover, he was desperate to leave this ind, or dungeon, or whatever it was, and they were the only ones with any clue about how to do so. This was his motivation for "cooperating" with them.


    Otherwise, with his petty attitude, he would have undoubtedly sought revenge against Runo, even knowing he wouldn''t stand a chance.


    ***


    After walking for a while, Jarth and Orion arrived at the area where the group seemed to be resting, awaiting their arrival.


    However, Orion''s attention was immediately drawn to the two statues standing on either side of the river.


    Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the two statues still conveyed the same message as the previous pair, but their facial expressions appeared more extreme.


    The man with golden hair smiled broadly, baring his teeth in a weing manner, while the woman with blue hair had tears streaming down her cheeks, her hands still crossed.


    Observing the statues intently, Orion struggled toprehend the significance behind them.


    ''Do these statues signify something? If it is, then why have two statues of opposite meanings and not only one?.''


    He pondered its meaning but couldn''te up with anything.


    Sighing, he looked at the others as they once again started their journey.


    ''I guess it''s nothing.''


    With no answers, he quietly followed them from behind.


    ***


    As the day drew to a close, the stars began to sparkle in the sky, casting an otherworldly reflection on the shimmering river below.


    Observing the stars, Orion felt a sense of wonder. Back on Earth, living in a metropolitan area, he rarely had the opportunity to witness such a vast array of stars in the sky.


    ''That''s so beautiful.''


    He thought, looking at them.


    At that moment, Jarth, who walked beside him, pointed at something far in the distance.


    "Look! What''s that?"


    Haring him, Orion tuned to see that in the near distance, not far from them, stood a fort-like structure.


    He also saw that everyone else''s attention was also on the same thing.


    "This is our destination."


    Runo shouted as he pointed at the structure.


    Soon everyone picked up their pace, and before long they arrived at the front of the structure.


    To Orion, this structure appeared like some old temples he had seen in history books.


    The building was structured like a fortress, with three fort-like structures positioned at three sides in a triangr formation and arge gate at the front. It seemed to be entirely ck in color, except for the peaks of the forts, which emitted a gray-golden glow due to the reflection of the moon.


    "Where are they?"


    However, at this time, someone shouted angrily.


    Turning around, Orion noticed that Runo seemed to be scanning the surroundings, as if searching for something or someone.


    Liira also grew anxious, her eyes darting around the area, but she found nothing.


    "There is no one here. Not a single one of them. Runo, are you sure this is the right ce?"


    Runo checked the map once again upon hearing her.


    "This is the ce on the map where a cross is marked. So we are indeed at the right ce."


    He frowned as he said that, wondering if they had been lied to by them.


    Among them, Rina appeared to be the calmest one as she surveyed her surroundings.


    "They definitely need us; otherwise, they wouldn''t have contacted us in the first ce."


    "You are right; we definitely need your kids'' help here."


    At that moment, a loud voice sounded from above them.


    Everyone looked up to see a boat seemingly descending from the star-filled sky. At the boat''s edge stood a man with long ck hair and a beard on his face.


    Orion was shocked to see the man because he was none other than the captain of the pirate ship he had been on earlier.


    ''Damn, so all this time we have been looking for pirates.''


    He cursed at the thought of it.


    He couldn''t imagine how escaping this dungeon meant anything to these pirates, considering they came here at the same time as himself. So, Runo''s team would know better about the dungeon than these pirates.

 Chapter 32: 32. A blue ball of light

    <h4>Chapter 32: 32. A blue ball of light</h4>


    Soon enough, a ship carrying a group of pirates docked just a short distance away, and a swarm of pirates descended from it, with their captain at the forefront.


    Ten pirates trailed behind him, but what caught Orion off guard was the sight of six kids following closely behind. Among them, he recognized four faces from the boat he had seen when he first arrived in this new world.


    ''Their luck is so poor. After getting freed from the pirates, they again got themselves captured.''


    As Orion nced at the other two individuals, it appeared that he didn''t recognize them.


    Yet he couldn''t help but notice the intense focus in Jarth and Liira''s eyes directed towards the pair. This led him to deduce that they must belong to their team.


    The duo seemed to consist of a woman and a man who appeared to be around the same age as them. The woman bore a striking resemnce to Liira, while the man resembled another teammate whom Orion didn''t know.


    Upon seeing everything unfold, Runo''s expression shifted to a more solemn one as he confronted the captain of the pirates.


    "Are you going to let them go or not?"


    The captain''s face twisted into a sneer as he heard him, his focus shifting towards Orion and the remaining four transmigrators.


    "You seem to have not done your job well. There should be more of them other than these five, but I guess this is sufficient to start the n."


    Runo scowled at his words, yet he remained persistent about what he wanted.


    "First return those two, and then we''ll proceed with the n."


    The captainughed wildly at his words.


    "You think you have any say here? If not because I needed all of you alive, I would have killed you kids myself."


    After uttering those words, he proceeded to pull out a yellowed map and forcefully mmed it onto the ground, then plunged a menacing dark dagger into the top of the paper.


    "What did you do?"


    Runo impatiently asked.


    The captain smirked at him.


    "You will know soon."


    The moment his words left his lips, a crimson beam of light descended from the sky, surrounding all those present before disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    "Nothing happened?"


    One of the pirates looked around and saw that nothing seemed to have changed.


    "No, look at the ground around us."


    Orion eximed in astonishment as his gaze fell upon the earth beneath them. To his amazement, they found themselves standing within the confines of a colossal crimson circle etched into the ground. Even the temple like structure got swept into it.


    Orion''s shout caught everyone''s attention, causing them to look around and be met with surprise on their faces.


    All the people present, whether they were pirates or part of Runo''s team, found themselves enclosed within the massive red circle.


    "What did you do?"


    Runo approached the pirate captain with a serious expression on his face, his tone reflecting the gravity of the situation.


    Just as the captain was about to respond, a sudden transformation urred. The red circle etched on the ground began to emit a brilliant red light, expanding into a cylindrical shape that enveloped them within its confines.


    "Are we trapped?"


    Orion grumbled under his breath, his eyes scanning the surroundings, only to be met with the sight of a partially translucent crimson barrier stretching in every direction.


    "W-we are indeed trapped here."


    Jarth''splexion turned ashen as he instinctively gravitated towards Runo, seeking a sense of security in case of any unforeseen events.


    Runo frowned, looking around.


    ''It seems he has already started his ns.''


    While he was aware of their n, he had no idea it would turn out to be like this. More importantly, he wanted to have the two of his team members back before they executed their n, but it seemed he was too naive to believe in a bunch of pirates.


    At that moment, the sky shifted in color as a blue ball of light, the size of a person''s head, descended towards them.


    Before anyone could react, the ball of light shed in a blur and materialized in front of one of the pirates. In an instant, it passed right through his body, causing his eyes to roll up and turnpletely white as his body copsed to the ground.


    Witnessing such a bizarre situation, panic swept over everyone, both the pirates and Runo''s team members alike.


    However, their panic seemed futile as the blue ball of light once again shed and blurred before materializing in front of one of Runo''s team members. He was unable to react as the ball of light passed through his body, causing him to copse to the ground.


    Orion was shocked and terrified to witness this sudden turn of events.


    ''What is this ball of light? Is it killing them?''


    He felt utterly helpless in the face of such phenomena, which he couldn''t even touch or react to properly.


    But as his eyes scanned the captain of the pirates and Runo, they seemed surprisingly calmpared to everyone else.


    ''Do they know anything about it?''


    Finding a glimmer of hope within himself, Orion observed theirposed demeanor and spected that perhaps they weren''t facing imminent danger. He considered the possibility that all of this chaos might be part of their own n to achieve their goals.


    Amidst his contemtion, Orion observed the blue light shing intermittently, appearing before various pirates or members of Runo''s team, causing their bodies to copse to the ground.


    At this juncture, Orion realized that only Runo, Liira, Rina, the big guy, Jarth, another unfamiliar individual, and himself remained within Runo''s team.


    However, that was soon going to change as the blue ball of light floated before them and unexpectedly materialized in front of Orion. It moved so swiftly, too fast for him to react; he barely blinked before it appeared just an inch away from his stomach.


    As if acting on instinct, he attempted to use repel on his body, but to his dismay, he realized that he couldn''t control any part of his body whatsoever. It was as if some kind of lock had been ced on his body, rendering himpletely immobilized, with no control over any movement, internal or external.


    At that moment, the ball of blue light passed right through him. In an instant, his body crumpled to the ground, while an ethereal and translucent version of himself emerged from his body.


    For a brief moment, Orion felt as if nothing had happened, but then he noticed his teammates from Runo''s group gazing below him.


    Feeling puzzled, he followed their gaze and, to his horror, saw an oddly familiar body lying on the ground.

 Chapter 33: 33. Temple Of Souls

    <h4>Chapter 33: 33. Temple Of Souls</h4>


    ''Am I dead?''


    This thought was the only thing that upied Orion''s mind as he gazed at his lifeless body lying on the ground.


    He couldn''t fathom that he would meet his end like this, especially after being transmigrated and given a system.


    ''I guess I am the worst transmigrator then.''


    Though he didn''t experience sadness, only regret washed over Orion¡ªregret that he hadn''t made the most of the second chance he had been given.


    "Hey, look, another one!"


    As Orion appeared to be absorbed in contemtion over his demise, a voice emanated from behind him. He found it rather peculiar that he could still hear voices even in death.


    Despite his astonishment, he turned to investigate the source of the sound, and what he saw nearly caused him to have a heart attack.


    To his horror, he saw that behind him there appeared to be around ten or so ghost like bodies hovering in the air. Ghost like as in, he could see right through them.


    ''These are the people who got attacked by the blue ball. But what are they doing here if they are dead?... What am I doing here if am dead? What''s going on here? Are we not dead?''


    He couldn''t ascertain if this was how it really was when people died, but if it was, then why would they exist in their...soul form?


    As Orion pondered this with his head lowered, he caught a glimpse of the blue ball passing right through Liira.


    To his astonishment, her body, like his own, crumpled to the ground, and a ghost-like, ethereal version of her emerged from her body, floating in the air.


    In that moment, a realization struck Orion that perhaps all those individuals struck by the blue ball didn''t truly die but instead became ghosts or manifested themselves in their soul form.


    Observing Liira, who remained remarkably calm despite the events, reinforced his belief that his theory was likely true.


    ''It''s good that I didn''t die; otherwise, the god who transmigrated me would definitely be cursing me right now.''


    Sighing in relief, he waited for the remaining people on the ground to manifest in their soul forms.


    ***


    A whileter, the transformation to soul form seemed to bepleted and everyone''s body on the ground was beingid lifelessly.


    At that moment, the captain of the pirates yelled to draw everyone''s attention.


    "Everyone."


    Hearing the loud voice of his, the soul forms floating on the air turned their heads to him.


    Feeling satisfied with this, the captain''s expression turned serious as he went on to exin what was happening here.


    "As you all know, this dungeon don''t have a boss but... I happen to find how to summon the boss."


    Runo, Liira, and everyone in Runo''s team had their ears perked up, focusing on what the captain of the pirate was saying because they also didn''t know how to find the boss.


    Everything they knew about the boss, even the map that led them here, had been acquired by the deal between them and the pirates. However, even that knowledge was limited, as they didn''t know anything about what would happen after this.


    As for why the pirates knew more than them, who had been searching for this ce for a week, it was because of that temple.


    When they had been searching all over the ind, the temple hadn''t been there where it appeared to be right now. It recently came into existence and was first found by pirates. Hence, their current situation.


    Seeing everyone paying attention to him, the captain of the pirates smiled as he continued.


    "You see that temple over there?"


    He pointed at the temple not far from them, which had also been enclosed by the red cylindrical like them.


    "That temple is called the Temple of Souls, and the boss is in that ce. But we can''t go far inside the temple in our physical form because of the temple''s rule. However, when I went into the templest time, I found a book at the entrance that exined everything I needed to know about the boss, the dungeon, and the temple."


    Runo''s team understood everything from his words but they still remained unclear about what would happen to them in the temple.


    On the side, Orion also understood some things he wasn''t clear about.


    ''It seems that temple is the ce where the boss is but why is it soplicated to get to a boss in the dungeon? Shouldn''t the boss be in a ce where everyone could get to easily?''


    Although he didn''t understand this, he thought maybe this world''s dungeon worked differently to what he had read in novels.


    Seeing Runo''s team looking at him eagerly, the captain of pirates continued.


    "But to enter that temple sessfully, we will need about minimum twenty-five people in their soul form; otherwise, the entrance will remain close even if we have only one less. Now that everyone understand all of this, let''s enter the temple."


    As he finished speaking, the captain then took out a glowing red orb the size of his fist, from which rays of light emanated towards them like streaks of red shes, and before anyone could react, these rays of light entered them.


    For a moment, nothing seemed to happen but after a while, their soul form started to descend slowly and came down to the ground.


    At that moment, Orion had a feeling like he was in his body again but that wasn''t true as his body was still lying beside him.


    ''Whatever the captain did right now made our body solid and with this, we can walk like normal people... but can I use my talent in this soul form?''


    He thought because if they encountered any problem inside the temple, then without their talents, they would only be courting death by going there.


    Therefore, he wanted to see if their talent would work or not in this form.


    Raising his hand, he tried to use repel and as a result, his hand started to glow in a bright red color.


    ''Thank god, it works.''


    Seeing this, Orion sighed in relief.

 Chapter 34: 34. Another Portal

    <h4>Chapter 34: 34. Another Portal</h4>


    "Let''s go."


    At that moment, the captain of the pirates took the lead, slowly walking towards the temple.


    Seeing this, everyone else followed him.


    Then, as if remembering something important, the captain turned around, his face adorned with a silly smile.


    "Ah, I forgot to mention that if you die in there, your body will disintegrate like those monsters we kill, so be sure not to die."


    Everyone felt a hint of hesitation upon hearing his words, but they couldn''t turn back from here, could they? So, they steeled their resolves as they headed forward towards the temple.


    A whileter, they arrived at the entrance of the temple, where a statue simr to what Orion had seen whening here had been ced at the entrance.


    But this time, upon seeing the statue, Orion felt shocked. For he saw that the statue of the man with golden hair and the woman with blue hair both had their swords pierced into each other''s hearts, as they appeared to be kneeling and hugging each other.


    ''Did they kill each other at the end?''


    Orion was puzzled as to what the statue wanted to convey to them this time. However, after looking at it for a long time, he couldn''t understand any of it.


    ''Well, it doesn''t matter anyway, since I am going to enter the temple either way.''


    Sighing, Orion put aside those thoughts and followed the others.


    Looking up, he noticed that the temple appeared muchrger than they had initially thought when they had seen it from a distance. It emitted a very eerie aura, making him feel ufortable.


    Observing the others, he noticed that they also had frowning faces as they walked slowly.


    Not long after, they were just a step away from entering the temple when the captain of the pirates abruptly halted, causing everyone else to stop as well.


    Addressing everyone, the captain of pirates spoke with a solemn expression.


    "The book I obtained only mentioned how to enter the temple; other than that, it didn''t say anything useful, so I don''t know what will happen if we enter there, but there is one thing it mentioned that is beneficial to us."


    He paused, looking at all of them, before continuing.


    "That is, if any of us is able to reach the boss, then all of our souls will be back in our bodies, and if we can''t, then our souls will be trapped there for eternity. However, that cylindrical barrier around this temple will cease to exist within seven days, so try toplete the task in that period of time; otherwise, who knows, we might have our bodies eaten by monsters if we are even a littlete?"


    Everyone nodded, their faces turning grave as they heard him. The prospect of having their bodies eaten while their souls were away was a terrifying thought.


    Moreover, if that were to happen, their souls would be trapped in the temple forever. Thinking of that situation intensified their hesitation.


    Orion, too, didn''t feel good after hearing the captain''s words. His face turned grim as he considered the potential danger. However, at this point, he couldn''t turn back.


    ''Everything about this ce gives me creeps. The pair of statues I saw on the way here, another pair I saw at the entrance and now what he said, all of thesebined is enough for anyone to suspect that there is something wrong with this temple, but here we are barging right in.''


    He dreaded thinking about the situation he had gotten himself into.


    ''But I will definitely not let myself die there for sure.''


    Clenching his fists, he resolved to return from that ce alive.


    Meanwhile, Runo frowned as he turned to the captain of the pirates.


    "This dungeon is supposed to be a bronze rank dungeon, so why is the difficulty so high here?"


    The captain of the pirates shrugged.


    "I don''t know. Maybe this dungeon is unique. Anyway, we will find out what''s going on if we enter the temple."


    Without hesitation, he took a step and entered the temple.


    Seeing this, Runo gritted his teeth as he turned to look at his team.


    "Let''s go. We are entering as well."


    Saying that, he also stepped into the temple.


    A momentter, everyone entered the temple. They were helpless about it now that they were in their soul form; they could only enter the temple and hope that everything went fine.


    ***


    A whileter, a portal of some sort appeared at the end of the hall they were walking in.


    This portal appeared different from the ones Orion had seen beside the skull throne, as it appeared to be in the shape of a door rather than a circr one.


    It also radiated a green glow all around.


    "Last time I came with my physical body, the portal wasn''t here; instead, a wall had been there in ce of it. So, I think this will lead us to the inside of the temple."


    The captain of the pirates expressed his thoughts to everyone as he stared at the portal.


    "Let''s go. There is no point in wasting any more time here."


    He turned to everyone as he walked into the portal and disappeared from the hall.


    Seeing this, some other pirates also followed behind and walked into the portal, disappearing from this ce.


    As for Runo''s team, they also walked into the portal after much hesitation, leaving only Orion at the scene.


    ''I can just wait here and let them find the boss, can''t I?''


    Orion thought, but at that moment, he heard something¡ªsomething eerie.


    Turning around, he saw cracks appearing on either side of the walls. Slowly, these cracks expanded, and sickly hands began to pop out from behind the walls. Not just one, but many hands emerged from all around the walls on both sides.


    ''Damn!''


    Seeing this, Orion cursed as he took a step back. But at that moment, a hand seemingly emerged from the ground and grabbed onto his left leg.


    Feeling a shiver run down his spine, he fell backward onto the ground. Reacting quickly, one of his swords flew straight to the hand and cut it in half.


    Freeing himself, Orion didn''t look back. He ran straight to the portal and disappeared from the hall.

 Chapter 35: 35. Forsaken Souls

    <h4>Chapter 35: 35. Forsaken Souls</h4>


    As Orion stepped into the portal, a blinding light shed, causing him to instinctively hold his hands in front of his eyes.


    A momentter, the bright light faded slowly, and Orion opened his eyes. However, what he saw at that moment caused him to question if he hade to the right ce.


    He saw that there were many¡ªabout hundreds¡ªof ghost-like figures in their soul forms, walking and talking in arge rectangr hall. Some were kids like them; some were middle-aged men, while some appeared old.


    It appeared to him as though he hadn''t walked into some scary temple but into a ce filled with people having fun and enjoying their lives.


    Looking all around, he saw that all the people''s attention was on them at the moment, as they pointed and whispered to each other while looking at them.


    However, for some reason, Orion could vaguely see that their faces appeared to be slightly red, and they were grinning at each other as if they were excited about something while looking in their direction.


    ''Odd.''


    Turning his head to the side, Orion saw that others who came with him were also shocked like him. They also hadn''t anticipated such a scene when they entered through the portal.


    But if anything was unsettling about all of this, it was that all the people here were in their soul forms, yet they hadn''t seen any bodies like their own outside of the temple, guarded by a protective barrier.


    This made Orion wonder about something.


    ''Are all these people who couldn''tplete the task in seven days and have their souls sealed in the temple?''


    As this thought crossed his mind, a shiver ran through his spine.


    He couldn''t imagine how difficult the task would be if hundreds of people were unable toplete it.


    ''We also have to do the same task, right?''


    Just the thought of having to undertake the same task filled him with despair.


    At that moment, three individuals came to the front of Orion''s small group.


    Orion saw that they appeared to be three old men, but their attire and looks werepletely different from each other.


    The one who stood at the right had golden hair, and his face well-chiseled for his age. His attire included a white tunic, now full of dust, and two shoulder caps on his shoulders. Most strikingly, he carried a staff in his right hand.


    The one in the middle looked quitemon to Orion, as he had ck hair and a beard while wearing armor simr to that of Runo''s team.


    While the man on the left stood out the most to him. He appeared to be wearing a white chinese style robe with white hair and a sizable beard while carrying a sword strapped around his waist. His face looked serene as he stood with his hands behind his back. The whole look of this guy made Orion wonder if this man had appeared from ancient times.


    The ancient-looking man smiled as he looked at them and cupped his fists in greeting.


    "Wee warriors to the temple of souls."


    He appeared to be quite enthusiastic about weing them.


    The captain of the pirates frowned as he looked at the ancient-looking man.


    "Are you guys trapped souls who couldn''tplete the task in seven days?"


    As soon as he spoke those words, the three old men had their faces turn ashen for a moment before returning to their usual enthusiastic demeanor.


    The ancient-looking man gazed into the distance, his face carrying a weighty expression.


    "Indeed, we are the lost souls."


    At that time, Runo stepped forward and addressed them.


    "Is the task so difficult that hundreds of people haven''t been able toplete it in years?"


    Themon-looking man sighed as he took the opportunity to respond to him.


    "You can say it is the most difficult task we have ever faced, and you might too in the future."


    He paused as he introduced themselves.


    "As for us three, I am Walric, the guy with the staff is Agnar, and the one who greeted you first is Feran. We were the very first ones toe to this dungeon, but s, we failed toplete the task. Our bodies should have been eaten by monsters at this point, and as a result, our souls have been trapped here since then."


    As Walric spoke, his expression turned grim.


    Runo''s face also grew grave at his words, realizing the enormity of the task ahead. If hundreds of people before them couldn''tplete it, what chances did they have?


    At that moment, Orion, who had been curious since they arrived, asked the three of them a question.


    "So, what is the task required of us to do?"


    Orion''s question immediately drew the attention of Runo and the captain of the pirates, who also turned to the three old men for answers.


    Of the three old men, it was the one with the staff who answered the question.


    "You see that portal you came from?"


    He pointed towards the portal shining behind Orion and the others.


    Orion turned around, his gaze falling upon the portal they hade through. He was surprised to see that this end of the portal appeared to be made of a pure gold frame, circr in shape, shining with blue light, casting a blue glow over Orion''s team.


    Seeing everyone''s attention on the portal, Agnar continued.


    "If you go back now to the portal, you won''t being out; instead, you will be sent to fight the first guardian of the temple of souls. There are three guardians in total in the temple of souls, and the task required of us is to kill all three guardians."


    He paused for a moment, allowing them to digest what he had said before continuing.


    "However, it is easier said than done. Of all the people present here, at least everyone has killed the first guardian, while arge group has seeded in killing the second guardian, but not a single one of us has ever seeded in killing the third one. It became our darkest nightmare living in the temple of souls."


    Agnar still remembered how powerless he felt against the third guardian. At the end of the fight, it even made him feel what true despair was.


    Before their fight, he hadn''t realized there could be such a disparity in power levels within the same rank. But after the fight, he realized he was only a frog at the bottom of the well.

 Chapter 36: 36. Rules

    <h4>Chapter 36: 36. Rules</h4>


    The captain of the pirates grinned in response to Agnar''s words.


    "Humph, you people failed because your strength was only at the bronze rank while mine is at the iron rank. So I think it will be easy for me to kill the third guardian."


    He let out his aura for everyone to witness, but at that moment, he noticed that the aura didn''t seem as powerful as before, and upon carefully assessing his strength, he realized that it had been confined to the bronze rank in the temple.


    At that moment, Agnar smiled with embarrassment.


    "Hehe, it seems I forgot to tell you that your strength here is limited to bronze rank, no matter how powerful you are outside this temple."


    The captain of the pirates red at his words.


    "Damn, you should have said this earlier, but you think this can stop me from fighting the guardians? No, it won''t."


    In his anger, he didn''t hesitate as he advanced toward the portal. But before he could take another step, someone materialized in front of him, wielding a sword.


    It was Feran, the ancient-looking guy, who blocked his path.


    "What''s the meaning of this?"


    The captain inquired, his mood worsening as Feran blocked him.


    Feran regarded him kindly, and a smile graced his serene face.


    "I didn''t mean anything. As for why I stopped you, it''s because we don''t want to lose our chances of leaving this temple so early."


    Orion, who had been observing the entire scene, suddenly interjected.


    "You can still leave without your body?"


    Feran turned to Orion upon hearing him, sighing at his question.


    "We leave this ce, as in, our souls will be free from the shackles binding us to this temple and can rest in peace."


    Orion grimaced at his words. He hadn''t anticipated that this was what he meant when he said they could leave this ce.


    ''That means failing toplete the task would mean death one way or another.''


    However, he had one more thing he wanted to be sure about. Thinking of that, he again turned to Feran.


    "Are there any rules for the task? Can we all leave this ce if even one of uspletes the task, or do we have to do it individually?"


    Everyone in Orion''s group shared the same question, so they all turned their attention to Feran, awaiting his response.


    Even the captain of the pirates appeared to be acknowledging that he had acted hastily. Realizing that failure, or worse, death, could result from his impulsive actions, he understood that there would be no remedy for regretster. With this in mind, he decided not to engage the guardian until he had fully grasped the rules.


    Feran smiled, seeing that he didn''t have to take action regarding the man with the tattoo of an elephant''s teeth on his face.


    "Agnar, exin the rules to them."


    He allowed Agnar to exin the rules as he moved to the side and sheathed his sword.


    Agnar nodded to Feran, then tapped the ground with his staff. Soon, the ground around him began to deform and undte like water before gradually reshaping itself into a circr arena. Within the arena, three statues stood at a distance from each other.


    Pointing at the arena, Agnar exined the rules.


    "After you enter through the portal, you will immediately meet with the first guardian, and after you kill it, you won''t meet the second guardian right away but will be transported back here."


    He then turned around and pointed at the far side of the hall.


    "You see that circr structure over there?"


    Orion turned around and saw arge circr gate-like structure constructed of rock, with red tree vines entwined around it.


    Observing everyone''s attention focused on the inactive portal, Agnar proceeded with his exnation.


    "That''s also a portal, but it isn''t activated yet. It will be activated if one of you kills the first guardian; then only that person can use that portal; others won''t be able to use it."


    "So where does it lead to?"


    Orion inquired, puzzled. He was aware that they couldn''t leave this ce until they had defeated the third guardian, so he wondered where this portal would lead them.


    Agnar then gestured towards the circr arena he had constructed.


    "Look at the space between each guardian; there is a square-shaped box area. When you enter that portal, you will be transported to this area. As for what this area is, I can tell you that it''s heaven for those who want to have their attribute reach the max stats, as this area is full of bronze-rank monsters. By going through this portal, you will have a high chance of defeating the second guardian."


    Orion put a hand on his chin as he mused.


    ''That''s good. With that portal, I can at least increase my stats for all attributes to around 30 or 40 points, or maybe I can max them all depending on the time I will be spending in that area.''


    Considering the time, he intended to inquire about it, but before he could, someone else voiced the question on his behalf.


    "So, how much time will we have in those areas?"


    Orion noticed that it was Runo who had just posed the question.


    Agnar sighed as he heard that question.


    "Before I tell you about how much time you will be spending in that area, let me tell you about something more important."


    Everyone''s ears perked up at his words.


    "You will each get three chances to defeat a guardian, and if you fail on your third chance, then you will be weed by us."


    The expressions on everyone''s faces turned grave. They hadn''t anticipated that there would be a limit on the number of attempts they could make against the guardians. This significantly raised the difficulty to a whole new level.


    ''Curse the seven generations of whoever made this stupid temple.''


    Orion cursed inwardly as he thought about the difficulty of clearing this temple. ording to Agnar and the others, the third guardian was already immensely powerful, and now this frustrating rule further diminished their already slim chances to the lowest level possible.


    "And you will only get about an hour between each guardian in the leveling area."


    "Only an hour??!!"


    Orion eximed in frustration. He had nned to raise all of his attributes to a high level while inside that area, but with only an hour''s time limit, he could only increase one attribute, and even then, it wouldn''t reach a satisfactory level.


    While others were also taken aback by the time limit, it was manageable for them. Most of them had already reached their limits in their respective attributes, while others only needed a few more points.

 Chapter 37: 37. Three Divine Ways

    <h4>Chapter 37: 37. Three Divine Ways</h4>


    While everyone contemted what to do, Walric stepped forward and faced them.


    "Now that you know about the rules and stuff, you can go to the first guardian if you want, but we suggest you don''t hurry over this."


    "Why?"


    Runo felt confused. Since they had some confidence that they could defeat the first guardian, they should take their chances. That way, they could also max out their attributes if they hadn''t done it till now.


    Orion also felt that waiting here would do them nothing good and only waste their time since they only had about a week to finish this task.


    Walric understood their hesitation as he exined.


    "Have you heard of the Three Divine Paths?"


    Orion nkly tilted his head as he heard those words. It sounded cool, but he didn''t know what it meant.


    Looking around, he saw that everyone else nodded at Walric aside from his group of transmigrators.


    "You wouldn''t want us to learn that, would you?"


    At this time, Runo asked with suspicion.


    Walric smiled, his teeth showing, as he replied.


    "Indeed. That''s what we want. It''s the only way we could ever defeat thest guardian."


    "What do you mean?"


    Runo asked again.


    Walric patiently exined.


    "Think about it; the majority of people here are at the peak of bronze rank like you, but none have seeded in defeating thest guardian. So, what makes you guys think you could do the same?"


    Runo frowned. He felt that Walric''s words held some weight, but he couldn''t agree to his proposition. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to; it was just impossible to learn the Three Divine Paths in a week.


    "But you should know it is almost impossible to do what you want in the time we have."


    Walric sighed at his words, for he knew they were correct.


    "I know, but we don''t have any choice left if we want to kill the third guardian."


    Runo didn''t know what to do anymore. He felt that following Walric''s path might increase their chances of defeating thest guardian but that was also a gamble. If any of them couldn''t learn the Three Divine Ways, then they would only be wasting time here.


    Gritting his teeth, he turned to his teammates.


    "If you want to learn the Three Divine Ways, go for it. I will go straight for the first guardian."


    At the time, he came up with this n. He would try his best to defeat the guardians, while his teammates would try to learn the Three Divine Ways if they wanted to.


    As for why he didn''t go for learning the Three Divine Ways himself, it was because he had already tried learning this before he came to this dungeon, but he failed. So he knew the difficulty of learning such an advanced technique in the bronze rank in only a week.


    "Do your best."


    Rina held his hands as she saw Runo walk towards the portal.


    Smiling, Runo patted her head.


    "Don''t worry, I will be back after defeating the first guardian. Keep a lookout for them while I am away, will you?"


    Rina nodded.


    Seeing that, Runo looked at his teammates onest time before entering the portal and vanishing from the hall.


    At that time, Welric looked at the remaining ones.


    "Anyone else want to join him?"


    The captain of the pirates had his head down, his brows furrowed as he contemted deeply.


    "I will go."


    In the end, he also decided to fight the guardians rather than waste his time here to learn something that he couldn''t learn much when he was at the iron rank now that he was at the bronze rank.


    Having decided what to do, he didn''t waste his time and disappeared into the portal.


    Seeing him gone, Walric turned his attention to the remaining individuals.


    "It looks like you people are the only ones remaining. Now we shall start, shall we?"


    At that moment, Orion raised his hand.


    "I don''t know what Three Divine Ways means. Can you exin a little?"


    "We also don''t know."


    At that time, the other transmigrators also joined Orion.


    Looking at the group of kids, Walric felt suspicious.


    "How can you not know about this when it is known to almost every individual in every domain?"


    Orion quickly thought of some excuses, not wanting to expose their identity as transmigrators, but nothing came to his mind after thinking for a moment.


    ''What should I say?''


    He anxiously pondered over it; however, at that moment, someone else did his work.


    "We actually didn''t want toe to this dungeon; we lived in a vige peacefully when these pirates came and kidnapped us and ultimately we found ourselves here. In our vige, there is no mention of the Three Divine Ways or anything of this sort."


    Turning around, Orion saw that it was ady among their group of transmigrators who spoke just now.


    Looking at her, he saw that she had white hair and jade-like skin, and her face appeared to be the epitome of beauty. She was the most beautiful girl Orion had ever seen. However, as he looked at her, a frown appeared on his face.


    ''Who is she?''


    He couldn''t recall seeing her when he first met with the group of transmigrators in Runo''s team''s hideout and when the pirates released some members of Runo''s team along with some transmigrators, nor did he see her in the boat when he first transmigrated. It felt to him as though she appeared out of nowhere.


    ''Did I make a mistake? Is she with us the whole time, but because of all the tension here and there, I didn''t notice her?''


    He was convinced of this reason; otherwise, he couldn''t exin her bizarre appearance out of nowhere.


    Meanwhile, Walric nodded his head as he seemed to understand why they didn''t know anything about the Three Divine Ways. Looking at the group of kids and their ragged, dirty attire, he felt assured by his reasoning, and from what that girl said, he was almost sure.


    "You kids must have been a group of Zenithans who had been kidnapped by these pirates."


    "Zenithans?"


    Orion once again didn''t understand anything. He felt that whatever they were talking about must be rted to their society in this world; hence, everything he said went over his head.


    Surprisingly, Walric expected this response from them.


    "It seems I have to exin everything from the very beginning so that you can understand the Three Divine Ways."


    He paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts before continuing.


    "You see these people over here."


    Walric pointed at the group of soul forms in the temple.


    "Look carefully; you will find three types of people among them. One group''s attire is like mine, the second one looks simr to Agnar, and thest group of people appears simr to Feran based on their clothing and such."


    Orion and the group of transmigrators observed carefully and saw that there appeared to be indeed three types of people among the soul forms in the temple.


    One appeared to be donning the armor Runo''s group wore, which, to Orion, looked more advanced than anything he had seen on earth.


    They appeared to be wearing a shirt above their normal clothing, but he could tell it wasn''t just any shirt. He could see light gleaming on those shirts they wore, which would be impossible if it were a normal shirt.


    There was another group of people that had the same ancient look as that old man Feran, they appeared to be wearing taoist looking robes of different colors. They didn''t wear any armor.


    Lastly, there was a group of people d in tunics, each adorned with armor pieces for various parts of their bodies, including shoulder and knee caps, chest tes, braces, and more.


    This group of people reminded Orion of knights he had read about on Earth who wore armor all over their bodies.

 Chapter 38: 38. Zenithans

    <h4>Chapter 38: 38. Zenithans</h4>


    After seeing that everyone understood what he meant to say, Walric continued.


    "The people with the same attire as me came from a star realm called Human Federation Realm, while the people with the same clothing design as Agnare from a star realm called Magus Kingdom. Thest ones, like Feran, are from a star realm called Martial Domain. The three star realms are collectively known as the three domains."


    Pondering about what Walric said, Orion understood.


    ''So, if there are three groups of people in this ce, then that would exin why some of them look kind of strange.''


    But he still didn''t understand what that had to do with Zenithans and the Three Divine Ways.


    ''Also, what is the star realm he talked about?''


    However, before he could ask his question, someone else took the initiative to do so.


    "What is the star realm?"


    A pleasant voice sounded. Orion turned to see that it was still the white-haired girl that he had overlooked previously.


    Walric had expected this type of question, so he answered her.


    "Groups ofs gathered around a region are what we called a star realm."


    A look of understanding dawned upon Orion, but with it came a feeling of amazement.


    ''Is inter travel a thing in this world?''


    The prospect of traveling through differents really intrigued him.


    At that moment, he heard Walric continue his exnation.


    "As for the Zenithans, they are aboriginals from the news we people from the three domains took rule of."


    A strange look appeared on Walric''s face as he looked at the group of transmigrators and continued.


    "Don''t take offense, but you Zenithans are a strange group of people. You believe in originality and value your culture too much to the point that you won''t even reach out to others that have better resources and have always lived on the same, unwilling to explore the three domains. This led to Zenithans bing the lowest group of people in the three domains. Therefore, it isn''t surprising that you kids don''t know anything about the Three Divine Ways."


    Orion had an amused look on his face as he heard Walric because, as far as he could tell, he wasn''t a Zenithan, but he wasn''t sure about other transmigrators.


    As for why he believed he wasn''t a Zenithan, it was mainly because of the dream he had when he came to the ind.


    He had been thinking about this dream every day since the day he had dreamt of it, and from what he could tell, this dream didn''t appear to be just any dream but a memory¡ªa memory of the body he had upied when he came to this world.


    And when Walric exined about the people from the three domains and their different attires, he thought of the scene he had seen in the dream where people wore clothes like princes and princesses, plus the majestic look of the hall he saw in the dream in addition to his supposed father. He could tell that he appeared from the Magus Kingdom.


    ''But it''s good that he misunderstood this; otherwise, it would have been a headache to exin our situation to them.''


    Orion thought as he pondered some other things.


    "p!"


    At that moment, Walric pped to draw their attention as he started exining about the Three Divine Ways.


    "You should know that if we overuse our talents or use some skills that require high mana consumption consecutively, then our curses be active at that time, and if your stats are not high, then using even simple skills will cause your curse to be active."


    He paused for a moment before continuing.


    "So to prevent that, the three domains came up with something that wouldn''t require one to use the power of their talents but would require using mana."


    However, at that moment, Walric got interrupted by a kid from his Zenithans group.


    "If we don''t use our talents, then won''t we be unable to use our skills as well? Then how will we fight against monsters without using skills?"


    Walric smiled at his question.


    "Well, that''s how magical the Three Divine Ways are. We don''t need skills or talent to fight monsters if we can use the Three Divine Ways and harness the power of mana within us. But before I teach you that, rest for an hour or so, as you need to be in your best condition to learn that."


    Orion and the others nodded.


    Afterward, they looked for a ce to sit down.


    Orion observed the hall and found an area at the corner empty. Reaching there, he sat down and rested with his head down as he pondered a problem that arose when he heard Walric exining the Three Divine Ways.


    ''The Three Divine Ways required the use of mana, but I don''t have mana at all, so this thing is useless for me, I guess. Also, I don''t think I need to learn that anyway.''


    Most importantly, he thought there wasn''t a need for him to learn the Three Divine Ways, as from what he could tell, his curse¡ªNull Body seemed to be always active, unlike others when they overused their talents.


    He came to this conclusion because others'' curses activated after they overused their talents, but he couldn''t use mana or anything rted to mana at all since the moment he got his curse. This could only happen if his curse were to remain active at all times.


    Also, his curse didn''t hold him back like others did. That''s why he thought that he wouldn''t need the Three Divine Ways.


    But there was one thing he was doubtful about.


    ''They said if one were to use the power of the Three Divine Ways, then they would be able to defeat the third guardian. That means the Three Divine Ways aren''t just a technique to harness the power of mana but also something that would increase their strength to a high level.''


    Thinking of this, he decided he would try to learn the Three Divine Ways if he could, and if he couldn''t, then there was nothing he could do.


    ''Three Divine Ways or not, if I could just max out all my attributes to the max, then I doubt the third guardian would be a problem for me.''


    He thought this because, from what he could see, everyone could only increase their one attribute to the max level, while he could do the same for all five of his attributes.


    If he were to achieve that, he would definitely be super strong, and with his arsenal of curses with him, he doubted the third guardian would pose a problem to him.


    ''But this leveling area had to have a time limit of one hour, and including the one I will get after defeating the second guardian, I will get only around two hours in total.''


    He sighed, thinking about it.


    At this moment, another idea came to his mind.


    ''If I could copy the curses of all the people here and choose the best ones to practice, then I might have a chance against the third guardian.''


    He felt that in this situation, this should be the best course of action he could take.


    Also, from what he could tell, his use of curses seemed infinite to him, unlike others, whose use of talent had a limit on the amount of mana they had, but he didn''t appear to have anything that would limit his use of curses.


    This had been proven, as he hadn''t felt any limitations on him whatsoever when he used his curses. Aside from the fact that he had to be in full despair mode to use his curses.


    "Hehe."


    Thinking of that, a smile appeared on his face.


    "What are you smiling for?"


    At that moment, Orion heard a familiar voice. Looking up, he saw that it was Runo''s team that seemed to being towards him.

 Chapter 39: 39. Apologize

    <h4>Chapter 39: 39. Apologize</h4>


    ''Why are theying here?''


    Orion frowned, looking at theming towards him.


    ''Can''t one get a moment of peace alone here?''


    He let out a sigh, his eyes narrowing as he focused on them.


    "What do you guys want?"


    Hearing his words, Liira red at him.


    "What''s with that look and that irritated voice? It''s as if you don''t even want to see us."


    Orion nodded hurriedly at her as he chuckled.


    "Indeed, I don''t want to see you guys. Just go away."


    He dismissively waved his hand at them.


    Seeing this, Liira stomped her foot and was about to yell at him when she recalled what they came here for.


    ''Calm down.''


    Taking deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down because of that.


    Observing the tension between them, Rina stepped forward, facing Orion directly.


    "Hey, we didn''te here for a fight."


    Orion turned toward her upon hearing her voice.


    "Then what are you here for?"


    At that moment, unexpectedly, Rina bowed down to him.


    "I am sorry for what Runo did to you."


    Orion was taken aback by her action. Most importantly, he felt embarrassed that he had made a girl bow down to him.


    "It''s not your fault, so you don''t have to do this."


    He hurriedly shook both of his hands at her. Meanwhile, he wondered why that self-proimed bastard of a guy had such good teammates.


    After bowing down and seeing that Orion didn''t seem to care about what Runo did to him, Rina sighed in relief and nodded at him.


    At that moment, Orion turned to look at everyone on Runo''s team.


    "So, I suppose you guys aren''t here just to witness what happened now, right?"


    Although he hated Runo to the core, he really didn''t care about his teammates. Excluding Liina and Dion, who betrayed him, but even that was something he had already spected on.


    Most importantly, he understood now that whatever they did previously was something even he would do if he were in their ce, so he really didn''t feel anything towards them.


    But there was always an exception, and in Orion''s case, it was the skeleton controlling guy. He hated this kid to the core.


    At that moment, Jarth wanted to say something to Orion, but before he could, the portal from which Runo had vanished vibrated with a low hum as Runo appeared from that portal.


    Seeing hime out so fast, everyone felt surprised.


    Even Runo''s team members had not thought that he woulde back so fast.


    "Did you sessfully kill the first guardian?"


    Agnar asked, his face appearing red at the thought of how someone could defeat a guardian so quickly.


    Although it was just the first guardian, nobody had ever defeated it that fast.


    Runo nodded at him as he also turned to face him, his expression filled with doubt.


    "The first guardian was so easy that I can''t believe the third one would be as much stronger as you people thought it out to be."


    Walric on the side shook his head with a wry smile.


    "That''s what we thought first. ording to what we know, the level of the first guardian seems average at bronze rank, the second one is at the peak of bronze rank, and the third one is at iron rank. And not just an average iron rank, but an elite one at that."


    Runo frowned. He thought that if the third guardian were really an elite at the iron rank, then it would not be an easy task to defeat him.


    "Alright, I will keep that in mind."


    Saying that, he went towards his team.


    Meanwhile, Orion distanced himself from Runo''s team as he closed his eyes and rested.


    Like that, three hours passed.


    "p!"


    At that moment, a pping of hands sounded.


    Orion and the others turned to see that it was Feran who came to the middle of the rectangr hall and just pped.


    "Now, those who want to learn the Three Divine Wayse here."


    Orion stood up and approached him, noticing as he did so that not everyone from Runo''s team hade.


    ''The big guy can''t fight, or is he only a meat shield?''


    He wondered. A momentter, he arrived in front of Feran.


    Seeing everyone had arrived, Feran nodded in satisfaction.


    "Before I tell you about the Three Divine Ways, let me tell you about us old people in the temple."


    He appeared to be lost in thought as he continued.


    "The truth is, we were like you kids when we came here, but unfortunately, we have been trapped here for about fifty years now. During this time, many people came to this temple, but none seeded in defeating the third guardian, ultimately bing like us."


    He sighed, thinking about it.


    "But we didn''t lose hope and thought about how we could help those who cameter in the future. That''s when we thought about the Three Divine Ways. Although it''s difficult to learn the Three Divine Ways in bronze rank because of the low amount of mana we have, it''s not impossible either."


    As he finished those words, a gust of wind released from his position in all directions, blowing away the dust around his feet.


    Not long after, everyone in the hall felt a heavy pressure descending upon them; even Runo, who was at the peak of bronze rank, felt that pressure.


    "This...this..."


    Witnessing this, Runo couldn''t believe his eyes.


    However, this was far from over.


    A momentter, Feran''s form began to release hues of green glow all around him as he bathed himself in the gentle green light, illuminating the whole hall inside the temple.


    Before long, all these hues of green glow around his body flowed towards his back and started to gather together at a point to form a glowing green ball that hovered quietly behind his back.


    As this transformation waspleted, the pressure everyone felt doubled.


    Runo, who witnessed the whole thing with his own eyes, felt his worldview shaken. He knew how difficult it was to learn the Three Divine Ways in bronze rank, but seeing someone do it in front of him left him speechless.


    Not just Runo, but everyone on his team felt the same shock as him. Even Orion felt surprised by this amazing disy of power.


    Earlier, he had thought that the Three Divine Ways would let one use the power of mana, so he wasn''t interested since he didn''t possess mana, but seeing this transformation and the power behind it made him think otherwise.

 Chapter 40: 40. Learning

    <h4>Chapter 40: 40. Learning</h4>


    As the process waspleted, all the green glow around Feran''s body faded away, only leaving the glowing ball the size of a clenched fist hovering in the air behind him.


    At that moment, Feran turned his attention to the ones he had been teaching.


    "This is the first stage of the Three Divine Ways, called the Divine Core stage."


    After thinking for a moment, he exined the origin of the technique to them.


    "The Three Divine Ways is a technique created by ancestors of the three domains. The idea behind it is the monsters we see in the dungeons. These monsters have a core in their bodies but don''t possess talent or curses like us. However, that means they also don''t have to go through curse activation or anything that would limit their power."


    He paused for a moment to let them digest what he just said before continuing.


    "So, our ancestors who made this technique implemented the same thing, trying to create a core inside their bodies so that they don''t have to rely on their talents all the time to reduce the activation of curses in their bodies. However, they failed to achieve that despite their various efforts and trying different methods to do it."


    Looking at the kids'' curious faces, he smiled and continued.


    "After doing several studies, they came to know that a human body and a monster body have entirely different configurations of mana inside their bodies. Knowing that, some came up with the brilliant idea of forming the core outside of their bodies rather than inside. And that''s how the Three Dive Ways came into existence."


    As hepleted his exnation, the pressure releasing from him gradually faded away, and the glowing green core beside him also started to shrink before disappearing into thin air.


    "One cannot maintain the state of the Divine Core indefinitely. It depends on the amount of mana one has. As for me, who has learned this technique over several years of trying and failing, I can only maintain it for about five minutes before my mana bes dry."


    Feran exined to them everything he could but thest part. However, before he could go over to exin that part, someone interrupted him.


    "You said you learned this technique after several years of trial and error, and now you expect us to learn it in a week."


    It was Orion who posed that question. He had been excited about learning the technique since he saw the power behind it, but after knowing that this strange Feran guy had himself learned this technique over several years, he began to doubt whether he should trust these old men or not.


    As Feran turned to look at Orion, his face became a little solemn over what he said.


    "There are no other ways if you want to return to the outside world. Without this technique, you wouldn''t survive even a minute against thest guardian."


    Orion still didn''t understand how they could learn something that took this guy years of his time.


    "I get it. The third guardian is strong and all, but how sure are you that one of us would be able to learn that technique in less than a week?"


    Feran didn''t know what to say to this. As much as he wanted them to learn this technique, he knew very well that it was almost impossible to achieve that in a week. But they didn''t have much choice, so even if their chances were low, he would bet on this with his soul.


    "Honestly, I don''t have much hope myself that you kids will be able to learn this in less than a week, but it''s better to try lest we regret it in the future."


    ''Damn.''


    Orion cursed inwardly at his answer as his mind became upied with alternatives on how to kill the third guardian.


    ''It seems I''ll have to copy everyone''s curses here to kill that third guardian. I can''t depend on this hell-difficulty-level technique.''


    Runo had already spected that this would be like this; that''s why he let his team members learn the Three Divine Ways while he went to defeat the guardians.


    At this moment, Feran continued after seeing that nobody asked him anything else.


    "Now I will teach you how to learn this technique," he said, looking at them. "All of you sit cross-legged in a meditative position."


    Hearing him, Orion and the others did what was told and sat cross-legged.


    But a group of people didn''t. Looking over, Feran saw a bunch of pirates standing and whispering to each other.


    However, he didn''t mind them. Turning his attention to the kids sitting cross-legged, Feran advised.


    "Now close your eyes and think of the moment when you activate your skills. Think of the sensation you feel at that time, and try to find its source¡ªthe fuel that activates your skills."


    It took them some time to understand what Feran meant, and some even activated their skills to feel what he said, but eventually, everyone figured it out.


    Everyone but Orion. As he closed his eyes and focused on his despairing moments, since that''s how he used his curses, he found himself back in the abyss of darkness, where all his curses resided when he copied them from others.


    ''Why am I back here when I hadn''t copied a curse?''


    He thought since he had been here two times and all those times, he had copied others'' curses. So he had assumed that he only had ess to this ce when he had curses that hadn''t been activated yet. But it appeared he was wrong.


    ''It seems I cane here anytime... Is this abyss my energy source?''


    He wondered if, since he didn''t have mana to power his curses, there had to be something else in their ce.


    At this time, he heard Feran say something.


    "After you have done that, try to control its flow and make it flow outside of your body. That''s the most difficult part, so if you don''t have sess, don''t worry, just keep trying until you do it."


    Orion wondered if this would work on himself.


    ''Let''s try it.''


    He focused his thoughts on the darkness around him, as Feran said, but after trying to control its flow for an hour, he gave up.


    ''This thing didn''t even budge, so how do I take it outside?''


    The darkness all around him was like sky and ground; he couldn''t understand how he would control that and took it outside.


    ''If everyone is in the same situation as me, then this exins why it has taken that old man years to aplish that.''


    Pondering over it, he decided he would give the Three Divine Ways a whole day, and if there wasn''t any progress, he would continue with his backup n.


    Therefore, he once again put his soul into the darkness around him as he delved into his darkest moments.


    Meanwhile, seeing his teammates and everyone else busy learning the technique, Runo decided he would go and finish the second guardian in the meantime.


    With that, he went towards the portal he came from and didn''t go over to the ruined portal that had be active since he finished the first guardian.


    Feran, Walric, and the others didn''t stop him from doing so.


    Soon, Runo reached the portal and was about to enter when he saw a silhouettee from inside.


    It was the captain of the pirates who came here after killing the first guardian. Runo only paused for a moment to see him before entering the portal and disappearing from the hall once again.

 Chapter 41: 41. Give Up

    <h4>Chapter 41: 41. Give Up</h4>


    The captain of the pirates frowned at seeing Runo enter the portal once again because he remembered they had entered the portal at the same time previously.


    This made him feel a little ashamed considering he was at the iron rank outside the temple, but here he couldn''tpete even with a bronze-rank kid.


    "Damn it."


    Cursing over this, he quickly turned around and entered the portal once again.


    Seeing this, the other pirates who hade with him also entered the portal this time. After understanding the difficulties of learning the Three Divine Ways, they ultimately chose to fight.


    Everyone in the hall saw this, but nobodymented on anything about it.


    Runo''s team, the transmigrator''s group, and Orion were busy with their training. While the group of lost souls just wandered here and there on temple.


    Time ticked slowly, and just like that, a day had fully passed.


    But no one seemed to have made any progress, as everyone was still seated cross-legged with their eyes closed.


    Looking over them were Agnar, Walric, and Feran. They appeared to be standing close and talking to each other.


    "One day has passed, but there has been no progress at all," Walric sighed. He had hoped, however small, that maybe they would be able to see a miracle¡ªa true genius that could learn this technique easily¡ªbut it appeared that hope would never be fulfilled.


    "We should wait at least the sixth day; if they can''tplete the step till that day, then we can only do what we have been doing for years¡ªwait," Agnar said, his face filled with worry as he tapped the ground with his leg. He had less hopepared to Walric, but that didn''t mean he didn''t want to leave this cursed temple.


    No, it could be said that every soul wanted to leave this temple. Although their souls lived because of this temple, they didn''t forget that it was because of this temple too that their bodies had been destroyed outside.


    Moreover, living as a soul trapped in a temple didn''t sit well with them. They didn''t feel hunger, sleep, or anything a human should feel. This made them want to leave this temple, even though it was the only thing keeping their souls alive.


    "Don''t worry. If we are meant to be free, then we will be even without the Three Divine Ways, but if that isn''t in our fate, then even god won''t be able to do anything. So just stand and wait," Feran said as he stood with his hands behind his back. He appeared to be the calmest of the three.


    As for the other souls inside the temple, they had long lost hope that they would one day be able to leave this ce.


    One couldn''t me them for it. They had tried years after years and trained many other individuals before Orion''s group. However, they ultimately failed, and those trained individuals became nothing but a part of their despairing group.


    It had been the story of these poor souls trapped inside this cursed temple for years.


    As more time passed, someone among the group of kids opened his eyes. It caught the attention of the three old men, and to their surprise, it happened to be the same kid who had been asking them questions earlier.


    Orion had his brows furrowed as he opened his eyes.


    ''One day was sessfully wasted.''


    He felt frustrated, thinking how difficult it was to control the flow of the energy inside him. No matter how hard he tried, how many times he tried, or what method he tried, he just couldn''t control even a wisp of the darkness around him.


    To Orion, it felt like he was in a concrete room and was asked to control the concrete in the walls and take it outside without touching them.


    ''It seems that the Three Divine Ways isn''t for me.''


    Giving up on the Three Divine Ways, Orion stood up, but as he did, the faces of the three old men turned dark, particrly Walric and Agnar''s faces.


    But Orion didn''t notice that and made his way towards the corner where he had sat earlier when someone blocked his path. Turning his head up, he saw Walric appear in front of him.


    "Kid, are you not going to try anymore?"


    Walric hastily asked as he clutched Orion''s shoulders with his hands.


    Orion frowned at this. He didn''t like it when someone clutched his shoulders like that, but he sighed this time. He just couldn''t bring himself to say those ugly words to the old man, considering he had been trapped here for years and had only been helping them since they had arrived here.


    As for the question Walric asked, he didn''t even think for a moment before answering it.


    "I won''t. This technique is not suitable for me."


    Walric tightened his clutch on Orion as he heard his words.


    "What do you mean it isn''t suitable for you?" he asked, his voice filled with irritation. "You only practiced it for a day."


    If before Orion felt only irritation from Walric when he held his shoulders, then now he was starting to feel disgust towards him.


    "It is what it is," he said, his voice sounding cold. "Now, can you let me go?"


    Hearing his words, Walric took a deep breath, but instead of letting him go, he tightened his grip on him.


    In that moment, Orion began to feel pain because of it.


    "Aghh!"


    A muffled scream escaped his mouth as he felt like his shoulders would be crushed at any moment.


    He was about to use his curse, Sacrificial Renewal and flying swords when someone interfered.


    "Walric enough!"


    A loud shout echoed throughout the hall, and Feran appeared before them.


    Turning his head to Feran, Walric''s expression turned from grave to pitiful as tears started to well up in his eyes.


    "Feran, we have been trapped here for years, doing everything to help others so that we can be free from the shackles of this temple," he paused, tears rolling down his eyes. "But people like this kid and the two from before are the worst. We have been trying all sorts of things to help them in any way possible, but what we got was nothing but cold shoulders."


    At the end, Walric let Orion go as he kneeled to the ground slowly.


    "I want to leave this ce badly, Feran," he cried as he started punching the floor of the hall. "I can''t take it anymore. This feeling of hollowness, this feeling of being trapped¡ªit''s making me crazy now. Sometimes I even forget who I am and what I am doing here. While most of the time it''s bing hard for me to control my emotions, it''s like I am starting to lose sense of myself.


    At the end, he stopped and looked at Feran.


    "Feran, my friend, tell me the truth; am I turning into those things?" Walric asked, his voice sounded hoarse.

 Chapter 42: 42. Spectres

    <h4>Chapter 42: 42. Spectres</h4>


    Feran was about to say something to Walric when something horrifying happened to him that shocked not only Orion but all the souls trapped in the temple.


    Walric, who was looking at Feran, suddenly clutched his head and started screaming at the top of his lungs.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    While he screamed, his body underwent a terrifying change. First, green smoke began to emanate from every part of his body, and a burning smell spread in every corner of the hall.


    Next, his skin started to change color, and slowly it turned ck. The hair on his head began to elongate at a terrifying pace before it reached the length of his waist.


    However, that was far from over as his elongated hair slowly turned white from ck before all the hairs on his head started to fall down, and in no time, he became bald.


    But this was the least of his problems, as a momentter his well-built body went through a horrifying change.


    His skin, which had turned ck earlier, started to rot, and the muscles in his body began wriggling as they became thinner and thinner over time before his whole body turned sickly.


    At this point, he didn''t look like a human at all, but something much more terrifying.


    Witnessing Walric''s transformation, Orion''s expression turned ashen, as if he had seen a ghost. It wasn''t just the shock of Walric''s current appearance that caused this reaction, but also the realization that Walric had taken on the form of the very creatures that had attacked him outside the portal.


    Looking around, he saw that every soul in the hall had the same look as him. This confirmed that this wasn''t amon urrence here, but the question still remained.


    ''What the hell happened to him?''


    He wanted to ask Feran about this, but before he could, something even more terrifying happened.


    As Walric''s transformation waspleted, a look of terror appeared on everyone''s face in the hall because, at that time, a terrifying pressure descended upon them, causing everyone''s body to m into the ground.


    Be it the souls, Orion, or even the two old men, no one was spared. The group of kids, peacefully meditating, were also mmed to the ground. Some even cough blood due to the overwhelming pressure and being disturbed by this much pressure all of a sudden.


    At that moment, everyone saw a glowing red dot appear out of nowhere behind Walric. It was in the air, hovering behind him.


    Almost instantly, the dot started stretching, morphing into a glowing red line, while two eerie hands emerged from its sides, stretching it further and causing the line to undte like a crack in the void.


    Before long, five creatures resembling Walric but without legs floated out of the crack.


    These creatures eerily stared at everyone before fixing their attention on Walric.


    As if they had seen their own kin, they started screaming and lunging towards Walric, who had been in an absent-minded state since the transformation waspleted.


    Without any obstacles, the eerie creatures grasped him with their ghastly hands, slowly retreating and vanishing into the crack, which then disappeared into thin air, taking them with it.


    A hushed silence fell over the hall, broken only when everyone felt the oppressive pressure upon them suddenly dissipate.


    "What was that?! Senior Walric turned into...those monsters!!"


    "I don''t know. I have never seen anything like it."


    "Senior Walric was one of the strongest, but this is what happened to him. So, do you think the same will happen to us now?"


    "Maybe only Senior Feran and Senior Agnar know about what happened to Senior Walric."


    "But what if that happens to us? I don''t want to be like that. It''s better to die than turn into those monsters."


    Murmurs rippled through the remaining soul forms scattered throughout the hall.


    Some appeared confused, others cowered in fear, and some remained indifferent, resigned to the belief that there was nothing they could do about the situation.


    Even Runo''s team felt scared after what they witnessed.


    ''He seemed fine, then all of a sudden he turned into that horror.''


    Orion felt that there was much to the situation that met the eye.


    Turning around, he saw that the faces of the two other old men appeared sad but not confused.


    ''They must know something about this.''


    Just as he was about to voice his question, a very pleasant voice posed the same inquiry he had in mind.


    "What happened just now? Seniors, do you know anything?"


    Turning his head, Orion saw that it was again the white-haired girl who posed the question.


    ''Damn, why did I keep forgetting about her when she is so beautiful?''


    He experienced a strange sensation, as if he were seeing the white-haired girl for the first time, even though he knew he had encountered her several times in the temple before.


    On the other side, upon hearing the white haired girl''s question, Feran heavily sighed.


    "It was meant to be a secret, but not anymore," he said, looking at them with sadness evident in his eyes. "When Walric, Agnar, and I arrived at the temple, there was already a man who had been here for a long time. Back then, he seemed much older than any of us do now, and he taught us many things. In fact, the idea of teaching the Three Divine Ways to neers was his, and he also instructed us about it, as you witnessed the results firsthand."


    "But things didn''t end well for him," he said, his voice tinged with dread as he recalled the scene. "Like Walric, he transformed into those monsters and vanished from the temple. It was then that we finally understood something. If a person''s soul remains outside of their body for too long, they will gradually lose their sanity and forgetmon things, even themselves. If that happens, they will eventually transform into the monsters you saw just now. We call them spectres, the guardians of this hellish temple."


    Feran''s words struck everyone with horror, causing panic to spread uncontrobly among them.


    Runo''s team members had their faces frowned, their fists clenched when they heard the bitter truth.


    Orion himself didn''t feel much better.


    ''This whole temple is cursed. If I had known better, I would have taken chances, escaped from that giant tree, and wouldn''t havee here.''


    He sighed as he thought about that.


    At that moment, Feran, who had fallen silent after delivering the shocking revtion, nced at everyone before resuming where he had left off.


    "The most terrifying aspect of this is that we don''t know when or who will undergo this transformation," he stated grimly. "The only way we can identify it is if a person mentions experiencing memory-rted issues. However, they won''t even remember having such problems until the very moment they begin their transformation, just like what happened with Walric."


    His words spread like a gue, instilling terror in all who heard them.


    However, before everyone panicked again, he mentioned something that somewhat calmed them.


    "Don''t worry, this won''t happen to everyone here," he reassured. "Only those who have lived in this temple for more than fifty years have a chance of turning. As for the rest, they won''t."


    Everyone in the hall didn''t know what to make of the horror revealed by Feran, but they felt sure that the more time they spent in this temple, the worse their situation would get.

 Chapter 43: 43. Backup Plan

    <h4>Chapter 43: 43. Backup n</h4>


    Orion also didn''t feel any better knowing that they wouldn''t turn into spectres right away. He understood that if they couldn''t kill the third guardian in the amount of time they had, then it would spell certain doom for them.


    At that moment, Feran appeared to have sensed the growing uneasiness among the souls in the temple.


    "Everyone, don''t worry. Everything will be fine," he said, attempting to reassure the crowd before turning his attention to Runo''s team and the transmigrators. "And you, kids, continue your training diligently. The fate of every soul in the temple rests on your shoulders."


    The kids nodded heavily upon hearing Feran, and they went on to continue their training.


    After witnessing the tragic end of Walric, the group of kids became more determined to practice the Three Divine Ways. They didn''t want the same ending for themselves.


    Meanwhile, Orion retreated to a corner of the hall and leaned against the wall.


    Although Feran didn''t say anything about that, disappointment was evident in his eyes as he looked at Orion.


    On the other hand, Orion didn''t feel anything and thought about his next move.


    ''Looks like it''s time for the backup n.''


    Knowing very well that the Three Divine Ways wouldn''t be useful in the short term, he opted for the more direct approach¡ªincreasing his strength.


    ''Let''s see what I have.''


    Pondering over his abilities, he gave a quick check and noted something.


    ''For defense, I have the repel option, which I can use in my body and use of Dimensional Dissonance to shift through dimensions and make my body invisible. It can also make my body intangible, though I don''t have any control over it.''


    He thought that, in defense, he had quite a few abilities he could use but he wasn''t sure about his attack power.


    ''In attack, I can only use abilities of attraction and my flying swords. So what I need right now is an attack based curse. As for the me creation, I haven''t tried much so I don''t know how much control I have over that or how powerful the me is. There is also the ability to negate pain. That''s good too, I guess.''


    After assessing his abilities, he noticed theck of curses that could be used in attack. Therefore, he decided to look for some attack based curses here.


    Afterward, he would also have to give some time to himself to get ustomed to these curses; otherwise, having them and being unable to use them freely would be too much of a waste.


    Having decided what to do, Orion started walking towards the group of souls who had the same age as him.


    His n was simple¡ªcopy as many curses as he could from them.


    As he moved closer to the group of kids, they also noticed him. Seeing him, they wondered what that guy needed from them.


    After Orion arrived in front of them, he extended his arm in a form of greeting.


    "Hey there fes, I am Orion Darkwood; it''s nice to meet you," he said as he introduced himself.


    The group of kids gave Orion a strange look because they hadn''t expected one of the neers toe to them and introduce himself.


    Nheless, it really didn''t matter to them if they had one more person to talk to.


    "Hello Orion," one of the kids said as he shook Orion''s hand. "I am Nathan."


    As Orion shook hands with him, he copied his curse and then again extended his arm towards the other kids.


    Seeing him standing with his arm out, the group of kids felt awkward for a moment before they decided to handshake him one by one while introducing themselves.


    For Orion, there was no shame in it whatsoever. He saw this as his chance to grow stronger, and he was willing to seize it, even if it meant being a bit shameless.


    Like that, he copied the curses of all the kids and also talked a few things with them about this temple and some personal stuff before Orion left them.


    However, he didn''t go back to his corner and instead looked for another group and did the same thing with them.


    Of course, he couldn''t copy the curses of all the soul forms present. If he were to go around shaking everyone''s hands, his odd behavior would surely attract attention.


    Therefore, he only copied the curses of those he could without arousing any suspicion.


    He repeated this process a few more times before he finally appeared at the corner of the hall and sat down, leaning against the wall.


    During this time, he copied many curses, but he also noticed that not all curses were useful to him. For instance, a curse where one wouldn''t be able to see, a curse where one would have a splitting headache, and a curse where one''s body would be immobile.


    Although these curses wouldn''t have any effect on him because of his own curse¡ªNull Body¡ªthey didn''t have any uses either.


    So he quickly sorted these waste curses from the useful ones and asked the system to get rid of the waste ones.


    By doing that, he was left with three curses.


    [Burdened Gravity - Each time you alter the weight of objects, you inadvertently transfer the burden of that weight to your own body. As you lighten objects, your own body bes heavier, making movement sluggish andborious. Conversely, when you increase the weight of objects, your body light as a feather.bes light as a feather.]


    Orion copied this curse from a guy who had the talent of weight maniption.


    ''With this curse activated, I can increase my weight to that of giant boulders, but I won''t feel it due to my own curse, allowing me to move freely.''


    [Frozen Torment - Each time you summon and manipte ice, you experience an intense cold that prates deep into your bones, causing excruciating pain and numbness throughout your body. The freezing temperatures sap your strength and vitality, leaving you weakened and vulnerable.]


    He copied this curse from ady who had the talent of frost icicles.


    From the description of the curse, he had a feeling that it would work the same way as his other curse velocity burst did, allowing him to generate frost.


    [Detonating Flesh - Each time you unleash an explosive burst of energy, your own body bes a vtile conduit for the detonation. The force of the explosions emanates from within you, causing your flesh to rupture and your bones to splinter as if caught in the st radius.]


    This curse came from a guy who had the talent of exploding mes.


    ''This wille in handy for sure.''


    He mused over the prospect of this curse.


    Meanwhile, he pondered the limitations he found for his curse.


    Earlier, when he sorted out all those waste curses, he noticed amon thing among all those waste curses.


    The talents for those curses happened to be the physical ones. Like, if someone were to have the talent of super strength, then their curse would cause them weakness.


    Simrly, if they were to have the talent of enhanced vision or eye rted abilities, their curse would lead to blindness.


    These were just some of the examples.


    He also noticed that some curses that didn''t fall into the category of physical ones were also useless for him.


    For example, he copied a curse bleeding wounds from a guy with the talent to cut anything. This curse would cause bleeding wounds every time he cut after his curse activated.


    Another would be the talent for telekinesis, which gave him the curse of mental strain. This curse would cause headaches, dizziness, and many other severe side effects rted to the brain.


    So from all of this, Orion came to the conclusion that each talent came with a random curse, and these curses could be anything.


    This made him realise that not all curses were useful to him, and he would have to copy arge number of curses like this time to find something that coulde in handy.


    ''I should only copy curses of those whose curses I am aware of.''


    He made a mental note of that.

 Chapter 44: 44. Practice

    <h4>Chapter 44: 44. Practice</h4>


    After sorting out his curses, it was time to train but as Orion looked around the hall, he didn''t find an empty ce anywhere. The hall was packed with soul forms of various ages.


    ''There are so many people here. I should look for some other ce to train. But are there more areas here in the temple?''


    Scouting the whole hall one more time, he didn''t find one.


    Helpless, he walked towards Feran, who watched over the training of Runo''s team and the group of transmigrators.


    Feran noticed him from the corner of his eye.


    "What do you want, kid?" He asked, his voice appeared somewhat cold.


    Orion didn''t care about that. He simply stated what he wanted.


    "I want to train my skills but I can''t seem to find a ce with all these people here."


    Feran frowned at the kid, thinking that he hadn''t practiced what he had been told yet still wanted to improve his skills.


    Although he felt disappointed by that, he still decided to help him in the hope that the kid could kill the third guardian. He felt the same for all the people who came to the temple this time, for he knew his time to turn woulde soon and there was nothing else he could do other than hope.


    Sighing about it, he turned to Agnar.


    "Agnar, give this kid a separate training room." He asked him to help Orion.


    Agnar didn''t question anything and simply tapped the ground with his staff. Almost instantly, the ground near Orion trembled and before he could react he fell down and found himself in a staircase.


    Standing up, he saw that in front of himy a door that appeared to be made of rock.


    "Go down through the door."


    At that moment a shout sounded and Orion could tell it belonged to Feran.


    ''They could have nicely done this.''


    Heined to himself as he walked down the stairs and arrived in front of the door.


    Pushing it lightly, the door automatically opened. Seeing the cue, he stepped in and found himself in a small square room.


    The whole room appeared to be made up of stones of various sizes and torches were ced at either side of the hall, illuminating the whole room in an orange shade.


    ''Let''s start the training.''


    He thought as he delved into his darkest nightmares.


    ***


    A day passed peacefully as Orion trained. In the meantime, many events unfolded.


    Both Runo and the captain of the pirates seed in defeating the second guardian, but they didn''t hastily go for the third one.


    Knowing very well the strength of the second guardian, they had some ideas about how strong the third guardian would be, and considering the repeated warnings from the three old men, they didn''t rush.


    Talking about the three old men, when they learned about the fate of Walric, they felt devastated¡ªnot for Walric but for their own fate if they were to fail in defeating the third guardian.


    It was particrly true for Runo, who happened to be responsible for all his teammates. If he were to falter here, then not only would he doom himself but also his teammates. This increased the burden on his shoulders even more.


    As for the captain of the pirates, he felt the exact opposite. He didn''t care about his crew of pirates anymore and only thought about himself at this point.


    Although Runo and the captain of the pirates had seeded in defeating the second guardian, not a single soul form revealed any joy, as if their ability to smile had been sucked dry by the constant threat and despair they felt every day in the temple.


    Meanwhile, the crew of pirates had alsoe back after defeating the first guardian, and not a single one of them looked injured. It appeared they had defeated the first guardian rather easily.


    While all this happened, some things remained unchanged, like the group of kids meditating and Feran supervising over them.


    At this point in time, two days had passed for Orion and the others, and they were left with only five more days before their time ran out.


    ***


    As everyone was busy with their own things, a silhouette climbed up from the only staircase present in the hall.


    The silhouette belonged to Orion. He had been training the whole day down there and felt something odd while he had been there.


    He didn''t feel any sleep, nor did he feel hungry. It felt as if his body didn''t require those things.


    ''Probably because I am in the soul form.''


    He gave credit for this peculiar situation to his soul form.


    Arriving back on the hall, he looked around and was surprised to see Runo and the captain of the pirates there, because, as far as he remembered, he hadn''t seen them when he went to train a day before.


    ''It seems they defeated the second guardian.''


    He thought while looking at them.


    But at that moment, he caught sight of Runo slowly making his way towards him.


    ''What does he want now?''


    A frown appeared on Orion''s face as he saw that. He didn''t forget what had happenedst time between them nor did he want to forget.


    He wanted revenge for that. As much as it sounded naive and idiotic in the face of the situation they found themselves in, he couldn''t deny the anger he felt in his heart.


    He didn''t know if it was because of how he had lived his life on Earth or if something had changed in him since he upied someone else''s body. He felt that he couldn''t ept people stepping down on him.


    Therefore, after seeing Runoing towards him, the anger that had been buried deep inside his heart reignited.


    Before long, Runo arrived in front of Orion and looked him in the eye.


    "Why aren''t you training like the others?" he asked, his voice tinged with gloom.


    Orion didn''t back down, as he also stared straight at Runo.


    "Because I don''t want to," he replied calmly.


    This interaction between them attracted the attention of all the soul forms in the temple, including the two old men¡ªFeran and Agnar.


    Meanwhile, Runo frowned at Orion''s words. He felt that everyone was giving their best out there, and this guy had just been doing his own thing.


    Seeing Runo frown and do nothing to him, Orion walked past him and headed towards the portal. He wanted to fight the first guardian.


    But just as he walked past Runo, he felt a hand grip his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Runo looking at him, his eyes narrowing.


    "What do you want?" Orion asked impatiently.


    Looking at Orion and the direction he was headed, Runo understood something.


    "Nothing," he said, smirking at Orion. "I just want to show you how powerful the first guardian is."


    A look of understanding dawned on Orion as he heard his words.


    "Alright, then show me," he said, smiling at Runo. "I also want to know what the difference between us is."

 Chapter 45: 45. Runo’s Dilemma

    <h4>Chapter 45: 45. Runo''s Dilemma</h4>


    Looking at Orion, who seemed to be smiling even now, something clicked on Runo, and he let go of all his reservations.


    Almost instantly, a heavy pressure descended upon Orion, causing his body to flinch a little.


    But at that moment, a red, glowingyer of film surrounded Orion''s whole body as he stood straight and looked at Runo with a smile.


    Thest two times Runo used his talent against him, Orion wasn''t aware of his talent. Hence, he didn''t know how to react, which resulted in him taking the beating.


    But it couldn''t be the same this time, for he finally understood Runo''s talent had something to do with gravity after he used his talent on those giant bees outside the temple.


    Therefore, he hade up with an idea to repel gravity itself. But that would require him to use repel on all his body, which he hadn''t been able to do before his training.


    However, it became a different matter altogether now that he had trained hard to attain that form of absolute defense in a mesmerizing disy of glowing red covering his whole body.


    Runo stared at Orion, standing tall, seemingly unaffected by his talent. However, instead of showing uneasiness and frowning, he smirked at him.


    In that moment, the pressure intensified almost fourfold, and cracks began to appear on the floor beneath Orion, spreading out like a spider''s web, with Orion at the center.


    Meanwhile, all the people in the hall felt as if their weight seemed to have been increased by an extra ten or twenty kilograms all of a sudden, causing some of them to hunch back a little.


    Runo increased the gravity to the point that even though the pressure concentrated on Orion the whole time, everyone else could also feel it in the hall. It was like a rippling effect spreading from Orion''s repulsion of gravity.


    However, the strange thing was that even with the increased gravity, Orion didn''t even flinch. It was as if he were a giant boulder, standing steadily on the ground.


    Looking at Runo''s frowning face, Orion really wanted to beat him up to ease his anger, but remindful of the situation, he held back. But that didn''t mean he would let him go like that.


    "Is that it?" He asked in a yful tone. "Is that the difference between me and the first guardian?"


    Runo could discern the yfulness in Orion''s words, and his face turned ck because of it.


    "You''re lucky we''re in this temple right now," he said icily. "Otherwise, your situation wouldn''t be any different fromst time."


    "Indeed," Orion smiled at him. "But we don''t know who is lucky here."


    After uttering those words, he paid no further attention to Runo and made his way toward the portal. Upon reaching it, without a moment''s hesitation, he stepped into the blue portal and vanished from the hall.


    Everyone in the hall had anticipated a battle would unfold between them, but seeing one of them leave just like that made them very disappointed.


    Meanwhile, Runo clenched his fists tightly as he saw Orion ignore him. He didn''t like when people ignored him, didn''t heed his orders, and talked back to him.


    Most importantly, if the person in question happened to be someone he had already taught a lesson to.


    Thinking of that, he recalled a conversation he had with his father once.


    "Runo, you are a good kid, and I have seen you donate supplies to the Zenithans behind my back many times. This speaks volumes about your kindness. But if there is one thing that will make you fall to the bottom, then that will be your pride. Every human should have pride, but once it gets into your head, there is no stopping it. And you, my child, have the most pride out of all your brothers and sisters."


    "Father, what do you mean by pride getting into my head?"


    "I have seen how you handle things. You treat everyone like they are your servants, which includes your friends too. You always order them around and expect them to heed your orders. But have you ever thought about what it would be like for them to be ordered around?"


    "But father, I am your son, and they are just from normal families. They don''t need such respect, and wouldn''t it be an honor for them that I needed their assistance?"


    "...It seems I failed as a father... Remember this, son: there will always be people out there who won''t care about who you are, which family you belong to, or even whose son you are. They won''t care about anything and will treat you as nothing but any other person walking down the streets. At that time, the pride you carry will be your worst obstacle in oveing that situation, and that will be the beginning of your fall."


    At that time, he didn''tprehend what his father meant and thought his father had been overly cautious about nothing. But now, in the situation he found himself in, he was starting to understand a little.


    But that still didn''t change how conflicted he felt about this. He had lived his whole life like that, like someone who always looked down on everything and everyone, and because of that very reason, he understood it would be very difficult to change his path.


    Deep in thought about the situation, he headed back and leaned against a wall, pondering with his head down.


    ***


    As Orion stepped into the portal, he found himself standing on a stage.


    Looking around, he saw that the stage appeared to be made of square-shaped white marbles ced all around it, and at the other end of the stage stood a silhouette.


    ''That must be the first guardian.''


    He saw a humanoid figure standing in the distance. But he couldn''t determine the figure''s gender as the guardian''s body appeared to be fully covered in silver armour head to toe.


    But Orion assumed the guardian to be a man, considering the sheer size and build of his body he could make out from the outside.


    The guardian stood there with his sword stabbed into the ground, his hands resting on the hilt of the sword.


    ''It appears the battle will only start if I take the lead.''


    He thought as he observed his surroundings, and a momentter, he surprisingly found out that this ce stood in the middle of nowhere.


    The stage where he stood appeared to be enclosed in a transparent dome-like structure, so he could easily see through everything around him in this ce.


    He could see stars scattered around the whole sky from where he stood. Their constant twinkling made Orion sighed in awe.


    On Earth, he had rarely seen something so mesmerizing, but in this world, he had already witnessed such a sight two times, and he didn''t even spend a week here.


    ''I have yet to even see the real world. This is only a dungeon.''


    He felt excited just thinking about this new world.


    ''But first, I will have to kill the three guardians, starting with this one.''


    Orion pointed at the guardian with a sword in his hand.


    "Come."

 Chapter 46: 46. Orion vs First Guardian

    <h4>Chapter 46: 46. Orion vs First Guardian</h4>


    As if being provoked by Orion''s sword, the guardian picked up his own sword and sprinted towards Orion.


    Orion watched the guardiane towards him as he activated his absolute defense; his body covered itself in a red glow.


    Before long, the guardian arrived in front of him and shed with his sword.


    Orion didn''t make a move and only watched.


    The sh came towards his right shoulder, but before it could fully touch that part, the sword, including the guardian, was sted back by an unseen force, his body tumbling down the ground beforeing to a stop.


    ''It''s as I thought: the fully covered repelling armour works as an absolute defense against low-level enemies.''


    He thought as he watched the guardian get up, but this time the guardian didn''te straight at him, but he held the sword and positioned himself in a particr stance.


    Finding it interesting, Orion observed that the stance of the guardian looked simr to the samurai he had seen on Earth.


    The guardian stood sideways, a little hunched, and the way he held his sword made it so that the sword pointed straight at Orion.


    As Orion observed the guardian''s stance, the guardian suddenly moved and disappeared from Orion''s field of vision.


    Seeing that, Orion didn''t frown or panic and just stood there like an idiot.


    A momentter, the guardian materialized in front of him, with his sword pointed straight at between his eyebrows.


    However, unlikest time, the guardian didn''t immediately get repelled, but he held on as his sword moved forward between Orion''s eyebrows little by little.


    As this happened, the tiles beneath the guardian''s feet cracked, and the momentum from Orion''s repulsion bore heavily on the guardian as the armour he wore started to get deformed by the repelling momentum.


    Yet the guardian still held on, his sword moving little by little towards his target.


    On the other hand, Orion stood calm and collected, as if the guardian''s sword didn''t target him but a huge mountain.


    ''Even the strongest attack of the guardian didn''t manage to touch me.''


    Orion felt very satisfied with his absolute defense. Most importantly, he had practiced hard for this in the training he did a while ago. Therefore, seeing its results naturally made him satisfied.


    He had this idea of absolute defense since he could only cover parts of his body with the properties of repulsion but had never beenpletely able to apply repulsion to his whole body previously; however, after all that training he did, it made it possible for him to attain that form.


    However, if there was one thing he didn''t like about absolute defense, then it would be that it needed a moment of time to cover his body in the repelling armour, which he wouldn''t have in the midst of a battle.


    Therefore, he would have to activate it first before going to battle. Otherwise, he could only partially cover his body in repelling armour like he did previously if he didn''t have much time.


    ''Time to finish this.''


    Moving his right hand, Orion undid the repulsion on it, causing the red glow over the hand to fade away.


    Almost instantly, his hand began to release white smoke, and the temperature around him started to drop all of a sudden.


    With the hand that seemed to be releasing the smoke, Orion touched the armour of the guardian, who appeared to be trying his best to get his sword between his eyebrows.


    In that moment, the guardian''s armour began to freeze asyers of frost began to release from Orion''s hand that touched the armour.


    Slowly but steadily, theyer of frost spread to every part of the guardian, fully covering him, making him stop poking his sword at Orion.


    The guardian stood there, his sword still pointing forward towards Orion''s forehead, but ayer of frost covered his whole body, making it unable to move.


    ''Frozen Torment. It''s as I thought.''


    Afterward, Orion''s hand, which was still touching the armor, suddenly turned purple for a moment before returning to normal.


    However, when he took his hand off of the guardian, who seemed to bepletely frozen, there appeared a purple glow on the frozen armour of the guardian, which seemed to be pulsating like a heartbeat.


    At that moment, Orion retreated back a little, and when he appeared at a safe distance from the guardian, he gave amand.


    ''Exolode.''


    "BOOM!"


    Suddenly, the sound of an explosion reverberated throughout the arena as Orion saw that the guardian''s body glowed into a blinding purple before exploding into pieces before him.


    However, after the aftermath of the explosion, he went over to see the bits and pieces of the guardian and was surprised to see only armour pieces; he didn''t see the one wearing the armour.


    ''Was it only armour and there was no one wearing it?''


    He wondered how something like that could even be possible. But soon he thought of the curse that caused the explosion.


    ''This Detonating Flesh curse is strange. It makes my body into a living bomb, but due to my own curse¡ªNull Body¡ªit won''t explode and gives full control over it like my other curses.''


    As Orion thought about his curse, a bright blue light suddenly shed in front of him, causing him to hold his hands in front of his eyes to block the blinding light.


    A momentter, the light died down, and he saw a blue portal appear in front of him.


    ''Time to leave.''


    After making sure he didn''t miss anything in there, he walked onto the portal and disappeared from the arena.


    ***


    Back in the temple of souls, the kids were still practicing the Three Divine Ways, but they didn''t seem to be making any progress, causing frowns to appear on the faces of Feran and Agnar.


    They had expected this kind of result, but witnessing it with their own eyes disappointed them greatly.


    But they still held on to a hope, however small, that maybe a miracle would ur and one of the kids might learn the Three Divine Ways and ultimately defeat the third guardian.


    It was this hope that made all these souls living in the temple not go mad, even after living their lives here for so long.


    However, they might never realize that the hope keeping them sane could be their worst curse, and the freedom they sought might never truly exist.


    "Buzz!"


    At that moment, the portal made a buzzing sound, and a figure appeared out of nowhere, catching everyone''s attention.


    The figure belonged to Orion, who came after defeating the first guardian.


    ''Time to level up.''


    Orion thought as he gazed at the ruined portal in the distance.


    He had a n in mind for the stats. Since he couldn''t upgrade all his attributes to the max level because of the limited time he had, he would only increase his agility and hope that it would reach a hundred points in the time he had in the level-up area.


    Without wasting any time, he went to the portal and disappeared from the hall

 Chapter 47: 47. Leveling Up Area

    <h4>Chapter 47: 47. Leveling Up Area</h4>


    After going through the ruined portal, Orion found himself standing in a simr area to where he had fought the first guardian.


    There was a stage made up of square shaped tiles and a starry sky all around his eyes could see, enclosed in a transparent dome.


    But if there was any difference between this ce and thest one, then that would be the huge spherical ball floating in the air.


    ''Are there monsters inside?''


    The massive spherical sphere appeared red in color, and Orion could see various types of monsters stuck together tightly in the space inside the sphere.


    The monsters appeared as though they had been forcefully stuffed inside the huge spherical sphere like candies inside a bowl.


    Most importantly, Orion could see them twitching and moving almost so slightly in the limited space they had.


    ''So, these are the monsters we have to fight.''


    Looking at the tightly packed monsters in the red sphere, he was reminded of the limited time he had in this area.


    ''Only one hour..huh..let''s get this started.''


    Without wasting any time, Orion arrived just below the red sphere.


    At that moment, the red sphere began to morph downward, opening a hole at the bottom, and with it, the monster at the bottom of the pack began to slowly separate itself from the pack and fall down.


    The monster appeared to be a yellow bear type monster, but it had around six legs, three on each side, and a big bump behind his back like that of a camel.


    It fell towards Orion at breakneck speed.


    Seeing that, Orion quickly used his flying swords as they flew towards the falling monster.


    The first sword flew straight at the stomach of the monster; however, Orion frowned as he saw this because he intended to strike its head, but because the monster was still in the air and its body rolled as it fell down, his sword shifted towards his stomach.


    "Puch!"


    Nevertheless, it pierced the stomach of the monster easily, causing a ghastly wound to appear in the ce where the sword was stabbed, and blood continuously leaked through the wound, causing the yellow skin of the bear to turn red.


    However, even though the blood spurted out from its belly, the wound wasn''t that deep.


    "Gghhhh!"


    But that didn''t stop the bear from screaming in pain, its hands moving towards his stomach, where the sword still embedded itself into the monster.


    At that moment, his second sword struck, and this time, Orion''s aim didn''t falter.


    As the yellow bear had his hands busy taking out the bloody sword stabbed in its belly, the second sword quietly but swiftly flew straight to its head and passed right through it without any obstacles, resulting in a big hole appearing in its forehead.


    The yellow bear died as a result.


    A momentter, its body started to glow in red before turning into red particles and disappearing into thin air, leaving behind a spherical core the size of a fist.


    Soon, these red particles too faded away, and only the core fell to the ground.


    However, Orion didn''t have time to pick that up, as he noticed that the huge red sphere spit out another monster, and this time it was a flying monster.


    It had the body of a big eagle, but its head had two long antennae. Below its beak, there appeared two elephant-like teeth on both sides of the beak, and at the end of its wing on both sides, it had two extra limbs aside from the two on its bottom base.


    It appeared to bepletely red in color, and as soon as it got free, it soared to the sky and stared at Orion as if he were prey and not the other way around.


    Without hesitation, Orion hurled his swords towards the flying monster.


    However, before his three flying swords could reach their target, the monster pped its wings rapidly, generating a torrent of wind that redirected the trajectory of the swords.


    ''It can generate winds to block my sword. Interesting.''


    He thought while his swords regrouped themselves and went towards the flying monster once again, but this time one of the swords split up from the other two and changed its direction while the other two continued to fly towards the flying monster.


    What''s more, the two swords began to glow with a red hue, and soon, a crimson aura enveloped both of them.


    At that moment, the flying monster unleashed another torrent of wind towards his swords.


    This time, however, his swords reacted differently. Instead of being affected, the torrent of wind was repelled by his two swords, bouncing back straight at the monster.


    Caught off-guard and unable to react in time, the flying monster was blown away by its own wind.


    In that moment of vulnerability, Orion''s third sword, which had separated from the other two earlier, struck with precision.


    As the flying monster struggled to regain its stability in the air, a swift and decisive sword passed through its head, instantly killing it.


    Momentster, its body began to plummet rapidly towards the ground.


    However, before it could make an impact, it transformed into red particles and vanished into thin air, leaving only its core, which fell to the ground with a dull thud.


    Orion didn''t go to pick up the core because, once again, the red sphere spit out another monster.


    ''Monster hunting, it is then.''


    Heughed inwardly as he hurtled his swords towards the uing monster.


    ***


    An hour of time had passed, and the huge red sphere stopped spitting out monsters.


    In the arena full of square-shaped white tiles, small spherical balls of various colors could be seen scattered around, along with red stains that dyed the white tiles deep crimson red.


    A bit further off to the side, a circr portal shimmered with a brilliant blue light, casting a gentle blue glow over the surrounding area.


    Amidst all of this, Orion stood looking at the huge red sphere above his head.


    ''Can''t it send more monsters?''


    He felt unsatisfied after knowing how many monsters he had killed this hour. If he didn''t count wrong, then it would only be around thirty-five to forty at most, which could only fill half of one of his attributes.


    ''It seems if I want to fully upgrade one of my attributes to max level, then I will have to do it in the second round.''


    Knowing better that he had one more chance toe here after he defeated the second guardian, Orion didn''t dwell on it anymore and went on to collect and absorb all the core he had amassed.


    A few minutester, he absorbed all the cores, and now his status looked like this:


    [Name - Orion Darkwood


    Rank - Bronze


    Talent - Copy Curse - 7%


    Curse - Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption, Dimensional Dissonance, Velocity Burst, Sacrificial Renewal, Burdened Gravity, Frozen Torment, Detonating Flesh


    Strength - 12


    Stamina - 11


    Agility - 60


    Perception - 11


    Constitution - 11


    Mana - Nil (Due to the host''s curse¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Please check your curse for more information.)


    Skills - Nil (Due to the host''s curse ¡ªNull Body, host isn''t able to feel any form of mana. Therefore, the host is unable to use any skills. Please check your curse for more information.)]


    Looking over his stats, Orion observed that the stat points in his agility attribute had increased to a whopping 60 points.


    ''It looked like I was right. Some cores indeed give two stat points instead of one.''


    He had previously spected that, but now again, seeing his agility attribute raised to 60 points made him sure that some cores indeed gave two stat points.


    As for his talent, that had increased to 7% mastery; the credit went to the training he did the other day.

 Chapter 48: 48. Orion vs Second Guardian - 1

    <h4>Chapter 48: 48. Orion vs Second Guardian - 1</h4>


    After quickly checking his stats, Orion wasted no time and headed straight for the portal. Upon reaching it, he stepped onto the glowing surface and vanished from the arena.


    Not long after, he appeared in the temple once again.


    Looking around, he observed and found that he didn''t see Runo here.


    ''Looks like he went to fight the third guardian.''


    He furrowed his brow as he mulled over the situation. Despite his dislike for Runo, he couldn''t deny Runo''s strength. So he hoped that maybe he would be able to defeat the third guardian and end this once and for all.


    ''I should also defeat the second guardian in the meantime.''


    Thinking of the second guardian, he remembered that its strengthy at the peak of bronze rank.


    But he didn''t know how he would fare against it. If he would have a hard time fighting against the second guardian, then he should forget about fighting the third guardian.


    ''Let''s fight and see it for myself.''


    He thought as he went to the portal at the other end of the hall before stepping on it and disappearing from the temple once again.


    ***


    A momentter, Orion again appeared in a simr battle arena as thest two times.


    Looking ahead, he spotted a figure d in golden armor, standing tall with a sword resting casually on his shoulder, gripped firmly in his right hand.


    ''A golden one?''


    If there were any difference between the second guardian and the first one, then that would be the color between the two. The second guardian''s armor appeared fully golden in color, while the first guardian''s was white.


    Orion tightly held a sword in both of his hands as his eyes narrowed at the guardian. He wanted to fight the second guardian head-on to see if he could hold his own against someone at the peak of the bronze rank. This would also help in determining whether he had any chance with the third guardian or not.


    As Orion took his stance, the guardian started running towards him.


    Seeing this, Orion activated his curse¡ªBurdened Gravity which increased his weight tremendously.


    At that moment, the guardian appeared in front of him, his sword stabbing straight at Orion''s heart.


    Reacting quickly, Orion parried the attack with his own sword to his left side while he used his right feet to kick the guardian.


    The guardian couldn''t react in time, and his attacknded on his stomach, causing the guardian to get blown back by the force of Orion''s kick.


    This time, Orion took the opportunity and appeared in front of the guardian as he shed his sword diagonally at the guardian''s right shoulder.


    However, before his sword could touch the guardian, Orion sensed something behind his back.


    Not having much time to react and use his absolute defense, Orion quickly activated his curse¡ªDimensional Dissonance and made his body tangible.


    Almost instantly, a gleaming golden sword passed through his back and came out of his stomach.


    At the same time, Orion''s sword, which was about to touch the guardian, also passed right through the guardian, and because of the momentum of the attack, he too passed right through the guardian.


    The guardian became confused for a moment about how Orion passed through his body as he stood their balnkly.


    Orion saw this as an opening. He quickly deactivated his curse of Dimensional Dissonance and stabbed his sword straight at the back of the guardian.


    "Bang!"


    Even though his sword didn''t cause much damage because of the armor the guardian wore, it didn''t stop the guardian from getting sted back by Orion''s attack.


    Intending to finish the battle, Orion sprinted towards the guardian while he still hadn''t stabilized himself from the st just now.


    However, as Orion closed the distance between them, five golden swords gleaming in the distance came towards him.


    Seeing that, he used his other two swords and let them fly in the air as both swords started to glow red, including the one in his hands.


    His two swords flew like red streaks towards the iing five gleaming golden swords and collided head-on with the two of the golden swords, deflecting them from their path.


    At that moment, the speed of the other three golden swords increased, and they arrived in front of Orion before he could call back his two swords.


    However, Orion didn''t worry and reacted swiftly as he used the sword in his hand to deflect the first one to the side.


    Almost instantly, the other two came in front of him. One towards his waist, and the other towards his head.


    Seeing that, he tilted his head in time to dodge the first one, while he hurriedly brought his sword and ced it in front of him to block the second one.


    He had been running this whole time while deflecting and dodging the golden swords. So it took only a moment before he arrived in front of the guardian once again.


    But this time, instead of shing his sword at the guardian, he threw his sword straight at it.


    The guardian reacted by deflecting his sword, but at that moment, two more swords came at him from both of his sides.


    Seeing that, the guardian rotated his body like a tornado and deflected those swords too.


    But that was enough for Orion to buy him some time and distract the guardian while he disappeared from the arena.


    The guardian swept his eyes around the arena and saw that the one he had been fighting until now had disappeared from the arena.


    At that moment, he suddenly felt a sensation of touch behind his back as he swiftly turned around and shed with his sword, but to his surprise, there was no one standing behind his back. Seeing the strange phenomena, he once again felt confused.


    However, what the guardian didn''t notice was that a purple glow appeared in the part of the armor where he felt that sensation of touch. It appeared to be pulsating like a heartbeat.


    Orion, who had been hiding in a different dimension, could see everything that was happening in the arena. But he didn''t know how to exin that.


    To him, it felt as though he hadn''t moved from his ce at all, butyers of invisible walls appeared on all sides of him, making him invisible.


    Theseyers of invisible walls made him feel like he had been trapped in a cage where even a sound couldn''t be heard outside of it.


    Strangely, though, he could see everything happening outside the cage and could alsoe out of there anytime he felt like it.


    Although he didn''t understand the basics of this, it didn''t stop him from using it to imnt a ticking bomb on the guardian''s back that would blow up anytime he wanted.


    Seeing that the guardian was still clueless about it, Orion detonated the bomb he nted.


    "Boom!"


    A blinding purple light emanated from the guardian before an explosion happened at the back of the guardian, sting it forward like a broken kite.


    Sliding and tumbling across the arena, he left a trail of broken tiles in his wake as his body continued its uncontrolled rampage before graduallying to a halt.

 Chapter 49: 49. Orion vs Second Guardian - 2

    <h4>Chapter 49: 49. Orion vs Second Guardian - 2</h4>


    Purple smoke began to emanate from the guardian''s back as he slowly tried to stand up.


    At that moment, Orion, who stood not far away from the guardian, saw something that really surprised him.


    He noticed that the back armor of the guardian was missing, likely destroyed by his explosion.


    However, upon closer inspection, he found the armor empty, with only a circr mark inside. Above the circr mark, a golden star-shaped emblem glowed faintly.


    ''What''s that symbol?''


    The armor being empty, he already knew about that, but the symbol etched on the armor was a surprise to Orion.


    He had a hunch that the empty armor must be controlled by that symbol; otherwise, he couldn''t exin how the armor could move autonomously on its own.


    As he observed the guardian, he noticed golden sparks light up all around him, and only a momentter, these golden sparks started condensing together to construct five golden swords that revolved around him.


    Seeing that, Orion frowned and thought that even with the guardian this injured, he could still fight.


    ''Time to finish it.''


    He thought and used absolute defense on his body as his body started to glow in a bright red color before a film of red glow covered his whole body.


    At that moment, he revealed himself and came out of the other dimension.


    Almost immediately, the guardian turned behind and noticed him. Seeing his opponent once again, he didn''t waste any time and let his swords do the attack while he took the time to recuperate.


    Orion noticed the five swords flying towards him like five goldenser lights, but he didn''t rush and walked slowly towards the guardian.


    A momentter, one of the swords reached him and was about to strike his head when it suddenly changed direction and went sideways.


    At the same time, the other swords also closed the distance between them, but the results remained the same.


    All four golden swords headed towards different parts of his body, like his hands, legs, and stomach, but ultimately all of them got repelled by his absolute defense.


    At this time, Orion arrived in front of the guardian, who had also stood up.


    But he soon noticed that the guardian was having a difficult time standing up as his legs trembled and his body swayed.


    However, he also noticed something else. He saw that the guardian slowly held his sword high with both hands. His hands held the sword in such a position that his head appeared between his two hands, which held the sword vertically high.


    At that moment, the guardian''s sword started to sparkle in golden light before his sword seemed to attract golden light particles from all directions.


    These golden light particles appeared in dense amounts from all directions and started to condense around his sword until, finally, his sword became pure golden in color.


    ''An ultimate move... so cool... I really need something like that if I want to defeat the third guardian.''


    He thought while looking at the golden sword held high by the guardian.


    At that moment, the guardian heavily swung his sword downward towards Orion, who appeared to be awestruck by his ultimate move.


    The attack transformed itself in the form of a golden crescent moon as it hurtled towards Orion at breakneck speed.


    Although Orion appeared mesmerized by the ultimate move, that didn''t mean he wasn''t paying attention to the attack. No, on the contrary, his full attention happened to be on the sword and the attack that was followed by the guardian.


    Seeing the attack closing up on him, Orion held his right hand forward as mes began to dance around it. But soon, the density of mes around his hand quickly started to increase until the mes looked like the size of twice his head as an orange glow appeared in his face because of the mes in his hand.


    After that, he used attraction on his hand, and all those mes started to condense together and slowly took the shape of a red sphere twice the size of a fist. mes could be seen dancing around that sphere asionally.


    All that happened in a moment and didn''t take much time, but it was enough for the golden crescent moon attack of the guardian to close the distance between them.


    Seeing that, Orion did what most would do and threw the ming sphere in his hand towards the iing attack.


    The red sphere of mes hurtled towards the golden crescent moon of the guardian, and a momentter they collided.


    "BOOM!"


    A gold-white, blinding light emanated before an explosion sounded from their collision.


    A cloud of red mes and golden light appeared between Orion and the guardian, where the collision took ce.


    The tiles in that area were melted by the extreme heat, transforming into pools of molten liquid that made sizzling and hissing sounds as they solidified. Additional tiles turned to dust in their collision, dispersing into the air like fine powder.


    Meanwhile, the momentum caused by their collision of attacks released a gust of wind full of dust outwards towards Orion and the guardian.


    However, the momentum did not affect Orion whatsoever, as all of its force was repelled by his absolute defense. But the same couldn''t be true for the guardian, who previously couldn''t stand up properly and now got his body sted back like a ragged doll by the momentum.


    A whileter, the aftereffects of the explosion died down, and only smoke and dust filled the arena.


    Using that as a cover, Orion moved, and a momentter, he arrived behind the guardian, who sat on the tiles, supporting himself with his sword that stabbed into the arena.


    The guardian didn''t notice him and was still looking around the dust-filled arena in search of Orion.


    Seeing that, Orion smiled and stabbed his sword, right at the star symbol glowing inside the guardian''s armor.


    A golden light shed when his sword stabbed into the symbol. As a result, the guardian felt a shock as he trembled uncontrobly for a moment before he lifelessly fell to the arena and died.


    ''He died?''


    Orion felt surprised as he saw this.


    ''It seems this symbol was really the only thing that controlled the armor just now.''


    He thought as he used his sword to cut out the piece of armor that had the star symbol etched on it.


    Looking over the symbol carefully, he didn''t see anything special about it. But it could also be said that he had no knowledge about symbols to really know their value. Moreso in a world full of talent and curses.


    ''Let''s keep it for now; it mighte in handyter.''


    He thought as he reached out and grasped the armor with his right hand. In an instant, his entire hand, along with the armor, vanished. Then, just as suddenly, his hand reappeared, but the armor was no longer in his grasp.


    It turned out he could use the dimension he vanished into as an infinite space for himself to store things.


    At that moment, Orion sensed something. Turning his head, he saw that the portal appeared not so far from him.


    ''Time to leave this ce.''


    He headed towards the portal as he thought about the battle just now. He noticed many things during this fight, and most importantly, he understood what hecked the most right now.

 Chapter 50: 50. Dread

    <h4>Chapter 50: 50. Dread</h4>


    Before the battle started, Orion had decided to fight head-on with the guardian to get some experience in fighting, but as the fight went on, he was forced to use other methods.


    Although he could dominate the guardian in a one-on-one fight, he couldn''t do much damage to him because of the armor he wore. His sword only left scratches whenever he attacked with it, forcing him to use his other curses.


    Moreover, he felt sure that the armor of the third guardian would be even stronger and more durable than the second one.


    Therefore, hisck of an attack that could prate armor would definitely hold him down in the fight with the third guardian.


    As Orion pondered all of that, he arrived in front of the portal. Looking back at the arena one more time, he stepped into the portal and disappeared from the arena.


    ***


    Before long, he arrived in the temple hall. However, as he looked around, he couldn''t shake the sense of gloom that permeated the atmosphere.


    He observed that the faces of the soul forms appeared even more depressed and downtrodden than usual.


    Orion couldn''t fathom what had happened to cause them even more depression.


    As he walked into the center of the hall, he saw Runo standing with his teammates. It appeared to Orion that they had also stopped their training with the Three Divine Ways.


    But he saw that the faces of all of them didn''t look good. It was particrly true for Runo, who stood there as if he had lost his soul while his teammates were trying to talk with him.


    It was then that Orion recalled that he hadn''t seen Runo in the hall when he came from the level-up area and had spected that he might have gone to fight the third guardian.


    However, as he looked at those defeated eyes of Runo that had always been filled with arrogance and pride, Orion realized something.


    ''He couldn''t have lost, could he?''


    A feeling of dread washed over him as he finally grasped the reason behind the gloomy atmosphere in the hall.


    Orion clenched his fists tightly as he felt the pressure on him increase tremendously because of Runo''s defeat.


    He understood Runo''s strength, but even he couldn''t stand a chance against the third guardian.


    Furthermore, as he gazed into the lifeless eyes of Runo, Orion couldn''t shake the feeling that their battle hadn''t even been close. It may have been brutally one-sided, with the third guardian dominating over Runo entirely.


    It made Orion, who had gained some confidence in defeating the third guardian after his battle with the second guardian, feel as if a bucket of cold water had been poured upon him.


    The realization shattered all his confidence and hope and once again reminded him of the harsh truth that even if one tried hard enough, it didn''t mean sess woulde to them.


    Moreover, the dire situation they found themselves in, where sess and failure would determine their very survival, made the whole scenario even more ominous.


    ''No, he lost; that doesn''t mean I would lose too. Definitely not.''


    Orion assured himself, trying not to fall into despair once again.


    After calming down a little, he looked around the hall and spotted the group of transmigrators.


    They appeared to be in the same state as the other soul forms, if not more miserable.


    They were justmon people like Orion who had transmigrated at the wrong time and ce, causing them to face situations they weren''t supposed to.


    Looking at their hopeless and depressed faces, Orion wondered if he had also gotten a normal talent like them; maybe his situation would have resembled theirs.


    As he looked at them, he noticed something strange. He didn''t see the white haired girl he saw earlier among them.


    ''Did she go to fight the guardians?''


    He frowned as he thought that if she could fight the guardians, then why didn''t she go earlier? Why now?


    ''Could she have sessfully practiced the Three Divine Ways, and that''s why she went now?''


    Orion didn''t feel sure about that as he saw the depressed faces of Feran and Agnar. If she were to really learn the Three Divine Ways, then their faces would have been beaming with joy.


    ''Did she feel desperate and ultimately take the matter into her own hands?''


    He felt that was more likely to be the case. Yet he didn''t know why he had this nagging feeling that something was amiss here. He just couldn''t put his finger on where.


    This feeling stemmed from his earlier assessment of that white-haired girl. Previously, whenever he saw her, he felt as though it was his first time seeing her, but then automatically he could recall where he had seen herst time, dispelling that doubt.


    However, that didn''t change the fact that he hadn''t seen her on the boat with other transmigrators, nor did he see her in the group of transmigrators Runo''s team had kidnapped.


    And he was pretty sure she hadn''t been part of the small group of people who came with the pirates outside the temple.


    Earlier, when Walric exined things, he had thought that maybe she was with them the whole time, but he didn''t notice her. But now that he thought about the whole situation carefully, he felt sure that it wasn''t him who had overlooked her; instead, she hadn''t been there at all.


    Moreover, she was just too beautiful to be overlooked, and Orion felt pretty sure that if he had seen that girl on the boat or anywhere else before entering the temple, he would definitely not forget her.


    Still, he couldn''t ignore the fact that all of these were merely his own assumptions, and assumptions often proved to be incorrect.


    ''Let''s hear the truth then.''


    Orion thought as he walked towards the group of transmigrators. If anyone could tell him anything about that girl, then that would be his group of transmigrators.


    As he approached them, they also saw him. He didn''t waste time on introductions or anything and just asked them directly.


    "Where is that white-haired girl who was with you guys?"


    Hearing his question, their faces became rather strange.


    Nheless, one of the transmigrators Orion had seen in that huge tree answered him.


    "There is no such girl among us," he said, his eyes narrowing. "You already saw us in that huge tree, and the other four came from that pirate ship outside the temple."


    Orionughed suddenly as he heard this.


    "Haha, I know that," he said, smiling. "I was just trying to ease up the mood here."


    As he finished those words, he turned around and walked back.


    However, as soon as he turned around, his expression turned to one of horror. He finally understood that there had never been a white-haired girl among them.


    ''Then who did I see earlier when I saw her?''

 Chapter 51 51. Copying More Curses

    Chapter 51 51. Copying More Curses


    ''Is there a ghost in the temple? And why didn''t they remember anything when she talked to Walric? Am I the only one who saw her? But I am sure Walric and the others also saw her and heard her when she talked to them. So, why don''t they remember anything?''


    Orion couldn''t get his head around what''s going on with that girl. It''s as if everyone had forgotten about her¡ªeveryone but him.


    ''Or am I seeing things now?... Maybe all that stress and anxiety that I have suffered since my transmigration is finally starting to take a toll on me.''


    Although he didn''t believe he had hallucinated the situation with the girl, he was certain that there was something mysterious and eerie happening in this temple.


    ''Forget about her. Let''s focus on the task at hand.''


    Orion threw that thought to the back of his mind after finding no answers and pondered over the current problem¡ªthe third guardian.


    Thinking of the third guardian, his face became solemn. He understood that it would be difficult to defeat the third guardian, depending on his current strength.


    ''But first, I should go and increase my agility to max.''


    Therefore, he decided to improve his raw strength first before thinking of copying any more curses.


    With that in mind, he wasted no more time and headed towards the ruined portal, disappearing from the temple hall.


    ***


    As Orion killed the monsters in the level-up area to increase his strength, the tension in the temple increased a lot.


    Agnar, who had been silent the whole time, had his face turn serious.


    "You kids, are you also not going to practice the Three Divine Ways anymore?" He asked icily.


    Runo''s team members, who happened to be with him, and the group of transmigrators frowned when they heard him.


    They had been practicing for three days now, including today, but they had not seeded in taking the initial step. This made them doubt whether they should be practicing the Three Divine Ways or not.


    But they didn''t have many options left. Runo, who happened to be the strongest of them, got defeated easily by the third guardian. So, it really didn''t matter if they challenged the guardians or not, because ultimately they were going to lose to the third guardian.


    Therefore, the best option they had would be practicing the Three Divine Ways, but they didn''t feel motivated to continue that training.


    They felt that no matter how much they tried, they just wouldn''t be able to learn the Three Divine Ways in the remaining four days they had left.


    However, as everyone hesitated whether to continue on with their training or not, they heard a voice asking them to do it.


    "Go and practice, everyone. You guys are ourst hope."


    Everyone noticed that the one who had just spoken was Runo, whose demeanor seemed to have lifted slightly after some contemtion.


    Seeing that Runo seemed to have calmed down, his team listened to Runo''s words and went to train once again.


    As for the group of transmigrators, they felt helpless in the face of Runo, so they also sat cross-legged and started their training.


    Agnar and Feran smiled at each other, seeing this.


    Meanwhile, Runo contemted what he would do. Knowing the strength of the third guardian, though he felt hopeless, he wasn''t the one to back away from a fight, more so in a situation where the fight decided their very survival.


    ***


    An hour passed by quickly, and at that moment, the ruined portal vibrated with a low hum before a silhouette appeared in the hall.


    It was Orion. He had finally seeded in taking his agility attribute to the max level. With this, his confidence, which seemed to have died down after Runo''s defeat, had been reignited.


    But he still needed one thing in order to finally have a showdown with the third guardian.


    ''I need a curse that can act as a powerful weapon for me¡ªsharp enough to prate armor.''


    As Orion contemted which type of curse should be a better option for him, the soul forms, including Runo, saw him appear out of the ruined portal.


    All the soul forms had long lost hope for their freedom, so they hadn''t much reaction to Orion, but the same couldn''t be true for Runo.


    Runo frowned, looking at Orion. Last time he saw Orion enter the portal, he thought that he wouldn''t be able to defeat the second guardian, but now that he saw him, he felt a threat from him.


    ''How did he be so strong all of a sudden?''


    He couldn''t understand how someone whom he had just thrashed a while ago could pose a threat to him in just a few days.


    But the thing that bugged him most would be that he hadn''t sensed this much power when Orion entered the portal thest time he saw him.


    ''Is it because I hadn''t paid attention to him earlier or¡­ my arrogance?''


    He felt that what his father said might be true. If he had just taken Orion a little bit seriously, then maybe he could have gauged his strength.


    Thinking of that, he felt that it might be the reason why he had lost against thest one of Orion''s group he had gone to capture.


    ''It seems I''ll have to work on this, but the third guardian...'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He despaired, thinking about his fight with the third guardian.


    Meanwhile, Orion had been nning to once again start his handshake debacle.


    Looking over the hall, he observed the group of kids whom he had already copied and turned his attention to those whose soul forms he hadn''t.


    ''Though I will get many trash curses likest time if I copy without knowing the curses, I don''t have much choice, do I?''


    Having decided on what to do, he headed towards a group of people who he hadn''t copiedst time.


    But this group of people appeared to be much older than Orion''s age group, so after meeting with them, he had already prepared a different excuse if they, by chance, asked him why he hade to them.


    As he neared them, to Orion''s surprise, one of them asked for the same thing he had prepared for.


    "Hey kid, what are you here for?"


    Orion smiled in response to him.


    "Senior, will you be willing to teach me how to effectively use my talents for the better?" He asked them politely.


    The man who just asked the question felt surprised by Orion''s words.


    "Do you want to learn from me?" He asked, pointing at himself.


    Orion nodded.


    "I met with some kids about my age here, and they said that you guys are better at teaching newbies," he shamelessly added nonsense over nonsense.


    But it worked for him, as the guy, when hearing his words, puffed up his chest.


    "Don''t worry," he said proudly. "I will teach you, with the best of my abilities."


    "Senior, I will be in your care then," Orion said excitedly.


    The man nodded, and he started teaching him. All the while, Orion asked him some questions from time to time.


    These soul forms didn''t have anything to do while trapped in this temple, so if they got to feel even a little bit of enjoyment, then they would definitely do anything for it.


    Although they seemed dead inside, it didn''t stop them from experiencing temporary enjoyment. That''s how they had been living their lives in the temple for years.

 Chapter 52 52. Third Guardian

    Chapter 52 52. Third Guardian


    A whileter, Orion finished copying curses for the second time.


    Unlikest time, he didn''t copy everyone''s curses and only copied the ones that were deemed useful for him.


    He could see what curse a person had when he touched them because of system notifications, so it wasn''t difficult to copy the ones he needed.


    ''Last time, I didn''t know that not every curse could be useful, and I copied every single curse I came across.''


    Recalling what he didst time, he felt embarrassed thinking about it.


    ''Well, this time I only copied two curses by looking at the titles. Now let''s see if they are really useful for me or not.''


    [Shattered Precision - With the curse of Shattered Precision, the individual''s ability to enhance sharpness and cutting power bes uncontroble and unpredictable, leading to disastrous consequences.]


    ''Nice, this is what I need right now.''


    He copied this curse from a guy who had a talent called Razor''s Edge. This guy could make anything sharp enough and increase the cutting effect.


    This was what he had been looking for, in the form of a curse.


    On to the next one.


    [Unbridled Fury - With the curse of Unbridled Fury, the individual''s ability to enter a berserk state bes uncontroble and overwhelming, leading to destructive consequences. The individual might lose their sanity and be a battle maniac who only knows how to fight.]


    ''This¡­this is good! My own curse¡ªNull Body won''t let me lose my sanity, so this curse is pretty powerful if I can only have the berserk power.''


    Orion became ecstatic as he read the details of the Unbridled Fury. He believed this curse could significantly enhance his overall strength.


    ''This is good. Now I only need to practice the curse of Shattered Precision. I don''t think I need to practice thetter one, but I''ll look into it too.''


    He thought, as he turned his head to the staircase, that he had earlier gone to the train.


    ''Today is the third day, so I will train the whole night ande out on the fourth day.''


    After making his n, he walked towards the staircase and entered the training room once again.


    ***


    A day passed, marking three days since Orion and his group arrived at the temple. With only four days remaining, including the current day, they had toplete their task.


    Nothing had changed since Orion went to train. The group of kids continued to practice the Three Divine Ways, while Runo remained standing in a corner, his brow furrowed in concentration. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At that moment, Orion ascended the staircase and appeared in the hall.


    Having trained diligently in the two curses he had copied the previous day, he felt confident that he had increased his chances against the third guardian.


    But before confronting the third guardian, Orion was determined to gather as much information as possible about him¡ªhis weapon, fighting style, attacks, and even his finishing move. He wanted to be thoroughly prepared, ensuring he wouldn''t be caught off-guard during their encounter.


    As he thought of that, he turned his head towards a golden-haired kid who appeared to be standing alone in a corner.


    Runo seemed to be the only one who had fought the third guardian recently, but Orion didn''t know if Runo had all the information about the third guardian or not.


    He felt that Runo might have been defeated easily, so he might not know about his finishing moves and such.


    If what he thought happened to be true, then he was left with only one option, and that was to ask Feran and Agnar about it. They had been here for a long time, and many soul forms over the years had challenged the third guardian, so they were bound to have more information about the third guardian than any of them here.


    But Orion hesitated about whether to ask them or not. Although it seemed like they didn''t care about him not practicing the Three Divine Ways, he couldn''t shake the feeling that they held a grudge against him because of it. They didn''t show it on their faces, but he could sense it in their interactions with himst time.


    ''If they want to be free from this ce, I am their best shot, so they better look at the big picture before thinking of mindless grudges.''


    He thought as he made his way towards the two old men.


    A momentter, he appeared before them, and because of this, a frown appeared on their faces.


    "What do you want, kid?" Feran asked coldly.


    Orion didn''t beat around the bush and directly went to the main topic.


    "I want to know everything about the third guardian." He asked.


    Feran arched an eyebrow at Orion''s words.


    But before he could respond to Orion, a big, heavy sword suddenly came out of his stomach.


    "Aggh!"


    Feran screamed as a result, but the heavy sword appeared ruthless as it moved up and split everything in two, including his head.


    A momentter, his soul started to glow in red light before transforming into particles of red and vanishing into thin air.


    All of that happened in less than a second, and as a result, Orion couldn''t react to it, but after Feran''s soul form dissipated, he finally got to see the perpetrator behind this.


    It turned out to be someone d in full-body pitch-ck armor, wielding a massive ck sword with both hands.


    The head armor appeared to be designed in the shape of a skull, while a symbol of a red skull gleamed on the chestte.


    Seeing the armored man in ck, Orion''s mind seemed to be screaming only two words.


    "Third Guardian!"


    He eximed loudly in horror, for he couldn''t understand how the third guardian happened toe here.


    At that moment, everyone else noticed the third guardian before they started trembling in fear.


    They hadn''t forgotten the brutal beating they had taken from him, and most importantly, the guardian just happened to kill the strongest soul form in the temple as if cutting vegetables.


    Everyone witnessed the demise of Feran, including Runo.


    However, Runo didn''t care anything about him, as his attention seemed to be fully focused on his teammates, who happened to be practicing near the third guardian without a care in the world.


    ''Damn!''


    He panicked as he ran toward his teammates.


    Meanwhile, after killing Feran, the third guardian turned his attention to Orion.


    Sensing the impending danger, Orion hastily activated his absolute defense, causing a red film to envelop his entire body.


    "Your blood reeks of those¡­"


    At that moment, Orion heard a metallic voice trail off, and upon recognizing it, he felt shocked, realizing that the voice came from the third guardian.


    ''He can talk!''


    The realization sent a shiver running down his spine. Knowing that the other two guardians didn''t speak and the third guardian could, he spected that, unlike the other two guardians, the third guardian may not be just an armor controlled by a symbol but rather a person wearing the armor.


    "I hate those¡­"


    Uttering these words, the guardian finally sprang into action. His body vanished from where he stood and materialized behind Orion; his sword shed directly at Orion''s neck

 Chapter 53 53. Orion vs The Third Guardian - 1

    Chapter 53 53. Orion vs The Third Guardian - 1


    Orion, who had been prepared the whole time, reacted swiftly by turning around and shing with his own sword.


    "ng!"


    The sound of metal colliding with metal reverberated throughout the hall.


    As their swords collided, cracks began to appear beneath their feet, apanied by a resounding shockwave that spread to every corner of the hall like ripples in water.


    Meanwhile, Orion directly bore the strength of the guardian. Sensing the power behind the guardian''s sword, he felt that this third guardian could one-sh kill the second guardian.


    He thought that if not for his sword and his body covered in ayer of absolute defense, he would have been blown away by his strength.


    ''I should be able to handle this much strength.'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    However, just when he began to feel confident about his fight with the guardian, the red skull symbol on the guardian''s chest hummed with a red glow, rapidly pulsating the glow towards his arms.


    Almost instantly, Orion felt that the strength behind the guardian''s sword increased, and before he could activate his curse¡ªBurdened Gravity¡ªto increase his weight in response to the increased strength of the guardian, he found his own body tumbling through the hall, sliding and smashing the floor along the way.


    He felt as if a string had been tied to his back and someone powerful had just pulled the string with all their strength, causing his body to be pulled back like a broken kite.


    His body hurtled and continued to smash the floor until a wall appeared and his body got mmed on it.


    "Baam!"


    Orion didn''t even get to properly stand up before the guardian materialized in front of him.


    Seeing that, he quickly activated his curses¡ªBurdened Gravity and Shattered Precision.


    In that moment, Orion felt a strength unlike anything he had felt before, and seeing the guardian in front of him, he unleashed a punch straight at the chest of the guardian.


    "Boom!"


    His fist connected with the guardian, resulting in a resounding boom before a figure was flung away.


    The figure belonged to the guardian, but unlike Orion, the guardian didn''t continue its momentum of being sted away and used his massive sword to stab in the ground before he came to a stop.


    ''It still didn''t do much damage.''


    Orion felt frustrated as he looked at the part of the armor he had punched and saw that not even a scratch could be seen in that area.


    ''Damn, this guardian is too strong. Its armor is almost impossible to break; his attack seemed to be able to ovee my absolute defense; and its speed appeared fast enough. There isn''t an area where I excelled inparison to him.''


    He felt the pressure on him increasing as he thought about the difference in their power level.


    ''Still, he isn''t invincible. He can be defeated. I just have to use my curses well.''


    But he didn''t lose hope.


    Previously, he used the Shattered Precision with his fist and didn''t use his sword, so he wanted to see if, with the sword, there would be any effect or not.


    As for why he didn''t use his sword, he lost the grip of his sword when he got sted away by the guardian, resulting in him losing the sword.


    Therefore, he quickly activated his curse¡ªElectrostatic Disruption and summoned his sword.


    A momentter, his sword flew back to him, and he caught it, held it in his hands, and used the other two swords to let them fly around him for backup.


    The guardian stared at him menacingly the whole time. He didn''t seem to be in a rush at all.


    "I hate that smell on you."


    Once again, the guardian spoke with his metallic voice, making Orion a little ufortable.


    He couldn''t understand what the guardian meant by that. Before their fight started, he recalled the guardian saying something simr to him.


    Also, since the guardian could talk, he wanted to ask something from him.


    "Why did youe here?" Orion asked. "We are supposed to challenge you, not the other way around."


    The guardian didn''t reply to him and shed with his sword.


    But for some inexplicable reason, Orion found himself standing in front of the guardian, whose sword was cleaving at him.


    He hurriedly activated his curse¡ªDimensional Dissonance resulting in the guardian''s massive sword passing right through him.


    He used that opportunity topletely pass through the guardian''s body, and using the curse of Detonating Flesh, he touched the back of the guardian before he vanished from the scene.


    At that moment, the guardian hurriedly turned around when he sensed someone touching his back, but to his bewilderment, he found no one standing behind his back.


    "Boom!"


    Suddenly, the guardian''s body glowed with a purple light before an explosion sounded in the hall as purple smoke began to emanate from the back of the guardian.


    However, Orion, who stood not far from him, witnessed in despair that the back of the guardian remained unscathed.


    ''Damn it, even the explosion does nothing to him. It seems I''ll have to fight him head on and look for chances to injure him.''


    That''s the only way he could think of killing the guardian because so far he had used all his curses, but none seemed to have any effect on the guardian except his physical prowess, which seemed to be on the same level as the guardian after using the curses of Burdened Gravity and Shattered Precision.


    But he still hadn''t used two of his curses namely¡ªUnbridled Fury and Frozen Torment which he thought might turn the table for him, especially Frozen Torment, which could be useful in handling the armor.


    Meanwhile, everyone in the hall felt shocked that someone among them could fight with the third guardian for so long.


    They had long lost hope of obtaining freedom, but witnessing the encounter between them once again ignited the spark of hope buried deep within them.


    On the other hand, Agnar''s reaction had been somewhat mixed. He felt sad about the sudden demise of his old friend Feran and excited about the battle. He, too, wanted freedom¡ªmore than anyone here. Only he understood what it felt like to live in a temple with nothing to do and despairingly wait to be one of the specters.


    Therefore, after witnessing someone fighting toe-to-toe with the third guardian, he couldn''t stop his excitement¡ªexcitement that there may be hope for them after all.


    Whereas Runo, who had been running towards his teammates, stopped midway as he witnessed the battle. He felt shocked and¡­ frustrated¡ªfrustrated that someone he had easily taken care of not too long ago could now do the same to him, and it wasn''t just anyone¡ªit was the very person whom he hated his guts.


    ''Damn it!''


    He cursed inwardly as he stopped focusing on Orion and turned his attention towards his teammates.


    "Agnar, wake them up and make a defensive wall around us."


    Spotting Agnar standing not too far from his teammates, Runo shouted.


    Agnar understood the situation and tapped the floor with his staff. A momentter, the floor around every soul form began to transform as walls constructed themselves from the floor. These walls formed in a concentric manner around the hall, leaving arge open area for Orion and the guardian to continue their battle.


    At that moment, those soul forms who happened to be outside those walls ran and hid behind the walls.


    Meanwhile, Agnar woke up the kids, who were busy practicing the Three Divine Ways.

 Chapter 54 54. Orion vs The Third Guardian - 2

    Chapter 54 54. Orion vs The Third Guardian - 2


    As all this happened, the guardian appeared to be looking around the hall, searching for Orion.


    He did see the soul forms running and hiding behind the walls, but he didn''t care. It was as if the only thing that the guardian wanted was Orion, and nobody else mattered to him.


    Meanwhile, Orion waited for soul forms to hide before he revealed himself. He didn''t want the fight between them to result in the unfortunate deaths of soul forms.


    Therefore, when everyone reached safely behind the walls, Orion finally revealed himself.


    The guardian, seeing him, appeared and ran towards him in a berserk manner.


    At that moment, Orion also activated his curse¡ªUnbridled Fury, and as a result, an aura of deep red surrounded him as his eyes became red, with stains of red appearing in some parts of his skin.


    He felt significantly stronger than before, and looking at the guardian that was running towards him, Orion used his Burdened Gravity to lower his weight as lightly as he could.


    Holding his sword with both hands, he activated Shattered Precision and bent down a little, causing the floor beneath his feet to crack down like spider webs, and then he vanished from his position, appearing right in front of the guardian with his sword shing at the waist of the guardian.


    The guardian reacted as if he had predicted Orion''s move and also swung his sword at him the moment Orion appeared in front of him.


    "Boom!"


    As their weapons collided, the sound of an explosion reverberated throughout the hall.


    However, unlikest time, they didn''t appear to be in a stalemate, as the guardian was sted back like a broken kite when their swords collided.


    Orion didn''t wait for the guardian to stabilize, and like a red blur zooming in, he closed the distance between them and swung his sword with all his strength.


    This time the guardian couldn''t react in time, and his body once again got sted back like a ragged doll all over the floor of the temple.


    Orion once again appeared in front of the guardian, but this time the guardian appeared prepared as he used his red skull symbol on his chest to power himself up.


    His body started to pulsate with a red glow as he swung his sword at Orion, who had just appeared before him. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Orion didn''t back down, seeing this, and increased his weight.


    "Boom!"


    A resounding explosion sounded as their swords collided, and this time the whole floor beneath their feet appeared to have been destroyed by their attack.


    The cracks that were previously in a small area now spread to every corner of the floor, leaving behind nothing but debris and dust all over it.


    At that moment, the Orion and the guardian''s swords released sparks as they appeared to be in a stalemate again.


    But the stalemate didn''tst for long as Orion let go of his left hand holding the sword. As he did that, the pressure on him increased tremendously as he was forced to bend down a little.


    At the same time, his left hand zed with mes, and his sword started to change color from red to blue as he used the properties of attraction on it.


    After that, he quickly let the mes on his left hand touch his sword, which azed the sword in a fiery red me, causing an intense red glow between the guardian and him.


    As the red mes zed on his sword, Orion pushed with all his strength, and a fiery arc of red glow appeared, forcing the guardian to back down a little.


    Using this opportunity, he lowered his weight, quickly closed the distance between them, and thrust his fiery sword right at the red skull symbol on his chest.


    "Boom!"


    The guardian couldn''t react in time, and a ming explosion happened at his chest, causing the guardian to be sted back by the momentum of the attack.


    Smokes began to release from the chest area of the guardian, and to Orion''s surprise, the red skull symbol on his chest appeared to have burned a little.


    He felt surprised about that because all this time he had been using his Shattered Precision but the guardian''s armor didn''t even leave a scratch behind. However, the moment he attacked the skull symbol on his chest, it appeared to have burned down a little.


    ''If I recall correctly, he uses this symbol to power himself up, and now it appears to be the only thing in the guardian''s armor that seems vulnerable.''


    As he observed the symbol on the guardian''s chest, he caught sight of something that made him narrow his eyes.


    He saw that after he damaged the symbol on the guardian''s chest, the guardian took longer than usual to stand up on his feet.


    Most importantly, he didn''t rush to him like other times and only warily looked at him.


    Witnessing this, he came to a conclusion.


    ''The skull symbol on his chest must be his weakness.''


    A smile appeared on Orion''s face as he sighed in relief. All that time, it appeared as though he had been the dominant one, crushing the guardian with his overwhelming strength, but only he knew that his attack did nothing to the guardian, no matter how many times he attacked. It was as if the guardian''s armor appeared to be made of something that''s impossible to break.


    But now that he knew the guardian''s weakness, he felt that it wouldn''t be long before their battle concluded.


    On the other side, everyone witnessed the intense battle between the guardian and Orion, and their jaws dropped to the ground as a result.


    It was especially true for the group of transmigrators. They hadn''t witnessed a battle of this kind ever in their lives, so seeing the fight with their own eyes made them motivated to have a battle like that one day.


    Meanwhile, Runo''s team appeared to have the most shocked faces. They couldn''t imagine how a person of bronze rank had that much power within him.


    Most importantly, they understood the strength of the guardian, which required them to use the power of the Three Divine Ways to even have a fight, but witnessing Orion, who didn''t use that power and could still fight toe-to-toe with the guardian, made them speechless.


    However, they mostly felt relieved because of that. They thought that if Orion didn''t possess such strength, maybe they would have been decimated by the guardian by now.


    But there was one person among them who felt very conflicted about the situation. It was Runo.


    He felt relieved that there was someone who could fight the guardian equally, but at the same time, he felt frustrated because that person happened to be Orion.


    ''If he is strong, then that''s good for us, but why am I feeling so frustrated about this? If I don''t have that much enmity with him, then why?''


    He couldn''t understand the reason behind his frustration.


    What Runo failed to notice, or perhaps intentionally ignored, was that Orion appeared to be the exact person he didn''t want to see¡ªsomeone who rejected him without hesitation, someone who didn''t care about him at all.


    This realization could be the reason for his frustration, and he could onlye to terms with it by confronting it head-on.

 Chapter 55. Orion vs The Third Guardian - 3

    55 55. Orion vs The Third Guardian - 3


    At the same time, the battle between Orion and the guardian came to a sudden halt because Orion burned a small part of the red skull symbol on the guardian''s chest earlier. As a result, the guardian became cautious and didn''t take the opportunity to attack Orion.


    Meanwhile, Orion also didn''t rush and thought of how he would go about destroying that symbol on the guardian''s chest now that the guardian was so protective of it.


    However, as he pondered which path to take, he sensed a movement from the guardian.


    He saw that the guardian started to make some strange, erratic movements. His upper torso moved towards the right, while his lower torso moved towards the left.


    Since both the torsos were part of the same body, the guardian couldn''t move because of it.


    Seeing this, Orion wondered if the guardian had gone mad all of a sudden.


    However, at that moment, something happened that shocked Orion to the core.


    He witnessed the upper half of the torso suddenly separate itself from the lower half, forming two separate torsos beside each other.


    But this was just the beginning. The bottom of the upper torso began to vibrate, and a lower torso suddenly grew out from there. The same phenomenon urred to the lower torso as an upper torso emerged from the tip of the lower torso.


    As a result, two guardians now stood before Orion,pletely resembling each other.


    Looking at these two, a frown appeared on Orion''s face.


    ''The guardian also understood his weakness, so he came up with the idea to form a clone of himself to protect his symbol.''


    His mind raced with thoughts as he came up with a n to handle the two of them.


    ''It''s time to finish this.''


    He firmly gripped his sword with both hands as he used Burdened Gravity to lower his weight.


    Simultaneously, he also ignited his other two swords, engulfing them in mes.


    After preparing everything, Orion rushed towards the two guardians, his two zing swords flying alongside him.


    As he arrived before them, both the guardians swung their heavy swords at him simultaneously.


    Seeing this, he used his two zing flying swords to block the attack from one while he himself swung his own sword at the guardian.


    Although the zing swords were powerful, they didn''t even hold for a second in front of the monstrous strength of the guardian, causing both of his swords to fly out.


    However, the swords did their work to provide Orion with the time he needed.


    "Boom!"


    As Orion''s and the guardian''s sword collided, the guardian fell short of strength and had his body forcefully retreat back while sliding.


    Using this opportunity, he used his other two swords to keep the guardian he just sted back busy for as long as the two swords could.


    Meanwhile, he himself disappeared from his position, causing the guardian who was in front of him to confusedly look around.


    A momentter, a glowing purple hand materialized behind the guardian, but Orion didn''t touch the guardian and just kept his hand like that.


    At that moment, he intentionally revealed his leg and forcefully stepped on the ground behind the guardian.


    Almost instantly, the guardian turned around when he heard that, but the moment he turned, Orion''s hand, which had been waiting the whole time, touched the skull symbol on the chest of the guardian, causing it to glow in a purple light.


    Seeing that his n had seeded, Orion took his hand back and disappeared from that position.


    A momentter, the purple glow on the symbol shed with an intense purple light before an explosion happened.


    "Boom!"


    The explosion didn''t damage the guardian even a little bit, but the skull symbol on its chest was gone, and as a result, the guardian''s body lifelessly fell to the ground.


    ''It worked.''


    Orion appeared at a little distance from the dead guardian and smiled as he saw this, but at this moment, he heard a yelling from his side.


    "I will kill you!"


    It was a metallic voiceing straight from the other guardian.


    Turning around, Orion saw that the second guardian came straight at him without any care of the two swords that continued to hit him.


    "Come on."


    However, this time Orion didn''t use his cheap tactics and beckoned his hands at the guardian.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    The guardian wildly roared at Orion, as if he had lost his sanity, and swung his huge sword straight at him.


    Orion didn''t back down and also swung his own sword.


    "BOOM!"


    An intense explosion reverberated throughout the hall as their swords collided.


    But the guardian, as before, fell short of strength as his body got sted back like a broken kite.


    Seeing this, Orion lowered his weight and swiftly crossed the distance between them before arriving in front of the guardian, who still hadn''t gained his stability and continued to slide through the hall.


    Taking this opportunity, he swung his sword heavily at the waist of the guardian, causing the guardian to st back in a different direction.


    Once again, Orion closed the distance between them, but this time he appeared in a position where the guardian would soon pass by if the guardian couldn''t stop his body from tumbling down the hall.


    At that moment, Orion flicked the sword in the air while his right hand started to burn in mes. The density and mass of the mes continued to increase at a rapid pace before he used attraction on his hand topress all those mes into a red burning sphere the size of a football.


    He then turned his attention to the guardian, whose body crashing through the hall appeared in front of him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Right timing.''


    Holding the burning ball of the sphere like a basketball, Orion threw it straight at the guardian.


    The ball made its way towards the guardian like a shooting star and collided with it.


    "BOOM!"


    As soon as the ming ball came into contact with the guardian, it exploded, causing an intense explosion throughout the hall.


    The floor, which had already been destroyed by their fight earlier, started melting, and smoke began to emanate from them.


    Meanwhile, the explosion itself released a resounding shockwave throughout the entire hall, causing those who peeked through the wall to watch the battle to have their bodies mmed back at the wall behind them.


    A momentter, the explosion died down, and Orion saw that among the debris on the floor, the guardian''s bodyy there.


    Although that attack still didn''t cause any damage to the guardian, the symbol on its chest was gone, leaving behind a dead body.


    "It''s finally over."


    Orion sighed in relief. But he felt that the guardian when seperated himself two became quite weak as if their strength had been split in half among the two bodies.


    He then noticed that the body of the guardian began to glow with a red light before turning into red particles and disappearing into thin air.


    But the guardian dropped an item behind. There was a big, heavy sword on the ground.


    Witnessing this, Orion became sure that the third guardian was a living being, unlike the other two guardians.


    Looking at the huge sword, he made his way over to it and saw that the sword was about the size of him.


    He also noticed that this sword appeared different from the one the guardian had used earlier.


    As he picked it up, Orion felt its weight and was surprised to that the sword weighed very high but it wasn''t a problem for him to wield it.


    As he observed the sword closely, he saw that the hilt of the sword appeared golden with red stripes around it, and at the top of the hilt, a skull symbol had been etched there.


    ''Nice sword.''


    He felt that the sword really suited his fighting style. So, he put it in his pocket dimension of the Dimensional Dissonance curse along with his other three swords.


    However, at that moment, Orion suddenly felt his vision spinning as if the whole hall appeared to start spinning at a very fast speed before he found himself standing in a rather small room.


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    ShinGotLost


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 56. A Wooden Room

    Chapter56. A Wooden Room


    "How did Ie here? Is this rted to the task?"


    Orion wondered as he looked around.


    He saw that the room he found himself in appeared very different from the hall he had been in earlier, as this room looked entirely made up of wood. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    From the floor to the walls, even the ceiling appeared to be made of wood.


    However, as he looked around, his attention soon got attracted by something opposite of him.


    He saw a star-shaped symbol, the same as what he had seen on the second guardian''s armor, etched on the wall of the room opposite him.


    The star-shaped symbol glowed with a bluish white light, and at the center of the symbol appeared a hand-shaped mark.


    ''Do I have to put my hand there to summon the boss monster?''


    He wondered since he thought that all the things they had done sinceing to the temple were to summon the boss monster so that they could kill it and escape from this dungeon.


    But Orion had a feeling that defeating the boss monster wouldn''t be an easy task. The third guardian he had defeated earlier was already so strong, and he wasn''t even the boss, so he couldn''t imagine how strong the boss would be.


    ''Should I release the boss or not?''


    For a moment, he began to doubt whether releasing the boss monster would be a good thing for them or not because he wasn''t sure he would be able to defeat the boss monster if the boss happened to be much stronger than the third guardian.


    ''Then our ticket to escape this ce will close down.''


    But he also thought that killing the boss monster was their only way to escape from this dungeon.


    ''F*ck it.''


    He cursed as he gritted his teeth and was about to put his hand on the hand mark etched on the wall when a very pleasant voice sounded in the room.


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you."


    Orion flinched as he heard that voice because he felt that he had heard it somewhere else before but couldn''t recall who the voice belonged to.


    ''Damn, why is someone else here when I am the only one who killed the guardian?''


    Cursing under his breath, he turned around, and what he saw caused a chill to run down his spine.


    He saw, to his horror, the white-haired girl whom he had seen previously in the hall standing quietly a little distance away from him with a serene expression etched on her face.


    For a moment, Orion panicked and didn''t know what to do.


    He still remembered how everyone in the hall had forgotten about her when she was there a while ago. It was as if she hadn''t existed at all, but now that he saw her, he felt sure that she indeed existed and he wasn''t seeing things.


    That realization filled Orion with fear because he believed that kind of power would only be possessed by ghosts, and ghosts were the beings he feared the most.


    But he still held on to his courage and faced her.


    "W-who are you? Are you a ghost?" He asked, his voice trembling with fear.


    The white-haired girl found Orion''s peculiar question amusing.


    "What made you think that?" She asked lightly.


    Looking at the smile on her face, Orion felt that his hunch was correct and that she was indeed a ghost.


    "You were there in the hall earlier, and you even talked to some people, but they don''t remember you at all. It''s impossible unless¡­" He couldn''tplete his sentence because he was interrupted at the end.


    "Unless I am a ghost? Is that it?" She asked with a smile.


    Orion nodded hurriedly.


    "Hahaha, I find this very amusing," she said, smiling. "It''s been what, a thousand years? Ten thousand? I don''t even remember, but this is the first time I genuinely felt something interesting and amusing."


    Orion wondered if the ghost had gone mad. How could someone live for thousands of years and still remain so beautiful? It sounded too absurd to be true.


    ''Even if that were to be true, that would mean she is an old hag by now.''


    A smile appeared on his face as he thought of this.


    At that moment, the white-haired girl turned to look at him, her eyes narrowing.


    "Did you just say I am an old hag?!" She asked furiously.


    Orion panicked and cursed himself for thinking that.


    "No, definitely not," he said hurriedly. "I just thought that you were too beautiful to be able to live this long."


    The white-haired girl''s face became serious as she stared at him intently.


    Meanwhile, for some reason, Orion felt as if he would die at any moment, his back breaking out in a cold sweat. He never felt this close to death before, even when he faced that skeleton in the cave.


    "Haha, I am just kidding," she said, smiling as she patted Orion''s head.


    On the other hand, Orion finally sighed in relief. He felt that he had just dodged the death god by a small margin.


    However, as he felt a hand in his head, he felt embarrassed about it.


    "Don''t be embarrassed about it," she said proudly. "Instead, you should feel blessed that I, Isis, the Goddess of Immortality, have patted your head."


    "Goddess of Immortality!" Orion felt shocked upon hearing her say that. "Are you a god? Do gods exist in this world?"


    Isis put a finger on her chin as he pondered what to say to him.


    "Indeed, gods do exist in this world, but not many have seen them," she said, looking at Orion.


    Orion felt his worldview had been shaken. On Earth, he had believed in gods and even worshipped them regrly, but what he got was failure upon failure, and ultimately, he died.


    And when he came to his world, he thought some gods had transmigrated him to this world. However, at that time, it was just a whimsical thought; he hadn''t truly believed that, but now hearing a god standing in front of him and saying that gods did exist made him feel surreal.


    At that moment, he recalled what she said when she arrived here.


    "You said to me previously not to put my hand in that mark," he said, puzzled. "Why is that?"


    As he said those words, her face became solemn.


    "Because I have a hunch you will die," she said to Orion.


    Orion frowned as he listened to her. They had to kill the boss to leave this ce, and to do that, he had to release the boss. So, not releasing the boss from here wasn''t even a question. However, he also couldn''t ignore what she said because she was a god, and a god''s intuition would likely be a divination to him.


    "So, what kills me?" He asked her. "The boss? Or something else?"


    "That I don''t now," she shook his head. "Although I am a god, I can''t exactly tell what will happen in the future, but what I can do is see through someone''s fate. And your fate is showing me death."


    Orion clenched his fists as he heard her. From what he could tell, he would die either way, if not from the boss monster, then from something else.


    ''Why me?!''


    He felt frustrated. He had tried so hard, gone so far, only to face death. He couldn''t ept that. He couldn''t ept dying here. Not after all the battles he had fought, all the challenges he had ovee. No, he refused to let his journey end like this.

 Chapter 57. Task Completed

    57 57. Task Completed


    As Orion strengthened his resolve, his eyes darted towards the hand mark etched on the wall.


    Then, without any hesitation, he moved and ced his hand on the mark.


    Nothing seemed to happen for a moment before his figure began to glow with blue light particles.


    Seeing that, a visible frown appeared on Isis''s face.


    "You know you will die, and yet you released the boss monster," she sighed.


    Hearing what she said, Orion turned to her.


    "There are some things I just can''t run away from," he said to her. "Either way, thanks for the warning. I''ll see what I can do."


    As he finished speaking, the blue particles of light floating around him coalesced around him, forming a beam of blue light that tore through the wooden ceiling and shot into the sky.


    With that, Orion''s soul form disappeared from this ce.


    Staring at the blue light that started to fade away, Isis thought to herself.


    ''He has finally appeared. I have waited long enough.''


    ***


    Outside the temple, within the enormous red cylindrical force field, Orion''s lifeless body, which hadin on the ground for days, suddenly sat up.


    Looking around, he found himself back within the cylindrical force field.


    ''My soul has returned to my body.''


    He thought as he observed that everyone else also started to stand up.


    ''It looks like the task waspleted when I put my hand on the marker.''


    Standing up, he observed everyone and noticed that not a single one of them died inside the temple.


    At that moment, he also noticed something else: he saw that the cylindrical force field started to disintegrate into red particles and disappear into thin air.


    And they once again got to see the sun and the blue sky¡­ as well as the temple standing in the distance.


    However, as Orion looked at the temple, he caught sight of the two statues, one of a man and another of a woman, stabbing each other.


    Before he had entered the temple, he had no idea why they had taken such drastic measures to kill each other, but now he understood everything.


    ''They probably somehow got to know what was happening inside the temple, hence this result. They must have thought that it was better to die outside and be free rather than be trapped in the temple forever.''


    He concluded this as he observed the two statues.


    At that moment, Orion remembered all those souls that appeared to be trapped inside the temple.


    ''Did they finally obtain freedom?''


    Thinking of that, he turned to look at Runo, who appeared to be standing not far from him.


    "Runo," he called out to him. "What happened to all those soul forms? Did they obtain freedom in the end?"


    Runo turned to face Orion upon hearing him calling his name and listening to what he had to say. He nodded at him.


    "Yeah, they disappeared from the temple before we did," he said. "I guess that''s what they wanted."


    As he said that to Orion, he didn''t feel ufortable with him like he felt previously. He understood what his father meant and what he needed to do to be a better version of himself.


    Orion nodded as he heard him.


    At that moment, a red beam of light tore through the sky in the distance, causing the whole sky to turn red as a result.


    "That''s where the skull throne is," Runo eximed.


    "It seems the boss monster has made his appearance," Orion said as he looked at the red beam of light in the distance.


    He hadn''t forgotten his fate, but he was also helpless here.


    ''I will have to be careful from now on.''


    Knowing his fate didn''t mean he would just surrender himself to it. No, he wouldn''t. It was the exact opposite. He would do everything in his power to not let that happen.


    At that moment, the captain of the pirates called out to his crew.


    "Let''s go and kill this monster and leave this damned ce."


    But Runo stopped them from doing so.


    "Hey, stop!" He yelled at them. "We don''t know how strong the boss monster is, and barging in without knowing anything about the monster wouldn''t do us any good."


    The captain of the pirates had already been upset with Runo for what happened at the temple. Therefore, now that he heard Runo reprimand him, he immediately got angry over it.


    "You are going to teach me what''s good or not, kid?" He sneered angrily. "I have been sailing the seas since you weren''t even born. So, I don''t need your trash advice. Keep it for yourself; it maye in handyter."


    Runo shook his head at him in annoyance.


    "Trash like you is the reason why some parties heading into the dungeon nevere back," he said, his eyes narrowing at the captain of the pirates. "If people like you don''t exist, then the casualties over clearing the dungeon should have been all time low."


    The captain of the pirates was immediately triggered by Runo''s words.


    "What did you say, kid?" He yelled at him. "Say that again."


    Runo smiled at him and was about to continue when Orion interfered between them.


    "Both of you are correct, okay?" He said this as he looked at the two of them. "We will go to the boss monster, but we won''t be attacking blindly. We will first see what type of monster it is before discussing its weaknesses and our n, and then we will go and kill it. Understand?"


    The captain of the pirates nodded. Although he felt that there wasn''t a need to be so cautious over a bronze-rank dungeon boss, he just couldn''t deny Orion.


    He had witnessed the battle between the third guardian and Orion firsthand and came to understand that he stood no chance against him. Therefore, he just nodded at him without arguing over it.


    As for Runo, he also didn''t say anything and just nodded like the captain of pirates.


    Seeing them nodding, Orion pondered for a moment. He thought about whether they should go kill the boss or not. If he hadn''t heard Isis''s warning, he probably wouldn''t have hesitated over it, but now that he knew his life would be in danger, he didn''t know what the right thing to do was.


    ''But we have to kill the boss anyway. So, let''s just go.''


    In the end, he decided to go and see the boss monster, thinking they would have to go there anyway.


    But first, he had to see his friends. He didn''t know how they were doing on this hellish ind.


    Thinking of them, Orion took out his sword and engulfed it in mes.


    Afterward, he let the burning sword fly in the air like a rocket. It left a trail of red as it zoomed to the sky and returned to him a momentter.


    He then looked at the sky as if waiting for something, but as time passed, nothing seemed to happen at all.


    ''Why aren''t they responding?''


    Previously, when they had nned to join and follow Liira and Dion, he had a talk with Ryfin about what could go wrong.


    Therefore, he hade up with a n to let Ryfin and Famir escape while he would remain with them since they had to leave this ce, and only Runo''s team seemed to know about that.


    It was also during that time that he asked Ryfin to wait for his signal, and if they saw his signal, they would also send a signal with Famir''s lightning bolt. That way, they would know each other''s location. But now it appeared something had gone wrong with them.


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    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 58. Miira

    58 58. Miira


    Orion frowned when he saw nothing in the sky after waiting for a long time.


    ''They should be fine, right?''


    A look of concern appeared on his face as he thought of his friends. He hadn''t seen them in quite a few days, and now, after not getting any response from them, he felt a little worried about them.


    ''What should I do?''


    Pondering for a moment, he once again sent his ming sword flying in the sky like a red streak of light and waited after the sword returned to him.


    However, after waiting for a few minutes, he didn''t see anything in the sky that could resemble a signal.


    "What are you doing?"


    At that moment, someone couldn''t help but ask Orion what he intended to do here.


    Turning around, Orion saw that the one who asked him the question appeared to be Liira, but he saw that everyone seemed to be looking at him, waiting for his answer.


    Liira, who had been watching Orion wait and send his ming sword into the sky, felt confused about his motives. Therefore, she couldn''t help but ask.


    Orion''s brow furrowed with concern as he turned to Liira.


    "You know Famir and Ryfin, right?" he said, his voice tinged with worry. "After they escaped from your team, I told them toy low and wait for my signal, but I''ve received no response after sending two signals just now."


    Liira then recalled how two of his friends escaped from their team.


    Orion''s worried gaze then shifted to the group gathered before him.


    "So, do any of you have any talents that could help in searching for someone?" he inquired, his voice betraying his anxiety.


    As soon as Orion voiced his inquiry, a girl who appeared to resemble Liira waved her hands at him. But unlike Liira, her hair was short enough to only reach her neck region. She appeared to be the same age as Orion.


    Looking at her, Orion remembered that he had seen her when the group of pirates descended with their boat here.


    She was among the captured people the pirates had gathered.


    "You are?" Orion then asked her.


    Although he could see some resemnce between her and Liira, he thought it would be better to directly ask her.


    "Hehe, I am Miira, and Liira is my big sister," she happily introduced herself.


    Orion nodded at her and got to the main topic.


    "So, help me find my friends here," he requested.


    However, as Miira heard his words, she narrowed her eyes in a funny way.


    "You are very rude," she yfully said to him. "You ask a girl''s name and don''t even introduce yourself."


    "Miira!" Liira yelled at her sister as she made fun of Orion.


    As for Orion, he didn''t know what to say to her. On Earth, he hardly had any contact with the opposite genders, and those he did contact were his teachers and staff, so he was pretty much quite dense when it came todies.


    But it seemed he couldn''t ignore Miira, as she looked at him with very expectant eyes. In the end, he sighed and also introduced himself.


    "Ah yes, I''m Orion Darkwood," he stumbled, his words awkward as he extended his hand. "It''s nice to meet you, Miira."


    Miira nodded as he shook hands with Orion.


    "Now, can you help me?" Orion asked after seeing her satisfied.


    Miira didn''t say anything to him and only kneeled down on one leg and touched the ground with her two hands.


    A momentter, she stood up and pointed in a certain direction.


    "I sense the heartbeat of three people from that direction," she said to Orion. "But I don''t know if they are your friends because there are three of them, not two."


    "Three?" Orion frowned as he heard her.


    ''Are there more people who haven''t entered the temple?''


    If it was as he thought, then that would exin how one appeared to be extra here.


    "It must be that guy."


    At that moment, Runo said this to Orion.


    "Who?" Orion asked.


    "The one that I went to capture after seeing you three that day," he said with a visible frown. "But that guy is unreasonably strong. He could withstand my gravity like it was nothing."


    Orion nodded. He concluded that it must be one of the transmigrators who had escaped from Runo''s clutch.


    At that moment, he turned his attention to the captain of the pirates.


    "I don''t know your name; what is it?" He asked him.


    "You can call me Ralf," the captain of the pirates hurriedly answered.


    Seeing the timid behavior of Ralf, Orion thought that this guy sure knew when to show off and when not.


    "Your boat can fly, right?" he then said as he pointed to his boat in the distance. "I want you to take us to my friends, and after that, we will use the boat to fly to the boss monster."


    "Yes, my boat can indeed fly," Ralf said in a very ttering tone. "Just say themand."


    Orion nodded at him as he looked at the whole group.


    "Everyone," he said in a loud voice. "We will first look for my friends and then kill the boss monsters and leave this ce. So, let''s go to that boat over there; this will be our transport in the meantime."


    No one said anything over it and silently walked in the direction of the boat after hearing Orion.


    But Orion felt a little strange as he looked at them. They appeared to do whatever he said, and nobody asked him any questions aside from Runo''s group or objected to his decision since he came out of the temple. It was as if they feared him.


    ''Why are they so afraid of me?''


    He hadn''t thought that bing the strongest among them would bring about such a change.


    But then, as he thought of the scenario from someone else''s point of view, he understood it was his strength; they feared him.


    It was the same situation as when he appeared on the pirate''s ship after transmigration. At that time, he also felt fear looking at those pirates.


    But one thing he understood after this short interaction with them was that the world he transmigrated to respected strength more than anything else.


    As he saw everyone arriving at the flying boat, Orion didn''t waste any more time and also went inside the boat.


    After that, he turned to look at Ralf, who also looked at him; his eyes looked like a dog when a dog looked at his master.


    Orion felt helpless about that.


    "Fly the boat in that direction," he said to Ralf as he pointed in the same direction Miira hadn''t earlier.


    After that, he turned his attention to Miira.


    "Miira," he called out to her. "You go and help Ralf pinpoint the exact location of my friends."


    Miira nodded as she happily jumped around the boat as she went towards Ralf. But Orion also noticed Liira quickly following behind her.


    Looking at Miira and her worry-filled big sister, Liira, who followed behind her, Orion recalled the family he had in the Magus Kingdom.


    Although he understood why the original body''s father disowned him, he couldn''t help but feel conflicted and heartbroken about that.


    He couldn''t fullyprehend those feelings because, on one hand, he felt that it didn''t happen to him but to someone else''s body that he now upied, so it shouldn''t have anything to do with him.


    On the other hand, he experienced those emotions with such intensity that it felt as if he himself had endured the nightmare when his father disowned him.


    But one thing he didn''t like about that.


    ''The body''s father shouldn''t have disowned him just because he didn''t possess any talent. He also sealed his memories, causing me to also not remember anything about his life.''


    However, as he thought of this, another thought crossed his mind.


    ''ording to the dream I had, this body didn''t have a talent and only had a curse when his father disowned him, so the question here is, was this body only born with a curse and not a talent?''


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    Creator''s Thought n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 59. Pond

    59 59. Pond


    As Orion thought of that, yet another thought urred to him.


    ''If this body was indeed not born with a talent, then howe I have the talent when I awaken my system?''


    Orion pondered deeply about this and felt that the body he upied appeared to be full of mysteries, and he had only just scratched the surface of it.


    At that moment, he suddenly felt his body sway a little as he noticed the boat start to float in the air, gaining height before it began to drift in the direction Miira pointed.


    As the boat soared high and started to move forward, a gust of wind washed over Orion''s face, causing his messy hair and white tunic, full of dirt, to sway in the wind.


    ''I like this world.''


    He thought as he felt that.


    Soon, his attention was drawn to the ind''s scenery. He saw lush green forests all over the ind, and in the center of them stood a broken wall long enough to be seen from the ind''s coasts.


    However, his eyes mostly stayed on the previously empty skull throne, where now sat what appeared to be a man.


    Orion couldn''t discern his features exactly from so high up in the air, but he could tell that it was a man with skin that seemed to be deep blue in color.


    ''So, that''s the boss.''


    He thought, looking at the man sitting on the skull throne.


    Before long, the boat passed by the boss monster''s location and appeared at the top of a small pond.


    "That''s the area where I have sensed three human lives."


    At that moment, he heard Miira''s voice from behind her.


    Orion looked at the area but found nothing. Instead, it appeared fully barren. In the center, there was only a pond, and all around it were grasses. Besides that, there appeared to be no trees around the pond.


    It appeared as though the pond was situated in the middle of a lush forest, and all around it appeared only grasses on the ground. As for the trees, they were in a circr position on the far sides of the area surrounding the pond.


    ''There''s nothing here, and I don''t see anyone.''


    He pondered as he looked around the area, but no one was there.


    Seeing that, he turned to Ralf.


    11:28


    "Land the boat near the pond," he said. "But not onto the pond."


    Ralf did what he was told andnded the boat near the pond.


    At that moment, Orion turned to face the group of people in the boat.


    "Runo and Ralf, take some strong ones and look around the pond," he said to both of them as he turned his attention to the two sisters. "Miira and¡­ Liira, you twoe with me."


    They nodded as they began to choose who would go down and look around the pond.


    Meanwhile, Orion looked at Rena.


    "You are Rena, right?" He said. "Can you keep a close eye on the rest of the people on the boat before wee back?"


    "Okay," Rena said. "Just make sure to not take too much time."


    Orion nodded as he jumped from the boat andnded on the ground full of grass, followed by the group of sisters.


    A momentter, Runo and Ralf also came down from the boat.


    Turning to them, Orion pointed at the far sides of the area where trees could be seen.


    "Runo, Ralf, you two go look around the trees and see if you can find something," he said to them. "Meanwhile, I will search around the pond."


    They nodded as they went to look around the trees.


    Seeing that, Orion turned his attention to the pond.


    Now that he had observed the pond closely, he could see that it was as clean as a mirror, and because of that, he could see fish of different kinds he hadn''t seen on Earth moving around.


    But as he looked around, he didn''t see any traces of Famir and Ryfin.


    As soon as he saw that, a frown appeared on his face. Turning around, he was about to ask Miira to check again when he noticed the two girls were looking at the pond with sparkling eyes.


    "Hey," he called out to them. "What happened?"


    "The mana near the pond is so pure and dense that I feel refreshed just by breathing," Miira eximed to Orion.


    Liira also nodded from the side.


    "Mana?" When he heard Miira, Orion''s frown deepened. Since his body couldn''t feel mana at all, he couldn''t sense what they felt.


    For him, this pond appeared to be just another pond on Earth, but it was cleaner than the ones he had seen.


    But that still made him curious about something.


    ''Did Famir and Ryfin alsoe here sensing the mana?''


    He couldn''t be sure about that, but he felt that it was most likely true; otherwise, why would theye to this pond in the middle of nowhere? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Even if they dide here, then where are they now?''


    Frowning about it, he once again turned to Miira.


    "Miira," he said. "Can you check once again and see if they have moved from this ce?"


    Miira nodded as she once again kneeled on one leg and put her hands on the ground.


    A momentter, she frowned as she turned to look at Orion.


    "No, they haven''t moved," she said, appearing puzzled. "I can sense them, and ording to that, they should be right here, just beside us."


    Orion frowned as he heard her because, as far as he could see, there wasn''t anyone in the vicinity, excluding their group of people. So, he couldn''t understand if Miira sensed it wrong or if there was more to the situation that met his eyes.


    Therefore, he walked around the pond, searching for any hidden caves, and also went near Runo and Ralf''s group to search there.


    However, at the end, he returned empty-handed. He couldn''t find anything¡ªnot even a clue. It was as if Famir and Ryfin had disappeared aftering to this ce.


    "There is no one here at all."


    As he kicked a stone near his feet into the pond, Orion shouted in frustration.


    "Pudong!"


    The stone fell into the pond and disappeared within.


    When he witnessed this, Orion felt shocked because the water in the pond appeared so transparent that he could see fish moving in there, but the strange thing was that the stone he just kicked away after falling into the pond disappeared.


    He didn''t see the stone sink deeper into the pond through the transparent water. It felt as if the stone vanished when it entered the pond''s water.


    But Orion didn''t get time to ponder about the pond as he soon saw a dark green tree vine thick as his arms crawled out of the pond like a snake, and the moment it crawled out, ittched onto Miira, who was washing her face by the water, coiling around her body, and then went into the pond.


    Because the vine was too fast, Orion couldn''t react in time to save Miira. He clearly saw the vine emerge from the pond, but when ittched onto Miira and took her into the water, its speed increased to the point that he only saw a green blur before Miira was taken away.


    "Miira!"


    Liira shouted loudly when she saw this and ran towards the pond, intending to jump on it.


    But Orion didn''t let her go, as he held her hand before she could jump.


    "Go to the ship and warn everyone not toe near the pond," he hurriedly said to her. "I will save Miira. Go, now."


    As soon as he said that, three swords came out of his pocket dimension, and his body started to glow red in activation of his absolute defense.


    With that, he didn''t waste any more time and quickly jumped into the pond.


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    ShinGotLost

 Chapter 60. Trapped Goddess

    60 60. Trapped Goddess


    Liira stood there, staring at the pond nkly. She felt anxious and worried and didn''t know what to do.


    Thinking of her sister, she felt her heart beat faster with each passing second.


    It was at that moment that Runo and Ralf came running to her.


    "Liira, what happened?" Runo said, frowning. "I heard your shout from so far away."


    He said this as he looked around, but he didn''t find any trace of Orion or Miira.


    "And where are Orion and Miira?" He asked.


    "They¡­ a vine¡­my sister¡­" Liira started crying all of a sudden in the middle of exining. Her tears fall down her cheeks.


    Runo''s frown deepened as he saw this, and he couldn''t help but put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.


    "Alright, calm down now," he said. "Tell me slowly what happened."


    After calming down for a moment, Liira slowly exined what happened just a moment ago, and hearing her, both Runo and Ralf''s faces turned ugly.


    Especially Runo, who didn''t know what to say to her after hearing her. He also felt sad about what happened to Miira, but he understood that now wasn''t the time for that.


    Most importantly, they still had to stay away from the pond, lest another vinee and take them away.


    "Liira, don''t worry; Orion went into the pond as well, so he will definitely save Miira," he said, trying to console her. "As for us, we should stay away from the pond. Let''s go. We will wait at the boat."


    Liira nodded weakly as she followed behind Runo and Ralf to the boat.


    ***


    Meanwhile, when Orion jumped into the pond, he suddenly found himself deep in the water. He could tell it wasn''t the pond he had jumped into earlier, but something different.


    The strange thing was that there weren''t any fish or aquatic animals in the water, but deep down, he could see a light sourceing down from the area, illuminating the strange ce he hade to.


    Looking at the light source, Orion felt that''s the only ce the vine could havee from; otherwise, he really couldn''t tell if it dide from anywhere else. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    So, without much thought, he used one of his flying swords as a base for his foot like a surf boat and let it fly towards the source of light, carrying him on it.


    He didn''t know how to swim, so that''s the only thing he could do here.


    As time passed, he drew closer and closer to the light source until he appeared right in front of it.


    ''Let''s see what''s on the other side of it."


    He thought as he quickly used his sword and went into the light source.


    A momentter, he suddenly came out of a pond and flew into the air with his sword.


    Due to that, he suddenly lost control of his sword and his body, but he quickly used attraction on his foot and the sword to attach himself to it so that he didn''t fall.


    With that, as he controlled the sword, he could finally fly in the air.


    However, as he surveyed around the pond he just came out of, from up in the air, an expression of shock appeared on his face.


    He saw that, unlike the area around the pond where he had jumped, this area seemedpletely barren. There wasn''t even a speck of grass growing here. All he could see were rocks and stones on the surface around the pond.


    But he did see a huge tree in the distance, and the area around it appeared to be lush with green vegetation. The tree itself appeared fully green, in contrast to the bleak surface around the pond.


    At that moment, he also saw something that shocked him to the core.


    He saw that at the trunk of the tree, ady with white hair had been trapped by the vines of the tree coiled around her.


    However, the thing that shocked him was that thedy appeared to have the same appearance as that of the Goddess he had seen in the temple¡ªGoddess of Immortality¡ªIsis.


    Orion saw that Isis seemed to have her eyes closed, as if she were resting peacefully in the embrace of the tree.


    ''How did she end up here?''


    He couldn''tprehend how a goddess like her could be in such a situation.


    He shook his head as he stopped thinking about it and focused his attention on the bottom of the trunk, where four individual bodies had been coiled around by thick vines and trapped beside the tree.


    They were Famir, Ryfin, and Miira, and as for thest one, he didn''t know that person.


    Seeing that, he flew towards the four of them when the vines of the tree suddenly moved towards him.


    Orion quickly used his other two swords and cut the iing vines into pieces.


    However, the tree didn''tck them, as it sent more vines towards him.


    "Damn, there are so many vines."


    He cursed as he flew back and used his flying swords to cut these vines back and forth continuously, but the number of vines didn''t go down, and as time passed, more and more vines moved towards him.


    Looking back, he saw tens of hundreds of vines moving towards him as if they were flying like him, following him everywhere he went.


    Seeing that, he quickly conjured a small ball of mes in his right hand and threw it back to the vines following behind him.


    "Boom!"


    The vines burst into mes, causing a small explosion, and smoke began to release from them.


    Orion then activated his curse¡ªDimensional Dissonance¡ªand used the smoke as a cover to go to his pocket dimension and disappeared from the ce.


    As the smoke dissipated, the vines once again started moving, but they stopped soon after noticing their target had disappeared.


    After not finding the target, these vines went back to the tree and coiled around its branches peacefully.


    Orion, who could see everything from the other dimension, slowly moved towards Famir and the others after seeing the vines go away.


    A momentter, he reached beside them and saw that the bodies of the three, excluding Miira, appeared somewhat thin, as if they hadn''t eaten for days.


    Miira''s body seemed fine for the time being, but he had a feeling that she would have the same result as the other three if she were to remain here.


    His hand then slowly came out of the other dimension and touched the vines coiled around Miira to see if the tree would notice it.


    But to his relief, the tree didn''t have any reaction whatsoever when he touched the vines.


    ''Good.''


    He thought as he used his curse¡ªShattered Precision on his hands¡ªand one by one broke the vines binding Miira until she got free and opened her eyes slowly.


    However, as soon as she opened her eyes and saw Orion''s face popping out of nowhere, she got scared and was about to scream when Orion put a hand on her mouth.


    "It''s my talent," he whispered to her. "Don''t talk and follow me silently."


    Miira understood and nodded her head upon hearing his words.


    After that, he moved towards Famir and the other two.


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 Chapter 61. Escape - 1

    Chapter 61. Escape - 1


    Orion arrived in front of them and cut the vines holding them. However, unlike Miira, they didn''t open their eyes.


    He frowned seeing that.


    ''This will be difficult.''


    If they wanted to escape this ce, then these three would have to be conscious; otherwise, he couldn''t just carry three of them.


    At that moment, seeing Orion''s troubled expression, Miira offered her help to him.


    "I can forcefully wake them," she whispered. "But they will have to rest for a long period of time, like a day or two, if I do that, because it doesn''t look like they are in good condition."


    Orion pondered her words and thought that escaping this ce was most important for them. As for these three, they could rest outside if they wanted to when they escaped sessfully, but not in this ce.


    "Alright," he said to her. "Do it."


    Miira nodded and moved closer to Famir. After that, she touched him in the head, and a momentter, Famir suddenly sat up.


    Orion had his index finger on his own lip as he looked at Famir, who had just woken up.


    Seeing Orion, Famir felt a little confused for a moment because he couldn''t recall how he got here.


    Most importantly, he remembered that they and Orion had separated from each other so how did Orione here?


    At that moment, he heard Orion whisper to him.


    "I will exin outside," Orion said. "Just stay silent and don''t talk."


    This time Orion came out of the other dimension because he didn''t want to take risks scaring any of the three; otherwise, if they were to scream, then they should forget about leaving this ce. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After Famir calmed down, Orion and Miira did the same to the other two.


    A whileter, the other two also woke up, and Orion briefly exined to them their situation.


    After hearing Orion, they finally remembered what had happened that led them to this ce.


    "Alright," Famir said after he contemted the situation. "Now how do we leave this ce? These vines are too fast for us to react, so we should forget about running."


    Orion smiled as he heard him. He already had a n for escaping this ce; that''s why he wanted them to stay conscious earlier.


    "With these," he said as he took out his three flying swords. "Miira, you take a hold of one of the swords and remember to grip it tightly as if your very life depended on it."


    He gave Miira one of his swords and turned to the other three.


    "I only have two swords left," he said while looking at them. "So, two of you three have to share one."


    "But remember to grip it very tightly," he once again warned them.


    "You aren''t going to..." Famir said as he understood something.


    But before he couldplete his sentence, Orion interrupted him.


    "You are right," Orion smiled at them. "I will control the swords to fly at very high speed, so holding them tightly will do you guys good."


    "What about you?" Asked Ryfin.


    "Me?" Orion smiled like a kid. "I have this."


    He took out the new sword he got from killing the third guardian.


    Looking at the heavy sword in Orion''s hand, Ryfin''s eyes twinkle with stars and, at the same time, burn with jealousy. He felt that Orion''s sword was way cooler than anything he had ever seen.


    "Where did you get this sword?" Ryfin asked as he moved closer to Orion to touch his sword.


    "I will tell youter," Orion said as he put the sword away from him.


    After that, he focused his attention on the goddess trapped in the trunk of the tree.


    As Orion looked there, everyone also turned their heads upward in that direction and saw ady with white hair who was also trapped like them on the trunk of the tree.


    "Who is that? She looks so beautiful!" Ryfin eximed upon seeing her.


    Orion ignored Ryfin and moved one of his flying swords towards the vines coiling around her, but as soon as his sword came near the area where Isis was trapped, arge number of vines suddenly attacked his sword.


    He controlled his sword to cut down those vines as quickly as possible, but the number of vines continued to increase.


    "You can''t save me. Just run away from this tree."


    However, he heard a voice in his head at that moment, and hearing it, he was pretty sure that it belonged to Isis.


    But for some reason, her voice sounded anxious. Just as he thought about it, his eyes caught sight of something moving towards them from behind the sides of the tree.


    "Damn, we need to escape now."


    It was at that moment that he finally knew the reason behind the anxiousness in Isis''s voice.


    He saw that arge number of trees full of vines, exactly like the one beside them, came running towards them. These trees used their roots as their legs and moved forward, but it was their speed that caused Orion to curse.


    They were moving so fast that dust seemed to gather around them, masking their presence.


    Turning to the four of them, he quickly gave his flying swords to them.


    "Hold it tightly," he said in an urgent manner.


    They nodded as Ryfin and Famir held one sword tightly while the other two were held by the unknown person and Miira.


    Seeing that they were, Orion let his swords fly into the air, carrying them with it.


    Meanwhile, he himself jumped on his heavy sword and fly away from the tree.


    However, just as they appeared in the vision of these vines, and the trees behind them, they sent a number of vines flying towards them.


    And a momentter, these vines were just behind them.


    Seeing that, Orion quickly controlled his sword and the others flying in it in such a way that all of their swords moved in different directions but towards the same location¡ªthe pond.


    But the vines moved too fast, and they once again appeared behind them.


    "Damn!"


    He increased their speed even more, and a momentter, they appeared near the pond.


    Seeing the pond so close and the vines just behind them, Orion controlled the swords to move around in a small arc in the air as they moved towards the pond.


    This caused a small distance to be created between them, as the vines could only move straight and couldn''t move around in an arc like those swords in the air.


    Taking this opportunity, Orion conjured a ming sphere in his hand and threw it down towards the pond instead of throwing it towards the vines.


    "Boom!"


    The ming sphere exploded uponing into contact with the surface, causing an explosion that, as a result, caused dust to gather all around the pond.


    Seeing that, he quickly controlled the swords and went into the cloud of dust.


    As they flew into an area full of dust, the vines lost sight of them temporarily, and Orion used that opportunity to quickly dive into the pond.


    At that moment, one of the thick vines moved itself like a whip in the air around the dust, causing all the dust to fly away.


    But seeing their target was nowhere around the area, the vines quickly dived into the pond.

 Chapter 62. Escape - 2

    Chapter 62. Escape - 2


    As Orion and the others flew through the water inside the pond, their speed decreased a lot, but they still slowly moved towards the surface of the water.


    But at that moment, Orion heard something behind him. Turning behind, he saw that these vines once again were at them, but unlike them, these vines didn''t appear to have slowed down because of water, hence they quickly caught up with them.


    ''It''s going to be difficult.''


    He thought as they moved quickly.


    A momentter, they arrived in the area between two entrances of the two ponds on either side


    But it was also at that moment that the vines appeared behind them.


    It looked as if five figures were flying straight through the water and a tentacle monster using his tentacles to catch them.


    Seeing that the vines would touch their swords at any moment, Orion frowned.


    He realized they still had a little time before reaching the surface of the other pond. However, if they didn''t take action to stop these vines and slow them down, they would be the ones ensnared by the vines.


    Thinking of that, he quickly thought of something and came up with a n, but for that to work, he would have to take chances.


    ''Alright, let''s do this.''


    After making up his mind, he turned his sword in a U-motion and moved towards the vines.


    The vines were just behind them so he arrived between them very quickly.


    At that moment, his whole body started to release white smoke, and little by little, the water surrounding him started to freeze.


    The vines that were eying him and moving towards him froze down as well.


    But the freezing of the water didn''t stop. It continued to spread throughout the entire area, from where the entrance of the other pond was, where these vines came from, to where he floated. All that area froze, freezing all the vines and himself with it.


    Famir and the others felt the water be freezing cold all of a sudden when they noticed that half the area between the ponds seemed to have frozen down.


    But they soon saw that Orion also appeared to have frozen among all those vines.


    However, it didn''t take long for them to notice that those red mes seemed to be flickering around Orion as the frozen ice around him started to melt and slowly all the ice around him melted as smoke began to release from the surroundings


    But he knew it wouldn''t be able to hold those vines for long.


    ''Let''s escape from the pond first.''


    Using this opportunity, Orion quickly freed himself from the frozen ice and used his sword to quickly fly towards the other surface of the pond.


    At that moment, all the vines were frozen, so without any obstacle, they quickly arrived near the surface of the other pond and passed through it before appearing in the air above the pond.


    "FLY THE BOAT."


    Orion shouted at the top of his lungs when he arrived in the air, looking at the boat.


    Ralf and Runo heard Orion''s shout and saw them flying high in the air.


    Seeing that, Runo quickly turned to Ralf.


    "Fly the boat," he urged Ralf.


    Ralf nodded and operated the boat as it began to float in the air.


    Meanwhile, as Orion''s group flew towards the boat, hundreds, if not thousands, of vines came out of the pond towards Orion and the others.


    "What the!!"


    Runo, who was looking at Orion and the others and seeing such arge number of vines following behind them, felt shocked. He hadn''t seen anything like that before.


    At the same time, Orion also turned behind to see that, and he also felt that the number of vines seemed to have increased from what they had been in the water.


    ''It seems all those trees behind that tree also sent their vines here. Damn."


    He thought as he quickly flew towards the boat, which was in the air waiting for them.


    But after flying towards the boat for a moment, the vines caught up to him, who was behind the other four¡ªat thest position.


    The vinestched onto the hilt of his sword, pulling him behind.


    Orion quickly conjured mes in his legs and used attraction on his sword to cover the whole sword in mes.


    This caused the vine that was pulling him to burn down.


    However, because of the vines pulling him down, he was now flying, with the vines dodging here and there as he flew towards the boat.


    But this was the least of his problems, as Orion saw that the vines would quickly reach the other four if he didn''t do anything about it.


    ''At this rate, they will be caught before they even reach the boat.''


    He frowned as he activated his absolute defense. That way, even if he failed to dodge the vines, his absolute defense would still deflect the vines.


    Now that his problem was solved for the time being, he thought about them and thought of something.


    He thought that when he used attraction to attract something, it moved way faster than how he normally controlled his swords. So, he thought of using this n.


    But he didn''t know if his ability would work over long distances.


    ''Let''s try it.''


    Seeing the boat waiting for them in the distance, he focused on one of the poles in the boat using his properties of attraction and a momentter, the whole pole began to glow in a blue light.


    ''It worked!''


    He then quickly used the attraction on the three swords on which Famir and the others were flying, causing them to also turn blue.


    And the moment these swords turned blue, they flew towards the boat like a rocket, only leaving a trail of blue light behind.


    A momentter, they quickly arrived in the boat and hopped down before his swords flew back.


    Seeing them reach the boat, Orion also used the same technique on himself and arrived in front of the boat.


    However, as if fate were against them, two very thick and long vines came from the pond,tched onto the boat, and started pulling it towards the pond.


    "Let''s go and fly away from here."


    Orion, observing the situation, shouted as hended on the boat. But no matter how hard Ralf tried, the boat didn''t move, as it was being pulled by the two thick vinestched onto it.


    "The boat isn''t moving because of the two vines."


    Ralf shouted back at Orion.


    Orion frowned. He had already spected that, but he also thought that if the boat could move forward even a little bit, then maybe the vines would break and they would be free. However, it appeared he had underestimated these two vines.


    ''Looks like I''ll just have to cut it down.''


    He thought as summoned his three flying swords back to him.


    After that, he used attraction on the hilts of the three swords and bound them together, each at a 120¡ã angle from each other with their hilts at their center.


    Next, he conjured mes and, using the properties of attraction, he attached those mes to the three shining des of the swords. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With that done, he controlled the three swords to rotate at a very fast speed, like a shuriken¡ªa ming shuriken as he threw it in the air.

 Chapter 63. Inevitable Fate - 1

    Chapter 63. Inevitable Fate - 1


    The ming shuriken didn''t immediately move towards the vines but revolved around the boat to gain some momentum.


    Orion wanted one decisive strike to sever the thick vines in two; otherwise, he thought they might not get another chance.


    So after letting the shuriken revolve around to get enough momentum, its speed increased so fast that Orion and the others could barely see a red light passing through their vision around the boat.


    ''Its time.''


    Orion thought as he controlled the ming shuriken towards the two thick vines holding the boat down.


    The shuriken bathed in mes passed right through the first one,pletely severing the vines from the boat into two as smoke began to release from either end of the two pieces of the vines where the cut appeared.


    After that, it didn''t stop and passed through the second one as well, causing it to have the same result as thest one,pletely cutting the vine attached to the boat in two.


    As soon as the boat got free from the vines, it soared to the sky and disappeared from this cursed ce.


    ''It''s finally over.''


    Orion sighed as he called back his ming shuriken. He put away the mes and returned the swords to their original form before he stored them in his dimensional space.


    "Orion, look at them."


    At that moment, he heard a shout from behind.


    Turning around, he saw that Famir''s group of three were sleeping on the boat.


    Orion frowned at seeing them sleeping.


    "So, whatever you did back then was over," he asked, turning to Miira.


    Orion nodded. Although it was his first time hearing about mana crystals, he could understand what their uses were based on what Jarth said.


    "No," she replied. "I only wake them up. It''s their body that causes this problem. The tree absorbed all the mana from their bodies, and if you werete, then even their blood and their whole body would have been absorbed by the tree."


    Orion understood that much, looking at their bodies, which seemed to have be thinnerpared to what he had previously seen.


    "Will they be back to normal after a rest day or two?" He asked, looking concerned.


    "They will be," Jarth replied this time. "But they will probably need lots of mana crystals to recover their mana."


    Orion nodded. Although it was his first time hearing about mana crystals, he could understand what their uses were based on what Jarth said. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''They are probably used to restore mana in our bodies.''


    "Alright," he said, looking at the people on the boat. "Everyone, have some rest. We will hunt down the boss after that. So, prepare yourself for that."


    Everyone on the boat nodded as they began to prepare their weapons and themselves for the battle that would soon follow.


    Orion then pondered something before he turned his attention to Ralf.


    "Ralf," he said to him. "Land the boat in the forest near the throne. But don''t get too close to it."


    Ralf nodded to him.


    After everything had been set in order, Orion also moved to a quiet ce and sat there, thinking about Isis''s hunch.


    ''What if I really die?''


    Now that they would soon fight the boss, Orion started to feel anxious about Isis''s divination. She was a god, and Isis herself said she could see through someone''s fate, so he didn''t doubt whatever she said about him.


    ''But I really don''t want to die.''


    Everyone feared death, and he was no exception.


    Although he didn''t have anyone waiting for him outside the dungeon and he didn''t have any grand reason to stay alive, that didn''t mean he would just die.


    He wanted to live and explore the new world, but knowing he would die soon made all that excitement about exploring into nothing but despair.


    ''Ahhh, the more I think about it, the more disturbed I feel. Let''s not think about it.''


    He tried not to think about it and put his focus on something else, but the thought of dying haunted him everywhere his mind went.


    ''It would be better if she hadn''t told me about it. That way, even if I were to die, I probably wouldn''t feel anything.''


    He looked at the sky and wondered if he was cursed or if the body he upied was cursed. Because he felt that things were bing more difficult as he was bing stronger. It was as if someone didn''t want him to grow and kept putting him in situations that would surely result in his death.


    ''If I didn''t possess this cheat-like talent, then maybe I would have died long ago.''


    He thought as he noticed that the boat seemed to slow down.


    ''Looks like we have arrived.''


    He stood up and walked towards the side to see where they werending, and after seeing that they werending at a safe distance from the boss monster, Orion gave a thumbs up to Ralf, who was looking at him for confirmation.


    After seeing his signal, Ralf nodded andnded the boat.


    Orion saw that the broken, tall wall wasn''t far from them, and neither was the boss monster.


    ''It seems there is no point in thinking about whether I die or not.''


    He thought, but at this moment, he caught something strange happening to one of the individuals in the boat.


    He saw that the person in question was the heavy-built, huge guy who carried the weapons of Runo''s team around his back.


    ''What''s going on with this guy?''


    Orion wondered as he saw the fat guy''s body start to glow in bright green light before suddenly turning thin, as if he hadn''t eaten anything for days. Then, it returned to its normal fat self, only to once again turn thin and then back to fat. His body repeated these steps a few more times before the glowing stopped and everything returned to normal.


    Seeing that strange transformation, Orion arrived in front of him.


    "Hey," he said, addressing the fat guy. "What happened just now?"


    The fat guyughed embarrassingly as he saw who called out to him.


    "Hehe, my curse suddenly got activated," he said. "But it''s fine now. Don''t worry."


    However, he didn''t voice his thoughts or question him, and he only nodded at him before leaving him and arriving in the middle of the boat.


    Looking at all the people who looked excited for the boss battle, Orion addressed them.


    Orion narrowed his eyes at him. He felt suspicious about what the fat guy said because curses would only be activated if one were to use their talents all the time. But as far as he remembered, this fat guy didn''t do anything and just stood there in the temple, looking around. He didn''t even go to practice the Three Divine Ways with them.


    However, he didn''t voice his thoughts or question him, and he only nodded at him before leaving him and arriving in the middle of the boat.


    Looking at all the people who looked excited for the boss battle, Orion addressed them.


    "Before we go to battle, I want someone to stay here," he said, looking at all the individuals present before he turned his attention to Jarth. "Jarth, since you can''t fight, your task is to look over Famir and the other two until we are back."


    Jarth nodded at him.


    "Alright," Orion then said to everyone. "Let''s go and kill the boss and leave this damn ce."


    Everyone nodded and looked extra cheerful. They had been trapped here for days, and now that they could leave, they felt happy about it.


    Soon, everyone departed the boat, only leaving Jarth behind to look out for Famir and the other two.


    A momentter, they arrived near the boss monster.


    Orion finally got to see what the boss monster looked like.


    He saw that the monster appeared to be a human-like creature. It had deep blue skin and two horns on its forehead. Aside from that, it looked exactly like a human. It wore a white suit too.


    The monster sat on the skull throne, looking at them with an amused smile on his face.


    "Let''s start."


    Orion caught a snippet of the boss''s words, but in the next instant, his vision began to spin, and before he knew it, he was staring at a familiar yet eerily headless figure before darkness enveloped himpletely.

 Chapter 64. Inevitable Fate - 2

    Chapter 64. Inevitable Fate - 2


    "Haah¡­.haah¡­.what was that?"


    Orion thought as he found himself standing in the boat. His back drenched with sweat as he took deep breaths.


    ''Am I not dead? I saw my own headless body with my own eyes.''


    He vividly remembered hearing the boss say something when he saw his headless body, and then everything turned dark for him.


    ''Did I daydream about it because of all the stress I am having due to Isis''s divination?''


    He didn''t know if he would believe that. As far as he could remember, everything felt so real to him, like it had just happened a while ago; therefore, he had a feeling that everything that happened must be true.


    He died. He truly died without even knowing how. He didn''t even see the boss move before his head rolled down to the ground.


    ''If I am dead, then how am I alive, and what am I doing here?''


    He found himself back in the boat, and as he looked around, he saw a very strange scene.


    Everyone looked normal, going about their own tasks. But what caught Orion off guard was that everyone seemed to be preparing for battle. They cleaned their weapons and armor, and he saw Runo nning something with his team while others prepared themselves by resting, getting ready for the battle ahead.


    This was the exact scene he had seen previously when he went to the middle of the boat to ask Jarth to stay here and have a lookout for Famir and the other two before going to battle.


    ''Did Ie back in time?''


    This was the only thought that came to his mind when he saw the situation; otherwise, he couldn''t exin how he, who had just died a while ago, came here.


    ''But how?... Did Isis help me?''


    At this moment, he could only think of Isis¡ªthe Goddess of Immortality¡ªwho could have the power to reverse time. But he didn''t feel very sure about that.


    However, as Orion observed him carefully, he noticed that the guy had be somewhat thinnerpared to thest time he had talked to him when he underwent the same transformation.


    Isis had been trapped by the tree demon on the other side of the pond, and what he saw in the temple of souls could very well be just a soul of hers. So, he thought that if she couldn''t help herself out of there, how would she have the strength to help him?


    As Orion pondered deeply about this, he suddenly caught sight of the fat guy he had seen previously before going into battle.


    What caught his attention this time was that after the transformation was over, unlikest time, the guy stopped doing anything and sat down on the boat, deep in contemtion with furrowed brows.


    However, as Orion observed him carefully, he noticed that the guy had be somewhat thinnerpared to thest time he had talked to him when he underwent the same transformation.


    He remembered that the previously fat guy said the transformation was rted to his curse, but Orion had his suspicions about thatst time.


    ''Could it be rted to this guy?''


    Suddenly, this thought came to Orion''s mind, and as it did, he couldn''t help but feel that everything that happened to him, from dying toing back in time, must be somehow rted to this guy.


    ''I came back in time at the exact moment when this guy was going through his transformation. What are the odds of that? I could randomly be back any moment in the time I have spent in this dungeon, but why the exact time when he was going through his transformation?''


    The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his assumptions were more or less true.


    Also, as he looked at the gloomy expression on the guy''s face, Orion felt sure that it must definitely be rted to him.


    ''Let''s go and ask him directly.''


    Now, there was one thing for him to do, and that was to confront him to see if all of his assumptions were true or not.


    As he thought of that, he started walking towards the fat guy, and a momentter he arrived in front of him.


    The fat guy, who had his head down all this time, turned to look at him with his barely visible eyes when he noticed someone had arrived in front of him.


    "Could you join me for a moment?" Orion asked casually. "I''d like to discuss something regarding the boss monster we''re about to face."


    As Orion mentioned his purpose, the fat guy narrowed his eyes, which made his barely visible eyes practically vanish amidst his chubby cheeks.


    The fat guy nodded at him after much contemtion.


    "Alright, follow me," Orion said, leading him to the only cabin on the newly constructed boat that the pirates had assembled.


    A momentter, they arrived in the cabin, where only two of them stood looking at each other.


    Sensing the increasing tension in the air, Orion directly asked what he wanted.


    "It was you, right?"


    The fat guy shook his head at him.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about," he said in confusion.


    Orion frowned at his answer.


    "It was you who used time-rted talent to help me, right?" He asked again. "Otherwise, I would have been dead by now."


    "How did you¡­?" The fat guy couldn''tplete his sentence, for he felt shocked at Orion''s ability to know about him and his time-rted talent. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When he used his talent, only he remembered what had happenedst time. There had never been any situation where anyone other than him remembered what had happened.


    But now, seeing Orion standing in front of him and asking him about it made him wonder if he still hadn''te to his senses after he used his talent earlier.


    Meanwhile, Orion felt sure of his assumptions as he looked at the shock expression on the fat guy''s face.


    "So, what happened that time?" he further asked about the situation at that time. He knew he had died, but what about others? Did they also die, or was only he the unfortunate one?


    "As far as I can tell, everyone died there," he said, his face turning aghast. "I was in thest position, equipping my shield, when everyone died, including me and you."


    Orion was confused for a moment as he heard him.


    "You said everyone died that time, right?" He asked, puzzled. "Then why don''t they seem to remember anything at all?"


    "About that," the fat guy appeared puzzled as he said. "Actually, my talent erased the memories of everyone before reversing the time so they wouldn''t know anything about it. So them not remembering anything is normal. But it''s you who are the problem here. You appeared to have remembered everything."


    Orion pondered the words of the fat guy and could only think about one reason why he didn''t forget anything like others.


    ''The memory erase thing must be done with mana, and since mana doesn''t have any effect on my body, it couldn''t erase my memories.''


    Now that he understood everything about what happened, his face became solemn as he asked the most important question he had in his mind.


    "So, how many times can you do what you did previously?"


    He understood that such a god-level power must have its limitations; consequently, the curse rted to it would also be fatal, if not life-threatening.

 Chapter 65. Inevitable Fate - 3

    65 65. Inevitable Fate - 3


    As the fat guy heard Orion''s question, his face also became solemn.


    "I can use that five times, but if you exclude the one I did just now, then there are still four uses left," he said as he exined. "My talent is called Time Reversal. But for that to work, I will have to first set an anchor at a point in time. Previously, you have seen me going through that process; that was me setting an anchor at that time. I usually set an anchor before doing anything major, and this time was no exception. However, I never thought that it would turn into our only life-saving straw."


    Orion understood a little how his talent worked, but he was devastated at the thought that they only had four more chances.


    The boss monster was just too strong, to the point that even thinking about it made Orion sweat in despair.


    Moreover, he believed that even if he were to max out all his attributes, the result would still be the same. He wouldn''t stand a chance against the boss at all. The boss was on a whole different level than the iron rank and bronze rank power levels.


    On the other hand, they were just a group of people of bronze rank who could only wait to be butchered by the boss, like they already didst time.


    He didn''t know what to do at this point. He felt powerless andpletely defeated in the face of such overwhelming power.


    Turning to face the fat guy, Orion had one more question for him.


    "So, what will happen if you use your talent more than five times?" He asked, thinking the more time they had, the better.


    "If I use my talent more than five times, then there are severe side effects," he said gloomily. "First, my curse will be active, and if I use my talent in that state, then the cost will be my blood. At ater stage, my very life would be used as fuel if I continued to use my talent in my curse state."


    "Damn it," Orion cursed as he mmed his right fist onto the side wall, hearing the limitations of his curse.


    He had hoped that if they could have more time in their hands, there might be something they could do, but now it appears he overestimated the fat guy''s talent or underestimated his curse.


    "We stand no chance against the boss," the fat guy said despairingly. "Last time we were all killed in less than a second, and if we go to fight him now, the result will be the same; we will only be wasting our four remaining chances."


    "I know," Orion said, his voice trembling. He clenched his fists tightly as he thought about the divination Isis had about him.


    She had told him that his fate showed her death¡ªhis death¡ªand it appeared he couldn''t change that fate at all.


    Although he already died once and still lived, he didn''t believe that Isis''s divination was about this death. She must have meant the death he would be facing in thest use of the fat guy''s talent.


    ''Maybe my death is inevitable, and whatever I do will only lead me to that¡­. But there has to be a way to change that; there has to be a way we could survive the boss monster.''


    As he pondered that, he tried to calm down and thought of some other things when he came to know that he didn''t know the name of the fat guy.


    "So, what''s your name?" He then asked directly for his name.


    "I am Sam," the fat guy replied.


    Orion nodded and wondered if Runo knew about Sam''s talent.


    "Does anyone know about your talent other than me?" He asked. "Like your teammates?"


    "No, no one other than you," Sam said without much thought. "It was Runo''s father who assigned me to this dungeon task, thinking if Runo were to face any problems, then I would help him if needed."


    Orion nodded and pondered for a moment as he came to a decision.


    "Then that means nobody else knows about the boss monster and all, right?" He said, narrowing his eyes. "Then let''s keep it that way. Don''t breathe a word of this to anyone."


    Sam also felt that this was the right thing to do; otherwise, if the people in the boat were to know that they were going to die soon, chaos would ensue for sure.


    "What are we going to do now?" Sam asked.


    "I don''t know," Orion said helplessly.


    "Knock!"


    At that moment, they heard a knock on the door.


    "It seems they are ready for battle," Orion frowned as he looked at Sam. "I''ll dy for as long as possible while we think of how to cross this hurdle."


    Sam nodded. He also understood that they could do nothing in the face of such overwhelming strength and could only wait.


    After that, Orion opened the door and saw that the person who appeared was Runo.


    "Orion, everyone is ready for the battle," Runo said enthusiastically. "Let''s go and kill this boss quickly."


    Orion shook his head in response to Runo''s words.


    "Actually, I am not feeling well right now," he said, making an excuse. "Maybe all the battle in the temple and then the escape in the pond really took a toll on me. I will rest tonight, and we will look for the boss tomorrow."


    Runo frowned a bit at Orion''s words, but he didn''t say anything and nodded before he went back towards the exit of the cabin.


    "Also tell Ralf to take the boat as far from the boss as possible," Orion said when he saw Runo leaving. "We wouldn''t want the boss to find us in the middle of the night and attack us."


    Runo nodded as he left the cabin.


    "I will also go," Orion said to Sam. "Be sure to not tell anyone."


    Sam nodded.


    Orion didn''t say anything else as he opened the door to the exit and left the cabin, leaving Sam alone in his contemtions.


    A momentter, Orion reached the railing of the boat and gazed out at the forest as the boat flew swiftly past it. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''What should I do? I am lost.''


    He truly felt lost at this point, knowing whatever he would do would only lead to one ending¡ªhis death and the death of everyone in the boat.


    ''Why does this have to be so difficult? Why?''


    He felt frustrated that the dungeon he happened to be stuck in had hell-level difficulty clearing it when the dungeon itself was a bronze-rank one.


    "Hey, what are you doing?"


    At that moment, someone interrupted Orion in the middle of his thoughts. Turning around, he saw that it was Miira.


    "Thanks for saving my life," she said when she saw Orion turn around. "Without you, I probably would have died there."


    Orion nodded and didn''t say anything. He didn''t feel like talking to anyone in the mood he was in right now.


    "What''s wrong?" Miira asked, seeing Orion so down.


    "Nothing," he replied in a low voice.


    But then he thought of something as he turned to face her.


    "Hey," he said. "What would you do if you realized you would die one day and you could do nothing to change it?"


    Bonus Chapters Goals:-


    100 ps/30 gt - 1 bonus chapter 200 ps/60 gt - 2 bonus chapter 300 ps/ 100 gt - 3 bonus chapter


    A/N: My friend said it works but I don''t believe it.


    ShinGotLost

 Chapter 66. Inevitable Fate - 4

    66 66. Inevitable Fate - 4


    A frown appeared on Miira''s face as she heard Orion''s question. Though she didn''t know why Orion asked her this mysterious question, she still pondered it for a while before replying to him.


    "I don''t know why you asked that," she said, looking at Orion. "But my mother said that there is no such thing as fate or destiny in this world. What you do eventually bes your fate. So I think your question is stupid ording to this logic. You die when it''s your turn; you live if it isn''t. It''s that simple."


    The words she spoke were so deep that Orion didn''t understand a thing. He barely made sense of what she said in thest part.


    ''I die if it''s my turn; I live if it''s not.''


    But he had already died once. So what did it mean? His turn to die hade or¡­gone.


    "Why did you ask that question?" Miira asked after seeing Orion ponder her words so deeply. "Do you think you will die?"


    Orion gazed at her, preparing to respond, when her body abruptly exploded into pieces, showering him with blood and bits and pieces of her.


    "Ah!"


    He still stared at the position in which she stood, but his blood-soaked eyes were filled with horror. He couldn''t believe that happened. He was just talking to her a moment ago, and now she was gone.


    "So, that''s where you ants are hiding. I was getting bored with all the waiting, so I thought, why not give you guys a surprise? Do you like it?"


    In that instant, a voice resonated throughout the boat, and as everyone heard it, their bodies erupted into pieces like bursting watermelons, sparing no one.


    Orion, still reeling from shock at what happened to Miira, failed to heed the voice. However, this ignorance didn''t alter the oue, as he soon felt something stirring within him before his body, like the others, exploded into pieces.


    ***


    Orion once again found himself back in the boat, but he still hadn''t gained his senses.


    "Why? Why? Why did this happen? WHY?"


    He suddenly murmured to himself before that murmur turned into a shout, attracting everyone''s attention in the boat towards him.


    Everyone in the boat felt puzzled as to why Orion suddenly shouted.


    Everyone but Sam. He too caught a glimpse of how everyone just exploded into pieces before he himself met with the same ending.


    And like Orion, he was in despair because the boss monster didn''t wait for them toe around; instead, he came to them himself, and as he calcted the time it took the boss toe from the time he set his anchor point, he estimated it was about half an hour. That meant half an hour from now. They would die again.


    ''At this rate, there is no use of my talent at all. Against someone like this boss, whose power resembles that of a god, even a day''s worth of time is not enough, and we only have half an hour. Damn it. It looks like this is the end for us.''


    Sam thought in despair as he looked at Orion and started walking towards him. He wanted to let everyone know about this. At least that way, even if they die, they will at least know what killed them.


    Orion saw Saming towards him and startedughing.


    "Sam," he said, his face looking crazy. "Did you see that we are going to die now, no matter how many times you could use your talents? You saw his powers, right? He can make you explode into pieces with just a thought. What power is that? It''s the power of a god, and nobody could fight a god. Not me, not you. We are just ants in front of him waiting to be stepped on by his foot."


    "Hahahaha," he then startedughing like a madman. "And here we thought we could somehow survive. We can''t. This is the endgame now. Hahaha"


    At the end, hisugh became a little hollow as he looked at the sky and then at the group of people in the boat who stared at him as if he had be a madman.


    "I will tell you guys something interesting," he said, still with his crazy look. "If we were to go and fight the boss now, the result would be our demise. He could kill us without lifting his fingers. Can you do that? No, you can''t. We can''t. So, it''s powerless to fight against the boss."


    A strange look appeared on everyone''s faces. They couldn''t understand what Orion had been bbering about all of a sudden. They could tell it was rted to the boss of the dungeon, but ording to him, the boss was kind of a god, and they would die if they were to fight now. That sounded like nonsense to them.


    Everyone in the boat, excluding the transmigrators, understood how the dungeon worked. A bronze-level dungeon would have a bronze-level boss. But Orion said the boss''s power was that of a god. So they really thought he had gone mad all of a sudden.


    Moreover, as they looked at the crazed smile on his face with all that gibberish he spoke just now, they truly believed that there was something wrong with him.


    "Orion," Miira called out to him, a look of concern on her face. "Are you alright?"


    Orion trembled a little as he heard her voice, and what happened to her a while ago resurfaced in his mind, which caused him to step back a little.


    "No, no, no." Orion shook his hands dismissively at her. "Don''te near me."


    Miira frowned as she saw this. She couldn''t understand how that confident looking guy who fought and defeated the third guardian turned to him.


    "Calm down and tell us what happened," she said, trying to calm Orion down.


    Orion didn''t even look at her and was only staring at someone beside her. He feared that if he talked and looked at her, she would again die.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    But in that moment, he heard Miira''s scream, causing him to swiftly divert his attention to her when he saw something horrifying happening to her.


    He saw Miira''s hands begin to morph into straw-like tendrils, resembling noodles from the earth, and all the while she screamed in agony. Blood gushed from her hands, pooling on the floor of the boat like a river.


    Soon, her legs underwent the same transformation, followed by her torso, and finally her head. At the end, shepletely transformed into straw-like pieces, copsing onto the blood-soaked floor of the boat.


    It was not just her, but everyone went through the same process, filling the floor of the boat into a bloody pond where straw-like pieces of them moved like snakes in the water.


    Orion wasn''t an exception. He screamed in agony as his hands and legs started to transform into straw-like pieces. The pain he felt was as if someone were actually cutting his hands into thin straw-like pieces.


    He quickly activated his curse¡ªSacrificial Renewal because of it. That way, he wouldn''t feel any pain, even if he were to die.


    When the transformation reached his head, he only heard a voice in his mind before everything turned dark for him. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You can fool me once; you can fool me twice; but you can''t fool me three times. I will be waiting for you on the other side."


    Bonus Chapters Goals:-


    100 ps/30 gt - 1 bonus chapter 200 ps/60 gt - 2 bonus chapter 300 ps/ 100 gt - 3 bonus chapter


    A/N: My friend said it works but I don''t believe it.


    ShinGotLost


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 67. Inevitable Fate - 5

    67 67. Inevitable Fate - 5


    Orion found himself once again standing on the boat, grappling with the aftermath of the recent events. The memories of Miira''s death, his own demise, and the deaths of everyone else flooded back, sending a chill down his spine.


    He felt overwhelmed by the prospect of experiencing those traumatic events again. The toll it had taken on his mental state was already significant, and he doubted whether he could endure it a second time without risking his sanity.


    "It''s over. It''s over for us. He is going to kill us again."


    He muttered as he held his head and bent down to his knees. The weight of their limited chances weighed heavily on Orion''s mind as he realized they had only two more opportunities left before facing permanent oblivion.


    "What happened, Orion?" Miira asked, seeing Orion suddenly sit down, clutching his head.


    Orion tried to ignore her as much as possible when he recalled the words the boss mentioned before he diedst time.


    ''He said he will be waiting for us on the other side. By that, he didn''t mean¡­''


    Thinking of that, he looked around when he suddenly spotted a man who seemed to be sitting at the very far end of the boat in a throne decorated with bones.


    "No, no, no."


    Orion, observing the scene, abruptly stood up and retreated until he reached the railing on the other side of the boat. His strange behavior caught the attention of everyone on board, who followed his gaze to see a blue-skinned man wearing a pure white suit seated on a throne made from skulls.


    In one hand, he held a stylish cup filled with red liquid, while the other rested on the armrest of the throne. Although he appeared human, his dark blue skin and two horns on his head suggested otherwise.


    Among the group, Runo and a few others recognized him as the boss and his throne. They swiftly drew their weapons, ready to battle at a moment''s notice.


    Meanwhile, Sam also gazed at the boss, appearing calmer than Orion. It wasn''t surprising¡ªafter all, he had experienced death so many times that it had be a habit for him. His talent even required him to die, and sometimes he intentionally died to improve his mastery over it. So, after enduring thest few deaths, his condition was better than Orion''s.


    For Orion, he was just amon man on Earth who worked hard to make ends meet, but the transmigration brought uniqueness without changing anything else about him. Deep down, he was just a man who hadn''t experienced much death and cruelty until he encountered it within the span of about an hour. Witnessing Miira''s death not once but twice with his own eyes was especially traumatizing for him.


    Thispletely changed his view of the world, which he had earlier thought was beautiful. If someone were to ask what kind of world he transmigrated into, he would only say a cruel world where death wasmon for all beings.


    At that moment, the boss smiled in amusement as his eyes passed from Orion to Sam.


    "So, there are two of you who remembered everything," he said, his voice filled with interest. "You guys are good. I have to give it to you two. You made a fool of me two times. Honestly, if I hadn''t sensed the flow of time changing the second time I killed you, I would have remained ignorant the whole time."


    Orion didn''t say anything as he stared at him, his eyes filled with fear. Although Sam didn''t feel anything about death, he very well knew there was only one more chance they had left if they died now. So he also felt fear¡ªfear of disappearing forever from this world.


    Meanwhile, the group of people in the boat couldn''t understand what the boss was talking about. They only understood that Orion, who was the strongest among them, appeared to look the scariest when facing the boss monster.


    "But that level of power alwayses with limitations," the boss monster continued as he sipped his drink from time to time. "I wonder how many times you can do that right now. Two more? Three more? It doesn''t matter anyway. I will enjoy my time killing you."


    As he finished his words, the boss monster turned to look at Orion with a very eerie smile on his face.


    Seeing that, Orion had a bad feeling when he suddenly felt an etching in his hand. Looking at it, he saw something moving inside of his hand, and it was not one but tens of them.


    Observing it closely, he saw they were the size of cockroaches moving inside his hand.


    "Aghh!"


    He suddenly screamed, drawing everyone''s attention, when he felt that those cockroaches, like parasites, were eating him from inside.


    At that moment, the pain suddenly intensified. He quickly used Sacrificial Renewal to negate the pain, but he couldn''t stop those parasites inside of him.


    He tried Velocity Outbrust to burn them and Frozen Torment to freeze them, but nothing seemed to work on these parasites.


    A momentter, his right hand, which had been infested by the parasites, turned into nothing but blood mush.


    "No!"


    He screamed as he saw that.


    Soon, these parasites started to spread to every part of his body.


    17:24


    As he witnessed this, he thought of something.


    ''Damn, my curse is Null Body¡ªa body that doesn''t feel mana whatsoever so how can this boss monster affect me with his powers.''


    Previously, this thought didn''te to his mind because how quick he died those times but now these parasites were slowly eating his body, he realized this fact.


    "Aggh! What''s happening to my body!!??"


    "Look! My leg is gone, and what are those things moving in our body?"


    "It''s so painful. Someone help me."


    "These things are eating me. Help me."


    At that moment, Orion heard screams of people present in the boat, causing him to look around when he saw everyone was going through the same thing as him. But they felt pain, while Orion didn''t because of his curse.


    However, that did little to no help to Orion when he saw that his other hand was also eaten away, turning into blood mush.


    ''Damn, dying now will leave us with only a chance.''


    He cursed as he saw these parasites turn to his legs, and a momentter, they too turned to blood puddles, and Orion''s body fell into that puddle of blood.


    At this point, he should have died from the pain caused by the removal of his hands and legs, but he was still alive because of his curse.


    Soon the parasites came to his stomach area and started feasting there.


    At that moment, he heard the boss monster say something.


    "I am surprised you are still alive after all of that," the boss monster said as he looked at the bodies of all the other individuals that had now turned into nothing but pools of blood washing the floor of the boat. "But you will eventually die anyway. Next time, I will prepare a death that will cause more mental pain than physical ones. Be ready."


    As Orione heard the boss''s words and saw the creepy smile on his face, he only felt despair about it.


    ''Onest time and I will be free.''


    He had long lost hope of escaping death from the one in front of him, and every death caused him to realize the cruelty of his fate. Each death, more cruel than the previous ones. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As he thought about his cursed fate, he felt light all of a sudden when darkness consumed his vision entirely, leaving nothing but a pool of blood where he previously stood.


    Bonus Chapters Goals:-


    100 ps/30 gt - 1 bonus chapter 200 ps/60 gt - 2 bonus chapter 300 ps/ 100 gt - 3 bonus chapter

 Chapter 68. Fate Core

    68 68. Fate Core


    Orion opened his eyes once again after dying. But this time he found that he didn''t appear on the boat but in some magical ce, he would say, because all around he could only see the twinkling of stars in the encroaching darkness that surrounded him.


    ''Where am I?''


    He thought to himself as he looked around and found that, as far as his eyes could see, there was only darkness and stars shining all over that darkness.


    ''Did I finally die? But how? Sam told me we have five chances and I recall I have died four times now so we still have one more chance. Then why am I here?''


    He pondered, but at that moment, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.


    "You didn''t die. Not yet."


    He swiftly turned around when he heard that voice and was surprised to see ady with white hair standing before him.


    "Isis? I mean God of Immortality," he fumbled, seeing Isis all of a sudden. "What are you doing here?"


    "I am here to help you," she said as she looked at him with pity in her eyes. "I told you you were going to die, and you did die some gruesome deaths."


    "Help me?" Orionughed ruefully. "With your body trapped in that pond, how could you help me?"


    Isis didn''t reply to that; instead, she asked him a question.


    "Do you know what this ce is?"


    Orion wondered why she suddenly asked him this question, but he still responded to her.


    "Isn''t this a dungeon?" He said. He had heard Liira tell them that this ce was a dungeon, but after seeing the temple of souls, the pond, and the boss monster,. He doubted whether this ce was still a dungeon or not. ording to Runo''s team, the difficulty of this dungeon was too high to fall into the category of a bronze rank dungeon.


    Isis shook her head as she looked at the twinkling stars all around her.


    "It was supposed to be a dungeon," she said. A tinge of sadness could be seen on her face. "But a long time ago, a group of gods came to this ce and changed the very fundamentals of this dungeon and transformed this ce into a prison¡ªa prison that had the power to trap a god."


    Orion was shocked to hear that, and as he recalled her body being trapped in the embrace of a tree demon, he understood that the god that had been trapped here was no one else but herself.


    "You are right," she continued. "It was indeed me that those gods trapped me at that time just because of some stupid prophecy."


    However, she also felt amused at the thought that the other gods tried so hard to put her in prison so that she couldn''t interfere in the prophecy by any means and here she was talking to the very individual the prophecy was about.


    ''Even a god can''t do anything when ites to prophecy, it seems.''


    She thought as she turned to look at Orion, who looked like wanted to say something.


    "What prophecy?" Orion asked.


    "Does it matter to you?" She asked in return. "No, it''s not. Now let me tell you about the boss monster who has been killing you for fun. He is the gatekeeper of this dungeon, assigned by the gods to have a lookout for me. Most importantly, he is also a god like me."


    Orion sighed as he thought that they had been killed by a literal god all this time. He also thought that it was no wonder they didn''t stand a chance against him, and he could y with their lives as he saw fit.


    "So, how will you help me kill a god?" He asked as he narrowed his eyes. "And why are you willing to help me? Is there something you want from me in return?"


    Although he didn''t know much about gods, he understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.


    "You are smart," she smiled. "I indeed need something in return."


    "What is it?" He asked with a frown. He didn''t understand how he could help a god when he couldn''t even help himself. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I will tell you about thatter," she mysteriously said as a stone appeared in her hand.


    Orion saw that the stone appeared to be glowing with rainbow colors, and its size appeared to be that of a fist.


    "This is called Fate Core," Isis exined. "This core is the rarest thing in the whole universe, and there are only 99 of them. There hasn''t been a 100th stone in the past, nor will there be in the future."


    Orion felt that the core was way too mysterious, and he also didn''t understand how this core would help him in his trouble.


    "What is its use?" He asked curiously. "And how would that help me?"


    "It''s use is something I can''t tell," she said, holding the Fate Core and moving it closer to Orion. "But what I can tell you is that it can help you in your case. You just have to crush it."


    Orion frowned at her vague answer. Truthfully, he didn''t like any mystery around anything, and Isis seemed to be not telling him anything about the stone at all.


    "At least tell me how it will help me." He asked, pleading.


    Isis pondered for a moment before answering him.


    "You see, the name of this core is Fate Core, so its rted to the fate of an individual," she said as she looked at him. "If someone were to crush this stone, then the fate of that person would change, resulting in the gathering of his/her luck from their whole life to their present state, causing the person who crushed it to be the most fated and luckiest person in the whole world for a limited period of time. And believe me, with that much luck, even a god won''t be able to do anything to you."


    "However, be aware," she continued, her face bing solemn. "If you use all your luck this time, then you will be unlucky for a long period of time until you restore your fate to normal."


    Orion was surprised to hear that this Fate Stone could change a person''s luck to such a degree. But he also felt hesitation about the unlucky part she mentioned. However, he also understood that he didn''t have many options, and this was all he could do at this moment.


    "Alright, now take this core and let me tell you what I want," Isis said, throwing the Fate Core to Orion, which he caught.


    After that, she tapped at the middle of his eyebrows, and almost instantly, Orion felt an intense headache, but it disappeared as swiftly as it came.


    "I have stored what I wanted in your memory," she said. "But that memory can only be unlocked when you reach silver rank. So, be stronger faster."


    Orion felt that whatever she needed from him, he could only do when he became strong. The current him seemed useless to her, which was why she stored the information in his memory and could only unlock it when he reached the silver rank.


    "Now, crush the core," she said to Orion.


    Orion didn''t hesitate and crushed the Fate Core in his hands, which turned into power.


    Almost instantly, the crushed powder started to glow in a golden-white colour and began to condense around a point to form an exact replica of the Fate Stone he had just crushed, but it appeared to be translucent this time.


    And before Orion could react, the replica of the Fate Stone moved forward and entered his stomach. He didn''t feel his stomach hurt or anything, but he saw that the replica moved and disappeared when it came into contact with his stomach.


    At the same time, his body began to glow in a golden light before he suddenly found himself floating above a battlefield full of corpses and blood.


    Bonus Chapters Goals:-


    100 ps/30 gt - 1 bonus chapter 200 ps/60 gt - 2 bonus chapter 300 ps/ 100 gt - 3 bonus chapter


    A/N: My friend said it works but I don''t believe it.


    ShinGotLost


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 69. A Possible Future

    69 69. A Possible Future


    Orion felt as though he were a cloud hovering above a battlefield.


    Below him stretched barrennd, littered with rocks and small cliffs. Amidst this destiony the bodies of humans, monsters, and creatures resembling humans, strewn about like fallen leaves beneath trees.


    Their lifeless bodies created a somber scene throughout thend, a reflection of the brutality that had urred in that area.


    Rivers of blood flowed along the corpses sactered there, making the ground painted red.


    From up above, Orion only saw dead bodies and blood pools all around the battlefield when his attention was suddenly drawn by a movement in the distance.


    Turning around, he looked towards the source of the movement and saw that it came from a man. He couldn''t tell exactly the age of the man, but from what he could tell, it would be around 18¨C25 years old, approximately.


    Seeing that, Orion felt surprised that there was still someone alive on this battlefield.


    He floated closely towards the man to see him closely, but when he saw his face, he felt shocked, unlike anything he had before.


    Because the face of the man resembled his face too much. It was like looking into a mirror, but the mirror showed a more mature and grown up version of him, and if Orion ignored the age difference and maturity on that face, he would believe the person standing in the distance was him.


    ''What''s going on?''


    He couldn''t understand the thing he was witnessing right now.


    Soon, he saw that the man started limping towards a heavy sword embedded in the ground.


    ''He is injured.''


    Because of the shock he felt when he looked at his face, he unintentionally ignored the man''s injury.


    Slowly, by slowly limping, he appeared in front of the sword and held it in his right hand but didn''t lift the sword up. Instead, he continued his limp and dragged the sword along the ground before he appeared in front of a boulder.


    The point at which the man looked at the boulder didn''t appear to be in Orion''s field of view as he was standing behind the boulder, so he floated around the boulder when he saw something that shocked him to the core yet again.


    He saw an injured man leaning his body against the boulder, breathing heavily. The thing that shocked Orion was that the man appeared to have the same appearance as him, just like the man who dragged his sword here. He also looked around the same age group as the man with the sword.


    "How can there be two of me at the same time?!"


    Orion couldn''tprehend what he was witnessing right now. He already felt shocked when he saw the man with the sword with the same appearance as him, but now yet another one appeared.


    As he thought about it, he saw that man with the sword move again aftering in front of the other one.


    He held his sword high as if he were about to strike the man leading the boulder.


    "This... isn''t...how it is... supposed to end." The man, leaning against the boulder, uttered some words with difficulty.


    "You think I don''t know that? HAHAHA" The man with the swordughed like a madman. "I just don''t care anymore."


    "Our fate is already cursed. But I didn''t believe it would get even worse." The man leaning against the boulder smiled,ughing at his fate, for he believed there had never been another one killed by a version of themselves.


    "You started this all," the man with the sword said coldly. "And this will end with your fall."


    As he finished those words, he swung the sword in his hand without any hesitation.


    "HAHHAHA, you think this will end if you kill me? No, it''s just the beginnin¡ª"


    The man leaning against the boulder couldn''tplete his sentence as his head rolled to the ground by the man''s sword strike.


    Orion, who witnessed everything, couldn''t speak a word because of the shock he felt. He saw a version of him killing another. This was too surreal of a thing to happen.


    This whole time, he thought he had been dreaming because he didn''t believe anything like that could be possible in real life, and what he just saw made him hope that it was really a dream and nothing more.


    Soon, he saw cracks appear all around the world he was witnessing, and before long, these cracks spread to each corner of the world and shattered into pieces like mirrors in no time.


    With the world being destroyed, Orion once again found himself standing in front of Isis.


    "What just happened? What did I see? My future?" He asked quickly when he saw Isis.


    "No, it was just a single possible future out of billions out there," she said, her face appearing solemn. "But it was also the worst possible one too. You see, when someone uses Fate Core on themselves, their fate and luck be so high for a moment that they can see their own fate. However, I don''t know why, but everyone sees the worst possible oue of their fate¡ªtheir death. But don''t worry, it''s just a single oue out of billions, and what are the odds this will be true?"


    Orion nodded. He also felt that if it was really one out of a billion possible futures, then there wasn''t a need to worry since those odds seemed impossible to be true.


    "Alright, now what?" he asked Isis. "I just go and hope that, because of my luck, that stupid god will let me go."


    He didn''t feel anything had changed within him and despaired at the thought that if we were to go back, the result would still be the same.


    "Don''t worry," Isis reassured him. "Just use your brain for a bit. What will you do if you have all the luck in the world?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Orion pondered for a bit and had some ideas on how to use luck in his favor if he had indeed be lucky, as he said.


    "But be aware," she warned. "Luck is a factor of chances and possibilities, so don''t do anything that doesn''t include chances and think of impossible situations; otherwise, even with all that luck on your side, you would still end up dead."


    Orion nodded.


    At that moment, his body began to dissipate little by little.


    "It looks like your time hase," Isis said. "Go and be sure to be stronger as soon as possible."


    Orion nodded before his body fully dissipated into nothingness.


    "I really want to know what he saw in his vision," she said to herself as she looked at the stars twinkling in the darkness all around her. "All those who had ever seen those visions tried their whole lives, their very best, but couldn''t change the oue they had seen. It was as if fate had shown them how they would die and given them all the powers to change that possible oue, only to die the same way as in the vision. It was as if trying to change those possible oues led to the very oue one wanted to avoid the most. What an ironic fate it is."


    "Forgive me for lying to you, Orion, but I wonder if you can change your fate," she thought to herself. "I wonder if I can change my fate... I have done ording to what was asked in the prophecy. I have done my job. Now it''s your turn, Orion¡ªyour turn to fulfill your end of the prophecy."


    Bonus Chapters Goals:-


    100 ps/30 gt - 1 bonus chapter 200 ps/60 gt - 2 bonus chapter 300 ps/ 100 gt - 3 bonus chapter


    A/N: My friend said it works but I don''t believe it.


    ShinGotLost


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 70. Gambling

    70 70. Gambling


    As Orion disappeared from the ce full of stars, he once again appeared in the boat.


    He saw everyone doing the same thing again and turning to his back. He also saw the boss monster sitting on his throne with a ss full of red liquid in his hand.


    It seemed as though the boss appeared the moment he came back in time, because if he had been there the whole time, then the people in the boat surely would have noticed him, but as Orion looked at them going about their own things, it didn''t seem so.


    At that moment, Sam quickly came running to him when he noticed that this guy had be somewhat thin again and thought that it must be rted to the use of talent and didn''t think much else.


    "Orion, what are we going to do?" Sam asked hurriedly. "We are going to die at this rate. All of us."


    "I know," Orion said with a frown. "But I have onest card up my sleeve, and I want to see if this will work or not."


    As he finished his words, Orion looked at the boss monster, who himself had been looking at Orion and Sam the whole time.


    "You have a card up your sleeve?" The boss monster became amused as he looked at Orion. "Alright, I will give you a chance. Show me what you can do."


    As he said those words, everyone in the boat took notice of him, and they were surprised to see someone else appear on the boat without their permission and without them knowing.


    Meanwhile, Orion shook his head at the boss monster.


    "That''s not what I meant," he said, looking at the boss. "I just want to fight you in the bronze rank. A fight to death. Are you up for it? Surely a god wouldn''t cower to fight a mortal of the same rank, would he?"


    Orion was gambling here. If it were a normal situation, the boss monster would definitely ignore his proposition and kill him without a second thought. But that wasn''t the case here.


    He was the luckiest man in the world right now, so if he wanted to escape from this sure-death situation, he would have to gamble here, and considering his luck, he didn''t think the boss would reject him.


    He could also ask the boss to just let them go or leave them alone, but he doubted it would work. ording to Isis, the situation would have to be something that would cause the boss monster to think about it for the luck to work. If it were an impossible scenario, then his luck wouldn''t help him.


    As he asked the question, the boss observed him closely for a moment before he gave his response.


    "Interesting, really interesting," the boss monsterughed lightly. "It has been a while since I have fought someone equally, and now that you are asking for a beating, I can''t say no, can I?"


    "But how do I know you won''t use your full power in the middle of the battle when you are about to lose?" Orion asked.


    This had been Orion''s main concern. He thought that even if he were to dominate the god in the same rank, no one would stop the boss from using his godlike power and killing him instantly. Therefore, as much as this situation sounded good for him, it was a double-edged sword that could hurt him too.


    The boss monster pondered for a moment before he took out a red stone from somewhere. He held it in his right hand and murmured something when the red stone glowed with a brilliant red light before it returned to normal.


    "Take it," he said, then threw the stone at Orion. "It''s a sealing stone. I have sealed all my powers inside that stone, and my current strength is only limited to bronze rank. For me to use my full strength again, I will have to crush that stone. So, now we can call it a fair battle."


    Orion caught the stone in his hand as he heard the boss monster talking.


    ''Is he lying?''


    He didn''t know if it was just a bluff or if he was telling the truth.


    "It''s true. Without the stone, he won''t be able to use his powers past the bronze rank."


    At that moment, he again heard the voice of Isis in his head, and after hearing her, he felt sure.


    "Alright, we will battle in ten minutes," he then said to the boss monster.


    He wanted to use his luck in curse hunting to see if he could get better curses for himself. This would also make him stronger by using the power of the new curses, giving him quite a few options in the battle.


    "You can have your sweet time before you die by my hands again," the boss monster sneered at Orion.


    Orion didn''t say anything and turned to look at the confused bunch of people on the boat. They didn''t understand a thing about what Orion and the boss monster talked about.


    "Are you sure you can defeat the boss monster in bronze rank?" Sam asked Orion at this moment.


    "I am not sure," Orion said, shaking his head. "We will just have to wait and see how this will y out."


    "Let''s go and tell them everything," he then said to Sam. "They at least deserved to know what''s happening here."


    Sam nodded as he followed Orion towards the group of confused people in the boat.


    ***


    A few minutester, Orion and Sam revealed to them everything that had been going on since their first deaths, and when Runo and the others heard that, they were shocked.


    They couldn''t imagine they had already died four times without even knowing.


    As they pondered over their fate, Orion sorted out the curses he got this time and found that he got three useful curses. Although he got only three, they were powerful ones.


    [Unyielding Encasement - Whenever the cursed individual attempts to activate their force field, it forms an imprable barrier around their body, encasing them in a cocoon of condensed energy. While this barrier provides protection from external threats, it also immobilizes the individual, rendering them unable to move or escape. As the force field tightens around their body, the cursed individual experiences a sensation of suffocating confinement. The pressure exerted by the condensed energypresses their chest and limbs, making it difficult to breathe and causing intense difort and pain.]


    He copied this curse from Rena, but after seeing its effects, Orion felt that he could only use this condensed barrier-type thing around him, but the encasement had to have physical contact with him. He couldn''t separate this from his body, like how Rena enclosed him in a condensed sphere.


    [Energy Overload - The curse of Energy Overload afflicts individuals who absorb excessive amounts of energy, overwhelming their capacity to contain it. This curse manifests as uncontroble bursts of energy, power surges, or even explosive releases of energy, wreaking havoc on both the individual and their surroundings.]


    This curse was from one of the pirates who had the talent of Energy Absorbption.


    [Equilibrium - The curse of Equilibrium enforces a cruel bnce upon its victims, where every action they take is met with an equal and opposite reaction of torment and suffering. Just as Newton''s thirdw of force dictates, for every attempt to exert control or influence, there is an opposing force that brings chaos and misery in return, leaving the cursed individual trapped in a perpetual cycle of agony and despair.]


    Thest one came from a guy who had the talent for Force. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''With these three curses, my chances are high. Talking about chances, my luck is also with me, so I think I won''t lose, but the battle will be a difficult one.''


    He thought as he mentally prepared himself for the battle.


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    A/N: My friend said it works but I don''t believe it.


    ShinGotLost


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 71. The Final Battle - 1

    71 71. The Final Battle - 1


    Orion then turned to face the boss monster, who had been patiently waiting for him.


    "Alright, let''s do this," he said, looking at the boss, his eyes burning with determination.


    As he said, Orion jumped from the boat, used his sword to fly away, andnded at a distance from the boat.


    He didn''t want their battle to have any affect on the boat or the people in it. So, he opted for this approach and distanced himself from the boat.


    A momentter, the boss monster alsonded not far from him.


    "Before we fight, let me introduce myself," the boss monster said. "I am Quent, a servant of the Elysian Council."


    Orion didn''t say anything and quietly activated all his curses. First, he used absolute defense, causing his body to glow with a red light. Next, he activated his buff curses, like¡ªUnbridled Fury and Shattered Precision.


    The formar caused his skin to glow in dark red shades as hues of red started to leak out from his body, while thetter was on standby for Orion to use it at any moment.


    He then took out the heavy sword he got after defeating the third guardian and held it tightly with both his hands.


    "You are quite strong for a bronze rank. I will give you that," Quent said as he looked at Orion with interest. "But you think that will be enough to defeat a god?"


    As he finished his words, a ck beam of light released from him, reaching the clouds high up in the sky, which almost caused the sky to turn dark all of a sudden.


    The sun in the sky was still there, but it appeared dark because the ck beam of light was releasing an intense ck glow all around the area, causing the surroundings to turn dim.


    Orion, who stood opposite Quent, looked all around and was shocked. He couldn''t believe this was a bronze rank level power. He thought that his strength, which was buffed from all of his curses, stood at the pinnacle of the bronze rank and even exceeded it. However, witnessing the strength and power of the Quent, heughed at his ignorance.


    ''It''s good that I got myself a new set of strong curses.'' n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At this moment, he felt fortunate that he got his hands on those new curses; otherwise, he thought that this battle would have been insanely difficult for him.


    "You see, that''s called true power." Quentughed wildly. "Even if I don''t have the power of a god right now, it''s enough to kill ants like you a thousand times."


    "Now,e," he said, then beckoned Orion to start the battle.


    Orion wasted no time, activating Burdened Gravity to reduce his weight, and swiftly arrived in front of Quent. With a deft motion, his heavy sword arced towards Quent''s waist with deadly intent.


    At that moment, Quent smiled slightly as his hands began to release ck mes, and when Orion''s sword arrived near his waist, he caught the sword with his right hand still releasing ck mes.


    Orion frowned. He felt that his sword was caught too easily. Although he didn''t use his full strength in this strike, that didn''t mean his attack could be caught so easily.


    Usually, if someone were to catch his sword midway, there would be some resistance and the momentum of his attack would repel both of them. But this time he felt as if his attack met something soft when it came in contact with the ming hand of Quent and didn''t prove effective as it usually would.


    He then quickly used Shattered Precision on his sword but the result didn''t change as Quent still held his sword in one hand as he looked at him.


    "Too weak."


    Quent muttered. At that moment, he shed with his left hand, but midway, it started to release ck mes heavily and transformed into a big ck w made of ck mesing straight at Orion.


    Noticing that, Orion released one of his swords from his dimensional space from his right side, and as soon as it came, it collided with the iing ck w.


    "Boom!"


    Sparks released, and a low explosion sounded as his sword and w collided.


    Almost instantly, Orion used Velocity Burst to cover his own heavy sword in red mes, and as soon as his sword caught fire, an explosion happened at the hand of the Quent holding his sword, forcing him to release the sword.


    After that, Orion quickly retreated and made some distance between them.


    "You can also control mes," Quent said, appearing surprised as he looked at him. "Then this fight will be even more interesting."


    As he finished his words, he flicked his w-like hand that had been burning with ck mes into the sky, causing mes in his hand to shoot at the sky like a ck streak of lights.


    By doing that, his hand returned to normal, while in the sky, those ck streaks of lights came to a stop in the air, floating and starting a transformation among themselves.


    Orion saw that those streaks of lights in the air suddenly started to convulse around and form various ck ming eagles flying above him. They were only the size of Orion''s arm, but there were around twenty of them.


    ''Damn!''


    He cursed seeing that, and a momentter, the thing that he feared came true.


    These ck eagles soon descended towards him at breakneck speed.


    He didn''t know if his absolute defense armor would be able to repel them or not. So, he quickly released his other two swords and engulfed all of his swords in red mes before directing them to engage these eagles in the air.


    "Damn!"


    18:12


    In the sky, several explosions happened as red and ck hues surrounded the whole sky. His three swords moved in a zigzag pattern, and whenever they changed direction, it destroyed the ck eagles in that direction.


    However, there were still some eagles that dodged the three swords and came straight at him.


    Orion saw that there were four of theming towards him. He didn''t care about these eagles and swung his heavy sword with both hands at the iing eagles.


    They didn''t stand a chance and exploded aftering in contact with his sword.


    After he destroyed every ming eagle that approached him, smoke filled the area around him because of the explosion of these ming eagles.


    But the smoke didn''t affect his vision too much, as he saw something in the distance that made him curse the shamelessness of the god in front of him.


    He saw another ming eagle making its way towards him, and this was not like others before; this was as big as Orion himself. It pped its wings as it flew towards him.


    "Damn!"


    He quickly held his big sword tightly and threw it towards the iing ming eagle.


    "BOOM!"


    An explosion happened the moment his sword struck the ming eagle, causing the area below the explosion to be scorched ck.


    ck residues of mes scattered around the area and ck glowing particles fell from the air where the explosion happened.


    As Orion observed this, he quickly summoned back his heavy sword, which flew back on hismand, and thought something about the fight.


    ''From the fight just now, I can tell his mes have two properties. First, his mes can be as soft as possible and may be hard too and second, whatever projectiles he conjures with his mes explode as soon as ite in contact with anything.''


    Although all this time it appeared he had been forced to retreat by Quent, he also observed many things and learned about him.


    ''It''s time I take the initiative.''


    He thought as he prepared himself to attack.


    Bonus Chapters Goals:-


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    Thanks for reading my novel.


    ShinGotLost


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 72. The Final Battle - 2

    72 72. The Final Battle - 2


    Orion immediately lowered his weight and appeared in front of the Quent once again with his sword engulfed in mes, striking straight at his heart.


    This time, he used the full strength of Unbridled Fury and Shattered Precision. Alsobined with his increased weight with the help of Burdened Gravity, this attack on paper was one of his strongest attacks.


    Quent also sensed the strength of the attack as he once again transformed his hand into a w-like structure with the help of his ck mes. But this time transformation happened at both of his hands.


    As the transformation wasplete, he reached out to catch Orion''s sword once again.


    "Boom!"


    But this time, the result didn''t go in his favor, as they both retreated back the moment they collided.


    Almost instantly, Orion used his flying swords and let them attack Quent the moment he retreated back.


    That meant Quent hadn''t had enough time to dodge Orion''s three flying swords, as he still hadn''t stabilized himself from the retreat. Therefore, he could only ce his w-like hands in a cross position to block the attack.


    "ng!" "ng!" "ng!"


    The collision of Quent''s ws and the swords produced a loud noise of metal hitting metal, along with bursts of sparks that lit up the disorder on the battlefield.


    But the three swords didn''t do much damage to Quent, as his w-like hands absorbed most of the strength behind the three swords and deflected the swords not long after.


    "You are good." Quentmented on Orion''s battle instinct, looking at him.


    "Don''t be happy too early," Orion sneered at him.


    Quent didn''t understand what Orion seemed to be referring to. However, at that moment, he sensed that the temperature behind him seemed to be increasing at a rapid pace, causing him to quickly turn around when he saw a ming red spherical ball the size of his head hurtling its way towards him.


    It was too fast and was almost at him, so he couldn''t react at all and could only watch as the spherical ball of me touched him.


    "BOOM!"


    A mushroom cloud of red mes erupted, causing an intense explosion when the ming spherical ball came into contact with Quent.


    The ground around Quent became charred in ck, and trees in the distance caught fire as a result of the explosion.


    As for Quent, his body got sted back like a broken kite, crashing against trees upon trees before he gradually came to a halt.


    He got up from the debris of dust and broken trees while patting his clothes to remove the dust. He appeared to not have any injuries or burn marks on him at all. It was as if Orion''s attack did nothing to him.


    Orion, who was looking at Quent, felt shocked that he didn''t suffer any injuries. It was a well-nned attack from his end, and it yielded nothing.


    "Damn it."


    He felt frustrated as a result of it.


    "It''s time to end the battle," Quent said, looking at Orion. "Your attacks are simply too weak to have any effect on me. I might as well kill you and done with this."


    He said this as his body began to release ck mes all around him. A momentter, these mes started to gather around him in a spherical shape until all the mes surrounded and enveloped him in a cocoon, burning with ck mes.


    At that moment, three flying swords burning in mes flew towards the cocoon and attacked it.


    "ng!" "ng!" "ng!"


    But all three swords got deflected as they came in contact with the cocoon.


    ''It seems I can''t break it.''


    Orion, who witnessed all of that, understood that Quent would use his full strength next time; otherwise, he wouldn''t be exposing himself like that.


    ''It''s time to test those new curses.''


    So he also activated his curse of Equilibrium and Energy Overload.


    On the surface, it didn''t have any effect, but Orion spected that these two curses were best suited for each other. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Energy Overload itself didn''t have any uses if he couldn''t store energy inside him to release it. There came the curse of Equilibrium. This curse worked in such a way that every time he attacked his opponent, an equal and opposite force of energy would wreck chaos inside him.


    This energy wouldn''t harm him because of his original curse¡ªNull Body but if this energy wasn''t used wisely, then it would be a waste to have this curse on him. This way, the curse of Energy Overload came in. With the use of this curse, he could effectively use that extra energy he would be getting from Equilibrium in the battle.


    As for the curse of Unyielding Encasement, he had some ideas on how to use it, and he felt that it could be his strongest trump card if it worked as he thought it would.


    At that moment, Orion heard some cracking sounds, like eggs breaking,ing from Quent''s cocoon.


    ''He is about toe out.''


    He thought as he looked at the cocoon intently, ready to attack.


    At that moment, the cocoon burst into pieces, and a figure came out of it.


    Orion already knew that the figure belonged to Quent, but seeing that figuree out of the cocoon, he was a little shocked.


    As for the reason for his shock, it was the transformation that Quent went through inside the cocoon.


    Quent didn''t look like how he previously looked. His two horns that were on his head previously became long and curved down to the back of his head. His face only had white mes burning and nothing else.


    Meanwhile, his hands became ws, but it was different from before. This time his hands stooped as low as his legs and looked quite eerie to Orion. The same thing happened to his legs, which, to Orion, resembled those of a goat. Last but not least, there appeared to be two ck ming wings behind his back, which were previously missing from his body. The most striking thing about Quent was that all of his body burned in ck mes¡ªall but his ws, legs, and horns. They were a deep red color.


    Looking at that figure in front of him, Orion wondered if that figure belonged to a devil, because to him, this new transformation of Quent appeared more devillike than godlike.


    At that moment, Quent, with his devil-like figure, turned to look at Orion.


    "You know what? I am going to enjoy my time killing you," he said, voicesing out of his face burning with white mes. "After that, I will use my godly powers to trap all of your souls here for eternity so that I won''t be spending my time alone in this ce."


    Orionughed inwardly as he heard that. Although he felt that the new transformation of Quent was quite striking to the eye, that didn''t mean Quent would be able to kill him in one move. Also, he could sense that the strength of Quent had increased quite a bit after the transformation, but he believed he would still win.


    Most importantly, he still hadn''t used many of his curses that could catch Quent off-guard. He didn''t get a chance to use them. He understood that some curses could only be used effectively if the opponent had no idea about them; otherwise, he believed the surprise factor of those curses would be gone and his opponent could react to them ordingly if they knew what would happen.


    Therefore, he had been waiting for the right opportunities to use those curses, and it appeared the time hade.


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 Chapter 73. The Final Battle - 3

    73 73. The Final Battle - 3


    As Orion thought about all that, Quent vanished from his position.


    Orion only saw a red streak of light shing towards him before Quent appeared in front of him, his right w shing diagonally at his waist.


    Orion immediately used Burdened Gravity to increase his weight as much as he could and blocked the w with his sword.


    "Boom!"


    A resounding shockwave reverberated throughout the area as Orion''s sword and Quent''s w shed against each other.


    The ground beneath their feet waspletely destroyed by the sheer momentum of their sh.


    As they were in a deadlock, Quent attacked with his left w towards Orion''s head.


    Seeing that, Orion swiftly reacted and kicked Quent with his right leg.


    "Boom!"


    Quent stumbled back, as the kick from heavyweight Orion was too much to handle.


    But he quickly stabilized himself. However, this was enough time for Orion''s three swords to cross the distance between them.


    Arriving in front of Quent, his three swords attacked him, but the result was something Orion had already anticipated: the swords couldn''t deal any damage to Quent.


    However, the swords had done their job. They had bought enough time for him to create the main attack that was within his hands.


    A ball of red and blue color could be seen being held tightly by Orion''s hands. It emanated a fiery red and frosty blue aura around Orion, causing the ground beneath Orion''s feet to freeze in frost while some areas scorched to ck.


    Its size was only that of a light bulb, but Orion could feel that the energy inside was enough to kill anyone in the bronze rank.


    He made this attack bybining his Frozen Torment with Velocity Burst. He had this idea a while ago but hadn''t gotten a need or an opportunity to implement it.


    However, his battle with Quent forced Orion to use something new, knowing all his attacks were simply ineffective against him.


    "That''s a very condensed form of ice and fire." Quent appeared surprised as he looked at the red and blue-shining ball in Orion''s hands. "You havepressed both the mes of fire and the frost of ice to create this? But how did you seamlessly merge andbine the other two when fire and ice are opposite each other?"


    Now that Orion thought about it, he really didn''t know how he did that. He simply implemented what he had in mind, and the result was in his hands. The problem that Quent talked about when merging opposite elements didn''t even ur to him.


    ''Is it because of my Null Body?''


    This was the only reason he could think of why the problem ofbining two opposite elements didn''t ur to him.


    As he thought of that, he looked at Quent.


    "I will tell you now," he said, smiling at Quent as he disappeared from the area.


    "Where did he go?"


    Quent couldn''t understand what happened. One moment his opponent was standing right in front of him, and at another, he disappeared from his vision.


    ''Damn, this brat has quite a trick up his sleeves.''


    He felt that this kid was unusually strong. Although he hadn''t been outside the dungeon for thousands of years, he still recalled the strength a bronze-rank mortal should possess. But fighting Orion, he felt that Orion''s strength was way stronger than any bronze-rank mortal he had seen previously. It was to the point that he could fight toe-to-toe with him and not lose.


    But he wasn''t that worried about it. Even if he were to lose against Orion, he would not die. There was a reason he handed his godly powers to Orion. He wasn''t foolish enough to let someone else control his life by giving up his powers.


    "Pick-a-boo!"


    As Quent was looking around, searching for Orion, a voice sounded behind him when he suddenly felt both cold and hot.


    "Damn."


    He cursed, thinking of that ball in Orion''s hand, and from the sensation he felt from behind, he was sure the kids attacked. But it was toote for him to react.


    Orion, who appeared behind Quent, unleashed the ball of ice and fire at Quent.


    "Whammmm!"


    At that moment, a wave of red and blue light released from the ball in Orion''s hands and moved towards Quent like a thickser light.


    The path along its way froze and burned down before the wave arrived in front of Quent, who couldn''t react in time and hit his back. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Agggahhhh!"


    Quent screamed after being continuously hit by the wave of blue and red light, causing him to sometimes feel scorching heat and a bone chilling cold.


    A smile appeared on Orion''s face upon hearing Quent''s scream. It was a smile of victory.


    Since the fight between them started, he hadn''t been able to injure him in the slightest. It felt like no matter how he attacked him, the result wouldn''t be in his favor.


    Therefore, now that witnessing his new attack had an effect on Quent, he felt satisfied with it.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    Quent continued to scream as Orion continued to release the wave from his ice and fire ball for two to three minutes straight before the ball in Orion''s hands disintegrated into nothingness.


    As the wave of heat and freezing died down, Quent finally had a moment of relief. He hadn''t thought that the ball of fire and ice could be used in this way.


    "A domaines into the category of a god," he continued, his face full of desdain. "It''s just mortals'' foolish thinking that they would be able to learn this and ascend to the rank of a god."


    14:54


    Most importantly, he was caught off-guard, and, as a result, he couldn''t react in time to Orion''s attack; otherwise, he believed that he would have definitely handled that attack properly and not ended up like this.


    Thinking of that attack, he turned to look at Orion, who appeared to be looking at him right now.


    "You kid," Quent said with irritation. "I have had enough of your trickery. It''s time I end this."


    As the words left his mouth, his body began to release white mes¡ªmilk-like white mes¡ªand before Orion could react, he found that a portion of the surrounding area, including him, was enclosed in a dome-like structure.


    The center of the dome was Quent, and the whole dome appeared to be burning with white mes.


    "It''s so hot here."


    It seemed to Orion as though he were standing in front of a volcano with how hot he felt right now.


    At that moment, Quent, who seemed to be focusing on something, turned his attention to him.


    "You know what this is?" he said, sneering. "This is called domain. We gods are able to use this technique, but not mortals. There has never been a mortal who has ever mastered a domain. If I am not mistaken, you mortals train in a technique called the Three Divine Ways. You know what this technique is for?"


    Orion could only specte on one thing after hearing Quent''s words.


    "Are you talking about this domain?" He asked.


    "Hehehehe, right," Quent smiled. "Thest two stages of this technique were designed to master a domain. But mortals are either too foolish to aplish that or simply unable to learn how to cast a domain for millions of years. Even now, I doubt there has been one who has learned to use a domain."


    "A domaines into the category of a god," he continued, his face full of desdain. "It''s just mortals'' foolish thinking that they would be able to learn this and ascend to the rank of a god."


    Orion wondered if that was why the Three Divine Ways were so difficult to learn, or if he simply couldn''t learn that because his body didn''t possess mana.


    Bonus Chapters Goals:-


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 Chapter 74. The Final Battle - 4

    74 74. The Final Battle - 4


    Orion pondered Quent''s words and felt that if this domain was really as grand as Quent made it out to be, then it would be very difficult for him to defeat Quent here.


    Moreover, after hearing him, Orion felt that this domain was too mysterious. He couldn''t fathom how, after millions of years, not a single human had ever been able to cast their own domain.


    ''It appears I''ll have to look into the Three Divine Ways in detail.'' n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He thought that since this domain was such a powerful technique, he would have to study it thoroughly.


    "You are strong. I will give you that." Quent sneered at him at this time. "But in my domain, you are nothing but an ant¡ªan ant that I can kill however I want."


    As he uttered those words, the white mes around the dome began to change color to red and started to condense swords¡ªnot just one or two swords. Orion saw that hundreds of such transformations were taking ce all around the dome.


    ''Damn! This is going to be difficult."


    Orion cursed when he saw how many swords were being constructed by the red mes around the dome.


    ''Is this possible with the strength of the bronze rank?"


    He couldn''t believe that such strength was part of the bronze rank. Constructing hundreds of swords without any sweat and pitting them against one''s opponent was something he only read in novels on Earth.


    As he pondered how to tackle these swords, the construction of hundreds of swords waspleted.


    Orion saw that his whole surroundings were full of swords. From his back to his front, all around him were only red swords gleaming venemously in the white dome he was in.


    Witnessing so many swords around, he could only think of hiding in the other dimension. However, as he activated his curse¡ªDimensional Dissonance¡ªand used its ability to hop into the other dimension, he found that he couldn''t enter that dimension. He tried again, but the result was the same as thest time. He just couldn''t enter the other dimension, no matter how many times he tried.


    His face became ugly as he saw that.


    "What? Can''t vanish likest time?" Quent sneered. "You are in my domain, and everything here is under my control. In domains, you can''t just vanish whenever you want. A domain is something that deals with the rules of space itself, and you can''t enter another space if you are in someone else''s domain."


    "This is the difference between you and me," he continued, his face full of disdain. "Even though you are as strong as me and, at times, stronger than me, you won''t ever be able to defeat me¡ªunless and until you cast your own domain against me. But you can''t. You are just a mere mortal who doesn''t possess the abilities of a god."


    As Orion heard the never-ending chattering of Quent, he frowned. He thought that if what Quent said was true, it would be difficult to kill him in his own domain.


    ''It''s difficult but not impossible.''


    He still had one ability he hadn''t used against Quent. He had thought that he would use this ability at thest possible moment to catch him off-guard. But it appeared he would have to use that move now.


    ''I can use that ability, but can I make it so that he can''t see how I survive those swords?''


    He didn''t want to reveal his trump card; that could turn the tide of the battle, so he thought for a moment and came up with a brilliant n that would enable him to use his curse without letting Quent witness it.


    "It''s time you die," Quent said with a wicked expression.


    The moment those words left his mouth, the red swords gleaming all around the white dome suddenly moved towards Orion.


    In response, Orion quickly used the curse of Velocity Burst to make a small version of a red spherical ball the size of his fist and mmed it into the ground.


    The small area around Orion exploded, and as a result, dust and debris surrounded the whole area, making Orion''s figure hide in the mask of the dust.


    At that moment, the red swords gleaming around rained down upon him.


    Seeing that, he quickly used the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and activated its ability to make his body tangible.


    Almost instantly, hundreds of swords reached him and passed through his body. Some swords just collided with each other, changing directions, while others just passed right through Orion, ultimately striking the ground.


    For a second or two, sounds of swords hitting the ground reverberated throughout the area, but the scream of Orion, whom Quent wanted to hear, didn''t appear, which made his face turn ugly.


    After a moment, all the swords in the white dome embedded themselves in the ground, unable to touch even a hair of Orion, and as a result, the area around Orion, which was already filled with dust, turned even more dusty.


    Quent swung his hand at that moment, causing the dust around Orion to blow away.


    "Hey, was that supposed to hit me?" Orion teased Quent as he appeared in Quent''s vision once again.


    "What did you do?" Quent asked, his face ugly. "How are you not hit by any of my swords?"


    "Who knows?" Orion shrugged at him. "Maybe your swords were too weak to even put a scratch on my skin."


    He sneered as he said that. He wanted to keep this ability as mysterious as possible, so he spouted whatever nonsense came to his mind.


    A frown appeared on Quent''s face as he heard Orion. He refused to believe that his attack was too weak to even hurt Orion. He felt that if he were in Orion''s position, he would be heavily injured, if not dead.


    "What else do you have?" Orion asked in a taunting way. "Use whatever you have fast. I don''t have much time."


    He needed Quent to attack him so that he would be able to use his n effectively and deal with him.


    He understood that if he attacked directly, he stood no chance against him in his domain. So, he thought it was better to wait for an opportunity, and what better time would be when Quent would attack?


    Therefore, his reason for taunting him.


    Moreover, he believed that a god like Quent wouldn''t just sit around and do nothing when he was taunted by a mere mortal.


    "You lowly mortal," Quent said as he trembled in anger when he heard Orion''s words. "This is the first time I have ever gotten angry in a thousand years, and now you are going to face the consequences of making me angry.


    He held his hand high as he said that, and a momentter, ck hues of light started to gather from all around his hand.


    As time passed, these hues of light gathering around his hand started to condense and transform, ultimately taking the form of a scythe.


    The scythe appeared to be a pitch ck color, and only the de at the peak was shining a deep red.


    After the transformation waspleted, from all around the domain, the white mes covering the dome started to make their way towards Quent, who bathed himself in the white mes. His whole figure started transforming once again.


    Bonus Chapters Goals:-


    100 ps/30 gt - 1 bonus chapter 200 ps/60 gt - 2 bonus chapter 300 ps/ 100 gt - 3 bonus chapter

 Chapter 75. The Final Battle - 5

    75 75. The Final Battle - 5 n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The transformation, unlikest time, didn''t take much longer and waspleted only a momentter.


    Orion witnessed the whole thing and saw that, after the transformation, Quent became muscr and a little taller thanst time. Besides that, he couldn''t tell much difference.


    As Orion watched Quent, he also prepared himself for the final confrontation, but at that moment, something tugged at his legs and held on to them.


    Looking down, he saw vines coiled around his legs, but unlike the ones he had seen on the pond, this one appeared to be shining in white light.


    Just as Orion was about to free his legs, he sensed more white vines approaching him.


    Using his flying swords, he intercepted them and cut them all. But at that moment, he saw the whole white dome releasing white vines towards him, intending to capture him.


    "Damn!"


    He used his flying swords to cut down those vines that wereing towards him, while he used his heavy sword to cut down the ones that bound his legs.


    However, he saw that no matter how many he cut down, the number of vines continued to increase.


    "Die!"


    Suddenly, Orion heard a voice in front of him and was shocked to see Quent appear in front of him, his scytheing straight for his waist, intending to rip him in two.


    Despite being preupied with the vines, he had maintained his focus on Quent the entire time. Thus, he found it perplexing how Quent suddenly appeared in front of him. It seemed as though Quent had teleported himself, recognizing that his attention was solely on him. There appeared to be no other usible exnation for Quent''s sudden appearance without him even noticing his movement.


    Therefore, because of the unexpected arrival of Quent, Orion wasn''t prepared at all. In the end, he could only bring his sword in front of him and hoped that his sword would be able to take the attack head-on.


    "BOOM!"


    Quent''s scythe shed with Orion''s sword, and in the ensuing collision, Orion''s grip on the sword loosened, causing blood to gush suddenly from both his wrists. The excruciating pain shot through his body, leaving him momentarily stunned.


    He swiftly activated the Curse of Sacrificial Renewal, finding relief from the pain coursing through his body. However, in that moment, he felt a rush of wind against his back, and before he could react, his body was hurtling uncontrobly towards the ground. Each impact with the ground caused destruction, leaving him unable to regain control.


    Orion snapped back to his senses and acted swiftly. He plunged his heavy sword into the ground, using it as an anchor to slow himself down. As his body dragged along, the sword severed the ground wherever it went, gradually bringing him to a stop.


    After he stabilized himself, he quickly activated the curse of Energy Overload and became prepared to release all that energy he had stored within himself all this time.


    A while ago, he activated the curse of Equilibrium which had been storing the energy all this time inside his body, ready to be released at any moment.


    At that moment, Quent once again teleported himself in front of him, and seeing him appear this time, Orion was sure that he could teleport anywhere in his domain.


    But this time, as Quent appeared, he was also prepared and swung his sword straight at him.


    However, as Quent''s scythe and Orion''s sword were about to make contact with each other''s bodies, Orion''s sword suddenly disappeared, and the scythe that was about to hit his body passed right through his body.


    In that split second, Quent''s eyes became wide and round as a ball. He couldn''t believe how his scythe passed right through Orion.


    Meanwhile, Orion quickly used this opportunity to move, passing right through the body of Quent and appearing behind him.


    At that moment, he also summoned his sword from the pocket dimension and swung at the back of Quent, who was shocked to see Orion pass right through his body.


    "Release."


    He also released the stored energy inside his body with the help of Energy Overload. This made his sword strike, which was already powerful with all the buffs he got from his other curses, super powerful.


    The strike became so strong that the sword Orion was swinging started to tremble all of a sudden and became uncontroble for a moment.


    But he didn''t let the sword have its way and held the sword tightly as hepleted his swing.


    "Ssh!"


    A sound simr to vegetables being cut sounded before Orion''s body got showered with blood and his sword, which he had been controlling with all his might, finally left his grip and flew away.


    "Is it over?"


    Orion murmured to himself as he wiped the blood off his face. He felt a little odd because of the blood sshing on him, but he had also be somewhat oblivious to it. With all that he had been through since he transmigrated, this was the least that gave him any problems.


    Looking around, he found the two parts of Quent''s body scattered a little far from him.


    He moved towards the one with the head part¡ªthe upper torso¡ªwhile he summoned his heavy sword back to him.


    A momentter, he arrived in front of Quent, who looked to be looking at the sky. The domain he had formed was destroyed the moment his body got split in two.


    Noticing Orioning his way, instead of cowering in fear of death, he startedughing like a madman.


    "Hahahahaha, I have never thought that I would be this vulnerable in front of a mortal," heughed at himself as he looked at Orion. "Your name, Orion, was it? You have indeed won against me, but I never thought of leaving this dungeon ever because the exit portal is linked to my death, and I will not die here."


    Orion frowned upon hearing Quent. He was already in this state, and it would only take a strike to finish him off once and for all, so he wondered what he meant when he said he wouldn''t die.


    "You are already dying, and it will take me one move to finish you off," he sneered at him.


    "Try as you might," Quentughed. "But be prepared to face disappointment."


    Hearing him, Orion didn''t hesitate and swung his sword, severing the head of Quent from his body.


    A momentter, his body and his head started to glow a red color.


    "No, no, no..." Quent became flustered seeing that. "I can''t die. I shouldn''t die. How is this possible? This is against thew. A mortal can''t kill a god. This is a fact¡ªaw. Then why am I dying? Wh¡ª"


    As he said hisst words, his body disintegrated into red particles before disappearing into thin air.


    Orion slumped into the ground, seeing that it was finally over, as a feeling of rxation washed over him.


    Since the time he transmigrated here, there had never been a moment when he felt so relieved. All the time, he had been fighting, training, and trying hard to survive, which took its toll, leaving him mentally drained and exhausted.


    Now that it was all over and they could finally leave this dungeon, Orion felt rxed and excited at the same time. He was excited to finally see the new world with his own eyes.


    Bonus Chapters Goals:-


    100 ps/30 gt - 1 bonus chapter 200 ps/60 gt - 2 bonus chapter 300 ps/ 100 gt - 3 bonus chapter

 Chapter 76. Leaving The Dungeon - 1

    Chapter76. Leaving The Dungeon - 1


    As Oriony there on the ground, thinking about what he should do after leaving the dungeon, a boat full of peoplended not far from him.


    Runo, Ralf, and everyone else disembarked the boat and came to the area where Orion rested.


    They were shocked to witness such destruction when theyid their eyes on the ground before them.


    They saw that some parts of the ground werepletely scorched ck, while others appeared to be frozen. Most of the ground around Orion seemed to bepletely destroyed; only debris and dust could be seen all around.


    "Orion, you won, right?" Runo asked.


    Orion gave him a thumbs up.


    "Indeed, I have won," he said as if it were a matter of fact. "Otherwise, why would you think I would be resting here?"


    "That means it''s all over?" Ralf said, his face beaming with joy.


    "Yes, it''s all over now." Orion nodded. "We can finally leave this damn ce."


    "How did you kill him?" Sam asked, his face full of confusion. "He was so strong, and even if he were to limit his strength to bronze rank, I don''t think any of us would be his opponents."


    "It was luck, I guess," Orionughed. Indeed, it was luck. If Quent hadn''t sealed his powers to a stone and gave them to him, he believed that even if he were to defeat him, Quent would have killed him with just a fraction of his godlike power.


    "The portal at the broken wall should be active, right?" Runo asked. This was the main thing he wanted to know, as it was their only ticket back to their home.


    "It should be," Orion nodded. "Let''s go and see it for ourselves."


    Everyone nodded and left for the boat.


    ***


    A whileter, the boat carrying everyone, including Orion,nded in front of the broken wall, standing tall in the deste realm of forests.


    At the opposite end of the wall, there appeared a circr portal shining brightly in green light.


    As everyone saw the green light emanating from the portal, their faces turned red with joy.


    Thest time they were here, the portal was red and inactive. They couldn''t leave, and they couldn''t even find the boss for days. Now that they saw that portal turn green, they couldn''t wait to leave this dungeon.


    "We should leave now," Runo said, looking at the portal in front of him. Like everyone else, he also wanted nothing more than to leave this ce.


    "What would happen to those who are unconscious and pass the portal?" Orion asked him. Famir and the other two had been unconscious the whole time, and they wouldn''t wake up anytime soon, so he wondered if they could pass through the portal while remaining unconscious.


    "I don''t know," Runo said, shaking his head. "There has never been a case where a person passed through the portal unconscious, and even if there were, we don''t know about it."


    "Then we can only wait till they regain their consciousness," Orion said, looking at Runo. "If you guys want to leave, you can go. I will wait till they wake up."


    Runo pondered for a moment before deciding on something.


    "I''ll send a group of our team to report outside the dungeon. Our families must be worried outside," he said. "The rest of us can wait for them to wake up."


    Orion nodded at him and felt that was the right thing to do.


    After that, Runo sent a group of his team members to report outside while the rest waited for Famir and the other two to wake up.


    Orion sat, his body leaned against the railing of the boat. Beside him were sitting Sam and Miira. For some reason, she just couldn''t stop following Orion.


    "Orion, what will you do after you leave the dungeon?" Miira asked, seeing no one was talking. "Like, where will you go?"


    Orion remained unaware of this fact. Indeed, hecked any knowledge about the world beyond the dungeon''s confines.


    His limited understanding led him to believe in the existence of numerouss inhabited by people, fueling his belief in the possibility of inteary transportation. Based on this assumption, he concluded that the world outside the dungeon must be more technologically advanced than Earth.


    "I don''t know," he replied to her. "I will see that after I leave the dungeon." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Miira pondered for a moment, and soon her face became red. She looked towards Orion with hesitation on her face.


    "Why don''t you..." she said, her voice trailing with hesitation. "Why don''t youe with us?"


    Orion was taken back by what she said. But now that he thought about it, he could indeed follow them after leaving the dungeon. That way, he didn''t have to worry about having a roof over his head at night, and he could also learn some things about the world from them. Finally, when he would leave them, he wouldn''t be so clueless about the world.


    ''That''s a good idea.''


    He felt that this was the best thing to do for now.


    However, at that precise moment, Sam, who also sat beside him, uttered some words that poured a bucket of cold water on his thoughts.


    "Miira, you are such a fool," Samughed, his eyes bing small. "Orion, after going through that portal, won''t be returning to the Human Federation Realm with us. He will be going to Magus Kingdom with all those pirates and the others."


    Orion''s face showed a puzzled expression as he heard Sam. He couldn''t understand why he would be going to Magus Kingdom and they would go to the Human Federation Realm when they would be leaving through the same portal.


    "Ah, I forgot about that." Miira patted her head in understanding as she heard Sam.


    "Why?" Orion questioned, his brows furrowing as he turned to Sam. "Why will I be teleported to the Magus Kingdom instead of joining you guys in the Human Federation Realm?"


    "If I am not mistaken, you came with that group of pirates, right?" Sam didn''t answer but instead asked him a question.


    Orion nodded. He dide with the group of pirates.


    "I guessed that by your attire," Sam said as he exined some things to him. "As for why you will not being with us and going to Magus Kingdom, it''s simple. It''s because you came from the Magus Kingdom to this dungeon, so when you leave this dungeon, the portal will teleport you directly to the Magus Kingdom as well."


    As he heard Sam, Orion understood. He just hadn''t thought that the exit portal would be designed this way.


    But he really wanted to go to the Human Federation Realm. He felt that this domain was more like Earth than the Magus Kingdom, which he knew nothing about.


    ''I guess I''ll learn some new things by going there, but this body''s family is also in that domain.''


    As he thought about this body''s family, Orion had a headache. He could only hope that he wouldn''t encounter them. Knowing how they had abandoned the original owner of this body, he really felt disgust towards them and didn''t want to meet them at all.


    As Orion mulled over various matters and conversed with Sam and Miira, time seemed to crawl by, and nightfall gradually descended upon them.


    Eventually, Runo instructed Ralf to guide the boat to their base¡ªthe colossal tree. Upon arrival, everyone disembarked from the boat and settled in for the night''s rest amidst the shelter of the towering tree.

 Chapter 77. Leaving The Dungeon - 2

    Chapter 77. Leaving The Dungeon - 2


    The next day, everyone packed up their things and was ready to leave. But Famir''s group of trios still hadn''t awakened yet. This made Orion worry a little.


    Everyone in the grand hall, inside the huge tree, gathered around as they looked at the trio, who seemed to be still unconscious after a full day of rest.


    Orion, who stood among them, had a frown on his face.


    ''Are they really alright?''


    He felt that whatever had happened to them in the pond must have been very severe, and awakening the trio afterward might have worsened the situation.


    Feeling something might have gone wrong, he turned to face Jarth.


    "Jarth," he called out to him. "Check them again."


    Jarth shook his head.


    "I already checked earlier this morning," he said helplessly. "They are fine. They just wake up, and we don''t know how long it will take them to do that."


    Orion nodded, but he still couldn''t help but feel worried for them.


    "Let''s wait for a while," he said, turning to everyone.


    He could only wait a little longer and hoped that they awakened in the meantime.


    ***


    After handling some matter at the humongous tree, Orion left that ce and headed towards the pond once again.


    He wanted to ask something from Isis¡ªsomething very important before he left this dungeon.


    He tried talking to the air, thinking she would hear him, but he got no response from her. So he thought it would be better if the distance between them wasn''t so far. Maybe that way she could sense him and talk to him again.


    After a few minutes, he finally arrived near the pond and was about to say something when he heard Iris''s voice.


    "Are you leaving?"


    "Yes," Orion replied, nodding his head. "I will leave today."


    Isis became silent for a moment before responding to him.


    "So, what brings you here?"


    "You said my luck would be highest for a limited period of time, right?" He asked, wondering. "So, how much will this limited period of time you spoke be?"


    "...It''s already ended."


    Orion''s face became dark as he heard her. He couldn''t help but feel that he didn''t get the best out of this luck. He came here with the thought that if his luck were to remain with him for a few more days, he would definitely be able to use it more wisely when he got to Magus Kingdom. But his luck ended way earlier than he had expected.


    "You also mentioned my luck would be at its lowest when my highest period of time ended," he asked, his face filled with confusion. "What do you mean by that?"


    "It means that you will be apanied by the worst luck a person could ever have."


    "Worst luck?" Orion didn''t know what do say to this. He thought that if his highest luck could help him escape death, then he despaired what the end result would be now that he had the worst possible luck one could even have.


    ''I won''t die, will I?''


    "Don''t worry. You will not die that easily now that you have escaped the predetermined death but this bad luck will apany you until you restore your fate to normal."


    "And how do I do that? How do I restore my fate back to normal?" Orion asked.


    "I don''t know about that. Everyone''s fate is different from others. Your good fate might make mine worse, or vice-versa. So, it''s very difficult to tell a person''s fate other than their death because it''s already predetermined. As for your fate, no one can help you. Only you yourself will know if you will ever have the chance to restore your fate or not, but that will also be very vague."


    As Orion heard her, his face turned ashen from ck.


    "So, you mean to say that by saving myself from death, I fu*ked up my whole life?" He asked in the end. He felt that ying with death wasn''t a good idea after all.


    "...You can say that."


    After hearing Isis confirmed that he really wanted to curse someone badly.


    "So, what do you suggest I do?" He asked after calming himself down a little.


    "There is nothing you can do besides make yourself stronger. Everything bes useless in the face of absolute strength. Even bad luck won''t be able to harm you at that point."


    Orion nodded helplessly. He could feel that his days wouldn''t be peaceful anymore when he arrived at the Magus Kingdom.


    "Alright, you can go now. The damned tree has sensed your presence, and its vines areing to get you."


    "That tree again?" Thinking of that tree, he didn''t think twice and ran back as fast as he could.


    "Be sure to remember our deal."


    At the end, he heard Isis''s final words before he fully left the area beside the pond.


    ''Let''s go and check if they awakened or not.''


    Having gotten what he wanted, he headed towards the massive tree.


    ***


    As Orion arrived near the tree, he saw that the guards he had set up from the group of pirates were unusually happily chatting with each other.


    When he neared them, they also noticed him and their face became excited as a result.


    "Orion, they have woken up!"


    One of the guards yelled at him when he saw him.


    "They awakened?" Orion felt happy.


    "Thanks for letting me know," he said his thanks to them and headed inside the tree.


    Not long after, he reached inside when he saw the group of three standing and talking to others.


    "Hey, Orion," Ryfin called out to him when he saw himing. "We can leave this ce. Can you believe it?"


    Orion nodded. He felt happy that they were back to normal. Well, not entirely, since he could still see that they still appeared somewhat thinpared to what he had previously seen. But at least they could walk around.


    Seeing that the trio appeared to be fine and everyone else was ready, Orion nodded to them.


    "Let''s leave this ce once and for all," he said to them excitedly.


    "Yeah, let''s go."


    "I have been writing for this for so long now."


    "Finally, I can go home and see my parents."


    "Thank god, it''s over."


    Everyone enthusiastically exited the massive tree and moved towards the portal.


    Orion also didn''t dwell here anymore and left this ce.


    ***


    A whileter, everyone stood before the portal; their faces appeared red because of the excitement of leaving the dungeon.


    At that moment, Runo came in front of Orion, his expression appeared somewhat embarrassed.


    "Orion," he said in an apologetic manner. "I know apologizing is toote now, but I want to say thank you for saving me and my teammates'' lives."


    Orion dismissively waved his hands at him. He really didn''t care about that anymore.


    "Don''t worry," he said, smiling. "It''s fine."


    Seeing that Orion didn''t take any offense from that, Runo sighed in relief.


    "Alright," he said, holding his hand out. "Let''s meet again if you evere to the Human Federation Realm. And remember this, my family name is Gravier."


    Orion nodded as he shook his hand with Runo''s.


    After their little thing, Runo''s team entered the portal one by one.


    At the end, Runo also entered and disappeared from the dungeon. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Alright," Orion said, looking at the group of transmigrators, pirates, and his friends. "Shall we enter as well?"


    Everyone nodded, and one by one, they also went into the portal and left the dungeon.


    Orion was thest one to remain standing.


    ''I guess this is it.''


    In the end, he also entered the portal and disappeared from the dungeon.

 Chapter 78. Starfall Bay - 1

    Chapter 78. Starfall Bay - 1


    In the dead calm of the day, the reflection of the sun moved serenely with the gentle waves of the water.


    From all directions, as far as one could see, was the vast expanse of the blue ocean. The endless horizon seemed to stretch infinitely, with nond in sight. The gentle, rhythmic waves shimmered under the bright sun, creating an almost hypnotic effect.


    However, the serene silence was soon met by the unexpected arrival of a group of people falling from the sky.


    They were none other than Orion''s group, who had walked through the portal in the dungeon.


    "Ah, why are we falling?!?"


    "We are back in the ocean!"


    "We don''t have our boat."


    They didn''t expect that they would fall from the sky when they entered the portal, and because of that, they hadn''t prepared for this at all.


    Orion, who was among them, also appeared to be falling at breakneck speed. He felt wind rush through his face, causing the skin on his face to deform as he continued to fall down.


    He quickly took out his heavy sword as he fell and let it fly alongside him while he jumped on it by using attraction on his legs. Having done that, he flew upward while the rest of the group was still falling down.


    Noticing that, Orion frowned. He felt that at this rate, everyone would fall into the ocean. While falling in the ocean wasn''t a problem for them, he couldn''t help but remember the giant centipede. It was because of this beast that they somehow found themselves in that troublesome dungeon.


    ''Let''s help Famir and Ryfin.''


    He felt that he couldn''t help everyone so he decided he would help his friends first.


    "Famir, Ryfin, watch out."


    He shouted at them as he took out his other swords and let them fly towards them.


    Famir and Ryfin, when they heard Orion''s shout, turned to look towards him when they noticed two swords flying towards them, one for each other.


    A momentter, the swords reached them and flew at the same speed as they fell down beside them. Seeing that, they quickly held on to the hilts of the swords, which slowed down their falling momentum before they started floating in the air like Orion.


    At that moment, the rest of the group fell into the ocean.


    "Hey, are you guys alright?" Orion asked, seeing them fall into the ocean.


    We are fine," Ralf said as he looked at all his pirates when his attention was drawn to the group of transmigrators. "But I can''t say the same for these kids."


    Orion also saw that some of the kids among the group of transmigrators were doing fine making their way towards the surface of the water, while others looked like they didn''t know how to swim at all. They were trying hard to move towards the surface of the water and not drown.


    But as he looked at them, Orion felt helpless about it. He didn''t have any curses rted to water, nor would any of his curses be useful in helping them.


    He could only turn to Ralf regarding them.


    "Ralf," he called out to him. "Do something about them. They will either drown or die of suffocation."


    "I am already doing something," he said as he took both his hands out of the water. But his hands weren''t empty; instead,! they held a translucent sphere of water in them.


    "Everyone!" he shouted, looking at the ones who were in the water with him. "Come towards me."


    The group of pirates understood what their captain was nning to do, so they didn''t waste time and moved closer towards him.


    Meanwhile, the group of transmigrators also moved towards him, albeit very slowly. Some of them were trying hard to reach the surface of the water after they fell down deep in the ocean because of the speed at which they fell down in the water.


    Ralf had already taken them into consideration, so he kept moving towards the group of kids while the other pirates followed closely behind.


    A momentter, he reached close to the group of kids, and his pirates also floated beside him.


    Seeing that, he quickly pressed his hands onto the spherical ball of water, causing it to slowly expand in size. First, it was the size of a football, but after Ralf started pressing it, it expanded slowly and became asrge as him. But it was still not over, and a momentter, the spherical ball of water enclosed him within it and continued to expand.


    Before long, its size became massive enough to not only contain all the kids but also the group of pirates who stood close to Ralf.


    From up there in the air, Orion saw a huge spherical ball of blue floating above the surface of the water, and inside of it were a group of pirates and kids. They didn''t appear to be touching the water of the ocean, as the shell of the sphere, when it enveloped them, became solid enough to endure their weight while at the same time being light enough to float above the surface of the water.


    ''I wonder what Ralf''s curse is.''


    He thought as he looked at the spherical ball below him. He felt that Ralf''s talent appeared to be rted to water, whereas he didn''t have any curse that could be useful in water or a curse directly rted to water, so he thought it would be good if Ralf had a curse that coulde in handy to him.


    "Orion," Ralf called out to him at this moment. "Can you push this sphere in that direction?"


    He was pointing in a specific direction.


    Orion turned to look in that direction and saw only the blue ocean, as far as his eyes could see. There wasn''t even a silhouette ofnd in the distance.


    But he still trusted Ralf, thinking that he knew the ocean far better than him, so he must have a reason to go in that particr direction.


    "Alright," he said to Ralf as he flew towards the back of the sphere.


    Arriving there, Orion touched the outward shell of the sphere and started pushing it forward with the help of his sword, which carried him along.


    Slowly but steadily, the sphere of water started moving, and once it gained enough momentum, it became easy for Orion to push through and keep the sphere moving at a constant pace.


    As the sphere floated in the direction Ralf intended, Orion turned his attention to him.


    "Ralf, where are we going?" He asked, pointing in the direction they were moving. "What is it in that direction?"


    "That''s where thend is," Ralf said, looking at Orion. "Once we reach thend from here, the first city we encounter will be Starfall Bay. As the name suggests, it''s a bay for all the ships moving in the ocean to dock their boats."


    Orion nodded, but he wanted to know more about the situation in this ce.


    "So, what''s this ce called?" He asked Ralf. "Is this the Magus Kingdom?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ralf didn''t get suspicious over him asking this question because he knew the kids he kidnapped were mere orphans running here and there. They didn''t have much knowledge about the world they lived in, and he thought that since Orion was among the kids his pirates had kidnapped, he also mustn''t know anything about this ce.

 Chapter 79. Starfall Bay - 2

    Chapter 79. Starfall Bay - 2


    Therefore, Ralf didn''t think much about why Orion didn''t seem to know about this ce and introduced him to the basics.


    "The ce we are currently on is a 1-star called Sad," he said to Orion. Orion nodded, but more questions came to his mind.


    "What''s a 1-star?" He asked.


    "Well, a is categorised into three categories based on the overall strength of the," Ralf said. "They are 1-star, 2-star, and 3-stars. I don''t know much about 2-star or 3-star, but I have heard that on our 1-star, the strongest being is a gold-ranking individual. However, it has only been a rumor, and nobody has ever seen that individual, so it''s hard to tell if it''s true or not."


    Orion nodded. He couldn''t help but feel fascinated by the structure of power here.


    "Tell me more about Sad," he asked. "I want to know the basics of it."


    As Orion asked about Sad, Ralf''s face turned ugly all of a sudden.


    "I can''t tell you anything about Sad," he said, gritting his teeth.


    Orion frowned as he heard that.


    "Why can''t you tell me?" He asked, looking straight into Ralf''s eyes.


    "I-I just can''t tell you," Ralf said as he stammered, avoiding Orion''s gaze.


    Tension arose in the sphere as Orion looked intently at Ralf, who kept his head down and refused to look at Orion.


    "Ralf, I need to understand what''s going on. If there''s something dangerous or crucial about Sad, I have to know," Orion pressed, his voice firm.


    Ralf sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "It''s not that I don''t want to tell you, Orion. It''s that I can''t. Talking about Sad... it could put us all in danger. There are forces at y that are beyond what you and I can handle."


    Orion''s eyes narrowed. "Forces? What kind of forces?"


    Ralf shook his head. "The kind that can end our lives without a second thought. Just... trust me on this. For now, focus on what we can do here. You will know everything when we get there."


    Orion sighed. He couldn''t force Ralf to talk, nor did he want to. But he still had one thing he wanted to know after seeing Ralf''s suspicious behaviour.


    "Tell me, Ralf," he said, his eyes piercing straight at him. "You can''t tell me or you don''t want to tell me?"


    As Ralf listened to Orion, he gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead pulsing. Finally, he muttered some low, barely audible words.


    "I¡­can''t."


    Orion nodded as he heard him and didn''t pester him anymore.


    ''It seems there is definitely something suspicious going on this.''


    From what he could tell from thest question he asked Ralf, it seemed he was forced to remain silent and not talk about anything to anyone about the matters of Sad.


    ''Let''s just hope it isn''t anything serious.''


    He thought as he continued to push the spherical ball.


    ***


    After going on like this for hours, they could finally see something in the distance.


    ''Are they boats?''


    As they moved closer, Orion saw that it was a cluster of boats docked around thend. There were hundreds of boats, if not more, that he could see from the distance.


    ''There are too many!'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He could also see many boats making their way towards the docking position and many leaving, setting sail in the distance.


    Seeing so many boats for the first time in his life made Orion really excited about this ce and was looking forward to see what else it had that could draw his attention.


    Before long, they finally reached thend.


    However, as soon as they set foot on thend, a group of men came and surrounded them.


    Orion frowned as he saw that. But he didn''t take action and waited to see what they wanted from them.


    Most importantly, he could tell that they were some sort of guards because of the armor they wore and the weapons they carried.


    Their armour appeared to be made of the dark blue scales of some monsters, and they didn''t wear the full armour. They only wore the chestte. But they had the same emblem on their chests. It was the symbol of an illuminating sun.


    As for their weapons, they all carried a spear in their hands and a sword around their waist.


    Moreover, he could tell that they had the same aura as Ralf had, so he figured they were probably at Iron rank. All of them.


    "Ralf, where have you been?" One of the guards asked, and his face showed frustration. "We have been looking for you for days, and after not finding you for over a week, we thought you died with your crew."


    "We had an ident," Ralf said as he exined what happened to them. "Our boat first got destroyed by the sea centipede, and then we were stuck in a very unusual dungeon. It took us seven days to clear the dungeon and get out of that ce."


    The guards appeared surprised by Ralf''s answer, for they also didn''t expect such a thing to happen to him. But as their eyes moved towards Orion and the other kids standing behind Ralf, their faces turned to one of joy.


    Seeing that, Orion had a bad premonition.


    "Haha, it seems you didn''t forget your job even though you were stuck in the dungeon," the same guard, who talked earlier,ughed. "Since you havepleted your task, you don''t have to worry about your crew missing for a week. I will exin everything that happened to you to the general. He will be pleased to see a new batch."


    "Good," Ralf said enthusiastically. "I will leave them in your care then."


    As he said that, he turned around and started leaving Orion and the transmigrators here. His group of pirates followed closely behind him.


    "Ralf!" Orion shouted at him as he saw him leaving. "What is the meaning of this?" He asked.


    After hearing the conversation between the guard and Ralf, he understood everything. They had been betrayed and sold to these guards.


    Moreover, it seemed that even before they had ventured into the dungeon, Ralf''s n had always been to transport them to these people. But because of the huge centipede, it got dyed until now.


    However, aftering outside the dungeon, Orion hadn''t thought that Ralf would betray them. It didn''t even cross his mind at all.


    With how Ralf appeared to listen to his orders like a dog earlier in the dungeon and outside of it too, Orion felt that he neglected the shrewdness in those eyes of his because of that.


    As Ralf heard Orion''s shout, he turned to look at him, but there was a wide grin on his face, which seemed to be saying he had won.


    "What? What''s with that face? You look angry, Orion," he teased him. "But sadly, I can''t do anything about it. You see, if I don''t deliver you guys here, then I could only start counting my days, and believe me when I say I am the one who is most afraid to die. And since I don''t want to die, then I could only do what I was told to do."


    "You will regret it." Orion only said that and ignored him. There were far more pressing matters demanding his attention than the betrayal of Ralf.


    As he turned his head, he saw a group of guards with their weapons aimed at them, ready to attack at any moment.

 Chapter 80. Starfall Bay - 3

    Chapter 80. Starfall Bay - 3


    ''Should I make an escape?''


    Orion thought, looking at the guards, whether he should escape from here, but he felt the situation was way tooplicated.


    If he were alone, he would consider escaping through the curse of Dimensional Dissonance but he wasn''t. Even if he were to ignore the rest of the transmigrators, Famir and Ryfin were with them, and he couldn''t leave them behind. So, escaping wasn''t an option.


    As for fighting the guards, whose strength had reached iron rank, Orion had confidence he could defeat them. But the problem was that this whole port was filled with guards wearing the same armor with an illuminating sun etched on their chestte. This made him hesitate about whether he should fight or not. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If it were only these guards that surrounded them, then he could definitely defeat them, but he couldn''t do the same for all the guards who were walking around the port. He would ultimately get surrounded, and he would still have to take into consideration the safety of his friends and the group of transmigrators.


    ''Damn, what should I do?''


    In the end, he couldn''te to a decision and was stuck in a dilemma.


    ''Let''s calm down and talk to the guards. Maybe the situation isn''t as bad as I thought it out to be.''


    "What do you want from us?" Orion asked, looking at the guard who had talked with Ralf earlier.


    All the guards smiled as they heard his question.


    "We don''t want anything," one of the guards said yfully. "We just want you kids to follow us."


    Orion felt irritation rising as he observed their yful expressions. He had never liked being mocked, neither in his past life nor in this one. Seeing their delight in teasing him fueled his anger even more.


    But he didn''t show the anger on his face, nor did he let it control him. He suppressed it within him.


    "Where?" He then asked them. "Where do you want us to follow you, and why?"


    "Where? Hahahaha," the guard startedughing, hearing Orion. He then pointed in the distance where a huge mountain could be seen. "That''s where you kids will be following us."


    Orion turned to look in that direction and saw a huge mountain standing in the distance. He had already seen that mountain when he came here because it was just too big to be ignored, and even if he really wanted to ignore it, he couldn''t. It was just so big. Something that huge would always be in everyone''s vision, whether they wanted it or not.


    However, now that he observed the humongous mountain carefully, he saw that there were hundreds of rivers flowing down the slope of it from all sides and meeting with the ocean.


    They appeared likevaing out of the tip of the volcanic mountain, but instead it was watering from the tip of this bizarre mountain.


    He also noticed something very odd about this ce¡ªthe whole area he was in. As far as his eyes could see, there weren''t any buildings or houses built here, not even a hut.


    This made him very puzzled because he couldn''t understand where all the guards lived during the night. He also had a doubt whether this ce had any normal people living in it or not because this whole area appeared to bepletely barren; not even a single building or structure could be seen anywhere in this area.


    All his eyes could see were boats docked at the side of thend meeting the ocean.


    "What are you doing here with those kids? Bring them to Aethelgard City."


    At that moment, a very rough voice reached everyone''s ears. Orion turned to see that it belonged to a middle-aged man in his thirties.


    He had long ck shoulder-length hair, a very well-built body, and a cut mark on his nose that went from his left cheek to his cheek. And unlike the guards here, he didn''t wear any armor but a standard gray tunic that had the same illuminating sun emblem etched on the center of it as that of the chest tes the guards wore.


    As soon as the guards saw the man, they all kneeled to the ground on one leg.


    "You don''t need to be so polite," the middle-aged man said, his face expressing annoyance. "Just do what you are told."


    "As you order, General Jabal," the guards said in unison.


    General Jabal nodded as he looked at the guards before he turned to look at the kids.


    "Take them to Aethelgard City and kill them if they try to escape," he ordered the guards, his face twisted with cruelty as he looked at the kids.


    After that, he didn''t spare a nce at anyone and flew away in the distance.


    Meanwhile, the group of transmigrators cursed their luck as they heard what the middle-aged man said to the guards. They first transmigrated into a dungeon with hell-level difficulty, and now they find themselves in this situation. This really made the transmigrators wonder if they were cursed with bad luck during their transmigration.


    About luck, Orion believed that if the previous situation in the dungeon was just a coincidence, then this situation was definitely the result of his bad luck.


    ''It seems those who are with me will also be swept into this bad luck of mine.''


    He sighed, thinking about the current situation, and in the end, he decided to follow them.


    The decision was made after he saw the middle-aged man. He felt that the middle aged man was way stronger than the current him, and if he were to make any rash decision and act recklessly here, then he would probably be killed by that cruel man.


    "Bring them to the boat," the main guard, who had talked with Ralf earlier, said to the other guards.


    The rest of the guards didn''t waste any time and took out white bracelet-like things as they made their way towards Orion''s group.


    "Don''t do anything and just follow what they say for now," Orion whispered to his group.


    The group nodded to Orion. They also understood that, in the situation they were in, acting recklessly would do them no good.


    At that moment, the group of guards reached them and looked at them as if they were looking at a dead person.


    "Move your hand forward," one of the guards yelled at them.


    Orion didn''t know what they wanted to do, but knowing their current situation, he listened to them and moved his right hand forward.


    Immediately, one of the guards pped the white bracelet on his wrist, causing the bracelet to fit smoothly in his hand.


    Orion didn''t feel anything different after that and thought that maybe it was a type of tracker ced on them so they couldn''t escape.


    The same happened to everyone in the groups, but their faces turned to horror as the bracelet appeared on their wrists.


    "I can''t sense my mana!"


    "Me too! I can''t even sense my skills."


    "It must be this bracelet. It must be this thing''s doing."


    The group of transmigrators, along with Famir and Ryfin, felt that their connection to mana had been cut off. They couldn''t feel their mana, and even worse, they couldn''t sense their skills either. It was as though they returned to their former selves¡ªa normal human devoid of any strength.

 Chapter 81. Starfall Bay - 4

    Chapter81. Starfall Bay - 4


    Orion, hearing his group talk among themselves, felt surprised that this bracelet could have such power.


    However, since his body didn''t possess mana, nor did any of his curses require that, he didn''t feel anything when the bracelet was attached to him. To him, this bracelet was nothing but a normal bracelet.


    But this couldn''t be said for everyone; he felt that the situation turned worse for them because of this. Now, even if they wanted to escape, they wouldn''t have the guts to do so given their meager strength.


    "Follow us," one of the guards ordered the kids as they moved towards a boat in the distance.


    "Let''s go," Orion said as he took the lead, followed by Famir and Ryfin. The rest of the group hesitated for a moment, but they also followed behind the guards eventually. They were now weak as ants to these guards, so instead of angering them and dying a tragic death, they decided it was better to follow them. At least they could live a little longer.


    Before long, the group of guards reached in front of a boat, followed by Orion''s group.


    But as they reached near the boat, Orion and the others were surprised to see many kids of their age standing at the side. All of them had the same bracelet attached to them as they had, but unlike their group, they didn''t appear to be in despair but rather angry.


    And not just any anger, but deep seated hatred, could be seen in their eyes. It was as though, if the bracelets weren''t on them, then they would definitely have plunged on to the group of guards.


    "Lart, whose group do these kids belong to?"


    At that moment, one of the guards standing with those kids spoke to their guards.


    Lart, who appeared to be the leader of the guards that Orion and his group followed, turned to look towards the one who called him, and a smile graced his face as he saw that man.


    The man who called out to him was an old man of about forty years old who appeared to be wearing the same type of clothing as the pirates'' time.


    "It''s Ralf''s," Lart said, smiling. "However, because he had been missing for a week, he won''t receive the rewards."


    "Ah, so it''s Ralf''s group?" The man said this as he looked at the kids. "But they didn''t appear much better than the ones I brought."


    "Well, I don''t know about that," Lart shrugged at him. "So, how much longer will the boat leading to Aethelgard City take?"


    The man took out a pocket watch to check the time, and then he turned to Lart.


    "In about fifteen more minutes, we should be able to see the boat," he said.


    Lart nodded at him and stood there, waiting for the boat to arrive.


    ***


    Five minutester, another group of kids led by a bald middle-aged man whose one eye had an eye patch came near them.


    "Lart, it''s a surprise seeing you here, and you, Monty, you better be prepared to lose once again," the bald man said to both of them as soon as he reached there.


    "We will see," Monty snorted to the bald man''s sneer.


    As for Lart, he didn''t say anything and just nodded his head in response.


    Soon, ten more minutes passed when they heard the siren of a boat in the distance.


    Everyone turned their heads to see a boating towards them. However, unlike the guards and the two middle-aged men, the rest of the kids, including Orion, were shocked to witness the size of the boat.


    Orion felt that it was twice the size of Ralf''s boat before it had been destroyed by the centipede.


    He also noticed that, unlike the rest of the boats docked here, this boat had a g with the illuminating sun as its symbol.


    A momentter, the boat docked just beside them, and a gangway was lowered from the boat to thend.


    From the gangway emerged a man in his early twenties, apanied by a woman of the same age, both stepping down together.


    The man had long ck hair down to his shoulders, but part of it was strapped behind his head. He had a round face and a very round body. He wore a gray t-shirt, and above it, he wore a full shirt, but it wasn''t buttoned because of the excess fat in his belly.


    As for thedy, she appeared to be very beautiful. She had long gray hair tied to a pony and a face as white as milk, just like her skin. She appeared to be wearing blue armor on her body.


    Soon, they arrived before the group of people who wanted to embark on the boat.


    The woman scanned the group of kids, and a frown graced her face as she noticed an extra group of kids.


    "Today''s quota was two groups, if I am not wrong, right?" She asked, looking as her eyes darted towards Lart. "Howe there is an extra group here?"


    Lart immediately exined the situation to her.


    "Young Miss, it was because of Ralf''s team, who had been missing for a week because they got stuck in a dungeon," he said respectfully. "Today he managed to return and bring his share of the group that was meant to be delivered a week ago."


    The women nodded in understanding.


    "Alright," she said. "Take them to the boat. We will live in an hour."


    Lart and the other two middle-aged men nodded at her.


    "Just quietly get on the boat," Lart said to Orion and his group. "And don''t try anything funny. It''s for your own good."


    "Go and follow that bald man''s group," he further said as he pointed to the bald man.


    Everyone in Orion''s group looked towards the bald man''s group when they noticed that the first to climb the boat were the ones who were already here when Orion''s group arrived.


    The kids of their group climbed the boat one by one, led by the middle-aged man.


    A momentter, everyone climbed, and it was now the bald man''s group that turned to climb.


    "Go now," Lart said, looking at the bald man''s group climbing the boat.


    Orion took the lead and walked towards the boat, followed by Famir and Ryfin. The other transmigrators soon followed before him.


    As the kids from the bald man''s group climbed, Orion and his group also climbed the boat after them. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Once everyone boarded the boat, the man and the woman also climbed it.


    But as if remembering something, the woman turned to Lart.


    "Tell Jabal that we will need more stocks of kids in the future," she said. "Three to four stocks this whole week. Understood?"


    Lart nodded.


    "Good," she smiled as she boarded the boat.


    After some time, a group of people came and stepped down the boat, carrying heavy bags on their backs.


    Orion observed that there were about ten to fifteen people in the group, all carrying bags down the gangway.


    After they fully left the boat, the gangway was taken back inside the boat before the boat started moving back. Once it was at a safe distance from thend, it turned and set sail for the ocean.


    After they fully left the boat, the gangway was taken back inside the boat before the boat started moving back. Once it was at a safe distance from thend, it turned and set sail for the ocean.

 Chapter 82. Whirlpool

    Chapter 82. Whirlpool


    As the boat sailed into the ocean, Orion looked at the inside of the boat and thought of something.


    ''If we are going to that mountain, then why are we going in a boat?''


    From the moment they had climbed the boat, he had this question. He had thought previously that maybe they would go around thend and climb the mountain from other sides, but the boat didn''t go around the mountain; instead, it set sail in the opposite direction of the mountain.


    This made him wonder if the guard was lying to them when he said he would want them to go to the mountain.


    "You kids!" the man shouted at them. "Listen to me."


    Hearing him, Orion came to his senses and turned to look at the one who called out to them.


    "Tightly hold the boat, lest you fall, and we will lose some manpower." The man warned them with a sneer on his face. "Now go to that cabin and don''te out if I don''t say so." He pointed at the cabin in the middle of a boat.


    It was arge cabin, and it should be able to hold all the kids effectively.


    "Now go!" the man shouted impatiently.


    Orion and the others didn''t think much and headed to the cabin. Reaching there, they opened the door to it and went in.


    Inside the cabin, there were nothing but chairs lined up, and seeing that, Orion felt there would be around a hundred chairs, if not more.


    At that moment, the kids from the other group didn''t hesitate and sat down on those chairs.


    Watching them, Orion also went to one of the chairs and sat down peacefully, followed by his group.


    For a moment, nobody talked in the cabin, and a very tense silence ensued. Orion didn''t care about any of that and opened his status.


    ''Status.''


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Bronze]


    [Talent: Copy Curse: 9%]


    [Curse: Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption, Dimensional Dissonance, Velocity Burst, Sacrificial Renewal, Burdened Gravity, Frozen Torment, Detonating Flesh, Shattered Precision, Unbridled Fury, Unyielding Encasement, Energy Overload, Equilibrium, Constant Pull]


    [Strength: 12]


    [Stamina 11]


    [Agility: 100]


    [Perception: 11]


    [Constitution, 11]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    He then saw the new curse he copied from Runo when they handshakedst time.


    [Curse: Constant Pull]


    [Description: The curse of Constant Pull affects individuals who have the talent to manipte gravity. While they can control gravitational forces around them, this curse ensures that their own body is continuously subjected to an increased gravitational pull. This makes every movement a struggle, significantly limiting their physical capabilities and causing chronic difort.]


    As Orion read the description of the curse he copied from Runo, he felt it was simr to the Burdened Gravity he got from someone who had the curse of weight maniption.


    ''Maybe my weight will increase or decrease even more if I activate the two curses at the same time.''


    He thought as his eyes were drawn to his mastery of talent, which had reached 9%, one percent shy of the required mastery to reach the iron rank.


    ''Now all I need to do is increase all my attributes to the max and find five mutagens for five of my attributes. But where am I going to find monsters to hunt, and those five mutagens? I have no idea how I would get my hands on them.''


    He thought as he looked at his talent. He felt that his strength would increase significantly in the iron rank, and maybe with that improvement in strength he could do something about the situation he was in.


    But the irony was that this very situation made it difficult for him to upgrade to iron rank.


    As Orion thought about all of that, someone interrupted him.


    "Hey, why are you so serious?"


    Moving his head up, Orion saw that the voice belonged to ady. She appeared to be two to three years older than him.


    She had long, dark blue hair, matching blue eyes, and a face as beautiful as any actress Orion had seen on Earth. However, the most striking thing about her, in Orion''s eyes, was her clothing. She wore a ck full-sleeve shirt and ck jeans, a stark contrast to what a woman would normally wear.


    As for the question she asked, Orion wondered if she was an idiot. Who would ask such questions in the situation they were in? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Because I will die, I think," he also replied like an idiot.


    He thought that if the other person was teasing him on purpose, there was no reason for him to hold back from teasing her in return.


    However, the response he got was rather interesting.


    "Don''t worry," she said, smiling. "I will not let anything happen to you."


    Orion smiled as he heard her. He felt that the girl was really interesting.


    Meanwhile, Famir and Ryfin were also smiling slyly from the sides. They felt that there must be something going on between them.


    "And why would you do that?" Orion asked her. "It''s not like you know me or anything."


    Her face became sad all of a sudden as Orion posed the question.


    "Because you remind me of a brother I had," she said, her face full of mncholy. "He looked just like you, and seeing you so serious, I couldn''t help bute over to see you."


    As Orion heard her, he understood the reason behind her stupid question.


    "Well, I am not your brother," he said as he introduced himself. "I am Orion Darkwood."


    "I am Lisa," she said, extending her hand. "It''s nice to meet you."


    Orion nodded as he shook hands with her.


    "Look! What''s that?"


    At that moment, someone shouted.


    Everyone in the cabin turned to see that a kid was pointing at the only window avable in the room.


    "Let''s go see what it is," Orion said to Famir and Ryfin as he made his way towards the window.


    Nearing the window, he saw that almost all the kids were looking at the window, trying to catch what themotion was about.


    Seeing that, Orion also went closer to the window, but he couldn''t get too close because of the other kids gathered there. However, it was enough for him to see something in the distance.


    But what he saw in the distance caused him to break out in a cold sweat.


    He saw, just a short distance from the boat, a whirlpool spinning at an incredible speed. It wasn''t an upward whirlpool but a downward one, sucking all the water into its vortex as it rotated.


    What made Orion break out in a cold sweat was the size of the whirlpool¡ªit was almost ten, if not fifteen, timesrger than the boat he was on. To make matters worse, the boat seemed to be drifting towards it, oblivious to the impending danger.


    ''Are we again going to drown? Is it because of my sh*t luck?


    He cursed his luck, fearing they would drown once again. Yet he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was amiss. The immense size of the whirlpool should have been noticed by the others steering the boat. He couldn''tprehend why they hadn''t taken any action. If they had simply altered course a little earlier, perhaps they could have avoided this predicament altogether.


    But it was all hypothetical now; they hadn''t done what needed to be done, and the boat continued its course straight towards the whirlpool, teetering on the brink of being swallowed at any moment.

 Chapter 83. Underwater City

    Chapter83. Underwater City


    "The boat is going straight towards the whirlpool! Why aren''t they turning?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I don''t know. But at this rate, we will drown in the water if the boat gets swept into that whirlpool."


    "We have already drowned once, and yet we face the same fate again."


    The group of transmigrators, along with some other kids, eximed as they saw the whirlpool in the distance closing down. They couldn''t understand why the people steering the boat hadn''t taken any action yet.


    But amidst the exmations of the shocked group, a couple of kids stood out, appearing remarkably calm. They stared at the whirlpool with a serene demeanor, their eyes devoid of fear, as if the whirlpool held no threat for them at all.


    Orion noticed all of that and thought of something before he too forced himself to calm down.


    Before long, the boat finally neared the whirlpool, causing it to sway left and right as it continued to move forward.


    This caused everyone in the cabin to grab hold of the walls or anything stationary to avoid being thrown around by the swaying of the boat. But it did little to help them. As the boat drew closer to the whirlpool, the frequency and intensity of the swaying increased, making it harder for anyone to maintain their bnce.


    Even Orion was having a hard time controlling his body.


    ''There is no better time than now to use the curse of Constant Pull.''


    Therefore, without much thought, he activated the Curse of Constant Pull, generating a strong gravitational force from below. This instantly halted his swaying, anchoring his body firmly in ce.


    But at that moment, a kid came crashing down on him.


    "Thud!"


    He collided with Orion, who stood like a statue and didn''t move even after the collision. However, the same couldn''t be said for the kid who crashed into him; to him, it felt as if he had mmed into a massive boulder rather than a human.


    "Ah, sorry," the kid said as he stood up and apologized before quickly grabbing onto something for support.


    It wasn''t just this kid; everyone in the boat was in the same situation.


    Orion couldn''t do anything to help them, nor did he want to. He was determined to keep his abilities hidden, even from the other kids. It was his only card that could help him in this situation, and he didn''t want to risk exposing it.


    ***


    As the kids in the cabin struggled to maintain their bnce amidst the swaying, the boat reached the edge of the whirlpool.


    Before anyone could react, the boat was swept into the vortex. It began to revolve around the center of the whirlpool at a wild speed, its path tightening as the shape of the boat grew smaller and smaller, until the boat vanished entirely into the churning waters.


    Orion, seemingly the only one left standing in the cabin, watched as waves of water crashed against the window before everything turned blue.


    Panic gripped him momentarily as he feared the boat had submerged underwater. However, after a tense moment, he realized that no water was seeping in through the door of the cabin.


    The door wasn''t waterproof; water and wind could pass right through it. So, Orion couldn''tprehend why water wasn''t flooding in, especially when he could clearly see nothing but water outside from the window of the boat.


    As he wondered about the strange phenomena, Orion noticed the scenery outside the window had changed.


    The blue water disappeared and was reced by buildings.


    Orion couldn''t believe what he was seeing at that moment. Because as far as his eyes could see, only buildings and houses could be seen in the distance, along with trees and small forests.


    ''How did the boate here?''


    He clearly remembered seeing water outside the window of the boat, but now they appeared to have arrived onnd.


    This whole situation seemed bizarre to him.


    At that moment, the door to their cabin opened, and the bald man came in.


    "Get out of the cabin," he said, looking at the kids still lying on the floor of the boat. "We will be leaving soon."


    Hearing him, all the kids who were lying down stood up and got ready to leave.


    "Follow me," he said as he took the lead and walked out of the cabin.


    Orion and the group of kids didn''t waste any more time and followed the bald man from behind.


    Appearing out of the cabin, they were surprised to see buildings and houses in the distance, considering they thought they had drowned in the whirlpool.


    Meanwhile, Orion looked at the sky because that''s where their boat popped out from, at least ording to him. Looking at the sky, he noticed that it was waving unusually, like how water would wave in the ocean.


    ''So, the boat indeed came from there.''


    He felt that he understood some things, like that the whirlpool their boat had drowned in wasn''t an actual whirlpool but a means of transport, like a portal that would transport the boat here to this ce.


    After figuring that out, he looked around the area surrounding the boat, and it was then that he noticed that the boat appeared to be flying in the air.


    From that viewpoint, he could clearly see the boat going down, and the buildings and houses now appeared more clear to him.


    He then noticed the structure of the buildings here was rather strange¡ªstrange in the sense that they appeared different from the buildings he had seen on Earth.


    Unlike those on Earth, where most buildings were typically four-sided structures like rectangles or squares, or at most, deviations would still adhere to a polygonal shape.


    The buildings in this ce were theplete opposite. Not a single square or rectangr structure was in sight, which in itself wasn''t surprising. What caught Orion off guard was the absence of polygonal shapes altogether. Instead, the buildings took on circr or semi-circr forms, with a wide variety of designs. Some resembled waves in water, while others looked like clouds in the sky.


    Also, most of the buildings appeared to be blue for some reason.


    Witnessing the unique architecture andyout of this ce, Orion concluded that the culture and society of the three domains must be vastly different from those of Earth. He spected that only the Human Federation Realm, from which Runo''s team hailed, had the potential for a culture and society simr to that of Earth.


    However, he also noticed something unsettling about this ce as he observed the buildings. There wasn''t a single soul in sight, and the entire area seemed unnervingly quiet. It was as if all the residents of this ce had vanished long ago, leaving only the buildings behind.


    As Orion thought about all of this, the boat slowlynded on the ground.


    Looking around, Orion saw that there appeared to be a path right next to the boat leading to a gate in the distance.


    ''That''s where they nned to lock us in?''


    He didn''t know what they had nned for them, but hearing them refer to the group as "manpower" and "stock," Orion couldn''t shake the feeling that they were being coerced into some form ofbor or servitude.


    If things were truly as he suspected, Orion believed there might be something he could do to escape. However, if they were indeed confined to a ce without freedom of movement, the situation would undoubtedly be more challenging.

 Chapter 84. Aethelgard City - 1

    Chapter 84. Aethelgard City - 1


    "Go down," the bald man ordered the kids who stepped out of the cabin while he himself got off the boat first.


    Hearing him, Orion and the other kids walked down the boat andnded on thend before them.


    A momentter, the round man and the armored woman also got off the boat and came to their sides.


    "Let''s go," thedy ordered the baldie and the other guy as she led the way to the gate in the distance.


    "Follow us," the bald man said to the kids.


    Orion and the other kids could do nothing, so following them was their only option.


    "Let''s go," Orion said to Famir and Ryfin as he followed the bald man.


    ***


    After a moment of walking, they finally arrived before the gate.


    Orion observed the gate and saw that it appeared to be just a normal metal door. There was nothing special about it.


    At that moment, thedy took out a rectangr piece of purple paper the size of her palm and stacked it against the gate.


    Almost instantly, the purple paper shone with a brilliant purple light, causing everyone standing before the gate to close their eyes for a moment before everything returned to normal.


    However, Orion noticed that the purple paper she stacked on the gate was gone. He didn''t know whether she had taken it back or if it had just disappeared.


    He then saw that thedy lightly pushed the gate, and it opened without much difficulty.


    As the gate opened, everyone entered through the gate before it was automatically closed.


    ***


    As Orion and the other kids stepped through the gate, they found themselves standing in the middle of a city.


    The buildings here, however, were packed closely together, with some even stacked atop one another. This was entirely different from the orderlyyout he had seen outside the gate, where each building and structure was spaced apart, suggesting careful nning. In contrast, this ce appeared hastily constructed, with little thought given to its organization. Orion could tell that the chaotic arrangement was a result of rushed development.


    The city was just like the ones they saw outside the gate; however, unlikest time, it was bustling with people of all ages.


    The buildings here, however, were packed closely together, with some even stacked atop one another. This was entirely different from the orderlyyout he had seen outside the gate, where each building and structure was spaced apart, suggesting careful nning. In contrast, this ce appeared hastily constructed, with little thought given to its organization. Orion could tell that the chaotic arrangement was a result of rushed development.


    As Orion looked around the surroundings, he could notice that the people walking down the streets or standing around them all looked at the ones responsible for bringing them here with hatred in their eyes.


    "Leave them here and follow me to General Dray''s quarter," she said to the bald man and the middle-aged man who brought the kids here before turning her attention to the kids. "This is your home now, and before I leave, I will give you kids a piece of advice¡ªdon''t trust anyone here." She said this to them before she started walking in a certain direction along with the round man.


    The other two men followed behind the round man and the armoreddy.


    Orion and the other kids just stood there, watching their backs as they disappeared from their view.


    "What should we do?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe ask the people here."


    "Why are we here, by the way? What''s their purpose for bringing us here?"


    "Hey guys, did you notice we can use your mana and talents now? We can use our powers now!"


    The group of kids started talking among themselves as they stood there, not knowing what to do, when a kid shouted, saying they could use their talents once again.


    Hearing him, everyone hastily tried to use their talents and was pleasantly surprised to sense that they could use their powers now. They had felt hopeless when they lost connection to their mana and their talents earlier, but now that the bracelet was still on them, they could still use their powers for some reason.


    ''That''s very odd. They blocked our powers outside the gates but not inside.''


    Orion couldn''t understand why they had nned to do something like that, but he felt that things would be much easier if all of them could use their powers.


    "Hello everyone!"


    At that moment, a very loud voice sounded from their sides when they saw that a boy and a girl of about eighteen and sixteen years walked towards them, respectively.


    The boy walked with a smile on his face. He had neatlybed ck hair and a handsome appearance, with a perfect jawline and a face that seemed to always radiate warmth.


    Beside him walked a girl with long ck hair who appeared much younger than the boy. However, her face left Orion uncertain about how to feel. It was riddled with scars, giving her a menacing and disturbing appearance.


    As they neared them, the boy introduced themselves.


    "Hello, I am Vance," he said, smiling, and then pointed out the girl beside him. "She is Elyn."


    Orion was about to say something to them when a guy in his group took his chance.


    "I am Victor," he said, looking at the other two with vignce. "What is this ce?"


    Orion saw that Victor appeared to be one of those kids who appeared calm while the boat was sinking in the whirlpool earlier, but now it appeared he didn''t know about this ce.


    ''It seems he only knew about the city outside the gate but had no idea about this ce whatsoever.''


    He thought as he observed Victor, who appeared to be around sixteen years old. He had dark, golden hair tied in a ponytail and a very charming face. Victor wore a brown tunic paired with a blue half-coat that only reached his shoulders.


    As Vance heard Victor''s question, he smiled in response.


    "Victor, it''s nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand out.


    Victor hesitated for a moment before he shook hands with Vance.


    "Alright, before we discuss anything, let me take you guys to a ce," he said to them.


    "What ce?" Orion interjected. He didn''t want to follow a guy he just met in this suspicious ce. Moreover, he still remembered what the armoreddy had said to them when she left. She talked about not trusting anyone here, so he was just being careful about all of this.


    "You are?" Vance turned to him when he heard him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I am Orion Darkwood," Orion introduced himself. He didn''t know why he just couldn''t bring himself to say his name without adding Darkwood. It was as though whenever he mentioned his name ''Orion'', ''Darkwood'' came along with it automatically. But he didn''t care about this anyway since it didn''t matter if he told someone his full name or just his first name.


    "It''s nice to meet you, Orion," Vance said, smiling as he extended his hand in greeting.


    Seeing that, Orion helplessly shook his hands with him. He felt that Vance was way too happy for some reason, as he kept smiling regardless of the situation.


    "About what you asked," Vance said, looking at him. "The area we are going to is the ce you guys will need the most living here."


    "Just tell us already," Orion frowned as he asked him to reveal it.


    "Alright, alright," Vance sighed, looking at him. "It''s not fun at all knowing everything beforehand, but I will tell you since you are so suspicious about it. It''s a ce where you will live here... for the rest of your lives."

 Chapter 85. Aethelgard City - 2

    Chapter 85. Aethelgard City - 2


    As Orion and the other kids heard Vance, their faces turned ugly.


    Orion also frowned. He couldn''t imagine living here for all his life.


    Most importantly, he felt that this ce was more dangerous than he thought it would be if what Vance said were true.


    ''First, I need to know what''s happening here before I can decide anything!''


    Thinking of that, he turned to face Vance, his face solemn.


    "Did nobody ever leave this ce?" He asked, his eyes narrowing at Vance. "Tell me what''s going on in this ce. Why did the pirates kidnap us and bring us here? What do they want? Tell me everything you know."


    "Alright, I will tell you," Vance said as he looked at the serious expression on Orion''s face. "But not here; I will tell you on the way to your living area; let''s go."


    Orion nodded as he turned to look at all the others behind him.


    "Let''s go," Victor said to him as well as to the others, taking the lead in following Vance and Flyn.


    Orion signaled to Famir and Ryfin, as they also followed behind Vance.


    At the end, the other kids, who were hesitating about what to do, also walked behind Orion and the others. They didn''t know what''s best for them, but they felt relief in following the majority.


    As they started walking in a certain direction, Vance started his exnation.


    "This ce is called Aethelgard City, and if I am not wrong, you guys must have seen the huge mountain when you came here, right?" He said this, looking at them.


    Everyone nodded at him, confirming him.


    "This ce is just below that big mountain," he said. "As for what they want from us? I suppose it''s mana stones and mana crystals found at this mountain."


    "You mean we are used as ves here?" Orion asked, his face turned ck.


    "No, not ves, but like a worker without freedom!" Vance shook his head as he


    exined. "It''s like this-the more mana crystals or mana stones you provide, the better your living conditions will get. Also, with these mana stones, you can buy anything in this ce as long as you have the right amount."


    "Anything?" Orion asked, his eyes shining.


    "Yeah, anything as long as it''s avable," Vance confirmed as he looked at Orion suspiciously. "You want something from here?"


    Orion didn''t hide anything; he told him what he wanted, for he felt that it didn''t matter if anyone knew about this.


    "I wonder if they have mutagens and a monster core here," he said. "Some of us here really need these."


    "Haha, then you are in luck." Vanceughed lightly. "The caves inside the mountain where we mine are full of monsters. You can just go there and kill those monsters and get their cores and mutagens."


    Orion nodded. He felt that if he could upgrade his rank to the iron rank, then with all his curses, his strength should be equal to that of the silver rank. At that time, he would think about escaping this ce.


    ''I can just escape by hiding in the other dimension, but...''


    He understood that escaping this ce would be easy for him using his curse, Dimensional Dissonance. However, if he did that, he would regret leaving behind Famir and Ryfin. Also, now that he knew he could improve his strength here, he was determined not to let go of that opportunity easily. So, in either case, he would have to stay here for a while until he upgraded his strength.


    At that moment, they happened to pass through a very crowded area in Aethelgard City. Orion saw that the streets of this area were lined with various stalls. Some sold weapons, others armor, and still others offered items he didn''t recognize. There was no shortage of such stalls in the area. He even spotted stalls selling mutagens, with boards clearlybeled "Mutagens" at the top.


    People of various ages roamed the streets, many stopping by the weapon and armor stalls while others browsed clothing and other items. The bustling atmosphere contrasted sharply with the eerie quiet he had observed earlier.


    Overall, this area was bustling with all kinds of people.


    Vance saw through the curiousness of the kids after seeing such busy streets full of people. So, he told them some things about it.


    "This part of the city is called Market Street," he said, looking at the streets full of people. "It''s where you can exchange all the mana stones and crystals with anything to your liking.


    Everyone nodded at Vance''s exnation.


    As they walked past Market Street, they appeared in an area full of houses lined besides each other and some at the top of each other.


    Aftering to this area, Orion''s attention was immediately attracted by the biggest building in the far distance.


    It looked like a royal pce, standing tall and isted, with no other buildings in its vicinity. Four fortress-like brown pirs surrounded a central dome-shaped structure, atop which an illuminating sun was positioned. The grand architecture exuded an air of majesty and solitude.


    It looked majestic and grandpared to all the small buildings that appeared to have


    been built here in a hurry.


    "That, my friend, is something you shouldn''t pay attention to," Vance warned them about that building.


    "Why?" Orion asked.


    "That''s the ce where General Dray lives," he said as a little dread appeared on his face. "It''s said that nobody has ever returned after stepping ten miles around his quarter. We don''t know if it''s only a rumor or if there are some truths behind it, but we tend to stay away from General Dray''s quarter as much as we can. So, ignore that area as if it doesn''t exist; it''s for your own benefits."


    Everyone nodded with a grim expression on their faces.


    At that moment, Vance pointed at a row of buildings.


    "You see those buildings over there?" He said this, looking at them. "Just choose any from that area, but remember this: it''s only free for the first week of your stay here. After that period of time, you will have to pay hundred mana crystals each week to continue to stay here; otherwise, you will immediately get kicked out of these houses." Orion saw that these buildings appeared to be the same circr-shaped building he had been seeing sinceing to Sad.


    ''So, we have to pay a hundred mana crystals just to stay here. He thought.


    "Alright, just choose any of the buildings you want to live in," Vance said as he looked at them. "Tomorrow morning, I wille and show you the mining area where we usually mine to get our hands on the mana crystals or the mana stones."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After that, he told them some other basic things and left with Elyn, who hadn''t spoken the entire time.


    "Alright, let''s go and choose a building," Lisa said as she excitedly began to look at each


    building thoroughly.


    Orion didn''t waste any time on that. To him, all these buildings appeared to be the same, so he just chose a building.


    "I will see you guys tomorrow," he said as he looked at Famir and Ryfin before he walked towards the house he chose.


    As he neared the door of the house, it suddenly opened itself. Orion liked that and stepped inside the house as the door behind him closed down.

 Chapted 86. New Curses

    Chapted 86. New Curses


    As Orion entered through the door, the first thing he noticed was the theme of the house from inside, and observing all of that, he felt very surprised.


    From the outside, he knew the house appeared to be a spherical structure, but from the inside, it was hard to tell. As soon as he entered the door, the first thing he saw was a small hallway leading to another door not far away.


    The hallway appeared normal, simr to those on Earth, with rectangr edges and walls on either side. What caught his attention was that the walls weren''t painted. Instead, they were covered with grass, which initially made Orion think they were painted. Upon closer inspection, he realized the walls were actually covered with light blue grass, not paint.


    He hadn''t seen anything like that on Earth, so when he encountered grass used as paint, he was shocked.


    Most importantly, as he touched the grass with his hands, he felt its smoothness. He couldn''t understand how this wall of grass hadn''t withered and remained fresh all this time.


    ''This is so amazing.''


    He felt excited seeing new things, discovering things he hadn''t seen before, and encountering uses for objects he never imagined could be used in such ways.


    He loved discovering new things and exploring different things. There was a burning desire in his heart to explore¡ªto travel around the world, a dream he always had on Earth. However, due to his living conditions, he couldn''t afford to travel or embark on explorations, leaving his dreams buried deep inside his heart.


    Now that he saw something new, the deep seated desire awakened within him, and he couldn''t wait to explore this Aethelgard City.


    ''But first, I should take a bath. I haven''t bathed for a week, I guess.''


    He thought as he walked along the hallway and arrived at the door before him.


    Just as he was about to open the door, a thought crossed his mind.


    ''This ce has bathrooms, right? Or do I have to bathe, like in a river? That would be very embarrassing.''


    He shook his head as he opened the door. What appeared in front of him was a circr room with a bed in one corner, a table and a chair on the side, and a wardrobe beside the bed. Orion doubted whether there would be anything in the wardrobe.


    But he still went on to check there in case he would find something interesting.


    As he opened the wardrobe, to his surprise, Orion found some items inside. To his current self, they weren''t useless at all. In fact, they were exactly what he needed most, and he unexpectedly found them here.


    ''I guess my bad luck isn''t that bad. Now, let''s see where the bathroom is.'' n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He thought about his find as he turned around to look at the three doors around the edge of the circr room. He noticed that only one of the doors had something written on it.


    ''Mana Crystals.''


    He couldn''tprehend why a door would be marked with "Mana Crystals" written above it.


    Feeling puzzled, he opened the door and saw a white smoke floating in front of him, and at the walls, some more things were written.


    ''Put the mana crystals here.''


    After reading the inscription, Orion somewhat understood. If he wasn''t wrong, this ce would be where they had to pay for their mana crystals. However, he couldn''tprehend why a ball of white smoke floated in front of him, nor did he understand its purpose.


    ''Whatever, let''s find the bathroom.''


    Putting his thoughts about the mana crystal room aside, he searched the other two rooms. One was a training room, filled with various weapons and training equipment.


    Thest door finally led to where he wanted to go¡ªa bathroom. However, it was designed to resemble a medieval period bathroom, featuring a small pond with stones ced around its edges, a water source beside it, and a neatly maintained garden on the side.


    ''Let''s take a rxing bath.''


    He thought as he closed the door behind him and was ready to take his bath.


    ***


    A few hourster, Orion came out after taking a bath, and he felt refreshed after spending some time in the pond. It was the best he had ever felt sinceing to this world.


    ''These clothes fit me well.''


    He considered this as he looked at the new outfit he had donned. It consisted of a white t-shirt with a cor, over which he wore a blue full-sleeve shirt without buttons. The sleeves of the shirt weren''t long enough to fully cover his hands, reaching only to his elbows. He found this set of clothes in the wardrobe he opened a moment ago.


    He thenfortably sat on the bed and opened his status.


    ''Hehe, let''s see what I got.''


    He thought as he opened his status.


    ''Status.''


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Bronze]


    [Talent: Copy Curse: 9%]


    [Curse: Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption, Dimensional Dissonance, Velocity Burst, Sacrificial Renewal, Burdened Gravity, Frozen Torment, Detonating Flesh, Shattered Precision, Unbridled Fury, Unyielding Encasement, Energy Overload, Equilibrium, Constant Pull, Constriction''s Embrace, Torsion Vise]


    [Strength: 12]


    [Stamina 11]


    [Agility: 100]


    [Perception: 11]


    [Constitution, 11]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    Looking at the two new curses, a smile appeared on his face. He copied these two curses from Lisa and Vance, respectively, when he shook his hand with them earlier.


    [Curse: Constriction''s Embrace]


    [Description: The curse of Constriction''s Embrace afflicts individuals who possess the extraordinary ability to control and manipte small domains. While they can create and shape their own distinct areas of influence, this curse ensures that the more they use their talent, the more restricted and confined their own physical body bes. This curse manifests as a progressive and debilitating tightening of their personal space, leading to severe physical and psychological consequences.]


    [Curse: Torsion Vise]


    [Description: The curse of Torsion Vise afflicts individuals with spring-based abilities, ensuring that their own body is subjected to severe and deadly physical consequences each time they use their talent. This curse manifests as a brutal, internal force that progressively crushes and twists their bones, muscles, and organs, leading to excruciating pain and eventual physical breakdown.]


    He felt depressed as he looked at the description of these curses. He had copied them because the names sounded cool when the notification to copy the curse had disyed in front of him. However, now that he looked at their descriptions, he realized that these two curses only had cool names and nothing else.


    ''Is it because of my luck? I have copied three curses since my luck turned bad, and not a single one of them had any unique uses.''


    He sighed, thinking about his luck.


    ''System, remove the Torsion Vise from the curse list.''


    [Curse: Torsion Vise will be deleted, do you confirm?]


    ''Yes.''


    [Curse: Torsion Vise has been deleted sessfully.]


    He didn''t delete the Constriction''s Embrace because he felt it might have some use, though he wasn''t sure. He thought it would be better to first check how the curse affected him. So, without much thought, he entered the abyss of darkness and activated the curse.


    However, the moment the curse was activated, Orion felt all the negative emotions in his consciousness pour out into his mind. He visualized every moment of despair, sadness, fear of death, anxiety, and every instance of negativity he had ever felt in his two lives resurfacing in his mind.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    He clutched his head tightly in pain as he experienced those negative emotions over and over again, like a never-ending barrage flooding his mind nonstop.


    A momentter, the pain became too much for him to handle, causing him to lose consciousness as his body lifelessly fell onto the bed.

 Chapter 87. A Limit to his Talent

    Chapter87. A Limit to his Talent


    Orion''s bodyy on the bed for hours, and even after that, he didn''t open his eyes. It wasn''t until night that his eyes slowly fluttered open.


    As he opened them, he felt puzzled, wondering how he could have fallen asleep all of a sudden, before it hit him like a bolt of lightning.


    ''What was that? That felt so painful and¡­disturbing.''


    He finally remembered how he had fallen asleep, and when he recalled what had happened, he trembled in fear. He couldn''t exin how he felt when all those negative emotions hit him, but he was sure he wouldn''t want to go through something like that ever again.


    It was as though he were experiencing all the torments he had been through in a loop. One after another, those negative moments kept flooding his mind, causing him to repeatedly experience all those moments.


    But that wasn''t the worst part. He felt that those negative moments affected him too much, and the emotions he felt at that time were at an all-time high. It affected him far more than it ever had when he actually went through all of that.


    ''But why did that happen?''


    He still couldn''t understand the reason behind that.


    ''System, what happened to me a few hours ago?''


    Therefore, he asked the system, hoping it knew something about it.


    [The host''s talent¡ªCopy Curse¡ªand the host''s ability to wield those curses without any drawbacks only work when powered by the negative emotions in the host''s body. However, the curses the host copies also carry arge amount of negativity within them¡ªthe umted negativity of all the people from whom the host has copied their curses over time.


    Having one or two curses won''t affect the host much, but if it continues to umte as the host copies more and more curses, the host''s consciousness will ultimately reach its limits, resulting in a bacsh of torments of negativity pouring out.]


    As Orion heard the system''s exnation, he understood everything, but this also made him frown.


    If it were as the system said, then wouldn''t he be unable to copy any more curses since it would only result in bacsh if he were to copy more curses? That meant he would have to remove his current curses to make way for the new ones.


    His face turned gloomy as he thought of that, but he still asked the system for confirmation.


    ''System, you mean that I can''t copy any more curses?''


    [No, the host can continue to copy curses, but not in the bronze rank anymore. The host''s mind has already reached the limit of how many curses it could hold in the bronze rank. So, if the host wants to continue to use his talent, then the host must upgrade his rank to iron rank as soon as possible.]


    ''So, it''s only in the bronze rank.''


    Orion sighed in relief as he heard the system.


    ''Let''s see if the new curse is worth keeping or not.''


    He thought as he activated the curse, but nothing seemed to happen to him, and as a result, he felt disappointed. When he read the description of this curse earlier, he had thought that being restricted would feel like being enclosed inside some kind of invisible wall, but now he felt that he had overestimated the curse.


    He then asked the system to remove the curse of Constriction''s Embrace as well. He felt that this curse wasn''t worth keeping.


    [Curse: Constriction''s Embrace will be deleted; do you confirm?]


    ''Yes.''


    [Curse: Constriction''s Embrace has been deleted sessfully.]


    After that, he went to his training room and looked at the description of Unyielding Encasement once again.


    He had considered using this curse in his fight with Quent, but he never got the chance to do so. In fact, he had never even used this curse before and didn''t know what its effects were. So, now that he had some time to himself, he wanted to see how this curse would affect him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Let''s see how it goes.''


    He thought as he used Unyielding Encasement only in his right hand.


    Almost instantly, a hexagonal-shaped red light condensed out of nowhere. It was only the size of his finger, but the next moment, these hexagonal-shaped red lights began to condense inrge numbers before they started joining each other like a honeb and spreading to all parts of his hand, enclosing his right hand in the encasement of the red honeb-like structure.


    Orion felt amazed as he witnessed all of that. He then touched the encasement with his left hand and found it as tough as metal, if not stronger.


    He realized that if he hadn''t had the curse of Null Body, he would likely be in pain, as this encasement would have trapped his right handpletely in a confined space, causing him to lose control of his hand due to the confinement.


    He remembered having copied this curse from Rena, who had the talent for force field, so now he could understand how this curse would affect her.


    ''I could use this curse to form ayer of armor covering my whole body, and along with the absolute defense provided by the curse of Electrostatic Disruption, my overall defense would increase a lot.''


    He felt that this was the best way he could use this curse.


    After checking out his curse, Orion returned to his bedroom and jumped onto his bed, seeking some rest.


    Although he had slept when he lost consciousness earlier, he hadn''t felt any refreshment from it. Since it was night and there wasn''t anything pressing for him to do, he decided to have a good sleep.


    As hey on the bed, exhaustion quickly overtook him, and he fell asleep a momentter.


    ***


    "Knock!"


    The next morning, a knock sounded through the main door of Orion''s house, which supposedly woke him up from his deep sleep.


    He then opened the door and saw that it was Lisa who hade.


    "Vance is waiting for us at Market Street," she said excitedly. "Are you ready?"


    "Ah, give me a minute," Orion said as he quickly went back to his room and came back a momentter. He only washed his face with water and came back, thinking he would batheter tonight.


    "Let''s go," Lisa said as she saw himing back.


    Orion nodded as they both walked out of his house. He only saw Famir and Ryfin waiting for him here.


    "Hey, Orion," Ryfin called out to him as soon as he saw him. "You really sleep a lot."


    "Haha, sorry about that," Orion apologized as he turned to ask. "So, where is everyone?"


    Famir''s face turned ugly as Orion asked about the other transmigrators.


    "Don''t worry about them," he said angrily. "They are fine with their new friends."


    "What do you mean?" Orion asked in confusion.


    "You will understand when we get to Market Street," Famir said to him. "So, let''s go. We are alreadyte."


    Orion nodded as he walked with Famir, Ryfin, and Lisa towards Market Street.


    As he walked, Orion couldn''t help but wonder what had happened to the other transmigrators. He spected on various scenarios but dismissed them as mere spection, choosing not to dwell on them.


    A few minutester, they finally arrived at Market Street. They then headed to the ce where they had first met Vance.


    Upon arriving, Orion was surprised to see quite a number of people gathered there. It was more than he had seen the previous day. The crowd buzzed with energy, and he could feel the anticipation in the air.


    "Haha, look who decided to show up."


    However, at that moment, a very mocking voice interrupted his observation.

 Chapter 88. Looming Death

    Chapter88. Looming Death


    Orion turned around when he heard the voice and saw that it came from a kid about eighteen years old.


    At that moment, he also noticed the group of transmigrators. They were standing among five separate groups, each led by someone he hadn''t seen before.


    Observing them, Orion realized why Famir had appeared angry when he mentioned them. The situation was moreplicated and tense than he had initially understood.


    ''It seems they joined another group. But it''s fine for me.''


    He felt that it was better this way. He wouldn''t have to worry about them anymore.


    As for the one who had just shouted, he belonged to one of the groups standing there.


    However, Orion ignored him and turned to look at Vance, who was smiling apologetically for reasons unknown.


    "Vance," he called out to him. "Let''s go."


    Vance nodded and was about to say something to him when another mocking remark sounded before everyone.


    "Look at these trashes; they think they can get enough mana crystals with their measly group. I bet they will spend all their time fighting the monsters there and won''t have the time to mine."


    Orion sighed, hearing the taunts. He didn''t like violence, but that didn''t mean he would allow anyone to trash talk him. Once was fine, but doing it again was challenging his guts.


    He didn''t know what they wanted from him, but he could tell they were intentionally trying to provoke them.


    Moreover, with his anger issues, it would be a miracle if he didn''t get angry after being mocked repeatedly for no reason.


    Therefore, he turned to the guy, who couldn''t control his mouth.


    "What are you looking at?" The guy sneered when he saw Orion turn to look at him. "You trash wh¡ª"


    However, he couldn''tplete his words because a hand suddenly came out of nowhere and held onto his neck.


    The teammates of the guy Orion was holding by the neck were shocked when they saw this. But they soon came to their senses and started shouting at Orion.


    "Let go of him!"


    "What are you doing?"


    "How dare you do this to one of our gang members?!"


    Orion smiled at them as he heard them.


    "Why was he trash talking?" He asked, looking at them. "Who told him to do something like that?"


    Nobody said anything about what Orion asked, but one of the people who appeared to be the leader of the team stood out.


    "But what you are doing is wrong," he said, looking at his teammate, who appeared to be struggling to breathe. "Just let him go, and we will forget about this."


    Orion was about to say something when he felt a sudden surge of fear, causing all the hairs on his body to stand on end. In an instant, he sensed death looming over him, prompting him to swiftly turn around. There, before him, was a needle the size of his finger, poised just inches from his forehead.


    Realizing he had no time to react with his usual curses, he knew he had only one option left. He could use a curse, but it would require him to apply it directly to his head since he didn''t have much time to apply it to his whole body.


    Thinking of that, he swiftly activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and only made his head tangible, causing the needle to pass right through his head.


    He sighed in relief, thinking he had escaped death, and was about to look who had attacked him when he heard an angry shot.


    "What did you do to him?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Orion felt puzzled, but when he turned his head to look at the guy he was holding, he saw the needle he just avoided had pierced the guy''s neck.


    "What the!"


    He felt shocked when he saw that, and before he could react to it, the body of the guy he was holding, started to have cracks appear all around his body, and a momentter, his body turned to bloody mush and fell down to the ground, causing Orion''s hand to turn bloody while a small river of blood flowed down the ground.


    Looking at his hand dripping with blood, Orion trembled a little. He couldn''t believe the guy he was holding ended up dying because of that needle.


    While he was shocked by the sudden turn of events, the people in the area who were watching the little y were also shocked to witness the guy turn into a pool of blood all of a sudden.


    "You killed him!"


    "How could you kill him over something like that?!"


    "You are a monster."


    "You are a ruthless killer who kills without batting an eye."


    Everyone felt scared of Orion as they saw that before they started shouting at him for killing a guy just because he mocked him.


    Even Famir, Ryfin, and Lisa couldn''t believe that Orion really killed him. They all felt shocked.


    From everyone else''s point of view, it appeared as though it was Orion who killed him, as he was the only one who was holding the guy when he ended like that.


    Moreover, the needle was too fast and too small to be noticed by anyone here.


    Meanwhile, the person in question, Orion, was in a nk state. He still couldn''t believe what happened just now. He only wanted to scare that guy into talking about why they were mocking their team but he never thought things would suddenly take an unexpected turn.


    ''Did I kill this guy?''


    He questioned himself as he heard people ming him and when he turned to look at Famir and Ryfin, they were also looking at him in a strange way. From their look, Orion could tell that they also believed he killed him.


    "I didn''t kill him," he shouted, looking at them, looking at everyone. "It was¡­it was a needle¡ªa needle that killed him. That wasn''t me."


    However, his shout was met with nothing but disgust, as nobody seemed to believe him, and a little bit of doubt about whether Orion really did kill him or not faded away when they heard such a stupid reason from him.


    Looking at their suspicious faces, Orion felt helpless and didn''t know what to do. Although he himself felt a little guilty about that guy''s death, but that was it; he didn''t feel anything else. After going through so much blood and death in the dungeon, he was starting to get ustomed to it.


    Earlier, he was just shocked when that happened, but now that he had calmed down, he knew he didn''t do anything wrong. If he hadn''t dodged that, then maybe it was him who would have turned into a pool of blood, so what he did was only for self-defense.


    He then turned to Vance, who suddenly looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes.


    ''So, nobody believes me, huh? But it doesn''t matter anyway. I don''t need anyone. I just need to know where the mines are.''


    Thinking of that, he took one of his flying swords, hopped into it, and flew away.


    "Stop him!"


    Someone shouted, but Orion was too fast, and before they could do anything, Orion disappeared from their sight.


    ***


    A momentter, Orion arrived before the shade of a building, and after looking around and finding no one, he used the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and disappeared from that ce.


    After that, he once again headed towards Market Street.


    Upon arriving there, he waited¡ªwaited for Vance to take his ''friends'' to the mine.

 Chapter 89. Mutagens

    Chapter 89. Mutagens


    While he waited, Orion saw that no one came looking for him. He had thought that maybe some police or someone responsible for managing this ce woulde looking for him since he ''murdered'' someone in daylight.


    ''It appears I thought too much.''


    As he looked around the area, he observed that he didn''t see Elyn with Vance this time.


    ''Maybe she is busy or something.''


    He thought as his darted around looking for someone. He was sure that the needle that killed that guy was aimed at him¡ªtargeted him. So, there had to be someone who attacked him.


    But what he couldn''t understand was why someone would want to kill him? He just arrived to this city yesterday and yet someone wanted to kill him and they might have seeded if not for his unique curses.


    ''Who would want to kill me?''


    He looked around the whole area for any suspicious people but he didn''t find one after searching for a long time.


    He knew one thing about the one who tried to assassinate him and that was that they weren''t amature people. They were proper assassins, from what he could tell by their attacking methods.


    Nobody would use needles in a fight until and unless they were forced to or they wanted to kill their enemies in silence.


    ''It seems they escaped.''


    He thought after finding no one here. So he just waited for the group to make their way towards mine.


    A whileter, the area where they stood became packed with people.


    It was then that Orion felt tremors all around the area, and his body started shaking as a result. But it was just a little tremor; it didn''t do anything besides that.


    However, just as when he felt everything was fine, Orion noticed something.


    He saw that the ground where they stood, around a radius of a hundred meters, was slowly but steadily pulled down. As a result, the ground and all the people on it began to descend downward at a stable pace.


    Orion was shocked when he saw this. He couldn''t believe his eyes. He had thought that they would have to walk towards the mining area, wherever it was, but he hadn''t thought that it was just below them.


    At that moment, he understood why this area was so crowded during this period of time.


    ''It''s probably because it''s around this time that the ground descend towards the mining area.''


    The ground continued to descend for a few more seconds before it came to a stop. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Orion looked around and saw that they appeared in an area where all he could see were cave entrances. He also saw many other people roaming around those entrances.


    "Just go to any of the cave entrances," Vance said to his team. "Don''t worry about this passage. It automatically goes up and down ten times in an hour, so you won''t have to worry about anything."


    Orion, who was hiding in the other dimension, also heard him. He then saw that Ryfin, Famir, and Lisa went into one of the caves and disappeared from his vision.


    Looking at their backs, Orion recalled how they hadn''t trusted him on ount of killing that guy.


    He understood that if he were in their shoes and if Famir and Ryfin were in his ce, then he would also probably think that they killed him. But he would definitely ask them what clearly happened before jumping to conclusions.


    ''Huh, I don''t need any friends.''


    It wasn''t like he had any friends back on Earth, so it really didn''t matter if he had any in this world or not.


    He had epted Famir and Ryfin as his friends because they were around the same age group as him when they were on Earth, and they had gone through life and death situations together, so he thought they would understand him better, but now he realized that sometimes it''s better to be alone.


    Orion didn''t waste anymore time thinking about useless things and also went into one of those cave entrances. He also came out of the other dimension.


    As he walked along the cave, he observed that the cave was pretty big, and all around him, he could see sparkly blue shiny particles around the wall.


    He spected that they were left behind after the mana crystals were dug out from there.


    He increased his pace but eventually came to a stop a momentter because he saw a monster blocking his path.


    The monster appeared to be a four legged beast like a wolf, but at its head and the sides of its body, there was a pointed, driller shaped structure.


    As the four legged monster noticed him, it immediately ran towards him with his head pointing in his direction.


    Orion noticed that as the monster ran towards him in a berserk way, the driller at its head started spinning.


    ''So, that''s it''s attack?''


    He thought as he took out one of his flying swords.


    As the monster neared him, he quickly sidestepped to the side, dodging it''s attack, and shed with his sword, causing the head of the monster to fly out.


    ''Too weak.''


    He thought as he waited for the corpse of monster to disappear but after a few minutes of standing there, nothing seemed to happen to monster''s body at all.


    ''Do monster''s corpses not disappear outside the dungeon?''


    Orion wondered as he waited for a few more minutes before he felt sure that monster''s corpses really not disappeared outside the dungeon.


    ''That means I have to physically cut its body to look for core.''


    He felt that it was too much work for hiszy ass. But he still went to cut its body.


    After taking the core out, he absorbed it.


    [Perception increased by 1 point.]


    He asked the system to randomly distribute his stats to all his remaining attributes and the first thing it increased was his perception.


    As he looked at the beast''s body pieces, he wondered where the mutagens were found because he hadn''t seen anything that could be called a mutagen.


    ''System, where are the mutagens of this monster?''


    He asked his system about this.


    [Mutagens are present in the core of monsters but if the cores are used to absorb for stat points, the mutagens inside bes dead.]


    ''So you are saying the core of the monsters contains both stat points and mutagens?''


    [Affirmative.]


    ''Then why haven''t I seen the option of absorbing mutagens and only seen the option of asking to absorb the stat points?''


    [It''s because the host needs to be at the peak of bronze rank to see that option and in host''s case, the five attributes needed to be at maximum points. Also, one simply cannot absorb the mutagens from the core of same rank monsters as themselves. The core needs to be one rank higher or more than the rank of individual wanting to absorb the mutagens. Otherwise, the individual won''t see that option.]


    As he heard the system''s exnation, Orion understood many things he wasn''t clear about. But he still had one more thing to ask.


    ''Is there a difference between absorbing the mutagens from low rank monster core and a high rank one?''


    [Not in particr. An individual who absorbs a high rank core and wants to break the limits of his agility attribute would find his speed faster than the individual who breaks the same limit with low rank core.]


    ''So it does matter.''


    He thought. That also meant he would have to look for five high rank monsters for his five attributes.


    ''I will be busy these days.''


    Orion thought as he headed deep into the cave.

 Chapter 90. Mana Crystals

    Chapter 90. Mana Crystals


    As Orion walked deep into the cave, he didn''t see any mana crystals on the way. This made him frown.


    However, after walking a little more, he saw a shining crystal the size of his finger embedded in the wall of the cave.


    His eyes sparkled as he finally found one, but one wouldn''t be sufficient for him. He had a n in mind, and for that, he would need at least a hundred of them.


    ''Let''s get one first.''


    He thought as he took out his sword and dug out the crystal embedded on the wall with the help of it.


    He held the mana crystal in his hand as it cast a gentle blue glow over his face. However, he didn''t feel anything from the mana crystal. It felt as though it was like any other stone he would find in the cave.


    ''System, is there any way I can use the mana crystals?''


    [Negative.]


    Orion sighed as he heard the system.


    At that moment, he felt ground, and the walls of the cave trembled a little. and before he could react, a centipede dug out of the wall at his right side came straight at him, intending to eat him in one gulp.


    ''Damn!''


    He instinctively held the teeth of the centipede with his two hands when it was about to devour him, causing the centipede to crash him into a wall as it continued to head forward.


    However, Orion still hadn''t let go of its teeth.


    Seeing that, the centipede became angry and continued to move deeper into the cave as it broke walls after walls, crashing Orion''s body first as it came into contact with the walls.


    As Orion felt his back bombarded with walls after walls, his eyes unexpectedly caught a glimpse ofinto a small cave full of mana crystals, but before he could think of anything, the centipede crashed him to another wall as it continued to move forward.


    ''There are so many mana crystals and this monster core will also definitely give me some extra stat points.''


    He thought as he continued totch onto the teeth of the centipede and activated the curse of Frozen Torment in the meantime.


    White smoke began to release from his hands, and before the centipede could react, the teeth Orion had been holding all this time started to freeze, and not only that, but theyer of frost also entered its mouth, causing it to slowly freeze down wherever theyer of frost went.


    Not long after, the movement of the centipede slowed down, and slowly but steadily, its outer shell also froze into ice popsicles as the centipede came to a halt.


    Orion then used the curse of Detonating Flesh causing his hands to glow in a purple glow, which in turn caused the head of the frozen centipede he had been holding to turn purple as well.


    Seeing that, he jumped backward a little and detonated the bomb he had nted.


    Bang!¡ª


    The head of the centipede exploded into pieces of ice crystals before him.


    After that, he took out his sword and dug the belly of the centipede for a moment until he found its core.


    As he touched the core with his hands, a notification appeared in Orion''s vision.


    [Do you want to absorb the core?]


    Orion nodded and a momentter, the core turned into dust particles. Almost instantly, he felt a soothing feeling wash over his whole body. It felt very rxing to him.


    After that, he quickly traced back the movement of the centipede before he found himself standing in front of a small cave full of mana crystals.


    He quickly took out his three swords and let them run havoc here, and a momentter, a small mountain of mana crystals was ced in front of him. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing no one around, he used the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and stored them in his pocket dimension.


    ''I am rich, hehe.''


    He thought as he hopped into the other dimension and walked out of the cave.


    He then appeared at the base of the ground elevator, where arge number of people stood.


    ''They are probably waiting for it to go up.''


    Waiting for the ground elevator to take them up, Orion opened his status in the meantime and checked his stats.


    [Strength: 13]


    [Stamina 12]


    [Agility: 100]


    [Perception: 12]


    [Constitution, 11]


    ''Last time I absorbed the core of that wolf-type monster, my perception increased by one and this time my strength and my stamina each got a stat point.''


    He thought as he examined his status. After that, he waited, like everyone else, for it to move up.


    A momentter, the ground trembled a little before the ground elevator started to move up, and in no time, they appeared at the Market Street of Aethelgard City.


    Now that Orion was back here, a problem arose in his mind. He didn''t know if it was really a problem or not.


    He thought that since people here think he killed someone, how would they react when he wanted to buy something from them with mana crystals? Would they reject him or would they not care about what had happened earlier?


    ''I guess I will find out.''


    The things he wanted to buy were the mostmonmodities here. It was food, so it didn''t take Orion much time to find a food store. In fact, he saw many food stalls near the area where he ''killed'' that guy, so he intentionally looked for one at the back end of Market Street, and the store he stood in front of was that one.


    He found one thing very amusing about this store, and that was that it was a store and not a stall. It had a separate building specially designed to sell food, unlike the stalls he had been seeing all around the market area.


    As Orion walked inside the store, he noticed that the store was unusually empty whenpared to the hustle and bustle of the stalls around Market Street.


    "Hohoho, a customer is here! What an asion! What an asion!"


    When Orion was looking around the store, he heard an old man''s voice, causing him to promptly turn around.


    He then saw an old maning out of a door inside the store. He had a well-built body, better than anyone he had seen. His white hair appeared neatlybed to the side, while his white beard looked well trimmed. He wore a pitch ck shirt with matching pants.


    "Ugh, I need food worth the whole week. How much would that be?" Orion asked him.


    "Hehe, that would be around a hundred mana crystals," the old man said, smiling as he sat on the only chair in the store. "But since you are my first customer in a while, I will give you a 50% discount."


    For some reason, Orion had a feeling this old man was a fraud because he doubted anyone would give a 50% discount to a customer. Even his reason seemed far-fetched to him.


    But since fifty mana crystals wasn''t much for him, he decided to see how it would go.


    He then grabbed the pouch he had made, took out fifty mana crystals, and ced it on the table.


    The old man smiled, seeing the mana crystals, and then shouted at the door behind him.


    "Ely, bring the food."


    A momentter, the door opened once again, and Orion was surprised to see Elyn walk out from there. She was the girl with the scratch mark on her face. He had met her along with Vance when they first arrived here.


    He saw her carrying a big bag full of food and ced it on the floor. After that, she took the mana crystals and traced her steps back to where she came from.


    Orion wanted to say something to her, but he didn''t get a chance at all. Feeling a little embarrassed, he took the bag full of food and quickly walked out of the store.

 Chapter 91. Skull Masked Assassin

    Chapter 91. Skull Masked Assassin


    As soon as Orion made his way out of the store, he caught a glimpse of something happening just outside the store that made him frown heavily.


    He saw ady, around twenty years old, begging a man holding a sword. Besides them stood a girl of around five years old who continuously tugged thedy''s cloth as tears rained down her cheeks.


    "Mama¡­let''s go, mama¡­mama."


    Her words, choking with tears, were barely audible, but Orion could still hear her.


    Looking at that, Orion couldn''t stand still. Even more so now that he had strength to help them. It wasn''t his sense of justice or anything noble that made him want to help them. No, he just felt that if he had the strength to help them, then he should. But he didn''t know what he would have done if the man standing in front of thedy wasn''t an iron individual but a silver or gold rank individual.


    "Hey, get out here!" he shouted at the man as he activated the curse of Unbridled Fury, trying to create a strong momentum. As a result, parts of his skin turned red, and the hair on his head started to have little shades of red.


    Almost instantly, a strong momentum released from him so when the man turned to look at him, the momentum directly pressed down on upon him. This made the man think that Orion''s strength was almost the same as him if not and he didn''t want to have a battle of death so without any hesitation, he ran with his tails between his legs.


    Orion smiled as he saw that. He hadn''t had much hope this would work, but it seemed either that man was way too cowardly or he was simply too smart.


    ''If he wants to kill someone, then he probably is not a coward. That means I''m a genius.''


    He nodded to himself as he thought that and made his way towards thedy and the little girl.


    Seeing himing closer, the little girl ran towards him and hugged him.


    "Big brother¡­thank you¡­.mama and I will go now¡­.take care."


    "Alright, it''s fine. I made the bad guy run away," he said as he touched her head. "You are safe now."


    "Big brother, I will go now," she said, but tears hadn''t stopped rolling down her cheeks even now. "Take care."


    As she said that, she ran towards her mother, and at that moment, Orion saw something very suspicious. He saw that thedy¡ªthe girl''s mother¡ªheld her up and fled away as if she were afraid of something.


    ''Do I look like a monster? I have bathed yesterday, you know.''


    He thought to himself as he made his way towards Market Street.


    However, he only took a step when the feeling of death came again. It was more urgent than the previous one he had, causing his back to instantly clench with sweat.


    Turning around, he finally saw what made him feel the terror of death again. It was a needle¡ªlike the previous one¡ªflying straight at his forehead and was only an inch away from making contact with his forehead.


    Seeing that needle, Orion felt cold all over. He vividly remembered what had happened to that guy, and he definitely wouldn''t want to turn like him.


    Therefore, feeling the impending death, he instinctively activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and made his body tangible but it was at that moment he found to his horror that his body didn''t turn tangible. He tried again but got the same result¡ªfailure.


    He was sure that his body didn''t turn tangible. Previously, whenever he had made his body tangible, he always felt like his body had turned into a feather¡ªfloating in the air¡ªbut now he didn''t feel anything. It was as though he hadn''t used the ability of tangibility at all. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Damn it.''


    He didn''t know what caused this, nor did he have the time to ponder about it.


    He had only one option left for him now, and that was to use the ability¡ªthe absolute defense of his curse¡ªElectrostatic Disruption, but he also understood that he didn''t have much time to form theyer of the absolute defense.


    However, he had an idea but he didn''t know whether it would work or not.


    ''F*ck it.''


    He gambled on hisst idea and focused straight at the needle''s pathway and after roughly determining where it would hit his forehead, he made ayer of absolute defense the size of the tip of his finger at that area of the forehead, causing a red dot to appear.


    In the time he had, he could only form ayer of that size; anythingrger than that would require him more time, which he, for God''s sake, didn''t have.


    After that, he could only hope that his luck, which had been bad the whole time, causing him to cross paths with these assassins, would remain as bad and wouldn''t turn worse at thest possible moment.


    Shhk!¡ª


    Orion stared with his eyes wide and saw that the needle, at thest possible moment, changed direction and hit the ground, causing a portion of the ground where the needle hit to turn into powder.


    He sighed in relief, but he didn''t dare to let his guard down and looked around, trying to find who attacked him while activating theyer of absolute defense at the same time.


    After a moment of looking around the area, he didn''t find anyone, but he felt a little safe now that his absolute defense had been activated.


    "Quite a few tricks you got there."


    A very strange voice sounded, causing Orion to instinctively turn around towards the source.


    He then saw that, not so far from him, stood a man with a skull-shaped mask adorning his face. The narrowed eye holes of the mask appeared to be glowing with a deep red color, while the mask itself appeared matte ck with a silver color outlining the whole skull.


    Orion felt a very ominous premonition as he stared at the mask.


    "Tell me, how should I kill you?" The man asked, his voice sounding very low pitch. "You have made me waste two precious Hades'' Needles."


    "Why did you want to kill me?" Orion asked. He understood that some assassins wanted to kill him, but there had to be a reason for that. They simply wouldn''t just go around killing people¡ªnot assassins. At least that''s what he knew about assassins from all the novels and movies he had read and watched on Earth.


    "Why do you ask?" The man said this as he tilted his head. "I don''t know, and I don''t want to know. You are just on my killing list, and even if I knew about that, I wouldn''t tell you since you are going to die anyway."


    Orion cursed the shameless assassin as soon as he heard him. First, he sneak attacked him not once but twice, and after his sneak attack failed, he now wanted to attack him openly.


    But he didn''t want to openly fight him. He could sense the strength of the masked man was around silver rank because the masked man gave him the same feeling as General Jabal did when he met him the other day.


    And he didn''t have any confidence in defeating those of the silver rank, at least not right now.


    He could just hide in the other dimension and escape from here, but that would mean exposing his life-saving trump card in front of an assassin and all the people on Market Street who had been peeking at their fight right now.

 Chapter 92. A Clever Escape

    Chapter 92. A Clever Escape


    Therefore, Orion couldn''t just vanish from here, even if he wanted to.


    ''There must be a way I can escape.''


    He looked around the area, thinking of anything that would help in his aid.


    "Don''t look around," the masked man sneered. "Nobody is going to save you."


    As the words left his mouth, his body disappeared from where he stood.


    Almost instantly, Orion felt a chilling sensation all over his body, and before he could react, he felt a slight pain in his heart and found his body hurtling through the air, crashing through stalls upon stalls.


    ''Damn, what kind of speed was that?''


    He only witnessed the mask man disappear, and at the next moment, he found himself crashing through the stalls on Market Street.


    It was his first time seeing someone move so fast. Moreover, he felt fortunate that he had already activated his absolute defense; otherwise, this attack would have caused his demise.


    He felt that whatever weapon the man attacked him with, it was pointed and sharp like a sword and was aimed straight at his heart, and it was hisyer of absolute defense that negated the attack at thest possible moment.


    However, it still couldn''t stop the momentum of the attack, causing him to feel a slight pain near his heart. But it quickly went away as Orion used the curse of Sacrificial Renewal.


    "What happened?" The masked man appeared surprised. "How did your body get sted like a broken kite? How did you survive that?"


    Orion knew the answer to that. The mask man''s attack was swift and deadly, meant to kill him in one strike without creating any disturbance like an assassin. However, because of hisyer of absolute defense, the attack couldn''t get through him, which caused the momentum the masked man carried when he arrived in front of him to transfer to him. Hence, his body got sted back.


    That also meant his absolute defense would work against the silver rank individuals; however, unlike the bronze rank ones and some weak iron rank ones, it couldn''tpletely deflect the attack, but at the same time, it wouldn''t directly cause him any harm, aside from the momentum being transferred to him whenever someone strong would attack him.


    But of course he wouldn''t tell him about it, and he also wondered if he could use the momentum to make an escape here.


    "You are lucky, kid," the masked man uttered, his voice tinged with irritation. "But you won''t be lucky for a long time."


    The masked man once again disappeared and appeared in front of Orion, his knife heading straight towards Orion''s heart.


    Orion was prepared this time and put his hand in front of his heart for precaution, thinking in case his absolute defense failed him.


    "You think I will make the same mistake?"


    The masked man sneered before he once again disappeared from Orion''s sight and appeared behind him, but this time his hand carried a sword with him, which was aimed straight at Orion''s heart.


    If the masked man were standing in front of Orion, he would see a smile appear on his face. Yes, Orion was smiling. It was because his n had worked.


    At the moment, as the masked man''s sword came close to Orion''s heart from behind, it suffered an intense force of repulsion, causing the sword to not move forward, but this time the masked man appeared prepared as the sword that was just an inch away from Orion''s heart suddenly extended at its tip, causing it to move straight towards Orion''s heart.


    However, it still failed to prate Orion''s heart because, at thest possible moment, a red hexagonal-shaped light condensed at the point his sword was about to strike.


    Hence, his sword only collided with the red hexagonal-shaped structure, causing sparks to release from their collision.


    Almost instantly, when the sword and the red hexagonal-shaped structure collided, Orion found his body once again hurtling through the stalls of Market Street before he slowly came to a halt.


    But at that moment, his body was under the pile of debris and broken stalls he had broken along the way, so no one could see him underneath those rubbles. He used that opportunity to activate the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and hop into the other dimension.


    Meanwhile, the masked man frowned underneath his mask. He felt that his attack had collided with something solid this time, unlike thest time where he felt his knife had almost hit the target''s heart. But the result in both cases was the same: his target got sted back by the force of his attack.


    He went towards an area full of rubble and dust and used his sword to remove them, but after a moment of searching there, he found no trace of Orion.


    At that moment, he heard a mocking voice from somewhere.


    "You know, you are the most useless assassin I have ever met. You can''t even kill a bronze-rank weakling like me with your silver-rank strength. Sigh¡­ I wonder how this world will fare if trash like you were born. Anyway, I hope I don''t see you ever again with those useless assassination tricks of yours."


    The masked man trembled as he heard him. He had never been insulted like that before in his life. Moreover, by a brat, he wanted to assassinate.


    "Damn it."


    He cursed as he looked around the area, searching for where the voice came from. But after a moment of scouting, he didn''t find a trace of Orion. Frustrated, he vanished from the area.


    In the only store among the horde of stalls on Market Street, the old man inside smiled as he witnessed all of that.


    "Interesting," he said. "An assassin from Hades Reapers tried to assassinate a kid but failed. You don''t hear something like that."


    "Grandfather, why would the Hades Reapers try to kill a kid?" Elyn, who stood beside the old man, asked him. "As far as I know, they are the most mysterious organization in the three domains and wouldn''t go around killing a kid."


    "I don''t know about that. They are too mysterious," the old man said, shaking his head. "Last time I heard, they seemed to be looking for some specific individuals in the three domains. But I don''t know if it''s rted to that."


    He pondered for a moment, thinking deeply about something, before he looked at her granddaughter.


    "I know this kid," he said, smiling.


    "You know him? How?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "If my memories serve well, then this kid is the youngest son of Barion Darkwood, the Magi King of the Blitz Haven in the west."


    "Magi King Barion? But how do you know him?"


    "Five years ago, Barion brought his youngest son to me. He wanted to know why his son didn''t have mana and if there was anything I could do to help him. So, I checked him, and to my surprise, it turned out this kid didn''t have any talent at all. He was born only with a curse."


    "How can that be possible? There has never even been a record of someone born without a talent and only with a curse. And what you said also appeared to be wrong because he seems to have a talent; otherwise, he wouldn''t survive this assassination."


    "That''s what I am thinking. I was pretty sure he didn''t have any talent when I checked himst time, but now he appears to have one. Most importantly, he doesn''t seem to remember me at all. I spent a week talking and ying with him when I was diagnosing him, but now it seems that something has changed since then."

 Chapter 93. True Perfection

    Chapter 93. True Perfection


    Orion was standing in the other dimension, wondering why his body hadn''t be tangible at that time.


    At the time of the battle, he hadn''t paid too much attention to that, but now that he had some time, he pondered about it.


    ''Let''s try again then.''


    He used the curse of Dimensional Dissonance to make his body intangible, but again ended up in failure.


    However, this time he noticed something shining around his right thigh.


    ''What''s that?''


    He looked closely and saw that it was a square-shaped, thin metal box the size of his nails.


    Picking it up, he observed it carefully and came to a shocking conclusion.


    ''This is a technological device. How could it appear in the Magus Kingdom? I haven''t seen a single thing rted to science here on Sad at all.''


    He wondered as he looked at the device carefully.


    ''It must be that little girl who attached this to me when she hugged me.''


    Orion was sure that it was that girl who did this. Other than her, he hadn''t gotten close to anyone who could have done this.


    ''It seems all of that was a facade to put this device on me. The assassin only saw me using my intangibility ability once, and he came up with a countermeasure.''


    He felt even more d that he didn''t showcase his ability to vanish into thin air; otherwise, he feared the next time they would meet, the assassin would definitely have the counter to his move.


    Also, he felt pity for thedy and her kid. Because of him, they were swept into all of this.


    ''I hope they are fine.''


    He thought as he headed to the mining area.


    ***


    Arriving at the entrances of the countless tunnels just below Market Street, Orion chose one tunnel randomly and walked inside.


    ''I need to have all my attributes at max in a week.''


    He thought as he headed deep into the cave.


    ***


    A week passed by as Orion was busy maxing out his attributes.


    In the cave where he was hunting monsters for their cores, only the corpses of monsters and blood could be seen all around.


    At this moment, Orion was sitting on a rock nearby, drinking water, as he observed his stats.


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Bronze]


    [Talent: Copy Curse: 10%]


    [Curse: Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption, Dimensional Dissonance, Velocity Burst, Sacrificial Renewal, Burdened Gravity, Frozen Torment, Detonating Flesh, Shattered Precision, Unbridled Fury, Unyielding Encasement, Energy Overload, Equilibrium, Constant Pull]


    [Strength: 100]


    [Stamina 100]


    [Agility: 100]


    [Perception: 100]


    [Constitution: 100]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    ''All my attributes have finally reached their maximum potential, and even my mastery of talent has reached 10%. Now all I need is some high-ranking cores for mutagens.''


    He thought as he happily looked at his status.


    Ghh!¡ª


    ''What was that?''


    He suddenly heard a monster cry. He had be ustomed to these criestely, as he had been doing nothing but hunting for a whole week.


    Standing up, he silently moved towards the area where the cry came from and saw a two-headed snake lying there.


    He was surprised to see this monster because the aura it released made Orion believe that the monster was at the silver rank.


    Moreover, the two-headed snake appeared heavily injured as ity on the ground.


    ''Looks like it''s going to die soon.''


    A very devilish idea came to Orion''s mind at the moment. He thought that he should steal its core and ran away before the one who damaged the two-headed snake could arrive.


    The temptations of a silver rank core were just too great, and because of this, once the idea of stealing came to his mind, he couldn''t let it go.


    ''It''s not stealing if no one sees it.''


    He thought as he quickly took out his heavy sword and severed the two heads of the snake with a swing.


    He then quickly dug out its core and ran away.


    However, he didn''t go far when a golden beam of light came straight at him.


    ''It seems I am toote.''


    He thought as he took out his heavy sword and blocked the golden light.


    At that moment, he saw whose prey he had stolen. He saw that it was a golden haireddy, but he couldn''t see her face as she appeared to be wearing a rabbit-style mask on her face.


    "You!" She yelled at him. "Return my silver rank core."


    "What core?" Orion feigned ignorance. "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "Shameless!" She once again yelled at him. "It was you who stole the core from the two-headed snake that I painstakingly injured."


    Orion felt a little bad for her, but he didn''t want to give her such a precious treasure after he had gotten his hands on it.


    Moreover, from the aura she was releasing, he could tell she was at iron rank, so there wasn''t any need to fear her. He could just escape from her if he needed to.


    He also wanted to check his strength after he maxed out all his attributes. He felt that he was significantly stronger than before, but he couldn''t tell how much, and she just happened toe at the right time.


    "You mean this?" He asked, taking out the core he had dug out of the two-headed snake.


    "You really are the one who stole it!" She said, her eyes wide. "Now, give it back to me."


    Orion smiled as he put his sword down.


    "You want this?" He said it, smiling. "Then take it."


    The girl in the rabbit mask felt irritated as she heard him.


    "You will regret it," she said angrily as she held her right hand toward him. As if casting a spell, five mini golden light swords materialized, revolving around her hand.


    These five golden swords then flew towards Orion like five golden rays of light.


    But Orion neither activated his absolute defense nor made his body tangible. He just stared closely at the five swords moving toward him.


    A momentter, these golden swords arrived before him.


    It was then that Orion took action. He flicked his finger at the first sword, causing it to get deflected and crash into the wall of the cave. He then moved both his hands in quick session, causing the remaining four swords to get deflected as they crashed into the walls.


    The masked girl who witnessed all of that was shocked to the core. She couldn''t believe a person in bronze rank just deflected all her swords so effectively.


    She herself knew how lethal those golden swords were. She believed that even those in iron rank would have a hard time facing those swords. But the one in front of him handled those swords as if they weren''t lethal attacks but mere toys. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Meanwhile, Orion nodded in satisfaction. He felt that it was an overall increase in strength, stamina, perception, agility, and constitution that gave him this overwhelming power. His senses were sharper, his movements more fluid, and his endurance seemingly limitless. All these enhancements made him feel invincible, as if there were no challenge too great or enemy too formidable.


    By maxing out all his attributes, he had achieved perfection in bronze rank¡ªtrue perfection that no one had ever achieved¡ªand no one had ever thought of achieving that.

 Chapter 94. Three Divine Ways Resurfaces

    94 94. Three Divine Ways Resurfaces


    After assessing his strength, Orion turned to the masked girl standing in front of him.


    "You aren''t my match," he said as he dismissively waved his hand. "Just go away before I turn serious and harm you."


    "Hehe," the girl with the maskughed a little. "I admit you are strong for someone at the bronze rank, but you are still nothing in front of me."


    As her words left her mouth, a very intense pressure released from her, causing the ground beneath her feet to crack.


    Almost instantly, wisps of golden light began to leak from her body, and in no time she was surrounded by the golden light all around her.


    "T-that¡­," Orion was shocked, feeling the familiar pressure and seeing her familiar state; he felt like he was having a Deja Vu.


    At the same time, when Orion was feeling shocked, the golden light surrounding the masked girl began to move towards her back and condensed into a golden ball the size of her fist, hovering behind her back.


    "That''s the Three Divine Ways."


    Orion finally uttered these words after seeing her transformation. He couldn''t believe his eyes and was so shocked that his jaws were hitting the floor. He had never thought that someone around his age would really learn the Three Divine Ways.


    He had experienced for himself how difficult it was to learn the technique and had thought that only some seniors would be able to truly practice it.


    Yet before him stood a girl no older than sixteen who had already mastered the first stage of the Three Divine Ways.


    "Now I will let you witness the difference between our strengths," the girl in the mask said before she disappeared from her position.


    A momentter, she was in front of Orion with a golden sword in her hand, but the sword didn''t reach him because a hand in a red glow caught the sword before it could reach him.


    Orion used the absolute defense in his hand at thest possible moment because he felt that the new golden sword in her hand would slice right through his hand if he were to catch it barely.


    He then tightened the grip on the sword, causing cracks to appear on its surface before the sword broke into pieces like mirrors.


    The girl in the mask quickly stepped back, seeing that, and once she was at a safe distance from Orion, she pped her hands together.


    As if responding to her call, the golden sphere behind her began to spin violently, releasing three balls of light each towards her on either side and above her head.


    Almost instantly, these three balls of light transformed into a golden dragon, a golden phoenix, and one other entity Orion didn''t recognize. The entity appeared to have three heads and four limbs.


    Seeing such a wonderful use of the Three Divine Ways, Orion''s mouth became full of water. He couldn''t help but want to learn this technique; however, remembering the difficulty of learning, he cursed the seven generations of those who invented such a difficult technique.


    He then sighed as he summoned his other three swords to counter the three monsters, but at that moment, someone interrupted their battle.


    "Hey guys, why are you fighting?"


    Orion and the maskeddy both turned to see a boy around their age with milk-colored white hair standing before them.


    Meanwhile, Orion suddenly felt a sense of inferiority as he looked at that smiling face that was oozing with handsomeness.


    ''Why is this guy so handsome?''


    He cursed the original owner of this body for not being handsome, and he also cursed the neer for being too handsome.


    "Can you guys help me?" The neer said his face turned slightly red with embarrassment.


    Orion wondered what''s wrong with this guy. They were in the middle of fighting, and this guy needed help from them.


    He sighed as he turned to look at the girl in the mask.


    "We should stop," he said to her as he gave her the silver rank core. "Here, take it."


    He felt that the masked girl wouldn''t stop if he didn''t give her the core and thought that he could get his hands on some high quality cores himself. He just had to grind more for that.


    The masked girl epted the core and was about to go on her own way when the white-haired guy called out to her.


    "Hey, don''t go," he said, a little flustered. "I need you two''s help."


    "What help?" Orion asked as he raised his eyebrows.


    "I think I am lost," the white-haired guy said weakly. "I don''t know how to get out of here."


    Orion had the urge tough when he heard him, but he controlled himself.


    "Don''t worry," he said, assuring him. "I also want to leave this ce. So, just follow me."


    "Thank you," the white-haired guy thanked him.


    Orion nodded and turned to look at the girl in the mask.


    "Are you also leaving?" He asked. "If so, then we might as well go together."


    She nodded.


    Seeing that, a small but subtle smile appeared on Orion''s face.


    "Alright, then let''s go," he said as he took the lead.


    The white-haired clumsily followed behind.


    The girl in the mask also walked behind them.


    As they walked along the cave, the white haired guy introduced himself.


    "By the way, I am Ron," he said. "It''s nice to meet you guys."


    "I am Orion Darkwood." Orion nodded as he also introduced himself.


    At that moment, the atmosphere became a little awkward as Ron kept looking at the masked girl, hoping to get her name.


    Seeing that, Orion facepalmed himself.


    "Ron, listen here, buddy," he said, getting close to him and whispering in his ear. "Don''t you see her wearing a mask? She definitely doesn''t want others to know about her or her name."


    "Ah, sorry, I didn''t think of that," Ron said as he tilted his head.


    Orion shook his head as he wondered if this guy had some screws loose or something.


    After a few minutes of walking, Orion felt something was wrong. They shouldn''t have been that deep in the cave for it to take so long to walk out. However, he also considered that, in the heat of the battle with the monsters, he might not have noticed how far he had gone.


    But as more time passed, he realized something was definitely wrong. After walking for nearly an hour, they still hadn''t found the exit of the cave.


    Finding this situation peculiar, he turned to look at the masked girl.


    "Tell me I am the only one who feels that there is something wrong here," he said as he looked at her with a solemn expression.


    "As much as I want to agree, I can''t," the girl in the mask shook her head, saying. "We should have reached the entrance of the cave by now, but we haven''t. That only means there is indeed something wrong here."


    Orion''s face turned ugly as he heard her.


    "Has this happened before with others?" He asked her.


    "I have been here for a year, but I haven''t heard anything like it," she said, shaking her head.


    "Maybe we really are lost," Orion said after thinking. "We should walk for another hour or so; maybe we will find the exit."


    The girl in the mask nodded at him.


    However, after another hour of walking, Orion realized the bitter truth: they hadn''t lost their way; there was indeed something wrong with the cave itself because even after another hour they still didn''t find the entrance of the cave, and Orion had a feeling they had only been walking in circles.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 95. Shura

    95 95. Shura


    As Orion pondered what to do in the situation they found themselves in, the girl in the mask turned to him.


    "Orion, right?" she said, her voice calm. "I think we are stuck in a loop¡ªa never-ending loop. But it''s just my spection, and we need to be sure of that before wee up with any n. So, I''m going to walk backward, and if I appear from the front, then my guess is true."


    "A loop?" Orion also had a feeling that they had been walking around in circles. Other than that, he couldn''t exin why they hadn''t reached outside even after walking for two hours.


    But a loop never came to his mind. As far as he understood loop, if they were really stuck in it, then their situation would turn bad to worse in no time. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Alright," Orion agreed with her decision.


    The girl in the mask nodded as she walked backwards towards the other end of the cave, while Orion gave his full attention to the front of the cave. He hoped that it was just her spection and that she wouldn''te from the front.


    However, all his hopes turned into despair when he noticed a silhouette appeared at the front.


    ''Maybe it''s someone else.''


    He thought, but as the silhouette got closer, he finally saw the person he didn''t want to see. It was the girl in the mask who came from the front.


    "It''s really true," she sighed. "We are really stuck in a loop."


    "Is there a way we can escape the loop?" Orion asked. "And how did wee inside a loop anyway?"


    "My grandfather told me that there are many ways to escape a loop, but he didn''t mention anything specific, as most of the ways required strength at the gold rank or above," the girl in the mask said. "He also said that if I were to find myself in a situation like this, then I shouldn''t worry and act calmly."


    "That''s it?" Orion frowned, a little frustrated with her. "Your grandfather knows so much about loops, and the only thing he mentioned about escaping is to act calm."


    "Why are you scolding me?" She appeared clearly dissatisfied with Orion''s words. "I am trying to help you, you know."


    Hearing her, Orion realized he had spoken in the heat of frustration.


    "I am sorry." He apologized to her for that.


    After that, the atmosphere became a little awkward. Nobody said anything; they just stood there. The silence grew heavy, each person uncertain of what to say or do next.


    Meanwhile, Ron looked at the two of them and pondered deeply. As dull as he appeared to be, he wasn''t a hopeless case. He could understand they had arrived before a problem here.


    But there was one thing he didn''t understand.


    "Guys," he called out to them as he pointed at the right wall of the cave. "Don''t you see the door here?"


    "What door?" Orion asked as he looked around. The girl in the mask also looked in the direction Ron pointed; however, they didn''t see anything besides the brown wall surrounding them.


    "The door in front of us!" Ron eximed as he saw that they didn''t see anything. "It''s right there." He pointed in the same direction as earlier.


    Orion frowned as he once again looked around, but it ended with the same result as earlier. He didn''t find the door Ron mentioned. The cave walls were smooth and unyielding, with no sign of an entrance or hidden passage.


    "Are you sure you aren''t seeing things?" He asked Ron.


    "No, I am sure there is a door right there," Ron said, pointing at the wall.


    Orion became silent as he heard him. He pondered whether Ron was seeing things or if they were having a problem with their visions. Doubt gnawed at him as he scanned the cave once more, trying to discern any detail they might have overlooked. Were they under some kind of illusion, or was there a trick to finding the door that they hadn''t yet discovered?


    "Why don''t you open the door?" The girl in the mask asked Ron. "Maybe that way we will escape the loop."


    Orion also nodded from the side.


    "Alright, I will open the door," Ron said as he walked in front of the door and opened it.


    Almost instantly, the world around them shattered into pieces before they found themselves standing in front of an altar. The cave walls dissolved like fragments of a broken mirror, revealing a grand chamber illuminated by an eerie, otherworldly light. The altar stood at the center, ancient and imposing, covered in cryptic symbols, and surrounded by an aura of power.


    "How did we end up here?" Orion wondered as he observed the area they suddenly appeared in. "What is this ce?"


    "I don''t know," the girl in the mask said. "But at least we escape the loop."


    "You see, the door was indeed the solution to our problem," Ron happily said. "But for some reason, only I could see that door."


    Orion nodded at him, but he couldn''t understand why only Ron could see that door.


    But he didn''t think about that too much and observed their surroundings. He saw that they appeared in a rectangr hall made up of ck square-shaped bricks.


    At the side of the walls, torches had been ced that illuminated the whole area, and in the middle of the hall stood a circr altar where a sword gleaming in blood red was stabbed atop the altar.


    However, as the trio''s attention was drawn to the sword, they suddenly trembled a little, for they felt an intense bloodlust emanating from that sword, causing their backs to drench in sweat.


    "What a terrible sword!" Orion eximed.


    Ron and the girl in the mask nodded. They, too, felt fear upon ncing at the sword.


    "We should leave this ce as soon as possible," Ron said worriedly. "This ce is giving me creeps."


    Orion nodded and turned back to see that the door they hade from was still open.


    "Let''s leave this ce," he said, looking towards the girl in the mask.


    However, she shook her head as she pointed in the distance.


    "Look there," she said. "There is something written on the wall behind the sword."


    Orion turned to see that behind the sword, a wall was indeed there, but he couldn''t see clearly there because there weren''t any torches in that wall, causing that area to be a little dim.


    "I can''t see there," he said, turning to her.


    As the girl in the mask heard him, she condensed a small golden ball, shining brighter than any torches in the hall, and moved it behind the sword.


    The light from the ball illuminated the intricate engravings on the altar and cast long shadows across the chamber. The golden glow revealed hidden details and symbols that had been invisible in the dim light.


    At that moment, Orion could see everything in that area clearly. He also saw the writings she mentioned inscribed on the wall.


    "I am Shura, one of the nine Title Gods with the title of God of ughter and, at the same time, one of the 99 Elder Gods. If any humans are seeing this, then read carefully, for what I am about to tell you may very well decide the fate of your race''s entire existence."


    Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation! Support the story with power stones and golden tickets.


    ShinGotLost

 96. War Between Four Races

    96 96. War Between Four Races


    As Orion and the other two read the first line, they were shocked. They couldn''t believe that this was written by a god¡ªGod of ughter himself.


    At that moment, Orion remembered Isis, the Goddess of Immortality. He recalled how she mentioned something about the existence of gods and how only a few could ever see a god.


    "Do gods really exist?" Ron asked.


    "They do exist."


    "They don''t exist."


    Ron tilted his head as he looked at both of them because the answer he got waspletely opposite from each of them.


    "Why do you believe gods exist?" The girl in the mask asked Orion. It was she who said the gods didn''t exist.


    "I don''t know," Orion said, shaking his head. "But I do believe in the existence of gods." He just couldn''t tell her that his belief came from meeting a literal goddess.


    "If gods do exist, then no one would have to suffer in pain. But there are billions of people who have to go through something like that," she said, her voice shaking in anger. "If gods do exist, then why don''t they do something for them? For those who are suffering to live a normal life."


    Orion didn''t know what to say to her. So he could only distract her mind from this.


    "Let''s read the rest of it," he said as he turned to look at the wall.


    "I heard Isis¡ªone of the seven Title Gods was sealed. I don''t know the reason behind it, but I do know that the remaining Title Gods areing for me now. They areing for my sword, I believe."


    "Me and the remaining seven Title Gods fought, and I ended up half dead as a result. But because gods don''t die, I survive; however, I also get sealed in the end. But I managed to form a clone of myself at thest possible moment and let it hide in the mortal world."


    "Later, I got to know the truth. A long time ago, a prophecy happened. At that time, I was just a normal Elder God and didn''t have the power and position of the Title Gods. Because of it, I didn''t know what the prophecy was about. But now I understand that the remaining seven Title Gods were after me because of that prophecy. Isis was also sealed because of that."


    "I want to warn you humans. Your real enemies aren''t the angel race, celestial race, or even the demon race; instead, the gods themselves are your biggest enemies. Be prepared, for a war may break out between the four races. Even though gods usually can''t interfere in the mortal world too much, it isn''t difficult for them to cause a war that could destroy all life from the face of the whole mortal realm."


    14:25


    "As for this sword of mine, it''s said that the very first god to ever exist¡ªCelestial God himself¡ªwielded this sword to kill an ancient demon a long time ago. However, I don''t know if it''s true or not. Many gods took this story as folktales, like how you humans think of us as nothing but rumors and legends."


    "Don''t take the sword off the altar¡ªa human can''t control this sword, so just let it rest there until it finds its rightful owner. Alright, I have mentioned what I needed to say, and now I have to go. This clone''s energy is fading away too fast. Remember to be prepared for a war at any time."


    As Orion read all of that, a gasp escaped from his mouth. Not only him, but the other two had the same expression as him. They all felt shocked when they read what was written on the wall.


    "Are all these true?" The girl in the mask asked. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It should be," Ron said, his expression solemn. "The sword in front of us is our biggest proof that whatever God Shura had written here is most likely true."


    On the other hand, Orion remained silent. He had no doubt that whatever was written on the wall was true. He had known about the sealing of Isis as he had seen her and talked to her in the dungeon himself. At that moment, he couldn''tprehend how a god could end up in that state. But now he understood the reasons behind her sealing.


    ''Nine Title Gods? Ny-nine Elder Gods?''


    At this moment, he really wanted to know what that prophecy was, for it needed the other Title Gods to seal down the Goddess of Immortality and the God of ughter.


    As for the warning left behind by the God of ughter, Orion didn''t know what to make of it. He couldn''tprehend the gods as their enemies. They were supposed to be almighty beings who should watch over mortals. But ording to Shura, the gods were vehemently focused on erasing all life from the mortal realm itself.


    "I have heard from my grandfather that we had a few cold wars between the celestial race, angel race, and demon race," the girl in the mask said, her expression serious. "But we had never had a full-blown war before between the four races. It was only a small scuffle between races all this time."


    Orion frowned as he heard her. He felt that if what she said were true, then it wouldn''t be difficult for the gods to initiate a war between four races. Seeds of chaos had already been nted between the four races; they would just have to do a little maniption before a full-blown war broke out.


    He also felt that they needed to inform the experts of the human race so that they could prepare if the war were really to breakout.


    "We should take these writings as proof to the experts of the human race," he said, turning to face the girl in the mask. "Do you happen to have anything that could record this?"


    He didn''t know if the Magus Kingdom had smartphones or not, but he really felt that they woulde in handy here. If they were to tell the higher-ups of the Magus Kingdom about what they had seen without proper proof, he believed they would be ignored hard. They were just kids, and who would ever believe kids saying a war could breakout between the four races at any time?


    "I do," the girl in the mask responded to Orion as she took out a mirror the size of her hand.


    She then tapped on the surface of the mirror, which caused it to float in the air as it released a beam of light that reflected the whole hall. Momentster, after the beam of light passed through everything, the mirror returned to normal.


    The girl in the mask caught the mirror and put it aside.


    "It''s done," she said, looking at Orion.


    Orion was surprised to see that a mirror could be used in such a way. From that, he concluded that although the Magus Kingdom appeared to have no technological development, they weren''t far behind on the utility aspect. They appeared to have many alternatives to things that would usually require the use of science and technology, which in itself was a matter worth respecting for the culture of the Magus Kingdom.


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    ShinGotLost

 Chapter 97. General Dray

    Chapter 97. General Dray


    "Let''s leave this ce," Orion said, looking at Ron and the girl in the mask.


    They nodded in approval.


    However, just as they were about to leave, a voice sounded, and a group of people walked in.


    "What do we have here?"


    Orion and the masked girl flinched at the unexpected arrival of the group. They turned towards the door and saw a middle-aged man leading a group of people into the hall. The man had a healthy, albeit slightly fat, body, shoulder-length hair, and a face adorned with only a mustache.


    "General Dray!"


    The girl in the mask eximed as soon as she saw the middle-aged man.


    "You two are at the wrong ce at the wrong time," he said as his right hand started to burn with blue mes before it transformed into a ming de. It appeared as though his whole right arm had turned into a de¡ªa de burning in blue mes.


    "I can only kill you for that," he continued as he slowly took a step towards them.


    Orion cursed after seeing how the situation suddenly changed. He felt that they were too unlucky, as General Dray''s group came at the moment they were about to leave.


    He wasn''t worried about himself. He could just escape from here if he wanted to, and nobody would be able to stop him. But he hesitated whether he should escape, leaving behind the other two, or not.


    ''They aren''t your friends, Orion; you barely even know them, then what''s the hesitation?''


    As he was stuck in his dilemma, the girl in the mask appeared as though she was ready for a battle.


    Meanwhile, General Dray slowly appeared before them and was ready to strike.


    Witnessing that, Orion steeled his resolve to escape. He felt that at the end of the day, the only thing that mattered was his life, and it would be very depressing to lose that life over helping someone he barely knew.


    Therefore, he activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and was about to hop into the other dimension when he saw General Dray suddenlye to a stop.


    "Haha, I was just kidding." General Drayughed as he looked at them. "You two really look as if you are about to face a situation of life and death."


    At that moment, his right hand returned to normal.


    However, Orion and the girl in the mask remained alert the whole time.


    Seeing that, the middle-aged man raised his left hand and tapped on the bracelet attached to his wrist. Two rays of light shot out from it, connecting with the bracelets of Orion and the girl in the mask.


    A momentter, the girl in the mask, as if realizing something, looked at the middle aged man in horror.


    "You blocked my mana," she said, her voice trembling.


    Orion was taken aback by her words, but he quickly made his face appear grim, as though he, too, had his mana blocked by the middle-aged man.


    "What did you do?" He then screamed at the middle-aged man, appearing as scared as he could be.


    "Nothing much; I just blocked the mana flow of yours," he said as the smile on his face disappeared. "Every individual''s life in Aethelgard City is precious. That''s why I didn''t kill you, but that doesn''t mean you kids will escape from here."


    He then turned around and looked at one of the guards.


    "Do it," he said.


    The guard nodded to him.


    Seeing all that, Orion decided to stick around for now. He became curious as to what they were doing here and wanted to know their purpose. Escaping wasn''t a problem for him, so he decided to see what they were up to.


    He also wanted to stay close, observe their actions, and gather as much information as possible. He felt that understanding their intentions would be crucial for whatevery ahead.


    Moreover, he really wanted to know the mystery surrounding Aethelgard City. He believed they wouldn''t be trapped here only for mining purposes. That seemed too far-fetched. There had to be a deeper reason, and seeing how they appeared so secretive about the God of ughter''s hall, Orion had a feeling it wouldn''t be anything great.


    "Alright, you two, be ready," the guard said, warning them as he touched both Orion and the girl in the mask.


    A frown appeared on Orion''s face as he heard the guard. He heard the guard refer to them as two, but they were three of them.


    ''It seems he had already escaped the moment they came here.''


    Turning around, he saw the girl in the mask standing beside him, but he didn''t find Ron. He was nowhere to be seen.


    ''Did he escape?''


    He wondered. But he didn''t me him for escaping. Even he himself was nning on escaping if things were to go sideways.


    ''It seems he had already escaped the moment they came here.''


    He had a feeling they had already referred to them as two, not three, since the moment they arrived here, but because of all the tension previously, he didn''t pay attention to it.


    At that moment, Orion felt slightly nauseous before he found himself standing in a different ce.


    "These prison cells are also modified with the same effects as your bracelets, so forget about leaving this ce," the guard sneered at him before he disappeared with the girl in the mask.


    ***


    At a different cell, the guard reappeared with the girl in the mask, but before he could react, a golden sword pierced his heart.


    "How¡­"


    He died with his eyes wide. He couldn''t believe there was a person who could still use their talent and mana even after the bracelets had restricted their powers.


    ''Infiltration sessful. Now I will have toplete the mission my brother gave me.''


    The girl in the mask thought as she observed the cell.


    ***


    At the same time, Orion sat on the ground of the cell, pondering whether he should attempt to escape. The cell he was in was ackluster room that appeared as empty as a nk sheet of paper. The only thing preventing him from leaving were the bars. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''I thought they would let us follow them wherever they were going, but they just teleported us here and left. I was hoping to learn some secrets about this city by following them.''


    He felt it was a pity that he missed the chance.


    ''Time to leave.''


    He thought as he activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance but to his horror, he couldn''t hop into the other dimension.


    ''What happened?''


    He tried again, but again he failed.


    ''I don''t believe it.''


    He tried again and again, but the result remained the same¡ªfailure. He just couldn''t use his ability to hop into the other dimension.


    ''Alright, calm down and think about why it''s not working.''


    He forced himself to calm down and thought about it carefully.


    ''Last time this happened, I was in Quent''s Domain. He said that space-rted abilities are useless when used in someone else''s domain. But he also mentioned that there are no humans present that have mastered the ability to construct their own domain. So, why can''t I seem to use my ability if no humans could use a domain?''


    He pondered deeply about it but couldn''te up with a reason behind it.


    ''Looks like I will have to use old ways to escape from here.''


    He thought as he checked to see if his tangibly was working or not.


    Feeling the lightness of his body, Orion nodded.


    "It looks like I will have to depend on this today.''

 Chapter 98. Sneaky Escape

    Chapter 98. Sneaky Escape


    After Orion made up his mind to escape, he didn''t waste any more time and took his first step in his escape.


    He walked to the bars of the cell, passed right through it, and found that he appeared in a narrow hall.


    As his eyes scanned the area around him, he could see hundreds of cells, if not more, all around the edges of the narrow hall, and inside each of these cells, a human could be seen. The sight was both haunting and overwhelming, with gaunt faces and weary eyes staring back at him from behind the bars.


    Those humans closer to his cell could also see him, and when they saw him, they started begging for him to release them.


    "God''s gracious! Release me."


    "Kid, you are our hope. Release all of us."


    "Please, kid, I beg you. Please take me with you. I don''t want to remain here. I have a family, and I don''t know how they are faring now that I have been stuck here for a year."


    "Help us escape, and God shall increase your karma."


    Their voices, filled with desperation and hope, tugged at Orion''s heartstrings. Pleas for freedom and mercy echoed through the narrow hall, amplifying the sense of urgency and despair. Orion clenched his fists, feeling the weight of their suffering. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He wanted to help them¡ªhe wanted to help them from the bottom of his heart. But he couldn''t right now. He couldn''t take that risk. He understood that if all these prisoners escaped, chaos would ensue, undoubtedly attracting unwanted attention to this ce. Therefore, he steeled his resolve and walked forward, ignoring their desperate pleas.


    As he walked and looked around, all he could see and hear were the pleas of prisoners. It made him feel slightly guilty, but he tried not to dwell on it.


    After a moment of walking down the path, the narrow hall came to an end, and Orion finally understood the structure of the area. ording to his observation, this whole ce appeared to be a rectangr basement with rows upon rows of cells ced side by side. Theyout was systematic, almost like abyrinth designed to confine its upants.


    ''This prison is huge.''


    Orion thought as he looked around and walked in a random direction.


    A momentter, he appeared at the junction where all the rows of cells met. From there, he could see the exit of the basement.


    However, there were two guards who happened to be standing vigntly, looking around the whole area.


    ''This will be a problem.''


    He could defeat them easily; from what he could tell, these guards all appeared to be at the iron rank. However, he would have to be careful and make sure he didn''t create any noise. Otherwise, instead of quietly escaping, he would be calling his own doom.


    Orion weighed his options carefully, knowing that a hasty confrontation could jeopardize his chances of escaping this prison. He needed to find a way to neutralize the guards without alerting the entire facility.


    ''Let''s first get close to them.''


    He walked towards the guards, but not in in sight. Instead, he moved through the walls of the cells. Using his intangibility, it wasn''t difficult for him to pass through them. He crossed cell after cell before appearing in front of the guards.


    However, he still hadn''t revealed himself. He hid within the walls of thest cell, close to the two guards.


    ''I will have to make one decisive strike to knock them down.''


    He thought as he observed the area, looking for anything that might aid him.


    However, after searching for quite some time, he didn''t find anything useful. There were only cells for prisoners and guards standing in the basement. Other than that, there was nothing that could help him.


    It looks like I can only use my strength. One decisive strike to knock them both out, and it has to be fast enough so that they won''t see meing.''


    He thought as he pondered deeply for a moment and came up with a n.


    First, he made his body as light as a feather using Burdened Gravity. Then, he activated the curses of Unbridled Fury and Shattered Precision to boost his strength and sharpness, respectively.


    ''It''s now or never.''


    He looked at the guards standing and blocking the exit, then zoomed toward them. With lightning speed, Orion closed the distance between himself and the guards, his movements fluid and precise. Before they could react, he incapacitated them with swift, calcted strikes, rendering them unconscious.


    With the guards out of the way, Orion quickly scanned the area for any signs of rm or reinforcements.


    Satisfied that they hadn''t alerted anyone else, he sighed in relief. It would have been a hassle if they hadn''t lost consciousness.


    Looking around the exit of the basement, he saw that there were two paths avable. One to his left had stairs going deep underground, and the one in front of him had stairs leading upward.


    He thought that since this prison appeared to be a basement, the stairs leading upward would be his best route.


    Thinking of that, he quietly walked up the stairs. Each step he took was measured and silent. Orion moved with the precision of a shadow, making sure to avoid any unnecessary noise that could alert potential threats.


    After tiptoeing through the entire stairway, he found himself at the entrance of arge hall. Instead of stepping into the hall, he peeked through the walls at the side to scout around.


    He saw about ten guards stationed in the hall, each standing vigntly beside a door, carefully looking around.


    ''So many guards are guarding this hall.''


    He wondered where he was to be guarded by so many. He suspected that he might be in General Dray''s quarters; otherwise, he couldn''t imagine any other ce being this heavily guarded.


    ''I can''t knock them all out. Even if I do so, it will probably cause chaos if someone were to see so many unconscious guards. So, confronting them is out of options for now.''


    He thought deeply about this obstacle and came up with a brilliant idea. Since he couldn''t walk through the hall because of all the guards present, he decided not to. Instead, he would walk through the walls here.


    ''Orion, you are a genius!''


    He smiled as he looked around and chose a wall close to him and the stairs. Without much thought, he passed through that wall and appeared in a room.


    However, the moment he arrived, a golden sh of light zoomed toward his forehead. It was too fast for him to dodge, so he wanted to let the golden light pass right through him to avoid getting hurt. But that would mean the golden sh would then collide with the wall behind him, creating noise. At that moment, the guards in the hall would surelye running.


    ''I have only one option.''


    He reacted quickly and caught the golden sh of light in his hand.


    ''A sword?''


    He then saw that the golden sh of light was a small golden sword the size of his palm.


    Seeing that, a figure came to his mind before he turned his head forward and saw a girl in the mask staring back at him.

 Chapter 99: 99. Alive Sadola

    The girl in the mask was surprised to see Orion appear on the wall. Mistaking him for a guard, she attacked without much thought.


    "What are you doing here?"


    She then asked while her hands shuffled through the desk, as if searching for something.


    "You almost killed me." Orion red at her.


    "You can''t me me," she shrugged. "I thought it was some guards who came from the wall."


    Orion nodded, understanding it was just a misunderstanding. He then looked around and noticed that the room they were in had a desk with two chairs on its left and one on its right. The setup reminded him of the office structures he had seen on Earth.


    There were also tworge cube-shaped boxes ced at the end of the room where Orion emerged. He wondered what might be stored in those boxes.


    His attention was then drawn to the girl in the mask. She appeared to be desperately searching for something on the desk the whole time.


    "What are you doing?'' He asked, seeing that.


    "I am looking for a teardrop," she said, her attention fully focused on the desk.


    "A teardrop?" Orion tilted his head in confusion.


    "It''s one of the cosmic wonders of the three domains," she said, looking at Orion. "Don''t tell me you aren''t even aware of the cosmic wonders."


    "I really don''t know," he said embarrassingly. "So, why are you searching for the teardrop, and how did you escape from the prison?"


    She looked deeply at Orion, wondering if this guy had been living in a cave or something.


    "The teardrop is called Space Tear. It''s one of the cosmic wonders. Legend has it that the Space Tear was formed from a tear of a god itself," she said. Her expression was one of fascination.


    "Tear of a god?" Orion wondered if that was true or not.


    "Space Tear has many uses, and one of its uses is to restrict a part of space from the other side. If that happens, no beings coulde and go inside that restricted space except for the individuals marked by the Space Tear," she exined its uses. "It has been used here in this ce, and if we can''t find the Space Tear, we won''t be able to leave this ce."


    Orion thought carefully about what she said and realized why he couldn''t move into the other dimension.


    He felt that a domain and a restrictive space formed by the Space Tear had the same working mechanism, except a domain was controlled by individuals while restrictive space was controlled by the Space Tear. He thought that because he was inside the restrictive space, he couldn''t move into the other dimension, simr to how he would be restricted if he were in someone else''s domain.


    He felt that this was likely the reason he couldn''t use his dimensional travel ability.


    As for what she said about this ce being restricted by the Space Tear, he felt that if it were true, then they would have found themselves in huge trouble this time.


    "You didn''t answer me about how you escaped from the prison," Orion asked her.


    "Tell me how you did." She looked at Orion. "After that, I will tell you about myself."


    "Alright." Orion awkwardly nodded at her as he pointed at those boxes he had seen earlier. "Have you checked those?"


    "I have almost checked the whole room but didn''t find the Space Tear," she said, looking around.


    Orion pondered for a moment before looking at her.


    "If Space Tear is so precious, then it could very well be with General Dray," he said. "There is no point in searching here."


    "No, you don''t understand," she said, shaking her head. "Space Tear is very difficult for individuals to carry, even more so in its active state. If I''m not wrong, then it should be somewhere in this castle."


    Orion nodded as he looked around, but at that moment, he heard the sounds of footstepsing into this room.


    "Some people areing here," he quickly warned the girl in the mask.


    The girl in the mask stopped searching, and her body became invisible as soon as she heard Orion.


    Orion was surprised to see her disappear all of a sudden and understood how she came here without anyone noticing.


    "What will you do?" Her voice sounded at that moment.


    "I will hide," he said as he moved forward and disappeared into the wall, but he didn''t go past it.


    The girl in the mask already knew Orion could pass through walls since he arrived that way, but seeing him do it with her own eyes still surprised her a little.


    A momentter, three people entered the room. One was an old man, and the other two were individuals Orion had seen before¡ªthe woman in armor and the round man from their journey to Aethelgard City. It was they who transported them here.


    As for the old man, he appeared to be around forty years old. His hair had specks of white here and there. His face was clean-shaven and appeared decent despite his age, except for the long scar mark on his forehead.


    After the trio entered the room, the old man sat in the only chair on the other side of the desk, while the other two upied the remaining chairs.


    "I didn''t see Dray here on the way, and not here either," the old man said, looking at the other two. "Where is he?"


    "He told me he was going to the core," thedy replied. "He also mentioned that the operation was almostplete and you could expect the result in another week."


    "What about the Zenithans?" He asked.


    "Almost all the Zenithans of Sad had been transported here to Aethelgard City except for the ones who rebelled," she said, her face turning sinister. "They were all killed."


    "Father, you still haven''t told me what you are going to do with this''s core?" She then asked the old man.


    The old man pondered for a moment, wondering whether he should tell this to his son and daughter or not.


    "It''s a top secret mission, so remember to keep your mouth sealed about this," the old man warned them.


    The man and the woman nodded solemnly.


    "The core of the Sad is alive. But it is still in the early stages. So, we want to extract the power of the core and use that for ourselves," the old man said, looking at the other two.


    Hearing the old man''s n, the other two appeared shocked, and not just them¡ªthe girl in the mask, who was standing beside them, also gasped at their n.


    "Who?"


    The old man''s eyes scanned the whole room as he shouted upon hearing her gasp.


    Orion, who had been listening to the whole conversation, didn''t quite understand what they were talking about. However, hearing themotion, he feared the girl in the mask would get caught.


    At this moment, all three of them appeared to be looking around the room, searching for the source of the voice. They were sure they heard someone, so they definitely didn''t want to let that person go.


    Meanwhile, the girl in the mask understood that they would find her sooner orter if she were to just stand there and do nothing. She had be invisible, but her body was still present. They could touch her if they were to search around the area where she stood.

 Chapter 100: 100. Free Cores

    ''What should I do?''


    She felt that the moment she moved, the old man would notice her. She didn''t put the round man and the armor woman in her eyes because she felt their strength was only at the early stage of the silver rank. With her speed, she could outdo them, but she wasn''t sure about the old man.


    She could feel his strength was the strongest of any individual she hade across in Aethelgard City. Although she wasn''t sure of the exact rank of the old man, she had a feeling he would at least be at the gold rank. That was two whole ranks above her.


    ''I just need to get out of this room. With so much space outside, I doubt they will be able to find me. But now that they are so alert, how do I escape from here?''


    She thought as she eagerly looked around for anything that could help distract them.


    Meanwhile, Orion was looking at the whole situation carefully from the wall. He could tell that the girl in the mask hadn''t moved at all, fearing it would alert the three individuals searching for her in the room.


    ''But that way she would soon be found out.''


    He saw that the old man and the man and woman were slowlying towards the area where the girl in the mask was standing, and if she were to not move from there, her fate would be doomed.


    ''Can I help her?''


    Orion''s mind raced with thoughts beforeing up with an idea. He spected that the reason she wasn''t moving was because her movement would reveal her position to them, but what if he were to create a diversion for her? What if he could distract the old man and the other two?


    ''I hope she uses this opportunity to escape from here.''


    He thought as he looked towards the two cube-shaped boxes he had seen when he came here. It was ced in the opposite direction of where the girl in the mask stood.


    Activating the curse of Electrostatic Disruption, he used the power of attraction on those two boxes, causing them to glow in blue before they floated up and mmed on the wall where Orion was hiding.


    Bang!¡ª


    All that happened too fast, from Orion''s activation of his curse to the boxes mming against the walls, didn''t even take a second.


    So, the old man and the other two didn''t notice anything until the boxes were mmed against the wall.


    "Who goes there?"


    The old man shouted as he swiftly arrived before the two boxes that had now been glued to the wall.


    Not long after, the other two also arrived there.


    "How did this happen?" The armored girl asked as she looked around.


    The old man''s face turned ugly as he looked at the two boxes. If the gasping sound was an indication that someone other than themselves was here, then this was proof that there was indeed an intruder here.


    However, as they busy themselves scouting the area around the boxes, the girl in the mask held her breath, ready to make an escape.


    She understood that even if she were to tiptoe here, she would be detected by the old man, so the best she could do now was to make an escape as fast as she could.


    Moreover, with them being distracted in the opposite direction of her, she felt her chances of escaping were high. She just had to be fast enough.


    ''Let''s do this.''


    She thought as she activated her talent, and like a sh of golden light, she moved towards the door.


    In a moment, she crossed the door and exited the room.


    Almost instantly, the old man turned around, sensing an overwhelming use of mana from his back. However, what he saw was only the residue of golden light left behind by the girl in the mask when she escaped.


    "Damn, that person escaped. ire, Jamie, go after that guy."


    He shouted, looking at his son and daughter.


    Jamie and ire, the fat guy and the amoreddy, nodded to the old man and hurriedly went to search for the girl in the mask.


    Meanwhile, the old man stood there, pondering how someone infiltrated the castle when it was restricted by the Space Tear.


    ''Are there any loopholes in the restricted space? No, that shouldn''t be. After all, the Space Tear is one of the many cosmic wonders. Then someone from the inside betrayed us?... Most likely. It seems I''ll have to rearrange these guards in the castle.''


    He thought as he exited the room.


    Orion, who was the only one remaining in the room, sighed in relief that the girl in the mask had escaped.


    ''I should check out all the rooms; maybe I will find the Space Tear.''


    He thought of sweeping all the rooms in the castle because, without the Space Tear, he couldn''t leave this ce. So, he felt that a thorough check was necessary.


    Therefore, he moved through the walls and appeared in the next room adjacent to the previous one.


    He didn''te directly into the room and was only scouting the room from its walls.


    He saw that this room appeared to be some sort of storeroom, as there were only boxes as far as his eyes could see. Also, all of these boxes had dust settled over them, indicating they hadn''t been moved in quite a while. Seeing that, Orion doubted the Space Tear would be in one of the boxes, but he still decided to check them out.


    He appeared in the room and moved towards the boxes. As he reached closer, he dipped his head into one of the boxes, causing his head to disappear into it. He found there were indeed some things there, but not any he recognized.


    He moved to the other boxes and did the same thing, but after searching almost all of these boxes, he didn''t find the Space Tear. He had been searching for anything in the shape of a tear. Also, he had a feeling that if this Space Tear was as valuable a treasure as that girl said, he would recognize it just by looking at it. But he didn''t find anything like that here.


    However, he suddenly stopped when he checked one of thest boxes, for he found something very precious.


    He saw a box full of cores, not just any cores. From the aura they radiated, he could tell they were silver-rank cores.


    But his face soon became gloomy as he thought of a problem. He couldn''t store these cores in his dimensional pocket since he couldn''t ess the other dimension in this restricted space.


    So he thought about how he would carry them out. It would be very difficult to carry five of them while making an escape from this ce. Moreover, if things didn''t go smoothly, he might even have to fight, so carrying these cores wasn''t a choice for him.


    Most importantly, he couldn''t upgrade himself here. If the upgrade procedure was anything like thest time, then he would definitely be found out.


    ''System, if I absorb all these cores, then will I get to choose when I want to upgrade or will the upgrademence as soon as I absorb the mutagens in the cores?''


    [Upgrade willmence as soon as the host absorbs all the mutagens.]


    ''All?''


    He had an idea as soon as he heard the system.


    ''What will happen if I only absorb the four mutagens?''


    [Upgrade willmence when the host absorbs thest mutagen.]


    A smile appeared on his face as he heard the system.

 Chapter 101: 101. Young Master

    ''I will only absorb the four cores and will keep thest one when I need to upgrade.


    Orion thought as he put his hands on the cores.


    [Does the host want to absorb the mutagen?]


    ''Yes.''


    [Does the host want to absorb the mutagen?]


    ''Yes.''


    [Does the host want to absorb the mutagen?]


    ''Yes.''


    [Does the host want to absorb the mutagen?]


    ''Yes.''


    He absorbed the mutagens from the four cores but didn''t feel any difference, like how he would feel stronger when he absorbed the core as a whole.


    ''It seems I''ll only get the benefits when Iplete my upgrade process.''


    He thought as he took the fifth core in his hand, and again, the notification to absorb the mutagen came, but Orion rejected it and put the core inside the shirt he wore.


    After that, he went back into the wall and continued to explore the different rooms he found along the wall.


    ***


    After spending an hour or so searching all the rooms he could, he didn''t find anything like the Space Tear. While most of the rooms were upied by the guards, the rooms that didn''t have anyone living appeared as empty as a nk piece of paper.


    But Orion did scout the whole castle, and from that, he got the basic structure of it. There were three sections of it, and he only checked the middle one. There was the top section and the bottom section.


    Thinking of the bottom section, he recalled seeing a staircase leading deep underground when he escaped from the prison. Now that he thought about it, the probability of finding Space Tear at the bottom is high.


    ''It''s a precious thing¡ªa cosmic wonder, so it shouldn''t be in a ce where everyone can see it.''


    He didn''t know what cosmic wonders were, but if he had the Space Tear, he would definitely hide it in a ce where nobody would find it.


    ''I wonder why she was searching like an idiot in in sight.''


    He thought, but he felt d about that because of her, he also searched the other rooms and found himself those precious cores.


    "Who is it?"


    At that moment, Orion heard a shout, prompting him to turn to its source.


    He saw a man about eighteen years old with deep red hair neatlybed, wearing clothes that reminded him of the dream he had where everyone wore prince-like attire. Aside from that, the man appeared pretty thin, as if he were malnourished or something.


    "I know there is someone inside the wall. I can sense the blood oozing out of you."


    Oriom frowned as he heard him. He hadn''t thought that there would be someone here who could detect him.


    However, he didn''t make a sound or reveal himself. He felt that even if the red-haired guy could sense him around the wall, he might not know his exact location.


    "Don''t make me repeat myself. Come out, and I will spare you; otherwise, you will regret it," the red-haired guy said, looking at the wall.


    He then waited for Orion to reveal himself, and after not seeing anyoneing out of the wall, his face turned gloomy.


    "Guard,e here," he quickly summoned the nearest guard he could see around him.


    However, the moment the guard heard him called by the red-haired guy, he started trembling as tears welled up in his eyes.


    "Y-young Master, I-I have a family to feed," the guard stuttered. "Please choose someone else."


    "Are you defying my order?" The red-haired guy frowned.


    "No, no, Young Master," the guard said hurriedly. "It''s just that my daughter is still only a year old, so I can''t die right now. I need to feed her and my family. Aside from the death sentence, please punish me as you want."


    The red-haired man lowered his head as he heard him.


    "You can go now," hemanded, his head still lowered. "I will forgive you this time. Remember not to defy my order next time."


    "Thank you, Young Master," the guard said before he ran away from the hall.


    "All of you," the red-haired guy said, looking at all the other guards whose faces appeared pale as paper. "Leave at once."


    All the guards standing in the hall nodded to him and fled as quickly as possible.


    "You cane out now," he then said, looking at the wall, his eyes locked at the exact position Orion stood in. "I can perfectly sense your existence inside that wall. No point in hiding in front of me."


    Orion didn''t know what to do. He could tell that the red-haired man was looking at the exact position where he stood, so he understood there was no point in hiding against him. But he didn''t want to reveal himself either.


    As he was pondering what to do, the red haired guy lost his patience.


    "You want to keep hiding?" The red-haired guy said it in frustration. "Fine, I''ll just have to lose some blood anyway."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, he bit his right-hand thumb, causing blood to drip out of it.


    Drip! Drip! Drip!


    The sound of blood dripping to the floor sounded when, miraculously, all the blood around his finger and the one that dropped below started to flow up and gather together to form a condensed ball of blood.


    "Arrow."


    An arrow was released from the mass of the ball of blood, and it went straight at the position where Orion stood.


    Seeing that blood-red arrow zooming towards him, Orion quickly moved along the wall, but to his surprise, the arrow followed him.


    ''Whatever, since he already knows I am here, there is no point in hiding.''


    He gave up trying to dodge and stood there as the blood-red arrow came and destroyed the wall and then passed right through him.


    As the walls got destroyed, the red-haired guy finally saw that the one who hid in the wall was a fourteen-year-old kid.


    "A kid?" He eximed in surprise. He had thought that a person who could sneak into this castle and move around without anyone noticing would be an expert, but after seeing that person was a kid, he felt surprised.


    "How did you get in here?" He asked. "The restricted space should also work against your ability. So, it''s impossible that you cane here."


    "I guess I am a mysterious guy," Orion shrugged. "But what about you? You seem pretty chill for a guy talking to a person who is invading your own house."


    The red-haired guy blinked at Orion''s words. He then shook his head vigorously, as ifing to his senses.


    "How dare you invade this Young Master''s castle?" He said this, his head held high, looking at Orion as if he were looking at an ant. "You shall be punished to death for this."


    Orion titled his head in response. He didn''t know whether tough or cry at this.


    ''This guy is too funny.''


    He thought, smiling at him.


    "You know that was super cringe-worthy and edgy," he said, looking at him. "You should try to lower your threat and work on your posture a bit."


    "I see." The red-haired guy nodded in understanding. "I have been working on this since I was a child, but I just can''t perfect it like my brothers and sisters. They appeared as though they were born with this arrogant and haughty look, unlike me."


    "You could also be one," Orion said solemnly. "You just need more practice."


    The red-haired guy nodded, and at that moment, he remembered the main problem.


    "Seriously, though, what are you doing here?" He asked, looking at Orion.


    "It''s a long story," Orion sighed.

 Chapter 102: 102. Consequences

    Orion felt that this red-haired guy was different from the others. He didn''t look like the man and woman he had seen earlier¡ªJamie and ire; instead, he appeared rather chill.


    And seeing that he was so cooperative, Orion wanted to know about what''s going on in Aethelgard City. He heard the old man talk about extracting the power inside the core of Sad for their own uses. He also said that this was alive, which Orion didn''t understand.


    Therefore, he wanted to confirm these things with the red-haired guy, and to do that, he would have to be honest with him.


    So, he decided to exin some things from his end.


    "It''s like this¡ª" But he was interrupted by a loud shout as soon as he started.


    "There you are!"


    Orion and the red-haired guy turned to see a man and womane running towards them. They were Jamie and ire.


    After not finding the girl in the mask, they were disappointed and wereing back to report to their father. But on their way, they were surprised when they saw a figure they didn''t recognize standing in front of them.


    Thinking of the figure as the same individual who invaded their castle, ire shouted at him. She hadn''t thought that the enemy they had been searching for all this time would be standing in in sight.


    "Young Master, thanks for catching this guy," she said, her head bowing. "He is an intruder who was eavesdropping on our conversation just now."


    Orion frowned, looking at them. But he also felt that this was the right opportunity to see if the red-haired guy was really a good guy or if he had been pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger.


    The red-haired guy calmly shook his head.


    "It isn''t what it seems like," he said, looking at both ire and Jamie. "He is one of my friends whom I have invited from Aurora Haven. He got lost here from the moment he arrived and happened to go into one of your meeting rooms. Everything was just a misunderstanding. Forget it."


    ire and Jamie felt suspicious about what the red-haired guy said, but since he was their young master, they couldn''t refute him. They could only nod their heads and report back to their father.


    "I see." ire nodded at him. "I will not disturb Young Master anymore."


    As she said that, she left the hall along with Jamie.


    "Let''s go to my ce," the red-haired guy then said, turning to Orion.


    Orion nodded as he followed him. Soon, they reached the stairs leading to the upper section of the castle, and a momentter, they arrived at yet another hall, although it was a tad smaller than the previous one.


    The red-haired guy then led Orion to a room where a long table with lots of chairs at its sides was ced.


    "Have a seat," he asked Orion to sit down.


    Orion sat down and was about to ask something when the red-haired guy looked towards the door of the room.


    "You can alsoe and sit down," he said, smiling. "There are many chairs here."


    At first, Orion thought someone was behind the door, so the red-haired guy asked him to sit, but he quickly understood it was the masked girl whom he was referring to. Since he could sense him in the wall, he could very well sense her, even if she was invisible. Her body didn''t leave; it only turned invisible, and that was all he needed to sense anyone around him.


    A momentter, the chair beside Orion moved, and a girl in the mask was soon seen sitting on that chair.


    "You guys must be confused about why I am helping you intruders, right?" The red haired guy asked as he looked at Orion and the masked girl.


    Orion nodded. This was the question he wanted to ask earlier. He couldn''t understand the motives behind it.


    "Alright, I will start from the beginning," the red-haired guy exined. "My name is Kyle Valen, and I am the fifth prince of Aurora Haven. I have been here for a task, and that task is to extract the power source from the core of the Sad."


    He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, before he continued.


    "I didn''t know the details of the task. My father never told me about it, nor did anyone else," he said, his voice sounded low. "However, after I arrived here, I finally understood the details of the task and the consequences it would bring if the task were to bepleted."


    "Consequences? What consequences?" Orion asked.


    "Do you know what an alive is?" Kyle didn''t answer, but instead something from him and the masked girl.


    Orion shook his head at him, whereas the masked girl nodded.


    "Oh, you know about it?" Kyle appeared surprised that a Zenithan knew something so secretive about it.


    "It''s said that an alive is the most coveted in all three domains," she said. "I don''t know the specifics, but I heard that an alive is the best for ranking up as it has many monsters living inside. And since Sad is only a 1-star, it has the potential to grow to a 3-star because it''s alive.


    If it were a dead, there would hardly be any monsters roaming around it, and it would forever remain a 1-star since one couldn''t rank up if there were no monsters to take their cores from."


    "You are absolutely correct," Kyle said, looking at her. "An alive is a very precious thing. That''s why the three domains took control of manys because they were alive. However, this time our task is not to take control of the but to extract all the energy from the core of the Sad."


    "What will happen if you do that?" Orion asked. For some reason, he had a feeling it wouldn''t be anything good.


    "If we were to sessfully extract all the energy from the core of Sad, then all life would cease to exist on this," Kyle said solemnly.


    "What?" Orion eximed. "You mean all of us will die if that were to happen? Why?"


    "It''s because a without a core is like a human without a heart," Kyle said. "It will slowly crumble to dust, and at that time all life forms on this will either die with the or will get lost in the empty starry abyss."


    Orion slumped back in the chair as he heard Kyle. He couldn''t believe they would all die. If he remembered correctly, he heard the armored girl say that it would take a week before the extraction of the core would bepleted. That meant they only had seven days.


    As he thought of this, a very curious question came through his mind.


    "What would happen to you guys?" He asked, looking at Kyle. "Wouldn''t all of you die with us if the were to die since you guys are also on the same as us?"


    "We won''t die," Kyle said, shaking his head. "The whole castle we are in has been restricted by the Space Tear. It works as a strong protective shield that won''t be destroyed by anything or anyone."


    Orion nodded, thinking they were well prepared for the task. But that would also mean he and the rest of the people on this would be doomed.

 Chapter 103: 103. Plan

    At that moment, the masked girl posed a question to Kyle.


    "Why have you gathered all the Zenithans here?" She asked. "Are mining mana crystals the only thing you guys wanted from them, or is there another reason behind it?"


    As Kyle heard her words, his face became gloomy.


    "There are mainly two reasons for that," he said. "First, the mana crystals and stones are the strength of an alive. If you mine them all without letting the mine produce more mana crystals, it would be weak for a limited period of time."


    He hesitated for a moment before he revealed the second reason.


    "The magic circle we are using to steal the energy from the core of Sad needs a veryrge amount of power. We will be using the mana crystals from the mine to facilitate this process, but in case the mana crystals won''t be sufficient, we will be using all the Zenithans here."


    "What do you mean using all the Zenithans?" Orion asked.


    Kyle didn''t look Orion in the eyes as he answered.


    "This whole area you guys are trapped in is a huge magic circle that''s connected to the magic circle in the core region, which we will be using to steal the energy from the core.


    So, in case the mana crystals be insufficient, we will trigger the magic circle that will kill all the Zenithans in Aethelgard City, which in turn will power the magic circle in the core area to continue the process of extraction."


    m!¡ª


    "Are you kidding me?" Orion mmed the table with his hands, hearing him. He couldn''t believe that they were using the Zenithans, including them, as a sacrifice to power the magic circle.


    It was terrifying and disturbing at the same time.


    "That''s why I want the task to fail," Kyle said helplessly. "I never thought that my father would be this cruel. When I asked Elder Torry about this, he said all the Zenithans will die either way, so it doesn''t matter if we sacrifice them or they die when the Sad gets destroyed."


    He thought for a moment before continuing.


    "I can''t leave this castle, or you man say I am not allowed to leave this castle," Kyle continued. "That''s why, when I saw you here, I became excited. I want you guys to do something¡ªanything that will cause our task to fail."


    Orionughed wryly at him. He felt that Kyle overestimated them too much.


    "You think we can stop something like that," he said, shaking his head.


    "I know it''s difficult, but this is the only way," Kyle said urgently.


    Orion lowered his head as he thought to himself. He felt that they would have to do something anyway if they wanted to survive, so he might as well listen to what Kyle had to say.


    "So, what''s the n?" He asked, turning to Kyle.


    "As far as I know, there are five gold-rank monsters surrounding the core of the Sad, but four of them have already been killed by General Dray," Kyle said. "However, thest one is a very strong one. Till now, they haven''t had any sess against thest monster. But they came up with a n to kill the monster and went ahead today."


    "So, what you guys have to do is not let them kill that monster," he continued. "One good thing is that if they can''t kill thest monster within this month, then all the other four gold-rank monsters wille back to life. All four gold-rank monsters wille to life if they aren''t killed together in a month. So, it''s an easy task as well as a difficult one."


    Orion nodded at him as he heard the n.


    ''So, all we have to do is not let them kill thest monster. It''s easier said than done."


    He knew that there would be General Dray, who was an expert at the silver rank near the core, and if he wasn''t enough, then there would also be a mass of those iron rank soldiers.


    Most importantly, since they already knew the location of the core and had already killed four of them, they would probably have more soldiers stationed there and maybe more generals.


    He didn''t think that only one general would be sufficient to kill all the other four gold-rank monsters, even if he had the assistance of a hundred iron-rank soldiers.


    So, if they wanted to stop their n, then they would have to go against all of them.


    ''What are the odds that we will get sess considering we are only two of them?''


    Previously, he had felt that his bad luck didn''t affect him that much, but who would have thought it was storing all that misfortune for this event?


    As he was thinking about all of this, the girl in the mask posed a question to Kyle.


    "I have been here for more than a year now, and you are saying only now you guys arepleting the task," she asked, feeling something wasn''t right. "What has your team been doing for a year?"


    "Actually, we were waiting for the mana crystals to stock up," Kyle replied to her. "We really need a huge amount of those crystals if we want to pull this off, and believe me when I say we have been stocking the mana crystals for more than a year now."


    The masked girl nodded, but she again asked another question.


    "The Magus Emperor allowed all of this?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.


    Kyle felt a little suspicious about her identity when he heard this question. He felt that the masked girl knew more than a Zenithan ever could, and her knowledge appearedplete and precise, which couldn''t be possible in the case of Zenithans, who could only ess limited information.


    "I can''t answer this question," Kyle denied saying anything about it. "I won''t reveal anything that might put my family in danger, so forget about this question."


    The girl in the mask nodded and didn''t ask anything rted to this matter.


    "So, is there anything else you could tell us that mighte in handy?" Orion asked at this moment.


    He wanted to be fully prepared if they were going to do this. That way, they would at least have a chance of sess; otherwise, going with a half-baked n would only result in failure, which, in ugly words, meant their death.


    Kyle pondered for a moment before answering Orion.


    "As I told you earlier, you guys only have to stall them for a week," he said, looking at Orion and the masked girl. "If they couldn''t kill thest monster within a week, then all other gold-rank monsters woulde back to life. If that were to happen, then they would have to kill the four monsters again before going for thest one.


    That way, we would have one month again to think of some n topletely jeopardize this whole task."


    Orion nodded at him. He understood the main task. It seemed easy, but only time would tell how that was going to be.


    "Alright, I will let you guys leave now," Kyle said, standing up. "Elder Torry mighte to question me about you guys, so it''s better if you guys leave now."


    Orion and the masked girl nodded.


    Seeing them agree, Kyle took them to a secret path that led to a door.


    "Go; this door will lead you guys directly to Market Street," Kyle said as he waved his hand at him.


    Orion and the masked girl didn''t waste any time and went through the door, disappearing from Kyle''s view.


    ''I hope you seed; otherwise, my ticket to Emperor Heaven Pce will be gone.''


    Kyle thought as he went back to his room.

 Chapter 104: 104. Gangs

    Orion and the masked girl found themselves in the middle of Market Street after going through the door Kyle led to.


    Looking around, Orion saw various people walking down the streets, buying things from the stalls lined up along the streets, and many others just stood at the center of Market Street, ready to go to mine their daily mana crystals.


    It was such a bustling atmosphere, but he didn''t know how they would feel if they knew that all of them were nothing but a power source for some damn magic circle.


    The thought weighed heavily on Orion as he observed the carefree interactions and the normalcy of daily life around him. These people, unknowingly trapped in a grand and sinister scheme, lived their lives blissfully unaware of the dark truth beneath their feet.


    He wondered how they could live so carefree. Didn''t they want to know why they had been trapped here? Didn''t they want freedom? Didn''t they want to know the answers?


    It was then that he recalled what Walric had said about Zenithans. He said they were a very stubborn bunch of people and wouldn''t want to change anything if they found their current lifestyle stable enough. It was for this reason that they hadn''t been to others and were trapped on one forever. Surprisingly, it was the same case for every Zenithan out there in the three domains.


    Orion shook his head from these thoughts and looked towards the girl in the mask.


    "I don''t know your name," he said, asking. "How should I address you?"


    "Call me whatever you want," she said as she started walking. "We will meet at the Shura cave tomorrow morning, and from there we will follow the path on the map that Kyle has given us."


    As she said that, she disappeared into the bustling crowd of Market Street.


    Orion shook his head, thinking this girl was really serious about her secret identity.


    ''I will upgrade my rank to iron rank before tomorrow; that will definitely increase our chances.''


    He thought as he moved towards his house, but he hadn''t gone far when his body disappeared from Market Street. He hid behind the other dimension because he suddenly felt someone was spying on him.


    Since the moment his perception had reached a hundred points¡ªthe max stats for bronze rank¡ªhe always felt extra senseful for things around him. Even though he couldn''t see it, he could somehow feel it. It was a strange ability that Orion couldn''t describe.


    Looking around the area where he felt that sensation of someone sneaking at him, he saw four middle-aged men searching for someone.


    ''Why are they following me?''


    He didn''t know their intentions, but seeing how sneaky they appeared, it probably wouldn''t be any good.


    But he really wondered why they were following him. He wasn''t popr in this ce, nor had he offended anyone to the point that they would send people to kill him.


    If it were anything he could think of, then it would probably be that man who died identally because of the assassin.


    Thinking of that, he decided to follow them instead and see who was behind the scene.


    ***


    After searching around the area and not finding Orion, the four middle-aged men looked at each other in frustration.


    "Damn, we lost the kid."


    "Do you think he sensed us following him?"


    "He is only at the bronze rank; it would be a miracle if he could sense us. It''s probably because of the crowd that we lost him."


    "What should we do then?"


    "What else can we do instead of reporting fools?"


    As they talked, they inwardly felt ashamed of themselves that they had lost the kid.


    "Let''s go." Said one of the middle-aged men as he took the lead and went in a direction. A momentter, the other three followed.


    Orion, who was hiding in the other dimension, also followed them.


    After navigating many turns and paths, they finally reached arge building. This area was less crowded, and there was hardly anything besides the building in front.


    He saw the four men enter the building, and following behind them, he also entered.


    ***


    Upon entering, Orion found himself in a small hall that led to many other rooms. He didn''t stop to look at anything and followed the four men, but he still observed some details. He noticed people standing at each side of the gates, making him wonder why this building was so heavily guarded.


    Soon, the four middle-aged men came to a stop, and so did Orion. He saw that they were in a room where a man in his twenties sat on a chair at the front. On either side of the room, various other middle-aged men and women were seated.


    "Gang leader, we failed to capture him. He escaped."


    One of the four middle-aged men said this to the man sitting in the front chair.


    The man had short, deep blue hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He bore a cut mark on his left eyebrow and had a pretty decent face.


    ording to what Orion could tell, this man''s strength had reached the early stage of the silver rank.


    "Don''t worry about it," the blue-haired man said, looking at the four middle-aged men. "Just try to look for him, and if you can''t find him, then forget it. We aren''t his dogs, so we don''t need to follow his every order."


    "But leader, what if he mes us for not finding him?" Said one of the men sitting on the chairs on the side.


    "We aren''t the only ones that''ve been searching for him," the man said, his face appearing rxed. "Other four gangs are also searching for him, so he won''t me us specifically. Moreover, I have heard he has gone to hunt some high-level monsters with General Dray, so forget about him for now. We should focus on developing our gang members."


    Everyone in the room nodded to the man with blue hair.


    Orion, who heard everything, found it very interesting. He just didn''t understand why that person wanted to kill him, and it appeared he was stronger than this blue haired man whose strength had reached early silver rank.


    ''Is it the assassin?''


    He thought that the assassin was the only one whose strength was in that category. Moreover, he had already tried to assassinate him two times, but failed at both times, so it wouldn''t be a surprise that he wanted to kill him once and for all.


    But due to Orion being busy leveling up and then trapped in the castle, the assassin might not have found him, and hence he went to look for the five gangs to do his bidding.


    ''It all makes sense now.''


    Orion thought. But he still couldn''t rule out the possibility that there might be someone else entirely responsible for this.


    ''At least I know the location of the one who wanted to kill me.''


    He heard the blue-haired man say that the one who wanted to kill him had gone with General Dray to hunt monsters, which Orion suspected was the same monster that Kyle talked about.


    He then left the building and found his way to his own house.


    Entering inside, he checked if there was anyone else waiting to assassinate him, but he didn''t find anyone after searching the whole house, which made him sigh in relief.


    ''Let''s upgrade to iron rank.''


    He thought as he took out thest core.

 Chapter 105: 105. Upgrade And Sub-Ability

    [Does the host want to absorb the mutagen?]


    A notification appeared in Orion''s vision as he held the core in his hand.


    ''Yes.''


    He agreed, and a momentter, the core turned into red particles and disappeared from his hands.


    [Upgrade requirements met¡­]


    [Initiating the upgrade to Iron Rank¡­]


    Two notifications popped up in his eyes as he agreed.


    Almost instantly, his body began to twitch all over, and an intense pain overtook him.


    After that, the thing Orion feared the most happened.


    He looked at his hands as they began to melt slowly. First, the skin all over his hands started to peel off, followed by the muscles melting away, and then the bones. Horror and disbelief filled Orion''s mind as he watched his own body disintegrate before his eyes.


    The same thing happened with his other hand and then with all the parts of his body.


    At that moment, Orion felt fortunate that he had the curse of Sacrificial Renewal; otherwise, thinking of the pain he would be feeling right now made him cold all over.


    A few minutester, all of his body parts melted apart from his head.


    His head was on top of a bloody pool.


    [Found an unknown object in the host''s body.]


    At that moment, a notification appeared in Orion''s eyes, which made him a little shocked. He didn''t know what unknown object the system was talking about.


    [Identifying the records for the unknown object¡­]


    [Unknown object confirmed: Fate Core]


    [Does the host want to assimte the Fate Core into his body?]


    "Fate Core?" He thought that he had already used it during his battle with Quent. It gave him all the luck in the world to fight a god, but he didn''t understand why the system was now asking him to assimte the Fate Core.


    ''System, haven''t I already used this?''


    [Host has only used the visionary power of the Fate Core and hasn''t touched the physical core itself.]


    ''What is visionary power?''


    [A type of power that can''t be seen but is present in all living things.]


    Orion didn''t understand even a bit of what the system said. But he felt that this Fate Core that Isis had given him was way more precious than he had thought earlier.


    ''What will I get if I assimte the Fate Core?''


    [No records were found of any beings assimting with a Fate Core.]


    "No records?" He felt that was very suspicious. He knew that all the humans in the three domains had ess to the system, yet no humans among them had ever assimted a Fate Core.


    ''System, why hadn''t any human ever assimted with a Fate Core?''


    [No data found.]


    Orion frowned as he heard that. It was then that he suddenly remembered something.


    ''Ah, I get it.''


    He recalled that Isis mentioned to him that the number of Fate Cores was limited to only ny-nine in all of existence. It couldn''t be any more or less than ny-nine.


    ''If it''s only ny-nine, then I could understand why no human had ever assimted one before.''


    He thought and then asked the system to assimte the Fate Core.


    ''System, do it.''


    [Assimting Fate Core.]


    [Initiating process¡­]


    At that moment, Orion''s body began to slowly reconstruct itself. First his torso, then his hands, andter his legs. All the parts of his body began to slowly grow back and return to normal.


    A minuteter, Orion''s body returned to its perfect shape.


    [Fate Core has been sessfully assimted with the host.]


    [Congrattions to the host for obtaining a Divine Ability.]


    [Congrattions to the host for upgrading to Iron Rank.]


    [Congrattions to the host for obtaining a Sub-Ability of your talent.]


    [All stats and data on the host have been reset.]


    As the upgrade was finallypleted, Orion felt strength coursing through his body. He didn''t know why, but he felt as though he could do anything in this world with his newfound power. He knew it was only an illusory sensation that came with a significant increase in strength, but he couldn''t help but like that feeling.


    He then looked at the notifications that popped up after his upgrade and was surprised that he had obtained something called divine ability. After all this time in this world, he understood the basics of the power system in this world, and because of this, he was surprised.


    There was no such thing as Divine Ability in this world. He hadn''t heard anyone have it or talk about it.


    But sub-ability was normal for everyone.


    Everyone would gain a sub ability of their talent when they upgrade themselves to a higher rank.


    As for the stats being reset along with the data, he had some idea about what it meant.


    "Status."


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Iron]


    [Divine Ability - Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy Curse: 11%]


    [Sub Ability: Burst Mode]


    [Curse: _ ]


    [Strength: _ ]


    [Stamina: _ ]


    [Agility: _ ]


    [Perception: _ ]


    [Constitution: _ ]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    Orion was shocked to see that all his stats and his precious curses were gone. He had known about the stats being reset due to the notification, but the curse came out of the sybus.


    ''I can still use my curses, right?''


    He thought as he used the curse of Velocity Burst, causing his hand to burst into mes.


    ''Thank God it works, but there is something different about these mes.''


    He felt that he could control these mes more diversely than he could ever do when he was in bronze rank. It was an instinctual sensation that made him feel that way.


    He couldn''t do much with the mes in bronze rank, but now he felt that he could make very good use of them.


    ''If Velocity Burst got an upgrade, then I bet all my other curses also must have gotten an upgrade as well.''


    He felt excited about his curses and couldn''t wait to use each of them to uncover new abilities. However, he also couldn''t ignore his divine ability and sub-ability. He had to check them first before he could y with his curses.


    Therefore, he put his thoughts away from curses and focused on his new abilities.


    [Sub-Ability: Burst Mode]


    [Description: Any curse the host puts into this category will grant the host its full potential. This means the host can use the full power of that curse, regardless of its rank. However, there are certain limitations to this ability. The host can only use this mode for ten minutes, and afterward, the host will lose the ability to use that curse forever.


    Even if the host copies the same curse from the same individual again, it will not work. The host won''t be able to copy the same curse from that individual ever again.]


    ''Interesting.''


    He felt that this ability was incredibly powerful but realized he would have to use it wisely. The consequence of losing a curse forever was devastating. He definitely wouldn''t want to use this mode until the veryst moment¡ªuntil it felt like all hope was lost.


    After that, he turned his attention to the so-called divine ability.


    [Divine Ability: Transformation]


    [Description: _____________]


    "No description?" Orion was surprised to see that the divine ability didn''t have any description. He had never seen this before.


    ''System, why isn''t there any description of my divine ability?''


    [There is no data of any divine ability recorded before, so the host is the only individual to possess a divine ability. The system will assess the host''s divine ability as the host uses it over time and will provide a description then.]


    Orion found this very strange, but he didn''t dwell on it. However, at that moment, another notification popped up in his eyes.


    [The host''s Divine Ability has found resonance with the host''s talent.]


    [Resonance is being processed.]


    [Processplete.]


    [Congrattions to the host for obtaining a Sub-Ability of your talent.]

 Chapter 106: 106. Curse Transformation

    Orion was surprised to see that he got yet another sub ability all of a sudden.


    Although he didn''t know exactly what the system meant by saying his divine ability had a resonance with his talent, he could understand that his new sub-ability had some connection to it.


    ''Let''s see what it is.''


    He thought as he opened his status.


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Iron]


    [Divine Ability - Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy Curse: 11%]


    [Sub Ability: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation]


    [Curse: _ ]


    [Strength: _ ]


    [Stamina: _ ]


    [Agility: _ ]


    [Perception: _ ]


    [Constitution: _ ]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    "Curse Transformation?" He felt surprised as he looked at its name. "So it''s indeed rted to my divine ability."


    He then opened his description to see its details.


    [Sub-Ability: Curse Transformation]


    [Description: When activated, this ability allows the host to transform their body with a specific curse or all of their curses. The transformation provides a significant boost in strength and gives the host better control over the curses that have been integrated into their body.


    However, when the host uses this ability, the number of curses used will determine the severity of negative emotions that will affect the host. The more curses used, the more intense the negative emotions will be.]


    ''This sub-ability is so cool and powerful, yet at the same time, its limitations are also so severe.''


    He didn''t know how those negative emotions would affect him, but he would definitely have to be careful of it.


    He recalled how it felt when he copied more curses than his body could hold at the bronze rank. He vividly remembered the pain and helplessness he experienced, which ended with him losing consciousness.


    If the drawbacks were anything like that, or even more severe, then he would have to be extremely careful in how he used this ability.


    One reassuring aspect of its drawbacks was that the severity of negative emotions depended on the number of curses used. This meant that if he were to use only one or two curses, he would likely be more or less fine.


    But to be sure, he wanted to try and see how the negative emotions would affect him if he were to use one or two curses. He didn''t want to be caught off guard when he used it for the first time in battle.


    ''Let''s use the Velocity Burst first.''


    He thought as he activated his sub-ability¡ªCurse Transformation¡ªand used Velocity Burst.


    Almost instantly, two dark red lines appeared in a zigzag pattern on his right hand, intertwining from the tips of his fingers to his shoulder. mes began to burn along these lines, and in a moment, his right hand turned bright red, as though moltenva were flowing through it.


    As the transformationpleted, Orion felt a wave of negative emotions hit him in the head. However, the sensation passed as quickly as it came and didn''t affect him much.


    But that moment of pain he felt was very severe. If that excruciating pain were to be extended for a long period of time, then that would definitely be a serious concern.


    ''It''s good as long as I don''t use more curses to the Curse Transformation.''


    He thought as his eyes darted toward the only window in his room. He saw that the surroundings were still visible, although a little dim.


    ''It''s evening now. There is still a little time before it gets dark.''


    Now that he had checked all his stats and abilities gained after upgrading himself to Iron rank, he didn''t have anything to do.


    At that moment, he suddenly felt a little lonely. He didn''t know where that feeling came from, but for some reason, he had an urge to go home and meet his mother.


    ''What''s going on?''


    The sudden thought of wanting to meet his mother baffled himpletely because he wanted to meet the mother of the original body, whom Orion had no rtion to whatsoever. It felt like an inexplicable longing, an echo of someone else''s instinct tugging at his consciousness.


    As Orion felt confused about what was happening to him, a sudden influx of memories barged into his head, causing him to clutch his head as an intense pain overtook him. It was as if a floodgate had been opened, overwhelming him with images, emotions, and sensations that weren''t his own.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    After a minute or two of enduring the pain, it began to ease up, gradually subsiding until it eventually vanished altogether. Orion''s breathing slowed, and he gingerly released his grip on his head, feeling a sense of relief wash over him as the ordeal came to an end.


    At that moment, he remembered everything. About his family, his parents, his siblings¡ªevery detail flooded back into his consciousness, filling the gaps in his memory with rity and understanding. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a part of himself that had long been obscured.


    Of all the memories he recovered, the part that made him releived was the part where his father exined why he sealed his memories.


    It turned out that in his family, every direct descendant had to go through this. Their memories would be sealed at the age of ten, and then they would be sent to 1-stars. The only thing they would remember or be made to remember was that their father had sealed their memories; other than that, they wouldn''t remember anything else.


    The sealed memories would only recover if they were to upgrade their rank to iron rank; otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to recover their memories.


    Orion didn''t know the exact details behind this, but from what he could remember, it seemed like a heritage to his family, a tradition that had been passed down through generations since his ancestors used to rule.


    The motive? He didn''t know. Maybe it was so that the direct descendants would know more about life. Perhaps it was a way to ensure they experienced the world without the burden of their legacy, only toter reim their heritage with deeper, more personal wisdom.


    ''It''s good that they didn''t abandon me.''


    Orion sighed in relief. However, at that moment, he realized something terrible.


    Why did he feel relief? It wasn''t his family. He didn''t have anything to do with them. But why? Why was he feeling all those emotions as if all those memories weren''t just memories but a reality he had lived before?


    It was as though the memories had imprinted themselves on his soul, merging his identity with that of the original owner of the body. This inexplicable bond made the emotions feel authentic, as if he had truly experienced that life, bringing him a sense of sce and connection.


    ''Am I Orion Stark or Orion Darkwood, or maybe both at the same time?''


    He couldn''t exin this phenomenon. He could clearly remember everything about his life on Earth, yet at the same time, he felt as though he was the original Orion Darkwood who had lived in Darkwood Pce for ten years.


    Most importantly, he could vividly remember how he had lived with his family¡ªhis siblings, his elder brothers, and sisters who used to tease him. He could recall everything in detail. For it to be this vivid, he doubted whether this was only a part of memory or if he himself was the real Orion Darkwood.

 Chapter 107: 107. Young Master Orion

    ''It''s so confusing.''


    Orion couldn''t understand what was going on. The flood of memories, the sense of belonging to a life he hadn''t lived¡ªit was all overwhelming. He felt adrift, caught between two worlds, unable to make sense of his own existence.


    ''I will think about itter.''


    In the end, he decided he would ponder this matterter. At present, he didn''t have answers to any of the questions swirling in his mind. All he could do was ept the uncertainty and focus on the immediate tasks before him, trusting that rity woulde in time.


    Knock!¡ª


    At that moment, he heard a knock on his door.


    ''Who could it be?''


    He wondered who woulde to him at this time of the hour.


    ''Is it the assassin?''


    For precaution, he activated his dimensional dissonance and entered the other dimension. After that, he went outside his house and saw that the person who knocked on his door was Lisa¡ªthe girl he met at the boat.


    ''She is here at the right time.''


    He thought as he went back to his room and deactivated his curse before opening the main door.


    Lisa came in as soon as he opened the door and kneeled on one leg in front of him.


    "Young Master," she said respectfully. "It''s good that you have passed the test. I was worried for a moment earlier."


    Orion nodded at her and helped her stand up.


    "How many times do I have to tell you that you don''t need to kneel in front of me?" He said this, looking at her.


    Although he was the young master of the Darkwood family in Blitz Haven, he was very humble. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to act overbearing like his elder brothers and sisters, but he couldn''t because of his strength.


    If he were born with a talent, then maybe he would be like his elder brothers and sisters and act in an overbearing manner. But the fact was, he wasn''t. He wasn''t born with a talent, and that made everyone look down on him.


    Despite his best efforts, he couldn''t escape the shadow of their disdain, always feeling like an outsider in his own family.


    However, there were some people in his life who never looked at his talent and always treated him kindly. These few individuals offered him a sense of belonging and eptance, giving him the strength to endure the disdain of others and continue striving to find his ce in the world.


    Lisa was one of these people. She was a maid assigned to him when he was just a toddler, and since then, she had been taking care of him.


    Although she herself was only one or two years older than him, she did her job very well. Her kindness and dedication provided him with a sense of stability andfort, making her a constant and reliable presence in his life.


    Because of her, Orion never felt the loneliness he might have otherwise experienced due to hisck of talent and always lived happily until he turned ten. Her unwavering support andpanionship filled the void left by his family''s disdain, allowing him to enjoy his childhood despite the challenges he faced.


    In his worst moments, she supported him kindly; therefore, now that he had strength, he would repay her act of kindness a thousand times over.


    "But, Young Master," she pouted. "You are the son of one of the seven Magi Kings in the whole Magus Kingdom. It will be disrespectful if I don''t kneel down to you."


    Orion shook his head with a wry smile.


    "Alright, alright," he said to her as he proceeded to ask her something. "Have you been following me since I began this test at the age of ten?"


    He felt that it was most likely true. His meeting her on the boat was definitely not a coincidence. She must''ve been following him around all this time.


    "You are right, Young Master," she said. "I have been right with you since you left the Darkwood Pce, but a few weeks ago, Young Master disappeared from my radar. I searched everywhere but couldn''t find you. In the end, I was about to contact the family when I suddenly saw you on the radar, and that''s how we met in the boat."


    Orion nodded and felt very warm inside. He couldn''t help but think about how difficult it must have been for her to follow him everywhere he went in those five years.


    "Don''t worry, I am fine now," he said, smiling.


    Lisa nodded at him, but a momentter, her face became ugly.


    Seeing that, Orion asked, "What happened?"


    "Now that Young Master haspleted his task and regained his memories, we will have to quickly return to the Darkwood Pce," she said as she clenched her fists. "But because of this ce, we can''t leave now. We are trapped here. This week I have been looking around the whole Aethelgard City for an escape, but I found none."


    Orion had already known about this from Kyle. He had told him that there was neither a single area nor a loophole one could use to escape. It was like a big prison made for them to live here forever. The boundaries were imprable, and any hope of finding a way out seemed futile.


    "This is the least of our problems," he said solemnly, looking at her.


    "What do you mean, Young Master?" Lisa asked in confusion. She felt that leaving this area was their top priority, but her young master was saying this wasn''t a major problem. She couldn''t understand what he meant by that.


    "You see¡­" Orion exined everything he had learned from Kyle to her, causing her expression to shift from confusion to shock, and finally to horror.


    She couldn''t believe there was such a conspiracy hidden in this ce. Moreover, the shock she felt didn''te from the conspiracy itself but from the fact that it was all the Valen family''s doing.


    The Valen family was one of the seven Magi families that ruled the entire Aurora Haven. Although the Sad was in their domain of rule, it still didn''t give them the right to do something like this. Their actions were a tant abuse of power, betraying the trust of those they were supposed to protect and govern.


    "How could the Valen family do something like this?" Lisa uttered it in shock. "They are really going against the Magus Emperor."


    "Indeed," he agreed with her. "Their actions are indeed in opposition to those of the Magus Emperor. That''s why I needed you to do something."


    "What is it, Young Master?" Lisa asked.


    "Inform our family about this conspiracy," Orion said, looking at her. "As for the rest, they will handle it themselves."


    Although he and the masked girl were nning to stop General Dray''s team, he wasn''t sure if they would be able to do it alone. He didn''t want to risk the lives of everyone in Aethelgard City. Therefore, he felt that they would need any extra help they could get.


    Lisa nodded at him and took a circr shaped white crystal.


    "I was also thinking of doing that," she said as she ran her fingers around the crystal.


    A momentter, an old man''s projection appeared on the surface of the crystal.


    "It''s nice seeing you again, Butler Rio." Orion smiled as he looked at the old man.

 Chapter 108: 108. Butler Rio

    The old man appeared surprised to hear the familiar yet long-forgotten voice. Turning around, he saw a kid with disheveled ck hair standing before him.


    "Young Master Orion!" He eximed as he saw him. "It''s indeed you."


    He hadn''t expected that Orion would be able to pass the test. In fact, he had long lost hope that Orion would seed due to his perceivedck of talent. But now, seeing him standing in front of him, even in a holographic version, he could see the confidence in his eyes that he hadn''t seen five years ago.


    "I never thought you would pass the test," Butler Rio said, looking at Orion. "It seems luck is with Young Master Orion."


    Orion smiled at him, not because of hispliment but because of how ironic thest sentence he said was.


    "It was indeed luck, I guess," he said, smiling. He didn''t know if his death on Earth was his fortune or his misfortune.


    "So, what did you call me here for?" Butler Rio asked. "You wouldn''t just call me here to congratte you, would you?"


    "About that, it''s like this¡­" Orion exined the whole situation to him in detail.


    As Rio heard everything Orion said, his face became ugly in the end.


    "Don''t worry, Young Master Orion," he said assuringly. "I will inform the Master right away."


    "Make sure this reaches the ears of the Magus Emperor," Orion added.


    "As you say, Young Master," Rio nodded.


    "Remember, we only have a week," Orion said solemnly. "Alright, you can go now."


    Rio nodded as his holographic view disappeared from the circr crystal.


    "Young Master, can Ie with you too tomorrow?" Lisa asked as she took the crystal back.


    Orion also wanted to invite her to this. He knew that she was hiding her strength intentionally because, from what he could remember from five years ago, she was already at the iron rank at that time; therefore, she should at least be at the silver rank, if not more, right now.


    "You can indeed join us tomorrow," he said to her. "By the way, do you have an extra space bracelet on you?" He further asked.


    He really needed a space bracelet right now. If the situation where he couldn''t use the other dimension came, then all his weapons would be stuck there, and he would be weaponless at that time.


    "Space bracelet?" Lisa shook her head at him. "I don''t have it right now, but I could get you one tomorrow if you want."


    "Yeah," Orion nodded. "Do that."


    "Alright," he further said. "You can go now."


    Lisa nodded and left this ce.


    Orion then sat down on the bed and thought through some things about this world.


    ''It was only an hour ago; I knew nothing about the Magus Kingdom, but now I know everything.''


    He understood the world of the Magus Kingdom and the various territories in it.


    The first was the strongest of all the emperor, who ruled the entire Magus Kingdom, known as the Magus Emperor Maximus.


    After him were the seven Magi Kings. Each of them ruled a small group ofs scattered across the entire star realm, called Haven. These groups ofs came into three categories: 1-star, 2-star, and 3-stars.


    He also understood many things he previously wasn''t sure about through his memories, like that he didn''t know anything about space bracelets before, but now he knew about them.


    As he thought about all those things, he sighed in relief that his memories had returned. Without them, he wondered how long the clueless version of himself would have survived in such a world.


    ''I should sleep and get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.''


    Orion thought as he went to his bed and fell asleep a momentter.


    ***


    The next day, he woke up early and took a bath in the mini-pond in his room before preparing himself for what was toe.


    After that, he waited, and not long after, a knock sounded at his door.


    He knew it could only be Lisa this early, but he still went into the other dimension and checked. To his surprise, she didn''te alone; Famir and Ryfin were with her.


    Orion felt a little conflicted seeing them. He didn''t me them for not believing him, but he still couldn''t let it go.


    ''Why am I grumpy like a kid? All of this is just a misunderstanding. So, I should just chill.''


    He thought as he came back to his room and opened the door.


    Lisa, Famir, and Ryfin¡ªall three of them entered his room.


    But Famir and Ryfin didn''t go deep before they stopped and looked at Orion apologetically.


    "I know it''s veryte, but we are sorry for not believing you," Famir said with his head down. Ryfin nodded from the side.


    They learned the truth after some people witnessed the fight between the assassin and Orion in the middle of Market Street. With nothing better to do, they began spreading the details of the fight to one another, and soon everyone in Aethelgard City knew what had happened.


    Famir and Ryfin also learned about the fight that way, and then they recalled what Orion had told them when that person ''died'' at his hands.


    Like that, they came to know that all this time they were wrong about Orion, and they felt deeply remorseful.


    They wanted to apologize to Orion right away, but they couldn''t find him at his house for a week. This made them depressed, butst night they encountered Lisa, who finally led them here.


    Seeing their remorseful expressions, Orion understood that they had learned the truth. So he also didn''t dwell on it much, realizing that it was all just a misunderstanding.


    "It''s alright," Orion said, epting their apology as he smiled at them. "I already knew you guys woulde to apologize, so no problem on my end. Haha."


    Lisa, seeing Orion forgive them, nodded inwardly.


    Famir and Ryfin also sighed in relief as Orion forgave them. They had been carrying a heavy burden of guilt due to this misunderstanding, but Orion''s forgiveness brought them immense relief.


    At that moment, Orion suddenly called out to two of them.


    "You two,e with me for a moment to another room."


    Famir, Ryfin, and even Lisa seemed confused about what Orion wanted so secretly from them. But knowing Orion, Famir and Ryfin nodded and followed him into another room.


    Lisa alone stood there with a foul expression on her face.


    ''Bad Young Master, now that he met his friends, he forgot about me.''


    She wondered what could be so secretive that she¡ªhis personal maid¡ªwasn''t allowed to know.


    ***


    After Orion and the other two arrived at the different rooms, Orion began exining what he wanted.


    "Listen, the body I am upying right now has a very unique and big background, and Lisa is my personal maid ording to this body, so you guys should keep your mouth shut about transmigration or anything rted to it near Lisa; otherwise, I might get into some huge trouble. Understood?"


    They nodded heavily upon hearing Orion. Although they felt shocked and a little bit jealous, they knew what to do and what not to do.


    "Good," Orion smiled, seeing they understood as he asked something from them. "Do you guys know the n right?"


    Famir and Ryfin appeared confused as to what n Orion was talking about.


    Seeing their confused faces, Orion once again exined everything about the secrets of Aethelgard City.

 Chapter 109: 109. Meeting Ron Again

    After hearing what Orion said about Aethelgard City, Ryfin and Famir were shocked. They couldn''t imagine they were just backup fuel to power up a magic circle.


    They dreaded that if they hadn''te to apologize to Orion, then maybe they would be like those people living their lives peacefully in Aethelgard City, unaware of impending doom approaching them.


    "So, what are your thoughts?" Orion asked after seeing them digest the bitter truth. "Are youing with us or not?"


    Famir and Ryfin looked at each other as they both nodded before turning to Orion.


    "We areing with you," Famir said, his eyes burning with determination. "We have also ranked up to iron rank and are much more powerful than before, so we will definitely be going with you."


    Orion nodded. They needed as much help as they could, and he felt that their talents would definitelye in handy during this endeavor.


    "Alright, let''s go back," he said as he went back to the room where Lisa was waiting for them. Famir and Ryfin also went back.


    ***


    "Young Master, you really took your sweet time," Lisa teased Orion as she threw a bracelet at him.


    Orion caught it and wore it in his left hand. He then took out all his necessary things from his dimensional space and stored them in the space bracelet.


    "It''s time," he said as he turned to Famir and Ryfin. "You guys have your weapons with you, right?"


    He asked that because they seemed to be wearing a space bracelet like the one he wore just now.


    "We have," they said, nodding at him.


    "Let''s go then," Orion said as he took the lead and walked out of his house. A momentter, everyone else came out too.


    They then moved towards Market Street and arrived at the ground elevator. However, Orion wasn''t with them. He had already entered the other dimension¡ªa precaution against the assassin.


    At his current strength, he didn''t fear him, but he also didn''t want to face him right now. So, he moved with precaution.


    Sometimester, the elevator moved, and it took them underground, where many cave entrances were waiting for them.


    Orion signaled his teammates towards a particr cave entrance and entered that cave.


    After walking for a while, Orion came out of his other dimension and took out a map Kyle had given him and the masked girl.


    ''ording to the map, Shura Cave is not much far from here, but it isn''t along the cave.''


    As Orion looked at the map, he learned that Shura Cave was between two caves. However, around its entrance were white miasmas covering the whole cave in its center.


    The map also mentioned that the miasma contained a type of hallucinating powder that yed with one''s sense of direction.


    ''No wonder we couldn''t find our way out of there. We thought we were trapped in a loop, but it appears all of that was just our hallucinations.''


    He finally understood what happened at that time, but he still couldn''t understand how Ron was still fine during that time. He was the only one who could see everything clearly and wasn''t affected by the miasma there.


    ''Maybe it has something to do with his talent, or maybe not.''


    He wasn''t sure why Ron wasn''t affected by the miasma at that time, but he had a feeling that guy was hiding something.


    After checking out the exact route on the map, Orion turned to his teammates.


    "Follow me," he said, looking at them. "We aren''t far away from a ce where we will meet someone."


    They nodded as they followed Orion along the cave.


    After following the map for a while, Orion found that he appeared near the area where he had previously hunted monsters to increase his stats.


    He could also see the corpses of these monsters, which now had only bones left, probably eaten by some other monsters.


    They walked past this area, and not long after, they appeared before an area where light brown smoke could be seen surrounding a cave entrance. It was the miasma surrounding the Shura Cave.


    And not so far from the miasma stood a girl in a mask. Her golden hair could be seen cascading down her shoulders, glinting in the dim light.


    "You arete," she said, looking at Orion. "I have been waiting for an hour now."


    Orion shrugged at her.


    "You didn''t mention the exact time," he said. "So, it''s your fault for arriving too early."


    "Whatever," she said, her voice tinged with irritation as her eyes darted towards the others who stood behind Orion. "Who are they?"


    "They are my friends," he said. "We need as much help as we can right now."


    She nodded as she looked at all of them.


    "Let''s go now," she said as she took out her own map. "We don''t have time."


    Orion nodded and signaled for his friends to follow him.


    However, at that moment, someone called out to him and the masked girl.


    "Guys, can I also join you two?"


    Orion, hearing that familiar voice, turned around and saw a man of around sixteen or seventeen standing behind them. He had pure milk-like white hair and a handsome face that could attract beauties from all over the world.


    "Ron?" Orion was surprised to see him here. "You ran pretty fast, you know?"


    He still remembered how, the moment General Dray''s team entered the Shura Cave, Ron was gone. It was as though he was never there in the first ce.


    "Sorry guys," Ron apologized to them. "I was afraid of them, so I ran away."


    Orion narrowed his eyes at him as he heard his reason.


    "We are going to a very dangerous ce," he said, looking at Ron. "Are you sure you want toe with us? Maybe you will also have to fight there. So, think carefully about this."


    Ron shook his head at him.


    "I feel guilty about leaving you guysst time," he said remorsefully. "So, I want to help you guys in whatever way I can."


    Orion nodded at him. Although he felt something was wrong with this guy,


    "Alright, you can follow us," he said.


    After that, Orion turned to the masked girl.


    "Let''s go then," he said as he walked in the direction the map pointed.


    The masked girl walked alongside him, followed by all the others.


    The core of the Sad was very far from the Shura Cave. They had to go through many twists and turns before they finally arrived at the path leading to the core.


    However, as they reached the area, they noticed the corpses of monsters scattered all around the path. These creatures resembled scorpions but were the size of overgrown rats. They had pincers on their heads, eight pointed legs, and a shiny ck exoskeleton.


    But now they could barely be recognized, as all that was left were the remains of the corpses, which were full of poisonous dark liquids.


    As far as their eyes could take them, only the corpses of these creatures could be seen along the path leading to the core.


    "They are scorplings," the masked girl said, looking at the corpses. "They are very poisonous, so don''t step on them or touch them."


    "But there are so many of these scorplings''s corpses here, which means the first gold monster guarding the core was a scorpidar," she further said. "A gold rank scorpidar is very dangerous. It''s poison could kill even tinum-ranking individuals if they are careless."


    Orion wondered if that was the reason General Dray''s team took a year to kill the four of them. It could be possible if all four of them were this dangerous.

 Chapter 110: 110. Scorplings

    "Let''s go," the masked girl said, looking at everyone. "But be careful of those corpses."


    Orion and the others nodded as they carefully walked along the cave.


    As they walked, they noticed the cave had traces of fighting everywhere. Some parts of the cave were burning with fire, while others were frozen blue. Weaponsy scattered across the ground, evidence of the intense battle that had taken ce.


    However, it seemed there hadn''t been any casualties among General Dray''s group, as they hadn''te across any human corpses along the way. Only the corpses of scorplings were scattered throughout the cave.


    Like that, they continued to move forward slowly, and an hour passed in this manner.


    Surprisingly, they hadn''t encountered any obstacles or anything worth mentioning, so they reached the end of the path very quickly.


    But just as everyone sighed in relief at reaching the end of the path easily, Orion heard something.


    "Shhh!"


    He put his finger on his lips, indicating everyone to remain silent. Concentrating on the sound, his expression changed greatly a momentter.


    "Something is moving inrge numbers towards us," he warned everyone. "Be ready."


    Everyone''s faces changed as they heard Orion. They quickly took out their weapons and gripped them tightly to face whatever wasing towards them.


    A momentter, they could hear the sound of some creatures running towards them at the end of the path.


    "Look!"


    Lisa shouted, pointing at the distance where they could see a small cloud of dust making its way towards them.


    "Something ising!" Orion shouted, seeing that.


    As the mass of clouds came closer, they could hear the running sound more clearly, and not only that, but they could finally see what it was that was approaching them like a storm.


    To their shock, the approaching creatures weren''t just one or two, but an entire pack of scorplings heading toward them at breakneck speed. Their numbers ranged around a hundred, and they moved like hungry wolves, their eyes glinting with feral intensity.


    The ground seemed to tremble beneath their onught, and the air filled with the sound of their rapid, relentless approach.


    "It''s a pack of scorplings. Everyone, ready to fight."


    Orion shouted as he activated the Curse Transformation with the curse of Frozen Torment.


    The transformation caused his left hand topletely freeze from the tip of his fingers to his shoulder, turning it icy blue. Spikes of ice protruded from his elbow and shoulder, making the transformation more formidable.


    The air around his arm grew colder, and a faint mist emanated from the frozen limb, adding an aura of deadly beauty to his newly transformed appendage.


    As the transformation waspleted, Orion could feel his strength had increased a lot, and not only his physical strength, but he could also sense that he now had better control over ice elements in general.


    Feeling the chilling sensation emanating from Orion''s arm, everyone felt a little shock. Because almost all of them were at the iron rank, but only the cold emanating from his frozen arm caused them to tremble. They couldn''t imagine what it would be like if they were to face it directly.


    As for Orion, he was ready to attack.


    Seeing that the scorplings were almost upon them, he moved forward a little and punched the ground with his left hand.


    Almost instantly, ayer of frost released from his hand, moving towards the iing scorplings.


    Theyer of frost froze everything in its way¡ªthe ground, the corpses, and even the scattered weapons. The chilling cold spread rapidly, encasing everything it touched in a solid sheath of ice.


    As it approached the scorplings, they too were caught in the icy wave. Their frantic movement slowed, then stopped altogether as the frost encased them, freezing them solid in their tracks.


    They all ultimately turned into frozen statues, their snarling faces and aggressive postures preserved in ice forever.


    Everyone witnessing this spectacle was shocked. The sheer power and sudden transformation that had turned the ferocious scorplings into frozen statues left them in awe.


    It waspletely one-sided. The scorplings didn''t stand a chance. The overwhelming disy of power had frozen them in an instant, leaving no room for resistance or escape.


    The sheer efficiency and dominance of the attack stunned everyone, leaving them surprised and shocked at the same time.


    "Orion, what was that?" Ryfin eximed, his voice trembling with excitement. "Are you really only at the iron rank and not at the silver rank?"


    Orion didn''t have any answers for Ryfin, as he himself was in shock. He hadn''t thought that the transformation would bring such an increase in strength.


    The raw power coursing through his icy arm was beyond anything he had imagined, leaving him both amazed and unsettled by the potential within him.


    Most importantly, the control over ice elements seemed to increase a lot. When it was mentioned in the description of the Curse Transformation, he had thought the increase would only be around 2-3%, but the actual increase was around 10%.


    The unexpected boost in his ability to manipte ice was a pleasant surprise, opening up new possibilities and strategies inbat that he had yet to explore.


    Turning to Ryfin and the others, who were looking at him like a monster, Orion smiled wryly.


    "It''s my new sub ability I unlocked when I reached the iron rank," he said, scratching his head.


    At the same time, he also deactivated the Curse Transformation causing his left hand to return to normal.


    "Let''s continue to move forward," he said, trying to divert their attention to the task at hand.


    They nodded as they moved forward, and Orion also followed them from behind as he thought about his new ability.


    ''This Curse Transformation ability is too strong, even if I only use one curse. What would happen if I were to use two at the same time or all the curses I have at the same time?''


    He believed that his strength would soar to new heights if he were to use more curses in the Curse Transformation mode, but that would also bring more negative emotions to his mind, which would ultimately do more harm than good.


    The temptation to tap into the power of all the curses in the Curse Transformation was strong, but he knew that the price of giving in to that temptation would also be too high.


    "Look! There are only mirrors ahead."


    As he was thinking deeply about his ability, someone''s shout brought him back to reality.


    Turning his head forward, he was surprised to see mirrors of various sizes scattered throughout the front area. Not a single trace of ground or walls in the cave could be seen, as the entire area appeared to be surrounded by mirrors only.


    The reflections from all these mirrors created an eerie and disorienting effect, making it difficult to discern what was real and what was merely a reflection.


    "Why are there so many mirrors in the middle of a cave?" The masked girl thought out loud as she looked at an area full of mirrors.


    "It should be a trap," Orion said, looking at everyone. "Think about it. There are so many mirrors in the middle of a cave. How often do you see them?"


    "But who would build a trap here?" Lisa asked this time. "Even if this is a trap, General Dray''s team has already passed this area, so this trap should have been broken, but why does it appear that it''s still in effect?"


    The questions Lisa asked caused everyone to ponder about the mirrors surrounding their path in front of them.

 Chapter 111: 111. Mystery of the Mirrors

    Orion pondered deeply over Lisa''s words and felt that they were very reasonable. If this was indeed a trap, then who would set up a trap in the middle of a cave? Why was the trap still in effect after General Dray''s team crossed this path?


    The most important question would be how the trap¡ªthe pack of mirrors¡ªwould affect them. Granted, they were designed as a trap; it wouldn''t be anything good. But they still had to know how the trap would affect them if they wanted to cross it.


    Orion pondered this as he observed the mirrors. He knew they needed to understand the trap''s mechanics to safely navigate through it. He turned to hispanions and shared his thoughts.


    "We need to figure out how these mirrors work," he said, his voice low. "If they are traps, there must be some trigger or effect they produce. Let''s be cautious and test them from a distance first."


    He picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it towards one of the mirrors, watching carefully to see what would happen.


    The stone flew through the air and hit one of the mirrors with a light clink. It then fell onto the surface of a mirror on the ground, and nothing particrly happened to it. It just stayed there, as if the mirrors didn''t have any effect on him.


    "Nothing happened to the stone," the masked girl said, pondering. "Does that mean it was meant to be used as a trap but overtime it had lost its edge or the mana needed to activate the trap waspletely used, leaving these mirrors as nothing but a useless obstacle?"


    Orion also pondered as he saw that mirrors didn''t seem to have any effect on the stone.


    ''If what she said were true and the mirrors really don''t work now, then how could they still be in perfect shape if General Dray''s team passed by? To go to the other side, they would definitely destroy the mirrors in front, so how were these mirrors still in shape if the mana required for activating the trap was over?''


    This was the thing he didn''t understand. If the masked girl''s words held any truth, then the mirrors here should have been broken and not in perfect shape like the ones in front of them.


    ''They wouldn''t automatically return to normal after being shattered into pieces, would they? And if they could, that means the mirrors definitely have mana inside them and the traps are still working. It just didn''t work on a stone¡­stone?''


    Thinking of the stone, he wondered if the mirrors didn''t have any effect on it because it wasn''t a living thing. He felt that was highly possible.


    What if the trap of mirrors was only designed to work on living things? Then that would exin how these mirrors didn''t have any effect on the stone, as it was an inanimate object.


    ''Let''s just try the trap and see what happens.''


    He felt that only thinking based on their limited knowledge of the mirrors in front wouldn''t lead to any meaningful conclusions. They needed to proceed with caution and gather more information about these strange mirrors.


    "Everyone," he called out to hispanions, and he shared his thoughts about the mirrors. "I believe the mirrors only work on living things; that''s why they didn''t have any effect on the stone."


    "If what you said is really true and the mirrors only affect living things, then that would be a problem," the masked girl said with a frown.


    "That''s why I am thinking of going there to test the mirrors myself and see how they affect me," Orion said.


    "No," Lisa tly declined. "That''s too dangerous. I won''t allow it."


    Orion felt helpless about Lisa and was about to debate with her when someone voiced their unique thoughts.


    "Why don''t we attack the mirrors and destroy them?"


    Everyone was surprised by the idea and turned to see that the one who gave them this idea was Ryfin.


    "Nice idea, Ryfin," Orion gave him a thumbs up. "Let''s try it."


    "I don''t think it will work," the masked girl said. "If these mirrors are designed as traps, then they would definitely be invulnerable to attacks; otherwise, there would be no meaning in using mirrors as traps if they could be broken so easily."


    "We will know once we try it," Orion said, preparing to attack when someone tapped on his shoulder.


    "Let me do it," Famir said, as a golden bolt of lightning conjured in his hand.


    Orion nodded to him.


    Seeing Orion agree, Famir threw the bolt of lightning towards the mirrors.


    A golden sh of light passed by the cave, illuminating all around the area before it arrived near one of the mirrors.


    However, just as the bolt of lightning came into contact with the mirror, it didn''t do any damage to it and went inside it.


    Almost instantly, the lightning bolt emerged from a different mirror and darted towards yet another mirror, where it again disappeared. It reappeared in a random mirror, only to be drawn into another mirror yet again.


    The lightning bolt continued to bounce unpredictably from mirror to mirror, creating a chaotic web of reflections that made it nearly impossible to track its path.


    Like that, the lightning bolt continued to move around the mirrors before it came out from the very front mirror facing Orion''s team and went towards them.


    Famir jumped in front of the team and caught the lightning bolt back in his hand.


    "My attack didn''t work," he said as he disintegrated the lightning bolt in his hand.


    Everyone was surprised to see what happened to Famir''s attack. They hadn''t expected this at all.


    "It seems she was right," Lisa said, looking at the masked girl. "Our attack won''t work on mirrors."


    "But at least we know what the trap is," Orion said. "It seems like all these mirrors work as a portal, and they are all connected to each other."


    "So, should we go and try the mirrors out ourselves?" The masked girl asked. "At least one of them leads outside. That''s how General Dray''s team would have gone outside without destroying the mirrors. Also, the stone didn''t pass through the mirror because it didn''t pose any threat to these mirrors, but the lightning bolt did. So, this exins everything."


    Orion pondered for a moment before answering her. He wondered if the mirrors would be able to withstand his ice attack powered by his Curse Transformation.


    It was a wide-range attack and would freeze all the mirrors present here, so he couldn''t help but wonder if this attack of his would be effective against these mirrors or not.


    Moreover, he could also use Velocity Burst in Curse Transformation mode to try burning the mirrors themselves or Detonating Flesh in Curse Transformation mode to explode all the mirrors. He had too many options, but he had a feeling all his attacks would be futile against these mirrors.


    General Dray and that assassin were at least at the peak of silver rank, but they didn''t destroy the mirrors and chose to pass through the trap. This indicated something about the durability of these mirrors.


    Also, whoever built these mirrors as a trap would have thought about this beforehand and must havee up with a counter, so it was highly unlikely that his attack would have any effect on these mirrors.


    ''But I won''t be satisfied until I see it for myself.''


    He thought, preparing himself to attack the mirrors.

 Chapter 112: 112. Mirror Portals

    Orion activated his sub-ability, Curse Transformation, with the curse of Frozen Torment, causing his left arm topletely freeze. The icy transformation spread rapidly, encasing his arm in ayer of frost and imbuing it with the chilling power of the curse.


    "Everyone step back a little."


    He warned the others as he moved forward and arrived in front of the mirrors.


    ''Let''s see how it goes.''


    With all the strength he could muster, he punched the ground near the mirrors. The impact sent shockwaves through the cave, causing the ground to tremble and crack.


    As he exerted his force, he unleashed the power of the Frozen Torment curse, sending tendrils of frost racing across the ground and towards the mirrors.


    Wherever theyer of frost went, it froze everything, be it the ground or the mirrors. Itpletely encased the mirrors in a solid sheath of ice, rendering them inert.


    "It worked!"


    Orion eximed as he saw his icepletely freeze all the mirrors blocking their path.


    "Now, we just have to destroy the ice, and the mirrors inside them will break with it," Lisa pped in celebration.


    "That''s one way to bypass a trap, I guess," the masked girl also nodded.


    Crack¡ª


    However, it was only a momentter that their excitement washed away as theyer of frozen ice unexpectedly shattered into pieces, revealing the reflections of their disappointed faces on these mirrors.


    "The ice shattered!" Lisa eximed. Others were also shocked to see that the ice encasing the mirrors shattered into broken shards while the mirrors themselves remained intact.


    "It''s still fine," Orion said sadly, looking at the surface of the mirrors, which didn''t seem to have any effect on them even after he had fully frozen them.


    "Let''s go and search for the correct mirror," the masked girl said, walking towards the mirrors. "Breaking the trap itself is impossible, it seems. We can only pass right through it."


    Orion nodded as he followed her. He felt that since ice couldn''t even scratch the surface of all those mirrors, the other curses probably wouldn''t be effective either.


    The resilience of the mirrors suggested that they were protected by something much more powerful than what even a full-blown attack from a silver-rank or even a gold-rank individual could achieve.


    Soon, everyone arrived in front of those mirrors and was only a step away from entering the domain of mirrors.


    "Let''s go," the masked girl said as she took the first step into the mirror world.


    Her body went inside the mirror she stepped into and disappeared, only to reappear at a different mirror on the left side of the cave wall. But strangely enough, her body didn''t fall from the mirror attached to the wall.


    If normally one were to suddenly appear from the side walls, they would fall to the ground because of gravity, but the masked girl stood there on the surface of the mirror as if the gravity was reversed or had no effect on her.


    "How are you standing there?" Orion asked her, seeing this.


    "I don''t know," she said, shaking her head. "It only feels like I am on the ground and can choose any mirrors around myself to go in there."


    Orion nodded. He then turned his attention to all the others here.


    "Let''s go as well," he said, as he also stepped onto one of the mirrors on the ground, causing his body to sink into the mirror.


    Almost instantly, he reappeared in the mirror at the ceiling of the cave. Defying gravity, he stood there effortlessly, his reflection mingling with the myriad of images around him.


    After him, everyone else stepped into the world of mirrors and found themselves appearing in different parts of the domain of mirrors, standing effortlessly at odd angles.


    The disorienting reflections and shifting perspectives made it difficult to discern up from down, and the entire scene felt like a surreal, fragmented reality where the usual rules of physics no longer applied. Each person had to navigate this bewildering space, unsure of where the next mirror might lead them.


    "Everyone, let''s check each mirror as quickly as possible," Orion said, looking at everyone.


    They nodded and stepped onto the mirrors beside them, causing their bodies to sink inpletely, only to appear at different parts of the mirrored domain.


    Orion also moved to another mirror and disappeared into it. A momentter, his body reappeared at the bottom mirror ced on the ground. Seeing that, he again moved to another mirror and disappeared into it too, only to reappear at different parts of the mirror domain.


    Like that, Orion and his group continued this over and over again. They passed through mirrors after mirrors for hours before they came to a halt. Exhausted and disoriented, they paused to catch their breath and take stock of their surroundings.


    Sweat trickled down their brows as theyy down on the surface of the mirror they just resurfaced on.


    "If we go on like this, it will take us forever to find the right mirror," Ryfinined at that moment.


    "You are right," Lisa, agreeing with Ryfin, said to everyone. "There are hundreds of mirrors, if not more, ced here, and it''s very difficult to find the right one."


    "The most difficult task for us is to determine which mirrors we have already traveled to so that we won''t go into the same mirrors and waste our time," the masked girl said. "However, all the mirrors here looks exactly the same, and the shifting perspective of standing at different angles along the walls and ceiling did little to no help; instead, it only worsened our situation even more."


    Others nodded at her opinion, thinking she had pointed out the most difficult task they would have to do to find the correct mirror.


    Everyone turned to look at Orion, seeking his opinion, but they were shocked to find that he was looking at them as if he had seen a ghost. His expression was one of disbelief and horror, his eyes wide with shock. It was as if he had witnessed something beyondprehension, something that had shaken him to his core.


    "What happened, Orion?" The masked girl asked with concern.


    "Don''t you guys see yourself in the mirrors?" He asked with a trembling voice.


    As he asked them, everyone looked into the mirror and saw their reflection, but they didn''t find anything different.


    "What are you talking about?" The masked girl asked again, turning to Orion.


    Orion trembled a little as he saw them appear fine after they looked at their reflections in the mirrors.


    ''Am I also like them?''


    He thought as he turned to look at all the reflections of himself in the mirrors and saw that he appeared fine, just like they thought they were fine.


    ''No, I am not like them. I can tell the difference, but they can''t. Whatever the mirrors did, they didn''t affect me or couldn''t affect me because of my original curse¡ªNull Body.''


    He thought as he looked at the faces of everyone here. Their faces appeared as though they were in their thirties, with beards and moustaches on the boys, while wrinkles appeared on Lisa''s face as if she had suddenly turned old.


    He couldn''t see through the mask of the masked girl, but he bet she was in the same situation as them.


    ''It''s not permanent, right?''


    Orion dreaded thinking about this. If their condition were to be permanent, then he didn''t know how they would react if they were toe out of this mirror domain.


    ''It only took them an hour or so to age significantly in the mirrored domain. So, what would happen if we were trapped in here for much longer?''


    The thought sent a shiver down Orion''s spine.

 Chapter 113: 113. Worst-Case Scenario

    Orion hesitated, unsure of what they should do now. If they continued to search for the right mirror, then maybe by the time they found it, they would have already turned into old bones.


    That was the worst-case scenario he wanted to avoid the most. The urgency of their situation weighed heavily on him, and he knew they needed a new n.


    ''What should I do?''


    He racked his brain hard for any solutions but couldn''te up with anything that would help them. He felt hopeless¡ªhopeless for their survival.


    "What happend?" Lisa asked, seeing Orion''s ck face.


    Orion turned to look at everyone and thought about whether he should tell them or not. He wanted more time, and most importantly, if they were to panic at the moment he revealed their reality, it would definitely cause more chaos, which wouldn''t do them any good.


    Weighing his options, he decided to take a cautious approach.


    Most importantly, he felt that if they could just find the correct mirror, then all of this would be over and they would return to their normal selves. After all, it was a trap designed to hold them back and not for killing; otherwise, General Dray''s team would never have gone past this mirror world.


    Thinking of that, he decided not to tell them for now.


    "Ah, nothing," he said, looking at everyone as his face became urgent. "Continue to move around, but do it fast. I have a feeling there is something wrong with the mirror world. So, speed things up."


    They nodded, moved to different mirrors, and once again began their quest to find the right mirror.


    Meanwhile, Orion didn''t move. He was thinking something very questionable, which he hoped wasn''t true.


    ''How could there not be a mirror that would lead to the other end? General Gray''s team has already passed by, so there is proof of that. There is definitely a mirror leading to the other side, definitely.''


    He thought as he also moved into the mirror beside him and continued the search for the right mirror from his end.


    Time passed, and soon another hour had gone by.


    They once again took a break, and this time Orion noticed that they were in their fifties with their hair turning almost fully white.


    ''Damn, should I tell them?''


    He really hesitated about this. On one hand, he wanted to let them know because he felt that it was the right thing to do, but on the other, he wanted as many helping hands as he could get right now. The more time they wasted, the worse their chances of survival would be.


    ''What to do?''


    He thought deeply before he finally decided to let them know everything.


    But before that, they had to leave this area first. Anything done here would only make them even older.


    He also hoped silently that when they stepped outside of this mirror world, everyone would return to normal; otherwise, he couldn''t forgive himself for this.


    "Guys, I think all these mirrors are making me dizzy a little," he said, his eyes darting to each individual present in the mirror domain. "Shall we take a rest outside?"


    After hearing Orion''s words, they became skeptical a little, but they still agreed with him.


    "Alright, let''s leave this ce for about five minutes," Orion said, seeing them agree to his words. After that, he jumped from the surface of the mirror he stood on and arived at the ground where they entered the mirror world from.


    Everyone also jumped and arrived on the ground of the cave.


    However, the moment they left the mirror world and saw each other''s faces, their eyes turned into ones of horror. But before they could react to them, they felt pain all over their bodies, as though a truck had mmed into them.


    "What happened to you guys? How did you get so old? And why am I feeling so painful today?" Ryfin asked as he looked at everyone before his eyes fell on Orion. "Huh, you seem fine."


    "We are old?" Famir''s expression changed as he quickly touched his face and found his beard and moustache. At the same time, his eyes were also drawn to his hands, which shocked him the most. He saw that they appeared quite thin and had wrinkles running all over them.


    "What happened to me?!" He screamed as he finally found out that he had turned into an old man.


    It was also at this time that others also checked their bodies, and to their horror, they also turned into old men.


    "I am an old woman now?!" Lisa screamed.


    "What happened to me?" The masked girl''s voice choked as she looked at her hands, filled with wrinkles.


    As for Ron, he was just looking at his hands in shock. He was so shocked that he couldn''t even react and could only stare at his sickly hands, trembling from time to time. The sight of his prematurely aged and frail hands filled him with a sense of dread and disbelief, making it difficult for him to process what had happened.


    Soon, everyone''s attention was drawn to Orion, as he wasn''t the only one who hadn''t changed.


    "Orion, what happened to us?" Famir asked, panicking. "How did we be so old?"


    Orion didn''t know what to tell them. He felt that it was all his fault for bringing them into all of this. If only he had gone alone, then this might not have happened. If only he had stopped them when they aged into their thirties. But he understood there was no medicine for regret in this world, so he decided to be honest with them.


    "It''s like this..." He exined to them what actually happened in the mirror world and how they couldn''t tell the difference if anything had happened to them. He told them everything, from start to finish.


    "All of this for nothing?" Famirughed; his voice sounded a little hollow. He couldn''t believe that they had lost half of their lives and still couldn''t find the damn mirror.


    "Orion, why didn''t you stop us?" The masked girl asked, tears rolling down behind her mask and reaching her neck. "You could have seen us aging, right? Then why didn''t you stop us? Why?" Her choking voice, full of sadness, echoed throughout the cave.


    As she mentioned this, everyone remembered how Orion''s face had turned pale when they rested for the first time. He also told them something about them not seeing the mirror, but now that they looked at the situation, they could finally understand Orion''s strange behavior from that time.


    This also arose in their hearts as to why he didn''t stop them earlier and why now, when everything was toote.


    Therefore, after understanding everything, they turned their heads to Orion, their moist eyes looking at him, waiting for a reasonable exnation.


    Orion didn''t know what to say to her¡ªwhat to say to any of them. He felt guilty for trying to look for the correct mirror when he should have stopped them. He now regretted that decision very much.


    He felt the burden of his decisions weighing down on him as he struggled to face the truth of their situation. His hesitation had cost them dearly, and the consequences were starkly visible in the prematurely aged faces of hispanions.

 Chapter 114: 114. Worst Person Ever

    Orion looked at their faces. Some had tears in their eyes, some were depressed, and some''s eyes were hollow, like they were dead from inside.


    But these eyes were still looking at him, expecting an answer from him. They wanted to know the reason why Orion hadn''t asked them earlier to get away from the mirror world and why when it was toote.


    Lisa was the same too. Even though she was her personal maid and her life was tied to him since the moment she was born, she also felt sorrow for suddenly finding herself as an old woman.


    Most importantly, she too had dreams¡ªher family''s dreams¡ªbut they were now slipping away like sand through her fingers.


    Although she didn''t me Orion, tears trailing down her cheeks betrayed the silent grief that had settled in her heart.


    As Orion looked at their sorrowful faces, her maid''s tears, which he had never seen before, made his heart ache in pain.


    Especially for Lisa, they had grown up together with her taking care of him for all he could remember, but seeing how she had turned so old and was constantly crying made him feel a profound sense of guilt and sadness.


    "Why don''t you reply?" The masked girl came close to him and held his cor. "Why? Why? WHY?" She screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing through the cave, filled with a mixture of rage and despair.


    "I-I thought it was temporary and would return to normal if we could only find the correct mirror, so I didn''t tell you and asked you guys to hurry the process." Orion finally said something, but his eyes were on the ground as he avoided looking at them. "But-but I never thought it would turn out like this."


    "You never thought?" The masked girl tightened her grip on his cor. "You never thought?"


    "Do you have any idea what we''ve lost because of your silence?" Her voice trembled with a mix of fury and anguish.


    Orion could feel the intensity of her gaze even through the mask, her eyes boring into him, demanding answers he wasn''t sure he could give.


    "I was trying to protect you," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought if I could fix it quickly, we wouldn''t have to face this nightmare. I didn''t want to scare anyone."


    "Protect us?" she spat, her voice rising again. "By keeping us in the dark? By letting us age and suffer without knowing why?"


    She released his cor and took a step back, her body shaking with emotion.


    "We deserved to know, Orion. We deserved a chance to make our own choices. But you took that chance away."


    Orion finally lifted his eyes to meet hers, his own filled with regret and sorrow.


    "I know," he admitted, his voice cracking. "I was wrong. I''m so sorry. I truly am sorry."


    However, Orion knew no amount of his apologizing would ever change their fate or erase the years they had lost.


    The masked girl shook her head and didn''t look at him anymore. She then walked towards a corner, sat down against the wall, and kept her head lowered.


    Orion then turned his head to look at others, but they also avoided eye contact with him.


    He clenched his fists as he saw that. He felt that everything was going against him.


    However, at that moment, he realized something.


    ''I don''t age in the mirror world, so I can search there all day. Maybe I will find the correct mirror. I''ll have to find the correct mirror."


    He thought, and his eyes brightened as he looked at the cause of all their problems¡ªthe mirror world. He thought that if he could find the right mirror, maybe by entering through that mirror they would all return to normal.


    However, a very dreaded thought also came to his mind at this time.


    ''What if there isn''t a correct mirror? What if this trap was really designed so that one couldn''t get to the other side?''


    It was a possibility, but he refused to ept that, shaking his head. Finding the correct mirror was the only hope he had, and maybe because of that, he ignored that thought very easily.


    After he made up his mind, he didn''t waste any more of his time and went directly into the mirror world.


    He went directly inside one of the mirrors and continued where he left off.


    An hour passed, and he didn''t find the right mirror.


    Three hours passed and still the same result.


    Sixe hourster, the doubt of the existence of the correct mirror started to resurface in his mind. But he held on.


    Ten hourster, the doubt started to haunt him even more, but he still didn''t give in and continued searching.


    Twelve hourster, he finally started to realize the bitter truth. He thought maybe there really wasn''t a mirror leading outside the mirror world.


    A dayter, he stood there in the world of mirrors, hopeless. After all that time of searching through the mirror world, he didn''t find the one mirror that led him outside.


    It was as though he was searching for something that didn''t exist.


    Turning his head to the others, he saw their eyes be even more lifeless than before.


    It was as if they had lost all theirst hope, if such a thing had ever existed before.


    The guilt in Orion increased even more after he failed, making him afraid to look them in the eyes.


    He didn''t know what to do at this point. He tried thest thing¡ªthest hope he had¡ªbut it ended in failure.


    ''Should I leave?''


    The thought of leaving them came to his mind.


    ''But will that be alright?''


    He didn''t know if that was the right thing to do.


    ''Am I the worst person ever?''


    He wondered if anyone had ever done something like that to their friends.


    ''But it wasn''t entirely my fault? It was all these mirrors fault.''


    He med it on the mirrors for making their situation worse.


    ''Also, my luck! It was also because of my luck. This damn bad luck, when will it go away?''


    He med half of this on his luck, thinking that if only his luck weren''t the worst, they might have somehow escaped from this situation.


    But even after ming others, he didn''t feel the guilt go away. Instead, it deepened even more.


    ''I should leave here.''


    He was starting to feel panic as he thought that the more time he would spend here looking at them, the more guilt he would feel, so he made his decision to leave.


    ''I am not running away from them. I am just¡­ I am just leaving because it will be toote if I don''t leave right now and stop General Dray''s team. That''s right. That''s the reason I''m leaving.''


    He tried to delude himself into thinking that so he could leave them without regret.


    After that, he quickly made his body tangible with the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and jumped towards the other end of the mirror world, where the path continued.


    Soon, his body passed through the mirrors that blocked the path like a wall and emerged on the other side of the mirror world.


    Looking back, he saw nothing. He didn''t see the mirror world he came from, nor did he see his friends. It was just a section of the cave.


    ''Let''s go. I amte now.''


    He thought this as he started walking forward.

 Chapter 115: 115. History of Sadola

    Did Orion feel alright about leaving them in that state?


    No, he didn''t. In fact, he felt quite disgusted at himself for doing that.


    But he just couldn''t stay with them after what he had done to them, so it was his only choice.


    Did he run away from them after what he had done?


    He indeed ran away. Although he deluded himself with all that crap about stopping General Dray and his team, deep down, he knew all of that was just him finding an excuse to run away from them.


    As for why he did that, it was just that he couldn''t face them anymore. Every time he looked at their faces, the guilt wed at him harder, twisting his insides into a knot.


    ''Let''s not think about this anymore.''


    Orion thought as he increased his pace.


    Along the way, he found even more rotten corpses of the scorplings. But seeing them, he remembered the ones they had faced before¡ªthe ones he had killed using his Curse Transformation.


    What he couldn''t understand was how they were still alive. These corpses here were proof that all the scorplings in this section of the cave should have been killed by General Dray''s team when they passed through here. So, how did the ones that attacked their team remain alive?


    ''It''s quite strange.''


    He thought as he carefully strode along the path, mindful of the poisons left behind by the remnants of the scorplings.


    Not long after, he arrived in a huge section of the cave. Looking around, he found that this area resembled some sort of ruin.


    There were drawings and symbols carved on the walls all around the ruined structure.


    But what drew his attention was the huge corpse of the scorpidar in the distance. Ity on the ground with a dark green liquid surrounding it from all directions.


    He noticed that its two pincers were missing from its body, while a gaping hole was present on its head. There were also many light injuries covering its whole body, where traces of dark green liquid could be seen.


    ''So, this is the first gold rank monster guarding the core.''


    Orion thought as he observed the corpse of the scorpidar.


    At that moment, his eyes caught the attention of the corpses of humans not far away. Previously, he didn''t notice those corpses because they appeared to have almost melted in the poison of the scorpidar.


    There were around ten human corpses, and seeing them, the question that had been in his mind forever now resurfaced.


    ''How did theye here?''


    He searched for a whole day in the mirror world but failed to find the correct mirror leading to the outside, and now there were human corpses inrge numbers. Seeing them made him wonder if they had interpreted the trap in the wrong way.


    Maybe they didn''t find the correct mirror because it simply didn''t exist and there were other ways to pass the trap.


    ''I will have to ask them if I see them, then maybe...''


    He thought of asking General Dray''s team when he had the chance, thinking it might reverse their situation.


    He soon moved closer to the corpse of scorpidar to check if it had the core or not; however, as his luck would have it, there was a big hole in its stomach area, and it appeared the core had been taken away by the members of General Dray''s team.


    ''That''s a bummer, I guess.''


    After observing the corpses of the scorpidar and the humans, he checked on them for thest time to make sure he didn''t miss anything before he turned his attention to the carvings etched on the walls of the ruins.


    He noticed that these carvings were made as if they were carved into the wall itself, but when he looked at them, they shone with a dark red light for some reason.


    The carvings included symbols of men holding swords, a veryrge octopus-like monster, and a bright red sphere.


    They were arranged in a very peculiar order. First was the red ball of the sphere, then the octupos-looking monster, and at the end were the men holding swords.


    Observing them carefully, Orion felt that the situation here was simr to that of the carvings in the painting, with a little difference.


    For example, the bright sphere might represent the core, and the octopus-like monster might be the fifth gold rank monster. Last but not least, the men holding swords could represent General Dray''s team, who were hunting all those gold-rank monsters to get to the core. The men depicted in the carvings surrounded the monster, with the core in the center, while they stood in a circr position.


    If there was any difference between the carvings and the situation here, then that would be the absence of the other gold rank monsters from the carving. It only depicted one monster, whom Orion assumed to be the fifth gold-rank monster. The first four were missing for some reason


    He couldn''t understand why these carvings were drawn here and why it appeared as though the people in the carvings were also after the core of Sad.


    ''Did the Valen Family get the idea of stealing the power of the core from this carving?''


    He spected that because he had never heard of anyone doing something like that. Stealing the power of a core hadn''t been in the history of the three domains, as far as his memory could remember.


    ''They must have thought that since people from ancient times were after the core of the Sad, there must be something special about this core. However, since they couldn''t take the core itself from Sad, they are now trying to steal all the energy inside of it.''


    He felt that his spection was more or less true. They must have identally stumbled upon their of the scorpidar and could have seen the carvings etched on the walls here, leading them to the idea of stealing the energy of the core.


    But the greater question was why the people from ancient times would want to steal the core of Sad.


    Did they not know that without a core to sustain itself, a would just die?


    Orion highly doubted that. He thought that since they knew about the core, they must have some information about its importance to the.


    That again begged the question: why¡ªwhat was their motive behind stealing the core?


    ''I guess I will find outter.''


    Orion thought as he looked at the carvings.


    After checking everything here and making sure he didn''t miss anything else, he decided to head deeper into the path.


    ''Wait a minute.''


    However, at that moment, he suddenly had a thought regarding the trap¡ªthe mirror world and the carvings drawn here.


    ''Were they the same person who put the trap there and drew the carvings here? If so, then why put the trap there? ... Were they afraid other people would notice the core and build a trap there to not let any people pass through it?''


    He felt that it was most likely true. But then again, how did General Dray''s team pass the trap if it was meant to not let anyone pass?


    ''So many questions and little to no answers.''


    Orion shook his head and moved forward deeper into the cave.


    He also activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and moved to the other dimension while he headed forward.

 Chapter 116: 116. Strongest Cowards

    As Orion was walking down the path leading to their of other gold-rank monsters, he couldn''t help but think something.


    ''Are there going to be more traps like the one at the entrance, the scorpidarir?''


    If there were indeed traps ced in each section of the area where a gold-ranking monstery, then that would be very dangerous.


    But it didn''t matter to him.


    Soon, he arrived at the entrance of the second gold-rank monster, but he didn''t find anything here that would be identified as a trap.


    As he walked inside their, he saw a huge snake-like monster''s corpse lying on the ground. However, this snake had legs at the bottom and fins at the top.


    Orion didn''t know what type of monster it was, but it looked super strong to him.


    Looking around, he noticed many human corpses littered like fallen leaves all around the area.


    ''There are more corpses here than in the previousir.''


    He thought and was about to get closer to the monster to check if it had the core inside or not when he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps in the distance.


    ''There is someone here?''


    He was surprised because, ording to him, everyone should be at thest monsterir hunting the gold-rank monster at this time.


    ''Let''s see who it is.''


    Moving towards the source of the sound, he saw a wounded man limping down the way.


    He wasing from the direction where the core was situated, and most importantly, a skull mask covered his face.


    Seeing the skull mask, Orion''s pupil dted, for the injured man was none other than the assassin who had tried to assassinate not one but twice.


    However, he didn''t immediately show up, and observed him from a distance.


    He saw that the assassin was heavily injured. He was limping; blood flowed from his mouth, and all around his body he could see markings of being heavily hit by something. Because of it, the clothes he wore were damaged all over.


    But it was at that moment that a tentacle came from behind the assassin andtched onto him.


    "HELP!"


    He screamed, plunging his sword into the ground, which only slowed down the tentacle from pulling him back towards wherever its body was.


    "I know you are here. I smelled you when I came here. Help me, please, and I will tell you why we want to kill you."


    Orion was shocked by the sudden turn of events and felt fortunate that he decided to hide in the other dimension when he came here and did not show up the moment the assassin walked in.


    As for the assassin''s plea, he ignored it without much thought. Although he was a little naive, he wasn''t aplete fool that he would save an assassin''s life who had earlier wanted to kill him.


    Moreover, who knew if the tentacle would decide to target him if he were to get any closer to it?


    "Help me. Please, help me."


    The assassin desperately yelled for help, but his pleas were ignored. Not long after, his sword, which had been stabbed into the ground, started to loosen as the tentacle continued to pull him back.


    A momentter, his sword didn''t hold longer and was uprooted from the ground. As a result, the man was immediately pulled back by the tentacle and disappeared into the darkness of the cave in the distance.


    ''What happened in there?''


    Orion waspletely shocked by the tentacle. For it to pull a peak silver rank human as if he were a toy made him sweat in fear. The sheer strength and sudden appearance of the tentacle made him wonder what had happened deep inside the cave.


    "Thank God, it''s gone."


    At that moment, Orion suddenly heard a low voice muttering to itself. The voice sounded so close to him that he flinched back when he heard it.


    ''I am not alone here.''


    He was shocked to realize that someone else was here besides himself.


    Turning around, he saw a figure seemingly detached from the wall.


    The figure belonged to a male, and his body appeared as though he was made up of rocks and mud and very much resembled a golem.


    After he fully separated himself from the wall and saw that no one was there, he touched the wall, causing his skin, which appeared to be covered in rocks and mud, to slowly disintegrate into powder, revealing his human skin hidden underneath.


    At that moment, Orion saw the face of the man and was shocked to see him here.


    Because the man hiding here was none other than General Dray.


    Orion couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    First it was the assassin, and then General Dray. These two were supposed to be the strongest in the group that went to hunt thest gold-rank monster, but the irony was that one fled only to be caughtter by a tentacle monster, and the other hid behind.


    He couldn''t fathom what happened down there to cause two of the strongest people in Aethelgard City to run away like frightened children.


    As he observed General Dray, he saw that he was also quite injured. Blood could be seen leaking out of his wounds, dying his clothes red.


    At that moment, he also heard him talking to himself.


    "Damn, how could an Apocalypse-level monster be here? Aren''t they supposed to be the rarest of the rarest breed of monsters? And it''s just a 3-star, but there are so many things going on here, and we happened to awaken the only Apocalypse-level monster sleeping here. Talk about luck."


    General Dray muttered to himself as he anxiously took out the mana crystals and started to absorb them one by one.


    "I will have to inform the family head; otherwise, all our efforts would be in vain."


    After absorbing all the mana crystals he had taken out, he stood up and was about to flee once again when a menacing roar sounded.


    "ROOAAAAR!"


    The roar was so loud and powerful that it caused the entire cave to tremble. Small rocks and dust began to fall from the ceiling, and the ground where Orion stood began to crack.


    And before either he or General Dray could react, the ground below them caved in, and from there came a humongous monster.


    To Orion''s horror, the whole section of the cave they were in could only fit the eye of the monster. The enormous, unblinking purple-colored eye red down at them, its pupil dting as it focused.


    Orion''s heart pounded in his chest as he realized the true scale of the creature they faced. The air grew colder, and an oppressive sense of dread settled over him.


    Even though he was in the other dimension, he could feel the overwhelming pressure. The weight of the monster''s gaze bore down on him, transcending the boundaries of space and reality. It was as if the creature''s very presence could warp the fabric of existence itself.


    However, what Orion failed to notice, perhaps due to the pressure of the monster or fear itself, was that the eye wasn''t ring at him but at someone who stood behind him.


    "No¡­no¡­no."


    General Dray looked at the monster in despair as he nkly muttered to himself.


    He wanted to run¡ªhe wanted to escape at that very moment¡ªbut as the enormous eye locked onto him, he couldn''t move. He felt as though his whole body was paralyzed, gripped by an unseen force that held him in ce.

 Chapter 117: 117. Unleashed

    Finally, the thing General Dray feared the most happened. A tentacle tore through the ground andtched towards him.


    It was too fast and he couldn''t move at all. He could only watch as the tentacle came and coiled around him and pulled him back.


    "NOOO!"


    His scream echoed throughout the cave as the tentacle dragged his body away and disappeared into the hole it came from.


    Orion, who was in the other dimension, watched all of this in horror. He couldn''tprehend how such a strong man like General Dray was reduced to nothing but dregs by the huge monster.


    Having done with General Dray, the huge pupil looked around the cave, and after not finding anyone, the monster closed his eyelid and began to ascend.


    The whole cave once again began to tremble, but way more fiercely than before. The walls shook violently, andrge chunks of rock started to break away, crashing to the ground with deafening thuds.


    A momentter, the monster, as if jumping, had its body fly upward like a rocket. The sudden movement created a powerful gust of wind that blew away all the dust that had gathered.


    However, it did more than just that, as the whole cave Orion was in started to break down. Massive cracks spread rapidly across the walls and ceiling, and the ground beneath him began to shake uncontrobly. Chunks of rock and debris fell around him, each impact reverberating through the crumbling cavern.


    All that happened in a second and if Orion were to be in the cave at that moment, he would have been wrecked by all of that now.


    Sometimeter, the dust settled back down, revealing the full extent of the cave''s disintegration.


    To Orion''s shock, a huge gaping hole appeared on the ground from where the monster had ascended. The edges of the hole were jagged, and it seemed to plunge into an abyss of darkness.


    As far down as he could see, only darkness was visible to him. The void seemed endless, an abyss that threatened to consume everything in its path.


    Turning his head upward, Orion could see the fake sky of Aethelgard City from where he stood.


    He was shocked to witness all of that; he couldn''t believe the monster tore directly through everything and appeared in the city.


    It all seemed unreal to him.


    From the assassin''s capture by the tentacle to this, it was nothing short of a rollercoaster.


    ''It would be chaos outside.''


    Remembering the bustling Market Street of Aethelgard City, Orion wondered how much destruction that monster would cause and how much life would be lost because of it.


    Although he didn''t care about anyone in Aethelgard City, at the end of the day, nobody wanted to see such destruction and chaos.


    ''Let''s see the situation outside.''


    From inside his dimension, he floated up and appeared in Aethelgard City.


    His dimension was like an empty space; there was nothing there. But he could see everything happening outside as if he were standing there.


    The best thing about his dimension was that moving inside would also change his perspective of the outside. He didn''t have toe outside to change his view.


    But it wasn''t omniscient. For example, if he were in an enclosed room, he could see every part of the room from inside his dimension and could also move around ande out from different locations inside the enclosed room.


    However, if he wanted to see outside the room, he would have to exit his dimension and physically open the door before going outside and re-entering his dimension.


    Basically, when he was in his dimension, he could not interact with the real world, and his movement was limited to his line of sight. Just as he couldn''t see outside the door, he couldn''t move outside it either.


    ***


    As Orion appeared on Market Street, all he saw was utter destruction.


    It appeared as though half of the chunk of Market Street had disappeared into nothingness, leaving only a gaping hole leading to an abyss of darkness, while the other half turned into a twistedndscape of rubble and debris.


    The stalls that once stood tall were now mangled and unrecognizable, their remnants jutting out at odd angles. The few survivors who stumbled through the wreckage were ghostly figures, coated in dust and ash, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.


    Whereas the unfortunate ones turned into nothing but blood paste, coloring the ground red.


    The eerie silence was punctuated only by the asional distant cry for help, underscoring the magnitude of the devastation that had befallen the once bustling thoroughfare.


    While in the not-so-far distance, an enormous figure could be seen moving.


    It appeared to have a head like an octopus with tentacles all around. Its torso looked like it was formed from the earth itself, and its three legs moved slowly, taking it forward. It didn''t have a pair of hands.


    Each time it took a step, it caused the whole city to tremble.


    ''Where is it going?''


    Orion saw that the monster appeared to be moving in a certain direction, and it didn''t look like it was out of control.


    However, even though it was in control, everywhere it walked, only destruction followed in its path.


    The good thing was that it was huge and moved slowly, so people in the city could see it from afar and avoid getting in its way.


    ''It stopped?''


    Orion noticed that it came to a sudden stop after walking for some time.


    Looking at the area, he noticed it was around their lodge and General Dray''s quarter.


    ''What the!''


    He then saw to his shock that, after arriving there, the giant monster kicked the ground hard, causing the entire lodge area and the general''s quarter to demolish into nothing but a cloud of dust and a scatter of debris.


    The sheer force of the impact was enough to obliterate the sturdy structures, leaving behind a wastnd of broken timber and crumbled stone.


    Almost instantly, the whole Aethelgard City trembled under the might of the giant monster''s kick, causing buildings to copse and streets to crack open. Panic spread like wildfire as people fled in all directions, seeking safety from the relentless destruction.


    However, the giant monster didn''t stop and once again kicked the ground at the same point.


    "BOOM!"


    As if it had kicked a weak part of the ground, the whole area around the giant monster caved in, causing the giant monster itself to fall.


    But with its tall stature, even though it fell, it appeared as though it only stepped down a few stairs.


    After going down, it lowered its head as if searching for something. A momentter, it came out of thendslide it had caused.


    However, there was something different about it than before. It now possessed two hands that happened to be missing for some reason previously.


    "ROOOOAAAAR!"


    The giant monster then roared with all his strength, causing the whole city to shake violently. Windows shattered, and the remaining buildings swayed precariously, some sumbing to the relentless vibrations and copsing entirely.


    The sound was deafening, like a primal scream that seemed to pierce the very soul of Aethelgard, causing people to clutch their ears in agony.


    The roar''s sheer power reverberated through the city, amplifying the sense of impending doom that gripped every corner of Aethelgard City.

 Chapter 118: 118. Destruction Follow its path

    "Help! Somebody help me."


    "Run."


    "I don''t want to die."


    "I already escaped death but I don''t think I can escape a second time."


    "Run as fast you can."


    The remaining survivors of Aethelgard City ran with all their strength.


    The monster had already destroyed half of the city when it demolished the lodging section along with General Dray''s quarter and with that, it killed thousands of humans instantly.


    The remaining survivors became even more frightened and ran for their lives.


    However, to their misfortune, only a small part of the city remained intact. Even General Dray''s quarter, which had been reinforced by the Space Tear''s restriction, was destroyed.


    So, there wasn''t a ce left for them to run. Aethelgard City itself was quite a small city so after it was almost destroyed, there were little to no ces for the remaining survivors to hide.


    They could only take cover behind the broken debris and rubble and hope that the monster wouldn''te in their direction.


    In the meantime, Orion had been observing the giant. He noticed that its newly found hands appeared to be made up of earth too, just like its torso. So, from the outside, the monster appeared as a half-golem with an octopus head. It was a very strange creature.


    "Anomaly detected"


    However, at that moment, Orion and all the survivors in the city heard the giant talking.


    ''It can talk?''


    He was surprised.


    "Searching location."


    "Searching?" Orion wondered what it meant by anomaly and now it started searching.


    Recalling what General Dray mentioned about this creature being one of the rarest species of monsters called an Apocalypse-level monster, he had thought from the term ''Apocalypse'' that it would be a type of monster specialized in destruction.


    But now he heard it talking. This revtion sent a chill down his spine, shattering his previous assumptions about the creature''s nature.


    If an Apocalypse-level monster possessed the intelligence tomunicate, the threat it posed was far more insidious than he had ever imagined. It wasn''t just a force of mindless destruction¡ªit was a sentient being with unknown motives, making it all the more terrifying.


    "Searching failed. Initiating searching again."


    However, as Orion heard its voice again, he felt that it spoke like a robot. No intelligent being would talk in the manner in which this monster was conversing with itself. The words were disjointed,cking emotion or nuance, and delivered in a mechanical cadence just like how an AI would talk¡ªjust like how his system talked to himself.


    ''Is this a robot?''


    He wondered for a moment but shook his head. He couldn''t believe this monster was a robot. From what he could see, it was clearly a living being, but for some reason, its voice sounded like that of an AI.


    The dissonance between its organic appearance and mechanical speech was unsettling.


    "Searching failed again. Initiating x-rays, gama rays, beta rays, ultra vision¡­"


    Orion heard the monster again and from what he could tell from his mechanical-like voice, it appeared as though it was looking for an anomaly but it couldn''t find it. So, now it had activated its special abilities?


    Moreover, he felt very suspicious about this monster the more he heard its voice.


    ''There is definitely something wrong with this monster.''


    He couldn''t help but feel that it sounded too much like his system¡ªthe way it talked was exactly the same as his system.


    ''System, is it possible that you are essible to races other than humans?''


    [I am only essible to the human race.]


    However, hearing the system deny his suspicion made him feel relieved. It meant that it didn''t have a system like humans did. Yet he was sure that this Apocalypse-level monster possessed something simr, or he was wrong the whole time, and this monster was actually a robot.


    The uncertainty gnawed at him, making it difficult for him to focus. If it wasn''t a robot, what could exin the creature''s mechanical voice and behavior? The possibility that the monster had been augmented with some form of technology seemed increasingly likely.


    "Searching failed again. Initiating a different approach."


    "Target Anomaly wasst sensed on the Sad."


    "Target Anomaly at present couldn''t be detected."


    "New Mission: Destroy Sad and Target Anomaly will be killed."


    "Initiating the new mission."


    "Fu*k"


    Orion cursed as he heard the monster. Since it couldn''t find what it was searching for, it decided to destroy the itself so that if the Anomaly was hiding on Sad, it would definitely die when the was destroyed. The sheer ruthlessness of the monster''s logic was chilling.


    He then saw the monster start moving in the direction of the big, gaping hole from which it had previously emerged. But because of this very reason, a chill ran down his spine because he knew what was down there.


    ''Is it going to destroy the core?''


    From the direction it was moving to the objective it had, the core was the only thing that could easily help the monsterplete its mission.


    But to Orion and the remaining survivors of Aethelgard City, this was the nightmare they wanted to avoid the most. Destroying the core meant destroying Sad and all beings living inside it.


    "Damn, this just makes the situation all the moreplicated."


    Orion had originally gone to stop General Dray''s team from killing thest gold rank monster, but his final objective was to prevent them from extracting the energy of the core. Yet now he faced almost the same situation, but the difficulty skyrocketed a thousand times.


    ''There should be a way to not let the monster reach the core.''


    Orion''s mind raced as he tried toe up with a n¡ªany n¡ªto stop the monster before it reached the core.


    In fact, he already had a n, but it wasn''t aplete one. He wanted to distract the monster from reaching the core until someone from his family arrived to stop this menace. However, he didn''t know how to distract with something like that.


    "Stop you, imbecile."


    A loud shout reverberated throughout the destroyed city at that moment, drawing Orion''s attention, who was deep in thought.


    He saw an old man flying towards the monster on a cloud, and Orion recognized him. It was the same person who had almost found the masked girl hiding in the room¡ªthe one responsible for handling the Valen family''s mission of extracting energy from the core¡ªElder Torry.


    Elder Torry soon approached the monster and appeared in front of it, blocking its path.


    "You can''t go there."


    He said this, looking at the monster, his expression solemn. He also understood that he wasn''t an opponent of an Apocalypse-level monster, so the best he could do right now was to distract it until backup from his family arrived.


    "Intruder detected. Initiating extermination."


    However, hearing the monster, the old man almost cursed.


    Almost instantly, the monster''s eyes glowed and it released two beams of purple light from those purple eyes towards the old man.


    Elder Torry swiftly dodged those beams of light by flying sideways; however, to his shock, the two beams of light followed towards him like a pair of relentless predators. No matter how he twisted and turned, they stayed hot on his tail, closing in with each passing moment.


    "Damn, I will have to block it."


    He stopped running away and conjured a big ck cloud around his body as a defense against the two beams of light. The dark cloud crackled with energy, swirling around him like a protective barrier against the oing assault.

 Chapter 119: 119. Elder Torrys last stand

    The two beams of light soon arrived in front of Elder Torry, like twoser lights beaming straight towards him.


    Elder Torry braced himself for the impact and prepared his defensive clouds thoroughly.


    The beams of light collided with Elder Torry''s cloudy defense, causing a massive explosion of energy.


    The force of the impact sted him back like a broken kite, sending him tumbling through the air uncontrobly. His protective cloud shattered under the pressure, fragments of dark energy dissipating into the ether as he was hurled away.


    His body crashed into the distant buildings, which were already wrecked by the monster.


    The impact sent debris flying as the structures crumbled further under the force of his collision. Pain shot through Elder Torry''s body as he collided with the ground, rolling to a stop amidst the rubble. Dazed and disoriented, he struggled to regain his footing, his vision spinning.


    The power behind those beams was far greater than he had anticipated, causing him to momentarily ck out from the sheer force of the collision; however, he quickly regained his senses and stood up, gritting his teeth.


    He couldn''t afford to let the core be destroyed. He couldn''t afford to fail this mission. They had wasted many years on this project and used so many resources, and now this monster wanted to destroy the very thing they had put all their work into.


    "Damn this monster."


    Cursing the monster, he conjured a cloud and stood atop it as it flew towards the monster once again.


    However, this time he had learned his lesson and didn''t block the monster from the front. He flew toward its back and murmured a few words.


    Almost instantly, dust began to rise from all around the giant monster.


    At first, it was only small, barely noticeable wisps swirling at its feet. But within moments, the dust clouds grew denser and more expansive, enveloping the creature in a thick, choking haze.


    "Coud Cage."


    Elder Torry then used a skill to cause all the dust swirling around the monster to turn into real clouds. The dust transformed into a red mass of cloud, enveloping the huge monster in it.


    Orion, who had been witnessing this the whole time, was quite shocked by the strength and means disyed by Elder Torry.


    Enveloping such an enormous entity into a cage was a daunting task but it seemed he seeded.


    From where Orion stood, it appeared as though a sand cloud storm had descended upon Aethelgard City, with its center being the huge monster enveloped inside the turbulent, crimson-tinged cloud. The swirling mass of dust and energy created an almost otherworldly spectacle, casting eerie shadows and a deep red glow over the devastatedndscape.


    ''There is movement inside the cage of clouds."


    As Orion was observing all of that, he suddenly noticed a movement around the mass of cloud surrounding the giant monster.


    Elder Torry also noticed the sand cloud storm from where he stood, and his face became grim. He had thought that by caging the monster in a limited space and taking away its vision from the outside, he would be able to buy some time for the reinforcements that were on their way. But it seemed he had overestimated his cage of clouds or underestimated the giant monster.


    And just like that, the situation changed. The mass of clouds surrounding the giant monster was blown away, revealing a rotating mass of tentacles around its face.


    The rotating tentacles produced so much wind that it blew away the clouds surrounding the monster in a powerful gust.


    Even after it slowed down, the remaining wind force was so powerful that debris and rubble all around the city also flew away. Buildings, already weakened by the monster''s earlier rampage, groaned under the strain, their walls shaking as if in protest against the relentless assault of the wind.


    Witnessing his clouds so effortlessly blown away by the monster filled Elder Torry with a sense of defeat.


    ''I guess it''s right when they say only those at the Celestial Rankings could ever defeat an Apocalypse-level monster.''


    He thought as he looked at the monster, who once again started heading towards the gaping hole it came from.


    ''It looks like I can only use that.''


    Elder Torry then took out a glowing blue crystal the size of a finger hovering above his palm. It was the Space Tear the masked girl had been looking for when they were in the general''s quarters.


    He nned to use the restrictive ability of the Space Tear to bind the monster in this area while awaiting reinforcements.


    Although the monster destroyed the restrictive domain set by the Space Tear on the General Dray''s quarter, the binding he was going to use on the monster this time was different from the restrictive domain ced on the General Dray''s quarter.


    He didn''t have much confidence in the binding either, considering the energy remaining in the Space Tear was only one-fourth. It had all been used up in maintaining the restrictive domain over General Dray''s quarters for years.


    But he believed it should be enough to buy him the time he needed.


    Having decided on a n, Elder Torry immediately set it to action.


    He imbued the Space Tear with mana and activated it, causing the glow surrounding the Space Tear to turn even more vibrant. After that, he turned his attention to the monster and moved closer towards it.


    Arriving before the monstrous creature, Elder Torry quickly activated the binding ability of the Space Tear.


    With a surge of power, the tear released a blinding ck light, from which hundreds of ck shackles emerged, snaking through the air with deadly precision towards the huge monster.


    When the shackles arrived before the monster, theyshed out, wrapping around the creature''s limbs and tentacles, binding them in ce with unyielding force. The monster let out a furious roar and struggled against its bindings, but the chains remained strong.


    Seeing the monster''s efforts to get free, Elder Torry gritted his teeth, pouring all his concentration into maintaining the binding spell. The strain of controlling the Space Tear was immense, but he refused to falter.


    With each passing second, he felt the creature''s struggles weaken, its movements growing slower and more desperate as it fought against the unyielding grip of the shackles.


    Momentster, the huge creature finally stopped struggling. The previously aggressive whipping of its tentacles stopped, and a creepy silence fell upon the battleground.


    Elder Torry sighed in relief as he saw that the creature had finally given up struggling. If it had continued to fight for even a few more minutes, the oue could have been disastrous. He knew that he had pushed himself to the limit, almost exhausting his mana reserves in the process.


    Orion who had been watching the whole situation also sighed in relief.


    ''It''s so nerveracking.''


    Even though he didn''t take part in the confrontation and only watched from a distance, all his nerves were on edge.


    He understood what the failure to stop the giant monster meant. It wasn''t just about the devastation of Aethelgard City or the loss of countless lives¡ªit was about the potential extinction of Sad.


    Most importantly, if this were to be destroyed, he would either be stuck in his dimension with nond to stand on, or he would outright end up dead, depending on the situation.


    "It''s weird, he should be here but I don''t see him."


    At that moment, Orion suddenly heard Ryfin''s voiceing from his surroundings, and it wasn''t just any voice¡ªit was the original, young version of him.


    This made him shocked, and most importantly, the hope that had died down inside him reignited¡ªthe hope that they had somehow figured out the way to solve the puzzle of the mirror world and regained their lost years.

 Chapter 120: 120. Power of Space Tear

    Orion, who was still in his own dimension, turned around and saw that Ryfin, Famir, Lisa, Ron, andstly the masked girl had all regained their youth.


    They weren''t old anymore. They appeared exactly the same when they looked before entering the mirror world.


    ''Thank God ''


    Orion sighed in relief as he saw that. He believed that if they were to never return to their normal selves, then this incident would probably haunt him for the rest of his life. But it was fine now, and he was really d that they were fine too.


    However, there was still a greater obstacle that made him reluctant to face them. He felt that, given what he had done to them, he had no right to confront them.


    Moreover, he had a sinking feeling that their rtionship, if it had ever been good, would never be the same after all that had transpired.


    So, he hesitated whether he should reveal himself or not.


    ''I can''t run away from things always. I will have to face them eventually. I ran awayst time but not this time.''


    In the end, he took a deep breath and decided to face them. He felt that he couldn''t run away from them forever, and since everything was fine now, he should take responsibility for what happened and apologize to them truthfully.


    Having made up his mind, Orion deactivated his curse and appeared on the ground before them.


    "Orion!"


    They finally saw him and so did Orion. He also saw them and looking at their faces, which didn''t seem to hold any grudges, he sighed in relief inwardly.


    "Hi guys."


    He waved his hand at them in greeting, but it looked quite awkward since the confidence he always exuded was missing, reced by a nervous and forced smile on his face.


    "You have the gal to say hi to us after what you have done?" The masked girl mocked him.


    Orion looked at her and felt that she was still angry at him for that. But it was understandable. Anyone would be angry if this were to happen to them.


    "I am sorry, all of you," he said, looking at everyone. "I didn''t know the whole situation and took my chances but it backfired. So, please forgive me for that."


    Everyone looked at Orion when he apologized to them, and they didn''t say anything for a moment, causing Orion to panic a little. The silence was thick with tension, and he could feel his heart racing as he anxiously awaited their response.


    As if God himself had heard his plea, their faces, which appeared stoic the whole time, turned into smiles.


    "Don''t worry," Ryfin said,ing closer to Orion and patting him in the back. "We understand but next time something like that happens, make sure to inform us before taking any action. Understand?"


    "Well, we apologized to youst time and now you apologize to us," Famir also said, his face beaming with a smile. "So, it works out, I guess."


    "Young Master, you don''t need to worry about me," Lisa smiled at Orion. "I didn''t me you for what happened back then and I believe Young Master won''t do anything intentionally that will harm me. So, it''s fine."


    Ron, on the other side, also nodded at him. He didn''t say anything; he just gave him a thumbs up.


    Hearing them forgive him made Orion feel as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. The guilt and regret that had gued him for so long began to fade, reced by a tentative sense of hope and relief.


    He took a deep breath, feeling the tightness in his chest ease.


    "Thank you," he said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude. "I know I have a lot to make up for, and I won''t take this second chance for granted."


    "Would you stop saying those things with such a serious face?" Famir''s face hardened as he said that. "It made me cringe seeing that."


    "Hahaha, fine." Orion smiled, but then a question appeared in his mind. "How did guys solve the mystery of the mirror world?"


    As Orion asked them this question, their faces became a little solemn. As much as this was a nightmare for Orion, it was even more so for them.


    "We had all given up hope that we would return to normal after you didn''t find the right mirror and disappeared from there," Famir said. His face appeared ck as he thought of that situation. "But more than any of us, it was Ron who felt that he couldn''t live as an old man. He wanted to regain his youth much like us but unlike us he had more courage."


    Famir then turned to look at Ron, who was apparently getting embarrassed by Famir''s words.


    "He didn''t think much and went ahead to search for the right mirror," he continued. "However, as if fate were against us, he didn''t find the mirror leading outside and eventually aged more and more until he died there and disappeared into one of the mirrors."


    Orion''s face became solemn as he heard Famir. He couldn''t believe that Ron died there but it was also strange that he appeared fine now.


    "But it turned out that aging in the mirror world and dying there was the real test," Famir continued. "After Ron died there, we despaired even more, but Ron was totally fine. He appeared on the other side of the mirror and was also young again. He then used his ability to teleport in front of us and told us what happened. That''s how we are here."


    Orion nodded at them. He felt the trap was quite a sinister one. One would have to die for them to pass through it and nobody in their right mind would be willing to die.


    "Well, it''s good that you guys are fine," he said, nodding at them.


    "So, what happened here?" The masked girl asked, pointing at the huge monster locked by ck chains. "I believe that thing won''t just pop out of nowhere, right?"


    Orion''s face became solemn as she mentioned the huge monster.


    "That monster is an Apocalypse-level monster¡­" he exined to them from start to finish as to what really led to this moment.


    "Apocalypse-level monster? Anomaly? Destroying core?" The masked girl frowned when Orion recounted the whole situation to them.


    She felt the situation here had gotten out of hand. They, a bunch of kids, wouldn''t be able to do anything here and would only get killed if they overestimated their ability.


    "We can''t do anything here," she said, looking at Orion. "We can only watch from a distance now."


    "Don''t worry too much," Orion said. "I have already informed my family about the situation beforehand so they should be here eventually."


    "Your family?" She asked in puzzle.


    "Well, I am from one of the seven Magi families," Orion said, looking deep at her. "I feel you are too, aren''t you?"


    She ignored him when he asked that and turned to look at the monster.


    However, Orion became sure that she too was from one of the seven Magi families. After all, she didn''t refute him when he asked her that.


    "Anomaly detected."


    But at that moment, the huge monster that had been silent the whole time because of the shackles suddenly awakened.

 Chapter 121: 121. Anomaly Detected

    "Anomaly detected."


    Everyone turned their attention to the voice in the distance. They saw that the giant monster once again started to struggle against the shackles binding him.


    "It''s started moving."


    The masked girl looked at the giant monster, and her face became ugly. She thought that if what Orion said were true, then they would definitely die if it went to the humongous hole in Market Street.


    On the other hand, Orion thought thatst time it couldn''t sense the anomaly but this time it unexpectedly detected whatever anomaly it was searching for.


    ''What had changed fromst time?''


    Thinking of that, he turned his attention to his friends. If anything had changed between thest time and the present time, then that would be the presence of his friends.


    ''One of them is an anomaly? What is an anomaly?''


    He couldn''t understand what the term ''Anomaly'' meant, but he figured it wouldn''t be anything good if an Apocalypse-level monster wanted to kill them.


    As for who the anomaly was, he had suspicions about one of them but he wasn''t sure. He would have to wait and see.


    "Initiating Extermination."


    "Extermination failed due to restrictive movement."


    "Initiatingbat mode."


    The monster uttered some robotic-like words once again but Orion and his friends could understand what it meant and because of it, their faces became ugly.


    "Combat mode activated."


    As if given somemands, the huge mammoth started trying to slowly turn its head towards Elder Torry.


    Even though all its tentacles were being held tightly by the shackles, the monster could still turn its head with its sheer strength.


    Elder Torry looked at the monster, trying to turn with a ck face. He couldn''t imagine that even one of the cosmic wonders couldn''t hold the monster.


    Moreover, he felt that whatever the anomaly was, it had somehow provoked the monster. He also couldn''t understand why the monster talked like a system, but one thing he was sure of: if he let the monster go free right now, it would bring huge trouble for them.


    With that in mind, he made a small cloud in front of him and took out all the mana crystals he had and ced them in the cloud while he absorbed them slowly, trying to refill his mana source that had been sucked dry earlier.


    At the same time, he continued to supply a small amount of mana to the Space Tear so that it couldn''t let the monster break the shackles easily.


    Meanwhile, Orion and his friends looked at the monster. Well, they could only look at it at this point. They were too weak to participate in anything rted to an apocalypse-level monster.


    "Difficulty moving. Initiating berserk mode."


    "Berserk mode activated."


    As these robot-like words escape from the monster''s mouth, its eyes, which had always been purple, turn red, and its tentacles, which had been restricted by the shackles, start to tremble in protest.


    "I won''t allow it."


    Elder Torry shouted, seeing that, and used all of his mana into the Space Tear to make the binding even stronger.


    "ROOOOAAAAR!"


    Feeling the restraint bing stronger, the monster screamed loudly, its roar echoing through the air like a thunderp. The ground trembled under the force of its fury as it struggled against the bindings that held it captive.


    "Not good!"


    At that moment, Elder Torry suddenly felt that he was losing control over the restraint all of a sudden.


    Almost instantly, the monster''s immense power began to overpower the restraints. The dark chains binding its limbs started to crack and shudder, and the magic woven into them began to struggle against the creature''s relentless might.


    With each passing moment, the bindings weakened, fragments of the enchanted material breaking away and dissipating into the air.


    Seeing that, Elder Torry''s eyes turned red as he quickly supplied all the mana he had without a care in the world.


    However, all his efforts turned futile.


    "ROOOOAAAAR!"


    With a final, deafening roar, the monster summoned every ounce of strength, and the shackles shattered in a burst of energy. The remnants of the binding spell disintegrated, leaving the monster standing tall and unbound.


    Freed from its shackles, the monster''s rage intensified. It turned its gaze towards the old man with a malevolent gleam in its eyes.


    "Damn."


    Elder Torry trembled a little as he saw its eyes.


    However, before he could react, a tentacle whipped out with lightning speed and collided with him.


    Poochh!¡ª


    However, the force of the impact was too devastating for his body to handle, causing it to burst into pieces of blood and flesh.


    In the end, he turned into nothing but a pool of blood and meat paste, which slowly fell to the ground.


    The horrific sight left Orion''s group stunned. They couldn''t believe the old man died so easily. It only took the monster one hit before he exploded into pieces.


    The sheer strength of the monster left them trembling in fear, their minds struggling toprehend the magnitude of the creature''s power.


    However, they had yet to see the worst.


    After taking care of Elder Torry, the monster turned its head towards them.


    "Anomaly detected. Initiating Extermination."


    Almost instantly, Orion hastily turned to Ryfin and Ron.


    "Ryfin, Ron, use teleportation and get away with others, quick."


    However, he was toote. Two beams of light zoomed towards them and arrived before them at the exact moment he warned them.


    "Sh*t!"


    Seeing that, Orion cursed and quickly increased his weight as much as he could with the curse of Burdened Gravity and Constant Pull.


    At the same time, he used the curse of Unyielding Encasement in the Curse Transformation mode, causing his body to crystallize into a small, hexagonal-like force field.


    He then quickly used its defensive ability to transform his hand into a huge hexagonal red shield, protecting and covering his friends.


    Boom!¡ª


    The two beams of light collided with the red hexagonal shield, causing cracks to instantly appear on them.


    Meanwhile, the pressure on Orion was so great that his legs embedded themselves into the ground.


    Gritting his teeth, he turned around.


    "Quick, Go!"


    A muffled voice escaped from his mouth but Ryfin and Ron heard him clearly.


    Ryfin quickly came closer to Famir and Lisa and disappeared with them, while Ron disappeared with the masked girl.


    Seeing them get away, Orion instantly activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and moved to his dimension, disappearing from the path of the two beams of light.


    The two beams of light passed through the area, finding no obstacle before they suddenly changed direction.


    Orion, who was in his dimension, saw the direction the beams of light moved and was shocked to see Ron and the masked girl there.


    ''Could it be one of them?''


    After seeing the beams of light moving towards them, he suspected the anomaly had to be one of them; otherwise, the beams of light wouldn''t specifically turn towards them.


    Ron, who just teleported with the masked girl, didn''t even have time to breathe when he sensed the uing danger heading towards them.


    "Damn, it''s following us."


    He was about to teleport with the masked girl again when she shook her head at him.


    "You teleport left and I go right," she said. "That way, we will know who the anomaly is."


    Ron nodded at her and disappeared from there. Meanwhile, the masked girl also vanished from there, leaving a trail of golden light.

 Chapter 122: 122. Rons Decision

    The two beams of light unexpectedly turned left after the two of them disappeared from their location and headed towards Ron, who had just teleported to an area just a moment ago.


    "Damn, it''s really after me."


    He cursed, seeing the beams of lighting towards him and once again disappeared from his location.


    Orion, who witnessed all of that, finally knew who the anomaly was that the monster had been searching for the whole time.


    He already felt that this guy appeared to be hiding something from them but that was a different matter.


    However, him being the anomaly was a surprise to him.


    When he saw the beams of light moving towards the two of them, he suspected the masked girl to be an anomaly because of how secretive she was about her identity.


    But now he had been proven wrong.


    The anomaly was none other than Ron.


    He could see that every time Ron changed his location, the beams of light would follow him relentlessly, as if they were determined to keep him within their sight no matter where he went.


    But it was a different experience for Ron, who kept teleporting to one ce after another. He felt that these two beams of light were not merely chasing him; they were hunting him with a precision that sent shivers down his spine.


    He didn''t know what to do with these two beams of light. They just couldn''t leave him alone and kept following him.


    ''What should I do?''


    He understood that he couldn''t keep teleporting like that all the time because if he were to do that, then his mana would eventuallye to an end and that was the worst-case scenario he wanted to avoid the most right now.


    His mana was too precious for him right now, considering they were facing something so strong that could kill them in an instant. He felt that in this situation, his talent would definitelye in handy but he would need mana for that.


    Therefore, he was unwilling to waste his mana like that.


    "Ron!"


    At that moment, he heard someone shout his name. Turning around, he saw that it was Ryfin in the distance.


    However, his attention wasn''t on him but on a swirling blue vortex beside him.


    "Teleport here!"


    He heard Ryfin''s words and finally understood what he wanted to do.


    "Alright, I aming."


    He shouted at him and teleported in front of him. This caused the two beams of light to instantly change their direction as well.


    As Ryfin saw Rom appear beside the swirling vortex, he turned his attention towards the two beams of light that were heading towards them.


    "Teleport at thest possible moment," he said, turning to Ron. "That way, the two beams won''t be able to change their direction and will enter my portal here."


    Ron nodded and prepared himself for that. He understood the task was a little risky but if he wanted to lose the two beams, then this was his best chance.


    Looking at the two beams of light that were zooming towards him, he took a deep breath and calmed himself downpletely.


    He understood that he would have to teleport at thest possible moment before the two beams could hit him. It was a difficult task and he would have to prepare himself well for that.


    "Let''s do this."


    He muttered to himself as he awaited the arrival of the two beams of light.


    It took only a few seconds before the beams of light were upon him.


    He concentrated hard and paid his full attention to the two beams of light.


    Buzz!¡ª


    He could hear its buzzing sound when it appeared in front of him but he still waited.


    Less than a secondter, the two beams of light were just an inch away from his stomach.


    ''It''s time.''


    At the exact moment, he disappeared from there, causing the two beams of light to directly enter the swirling vortex behind him.


    A momentter, he appeared again in front of Ryfin, seeing the beams of light disappear into the swirling vortex.


    "You said that it was a portal so where is it leading to?" He asked Ryfin after he calmed himself down.


    "Look there," Ryfin said, pointing at the huge monster in the distance.


    Ron turned around and was surprised to see a simr swirling vortex at the feet of the giant monster.


    At that moment, he also saw the two beams of lighte out of the swirling vortex and collide with the leg of the monster, but the monster didn''t even react to it.


    Its eyes were always on Ron the whole time and Ron also noticed that and because of it, his face became ck.


    He couldn''t understand why he was the anomaly and the fact that he didn''t understand the term ''anomaly'' irked him even more when he was targeted by an Apocalypse-level monster just because he was deemed an anomaly.


    "Extermination failed. Initiatingbat mode."


    The voice of the monster again rang out in the deste Aethelgard City.


    But this voice sounded nightmarish to Ron, its chilling tone sending shivers down his spine as if it emerged from the darkest recesses of his own fears.


    "No, no, no."


    A momentter, the thing he feared the most came true.


    He saw that the monster started moving in his direction. Seeing that, panic gripped him as he desperately searched for a way to escape, his heart pounding louder with each passing second.


    However, he had nowhere to escape. They were trapped in Aethelgard City, which had now turned into nothing but ruins.


    The sound of the mammoth''s footsteps rang heavily in his ears, each thud reverberating through the ground and amplifying his terror.


    ''What should I do?''


    He understood that he stood no chance against the monster and the only option he had against the monster was to teleport to a ce where the monster couldn''t find him.


    But he also doubted if there was such a ce where the monster couldn''t find him.


    However, at that moment, he recalled what Orion had mentioned to them previously. He said that the monster was looking for the anomaly but since it couldn''t find it, it wanted to destroy the core of the itself to kill the anomaly.


    ''It can''t find me if I hide in the underground or is there something else I am missing?''


    He couldn''t understand how the monster didn''t detect himst time.


    ''At that time, we were still under the influence of the trap!''


    He finally realized the missing piece. The monster couldn''t find him previously because he was under the influence of the mirrors¡ªhe was in the domain of the mirror world.


    ''But if I hide there, it would target the core of the.''


    He weighed his options heavily as a hint of hesitation shed before his eyes. He knew he would have to decide between himself and the core.


    In the end, he gritted his teeth and disappeared from the areapletely. He cared for his life too deeply. One might say he was a coward, and he wouldn''t deny it. If running away could save his life, so be it, even if he had to risk the lives of every individual living on the Sad.


    For he carried the hope of too many, the burden of countless dreams and aspirations resting on his shoulders. His survival was paramount, for without him, the fragile glimmer of hope for a brighter future would be extinguished.

 Chapter 123: 123. A Plan to buy time

    Ryfin, who was just beside Ron, saw him disappear. He turned to look around the deste, wreckage-filled Aethelgard City but found no trace of him in his surroundings. He thought that Rom might have teleported far away this time.


    This was also noticed by Orion, who observed everything that had happened from the moment they separated.


    And like Ryfin, he too couldn''t see any trace of Ron anywhere in Aethelgard City.


    ''Where did he go?''


    He thought, turning his attention to the huge monster that also suddenly stopped moving.


    "Anomaly Escaped. Initiating scan for search."


    At that moment, he again heard the voice of the monster and from that, he got to know that Ron had escaped somewhere so far that even the monster couldn''t find him.


    ''But how would it end?''


    He just couldn''t understand how all of this would conclude. The huge monster wanted to kill Ron for some reason and if Ron really did escape somewhere far enough that even it couldn''t find him, wouldn''t that mean the monster would go back to target the core?


    That was the scenario he wanted to avoid the most but that didn''t mean he wanted to sacrifice Ron. No, he wanted to solve this problem in a more meditative way that didn''t bring harm to either Ron or the itself.


    But that could only be possible if they could hold the monster until his family arrived, which in itself was a daunting task for a bunch of iron-rank kids.


    "Searching failed. Initiating a different approach."


    "Target Anomaly wasst sensed on the Sad."


    "Target Anomaly at present couldn''t be detected."


    "New Mission: Destroy Sad and Target Anomaly will be killed."


    "Initiating the new mission."


    However, it appeared the worst-case scenario he didn''t want to see was bound to happen.


    ''This means that Ron did escape somewhere so far that even the monster couldn''t detect him.''


    But he wondered if there was such a ce in Aethelgard City.


    ''The monster also couldn''t find himst time too.''


    However, he soon remembered thest time the monster couldn''t find him and connected the dots with them being trapped in the mirror world.


    ''The mirror world! It seems he escaped back there.''


    He also wondered if Ron knew that the monster would attack the core if it couldn''t find him but if he did know and he still went there to hide, then he didn''t know how to feel about it.


    He thought to himself, If he were in the ce of Ron and he didn''t have the curse of Dimensional Dissonance, would he also do the same thing as Ron did?


    The answer also surprised him.


    ''If I were in his situation, then I would have done the same thing.''


    He didn''t feel anything wrong with his answer. He just thought that he had to survive at any cost and for that, he could do anything.


    So he didn''t feel anything wrong with Ron''s decision.


    But that didn''t mean he was okay with it. The monster had now once again started his walk towards the gaping hole in Market Street and if they couldn''t stop it or hold him till his family came, then all of them would die¡ªhe would die.


    Buzz¡ª


    A buzzing sound came from his side as he was thinking about all of that and a person arrived there.


    "Orion?" Ryfin called out to him, looking around the area.


    Seeing him, Orion appeared out of his dimension.


    "What do we do?" Ryfin asked hastily as soon as he saw Orion.


    "I don''t know," Orion said, shaking his head helplessly. "I am also wracking my brain but I doubt any n I''lle up with would work against the monster."


    "Are we destined to die here?" Ryfin asked, and his eyes appeared hopeless looking at the monster that slowly made his way towards Market Street.


    "Destined?" Hearing this word, Orion remembered what Isis said to him when theyst talked. She told him that now that he had escaped his fated death, he wouldn''t die anytime soon.


    ''I wouldn''t die anytime soon. Then that means there is definitely a way to stop that monster.''


    His eyes shone as he thought of that. But he still had toe up with a n to do that.


    A golden sh of light and a golden lightning bolt soon arrived in front of Orion and Ryfin. They were Famir and the masked girl.


    "Do you have any ns?" The masked girl asked Orion as she arrived before them.


    Orion shook his head.


    "What n would work against that monster?" Famir said it hopelessly, looking at the monster. "Look at that monster; it''s so huge and big. If we were to have any chance of buying us some time for Orion''s family to arrive here, then we would need something that big to at least stand a chance against it. Otherwise, all our ns are worthless against it."


    "Where can we find something the size of a monster that would help us?" Ryfin shook his head, saying, "I say we should stop focusing on the monster itself and look to escape this city and this. That way, we would have a higher chance of survival."


    "That''s impossible." The masked girl denied Ryfin''s idea. "I have been here for a year now and all this time I have been looking for ways to escape this ce but I couldn''t find them. Looking for an escape would only waste our time here."


    "Then what do you suggest we do?" Famir asked, and his eyes narrowed. "We would at least have to do something, right, or do you expect us to wait for our death here?"


    "Why are you asking me?" The masked girl felt irritated by the way Famir questioned her. "If you want to die here, then you are wee to wait and do nothing."


    "What have you said just now?" Famir also got heated by the masked girl''s words. "Say that again!"


    "I said, ''If you want to die here, then you are wee to wait and do nothing''." She said this, feeling very frustrated. "Are you happy now?"


    "I expected that from you anyway," Famir said, shaking his head at her. "I always felt that you didn''t care about anything going on here. It was as if all of this was just a y for you. The one time I ever saw you serious was when you turned old. Aside from that, you have never been serious."


    "Are you telling me that I am ying a game here?" The masked girl red; she clenched her fists in anger.


    "Enough, both of you!"


    Orion finally put a word out to stop them. He had been thinking about something the whole time since he heard Famir say that they would need something big and huge to stop that monster.


    And from all that thinking, he eventually came up with a n. A n that required a sacrifice.


    Hearing Orion''s interruption, both of them turned to him and were about to say something when they heard what they wanted to hear the whole time.


    "I have a n to buy us sometime."


    All three of their eyes shone as they heard him.


    "What is it?" Ryfin asked eagerly. The masked girl and Famir also looked at him for the answer.


    "That you will know eventually," Orion said, his face bing serious. "What I want from you guys is that when I start my n, can you help make sure all those people out there don''t get in the monster''s way?"


    "That''s the least we can do."


    They nodded their heads in approval.


    "Alright." A rare but subtle smile appeared on Orion''s face as he looked at them. "Let''s give this monster a beating of its own."

 Chapter 124: 124. Orion vs The Apocalypse-Level Monster - 1

    "You guys should back off a little," Orion warned them.


    They nodded and created distance between themselves and Orion.


    Seeing that, Orion proceeded with his n.


    ''Use Unyielding Encasement in Burst Mode.''


    Yes, that was the only n he could think of using against the monster. Understanding that anything else would turn futile against it, this n was the best he could think of.


    But that would mean he would lose Unyielding Encasement forever. He wouldn''t be able to copy this curse from Rena again.


    However, knowing that his life was at stake here, he was willing to part with it. Moreover, he hadn''t used this curse as much as he had used his other curses. So, losing it wouldn''t weaken him or anything.


    Therefore, after all that thinking about the pros and cons of using this curse in Burst Mode, he decided to use it even if he would lose it forever.


    As he gave themand, a bright red color enveloped himpletely, and arge number of hexagonal forcefield-likeyers began to construct around his body.


    The shimmering shields interlocked seamlessly, creating a protective barrier that glowed with an intense energy, forming an imprable defense around him.


    However, what was shocking was that theseyers of hexagonal-like figures were twice his size, resulting in making Orion a mammoth the size of the monster.


    His newly erged form towered over the surroundings, radiating an aura of formidable power that mirrored the intimidating presence of the creature he now faced.


    After all the transformation was done, a huge, towering figure the size of the monster stood before it.


    Unlike the figure of the monster, whose body appeared perfectly shaped like a human being, Orion''s figure appeared quite round. The part covering his head was enclosed in a red spherical forcefield, just like his torso. Meanwhile, his limbs appeared like huge rectangr blocks attached to his torso, giving him a bulky and somewhat cumbersome appearance.


    This was the result of Orion''s efforts to try to manipte the hexagonalyers into forming a human-like structure enclosing him; otherwise, what he would have gotten was nothing but a massive cluster of hexagonalyers enclosing him in an unmanageable and chaotic shape.


    ***


    Famir, Ryfin, and the masked girl were so shocked that their jaws dropped to the ground, witnessing Orion''s amazing transformation.


    They couldn''t imagine, even in their wildest dreams, that he had been holding onto such immense power within him. The revtion of his hidden potential left them in awe, realizing that Orion was far more formidable than they had ever anticipated.


    They were shocked, but that didn''t hide the excitement on their faces, especially Famir and Ryfin. They thought that with Orion''s newfound power, they might finally have a chance to hold off the monster, buy the time they needed, and turn the tide in their favor.


    Meanwhile, all the people who survived the rampage of the monster despaired even more, seeing Orion''s mammoth form. They felt that if one monster could cause their city to nearly be destroyed, then what about two?


    They couldn''t imagine the catastrophe the two giants would cause together; their fears magnified by the prospect of facing not one but two colossal beings wreaking havoc upon their already devastated city.


    ***


    "Let''s do this."


    Orion, having perfectly transformed, sprung into action, knowing he only had about ten minutes before he would return to normal.


    Running towards the monster, he activated the curse of Electrostatic Disruption in the Curse Transformation mode and used its ability to form ayer of absolute defense around him.


    This caused the biggest hexagonal shape in the middle of his chest to turn its color from pure bright red to only red and blue in color. Upper part turned blue while the lower part turned red.


    All of Orion''s curses had gotten an upgrade when he upgraded himself to iron rank and now that he used the Curse Transformation on Electrostatic Disruption, he believed the defense of his absolute defense would definitely be all time stronger than ever.


    A momentter, Orion appeared near the back of the monster, who, even after hearing the thumping sound of Orion''s running, didn''t turn around.


    But he didn''tin and punched the monster straight at its head when he arrived behind its back.


    However, when his huge fist hit the monster in the head, it burst into pieces like a mirror when hit by a stone. The unexpected oue left Orion stunned, his fist passing through the creature''s head as if it were made of fragile ss, shattering into countless shards upon impact.


    In the end, his whole arm was destroyed uponing into contact with the monster''s head, the force of the impact causing it to disintegrate into nothingness.


    "Damn!"


    Orion recoiled in agony, a mixture of shock and pain coursing through him as he stared at the remnants of his arm, now reduced to mere fragments of energy dissipating into the air.


    He quickly activated the curse of Sacrificial Renewal, relieving him of the intense pain. Even though the humongous armor of hexagonalyers only appeared to be an extension of him, they were still connected to him as his original body parts.


    Therefore, when his huge hand gotpletely destroyed, he felt pain as though it were his real hand, a searing sensation that echoed through every fiber of his being.


    As for the shock of having his handpletely destroyed, it sent waves of disbelief and horror coursing through Orion''s mind.


    He believed that his transformation was not a hollow one but aplete one and because of it, he could feel the durability of the hexagonalyers surrounding him.


    It was very imprable¡ªat least it was supposed to be.


    ''It isn''t that my transformation is hollow; it''s because the monster is too strong. It''s beyond anything I''ve ever faced.''


    He recalled the time when the monster''s tentacle had one-hit killed Elder Torry, causing him to explode into pieces.


    Now that he thought about it, it all made sense. With how strong and durable its body was, it would be a surprise if Elder Torry would survive that.


    ''It''s also because I removed theyer of absolute defense on my fist when I attacked him.''


    He always removed theyer of absolute defense in the body that he used to attack. If he didn''t remove it, the result would be repulsion. His fist would get infinitely closer to the monster''s head before being repelled back.


    That''s why whenever he held his sword or attacked someone, he would remove theyer of absolute defense on the body parts that needed physical contact.


    But this time, removing it backfired on him.


    "Intrusion detected. Initiating extermination."


    At that moment, the huge monster turned towards him, his eyes glowing with an intense purple hue.


    "Sh*t."


    Orion quickly regenerated his destroyed arm and increased his weight as much as he could with the help of Burdened Gravity and Constant Pull.


    At the same time, he covered his entire body in an absolute defenseyer and put both his arms in front of him in a cross position. The hexagonalyers quickly expanded around his arms to form a huge dome-like defensiveyer that was also within the effect of his absolute defense.


    Buzz!¡ª


    At that moment, two beams of light emanated from the monster''s glowing eyes and arrived in front of him.

 Chapter 125: 125. Orion vs The Apocalypse-Level Monster - 2

    Orion braced himself for the impact.


    Baam!¡ª


    A sound of collision reverberated through the ruinous city.


    The dome of shield Orion had formed to defend against the two light beams was destroyed into broken shards upon contact with it.


    However, theyer of absolute defense was still able to repel some of the energy behind the two light beams. As a result, after his shield dome was destroyed, the two light beams also died down with it.


    He then quickly switched to the Frozen Torment curse from Electrostatic Disruption in the Curse Transformation mode, causing the left rectangr-shaped arm of his to turn into an icey one.


    Welding the frozen hand in the air, he quickly conjured five long ice spears, each the size of Orion''s collosal arm, hovering in the air, which he controlled using Electrostatic Disruption and threw them towards the monster¡ªtowards its eyes specifically.


    The five frozen spears quickly flew through the air, arrived in front of the monster and hit it around its eye region, causing white smoke to release from there upon impact.


    A momentter, the white smoke dissipated, revealing the monster''s head and there wasn''t even a scratch around its eye region. It was as though his attack didn''t have any effect on it at all.


    ''Closebat didn''t work nor did the long range attack.''


    He quickly jumped back and created a little distance between them after seeing that all his attacks seemed ineffective against the monster.


    Meanwhile, he once again switched to Electrostatic Disruption from Frozen Torment in the Curse Transformation mode.


    "Intrusion survived. Initiating a different approach."


    "Initiating closebat mode."


    As Orion heard these words, sweat trickled down his forehead. He believed fighting the monster in closebat would prove more lethal to him than at long range. At least in the long range, he would still survive but remembering what happened when he punched him earlier made him want to avoid having any contact with it.


    "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"


    Its sound of footsteps reverberated throughout the dead city as it came running towards him.


    Seeing that, Orion used the Electrostatic Disruption on the ruined and destroyed buildings around him, making them float in the air.


    He then sent them all towards the iing monster.


    All sorts of building wreckages collided with the monster but they failed to slow it down.


    Orion narrowed his eyes as he saw that and used attraction on the monster''s body, causing it to turn blue.


    Almost instantly, all the wreckage around the monster started to find its way towards the monster, attracted by Orion''s attraction ced on it.


    This caused all the buildings, dregs, dirt, and anything else to simply fly towards the monster and collide with it.


    A momentter, the wreckage from all over the city began to get attracted towards the monster like a swirling vortex. The debris collided violently with the creature, bombarding it from all sides.


    This indeed slowed down the monster, as it couldn''t see the path ahead because of all the debris that surrounded it.


    Orion didn''t do anything but wait. He knew that fighting the monster would be a dead end so what he wanted to do was buy time and this was the only method he could think of.


    ''There should be other curses that could help me here.''


    Meanwhile, he also nned ahead, thinking of what other curses could help him against the monster.


    "ROOOOAAAAR"


    Soon, he was interrupted by the monster''s menacing roar.


    Orion saw that the monster opened its mouth to roar, but this time a fountain ofva erupted from its maw, melting all the debris and wreckage around it. The intense heat reduced the swirling vortex of wreckage to molten puddles, clearing the monster''s path and revealing its menacing form once more.


    However, seeing that, Orion wasted no time and once again used the attraction on the monster but before his ability worked, he heard the robotic voice of the monster.


    "Unwanted energy detected. Initiating measures."


    "No energy mode activated."


    As Orion heard those words, he felt that he couldn''t use his attraction on it anymore.


    ''Damn, it has measures for everything.''


    He cursed, thinking that the monster had a countern for everything that was thrown at it.


    It was as if it were made for battles and wars, with its relentless defenses and brutal attacks making it an almost insurmountable foe.


    Soon the monster once again began running towards him and seeing that, Orion ran back and created enough distance between them.


    ''Should I keep running?''


    He felt that with the monster''s running speed, it wouldn''t be able to catch up to him and wondered if he could keep running and wasting more time.


    However, cold water was poured on his thoughts only a momentter.


    "Fast mode activated."


    Orion cursed the seven generations of whoever implemented the system on that monster. Moreover, its system appeared to have no weakness whatsoever.


    Foosh!¡ª


    Almost instantly, when Orion heard that voice, a huge figure appeared in front of him.


    Seeing that, he quickly stepped back and used the curse of Electrostatic Disruption on those debris and the wreckages around him.


    But this time, he didn''t use it on the monster but on himself. He controlled those debris and wreckages, making them float around him like a protective shield.


    With a swift and practiced motion, he manipted the swirling mass of debris, forming a barrier that encircled him, ready to deflect any iing attacks and provide him with the defense he needed to face the monster head-on.


    The monster, who appeared just before him, unleashed a powerful punch, but its fist couldn''t touch him. Instead, the wreckage and debris collided with the punch, creating a spectacr explosion of debris upon impact. Orion, protected by his barrier, stood firm, using the chaos to his advantage as he stepped back even more and once again created some distance between them.


    However, at the exact moment, the monster opened its mouth, and a torrent of moltenva erupted forth, engulfing the area in a searing inferno. The intense heat of theva began to melt all the debris protecting him, threatening to breach his defenses and leave him vulnerable to the monster''s attacks.


    Orion knew he had to act quickly before his protective barrier waspletely destroyed.


    However, before he could do anything, a tentacle came like a sh and whipped him in the waist.


    Baam!¡ª


    Orion''s colossal form was torn into two pieces as they were violently thrown by the force of the monster''s attack, making the two halves of his colossal body streak across the ruined city like meteors.


    The impact of his broken form shook the already devastatedndscape, sending debris flying in all directions as the echoes of destruction reverberated through the deste streets.


    After crashing through already-destroyed buildings, his two collosal forms came to a stop amidst the rubble and debris.


    Orion''s upper half of the collosal formy there beneath all that debris. In there, his eyes were still in disbelief that the monster''s tentacle was so powerful that it cut his collosal form in two.


    ''It''s so strong. How much time can I buy like this?''


    He thought as he looked at the timer that was hovering at the corner of his eyes.


    [4:23]


    ''I have wasted four minutes sessfully but won''t this backfire on me?''


    He felt that since he only had ten minutes in Burst Mode, then wouldn''t that mean he could only stall the monster for about ten minutes?


    ''I can''t kill it. I can''t injure it. Its one attack almost destroyed me. What should I do?''


    Also, he wasn''t sure if his family would be here in the remaining five minutes. What if they werete? Then what should he do? Should he sacrifice another of his curses in Burst Mode to buy more time?


    ''That''s the only thing I could do, it seems.''

 Chapter 126: 126. Orion vs The Apocalypse-Level Monster - 3

    "Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"


    As Orion was thinking of his n, he again heard the thumping sound of the monster moving towards him.


    Hearing that, he quickly regenerated his lower torso and stood up on his freshly made legs, his eyes staring at the iing monster.


    He felt it would be difficult to hold on for even a minute against the monster if he were to continue like that.


    He wasn''t as strong as it was, nor was he fast enough. The only upper hand he had was his arsenal of curses on him and how he would use that to his advantage.


    With cunning and strategy, he would exploit every weakness and leverage every curse at his disposal to turn the tide of the battle in his favor.


    ''Let''s take the battle to the air.''


    He thought as he used the ability of Electrostatic Disruption on himself, causing his collosal body to start floating in the air.


    After his upgrade to iron rank, he could use Electrostatic Disruption in normal mode to fly in the air and now that he used it in the Curse Transformation mode, he could even make his collosal body float in the air.


    Soon, his body reached almost the ceiling of the enclosed dome where Aethelgard City was situated. If he were to go any higher, then he believed his head would touch the fake sky in the ceiling.


    Looking down from there, he noticed that the monster was only staring at him.


    "Initiating flight mode."


    "Flight mode activated."


    However, hearing his robotic voice made him grimace once again.


    ''It could even fly?''


    He had thought earlier that by flying in the air, he could gain a superior position and better control the battle between them more easily. However, it appeared he had underestimated the monster''s abilities.


    ''But I guess it''s fine since what I am about to do may harm other humans if the monster were to be on the ground.''


    He thought as he added Velocity Burst in the Curse Transformation mode. Including the Electrostatic Disruption, a total of two curses had been added to the Curse Transformation mode till now.


    However, the moment he added the Velocity Burst to the Curse Transformation mode, an intense force of negative feelings poured into his mind. Waves of despair and doubt washed over him, threatening to overwhelm his resolve and cloud his judgment.


    For a moment, he even began to doubt the meaning behind this battle. He felt a heavy burden of doubt as he wondered if his hard work was pointless, if there was any remaining possibility of finding hope in this pointless battle.


    ''We cannot win against it. It''s pointless. What am I fighting for? Who am I fighting for? Everything is pointless in the face of such power.''


    His thoughts began to move towards giving up the battle. Doubt crept in like a shadow, whispering that perhaps it was futile to continue fighting against such overwhelming odds.


    But even as the temptation to surrender beckoned, a stubborn resolve stirred within Orion''s heart.


    ''No, that''s not me.''


    He closed his eyes and focused on himself¡ªon his true self.


    ''That''s the side effects of the Curse Transformation. It''s not me.''


    He refused to yield to despair, clinging to the faint glimmer of hope that still burned within him. With a deep breath, he banished the doubts from his mind and steeled himself to face whatever challengesy ahead.


    Opening his eyes, he saw that his right collosal arm had turnedva red as mes could be seen dancing along it.


    Turning his head forward, he noticed that the monster had once again slowed down once it arrived in the air.


    ''It seems whatevermand the system gives it, the monster only follows it once.''


    He felt that the monster was like a baby. If the system inside of it said to walk fast, then it would walk fast before returning to normal speed. The monster would have to be reminded again to walk fast before it could walk fast again.


    ''That''s too much dependency on the system. I guess that''s its disadvantage.''


    Thinking of that, he quickly followed the n in his head.


    Holding up the burning hand high, a miniature sun-like structure began to conjure on the top of his colossal palm.


    At first, it was just the size of the tip of a finger on a normal human body, but as time passed and more and more fire was condensed into it, its size began to grow little by little.


    With each passing moment, the fiery orb expanded, casting a brilliant glow that illuminated the surrounding devastation with its radiant light.


    A momentter, its size increased to double the size of Orion''s colossal head. At this point, he felt that if its size were to increase even more, then he wouldn''t be able to control it.


    The intense heat radiating from the fiery orb was almost overwhelming, and Orion knew he had to act quickly before it grew beyond his ability to contain it.


    With a focused effort, he channeled his energy into stabilizing the fiery construct before turning his attention to the monster.


    "Because of you, I have to do this. So, be proud that you will be the first one to ever witness my first technique that I named myself."


    He dered, pointing his ming hand towards the monster.


    "Ten Thousand Burning Swords!"


    As if given amand, the miniature sun floating above him began to send tens of, if not hundreds, of burning swords towards the monster. Each sword zed with intense mes as it streaked through the air, leaving trails of fiery light in its wake.


    ***


    In the far distance stood the trio of Famir, Ryfin, and the masked girl.


    Their faces appeared soaked in sweat due to the intense heat released from the miniature sun on Orion''s palm but it couldn''t hide their shock.


    From their viewpoint, it appeared as though the sun itself was attacking the monster, sending hundreds of burning swords to decimate the monster before them.


    It was such a surreal scene that they were having a hard time believing, especially for Famir and Ryfin.


    This was god-level stuff for them, for they hadn''t seen anything like this before. The sheer magnitude of Orion''s power left them awestruck, their minds struggling toprehend the extent of his abilities.


    As they watched the burning swords streak towards the monster, they realized that they were witnessing a battle of epic proportions, one that would determine the fate of this world.


    Meanwhile, the expression of the masked girl was hard to tell because of the mask covering her face. But seeing something like that, she would definitely be surprised, if not shocked, because this level of strength was beyond what someone in the iron rank could have.


    ***


    Orion watched as those hundreds of thousands of burning swords finally collided with the monster, their fiery impact lighting up the sky with a dazzling disy of power.


    He couldn''t see if this attack had any effect on the monster or not because of the blinding light caused when those burning swords collided. The brilliance of the fiery onught obscured his vision, leaving him to rely on his instincts.


    However, the onught of his fiery swords was far from over, as the miniature sun was still floating above him, ready to unleash its power upon the monster once more.


    ''Let''s continue.''


    With a fierce determination, Orion directed the sun to continue its assault, sending wave after wave of burning swords crashing down upon the creature in a relentless barrage.

 Chapter 127: 127. Orion vs The Apocalypse-Level Monster - 4

    After two to three minutes of continuously bombarding the monster with thousands of burning swords, his sun began to dim and shrink, its energy nearly depleted from the continuous assault.


    Orion watched intently, hoping that the sustained onught had somewhat weakened the monster.


    As thest few burning swords streaked through the air, his sun finally died down and vanished into thin air.


    "Again!"


    However, without waiting to see the results of his attack on the monster, he once again began to conjure another miniature sun at the top of his palm. The intense mes swirled and condensed rapidly, forming another zing sphere hovering before him.


    Orion knew he couldn''t afford to give the monster any respite. So, he prepared to unleash another devastating wave of burning swords, determined to damage the monster as much as he could.


    But before that, he needed to check if the barrage of swords earlier did any damage to the monster or not.


    Looking at the position where the monster stood, he could only see smoke rising from the area. There were still some sparks of fire flickering here and there.


    Orion''s heart pounded as he tried to see through the haze, hoping that his attack had finally done some damage to the monstrous foe.


    ''If it''s still fine with all that attack and sneak attack me with his tentacles, then that would be very depressing.''


    He thought to himself as he prepared for any form of sneak attack from the monster. Even as he conjured another miniature sun, he knew he had to remain vignt, ready for any sign of movement from within the smoke.


    As time passed, the smoke began to dissipate, revealing the aftermath of Orion''s devastating attack. The scorched ground was littered with remnants of burning debris, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of charred earth.


    ''Some of my swords reached the ground. I hope no one got injured because of that.''


    Slowly, the outline of the monster became visible through the thinning smoke, and Orion''s eyes strained to see whether his efforts had been enough to bring any damage to the monster or not.


    A momentter, the smoke fully dissipated, and Orion could clearly see the monster.


    He noticed that its head appearedpletely fine, but its body, made up of earth, had some scratches and burning marks on its surface. Other than that, it waspletely fine. The sight filled Orion with a mix of frustration and disappointment.


    Deep down, he already knew that no matter how strong he became with all his curses and abilities, he would never be able to deal any significant damage to the monster in front of him because of the huge difference in their base strength.


    However, seeing the bitter truth with his own eyes was very disappointing to him.


    ''I guess it''s time for n B.''


    Putting away the depressing thoughts, he looked at the monster and intentionally flew towards it.


    But he didn''t even fly a few meters in the air when tentacles from the monster came andtched onto his arms and legs, pulling his gigantic form towards itself.


    Orion didn''t struggle and let the monster drag him. His next course of action depended on how close he could get to the monster in his gigantic form.


    The tentacles, though only dragging his colossal body, still managed to deform his arms and legs where they gripped him. The immense pressure twisted and crushed the hexagonalyers of his form, causing them to crack and splinter.


    Not long after, he was finally in close range of the monster. However, before he could implement his n, the monster opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of searingva directly at him.


    He couldn''t dodge theva at such a close range, so he opted to use the absolute defense this time to withstand the full brunt of the attack.


    As the torrent of searingva surged towards him, he activated his ultimate protective measure, creatingyers uponyers of absolute defense only around his stomach region, since that was the region where his original body was enclosed.


    He knew that even though he was using Electrostatic Disruption in Curse Transformation mode, it would be very difficult to withstand or repel the attack of the monster in front of him with only the basic absolute defense so he opted to only use this on the part that really matters to him.


    Smoke began to emanate from Orion''s colossal form as theva began to pour over his imprable barrier. The intense heat caused the hexagonalyers to glow and emit plumes of steam and smoke.


    Orion could feel the strain on his defenses; the sheer force of theva was testing the limits of his absolute defense. Despite the overwhelming heat and pressure, he focused on maintaining the integrity of his absolute defense, determined to withstand the assault and seize the next opportunity to strike back at the monster.


    As more time passed, his legs, his hands, and even his spherical head began to show signs of strain.


    However, it wasn''t long before they finally began to melt under the relentless assault. The intense heat and pressure from theva caused the hexagonalyers of his colossal form to liquefy and drip away.


    But the part where he had put the most focus was still floating in the air, even though it was fully covered inva. Orion, who was inside that part, couldn''t clearly see what was happening so he patiently waited for the attack to die down.


    Some timeter, theva stopped flowing from the monster''s mouth, and the remainingva on Orion''s colossal form began to slip away.


    Orion saw that aside from the part protected withyers of absolute defense, other parts of his body were gone, melted away by the intense heat of theva.


    He had already expected that so he wasn''t surprised to see that. What did surprise him, though, was that his absolute defense held on. He was ready to move onto his dimension at any moment if theva were to break theyers of absolute defense he had ced earlier.


    ''It seems if I stack upon theyers of absolute defense, it will have greater repelling power.''


    He thought as he turned his attention to the monster when theva on his colossal stomach fully slipped away.


    "Prepare for another one of my named techniques, you stupid monster."


    He yelled at the monster as he summoned his miniature sun that he had conjured earlier. When he was dragged by the monster earlier, he sent this miniature sun to his dimension.


    And now he summoned it back.


    "Nuclear Sun!"


    A huge sun, twice the size of their heads, appeared between them, casting a brilliant glow that illuminated the battlefield.


    Orion quickly used that opportunity to hide away in his dimension. He didn''t want to be a part of whatever was about to happen.


    Also, he didn''t use the Ten Thousand Burning Swords and instead directly used the miniature sun this time.


    It was because he had noticed that even though Ten Thousand Burning Swords was a powerful technique, it didn''t do much damage to the monster itself.


    Hence, he decided to use the raw power of the miniature sun itself this time, hoping it would deal some significant damage to the monster.

 Chapter 128: 128. Orion vs The Apocalypse-Level Monster - 5

    The huge sun that appeared between the monster and Orion''s remnant body collided with them, creating a dazzling disy of light and energy. The collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air, illuminating the battlefield with a brilliant orange glow.


    BOOM!¡ª


    Almost instantly, the sun detonated with a deafening roar, unleashing a cataclysmic explosion that engulfed the monster and Orion''s remnant body in a blinding sh of light.


    The force of the detonation sent shockwaves radiating outward, shaking the very foundations of the battlefield.


    Debris and energy scattered in all directions, creating a chaotic storm of destruction. Orion watched from the safety of his dimension, his heart pounding in anticipation of the oue.


    He could only see a mushroom-like explosion expanding rapidly, causing the whole city to tremble in its wake. The mes raged in all directions, consuming everything in their path with relentless fury.


    The ground below the explosion became charred ck, and almost all the wreckage and debris were blown away by the sheer momentum of the explosion. Buildings crumbled, and the ground shook violently as the shockwave swept through the streets.


    A destendscape stretched out in all directions, scarred by the devastating force of the st.


    Sometimester, the attack died down and a very eerie calm ensued throughout the whole city.


    Meanwhile, in the air, a huge mass of ck smoke surrounded the monster and Orion''s remnant body, if it still managed to stay intact.


    Within the swirling darkness, Orion could see shes of me flicker ominously from time to time, as if the sun still hadn''t died down. Each sh of me illuminated the smoke-filled sky, casting eerie shadows that danced across the battlefield.


    Orion waited for the smoke to go away.


    "ROOOOAAAAR!"


    However, a menacing roar sounded at that moment and the mass of smoke surrounding the monster was blown away by that roar.


    Orion could finally see clearly and was genuinely surprised this time.


    He saw that its head was still fine even after all of that but not so for its other body parts.


    Its huge torso, made up of earth, waspletely charred ck and destroyed from side to side, making it barely recognizable.


    Its limbs suffered the same fate. Cracks appeared on them and some chunks of their parts were evenpletely destroyed.


    Orion felt that it was the first time since their fight that he had even dealt damage to the monster. Before all of that, his attacks barely scratched it.


    But for some reason, its head was as fine as ever. He just couldn''t understand if his attackpletely missed its head or if its head was invincible to begin with.


    "Berserk mode activated."


    However, he didn''t have time to ponder about any of that as he heard the monster''s robotic voice.


    ''Berserk mode isn''t what I think it is, is it?''


    Orion saw through his dimension that the monster began to look around, probably searching for himself.


    But he noticed something different this time; he saw that the monster''s movements were fluid and didn''t appear to be only controlled by the robotic voice as all that time earlier.


    ''No!''


    To Orion''s horror, he saw that after the monster couldn''t find him, it opened his mouth, unleashed a torrent of searingva and bathed the entire city with it.


    Seeing that, Orion cursed inwardly. Although he didn''t care about any of the humans down there, he just couldn''t watch them all be killed. Even more so now that he had the power to stop it.


    Deep down, Orion from Earth was still present inside of him, and maybe it was influencing him to protect these humans, or he himself just couldn''t bear to witness such destruction and desired to do something about it.


    Whatever it was, he wanted to help them, and he would have to help them anyway since his friends were also down there.


    Coming out of his dimension, he once again constructed the suit of hexagonalyers of armor around him and only a momentter, a colossal form of his once again appeared in the air.


    The monster turned its head towards him as soon as he appeared and started flying towards him in a crazy manner.


    Seeing the crazy advance of the monster towards him, Orion prepared for his final stand.


    He first descended from the ground and appeared in a very deste part of the city.


    After that, he swiftly switched to Frozen Torment from Electrostatic Disruption in the Curse Transformation mode, making him had only two curses in the Curse Transformation mode¡ªFrozen Torment and Velocity Burst.


    His left colossal arm froze down as soon as he put Frozen Torment in Curse Transformation mode, while his right arm had been in crimson color the entire time since he transformed into his Colossalform.


    ''Let''s do this.''


    He put two blue and crimson palms of his together before a small seed of red and blue was formed between them.


    A momentter, the seed began to expand as he continued to provide energy.


    This seed continued to expand, growingrger and brighter with each passing moment, until it became a sphere the size of Orion''s colossal head.


    The sphere radiated a crimson and blue glow all around, causing the area around Orion to freeze and burn simultaneously.


    Frigid ice encased everything it touched, while mes danced and licked at the edges of the frozenndscape.


    The conflicting energies shed and intertwined, creating a chaotic maelstrom of heat and cold, all enclosed and suppressed in the form of a sphere held between Orion''s palms.


    Within the sphere, the opposing forces battled for dominance, each seeking to ovee the other in a fierce struggle for control. Heat and cold radiated from the sphere in waves, causing the air to shimmer and distort with theirbined power.


    After a moment of constantly controlling the sphere, Orion was finally able to stabilize the ice and fire, suppressing them within it.


    All that happened in a matter of a few seconds so the monster still hadn''te close to him yet.


    Turning his head toward the monster, a crazy smile appeared on his face.


    "This is the third-named technique of mine. Beheld to witness its might."


    He dered this as he prepared himself to unleash the chaotic form of energy in his palms.


    "Ice and Fire¡ªSupernova."


    Whaaam!¡ª


    A wave of crimson and blue energy surged forth from the sphere, hurtling towards the iing monster with unstoppable force. The vibrant hues of red and blue illuminated the city, casting a dazzling disy of light across thendscape.


    As the wave moved towards its monster, it seemed to distort the very air around it, leaving a trail of swirling energy in its wake.


    However, at this exact moment, something happened that caused Orion to curse the heavens themselves.


    [Burst Mode ended.]


    [Curse - Unyielding Encasement had been permanently removed.]


    As soon as the notification appeared in his vision, Orion''s gigantic form began to glow with a red light and turned into particles, disappearing into thin air.


    But it didn''t cause any hindrance to the attack he was currently performing.


    He was floating in the air and his position was the same as that of his colossal form, unleashing a wave of crimson and blue hues of energy towards the monster.


    The Burst Mode time ran out at the exact moment he unleashed the supernova; therefore, only a few seconds had passed till then and because of that, the wave of energy still hadn''t reached the monster yet.


    "Agghh!"


    However, in the middle of the attack, Orion felt pain so intense that he screamed in agony, causing his mind to divert his attention from the attack as a result the sphere of ice and fire became unstable and disintegrated into red and white particles.


    He felt relieved after his attack disintegrated into nothingness but he still couldn''t understand what caused this pain all of a sudden.


    ''System, what happened to me just now?''


    [Host''s colossal form had the strength and physical body required to utilize the amount of energy used in that Supernova technique. But not the host''s current physical body. Even though the host has almost infinite energy, the host needs to have a strong physical body to use that much energy. Otherwise, the host would receive some serious drawbacks.]

 Chapter 129: 129. Sword Sage

    Orion almost cursed upon hearing the system. He could understand what it meant but the situation he was in, he couldn''t afford losing even a bit ofbat power.


    Moreover, thinking of his powers being restricted by his body made him feel even worse.


    He had never pushed his powers this hard before because all the curses he had previously used worked normally. Unlike the power of curses in Curse Transformation mode, the curses in normal mode, although they didn''t seem to have a limit, seemed to be restricted by their versatility and their uses. They simply worked as someone''s curses, as they were supposed to.


    But in Curse Transformation mode, he could use his curses more thoroughly without being restricted by anything. Hence, the requirement for energy also increased in this mode.


    Therefore, there had never been a situation previously where he had pushed himself this far and hence he didn''t face this situation before.


    He also thought that this was because of his low rank. He felt if he had a higher rank, like silver or gold, then this situation probably wouldn''t have happened because, at that time, he would have a very strong body.


    Moreover, now that he thought about it, he had upgraded himself by maxing out all his attributes. This should have made his body powerful but he guessed it wasn''t powerful enough to withstand him releasing his infinite stock of energy in one go.


    ''Having a powerful body is a must, I guess. Otherwise, it will be like having abundant electricity or fuel but having poor-quality devices to use those for. No matter how those devices work, they wouldn''t be able to effectively use those resources.''


    Putting those thoughts aside, he turned his attention towards the monster, who kept running towards him like an animal that had gone berserk.


    ''I guess I could only hide myself in my dimension or should I¡­''


    He thought, pondering if he should use Burst Mode again or not. And even if he wanted to use it, he would have to also think about which curse to use in that mode.


    "It seems I amte."


    However, as Orion was pondering about this matter, a very powerful voice reached his ears, causing him to turn towards its source.


    It was then that he saw a man in histe twenties standing in the air, not too far from him.


    He had dark, golden hair that shone brightly. His eyes were pure white, giving him an otherworldly look. He was handsome, with sharp features, and a confident smile always hung on his face.


    Turning his head towards the monster, he said it nonchntly.


    "An Apocalypse-level Monster? I guess I will use my sword then."


    He took out a sword from somewhere and held it in his right hand but before he shot, he turned to Orion.


    "You should step back a little."


    Orion didn''t know what the golden-haired man meant by that but he seemed quite strong to him so he decided to sit back and watch the show for a while.


    Nodding to him, he flew back andnded with Famir and the others.


    The golden-haired man then turned to look at the monster that was still flying towards Orion.


    "Just die."


    He swung his sword casually with one hand, and to Orion''s surprise, the monster that was heading his way stopped midway as if a lock had been put into it. Then, in a swift and precise motion, the monster''s body was sliced into two pieces from its head to its legs, and it fell to the ground with a resounding crash.


    As if that wasn''t shocking enough, the illusion sky and the dome they were in were also sliced in half, revealing the real blue sky above. The false canopy crumbled away, letting the sunlight pour in, making the scene even more breathtaking.


    Orion and the others had their jaws dropped to the ground. They were shockedpletely and utterly shocked.


    Especially Orion. He understood how strong the monster was since he fought with it but because he knew about that knowledge, the scene he just witnessed gave him chills.


    The ease with which the golden-haired man dispatched the monster was staggering. The sheer power and precision required to aplish such a feat left Orion in awe and a little unsettled.


    "He killed it so easily!"


    "Yeah, and with only one sword swing."


    Famir and Ryfin''s shocked expressions mirrored Orion''s own. Their eyes were wide with disbelief as they stared at the remains of the monster and the golden-haired man who had dispatched it so effortlessly. They exchanged nces, struggling toprehend the sheer power they had just witnessed.


    But one person waspletely calm among them. It was the masked girl. Maybe because of the mask she wore, no one could see her expression.


    The golden-haired man, after killing the monster, came to them.


    "Who among you is from the Darkwood family?" He asked, his eyes scanning each of them.


    Orion raised his hand upon hearing him.


    The golden-haired man looked at him, seeing someone raise their hands.


    "I heard it was you who informed your family about this," he said, smiling. "Good job. Without that, we wouldn''t know that an apocalypse-level monster is here on such a low-level."


    "As for the Valen Family thing," he continued, his voice solemn. "The Royal Family will look after that."


    Orion nodded as he heard him. He was still in awe of the strength disyed by the man in front of him. It waspletely beyond him.


    ''He uses a sword¡­.and that strength¡­. Don''t tell me he is¡­''


    His eyes widened at the thought of that. He started trembling in excitement because of it.


    "Are you¡­" he said, hesitation shing in his eyes. "Are you the Sword Sage?" But he still asked.


    A wide grin appeared on the golden haired man''s face as he heard Orion.


    "Hahaha, indeed, I am the Sword Sage," he smiled, puffing up his chest. "But my real name is Kane Maximus. I am also the strongest in all of the Magus Kingdom."


    Orion had the urge to prostrate himself before the golden-haired man as he heard him speak. For all he could remember, the Sword Sage had always been his motivation and his inspiration in the darkest times of his life he had spent with the Darkwood Family.


    When he was diagnosed as having been born with no talent, he felt hopeless and despaired about his life. But his kind mother stood beside him during those difficult times and told him the legend of the Sword Sage.


    How the eldest son of Emperor Maximus was born with a healing talent. How everyone called him a trash who wouldn''t aplish anything, to how he became the strongest being in the Magus Kingdom.


    It was a tale etched into the very memory of Orion''s being. The Sword Sage''s journey from ridicule to greatness had fueled Orion''s determination to ovee his own limitations.


    This was the hero whose story had pulled him through his darkest hours¡ªa legend that gave him hope.


    Now, seeing him in the flesh, Orion felt a surge of emotions. Awe, reverence, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude washed over him.


    The Sword Sage was no longer just a tale told to inspire; he was real, standing before him, embodying the strength and resilience that had kept Orion going when he had nothing else to hold on to.


    ''It seems dreams doe true.''


    Orion thought in delight, his eyes fixated on the golden-haired man.


    The dream of meeting the Sword Sage himself¡ªthe dream of having the strength to silence all those who had ever ridiculed him for hisck of talent¡ªhad finallye true.


    Seeing the Sword Sage in action validated every struggle, every moment of doubt he had endured. It was as if the universe had finally acknowledged his perseverance, granting him this moment of revtion and inspiration.


    ''One day I will be as strong as him.''


    Now that he had strength, he decided he would be as strong as his hero, if not stronger.


    The golden-haired man could see the look of reverence in Orion''s eyes, and he wasn''t surprised by it. He had seen too many such looks, and over time he had be ustomed to them. The admiration of those who looked up to him was something he had long since learned to ept with humility.


    Yet, there was something in Orion''s gaze¡ªa burning determination and an unwavering resolve¡ªthat made the Sword Sage pause for a moment. He saw not just reverence, but the spark of someone who was ready to rise to the challenge, someone who had the potential to carve out his own legend.


    ''Interesting.''


    He became interested as he saw the look in Orion''s eyes. But he only became interested and didn''t pay much attention to it. He knew that many had gazed upon him with simr reverence and ambition, and while some had gone on to achieve great things, others had faltered.


    The true testy not in a single moment of inspiration but in the perseverance and dedication that followed.


    For now, the golden-haired man focused on the present task, aware that his actions had already nted a seed in Orion''s heart. It would be up to Orion to nurture that seed, to push beyond his limits, and to see if he could indeed rise to the heights he so admired.


    The Sword Sage had seen countless dreams sparked by his presence; whether Orion''s would burn brightly or fade away remained to be seen.

 Chapter 130: 130. Aurora Haven Magi King

    "They are here," Sword Sage muttered to himself.


    At that moment, the whole city began to tremble suddenly.


    "Look there!"


    Ryfin shouted, pointing at the crack in the dome that was caused by the Sword Sage''s sword earlier.


    They saw that the crack suddenly expanded and a huge spaceship-like object came in from there.


    The spaceship appeared quite long and was colored blue and golden. It was streamlined at the front and back, while at the center, it expanded slightly to amodate its core systems and passengerpartments.


    Orion knew who this ship belonged to. It was one of the many void shuttles their family had. Moreover, the one in front of them was just the basic one.


    Soon, the void shuttle appeared in front of them, causing a gust of wind to wash their faces.


    Afternding not far from Orion''s team, the gates at the sides of the shuttle opened, revealing a middle-aged man, followed by a group of men and women.


    They didn''t directlye to Orion; instead, they went towards Sword Sage and kneeled on one leg in front of him.


    "Your Highness, Sir Kane."


    They yelled in unison with the utmost respect.


    Kane nodded at them.


    Seeing that Sword Sage had epted their greetings, the middle-aged man stood up and turned to Orion.


    "Young Master Orion," the middle-aged man and the others behind him bowed down to him in respect.


    Orion nodded at them but he didn''t recognize any of them.


    "Who might you be?" He asked.


    "Since the young master has passed the test, you have been given a personal team of experts," the middle-aged man said. "I am Mike, and these are the experts who will be under you forever, including me." He pointed at the men and women standing behind him.


    Orion looked at the faces of these experts that Mike talked about and saw hesitation and dissatisfaction in their eyes.


    ''It seems they are not satisfied that they are assigned to me.''


    He understood the reason behind it. His reputation in the Darkwood Family had indeed spread widely, reaching the ears of almost every individual residing in the Darkwood Pce.


    However, the reputation surrounding him was not favorable; it was quite the opposite. There were talks of a young master who was deemed talentless,beled as trash, and subjected to ridicule.


    And now that these people, who had trained their whole lives, had been assigned to that young master with a negative reputation, dissatisfaction was inevitable among them.


    Orion nodded at Mike and turned his attention to Sword Sage.


    "What would happen to all the Zenithans here?" He asked.


    "The Royal Family has arrived and surrounded this cepletely," Kane answered. "They will take care of everything here."


    Vroom!¡ª


    At that moment, two more void shuttles arrived before them. But they appeared different from the one Mike had arrived at.


    One was blood red, while the other one appeared to be golden. The blood-red one had an illuminating sun-like symbol ced at the center of the void shuttle.


    Theynded not too far from them and from the red one appeared a middle-aged man in his thirties. He had light red hair, tied to a pony and his face appeared red in anger, as if someone had insulted him. His eyes were narrowed, and his fists were clenched tightly by his sides.


    As soon as he appeared, he turned his attention towards Orion''s group.


    "Who the hell is here from the Darkwood Family?" He yelled, looking at them.


    Orion frowned as he heard him. Looking at his hair, he could tell he was from the Valen Family, and it appeared he didn''te on good terms.


    "I am," he said.


    "You brat," the man from the Valen Family looked at him menacingly. "How dare you ruin our ns?"


    "So you admit that you nned to absorb the energy of the core of this, thereby destroying all life on it?" Orion sneered at him. "His Highness, Sir Kane, is also here, so it''s good that you admitted your crime in front of him."


    "Sir Kane?" The middle-aged man in red hair trembled and turned to look around when he spotted a man with golden hair smiling at him.


    "Your Highness!" He immediately kneeled down on one leg. "Forgive me for not greeting you right away."


    "It''s alright," Kane nodded. "Tell me what''s going on."


    The red-haired man panicked. He didn''t know what to tell him. He couldn''t tell the truth, as what Orion said was indeed correct and if this were to be known by the Eldest Prince, then forget about him¡ªthe whole Valen Family would be in huge trouble.


    "You don''t need to say anything."


    At this moment, a deep voice was heard amidst the tension-filled environment.


    And soon another middle-aged man came to the scene. He had likewise red hair as the man from earlier but his was dark red and shoulder-length. He had a well-built body and a square-shaped face.


    Moreover, his aura made Orion and the others uneasy, with a palpable sense of power and hostility radiating from him. It was clear that this man was not to be underestimated, and his presence alone was enough to make everyone around him feel a deep sense of foreboding.


    As soon as he came here, he directly turned his attention to Sword Sage.


    "Your Highness, we are in no position to answer you anything," he said. His voice didn''t appear to have the respect everyone else had for Sword Sage. "I will directly talk to the Emperor about this."


    Kane smiled as he heard him.


    "Do as you wish," he replied nonchntly. "But I didn''t expect the Magi King of Aurora Haven toe here personally."


    The middle-aged man ignored him and turned towards Orion.


    "You will regret it," he said in a threatening manner.


    "All talk and nothing else," Orion sneered at him too. "If you have the guts, then make me regret it right now."


    The middle-aged man clenched his fists in anger as he heard him. The ground beneath him instantly got destroyed but he controlled his anger forcefully and calmed himself down. He knew he couldn''t act rashly here in front of the Sir Kane.


    "Darkwood Family won''t protect you forever," he said, his eyes spitting fire as he looked at Orion. "Be afraid¡ªbe very afraid or you won''t know when you might just die."


    After saying that, he indicated the other red-haired man. Understanding what his master wanted to say, he went back to the void shuttle, flew it, and disappeared from there.


    "Your Highness, I will leave now," the Magi King of the Aurora Haven said before he flew into the crack of the dome and disappeared from there.


    Orion frowned at thest words of him. He felt that the Magi King of the Aurora Haven was too overbearing.


    ''It seems Kyle was right about his family.''


    At that moment, he remembered Kyle telling them about how everyone in his family was so arrogant and had a haughty attitude towards everything and everyone. Now that he experienced this firsthand, he agreed with himpletely. The Magi King of the Aurora Haven embodied every word Kyle had said, and Orion couldn''t help but feel a surge of frustration and wariness.


    Though he wondered why Kyle appeared to be different from his family members.


    At that moment, more and more void shuttles entered the dome one by one andnded there.

 Chapter 131: 131. Leaving For Home

    Many people came from these void shuttles and began to scout the ruined city and help the people in need here. Each of them wore a white suit with a symbol of a golden dragon etched on their uniforms.


    Some of the few selected ones arrive in front of Kane. They wore blue uniforms instead of white and they too had a symbol of the golden dragon etched on their uniforms.


    "Your Highness, we have already scouted the whole Sad and only found a continent at the other end of this ind," one of the people said. "We suspect that''s the ce where the Zenithans live."


    Kane nodded and pondered for a moment before answering them.


    "Take all the Zenithans here back to their ce," he said. "Also, provide any help you can with anything they need. If there are some rare ones who want to work for us, be sure to recruit them."


    They nodded and left the scene.


    "Alright, I will also leave now," Kane said to Orion''s group. "But not before I visit a ce here. It seems something has been calling me here from the moment I arrived on this. That''s strange and I really want to see what could evoke such a feeling inside me."


    Hearing him, Orion recalled the sword of the ughter God in the cave. Shura mentioned that his sword shouldn''t be taken out by anyone and it would find a new owner on its own.


    Although he also suspected there could be other things calling Kane, the chances of being the sword of the ughter God were high.


    ''After all, Sword Sage is the master of all swords.''


    "See you guyster." Kane waved his hands at them and vanished from their vision.


    The moment Sword Sage disappeared, a man as fast as light appeared in front of Orion, his red dagger aiming straight at Orion''s neck.


    Everyone was shocked to see that, but it happened so fast they couldn''t react. Forget about them¡ªeven Orion couldn''t react to the sudden attack. The speed and precision of the assant were beyond anything they had encountered before, leaving them momentarily paralyzed by the sheer intensity of the moment.


    Since his transmigration, this was the first time Orion had ever seen someone move this fast. He was even faster than thest assassin who came to assassinate him.


    That was why he didn''t even have the time to activate any of his curses, nor could he physically react to the attack. The speed and precision of his opponent left him utterly defenseless, caught off guard in a way he had never experienced before.


    For a moment, he felt death''s cold grip closing in on him. The attack made him acutely aware of his vulnerability, as if he were teetering on the edge of an abyss with no way to save himself.


    However, as he was wondering if he would die here, the assassin was suddenly sted to the side. The force of the impact sent him sprawling, and Orion could barely process what had happened, only feeling a rush of relief and confusion as he realized he had been saved from the brink of death.


    "Young Master Orion, are you alright?" Mike asked quickly. "Are you hurt anywhere?"


    "I am fine," Orion said, nodding to him. Though he felt that death almost tugged at his clothes.


    "Huh, that was fun."


    A chuckle sounded and Kane appeared before them.


    Orion sighed in relief, seeing Kane.


    "Thanks for saving my life just now," he said, bowing down to him.


    It was a very close call for him. The assassin was so fast that he couldn''t activate any of his curses, and if Sword Sage hadn''t interfered at thest possible moment, then he feared he would have been killed instantly. The narrow escape left him shaken, with the reality of his own mortality hitting him harder than ever before.


    "Don''t worry about it," Kane said, smiling. "After all, it was all my doing."


    "Your doing?" Orion didn''t understand what he meant by that.


    "You see, I had already sensed him the moment I arrived here," Kane exined to them. "He was hiding quite well, so I waited for him to make his move, but he didn''t do anything. That''s when I thought, ''Who would dare attack someone in front of me?'' and came up with a n to leave. And would you look at that¡ªhe took the bait."


    Orion understood after Sword Sage''s exnation.


    He then turned his attention to the assassin and saw that he was like the previous assassin, wearing a skull mask on his face.


    ''Why are these assassins after me?''


    He thought, putting his hand on his chin as he pondered deeply about this.


    "Young Master, the assassin who just attacked you wasn''t just any assassin," Mike said, his face solemn. "They are from an organization called Hades Reapers. It''s a very notorious and mysterious group. Nobody knows their goals or motives, and they rarely interact with the world. But it''s said that if an assassin from Hades Reapers wants to kill someone, then even a god wouldn''t be able to save them."


    Orion raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. He wondered what he had done to get on the radar of such an organization, and it seemed he didn''t just get on their radar¡ªthey had a clear goal for him: they wanted him dead.


    "Be careful in the future," Kane warned him too, though his face appeared as nonchnt as ever. "They never give up. Also, I want to see you three monthster at my ce so don''t die so easily."


    Orion nodded seriously at him and wanted to ask what he meant by the end about meeting him at his ce.


    "Alright, I am going for real this time."


    But Kane disappeared after saying this.


    Orion shrugged and turned his attention towards Mike, who also turned to look at him.


    "Young Master, should we leave for Blitz Haven?" Mike asked.


    Orion pondered for a moment before responding to him.


    "Give me a minute."


    He then turned to look at Ryfin, Famir, and the masked girl.


    "Orion, you don''t have to say anything," Ryfin said, putting his one hand forward. "We understand you want to leave and we won''t stop you."


    He said this boldly but that didn''t hide the sadness in his face.


    Famir too nodded from the side but he also appeared rather reluctant to see Orion leave.


    They hadn''t been together for long and their friendship may have been up and down at times but that didn''t change the fact that they were friends who had each other back in times of need.


    Orion smiled at Ryfin''s words.


    "I want to ask if you two want toe with me," he said, looking at them. "This world is far more interesting than you could ever imagine and I doubt you two want to leave in this forever. So,e with me and let''s explore this world together."


    "Really, we could really go with you?" Ryfin asked in excitement.


    "My family is one of the richest families in the Magus Kingdom," Orion flexed. "So, I doubt there will be any problems."


    Famir and Ryfin looked at each other before they nodded their heads at him. They really didn''t want to live here like these Zenithans, knowing there were far more great things waiting for them.


    He then turned his attention to the masked girl.


    "I guess your family will be here too, right?"


    She nodded but she didn''t say anything.


    Seeing that she nodded, Orion turned to look at Ryfin.


    "How far have you teleported Lisa that she still hasn''te to us?" He asked.


    "Ah, I thought she was your maid and a very important person to you so I teleported her to the very far end of the city, where anything going on here wouldn''t affect her," he said embarrassingly.


    "Wait a sec, I will bring her back real quick," he said as he disappeared from his position.


    A momentter, he was back with Lisa, who appeared to be looking around for someone. Her eyes shone upon seeing someone standing not far from her.


    "Young Master! It''s good that you are fine," she sighed in relief, seeing him fine before she took out a blue crystal tear. "Look what I found, young master."


    "Space Tear?" Orion hadpletely forgotten about this. Taking it in his hand, he could feel the power within it but he could also tell its energy was fully drained.


    ''It will definitelye in handy.''


    He thought, turning his attention to Mike.


    "Let''s go," he said. "Let''s go home."


    Mike nodded and led Orion, Lisa, Famir, and Ryfin to the void shuttle with his team.


    A momentter, the void shuttle took flight and disappeared from the dome, leaving only the masked girl standing alone in the ruined city.


    --End--


    Read the Author''s Note.

 Chapter 132: 132. Intruder

    Orion and the others found that the void shuttle was very spacious inside. One thing they all felt amazed by was that, even though it was flying through the air, they didn''t feel any sort of movement inside. It was as if the inside of the void shuttle existed in a different realm altogether, providing a sense of calm and stability despite the rapid travel.


    It was Orion''s first time inside a void shuttle, just like Famir and Ryfin. Although he had seen quite a few, and some even bigger and more advanced than this one, he had never traveled in any of them.


    So, it was also his first time experiencing all of this, and from what he could tell, the inside of this void shuttle was spacious enough to amodate a hundred individualsfortably.


    He noticed that at the entrance of the void shuttle, there was a circr table with chairs all around it and there were also some books and foods on the table.


    Meanwhile, at the other end were two passages that, ording to Orion, would probably lead to the pilot area and the living quarters.


    Though he wasn''t sure of it.


    "Young Master, you and your friends should go to the living quarters and have a rest," Mike suggested. "It will take us some time to reach Blitz Haven. Due to the emergency situation with Young Master, we have flown at light speed to reach you as soon as possible but this ended up using most of the mana essence avable in the void shuttle.


    So, we will be going about round-trip to stop by Starforge to refuel, which will take us more time."


    "Alright," Orion nodded.


    Seeing that Orion agreed easily, Mike sighed in relief and turned towards Lisa.


    "Lisa, show Young Master and his friends their living quarters," Mike said.


    Lisa nodded and turned to Orion.


    "Young Master, this way." She led Orion and his friends towards one of the passages.


    Orion saw that the passage was a long, narrow hall, with several doors spaced evenly along either side. Each door seemed to lead to a differentpartment or room, adding to the sense of vastness andplexity within the void shuttle.


    A momentter, they arrived at their location.


    Orion and his friends were surprised to see that the ce where they arrived had several doors ced side by side and even some on top of each other.


    "Young Master, choose any of the doors from here," Lisa said, pointing at the doors. "All these doors lead to a living room."


    Orion nodded and looked at Famir and Ryfin.


    "I am going to go and have some sleep," he said, yawning. "I am feeling very tired."


    Waving his hand at them, he went into one of those doors and disappeared before them.


    ***


    Inside the door, Orion noticed it was just a small room with a bed and a study table ced close to each other.


    He was very tired after all the things he had gone through in Aethelgard City, especially after the bacsh of using Supernova when his Burst Mode was over.


    He could still feel some pain all over his body. He knew that absorbing mana crystals would help others recover their lost mana and aid in recovering from fatigue or minor injuries. But in his case, he wasn''t sure what would expedite his recovery from the more severe effects of using such a powerful ability.


    ''I can only use my curse to not feel pain, I guess.''


    He thought for a moment and then activated the curse of Sacrificial Renewal. Instantly, the pain he felt was gone. However, he understood that it was merely the effect of his curse masking the pain; he was still injured internally. He needed to find a more permanent solution for his recovery.


    ''Looks like I will need some curse that could help in healing.''


    He felt that if he possessed a healing curse, then, with his almost infinite energy, he wouldn''t need to worry about getting injured in the future. The idea of having a way to instantly heal any wounds appealed to him greatly, especially given the dangerous situations he frequently found himself in.


    But he also understood that finding a healing curse was almost impossible. A curse that could heal the individual upon activation wouldn''t be categorized as a curse anymore; it would be more like an extra ability on top of their talent. The rarity and nature of such a curse made it a distant dream,pelling him to rely on other means for now.


    ''It seems I''ll have to use the good old healing pond in my home.''


    He thought, reminiscing about his home. He missed his mother very much. Ever since he recovered his memories, he always felt a sense of urgency¡ªan urgency to meet his mother. This longing weighed heavily on his heart, driving him to push through the pain and challenges he faced, hoping one day to reunite with her.


    ''There is also Luna. Thest time I saw her, she was just five years old. I hope she remembers me.''


    Thinking of the cute little sister of his, a smile appeared on his face and he fell asleep.


    ***


    Three hourster.


    Whoom!¡ª


    Whoom!¡ª


    Whoom!¡ª


    An rm of some sort sounded in Orion''s room, causing him to wake up abruptly.


    "What happened?"


    He opened the door and saw that Famir and Ryfin had also woken up because of the rm. They were also out of their rooms.


    "Let''s go and see what caused the rm."


    Orion took the lead and walked into the hallway until they reached the meeting section at the entrance of the void shuttle.


    But what they saw really surprised them.


    They saw that Mike was pointing a sword down the neck of a kid about their age and the kid had his hands up in the air.


    What was surprising about this was that the kid was none other than Ron. The white-haired handsome guy¡ªthe anomaly.


    "Ron?" Orion frowned at seeing him. Last time he remembered, Ron fled to the mirror world to hide from the colossal monster and now he suddenly appeared before them.


    And for reasons unknown or perhaps because of his whole experience with Ron or him being the anomaly, he felt that he couldn''t trust Ron like he trusted Famir and Ryfin.


    That was why he was a little dissatisfied after seeing him appear here.


    "Orion, help me!" Ron shouted as soon as he saw him.


    "Young Master, do you know this guy?" Mike asked, seeing the intruder take the name of his young master.


    "Nah, I don''t know him," Orion said, pointing at the door. "Just throw him out."


    "Orion, Brother Orion, why are you teasing me?!" Ron suddenly started crying, and tears and snot began to stream down his face.


    "Alright, then tell me." Orion looked at him right in the eyes. "Why are you here?"


    "When I came back from the mirror world, everything was over," Ron said, his voice sounding lonely. "There were only soldiers of the Emperor roaming around, helping everyone. But I didn''t want their help. What I wanted was to leave that and be stronger. That''s why, when I heard the masked girl talk about Famir and Ryfin leaving with you, I thought I could also go with you. And here I am."

 Chapter 133: 133. Grimshore

    After hearing Ron''s reason foring, Orion nodded to him. Though he still didn''t trust himpletely, looking at Ron''s face, which appeared to be full of sadness, he sighed. Orion understood the desire to grow stronger and the pain of feeling helpless. He decided to give Ron a chance, hoping that his intentions were genuine.


    Unlike him, Famir, and Ryfin, Ron wasn''t a transmigrator and was likely just a kid of about fifteen years old. So, what had happened before in Aethelgard City could be exined simply as him being scared, which led to certain situations.


    He realized that Ron''s actions might have been driven by fear and confusion rather than ill intent, making him more inclined to give the young boy the benefit of the doubt.


    Moreover, knowing he couldn''t bring himself to reject a kid who had already been through so much, Orion decided to let Ron stay with them. He understood that the boy needed a chance to prove himself and grow stronger, just as they all did.


    "Mike, release him." He said this, looking at Mike.


    Mike nodded and took back his sword, though he still turned to Ron about something.


    "How did you teleport yourself here?" He asked, and his face showed signs of suspicion. "This shuttle has been shielded by a certain type of magic circle that restricts teleportation from outside to inside. So, how did youe here?"


    "Well, my talent is different from Ryfin''s pure teleportation," Ron replied. "There are two types of teleportation I can do. The first one is simple teleportation, where I can teleport to anywhere my eyes can see. The second one is moreplex. I need to mark a ce or individual with my talent, and I can simply teleport myself to them or there in case of an emergency.


    But it takes quite a lot of mana since it literally has no limitations. The only limitation is my mana reserves."


    Orion felt that his teleportation was indeed quite useful if used in emergency situations. Though he still wanted to confirm something.


    "Let''s suppose you mark me and I am in the Human Federation Realm. Then,  if you have enough mana reserves, can you teleport yourself from Magus Kingdom all the way to the Human Federation Realm in a second?"


    Ron nodded. Though his face also turned helpless.


    "But the mana I would need in that case would also be huge."


    Orion nodded. He, too, felt that such powerful teleportation would indeed require a huge amount of mana to be sessful.


    But he was at least sure that Rom would definitelye in handy in the future.


    He then walked towards him and patted his shoulder.


    "Wee aboard, then," he said, smiling. "Though, next time you decide to teleport somewhere fast, do tell us about it."


    [Does the host want to copy the curse of Reality Fracture?]


    ''Damn, such a cool name for the curse. Copy, copy it immediately.''


    [Host has sessfully copied the curse of Reality Fracture.]


    "I was just afraid that I would die; that''s why I teleported," Ron said, looking down. "I don''t know how to fight, and teleportation is all I can do. Forgive me for my past mistakes."


    "Hey, hey, it''s alright," Orion said reassuringly. "Look at us; we were also like you once, unable to fight; in fact, we might have been worse off, unable to even use our talents properly. But in the end, we learned through hardship, and so will you. So, chin up."


    Orion felt like he was back on Earth, where he used to teach low-grade kids. The situation with Ron made him feel nostalgic, reminding him of the times when he tutored young students to get some money for his day-to-day life.


    Ron felt somewhat good that he wasn''t the worst and that there were others who were like him in the beginning.


    "Mike, how long to Starforge?" He asked.


    Now that his sleep had been interrupted, he knew he wouldn''t be able to sleep anymore, even if he tried. Curious about how much time remained before reaching their first destination¡ªStarforge¡ªhe decided to ask Mike about this.


    "Young Master, it will take us another 3¨C4 hours before we reach there," Mike answered.


    "Another 3-4 hours?" Orion put his hand on his chin, pondering how he should pass this time quickly. As far as he knew, Blitz Haven from Starforge wasn''t far but it seemed it would take some time to get there.


    At that moment, his eyes shone brilliantly as he thought of something¡ªa ce he had always wanted to go since he was a kid. It wasn''t just any ce; it was a world that connected all three domains¡ªwhere individuals from all three domains could meet each other.


    This ce held the promise of exploration, adventure, and meeting new people, unlike anywhere else in the universe.


    But the real purpose of this world was unknown.


    However, as far as his memories go, people from all three domains were eager to go there for many reasons. But there were two main reasons.


    The first reason would be the avability of monsters in that world. Dungeons had be quite rare nowadays and were only used by individuals of bronze rank to gain experience fighting monsters and prepare themselves for real adventures in that mysterious world.


    High-rank monsters were scarce across all three domains, and the cores of low-rank monsters became useless as people grew stronger. Therefore, this world had be amon destination for humans from all three domains toe and hunt monsters, striving to be stronger.


    The second reason would be the alphagens. Alphagens were different from mutagens in every aspect. While mutagens helped individuals exceed their limits and assisted in upgrades, alphagens were primarily used forbat purposes and did not contribute to upgrades.


    Most importantly, alphagens could only be obtained from the cores of monsters avable in that world.


    ''I can go there, right?''


    He could go there but he didn''t know how. His mother never told him anything about that world and he only learned all of that by sneakily going to the family''s library and reading some historical books.


    Thinking of that, he turned his attention to Mike.


    "Mike, tell me if I can go to Grimshore right now or not." He asked, looking at Mike. If there was anyone who could tell him how to get there, then it would only be him.


    "Grimshore?" Mike flinched upon hearing Orion wanted to go there. "Young Master, that ce is very cruel. Many people die there every day. So, it would be better if we were to first reach the pce and have permission from the master to go there."


    "Father''s permission?" Orion frowned. He couldn''t wait that long. If his guess was right, then it would take at least five more hours to reach Blitz Haven, and he would be bored to hell in this void shuttle.


    ''I guess I really couldn''t go to Grimshore without my father''s permission.''


    He recalled that they would need his permission for every major thing in the family and Grimshore was such a ce that would definitely need his permission.


    ''Looks like I can only copy the curses of all the individuals present in the void shuttle.''


    Orion thought. That was the only way he could pass the time here without getting bored and who knew if he could get his hands on some good curses?

 Chapter 134: 134. Teaching a Lesson - 1

    "Famir, Ryfin, take Ron back to the living quarters," Orion said, looking at them. "I am going to have a chat with Mike here."


    "Let''s go and take you to your room." Ryfin coiled his hand around Ron''s shoulder and took him away. Famir also followed behind.


    Seeing them go away, Orion turned his attention to Mike.


    "Are there any arenas or ces to fight?" He asked, looking at Mike.


    He had a n in mind that would make it easy to copy their curses and, at the same time, gain their trust. They were, after all, his servants now, and it wouldn''t be very nice if they didn''t even trust their master¡ªhim.


    "Follow me, Young Master." Mike said as he walked towards the same passageway leading to the leaving quarters.


    "Lisa, call all the personnel under me." Orion then turned to Lisa. "Ordered them toe to the room Mike is leading us."


    Lisa nodded and quickly went to do what Orion asked.


    Meanwhile, Orion followed Mike and appeared at one of the doors at the side of the passageway leading to the living quarters.


    "Let''s go in, Young Master." Mike opened the door and walked in. Orion, too, came inside and was surprised to see that it was a slightly bigger area than the conference hall near the entrance.


    But unlike the conference hall, this area was empty. There was nothing in this ce except for the white marbles ced on the floor they were standing.


    "Mike, I know the void shuttle is big but can it really have this much space inside?" Orion asked.


    He could understand therge space in the conference hall because that area was where the void shuttle was in a spherical shape, giving it more space. But what about this area? It came into the narrow side of the void shuttle, yet surprisingly, it had even more space than the conference hall.


    "Young Master, these void shuttles have been made by the cksmiths of our Darkwood Family," Mike exined the reason behind Orion''s confusion. "But the basic design and structure of it have been spread to all of the three domains. As for the extra spaces, they were made using an ore called void stones. They are only found in Grimshore."


    Orion nodded in understanding.


    "So, how strong are you and your team?" He asked, looking at Mike.


    He wanted to know their strength before he went around gaining their trust. He could somewhat sense their rank, but he wanted to know their exact strength. After all, he would be testing them here.


    "I am at the tinum rank and all the others are at the peak of the silver rank," Mike said, though he wondered why Orion asked.


    "tinum rank?" Orion guessed this rank should be above the gold rank and he was surprised that all the others were at the peak of silver rank which meant they would sooner orter breakthrough to gold rank.


    "Young Master, what are you nning to do?" Mike asked him at this moment, and his eyes appeared full of suspicion.


    Although he understood that Orion had arrived at the iron rank and passed the family test, he didn''t quite trust his ''Young Master''.


    Like others, he also felt a bit of dissatisfaction about being assigned to the "trash" young master of the Darkwood Family. However, unlike others, he didn''t show it on his face.


    The mark of the "trash" young master had been rooted deep inside everyone in the Darkwood Family, and even if that young master had turned over a new leaf, it would take a long time for everyone to get ustomed to Orion''s new status.


    So, even though Mike wanted to genuinely trust Orion because he was assigned to him and Orion was their master now, he couldn''t bring himself to fullymit to Orion.


    Orion didn''t know about anything going through Mike''s head and vaguely answered his question.


    "You will know." He said, waiting for the other members toe here.


    A momentter, Lisa came with the other members of the group at Orion''smand.


    "Young Master, they are here." Lisa said, looking at her young master.


    "Hmm." Orion nodded to her and then turned his attention towards the group.


    He noticed that there were approximately thirty of them, and including Mike, they totaled thirty-one. But he saw their faces showing signs of anger. It was clear that they weren''t happy about being suddenly summoned by him.


    They weren''t happy to be called by someone they didn''t respect.


    But Orion didn''t care about that.


    "Those who think I am not capable of leading you, not capable of being your master, raise their hands," he said, looking at each of them.


    As soon as he said that, Mike narrowed his eyes. He became interested in what this "trash young master" wanted to do. As far as he knew, Orion had only recently upgraded his rank to iron rank, and he didn''t know about his talents, so he was eager to understand Orion''s motives here.


    As for the other members, they started looking at each other to see if others raised their hands. After a moment, as if they all agreed on something, they turned to Orion and raised their hands.


    Orion''s face turned grim when he saw that all the members had raised their hands. Not a single one of them trusted him and this made Orion feel frustrated and a bit irritated too.


    He felt that since they were assigned to him by his father, they should be obliged to follow any of hismands without hesitation. But it appeared they didn''t take him seriously, or they simply didn''t care about him.


    Though he understood why they weren''t afraid of him or why they boldly raised their hands without any fear, It was because his family had a saying that if a family wanted to be a monarch, then their servants too would have to be treated as emperors.


    That was why, even though they were servants, they were provided with enough freedom to voice their thoughts and given enough power to leave their master if they were unsatisfied after a certain period of time.


    This philosophy of treating servants with respect and granting them autonomy ensured that loyalty was earned through mutual respect and fairness rather than fear and coercion.


    That was also one of the reasons why Orion wanted them to trust him. If they didn''t trust him and chose to leave after a certain period of time, rumors would spread throughout the Darkwood family that he couldn''t even retain his own servants, solidifying his reputation as a "trash young master."


    This was also a type of test¡ªa hidden test for the direct descendants of the Darkwood Family to see if they had what it took to attract these servants and keep them forever.


    ''I will have to teach them some lessons, it seems.''


    Orion thought, looking at them.


    "We will y a little game," he said, his eyes glinting yfully.


    "What game?" Asked one of the servants.


    "It''s a simple challenge," Orion smiled mischievously. "I''ll stand right here. One by one, if any of you can move me from my position, you''re free to leave mymand and join other young masters from the family. But if you can''t make me move, then you''ll remain my servants forever. What do you think?"

 Chapter 135: 135. Teaching a Lesson - 2

    Orion''s deration of challenge caught everyone by surprise¡ªeveryone but Lisa. She knew Orion''s real strength but not others present in the big hall.


    Mike felt that Orion was too arrogant. He understood his team''s strength very well and knowing Orion had just passed the family test, he would at most be at the peak of iron rank. Therefore, he couldn''t fathom how Orion coulde up with such a challenge when his strength was so weak. He thought that Orion was simply a frog in the well and hadn''t seen the world.


    ''It seems the title of ''trash young master'' fits him the most.''


    He thought, and a sneering expression appeared on his face.


    Meanwhile, the group of silver-rank servants felt like they were insulted. They had trained their whole lives to achieve this strength and now they had to take part in an idiotic challenge posed by the infamous ''trash young master''.


    Although they were angry about it, they also sneered. They felt that it was a good opportunity to leave Orion''s team and join other young masters from the family. They couldn''t directly leave Orion''s team before a specific period of time but if Orion expelled them, then it was a different matter altogether.


    Orion smiled, looking at their excited faces. He understood what they wanted since he proposed to let them leave his team if any of thempleted the challenge and they were probably after that opportunity.


    ''Fools.''


    What they didn''t know was that it was a double-edged sword for them. If it could cut for them, then it would also cut them too.


    He had intentionally given them this opportunity so that they would participate in the challenge, thinking they could have a chance to leave his team but little did they know they were just moments away from being a part of the very team they wanted to leave forever.


    Soon, one of the servants stepped up and looked at Orion.


    "We ept your challenge," he said with a sly grin on his face. "But how can we trust you that you won''t go back on your words?"


    The smile on Orion''s face became even wider after hearing their suspicions about whether he would be true to his words or not.


    Musing over this, he turned to Mike.


    "Mike, I hereby dere you the judge of this challenge," he said, his face turning solemn all of a sudden. "In the name of the Darkwood Family, you are to judge this challenge without being biased, can you do that?"


    "I can." Mike nodded seriously. Although he believed the result wouldn''t change from what he had in mind, he couldn''t reject Orion''s order.


    Orion nodded and turned his attention to the servants.


    "Let''s go to the middle of the area," he said, walking. "If you lose, just don''t cry and ept your fate." He sneered, turning around.


    The servants almost cursed Orion but they controlled themselves, knowing Orion was still their master and also a young master of the Darkwood Family.


    Arriving in the middle, Orion first activated the curse of Electrostatic Disruption and used the technique of absolute defense on himself.


    At the same time, he used the Curse Transformation mode and the curse of Burdened Gravity in that mode. He felt that Burdened Gravity increased his weight more than Constant Pull.


    Almost instantly, ayer of red film covered his body as he activated his absolute defense and a heavy pressure surrounded him, increasing his weight more than ever he had experienced previously.


    He felt that his weight had almost been increased by ten times what would have been normally increased without using the Curse Transformation mode.


    He then turned towards the group of servants and beckoned them with his tiny finger.


    "Come."


    All the servants became instantly angry upon being provoked by Orion.


    "Look at him; he thinks he can win the challenge."


    "That''s the mark of a fool."


    "I say one of us go and teach him a lesson or two about reality."


    "Trash will always be trash, even if they gain a little bit of strength."


    "Let''s end this quickly. So, who is going to go?"


    "Let me teach him a lesson."


    They mocked him without any fear and, in the end, decided to teach him a lesson.


    Soon, a heavy man came forward. He appeared quite bulky inparison to Orion, who appeared thin. He was almost bald but there were grains of hair atop his head.


    "I am Hubert," the man said, arriving in front of Orion.


    As the two of them stood only a handful of inches from each other, everyone could see that the man appeared like a giant while Orion appeared like a kid. Seeing that, they sneered, thinking that the fight was over before it even started.


    "Alright, you can start." Orion said, looking at Hubert.


    "Don''t me me," Hubert muttered as he took a step forward and pushed Orion with both of his hands.


    However, the moment his hands were about to touch Orion, they suddenly bounced back, surprising him.


    He couldn''t understand what happened just now and felt that he might have made a mistake because of the excitement of teaching a young master.


    Everyone else also saw that but they thought differently. They felt that it was Hubert who appeared to be intentionally teasing Orion and ying with him. The thought of this being Orion''s doing didn''t even cross their minds.


    ''Let''s do this again but seriously this time.


    Hubert thought and once again moved his hands towards Orion, intending to push him; however, his hands once again bounced back.


    ''What''s going on?''


    This time, he felt that there was definitely something else going on.


    ''Could it be Young Master''s doing?''


    Turning to Orion, he saw that Orion seemed to be smiling at him.


    "What? Give up?" Orion teased him, seeing his shocked expression.


    Hubert felt ashamed when he heard Orion. But he also couldn''t understand what was happening here. He couldn''t understand how his hands bounced back automatically.


    "Hubert, what are you doing? Just do it already."


    "Yeah, don''t waste our time."


    "Yeah, I am hungry. Just finish it already."


    "Hubert, ytime is over."


    The group of servants began to reprimand Hubert. They felt that Hubert was only wasting their time by ying with Orion.


    As for Hubert, his shame suddenly turned into frustration after hearing his fellow servants reprimand him.


    ''Damn, I will use my strength then.''


    He couldn''t understand what was happening but he felt that everything was pointless in the face of absolute strength and he had a talent that gave him that type of strength.


    Turning to look at Orion once again, he saw that Orion stood with a bored expression on his face and that bored face irked him even more. He felt like he was being looked down on by trash¡ªby someone who was a whole rank below him.


    Seeing that, he decided to go all out.


    "Overlord Body."


    As Hubert used his talent, his body began to twitch and tremble as if he were the manifestation of raw strength or his body embodied the raw strength itself.


    A momentter, his t-shirt burst into pieces because of the overwhelming pressure releasing from his body.


    Mike frowned, seeing Hubert using his talent. He felt that there wasn''t a need for that but he didn''t interfere and let it be. He also wanted to see how Orion would respond to that.

 Chapter 136: 136. Teaching a Lesson - 3

    Orion smiled seeing Hubert using his talent and from what he could tell, it appeared to be a strength-based talent.


    ''It will be good if his curse is also rted to strength.''


    He licked his lips, wondering if he could get another power-up curse. He had one¡ªUnbridled Fury¡ªbut that one didn''t increase his physical strength and only helped in increasing his overall strength.


    He felt that if he could get a curse that could increase his physical strength, then, with his near-infinite energy, he would almost be invincible.


    Just thinking about it made him grin.


    Looking at the silly smile on Orion''s face, Hubert couldn''t control himself anymore and punched.


    His fist tore through the air and arrived in front of Orion''s chest.


    However, the moment his fist was about to hit Orion, it unexpectedly stopped¡ªit stopped just an inch away from Orion''s chest.


    He couldn''t understand how something so powerful and with such high momentum could be stopped in just a second.


    ''Damn!''


    Hubert unleashed all his strength, causing the ground beneath him to crack, but it was all for naught. His fist couldn''t close the inch of distance between them.


    No matter how hard he tried or how many times he tried, he just couldn''t move his fist forward to touch him.


    ''What the hell is this?''


    A sh of hesitation passed through his eyes but that moment of hesitation caused him to lose.


    BAM!¡ª


    His body got sted back like a ragged doll before it eventually came to a stop.


    The force that was holding him down was the power of repulsion and when he lost his focus due to hesitation, the strength of his fist decreased a little but that was enough for the strength of repulsion to overpower him.


    "What happened?"


    "How did Hubert get thrown away?"


    "What the hell is happening? I didn''t even see Young Master make his move."


    "Yeah, I also saw that. Young Master is only standing there like an idiot but Hubert still was sted away."


    "It must be Young Master''s talent."


    "But what talent could enable someone to do nothing and still be able to beat someone?"


    The servants started talking to themselves in shock, for they couldn''t believe their eyes. To them, it appeared as though Hubert punched Orion and in return, he was sted away. It was a surreal scene for them.


    Moreover, they once again felt insulted that one of them couldn''t even move Orion from his position, which was one whole rank below them.


    As for Mike, he was also surprised. He didn''t know what talent Orion had but he credited all that to Orion''s talent.


    ''Could his talent repel attacks?''


    However, unlike the servants, he was very observant and could see clearly what had caused Hubert to have his body fly away.


    ''A talent that could repel attacks. That''s an interesting talent. Is it because of this that Young Master is very arrogant about it? Doesn''t he know that there is something called rank? No matter how strong his talent is, he has only arrived at the iron rank, while these servants are at the peak of the silver rank. He will eventually lose if he doesn''t have anything else.''


    He mused over Orion''s talent. He also believed that Hubert lost to Orion because he was too careless. If he had used his full strength from the very beginning, then maybe the result would have been different.


    That was what he thought. Though he still didn''t know how powerful the strength of Orion''s absolute defense was, if he had known about it, he probably wouldn''t have had such thoughts.


    "I will go this time."


    "Are you sure you won''t fail like Hubert, Rony?"


    "Don''t worry, my specialty lies in speed so, it will be over before the young master can even do anything."


    "But still be careful. We have already lost enough face when Hubert couldn''t move, young master, so give it your all."


    "I will."


    Murmurs of discussion echoed throughout the empty hall as the group of servants discussed among themselves. They didn''t want to fail again so they finally sent someone who they thought could easily move Orion from his position.


    At that moment, another servant stepped up. He was quite thin, just like Orion, and quite tall too. He had dark red hair and a very long-looking face.


    However, he didn''t immediately arrive in front of Orion and they stood at a little distance from each other.


    "I am Rony and I will be your regret," he smirked, looking at Orion.


    "Yeah, yeah, juste." Orion yawned as he beckoned him to do it.


    "Arrogant," Rony spat and used his talent, causing the white tiles beneath him to crack down before he suddenly disappeared from his position.


    Vroom!¡ª


    A sound simr to the movement of a void shuttle reverberated throughout the hall before suddenly another sound was heard just a momentter.


    Bam!¡ª


    Almost instantly, thetter sound was heard; a body was thrown back at breakneck speed and it didn''t stop immediately. It continued to slide through the hall before it slowly came to a stop.


    It was Rony.


    He had arrived in front of Orion instantly but that speed and momentum of his that he always took pride in became the sole reason for his downfall this time.


    It turned out that the moment his fist tore through the air and he arrived in front of Orion with all that momentum, an equal and opposite amount of force was released from Orion''s body¡ªthe force of repulsion¡ªthat took Rony by surprise and as a result, he was sted away like a rocket.


    "Damn, what just happened?"


    "I didn''t see anything."


    "Me too. I only saw a glimpse of Rony''s blurred figure approaching the young master but in the next moment, I heard a sound and Rony was blown away."


    "Did the young master really only at the iron rank?"


    "Yeah, fool, can''t you sense the aura he is releasing? It''s iron rank."


    "But then how can you exin two defeats that happened just now and most importantly, both happened in the same way?"


    "That''s what I am trying to understand."


    The group of servants was shocked. If the first time was a coincidence, then the second was a reality. They now understood that Hubert didn''t lose unjustly and it was all the young master''s doing.


    However, they still didn''t understand their young master''s talent, causing them to not send another one just to end up with the same result.


    On the other hand, Mike was also a little shocked. He had previously believed that with Rony''s speed, Orion''s little stunt would easily end but the result proved otherwise.


    After all, Rony was at the peak of the silver rank while Orion just arrived at the iron rank so Mike''s assumption wasn''t wrong.


    It was almost correct if this challenge was taken part in a few days ago. Before Orion upgraded himself to iron rank, his absolute defense was strong, but it wasn''t that strong that it wouldpletely repel the attack of someone who was one rank above him.


    Like what had happened with the third guardian back in the soul temple. At that time, even though Orion waspletely covered in his absolute defense, the third guardian''s attack still worked on him.


    But not here. At this moment, Orion was at the iron rank and when he upgraded himself a few days ago, all his curses got a little boost in their strength.


    Hence the difference in the result.

 Chapter 137: 137. Teaching a Lesson - 4

    Orion looked at their thoughtful faces and thought that it was time for the finale.


    "Are you guys giving up?"


    The group of servants instantly turned their heads toward Orion upon hearing him. Their faces appeared indignant, clearly showing their displeasure and frustration.


    Looking at them, Orion smiled and gave them their final hope.


    "How about this?" He said enticingly. "All of you remaining guyse at me at the same time. Surely, you guys would seed that way, wouldn''t you?''


    The servants frowned even more. They felt like they were being yed around by a kid. They felt ashamed of themselves because of this. But they didn''t have any choice if they wanted to switch themselves to another young master.


    A talent they couldn''t understand¡ªa talent that could easily blow away two of their strongest individuals¡ªhad turned into a nightmare for them.


    Now, if they wanted to leave Orion and find some other young masters, then they would have to shamelessly ept Orion''s offer.


    All the servants looked at each other and nodded their heads in unison.


    "We ept your offer but if we fail, we are ready to ept yourmand."


    The servants soon epted Orion''s offer but it was thest part of their words that made Orion grin.


    This was what he wanted¡ªtheir loyalty. Although he could still get them to follow him even after defeating each one of them, they wouldn''t show their loyalty to him. They would just follow him because of the bet between them.


    But it was different if they were toe at him together and he would remain standing tall at the end. He would have to show them his overwhelming strength. That would make them believe that he had the strength to be their leader and, therefore, could give their loyalty to him.


    ''It''s good.''


    Orion smiled and nodded at them.


    "Come."


    All the servants looked at each other before they walked towards Orion and surrounded him.


    Looking at all these servants, ready to use their talents to just move him, Orion felt a thrill. The thrill of facing so many opponents at the same time.


    Although it wasn''t specifically a battle, the essence behind it was still the same.


    Most importantly, he was also taking a gamble here. He believed that his absolute defense could hold against anyone below the gold rank but he wasn''t sure if it could hold against twenty-something people at the silver rank.


    He understood the principle of having quality over quantity but he also knew that sometimes quantity may overpower quality.


    However, he also had Burdened Gravity activated under Curse Transformation mode, so he felt that even if his absolute defense gave in, they probably wouldn''t be able to move him.


    Soon, he saw that they activated their talents one by one and to his surprise, he saw two of them form a colorful core behind their backs.


    "Three Divine Ways!"


    He was shocked to see two people who were no more than servants being able to use the elusive Three Divine Ways but after thinking about it, he understood the reason behind it.


    Darkwood Family was one of the seven Magi Families in the whole Magus Kingdom; therefore, they had some secret techniques that could help one achieve the first stage of the Three Divine Ways.


    However, even with the secret techniques, one would at least have to be at the iron rank to be able to learn the Three Divine Ways. It was very rare¡ªalmost impossible¡ªthat one could learn the Three Divine Ways in the bronze rank.


    And these two servants being able to achieve the first stage of the Three Divine Ways in silver rank was worth nurturing. Orion believed that for such servants, he would have to treat them somewhat nicely.


    ''I will have to be careful of these two.''


    He made a mental note to be cautious of these two, as with the first stage of the Three Divine Ways, their strength, which was already at the peak of silver rank, could reach gold rank.


    At that moment, he saw that ady suddenly came forward and attacked him with a palm; however, it wasn''t just any palm; a small swirling wind of a tornado could be seen beneath her palm.


    But the moment her attack reached Orion, she was blown away by her own swirling wind, courtesy of Orion''s repulsion.


    Seeing that, the other servants also attacked Orion at the same time.


    For a moment, sparks and different colors of mana swirled around Orion as all the servants surrounding him began their attack.


    BOOM!¡ª


    However, to their horror, all of them were sted back, tumbling and rolling through the floor¡ªall but two.


    The tiles on the ground around Orion were also destroyed in a ring-like pattern, with him at the center, standing proud and tall. Dust swirled around the ring, creating a dense cloud that obscured him from view.


    The two who hadn''t attacked squinted through the haze, unable to see Orion, their expressions a mix of surprise and apprehension. His disy of power left them momentarily stunned and uncertain, heightening the tension in the air.


    A momentter, the dust faded away and they could finally see but what they saw gave them despair. They saw that Orion was still standing in the same position where he was standing earlier before the others began their attack.


    "How could it be?"


    One of the two people who didn''t attack muttered in shock. She was ady with dark purple hair tied to a pony and a beautiful face but at the moment, her face only revealed shock and nothing else.


    "Could he have cheated?"


    The other one also muttered. He was a man of about twenty-five and his appearance resembled the previousdy a lot. They both had purple hair too.


    He thought that Orion could have cheated. With the dust clouding their vision, Orion could have moved back to his position, hence the result.


    However, for confirmation, he turned to look at Mike, who shook his head at him.


    Seeing that, his face became ck as charcoal. He found it difficult to believe it but if Mike was sure Orion didn''t move from his position, then he would have to also believe it.


    "He took all of their attacks head-on and still hadn''t moved. Damn, it will be difficult for us."


    He looked at her sister standing beside him, who was also looking at him.


    "Maria, how about we synchronize our powers?"


    Maria pondered for a moment after hearing her brother''s words but eventually nodded.


    "Even though we still haven''t perfected our synchronized attack, it will still be enough to move the young master a step back or two. So, let''s do this, Alex."


    After agreeing on their n, Maria held Alex''s left hand with her right hand and moved her left hand forward. Alex also followed her sister, made his right hand move forward and took it close to her sister''s left hand.


    Orion, who was waiting for them to make their moves, was surprised to see them getting hubby-hubby with each other.


    ''Damn, what is this? Did they suddenly go mad or what?''


    He thought before he sensed a very powerful aura gathering at their hands that was facing toward him.


    It was then that he saw tendrils of ck and white lightning begin to emanate from their hands, causing the tiles beneath them to cover in ck.


    Soon, these ck and white tendrils of lightning began to gather inrge amounts and form a long lightning dragon twice their size.

 Chapter 138: 138. Teaching a Lesson - 5

    As the lightning dragon fully manifested, the tiles beneath it werepletely melted by the tendrils of lightning hitting the ground.


    Its ck and white lightning formpletely illuminated the entire barren hall.


    Orion felt a very strong aura¡ªa very deadly intenting from the lightning dragon.


    ''Damn, are they trying to kill me?''


    He could feel that the strength of the lightning dragon was far too intense to be used merely to push him; it was a full-blown attack intended topletely destroy him.


    ''It seems I''ll also have to spice things up.''


    He immediately switched from the curse of Burdened Gravity to Electrostatic Disruption in his Curse Transformation mode. A circr shape appeared on his chest, with vibrant red and blue colors filling the top and bottom halves, respectively, separated only by the diameter.


    At the same time, he used Constant Pull along with Burdened Gravity to keep his weight increasing as much as he could.


    As for the absolute defense, it was already on him but theyer covering his whole body became even more vibrant after he used Electrostatic Disruption in Curse Transformation mode.


    ''It''s the best defense I coulde up with.''


    He thought, turning his head to look at them and saw that they were also prepared tounch that lightning dragon at him.


    He felt that if the lightning dragon were only a physical object, he could simply control it using the curse of Electrostatic Disruption and divert its trajectory before it could even hit him.


    But a pity it wasn''t a physical object. It was just a mass of ck and white lightning gobbled together to form a dragon.


    "Lightning Dragon Manifesto!"


    At that moment, the duo of brother and sister shouted, causing the lightning to move towards Orion.


    "Roar!"


    As if they had cast a spell, the lightning dragon became more lifelike and roared before it surged towards Orion in a sh of electric fury.


    It quickly arrived in front of Orion, intending to collide with him head-on.


    Seeing that, Orion prepared himself.


    But like all other attacks, it couldn''t reach Orion. The lightning dragon stopped an inch away from him, its form releasing tendrils of lightning all around. Even these were repelled by his absolute defense, causing the lightning to strike the tiles beneath the dragon instead.


    Everyone was surprised to witness this. They couldn''t believe that the lightning dragon was so close to Orion yet it couldn''t deal any damage to him. Most importantly, they could finally see that no matter how much the lightning dragon tried, it couldn''t close the inch of distance between them.


    It was a shocking revtion to them, especially for Mike. His earlier beliefs shattered like mirrors before his very eyes, causing him to question where Orion''s real strengthy.


    Meanwhile, the brother-and-sister duo looked surprised but not entirely shocked. After observing each of their colleagues being sted away by seemingly nothing, they concluded that an invisible wall surrounded Orion. Any attack approaching him would stop an inch away, and in some cases, the attack would repel and hit the attacker.


    They had already taken all of that into ount when they decided to attack so now that their lightning dragon seemed to be useless in front of Orion, it actually wasn''t.


    "Maria, on a countdown to 1, okay?"


    Alex looked at her sister.


    Maria nodded at him.


    "3"


    "2"


    "1"


    "Lightning Dragon: Explode!"


    They both shouted at the same time, causing the lightning dragon to glow with a blinding light before it exploded.


    BOOM!¡ª


    ***


    A few moments before the explosion.


    Orion thought that, like any other attack, this lightning dragon would also be repelled back but he didn''t expect what he was seeing right now.


    As he looked at the lightning dragon that suddenly became very unstable and was glowing with a blinding light, he understood it was going to explode at any moment.


    He wasn''t prepared for that but he also felt there wasn''t a need to. He would just have to give as much energy as he could to Curse Transformation mode and Electrostatic Disruption and it should repel the shockwave and all the lightning with it.


    Thinking of this n, he implemented it swiftly and braced himself for the impact.


    ***


    BOOM!¡ª


    An explosion erupted in front of Orion, and bolts of lightning rampaged around him, encircling him in their relentless barrage. The intense energy crackled and sparked, creating a blinding disy of raw power that seemed to engulf himpletely.


    Meanwhile, everyone else saw a ring of dust swept away by the shockwave of the explosion. The force of the st cleared the air, revealing Orion standing resolute amidst the chaos, lightning bolts still crackling fiercely around him.


    However, to their horror, Orion remained standing still. All the lightning bolts around him were repelled by his absolute defense, causing the ground around him to be sted back by the force of the repelled lightning bolts. The sheer power and control disyed by Orion left everyone in awe and disbelief at his seemingly imprable defense.


    A momentter, the power of lightning rampaging around Orion died down and everything became silent for a moment.


    "I win."


    Orion looked at the shocked faces of everyone present here and smiled at them.


    "Now, you guys are under me." He said this, looking at them.


    "Young Master, are you alright?"


    Mike suddenly appeared in front of Orion and looked closely to see if he was injured anywhere.


    He was on alert the whole time since the brother-sister duo used their lightning dragon attack and was ready to interfere at any moment if he sensed that Orion was in any trouble.


    But in the end, he didn''t need to do anything. Orion ultimately won the challenge, surprising him. However, he was still not satisfied and came to ask him specifically.


    As a servant of the Darkwood Family, their sole job was to listen to the young master''s order they were assigned to and to protect the young master at any cost.


    Therefore, the reason behind Mike''s anxiety.


    Orion looked at Mike''s worried face and nodded at him.


    "Don''t worry," he said. "I am fine."


    Mike nodded in relief.


    Orion then turned his attention to everyone else in the hall and gave them his first order.


    "Kneel down!"


    All the servants in the hall kneeled down without hesitation. They now acknowledged Orion as their master and recognized his strength, which was likely among the top young masters in the Darkwood Family. Therefore, they saw no reason not to show their loyalty to him. They were fully satisfied with Orion being their master.


    Orion smiled as he watched them kneel down without hesitation. Finally securing their loyalty, all that remained was to copy their curses.


    He approached each of them, touching them before instructing them to stand up. He repeated this process with every member until he had copied all of their curses.


    After he copied all their curses, he became excited to see their descriptions. So, without wasting any time, he turned to Mike.


    "Mike, I am going to go rest now," he said. "Remind me when we reach the Starforge."


    "As you say, Young Master." Mike nodded.


    Seeing that, Orion quickly left the hall and appeared in his room, ready to check upon all the new curses he had copied just now.


    "I hope I can get some better ones this time."


    He muttered to himself as he opened his status.


    ''A total of 31 curses, including the one I got from Ron. Let''s see how many of them could be useful for me.''


    He thought as he sat down on the bed and started skimming through the descriptions of the curses one by one.

 Chapter 139: 139. Curses and Future

    "Status."


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Iron]


    [Divine Ability - Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy Curse: 11%]


    [Sub Ability: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation]


    [Curse: Reality Fracture, Berserk Body, Malevolent Gaze, Identity Strain, Devouring Abyss]


    [Strength: _ ]


    [Stamina: _ ]


    [Agility: _ ]


    [Perception: _ ]


    [Constitution: _ ]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    In the end, after scrapping all the trash curses that didn''t give him any benefits, Orion was left with only five curses, including the one he got from Ron.


    ''Only five?''


    He felt that finding good curses was bing more difficult as he was bing stronger.


    He only got four good curses from a group of thirty people and even that was a stretch for him.


    The best one out of these five would be the one he got from Ron. It was really a strong curse.


    [Curse: Reality Fracture]


    [Description: The curse of Reality Fracture distorts the mastery over the void, granting individuals the ability to teleport and manipte space. However, this power manifests uncontrobly, causing them to involuntarily teleport to wherever they look.


    This unpredictability inflicts severe physical trauma, including muscle spasms, fractures, and internal bleeding, as their body undergoes violent discement.


    [NOTE: The curse induces existential crisis, fragmenting their identity across different times and ces, leaving them vulnerable to being ejected from reality itself, causing catastrophic damage to the fabric of existence and environmental chaos.]


    When he checked the curses earlier, he was really surprised by this curse. He wondered, since this curse was so heaven defying, how powerful the corresponding talent would be.


    But one thing he understood from this curse was that Ron''s talent could do more than just teleportation. Either he himself hadn''t unlocked its full potential or he had been lying about it to them.


    Orion didn''t know which was the case but from the way Ron was crying, he felt it was the former. Though he knew looks could be deceiving, he decided to trust Ron this time.


    [Curse: Berserk Body]


    [Description: Those with the talent of an Overlord Body possess an exceptionally powerful and resilient physique, capable of incredible feats of strength, endurance, and regeneration. However, this talentes with a curse known as the Berserk Body, which causes their physical strength to spiral out of control under certain conditions.


    The curse triggers uncontroble bursts of strength, amplifying the individual''s physical power beyond their control. This can lead to unintentional destruction of objects and harm to others, as their strength bes overwhelming.]


    As he looked at the description of the Berserk Body, a smile appeared on Orion''s face. He finally got the curse he wanted. This was the curse he copied from Hubert.


    On to the next.


    [Curse: Malevolent Gaze]


    [Description: The curse of Malevolent Gaze afflicts those with the ability to perceive beyond the ordinary, granting them insights into hidden truths and supernatural phenomena. However, this giftes with a terrifying curse that manifests as an uncontroble chilling aura emanating from their eyes.


    Individuals exposed to the Malevolent Gaze may experience severe panic attacks, heart palpitations, and even fatal heart arrhythmias due to overwhelming fear. Some may sumb to a heart attack or stroke in extreme cases of terror.]


    Orion felt that this curse was very cool so he kept it. He got this curse from one of the servants who had the talent called Extraordinary Eyes. Despite how terrifying the curse appeared to be, he believed his talent would definitely be a powerful one.


    [Curse: Identity Strain]


    [Description: The talent of Shapeshifter allows the wielder to transform their physical form into that of any creature or person they choose, granting unparalleled versatility and adaptability. However, this poweres with the curse of Identity Strain, which has profound effects on the wielder''s sense of self and physical integrity.


    It risks losing their sense of self and bing trapped in alternate forms.]


    Even though this curse wasn''t abat oriented one, Orion still decided to keep it to himself. He felt that this curse would definitelye in handy some day.


    Last but not the least.


    [Curse: Devouring Abyss]


    [Description: The talent of Soul Drainer grants the ability to absorb and manipte life force from living beings. However, this poweres with the curse of Devouring Abyss, a malevolent force that threatens to consume both the wielder and their surroundings.]


    As for thest curse, the description didn''t go into too many details but from what he could tell, Devouring Abyss could devour anything when it became activated.


    Orion kept this curse because he felt that this ability to devour sounded good and who knew it mighte in handy in the future?


    After checking out his curses, hey on the bed and thought about something.


    ''Am I Orion from Earth or from this world of Darkwood Family?''


    He hadn''t gotten any time to think about this but now that he had some time, he really wanted to know the answers to it.


    He felt veryplicated about his situation. Although he didn''t want toin about this since he could live one more life, his inner desire to know who he really was made him want to know the answers.


    Especially when he felt like it was him who had experienced those ten years of living in the Darkwood Family. He could remember everything that happened to him there in minute details.


    That''s why he felt that something was definitely wrong with the situation because he could feel the same about his life on Earth too.


    ''Ryfin and Famir were also transmigrators but unlike me, they hadn''t recovered any memories of their original bodies.''


    He also couldn''t understand why only he was the one who recovered his memories.


    Was it because his memories were sealed inside of him before he transmigrated?


    ''But then why can''t I seem to remember anything about how I had been captured by those pirates? How did Ie to Sad?''


    He couldn''t remember anything about how he spent those five years outside of his family. He could only recall the first ten years he had spent with his family and the current memories of him since he transmigrated to this body.


    Those five years of memories in between were missing for some reason.


    ''Also, what was the reason behind our transmigration? Who transmigrated us? What''s their purpose? ¡­. Was it a god?''


    He also felt very clueless about their transmigration. But since he came to know that gods seemed to exist in this world, he felt that their transmigration would definitely have something to do with the gods.


    Only a god could have the power to transmigrate others.


    ''This life is full of mysteries, unlike my boring life on Earth. I just don''t know how this will all end.''


    Thinking of the ending, he was reminded of the vision he saw when he used the Fate Corest time.


    The sight of him killing another version of himself was horrible. He couldn''t understand how there could be two of him at the same time. They also sounded and wore the same clothes. Everything was the same about them.


    ''Isis mentioned it was the least possible death scenario, meaning the chances of this happening are very low.''


    Orion felt that he had only arrived in this world recently and hadn''t even spent a month entirely but he had gone through so much. This made him wonder if the future would also be this stressful.


    ''I hope it''s not.''

 Chapter 140: 140. Starforge

    As Orion thought about all those things about the future and whatnot, he slowly fell asleep.


    Knock!¡ª


    Sometimester, a knock on the door to his room woke him up.


    ''Have we arrived at the Starforge?''


    He thought, yawning.


    "Coming."


    He stood up from his bed and opened the door to see that it was Lisa, his maid.


    "Young Master, we have finally reached the Starforge," she said excitedly. "Also, Mike is calling for you so let''s talk on the way."


    "You seem really excited," Orion nodded, observing her exuberance. "Is this your first time here too?"


    Lisa nodded her head heavily as she walked along the narrow passageway leading to the conference room.


    "Yes, Young Master," she said, looking at Orion. "Although I have been following you all these years, I didn''t have the chance to visit a space station before."


    Orion nodded at her. He, too, felt excitement at visiting a space station. As a kid growing up in one of the seven Magi families, he heard many great things about it. But sadly, he never got the chance to visit any space stations before. So, now that he was here, he really wanted to go there and see if it truly lived up to its excitement or not.


    Soon, they arrived at the conference hall, where Famir, Ryfin, and Ron were already sitting on the chairs beside the huge round table, and at the other end sat Mike.


    Also, the ck-and-white lightning brother and sister duo were standing beside Mike.


    As soon as Mike saw Orion, he swiftly stood up and gestured towards a chair.


    "Young Master, please sit."


    Orion nodded and sat down.


    "Have we arrived?" He asked, looking at Mike.


    "Yes, Young Master." Mike said, pointing at the side wall.


    Orion turned to look and was surprised to see the wall suddenly turn white, with something appearing on its surface.


    "Is that the Starforge?" Orion asked, shock colouring his face.


    "Yes, Young Master." Mike nodded and smiled, seeing Orion''s shocked expression.


    On the white surface of the wall, a brilliant starry sky twinkled, with a gigantic structure suspended in the midst of the empty void at its center.


    The structure wasposed of many parts but the most noticeable were the long arch of a blue-coloredtower and tens of hundreds of half-disc-like structures revolving around the entire tower.


    There were also various void shuttles, like theirs, zooming towards the gigantic structure. Some had the same size as theirs, while others appeared ten times the size of their void shuttle.


    But the shocking thing was that all the void shuttles, big and small, looked like nothing but groups of fireflies moving towards the space station.


    This was the scene that truly shocked Orion. He had expected the space station to berge, considering the number of void shuttlesnding there for refueling, but the immense size of the Starforge still surprised him


    He also saw that, as time passed, the size of the space station kept increasing.


    ''It seems we willnd soon. ''


    Orion thought, turning his head to Mike.


    "We will also be exploring the Starforge but don''t worry, we won''t mess around." He said this to Mike.


    However, Mike unexpectedly shook his head upon hearing him.


    "Young Master, you and your friends won''t be leaving the void shuttle." He said it apologetically.


    Orion frowned as he heard him.


    "Why is that?" He asked.


    Mike sighed and exined the reason.


    "It''s because of the Hades Reapers." As he mentioned this, his face became solemn. "We don''t know the reason behind their assassination attempt on Young Master, but what we do know is that once an assassin from the Hades Reapers takes action, they won''t stop until they finally kill their targets."


    "And now they are targeting you, Young Master," he said, pointing at Orion. "Even though I will be by your side forever in the Starforge, I can''t guarantee that I will be able to protect you from those assassins. Last time, we were lucky because the Sword Sage was with us but this time we won''t be. So, I have decided to keep you and your friends here. Especially you, Young Master."


    Orion''s frown deepened upon hearing Mike''s reason. He understood Mike''s point, but he didn''t want to miss this opportunity either. Who knew when they would return here, or if they ever would?


    He closed his eyes for a moment as he pondered deeply about this before he turned to Mike.


    "Alright," he nodded, agreeing with what Mike had decided. "I won''t go outside but take my friends and Lisa with you."


    Mike felt that was doable and nodded at him in agreement.


    "I again apologise for doing this, Young Master."


    He bowed down to Orion, respectively.


    "It''s alright," Orion said dismissively. "But give me some gold coins forpensation."


    Mike felt strange as to why Orion wanted the gold coins but he thought that if this could make Orion stay here without anyints, then there was no harm in giving them.


    "Here." He quickly took out a hundred gold coins and ced them on the table.


    A smile appeared on Orion''s face, seeing Mike agree with him so easily.


    "Alright, you guys can go now," he said, standing up and walking towards the coins. He gathered them all and ced them into his space bracelet. "I will have another nap in the meantime."


    After collecting the coins, he walked back towards the passageway leading to the living quarters and disappeared from Mike and the others'' sight.


    Seeing that Orion didn''t cause any trouble and listened to his advice, Mike sighed in relief.


    "Maria, Alex, prepare the shuttle tond," he ordered. "Also, if they ask for any taxes, show them this."


    He ced a square-shaped emblem on the table. It was golden in colour, but at the centre of it was a symbol of dark wood. That was the Darkwood Family emblem.


    Alex nodded, took the emblem, and went towards the pilot room with Maria.


    "You kids should also get ready to go," Mike said to Orion''s friends. He stood up and walked towards the pilot room.


    ***


    Some timeter, Orion''s void shuttlended among countless others that were continuously arriving and departing from the designatednding area.


    Thending location at the Starforge was designated on a half-disc-like structure that continuously revolved around the tower.


    There were continuous movements of void shuttlesing and going through the location, making this area quite popted.


    After their void shuttlended, the door to it opened, and Mike and the other kids walked outside of it.


    Famir and Ryfin''s eyes turned into stars as they gazed at the miraculous space station before their eyes.


    Ron and Lisa were also excitedly looking around, taking in the sights and marvelling at the magical ce bustling with all kinds of people.


    "Enough sightseeing," Mike interrupted them. "Maria, Alex, keep a close eye on them."


    Maria and Alex, who were walking at the very back of the group, nodded at Mike.


    "Let''s go and get the mana essence and leave this ce quickly," Mike said, walking in a certain direction.


    Everyone else followed behind him. They walked the path leading to the tower before they arrived at a huge entrance.


    Without wasting anytime, Mike entered the entrance, followed by others.

 Chapter 141: 141. Gold Casino

    "Alright, fifteen minutes have passed and they won''t be returning anytime soon. It''s time."


    Orion muttered to himself in his room. He then activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance and moved inside his dimension.


    ''Time to explore the Starforge.''


    He walked out of his room and soon appeared in the conference hall.


    Seeing that there was no one there, he moved out of his dimension and used his tangibility to walk through the gate of the void shuttle and appear at the parking location of the space station.


    The moment he walked out of the void shuttle, he quickly moved into his dimension.


    He didn''t want to risk exposing himself to the assassins here. Witnessing their assassination attempt firsthand, he understood their ruthlessness. They would stop at nothing to kill him if they saw him roaming the streets of Starforge.


    "WOW!"


    Meanwhile, as he looked at the sight before him, Orion eximed in shock.


    He felt that the view of Starforge was a hundred times better, if not more, when standing on itpared to seeing it from afar.


    He saw many void shuttles roaming the skies here and people from differents could be seen walking here and there. There were also many stalls ced side by side of the path leading forward from the parking location. These stalls were big andrgepared to the makeshift stalls he had seen in Aethelgard City.


    He walked forward, the path full of people, his eyes sparkling at things around him. There were so many things here that attracted his attention that his head continuously turned here and there.


    However, he didn''t stop at any stalls or any ce. Instead, he continued to walk forward through the bustling street.


    Not long after, the path came to an end and he appeared at the entrance leading to the tower.


    There were various shops lined up at the tower, from a food shop to a mega shop where a literal void shuttle was on sale.


    Orion walked beside the line of shops, carefully looking at each and every shop before he stopped in front of one.


    It was a clothing shop, but not the orthodox kind. The shop specialised in selling strange and questionable clothes one would need for undertaking peculiar or highly specific activities. The racks were filled with outfits that ranged from oundish costumes to entric uniforms, each designed for niche purposes that most people would never encounter in their everyday lives.


    Before entering the shop, he changed his face with the curse of Identity Strain with a random face he could think of and went to a corner where no one was. He came outside of his dimension and walked towards the shop again.


    Upon entering the shop, he was immediately weed by a man working there.


    "Show me a variety of masks."


    Orion looked at the man as he asked for the masks.


    "Follow me, youngd."


    The shopkeeper took Orion towards the back area, where hundreds of masks, if not more, were ced on the racks, while some appeared to be worn by mannequins.


    The mannequins also wore fully hooded clothes ranging in colour from dark red to dark blue.


    Orion''s attraction was immediately pulled by the blue one. He felt that it would suit him greatly. So, he decided to buy that one.


    ''As for the mask...''


    He observed the masks ced on the racks and saw that each one was uniquely designed and appeared different from the others. The craftsmanship on these masks was amazing, as far as he could tell.


    After looking at all the masks carefully, he decided to choose the one he liked the most. It was a white mask with dark blue eye sockets. Tendrils of dark blue spread from the eyes, creating an intricate and striking pattern across the entire mask. The design was both mysterious and captivating, fitting perfectly with his sense of style and the persona he wanted to project.


    "Give me that mask and that clothing the mannequin is wearing," he said, pointing at the mask and the hoody. "How much?"


    "A nice choice indeed," the shopkeeper praised him and told him the price. "It will be 10 gold coins for both of them."


    Orion nodded and took out 10 gold coins and gave them to the shopkeeper.


    The shopkeeper smiled and took the coins from him, while another shopkeeper prepared the mask and the clothes Orion bought in a carrying bag and gave them to him.


    After getting the things he wanted, he walked out of the shop.


    "Pleasee again."


    Orion ignored the shopkeeper''s earnest request, went to a corner where no one was and moved into his own dimension.


    There, he changed his clothes, wore the blue mask and once again came out of his dimension.


    He then walked towards the area where the crowd of people was thergest.


    ''A little more time and I will have my hands on that thing.''


    He thought as he silently walked.


    Nobody thought Orion''s clothing and the mask he wore were strange because there were many people on the space station who wore masks like him.


    Some people didn''t like to show their faces, while others hid their faces for reasons unknown whening to the space stations. So, it became amon practice among people to wear a mask and roam around.


    It was somon that almost one in every twenty people could be seen donning a mask and hoody on them.


    A whileter, Orion appeared in the area where the crowd was the densest. He could hear the sounds of people talking, their voices merging into a murmur that filled his ears. The bustling atmosphere was theplete opposite of the quiet moments he had just experienced in that clothing shop, reminding him of the vibrant and chaotic nature of public spaces.


    ''It''s bound to be full of people; after all, this is a casino.''


    He thought, looking at the huge board at the top of the shop. The words "Gold Casinos" were written in vibrant green, glowing brightly and drawing attention from passersby.


    He noticed many people walking in and out of the shop, and when his attention was drawn to its entrance, he was surprised for a moment because there were no actual doors. Instead, people seemed to phase through a shimmering barrier that marked the entrance, giving the impression of stepping through a portal rather than a traditional doorway.


    ''What a magical ce this is!''


    He eximed in wonder. Though he had seen something like this in his own house at the Darkwood Pce, it was a long time ago, and now that experience remained in the form of memories only.


    But this sight in front of him was real and he was about to walk into that shimmering barrier himself.


    ''I hope the rumours were true.''


    He thought as he walked towards the barrier and went inside.


    Coming inside, what attracted his attention the most was the crowd. The crowd inside the casino was denser than it was on the outside. But this also created a problem for him.


    He had a goal foring here, but with all these people around, he didn''t know where to go to achieve it.


    ''In Earth, there are dealers managing the casinos so I wonder if there are dealers here too.''


    He thought about looking around. This was his first time here, and it seemed he would have to find a dealer on this floor to inquire about the specific lottery he wanted to try.

 Chapter 142: 142. Lottery of Fortune and Misfortune

    Looking around the area, Orion noticed the whole section of the casino was specifically designed for various games. There were tables for card games, roulette wheels spinning, and rows of slot machines shing brightly. Each area buzzed with activity,ughter, and the clinking of coins.


    The air was thick with the thrill of chance and the promise of fortune, drawing in people from all walks of life.


    ''That thing should be famous so it should probably be in the most crowded area or should I ask the dealer about this?''


    He thought, his eyes catching the attention of a man wearing an all-ck suit and tie. The man in ck appeared to be helping others choose their cards or simply watching over the whole game. His presence wasmanding, suggesting he was someone of importance within the casino, perhaps a high-ranking staff member or even a dealer he was searching for.


    He hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to ask him about what he wanted.


    Walking towards the man in ck, he arrived in front of him and tapped on his back, causing the man in ck to turn around.


    "What do you want, kid?" the man in ck asked, seeing someone nudge him from behind.


    "Are you the dealer here?" Orion asked.


    The man in the ck suit frowned upon hearing that, though he still answered to Orion.


    "I am," he said and then asked. "What can I do for you?"


    Orion smiled upon hearing his words and directly stated his query to him.


    "I want to try the Lottery of Fortune and Misfortune."


    Just as he finished his words, the hall became pin-drop silent. The sudden quiet was palpable, with the only sounds being the distant hum of the casino machines and the soft rustling of cards being dealt.


    All eyes turned towards Orion, and murmurs began to spread through the hall. People whispered to one another, curious and spective about who he was and the words spoken from his mouth.


    "Who is that guy?"


    "I don''t know but he really wanted to try that lottery."


    "Well, many have tried before and I am sure many are still waiting in line to try their luck on that lottery, thinking they could change their lives by winning it."


    "That''s just a fool''s thinking."


    "Haven''t you tried before?"


    "I have and I believe almost everyone who ever visits any space station would have tried their luck on that thing. But I now know that thing is nothing but a waste of time."


    "Well, who knows, maybe he is the chosen one."


    "That''s what you said about me and it turned out I lost the lottery."


    "Also, this lottery is avable in all the space stations in the entire Magus Kingdom but nobody has ever won that lottery."


    "Maybe Sword Sage is trolling us with this."


    "Who knows? Let''s go and see another one making a fool out of them."


    Orion also sensed the sudden change in the atmosphere. The weight of numerous eyes on him made him acutely aware of the scrutiny he was under.


    ''It appears the rumours are indeed true and it seems nobody has ever won the lottery before either.''


    However, instead of frowning over gaining extra attention, he smiled in excitement.


    "Follow me, youngd," the dealer, unlike the people, became unreasonably enthusiastic and respective with his tone.


    He led Orion to the very end of the hall, where a big door was waiting for them.


    Orion smiled wryly, looking at the crowd of people following behind him. He had known that the craze of bing a student of Sword Sage was huge but this was on a whole other level.


    Being a student of Sword Sage could be one of the biggest statuses one could have in the whole Magus Kingdom; even in the three domains as a whole, one would have respect if one were a student of Sword Sage.


    But these people were following him as if he had already won, knowing he was only going to try the lottery. They also understood that it was almost impossible for him to win the lottery but they still wanted to see the whole spectacle.


    ''Sword Sage is indeed the most popr being in the whole Magus Kingdom.''


    Soon, the big door in front of them opened and Orion followed the dealer inside. All the people who were following Orion also went inside.


    ***


    Orion was surprised to see that the other end of the huge door was an area evenrger and grander than the one they were previously in.


    From what he could tell, they were currently in a dome-like structural room with thousands of people standing in small groups of hundreds and such.


    The thing that attracted his attention the most was the centrepiece of the dome.


    In the middle of a dome, there was a huge golden spherical bubble floating quietly. In that sphere, there were many blue-coloured tickets that could be seen floating around.


    ''Is that the lottery?''


    Orion thought, looking at the huge golden spherical ball floating in the distance.


    "Your name?" At that moment, the dealer asked for his name.


    Orion had already prepared for an alias beforehand. He wouldn''t give his real name here; otherwise, that would draw too much attention to himself, especially now that he wanted to be as sneaky as possible because of the assassins targeting him.


    He could draw any amount of attention to the alias he wanted but not to his original self.


    "Curse Lord."


    He mentioned his name to the dealer, who nodded upon hearing it.


    Many people would preferably use their alias instead of giving their real name here so it wasn''t strange that the dealer didn''t pay much attention to hearing Orion''s name.


    "I will go and register your name for the lottery," the dealer said. "When your name is called upon, go to the front of the sphere. There, someone will exin the rules of the lottery to you."


    Orion nodded to him in understanding.


    Soon the dealer left him and went to register Orion''s name in the lottery.


    ''How much time till the lottery starts?''


    Orion wondered. Mike and the others would soon return and he would have to be there in the void shuttle before they arrived so he was kind of in a hurry.


    However, on the other hand, he really didn''t care if he were to be a littlete. If Mike and the others reached the shuttle before him and didn''t find him in there, then they would definitely not leave the Starforge without him.


    So, he thought that everything would work out as long as he became a student of the Sword Sage.


    Sword Sage was his hero and would always be his hero all his life and now that there was a chance that he could be his student, Orion definitely wouldn''t want to miss this opportunity.


    He already had this thought when he awakened the seal memories with him.


    As for why he was so sure that he could be his student when there had never been anyone who had ever won the lottery, it was because bing his student depended more on the luck aspect than anything else.


    The luck could either be good or bad.

 Chapter 143: 143. Young Master Fixen and Young Master Loren

    As Orion waited for the lottery to start, time passed slowly.


    About an hourter, suddenly, chaos ensued at the area they were waiting for.


    "Look at that wolf! And someone is riding that wolf here."


    "That-that''s the Young Master Loren from the Grimwolf family!"


    "Yeah, only they have the ability to tame these wolves."


    "Look behind him! The kid with silver hair... he-he is from the Silverme Family! Young Master Fixen."


    "Are they also here to try their luck?"


    "I don''t know but I heard they are verypetitive with themselves. Young Master Fixen Silverme and Young Master Loren Grimwolf are both in the 5th and 6th ranks of the elite ranking, respectively. So, they alwayspete with each other for every little thing."


    The crowd began to murmur and hum in excitement when those two kids made their appearance in the hall. The atmosphere shifted from tense curiosity to eager anticipation, as everyone seemed intrigued by the sudden arrival of two geniuses from the Magi families. Whispers and excited chatter filled the room, creating a lively buzz around the unexpected entrants.


    One wore brown, fully covered clothes and rode a wolffortably. He had long ck hair down to his shoulders, and his face bore the intent of a wild spirit. His piercing eyes scanned the room with predatory sharpness, and the crowd couldn''t help but be captivated by hismanding presence.


    The other wore red clothing and walked side by side with the former. He had short silver hair with locks of red at the sides. His face exuded confidence and arrogance, a sharp contrast to the wild intensity of hispanion. The two of them together created an imposing and captivating presence, drawing the crowd''s full attention.


    Orion, too, was surprised to see geniuses from Magi families here. But thinking about it, he felt that it was inevitable. The allure of being a student of Sword Sage was all-time high, even in the seven Magi families.


    But what made him pay attention to the two of them was that they were both in the elite ranking and were quite high at that.


    He had heard of rankings in the Magus Kingdom. His mother told him that there were three types of rankings that were popr among the folks of the Magus Kingdom.


    The first was the elite ranking, where geniuses from all over the Magus Kingdom were ranked based on their strength. They were young geniuses and their ages had to be below twenty or equal to twenty to be eligible for the ranking.


    The second one was the emperor ranking, where the strongest beings of the Magus Kingdom were ranked. This one didn''t have any age limit and anyone coulde under this ranking if they had the required strength.


    Number one on the emperor ranking was Kane Maximus, Sword Sage.


    Thest was the celestial ranking. This ranking ranked the strongest individuals from all over the three domains: Magus Kingdom, Human Federation Realm, and Martial Domain.


    Sword Sage, who ranked number one in the emperor ranking, ranked 4th in the celestial ranking. There were three other people stronger than Sword Sage in the whole three domains but Orion didn''t know their names or anything about them.


    His information only revolved around Sword Sage.


    That was why he was surprised when he heard these two were in the elite ranking and they were also quite high at that.


    ''Silverme Family, huh?''


    Orion remembered his mother telling him that their family''s biggest enemy was the Silverme family. ording to her, something had happened a long time ago that caused a deep and bitter feud between the two families. The details were shrouded in mystery, but the animosity had persisted through generations, shaping much of their interactions and conflicts.


    ''I don''t care about anything for now.''


    He thought as he waited for the lottery to start.


    Fifteen more minutes passed when an old man made his appearance.


    Everyone respectfully gave way to him and soon he appeared in front of the huge spherical ball.


    Orion saw that the old man who arrived before them carried a staff with him. He had long white hair and his beard almost reached his stomach.


    "Everyone, I will be hosting the lottery this time," the old man said, his eyes looking at everyone in the hall.


    "For those who don''t know about the lottery and its rules, let me enlighten you," he continued. "The lottery was designed by Sword Sage himself. He wanted to ept a student but his requirements were very high, prompting him to think of some other ways to go about epting a student. Therefore, he came with this lottery."


    He paused for a moment to let everyone digest what he just said before continuing.


    "There are exactly one million tickets on that blue sphere and only one of them had the symbol of the sword on it. You would think if the probability of winning is only one in a million, then someone should have already won the lottery considering there are tens of thousands of people trying their luck every month."


    He smiled, looking at their puzzle faces as he mentioned the query before them.


    "But there is a trick that increases the difficulty of winning to a whole new level. To win the lottery, one would have to draw the card with the sword symbol ten times consecutively and there is only one ticket with the sword symbol that would be reced on the sphere once again for the next try if one wins. This made the probability of getting the ticket with the sword symbol even lower.


    Hence, there hasn''t been anyone who has ever won this lottery, even though this lottery has been here in the Magus Kingdom for years now."


    Orion hadn''t known about this either. He only had information that there were two ways to be Sword Sage''s student. One was winning the lottery and the other was kind of losing the lottery with the worst luck possible.


    ''I hope he also exins this too.''


    He only knew the basics about thetter and it was mentioned that if winning required one to have the best luck possible, then losing also required one to have the worst luck.


    The old man looked at the dispirited new faces who hade to try their luck andughed lightly.


    "Everyone, listen to me onest time," he said loudly, drawing their attention.


    Seeing that everyone turned their heads to him, he began what he wanted to say to them.


    "There are two ways to be the Sword Sage''s student. The first is to have the best luck possible and draw the ticket with the sword symbol and the other option is to have the worst luck ever in the whole universe."


    The old man paused for a moment to gather his thoughts when he saw the sneer on the faces of the regrs in the Starforge but he shamelessly ignored their faces and continued with his exnation.


    "In the second way-"


    BOOM!


    The old man couldn''tplete his sentence because of the sound of a sudden explosion. The ground shook violently, and a shockwave of dust and debris swept through the hall, causing everyone to instinctively duck and shield themselves from the st.


    ''Damn, I was so close to bing his disciple but this bad luck backfired.''


    Orion cursed the seven generations of his luck. He had originally wanted to use this worst luck of his for his own good, but it seemed fate or his worst luck had other ns.

 Chapter 144: 144. Attack of the Demon Race - 1

    Orion stopped thinking about being a student of Sword Sage and looked around at the chaos that suddenly took ce.


    He saw people running here and there, panic evident in their faces as they tried to find safety amidst the chaos. The explosion had thrown the entire hall into disarray, with tables overturned, cards and chips scattered, and the once lively atmosphere now filled with fear and confusion.


    BOOM!


    Yet another explosion took ce, and because of it, the ceiling of the hall began to crack and fall down. Large chunks of debris rained down, causing even more panic among the people scrambling to escape.


    ''What happened?''


    Orion also started running through the hall like all the other people, intending to escape this ce.


    "Help me!"


    At that moment, he suddenly heard a shout, prompting him to look towards its source. He noticed a man trapped under debris that had fallen from the broken ceiling.


    The man''s face contorted in pain as he struggled to free himself, his cries for help barely audible over the noise of the ongoing chaos.


    ''Damn.''


    Orion quickly changed his direction and went towards him.


    Upon arriving in front of him, he quickly lifted the chunk of debris that trapped the man, setting him free. Without a word or even a nce back, the man ran off, disappearing into the chaotic crowd.


    Orion didn''t mind that, as he too ran off and disappeared into the crowd.


    ***


    After pushing through the crowds, Orion finally exited the tower and arrived at the half-disc-like structure.


    However, what he saw outside shocked him to the core.


    He saw a dragon¡ªnot just any dragon but a three-headed one. It was covered in dark purple and bluish scales all over its body. Its six eyes shone with deadly red light and its size was almost the size of him when he transformed into a colossal titan in Aethelgard City.


    The three heads of the dragon released ck mes continuously atop the tower.


    "Demon race! They are from the demon race!"


    At that moment, Orion suddenly heard a shout from behind and turned to see that it was Loren Grimwolf, followed by Fixen Silverme.


    ''Demon race?''


    He frowned, looking around, when his eyes caught sight of what was happening at the adjacent disc.


    His frown turned into horror as he witnessed that.


    He saw human-like creatures attacking humans and killing them and so were the humans. They also attacked and killed the demons without any mercy.


    The average size of demons appeared to be around eight feet, and they had four arms, two on each side of their bodies. Likewise, they also had four eyes.


    Their skins appeared a mix of dark blue and purple, and they had scales covering all over their bodies. Aside from that, they also had two horns atop their heads.


    Orion was surprised to see how different they looked from humans.


    "Let''s go and kill them all."


    Loren shouted and urged his wolf to go towards the other disc.


    "Wait, I aming too."


    Fixen followed him from behind.


    Orion thought for a moment and decided to help as well. Since he couldn''t help with the three-headed dragon, he would go and y those demon races first.


    Thinking of that, he activated the curse of Electrostatic Disruption and flew towards the other disc.


    Chaos was in full swing on the other side. Demon races were ruthlessly killing humans, and humans were fighting back with equal ferocity. Screams of terror and pain filled the air as both sides shed violently, each trying to gain the upper hand.


    Orion, Loren, and Fixen soon arrived at the scene.


    "Let''s see how many demons we can kill." Loren looked at Fixen with a yful smile. "Loser would have to listen to do one thing the winner wishes them to do."


    Fixen smiled sarcastically. He felt that this guy always lost, and each time, he came back with harsher punishments for the loser, which he ended up administering himself every time. It was a predictable and exhausting cycle that Fixen had grown ustomed to, yet it never failed to irritate him.


    "Hehe, I will ept your challenge," Fixen sneered at Loren. "But don''t run likest time."


    "We will see," Fixen said with a ck face and he rode his wolf in the midst of the battle.


    Fixen smiled and he too conjured a silver me and threw it towards the group of demons.


    Orion looked at the two of them and thought that these two were indeedpetitive.


    ''Let''s kill them all.''


    He activated the curse of Burdened Gravity and Berserk Body, along with Unbridled Fury and Shattered Precision.


    A gust of wind released from his body and shades of red appeared on his skin and hair due to Unbridled Fury.


    Taking out his huge sword, he ran towards a demon and hacked his weapon at him.


    SHAP!


    The demon was cut into two, and only a momentter, its body turned into a pool of blood and fell to the manmade floor atop the disc.


    After killing the first one, he went towards the second demon and swung his sword at him.


    SHAP!


    That demon, too, faced the same result as thest one.


    ''Most of them are at the iron rank, while some are at the silver rank.''


    Orion thought as he swung his sword to clean off the dark blue blood staining its de.


    ''Let''s kill them fast.''


    He swiftly moved towards another demon and killed him, then quickly advanced to the next one. His movements were fluid and precise; each strike was deadly and efficient. He continued this relentless assault, cutting down demons one after another, until everyone on the disc noticed him.


    "Hey, look at that guy. He is killing the demons so easily."


    "Yeah, I noticed him, and looking at his build, he appears quite young."


    "Is he someone from the seven Magi families?"


    "Maybe or maybe not. This kid is wearing a mask so I think he didn''t want anyone to know about his identity."


    "I know him! He is the one who wanted to try the Lottery of Fortune and Misfortunes. What did he say his name was? Curse Lord. Yeah, he said his name was Curse Lord."


    "Curse Lord. Using an alias. This kid sure is not leaving any traces of his identity."


    They were surprised by how easily he was killing them. It gave them a feeling as if Orion weren''t cutting demons but vegetables.


    Fixen and Loren, too, noticed him, and they looked at each other in surprise. They knew almost every young generation of kid who could have this level of strength but to their surprise, they didn''t know him at all. It was as if he appeared out of nowhere.


    "Fixen, do you know this guy?" Loren asked.


    "No, I don''t know him," Fixen said, shaking his head. "It''s my first time seeing him."


    Loren frowned. It was also his first time seeing him and as far as he could remember, there wasn''t anyone in the elite ranks like him. If there was, he would have known about him.


    "Let''s kill the demons first," Fixen said seriously. "We wille to this Curse Lord,ter."


    Loren nodded and was about to continue killing the demons when a terrifying roar sounded.


    "ROOOAAARR!"

 Chapter 145: 145. Attack of the Demon Race - 2

    "ROOOAAARR!"


    Everyone turned their heads towards the sound of the roar in the air above them and saw two big void shuttles facing off against a three-headed dragon.


    Outside the void shuttles, there were also seven humans attacking the demons who were controlling the three-headed dragon. The scene was chaotic and intense, with the dragons'' roars echoing through the air as the battle raged on.


    Orion watched the unfolding spectacle, realising the scale of the conflict had escted far beyond what he had anticipated.


    However, at that moment, including Orion and everyone fighting on the disc, they all noticed that at the opposite end, a powerful suction force was generated, pulling everything towards it.


    The sudden gravitational pull caused chaos among both humans and demons alike, disrupting the ongoing battle and forcing everyone to brace themselves against the unseen force.


    But the gravitational suction didn''tst long; instead, it transformed into a spiralling vortex. From within this vortex, more demons emerged, pouring into the disc with relentless aggression.


    "More demons!"


    "And why has a portal appeared here all of a sudden?"


    "Damn, look at their aura; all of them are at the silver rank."


    "Will we be able to defend against them? We already lost a few."


    "Don''t worry about it. We are more in numbers; we will outnumber them."


    The humans in the disc who were fighting the demons earlier panicked a little seeing so many silver-rank demonsing out of the portal but there were also brave ones who thought they could outnumber them if they couldn''t overpower them.


    "No, look!"


    At that moment, some more demons came from the portal; however, they were somewhat different from the usual silver and iron-rank demons.


    They were a little longer and appeared more muscr than usual.


    "They are at the peak of the gold ranks!"


    "And look at them; there are a total of five of them."


    "We need to close the portal first; otherwise, these demons will continue toe here."


    "Forget about that; how do we fight against those five gold-rank demons? This space station is located around a bunch of 1-stars so I doubt there will be many gold-ranking individuals here right now."


    "Don''t forget that this regiones between the domains of Wolfen Haven and Pristine Haven, ruled by the Grimwolf and Silverme families, respectively."


    "At this point, we can only hope that they sent some reinforcements here."


    The whole crowed became tense because of the arrival of the gold rank demons.


    Fixen and Loren also looked somewhat nervous. Even though they were only at the peak of their silver rank, they could definitely fight against someone at the gold rank and could also win if they yed their cards right but against five of them, they knew they would eventually be outnumbered.


    Moreover, they came here without telling their family members so they didn''t bring anyone with them who could help them in this situation.


    Meanwhile, Orion also frowned at the side. Fighting someone at the gold rank was also a new thing for him. He could defeat those at the peak of the silver rank but he wasn''t sure he could take on the gold rank individuals yet.


    His attributes at the iron rank were still at zero and he felt that if he were to max those attributes, then he could definitely fight against peak gold rank individuals.


    But at his current strength, he could only fight those at the early gold rank who had just arrived at the gold rank and hadn''t increased their attributes yet.


    ''Why isn''t Mike here yet? Damn it.''


    Orion thought that if only Mike was here, then with his strength at the tinum rank, this fight would have been over before it could even start.


    "Surprised, aren''t you humans?"


    At that moment, one of the gold-rank demons spoke.


    Orion swiftly turned his attention to him and so did the rest of the humans here.


    "I say, why fight the losing battle?" The demon sneered, looking at Orion and the others. "There isn''t a single gold-rank warrior among you. All of them are busy fighting the dragon over there." He pointed to the air.


    "Just give up," he continued. "We may spare you if you do that; otherwise, only death awaits you."


    All the people present there knew that the demon was only bewitching them and wouldn''t really spare them.


    The promises of mercy and leniency were nothing but deceitful ploys.


    Everyone understood that their only chance of survival was to fight with everything they had, relying on their skills and wits to fend off the demonic assault.


    They knew better to not believe in demons and fight for survival; after all, demon race was demon race; they wouldn''t believe them no matter what they said.


    The human race was the enemy of the angel race and the celestial race too but it was the demon race that threatened them the most. They were stronger than the human race and slightly weaker than the other two races, hence their overly aggressive nature towards humans.


    Most importantly, the demon race, like the other two races, had been eyeing the territory of the three domains since humans got their system and became powerful enough to catch the attention of the other races, including the demon race.


    All three races wanted the region of the three domains all to themselves since humans at that time were still too weak topete with them.


    At the end, the other three races were about to start a war to im the region of the human race.


    However, they had to end the war before it even started because, a thousand years ago, Grimshore came into existence, drawing the attention of all other races away from the human race and giving them some relief.


    The emergence of Grimshore, with its mysterious and powerful influence, acted as a diversion that allowed humans to regroup and fortify their defences.


    This temporary respite enabled them to develop strategies and alliances to better cope with the ongoing threats from the angel, celestial, and demon races.


    And now that a thousand years had passed, the human race, though still weaker than the other three races, had be powerful enough to stand tall against any of them.


    It wasn''t like before, when they were at the mercy of the other races.


    They had developed advanced techniques, formidable warriors, and strategic alliances that allowed them to hold their ground and fight with resilience.


    The humans had evolved from a beleaguered race into a formidable force, ready to defend their ce in the world.


    Therefore, the bewitching words of the demon didn''t have any effect on them. They knew that they were powerful enough to fight against the demon race and hence, although they feared the demons, they weren''t cowards or foolish enough to believe whatever nonsense they spouted.


    Seeing that humans didn''t have any reactions whatsoever to his words made the demon angry.


    "I have given you humans a chance, but you didn''t take it," the demon said, his words dripping with malice. His eyes glowed with an unholy light as he continued, "Now, you will face the full wrath of the demon race. Prepare yourselves for annihtion."


    As the words left his mouth, the demons came running towards the humans, their four arms carrying four weapons each. Their monstrous forms moved with terrifying speed and agility, closing the distance rapidly.


    The humans, despite their fear of the onught, stood their ground with weapons at their ready.

 Chapter 146: 146. Attack of the Demon Race - 3

    The moment the demons came running towards them, Orion turned to look at every human who was prepared to fight the demons.


    "Stepped back for a moment!"


    He shouted at them and used the curse of Velocity Burst in Curse Transformation mode. It caused his right arm topletely turnva red as mes danced along it.


    Everyone instinctively retreated upon hearing Orion''s shout. It was a reflexive reaction to the authoritativemand of someone clearly stronger than them.


    Only Fixen and Loren were the only ones fighting against the silver-rank demons that came first towards them. The five golden ranks demons were just behind them but they seemed to take their timeing, enjoying the look on the humans''s fearful faces.


    Seeing that almost everyone had backed down, Orion conjured a spherical ball the size of him, causing almost the whole disc to get illuminated by the brilliance of his miniature sun.


    Looking at the silver-rank demons, Orion smiled and sneered at them.


    "Ten Thousand Burning Swords."


    The miniature sun atop his hand suddenly began to release hundreds of ming swords towards the silver-rank demons.


    These demons saw the swordsing towards them and moved left and right to dodge them and they did sessfully dodge them; however, the number of burning swords were too much. They were unexpectedly outnumbered by the burning swords raining down upon them.


    As a result, the burning swords rained down on them and they died tragically. Even those lucky ones who managed to survive by sheer luck met their end with the continuous barrage of burning swords falling upon them.


    A moment passed, and his miniature sun died down but so did the silver rank and iron rank demons. Only the gold-rank demons were left, their faces aghast with shock.


    Not only them, but all the humans were also shocked by the masked kid''s strength. Their mouths hanged down by what they witnessed. It was a one-sided massacre.


    To be able to annihte so many silver rank and iron rank demons so effortlessly wasn''t everyone''s cup of tea.


    Moreover, what shocked them most was the rank of the masked kid. Earlier, when he killed the iron rank demons, they couldn''t see through his strength because he didn''t use much strength at that time but now that he released that attack, they could finally see that his strength was only at the iron rank and even that was only at the early stage.


    On the other side, Fixen and Loren sighed in relief that they swiftly retreated when Orion''s attack came; otherwise, they could imagine their fate looking at the burning corpses of demons spread across the disc.


    Their charred corpses, releasing the smell of burning meat, reminded them that they were just a hair away from getting injured.


    As for their shock, it was even greater than that of the other humans. They understood that jumping ranks to fight demons wasn''t everyone''s thing and only a rare few could ever aplish that feat but what Orion did was unthinkable.


    He, who had just arrived at the iron rank, killed almost thirty, if not more, peak silver rank demons as if killing ants.


    That was the realm of strength they wanted to achieve in their dreams, but they always fell short, no matter how much they practiced with their skills. It was as though that realm of strength was just an illusory, unattainable goal. They could see it in their minds''s eye, but grasping it felt impossible.


    But seeing Orion''s strength with their own eyes made them believe that such strength was indeed possible; they just hadn''t reached that level of strength yet.


    As for the five gold-rank demons, they were bbergasted. One moment, they were smiling at the fearful faces of the humans, taking pleasure in watching the humans suffer. But in the next moment, everything turned upside down for them.


    Their faces became ck and the silver-rank demons they were so proud of turned into nothing but piles of ashes.


    The sudden turn of events made them angrier and somewhat afraid of that human but realising that the masked human was only at the iron rank made them sighed in relief.


    "Attack and kill them all. Especially that kid."


    One of the gold-rank demonsmanded the other four and they nodded in unison to him.


    Seeing the gold rank demons were ready to attack, Orion frowned. He felt that things would definitely get harder at this rate and knowing his luck, it could get even worse.


    Thinking of a n, he quickly turned his attention to the duo of Magi kids here, who were also looking at him.


    "Can you two handle a gold-rank demon each?" He asked.


    They looked at each other and nodded. Even though it would be hard for them to kill the gold-rank demons, they could still fight against them.


    "Okay, you two handle two of the demons," Orion said, then turned his attention to the group of humans who retreated fat because of his warning earlier. "Can you all handle one?"


    The group of humans looked at each other and silently nodded.


    "Alright, try to hold them as long as you can," Orion said, seeing them nod. He then looked at Fixen and Loren. "I will hold thest two off and wait for the reinforcements."


    They nodded and prepared to attack.


    "Alright, let''s attack them."


    Orion shouted and moved towards two of the gold-rank demons.


    On his way, he activated the curse of Frozen Torment in the Curse Transformation mode, causing his entire left arm to turn into a frozen arm and white mists to release from that arm when the transformation waspleted.


    At the same time, he felt a wave of negative emotions hit him in the head, causing him to doubt their chances of survival against the gold-rank demons but he gritted his teeth and bit his lips, causing blood to trickle down his lips. However, that sense of pain also gave Orion some relief from those negative emotions.


    ''Get a hold on Orion!''


    He shouted to himself, trying to control his emotions and fend off the negative influences, but it wasn''t enough. The pain from biting his lips didn''t help much either.


    So, he decided to fight, hoping the distraction of battle would help him cope with the difort caused by the negative emotions.


    Turning his head ahead, he saw that the two demons were ready to attack him.


    ''It''s all because of them.''


    He thought as he conjured five big ice spears double the size of him and threw them towards the oneing from his left side.


    Meanwhile, he waved his burning hand towards the oneing from his right side. It caused a wall of mes to form between them.


    Using that opportunity, Orion turned his head towards the demoning from his left side and disappeared from his location using the curse of Fractured Reality.


    Almost instantly, the five ice spears he threw earlier arrived at the left demon, who only swung his big sword to destroy them all into ice crystals.


    However, at that moment, Orion, who had vanished earlier, reappeared behind the left demon that had just destroyed his ice spears. In his hand, he held a miniature sun the size of a football and thrust it towards the demon, who suddenly felt an intense heat behind him.

 Chapter 147: 147. Attack of the Demon Race - 4

    Orion saw that his miniature sun almost melted the demon''s entire back but its melting effect stopped after a few seconds.


    He understood that the demon must have used some type of defensive move to negate the burning effect of his miniature sun.


    But if the demon thought that he could stop his attack just by doing that, then either he was a little too naive or he underestimated Orion''s attack too much.


    ''Nuclear Sun.''


    Orion let the sun in his hand explode with a blinding burst of light and energy, momentarily stunning the demons around him. Taking advantage of the chaos, he vanished from their midst, shifting seamlessly into his dimensional realm.


    His attack drew everyone''s attention but since they were fighting themselves, they hadn''t had time to watch his fight.


    But the demons felt anger that one of them was caught in such a devastating attack.


    The area where his sun exploded turned into nothing but ming clouds, engulfing the demon Orion, who attacked with his sun within it.


    A momentter, the explosion died down, leaving only swirling dust and smoke to fill the immediate area.


    "Aggghhh! I am going to kill you!"


    But at that moment, a very piercing scream emanated from within the swirling dust.


    Orion, hearing the voice of the demon, had already expected that the demon wouldn''t die from his attack when he attacked him earlier. So, he wasn''t surprised that he survived.


    Soon, the dust was blown away by something, revealing the demon within it.


    He appeared even more terrifying than he had previously. His back was fully burned and smoke was released from there. Meanwhile, his front side also got slightly burned. His right side of the face was fully burned to the point that his right eye was gone.


    His body also had some other burning marks but the damage dealt to those parts wasn''t significant.


    Seeing the damage done to the demon, Orion was surprised and felt that he had underestimated his own strength too much.


    In that attack earlier, he didn''t even use his full strength but the demon almost died from his attack. This led him to believe that he might have underestimated his strength or overestimated the strength of these gold-rank demons.


    ''Maybe I can also kill him.''


    A n began to form in his mind as he thought that his strength was enough to kill these gold-rank demons.


    ''Let''s do that.''


    He quickly switched the curse of Velocity Burst with Berserk Body in the Curse Transformation mode and the moment he did that, Orion felt unimaginable strength coursing through his body. He felt like he could kill the demon in front of him with just a mere fist.


    Almost instantly, his frame became a little robust and nerves pulsated with his every breath.


    ''If I use my infinite energy well, then I can really kill the demon.''


    He thought carefully about it. Last time he used his infinite energy, he suffered a bacsh because he used too much energy beyond the limit of his body, causing his body to have some internal damage. But now he thought that since he knew the limit of his body, he would just use the amount of energy below his limit.


    ''Let''s try that.''


    Orion thought and revealed himself to the berserk demon, who was searching for him like a hungry wolf. Meanwhile, he also activated the curse of Malevolent Gaze.


    "I will kill you."


    He swiftly arrived in front of Orion and hacked his huge sword at him.


    Orion remained, stood on his spot and caught the sword with his left hand. But as he did so, the ground below him waspletely destroyed.


    Even he himself felt that it was too much for the current him to catch the attack of someone from the gold rank but he knew that for his n to work, he would need to make the demon lose his weapon.


    Seeing that it was bing increasingly difficult for him to hold the sword, he quickly used the frozen torment to cover the whole sword in frost and because of that, the demon quickly let go of the sword, fearing the frost would cover his hand too.


    Orion smiled as he saw that and used the curse of Fractured Reality to disappear from the demon''s vision. He soon appeared in front of him, his right hand clenched into a fist, and met the stomach of the demon who was caught off-guard.


    He had used his infinite energy on that fist, just below his body''s limit. He was gathering the energy on that fist since he revealed himself to the demon; that''s why he was having a hard time holding the sword of the demon with his left hand since he only used about ten percent of energy to catch that sword.


    If he had gathered the infinite energy on his whole body, he wouldn''t be able to gauge if the energy he was gathering had reached the limits of his body or not, but if he were to concentrate that amount of energy solely on one part, then it would be feasible for him to sense that.


    Almost instantly, Orion''s fist was making contact with the stomach of the demon, and he felt a chilling sensation all over his body. The demon felt the looming of death wash over him as he realised that he would die in the next second.


    ''I shouldn''t have decided toe here.''


    That was hisst thought before his body exploded into pieces.


    Blood and body parts of the demon rained down on Orion but he appeared too calm for all of that.


    On the other hand, all the people who were fighting, be they humans or demons, suddenly stopped. They were shocked. They couldn''tprehend how someone at the iron rank could kill a gold rank demon in one move. It sounded too bizarre to be true but they had seen that happen with their own eyes.


    Although they were busy with their own fights, Orion''s fight with the demon was too eye-catching. That was why, whether it was the humans or the demons, both of them were secretly observing the fight, knowing that the oue of the battle between them may influence the result of the whole demon attack.


    But they hadn''t expected that the battle would be too one-sided.


    Meanwhile, as they looked at the masked kid whose body was filled with ck blood and body parts of the demon, for some reason they felt a chill run down their spine.


    That cold look and that emotionless face made them feel a fear that was buried deep within their hearts¡ªa fear they hadn''t known existed in them.


    Fixen and Loren trembled when they saw that. They felt that they were at the bottom of the well all this time to not have seen someone so strong in their generation.


    But for some reason, they felt a sense of dread looking at the masked kid.


    It wasn''t just them; everyone else felt the same.


    At that moment, Orion turned his attention to the other demons, which caused the demons to involuntarily take a step back. They felt fear¡ªfear of facing someone who could kill them with just a single move¡ªfear of losing their lives here.


    ''Time to finish this.''


    Orion thought and teleported in front of one of the remaining four demons.

 Chapter 148: 148. Attack of the Demon Race - 5

    Orion appeared in front of one of the demons; his left hand transformed into frozen icicles stabbing towards the demon''s chest.


    The demon could barely react to Orion''s sudden appearance but he was still able to put his sword in front of him.


    Bam!


    Orion''s icicle waspletely destroyed but the demon''s sword too was swept away by the attack, leaving himpletely defenseless.


    Seeing that opportunity, Orion swiftly punched him and he too exploded into pieces like the previous demon.


    He then turned his attention to the remaining three demons. They were trembling in fear, seeing how effortlessly he was killing them.


    "No! Don''te near me!"


    One of the demons shouted, retreating, wanting to escape from here.


    However, to his horror, Orion appeared in front of him.


    Seeing the masked kid with blood all over him appear in front of him filled him with fear. The gaze from those emotionless eyes sent tremors through his entire body. It was as if the masked kid possessed an aura of pure menace, radiating a chilling presence that froze him in ce.


    The sight of the bloodied mask and the remnants of hisrades clinging to him only intensified the feeling of dread that gripped him.


    In that moment, he panicked so much that he forgot to even put up his defense. His mind overwhelmed with fear and shock, he stood frozen and vulnerable, unable to react or protect himself against the impending threat.


    Without encountering any type of resistance, Orion simply punched him and that sacred demon ended just like his two friends, turning into nothing but blood and pieces scattered all over Orion and the ground.


    However, Orion didn''t even flinch after killing him nor did he feel anything when all the blood and body pieces of the demon rained down on him.


    It was as though he had be nothing but a killing machine whose task was only to eradicate the demons.


    But in reality, only Orion knew the truth. Fighting in Curse Transformation mode with two curses activated subjected him to a constant wave of negative emotions, which overwhelmed all other feelings within him.


    As a result, he could feel no other emotions aside from negativity.


    "You! You are a devil!"


    One of the remaining two demons spoke, his voice trembling with fear.


    "I am a devil?" Orion smiled eerily upon hearing the demon call him a devil. "Hehe, for you demons, I sure am."


    The demon felt as if the god of death himself smiled at him when he saw Orion''s smile. Everything about Orion exuded an aura of bone-chilling fear.


    The demon couldn''tprehend where or how such intense fear could emanate from, but it gripped him tightly, paralysing his thoughts and actions.


    Orion''s presence alone seemed to embody a force that transcended mere physical prowess, striking deep into the core of the demon''s primal instincts.


    Seeing that the demon had bepletely paralysed by his fear, Orion smiled in satisfaction. He felt that the curse of Malevolent Gaze was indeed powerful.


    He then walked towards him and punched that demon into pieces.


    Orion then turned to look at thest demon standing before him. It was the same demon who had arrogantly told them they could survive if they surrendered.


    "I will give you a chance to survive if you surrender," Orion said. His voice sounded bone-chilling cold. "But if you don''t, well, you should know by now what the result would be."


    The demon profusely sweated upon hearing Orion.


    "I-I surrender," he said, his voice dripping with fear. "Don''t kill me."


    Orion nodded and thought that it was easy to make the demon surrender.


    "Tell me something," he said, his emotionless eyes looking straight at the demon. "Why did you attack us?"


    "I-I don''t know," the demon said, shaking his head. "I just heard that a higher-up was nning to attack the human race so I joined in to enjoy the fun."


    "Enjoy the fun then," Orion nodded and killed the demon with a punch, who exploded into countless pieces like others before him.


    He felt that a useless demon wouldn''t be of any use to them so he thought it wasn''t worth keeping him alive.


    He then turned his attention towards the humans and felt that they were looking at him as though he were a monster.


    There were only two expressions etched on their faces: shock and overwhelming fear. The sheer power and ruthlessness Orion had disyed left them stunned and terrified, unable to process the transformation they had just witnessed.


    ''I guess I am indeed looking like a monster with all that blood on my body.''


    Orion thought, activated the curse of the Velocity Burst and used mes to evaporate all the blood and remains of the demons he had on his body.


    "Watch out, kid!"


    At that moment, all the humans, including Orion, heard a shout from above and they all turned their heads to see that a spear in dark mes was hurtling towards them.


    ''It''sing towards me.''


    Orion frowned at seeing that.


    ''It seems the demons above saw everything.''


    He thought and only a momentter, the spear covered in dark mes arrived in front of him.


    ''But they are too naive to think that this can kill me.''


    Orion smiled, disappeared from his location using the curse of Fractured Reality and appeared at a little distance from his original position.


    BOOM!


    Almost instantly, the spear collided with the spot where Orion had stood just a moment earlier, causing the area around the spear to turn into nothing but ashes.


    The intense heat and force of the impact obliterated everything in its vicinity, leaving a smouldering crater. The remains of the demons scattered around the area also turned into ashes and disappeared into thin air.


    A momentter, the dust settled down and everyone was shocked to see that the spear had caused such levels of destruction.


    Meanwhile, Orion''s attention was above. He saw that Mike had appeared and was fighting some demons in the air.


    Seeing him, he quickly searched the whole area but found no trace of his friends or anyone from the void shuttle. This made Orion sighed in relief.


    However, at that moment, all the humans, including Orion, felt an imaginable pressure descending upon them.


    "What happened?"


    Loren suddenly felt as if his breathing had bebored. His chest tightened, and each breath he took felt shallow and strained.


    And not just him¡ªall the humans felt the same. It was as if some invisible force was constricting their chests, making it difficult to breathe. Panic spread among them as they struggled for air, their fear amplifying the sensation.


    Orion, too, wasn''t feeling well. He thought that if this continued, then they would all die at this rate.


    "Enough!"


    At that moment, a loud voice sounded before them, and the oppressive pressure they were feeling suddenly lifted. They could breathe freely without any problems; the invisible force that had been constricting them was dissipating as if it had never been there.


    Orion, feeling that the strange sensation was gone, looked up and saw two new faces above.


    One was a demon whose menacing presence suggested he was responsible for the suffocating pressure they had just experienced. The other was, surprisingly, a human¡ªa figure from Orion''s not-so-distant past whom he hadn''t expected to see again.


    ''How could it be him?''


    Orion''s eyes widened in recognition and surprise as he took in the sight of the familiar face.

 Chapter 149: 149. Attack of the Demon Race - 6

    It was the old man whom Orion had visited his shop in the Aethelgard City to buy necessary things in order to survive a week deep in the cave.


    He recalled that his granddaughter was the girl with scars all over her face.


    Elyn was her name.


    After parting with them at that time, he never thought that he would see them again.


    He had thought that they were just like all the other Zenithans living there.


    But it appeared he was wrong about them.


    ''If he were as strong as he currently is, then why didn''t he do anything at that time? His strength should be enough to kill that mammoth.''


    Sensing the aura these two were emitting, Orion was sure that they were stronger than Mike¡ªway stronger, in fact.


    ---


    "Have you forgotten the pact we four races signed in Grimshore?"


    The demonughed upon hearing the old man''s words.


    "The pact of treaty and peace? That thing?" He sneered. "I know that very well but remember this: only five more years are left before that pact ends so I am here to kindly remind you guys to be prepared for what toe."


    The old man frowned. His face became solemn after hearing the words of the demon. He felt that if the demon race was this impatient before the pact even ended, he couldn''t imagine what their reaction would be when it really ended.


    "I saw your reminder and it was indeed received well by our race too."


    He looked down at the disc where the masked individual confidently stood, his eyes staring at them.


    The demon understood what he meant and due to that, he felt a shame unlike anything before.


    They hade to the Starforge with the intention ofpletely massacring all the humans in there to remind them that their peaceful days wereing to an end.


    However, their n didn''t go the way they imagined and instead, their own demons got exterminated by a kid of iron rank.


    If this were to be heard by the other three races, then they would be the biggest joke in the whole universe.


    "Now, will you fuck off from the three domains or will I have to use my strength to make you fuck off?"


    The old man''s words made the demon even more angry. It would be a humiliation¡ªa great humiliation for them¡ªif they were to just run away.


    But the reality was sometimes cruel, even for the demon race.


    He knew he wasn''t strong enough to fight the old man in front of him nor were any of his subordinates so running was their only choice, even if it would bring a sense of humiliation to their entire race.


    "The human race will suffer in Grimshore for sure because of this and I will definitely make sure to get my revenge on what happened today."


    With those words, the demon signalled his subordinates and they left the Starforge.


    ''These demons are bing more rampant nowadays.''


    The old man thought, looking at the backs of the demons and the huge dragon that soon turned into a dot and disappeared among the countless stars in the sky.


    He then turned his attention downwards¡ªtowards the individual who alone stopped a tragedy from happening.


    ---


    Orion heard everything they talked about before the demon left.


    The most important piece of information he got was the five-year deadline and some sort of peace pact between the four races.


    "You just saved tens of thousands of lives; good job, kid."


    Orion didn''t know when the old man suddenly appeared in front of him.


    "It was nothing."


    It was indeed nothing to him. Though he would have done the same thing if he were here with the identity of a direct descendent of the Magi family, Orion Darkwood,.


    The old man smiled, seeing his humble nature.


    "Tell me one thing," he suddenly asked, his eyes narrowing at the mask Orion wore. "Why do you want to be stronger?"


    Orion tilted his head in response to the old man''s words. He felt that it was too deep of a question for him to answer right now.


    But now that he thought about it, he himself didn''t know the reason why he wanted to be stronger. In fact, he had never thought about this before.


    A reason for gaining strength? Was there really such a reason?


    He just wanted to be stronger in the dungeon because he didn''t want to die, and that goal hadn''t changed at all since he left Aethelgard City, where he faced yet another life-or-death crisis.


    Orion felt that if he had been weak, he would have certainly died in Aethelgard City. Furthermore, he realised that if he had been weak, he might never have survived the dungeon in the first ce.


    So, the only reason he could think of that drove him to be stronger was his will to live.


    But was it merely the instinct to survive, or was there something deeper driving him?


    The thought gnawed at him. He had always pushed himself to be stronger, but what if it wasn''t just about survival?


    Orion pondered deeply about this before he turned to the old man, who seemed to be patiently waiting for his answer.


    "It''s because I want to survive or maybe... I just like the feeling of bing stronger."


    The old man nodded with a smile.


    "A bit vague but alright," he said before his eyes became serious. "I will give you a piece of advice so listen carefully, kid. Don''t easily trust others; otherwise, it might bring downfall to you and everyone close to you one day."


    Orion appreciated his advice.


    "Thanks for your advice."


    He also thanked him. Though he wondered why the old man was so strange, He first asked that philosophical question about bing stronger and then gave him advice.


    "I will take my leave."


    Orion excused himself and teleported out of there.


    The old man almost cursed, seeing that kid run away so fast. He wanted to ask a few more questions but he felt that it was alright for the moment.


    "There is darkness and there is light too, within you. I just hope that you always live with this cheerful attitude and don''t embrace the darkness within you.


    He muttered to himself and then he too disappeared from the scene.


    "It''s over."


    Fixen muttered to himself after seeing the old man disappear.


    "Damn, these demon races. They are too full of themselves," Loren said, his voice trembling with anger. "Just let me upgrade myself to gold rank and then I will go to Grimshore myself and teach those arrogant bastards a lesson they won''t forget."


    Fixen nodded but he didn''t say anything to Loren for he was too busy with his own thoughts.


    "What are you thinking so suddenly?"


    Fixen looked at Loren upon hearing his words.


    "Who do you think is stronger between the Curse Lord, Astral, and Elyn?"


    Loren found this question very interesting and he too pondered it for a moment.


    "That''s very difficult to answer. All three of them are super strong¡ªmany times stronger than us, in fact. But if I were to choose between them, I would go for Astral. As for Curse Lord, damn such a cringe name, and Elyn, I think we will have to see their fights before knowing the result."


    Fixen nodded. He really wanted to see the three of them in action, especially Astral and Elyn. It had been ages since he had seen them fighting.


    ''I guess we might have a chance at the Emperor Heaven Pce this time.''

 Chapter 150: 150. Secrets of Grimshore

    Orion, after teleporting himself from the strange old man, appeared at the entrance of tower but he saw that there were some guards stationed at the entrance of the tower and it appeared they seemed to be blocking everyone from entering the tower.


    Many people like him stood at the entrance but they weren''t given an allowance to enter, forcing some of them to leave while others waited in patience.


    ''It seems because of the demon race attack, the tower is in maintenance now.''


    Orion spected, seeing the constant increase in guards as more time passed by.


    ''Looks like I will have to find some other space station to try out the Lottery of Fortune and Misfortune.''


    He didn''t waste any more time there and disappeared from there.


    ***


    Arriving near the void shuttle, Orion saw that Mike and his team had been looking around for him.


    Even his friends and Lisa were searching all around the void shuttle.


    Seeing them, he swiftly went to his dimension and changed back to his true self before revealing himself in front of them.


    "Hey guys!"


    Orion waved his hands at them with a smile.


    "Young Master!"


    Mike and everyone shouted when they saw him and sighed in relief that their young master was alright.


    "Sorry, I have troubled you guys."


    He indeed felt a little guilty about this but there was also a part of him that told him that everything would be fine as long as he didn''t go far; after all, he was their young master.


    "Let''s go home."


    He looked at the helpless faces of Mike and the other servants and directly entered the void shuttle.


    ***


    Inside the conference hall of the shuttle, everyone was sitting and talking to each other.


    It had already been an hour before they left the Starforge but they still hadn''t reached Blitz Haven.


    "Mike, how long?"


    Mike smiled helplessly upon hearing his young master''s words. He had asked the same question more than five times in the course of their flight from the Starforge.


    "Young Master, as I have told you before, it will still take us around an hour to reach there."


    Orion nodded. For some reason, as he was about to meet his mother and his little sister, he started feeling a little impatient and a bit more nervous.


    He had faced life-and-death situations, battled fearsome enemies, and endured unimaginable pain, yet the thought of seeing his family again after all this time filled him with an emotion he hadn''t expected¡ªvulnerability.


    Would they recognize him? Would they ept the person he had be?


    He tried not to think about that, but in the end, the questions kept resurfacing in his mind.


    Memories of his mother''sforting smile and his sister''s innocentughter yed vividly every time he tried to think about anything else.


    ''Everything would be fine.''


    He took a deep breath and thought of something else.


    "Mike, tell me more about Grimshore."


    One thing that could make him interested would be the legendary Grimshore. He really wanted to know what this ce promised¡ªthat it could even attract the three other races.


    Mike gathered his thoughts about Grimshore before he exined everything.


    "We don''t really know how or when this ce came into existence. Some call it a higher ne¡ªa higher realm than our three domains and even our whole universe as a whole¡ªwhile others call this ce a boundary between the god realm and our realm. Nobody really knows about its origin and anything known about it is only a rumour."


    He paused for a moment before continuing.


    "Thousands of years ago, Grimshore suddenly appeared among us or, I might say, we were only able to sense Grimshore a thousand years ago. For one to be able to ess that world, one must first reach gold rank; otherwise, they won''t be able to ess that world ever."


    Orion nodded but it was his first time hearing that a requirement was needed to enter Grimshore.


    "Tell me more," he said, eager to know more about that ce. "Tell me, why do all four races, including us, seem to be interested in Grimshore?"


    Mike directly shook his head at him upon hearing his question.


    "Let me ask you something," he said instead, asking something from Orion. "Tell me why there is very little knowledge of Grimshore and not many people talk about this even though it is the ce everyone wants to go there. Our family has books rted to everything in our library but have you ever wondered why there aren''t books rted to the subject of Grimshore?"


    Mike''s words made Orion really think deeply about this matter.


    When he was a kid, he had gone to the library many times and read many things but he had nevere across anything rted to Grimshore.


    Even though he hadn''t read all the books in the library, he at least knew all the sections. There wasn''t any section about Grimshore, even though there were mentions of the Seven Havens and the Seven Magi families controlling each Haven.


    This omission struck Orion as odd, given how significant Grimshore seemed to be.


    "I don''t know," he said to Mike, shaking his head. "Why is that?"


    Mike smiled mysteriously as he answered him.


    "Because there are secrets in Grimshore that everyone who has ever been there knows but can''t speak of. These secrets are bound by an unbreakable chain that keeps everyone tight-lipped about the ce. There''s a saying in this world: ''Everything about Grimshore remains in Grimshore.''"


    "Everything about Grimshore remains in Grimshore?" Orion felt that was too far-fetched. With so many people having visited Grimshore, there had to be someone who had let slip some details about the ce.


    But knowing how mysterious this ce was, he thought there might be some rules orws that forbid anyone from saying anything about Grimshore.


    ''But howe I heard people talk about alphagens and such things about Grimshore?''


    Thinking of that, he turned to Mike. As Orion looked at Mike''s smiling face, which seemed to suggest he already knew what Orion was thinking, his eagerness grew even more.


    "I know what you''re thinking. Alphagens? A ce to level up? These are just myths that the three domains have concocted. The real motive is simple: everyone should know about Grimshore, even if it''s through false knowledge. If the human race wants to grow stronger and develop further, we need more people in Grimshore.


    So, a false rumour has been spread across all three domains, making people believe that Grimshore holds more promise than anything else in this world."


    Orion nodded heavily. He felt that he had underestimated that ce too much.


    "These are the only things I can tell you, and in fact, these are the only things anyone would tell you about Grimshore," Mike said to Orion and his friends. "So, Young Master, if you want to uncover the real truth, you must be stronger quickly and enter Grimshore yourself."


    Orion nodded to him, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He remembered that Isis had sealed a memory inside of him¡ªsomething she needed help with.


    She mentioned that he could unlock that memory at the silver rank, which made him curious if it was rted to Grimshore. After all, why else would she lock it inside and specify that it could only be unlocked at silver rank, just one rank below the gold rank required to enter Grimshore? This connection seemed too significant to be a mere coincidence.

 Chapter 151: 151. Mothers Embrace

    An hour passed since Orion had asked Mike about the Grimshore and during this hour, Orion asked many things about his family from Mike.


    He wanted to know what had changed during the times he was away and after hearing Mike exin everything to him, he understood what he needed to know.


    "Young Master, we have entered Blitz Haven."


    Orion nodded upon hearing Mike''s words.


    ''I am here. Mother, sister, just wait for me.''


    He thought silently.


    Sometimester, they finally reached the home of the Darkwood Family.


    Mike opened the screen in the void shuttle, which showed a closing in on them.


    It appeared bigger than anything Orion and his friends had ever witnessed before.


    The spherical was green with shades of golden here and there and at the centre of the was the area where the density of the golden shade was higher than anywhere else on the.


    "Morse."


    Orion muttered to himself, looking at the that was bing bigger and bigger as time passed.


    Being a 3-star. Morse was almost ten times the size of Sad, which was only a 1-star.


    There were many monsters living here and the strength of each monster could be around gold rank or higher.


    There were also weak monsters that inhabited this but they were rarely seen. They were too weak and as a result, they ultimately became food for the stronger monsters.


    However, despite the hierarchy among the monsters, the ecosystem remained bnced. The weaker creatures yed their crucial role as prey, sustaining the stronger ones and ensuring the''s equilibrium.


    As the shuttle went closer and closer to Orion''s home, his heart rate kept increasing.


    Soon, he saw a massive city appear on the screen. Orion smiled as he saw that city. It was the city in which he had roamed the most in his childhood with his sister.


    The void shuttle went past the city andnded in an area where hundreds of void shuttles like the ones they came from had been parked here.


    "Young Master, should we go?" Lisa asked excitedly. It was also her first time here in five years and she really missed this the entire time she followed Orion.


    Orion nodded and looked at his friends.


    "Let''s go. I will take you guys to my family."


    He moved towards the entrance that had already been opened and walked outside of the shuttle.


    As soon as he walked outside, he was immediately weed by the Butler Rio.


    "Ninth Young Master, wee back."


    Butler Rio bowed down to him respectfully.


    Orion nodded and helped him stand up.


    "How many times have I told you not to bow down to me?" He asked jokingly. "Also, don''t call me Ninth Young Master; it makes me feel like I am the youngest young master here."


    Butler Rio nodded and stood up at his side and responded to him respectfully.


    "Young Master, I can''t ignore the rules of our family," he said helplessly. "As for what Young Master asks at the end, I can only say you are indeed the youngest young master."


    Orion shrugged, walked past him when he remembered something and turned backwards.


    "By the way, my friends are also here. Arrange a ce for them to live as well."


    Butler Rio nodded, and at that time, his friends also walked out of the shuttle, followed by Lisa, Mike, and all the other servants.


    Lisa and Mike talked a bit with Butler Rio before they headed towards the Darkwood Pce.


    Orion looked back and asked them to hurry.


    "Let''s go and why are you guys walking so slowly?"


    His friends and Lisa, upon hearing him, walked fast and soon caught up to him.


    Seeing them, Orion remembered his team and wondered what would happen to them.


    He again turned back and it was at that moment that he saw Mike throw a white badge-like thing at him.


    Orion caught it instinctively and saw that it was a pentagram-shaped badge marked with the symbol of their family.


    "Young Master, that badge has a magic circle on it; when imbued with it, it would react and connect to the other badge that is with me. That way, if Young Master needs anything, you just have to call on that badge and I will know about it."


    Orion nodded but on the inside, he was cursing. Since he didn''t have mana, this thing was useless to him. He would probably have to ask someone to imbue the mana in it or he would have to go to the servants vi to talk to him about anything he would want.


    Although it was useless, he couldn''t reject it.


    "Aright, I will keep that in mind."


    He put on his space bracelet and walked towards the pce with his friends.


    Sometimester, they were standing at the entrance of the pce.


    Looking at the huge pce in front of him, Orion recalled many things. Some were as sweet as sugar, while others were painful and bitter.


    He approached the pce entrance, where pirs lined both sides. As he neared, a middle-aged woman emerged from within.


    Orion felt so much emotion inside of him seeing that figure that he couldn''t even react and just stood there, tears streaming down his face.


    It was a moment he had longed for, a reunion he had dreamed of countless times since the moment he regained his memories.


    Seeing that figure brought a flood of emotions surging within Orion¡ªjoy, relief, and an overwhelming sense of love. His heart swelled with gratitude for this unexpected blessing, yet he couldn''t find the words to express the depth of his emotions.


    Tears streamed down his face uncontrobly as he stood there, frozen in disbelief and overwhelmed by the realization that his dream had finallye true.


    As his mother approached, her expression softened with recognition and love, and without a word, she enveloped him in a warm embrace, dispelling years of longing and uncertainty in an instant.


    Orion didn''t move and enjoyed his mother''s embrace as he closed his eyes, feeling safe and cherished in her arms. The sound of her heartbeat was like a soothing luby, and the warmth of her presence enveloped him like a cosy nket on a cold winter''s night.


    He could hear her gentle breathing, steady and reassuring, as if reminding him that he was loved beyond measure.


    In that moment, time seemed to stand still, and all that mattered was this precious bond between mother and child.


    As if satisfied by the years of longing and uncertainty, Orion stood in awe, unable to tear his gaze away.


    The sight before him filled a void he hadn''t fully realized existed, bringing a profound sense of peace andpleteness. It was as if every trial and tribtion had led to this moment, where all doubts and fears melted away in the presence of undeniable truth and love.


    "Mother, I am back," barely recognizable choking words escaped from Orion''s mouth, thick with emotion.


    His voice trembled with a mixture of relief, disbelief, and the weight of all the years apart. It was a simple deration, yet it carried a lifetime of longing and hope fulfilled.


    "I know. My son is back," came her gentle reply, filled with a quiet certainty that embraced Orion''s soul.

 Chapter 152: 152. Father and Sister

    After what felt like an eternity, Orion''s mother stopped hugging him and looked at his face.


    "Don''t cry, my son."


    She wiped the tears out of his face and looked at him lovingly.


    Orion felt like he was the most blessed person in the world right now and he wanted to feel like that forever.


    "Look at you; you have be a fine young man."


    His mother checked and rubbed his face all over.


    Orion just smiled at her in response. However, at that moment, his eye caught sight of a shadow peeking at them from the huge door leading into the pce.


    A wide smile appeared on his face, recognising that figure because that figure belonged to none other than his cute little sister.


    "E,e here."


    He shouted, looking at her.


    His mother also looked back and saw that her youngest daughter was peeking at them through the gate.


    E, when she heard Orion call her name, came running to her mother and hid behind her.


    "Are you Big Brother Orion?"


    She asked, peeking behind their mother''s back. Her voice sounded as sweet as Orion could remember.


    "Who else could I be?"


    Orion smiled, nodding his head at her.


    Although he felt a little sad knowing that his sister took some time to remember him, he also couldn''t do anything about it. He had changed so much over the years that if he looked at the picture of him from 5 years ago, he probably would also have had a hard time recognising himself.


    Even more so for E, who was only five years old when he went away from the family. One could say it was even a miracle that she could still remember him.


    E looked at Orion deeply for a moment when she heard him and as if thinking something, she came to him and hugged him.


    "Big Brother Orion!"


    Orion lovingly patted her head. For as long as he could remember, before he left the family, she had been like his shadow, always by his side. She never left him and she clung to him wherever he went.


    This made him very sad, knowing that his absence of five years must have been very hard for her too.


    "Big Brother Orion!.... Why did you leave?.... You made me cry that day.... when I couldn''t find you anywhere."


    A sweet voice with a tinge of crying sounded in his ears at this moment.


    Orion looked at the tearful face of his little sister, feeling a pain akin to needles stabbing at his heart.


    "It''s alright now. I am here and I won''t leave ever again, at least not for years."


    She nodded but she didn''t leave him and she kept hugging him.


    Orion looked at his mother helplessly as he saw his little sister clinging to him. He had to report his arrival to his father now, but with her holding on to him like that, he didn''t know how to proceed.


    His mother understood what he meant and looked at her daughter lovingly.


    "E, let your brother go. He will have to meet his father now."


    "No, I won''t ever leave him."


    E held onto him even more tightly and refused to let go of Orion.


    Orion patted her head but he knew he would have to part with her now.


    "How about this, E? Tomorrow morning I will take you to market and you can buy anything you want."


    "Really?"


    She instantly moved his head above, and her eyes shone as she looked at him with expectation.


    "Have I ever lied to you, E?" Orion asked.


    She shook her head.


    "Then that''s a promise," he said, patting her head. "I will see you tomorrow morning. Be ready."


    E nodded heavily with a smile before she let go of him.


    Orion then turned to see his mother.


    "Mother, see you tomorrow too."


    Her mother patted him and E both before she let him go.


    Orion nodded at her and headed into the pce.


    ***


    Not long after, he stood before a golden door.


    Orion didn''t know the feelings he had for his father.


    When he was tested and found that he didn''t possess any talent, his father was very disappointed in him. That he knew very well.


    And since then, he has never felt the fatherly love he had felt before he was tested.


    He was ignored, shouted at, and many times cried because of his father.


    Now that he stood before the door and was about to meet him again after a long time, only those memories of him resurfaced in his mind.


    ''There is always a new beginning for everything.''


    He took an optimistic approach and kept those memories deep inside of him.


    Knock!¡ª


    He then knocked on the door.


    Only a momentter, the door opened, revealing the spectacr king''s chamber.


    At the centre, furthest from Orion, sat a man on a throne, a golden crown atop his head, his hands resting on the armrests.


    Either side of him were old and middle-aged men sitting in rows of chairs and in the middle of them stood seven figures.


    Orion recognised these figures very well. They were his cousins brothers and sisters. They were all around the age of 15 to 20 years, making them this generation''s candidates who had their memories erased and sent away from Blitz Haven.


    "Come in."


    At that moment, an authoritative voice echoed through the hall.


    Orion, hearing his father''s voice, moved into the king''s chamber and arrived besides his brothers and sisters.


    Barion looked at his son for a moment and then turned his attention to all the other kids.


    "Is that all that has passed?" he asked.


    Butler Rio nodded by his side.


    Seeing the mature look on the kids'' faces, Barion nodded in satisfaction.


    "Good, very good. You kids have what it needs to reach the pinnacle of the Magus Kingdom."


    He praised them, clearly satisfied that out of the 12 kids in this generation, 8 had passed. In previous generations, rarely did half the number pass, and most of the time, the number of failures exceeded those who passed the test.


    "I know you all must be very tired so I won''t take much of your time. Just remember that the day after tomorrow will be your assessment and the one who wins will be the leader of the younger generation of your time. So, be very prepared for that."


    The eight of the kids, including Orion, nodded.


    "Alright, everyone but Orion, leave now."


    The other kids were taken aback by his words, but knowing Orion was his son, they understood and left after bowing to him.


    Seeing them leave, Barion turned his attention to his son.


    "Do you resent me?" He asked Orion.


    Orion had a feeling his father would ask something like that when he let the other kids go away so he wasn''t surprised by his words.


    As for the question itself, he wasn''t sure.


    If he felt anything towards his father, then it would be an absolute and bitter disappointment.


    He didn''t know whether his father''sck of attention towards him was a result of him not being born with a talent in this magical world or if he simply wasn''t destined to be loved by his father.


    Either way, he didn''t resent him. His mother was always by his side, as were Lisa and a few others, who prevented him from feeling the loneliness he might have expected in the pce.

 Chapter 153: 153. A Toy Shop

    "No."


    Orion replied with what he thought was true. At least that was what he believed in.


    Barion looked at his son deeply for a moment before he sighed.


    "Alright, you are dismissed too."


    This time, his voice sounded tired, in contrast to what Orion first heard when he came here.


    Orion turned around and headed back without bowing. He had the thought of bowing down to his father but at thest second, he hesitated and ultimately didn''t bow.


    Walking out of the king''s chamber, Orion rxed a bit.


    ''It was much more intense than fighting an apocalypse-level monster.''


    He thought and walked back towards his own residence.


    The Darkwood Pce was surrounded by a square boundary. The central area housed the residence quarters, with the king''s chamber situated above it. On the left and right sides were the dwellings of the servants and the guards of the family, respectively. The entrance was located in the bottom area.


    Arriving in front of the room where he stayed, he looked at the door, which was as clean as ever.


    Opening the door, he was met with a bed, a table, and a wardrobe neatly ced in a spacious room.


    ''Exactly the same as before.''


    He thought his mother must have ordered the servants to make the room look exactly as it did before the day he left the family.


    ''It''s like I never left.''


    He thought for a moment, then climbed onto the familiar bed and soon drifted off to sleep.


    ***


    The next day, Orion stood at the entrance of the pce with his friends, Lisa and her sister. They nned to go and explore the city situated ahead of the pce.


    But they were waiting for theirst member toe.


    "Young Master, I am sorry foringte. I was ordered by the master a minute ago about this so I came running."


    Mike apologised as soon as he appeared.


    Orion nodded, thinking his father was taking seriously about the matter of the assassination attempt on him.


    Although he didn''t think anyone would dare attack him on this, he felt that having Mike by his side would guarantee the survival of his sister and the others by his side.


    As for him, he had countless ways to escape if something like that were to happen.


    "Let''s go."


    Orion walked forward with E, holding her left hand, followed by others.


    The city wasn''t far from them; in fact, it was only 15¨C16 minutes away from the Darkwood Pce.


    After a few minutes of walking along the path, they reached the city entrance. Orion''s friends were surprised to see arge signboard at the top of the entrance that read ''District 1''.


    "District? Isn''t it supposed to be a city?"


    Ryfin asked in confusion.


    Orion was about to exin this to him when Mike interrupted him.


    "Young Master, let me."


    Orion nodded. He felt that Mike would be best at exining the city system here.


    Seeing that his young master agreed, Mike briefly exined them.


    "The inhabitants of this, Morse, aren''t just ordinary people. They are soldiers, generals, andmanders serving the Magi King of Blitz Haven. Each city is organised like a squadron but is referred to as a district for rity. The women and children here are the families of these soldiers, living ordinary lives when they aren''t on duty."


    Famir, Ryfin, and Ron understood and felt it was a wonderful way for an army to live. Famir and Ryfin, in particr, were more surprised because this system waspletely different from the one on Earth.


    "Let''s go, big brother."


    E hastily moved forward, pulling Orion with him.


    Orion smiled and walked with her.


    As they entered the city, or district 1, they were instantly met with people living there.


    "Look, that''s Princess E!"


    "But whose hand is she pulling?"


    "I don''t know. Princess E only came with servants or with the queen herself."


    "It looks like I have seen it before somewhere."


    "Fool, that''s the Ninth Prince Orion. He has just returned yesterday from his journey."


    "You mean that prince who doesn''t¡ª"


    "Shut up, will you? He is here, which means he has passed the test and you know the requirement for the test, right?"


    The people in the streets began to murmur when they saw E and the boy she was pulling.


    Strangely enough, they called Orion and E "Prince" and "Princess," unlike Mike and the other servants.


    E didn''t stop anywhere and took Orion straight to where she wanted to go.


    A momentter, they appeared at the market area of the city, where the streets were bustling with people.


    People of all ages, from children to the elderly, could be seen roaming around, buying goods, or simply moving about.


    E still didn''t stop and at the end, they found themselves standing at the front of a toy store.


    The toy store appeared quite big, with hundreds of toys scattered around¡ªyes, scattered around on the ground. Not a single toy was put on a wreck; in fact, the shop didn''t even have a wreck to begin with.


    At the top of the shop was a board that read, ''Have Skill, Take Toys.''


    Orion was surprised to see a new store here. Five years ago, he didn''t remember seeing a store as strange as this one.


    "Big Brother Orion, I want that toy."


    E pointed straight at the far end of the shop, where a huge teddy bear the size of E was sitting, leaning against the wall.


    Seeing that, Orion smiled and thought that she still liked teddy bears even now.


    "Princess E, are you here to taste defeat again?"


    An old man, probably the shopkeeper, walked over to them. He appeared to be in his fifties, with a white beard contrasting with his bright red hair, which showed no signs of grey.


    "Old man, this time I havee with my big brother, so you better be ready to give that toy to me, humph."


    E said, her hands on her waist as she fiercely looked at the old man.


    Orion still didn''t understand why her sister appeared so angry and looking at the toy she pointed at, it was clear that she wanted the toy.


    Also, by how quickly she brought them here along with her talk with the old man, he spected that she hade to this shop many times.


    ''But she still doesn''t have the toy.''


    With how rich their family was, it was impossible that they couldn''t buy the toy, so money wasn''t the question here.


    "Tell me, how do I buy this toy?"


    Orion posed the question this time. He felt that the problemy with the shop itself.


    "You are Prince?" The shopkeeper asked, looking at him.


    "I am Orion."


    "Ah, Prince Orion, it''s my pleasure to meet you," the shopkeeper bowed down to him in greeting.


    He then exined what troubled E about buying that toy.


    "Prince Orion, you see, all those toys have a batch number on them."


    Orion saw all the toys carefully and he indeed noticed that all the toys here were marked with a specific number.


    "The number on each toy determines the difficulty of getting that toy and in Princess E''s case, the number is 89, which means the difficulty of getting that toy is hard considering the highest difficulty is 100."


    The shopkeeper exined some things about the toys and the numbers ced on them, from which Orion finally understood what type of shop this was.

 Chapter 154: 154. Ring and Bottle

    "For Princess E to get the toy she wanted, she has to y a very easy game but she has already failed three times in a row before. So, Prince Orion, are you up for it?"


    The shopkeeper looked at Orion and exined the reason why E seemed to be angry at her.


    "I didn''t lose. It''s just that the game of yours is wed."


    E refuted it as soon as the shopkeeper told Orion about her.


    Orion shook his head and looked at the shopkeeper.


    "What is the game about?"


    Orion''s interest piqued unexpectedly. He felt a curious connection to the game, suspecting that if anything in this world resembled Earth, it might be found in this shop.


    "Follow me."


    The old man then led them to a different room, which was more like a long hall than a room. At the far end, Orion could see bottles arranged at different distances, side by side.


    "You see these bottles; they are ced at the exact same distance as the number ced on the toys."


    Orion observed the hall for a moment and confirmed that indeed, there was a bottle ced 89 metres away from where they stood. Alongside it, many other bottles were ced at various distances throughout the hall.


    From the look of this, he got the gist of how this would all y out.


    The shopkeeper then took out many rings the size of his palm and showed them to Orion.


    "To get the toy one wants, one would simply have to put a ring on the bottle marked with the toy number. Also, one cannot use mana or their talent here to ce the ring on the bottle. I will be able to sense it if any of you use mana so it''s better if you don''t try to cheat your way through."


    After the shopkeeper exined everything, Orion thought that this was indeed like those games on Earth.


    "Big Brother Orion, you have to be careful. This game is just so hard."


    E reminded Orion to be careful of the game, to which he nodded. If he wanted to cheat, then there were probably not many who could see through him.


    However, before he could try and see if it was really as difficult as E described, someone took that chance from him.


    "Let me try first."


    Ryfin stepped forward and put his hand forward towards the shopkeeper.


    The shopkeeper looked at Orion, to which he only shrugged.


    Seeing that Orion didn''t mind, the shopkeeper gave Ryfin three rings.


    "Take the three. You have only three chances. If you can''t do it, then you won''t get any more chances."


    Ryfin nodded and took the rings before he turned his attention towards the bottles.


    Looking at them for a full minute, he shouted and threw one of the rings towards the 89-number bottle.


    "Go."


    The ring flew through the air towards bottle number 89 but it suddenly slowed down and stopped at the bottle near bottle number 69.


    "What? How does that happen?"


    Orion also raised his brow, seeing how quickly the ring slowed down after flying at such high momentum.


    "Did you see that, Big Brother?" E pointed at the ring. "That''s what happened to me when I came here a few days ago."


    At that moment, Mike looked at the shopkeeper with a smile, to which the old man silently nodded.


    Everyone missed the silent gesture between the two of them, their attention solely on the arrays of bottles before them.


    "Again."


    Ryfin, feeling unsatisfied with his previous throw, arched his body backward slightly and threw the ring with all his strength towards bottle number 89.


    The ring hurtled towards bottle number 89, but just when it seemed about to reach its target, it suddenly gained momentum and overshot the bottle, mming into the wall at the far end.


    "Damn, what kind of game is this?"


    Ryfin cursed, seeing how the ring sped up in the end.


    Orion put a hand on his chin as he pondered hard about this.


    ''The ring sped up when Ryfin threw them at a fast speed but it slowed down when he threw them at an average speed.''


    He realised it was all a matter of speed and control. One would have to perfectly time the ring''s speed to match the momentum around the bottle; otherwise, the result would be exactly what happened to Ryfin.


    "Yourst chance."


    The shopkeeper reminded Ryfin.


    Ryfin calmed himself down and thought for a moment before he once again threw the ring but unlike the previous times, he threw it casually towards bottle number 89.


    The ring slowly flew towards its target, entering the range around the bottle, which caused it to slow down. But it didn''t immediately stop and kept floating towards the bottle, but just as it was about to encircle it, the ring stopped and fell to the ground.


    "What the hell?? How could it be?"


    Ryfin couldn''t believe the ring just fell to the ground at thest possible moment.


    For a moment, he thought the shopkeeper was cheating but when he recalled they were from the army, he scrapped that thought.


    "Well, I give up."


    Ultimately, Ryfin moved his hands up in defeat. He felt that one would need an ample amount of training before one would really be able to aplish something like that.


    "Prince Orion?" The shopkeeper turned to look at Orion after Ryfin gave up.


    "Alright, give me the rings." Extending his hand, Orion asked for the rings, which the shopkeeper kindly gave him.


    Orion then looked at all the bottles, wondering if he should first try normally before using his curse to get what he wanted.


    In the end, he ultimately decided otherwise.


    Activating the curse of Electrostatic Disruption, Orion threw one of the rings towards bottle number 89.


    The ring hurtled through the air and ultimatelynded on the bottle, surprising everyone in the hall.


    "Big Brother Orion, you won!"


    E jumped in excitement that she could finally get the toy she had wanted for a long time.


    Meanwhile, Ryfin''s mouth was as round as a sphere because of the surprise. Only he understood what it would take for someone to do that on their first try.


    ''I guess it''s his day.'' He thought.


    The shopkeeper also narrowed his eyes at Orion, for he didn''t see him use mana and because of this, he felt unbelievable that someone could easily do this trick.


    "How did you do it?" He asked.


    Orion smiled at him, seeing his surprised expression.


    "It must be my lucky day," he replied. Though only he knew how he aplished that.


    He smoothly controlled the ring through his Electrostatic Disruption so much so that one wouldn''t be able to see through if the ring was affected by anything outside by wind or not.


    As for the momentum around the bottle, it didn''t affect the ring''s speed at all because of Orion''s control over it and ultimatelynded on the bottle.


    However, like Ryfin, Orion realised that it would take a significant amount of practice to achieve such uracy consistently without cheating.


    But for Orion, it was just a simple use of his curses.


    Although he felt a little guilty about cheating the shopkeeper, if his sister was happy, then it was alright.


    "Old man, give me my toy."


    E shouted, looking at the shopkeeper.


    The shopkeeper helplessly led them outside of the hall and gave E her toy before Orion and his sister left his shop.


    "Come again, Princess E."


    He bowed to them, seeing them go away.


    Meanwhile, Orion and his group didn''t go far when they encountered two kids around his age.


    "Look, who do we have here? The trash of the Darkwood family."


    "Trash indeed. Though, it does make me wonder how he passed the test."


    "Well, we will find out soon enough."

 Chapter 155: 155. Luke and Monty Darkwood

    Orion unconsciously clenched his fists tightly upon seeing the two of them.


    They were his nightmares before he left the family.


    In the name of training, they had beaten and abused him and nobody in the family stopped them.


    Even his father said something like, "This will make him break his limit and maybe he can awaken his talent."


    Since the day his father said those words, these two had been constantly abusing him more and more¡ªevery day without a care in the world.


    Their beating affected Orion so much that he used to have nightmares about them.


    Just remembering all of them made him want to kill these two.


    Yes, the resentment in his heart had umted so much over the years that it had turned into a killing intent now.


    Also, now that he had the power to kill them, he entertained the idea of killing them and dumped their bodies somewhere.


    ''No, I can''t do that. They''re still my cousins.''


    In the end, he controlled his emotions and let go of his clenched fists.


    "Luke, Monty, I see you two haven''t grown up at all."


    Orion sneered at them. Although he couldn''t kill them, he would humiliate them very badly. He just needed them to make the first move on him.


    "Trash, how dare you talk to us like that?"


    Luke shouted and was about to p Orion but E stood in front of him.


    "Brother Luke, what are you doing?"


    Luke frowned at seeing E interfere. Although he could deal with Orion, he couldn''t even touch E with bad intentions, considering she was the favourite child of the Magi King Barion.


    "Orion, have you fallen so low that you now have to be protected by a kid?"


    Monty sneered this time, seeing the situation with E.


    Orion smiled and understood their intentions.


    "What do you want?"


    A smile appeared on Monty''s face after seeing Orion take the bait.


    "If you have the guts, then face us in the arena right now. Otherwise, continue to hide behind your little sister for the rest of your life."


    He intentionally said those words to make Orion angry and looking at him trembling and clenching his fists, Monty felt that nothing had changed over the years. Orion was still like he was five-six years ago¡ªeasy to be controlled and bullied.


    "I-I will do it. Let''s go."


    Orion said, his voiceced with hesitation.


    "Big Brother, will you be alright?"


    E asked worriedly.


    Orion turned to her and winked her with his eye.


    "Don''t worry, E, it should be fine."


    E understood the subtle message Orion wanted to convey and nodded to him.


    "Alright, Big Brother, go teach them a lesson."


    Seeing that even E agreed to their fight, Luke and Monty looked at each other and a fox smile appeared on their faces.


    "Let''s go to the arena then."


    Luke immediately led them towards the arena, fearing E might change her decision soon.


    Going through twists and turns in the streets of District 1, they finally appeared at a huge arena where two people could be seen fighting each other.


    This arena was made for the people living here so that they could still train and havebat practice with each other.


    Initially, the arena was created solely for training the younger generation of the army, but over time, it hase to serve various other purposes.


    "Amy, go and inform the people here that princes will be fighting here now and also make them clear the arena."


    Luke immediately called her servant Amy and gave her some orders.


    Amy nodded and disappeared from there.


    Like Mike, Amy was the servant responsible for Luke. She was also at the tinum rank, like him.


    Soon, they appeared at the registration office responsible for the arena.


    There, Amy was waiting for them and the old man responsible for the whole arena bowed to them seeing theming here.


    "Prince Luke, Prince Monty, and Prince Orion, please wait for about 10 minutes, and the arena will be empty for you three to use."


    Monty nodded and turned his attention to Orion.


    "Orion, you could wait for 5 minutes, right?"


    Orion nodded to him.


    "Just do it fast."


    He added.


    Soon, five minutes passed, and the old man looked at them.


    "It''s your turn, Princes but be careful not to hurt each other."


    The old man advised them before he led them through a door where another door was waiting for them.


    "The other side of the door was the fighting area."


    He pointed at the door in front of them, which was inclined towards a staircase.


    Luke nodded and turned to Orion.


    "Orion, shall we?"


    Orion nodded silently.


    Seeing Orion agree to everything made them believe that he was as scared as a little cat and was listening to them so that they could go easy on him.


    Soon, the three of them made their way towards the door, opened it, and appeared on the arena.


    In the arena, Luke and Monty looked at each other.


    "Brother Luke, you are stronger than me, so let me go first."


    "As you wish, Brother Monty, but remember not to ''harm'' him."


    Monty nodded and looked at Orion, who for some reason, was smiling at them. This smile made Monty feel a little uneasy.


    ''A trash will always be trash.''


    He thought and used his talent right away.


    Above Orion, dust began swirling around him before it took the shape of a ck cloud with lightning wriggling all around it.


    Low sounds of thunder began to reverberate throughout the arena, causing the spectators who were watching the fight to shout in excitement.


    "I have heard that the talent of Prince Monty is called Storm Summoner and he can summon storms, but looking at this, he seems to be going easy on Orion."


    "I have heard that too. There is even a rumour that he could summon a tornado and flood too."


    "I don''t know about that but it appears Prince Orion is about to lose."


    "Yeah,st time I heard, he didn''t have any talent but somehow he was able to pass the test. Anyway, he won''tst longer again, Prince Monty."


    The people watching the fight began analysing the battle and thought Prince Monty would win this battle easily.


    "Will Big Brother be alright?"


    E looked worried as she looked at the ck clouds full of lightning above Orion.


    Ryfinughed upon hearing E''s words and consoled her.


    "Don''t worry. He will be fine; instead, we should be worried about the other two."


    Amy turned to look at Ryfin when he said that. There was one other individual who also looked at Ryfin. He was the servant of Monty.


    They thought that Ryfin said this as a sarcasm but looking at his serious face, it didn''t look like that.


    "Look, Big Brother also made his move."


    E shouted.


    Everyone saw that Orion''s body began to glow brightly before ayer of red surrounded his whole body.


    Orion could have ended the fight immediately if he wanted to, but he chose not to. He wanted them to experience true fear, to feel hopelessness, and to know despair.


    He intended to torment them through this fight, ensuring they would remember not to go against him ever again.

 Chapter 156: 156. A Torment to Remember

    Seeing that Orion only covered his body in red, glowing armour, Monty sneered at him.


    "Trash; that''s the only thing you could do, I guess."


    He thenmanded the cloud above Orion''s head.


    Almost instantly, a bolt of lightning descended upon Orion, causing a blinding light to envelope the entire arena.


    But it went away as soon as it came, revealing Orion, who, much to everyone''s surprise, was fine after all that.


    He seemed to be standing there with a sneer on his face, his eyes looking straight at Monty.


    "Is that it?" He asked Monty.


    Monty, who was still in disbelief after hearing the remarks, trembled with anger. He felt humiliated.


    "Again."


    Once again, another bolt of lightning descended upon Orion but likest time, there wasn''t even a scratch on him.


    "I don''t believe it."


    Monty shouted and the clouds above Orion became more dense and they expanded to double their previous size.


    "You ask for it."


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The bolts of lightning fell upon Orion continuously and each bolt appeared bigger and more dangerous than the previous two.


    However, to Monty''s despair, Orion appeared to be still standing with a sneer on his face.


    "No, no, no. How are you still fine after that?"


    "Who knows?" Orion shrugged. "Maybe you are too weak to even put a scratch on me."


    "No, that can''t be."


    Monty panicked. He refused to believe that his attacks were simply ineffective against Orion.


    ''Why won''t my lightning work against him? .... Lightning?


    At that moment, inspiration came to his mind.


    "If lightning doesn''t hurt you, then I will have to do it myself."


    As his words left his mouth, a dark grey aura began to release from his body before it all concentrated behind his back to form a sphere the size of a fist hovering above the ground.


    ''Three Divine Ways? It''s good; I have been wanting to try something and it came at the right time.''


    Orion thought, and his eyes focused on the grey sphere hovering behind Monty''s back.


    He also activated Malevolent Gaze at that moment.


    Monty then came running towards him, his fists glowing with grey light.


    Arriving before Orion, he punched straight at Orion''s guts.


    "You are weak."


    Orion muttered in such a low voice that only Monty could hear him before he caught his fist with his right hand.


    "Your fists are even weaker than your lightning."


    As he said that, he punched Monty in the guts.


    "Your Three Divine Ways are trash."


    He again punched him but this time in his face, causing blood to flow from his mouth.


    "You are ''Trash.''"


    He kicked him with his knee.


    "You are simply worthless."


    He pped him on the face.


    "You don''t deserve to live."


    In the end, he held his hair tightly and pulled him up.


    "Do you see this? You are nothing in front of me. You are like an ant; I can step on you anytime."


    Orion''s emotionless eyes stared straight at Monty''s lifeless eyes, giving him a chill he had never experienced before.


    He wanted to run¡ªhe wanted to flee far from here¡ªbut he couldn''t.


    He felt death looking at those eyes, cold and unyielding, as if they held the weight of an eternity of sorrow and silence.


    In that instant, the world around him faded into insignificance, leaving only the inescapable reality of his own mortality reflected in those empty, haunting eyes.


    "Don''t give up; the best is yet toe."


    A sneer brought Monty back to reality.


    "NO! What are you doing?"


    He then saw, to his shock, that Orion held the Divine Core hovering behind his back in his own hand.


    "This? It''s something I have been thinking of doingtely.


    Orion smiled kindly at him but to Monty, that smile appeared like a devil''s smile, sending a chill down his spine.


    ''Let''s see what happens.''


    Orion thought and activated the curse of Devouring Abyss.


    Almost instantly, he could feel something going on inside his body. It was a very subtle feeling and if he hadn''t been focusing on his body this whole time, he would have surely missed that.


    "Aaaagghhh, what are you doing? My mana...its going away."


    A panicked scream was released from Monty before he sensed that all the mana inside his body was being drained by something.


    Orion smiled eerily, seeing Monty scream.


    All those years ago, he was like this: helpless and weak, with no one to help him.


    He had suffered, suffered, and even more suffered till the end.


    The pain, the sadness, the anguish, the relentless torment of loneliness and despair¡ªit had all consumed him, leaving behind a bitter residue that clung to his soul.


    And now that he saw the suffering in one of the many who had caused him to feel those feelings, he felt delighted in watching Monty squirm and cry out in pain.


    He felt a twisted kind of satisfaction upon seeing Monty suffer like this. It was as though God had finally given him the power to bring justice to himself.


    "Ah, Big Brother Orion! Stop it."


    At that moment, a shout brought Orion back to reality.


    Hearing that voice, Orion turned to look at his sister and frowned.


    "E, don''t you remember how this guy used to beat me all those years ago, how he made me cry and made me feel pain? I am just taking revenge for this. There is nothing wrong with it."


    E shook her head.


    "But if you do this, won''t you be like him?" She said that her voice appeared to be choking.


    "Be like him?" Orion felt that his sister might be overreacting to all of this. Considering she was only ten this year, he thought this might be the case.


    "Alright, I will listen to you but first." Orion turned his attention to Monty, who was on the verge of losing his consciousness.


    [Does the host want to copy the curse of Thunder''s Wrath?]


    ''Yes.''


    [Thunder''s Wrath has been copied.]


    Orion smiled upon seeing the notification screen before he turned his attention to Luke, who was trembling all this time.


    All this time, Monty was taking the beating; it was him who felt his heart beating fast.


    He was stronger than Monty but not by much.


    Therefore, he understood that he would suffer the same fate as Monty but he could do nothing and wait for his turn.


    And now seeing Orion''s emotionless eyes staring at him made him want to leave everything and run away from here.


    "Take this back."


    He threw the body of Monty to Luke, who caught him.


    "If my father asked how this happened, just tell him it was all training and nothing major, understood?"


    Luke nodded heavily.


    "Alright, just don''te in next time; otherwise, you two won''t be walking back home."


    After saying those words, Orion turned around and walked back to his sister and friends.


    Arriving there, he looked at his sister and saw that she had calmed down from that.


    "Big Brother, you shouldn''t beat someone like that."


    Orionughed upon hearing his sister.


    "What if they want to beat your brother?"


    E thought for a moment before responding to him.


    "Then you can beat them."


    Orion nodded and patted her head.


    "If you say so."


    Ignoring the res from the two servants of Luke and Monty, Orion held his sister''s hand and exited the arena.

 Chapter 157: 157. Three Divine Ways Technique

    After exiting the arena, Orion took his sister to have some fun around the city.


    He flew her above the streets, giving her a bird''s-eye view of their home, and engaged in other exciting activities.


    Two hours passed quickly, and they eventually returned to the pce.


    "Ah, Young Master, there you are."


    They only just set foot in the pce when Butler Rio came looking for them.


    "Young Master, take this," he said, giving Orion a small book. "This is the technique of the Three Divine Ways and the master wants you to learn it."


    Orion took the book in his hand and noticed that it looked like a new one.


    ''It seems there are many copies of this technique.''


    He thought, turning his attention to Famir and Ryfin''s sparkling eyes before looking at Butler Rio.


    "Can my friends also have them?"


    Butler Rio directly shook his head at Orion''s words.


    "I don''t have permission for that but I can ask Master about it and see how it goes."


    Orion nodded but he felt that his father would most likely reject his proposal.


    "Please do that."


    Though he still asked Butler Rio to speak with his father about it. Who knew? His father might actually agree.


    Butler Rio nodded and left after bowing to him and E.


    Orion then looked at Famir, Ryfin, and Ron.


    "How is the stay here?" He asked them.


    "It''s cool."


    "Great."


    "Very good. I got so many things to eat yesterday that I am drooling about today''s dinner."


    Replied Famir, Ryfin, and Ron, respectively.


    "Alright then, if you need anything, just ask me or any of the servants here."


    Orion nodded, waving his hand at them, before he entered the pce.


    The guest residence was an empty building in the servants living area and was essible without going through the pce.


    So, his friends didn''t need to enter the pce to go to their residence.


    ***


    Inside his room, Orion sat on the bed and took out the book Butler Rio gave him.


    Flipping through the pages one by one, he read their content for about fifteen minutes straight.


    ''I see so that''s what it is.''


    After he read the whole book, he finally understood what the Three Divine Ways were all about.


    As the name suggests, the Three Divine Ways were divided into three stages based on the power lever.


    The first stage was the Divine Core stage.


    To reach this stage, an individual needs to form a core outside their body. This core served as a reservoir of power and was crucial for further advancements.


    While this stage primarily focuses on the physical aspect of the body, it also grants an overall increase in strength to the practitioner.


    This stage was designed with the idea that individuals could only increase the points of one specific stat, causing the other four stats to be their weaknesses.


    Hence, when in this state, one wouldn''t be so vulnerable to any physical attack and could fight toe-to-toe with someone who had upgraded with their strength stat, even if the person in question had upgraded with their agility stat.


    The second stage was known as core transformation.


    In this stage, one gains the ability to shape and manipte their core in various ways ording to their desires.


    Many opted to fashion their core into protective armour, enhancing their defence and resilience. Others, however, chose to mould their core into formidable weapons capable of unleashing devastating attacks.


    The versatility of core transformation allowed people to explore their creativity and exploit their innate talents. Unlike the rigid specialisation of the Divine Core stage, this phase encouraged individuals to innovate and experiment with different forms and applications of their core.


    Whether as armour or a weapon, the core''s transformation was limited only by the cultivator''s imagination and skill.


    Simr to the Divine Core stage, this stage also significantly boosts one''s overall strength. However, the enhancement in strength experienced in this stage surpassed that of the previous one. The increased power not only fortified the physical body but also augmented the effectiveness of any offensive or defensive capabilities derived from the transformed core.


    As for the final stage, it was known as Manifestation.


    The book offered little specific information about this stage beyond the enigmatic phrase, "Everyone''s manifestation is different from one another but the same in essence."


    ''Well, the final stage is still too far away from me; let''s enter the Divine Core stage first.''


    Orion thought and sat cross-legged on the floor.


    He went through the same process as thest time he did in the soul temple and appeared in the abyss of darkness but unlike thest time, this ce wasn''t empty.


    A small sphere the size of a fist hovered alone in the ring darkness and surrounding it were white, sparkling particles that constantly revolved around it.


    The sphere was the Fate Core that Orion had assimted onto him when he upgraded himself to iron rank. Since then, it has been upying this ce and living here peacefully.


    As for the white, glowing particles that revolved around it, they were the mana he had devoured from Montyst time.


    Orion had thought his body would reject mana because of his original curse¡ªNull Body¡ªbut strangely, it didn''t.


    The moment the mana entered his body, they were all pulled by the Fate Core and revolved around it.


    ''I don''t know if it has any uses.''


    He thought, looking at the core and the white, glowing particles revolving around it.


    ''Anyway, let''s start the process of entering the Divine Core.''


    He thought and used a specific method mentioned in the technique and he began to draw the power of the darkness all around him.


    Little by little, Orion could feel the abyss of darkness begin to scatter ck particles all around him. These particles glowed in a strange way. Even though each particle appeared ck, because of the glowing aura, the room Orion was in began to illuminate as the presence of the ck particles continued to increase.


    Sometimester, the whole room was filled with the ck particles enveloping Orion within them.


    ''Time to form the core.''


    Orion thought about and concentrated on the particles all around him.


    As if attracted by an unseen force, these particles began to gather around Orion''s back and began to condense together.


    However, there came the difficult part. ording to the book, one would have to regrly condense all these ck particles because they were a little unstable.


    As long as they got closer to each other, they would cause some sort of reaction that would hinder one from forming the core.


    So, the book mentioned that one would need to practice this step every day for about a week to a month so that they could get used to the unstable particles.


    After that, they could finally form the core without any problems.


    This was the normal way but the book also mentioned that there were some talents that would help some individuals skip the stage of getting used to the unstable particles and directly form the core.


    And Orion was going to use this method to form his core.


    His idea was simple. He wanted to use the curse of electrostatic disruption, control all these particles with its ability andter suppress andpress them together to form the core with the help of attraction and repulsion.


    This sounded a littleplicated but Orion believed he would be able to form the core with this method.

 Chapter 158: 158. A news Orion never wanted to hear

    Orion activated the curse of Electrostatic Disruption in the Curse Transformation mode.


    To have better control over the abilities of the curse and to make sure he didn''t butchered the process, he activated the curse in the Curse Transformation more, which would give him better control over the various abilities he could use with the curse of electrostatic disruption.


    In short, he didn''t want to take the risk of failing here.


    He took a deep breath and began to use attraction, thereby attracting all the particles that had been floating behind his back.


    Soon, these particles, which were already a mass of clouds, began topress together.


    Orion used attraction at the centre of the mass of clouds, and because of it, these particles get attracted towards the centre without any problem.


    However, Orion did face the issue of these unstable particles.


    As these particles began topress together, he heard some popping sounds from his back, indicating that the reaction of these unstable particles began to take ce now that they were much closer to themselves.


    Seeing that, he quickly used repulsion all around the mass of blobs and began to suppress it from the outside while the attraction did the job from the inside.


    Together, these two forces controlled the unstable particles and the blob finally began to take the shape of the sphere due to the relentlesspression of these two forces.


    Five minutes passed just like that and the blob finally took the shape of a sphere but it was quite big¡ªalmost the size of a football¡ªand a stable core had the size of a fist.


    So, Orion spent some more timepressing the sphere and an hourter, he seeded in achieving the first stage of the Three Divine Ways¡ªthe Divine Core stage.


    A ring ck sphere was floating behind Orion''s, and he could feel his strength had increased quite a bit.


    He felt that if the curse transformation was an ability that increased his control over the curses, then the Divine Core stage was a realm where all his physical abilities were boosted.


    Most importantly, unlike other humans, his body was already perfected. He had upgraded, with all his stats having maxed out points. This perfection made the increase in his physical abilities and the boost in strength when he used the Divine Core stage far greater than any other human.


    "Hehe, with this, I don''t need to fear any gold-ranking individuals out there."


    Orion chuckled, feeling the strength coursing through his body.


    "Last time when I was in the soul temple, it was hard for me to move the energy in the abyss because I didn''t have any specific method to extract those energies but this time I didn''t face any difficulties."


    He muttered to himself and thought that it might be because of the presence of the technique, which he didn''t possess at that time.


    ''I guess being born into a rich and powerful family indeed gives one a head start.''


    Orion thought and deactivated the Three Divine Ways, causing the ck sphere behind his back to scatter into ck particles and be absorbed inside his body.


    ''It''s time I increased my stat points.''


    Opening the door, he walked outside of his room.


    However, the moment he came outside, he saw Butler Rio standing before him.


    "Young Master, Master agreed to your demands but only on one condition."


    Butler Rio directly stated why he was here the moment he saw Orion.


    Orion was delighted to hear that his father agreed on this but the condition made him frown.


    "What is the condition?" He asked. If the condition were to be something he didn''t want to do or something he wasn''t capable of, then it would be a problem for him.


    "Master wants you to win tomorrow''s assessment."


    "That''s it?" Orion asked, dumbfounded.


    "That''s it."


    Butler Rio nodded.


    "Hahaha, Butler Rio, you might as well prepare the three extra copies of the technique because in tomorrow''s assessment I am going to win for sure." Orionughed.


    He was worried for a moment, wondering what the condition could be, but he never imagined it would be something this simple.


    Butler Rio didn''t know what to make of Orion''s confidence. As he looked at Orion''s smiling face, he wondered if Orion truly had the strength to back up his ims or if he was still just like his former self.


    "Young Master, I will take my leave."


    In the end, he bowed to him and headed towards the king''s chamber.


    Titi!¡ª


    However, at that moment, a ringing sound was heard, prompting Orion to raise his hand closer to his face.


    ''An important news has arrived.''


    He saw a green glow on the bracelet he wore in his right hand.


    This bracelet was different from the typical space bracelets and was called a universal bracelet.


    The bracelets had numerous functions, and one of the most useful was the news feature. With these bracelets, any important piece of information throughout the Magus Kingdom was within reach.


    This particr bracelet belonged to Orion and it had been with him for five years. But he had left it behind before starting his test, and it had remained in his room all this time. Today, while getting ready to go to the city with his sister, he found the bracelet in his wardrobe.


    ''Let''s see what''s in the news.''


    Orion thought, tapping the bracelet with his finger.


    A holographic page appeared before his eyes as he did that.


    ? Sword Sage''s student has finally been chosen!!! ?


    Orion''s heart rate increased as he saw the title of the news and there was even a picture of the girl who won the lottery along with Sword Sage in the title.


    He quickly proceeded to read the details mentioned below.


    ? Just moments ago, the 2nd rank in the elite ranking¡ªElyn Ravenw, the sole daughter of the Ravenw family of the seven Magi families¡ªyed the Lottery of Fortune and Misfortune and ultimately won it. The lottery had been spread throughout the Magus Kingdom for decades and finally we have our winner. ?


    ? Sword Sage himself came and epted Elyn as his student. ?


    ? Elyn Ravenw has done the unthinkable. The odds of winning the lottery were almost negligible; otherwise, someone might have won it already but she came and won on her first try. ?


    ? Because of this, all the people around the world started calling her the Divine Fairy¡ªthe one who embodies the greatest luck on her body. ?


    Orion silently clenched his fists as he read all of that. He felt deeply conflicted. It was as if something destined to be his had been snatched away at thest possible moment.


    It was his dream to be a student of the sword sage. After recovering his memories, he felt a glimmer of hope that he could finally achieve this seemingly impossible goal.


    But fate¡ªor, some might argue, luck¡ªhad peculiar ways of reminding you that sometimes dreams were destined to remain just that: dreams. Never to be fulfilled, no matter how fervently one hoped or nned.


    The Sword Sage represented everything he aspired to be¡ªstrength, wisdom, honour¡ªbut now all that remained were echoes of a shattered dream, fragments of a vision that once burned bright but nowy scattered like broken ss on the floor of his soul.

 Chapter 159: 159. Big Brother and Big Sister

    ''Forget it.''


    Orion sighed. There were some things he couldn''t control and there were still things he had to do right now so he focused his thoughts on these things instead of brooding over this news.


    Although he felt a little sad, it wasn''t something that could make him lose sight of what''s ahead.


    Though he had a little doubt about Elyn, He had seen another Elyn on Sad with that strange old man. If that old man turned out to be someone so powerful that he could make the demon race run away, then his granddaughter had to be an amazingly strong person.


    But he didn''t know her strength nor was he sure whether she was the same Elyn as the Divine Fairy.


    ''Maybe she is, maybe she isn''t. I guess, I will know that eventually.''


    He thought and again looked at his universal bracelet.


    ''Let''s see what else is in the news.''


    Swiping left with his finger, the hologram switched to a new one and Orion was surprised to see the title of this news.


    ? Curse Lord¡ªthe hero of Starforge. ?


    ''They made me the hero!''


    He looked down and saw a picture of himself wearing the mask, his right hand engulfed in bright red mes and his left hand cloaked in icy blue frost.


    ''Damn, does everyone take mirror crystal with them when they travel around?''


    Orion wondered when he saw a picture of himself on the article.


    Only mirror crystal could record a picture of someone and store it inside forter use.


    Moving down, he saw there were more things written about the Curse Lord.


    ? He single-handedly killed the silver rank and golden rank demons from the demon race, making their attack on the Starforge a failure. People from all over the world started calling him a hero but we don''t know who he really is as he wears a mask. Is Curse Lord from one of the seven Magi families? Is he a Zenithan? Why haven''t we seen him before or heard about someone so stronger in our world?


    Stay tuned for more rted information about the hero¡ªCurse Lore. ?


    ? Just now we also received news that Hyperion Tower gave Curse Lord the 3rd ranking in the elite rankings, making him one of the strongest young lords of the Magus Kingdom just behind Astral Voidwalker and Elyn Ravenw. ?


    ? First was the legend of the Divine Fairy and then this Curse Lord. A lot of youngsters are rising just before the kingdom''s biggest asion. Who will rise at the end and who will drown in the sea of geniuses? Stay tuned for more updates. ?


    The page ended there and Orion''s face was a little strange as he looked at the ending of the news. To him, the news from here appeared the same as those from Earth but only in text form.


    ''I guess some things don''t change.''


    He thought and looked around when he noticed that some servants were looking at him strangely.


    It was then that it dawned on him that he was still outside his room and had been standing there for quite a while.


    Feeling a little embarrassed, he quickly picked up his pace and left the hall.


    ***


    Arriving outside the pce, his eyes caught sight of a handsome guy with ck hair walking towards the entrance. His looks resembled his, but the guy appeared more mature and well-built whenpared to Orion.


    Seeing him, Orion felt a little ufortable and with that difort came memories that he wished had remained sealed.


    As they crossed paths, the guy at first seemed as if he didn''t notice him, but just as he walked past him, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    "You didn''t think I wouldn''t notice you, did you, my cute little brother?"


    Orion flinched at the sound of those words and before he could react, the ground beneath him trembled and, like a snake, coiled around his body, restraining him.


    "I saw you at the arena today and I am impressed that my snotty little brother, who only knew how to cry back then, has be this strong."


    Orion didn''t say anything as he heard his praises and just stared at him.


    "Oh, you aren''t going to say even hi to your big brother? That''s very heartbreaking to me, little brother. But I can cope with it."


    The man smiled, patted Orion''s head, and then leaned in to whisper something in his ear, causing Orion to suddenly tremble.


    "Little brother, I am kind of busy so I will have to go now. But I am looking forward to meeting you again some other time."


    As he said those words, he walked past Orion and entered the pce.


    Orion didn''t move for a long period of time and just stared nkly at the scenery around him.


    It wasn''t until ady came and noticed him like that.


    Thedy resembled Orion''s mother a lot but appeared much younger, around twenty years old,pared to the guy from before.


    However, her reaction when she saw Orion was as if she had seen a ghost.


    "No, it''s impossible. This shouldn''t have happened. How did this happen? Why did this happen?"


    She then suddenly muttered to herself as she looked at Orion; her eyes only reflected shock.


    Meanwhile, Orion came back to his senses, hearing the murmurs, and saw thedy in front of him.


    He became excited to see her, in contrast to the guy from earlier.


    "Big Sister Emily, when did youe back?" He asked, his face blooming with happiness as the gloom from before disappeared, seeing thedy in front of him.


    "No, no. There is definitely something wrong here. I will have to inform others about this."


    She muttered a few more words before suddenly disappearing, leaving Orion confused about what had happened to her.


    ''What happened to her?'' He thought. ''Maybe she remembered some unfinished work and had to go quickly.''


    He then broke through the earth barrier that had restrained him and continued walking towards his original destination.


    ''It''s good that big sister came back. I will show her how strong I have be tomorrow.''


    He thought happily as he walked.


    The destination he had in mind was a forest near the pce called Toc Forest.


    He remembered his mother telling him stories about how this forest was the oldest entity in Morse. Even before their family settled here, the forest existed. Countless generations had passed, yet the forest still stood tall.


    Over time, it became a hunting ground for generations and generations of their lineage.


    Even the people from all the districts came to this forest to hunt monsters and level up.


    However, being the oldest entity on the Morse, the forest was home to monsters with iprehensible strength. These creatures lived in the deepest parts of the forest, leading to a family rule: no one was to venture beyond the twenty-kilometre mark.


    And Orion was no exception to this rule. He was only going there with the intention of increasing his stat points.


    In the news earlier, he noticed the article mentioned something about the biggest asion in the Magus Kingdom and he knew what the biggest asion meant.


    In fact, there was only one event that could be called the biggest asion in the Magus Kingdom: the Ster Prodigy Tournament. However, what made this tournament truly special was that it coincided with the emperor''s centennial birthday. Thisbination made it a once-in-a-century event for the people of the Magus Kingdom.


    Therefore, Orion had a feeling that he would face some strong opponents in the tournament. Even though he was confident in defeating any gold-ranked experts, he wanted to be at his best.


    As for not participating in the tournament, It was not his decision to make. He would represent his family in that tournament if he won tomorrow''s assessment, which he definitely wouldn''t lose, so he would have to participate in the tournament whether he liked it or not.

 Chapter 160: 160. Tocola Forest

    About a few minutester, Orion arrived at his destination and as he looked at the scenery, he was shocked because all he could see was dense forest as far as his eyes could take.


    His mother did tell him that the forest was huge but seeing it with his own eyes was spectacr.


    Even standing only at the entrance, he could hear the roar of the monsters deep in the forest. He wondered what secrets this forest held to house so many monsters for so long.


    ''Let''s start. My goal for today is at least twenty in all stats.''


    He thought and walked inside the forest and as he entered and looked around, he felt as if evening had already arrived but it hadn''t.


    The canopies of the trees here were so dense that the sunlight couldn''t pass through them, making the entire forest dim in light.


    Soon, he spotted his first monster.


    It looked like a deer but it had antlers¡ªnot just any antlers but antlers bathing in lightning. Its body was also bigger, like the size of an elephant.


    Orion took out his heavy sword, activated the curse of Berserk Body and Electrostatic Disruption and walked towards the monster.


    As he walked, ayer of red covered his entire body.


    The monster''s ears perked up as he went closer and looked in his direction.


    However, just as it noticed him, instead of running away, it came running towards him and at the same time, the lightning at his antlers shot towards him like a beam of light.


    Orion ignored the lightning and it struck his body but couldn''t get past his absolute defense.


    At that moment, the monster also reached in front of him and attacked with his antlers once again but this time as a direct head-on attack.


    But Orion sidestepped, easily dodged that, and swung his sword at the same time.


    The monster''s head rolled to the ground and its headless fell down.


    He went over its body, quickly took out its core and absorbed it.


    [Agility increased by 1]


    ''It will be a long day, I guess.''


    Orion thought, pondering that he would need to kill almost a hundred monsters to get 20 stat points in all his stats.


    "Let''s go to an area where there are arge number of monsters."


    He muttered to himself and went a little deep into the forest.


    ***


    About six hourster, Orion sat near a river and looked at the night sky that was twinkling with stars.


    The starry sky of this world never ceases to amaze him. It was like that in the dungeon too and it was even more beautiful here.


    However, as he looked at the sky full of stars, he wondered about his goal in this world.


    Unlike his life on Earth, where he used to only study and hadn''t had any time left for anything else, in this world, he had all the time to himself, which made him wonder what he was going to do with all this time.


    ''I should visit the Human Federation Realm and the Martial Domain once.''


    He made a mental note to visit those ces once he was done with the uing tournament in a month.


    ''It''s time I return.''


    It was almost night and at night, the monsters were abundant in the forest but the family rule also mentioned not to hunt at night so he could only leave the forest for now.


    ''Status.''


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Iron]


    [Divine Ability - Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy Curse: 12%]


    [Sub Ability: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation]


    [Curse: Reality Fracture, Berserk Body, Malevolent Gaze, Identity Strain, Devouring Abyss, Thunder''s Wrath]


    [Strength: 20]


    [Stamina: 18]


    [Agility: 19]


    [Perception: 17]


    [Constitution: 18]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    As he was walking towards the pce, he looked at his status.


    He focused his attention on the Thunder''s Wraith and an additional window appeared in his vision.


    [Curse: Thunder''s Wrath]


    [Description: The talent of the Storm Summoner grants the wielder the ability to control and summon powerful lightning and storms. However, this potent ability is apanied by the curse of Thunder''s Wrath, which produces lightning that damages the wielder''s own body.]


    ''That''s what I was hoping for. With this curse added to my arsenal, I have fire, ice, and lightning at my disposal.''


    Orion smiled in satisfaction at thest curse he obtained from Monty.


    Sometimester, hepletely left the area of the Toc Forest and appeared near the area of the pce and the districts.


    This area was also surrounded by trees, but not dense and tall like the ones from the Toc Forest.


    As he passed from there, he heard sounds of battleing from a little distance from him.


    ''Who is fighting here?''


    Curious, he changed his direction and headed in the direction where the sound came from.


    Arriving there, he jumped on a tree and saw a pit of fire where twodies were sitting and eating. While at the side, he noticed two men around his age or older were fighting each other.


    Orion recognised all of them; after all, they were his cousins.


    The four of them were present in the king''s chamberst month.


    The four of them also noticed him, and they were surprised to see him here.


    "Yo, Orion,e here and eat something."


    One of thedies sitting there invited Orion to eat, while the other looked at Orion as if he wasn''t worthy to eat among them.


    Orion noticed her expression but he didn''t care. He jumped from the tree and appeared before them.


    "What are you eating, Sister Lucy?" He asked, looking at thedy who invited him. He remembered she was one of the few individuals who never changed her behaviour towards him when he was found to have no talent.


    And Orion really appreciated that.


    Meanwhile, Lucy appeared somewhat confused, wondering how this was the same kid who didn''t appear to have any talent and yet passed the test.


    "This is a delicacy from ckmist Haven. Try it and you will enjoy it for sure."


    Orion nodded, took the food from her and put it in his mouth.


    "It''s indeed tasty."


    He replied after eating the whole thing.


    "So what are you guys doing here?" He asked.


    The two guys stopped fighting when they saw Orion eating and came over.


    "We were thinking of how we should defeat Tray at the assessment tomorrow." Said one of the guys with long ck hair. He was also the tallest one among them.


    "Tray?" Orion had totally forgotten about this guy.


    In his family, it was said that his big sister Emily had the highest potential, followed by his big brother Aron and then this Tray guy came next. That didn''t mean all the others had low potential.


    No, in fact, all the members of the Darkwood Family had very good potential but these three were said to have surpassed the ''very good'' category and entered a realm where only the top geniuses of the Magus Kingdom could pose any challenge to them.


    "Dustin, we have no hope against Tray. We should just ept our defeat." Said the other boy. He appeared well built for someone his age and his baldness was for reasons unknown.


    "I know that, Ford. But if he bes our leader, then our good days are over."


    Dustin sweated, thinking about what would happen if Tray were to be their leader.

 Chapter 161: 161. A Depressed Dinner

    Orion smiled secretly, knowing these two guy''s problems were non-existent as long as he was here.


    But he knew if he were to tell them that he would win tomorrow, then no one would probably believe him so he didn''t bother telling them; they would know that eventually.


    "You guys are forgetting something."


    At that moment, Lucy looked at Ford and Dustin.


    "Have you forgotten that the one who will win tomorrow will also need toplete a mission? If one fails that mission, then their title of leader would be stripped away and would be given to others."


    Orion frowned. This was his first time hearing a mission was required to bepleted before being fully epted as a leader and the failure was the instant transfer of leadership to some other individual.


    "What type of mission?" he asked.


    Lucy shook her head at him.


    "Nobody knows. This rule is the first time it has been implemented in our time. So nobody really knows what type of mission one would get."


    Orion nodded and thought that even if a mission were to be given to test the individual, it shouldn''t be that difficult that it couldn''t bepleted but it could be tricky depending on the situation.


    "Orion, will you be joining the Dos Academy?"


    Dustin asked Orion this time. He thought that since Orion was the youngest son of their master, he should join that academy as well. Though he wasn''t sure about that,.


    "What academy?" Orion waspletely oblivious to what academy they were talking about. As far as he knew, there were many academies in the Magus Kingdom but they were all too weak for him and the academy name Dustin said was a new word to Orion.


    "You don''t know?" Dustin asked, surprised that Orion didn''t know of Dos Academy.


    Lucy lightly pped Dustin on the forehead.


    "Fool, he had just arrived at home yesterday so how could he know everything about what had happened in the world if someone wouldn''t tell him? He isn''t like us, who had already passed the test two-three months ago."


    "Ah, right." Dustin nodded embarrassingly.


    "So what is this academy thing all about?" Orion asked.


    Lucy thought for a moment before exining it to Orion.


    "Because the peace treaty signed between the four races ising to an end in five years, the powerhouses of the three domains have decided to establish an academy called Dos Academy where students from all three domains could learn there."


    "They would train those students to their very best so that they could prepare for what''s toe in the next five years. They also mentioned they would also teach us some things about Grimshore but they didn''t go into the details for this."


    After hearing Lucy''s long exnation, Orion became interested in this Dos Academy.


    "When will the academy start?" He asked.


    "Three months after the Ster Prodigy Tournament," Lucy replied.


    "Three months?" Orion felt confident that in three months he would definitely reach silver rank, bringing him one step closer to gold rank. The timing of Dos Academy''s offer was perfect, as it came just before his nned entry into Grimshore at gold rank.


    But that would mean he would have to cancel his journey to the Human Federation Realm and the Martial Domain.


    "If I am allowed to go there, then I will definitely be going."


    Orion told them what he believed was true. If his father didn''t agree, then he couldn''t go there as Orion. As for his other identity, nobody knew what would happen in the future.


    "Our Darkwood family has ten spots in the Dos Academy, just like the six other Magi families, so we believe tomorrow''s assessment will be very crucial for us to show our significance to the family."


    Hearing Dustin''s words, Orion thought that only including the seven Magi families would make the total of 70 individuals going to the academy and if he used the Magus Kingdom as a whole, then the number would surely go up to 100.


    That meant there would be at least 300 individuals in the academy, give or take.


    "I guess I will leave now."


    Orion looked at the sky and saw that the night had approached.


    "We are also leaving. Let''s also be together." Lucy suggested.


    Orion nodded and they made their way towards the pce.


    Arriving at the pce, they went their separate ways and Orion went directly to eat dinner.


    Last night, he slept early and forgot to eat with his mother, which made him a little guilty. Therefore, he decided he would first eat with his mother and then he would think of anything else to do.


    ***


    A long table was ced in arge room, with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, casting a warm, inviting light.


    Ten people were seated at the table, eating their food quietly. Nobody spoke a word, and everyone kept their heads down, focusing solely on their meals. The only sounds were the munching and gulping of food, creating a stark contrast to the otherwise pin-drop silence.


    Even E, who always made a ruckus when they ate, was quiet today.


    Orion was also like them, seated in the middle and eating quietly.


    When he came to eat earlier, he had imagined a warm dinner with his mother, sister, and friends. However, he didn''t anticipate the arrival of three other individuals, who changed the entire atmosphere of the dinner.


    They were his father, brother, and sister.


    It wasn''t that they said anything about not talking while eating, but the aura they emitted suggested they preferred to eat in peace.


    Suggested in their case, spected by them.


    Orion didn''t know why the three of them had decided to eat at home today.


    His father, as far as he could remember, always liked to eat alone with his mother when everyone fell asleep.


    His brother rarely ate at home and that only left his sister, who ate with them frequently over time.


    But as he looked at their serious faces while they ate, Orion couldn''t help butugh secretly, wondering if this was how they usually ate their meals.


    However, he noticed one thing during this time and that was about his big sister.


    He could feel that she seemed to be looking at him every now and then, frequently, as she ate her meals.


    Also, for some reason, he felt that his sister had changed greatly. She was a very cheerful and optimistic person when he left home five years ago but the one in front of him felt like apletely different person.


    He didn''t know what happened to her but he decided to ask her tomorrow after the assessment.


    "I am full. I will take my leave."


    His father finished eating and left the room.


    "I am finished too."


    A momentter, his brother finished too and like his father, he too left the room.


    However, just when Orion thought his sister would follow in their footsteps, she asked him a question.


    "Orion, how did you awaken your talent?"


    Except for Famir and Ryfin, who thought he had awakened his talent due to transmigration, and Ron, who looked confused about the whole thing, his mother and E looked at him with interest.


    Orion sighed, seeing their curious faces. He had anticipated being asked such questions when he awakened his memories, so he had already prepared a reason for that.

 Chapter 162: 162. The Day of The Assessment

    "I identally entered a dungeon where I faced a life-and-death situation and somehow awakened my system."


    That was what Orion told them and that was what he also believed to be the true reason why he awakened his talent.


    Since his talent had something to do with curses, it hadn''t awakened when he was born, and anything rted to curses had a lot to do with negative emotions.


    Although he had his fair share of negativity growing up in the pce of the Darkwood family, it wasn''t anywhere near the life-and-death situation he had faced in the dungeon, and that was the reason he couldn''t awaken his talent in the family and was easily able to awaken it in a dungeon.


    In a way, what he said was the truth.


    "So, your father was right when he mentioned you need to push through the limits to awaken your talent."


    His mother mentioned the things his father said to awaken his talent. She felt veryplex about this because, for this reason, Orion''s cousin beat him in the name of training.


    Orion didn''t agree with what his mother said just now. Although his father''s words meant for him to awaken his talent, he believed he said those words out of anger and disappointment that his youngest son couldn''t awaken his talent.


    Though he also believed he could be wrong about this matterpletely,.


    "Orion, tell me what happened after that."


    His mother asked curiously, and her expression appeared worried too.


    "Yes, Big Brother Orion, tell me what happened."


    E also demanded to know what happened in the dungeon.


    Looking at their curious faces, Orion told them briefly about what happened in the dungeon and of course he cut out the part about the god and anything rted to that.


    He also mentioned what happened after they left the dungeon, how they found themselves on Sad and what transpired after that with the arrival of the sword sage. But he excluded the part where he turned into a giant. That would be too shocking for anyone to believe.


    In the end, he mentioned the attack of the demon race in the Starforge.


    He almost told them everything that had happened since he arrived in this world.


    His mother''s face turned to shock, worry, and shock and worry as she heard his adventures. She felt her son might have it harderpared to the other descendants in this test. But she also felt proud that he ultimately triumphed over all of that and awakened his talent.


    "Orion, you should go to sleep now. Tomorrow is the assessment and you should rest early for that."


    His mother suggested that Orion rest. She knew his son was strong after hearing his story but as a mother, she felt worried nheless.


    "Mother, don''t worry. I will be fine."


    Orion shook his head at her.


    "Son, even so, go and have a rest."


    She insisted on Orion having a rest.


    Orion sighed and epted her mother''s proposal.


    "Alright, mother, I will see you tomorrow and see you guys tomorrow too."


    He stood up from his chair and said his goodbyes to his mother, his friends, and his sisters.


    "Big Brother, you will have to win tomorrow."


    E shouted at Orion and held her hands high, which still held the fork and knife she was eating with.


    "Of course."


    Orionughed and left the hall.


    Momentster, he appeared in his own room andid down on his bed to sleep.


    ***


    The next day, everyone from the Darkwood family gathered in what appeared to be a battle arena.


    It wasn''t like the one from thest time¡ªno, it waspletely different.


    It was as big as a football stadium and all around it were seats for spectators to sit and enjoy the battle happening on the arena.


    At the highest point of the arena, where one could get the best view of the battle, seated the Master of the Darkwood Family¡ªBarion Darkwood¡ªand the Mistress¡ªOlivia.


    There were many other seats in that area where all the elders and other senior members of the family sat.


    The junior members of the family, like Orion''s big brother and big sister, including E, were assigned to an area just below the senior members. They had already sat in their respective seats, waiting for the assessment to begin. Orion''s friends were also seated there, watching the show.


    Meanwhile, the eight members, including Orion, who would participate in the assessment were standing near the Master of the Darkwood Family.


    At that moment, the Master of the Darkwood Family stood up and waved his hands at the bustling crowd, causing everyone in the arena to be silent.


    "Today is the assessment of these youngds, who had gone through so much in the time frame they were away from the family. Have a round of apuse for them that they managed to pass the test."


    p! p! p!


    p! p! p!


    p! p! p!


    "Young Master Ford, do your best."


    "Prince Tray, I am supporting you."


    "Princess Lucy, do your best."


    "Young Master Dustin, I am cheering for you. Do your best."


    Waves of pping sounds were heard all around the battle arena, along with encouraging words to the seven young men who would participate in the assessment.


    In the midst of all this, Orion, who had been paying attention to everything, smiled wryly. He thought about how only his little sister and a few others who had watched his battle in the arena the previous day had cheered for him.


    At that moment, Barion waved his hand, and the crowd fell silent once again.


    "The rule of the assessment is simple. All the participants will fight a battle royal in the arena and thest one standing there will win the assessment. Is that clear?"


    Barion exined the rule loudly so that everyone could hear him and turned his attention to the eight individuals who would participate in the assessment.


    Dustin raised his hand at the moment.


    "What is it, Nephew Dustin?"


    "Master, what happens when there is a tie between thest two standing individuals?"


    "At that time, another battle would take ce between the tied candidates and the winner of that battle would ultimately decide the winner of the assessment."


    "What if that battle would again result in a tie?"


    "Then we would continue to hold battles between them until a clear winner was decided. Anything else, Nephew Dustin?"


    "No, Master."


    Barion nodded at Dustin before he turned to look at everyone in the arena.


    "Alright, let''s star."


    However, he suddenly stopped midway when he was about to dere the start of the assessment and looked above.


    Everyone else seemed confused by their master''s reaction and they all turned to look at the sky.


    But there was nothing in the sky and the weather was also fine, with clouds all around the sky.


    It was at that moment that a huge silhouette could be seen taking shape behind the clouds.


    Momentster, the silhouette tore through the clouds and revealed itself to the residents of Morse.


    Everyone was surprised to see a huge void shuttle had entered their and their master didn''t do anything to stop it.


    Soon, the void shuttle stopped near the arena and the gate leading to it opened, revealing three figures making their way towards them.

 Chapter 163: 163. Elyn Ravenclaw

    "Barion, you wouldn''t mind if we hopped into here to enjoy the show, would you?"


    One of the three figuresughed as soon as theynded in the arena beside Barion. He was a middle-aged man with short silver hair, a well-built body, and white and blue clothing.


    "Hahahaha, Estor, how could I reject you now that you are here? Also, ose is here too. I can''t reject two Magi Kings at the same time, could I?"


    Barionughed as he weed them.


    "Forgive me for arriving without any prior notice. My daughter wanted toe here and meet Emily. We happened to be at ose''s ce when ose mentioned the assessment happening in your family, so I thought, Why not alle and enjoy the show together?"


    "You did the right thing, Estor. You don''t need to worry about anything."


    Barion nodded to him and at that moment, he noticed the third figuree closer to him and bow to him.


    "Uncle Barion, we will meet again."


    "Haha, no need to be so formal with me, Niece Elyn. You''ve beening regrly these past 5¨C6 years, so make yourself at home."


    Barion nodded at Elyn and turned to look at the crowd gathered at the huge arena.


    "Everyone wees the Magi King of ckmist Haven¡ªEstor Ravenw, the Magi King of Hailee Haven¡ªose Stormrider andst but not least, the sole student of the Sword Sage¡ªthe Divine Fairy herself¡ªElyn Ravenw."


    The crowd erupted into cheers as soon as Barion announced their names. Especially when the name of Elyn Ravenw was mentioned, the cheer was the loudest. Her fame reached far and wide, even to thes under a Magi King.


    Meanwhile, Orion was also looking at Elyn himself. In fact, his whole attention has been on them since the moment they arrived on stage.


    Earlier, he had doubted if this Elyn was the same Elyn whom he had seen at the nt Sad but looking at her now, he felt they couldn''t be the same person.


    The Elyn in front of him was the epitome of beauty. She had long silver hair and a cute, beautiful face. Her dark blue clothing only made her even more attractive.


    If Orion had to rate her, he would say she was the most beautiful human he had ever seen.


    Her beauty contrasted sharply with the Elyn he had seen on Sad, who had scratch marks all over her face. This made Orion believe they couldn''t be the same person.


    Though he wasn''t sure, Since he could change his face, so could others. He would have to ask her in person to know the real truth.


    ''Besides that, she really is the luckiest person in the world.''


    Regarding her beauty, Orion felt that if the luckiest person in the whole world wasn''t this beautiful, then that person wasn''t worthy of the title.


    As he was wondering, Butler Rio arranged seats for the two Magi Kings as Elyn went and sat with Emily.


    "Everyone, let''s start the assessment."


    Seeing that everything else was fine, Barion looked at the crowd and dered the start of the assessment.


    After that, he went and took his seat, which was in the middle of where the other two Magi Kings were sitting.


    At that moment, Butler Rio tookmand.


    "Participants, get on to the stage."


    Orion and the other seven individuals went and appeared on stage along with Butler Rio.


    "I will be the judge of the assessment," Butler Rio said as he looked at each of them. "When I leave the stage, you all can begin."


    As he said those words, he began walking towards the edge of the arena.


    The seven participants became tense as they watched him slowly walk. They knew that the moment his two feet left the stage, all hell would loosen upon them.


    Everyone wanted to win, and most importantly, nobody wanted to be the first one eliminated. It would be the biggest humiliation they could suffer in their life. After all, being eliminated first meant being seen as the weakest among them, which would be especially humiliating in front of the three Magi Kings.


    Therefore, in a scenario where they couldn''t trust each other, only by attacking and eliminating the weakest could they at least save their faces from being humiliated.


    And the weakest, ording to everyone except Luke and Monty, was Orion.


    In fact, Orion himself could see that as much as their attention was on Butler Rio, they were also focused on him.


    Orion smiled upon seeing that. He understood their intentions but only he knew that it would be their biggest mistake.


    Seeing that Butler Rio was about to leave the stage, he activated the curse of Berserk Body in Curse Transformation mode and also activated electrostatic disruption normally.


    A shimmeringyer of glow covered his whole body as he used absolute defence.


    He had decided to only reveal his physical strength and the ability to disrupt electrostatics.


    There wasn''t a particr reason behind this; he just felt he wouldn''t need to use his other curses against them. They were, after all, only at the peak of silver rank.


    At the same time, he also noticed others also activated their talent and used the first form of the Three Divine Ways as a core manifested behind each of them.


    ''Ipletely forgot about this.''


    Orion thought. He then, too, used the first form of the Three Divine Ways. As he did that, his body released ck, glowing particles before they gathered together to form a pitch-ck core that hovered behind his back.


    This presentation of his divine core caught the attention of his father and many other individuals.


    "He mastered the first form in a day."


    Barion muttered to himself as he looked at Orion deeply.


    "Who?" asked Estor, who was sitting beside him.


    "My youngest son," replied Barion.


    Estor looked confused for a moment.


    "Isn''t your youngest son the one who couldn''t awaken his talent and you brought him to my old man to check what was wrong with him years ago?"


    A proud smile appeared on Barion''s face as he looked at him.


    "Yeah, he is indeed the one I am talking about. Like others, he also went away from the families for the test and when he returned after five years, he had awakened his talent."


    Estor''s expression turned serious after hearing Barion.


    "You are saying that not only did he awaken his talent but he also mastered the first form of the Three Divine Ways in just a day."


    Barion nodded to him.


    Seeing his nod, Estor smiled wryly.


    "Barion, if I didn''t have my daughter, I would definitely be jealous of you for having such talented sons and daughters."


    "Hahaha, I know you definitely will be."


    As Barion said those words, both of themughed.


    Meanwhile, ose Stormrider''s expression was gloomy as he heard the two talking. No one knew what he was thinking.


    At the same time, the other seven participants also looked surprised that Orion managed to master the first form of the Three Divine Ways in just a day. They knew that one could only get this technique if one was deemed important by the family, be it the servants or the descendants.


    In their case, they had to pass the test to get ess to this technique. So, they knew Orion at most had two days to master the first form and that itself was a grand thing, considering some of them even took months to do it.


    However, they didn''t have time to get shocked about that, as Butler Rio soon reached near the arena. He was just two steps away from finally leaving the stage.

 Chapter 164: 164. Assessment - 1

    Everyone''s attention was on Butler Rio and they saw that he put one leg onto the arena and, a momentter, the other one too. At that moment, he finally left the stage.


    Almost instantly, the four of Ford, Dustin, Lucy, and another girl who was previously seated beside Lucy in the forest¡ªAnvi¡ªtook action.


    They all turned towards Orion and moved towards him.


    "Look! Four of them are targeting Prince Orion."


    "They want to eliminate the weakest one first; that''s why they are targeting Prince Orion."


    "It looks like Prince Orion won''t be able to leave behind a good image."


    "What can one do if they are attacked by not one but four individuals at the same time?"


    "You are correct. Prince Orion is only at the iron rank, while the rest of them are all at the peak of the silver rank."


    The crowd sitting at the arena erupted as soon as they saw how four of them were nning to eliminate Orion first.


    Seeing the chaos on the stage, a smile appeared on the face of ose as he turned to look at the barion.


    "Barion, your youngest son is too daring to even take part in the assessment with his strength at the iron rank."


    Estor also nodded from the side.


    "He is right and because of what you said earlier about his talent and mastering the first, I forgot to pay attention to his strength. I think he will be eliminated in this battle."


    Barion smiled as he heard them. If he hadn''t known about Orion''s strength from Mike beforehand, then he might have felt the same as them.


    "Haha, let''s wait and see."


    ose frowned, seeing that Barion didn''t seem worried about Orion''s elimination. He felt that Barion was too overconfident about his son.


    As for Estor, he looked at the fight that would begin in a moment, for he knew that Barion''s confidence wasn''t an empty one.


    In the arena, Ford was the closest to him so he reached Orion the fastest. It wasn''t known if he intentionally stood close to Orion before the start of the battle or if it was all just a coincidence.


    But he used the full benefit of that and arrived before Orion when others were still a little too far from him.


    "I am sorry, Brother Orion, but you will have to go for the betterment of us."


    Ford sneered using his talent and as a result, both his arms turned hairy before they fully transformed into what looked like a wolf''s arm with long nails ready to pierce at anything.


    "Wolf sh!"


    He shed forward at Orion, intending to throw him out of the arena with this attack.


    However, just when Ford thought he would hear Orion''s scream, a hand came out of nowhere and caught his hairy hand.


    "How can this be?"


    He uttered it in shock after he saw that the hand belonged to Orion himself.


    "You chose the wrong guy, Brother Ford."


    Enraged and humiliated at the thought that Orion caught his hand that he used as an attack, Ford shed with his left hand when he saw that he didn''t take him seriously.


    But his left hand rebounded off Orion''s body as soon as his attack reached him.


    "How is that possible?"


    "Done?"


    Orion asked and then raised him, holding his right hand and threw him out of the arena.


    "NOOO!!!"


    Ford''s scream reverberated throughout the arena but it was of no use as he soonnded among the crowd.


    "It seems your son indeed has something in him."


    Estor uttered it in surprise. He never thought the result would be so easily decided. The other party appeared too weak in front of Orion, as if he wasn''t one rank above him but Orion was.


    "I am surprised as well," Barion said.


    He was also greatly surprised because he felt that Orion had defeated Ford too effortlessly. This made him wonder where his son''s limitsy.


    ose didn''t say anything and only watched the battle gloomily.


    Back on stage, the other three¡ªDustin, Lucy, and Anvi¡ªstopped in their tracks, their faces trembling in shock. They thought they could easily eliminate Orion but it turned out he was a hidden dragon.


    Orion saw that the other six were looking at him with shock¡ªwell, not everyone, as Luke and Monty''s faces revealed more fear than shock.


    "Well, it isn''t my fault if guys want to target me."


    He shrugged, looking at them but as if he thought of something, his face turned into a smirk.


    "By the way, I am going to win this assessment. So, can you guys hurry up?"


    His words shocked the other six once again, especially Tray, who felt that he was being ignored. He was the strongest of them here yet someone had the gall to say he would win the assessment.


    "Brother Orion, overconfidence is sometimes one''s mortal enemy." He said it with a sneer.


    "Overconfidence?" Orion smiled as he heard him. He could have chosen the option to wait for everyone to eliminate each other, now that they knew his strength, and then fight Tray at the end to win. But he felt that wouldn''t be fun at all¡ªit would be too boring.


    Therefore, he thought, if he was going to win anyway, why wouldn''t he do it with a bang? It''s not like he would be revealing his full strength to everyone by doing so. What he was using right now wouldn''t even be considered 20% of his true power. So he felt there was no need to hold back at all.


    Moreover, his mother and his little sister were looking at him with expectations. If he didn''t surprise them, then it would be a waste to have such strength.


    Looking at Tray, who was sneering at him and the other five, who hadplex expressions, he smiled.


    "In truth, you guys are just too weak. You won''t be able to take even one of my moves if I attack. So, I suggest you guyse at me together; otherwise, you don''t stand a chance against me one by one and would end up like Brother Ford. Also, it''s not like you guys could defeat me if you joined hands. So get on with it."


    His bold deration echoed through the arena and like a ripple in the calm ocean, it spread wide and far.


    Everyone was shocked by Orion''s words and why wouldn''t they be shocked? It wasn''t everyday they would see an individual of iron rank say those bold words to six other peak-silver rank individuals.


    At the top of the arena, Estor looked at Orion andughed in satisfaction.


    "Hahaha, that''s how a man should fight. What a bold guy! I like it."


    On the other hand, Barionughed wryly. He hadn''t thought his youngest son would do this. Though he became interested in how this would all y out,.


    As for ose, he directly sneered at Orion.


    "Your youngest son might lose because of his overconfidence, Barion."


    Barion smiled back at him and didn''t say anything.


    On the seating area below them, Aron¡ªthe big brother of Orionughed at witnessing all of that.


    "Hahahaha. That''s how a direct descendant of our Darkwood family should act¡ªunbridled like a dragon. I thought only I was like this but my sweet little brother also turned out to be like me. That''s a matter worth celebrating."


    ---


    _________________________________________


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


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

 Chapter 165: 165. Assessment - 2

    Not far from Aron were seated his younger sister Emily and the Divine Fairy¡ªElyn. But strangely, they didn''t seem to react to Orion''s reckless approach and only watched the battle with a deadpan expression.


    Aron, who was looking at them, didn''t find anything extraordinary. He knew that they were talking among themselves using soul responses.


    As far as he recalled, he had rarely seen them talk normally, which made him wonder what plot they were cooking whenever they were together.


    ''They better not scheme against me again.''


    He thought, remembering how he made a fool of himself six years ago.


    ***


    On the stage, Tray became outraged because of Orion''s words. He felt humiliated that someone weaker than him said those words to him.


    "Brother Orion, you really make me infuriated," he said angrily. "So, I will eliminate you now and you can dream all day after this."


    Orion shrugged at his words and walked towards him.


    "Whatever, I nned to start with you too anyway if you all ain''t going to join hands."


    Hearing his words made Tray tremble. It sounded to him as though Orion wasn''t talking about him but some low-level beggers.


    He was the third genius in the Darkwood family who had the most potential yet he was treated like he was nothing. What really infuriated him the most was his casual behaviour; it was as if they were nothing to him and he could defeat them anytime.


    As he thought about all of this, Orion arrived in front of him.


    "You will see you won''t stand a move against me," he stated as if it were a matter of fact. "So, don''t despair when you find yourself among the crowd."


    The veins on Tray''s forehead pulsated as he heard Orion.


    "Fine, I will teach you a lesson," he said angrily. "Strength Rings."


    As soon as he said those words, five rings materialised in his right arm and each shone brighter than the other.


    "One Ring."


    He then punched Orion, who seemed to be looking at him with a smile.


    His fist tore through the air and reached Orion''s face but at thest possible moment, a hand caught his fist.


    "I knew you could catch this fist."


    Tray sneered. He had already expected that, since he would at least have to be this strong if he could defeat Ford easily.


    "But how about this?" He said. "Two Rings."


    The stage beneath them started to crack all of a sudden and a wave of shockwave was released from Orion and Tray as the center. But Orion was still holding his fist.


    Seeing this, Tray frowned and directly used the third ring.


    "Three Rings."


    At that moment, the stage beneath them fully cracked like spider webs and the shockwave released from them was bigger than thest time.


    "How can this be possible?"


    Tray couldn''t believe that Orion was this strong. The strength of three rings was enough to deal with anyone below the gold rank yet Orion stood still.


    "Four¡ª"


    However, he couldn''t use the fourth ring as Orion punched him and he flew out of the stage andnded among the crowd.


    Almost instantly, a wave of wind passed by and Dustin materialised in front of him, his hand holding a swirling mass of colourless cloud.


    Without any thought, he mmed the mass of swirling clouds on Orion, intending to push him out of the stage with the help of the wind but to his shock, he found his own body hurtling through the air andnded among the crowd.


    Just at that moment, Luke came out of Orion''s shadow with a hammer three times the size of himself, glimmering withplete darkness and smashed at him with all his strength.


    However, Orion reacted quickly and caught the huge hammer midway and using the power of repulsion, he pushed Luke out of the stage.


    But before he could react, vines as thick as his arm tore through the ground below him andtched onto himpletely, restricting his movement.


    It was also at that moment that he sensed a very powerful attack. Turning his head forward, he saw that Lucy was holding an arrow that shone brilliantly with an otherworldly blue glow.


    "Tempest of Destruction."


    With those words, she released the arrow as it came hurtling towards him.


    Orion had numerous ways he coulde out of this situation. In fact, even if he were to do nothing, he would still be unscathed in the end. But since he wanted to show off a little bit of his strength, he would have to take this fun away.


    He first broke out of the vines that restricted him by using a little bit of strength and broke the vinespletely.


    Freeing himself of the vines, he held his right hand out towards the iing arrow.


    Soon, the glowing arrow arrived in front of him and collided with his right hand, causing a blinding sh of light to envelope the whole arena.


    Momentster, the light faded away, revealing Orion, who stood unscathed while his hand that collided with the arrow was surprisingly holding a pitch ck arrow.


    He clenched his fist, causing the already dead arrow to turn into powder and flew away.


    After that, he turned his attention to thest three who stood on the stage before him.


    First was Monty, who was too scared to make a move on him, probably because of what he did the previous day, leaving Orion with his cousin sisters, Lucy and Anvi, who now appearedpletely shocked by everything.


    "Will you three leave the stage all by yourself or will I have to make you leave?" He asked the three of them.


    Lucy and Anvi looked at each other before walking off the stage. They knew it was useless to fight against someone as monstrous as Orion. Even with all of Dustin and Luke''sbined attacks along with their own, they couldn''t even scratch him.


    "Monty, what about you?" Orion asked.


    Hearing Orion''s words, Monty silently walked out of the stage.


    "Orion is the winner of the assessment."


    As soon as Monty left the stage, Butler Rio announced Orion as the winner of the assessment.


    It was at this moment that everyone took a deep breath. They couldn''t believe what they had just witnessed. Everything they saw felt like a dream.


    From Orion''s deration to the intense fight between him and Tray, culminating in the epic conclusion of the battle between all of them against Orion, it was one sh after another. They couldn''t take their eyes off the action for even a moment, fearing they would miss something important.


    Now, sitting at the chairs in stunned silence, they each reyed the events in their minds, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions.


    "Prince Orion!"


    At that moment, someone among the crowd shouted his name in cheering, and soon, everyone in the crowd joined in, chanting his name with fervour.


    "Prince Orion!"


    "Prince Orion!"


    "Prince Orion!"


    "Prince Orion!"


    "Prince Orion!"


    They were the soldiers of the Darkwood family, who had given almost everything for its protection. So, when they saw that a peerless genius had risen among the young generation of the Darkwood family, their hearts swelled with pride and hope.


    They cheered louder and louder, their voices echoing through the arena, a proof of their unwavering loyalty and the promise of a brighter future.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 166: 166. Leader

    Orion bathed in the glory of winning the assessment. Although it was an easy win for him, what he did was almost an impossible feat for all the people out there.


    Hearing all these people cheer for him made him feel something. Five years ago, maybe these people would have been the ones who mocked him, but at present, they all cheered for him.


    This made him wonder if the phrase ''Time Changes'' was meant for a situation like this.


    Soon, his father, Estor, and ose came to the stage.


    Although they appeared calm, their hearts were raging with storms. They just couldn''t understand how Orion could defeat everyone so effortlessly. As he said previously, no one could take a move from him; all of them were defeated in one move.


    This made the trio of Magi Kings wonder how strong Orion really was to be able to do something impossible like this.


    "Orion, was it?" Estor patted him on the shoulder. "Good job. I believe it won''t be long before you are listed in the elite rankings and I have a feeling your ranking would be very high¡ªat least in the top ten."


    "Yeah, you are very strong." ose also nodded from the side. "But you are also too arrogant and one day this arrogancy will make you fall. So you should know what to do."


    Orion bowed down to them in respect.


    "Thanks for the praise and the advice, Magi Kings."


    At the same time, Barion looked at the son and his youngest son withplex expressions.


    "Orion, I hereby dere you the leader of this time''s young generation," he said with a smile. "Though you should be aware, it isn''t permanent yet. Tomorrow morning, you will be assigned a mission. Complete it and make your spot as the leader permanent."


    "I understand, father." Orion also bowed down to him.


    Barion nodded and turned his attention to the bustling crowd in the arena.


    "The assessment hase to an end and all you know is the winner. But I will announce it onest time. The winner of this time assessment is Orion Darkwood."


    Everyone in the crowd once again erupted as Orion''s name was heard. They just couldn''t get enough of this. However, all good things muste to an end and so did this.


    ***


    In arge hall full of weapons hung on the wall around it, seven silhouettes stood there, facing one silhouette.


    They were the eight participants who had participated in the assessment earlier.


    As Orion looked at them, he noticed various expressions on them¡ªneutral, jealous, not convinced, and many more¡ªbut he didn''t care about any of them. He was feeling very frustrated right now.


    "I don''t care if you are convinced or not but I am your leader right now so do as I say and I won''t be judging. But if anyone of you were to go against me or not heed my orders during the mission, I wouldn''t care if you were my cousin brothers or sisters. I will punish you as I wish. I hope you keep this in mind tomorrow."


    Orion''s face appeared dark as he warned them. Though the reason behind his foul attitude wasn''t them, the fact that the mission he was going to do tomorrow would require him to take them with him. They were his team and he was their leader. Whatever the mission he would get tomorrow, he would have toplete it with his team; otherwise, he would fail automatically.


    He didn''t like this type of thing at all. He thought that if the mission would require only him to do it, he would definitelyplete it without any problem but with them, the situation became veryplicated.


    ''But I can at least make use of it to copy some curses.''


    He thought excitedly as his eyes turned to look at each of them.


    "If any of you want to say something, say it right now."


    Hearing those words, Tray clenched his fists hard. He wanted to say many things¡ªhe wanted to refute him, to insist that he wasn''t convinced. But he could only look at him, unable to utter a single word. It wasn''t out of fear; deep down, he knew that even if given a second chance, he would probably be defeated by him in a single move again¡ªthe result wouldn''t change at all.


    For the first time ever in his life, he was feeling an emotion he couldn''t describe. It was a tumultuous mix of frustration, sadness, and deep-seated anger at his own strength that he once was proud of.


    As for others, they also wanted to say something but they hesitated.


    One minute passed and nobody said anything.


    Seeing that, Orion smiled and said to them,.


    "You guys can leave now but be ready tomorrow morning. I will brief you all about the mission tomorrow as well."


    They nodded and they were about to leave the hall when Orion stopped them.


    "Before you leave, let''s shake hands on the making of our team."


    He held his hand to the first guy who was closer to the door¡ªMonty. Though Orion had already copied his curse, he would still have to shake hands with him.


    Monty hesitated but he eventually gave in when he saw Orion ring at him. He shook his hands with Orion and quickly left the hall.


    Likewise, everyone shook hands with Orion. Some didn''t like it, while others didn''t care but they all eventually shook hands with him before they left.


    However, Orion''s face turned dark once again as they left.


    This time it was because of the curses he copied just now. While copying their curses, he noticed that none of them had curses that sounded very good. All names were like Shadow ve, Wind Destroyer, Blood Vines, etc.


    ''Let''s check them; maybe just the names were bad.''


    With much optimism, he checked all the curses. As he did, his face shifted from dark blue to pale white until he finally sighed.


    ''Damn, not one of them had curses that are useful to me.''


    He cursed silently, thinking about those descriptions of the curses he copied.


    ''But I guess this is also good in a way. I don''t want to reach the limit of the number of curses in iron rank so easily.''


    He thought that since he had six curses at iron rank and his talent mastery was still only at 12%, he would need a long time before he could make his talent mastery reach 20%. In that amount of time, he would surelye across many good curses.


    So, with that thought, he calmed down and thought of the problem he just noticed.


    ''Why is my talent mastery increasing so slowly?''


    He remembered he barely did anything in the bronze rank and his talent mastery shot to 10%.


    ''I guess the higher the rank, the more difficult it is to increase the mastery of the talent. In my case, there hasn''t much time passed; that could be one of the reasons why my talent mastery hasn''t increased.''


    He spected. Though he wasn''t sure about this, He would have to see the change in a week before he could assume anything.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 167: 167. Making New Moves

    Toc Forest.


    After finishing up with his new teammates, Orion came here to increase his stats. He hunted monsters and absorbed their cores for about five hours, and now he was finally done.


    He knew he would be gone for almost a week and would hardly get any more time to hunt monsters and increase his stats during that period. This was hisst chance to boost his stats as much as possible before leaving for the mission tomorrow.


    ''It''s been gettingte.''


    Orion thought as he looked at the sky, which had turned red and showed signs of turning dark.


    ''Status.''


    ---


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Iron]


    [Divine Ability: Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy; Curse: 12%]


    [Sub Ability: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation]


    [Curse: Reality Fracture, Berserk Body, Malevolent Gaze, Identity Strain, Devouring Abyss, Thunder''s Wrath]


    [Strength: 46]


    [Stamina: 41]


    [Agility: 40]


    [Perception: 39]


    [Constitution: 43]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    ---


    ''Hmm, almost halfway through the mark.''


    Orion looked at his stats and thought but his attention was once again drawn to the talent mastery that was still only at 12%.


    ''Should I create more moves?''


    He remembered he had created many moves or techniques, you could say in the bronze rank, that might have resulted in an increase in his talent mastery.


    ''I haven''t created anything like that in the iron rank. So, it''s worth a try and who knows, it might increase my talent mastery faster.''


    He thought about it and started walking towards the exit of the Toc Forest. He would do this once he left this era.


    Arriving at one of the safest areas outside of the pce and making sure there wasn''t anyone there, Orion chose this ce to create his techniques. This was a in area with small peaks and mountains in the distance.


    Standing there, he thought about which one of the curses he should start with.


    ''I haven''t even tried Thunder''s Wraith yet. Let''s see if I can do anything with that.''


    Thinking of Thunder''s wrath, he didn''t hesitate and immediately activated the curse.


    Lightning erupted from every part of his body, making him appear as though he was the embodiment of lightning, spitting bolts everywhere around him.


    ''This is...too much lightning!''


    He was surprised to see this much lightning released from his body. Even the ground around him turned pitch ck as lightning bolts continued to strike here and there.


    ''But it''s good for me. Now how do I make a powerful attack with these lightning?''


    He thought as he took all the lightning back into his body and raised his hand. Lightning began to wriggle around his arm as soon as he raised it.


    He could use lightning normally now but if he wanted to make it even more powerful, he would have to create some powerful techniques with it, just like he did with fire and ice. They were just like lightning, created inside of his body because of some curse but it was his techniques that made the use of fire and ice much more terrifying than what it was before.


    So he thought hard about what could be the best way to make a powerful lightning attack.


    After careful thinking and nning, he sessfully created something that could bring forth the destruction of lightning.


    ''It''s gettingte. I should leave.''


    Orion thought as he looked at the moon that hung high in the air.


    ***


    The next morning, Orion and his team stood near the area where hundreds of void shuttles were ced.


    There were also Butler Rio and Orion''s friends who were standing beside them, along with Lisa.


    At this moment, Orion was holding a book and reading its contents. His eyebrows furrowed as he dove deeper into the text before finally closing it.


    The book contained the content of the mission Orion and his team were about to undertake.


    After reading through it, Orion was surprised that it was a very easy mission.


    The task was simple. On one of the many 3-stars owned by the Darkwood Family, a pool of mana essence was found. But because the mana essence pool was guarded by a gold-ranking monster, the people over there couldn''t take the mana essence that was right before their eyes. Hence, their mission was to kill the gold-rank monster.


    Also, it wasn''t that there was ack of gold-ranking personnel on that; no, the higher officials of the were indeed of gold rank. But it was because of their assessment that they were strictly told not to interfere in any of the business of the mana essence pool until and unless Orion''s team went there and killed the gold-rank monster.


    However, Orion felt that there was more to the mission than met the eye. It couldn''t be as simple as going there and killing the gold-rank monster; there had to be something more about it; otherwise, it would be too easy for a mission to test one''s leadership qualities.


    Yes, leadership qualities. After Orion received the details of the mission, Butler Rio informed him that it would test his abilities as a leader, specifically how he would manage a team where nearly all the members were dissatisfied with him being the leader.


    ''Let''s see what happens.''


    Orion thought as he turned his head to look at his team.


    "I will exin the mission now. So listen carefully. It''s about a."


    He briefly exined the mission and what they needed to do toplete it.


    As they heard the details of the mission, all of them looked surprised but not happy. They felt that the master of the house had intentionally made the mission easy so that Orion could pass it without any difficulty.


    But they didn''t say it out loud¡ªthey couldn''t say it out loud. They could clench their fists in silence.


    Orion caught the strange expressions on their faces but he didn''t care. He understood what they were thinking but he would never believe that his father would lower the difficulty of the mission just for him.


    What he did believe in was that the mission would be much harder than it seemed on the surface.


    At that moment, Mike came in and bowed down to him.


    "Young Master, we are ready to go."


    Orion nodded and looked at his friends¡ªFamir, Ryfin, and Ron. They unexpectedly turned to him this morning, saying they also wanted to do some missions and that was how they ended up here. Since it was what they wanted, Orion couldn''t disagree, so he told Mike to go with them for their safety.


    Also, Mike couldn''t go with him either since, in his mission, no individual stronger than silver rank was allowed and even those who were allowed couldn''t assist Orion in any way during the mission.


    "Do you guys really want to do this?" Orion asked themst time.


    They nodded. They had already talked among themselves about this.


    Orion sighed and nodded to them, thinking that since Mike would be with them the whole time, there probably wouldn''t be any mishaps.


    "Alright but be careful on your mission."


    They nodded to him before the three of them, along with Mike, boarded a void shuttle and left Morse.


    "Let''s go too."


    Orion said to his team before he went inside his void shuttle. The seven others followed him alongside Lisa.


    Soon their void shuttle also took flight and disappeared from Morse.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 168: 168. Planet Roele

    It didn''t take long before the void shuttle carrying Orion''s team reached near Roele. That was the name of the 3-star to which their mission was assigned.


    All thes under the rule of the Darkwood Family were close to each other and clustered around the main, Morse. The distance between theses was not far, so it took Orion''s group only three hours to reach their destination.


    "Young Master, you have to see this!"


    At that moment, Alex''s cry reached Orion''s ears, who was sitting in the conference hall of the void shuttle with his team.


    ''What happened?''


    Orion frowned as he heard him, unable to understand why he sounded so anxious.


    Soon, Alex arrived in the conference room and pointed at the wall on the other side.


    Almost instantly, the wall blurred, and a screen appeared in front of them, showing the Roele, where they were about tond.


    "Young Master, see this!"


    Alex pointed at the Roele. He didn''t need to, though, as Orion and his team''s attention were immediately caught by the sight of the.


    "What happened here?"


    They were shocked to witness trails of smoke rising from the as they reached it. These trails of smoke weren''t just one or two but at least a hundred of them, considering how dense they appeared when they were seen so far from their void shuttle.


    "Young Master, what should we do? Should wend on the Roele or not?" Alex asked, his voice tinged with anxiousness.


    Orion himself didn''t know that answer. Meanwhile, as he looked at the, he wondered what happened to cause such a scene as this.


    ''We should check out.''


    In the end, he decided to check out the and see what really caused this catastrophe. Knowing that their mission was meant to be on this, he thought this might very well be the task his family wanted them to undertake, though he wasn''t certain.


    Considering that this was under their family''s rule and they were the first to notice the incident on Roele, it would be irresponsible not to investigate.


    "Head down."


    Alex nodded seriously and left. Although he didn''t want to go there, he couldn''t do anything about it since his young master wanted to go there.


    Momentster, the void shuttle closed in on the and they could see the scene of the Roele in detail.


    But what they saw shocked them even more. They witnessed only destruction and nothing else. It was as tough as a war, causing all the buildings and nearby structures to be piles of rubble and dust.


    Orion couldn''t make out a single structure that stood tall on the; only wreckages and smoke were all he could notice. This made him feel that the situation here was more urgent than he previously thought.


    Soon their void shuttlended somewhere safe on the Roele and they came out of there only to witness destruction and chaos.


    "Young Master, should I inform the family about this?" Alex asked. He really wanted to do that. He felt that whatever had happened on this was beyond their capabilities and would probably require the assistance of tinum-ranking individuals.


    Orion pondered whether they should inform the family or not. The hesitation was caused by the fact that making contact with the family during the mission would make them automatically fail their mission and he wouldn''t want that.


    So, after thinking for a moment, he came up with something.


    "Let''s see and talk to the officials of this and see what they have to say about what happened here before we do something."


    Alex nodded helplessly.


    "Orion, we should inform the family about this first before we do anything."


    However, a voice sounded that said to do the opposite of what Orion wanted.


    Orion turned around, hearing the voice, and saw that it was Tray who voiced his opinion.


    "I am the leader here and this is what I decided so stick with it until the end." He didn''t consider his opinion at all.


    Tray frowned as he heard him and he tried to persuade him once again.


    "Brother Orion, I know that contacting the family would fail the mission but you have to see that this isn''t something we can handle."


    Lucy also supported Tray on this.


    "Brother Orion, what Tray said is correct. This is beyond us. We should contact the family before the situation worsens."


    Orion frowned upon hearing Tray and seeing Lucy supporting him. He knew the severity of the situation but for some reason he didn''t want to fail the mission.


    ''They may be right about this.''


    He thought but something inside him wanted toplete the mission¡ªwanted to show his father that he wasn''t a useless creation¡ªand stood proud in front of him by doing this. Though he was unaware of this, or perhaps he knew that very well, he chose to ignore the fact that he wanted his father''s attention.


    At the end, he still stuck with his decision, suspecting this might be their mission or at least he chose to believe in that.


    "I know what you guys are worried about but think like this¡ªwhat if this was the mission our family decided and they intentionally made the difficulty higher so that we could choose to contact them and fail the mission by doing so?"


    That was what he said to them to convince them that this might be the mission the family wanted them to do, while at the same time, that was what he said to himself too.


    Tray and Lucy looked at each other and didn''t know what to make of Orion''s words. They could tell it wasn''t a mission considering the destruction this had caused.


    Although their family took the assessment missions very seriously, it wasn''t on the scale of this. They wouldn''t want to destroy a for something as simple as creating a mission for themselves. It sounded stupid and mad.


    At that moment, Dustin stepped up, seeing the stalemate between the three.


    "How about this? We do as Brother Orion says and check out the officials before we inform our family about this."


    Orion nodded to him. That was what he wanted all along.


    Tray and Lucy looked at each other before they sighed and agreed on what Dustin suggested.


    "Alright, we do this your way."


    Orion nodded at them for trusting him with his decision and turned to Alex.


    "Alex, hide the void shuttle somewhere safe. This is our only ticket to leave this."


    Alex nodded and went on to do what Orion wanted but he was stopped by Orion once again.


    "Wait a minute, Alex. Give me your contact badge."


    Alex took out his badge and gave it to Orion.


    Taking it in his hand, Orion looked at his teammates.


    "Only Lucy, Tray, Dustin, and I will be going to investigate. The others will stay here with Alex and Maria for safety measures, so don''t argue about this. Also, Alex, I might contact you if the situation is as bad as we imagine, so be ready toe to us at any time."


    Everyone nodded, agreeing that this was the best course of action if they wanted to investigate the.


    "Alright, we are leaving, and Alex, make sure nobody leaves the void shuttle." Orion said to Alex.


    Alex nodded and entered the void shuttle with everyone else. Meanwhile, Orion, Tray, Lucy, and Dustin set off to investigate.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 169: 169. The Cause

    "What do you think caused this?"


    Orion asked the other three walking beside him. They had been on the streets for quite a while but had yet to meet a single soul. It was as though everyone had disappeared from the, leaving them as the only individuals present.


    All they saw were ruins¡ªeverything was destroyed and turned into rubble.


    "I don''t know. Maybe it was an attack by the demons or maybe someone from one of the seven other magi families had attacked us. It''s difficult to guess considering it isn''t everyday we get to see or hear someone have caused something against one of the seven Magi families." Lucy said.


    She wasn''t sure about herself so she could specte on what could have happened.


    Orion frowned upon hearing her and was about to ask something when he heard someone walking towards them.


    "Shh! Someone ising; quickly hide."


    He whispered to them and they quickly hid behind the wreckage.


    At that moment, they saw a middle-aged mane from the side. He was alone and was wearing a dress with the symbol of the Darkwood family.


    Seeing that it was someone from their family, they sighed in relief and revealed themselves to the man.


    The man suddenly became alert after seeing some people appear in front of him but when he saw that they were kids, he rxed a bit but was still on guard.


    "Who are you, kids?" He asked suspiciously.


    "I am Orion Darkwood, the ninth young master of the Darkwood family." Orion introduced himself while he took out a badge and showed it to him.


    "Prince Orion! I see you kids are here on that mission."


    Hearing who the kids were, the man finally understood that they were the ones supposed to be here on a mission today. Because of what had happened, he hadpletely forgotten about the mission they were responsible for.


    Seeing that the man recognised them, Orion asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time.


    "What happened here?"


    The man didn''t reply to him; instead, he looked around first before he turned to Orion.


    "Prince Orion, this ce isn''t safe here. Come with me to the headquarters first and then we will exin everything to you."


    "Isn''t safe?" Orion frowned, hearing him. "Alright, lead the way."


    The man nodded and took Orion and his three teammates towards the headquarters.


    ***


    After navigating many twists and turns and passing through numerous wreckages, they finally arrived in front of a bunker embedded in the ground, with only its door revealing itself on the surface.


    The man went in front of the door and whispered something before the door opened itself.


    "Prince Orion, this way."


    He then led Orion''s team into the door.


    Orion was surprised to notice that, from the outside, only darkness could be seen when he looked at the opened door but when he came inside, it was as bright as a day.


    They then walked through a staircase before they arrived in front of another gate but this one was hugepared to the one fromst time.


    The man also said something to the door before it opened and they walked inside.


    As soon as they walked inside, a middle-aged man who appeared quite sick and thin but was emitting quite a deadly aura arrived in front of them.


    "Stuart, are they the princes who were about toe for the mission?" He asked the man who guides Orion''s team here.


    "Yes, general. They are the princes who havee for the mission." The man named Stuart nodded affirmatively.


    The general bowed to them first before he turned to Stuart.


    "You can leave now."


    Stuart nodded and left the scene.


    The general then once again bowed to Orion''s team.


    "Princes, we are sorry that you had to witness the tragic fate of the Roele."


    Orion didn''t waste any time on this and asked the main question.


    "How did all this happen?"


    The general''s face turned dark before he finally sighed, sat on a chair beside them and indicated that they sit as well.


    Orion and his teammates sat down, as the general wanted.


    "The Valen family is behind all of this."


    "Valen Family?" Orion''s face turned dark as he heard him. He had spected on many things but he didn''t think that the Valen family would be responsible for all of this.


    "In the middle ofst night, they sent someone to us wanting to take away the mana pool that we recently discovered. But we refused to give it away. It was something on our so this was, by all rights, ours. Also, Prince Orion''s mission depended on this too so giving the mana essence pool was out of the question."


    "However, when we refused, they sent more men and a full-blown fight broke out between us. Ultimately, they sent their troops, decimated the entire and took away the mana essence pool."


    "We fought till the end but we eventually lost."


    Orion''s frown deepened as he heard the general. He thought that wanting to fight on just a small amount of mana essence was too far-fetched. After all, they were also one of the seven magi families; they had tonnes of mana essence pools like this just in their backyard.


    "Why are they so obsessed with this mana essence pool that they even started a war with us?"


    The general shook his head and said, "We don''t know. But all of them looked quite anxious, as if they were really in need of the mana essence."


    Orion felt even more suspicious as he heard him. The entire situation over the mana pool seemed suspicious to him.


    "Tell me, are the people here safe?" He asked.


    "Prince, you don''t have to worry about that. The people living here are also like those in Morse." The general said:.


    Orion nodded and asked, "Have you informed the main family about this?"


    "We have informed them but we didn''t receive any reply." The general said it pitifully. That was what worried him the most. He had informed the family immediately when the fight started but they didn''t receive any response.


    But seeing Orion and the other here, he probably understood why he didn''t receive any reply.


    "Prince, knowing that you are here for the mission probably means the message we sent was a failure. This could only mean one thing: the Valen Family is interfering with the mana signals we are sending through our badge."


    Orion frowned as he heard him say, "Is that even possible?"


    "It is. We can also do this but we would probably need a lot of preparations for that." The general said: "But we couldn''t reverse the situation. Only the Valen family could undo what they did to our mana signals."


    Orion put a hand on his chin and thought that they were really in a very perilous situation. First, they attacked and took away the mana essence pool and then they also destroyed their only way of contacting the main family. This made him wonder if they wanted something from them or... this?


    "Tell me something: are there any things on this that would draw the attention of one of the seven magi families here?" He asked the general. He could only think of the reason behind their attack and everything they did after that.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 170: 170. The Cursed Tree

    The general thought for a moment before he said, "There isn''t anything special that could attract the attention of one of the seven Magi families and even if there were, it should have already been in the clutches of the main family."


    Orion frowned. If there wasn''t really anything the Valen family wanted from them, then why did they do this? Why the need to go extreme.


    There were asions when two magi families exchanged goods based on their interests with each other so if the Valen family hade up with a deal, the Darkwood family wouldn''t have ignored them.


    If they could really do the whole thing the proper way, then why did they take the worst-case scenario?


    "Prince, I think I know about a ce in Roele that could attract some unwanted attention here."


    At that moment, the general said something that caught Orion''s interest.


    "What is it?" he asked.


    "There is a tree on this called the Cursed Tree," the general said. "Nobody knows how long this tree has been here but one thing everyone knows about this tree is that it''s cursed."


    "Why?" Orion asked with interest. "Why does everyone think it''s a cursed tree? Is there any specific reason behind this?"


    The general thought for a moment before he said, "The area where the tree is located ispletely barren. No trees, grasses, animals, or even monsters could be seen there. Only the yellow and brown stretches ofnd could be seen, as far as the eyes could see. However, this tree is the only thing that grows there¡ªthe only living thing that exists in that area.


    Because of it, the people on the Roele called the tree¡ªThe Cursed Tree, saying it drained every bit of life around it and became the only overlord in the area."


    Orion found this tree really fascinating and terrible. To be able to grow in an area where not a single living thing existed was an achievement worth the title it had¡ªThe Cursed Tree.


    Though he also wondered if what the people said was true¡ªthat the tree absorbed all the life forces around itself to sustain itself¡ªand that was the reason why the area around the tree waspletely barren.


    Looking at the general, Orion asked, "I get what you said, but what does this have to do with the attack of the Valen Family and their stealing of the mana essence pool?"


    The general took a deep breath, hearing Orion as if he were about to reveal something big.


    "There is a rumour around The Cursed Tree that it bears a fruit that, when eaten by someone, could get rid of their curses permanently."


    Orion took a deep breath as he heard him. To be able to get rid of the curse permanently was a god-level thing. Since ancient times, no human has ever been able to get rid of their curses. It was a part of their talent, their soul, and their life¡ªit was born with them. So, the concept of removing the curse from one''s body was unthinkable¡ªnonexistent.


    Turning to the general, Orion asked, "Do you think the Valen Family is after this?"


    The general nodded to him, saying, "There isn''t any other reason I could think of that could attract the Valen family here."


    "Prince, should we check that ce?" He further asked.


    Orion nodded to him and said, "We should. If they are really there in that ce, then everything could be exined."


    The general was about to say something when he felt a badge in his space ring vibrate, and not only that, but Orion also felt the same.


    Looking at each other, they both took out their badges and from the general''s badge, the voice of Orion''s father sounded, "Khan, are you there? Khan?"


    "Mater, I am here." Khan, being the general, immediately responded.


    "Are Orion and his team with you?"


    "Father, I am here, and so is my team." Orin responded to the voice.


    "It''s good that you are there. Listen carefully to what I am about to say¡ªthe cursed tree¡ªI don''t know if you have probably heard of this tree or not but the news of it bearing the fruits that could get rid of curses permanently has been spread to the entire Magus Kingdom."


    Orion and his team, along with General Khan, were all shocked. This wasn''t a good thing for them. Knowing there existed such miraculous fruits, people from all over the world would flock themselves here on this tiny little 3-star.


    "Therefore, be ready, as people from all over the world will knock on our door on the Roele. Also, Orion, I am changing your mission. I want you to go and see if the fruits, as in legend, truly existed or not and if they do, make sure to bring some along."


    Orion frowned, thinking the difficulty of the mission had suddenly increased by many levels. There would be hundreds of people, if not thousands, gathering for the fruits and considering his poor luck, obtaining those fruits would be very hard from the flock of thousands of people.


    As if understanding the difficulty Orion might face, his father said something that took away all of Orion''s worries.


    "Don''t worry, the emperor himself ordered that not a single individual above the gold rank should go there unless they are rebelling or going against him, that is."


    "Why are the royal family interfering?" Orion asked.


    "Good question. Think about it: if all the strongest people in the world were to fight for some fruits, which might not actually be as miraculous as the legend says, then what would the world turn into? A war would be the least of the emperor''s problems if that were to happen.


    Therefore, only one tinum-rank individual would be there and that too would be from the royal family for maintaining peace and integrity."


    Orion understood how serious the situation would be if that were to truly happen.


    At the very least, the peace of the Magus Kingdom would be over, and the royal family definitely wouldn''t want that, especially considering that only five years remained before the demon race, if not all three enemy races, attacked the human race together.


    They were already in a bind because of these threats, and if an internal war were to break out, the fall of the human race, at least in the Magus Kingdom, would be inevitable.


    "Father, onest question: how did the rumours about the world tree spread so fast?" Orion asked. He had previously thought that since the Valen family had their eyes on the fruits, they would be very quiet about it. However, the reality was exactly the opposite of what he had expected. This made him wonder if the rumours were spread intentionally by them or if there were other forces at work.


    "We don''t know the exact source but what I can tell you is that only a Magi family could spread such rumours to the entire world in such a short amount of time."


    "A magi family, huh?" Orion felt that his assumption about the Valen family spreading the rumours might actually be true.


    "Alright, this is all I wanted to say. Though remember this, although the mission I gave you is important, it isn''t more than your life. So remember, safety alwayses first."


    With those words, the badge General Khan had been holding stopped vibrating and became silent.


    Knowing the seriousness of the situation, Orion didn''t waste any time and tuned in to General Khan.


    "Take your strongest men and meet me outside, fast." He ordered him.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 171: 171. Valen Family Once Again

    Arriving outside the bunker, Orion and his team waited for General Khan.


    In the meantime, Orion contacted Alex and told him about the situation and he also strictly told him not to let anyone venture outside the void shuttle.


    "Prince, we are ready."


    At that moment, General Khan came up with three other middle-aged men.


    Looking at them and sensing their aura, Orion could tell they were only at the peak of their gold rank. Even General Khan was at the peak of his gold rank.


    "Are there no tinum-rank experts stationed at the headquarter?" He asked General Khan.


    General Khan''s expression turned wry. "Prince, we are but on a small 3-star and a like that only has experts at the peak of its gold rank. As for tinum rank experts, they tend to stay away from 3-stars, as monsters at the tinum rank have almost gone extinct on 3-stars.


    So in a way, a 3-star is useless for tinum-ranking experts if they can''t increase their stats here."


    Listening to General Khan, Orion understood the general situation of 3-stars and why there was a need to categorise thes into 1¨C3 star-levels.


    "How far is that tree from here?" He asked.


    "It''s at the other end of the, Roele," General Khan said. "But don''t worry, Prince; I have already called upon the void shuttle. They would be here any time now."


    As soon as he said those words, Orion felt a strong gust of wind pass by them before he noticed a void shuttlending not far from them.


    "Let''s go, princes."


    General Khan took them into the void shuttle and a momentter, it flew towards the barrennds.


    ***


    In the middle of nowhere stood a huge tree. Its roots spread from the ground like ancient serpents, winding and twisting through the earth, creating aplexwork of tendrils.


    Its leaves, though, appearedpletely ck instead of the usual green. This made the tree look like a horrible entity, an ominous presence that seemed to absorb the light around it, casting an eerie shadow over thend.


    Mangled in between the leaves were various flowers as big as a human''s head, and it appeared they were about to bloom.


    About a kilometre from the tree, various void shuttles were stationed, each bearing the symbol of an illuminating son etched on them.


    Beside one of the void shuttles stood many young ones. If Orion were here, he would surely recognise one of them. It was none other than Kyle Valen whom Orion met in the Aethelgard city.


    At this moment, all these young men stood with a sneer on their faces. Kyle was no exception.


    "People from the Darkwood family are trash. They couldn''t even defend a mana pool on their."


    "Forget about that; they don''t even seem to know about the benefits of the cursed tree at all."


    "I say the Darkwood family must be the weakest of the seven magi families."


    "I wonder how long it will take them to arrive here."


    These young men sneered, mocking the Darkwood family, saying they were the weakest of the seven Magi families.


    At that moment, a striking man and woman were seated in chairs outside the shuttles. They exuded an aura of dominance and arrogance.


    The man had bright red, shoulder-length hair and the beginnings of a beard; his expression was serious. The woman also had shoulder-length hair, but it was a deeper maroon. She wore sses that couldn''t hide the haughty look on her face.


    Together, they gave the impression that they were the top geniuses in the world.


    "Brother Evans, would the people really fall for the rumours we spread?" The girl asked the boy, seeing no one else, if their family was here yet.


    Evans smiled. "I bet they will definitelye and I am even more sure that there will be people from the six other Magi families."


    "Won''t this make things difficult for us if there are too many people?" She asked, thinking that therger the number of people, the lower their chances of getting the fruits.


    "Sometimes, you just have to take on risks to obtain something," Evans said, his eyes darting towards the cursed tree. "As for the tree, it would only bear fruit if there were more people here, so we didn''t have much choice."


    The girl nodded in understanding when she suddenly noticed a point in the distance was getting closer to them.


    "I think the Darkwood family is here." She said, looking at the void shuttle that was closing in on them.


    A yful smile appeared on Evans''s face as he looked at the void shuttleing their way.


    "I wonder if they will go empty-handed."


    He smiled thinking about that.


    ***


    The shuttle carrying Orion''s groupnded near the Valen family group.


    Orion''s team and the group of elders, including General Khan, exited the void shuttle and came outside, where they were greeted with the mocking and sneers of the Valen Family.


    "Look, they are finally here."


    "They really took their sweet timeing here."


    "At least they are here; they could now fight for their fruits, hahahaha."


    "Do you think any of them would be able topete with the geniuses in the elite ranking? Only Emily was that strong but she recently entered the tinum rank, leaving no one in the younger generation of the Darkwood family topete for the fruits."


    "We will know that eventually."


    General Khan heard them loud and clear and was furious. Considering there were also princes present, he felt it was even more humiliating than if only they had been mocked.


    But Orion had warned him along the way that whatever happened here, he shouldn''t get agitated. So, he could only sigh about this.


    ''They are as arrogant as ever.''


    Orion thought, recalling how Kyle mentioned to him that everyone in his family was arrogant and had pride above their noses.


    At that moment, he noticed two figures from the Valen family making their way towards them.


    "It took you guys long enough." Evans sneered as he came near the group from the Darkwood family.


    General King was about to reply when Orion signalled with his hand not to.


    "Yeah, not gonna lie, some trash attacked our familyst night, causing a lot of ruckus so it took us some time to settle over the aftermath of the attack."


    Orion didn''t spare them any. If they came here to mock and sneer at his family, then they should be prepared to take it back as well.


    As for Evans and the girl who came to mock them, their faces became ugly after hearing Orion.


    "Who are you?" Evans asked angrily. "How dare you call our family trash when you aren''t even in the silver rank?"


    Orion smiled, seeing their anger. He had already expected their reactions. The more arrogant one was, the more they would feel humiliated and angry if one were just to say something disdainful to their faces.


    "I am Orion Darkwood, the ninth young master of the Darkwood Family." smiling, Orion introduced himself. "It''s nice to meet you two."


    Evans trembled even more after hearing the boy introduce himself.


    "Who asked for your name?" He yelled.


    Orion smiled and was about to continue trolling them when he noticed various space shuttles making their way towards them. There were almost a thousand of them, given the dense cluster of dots he could see in the sky.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 172: 172. Astral Voidwalker

    For a moment, Orion was bbergasted to see such a scene. He had never seen so many void shuttles flying together in a cluster like that. Even the shuttles at the Starforge couldn''tpare to this number.


    ''The allure of having one''s curse removed is crazy, I guess.''


    He thought, looking at the dots, whose size continued to increase as more time passed.


    At that moment, he heard a shout from them but this time it was from thedy who was beside the man.


    "Orion? I remember you!" She said this, pointing at him. "You are the same person who is responsible for the failure of our mission in Aethelgard City."


    Orion smiled widely as he saw them recognise him. "Yes, that''s me at your service."


    "You know why we took away the mana essence pool from your ce?" Evans suddenly asked this time.


    Orion thought for a moment before he came to the realisation, "Don''t tell me, it was all revenge against what I did in the Aethelgard city."


    "You are half right," Evans said. "We did want revenge so we destroyed your little hideout there. As for the real purpose of stealing your mana pool, you wille to know soon."


    Orion had some guesses as to why they needed the mana essence pool, but he would have to see what their real n was.


    "Why spread the rumors?" He asked, facing Evans. "Why do you want to attract people here?"


    Evans''s eyes narrowed as Orion asked this question. They made ample preparations and made sure that nobody could track the source of the rumours to them but here a kid directly asked him this question so casually as if it were known that it was their family who had leaked the information about the curse tree.


    "You got the wrong people." He replied before he headed back to his group with the girl.


    Orion smiled, seeing his reaction, and said, "But why does it look like you guys are waiting for everyone here?"


    Evans flinched a little as he was walking back to his group when he heard Orion but he didn''t look back and ignored himpletely.


    ''What are they nning?''


    He still didn''t understand their full n but he felt that it wouldn''t be any good if it was rted to the cursed tree.


    At that moment, winds suddenly raged in all directions as those hundreds of void shuttlesnded near the cursed tree.


    A momentter, the curse tree was surrounded by void shuttles from all around it.


    Soon, many people exited the shuttles, and the once barren ce became bustling with activity and all kinds of people.


    Among the various void shuttles thatnded just now, Orion could discern five of them that appeared remarkably different from the usual ones.


    They were from the five other Magi families, aside from the Darkwood and Valen families, who were already here.


    As Orion was observing them, his eyes caught the attention of one individual whom he had seen recently.


    It was Elyn Ravenw and surprisingly, she was looking at him too.


    ''Am I that handsome? Maybe Big Sister Emily might have said some good words for me during the assessment.''


    Orion thought, looking at her.


    He also saw two guys from the elite raking whom he had met with in the Starforge during the attack of the demon race. They were in the group of the Grimwolf and Silverme families.


    At that moment, a man with blue hair, about 19 years old, flew into the air, drawing everyone''s attention. His hair was neatlybed and well-kept, and his face had a blend of youthful cuteness and some maturity.


    "Everyone, I am Astral Voidwalker. I request a meetingposed of the seven Magi families and some of you guys representing the other folks."


    His announcement was like a wildfire spreading to everyone in the barrennd.


    The crowd began to murmur in anticipation of the meeting. The meeting between seven Magi families and other likewise strong organisations could be a huge event they would be able to witness if it were to really happen.


    And chances of happening the meeting were above 90% considering the one requesting the meeting was none other than the 1st rank in the elite ranking¡ªAstral Voidwalker¡ªhe could also be one of the strongest individuals here, if not the strongest.


    Also, his being from the strongest Magi family was the icing on the cake.


    The Voidwalker Family stood at the pinnacle of the Magus Kingdom, just below the royal family. Their strength was on a whole other levelpared to the other six Magi families. To the point that when people from other domains talked about magi families, they only thought of the Voidwalker family.


    Seeing the excitement among the crowd after the meeting was requested by Astral, a frown appeared on Orion''s face.


    He wasn''t worried about the meeting but he felt that there was a need for a third party to organise the meeting and since the royal family was sending a tinum-ranking expert, he thought they should wait for them to arrive before starting the meeting.


    There wasn''t a particr reason behind it; he just thought that the Voidwalker family would be too overwhelming in the meeting. If there was a royal family to counter them, then the meeting would be more bnced.


    Thinking of that, he was about to voice his opinion when he noticed Elyn also flew in the air.


    "The royal family is alsoing. We should wait for them before starting the meeting." She stated.


    Astral nodded, saying, "That''s also fair."


    He then headed back to his group and so did Elyn.


    Looking at them, Orion wondered something and turned to Tray, Lucy, and Dustin.


    "Do you guys know what rank the two are at?" He asked. For some reason, he couldn''t gauge their strength as he did with others by sensing their aura. Their auras were too calm to be used to determine their strength.


    "As far as I know, no one in the elite ranking has reached the tinum rank. So, they should be at the peak of the gold rank if they hadn''t upgraded themselves recently." Dustin said.


    "No one in the tinum rank?" Orion found this very surprising. He had previously thought that Elyn and Astral would surely be at the tinum rank considering their strength but it seemed he was wrong.


    "Also, if someone in the elite ranking enters the tinum rank, that person is automatically listed out of the rank. The elite ranking only consists of gold-ranking experts and only those who are below 20 or 20 years old; if it is any higher either in rank or age, one would be out of the list." Lucy said this time.


    Orion nodded in understanding and looked into the sky.


    But at that moment, his eyes caught sight of a dot that was bingrger andrger the more he looked at it.


    "They are here."


    He muttered to himself, seeing the dot.


    Lucy, Tray, and Dustin also saw the dot and realised that the royal family was here.


    "By the way, aside from the tinum rank expert who couldn''t take part in all of this and is only responsible for maintenance, who else could being from the royal family?" Orion asked curiously.


    "I don''t know, maybe some prince or princess." Lucy shrugged.


    "Maybe Princess Luma would being." Dustin said it excitedly.


    "Tch, why are so many people in this world obsessed with her and Elyn?" Lucy said, pouting.


    "Maybe they are more beautiful than anyone." Orion replied. At least that was what he thought of Elyn. As for this Princess Luma, he hadn''t seen her yet.


    "Everyone is beautiful; one just needs eyes to see the beauty in others." Lucy said, looking in the sky.


    As they talked, they saw the void shuttle of the royal familynd before everyone in the barrennd.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 173: 173. Princess Luma

    As the shuttle from the royal familynded, everyone held their breath. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation and reverence, the air humming with the unspoken weight of their arrival.


    The door at the entrance soon opened, revealing three silhouettes stepping down from the stairs leading down to the ground.


    However, as they saw ady of about 18 years old among them making their way into the crowd, they trembled in excitement.


    "That-that''s Princess Luma!"


    "She is also here!"


    "That means we have two of the Three Blossoms here."


    "How often do we get to see two of the Three Blossoms together? This is a rare opportunity."


    "Thank God, I decided toe here."


    The crowd began to buzz with excitement as they spotted Princess Luma. It was a rare asion for them to see one of the Three Blossoms, but seeing two at the same time was almost unheard of. Especially in the case of Princess Luma¡ªshe was the princess of the entire Magus Kingdom but one could rarely see her.


    Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, the man walking beside Princess Luma smiled wryly.


    "Little Sis, haven''t I said beforeing here that they will ignore me as if I don''t exist if Ie with you? See, this is exactly what happened." He said this, shaking his head.


    His little sister, Princess Luma, giggled cutely. She had long golden hair, eyes as blue as the ocean, and a cute little face. Though she was short in height, she reached just up to her brother''s shoulder.


    As for her brother, his name was Erick Maximus, the crown prince of the Magus Kingdom. One reason he was surprised was that, even though he was the crown prince, people generally forgot about him when he was with his little sister.


    He had neatlybed golden hair just like her sister and a quite handsome face just slightly below his big brother¡ªKane Maximus, the Sword Sage.


    Orion stared at both of them and he could tell both of them were at the peak of the gold rank. This made him note something.


    ''Almost all the geniuses of the Magus Kingdom are in the gold rank.''


    He could guess the reason behind that. Since he had difficulty increasing his talent mastery at only the iron rank, he could imagine what they must be facing at the gold rank. The higher the rank, the more difficult it became to master one''s talent.


    Turning to his cousins, he asked, "How strong is Princess Luma?"


    Dustin didn''t reply to him as he was busy stalking the princess and Tray rarely answered his questions, so he tuned in to Lucy.


    "I don''t know. Nobody knows her true strength. Members of the royal family aren''t allowed in the elite rankings for some reason so no one knows her strength or the strength of the crown prince." Lucy exined, shaking her head.


    "Crown prince?" Orion was surprised. "You mean the man beside her is the crown prince?"


    Lucy nodded, saying, "Yes, he is the crown prince of the Magus Kingdom but you could say his fame is overshadowed by his big brother and little sister."


    Orion nodded in understanding. With his big brother being the sword sage and his little sister being one of the Three Blossoms, his fame as the crown prince was sandwiched between them.


    Arriving before the crowd, Princess Luma headed straight for Elyn and Eric went to Astral Voidwalker. Meanwhile, the tinum-rank expert stood behind and watched everything.


    Seeing Astral and the crown prince talking, Orion understood the meeting would begin soon.


    But he wondered what the topic would be about.


    Would they be discussing how many fruits one would get or if the fruits were real or not?


    In any case, the fruits were useless to him. Curses were his source of strength and he would definitely not want to remove any of them.


    But since his father had asked him to get some of their fruits, he couldn''t ignore them. At the same time, this was also his mission, so he would have to do this one way or another.


    At that moment, he noticed Erick stopped talking to Astral and turned his attention to the crowd.


    "Everyone, let''s do as Astral says and hold a meeting." That way, we would avoid some unnecessary conflicts that may arise due to this." Erick spoke out loud so that everyone in the area could hear him clearly.


    The crowd had heard the previous announcement Astral had made so they weren''t surprised by this.


    Seeing that, Erick continued, "We will have ten groups of people representing in the meeting¡ªthe seven magi families, Hyperion Tower, someone representing themon people andst but not least, the royal family. If I missed someone, please do remind me."


    However, as soon as he announced this, someone in the crowd asked.


    "There are so many people in themon people group; how would we choose one? Also, let''s say if the ten groups of people get the same amount of fruits, then wouldn''t we be at a loss since we have the most number of individuals here?"


    Erick frowned as he heard him. "We are only discussing the rules of how one would get those fruits; as for how many one could get, that totally depends on individual strength. You all can choose to participate in that if you want to but we only need one individual who could represent you in the meeting."


    "You mean all of us can participate when we are collecting the fruits?" One of the men in the crowd asked.


    "Sure," Erick replied.


    He then further said to everyone, "If you have any more questions, ask them."


    "Are the fruits real?" Someone in the crowd asked.


    "That''s why we are holding the meeting. We ourselves aren''t sure of." Erick said.


    After he replied to that, no one asked him any questions. Seeing that, he continued, "It''s decided then. We will hold the meeting in an hour and every group I mentioned should have two people max representing the group."


    With that, he stepped back, and the crowd once again began murmuring to each other. This time, they were in a hurry to find someone to represent them, so they started talking inrge numbers.


    Meanwhile, Orion turned his attention to his group.


    Looking at them, he said, "Since we will be talking about the cursed tree and many things rted to it, I think it might be better if General Khan came with me to the meeting. Do you guys have any problems with that?"


    "It''s the best choice." Lucy nodded, agreeing with him.


    Dustin and Tray also nodded.


    Seeing that they didn''t have any problem with that, Orion turned to look at General Khan.


    "Prince, you can count on me." General Khan said, beating his chest with his fist.


    Orion nodded to him and looked at others when he noticed once again that Elyn was looking at him and he could tell it wasn''t just a coincidence; she was staring at him intently.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 174: 174. Meeting - 1

    ''What''s wrong with her?''


    Orion frowned. He would have liked to be noticed by others, especially by the most beautiful girl in the world. However, for reasons unknown, he sensed negativity in her gaze¡ªit was as though she wasn''t looking at him with curiosity, as a girl normally would if she had any interest in him. Instead, all he could discern from her eyes were emotions he couldn''t describe.


    Feeling increasingly disturbed by her relentless stare, he looked away. He couldn''t bear to meet those eyes any longer, sensing immense negativity within them.


    ''It''s weird. This is the first time I have ever felt something like that.''


    Being able to sense others'' negativity was a new experience for him. It had never happened before. Orion didn''t understand why he could suddenly feel these emotions in others. Was it just a one-time thing with Elyn, or did he possess this ability consistently? He knew he had to investigate further to confirm if this was indeed a new ability he possessed.


    As they waited, one hour quickly passed, and Erick pped his hands to draw everyone''s attention.


    "Everyone, I hope you have chosen the two representatives you want to send." He said this, looking at the bustling crowd.


    They all nodded at him.


    He nodded back at them. "The meeting would be held on our void shuttle, as it''s thergest one. All the representativese and follow me there."


    He took the lead and headed towards his shuttle. It was the most unique and different-looking shuttle from an average one.


    Twenty figures walked behind him and they soon reached the entrance of the shuttle.


    Erick signalled the only tinum-rank man here and he opened the shuttle.


    "Follow me, everyone."


    He led them into the shuttle, where a huge conference hall was ced in front of them as they crossed the entrance area.


    Surprisingly, there were only 10 seats avable for each group of people present. This meant that if one member of a group sat down, another would have to stand, as there were only half as many seats as there were members in the meeting.


    Erick looked apologetically at them. "Forgive me for not being able to provide more than 20 seats."


    "No worries, crown prince." Said the member of the Silverme family.


    "Yes, in a way, this is for the best. Only the most prominent member is eligible to sit, while the others can stand behind them," Evans said.


    Erick nodded, seeing they understood him. "Alright, please take your seats."


    As he told others to sit, he first sat in the foremost position where a leader would typically sit and looked at his sister.


    "I know, I know."


    Laughing, she took a seat in the chair beside him.


    Seeing that the crown prince and the princess had taken their seats, others didn''t hesitate and also took their seats.


    Erick looked at each and every member of the team and surprisingly, he didn''t recognise most of them.


    "Before we start the meeting, let''s introduce ourselves." He suggested.


    Astral immediately agreed to his proposal. "That''s good as well. I also didn''t recognise who is from which magi families and a small but simple introduction would help us recognise each other."


    "Your Highness, as they already know you, let''s start with me," he further said, looking at Erick.


    Erick nodded at him.


    "I am Astral Voidwalker, representing the Voidwalker family." He introduced himself. Though everyone felt that there wasn''t a need for that as there was no one in the room who wouldn''t recognise the number one genius in the Magus Kingdom."


    The person seated next to him was silver-coloured; Orion had seen him during the attack of the demon race on the Starforge.


    He introduced himself. "Hello, everyone. I hope you are all doing well. I am Fixen Silverme at your service."


    Orion smiled in cringe as he heard his introduction. He felt that a simple introduction would suffice here, just like what Astral did.


    Though his smile was caught by Fixen soon enough,.


    "What are youughing at, Darkwood Family kid?" He asked, baring his teeth.


    "Well, it''s good that you recognise me. I am Orion Darkwood, representing the Darkwood Family," Orion introduced himself and looked at Fixen. "As for why did Iugh? Your intro just made me cringe. Is that sufficient for an answer?"


    "Hahahaha."


    However, the moment he said those words, someone here startedughing uproariously. Everyone could tell who it was without even looking. It was Princess Luma,ughing freely without a care.


    "I also found that oddly cringe and I was controlling myughter all this time because of that," she said as sheughed, putting her hand over her mouth. "But seeing someone else alsough and feeling the cringe I was feeling, I couldn''t control myself."


    Erick shook his head, smiling.


    Meanwhile, Fixen clenched his fists. Now that he knew Princess Luma alsoughed, he couldn''t say anything about it to Orion and because of that, he felt wronged and humiliated at the same time.


    The next person to introduce himself was also an acquaintance of Orion.


    "I am Loren Grimwolf. I am representing the Grimwolf family." Loren introduced himself.


    Orion noticed something different about Fixen and Lorenpared to thest time he had seen them. He could sense that their aura had be stronger and more powerful than before.


    ''They entered the gold rank.''


    He wasn''t surprised by that. He knew that the average strength of people in the elite rankings was in the gold rank.


    "I am Elyn Ravenw and I am representing the Ravenw family." Elyn introduced herself next.


    It was now time for the first group of people who were at the curse tree all by themselves.


    "I am Evans and I represent the Valen family." Evans said this to all the people.


    Andst but not least, the Stormrider family.


    "I am Monre Stormrider and I represent the Stormrider family." A man with dark skin and white hair introduced himself.


    After the seven Magi families introduced their representatives, it was time for thest two groups.


    "Everyone, I am S Rune and I am representing the Hyperion Tower." A girl said, She appeared the same age as everyone, around 19¨C20 years old and had long, dark red hair with fairly white skin.


    "Hahaha, I guess it''s my turn. I am Nick Scott and you will be surprised if you know my origin. Can any of you guess what that might be?" A man around 18 years old chuckled. He had lighter green hair, shoulder length, and a longer face than an average human. This made him look as though he were a middle-aged man who had shaved his beard.


    "You are from Zenith, if I am not wrong."


    Orion was the one who answered Nick''s question. He believed that now, with geniuses from all over the world gathered here, only the presence of Zenithans could truly surprise anyone.


    "You are right. I am a Zenithan. Hahaha." Nick startedughing after that.


    Orion felt that this guy had some screws loosen up his head or maybe he was mentally ill.


    "Alright, since everyone has introduced themselves, let''s discuss the first topic of the meeting¡ªare the fruits real or not?"


    Erick instantly got onto the main topic as soon as he started the meeting.


    Following him, Orion quickly raised his hand. "I may know something about it."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 175: 175. Meeting - 2

    "Orion Darkwood, right?" Erick asked.


    "Yes, Your Highness." Orion bowed in gesture.


    "Tell us, what do you know then?" Erick nodded and asked about the fruits.


    Orion nodded and said, "You Highness, truthfully, I am as doubtful as everyone else in here but I know someone in here who could definitely answer your question."


    Evans almost cursed Orion after understanding what he wanted to do and for a moment he regretted his decision to go and poke at him earlier.


    "And who would that be?" Erick became interested.


    Orion smiled and turned to Evans. "Your Highness, and everyone, when you came to this, have you noticed the smoke residues or the wreckages around the cities?"


    Erick nodded and so did others.


    Especially Erick felt responsible for forgetting about that ce and what happened there because of the fruits. As the crown prince of the Magus Kingdom, it was his duty to oversee situations he could handle, and matters concerning a 3-star fell under his purview.


    "Well, if you wonder what caused the city to turn like that, you can always ask the Valen Family about this." Orion said, looking at Evans, whose eyes were emitting fire as he looked at Orion.


    Erick then turned to Evans and saw his ck face. "Evans, what happened there?" He asked solemnly.


    Evans sweated heavily as he saw that everyone was looking at him for answers. He didn''t know what he should tell them. Should he tell them the truth? But wouldn''t that mean he would also have to reveal why he was here in the first ce?


    "Evans?" Erick''s cold voice sounded in Evans''s ears and he couldn''t help but clench his fists tightly as blood started to flow from them but he didn''t utter a single word and remained silent about all of that.


    Seeing him like that, Orionughed. "Your Highness, let me tell you what happened there. Last night..."


    As everyone heard him, they were a little shocked. Although there were some conflicts between the seven magi families, it wasn''t on the scale that they would start attacking each other''s.


    They knew that it could ultimately result in a full-blown war between the two families.


    "Not only that..." Orion also told them about his suspicion about how they were the first ones to be here and it looked like they were waiting for them. He didn''t even leave behind his suspicion about the Valen family being the ones who spread the rumors. He told them everything.


    Everyone''s attention was immediately drawn to Evans as they Orion. They felt that if the Valen Family knew about this before them and instead of taking all the fruits for themselves, they invited the whole world, then they were definitely scheming something about it. No one in their right mind would want to share something that precious until and unless one had other motives.


    "Evans?" Astral asked, his face serious. "Tell us, what is your family scheming this time?"


    He had the same calm and serene expression on him as Orion had seen on his before he told them about the Valen family.


    ''Is that guy always having a serious face or what?'' Orion thought.


    "Evans!" This time, even Erick shouted at him.


    Evans finally sighed and looked at Orion venomously before turning to Erick.


    "Your Highness, it is indeed my family that spread the rumours about the cursed tree." He epted the ims Orion had put on him.


    Orion was surprised to see that. He had believed that Evans would never ept that all of this was his doing.


    However, what he or any other person in the room failed to notice was the subtle smile on Evans''s face before he epted his family''s fault. It was only there for a moment before it disappeared from his face.


    "Why did you do that? What are you conspiring?" Erick asked solemnly. Conspiring against the entire kingdom was a crime punishable by execution. Even if that crime was done by a member of one of the seven Magi families,.


    Evans''s face was dark but he still exined the situation.


    "It has nothing to do with my family; it''s all my fault. I found a book ten years ago that mentioned the illustrious cursed fruits. Eating one of them could get rid of one''s curse permanently. I was tempted and began a thorough search for this tree throughout the entire kingdom. And I eventually found the tree here. But then I noticed that the fruits hadn''t grown at all."


    The more he talked, the more he seemed obsessed with the fruits, as if he were enchanted by them.


    "It turned out this tree needed a huge amount of mana to sessfully bear these fruits and that''s when I asked my father to drain some low-levels of their manapletely by extracting the mana from the mana cores. It was a sessful process and I seeded in extracting mana from many of these small, low-levels, which I supplied back to the tree."


    At that moment, he turned his attention to Orion, and his eyes were filled with nothing but hatred.


    "However, when it seemed everything was going well, someone thwarted our n, which not only caused us to lose the mana from a we were supposed to get but we were also warned by the emperor not to do that unless we wanted eternal prison life."


    He clenched his fists tightly and red fiercely at Erick.


    "I was so close to sess. I was so close to achieving what no one in this world had ever achieved. But in the end, it was all for naught. The tree stopped growing after it didn''t receive the mana."


    Everyone was shocked by Evans''s words. Nobody had thought that he had been eyeing the fruits for so many years, and he had nearly seeded in obtaining them.


    The two most shocked were Orion and Erick.


    After all, it was Orion who caused their ns to fail on the Sad. Knowing it was all one big conspiracy to get fruits that could remove curses permanently, Orion felt disgusted. For these fruits, Evans and the Valen Family had taken countless lives across manys. And they would have continued to do so if he hadn''t intervened.


    Erick also understood everything. He had heard his father talk about what happened on a small 3-star called Sad. He knew it was Orion who had thwarted the Valen Family''s n back then. But they had thought it was the Valen Family''s first attempt at something like that and were timely stopped by Orion.


    However, who would have thought that Sad was only one of manys they did the same thing to? Sad was fortunate to have Orion and an apocalypse-level monster guarding the core, preventing an unimaginable catastrophe. But many others weren''t as lucky, and with their destruction, countless humans perished.


    Erick couldn''t control the anger he was feeling at this moment.


    "So, why did you spread the rumours and call us here?" He asked Evans, his voice ice-cold.


    "Why? Hahaha!" Evans startedughing like a madman. "You asked this question a little toote. But I will tell you why. You see, when I again came here a few days ago, the tree spoke to me. It told me to bring as many humans as I could here and in return, it would give me one of its fruits."


    Erick was shocked. Everyone was shocked by his words. However, before they could react more, they suddenly found themselves falling into a grey world.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 176: 176. Centipede Again

    "What the hell!"


    Orion cursed when he suddenly found himself falling through the air.


    ''Everyone else also got dragged here.''


    And not just them in Erick''s void shuttle but everyone who came to the cursed tree for fruits was falling with them.


    It appeared as though a colourful mass of balls were falling in a greyndscape. It was a surreal scene.


    As they reached near the surface, they found that they werending and falling inside a forest.


    ''They could fly!''


    Orion then noticed that all the people who were in the gold ranks suddenly stopped midway in the air and started floating.


    "Help me!"


    "I can''t fly!"


    "Someone help me!"


    However, it was at that moment that he heard the desperate shouts of people falling through the air, their cries reverberating throughout the greynds. These people were only at the silver rank and couldn''t fly because of it. They yelled and begged for help.


    ''My team!''


    Hearing them, Orion was reminded of his team. He quickly searched through the individuals falling through the air and caught sight of Dustin, Lucy, and Tray. Like him, they were plummeting at a very fast pace.


    ''I will help to help them.''


    He quickly activated the curse of electrostatic disruption and flew through the air towards his team.


    Arriving before them, he immediately used the ability of electrostatic disruption on their bodies, causing them to float in the air like he would control his swords.


    He soon controlled them in the air as he slowly made his way onto the ground.


    "Everyone! Help those who are falling."


    At that moment, a loud shout reached everyone''s ears.


    Orion turned to see that it was Crown Prince Erick who had spoken just now.


    Hearing his words, those gold-ranking experts began helping those who were falling as much as they could. Some carried 3¨C4 silver ranks and were falling, while others could only take 2.


    Seeing them, Orion sighed and decided to help them as well.


    ''I might as well do it.''


    He extended the radius of his ability to those around him who were falling and just like that, they suddenly stopped and floated down slowly.


    However, there were still casualties. Almost two-thirds of the people who hade to the cursed tree for its fruits were silver ranks and the rest were gold ranks. So, even if the gold rank experts saved as many as they could, there were still many humans who were unlucky and died due to falling.


    Erick''s eyes were bloodshot as he witnessed almost half the people from the outside end up dead through falling.


    "Evans!"


    He yelled, looking at Evans, who was floating away somewhere.


    "Your Valen Family... will face extreme punishment... for that."


    Erick spat these words one by one.


    However, Evans didn''t even bother to turn around to reply and he disappeared from sight.


    "Damn it!"


    At the moment, Erick couldn''t do anything as he was carrying three silver-rank experts himself. He could only watch as Evans flew away.


    ''Tubbo was left behind intentionally?''


    He didn''t see his tinum-rank servant. Why was he left behind? Most importantly, was what Evans said about the tree wanting them to be brought here true, so it could summon them to this world? But why leave Tubbo behind? Was he too strong? And what did the tree want from them?


    There were so many questions in his head but no one answered them.


    "Look! What are those?"


    At that moment, someone shouted and pointed down to the forest, which attracted everyone''s attention.


    Orion also looked down. He had been busy saving as many people as he could. Unlike others, he didn''t require hands to carry them so he was able to save much more people than average. He also used Curse Transformation, making the electrostatic disruption even more powerful and with that, he alone was able to save around 20¨C30 people.


    As he looked down, he saw something big moving through the forest, like a snake, but a huge one.


    ''That was...!''


    An unforgettable memory resurfaced in his mind as his eyes looked at the moving bushes and trembling trees in the forest.


    "That''s a centipede!" Princess Luma shouted.


    Everyone''s face turned dark upon witnessing such a long centipede.


    Especially for Orion, but the good thing was that it was smaller than the one that attacked them in the ocean.


    "It''s looking towards us."


    Everyone was shocked to see that the centipede had crawled up like a snake in the middle of the forest and was looking at them.


    Its huge body was as tall as tower and the tallest tree in the forests couldn''t reach 30% of its height.


    "Everyone stop and don''t go down." Erick shouted.


    There wasn''t a need for that, as nobody moved when they saw the huge centipede in the forest.


    "Brother, what should we do?" Princess Luma asked. "We couldn''t attack the centipede while carrying people."


    Erick was also thinking about that. From what he could tell, the strength of the centipede wasn''t much, only around the peak of gold rank, which they could handle easily. However, since they were carrying so many people with them, it was almost impossible to attack the centipede.


    "Send them to me!" Orion shouted.


    Erick looked at him and was surprised to see so many people floating beside him.


    "You can handle more?" He asked in surprise. He felt that controlling so many people would already be the limit of his talent but it seemed he underestimated him.


    "Just send them in." Orion nodded.


    Erick nodded and was about to go and leave the people he carried to Orion when he noticed someone else had arrived before him.


    It was Elyn. She stood before Orion and looked at him in the eyes.


    "Take them." Elyn left the people she carried and they started to fall suddenly.


    "Damn, at least warn me before you do that." Orion cursed as he immediately went down, caught these people under his ability and floated above.


    "It''s all because of you." Elyn only said those words before she floated down like a rocket and arrived in front of the centipede.


    "It''s all because of me? What does she mean by that? Is she meant it''s my fault because this happened on one of thes owned by the Darkwood family?" Orion couldn''t understand her at all.


    At that moment, Erick appeared in front of him with Astral, Princess Luma, and the others.


    "Don''t fret over her words. She is like this with all of us." Erick said to him:.


    Orion nodded. "She is very strange."


    "And your sister is not? Emily and she are best friends and they both are like that. I have tried so many times to be friends with them but they just ignored me. Humph!" Princess Luma pouted with dissatisfaction.


    "My sister too?" Orion frowned. He had indeed noticed some changes in his sister but he didn''t know it was as big as they said.


    "You didn''t know?" Astral asked.


    Orion shook his head.


    "Well, I know your sister very well," Astral said, remembering his past. "When she was in gold rank, she used to be rank 1 in the elite rankings and I was rank 2. I was very strong even at that time but I couldn''t withstand even a move from her. She was just too powerful. However, it was her behaviour that stood out to me the most. She was too silent.


    I never saw her talk to anyone on her own ord, and even if she did, it was always greetings to seniors as a form of respect. Overall, I find her very strange, just like Elyn."

 Chapter 177: 177. Trapped in a Foreign World

    ''She has changed that much?'' Orion felt a little sad. He remembered her as the most cheerful person in his life. When everyone bullied him, she was the only one who fought back for him. She had cheered for him too many times and always told him to remain optimistic, saying good days woulde soon.


    ''Big Sister Emily, good days havee but you are gone.'' He thought silently.


    "It looks like she is going to finish it." Erick''s voice brought Orion back to reality.


    Looking down, he saw that Elyn was preparing to use a sword move.


    "Die!"


    Uttering a single word, she swung her sword and the centipede was cut in two halves. It was dead in only one move.


    ''Too powerful!'' Orion was shocked by her strength. ''I guess this is the result of training with Sword Sage.''


    He was just a little bit jealous of her.


    "Let''s go down." Erick shouted at everyone.


    They all moved down towards the forest when they noticed that the centipede''s corpse had disappeared into grey particles.


    A momentter, everyonended in the strange grey forest. It looked like any other forest but it was grey. Everything appeared ck and white in there, as if there were no concept of colour in this world.


    Orion toonded and let go of the men he carried here. Some thanked him and some just didn''t say anything and just stood there.


    "Everyone, listen to me." Erick shouted but in a very low voice. He didn''t want to alert any more monsters to their arrival.


    "Stay close to each other and don''t go wandering alone here. Understood?" He ordered, looking at everyone.


    They nodded in understanding.


    Astral then walked up to a tree and touched it with his hands.


    "These are indeed trees, just like in our world," he said, rubbing hands. "I think we are in a dungeon."


    "Dungeon?" Erick shook his head, saying, "When I came to Roele and saw the smoke and the ruined city, I thought it was a dungeon break but when I checked the mana radiation stone, it didn''t have any reactions."


    "What? Mana radiation stone didn''t have any reaction?" Astral asked in surprise.


    "Yeah," Erick nodded solemnly. "You know what that means, right?"


    "This, Roele, either didn''t have any dungeons or all of them were cleared." Astral said with a frown. He couldn''t understand; if they weren''t inside a dungeon, then where were they?


    "You guys are right. This doesn''t have any dungeons, and all of it was clear beforehand." Orion said to them this time. When taking the mission of the assessment, he was also given all the details of the Roele and it was mentioned that all the dungeons on the were cleared.


    There was another reason he believed it wasn''t a dungeon. He had tried to move into his dimension just a moment ago but failed to do so and that didn''t happen to himst time when he was in that unforgetful dungeon. So he believed that either this ce was somewhere on the Roele or that it was some form of restricted space.


    With Orion''s words, they knew the dungeon was out of the question, but that still begged another question: where were they?


    "Astral, can you go and scout the area around here?" Erick asked Astral.


    Astral nodded and went away to scout.


    Erick then turned his attention to the people here.


    "Everyone, listen to me!" he shouted solemnly. "Apprehend every member of the Valen family."


    He thought that if anyone could know what was happening here and where they were, then that could only be the Valen family.


    As soon as he made the announcement of capturing the Valen Family members, they started running in all directions.


    "It isn''t our fault."


    "Don''te after me. I didn''t know anything."


    "Only the higher-ups of the family know what happened here. We are innocent here."


    "Please let us go!"


    They shouted as they ran but sadly, their numbers were pitifully few and they were soon caught by the others.


    Erick lined them up and looked each one dead in the eyes.


    "Your family is already doomed. So, tell us everything you know and we might let you go; otherwise, only eternal rest awaits you."


    He threatened them but didn''t forget to give them hope¡ªhope of getting away with everything.


    "We didn''t know anything; believe us."


    "We are innocent."


    "It was Evans who brought us here, saying there would be rewards if we came."


    "Let us go. We didn''t do anything."


    They all shouted but nobody said anything about this ce or the cursed tree.


    Seeing that, Erick''s face became dark. "I guess I will have to use some force then."


    He smiled cruelly and took out a knife from his storage ring.


    "Cough. I think I know who would know some answers." Orion said and smiled wryly, seeing Erick take out a knife. He wondered if he was going to torture them with that if he hadn''t stopped him here.


    "Who?" Erick asked.


    "That girl," Orion said, pointing at the girl he saw with Evans when they arrived near the cursed tree.


    "She was with Evans when I arrived at the barrennd and from the looks of it, Evans and that girl were the leaders of this group of the Valen Family." He further said:.


    "You,e here." Erick ordered the person Orion pointed to.


    The girl hesitated but ultimately listened to Erick and came in front of him.


    "What''s your name?" Erick asked.


    "Mika." She replied quietly.


    "Mika? Where have I heard that name before? Ah, I remember you are the youngest daughter of the Magi King of Aurora Haven. I came to your family a year ago when I met you there." Erick said it with a smile as he remembered her.


    "Now, tell me, what is going on here? A lie and your head will roll down." He threatened her as he held the knife in front of her.


    "I don''t know." Mika stepped back, stuttering.


    "You know very well and what''s with this face? Where did the ''you'' go when you came to mock me?" Orion said, narrowing his eyes at her.


    "Tell me everything and I may spare you or else." Erick once again threatened at this time.


    "I really don''t know. It was all Evans''s n. I know just as much as you do. He never told me about this world or anything rted to it." Mika said, tears flooding her eyes.


    Erick and Orion both frowned as they heard her. She seemed to not know anything and it didn''t look like she was lying either.


    "Are you lying?" Orion asked, and his eyes became emotionless as he looked at her.


    "No-no. I am not. Please don''t kill me." She started trembling as she begged them not to kill him.


    "Hey, that''s enough!" Princess Luma interfered at that moment and took Mika away.


    "So?" Erick turned to Orion.


    Orion shook his head. "She wasn''t lying."


    Erick nodded with a grim expression. "That means we are stuck in a foreignnd and we don''t know anything about it."


    Orion nodded and was about to say something when he noticed someone among the group of Valen Family members.


    "Brother Kyle, you are here too." He smiled upon seeing him, though the smile appeared rather strange.

 Chapter 178: 178. Deal of Evans

    "Kyle?" Erick pondered for a moment before his eyes shone with brilliance.


    "You are also the youngest son of the Magi King of Aurora Haven." He eximed at Kyle.


    Orion nodded. That was what Kyle had told him before in Aethelgard City. Though he did wonder, if the youngest daughter had no idea about all of this, would the youngest son know about anything?


    "Tell me, Kyle, do you know anything about this?" He asked. He didn''t want to be the viin here for Kyle, at least. He had provided some great help in the Aethelgard city by leaking what the Valen family wanted to do so he felt that he should repay the favours.


    "I know." Kyle, surprisingly, nodded.


    "You knew and didn''t tell us until now?" Erick asked, his knife ced at Kyle''s neck.


    "I didn''t want to die." Kyle only said this.


    "Since it is, then I am going to kill you. Anyway, your family is doomed, and there''s no need for people like you, who, knowing the truth, won''t speak, to exist," Erick said as he increased the pressure of his knife, causing blood to flow from Kyle''s neck.


    "Your Highness, he was the one who provided me with the intel of what was about to happen on Sad, what the Valen Family was up to and how to stop them." Orion quickly said this in defence of Kyle, fearing Erick might do something unthinkable.


    "You are defending him?" Erick narrowed his eyes at Orion.


    "No, I am just stating a fact. If he knew about what would happen to the Sad, then his words hold some truth here. At least we should listen to him before you decide what to do with him." Orion said solemnly.


    Erick didn''t say anything for a moment and looked at Kyle.


    "I will give you onest chance; speak what you know; otherwise, only death awaits you." He threatened Kyle with his knife.


    Kyle didn''t reply and looked at Orion.


    Orion nodded at him.


    Kyle sighed and revealed to them what he knew.


    "I overheard Evans talking to someone in the family. I don''t know the exact details but it was about a deal. He would provide as many humans as he could in return for something he wanted. I had thought that by spreading the rumours, he wanted everyone toe closer to the cursed tree for the deal but I was wrong. The deal was about this ce.


    That means there is something or someone here that wants our life."


    Orion and Erick both frowned as they heard him. They could recall what Evans said about the tree talking to him before they plunged into this world. This made them wonder if the other end of the deal was none other than the cursed tree itself.


    However, if that was true, then they were in big trouble. Whoever summoned them here likely didn''t have good intentions, considering the deal involved offering as many humans as possible in exchange for something Evans wanted.


    "Damn it!" Erick cursed, knowing it would be very difficult for them to get out of here.


    Orion also felt helpless. They were stuck in an unfamiliar ce, and to make matters worse, there was something or someone who wanted their lives.


    ''What could be worse than this?''


    He sighed and hoped that they could get out of here.


    At that moment, Astral appeared in front of them; however, to their shock, he was injured. He was bleeding from many parts of his body. His clothing looked burned in some areas, while other parts were frozen with frost. Overall, he was aplete mess.


    He was the strongest of them in this ce and now he was injured when he just went to scout.


    "Let me heal a bit." He immediately took out some mana crystals and began to heal himself.


    Erick frowned and called some people with healing talent who healed Astral as fast as they could.


    About an hourter, all his injuries healed and he was once again at his peak.


    "What happened out there, Astral?" Erick asked, his face dark. He understood that Astral being injured on his scouting duty only meant one thing¡ªthis ce was hell for them.


    Elyn also came to listen to Astral but her eyes were always on Orion.


    Orion felt helpless about that and could only ignore her for now.


    Astral didn''t say anything for a while and for reasons unknown, his eyes kept drawing to Orion.


    "Astral?" Orion asked if he wanted anything from him.


    "Nothing." Astral sighed and told them what happened.


    "So, from what I could find, the ce we''re in is a veryrge area. We''re in a forest, and not far from here, there''s a desert. Across the desert lie the peaks of small mountains, where I saw some silhouettes moving. Beyond these silhouettes is a huge door shining brightly with a red light," he exined, recounting what he saw during his scouting.


    He further said: "I don''t know where the door leads or if it even leads to an exit, but it''s the only thing worth noticing in this ce."


    Erick nodded and asked solemnly what he had wanted to ask the whole time. "How did you get injured?"


    Astral''s face turned dark and his eyes once again looked towards Orion.


    "The silhouettes I mentioned earlier¡ªone of them teleported and arrived in front of me. He attacked me and we fought. We were even in every blow; we fought each other until the silhouette''s strength increased all of a sudden and I was no match after that. After a few more rounds, I was heavily injured and I ran for my life.


    But strangely though, he didn''t follow me to finish me and disappeared from there."


    As he recounted what led to his injuries, everyone was shocked. Overpowering Astral in a one-on-one fight was nearly impossible, and making him run for his life was even more unimaginable. They all sucked in a breath of cold air, wondering what could be out there that could defeat Astral¡ªtheir strongest warrior¡ªlike it was nothing.


    "Did you see what monster it was?" Erick asked.


    Astral nodded and pointed at Orion.


    ''''It was you, Orion."


    Everyone was shocked upon hearing him. Most of them felt Astral had gone stupid, while some just frowned and waited for more exnation.


    Meanwhile, Orion was even more shocked. He was with Erick the whole time, so how could he go there and attack him?


    "What do you mean it was me?" He asked with a frown.


    Astral said, "It was you who attacked me. I could clearly remember your face and your clothes. It could only be you, I am sure of it."


    "How could it be me? I was with His Highness the whole time." Orion said it with a frown and looked at Erick.


    Erick nodded in support of him. "Orion has been with me all this time so it couldn''t be him."


    Though he still wondered, if it wasn''t Orion, then who else could it be? He knew Astral very well and understood that he wouldn''t joke about something like that.


    Astral pondered for a moment before agreeing with him.


    He said to them: "Well, I already knew it wasn''t Orion. I was just checking his reactions to make sure it wasn''t him."


    "What do you mean by that?" Orion asked.


    "The one who attacked me was indeed you; there is no doubt about that but he waspletely ck and white, like this world. Also, he used fire and ice attacks on me, which were also ck and white. So, I figured it couldn''t be you but I was checking on you just in case you were doing something behind the scenes." Astral exined.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 179: 179. Grey Orion

    "Are you suspecting me?" Orion asked, frowning.


    "I had to since it looked too much like you but after seeing your reaction and your alibi with His Highness, I figured it couldn''t be you." Astral said.


    Orion nodded and asked about one thing he was curious about. "So, what about the other sides? If one end is the door, then there should be other sides as well, right?"


    "There were only oceans as far as my eyes could take. And only in one direction was therend and that''s the direction where the door is." Astral said.


    Orion frowned. He had a very bad feeling about the door. Knowing someone wanted to kill them and now there was a door waiting for them at the other end made him feel that it might be a trap set by whoever had summoned them to this ce.


    "That door might be a trap." He said this to others.


    "Trap or not, that door is the only option here and we are going that way." Erick said.


    "I agree."


    It was Elyn who said that. She looked at Orion, Astral, and Erick before she further spoke.


    "We should do as His Highness says. There aren''t any other ces where we could go and waiting here won''t do us anything so we might as well take the gamble and head towards the door."


    "Hahaha. I agree as well."


    At that moment, another individual joined in their conversation.


    "You are that Zenithan guy," Orion said.


    "Hahaha. It''s good that you remember me. My name is Nick Scott and I want to be the strongest man in the whole world. Hahahaha."


    Orion and others looked at each other and wondered if this guy was really a mad man or what.


    Erick shook his head and said to them: "It''s decided then. We will head towards the door."


    However, before he announced that to everyone here, he looked at Astral.


    "Are there any strong monsters in our way in the forest and in the desert?" He asked him.


    Astral shook his head. "I did find some monsters but all were silver and gold-rank monsters. As for the desert, I was only in the initial part of it when I was attacked by Grey Orion. So, I don''t know if there are any strong monsters in the desert or not."


    Erick pondered for a moment before he finally made his decision.


    Looking at everyone, he announced. "Everyone, we are moving. Follow behind us closely; otherwise, whatever happens to you is not anyone''s fault, understood?"


    All the people in the greynd nodded. They understood their situation very well and knew that acting recklessly would lead to some unfortunate circumstances.


    "Little sister, you take care of the Valen family members. Make sure they don''t escape." Erick said this to Princess Luma.


    "Alright, let''s go then." He then said this to Astral, Orion, and the others.


    Astral nodded and was about to take the lead when he stopped.


    "What if that Grey Orion attacks again?" He asked. He understood that the strength of that thing¡ªwhatever that thing was¡ªwas very strong. At least stronger than him.


    "Leave it to me."


    "Leave it to me."


    Two of the of the same answers sounded at the same time. One was from Orion and the other was from Elyn.


    Elyn looked at Orion and said, "I can handle it."


    Orion shook his head. "You will end up the same as Astral."


    "And how are you so sure of it?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.


    Orion shrugged. "If Astral couldn''t defeat him, then what chance do you have for someone who is weaker than him?"


    Elyn frowned before she said. "I have learned some new sword techniques from master and I believe with those I will definitely be stronger than Astral."


    Orion sneered at her. "We will see."


    Elyn''s frown deepened upon seeing Orion not taking her words seriously.


    At that moment, Erick said, "If that Grey Orion does appear, then Elyn and Astral, you both intercept him while I prepare for my final move and finish him."


    Elyn wanted to fight alone with the Grey Orion but since Erick said that she would have to fight alongside him and Astral, she could only listen to him.


    "Alright." She nodded with clear dissatisfaction on her face.


    "Let''s go then." Erick said he took the lead.


    Orion, Astral, Elyn, and the others followed behind him.


    As for the rest, they also followed them closely.


    The greynd they were in appeared only grey in colour; other than that, everything was he same. The forests, the trees, even the monsters that attacked them as they made their way. They were exactly the same in their world.


    This made them wonder if the grey colour was the result of the cursed tree, which was alsopletely ck or if there were some more secrets to thisnd.


    After going through the forest for a few minutes, they came across many monsters. Some were in the iron ranks, some in the silver ranks, and the rare ones were in the gold rank. But they were all killed as the group continued to move forward.


    On their way, Erick said something to Orion and the others.


    "I think whatever this ce is, there are very serious power restrictions here."


    "What do you mean?" Astral asked in confusion.


    "The servant that came with me to Roele wasn''t summoned here as if he was intentionally left behind. Also, all the monsters we have faced till now have strength limited to the peak of their gold rank. Due to this, I suspect that whoever ever summoned us here in this ce also couldn''t be any stronger than gold or possibly tinum rank." Erick exined.


    Orion thought that Erick had a point. But he wondered: would the one who summoned them really be at the gold rank or tinum rank?


    "We are about to reach the end of the forest." Astral nodded and said,.


    After about five minutes, they finally reached the edge of the forest. From there, they could see the desert and the door shining a bright red light in the distant mountain area.


    The only thing in this ce that had any colour was that door gleaming with a deadly red light. Other than that, it was only lifeless greynd.


    However, at that moment, a figure appeared in the sky before them. It was the Grey Orion. It looked just like Orion but waspletely grey in colour¡ªlike a ck and white version of him.


    "I was waiting for you guys."


    "He can talk!" Orion eximed in surprise. He could tell that the figure in front of them was indeed him but not at the same time. One wouldn''t be able to tell the difference if it wasn''t coloured ck and white.


    Erick, Elyn, and others were also surprised.


    "This is the end line. You can''t go past it." It dered.


    "And who is gonna stop us? You?" Orion sneered. "A cheap copycat of mine?"


    The Grey Orion frowned upon hearing him and turned his head to look at him.


    "A cheap copycat, huh?" It said. "I guess that''s what I am for now. My ultimate goal is to kill you, rece you, and leave this damn hell." His face turned ferocious in the end.


    "You won''t have the chance."


    Elyn yelled and flew towards the Grey Orion, her sword gleaming with a dark blue colour.


    At the same time, Astral came from the other side, his two hands holding a spear and thrusting straight at Grey Orion''s neck.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 180: 180. You guys sure are weak.

    "Come."


    Grey Orion smiled, seeing both Elyn and Astral attacking him at the same time.


    "You guys sure are weak. But fret not for I will show you what true power is like."


    He sneered and extended both of his hands towards each side, where they attacked.


    As he did that, both Elyn and Astral stopped midway in the air. They couldn''t move and were stuck in a position where their weapons were still poised to strike.


    "What did you do?" Elyn''s face turned dark. She felt that some sort of force had been used on her body that restricted all of her movements.


    Grey Orion sneered, looking down at him. "Something that my original won''t be able to do."


    Orion, down on thend, watched the fight with a frown on his face. He heard what the Grey Orion said and sadly, he silently agreed with him. He knew he wouldn''t be able to achieve that.


    For him to do something like that, he would need to use electrostatic disruption in curse transformation mode while having full control over its abilities.


    It couldn''t be the half-baked ability he used to carry those people earlier. Elyn and Astral were strong and could definitely break free from his control if he tried that. But with Grey Orion, it was different. He couldpletely restrict their movements as if they were ordinary silver-rank individuals.


    ''Why is he so powerful than me? And most importantly, why is there a clone of me here with all of my powers?''


    Orion''s frown deepened as he thought of these things.


    "I am going to attack." Erick said that and took out his small knife.


    Orion was about to say something to him when he saw a change in the battle between Elyn and Astral vs. Grey Orion.


    Both Elyn and Astral''s cores materialised as their figures glowed in dark blue and orange, respectively. Utilising the strength boost of the Three Divine Ways, they promptly freed themselves from Grey Orion''s control andunched a counterattack.


    Elyn swiftly arrived at his back and shed down with her sword.


    However, her sword was caught by Grey Orion''s bare hands.


    "That was a faint." Elyn smiled and retreated, leaving her sword behind.


    "A faint, huh?" Grey Orion turned behind, sensing an immense burst of energy and saw Astral''s spear gleaming with a terrifying orange glow.


    He could feel the power behind that attack and it was enough to kill any gold-ranking experts; even some tinum-ranking experts would get injured by that attack if they were caught off-guard.


    Buzz!¡ª


    He only heard a buzzing sound and then saw a sh of light as Astral''s spear appeared at his chest.


    ''Very powerful; it might work against my original but sadly, you encountered me.''


    Almost instantly, a glowing greyyer of film surrounded Grey Orion''s body¡ªayer of absolute defence Orion often used. However, Grey Orion activated it in an instant, covering his whole body in a blink¡ªa feat Orion himself couldn''t achieve as quickly.


    Astral''s spear was just an inch away from making contact with his heart when it suddenly stopped and with that, a resounding shockwave was released with these two as the centre.


    The trees in the forests swayed in one direction and sands surfed like water and were blown away. The wind raged in all directions. It was as though a cataclysmic event was about to happen.


    "It''s useless."


    On the ground, Orion muttered upon seeing that.


    "What do you mean?" Erick asked. He felt that Astral''s attack worked and this was the result of their collision.


    "You will see." Orion said with furrowed brows.


    Erick''s eyes narrowed but he eventually.


    "How is this possible?"


    At that moment, he heard the surprise voice of Astral in his ears, causing him to turn his attention to the battle once again.


    However, what he saw shocked him to his core.


    He saw that Grey Orion was fine. There wasn''t even a scratch on him; on the other hand, it was Astral who looked messed up, as if it wasn''t Grey Orion who took thest attack but him.


    As he observed Astral''s spear, he noticed that its tip was still aimed at Grey Orion''s chest, with only a tiny gap separating them.


    "Astral, what are you doing? Thrust that spear into his chest." Erick yelled from the ground.


    Orion shook his head and exined. "That spear will not be able to touch my clone at all, no matter how hard Astral tries."


    "Are you that strong?" Erick asked in shock.


    "Actually, I am not as strong as my clone but I can still handle Elyn and Astral. It''s just that whatever abilities I have, my clone is like using 100% of those abilities while I can barely use 30%." Orion shook his head. Like he said, he couldn''t understand how the clone was able to use his curses much more effectively than he had ever used them.


    At that moment, Grey Orion looked at everyone andughed. "This is called strength¡ªgodlike strength, which you guys won''t be able to achieve in your entire lifetime."


    Astral smiled a bit as he heard the Grey Orion talk about godlike power. "I do have one move that could rival what you call godlike power."


    "Use it and show me your full power. I have heard a lot about you and if you don''t have that kind of strength, then I will really be disappointed." Grey Orion.


    "Astral, are you going to use your five-limit ability?" At that moment, Elyn asked with a frown.


    Astral nodded. "That''s the only chance we have against him."


    "But your body... it won''t be able to handle it," Elyn said, her expression worried, a stark contrast to her usual behaviour.


    Astral just shook his head at her and turned to the Grey Orion. "Give me some time if you want to see my full strength."


    "It''s fine. We aren''t going anywhere and most importantly, we have all the time in the world." Grey Orion said this and waited for Astral.


    "What are these five limits?" Orion asked Erick on the ground.


    Erick pondered for a moment before saying, "Astral has one very unique sub-ability called Five Limits. It allows him to break through his body''s limits five times, thereby increasing hisbat power to a very high level. But that abilityes with a very terrifying bacsh. Every time he used this ability, he was bedridden for days, if not a whole week.


    His body just can''t handle that much power, leading him to use that ability very sparingly."


    Orion nodded in understanding. Though he wasn''t sure if Astral could win here, He knew his curses very well and it seemed the clone of his had an even better understanding of those curses, considering how effectively he used electrostatic disruption.


    ''Will I stand a chance against him?''


    He asked himself this question and the answer he got was no. The clone in front of him was the best version of him¡ªbetter than him in every aspect.


    Boom!¡ª


    As he wandered about all of this, a resounding sound brought him back to reality.


    It was then that he saw that Astral''s body was releasing an intense amount of energy. His muscles bulged, his veins twitched, and a dark orange aura enveloped himpletely.

 Chapter 181: 181. Limitbreaker Astral

    "That''s the first limit." Erick said, looking at Astral, whose body seemed to be releasing an intense aura all around the greynds.


    As he said those words, the second limit was also broken at that moment, and an even more intense energy was released from Astra''s body.


    "His aura is increasing with every limit." Orion said, watching the whole spectacle.


    Erick nodded and said, "The third limit is where things start to get serious for him. His body is only capable of holding the first two limits barely so thest three take a huge toll on his whole body."


    Orion nodded and watched Astral and his clone.


    At this moment, Astral was in so much pain that even screaming became difficult for him. Breaking the third limit was extremely hard for him, as his body could only handle the first two limits. Achieving the third limit was like entering an entirely new realm of strength.


    But he gritted his teeth and held on.


    A momentter, a bang sounded, and he broke the third limit.


    Just as he did, everyone felt pressure upon them, unlike anything they had faced before. It was as though something very powerful, beyond theirprehension, had entered their world. It was a very surreal feeling that came with the overwhelming pressure.


    Sensing the overwhelming aura Astral was releasing and the strength of his current form, Grey Orion smiled. "You really are the strongest genius of the Magus Kingdom. All those geniuses aren''t even fit to carry your shoes."


    Astral looked at Grey Orion and responded with some difficulty. "I can go beyond this."


    "You can?" Grey Orion seemed surprised but then his expression turned into one of excitement. "Then do it. Let me witness your full strength."


    Astral nodded and closed his eyes as he prepared to break his fourth limit. Now that he had broken through the third limit, it wasn''t difficult for him to break through the fourth and fifth limits.


    It was like the third limit was some kind of barrier, a warning, some might argue, where going beyond that limit was entering the uncharted territory of strength or it was simply a warning that breaking the third limit was his body''s limit.


    Therefore, thest two limits of his body could be easily broken, like the first two. It was just that his body wouldn''t be able to handle that level of power.


    "What is his talent?" Orion asked as he sensed the strength of the current Astral.


    "It''s called the God of War body." Erick said, his eyes fully focused on Astral.


    "God of War?" Orion muttered to himself and wondered if Astral was somehow rted to this god of war. He didn''t know if God of War existed or not but since God of Immortality existed, he thought perhaps there should definitely be a God of War too. After all, God of War was also a named god, just like God of ughter and God of Immortality.


    As Orion was thinking all of this, he saw Astral break through his fourth limit.


    Bang!¡ª


    At that moment, Astral''s form began to change. His body became somewhat bulky and tall, while his hair became so long that it cascaded down to his back.


    Almost instantly, wind began to rage all around him, and trees began to sway once again in the forest.


    "Once again!" He suddenly yelled and with a bang, a pressure so intense was released that it caused almost every individual below gold rank to have a hard time breathing. Even some weak gold-ranking experts couldn''t withstand this pressure and had their bodies mmed to the ground.


    Astral stood in the air, his form glowing with a dark red glow instead of the usual dark orange.


    "The fifth limit is broken." Erick eximed in shock. Although he knew about Astral''s five-limit ability, he hadn''t ever seen him break through his limits. So, he was also quite shocked when he finally witnessed this with his own eyes.


    "This much strength!" Orion was also quite shocked. He didn''t want to ept it but he felt the current Astral could defeat him easily, even if he were to use every curse he had in his arsenal. He could only hold on to his own against him if he were to use three or more curses in the Curse Transformation mode.


    "Fascinating! This is what true strength should be." Grey Orion eximed. His face appeared excited, borderline crazy.


    "Nowe." He beckoned Astral with his hand.


    Astral vanished from his position, appeared in front of Grey Orion and thrust his spear at him.


    Grey Orion smiled as his hands materialised a lightning sword, and he swung it down to meet the iing spear.


    BOOM!¡ª


    The intense collision between them shook the entire greynd. Some trees in the forests were uprooted and blown away while a sand storm started to manifest in the desert.


    But this was just their initial sh.


    They soon separated and once again shed and yet another shockwave radiated from their collision.


    It was a sh of pure strength between them, each unleashing their full power without restraint.


    A momentter, the people on the ground couldn''t see them at all and could only hear the booming sound that came each time they shed.


    Some gold-ranking experts could only discern a red and grey light shing in the sky from time to time as the roar of thunder continued to sound.


    "Too strong! Both of them are too strong!" Erick eximed, his eyes wide with disbelief as he watched their battle unfold. He could barely follow their movements, but from what he could see, they were on another level from the rest of the people here.


    Orion didn''t say anything or react to their battle in any way, and he watched the battle in silence. No one knew what he was thinking.


    "Orion, are you this strong?" At that moment, Elyn came in and asked Orion the same question Erick had asked earlier.


    Orion shook his head. "No."


    "Then, why is your clone so strong? Also, why is there a clone of you in the first ce?" Elyn further asked.


    Orion turned to look at her with irritation. "I don''t know, okay? I''ve been thinking the same thing the whole time. Why is there a clone of me here? Why is it so much stronger than me? But I don''t have any answers to these questions." His voice conveyed frustration and confusion, his brows furrowing deeply as he tried to make sense of the inexplicable situation before him.


    "I am just as clueless as you guys are." He sighed in the end and looked at both Erick and Elyn.


    He asked them, "I suppose this form of Astral won''tst long before he runs out of fuel, right?"


    "We don''t know. The rumour doesn''t mention how long this formsts. It only says his body copses after he stops using the five limits ability," Erick said, shaking his head.


    "I know a few secrets. If I''m not mistaken, the maximum time with all five limits active is about 10 minutes," Elyn said.


    "10 minutes?" Orion frowned. "That means we have around 7-8 more minutes before hees after us."


    All three of them had their faces turned dark at the moment. They had very limited time at their disposal, and the enemy they were facing seemed to be something beyond them.


    "Damn it." Erick frustratingly smashed a tree beside him.


    On the other hand, Orion closed his eyes, deep in thought.


    Only Elyn looked at the battle and then, as if she thought of something, she turned to Orion.


    She asked, "Do you know what your weakness is? Perhaps the clone shares the same weakness as you, and we could use that to our advantage."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 182: 182. I am you and you are me

    "My weakness?" Orionughed wryly. He had almost infinite energy, a curse for physical strength, and elemental curses of fire, ice, and lightning. He can teleport, make his body intangible and many other cheat-like abilities that almost make him a perfect being.


    Although, if he did have a weakness, it would be his rank. He was just at the iron rank, and without his curses, he wouldn''t belong here at all.


    And the most dreadful thing was that his clone also possessed all those abilities but had a higher level of control and strength over them than Orion, making the clone even more terrifying.


    "My only weakness is my rank, which is only at the iron rank," he said to her.


    Elyn frowned when she heard him. "Aren''t you too full of yourself?" She asked, her voiceced with irritation.


    "It''s truth and I don''t care if you believe it or not." Orion shrugged.


    Elyn was about to argue more when she sensed something and turned her head upward to look at the sky.


    In the sky, both Astral and Grey Orion suddenly came to a stop after shing with each other with only brute strength.


    "You are strong, very strong." Grey Orion nodded in excitement.


    However, Astral didn''t seem as excited as Grey Orion and only looked at him with a deep frown.


    "You... who are you?" He asked. "How could you be so strong when you are only at iron rank?"


    He had never seen anyone with such a low rank possess such monstrous strength. It was impossible to have that level of power at such a rank, even for someone like himself, who was at the peak of gold rank and had to use a forbidden ability to reach that level.


    But the guy in front of him didn''t seem serious at all. It was as though he was excited about the fight, like someone who had been holding back their strength for a long time and finally had the opportunity to unleash it.


    "Who am I?" Grey Orion smiled. "Don''t you see the face? Don''t you recognise the voice? The Body? I am Orion but far better and more powerful than the original one."


    As if thinking something, he suddenly looked towards Orion. "You know, I have been telling you you are original all this time but the thing is, I am original too. I have all the memories of you, from when you were born to how you came here. It''s a very strange feeling."


    He suddenly clutched his head and an expression of sorrow appeared on his face.


    "And knowing I have a family outside but they are meeting you, your sister¡ªmy sister is ying with you and happily chatting with you when I am trapped here all this time made me want to kill myself¡ªmade me want to question my existence¡ªwho am I? Why do I exist here when there is another me out there living his life?"


    His expression suddenly turned gloomy.


    "And you know what the worst thing is? I can see everything you do outside as if I am the one doing it, but I am not. I am here, stuck in this sorrowful world, while you get to enjoy your own life when I and you are in essence the same being. Why? Why is that?"


    He stood there in the air, tears dripping down his cheeks.


    "For fifteen years, I have been watching your life¡ªmy life yed out with my own eyes. At first, when I was born, I thought it was cool to see another me who was living outside. I experienced your life.


    I cried at your sorrow, smiled when Big Sister Emily yed with you, imagined ying with E when I saw you two together, hated my father when he sealed our memories and disowned you and then I experienced another life in a different world. But as a matter of fact, I couldn''t enjoy any of those moments. I am just a mere clone born here when you were born."


    Looking at Orion, he further said, "I don''t hate you. I can''t hate me, can I? But since the moment you came here, my heart has started beating very fast. This is the chance I have been waiting for. If I can somehow rece you, then I could go outside and y with E and eat with my mother. I wonder how blissful that life would be.


    But for that reality toe true, you can only vanish from this world so that I can be you."


    Everyone took a deep breath as they heard Grey Orion. They hadn''t imagined that there was such a story behind his actions.


    Orion was also shocked. Previously, he had only thought that the clone only had ess to his body and his arsenal of curses but after hearing him, he was speechless.


    As the clone said, it was him, and he was it. They were the same being but born in different worlds, and yet connected at the same time.


    It was all too bizarre for him to know that another him existed and now he wanted to be the original.


    "Are you guys?" At that moment, Grey Orion looked at everyone, including Erick, Elyn, and Astral. "I have a big surprise for you."


    As he said that, he swiped in the air beside him, causing a crack to appear in the void.


    "Are those?" Erick''s face turned grim when he saw what came out of that crack.


    Grey Orion smiled. "Yeah, these are your clones¡ªall the people that came here have a clone here."


    "How could that be possible?" Elyn eximed, seeing so many clones of themselvese out of the crack. Meanwhile, her eyes were fully focused on the clone of her, who just looked like herself but only in ck and white.


    "How do all these clones exist?" Astral frowned. The situation became even moreplex now that everyone''s clones were here.


    Grey Orionughed. "Don''t worry too much; these clones are not like me. You see, all of them appeared to have been controlled by someone unlike me, who hasplete control over my body and thoughts. Also, they want you guys dead so it all works out for me."


    Astral and others could tell that there was something wrong with their clones by how they only stared at them like puppets.


    "You know what the best thing is?" Grey Orion continued. "Although they appeared to be controlled by someone, for reasons unknown, they seem to listen to everything I say to them."


    Everyone''s faces turned dark when they heard him for they knew what he could do with that ability.


    Grey Orion smiled, seeing their expression. "Clones, kill them."


    As he gave them themands, all the clones came to their originals and started attacking them.


    And in a moment, the greynds became a battlefield between clones and originals.


    Astral''s clones were attacking him, who had also opened his five limits. They were fighting toe-to-toe with each other, just like Elyn and her clone. Erick, Princess Luma, and all the people that came here started to fight with their clones.


    Only Orion and his clone remained.


    One was smiling while watching all of this, while the other had his head down,pletely oblivious to the ongoing war between the clones and the originals.

 Chapter 183: 183. A Universal Law

    "Now, shall we start Orion?" Grey Orion said excitement could be visible in the eyes.


    Orion turned to look at him and nodded. "Yeah, about that. Just tell me if you know anything about this ce and why we were summoned here. Who is behind all of this? And how do you and other clones exist?"


    Grey Orion looked at Orion deeply for a moment before heughed.


    "I know why you want to know that and I also know what your n is to defeat me. But can you take that step? Can you give up all your curses? Without those, you are nothing."


    Orion smiled back at him. "Yeah and so are you and your dream of going outside. You will be caged here forever, living here for eternity, watching me enjoy my life. Just imagine how sad that life would be." He shook his head as he said that.


    "No, I will go outside. I will definitely go outside." Grey Orion shouted with a crazed look.


    Orion shook his head and said, "Well, whoever summoned us here would probably want to kill us. So your dreams are destined to remain dreams forever, even if you somehow take over my body until and unless you know how to leave this ce."


    Grey Orion''s expression turned dark upon hearing him.


    "And I know you don''t know how to leave this ce," Orion said, looking into his clone''s eyes.


    Grey Orion''s face became even more ugly as he looked at him. "I can think of all that after I take over your body." He suddenly smiled as he said that. He felt that this was the right decision.


    Orion frowned at seeing that and said to him, "Tell me one thing first. Why do you think whoever summoned us here left you alone all these years? You said it yourself: you are different from the other clones. You can think independently and you aren''t in his control so why did he not do anything to you all these years? Why did he leave you like that?"


    Grey Orion frowned. He had never thought of that before.


    "The thing is, these clones don''t usually live here, so I didn''t know until sometime ago that these clones were being controlled. They just manifested and disappeared randomly so I couldn''t tell if they were under control or not," he said to Orion.


    "What do you mean?" Orion asked, not understanding what his clone wanted to say.


    Grey Orion said: "When a person in the outside world exhausts their mana, their curses be active or, you could say, when they overuse their talents. At that moment, a clone of theirs manifested in this world.


    This clone then bes the link to the original and transfers a form of energy called chaos into them which triggers the curses in their bodies by reacting with the chaos energy that is already present within them and hence their curses be active. However, when the curses cool down, all those clones will just disappear from this world. And this happens every time someone''s mana bes low."


    "You mean?" Orion was shocked. He finally understood why his clone had existed since his birth.


    Grey Orion nodded andughed wryly. "You are right. Since you don''t have mana, I always existed in this world, unlike other clones who onlye into existence when their original''s mana depletes and vanishes right after their curses cool down."


    Orion felt pity for this clone of his. But he couldn''t do anything about it nor could he hand over his body to him.


    "Have you ever thought where your infinite energyes from?" Grey Orion asked.


    "Don''t tell me it''s the chaos energy from here." Orion asked in surprise.


    Grey Orion nodded at him. "A human body isprised of two types of energy in this world¡ªmana and chaos¡ªwith mana being 90% and chaos being 10%. That''s the standard but not in your case. Since you have the curse of a null body, your body doesn''t have mana, so it''s filled with chaos energy."


    He looked around the grey world and exined.


    "The source of your infinite chaos energyes from this world. Since every clone is connected to their original and sends chaos energy when their mana depletes, I am also the same. I am connected to you and through me, you get all the chaos energy from this world when you use your curses."


    Orion nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed by how much he got to know from such a little talk with his clone.


    "You know what the funny thing is?" Grey Orion said, clenching his fists. "We clones¡ªour whole existence is just to make sure you, the originals, will have curses. Hahahaha, talk about the shittiest existence in the universe."


    Orion didn''t say anything about this and thought for a moment.


    He then asked, "So, you don''t have any idea about who summoned us here?"


    "No." Grey Orion replied before his expression turned dark. "No, I don''t want to tell you. I have some ideas about who could be behind all of this after seeing all these clones being controlled but I ain''t telling you."


    "Why?" Orion asked.


    Grey Orionughed. "Why? Are you serious? Don''t you know I am after your body?"


    "You won''t be leaving if you do that." Orion said, clenching his fists tightly.


    Grey Orion shook his head. "I figured you would say that but now I don''t care about whoever summoned you and his ns. I only want your body and I will get it now."


    "Is there no other option other than you upying my body?" Orion asked.


    Grey Orion shook his head. "You know there isn''t. Would you mind if another you existed together in your world?"


    Orion didn''t reply, for there wasn''t a need to. Nobody would want something like that and Orion wasn''t an exception.


    "You see, that''s the reason. I will need your body to exist in your world so I will have to kill you anyway," Grey Orion said, shaking his head. "Your death is crucial for my existence so today either you die or I stay here for eternity."


    Orion took a deep breath and sighed. "Don''t me me then."


    As he said those words, Grey Orion felt something before he found he couldn''t control his body, and only a momentter, he saw his heart tear through his chest ande out of his body.


    "You... you are... so cruel," blood seeped from Grey Orion''s mouth as he looked at his heart floating in the air. He couldn''t believe Orion could be so decisive. Even he had hesitated, unsure whether to kill or not, but the original hadn''t even blink before doing this.


    Soon, his body fell from the sky andnded in the desert. Though he didn''t feel any pain onnding, all he felt right now was regret for his hesitation. It cost him his life.


    Hearing the sounds of someone walking through the sand, he turned his head with all his strength.


    He saw Orion holding his heart, which was still pumping, albeit very slowly,ing over to him.


    "This is the only choice you left me with," Orion said, his eyes filled with pity.


    "I... hate... you," Grey Orion only said those three words before he closed his eyes for eternity.


    "It''s over," Orion rxed a bit and turned his attention to others when he suddenly sensed something, causing him to promptly turn around when he saw something he wished wasn''t true.


    He witnessed to his shock that his clone''s body started to glow with a silver light before another heart grew in the gaping hole of his chest.


    A momentter, his clone opened his eyes. "I am alive?" Grey Orion was shocked.


    Orion was even more shocked.


    "Ah, I get it now. If you don''t die, then neither will I. My existence is just to ensure your curse activates in time. It''s a universalw; you can''t change it¡ªno one can change it. So, it doesn''t matter if you kill me once or a hundred times; as long as you live, I will never die," Grey Orion said, looking at Orion with augh.

 Chapter 184: 184. Devils Whisper

    Standing up, Grey Orion looked at Orion with a sneer.


    "You wasted Electrostatic Disruption just like that? Just so you could catch me off guard, you used one of your strongest and most versatile curses in Burst Mode? Hahaha, but the results must have disappointed you, haven''t they?"


    Grey Orionughed, feeling very pleased that he made the original waste his curse of Electrostatic Disruption. But he felt a tinge of sadness, considering he was Orion too, and Electrostatic Disruption was one of the starting curses that had been with him since the beginning.


    Moreover, he would also lose that curse permanently when the effect of Burst Mode wore off, and the worst thing was that he couldn''t activate his Electrostatic Disruption now that it was in Burst Mode of the original. In a way, he had already lost that curse.


    On the other side, Orion was feeling very sad too. It was his day-to-day curse, and he was very reliant on it. But it would be gone in a few minutes.


    The sadness didn''te from the fact that he would lose the curse permanently. Instead, it was because he had wasted the potential of the curse on Grey Orion, thinking he would end him by using the curse in Burst Mode. But it turned out that his clone could never die in this world.


    Also, the few minutes of time he had left in the Burst Mode would really be wasted if he couldn''t kill Grey Orion, whom he believed he really couldn''t.


    "It''s time you die."


    He suddenly heard Grey Orion''s voice and saw him teleport in front of him. But he had also been prepared the whole time and used the strength of the Electrostatic Disruption to stop his movement altogether.


    He was frozen in space just like Grey Orion had frozen Astral and Elyn, but the force binding Grey Orion was many times stronger than theirs.


    "Ah, I forgot. You are nearly invincible for the ten minutes you have in Burst Mode."


    Grey Orion sneered at Orion once again.


    Orion frowned and contemted something before he looked at him.


    "You want to kill me?"


    A crazed look appeared on Grey Orion''s face as he heard him.


    "Of course. Do you think I will spare you after you almost killed me?"


    Orion frowned again and asked:


    "Did you forget that if I die, you will also cease to exist?"


    Grey Orion became silent. He had almost forgotten about this because of the anger he felt for Orion''s decisive attempt to kill him.


    Orion, seeing that he had calmed down, asked:


    "Why don''t we join hands?"


    "Join hands?" Grey Orionughed like a madman. "Hahahahaha, you almost killed me, and you expect me to join hands with you?"


    Orion sighed.


    "It was you who didn''t give me any choice."


    Grey Orion shook his head.


    "Do you know what is going through my head right now? I want to kill you. I want to kill you. I want to kill you. These words have been echoing inside me like a trumpet, and it won''t stop until I do just that."


    Orion looked him straight in the eye.


    "You will die too."


    Grey Orion''s face became ugly.


    "That''s the hesitation I am feeling. If only it wasn''t like that. If only I was born as a different entity in your world."


    However, at that moment, a voice rang inside his head.


    ''You can do what you want.''


    ''WHO?'' Grey Orion almost lost it when he heard that voice.


    ''It doesn''t matter who I am. But I can tell you, you can sessfully do what you want.''


    Grey Orion didn''t reply and contemted. It was his first time hearing someone speak directly inside his head in this world, so he spected that the one who spoke just now must be the one who had summoned the originals here.


    But was what he said true?


    ''How? Tell me.'' He couldn''t resist asking that. The temptation of having his own body and meeting with his mother and sister transcended his sense of alertness to that being.


    ''Did you forget your origin?'' The voice sounded once again.


    ''My origin? Chaos?'' He thought.


    He was entirely made up of the chaos energy of this world, and it was because of this reason that he was much stronger than Orion. Unlike the human body of the original, his chaos body didn''t have any limits and could efficiently utilise the infinite energy of this world and use Orion''s curses to the best of his abilities.


    But he couldn''t understand what that had to do with his goal.


    ''Yes. Chaos is a very high-level energy, stronger than mana and superior to divine energy. For ages, no one had ever sessfully utilised that power, but now look at that¡ªthere are two¡ªwell, technically one who is wielding that power.''


    Grey Orion was surprised to know that there had been none beside them who had used the power of curses, but thinking about it, he felt that it was as it should be. Using chaos energy meant using curses, which only he and his original could do.


    ''So, how do I do what I want?''


    ''It''s simple. Wear him down and exhaust him mentally and physically, then turn your body into chaos and enter inside him.''


    ''What do you mean by turning into chaos?''


    ''You can''t possess his body physically since you have to kill him for that, but you can''t do that. So, the only option you have is to turn your body into chaos energy, enter his body, and take control.''


    ''And how do I do that?''


    ''That''s for you to figure out. A piece of advice¡ªyou are the culmination of chaos energy, so you just have to return to your source form.''


    ''At least give me some ideas.''


    The voice didn''t reply.


    ''It''s gone.''


    "So, what have you decided?"


    Another voice sounded, but that was in his ear.


    It was Orion''s voice. He saw that his clone had been contemting hard about something, so he remained silent and let him do that.


    "Yeah, I have indeede to a decision."


    Orion locked eyes with him and asked:


    "What is that?"


    Grey Orionughed at him and said,


    "To kill you."


    Orion frowned.


    "You know it won''t result in anything."


    Grey Orion shook his head.


    "Look around for a moment."


    Orion frowned and turned to see the battlefield, but what he saw shocked him. Hundreds of human corpsesy there on the sands of the desert, while many were on the outskirts of the forests.


    Almost all humans that hade here had lost their lives to their clones, and the only ones remaining were the members of the seven magi families, Hyperion Tower, and that Zenithan guy. They were still relentlessly fighting with their clones.


    "Do you like the scene?" Grey Orion asked.


    Orion clenched his fists as he saw the corpses of so many people. They came from all parts of the world for the elusive fruits, yet what they got was eternal peace.


    "Soon, the others will die. All these clones are using chaos instead of mana, which is infinite here, so the rest of them will die soon."


    Orion looked at Astral, Erick, and the others, noting the exhaustion on their faces. In this ce of infinite chaos, there was ack of mana, quite the opposite of the outside world. They had to rely on mana crystals for recovery, but those could only sustain them for so long.


    "Be ready. When your Burst Modees to an end, so will your life."

 Chapter 185: 185. Black Sun

    "Be ready. When your Burst Modees to an end, so will your life."


    Grey Orion''s voice reached his ears when he witnessed other conditions.


    Turning around, Orion focused on his clone and contemted his next course of action.


    ''Will I have to sacrifice another one of my curses?''


    With how strong his clone was, he knew he probably wouldn''t stand a chance against him. The strength the infinite energy inside his clone provided was too much for him to handle.


    That led him to once again consider using the power of Burst Mode, but he wasn''t willing to sacrifice any of his curses now. He had already lost one of his strongest curses; he couldn''t afford any more losses.


    However, what use was saving his curses if he wasn''t around to use them?


    At the end, he came to a conclusion and so did his Burst Mode.


    "It''s time we start."


    Grey Orion found control over his body back.


    "So, what are you going to do? Surrender yourself? Sacrificing another one of our curses? Or a bitter fight till the end?"


    Orion sighed and said,


    "A bitter fight till the end."


    As he said that, his right arm transformed into mes while his left one froze in frost.


    Meanwhile, golden lightning began to weave around his body and form ayer of armour of pure lightning around his body.


    This protected his chest and legs. His two hands were his weapons; they didn''t need any protection.


    At the same time, a wave of negative emotions hit him in the head. It was more intense and painful than ever since he had used four of his curses in Curse Transformation Mode. But he only gritted his teeth and endured it. He didn''t let those emotions affect him¡ªhe couldn''t afford that right now.


    "Woo! Using three curses in Cure Transformation mode? It seems I have underestimated myself very much. Also, I was ready for another one of your sacrifices of curses but it seems you have something else in mind."


    Grey Orion sneered. He was ready for another one of his sneak attacks, but he was surprised to see his original go another way.


    Orion didn''t say anything and silently endured the negative emotions inside his head. He had used four of his curses in Curse Transformation mode, unlike what his clone believed. Berserk Body was one of the four.


    On the other hand, he had activated all his other curses and they were in standby mode, ready to be used by him at a moment''s notice.


    With his right hand, he condensed a lightning sword and held it in his hand. His sword, which he got from killing the third guardian, was too weak for the current situation.


    "Alright, since you are prepared, Let''s start this."


    Condensing a lightning sword in his hand, his clone teleported and shed the sword at him.


    Orion shed back his sword at him. He wanted to see the difference between their strengths before he could execute his n.


    As a golden sword and a grey sword collided, the ground beneath them was instantly destroyed. Orion felt his muscles aching as he bore the full brunt of his clone''s attack.


    "Hahaha, good."


    Grey Orionughed and increased his force even more.


    As a result, Orion was thrown backward but he teleported from there midway, appeared at the back of his clone and swung his sword.


    ng!¡ª


    However, when his sword touched the back of his clone, a sound of metal colliding with metal sounded.


    At thest possible moment, where his sword was about to hit his back, a film of lightning covered that part, resulting in his sword being blocked.


    Seeing that, Orion quickly teleported back and at the exact moment, huge ice spears grew out of his clone''s back. If he were even a secondte in retreating, those ice spears would have prated his body.


    "What are you trying to achieve here? You know you won''t be able to defeat me," Grey Orion asked, looking at Orion.


    Orion smiled mysteriously. "Can''t you guess? You are me after all."


    Grey Orion frowned and didn''t think about anything. Since he would need to exhaust Orion physically and mentally, he would focus on that.


    "You are weak like the rest of them." He shook his head in pity and swung his sword at his side randomly.


    Seeing that, Orion quickly held his own sword in defence position before his clone teleported in front of him.


    Their swords collided and unlikest time, Orion was immediately blown away.


    But as his body was in mid-air and sting through the ground, Grey Orion appeared again and swung his sword.


    Orion''s eyes could only see the sky and the ground he was tumbling through. He quickly teleported himself to the sky when his eyes caught sight of it, thereby dodging his clone''s attack.


    Up there, he quickly conjured about a hundred ice spears and rained them down towards his clone on the ground.


    The clone sneered, seeing that, and only punched the iing spears.


    A shockwave was released from that punch that shattered all the iing spears and sent them back towards Orion.


    At the same time, his own right hand burst into grey mes and above Orion, a sun appeared.


    Orion cursed, almost seeing the size of the sun. It was almost like the big ind they were on, burning with white, greyish mes.


    He quickly teleported to the ground, dodging the shattered ice fragments and looked at Grey Orion.


    "You are going to kill them all." He shouted at him, and sweat covered his whole face due to the intent heat.


    "Do you think I care?" His clone sneered at him.


    Orion frowned.


    "I know I care and you also do."


    Grey Orion gritted his teeth at his words.


    "Yeah, I care about them. I cared about every one of them since I am literally you. But some things require the toughest of choices, and I won''t hesitate to make them, just like you didn''t hesitate before you killed me."


    Orion frowned and looked towards Astral and others. He only saw despair in their eyes.


    The clones surprisingly stopped attacking them, which gave them a moment of respite but this moment of calmness for them had turned into nothing but their darkest nightmare.


    "Orion, can you do anything about that?" Erick asked, looking at the sky.


    Orion didn''t say anything, still thinking about how to safely defuse the sun that was slowly approaching them. If he were alone, he could escape through teleportation, but he wasn''t.


    Elyn walked over to Orion and Erick. Astral''s limit time was over, and he was barely holding his own against his clone. Now that his clone had stopped attacking, hey against the tree as his family members attended to his injuries.


    "I heard what you two were talking about a moment ago about how the clone would cease to exist if the original were to die," Elyn said as soon as she came in front of Orion.


    Orion''s mood became worse as she heard her.


    "So?"


    Elyn narrowed her eyes at him.


    "What if we kill you? Then wouldn''t your clone die too and at that time that freaking ck sun would slowly dissipate into nothingness?"


    However, the moment she finished speaking, a lightning sword was ced beside her neck as Orion appeared behind her.


    "Before you do that, I will make sure your head rolls first."

 Chapter 186: 186. The Door Opened

    "Before you do that, I will make sure your head rolls first."


    Orion tightened the grip on his lightning sword, causing some burn marks to appear on her neck.


    "You?! Let go of me."


    Elyn screamed, feeling the pain in her neck.


    "You should think before you open your damn mouth."


    Orion eerily whispered into her ear.


    "Orion, let go of her."


    Erick and Princess Luma came running to Elyn''s rescue.


    Seeing theming, he pushed her away by saying,


    "Be mindful of your words in the future."


    Princess Luma caught her and red at him, while Erick sighed in relief. This was the only student of their big brother; if anything were to happen to her, he would surely turn the whole kingdom upside-down.


    Orion didn''t waste his time and turned his attention to the ck sun that wasing their way.


    ''Damn, that''s just too big.''


    He only had a few moves he could use in this situation but he doubted they would solve their current predicament.


    He needed something big and powerful to neutralise something like that or he would have to use some other ways to get out of the situation.


    ''Maybe I would have to use that.''


    He switched the curses of Velocity Burst with Devouring Abyss and Frozen Torment with Energy Overload, respectively.


    He then immediately used the curse of Devouring Abyss on the ck sun that wasing their way, holding his hands high.


    As he did that, little by little, the mes of the ck sun began to drop towards Orion like clouds of water before being devoured inside him.


    Seeing that he could really devour the mes, he immediately increased his devouring speed and the mes began to enter inside him fast.


    Erick, Elyn, and the others were surprised to see that slowly by slowly, the size of the ck sun began to decrease as clouds of mes released from it continued to enter Orion''s body.


    Orion continued to devour the mes of the ck sun for quite some time until he noticed he couldn''t devour anymore. His body had reached its limits; if he were to devour any more of those ck mes, maybe he would explode with all that energy inside of him.


    He immediately used the curse of energy overload, and all that energy quickly became tamed for his own use.


    He didn''t immediately use that energy and kept it inside of him. Turning his attention to the ck sun, he could see that its size had shrunk and be much smallerpared to before.


    ''Two or three times and I can fully devour the whole sun.''


    Orion thought and activated the Devouring Abyss once again. In the past, he had reached his limits when using this curse but because all those energies had be tamed, he could once again use it.


    Soon, the mes of the ck sun once again began to drop, being devoured by him and like that, he continued to devour the ck sun for quite some time.


    Grey Orion didn''t say anything and watched quietly. His task was to exhaust Orion and this was the best method he could think of. He knew what curse Orion had and what he would do, so he came up with this method specifically.


    He could immediately increase the falling speed of the sun but he didn''t do so. If he were to do that, Orion would probably not care about others and would escape through teleportation, which he didn''t want. Hence, he deliberately made the sun fall at a very slow pace. He wanted him to use his curses; he wanted him to work hard.


    Soon, the ck sun in the sky fully disappeared from everyone''s view.


    "He did it."


    Erick and others eximed as they saw that the ck sun was gone but they also saw that after Orion devoured the mes, he immediately sat down and took breaths.


    ''That was close.''


    At the end, he was also close to reaching the limits of his body with the curse of energy overload, but he pulled it off. If he had reached his limits, then there would be some problems, but not serious enough that others couldn''t handle them.


    The sun had be very small in size in the end so others would definitely survive thatpared to the one from before, which was the size of the whole ind.


    But he still had all those energies inside of him, waiting for him to use them.


    Turning to look at his clone, he was watching him smile, which irked him a little.


    "Why did you make the sun fall slowly, deliberately?"


    Orion was sure that the falling speed of the sun was very slow and he believed that his clone would definitely increase that speed if he wanted but for reasons unknown, he didn''t do so.


    This made him feel very uneasy, not knowing what his clone had been nning.


    Grey Orion shrugged at his question.


    "Oh, you noticed that. As for the reason? I am just ying with you."


    Orion frowned even more, feeling increasingly suspicious of his clone''s behaviour.


    Standing up, he said to him:


    "You know what I am going to do now, right?"


    Grey Orionughed.


    "Come on and show me how much power you have devoured."


    Orion didn''t waste any time and immediately teleported in front of him, his fist sting towards him.


    Grey Orion crazilyughed as he also sted with his own fist.


    As their fists were about to collide, Orion muttered to himself.


    ''Energy Overload: Release.''


    But the impact between the two fists didn''t happen; their fists remained just an inch apart. The reason was simple: whether it was Orion and his clone or everyone else in the greynds, they had all stopped moving altogether.


    It was also at that moment that the red door in the mountain range hung open, and a figure could be seen walking from inside the door.


    The figure was walking very slowly, almost limping but it was steadily making its way towards the grey world.


    As it came closer to the door, various chains could be seen binding it from all sides, shackling it in ce. These chains were also restricting its movement.


    Despite the chains, it continued to walk towards the door until it was just a step away from entering the grey world.


    It was a man in ragged clothes¡ªalmost reassembling a begger¡ªwho came near the door.


    Without any hesitation, he took one step out of the door and another just a momentter.


    However, even though he was outside the door, he was still shackled by the chainsing from inside the doors.


    It was then that he turned his attention to Orion and his clone, who were still frozen in time and seeing them, a very wide grin appeared on his face.


    "They thought the Celestial God killed me and I thought that too until I found myself shackled in this ce. But why did he not kill me when I almost destroyed the whole Montreux universe?"


    The ragged-clothed man muttered to himself and walked towards Orion and his clone.


    "Celestial God... Celestial God, what are you plotting this time?"


    Looking at Orion and his clone, he continued:


    "Are you worried about that? But that was just a myth and there wasn''t even concrete evidence that it existed. However, I have to say you have nned very well by bringing this kid in here."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 187: 187. They used to call me Azeron

    As the ragged-clothed man arrived in front of Orion and his clone, he muttered as if he were talking to Orion.


    "You and I are the same¡ªan existence the world doesn''t want to see¡ªlike you. I was born human but as I grew up, they started to call me a demon¡ªa demon spawn. They hunted me down all over the world. I have killed billions of humans and other races just so that I could survive.


    "In the end, I became the biggest threat to the Montreux Universe and the Celestial God himself had to descend and kill me. But before my death or so I thought, he told me the reason why people wanted to kill me. It was just because I was born as a demigod¡ªa forbidden existence uneptable in the whole universe¡ªa spawn between a Title God and a lower race being as a human."


    He patted Orion''s head as he looked at him with pity.


    "As for you, you are still young¡ªyou haven''t experienced the cruelness of this world. So, be strong¡ªbe stronger real quick for you never know when the world may turn against you."


    As he said that, he stabbed his hand in Orion''s stomach and took something out of there. It was the core of fate.


    "I will be borrowing this for a while."


    However, as soon as he took the fate core out of Orion, his eyes became lifeless and he died on the spot but since time was still frozen, he remained in the same position as earlier, with his fist striking forward.


    Though his clone was not. If one were to see carefully and focus, one could see clone was turning into dust¡ªit was very slow, and one wouldn''t be able to notice that in the frozen state they were in.


    As for the ragged-clothed man, he nodded affirmatively to the notification, wanting to assimte the fate core.


    And as he did that, his fate core shone with a red light before it went inside him.


    "This fate core is indeed very strong! It instantly made me reach my peak."


    With that, the chains binding him began to break little by little until all the chains shattered and he became free.


    "I am free but what should I do now?"


    He frowned. He really didn''t like being a pawn in someone''s plot but at the current moment, he was surely dancing in the hands of the Celestial God.


    At that moment, as if sensing something, he suddenly turned to look at the sky.


    "Someone found the entrance to the Null Void."


    He muttered when he saw that a crack appeared in the sky and a man in golden hair walked in. It was none other than Sword Sage¡ªKane Maximus.


    Arriving in the grey world, his attention was immediately drawn to the ragged-clothed man, for he felt an aura he had never felt before in his life but strangely enough, he also felt something inside him detest this man¡ªsomething inside him felt intense disgust towards his very existence.


    "Who are you?" He asked with a frown. He hadn''t felt such peculiar emotions towards anyone before and this made him very wary of the human in front of him.


    At the same time, he turned his eyes towards others and saw them frozen in time but seeing that his two little brothers and sisters, along with his student, were fine, he sighed in relief.


    "They used to call me Azeron. I don''t have a name," Azeron said to Kane.


    "Azeron!"


    Kane''s eyes became narrow as slits and for a moment, he almost lost control as he heard this name.


    "No, it''s impossible. Azeron died, killed by the Celestial God himself."


    Azeron smiled and said,


    "That''s what everyone believes in but your so-called celestial god is scheming something in the dark. He didn''t kill me¡ªthe most wanted human who had killed countless Title Gods and kept me sealed in the Null Void."


    Kane''s frown deepened upon hearing his words. Although he had a hard time believing him, he couldn''t ignore the constant disgust he was feeling towards him.


    And knowing Azeron was somehow involved in this, he could tell why he was feeling so repulsed against him.


    "You feel it, right? That''s the bane of my existence¡ªthe curse of a demigod."


    Azeron''s voice reached Kane''s ears and that made whatever doubts he had fade away.


    "So, what are you going to do? I suppose you are here for these kids, right? Will you just take them and leave this ce or will you fight me? What choice are you making?" Azeron asked and waited patiently.


    Kane shook his head and said,


    "I am not fighting you. Although you killed many, I care less about those from so long ago. But if you don''t let me do what I want to do here, then my sword is always up."


    Azeron nodded.


    "You have made a smart choice; if you had decided to fight, you would be dead by now."


    Kane narrowed his eyes. He didn''t believe he was lying, for he knew Azeron had killed countless Title Gods and his strength, though it had reached its peak among the humans, wasn''tparable to that of a Title God, at least not yet.


    "Alright, I will be taking them," he said.


    Azeron shook his head and said,


    "You don''t need to. They will eventually be kicked out of this ce. Though I must warn you, I wasn''t the one who summoned them here, and there is someone else who is pulling behind the strings here. Be careful of this individual, for even I can''t sense this guy in this ce."


    Kane nodded and just as he was about to say something, he found himself back in the barrennds.


    Looking around, he noticed all the kids were back¡ªall those who survived till now and that was only 5% of the entire crowd that was sent into the Null Void.


    There were many royal family members and members from seven magi families were waiting for the kids. So, the moment they saw the kids were back, they immediately went to them and began to ask what happened while healing them at the same time.


    But everyone failed to notice a shining red core falling from the sky¡ªeven Sword Sage wasn''t able to see that. The core silently fell and went inside Orion''s body.


    "Agh!"


    He immediately sat up after that and looked around.


    "I am back."


    Orion sighed in relief as he saw that. But soon he recalls some words he didn''t remember hearing.


    ''Demigods? Hunted my humans? My Fate Core!''


    He also remembered that man taking away his fate core and everything bing ck after that.


    He immediately closed his eyes and saw that his fateful core was floating quietly in the abyss of darkness.


    ''It''s still here.''


    He sighed in relief, seeing that his fate was still in his body.


    "Young Master Orion, are you okay?"


    At that moment, Butler Rio arrived in front of him.


    Orion nodded and said,


    "I am fine."


    He said that he turned around and saw that Dustin, Tray, and Lucy were injured. They were currently healed by the members of the family who had healing talents.


    "Young Master, what happened out there?" Butler Rio asked.


    Orion smiled wryly and said, "About that..."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 188: 188. Meeting Sword Sage again

    Just after Orion and the others were teleported to their world, in the Null Void, only Azeron and Orion''s clone remained.


    Though the clone was still in pause mode,.


    Azeron looked at the clone and found it very interesting.


    "A clone made up of chaos that can exist independently and have thoughts and desires not restricted by the original. You don''t see that every day."


    He pondered something as he looked at the clone and sighed in the end.


    "I don''t know if what I am about to do will be a boon or a bane to that kid but..."


    Taking the fate core out of his body, he took it closer to the clone and resumed the time he had paused.


    "But since I am a kind person, I will do this clone a favour."


    As time resumed, the clone turned into dust particles and was about to get blown away by the wind when Azeron waved his hand, causing the dust particles to gather together towards the fate core, and it devoured them inside.


    "I wasn''t lucky and did many things I regretted. I hope you don''t walk my path and do the same."


    With those words, he disappeared from the Null Void as well.


    ***


    Back at present, in the barrennds, Orion had exined everything to Butler Rio. He didn''t leave behind anything except the words that were in his mind, which he didn''t remember hearing.


    Butler Rio''s face turned serious after he fully listened to Orion.


    "Young Master, I believe the Valen Family is done for good. They will face extreme punishment from the emperor but what your clone did about ordering other clones to kill the people in there would also draw some unwanted attention towards our family. After all, nearly all the people besides those from the seven Magi families and some strong organisations were killed inside."


    Orion frowned, thinking it was all his clone''s doing and that it wasn''t in any way rted to him but he also understood this wouldn''t calm the public.


    People died there and the person responsible for killing them was his. So, they would me him¡ªthey would have to me at least someone for so many people''s deaths, and he was the biggest suspect.


    "Young Master, Your Highness Sir Kane ising here."


    At that moment, Orion heard Butler Rio''s words and turned around to see that Sword Sage, along with his siblings Erick and Princess Luma, hadnded beside him. Elyn, too, was with them, and her expression didn''t look good at all.


    Orion immediately stood up and bowed down to him in respect.


    "Your Highness, Sir Kane. Please forgive me; I didn''t greet you thest time we met."


    Thest time he was toote to recognise him and even when he did, he forgot to greet him, for which he was deeply embarrassed when heter remembered his blunder.


    Kane nodded and looked at him with a smile.


    "You don''t have to worry about that and truthfully, I dislike that very much."


    Orion nodded and asked:


    "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"


    Kane''s smile vanished upon hearing him.


    "Tell me about your clone. Everything you know."


    Orion frowned. He hadn''t expected him to ask this. Though he still decided to answer him truthfully, he chose to keep some things to himself.


    And from the looks of it, Elyn only heard the end of the of the conversations between him and his clone when the clone was revived after he killed him. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be here asking him that question. So, he could cook any fantasy here.


    "The clone of mine was different from the others cloned in there. My talent is called energy condensation, and with that, I could condense any elements out there but since my clone is also a form of energy, at least that''s what he told me, he was able to remain condensed without scattering like other clones."


    Kane narrowed his eyes at his words.


    "I know thews of the Null Void very well and also understand how that world works. So it is hard to believe what you said just now."


    Orion shrugged.


    "That''s what my clone told me and even I myself have some doubt whether he was spouting nonsense or was telling the truth."


    He was going to stick to this reason. He didn''t want others to know he could use chaos energy. It was a whole new concept for them. If people were to know that there exists a human who could control an energy different than mana out there, Who knows what kind of chaos would ur if the words were to get out?


    "Well, don''t worry about the clone. Tell me why he killed all the people in there." Kane asked again.


    "He said something about other people''s clones being controlled by someone and therefore, the clones wanted to kill the originals as soon as we arrived in that world."


    Kane nodded. He could guess who was controlling them.


    Orion then asked for something from him.


    "Will the deaths of so many people be med on me?"


    Kane shook his head and said,


    "It''s not that simple. The majority of the people who died were people frommon backgrounds, and if they want to me you, then there is nothing you can do. But since it wasn''t true, their ims would be ignored by the royal family so you don''t have to worry about that. However, don''t take my words for granted."


    Orion nodded in understanding.


    "You kid from the Darkwood family, because of you, my young master died just now."


    At that moment, a loud shout reached the ears of Orion and everyone present in that area.


    Orion frowned and turned to see that the shout came from the Grimwolf family.


    At that moment, a middle-aged man with long hair carried a child and arrived before them.


    "Look, what you did! Young Master Loren is dead and it''s all because of you."


    Snots and tears washed that man''s face as heid Loren down on the ground.


    He wasn''t breathing. His body was full of injuries and it seemed he died of blood loss.


    Everyone came to their area and after seeing the dead body of Loren, they were shocked.


    Loren Grimwolf¡ªthe direct descendant of the Grimwolf family¡ªthe son of the Magi King Varen Grimwolf¡ªdied and it shocked every individual present there.


    The news of some direct descendants dying was very rare in the seven Magi families so much so that thest time they heard something like that was when a member of the Silverme died in Grimshore five years ago.


    Therefore, the sudden news of Loren''s death caused many people to exim in shock.


    "You Darkwood Family kid, you will pay for this."


    Some other middle-aged man from the Grimwolf family came and shouted at Orion.


    Orion frowned upon hearing their me. He felt disgusted by their attitude. They knew that it wasn''t he who killed him, but they still med him.


    "Tell me, which freaking eyes saw that it was me who killed him? Tell me!"


    His eyes spit fire as he asked them that question. He didn''t care about the me being on him but he wasn''t alone; he carried the blood of the Darkwood family with him. So, any ming they do on him would make the Darkwood family look bad.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 189: 189. Grimwolf Family Problems

    The man who carried the body of Loren looked at him with hate and said:


    "It was your clone¡ª"


    "Don''t you hear yourself? It was my clone. It wasn''t me."


    However, he couldn''tplete his words as he was soon interrupted by Orion.


    "But that was your clone so it must be in some way rted to you."


    "HAHAHA!"


    Orionughed loudly as he heard him.


    "Someway rted to me? That''s your reasoning for ming me? Are you kidding me? Even a kid can tell you are intentionally ming an innocent person just so that you can kiss the feet of the Silverme family. I feel pity for the Grimwolf family to have someone who worships other families more than their own family."


    People were shocked when they heard him. All those present here were either from one of the seven Magi families or were from some other organization. They could tell right from wrong here.


    Previously, they also heard from their family members about what exactly happened in the Null Void. So they knew the truth beforehand. Therefore, what the Grimwolf family was trying to achieve by ming Orion was uprehensible to them.


    But they also guessed something when Orion mentioned the Silverme family. The Grimwolf family could be said to be the newest edition of the seven magi families and were always on good terms with the Silverme family¡ªgood terms as in the dogs of the Silverme family.


    "What-what are you talking about?"


    The man kneeling on the ground with the corpse of Loren panicked all of a sudden when Orion mentioned the Silverme family.


    But the strange thing was that nobody from the Silverme said anything or reacted in any way to Orion''s remarks, as if this whole matter wasn''t in any way rted to them.


    Orion smiled, seeing him panic, thinking this guy fell for the trap he had set. Now he would just have to end this well.


    "What am I talking about? It''s simple: Loren''s body is here, which means he was fine when he arrived from that world but for some reason he died. Isn''t this very suspicious? The Grimwolf Family is one of the seven Magi families so one would think they would have many people with healing talent ready in emergency situations such as this.


    However, Loren died, and you came to me ming him for his death. It was as if you killed him intentionally instead of healing just so that you could me me."


    Gasps could be heard all around the barrennds as soon as people heard Orion''s words. They were shocked and surprised, which led them to whisper among themselves, wondering if what Orion said held any truth.


    Hearing the murmurs of the crowd and seeing them point their fingers at him, the man kneeling on the ground dreaded it, but it was the suspicious eyes of his own family members that made him lose itpletely.


    "NO! What are you talking about?! Don''t nder me! I didn''t kill Young Master Loren¡ªI wouldn''t dare kill him. He died before we could heal him. Believe me!


    Everyone believes me!"


    He begged his family members to believe him but what he got was cold shoulders. They ignored him, took Loren''s body and went back to their void shuttle, leaving him alone.


    Orion shook his head as he saw that. Although he spouted all that nonsense, he didn''t know if any of them held any truth or not, but since this guy was hell bent on ming him, he could only be ruthless to him.


    p! p! p!¡ª


    "Nicely done."


    Kane pped at him, appreciating how he handled the situation.


    Orion smiled brightly as his mood instantly lifted. He was happy to be appreciated by the sword sage. How could he not be? After all, he was praised by someone he aspired to be.


    "Also, I heard you were very strong¡ªeven stronger than my student and Astral Voidwalker."


    When Erick mentioned what transpired in the Null Void, he was surprised to hear that Orion¡ªthe kid whom he had met recently, not so long ago¡ªhad be stronger than his student and Astral. It caught him off-guard.


    He had believed Astral to be the limit of a genius in this era and hadn''t expected anyone to surpass him in the Magus Kingdom. But he was wrong¡ªan even bigger monster than Astral had arrived at this stage.


    He should be happy about that but he didn''t feel that happiness; instead, what he felt was urgency.


    As for Orion, heughed upon hearing Sword Sage and was about to say something when someone interfered between them.


    "Your Highness, the Emperor summons you."


    A middle-aged man kneeled in front of him.


    Kane nodded and looked at Orion.


    "It seems I have to go."


    Orion nodded.


    "Also, as I saidst time, be sure to visit the Emperor Heaven Pce a monthter."


    Kane didn''t forget to invite him again before he left.


    But Erick, Princess Luma, and Elyn didn''t leave.


    So, Orion asked Erick what had been on his mind for a long time.


    "What will happen to the Valen family then?"


    Erick pondered for a moment before answering him.


    "I am not sure. My father summoned my big brother for that reason too, so we will surely get some news if they decide anything."


    Orion nodded. He thought that they should be punished heavily for what they did and he or his family shouldn''t be dragged into this. He could only hope for the best.


    At that moment, Butler Rio came and bowed to Orion and all the others with him.


    "Young Master, Master wants to see you."


    Orion nodded. He was expecting a call from his father when he heard the emperor summon the sword sage.


    Looking at Erick and the others, Orion smiled and said,


    "It''s nice knowing you, Crown Prince Erick, Princess Luma, and... Elyn."


    Crown Prince Erick nodded and wrapped his hand around his shoulder, which surprised Orion and took him away from the girls.


    "Hey, what happened with Elyn in there? Don''t take it seriously. She is like this to everyone, one of us."


    Hearing him, Orion understood the reason why he took him away from the girls.


    "Don''t worry. I don''t judge her. It''s just that I got angry at her words. My mind was already messed up by the situation of the clone and her saying those words made it worse."


    He shook his head, thinking about that.


    Erick nodded and looked behind him to see that his sister was still trying to talk with Elyn and wasn''t peeking at their conversation.


    Seeing that, he smiled and whispered some words to Orion.


    "What?" Orion eximed and shook his head. "No, you are getting me killed if I do that."


    Erick persisted and urged him.


    "Orion, please, I beg you. I just don''t see her these days so if you just delivered my words to her, then I will owe you one."


    Orion didn''t know whether tough or cry at his words but he eventually agreed on what he wanted him to do and nodded.


    "Alright, I will tell her but don''t forget your words."


    "HAHAHA, good. I will surely wee you well a monthter."


    Orion nodded and said,


    "Alright, I am going now."


    Erick nodded and waved his hand at him.


    Orion smiled and went with Butler Rio to their family void ship. A momentter, all the void shuttles belonging to their family took flight and disappeared into the sky.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 190: 190. Evans and the voice

    Null Void.


    In a dimly lit ce, torches flickered around a circr room. The walls appeared to be made entirely of red, shining marble tiles ced side by side.


    At the far end of the room, a cylindrical, colorless tube connected the roof and the floor. The tube waspletely filled with a red liquid that might very well have been blood.


    In front of the tube stood a man of about 19 years old, with deep red hair and a crazed smile on his face. He gazed into the mirror he was holding.


    The mirror, unlike normal ones, waspletely ck, yet one could still see their reflection in it.


    "This is one of the first seven cosmic wonders, created at the beginning of our world. It is called the Mirror of ck and White."


    A voice reached Evans''s ears as he gazed at the charismatic mirror in his hands.


    "I know. So this could help my family, right?" he asked, looking at the blood-filled tube with expectation.


    "Yes, it can help you, but remember, the effect of this mirror is very drastic, so you can only use it once every decade."


    Evans nodded lightly and stored the mirror in his space bracelet.


    "I am very curious as to how you will use this mirror," the voice inquired.


    Evans''s face turned cruel and eerie upon hearing the voice from the blood-filled tube.


    "I have something in mind that will align perfectly with the mirror''s effect," he replied,ughing menacingly as the figure of a kid appeared in his mind. It was because of this kid that his life¡ªand his family''s life¡ªhad turned upside down.


    And with the help of this mirror, he was going to do the same to him.


    "You have done well by providing me with so many souls. Because of them, I have almost stabilized my scattered soul. But I need more; this isn''t enough. I need more mana and more souls. I need you to continue supplying me with mana and souls."


    A frown appeared on Evans''s face as he heard the voice.


    "I can''t continue to provide you with mana. My family is likely under the surveince of the royal family right now, and without their help, I can''t do it," he said, shaking his head in refusal.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I am going to merge a part of my soul with you, and you just need to provide mana to that part. Also, I know you aren''t just here for the mirror; you want to remove your curse, right?"


    Evans nodded as he heard the voice. The main goal ining here, risking his life and his family''s, was to obtain those miraculous fruits and permanently remove his curse.


    The mirror was merely something Evans had been gifted by the owner of the voice.


    "Then you don''t need to worry about that. By now, you should know that I can influence the minds of some of these clones of the originals responsible for activating curses. I can make them scatter as soon as they condense in this world for the activation of curses. That way, the moment a curse is activated, it would be over as soon as it began, since the clone here would be scattered by me.


    I will use this method on you."


    Evans''s eyes brightened as he nodded vigorously. Although he desired the fruits topletely remove his curse, he was also satisfied with this solution. Besides, he harbored doubts about the authenticity of the fruits, whichpelled the owner of the voice to resort to this method.


    "Alright, I am merging my soul with you. Touch the tube with both of your hands."


    Evans followed the instruction and ced both hands on the tube.


    A momentter, his whole body shone with an otherworldly brilliance before he felt an intense and excruciating pain. The strange thing was that he couldn''t pinpoint where the pain wasing from. Fortunately, the pain didn''tst long and subsided as quickly as it hade.


    "Done?" he asked, taking a deep breath and calming himself down. He never wanted to experience that level of pain again in his life; it was torture to endure such intense agony without understanding its origin.


    "Alright, it''s done."


    Evans nodded in relief.


    "Can I leave now?" he asked.


    "Check your right hand."


    Curious about what the voice meant, he inspected his right hand and was surprised to find a dark red, pulsating circr tattoo etched on the back of his palm. The tattoo resembled a dragon.


    "This tattoo is the point of connection between me and your soul. When you have lots of mana crystals, just bring them near this tattoo and it will absorb them all. As for the souls, just kill as many as you can, and the tattoo will handle the rest."


    Evans nodded, though he felt slightly repulsed by the notion of killing. This feeling came veryte for him, considering he had already extinguished billions of lives when he drained the essence from theirs'' cores.


    At least he hadn''t killed anyone with his own hands, but now he would have to do so regrly.


    "Alright, you can go now."


    Evans nodded and vanished from the room.


    "These humans, they are so easy to control," the voice mused. "I feel pity for them. Though I do wonder what choice he will make with that mirror."


    ***


    In a magnificent pce, a man in his middle years sat upon a throne. His shoulder-length golden hair flowed down, and a purple crown adorned his head.


    At that moment, the pce seemed entirely empty except for one other individual standing beside him. This person also had golden hair, but unlike the first man, it was short and neatly groomed.


    "What are your thoughts?" asked the middle-aged man, his voice carrying undeniable authority.


    "Father, that kid Orion lied to me about the origin of his clone. Other than that, everything he said was true," replied the other individual, Kane Maximus.


    The middle-aged man nodded thoughtfully for a moment.


    "I imagine there will be thousands at the pce seeking justice for the deaths of their loved ones. Including the Grimwolf Family, it will surely cause chaos tomorrow."


    "So, Father, what''s your decision?" Kane asked.


    The middle-aged man rubbed his forehead at the question.


    "Making a decision here isn''t easy. If I favor either side, the other will undoubtedly question my judgment."


    Kane frowned, his brows furrowing as he contemted before sighing.


    "Father, I believe Orion is the ck sword."


    The middle-aged man trembled as he heard those words.


    "How certain are you?" he asked seriously.


    "90% or maybe even 100%. Elyn is the White Sword¡ªthe embodiment of luck, and the ck Sword represents someone with unparalleledbat prowess¡ªthe strongest of the younger generation. I believe that person is Orion," Kane asserted confidently.


    "He''s stronger than Astral?" The middle-aged man''s expression darkened.


    "By far. Astral may be in the Gold Rank, but Orion could defeat him easily when he is only in the Iron Rank. As for his Five Limits, I believe Orion could handle them once he upgrades himself to the Silver Rank," Kane exined, drawing his conclusions from what he had heard from Erick about the events in Null Void.


    The middle-aged man sighed deeply and rested his head on the throne, as if suddenly ovee with weariness.


    "Let''s hope that the legend of the dual ck and White Swords is just a myth," he murmured solemnly.


    "Father, I''m telling you this in hopes that you won''t make a foolish decision," Kane said earnestly.


    "I understand," the middle-aged man nodded, realizing that tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

 Chapter 191: 191. The Mysterious Family of Hyperion Tower

    Three hours had passed since Orion and his team took flight from Roele.


    At this moment, Orion sat in a room aboard one of his family''s void shuttles. His eyes were closed as he focused on the Fate Core inside his body.


    He noticed a slight difference in his Fate Core while absorbing mana from the mana crystals using the Devouring Abyss curse.


    Previously, when the Fate Core was inside his body, he couldn''t feel any connection to it and could only sense it when he delved into the abyss of darkness.


    But now, he felt a faint connection with the core. Although the connection wasn''t strong, he sensed something from it.


    "It seems something changed in the core when it was removed from my body," Orion mused silently.


    He couldn''t discern the exact nature of the change, but he hoped it wasn''t anything significant.


    "Young Master, we have arrived at Morse," Butler Rio''s voice came from the other side of the door at that moment.


    "Coming," Orion replied, standing up and opening the door.


    ***


    In the king''s chamber of the Darkwood Family, many elders were seated in two rows of chairs on either side. At the center of the hall sat the Magi King of the Blitz Haven¡ªBarion Darkwood.


    At this moment, his brows were furrowed in deep contemtion, his eyes fixed on the entrance of the hall as if anticipating someone''s arrival.


    Suddenly the door to which he had been staring at for minutes suddenly hung opened and Orion walked in with Butler Rio.


    "Orion, tell me everything that happened, and leave nothing out," he immediately asked as soon as he saw Orion.


    Orion sighed, observing his father''s evident anxiety. It was rare to see him so concerned about anything. Clearly, the matter concerning the deaths of so many people in that ce was serious.


    "It went like this..." he began, recounting everything that had unfolded in that ce, while carefully omitting details about his clone and the voice he had heard.


    Barion nodded solemnly after listening to Orion''s ount, his expression darkening.


    "So, many people died, and it was your clone who ordered the other clones to kill them. Is that correct?" he asked Orion.


    Orion nodded in agreement and added, "Yes, but those clones were already under someone else''s control. It seems likely that whoever summoned us there alsomanded my clone to eliminate us."


    Barion pondered for a moment before responding.


    "I believe there will certainly be some chaotic events at the Emperor Heaven Pce tomorrow," he said, pausing briefly. "The deaths of so many people alone might not force the emperor''s hand, but Loren''s death is a different matter entirely.


    With the Grimwolf family ming you and the support of so manymon people, this situation will be a headache for us, especially with the Silverme family fanning the mes from the sidelines."


    Orion nodded, understanding everything except for one crucial aspect.


    "But everyone knows it wasn''t me who ordered the killings. It was my clone. So why would they protest and demand justice against me, when I was also a victim there?"


    Barion shook his head solemnly.


    "The world of politics is cruel, and the people within it are even more so. They''ve lost many loved ones, many of them young like you. The parents, rtives, and anyone connected to those who died won''t just sit idly by, especially when they know the face responsible for those deaths is out in this world."


    "Is this really serious?" Orion asked with concern.


    Barion nodded gravely.


    "The deaths of so many people¡ªit''s reminiscent of what happened in Grimshore when a member of the Silverme family caused an entire shelter to be destroyed by the angel races," he exined, pausing briefly. "Now, with so many deaths again, people won''t remain passive. They will protest to the emperor, iming that you somehow control your clone. It''s inevitable."


    Orion''s expression turned ugly. He felt anger at that moment. Knowing it wasn''t him who had killed them and still being med for their deaths was disgustingly cruel.


    Barion stood up from his throne and patted Orion on the shoulder.


    "Don''t worry too much. You didn''t kill them, and I believe the emperor knows that as well. He wouldn''t make a foolish decision regarding this incident. Go and rest now, you must be very tired after what happened there."


    Orion nodded and left the king''s chamber.


    Barion then turned to look at all the elders in the hall.


    "Everyone, we will be leaving tomorrow for the Emperor Heaven Pce. I want all of you to apany me there. The Grimwolf Family and the Silverme Family will certainly be present, and we must be prepared in case they manage to persuade the emperor to make a decision in their favor."


    All the elders nodded before Barion announced an emergency meeting to discuss about the incident.


    ***


    Back in his room, Orion checked the news on his universal bracelet and saw numerous articles regarding the incident.


    His image was featured prominently in all those articles as the headline poster.


    While none of the articles explicitly stated he was responsible for the deaths, his picture as the poster suggested otherwise.


    The articles mentioned clones killing the originals and that the one who ordered the clones was Orion''s clone. They also noted how Orion''s clone was the only one who talked and appeared lifelike, while the others merely resembled puppets made for killing.


    Looking at all these articles, he noticed none of them mentioned anything about him being attacked by his own clone or how he saved the remaining people from the ck sun of the clone.


    ''Is Hyperion Tower under the influence of the Silverme Family?'' he wondered.


    From what he remembered, Hyperion Tower was controlled by a different family, though he couldn''t recall its name. He did recall, however, that the family was very strange, secretive, and mysterious¡ªeven more sopared to the seven magi families.


    At least everyone knew where the seven magi families lived, but no one knew anything about that particr family. Everyone only knew that Hyperion Tower was an actual tower on a 1-star called Gilotus, and that the entire was controlled by that enigmatic family.


    Knock! Knock!


    At that moment, someone knocked on the door of his room.


    "Who is it?" Orion asked.


    "It''s me," came a pleasant voice he had missed very much.


    "Big Sister Emily!" he eximed, immediately went to open the door.

 Chapter 192: 192. A little training with Emily

    "Orion, want to train a bit?"


    Emily asked as soon as Orion opened the door for her.


    "Yeah, absolutely," Orion replied, delighted. He immediately agreed, having missed the training sessions they had done together years ago. He thought he wouldn''t get the chance to train with her again after seeing how much she had changed.


    Emily smiled and asked Orion to follow her. "Let''s go to the training ground."


    ***


    The Darkwood Family''s training ground spanned a wide field area where descendants of various ages were trained by a middle-aged man.


    These kids stood in four or five rows, diligently following the training regimens demonstrated by the instructor. They were practicing basic fist moves; the middle-aged man would first perform the techniques, and the kids would imitate him immediately after.


    Numerous other groups of children and instructors were scattered across the vast field. Some taught fist forms, others demonstrated the basics of sword wielding, while still others focused on spear techniques.


    Due to the constant activity and numerous training sessions, the expansive training field of the Darkwood Family was always bustling with kids and instructors. As a result, it never appeared as spacious as it truly was.


    At that moment, Orion and Emily entered the training field.


    "Young Master Orion, long time no see."


    Orion was immediately greeted by the middle-aged man teaching the kids fist techniques. He had a bulky body, was bald, and sported a bushy beard.


    Orion turned to see who had called him. At first, he couldn''t remember being taught by a bald man, but when he saw his face clearly, recognition dawned.


    "Ah, Instructor Darwin, it''s you! I almost didn''t recognize you."


    Instructor Darwin smiled wryly at Orion''sment.


    "It seems my hair was indeed the source of my handsomeness. Now that it''s gone, even you can''t recognize me."


    Orion nodded and immediately agreed.


    "Yeah, right. You look very ugly without that. Hahaha."


    Instructor Darwin raised his eyebrows at Orion''s response.


    "Kid, it seems you know how to joke now! Last time I saw you, you were so focused on training that nothing else ever got into your head."


    Orion nodded andughed, thinking about the past.


    Truthfully, he didn''t like training even a little bit, so he didn''t train at least until he was seven, and nobody ever asked him to do that either. But everything changed when it was discovered that hecked talent.


    His world crumbled in that moment. He was at his lowest point, with very few people to support him. Such was the cruelty of the seven magi families¡ªwithout talent, one wouldn''t even have the status of a servant.


    But Orion was lucky, or was he? As the youngest son of the Magi King of Blitz Haven, life was at least livable for him, despite hisck of talent.


    ''Those days were the worst,'' Orion thought, recalling how devastated he was when he discovered he didn''t possess any talent. At seven years old, as a child from one of the seven magi families, he understood many things. It wasn''t difficult for him to grasp that life would be incredibly challenging from that moment on.


    However, it was his Big Sister Emily who pulled him from that never-ending darkness. She dragged him to the training field every day. He would train with her for hours until his body couldn''t take any more. This hellish training continued for days, which turned into months, and then years, till he was finally disowned¡ªor so he thought.


    After he left the family, the training his sister had given him over the past three years finally showed its results. He was able to survive in a world full of talents and power with just her training.


    ''But I can''t seem to remember what happened from the time I left the family to when I found myself on the pirate ship.''


    That was the only mystery he couldn''t solve until now.


    Instructor Darwin was happy for Orion, for only he and the instructors here had seen how hardworking he had been before he left the family.


    "So, the usual?" he asked.


    "I guess," Orion replied, smiling as he turned to see his sister.


    "The usual," Emily nodded.


    Instructor Darwin smiled and took out two wooden swords from the collection hanging on a tree.


    "Take them."


    He handed one to Orion and the other to Emily.


    Orion smiled, holding the sword and looking at his sister.


    "So, what will it be? A frontal attack? Parry? Guardian''s defense?"


    Emily shook her head and said, "None of them. Just show me how strong you''ve be in these five years."


    Orion nodded and circled her, looking for an opening, then asked, "No talent?"


    She agreed. "No talent."


    Orion smiled and didn''t attack immediately. He wanted to gain acknowledgment from his sister, and to do that, he would need to show her that he had improved since thest time they trained together.


    A few minutes passed, then Orion swiftly closed the distance and swung his sword vertically at her. Emily blocked his sword effortlessly.


    Orion immediately changed direction and attacked again, but the result was the same.


    He continued to attack from every direction, but each time, Emily blocked his moves.


    Despite this, Orion didn''t feel discouraged. Instead, a smile remained on his face.


    With a confident smile, heunched his assault, using every technique she had meticulously taught him over the years. He initiated with a straightforward frontal attack, his sword slicing through the air with precision. Following up, he executed a wide, sweeping swing, aiming to catch her off guard.


    She dodged effortlessly, but he didn''t fret. Switching tactics, he transitioned into a slow, deceptive attack designed to lure her into a false sense of security. Though she countered that smoothly.


    Not giving her a moment''s respite, he shifted to a surprise back attack, twisting his body and bringing his weapon around in a swift arc. She parried with ease, her eyes never leaving his. Determined, he pressed on with a thrust swing, a powerful forward motion meant to break through her defenses. She sidestepped, her expression calm and focused.


    Minutes stretched on as he continued his relentless barrage. Each attack flowed into the next with a rhythm they had both honed through countless hours of practice. He pushed himself to the limit,bining speed, strength, and strategy. Despite her superior skill and experience, he refused to relent.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he saw a fleeting opening. With a burst of speed, he capitalized on it, his weapon connecting with her side. It was a light touch, more of a graze than a hit, but it was enough.


    He had finallynded a blow on her. Though it had been incredibly difficult, he couldn''t help but feel a surge of pride and relief. He had done it.


    For all the time he had spent training with her, he had never seeded in hitting her before. It had seemed almost impossible three years ago, and now too, but he did it regardless.


    "You''ve done well," Emily nodded, smiling.


    Her expression then turned serious.


    "I heard what happened. Don''t worry, nothing will happen to you. Erick was with you the whole time, right? So, he must have seen everything. I''ll talk to himter today about this."


    Orion nodded, secretly relieved that his sister would handle the situation with Erick. He really didn''t want to say those words Erick wanted him to say to her. So, this was good for him.


    Her expression then turned curious as she looked at him.


    "Orion, have you heard of the story of ''Doom''?"


    "No, is it interesting?" he asked curiously. It was the first time he had heard of something called ''Doom''.


    Emily shook her head. "I don''t know, but I fought with him once and I lost."

 Chapter 193: 193. DOOM

    "You lost?" Orion was shocked. He had never heard of his sister losing to anyone before. She was known as the strongest of their generation, just behind Astral.


    Astral was an exception with his Five Limits sub-ability; otherwise, he wouldn''t be considered the foremost genius of the Magus Kingdom in the presence of Emily. It could also be said that Emily, being one generation older than Astral and the others, was never directlypared to them.


    Therefore, hearing that his sister had lost left him genuinely shocked.


    "Who is this Doom guy?" Orion asked, curiosity piqued. "And why haven''t I heard of him if he''s so strong?"


    He was genuinely curious, wondering how someone powerful enough to defeat his sister could remain unknown to him. It seemed odd that such a formidable figure hadn''t crossed his radar before.


    Emily looked at Orion, her expression turning slightly strange.


    "I fought him about two years ago, and he was only around 23 or 24 years old."


    "What?!" Orion''s mouth hung open in disbelief. He couldn''t fathom that someone so young could defeat his sister. They were the same age two years ago, and she had never lost to someone younger or the same age.


    "Tell me everything in detail," Orion urged his sister immediately, his curiosity piqued.


    Emily nodded thoughtfully, gathering her thoughts before she began, "About two years ago, there was a report of a demon sighted on one of the royal family''s three-stars. Elyn and I were with the royal family at the time, so we decided to investigate with Erick and the others. When we arrived on the, we found that everything and everyone had vanished. There wasn''t a single survivor."


    "What happened after that?" Orion pressed further, eager for more details.


    Emily sighed deeply, her expression troubled as she recounted, "We scoured the entire, but all we found was blood¡ªpools of it everywhere. It was as though everyone on that had been turned into blood. That''s when a man, about 23 or 24 years old, appeared before us. He was covered in blood, yet he had this eerie smile on his face."


    Orion, taken aback by Emily''s ount, pressed on with a mix of concern and curiosity. "Was that the man who defeated you?"


    Emily nodded gravely, her voice tinged with unease. "Yes, that was him. He approached us calmly and said he wanted to eat us. Before we could react, one of our guards was caught off-guard. In an instant, he transformed into ck particles, and the man devoured it all. There was only blood remained of that guard everything else was gone."


    Orion listened intently, absorbing every detail with a mix of shock and concern for his sister''s experience.


    "So, you fought him and lost?" He then asked, acknowledging her defeat.


    Emily nodded solemnly, her expression darkening at the memory.


    "After that incident, weunched an immediate attack, but Erick and Elyn were swiftly overpowered. It was only through my intervention that disaster was averted for them. Then it was my turn to face him. We shed for over a hundred rounds, but in the end, I was defeated. He approached me with that eerie smile and uttered, ''This world shall soone to know Doom.


    Prepare, mortals, for this is the end of time.'' With those words, he vanished."


    Orion''s face betrayed shock and disbelief as he listened to his sister recount the harrowing encounter. Thest words of the mysterious figure sent a chill down his spine.


    "He just vanished like that? Who was he?" Orion pressed, struggling toprehend. "And no one apprehended him after he killed so many people?"


    Emily shook her head solemnly. "No one knows who he is. What''s even more disturbing is that he carried out simr atrocities on other 1-stars. It wasn''t limited to the Magus Kingdom alone; the Human Federation Realm and the Martial Domain suffered the same fate."


    "What?!" Orion eximed. It felt like his sister was intent on shocking him with one revtion after another. He could understand if such incidents happened only in the Magus Kingdom, but the fact that all three domains had suffered was too incredible. The idea that no one could stop this person was even more staggering.


    Emily, unfazed by his expression, continued, "The reason I''m telling you this is to warn you to be cautious. This world is full of mysteries. There are beings who could kill us in the blink of an eye. Now that you''ve passed the test, you''ll be spending more time outside the family, so you need to be careful. I can''t always protect you like before. You have to be wary of such individuals."


    Orion nodded grimly. He understood her warning and, in truth, he wanted nothing more than to avoid encounters with such powerful beings.


    "Big Brother Orion, Big Sister Emily! You two are ying together again. That''s not fair. Let me y with you too!"


    A smile appeared on Orion''s face as he turned to see his little sister, E. Her presence always filled him with happiness.


    "We aren''t ying, E. We''re training," he said, rubbing her head affectionately.


    "Not my hair again!" E pouted, trying to push his hand away.


    Orionughed and asked, "So, you want to train with us? Last time we were together like this, you couldn''t join in, but this time you can."


    E nodded eagerly, turning to look at Instructor Darwin, who handed her a wooden sword.


    "This is good," E said, swinging the wooden sword around before looking at Orion. "Big brother, you don''t know, but I''ve been training daily, and I''ve be stronger."


    "I know," Orion nodded, then turned to Emily. "Big Sister, how about we both attack you together? Is that alright?"


    Emily nodded. "I''ve been meaning to train E myself but haven''t had the time until now. This is a good opportunity to test her skills and give her some guidance."


    E shouted in excitement, "Yeah! Let me also attack you and train with you!"


    Orion smiled and took his stance beside E. "Alright, let''s see what you''ve got."


    Emily stood ready, her posture rxed yet alert. "Come at me when you''re ready."


    Orion and E exchanged a quick nce, then charged at Emily together. Orion swung his sword from the right while E attacked from the left but Emily parried their attacks with ease.


    "Good, E. Keep your grip firm and your swings controlled," Emily advised as she deflected another strike from her sister.


    E nodded, focusing on her movements and adjusting her stance.


    At that moment, Orion, seeing an opening, aimed a quick thrust at Emily''s midsection, but she sidestepped effortlessly and tapped his shoulder with her sword.


    "You''re both improving," Emily said with a smile. "Keep it up."


    They continued their training, with Emily giving pointers and correcting their techniques. Like that time passed and sky turned red.


    Both Orion and Ey on the ground, their faces drenched in sweat. The training had taken a toll on them, but they had also learned a great deal, especially E, who had benefitted the most from this session.


    "You two rest," Emily said, fiddling with her universal bracelet. "Let me connect to Erick."


    Orion, feeling something strange, asked, "You can contact people with this?" He was surprised, as he hadn''t seen this feature on his universal bracelet.


    "Yeah, you can do that. You just don''t know," Emily replied, keeping her focus on her bracelet.


    Suddenly, Erick''s voice sounded before them.


    "Emily?"

 Chapter 194: 194. Radiant Burn

    "Emily?" Erick''s voice sounded concerned.


    "Yes, it''s me," Emily responded. "I need to talk to you about what happened with Orion''s clone."


    "You know the truth about what happened there, right?"


    "I do."


    "Can you be a witness for Orion when speaking to your father?" she asked.


    "...I can''t."


    "Why?" A frown appeared on Emily''s face.


    "It''s because my opinion doesn''t matter. I''ve already told my father everything. What he decides now isn''t in my hands, but you don''t need to worry. My father would never punish the innocent."


    Emily nodded in understanding. "Alright, I''ll talk to youter."


    "I''ll be waiting."


    With those words, she ended the call and sighed, looking at Orion. "It seems I will have to go with Father tomorrow to the Emperor''s Heaven Pce."


    She could only go tomorrow with their father to address the situation.


    Orion nodded, but he didn''t feel as worried as his family members. He believed that the Emperor wouldn''t make a stupid decision and punish him for crimes he didn''tmit, just to calm the two Magi families and the crowd at his gates.


    "Come with me to the Emperor Heaven Pce tomorrow," Emily invited him.


    "Me too?" Orion hadn''t thought of going there, but now that his sister asked him to go, he felt that he should go and see the result of this ruckus with his own eyes. After all, the emperor''s decision would heavily affect him and the Darkwood family.


    "Yes, you too," Emily confirmed. "It''s important that you''re there. This decision will affect you and our family directly."


    Orion nodded, feeling a mixture of anxiety and determination. "Alright, I''ll go."


    Emily nodded. "Alright, you two can go now."


    Orion and E left the training field after their big sister dismissed them.


    Only Emily remained, standing in the training field, looking at the wooden sword with a deep frown on her face.


    "Am I doing the right thing?" she muttered to herself, looking up at the sky.


    "Why me?" she asked.


    As if answering her questions, drops of rain began to pour on her face, but she continued to stare at the sky, seeking answers she had never gotten for so long.


    ***


    Back in his room, Orion checked his status and examined the curse he had copied from his big sister. He had also copied a curse from Erick when Erick wrapped an arm around his neck to share some secrets. Additionally, he had copied a curse from Elyn when he threatened to kill her in a fit of anger.


    That would be a total of three curses but only time would tell if any of them would be useful to him or not.


    He hadn''t activated the curses of Erick and Elyn earlier, fearing his clone would also get those curses if he were to activate them and had decided to activate them when he was home but because of the current problem, he hadpletely forgotten about those curses and only remembered them when he copied her sister''s curse.


    ''Status.''


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Iron]


    [Divine Ability: Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy; Curse: 12%]


    [Sub Ability: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation]


    [Curse: Reality Fracture, Berserk Body, Malevolent Gaze, Identity Strain, Devouring Abyss, Thunder''s Wrath, Arcane Fracture, Temporal Rift, Radiant Burn]


    [Strength: 46]


    [Stamina: 41]


    [Agility: 40]


    [Perception: 39]


    [Constitution: 43]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    ''Arcane Fracture, Temporal Rift, and Radiant Burn... The names look cool. I just hope its effects are also cool.''


    With that hope, he checked the curse of the Arcane Fracture that he copied from Elyn.


    [Curse: Arcane Fracture]


    [Description: Just like the talent Mana Breaker, which can break anything corresponding to mana, the curse of Arcane Fracture reverses with activation and would cause the breakdown of their own bodies.]


    ''This curse is useless. But Elyn''s talent as a as a Mana Breaker is very powerful.''


    Orion discarded the arcane fracture and checked the temporal rift.


    [Curse: Temporal Rift]


    [Description: The curse of Temporal Rift subjects the wielder to involuntary mental discement, sending their consciousness into different timelines or alternate realities whenever they use the Time Reversal talent. This phenomenon traps the wielder in these alternate timelines until they find a way to return to their original timeline, causing profound mental and emotional distress.]


    ''Holy shit! That''s such a powerful curse! But it''s useless to me, what a pity. I remember my sister has a talent rted to time so this curse is expected but it is way more dangerous than any other curses I have seen.''


    Orion was astounded by this curse he got from his big sister.


    ''Should I keep it?''


    He pondered and decided to ultimately keep this curse with himself for the time being.


    ''I hope this Radiant Sun is good.''


    He thought and checked thest curse he copied from Erick.


    [Curse: Radiant Burn]


    [Description: The talent of light augmentation allows the wielder to enhance and manipte light. However, this potent abilityes with the curse of radiant burn, which inflicts physical burn and sensory repercussions on the wielder''s body when using their light-manipting powers.]


    ''The negative effects shouldn''t affect me so let me see what it really does.''


    Orion thought, went into the abyss of darkness and activated the curse.


    After that, he held his right hand and used the curse. In an instant, his entire right hand turned bright golden, illuminating the whole room.


    ''I believe this light is the one that would cause the burning effect. If it were Erick instead of me, his right hand would be burned to crisps. But to me, this is a boon; with this curse, I can control light itself¡ªwell,a part of it.''


    Orion mused as he looked at the golden-colored hand of his.


    He then deactivated the curse and everything returned to normal.


    ''I haven''t been getting a good cursetely.''


    He had copied nine curses since he arrived at his home and only one could be said to be usable to him. Others were just trash.


    ''It seems I will have to increase my habit of copying curses.''


    He thought and looked at his universal bracelet.


    The things his sister had told him this afternoon were still in his mind¡ªDoom. He just couldn''t distract his mind from that.


    ''Let''s see if there is anything on this.''


    He immediately switched to the news feature of the universal bracelet and looked for anything rted to Doom.


    An hour passed like that but he didn''t find anything rted to Doom.


    ''It''s really as I expected.''


    He had initially considered his ignorance about his sister and Doom a significant oversight, but now it appeared deliberate. His premonition had prompted him to investigate, confirming his suspicions. Any mention of Doom or the events of that day had been systematically expunged from the news.


    ''Emperor doesn''t want anyone to know about this.''


    Orion thought and pondered that this matter rted to Doom may have huge significance to the entire universe, hence their restriction of any news about it.


    "Huh?"


    At that moment, a recent news article caught his attention, published just a few hours ago.


    After reading the whole article, a frown appeared on his face.


    ''They made me the number one rank in the elite ranking? What the hell!''


    Although he was stronger than Astral in his base form, he would need 3 to 4 of his curses in Curse Transformation mode to be able to fight him in his limitbreaker form. So, he felt that the ranking was a little strange or that whoever ranked him up to the first ce only did that as a result of the battle between Astral and his clone in that ce.


    ''The Hyperion Tower is acting suspicious.''


    He thought andid down on the bed, intending to sleep.


    ''I hope tomorrow is a good day.''


    With that hope, he fell asleep.

 Chapter 195: 195. Dunes

    The next day, a void shuttle carrying important members of the Darkwood family departed for the Emperor Heaven Pce.


    The royal family of the Magus Kingdom resided on Luma, one of thergest 3-stars in the Emperor Haven star realm.


    Emperor Haven epassed hundreds of 1, 2, and 3-stars, many of which served as teleportation hubs for travellers seeking ess to the Emperor Heaven Pce.


    Due to its vast size, Emperor Haven required hours of travel, even via void shuttles, to reach the Emperor Heaven Pce, nestled deep within its expanse.


    Consequently, numerous portals were established on the outermosts of Emperor Haven, directly connecting to Luma, where the royal family dwelt.


    Additionally, these portals link to variouss throughout the Magus Kingdom under the royal family''s jurisdiction. They facilitated travel and trade across the kingdom, creating an interconnectedwork akin to a chain of pathways spanning the world.


    As a result, these portal-bearings became bustling hubs where people from all corners of the world convened to trade their goods and valuables.


    And the void shuttle carrying Orion and his family was in route to one of theses, which housed a portal directly connecting to Emperor Haven.


    ---


    Sometimester, they arrived at the outer atmosphere of the.


    Orion could see from the screen on the inside of the void shuttle that the they were about tond appearedpletely brown and yellowish in colour.


    Most importantly, the thing that attracted his attention was the constant hoard of void shuttles of various sizesing in and out of the.


    "This is called Dunes and is under the control of the royal family."


    Barion was introduced to the they were about tond on.


    "So, the portal leading to the Emperor Heaven Pce is on the that this''s portal will lead to?" Orion asked his father.


    Barrion nodded at his son''s question.


    Hearing his father agree, Orion wondered why the teleportation was soplicated and why it was not teleported directly to the Emperor Heaven Pce.


    ''Security reasons?''


    It was far-fetched to think that someone would attack the Emperor Heaven Pce in their mind.


    Orion shook his head and turned to look at his big sister, who was silently sitting with her eyes closed.


    ''I guess her fear of flying still hasn''t gone away.''


    He thought.


    "We arending in a minute."


    His father''s voice reached his ears at that moment, causing Orion to look at the screen once again when he saw that they werending in an area full of void shuttles.


    ***


    As Orion stepped out of the void shuttle, the world greeted him with a monochromatic palette of browns and yellows.


    The sky above was a muted, dusty hue, blending seamlessly with thendscape below. The streets stretched out before him, paved with rough, earthy tones that reflected the subdued sunlight filtering through a thin, hazy atmosphere.


    Buildings rose like ancient monoliths, their facades textured in shades ranging from deep ochre to sandy beige, each structure seeming to meld into the next in a harmonious monotony. Even the windows, though reflecting a faint glint of metallic sheen, appeared tinted in sepia tones.


    The people bustling about wore garments that matched the surroundings: robes and tunics of varying shades of brown, some ented with touches of faded gold or amber.


    Orion was surprised to see the intricate patterns etched into the walls of the buildings. As he approached closer, he noticed that what appeared from a distance as simple monolithic structures were, in fact, adorned with delicate carvings depicting scenes of ancient battles, celestial alignments, and mythical creatures.


    Among the people passing by, Orion observed individuals with subtle markings on their faces and hands, patterns that seemed to echo the designs on the buildings.


    "They are Zenithans from this, and the patterns on their bodies represent their beliefs in their god. It is believed that if the pattern on any Zenithan were to vanish, that person would be considered abandoned by both the Zenithans and their god," Emily exined when she noticed Orion''s curious expression.


    Orion nodded, recalling that this was the second time he had seen a Zenithan.


    "Let''s go. We are moving straight to the portal," Barion announced, taking the lead.


    Orion and the other Darkwood family members followed quietly. Barion was apanied by five elders, each holding very high positions within the family.


    After navigating through the city streets for several minutes, they finally approached the portal. The area was even more crowded than the bustling city they had just traversed.


    At the centre was an altar, atop which stood the portal. It was arge circr portal, shimmering in bright blue light. Observing its size, Orion estimated it was at least as big as a basketball court, if notrger.


    All around the altar were shops and stalls of various sizes, with many people going in and out of these shops, making this ce one of the many trade locations in Dunes.


    On Dunes, there were numerous portals that were spread throughout the entire and as a result, each location inhibiting a portal became a trade hub for the people of the Magus Kingdom who wereing and going out of this.


    "Look, who that is? That''s Orion Darkwood!"


    At that moment, one of the people in the area noticed Orion.


    "Yeah, I see him too."


    "Do you think the rumours are true?"


    "About him controlling the clones to kill other members of the seven magi families so that the Darkwood Family could flourish?"


    "Yeah, and he is also now the number one rank on the elite ranking, making him the strongest genius of the entire Magus Kingdom."


    "I doubt that ranking. In fact, everything about Orion is very suspicious."


    And soon everyone near the portal recognised him and started murmuring among themselves. Their topics rted to Orion in one way or another.


    Orion could hear them very clearly, and that''s why he frowned when they talked about the rumours.


    ''It seems the Silverme family has made their move.''


    Orion frowned and at that moment, a mocking voice called out to his family.


    "Well, well, well, look who decided to show up!"


    Turning around, Orion saw a group led by a middle-aged man with silver hair cascading down to his shoulders.


    "Barion, no matter how hard you try, you cannot protect a guilty person," the man mocked,ughing as he observed Orion''s group.


    Orion immediately stepped forward and pretended to look around.


    "Who is the owner of this dog? Come out and take it away. It''s barking in the middle of the street."


    Barion and the elders nearly choked at his words, but soonughed and joined in.


    "Judging by their clothes, they seem to be the dogs of the Silverme family," Barion sneered.


    "Someone, take these dogs away," one of the elders chimed in, adding to the mockery.


    Meanwhile, the members of the Silverme family were fuming with anger.


    "Brat, do you dare to say that again?" The middle-aged man red at Orion, his face flushed with rage.


    Orion''s expression shifted as if he hade to a realization.


    "Ah, it''s a talking dog, but it can''t hear us. How sad. Let me tell you again then¡ªgood dogs, don''t block the paths."


    This time, almost everyone in the surroundings burst intoughter, unable to contain their mirth at the spectacle unfolding before them.

 Chapter 196: 196. All Have Gathered

    Orion sneered at their ugly expressions. From the trademark silver hair, he already knew they were from the Silverme Family, and since they had started the mocking, he decided to give them a taste of their own medicine.


    "Let''s go, Father. These dogs stink. I can''t stay here any longer," he said, shaking his head in mock difort.


    Taking the lead, Orion walked into the portal.


    "Hahahaha, let''s go as well then," Barionughed, and the elders joined in, following Orion into the portal.


    The members of the Silverme Family felt as if they had hacked at their own legs, especially the middle-aged man leading them. He was the Magi King of Pristine Haven and hade here regarding the matter of Orion''s clone. His face turned a deep red with rage. He had intended to embarrass the Darkwood Family after spotting them from afar, yet it was his own family that ended up humiliated.


    "Damn it," he snarled, unable to control his fury. He waved his hand, causing an entire row of shops and stalls to erupt in silver mes. The people nearby narrowly escaped death, thanking their luck for stepping away when they heard themotion.


    "Let''s go," he growled.


    Still in a foul mood, he stormed towards the portal and disappeared. His family followed helplessly.


    ***


    On the other side of the portal, a breathtaking scene caught Orion''s attention, pleasantly surprising him.


    The portal had transported them to the top of a mountain, from which they could see a city unlike any he had seen in Morse or elsewhere. This city boasted skyscrapers reminiscent of those from Earth, yet with a distinct, otherworldly design.


    Small shuttles zipped through the air, making Orion wonder if he had teleported to a futuristic world. However, observing the traditional clothing of the people and the familiar culture of shops and stalls, he realized that only the distant city appeared different¡ªperhaps the right word was "out of ce."


    "This ce is called New Heaven," Barion exined to Orion. "This city was built by architects from the Human Federation Realm and is still under development. It is the first city where architects from other domains havee to build."


    Orion nodded in understanding.


    ''It seems that the rtionship between the Magus Kingdom and the Human Federation Realm is good,'' he thought, processing what his father had just said.


    "Let''s go. The portal leading to the Emperor Heaven Pce isn''t far from here, so unfortunately, you won''t be able to explore the city for the time being," Barion said, leading them through the crowd.


    Looking around, Orion noticed that this ce was even more fantastic and crowded than the one they hade from. However, due to therge scale of the, it felt rather spacious.


    The portal leading to the Emperor Heaven Pce was located on another mountain adjacent to the one they had arrived on.


    In fact, the entire area was a cluster of mountains, with the futuristic city in the distance being the primary habitation for humans. Apart from these popted areas, the rest of the remained uncharted territory, at least for the local residents.


    Before long, they reached the portal to the Emperor Heaven Pce. To their surprise, they found packs of people waiting to enter the portal. The crowd was sorge that the officials responsible for managing the portal had to turn it off temporarily. Only a limited number of people could use the portal at a time, as overloading it could result in serious mishaps.


    "Is it because of what happened in that ce that so many people are nning to go to Emperor Heaven Pce?" Orion muttered to himself.


    Barion, who was standing beside his son, heard him clearly and nodded. "Yeah, half of these people are likely those whose loved ones died there. The remaining half are thrill-seekers with nothing better to do, looking for their next excitement."


    Orion nodded, reflecting on the reality of this world. He believed that without the Magus Kingdom''s strict rules, maintaining peace would be incredibly difficult.


    As for the people whose clones died in that ce, he felt some sympathy but not much more. These were the very people ming him for their loved ones'' deaths, despite knowing the whole truth themselves.


    If not for the deaths, Orion would feel nothing but disgust for them.


    "Look, the main characters are here!"


    A sarcasticment echoed through the crowd, causing Orion and the others to turn around. They saw four groups of people walking toward them.


    Barion''s face immediately darkened as he recognized them. They were members of the remaining seven magi families, excluding the Silverme family behind them and the Valen family.


    The group was led by a middle-aged man with short, dark blue hair, a medium build, and a serious expression. Various men and women stood behind him, but the one who attracted the most attention was a boy of about 19 years old standing in their midst.


    They were from the Voidwalker Family, and the middle-aged man leading them was Adam Voidwalker, the Magi King of Fallen Haven. As for the boy, he needed no introduction; he was the former number one genius of the Magus Kingdom¡ªAstral Voidwalker.


    Just beside them were the Ravenw Family, led by Estor and other elders, with Elyn Ravenw among them. She eyed Orion fiercely while asionally smiling at Emily, as if they were silentlymunicating.


    The group of the Stormrider Family was led by ose Stormrider, who stood beside Estor and Adam with his family members just behind him.


    Andst but not least, the Grimwolf Family had arrived. They had the worst expressions on their faces upon seeing the Darkwood Family ahead of them. Recently, they had lost their youngest master, believing that Orion''s clone had initiated the fatal attack.


    They hade here hoping the Emperor would deliver what they saw as justice, even if it wasn''t true justice. Driven by a desire for revenge, they had pinned their hopes on the Emperor''s decision, knowing that killing Orion directly would be a difficult task.


    "I hadn''t thought that this event would alert even the other seven magi families," Orion muttered to himself. He had a feeling the Silverme and Grimwolf families would be here, but the others were unexpected.


    "Barion, you''re here too. We were just discussing whether you woulde, and I said you would. Seems I was right," Estorughed, approaching him.


    Barion was about to respond when he heard a very hateful phrase.


    "The Darkwood Family will regret killing my son, and that kid will sooner orter be killed by me. Mark my words."


    Barion turned to see that it was Varen, the head of the Grimwolf family, who had uttered those words.


    "Varen, you should know that it wasn''t my son who killed your son," Barion said, ring at him.


    "It wasn''t your son? Are you kidding me? That clone of your son was the one who killed my son, and since I couldn''t kill that clone, I will have my revenge on the original," Varenughed like a madman, his eyes red with rage.


    "Come on then, kill me. What are you waiting for?" Orion sneered as soon as he heard Varen''s threat. If he had felt even a shred of pity for those who had lost loved ones in that incident, he felt none for the Grimwolf family. They were the worst of the worst in his eyes.


    Veins bulged on Varen''s forehead as he struggled to control himself.


    "You will regret this," he spat hatefully, closing his eyes to calm down.


    Orion sneered in response, ready to taunt him further, when suddenly, he felt a presence unlike any he had ever felt before in his life.


    "Everyone is here."


    A majestic voice resonated throughout the entire area, and a middle-aged man with golden hair appeared in the sky, wearing a purple crown atop his head.

 Chapter 197: 197. Emperor Maximus

    "Your Highness, the majesty."


    Everyone in the area around the portal bowed down in respect, including all members of the seven magi families. Even the family heads bowed their heads.


    The Emperor held the highest position in the Magus Kingdom and was respected by all. Beyond his status, he was the second strongest human in the domain, surpassed only by his eldest son.


    "It''s good that everyone is here," his voice echoed, loud and majestic, yet only audible to the members of the seven magi families.


    "Shall we switch ces?"


    As these words escaped the Emperor''s mouth, Orion suddenly found himself in a different location. He was astounded by the Emperor''s ability to swiftly teleport them anywhere he wanted, leaving them powerless to resist.


    Looking at his father''s face, Orion saw no expression whatsoever, indicating they were already familiar with the Emperor''s power.


    They found themselves inside a vast circr hall with eight seating areas arranged in different directions. The hall was bathed in a bright purple hue, and at its center hovered a holographic disy of small andrges.


    "Everyone, have a seat."


    Emperor Maximus took a seat in one of the areas, and surprisingly, Kane and Erick were seated there as well. Erick had a serious expression, while Kane casually sipped his morning tea, ncing at everyone.


    "Let''s go," Barion said, leading his family to one of the seating areas, followed by the leaders of the other magi families.


    Once everyone was seated, Emperor Maximus spoke:


    "Aside from the Valen family, everyone else is here. Good."


    Emperor Maximus then went straight to the topic and said:


    "I have already made my decision, but since you all are here, let me know your thoughts on this matter. Maybe, I might change my mind because of them."


    Barion''s face darkened as he heard the Emperor. This was the situation he wanted to avoid the most, but he was somewhat relieved that the Emperor had already made his decision. Influencing him to change his mind wouldn''t be easy. However, this could only be beneficial if the Emperor''s decision favored them; otherwise, it could backfire.


    With these thoughts, Barion stood up and asked the most important question.


    "Your Highness, what have you decided?"


    Emperor Maximus looked at Barion with a smile.


    "That, my friend Barion, I can''t tell," he said, shaking his head.


    Barion frowned, wondering if the Emperor was toying with them, as he often did things in unconventional ways.


    At this moment, Varen from the Grimwolf family stood up and pointed at Orion hatefully.


    "Emperor, I believe it was this kid who was controlling the clones behind the scenes. I hope the Emperor takes strict action and punishes him for his crimes," he said angrily.


    Emperor Maximus nodded as if he understood everything and looked at the others.


    However, Barion immediately stood up, refuting what Varen had just said.


    "Emperor, this is a lie fabricated to me my son for crimes he didn''tmit."


    "Crimes he didn''tmit?" The head of the Silverme Family sneered at Barion. "All those lives that were lost in that ce, whose fault was it? Your son''s clone? We all know that in that ce clones don''t have spirituality and wouldn''t even do anything to anyone, yet his clone could speak and control other clones to do his bidding.


    That brat''s clone ordered others'' clones to kill the originals, and we all know about that. What we don''t know is that his son ordered his clone to do all of that. His intentions were probably to kill all the members of the young generation."


    Munro Silverme, head of the Silverme family, stated everything he wanted to say and sat down. He believed that the Emperor would consider his points, especially some of the points he made about the clones, which were definitely suspicious.


    "Interesting," Emperor Maximus nodded, showing some interest before turning to look at the others. "What do the rest of you think?"


    Estor stood up at that moment and looked at Orion.


    "Emperor, from what I know from my daughter, it is true that Orion''s clone ordered the other clones to attack the originals, but his clone also attacked Orion and tried to take over his body. From that, we can infer that Orion wasn''t controlling the clones; someone else was. I believe that someone else was also the one who ordered Orion''s clone to attack the others."


    "That''s also reasonable," Emperor Maximus nodded, then turned to Adam and ose. "What about you two?"


    Adam stood respectfully and stated, "I believe whatever we say won''t change the Emperor''s mind, so please forgive me for not giving any opinion about this matter."


    Emperor Maximus found this intriguing. "Then why are you here?"


    Adam briefly exined, "I came with the thought of asking for Orion''s forgiveness if it were his fault, but since you have already decided, I believe nothing we say would change your decision. You have all the information we have, so you must have thought of something beforeing to a decision. Perhaps our opinions are merely a means of enjoyment for you."


    "Hahahahaha, good, very good. Only you truly understand me, Adam," Emperor Maximusughed heartily.


    Finally, ose Stormrider stood up.


    "Emperor, I believe it wasn''t Orion''s fault, but whatever you have decided, we will agree to it wholeheartedly."


    The Emperor nodded and then turned to look at Orion, who had his eyes closed the whole time.


    "What does the one in question have to say?"


    Orion opened his eyes as he heard this, a smile appearing on his face.


    "Emperor, I believe I did nothing wrong. That''s all I can say since you know the whole story yourself," he said, confident that the Emperor wouldn''t punish him.


    There were various reasons supporting his assumption, with the foremost being the deal between the four races that wasing to an end in five years. If he wanted peace, he would have to go with the majority and the truth.


    At the same time, he also believed the Emperor wouldn''t want to upset the strongest genius of the Magus Kingdom over such a small situation, especially when he was clearly used of crimes he didn''tmit. Truthfully, everyone knew this, yet they still med him.


    Emperor Maximus nodded and looked at everyone again.


    "This is yourst chance to speak. After I reveal my decision, I won''t hear any more reasoning. Does anyone else have anything to say?"


    At that moment, Emily stood up. She had been observing the entire situation quietly and hadn''t spoken yet. But it seemed she had made up her mind to say some words.


    "Emperor, you should know the truth considering your daughter and son were also in the same situation as my brother. Everyone in this hall knows the truth, so if your decision veers away from the truth and doesn''t favor the majority, then I will be ashamed to have you as the emperor of the Magus Kingdom."


    Everyone was shocked by her words. They werepletely taken aback, especially Orion, who had a stupefied look on his face as he looked at his sister.


    On the other hand, Barion shook his head with a wry smile. He had always known Emily was bold, but this level of boldness was new even for him.


    "Hahahaha, I guess we will know if I have ashamed you all or not in a minute." The Emperorughed. He liked bold kids and had already known about Emily''s boldness, but every time he saw her, she still surprised him.


    In the end, his face turned serious as he looked at everyone.


    "My decision is..."

 Chapter 198: 198. Emperors Decision

    At what appeared to be a fancy restaurant with modern interiors and decorative designs, Orion, Emily, and Elyn waited for their food at one of the many tables.


    The restaurant was the size of a regr 5-star establishment on Earth and had all the facilities one would expect from such a ce.


    Its name was Gusto Delicacy, situated in the same city Orion had seen earlier¡ªNew Heaven. But this time, he was inside the city with his big sister and Elyn.


    After leaving the Emperor Heaven Pce, Barion and all the elders returned to the family while Emily suggested she and Orion explore the city first.


    Orion liked the idea and immediately asked his father for permission. Barion, with a helpless smile, shook his head and granted them the freedom his children needed.


    And that''s how they found themselves in this ce, waiting for their food to arrive.


    "Here."


    Some timeter, the waiter brought their food, and Orion began devouring it.


    "Orion, are you happy with the emperor''s decision?" Emily asked as she took a water bottle from the table.


    Orion nodded while eating. "Hmm, I''m satisfied. Though it was a little questionable, I think this is the best-case scenario for us."


    Emily smiled when she saw that Orion didn''t me the emperor for his decision. "You''ve matured, I think. I had thought you would definitely be angry at the emperor''s decision."


    Orion chewed his food as he looked at his sister. "The emperor wants me to find Evans. Only if I apprehend him and bring him back to the royal court will he not me me for what happened. That''s what he said for everyone to hear so no one gets dissatisfied with his decision. But I believe he is simply stalling for time.


    He gave me three months to find Evans, and guess what event is three monthster?"


    "Dos Academy," Emily calmly answered and asked. "If you and I can see that the emperor is favoring you, can''t the others notice this too?"


    Orion nodded and drank some water from the bottle on the table.


    "Well," he said after drinking water, "the Emperor made a valid point there, asking those who used me if I and Evans were somehow working together in that ce or not. The Silverme family and the Grimwolf family immediately took the bait and agreed with the Emperor, saying I must have something to do with the whole incident and I must have been working with the Valen Family for that."


    He once again began eating his food.


    "After that, everything became easy for the Emperor. He immediately asked me to bring Evans in three months'' time, and if I couldn''t bring him in that period, that would mean I am guilty.


    With this decision, the Silverme family and the Grimwolf family could only shut their mouths and ept the Emperor''s decision, even if they were unsatisfied, because they also agreed with the Emperor that I am working with the Valen family."


    Emily nodded, wondering since when her little brother had be so wise. But soon, her face turned pale, thinking about what she was about to do.


    ''My whole family is cursed, it seems,'' she thought in despair.


    "What happened?" Orion asked in concern when he saw the depressed look on his sister''s face.


    Elyn, who had already noticed it, understood the reason behind Emily''s expression but couldn''t do anything about it.


    Emily shook her head. "Nothing, I just recalled a dungeon mission I''m about to undertake with Elyn."


    "What dungeon?" Orion asked curiously.


    Emily replied, "A dungeon recently discovered on this. As this is mostly unexplored, dungeons have be very frequent. Almost every month, a new dungeon is discovered, and people enter to clear it. That''s why I decided toe with you here today, as I had already nned with Elyn to go to this dungeon, which will fully open in 2 days."


    "What level is the dungeon?" Orion asked, suddenly interested and deciding he would go there if the level of the dungeon met his requirements.


    "The boss of the dungeon is a peak tinum rank monster," Emily said, her brows furrowed. "You also want to go there?"


    "Can I?" Orion asked. He didn''t know if there were any requirements for entering a dungeon, so he wasn''t clear about whether he should be given permission or not.


    "You can, but I have to talk to the Dungeon Management Association for that," Emily said.


    Orion nodded as he finished eating everything and said, "Please do that. I would also like to enter the dungeon."


    Emily nodded.


    At that moment, all three of them had finished eating, and it was time for them to leave.


    Emily stood up and cleaned her hands with the napkins on the table. "I have already booked rooms for us in this city, so we will live there for the two days until the dungeon opens."


    Orion nodded and did the same. "Alright, but I will need a separate room."


    Elynughed suddenly at that moment. "Who would want to live with you in the same room?"


    Orion smiled. "It''s not that I don''t want to share a room with two of the Three Blossoms, it''s just that I n to train all night, and that would probably disturb your sweet sleep."


    "Humph¡ª" Elyn was about to continue bickering with Orion when Emily interfered.


    "Don''t worry, I have booked the entire floor, so there is plenty of room for everyone."


    Orion nodded. He had expected that, considering his big sister''s habit of spending more money than usual.


    "Alright, let''s leave now," Emily said to them.


    Orion and Elyn nodded, and they soon left the restaurant, headed towards a skyscraper visible in the distance from them.


    As they walked, Orion couldn''t help but admire the city''s architecture and the advanced technology that seamlessly blended with the traditional elements of the Magus Kingdom. The streets were bustling with people, and the sight of flying shuttles above added a futuristic touch to the whole scene.


    ''This is phenomenal.''


    Orion was genuinely surprised. He had already seen everything when he came to the restaurant, but he couldn''t help but get amazed as he was once again walking the streets of this beautiful city. The blend of futuristic architecture with the traditional charm of the Magus Kingdom was beyond captivating.

 Chapter 199: 199. Training

    Sometimeter, the trio arrived in front of a towering skyscraper. It was the tallest building Orion had ever seen, and from where he stood, he couldn''t even see its top. The sheer size of it was so enormous that he doubted such skyscrapers existed on Earth.


    "Let''s go inside," Emily said, taking the lead and entering through therge front doors, where many people wereing and going.


    Since Emily had already booked the rooms in advance, they didn''t have to deal with any booking issues and quickly made their way to their floor.


    The entire floor had around thirty rooms, all currently reserved for them.


    "I''ll take the closest one," Orion said, pointing at the door in front of him. "See you guys at dinner."


    With that, he opened the door and went inside.


    Emily and Elyn exchanged a nce and shrugged before choosing rooms for themselves and entering inside.


    ***


    Inside his room, Orion sat on a chair, his hands positioned on the table in such a way that his lower chin rested on the back of his palm.


    ''This dungeon will be my chance to copy lots of good curses,'' he thought.


    There were two reasons he wanted to enter the dungeon.


    First, dungeons attracted many strong individuals aiming to clear them. He nned to use that opportunity to copy as many curses as possible, even if he had to act a bit shamelessly.


    For some reason, there was a restlessness in his heart that drove him to be stronger as quickly as possible. He didn''t know where this sudden feeling came from, but it had been there since he left the Emperor Heaven Pce. It made him wonder if the Silverme Family or the Grimwolf Family would abandon all pretense ande to kill him.


    His urgency to grow stronger stemmed from this fear. He felt that if he didn''t seize every opportunity to be more powerful, he might regret it in the future.


    Also, ever since he had seen the vision of himself with his Fate Core, where he died at the hands of what appeared to be another version of himself, he started to believe in premonitions¡ªor bad omens, as some might call them.


    The second reason was as simple as leveling up. In dungeons, there would be no shortage of monsters, and Orion wouldn''t have to search for each one individually, which could help him reach the peak stage of the iron rank as soon as possible.


    ''It''s time to train then,'' he thought. He understood where his weaknessy and he wanted to improve upon that.


    In the gray world, he had pushed past his limits and had used four curses in Curse Transformation mode. It made him wonder if that was his current limit.


    However, he vividly remembered how ufortable those negative emotions had been, flooding his mind. The overwhelming negativity had made it difficult to think clearly, which motivated him to prepare for such situations in the future.


    His approach was straightforward: he would use four curses in Curse Transformation mode and practice meditation to maintain control over the negative emotions. Since he wasn''t in battle at the moment, he could fully concentrate on mastering his emotions, gradually bing ustomed to them.


    By training in this way, Orion aimed to ensure that when he used four curses in Curse Transformation mode during a battle, he wouldn''t be overwhelmed by negative emotions.


    That was his n, though he wasn''t certain if it would seed.


    "Here we go," Orion muttered to himself, steeling his resolve.


    With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and activated four of his curses in Curse Transformation mode.


    Instantly, a torrent of negative emotions surged into his mind, overwhelming him with an intense agony that forced him to clench his teeth in pain. The flood of negativity invaded his thoughts, twisting them into a maze of bleak and pessimistic reflections.


    As the negative emotions took hold, Orion felt his mental fortitude falter, his mind bing the weakest link in his otherwise strong physique. Vulnerable to these overwhelming emotions, he found himself unable to shake off the pessimistic thoughts that flooded his consciousness, clouding his judgment and perception of everything around him.


    Topound his struggle, the pain that apanied these emotions was relentless and excruciating. It added to the difficulty of maintaining control over his thoughts, making it a daunting task to focus amidst the onught of emotional and physical distress.


    ''I have to hold on.''


    Orion gritted his teeth, determination etched on his face. Despite the overwhelming pain and mental strain, he refused to give up.


    With no immediate danger pressing him, he focused solely on enduring.


    Like that time crawled by.


    After one hour, sweat soaked his body and his breathing grew heavy.


    Two hourster, his face flushed red, struggling to maintain control over his emotions.


    Three hours in, his expression hardened into a fierce mask, teetering on the edge of losing control.


    Finally, after a grueling five hours, Orion''s mind reached its breaking point. Exhausted beyond measure, he sumbed to unconsciousness, his body and mind pushed to their limits by the intense ordeal.


    ***


    It felt like an eternity when Orion woke up the next day.


    For some reason, he still felt very tired, as if all the energy in his body had been sucked dry.


    But he knew that wasn''t the case since he could feel near infinite energy inside of him.


    Orion sat up slowly, his body feeling heavy and fatigued despite the energy coursing through him.


    As he reflected on the previous night''s ordeal, he realized how taxing it had been on his mind.


    "Seems like my mind took quite a beating," he muttered to himself, a slight frown creasing his brow. "Barely held on for five hours... in battle, I wouldn''t have the luxury of that kind of peace. Maybe just a few minutes if I pushed myself to the limit."


    He understood that these five hours seemed long but in battle he wouldn''t have the peace of mind he hadst night and would probablyst around a few minutes if he gave it his all.

 Chapter 200: 200. Dungeon Management Association

    Orion didn''t immediately return to training after waking up. He first freshened up and had a bath. After that, he met up with his sister and Elyn for a quick breakfast before returning to his room.


    "This time, I will try to go beyond five hours."


    He thought as he activated four of his curses in Curse Transformation mode.


    Once again, he was bombarded with torrents of negative emotions. He closed his eyes as the negative emotions began to affect him and meditated, allowing time to crawl by.


    He quickly pulled through four hours, but as he slowly reached the five-hour limit, he began to lose consciousness again.


    Determined not to sumb this time, he held on with all his strength. The negative emotions surged, threatening to overwhelm him, but Orion focused on his goal. His breaths grew ragged, and his body trembled under the strain, but he refused to give in.


    Six hours passed, and Orion felt a slight shift. The negative emotions were still powerful, but he could sense a faint control over them. It wasn''t perfect, but it was progress. He pushed himself further.


    As the seventh hour approached, Orion''s vision blurred, and his mind wavered. He couldn''t control himself anymore; the strain on him was too much. It felt as if he had been holding an explosion from bursting out, and he was at the limit of controlling that explosion.


    ''This is it, I guess,'' he thought.


    In the end, he deactivated the curses and copsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat, but a small smile yed on his lips. He had surpassed his previous limit, and though it was a small victory, it was a significant step towards mastering his powers.


    Just like that, Orion continued to train, pushing his limits each day, and spent some time with his sister and Elyn. They explored the city, enjoying its sights and sounds, and bonded over meals and conversations. The two days passed quickly, filled with moments ofughter and rigorous training.


    Soon enough, the time for the dungeon opening arrived.


    In his room, Orion felt a mix of excitement and anticipation as he thought of the curses he could copy during this time.


    He hoped his luck would soon return to normal; otherwise, his excitement about getting good curses would remain just that¡ªexcitement.


    Knock!


    "Orion, let''s go to the dungeon site," his sister''s voice came through the door.


    "Coming," he replied.


    Orion had changed from the clothes he had worn earlier to a modern-looking shirt and pants. He felt these types of clothes suited him the best. He had bought them when he went shopping with his sisters and Elyn the other day.


    "May the Goddess of Luck be with me today," he thought as he opened the door and walked out.


    ***


    In an area surrounded by mountains, one particr hill stood out, glowing with an ethereal blue hue that set it apart from the others. This luminous hill was the focal point of attention for the hordes of people gathered around it.


    d in shining armor and armed with weapons slung over their backs, these individuals exuded an air of preparedness and determination.


    At this moment, they stood in quiet anticipation, patiently waiting for the event that had drawn them all to this extraordinary location.


    Orion, Emily and Elyn were among the people standing beside the glowing hill.


    "How long until the dungeon opens?" Orion asked. They had been there for 20 minutes, but there was still no sign of the dungeon opening.


    "It should be soon," replied Emily, her silver armor gleaming in the sunlight.


    Orion nodded and waited. In fact, his sister had said the same thing when they arrived, but he didn''t point it out.


    Meanwhile, Elyn also waited nearby. She wore green armor that contrasted with her silver hair, but even that looked amazing on her.


    "Do you remember what I said earlier?" Emily asked Orion.


    Orion nodded. "About how the higher the rank of the dungeon, the more likely it is to have entrances to the other two domains?"


    Emily nodded and said, "Yeah, so be prepared. We mighte across people from the other two domains."


    Orion nodded in understanding, but there was always a reason for everything, and he knew there must be one for this too. However, when he previously asked his sister why this was the case, she only mentioned that she couldn''t tell.


    ''Could this be rted to Grimshore?'' he spected. That was the only ce in the world people were reluctant to talk about.


    As he pondered, his eyes caught sight of a void shuttle zooming towards them. Momentster, itnded on a nearby hill.


    Orion noticed a symbol etched on the surface of the shuttle, resembling a sword and shield crossed together.


    "Is that the symbol of the Dungeon Management Association?" he asked his sister.


    "It is," Emily nodded.


    Orion mused, ''These people from the Dungeon Management Association sure are arrogant. They made everyone wait and arrived sote.''


    He understood that their power justified this attitude. The control over all the dungeons in the three domains made them one of the few superpowers in the entire universe.


    Most importantly, they weren''t under the jurisdiction of the royal family of the Magus Kingdom or any power within the three domains. There was an authority above the three domains that controlled the Dungeon Management Association, known as the Celestial Court.


    His sister had mentioned that the Celestial Court was the highest-ranking power in the entire Montreux Universe. Any order given by them had to be obeyed immediately by all three domains.


    In a way, the Celestial Court was like the ruler of the entire three domains. Because of its existence, the three domains were at peace; otherwise, they would likely be at war over the resources each domain held.


    ''There were seven of them.''


    Orion noticed seven individuals emerging from the shuttle andnding before them. Four were kids about their age, and the other three were middle-aged men. They all carried an air of arrogance, as if they were high and mighty, looking down at the people gathered around the hill.


    This made Orion wonder why people from higher powers always had arrogance etched on their faces. He couldn''t understand it, especially since he was also from one of the seven magi families. Aside from his big brother, nobody else in his family had that arrogance.


    "The dungeon exploration this time will be led by our Young Master here," one of the middle-aged men announced, pointing to one of the four young men who had arrived with them.


    The deration surprised everyone, and most present became visibly unhappy. They understood that if someone else led the expedition, any skill books or treasures obtained from monster kills would likely be confiscated. Ultimately, they would exit the dungeon empty-handed, a loss for many who had paid to enter.


    This dissatisfaction hung palpably in the air, but no one dared to voice their objections.


    The people from the Dungeon Management Association could see the dissatisfaction among the crowd, but they remained indifferent. They had encountered such reactions many times before and were ustomed to it.


    The middle-aged man who had made the announcement gazed at the crowd and introduced the young man with evident pride.


    "His name is Carl Rollins, a member of Archon."


    Gasps rippled through the crowd as soon as he uttered those words.

 Chapter 201: 201. Archon

    Orion found it strange to hear so many gasps at the same time. He wondered what the word ''Archon'' meant to shock so many people present.


    "Big Sister, what is Archon?" he asked quietly, turning to her.


    Emily only shook her head in response.


    Seeing that, Orion felt a little surprised but understood it must be one of those taboo topics that couldn''t be discussed in front of so many people.


    So, he didn''t press further and waited for the dungeon to open.


    ***


    On the other side, Carl Rollins, who had been introduced as a member of the Archons, looked at the shocked crowd with satisfaction. This was the reaction he had envisioned beforeing here.


    He had long ck hair, wore a dark grey robe, and had a mark of a ck me on his forehead.


    Turning to the middle-aged man who had introduced him, he ordered, "Let''s open the dungeon. It should be about time for the dungeon to be stable."


    The middle-aged man nodded and turned to look at the other two middle-aged men. All three exchanged nces and nodded before approaching the sparkling hill.


    One of the middle-aged men took out a blue button and pressed it, causing the entire area around the hill to tremble. Almost instantly, the sparkling hill began to split apart slowly, revealing a swirling blue portal.


    That was the entrance to the dungeon.


    Witnessing the entire process, Orion had many questions, but since his sister refused to tell him about the Archons, he figured she wouldn''t talk about this either. Therefore, he could only wait and ask her when they were inside the dungeon.


    At that moment, Carl Rollins addressed everyone:


    "Alright, listen well. The rank of this dungeon is tinum, so there shouldn''t be any difficulty clearing it. But I should warn you to always follow my orders inside, otherwise..."


    This was a tant threat, but the people in the crowd could only nod their heads helplessly.


    Orion, Emily, and Elyn frowned upon hearing this. As if remembering something, Emily quickly turned to Orion and whispered, "Don''t do anything stupid."


    "I know," Orion replied, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction.


    Although he didn''t like how Carl Rollins was ordering and threatening them, he knew he had to stay silent for now. The Dungeon Management Association was very powerful, and he couldn''t afford to get on their bad side at the moment.


    "Follow me," Carl ordered as he took the lead and entered the dungeon, followed by the three other men.


    "Everyone, good luck," one of the middle-aged men said, giving the crowd a thumbs up as they entered the dungeon one by one.


    Orion wondered if the gesture was meant sarcastically or if it was genuine goodwill.


    Soon, almost half of the people had gone inside the dungeon, and it was their turn.


    "Let''s go," Emily said, stepping into the dungeon, followed by Orion and Elyn.


    Some timeter, everyone present had entered the dungeon, leaving only the three middle-aged men behind.


    "Do you think they''ll give it?" one of the men asked the others.


    "Unless they want to get exterminated, they should give us that thing," replied the one who had previously made the announcement.


    "We havee here to get that thing, and we will only leave once we have it. This is an order from above, and we will follow it," said the third man, who had remained silent until now. He had white hair instead of ck and appeared slightly older than the other two.


    They nodded their heads in agreement as thest one spoke.


    ***


    On the other side, Orion was surprised to find himself in a blue cave-like structure. He could tell it was a cave by the texture of the walls and ground, but the blue color made it difficult to discern. It was a very spacious cave leading into darkness, with some pirs supporting the structure.


    Orion looked around, finding it intriguing. Previously, whenever he heard the word "dungeon," he always thought of the ind they were in when he first came to this world. But after seeing this dungeon, he doubted if that ce was a true dungeon or not.


    Carl Rollins turned back to the crowd behind him, his expression dark for some reason. "This dungeon is an open dungeon, so explore and report to me when you find the boss room," he ordered gloomily.


    Everyone nodded and spread out into the distance. Orion''s group of three also headed in a direction and disappeared from sight.


    Only the four young men remained, including Carl.


    "What''s wrong, Carl?" one of them asked. He had ck hairbed from the middle and an oval face. He also wore a dark grey robe like Carl.


    "Nothing, Damian," Carl shook his head. "It''s just that I had imagined the dungeon to be a closed one, so I''m a little disappointed to find it''s an open one."


    Damian arched his brows. "Eager to reach the peak of tinum rank?"


    Carl nodded. "I''m just a few stat points away from reaching my peak in the tinum rank. That''s why I asked the deacons to look for a dungeon so I could reach the peak quickly. But now it seems it will be a while before we find the boss room and kill the monster to obtain its core."


    "Don''t worry," Damian said. "Not every open dungeon has a boss room that''s difficult to find."


    Carl nodded and looked at the other two young men. "Let''s explore the dungeon and find the boss room quickly."


    They nodded and started their search for the boss room alongside Carl and Damian.


    ***


    After heading in a certain direction with his sister and Elyn, Orion decided to separate from them midway, opting to hunt alone.


    At the moment, he stood surrounded by a horde of lightning wolves, excitement gleaming in his eyes. All of these monsters were in the gold rank, two ranks above him. He figured their cores should contain at least two stat points each, and he couldn''t help butugh greedily at the sight of them.


    "Hahahahaha, Frozen Torment - Curse Transformation."


    As soon as he uttered those words, his left arm froze in frost, blue smoke beginning to emanate from it.


    Sensing the power radiating from Orion''s arm, the lightning wolves immediately attacked.


    Orion waved his hand, releasing a wave of frost that froze the entire pack of wolves in ice. The lightning within their bodies was no match for his power, and they died instantly. Momentster, their bodies disintegrated into red particles, leaving behind their cores, some skill books, and a few treasures.


    He used the me from Velocity Burst to melt the ice and collected all the cores.


    "I need a good weapon, but these swords and spears aren''t heavy enough. They''re too light," he muttered after examining the treasures. He then turned his attention to the skill books.


    He noticed that the number of skill books was the lowest, followed by the treasures, with the cores being a sure drop from every monster.


    "These skill books are useless to me, but I''ll give them to Big Sis," he said, storing all the skill books in his storage ring along with the treasures.


    Excitedly, he then turned his attention to the cores he had set aside earlier.


    "It''s time to absorb the stats from these cores."

 Chapter 202: 202. Lightning Wolf Mini Boss

    After absorbing all the cores of the lightning wolves Orion killed just now, he opened his status to see how much his stats had increased.


    ''Status.''


    ---


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Iron]


    [Divine Ability: Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy; Curse: 18%]


    [Sub Ability: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation]


    [Curse: Reality Fracture, Berserk Body, Malevolent Gaze, Identity Strain, Devouring Abyss, Thunder''s Wrath, Temporal Rift, Radiant Burn]


    [Strength: 56]


    [Stamina: 48]


    [Agility: 49]


    [Perception: 47]


    [Constitution: 50]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    ---


    ''Hmm... almost 10 stat points increased in every stat. It''s a good start,'' Orion thought, feeling satisfied with the gains from absorbing the cores of the gold rank lightning wolves.


    In fact, he had never experienced such a significant increase in stat points from just a few monsters before. He estimated that he had killed around 20 to 25 lightning wolves, and almost all their cores gave him around 2 stat points each.


    Back when he hunted in Toc Forest, he couldn''t venture deep into the forest because of family rules. Therefore, he could only hunt near the entrance, where the quality of monsters was lower. There, he would need to hunt at least 40 monsters to achieve this much increase in stat points.


    This realization made Orion even more satisfied. Most importantly, he learned that higher the rank of the monster the higher a chance of yielding 2 or more stat points per core.


    ''Let''s go and sweep this dungeon first,'' Orion thought, making his way forward.


    After some minutes of exploring, he noticed that the dungeon seemed to have a blue theme, and the monsters inside were mostly, if not exclusively, wolves. Though he wasn''t entirely sure of his spection, the pattern seemed consistent.


    After a while, he arrived in front of a very peculiar tree. Its leaves were wriggling with golden lightning, making the tree gleam in golden light from a distance.


    Orion had initially noticed the golden light shining from afar. When he approached the source, he was surprised to find this extraordinary tree.


    ''Others are here too.''


    Other people were present, and they seemed to recognize him. He noticed them whispering to each other and pointing at him as he approached.


    In addition to the people, there were many lightning wolves surrounding the tree. Somey on the grass near the tree, while a few roamed around as if on guard duty. The majority were eating the leaves of the lightning tree.


    Orion''s eyes scanned each of the lightning wolves until they stopped on one particr wolf. This one was a deep purple color, in stark contrast to the light blue wolves that made up the majority. Its size was even more remarkable, being asrge as four of the normal blue wolvesbined.


    His interest was piqued. This purple lightning wolf was clearly special.


    ''It should be at the peak of gold rank. It shouldn''t have reached the tinum rank, considering only the boss rank monster should be at the tinum rank in this dungeon.''


    Orion mused to himself. Before parting ways with his sister, he had asked her about the ssification of dungeons. She had given him a detailed description:


    All dungeons were divided ording to the human power system¡ªiron, silver, gold, etc.¡ªand further ssified into three minor stages based on the level of difficulty: 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star. A 1-star dungeon had the lowest difficulty, while a 3-star dungeon had the highest.


    For example, a 1-star tinum rank dungeon would have only one tinum rank monster, which would be the boss. However, a 2-star tinum rank dungeon might have additional tinum rank monsters hidden within. A 3-star tinum rank dungeon had a 100% chance of containing more than one tinum rank monster, excluding the boss.


    Given this information, Orion spected that the massive purple lightning wolf was likely at the peak of gold rank. It shouldn''t have reached tinum rank, as that status would typically be reserved for the dungeon''s boss monster.


    His sister had informed him that this was a 1-star tinum rank dungeon, so he wasn''t worried about encountering a tinum rank monster.


    Orion thought as he made his way towards the wolves. However, he suddenly stopped and looked at the small crowd that had gathered nearby.


    ''What are they doing? They were here before me, but they haven''t even started hunting.''


    Shaking his head, he continued to move towards the pack of wolves. His movements immediately attracted the attention of the crowd.


    "Look! Orion is going towards the wolves."


    "Do you think he''ll give us some cores?"


    "Are you kidding me? Why would he give us the cores when he''s only at the iron rank? He needs those cores more than we do."


    "But I also need cores."


    "Yeah, but we can''t go hunting the weak wolves with that peak gold rank wolf guarding them."


    The crowd murmured among themselves, pointing at Orion. They had been hesitant to hunt the wolves because none of them were peak gold rank experts, and the presence of the peak gold rank lightning wolf made them wary.


    "Everyone, I have a n," one of the men shouted lightly, drawing everyone''s attention.


    "What do you say we attack the lower rank lightning wolves while Orion is fighting the peak gold rank lightning wolf?" the man suggested, a cunning look on his face.


    "Good n! Let''s do it then."


    "Yeah, it''s better than nothing, I guess."


    In the end, the crowd agreed to the man''s n and waited for the battle between Orion and the peak gold rank lightning wolf.


    Unaware of their n, Orion stood in front of the lightning wolves, his one hand dancing in mes while the other bathed in frozen ice.


    The wolves surrounded him from all sides, moving cautiously. He felt that they must have sensed the power emanating from both his hands. Despite this, the peak gold rank lightning wolf continued to rest in the distance, showing no intention of attacking him. Orion found this peculiar but didn''tin. He would handle the minions first before confronting the boss.


    After nning how he would deal with them, Orion punched the ground with his left fist. Ice spikes erupted from the ground, spreading in all directions with him at the center. The wolves were caught off-guard and many were pierced by the ice spikes.


    However, some managed to dodge the spikes and disappeared in shes of golden light.


    Orion quickly formed a ming sword in his right hand, his eyes tracking the wolves. One of them suddenly appeared in front of him, its jaw holding a mass of lightning ready to unleash at any moment.


    ''So fast,'' Orion thought, surprised by their quick movements. He quickly teleported behind the lightning wolf and shed with his sword, cutting it in two.


    But there was no moment of rest as more golden shes signaled the approach of more wolves. They attacked in rapid session, their speed enhanced by the lightning coursing through them.


    ''Lightning is making them this fast!'' Orion realized. He had a sudden moment of enlightenment but no time to ponder it as the wolves continued their relentless assault.


    He moved swiftly, dodging and countering their attacks with precise strikes of his ming sword. Each swing sent arcs of fire through the air, meeting the wolves'' lightning-charged bodies with explosive force.


    Using his teleportation ability strategically, he created distance whenever a wolf lunged at him, then closed in with a deadly blow before they could react. Thebination of fire and ice, along with his agility, began to wear down the wolves.


    However, just as it seemed he would easily win against these low-level wolves, Orion suddenly sensed a coordinated attack from all sides.

 Chapter 203: 203. Art is an Explosion

    There were four lightning wolves attacking him from four directions, with another one at a distance condensing arge amount of lightning around its jaw. The four wolves beside him wereunching coordinated attacks.


    ''They seem to move with a n,'' Orion thought, keeping a wary eye on the wolf in the distance.


    In an instant, he teleported above the distant wolf and drove his sword down as hended. The wolf was pinned to the ground instantly. However, Orion sensed an uncontroble surge of energy building around its jaw.


    ''It''s going to explode!'' Orion realized, and without hesitation, he teleported away from the wolf just as the energy erupted.


    Boom!


    The moment he disappeared, the lightning wolf pinned to the ground exploded into a whirl of lightning all around it.


    Orion frowned as he observed the spectacle, then turned his attention to the peak gold rank lightning wolf.


    ''Is the peak gold rank lightning wolf giving orders to the other wolves?'' he pondered. It seemed likely; the wolves had attacked him with such coordinated and strategic precision that it suggested they were following orders. As he thought more about it, Orion realized that the strongest wolf in the pack¡ªthe peak gold rank lightning wolf¡ªwould naturally be the one to lead them.


    ''That''s why it didn''t attack me directly and waited,'' Orion surmised. ''It nned to handle me with its henchmen.''


    Understanding its strategy, Orion adjusted his own n ordingly. His focus shifted as he prepared to deal with both the pack and their leader, strategizing on how to disrupt their coordination and ovee theirbined strength.


    ''Let''s finish the weak ones quick.''


    He immediately switched the curse from Frozen Torment to Detonating Flesh in his Curse Transformation, causing the area around his stomach to glow with a purple light.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve used this curse," Orion murmured to himself.


    He held out his left hand, and a purple glowing sphere, twice the size of his head, condensed in his palm. The sphere pulsed like a heartbeat, its purple hue fluctuating between low and high intensity.


    Just then, shes of golden light heralded the arrival of more wolves before him, their jaws poised to strike.


    Orion smiled knowingly and vanished from their sight. However, the pulsating purple sphere remained suspended in the air.


    The wolves were visibly confused when Orion disappeared, and their confusion only grew as they observed the glowing purple sphere left behind.


    Their unease turned to rm as the sphere suddenly split into two, then multiplied exponentially. Two became four, four became eight, and the process continued until there were countless pulsating spheres filling the area.


    As more and more spheres appeared, the entire vicinity around the lightning tree was engulfed in a pulsating glow of purple light. The spheres varied in intensity, theirbined radiance creating a mesmerizing yet foreboding spectacle.


    The distant crowd was taken aback by the unfolding scene.


    "What is he doing? Is this an attack?" one voice queried anxiously.


    "I''m not sure. But it doesn''t seem to be affecting the wolves," another replied with uncertainty.


    "Look at Orion, he''s just standing there and¡ª"


    Before thest person could finish, Orion vanished from his previous location and reappeared in front of the crowd.


    "Brace for impact," Orion dered firmly as he addressed the bewildered onlookers.


    "What do¡ª"


    BOOM!


    An intense purple light shed across everyone''s faces, casting a bright purple glow over their bodies as a resounding explosion echoed throughout the dungeon.


    The crowd watched in shock as a purple mushroom cloud-like explosion erupted around the tree. A terrifying shockwave, filled with dust and dirt, followed, forcing everyone to shield their eyes with their hands.


    Orion''s hair swayed from the shockwave as he wondered why he had stopped using such a powerful curse. It had unpredictability, power, and explosive force¡ªeverything he needed in a curse.


    Seeing this spectacle, he recalled a phrase: ''Art is an explosion. I didn''t understand it before, but now I see that art truly is an explosion,'' he thought,ughing at the notion.


    Soon, the explosion died down, leaving behind a purple mass of cloud covering the explosion area.


    ''Did it also die?'' Orion wondered about the peak gold-rank lightning wolf.


    "OOWOOOOOO!"


    An intense roar pierced the silence, causing the purple cloud of dust to blow away, revealing an enraged lightning wolf ring at the crowd. Its eyes were red, and bits and pieces of wolf corpsesy around it. These pieces glowed with a red hue before transforming into particles and disappearing into the air.


    "OWOOOOOO!"


    The wolf roared again, perhaps in agony at seeing its kin vanish before its eyes.


    Orion turned to the crowd and warned them once more. "You guys should retreat as far as possible. These wolves are fast and could attack you in no time if you stay here."


    The crowd immediately nodded and moved back as far as possible from Orion, understanding that staying would only lead to death now that the peak gold-rank lightning wolf was enraged beyond reason.


    As the crowd retreated, Orion activated the Curse of Berserk Body and Thunder''s Wraith in Curse Transformation mode while also setting all his other curses on standby.


    "OWOO!"


    The lightning wolf roared onest time before zooming towards Orion like a bolt of golden lightning.


    Orion quickly condensed a golden lightning sword and swung it with near-infinite strength.


    His sword connected with the wolf''s body, but the damage he hoped for didn''t ur. Instead, the wolf was sted back at twice the speed it had arrived. Its huge body tumbled across the ground for a long time before stabilizing anding to a stop.


    Seeing that the wolf was unharmed, Orion gazed at his lightning sword.


    ''Lightning doesn''t seem to affect it.''


    The sword made from lightning was his strongest weapon at the moment, but it seemed futile against the peak gold-rank lightning wolf.


    ''The lightning move I made at home that day would also be ineffective here. I really need to get a good sword,'' Orion pondered and sighed, resolving to acquire a better weapon when he returned home.


    Condensing a ming sword, Orion gazed at the lightning wolf in the distance. It had calmed down after taking a beating and was now staring at him intently.


    ''I guess it realized I''m not that easy to take down, but it doesn''t really matter anyway.''


    Orion walked towards the beast step by step before suddenly appearing at its side and swinging his ming sword. The lightning wolf was caught off guard, and before it could react, a deep gash appeared on its body as it was once again hurtled across the ground.


    Not giving it any more time, Orion quickly teleported in front of the wolf before it could stop and left a purple sphere in its path. He then teleported away.


    The wolf uncontrobly collided with the sphere momentster, causing an explosion. However, the explosion still didn''t kill the wolf, but its body was once again sted away.


    Orion had expected the wolf to survive the explosion since he hadn''t put as much energy into the purple sphere as he had thest time due to time constraints.


    But it had done enough damage. Alongside the deep gash from the ming sword, many burning marks now covered the wolf''s body.


    ''Time to finish it,'' Orion thought.


    He took a stance and held his sword horizontally, increasing his energy output. The ming sword burned brighter and more intensely than ever before.

 Chapter 204: 204. Stormleaf

    The mes on Orion''s sword danced wildly as he increased the energy output on Velocity Burst. However, he forcefully condensed the mes around his sword, making it appear as though it were a real de, shining with a golden gleam.


    Only Orion knew how much power this sword held. Technically, this was one of the few times he had ever pushed his body to its limit. If he increased the energy output any further, his body would likely break down, just as it hadst time in Aethelgard City.


    ''Let''s kill this monster.''


    Orion turned his head to the lightning wolf and saw that it was ring at him cautiously. Its eyes were fixated on his sword as it slowly retreated.


    ''It''s toote.''


    Orion teleported in front of the monster, maintaining his stance, and swung his sword with all his strength.


    The lightning wolf couldn''t react in time and was caught off guard by Orion''s attack. Its body was sliced cleanly in two, each half falling to either side with a low hum.


    Seeing that he had finally killed it, Orion quickly deactivated all his curses and sighed in relief. Despite training for a few days, the side effects of Curse Transformation were still too much for him to control in such a short amount of time, especially when using four curses simultaneously.


    He knew he would have to get used to it slowly and needed more training like what he had done over the past two days to master it.


    Soon, his attention was drawn to the red particles of the lightning wolf as they disappeared into the air, leaving behind several items.


    The first thing that caught his eye was a sword. He picked it up and inspected it, finding it somewhat decent. It was sharp enough to damage gold-rank experts but fell short against tinum-rank experts. The main reason he didn''t like this sword was its weight¡ªit was too light, like the other swords he had found from the drops of other wolves, and he didn''t find it anything special.


    Orion preferred heavy swords¡ªthe heavier, the better. There wasn''t a particr reason behind his preference, but if he had to guess, it was due to their versatility. If there was an attack he couldn''t dodge in time, he could use a heavy sword to defend himself. Heavy swords also had immense attack power, capable of delivering fatal blows in one move.


    These two features¡ªtheir defensive capability and powerful attacks¡ªwere the major selling points that made him favor heavy swords over lighter ones.


    Setting the sword aside, he noticed two more weapons on the ground¡ªa spear and a staff. Since they were useless to him, he stored them in his storage bracelet.


    Aside from the weapons, there was a skill book and the core of the lightning wolf. After storing the skill book away, he took the core in his hand, and a notification appeared in his vision.


    [Do you want to absorb the core?]


    ''Yes,'' Orion replied, and almost instantly, he felt a slight sensation in his body¡ªa feeling he recognized very well: the sensation of getting stronger. No matter how many times he went through this process, he would always crave more of it.


    [Strength increase by 1]


    [Agility increase by 1]


    "Only two?" Orion frowned. "So it doesn''t matter if the monster is the lowest gold rank or the peak gold rank, I will only get a max stat point of 2."


    ''I see... I understand now. If I absorb a core of the same rank, I will only get 1 stat point each. But if the core is one rank higher than mine, then there is a chance of getting some 2-point stats, though that chance isn''t high. However, if the core is two ranks higher, the chance of getting 2 stat points is 100%.''


    Orion nodded to himself as he came to this conclusion.


    At that moment, he noticed other people approaching, their eyes fixed on the cores of the lightning wolf he had painstakingly killed. Seeing their ttering expressions, Orion understood their intent and immediately asserted ownership over the cores.


    "All these cores here are mine!"


    As soon as the words left his mouth, their ttering smiles vanished, reced by anger. They believed they deserved some of the cores, having been the first ones to arrive, but nobody dared to voice their thoughts.


    Orion smiled, seeing them hold back their anger, and returned to his work.


    Now that he had taken care of the loot from the peak-rank lightning wolf, all that remained were its minions.


    Looking around, he saw many items scattered on the ground around the lightning tree. These were all drops from the lower-level lightning wolves.


    ''It will take some time to gather all of this,'' Orion thought, and began collecting the items, immediately absorbing the cores he came across.


    A few minutes passed, and in front of the onlookers'' despairing eyes, Orion absorbed every core he found and collected every item into his storage bracelet.


    ''I''ve absorbed around 60 cores, so that should be about a 120 stat point increase in total. Let''s check if it''s true or not.''


    Orion opened his status to confirm.


    ''Status.''


    ---


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Iron]


    [Divine Ability: Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy; Curse: 18%]


    [Sub Ability: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation]


    [Curse: Reality Fracture, Berserk Body, Malevolent Gaze, Identity Strain, Devouring Abyss, Thunder''s Wrath, Temporal Rift, Radiant Burn]


    [Strength: 69]


    [Stamina: 60]


    [Agility: 64]


    [Perception: 57]


    [Constitution: 62]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    ---


    Orion calcted the increase in his stats and found a total increase of 122 stat points.


    ''122... 2 from the peak one and 120 from the weaker ones... so my assumptions are correct.''


    He nodded to himself, feeling incredibly satisfied with the result.


    Turning his attention to the tree covered in lightning leaves, Orion recalled seeing some lightning wolves eating these leaves.


    As he approached the tree and inspected it, he noticed that while the tree itself looked like any other wild tree, its lightning-filled leaves made it truly unique.


    ''Is that the reason why the lightning wolves are so fast?''


    Orion pondered. He had observed lightning wolves using lightning to attack, but it was their impressive speed that had caught his attention. He wondered if the wolves were born with lightning abilities or if they gained these powers by consuming the tree''s leaves.


    After contemting this for a moment, he picked up a lightning leaf from the ground near the tree. To his surprise, a notification appeared in his vision.


    [Do you want to absorb the Stormleaf?]


    Orion found it strange that a leaf could be absorbed, but he quickly shook his head. If there was a system notification, it must bemon knowledge. It was likely him who didn''t know about this and had just stumbled upon it.


    ''Let''s absorb it then.''


    He agreed, and a momentter, he felt a peculiar yet slightly familiar sensation, simr to absorbing cores.


    To his surprise, the lightning on the leaf disappeared, and the leaf itself turned to dust.


    "So, what''s the benefit? ...Lightning!"


    He immediately activated the Curse of Thunder''s Wraith and conjured lightning in his hands to see what changes absorbing the Stormleaf had brought.

 Chapter 205: 205. Making fool is fun

    As Orion activated the Curse of Thunder''s Wraith, lightning began to emanate from all parts of his body, but he didn''t sense any immediate change in its properties.


    ''There is no visible change in the lightning. So, what''s the use of that leaf?'' he wondered.


    After pondering for a moment, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, an excited expression spread across his face.


    ''My control over lightning has increased, and the strength of the lightning itself has improved.''


    Although the changes weren''t visible on the outside, Orion could feel a distinct difference in his control and the strength of the lightning. While the increase wasn''t massive, there was a noticeable improvement in both aspects.


    ''The increase is almost negligible, but...'' Orion turned his attention to the tree, gazing at the thousands of leaves. ''If the quantity is high enough, it could be a different matter altogether.''


    The thought of how much all those lightning leaves could enhance his control and strength made him tremble with excitement. He couldn''t wait to absorb each and every one of them.


    ''But first,'' Orion nced at the onlookers behind him. If he started taking the leaves from the tree and absorbing them one by one, it would undoubtedly raise their suspicions. Although that alone wasn''t a major concern, if his actions were reported to the Dungeon Management Association, it could spell real trouble.


    So, he needed to...


    As he thought about this, Orion noticed they were nkly staring at him.


    ''Damn, they really have nothing better to do,'' he thought, feeling a bit irritated by their stubborn behavior. Despite him clearly stating that everything here was his, they were still watching him with pitiful eyes.


    Orion sighed and called out to them, "Everyone,e here."


    The crowd of onlookers looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what Orion wanted. But their eyes soon lit up with realization¡ªthey saw it as an opportunity to get their hands on something valuable. They quickly walked over to him.


    Orion nodded and addressed them with a kind tone, "I''ve seen your patience and feel that you are worthy of receiving some treasures."


    The crowd buzzed with excitement. Just moments ago, they had been worried they might return empty-handed from the dungeon, but their luck had turned at thest moment.


    The thought of giving the treasures to the leader of the expedition group didn''t even cross their minds. They were simply thrilled at the prospect of getting their share.


    Orion smiled at their excited faces and then said with a hint of pity, "But I''m not sure if I should give you anything or not." He began to ponder as if deep in thought.


    Their excitement quickly turned to dejection at his words. They couldn''t tell if Orion was joking or if they were being yed with.


    "Young Master Orion, could you exin your hesitation?" one of the braver men in the crowd asked hesitantly.


    Orion sighed, and the pity in his eyes deepened as he looked at them again.


    "Reason? There isn''t one in particr. I just know you guys will go deep into the dungeon, and given your strength, I bet all of you will die. So, I''m pondering whether I should give the treasures to those outside the dungeon instead. If you go forward and die, my treasures will be wasted."


    As the crowd listened to Orion''s words, realization dawned on them. They began to see the truth in his statement¡ªgiven their strength, they were unlikely to survive if they ventured deeper into the dungeon. After some discussion, they reached a decision.


    "We''ve made a decision," said the man who had previously asked Orion.


    Orion''s expression turned serious as he looked at him. "What is it?"


    The man nced back at the crowd, seeing them nod in agreement. He took a deep breath and said, "We''ve decided to return after receiving the treasures from you. We understand our own limitations and realize that going further would likely lead to our deaths. So, we will go back and wait at the entrance once you give us the treasures."


    A frown appeared on Orion''s face, and his expression grew even more serious as he listened.


    "Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern. "You might find valuable treasures if you venture deeper, but you''ll only get the treasures I offer if you decide to go back. Think carefully."


    The man shook his head firmly. "No, we''ve made our decision. It''s better to take some treasures and be satisfied with them."


    Orion sighed deeply, a look of genuine sadness crossing his face. "If that''s your choice, who am I to change it?" He shook his head in resignation.


    He then poured all the treasures he had collected in the dungeon onto the ground and said, "Alright, everyone. Each of you can take two treasures of your choice."


    The crowd didn''t hesitate. They eagerly moved forward, inspecting the treasures and selecting two items each.


    After a few minutes, everyone in the crowd had chosen their weapons and items, their eyes shining with joy as they looked at Orion.


    "Young Master Orion, we will leave now," the man from before said, bowing to Orion, followed by the rest of the crowd.


    Orion sighed deeply before responding, "It''s unfortunate that you have to leave, but I won''t stop you. I respect your decision. However, I do have one request."


    The man looked at Orion, curious. "What is it?"


    Orion''s expression darkened, and a brief sh of hesitation crossed his eyes.


    "Young Master, if you have any request, just tell us. We will do our best to fulfill it," the man urged, noticing Orion''s hesitation.


    Orion sighed again and said, "Once you''re outside, please don''t mention that it was I who gave you these treasures. I have only a few left, and I can''t share them with everyone. So, will you keep this between us?" His voice carried a note of apology.


    "Hahaha, Young Master Orion, so that''s your concern," the man burst intoughter upon hearing Orion''s request. He had expected something more demanding, but this was surprisingly simple. "Don''t worry about it. We promise we won''t tell anyone about this."


    The crowd behind him nodded in agreement.


    Orion smiled warmly at their response. "Alright, you can go now. I''ll focus on gathering as many treasures as I can."


    The crowd nodded and quickly retreated, disappearing from Orion''s view momentster.


    As they left, Orion sighed with relief. "Damn, it was thrilling fooling them." He nodded to himself, pleased with his performance.


    "Now, let''s get to the main issue," he muttered, turning his attention back to the lightning tree.


    After ensuring that no one was around, Orion activated the curse of Berserk Body in Curse Transformation mode and delivered a powerful punch to the tree.


    The tree toppled, and without wasting any time, Orion collected all the leaves and stored them in his storage bracelet.


    He checked the surroundings once more to make sure he was alone and sighed in relief.


    ''Perfect,'' he thought, and then he headed deeper into the dungeon.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 206: 206. Shadow Wolves

    As Orion ventured deeper into the dungeon, he encountered many other wolf-type monsters, which he swiftly dispatched. This reinforced his belief that the dungeon was exclusively popted by wolf-type creatures, as he hadn''t encountered any other monsters.


    Along the way, he continued to absorb the Stormleafs one by one. Each time he absorbed one, he would take out another and repeat the process. He continued this cycle of absorbing Stormleafs, fighting wolves, and progressing through the dungeon.


    After some time, as he moved forward, he suddenly heard the sounds of battle nearby.


    Curious, he immediately changed direction and headed towards the source of themotion.


    ***


    Not long after, Orion arrived at the edge of a gorge where the sounds of battle grew even more intense.


    He immediately activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance, slipping into his own dimension and disappearing from sight.


    Orion suspected that the intense battle below involved tinum rank experts, given the ferocity of the sounds. The number of such experts could be counted on one hand, with most belonging to the Dungeon Management Association.


    He wanted to be as cautious as possible, fearing that even from a distance, they might sense his presence.


    ''They shouldn''t be able to find me now,'' Orion thought as he moved closer to the edge of the gorge and looked down.


    ''Who are they fighting?!'' He eximed in surprise at the scene unfolding below.


    In the gorge below, the rocky terrain was dotted with four individuals: Carl Rollins and his three friends. This didn''t surprise Orion, but what did was that they were brandishing their weapons at seemingly empty air. However, he could hear the sound of their weapons colliding with something unseen, indicating they weren''t just swinging blindly.


    ''What are they fighting against?'' Orion wondered as he descended into the gorge and approached them.


    Upon arriving, he focused on their surroundings but still couldn''t see what they were battling. However, he noticed blood sttering whenever they swung their weapons.


    ''I see,'' he thought, realizing the nature of their opponent. ''An invisible enemy or a wolf with the ability to be invisible.''


    Orion nodded at his conclusion and watched with patience.


    Since they couldn''t see the wolf or wolves¡ªOrion couldn''t tell if it was just one or many¡ªthey were having a hard time. These wolves must be at the peak gold rank, and Carl''s team, despite approaching tinum rank, struggled against them.


    ''This should be a pack of wolves,'' Orion thought. Wolves typically roam in packs, so he spected that Carl''s team was attacked by a group of invisible wolves. Even a single invisible wolf should be no match for Carl''s team given their strength, but a pack would be a different matter altogether.


    As he observed their fight¡ªmore urately, their weapon swings at seemingly empty air¡ªhe got a general idea of the strength of someone at the tinum rank. With his current strength, Orion believed he could only barely match someone in the early stages of tinum rank, or mid-stages if he used three or four curses in Curse Transformation mode.


    tinum rank was a universal divide between general fighters and experts; the difference between peak gold rank experts and early tinum rank experts was immense. An early tinum rank expert could easily handle 100 peak gold rank experts and still have energy to spare.


    Orion spected that there must be a reason beyond talent mastery for why Astral, Elyn, Erick, and other geniuses at the peak of gold rank hadn''t broken through to tinum rank. It seemed too coincidental that all these geniuses were stuck at the same rank for so long.


    He also believed that whatever was preventing these experts from leveling up could be the reason behind the huge power gap between peak gold rank experts and early tinum experts.


    As Orion pondered this, he noticed Carl''s group''s battle was nearing its end. Three of the four had ceased attacking, leaving only Carl still swinging his sword.


    A momentter, Carl unleashed a powerful strike, and the gorge fell silent.


    Orion narrowed his eyes at the scene, sensing the strength of Carl''s final attack. He could tell it was significantly stronger than any of his own.


    However, one thing puzzled him throughout the fight: the wolves hadn''t roared, not even when they died. This made him wonder if they were truly fighting wolves or some other creatures in the dungeon.


    Just then, he heard them talking.


    "These shadow wolves are really a headache when they attack in packs," Carlined, shaking his head as he wiped blood from his sword.


    "What can we do?" Damianughed helplessly, ncing at the red particles of the wolves that were now barely visible. "They''re just like that."


    "So, Carl, you still haven''t told us why you brought us to the Magus Kingdom," one of the other two asked, his carefree demeanor evident as he leaned against the wall with his arms folded.


    "I''ll exin when we leave this dungeon," Carl replied, his voice carrying an unusual tone of respect, which he rarely showed to others.


    The carefree guy shrugged. "I''m getting bored here. I might just leave if you keep me in suspense."


    "No, no. I''ll tell you right now, Ethan," Carl said, suddenly flustered at the thought of Ethan leaving.


    "Haha, only Ethan can make you look like that,"ughed thest member of the group. He was a heavyset man with dark red hair so dark it might be mistaken for ck.


    "Ogos, you''re right about that," Damian agreed, chuckling along with him.


    "Tsk," Carl clicked his tongue in annoyance, then turned his attention back to Ethan. "Do you know what our family''s strength is?"


    Ethan nodded. "Devil mes."


    Carl''s expression turned serious. "But what you don''t know is that my family is cursed."


    "What do you mean?" Ethan asked, puzzled. Damian and Ogos also looked at Carl with curiosity.


    Carl took a deep breath before speaking. "My family recently informed me that there''s a dark me burning deep underground in our mansion. If that me were ever to be extinguished, our family would be destroyed, one way or another. That''s the true nature of the Devil mes."


    "Are you serious?" Damianughed lightly, treating Carl''s words as a joke. "Does your family really believe in such things?"


    Carl shook his head, his expression serious. "At first, I didn''t believe it either. But when my father told me about another family in the same situation, I had no choice but to believe."


    "Which family are you talking about?" Damian asked, now intrigued.


    Carl nced at each of his three friends before answering slowly, "The Elven Family."


    "..."


    A heavy silence fell over the group when Carl mentioned the Elven Family. No one spoke for a moment until Damian''s trembling voice broke the silence.


    "A¡ªare you serious?"


    Carl nodded, his expression dark.


    "Then why are we here?" Ethan, who had been silent until now, asked.


    Carl replied, "My father told me there are three cursed families: the Elven Family, my family, and thest one is called the Darkwood Family."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 207: 207. A Familiar Figure

    Orion was stunned to his core upon hearing Carl''s revtion. He had been listening to the entire conversation from the beginning.


    Initially, he wasn''t interested and had nned to leave, but Ethan''s question about why Carl had called them to the Magus Kingdom caught his attention.


    Now that he had heard everything, Orion waspletely shocked.


    They were here for his family, and whatever reason they had foring was somehow tied to the survival of Carl''s family.


    ''They mentioned my family is cursed too. What does that mean? Is it simr to Carl''s and the Elven Family''s curse? And how does my family''s curse rte to the survival of Carl''s family?''


    Orion was overwhelmed with questions, none of which he had answers to.


    ''Damn, this is a huge problem!''


    He understood the seriousness of the matter. The Dungeon Management Association was a behemoth that stood at universal level of power and only answered to the Celestial Court. With that much power, they could do anything here and nobody would stop them¡ªnot even the Magus Emperor could do anything.


    Only one man in the Magus Kingdom could stand against them and that was the sword sage, but he doubted the sword sage would involve himself in his family situation.


    ''If only I were his student...''


    Orion forcefully dispelled that thought and pondered some countermeasures and as he did, a thought came to his mind.


    ''Should I kill them right here and now?''


    He really liked the idea of killing them. He thought that if he killed them here, then their n ofing to his family would surely be interrupted but as he thought deeply about this, he shook his head.


    ''If I killed them here, then only one person would be med for their deaths and that would be Big Sister.''


    He believed that in this dungeon, only his sister''s strength was to the point that she could kill them and the whole Magus Kingdom knew about her strength so the suspicion of killing those three would definitely fall upon her and that would make the matter even worse.


    Although he couldn''t gauge his sister''s strength, he believed she should be invincible in the tinum rank with her time-rted talent, so he didn''t doubt that she could kill them if she wanted to.


    But that was the main problem. If even he knew his sister''s strength, then what about the whole Magus Kingdom? They surely knew about this too. So, killing them would do them no good; instead, it would only bring disaster to his family.


    ''Also, what if they aren''ting with bad intentions?''


    Though Orion doubted this, he couldn''t rule out the possibility of it. So killing them was a no-no.


    Also, he would have to waste a curse in burst mode to kill them so this was definitely not worth it.


    ''I have to tell my sister about this.''


    In the end, he decided to inform his sister about everything he had learned. He hoped she might have some insight into the cursed families and any details he was unaware of, so they could be prepared for whatever Carl''s family wanted from them.


    Just as he was about to leave, he overheard Carl continuing to talk about the curse.


    ***


    Carl looked at his three friends, his face darker than ever.


    "And we have only 1 year till the Devil me in my family ispletely extinguished."


    "Only 1 year? Damn!" Damian cursed as soon as he heard him. He really didn''t want to believe whatever curse Carl was talking about but since it was rted to the Elven family, he would have to believe him, for he knew what had happened to that family.


    "What do you want from the Darkwood family?" Ethan asked, and his face was also serious.


    Carl sighed deeply and answered, "Their family has a wood¡ªan ancient wood that, if burned, could power up the Devil me for another thousand years or so."


    Ethan narrowed his eyes at Carl and asked, "What would happen to them if your family took away that wood from them?"


    Carl clenched his fists hard and said, "Then their family would suffer a cmity and would cease to exist in this world."


    His three friends sucked in a breath of cold air as they heard Carl. They were shocked and not just shocked¡ªthey were terrified. This matter was way out of their hands.


    Ethan sighed in the end. "I now understand what you mean by your family, including the Darkwood family, and Elven is cursed." He shook his head as he thought of the three families''s fate.


    "So, you are going to kill the Darkwood family for the survival of your family?" Ogos asked.


    Carl didn''t say anything, for there wasn''t a need to. The matter was clear: if the Darkwood family lost their wood, it meant a cmity for them and if Carl''s family''s Devil me was extinguished, then it would be them who would face the extinction.


    It was a matter of life and death¡ªa matter of survival for each family.


    ***


    On the other side, Orion''s face became as dark as ck. He had listened to everything and understood even more. They indeed hadn''te here with good intentions and theiring to his family meant only one thing for his family and that was¡ªdoom.


    ''Damn, what should I do?''


    As he pondered hard about this matter, a solution soon came to his mind.


    It was the same solution¡ªkilling them. But the way he was going to kill them would be different. It wouldn''t involve his sister for suspicion of killing them whatsoever. It was a great n and he only hoped that it would give their family some time to prepare.


    Orion definitely didn''t believe that they would nevere if he killed Carl and the others here¡ªno, what he was doing was simply dying the inevitable. They woulde to his family sooner orter and nobody could stop them from doing so.


    As he pondered his n, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure approaching Carl''s group, and he would lie if he said he wasn''t surprised to see that figure here.


    ''What is she doing here?''


    The one in question wasn''t his sister but the masked girl Orion hadst seen in Aethelgard City.


    Although he was surprised to see her, the way she was going made Orion frown. She was heading straight towards Carl''s group and from the expression on her face, he could tell it wasn''t for anything good.


    Orion really didn''t want to have anything to do with her but since they were together in the Aethelgard City and had gone through so much there, he couldn''t just stand here and let her do stupid things like go against Carl and his friends alone.


    Thinking of that, he sighed deeply and moved to a corner where neither Carl''s group nor the masked girl could see him. Upon arriving here, he quickly came out of his dimension and shouted as loud as he could to her.


    "Hey, you¡ªthe masked girl¡ªwe met again! What a surprise."


    The masked girl was also surprised to hear that familiar voice and turned her head to the side when she noticed a young man she had seen not too long ago was heading towards her.


    "How have you been?" Orion could see the indication from her eyes and understood she wanted him to leave but he acted like he didn''t see that at all.

 Chapter 208: 208. Cursed Treasure

    "How have you been?" Orion could see the indication from her eyes and understood she wanted him to leave, but he acted like he didn''t see that at all.


    The masked girl''s face twitched with anger as she red at Orion. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.


    "Me? Haha," Orionughed, feigning ignorance of her anger. "I''m here to see you. I thought I would never see you again after that day, but here you are."


    The masked girl trembled at his words, feeling that Orion was intentionally making things difficult for her.


    As Orion moved closer, he positioned himself so that his back was to Carl''s group. He whispered, "Why are you approaching them with that expression on your face?"


    A wave of understanding dawned on her, but it didn''t diminish her anger.


    "None of your business. Now, can you step away? I have business with them," she whispered, her voice tinged with irritation.


    Orion frowned as he heard her and whispered angrily, "Are you out of your mind? Don''t you know who they are? They''ll kill you, and no one will be able to do anything about it."


    Hearing Orion''s words, it was as if a fuse had blown. The masked girl trembled, grabbed Orion''s cor, and shouted, "Don''t teach me who they are! I know them better than you ever will." She pushed him away and continued toward Carl''s group.


    Orion''s frown deepened, not because she had pushed him or grabbed his cor, but because of the anger in her eyes. From that, he could tell she seemed to know them well, which exined her outburst.


    Knowing their background and strength, and still heading towards them, could only mean one thing¡ªshe hated them.


    Initially, when Orion saw her approaching them in anger, he thought Carl''s group might have stumbled upon her in the dungeon and taken her treasures. But it seemed he was wrong all along.


    The masked girl harbored a deep-seated hatred for them.


    Carl''s group had already noticed them when the masked girl first started making her way towards them. They also saw the scuffle between Orion and the masked girl that had just urred.


    So, when they saw the masked girl approaching again, they sneered.


    Orion saw everything but didn''t stop her. He had tried and failed once, and he believed that if he tried to stop her again, it would only aggravate her. So, he just waited on the side, believing that his presence would deter them from doing anything to her.


    Moreover, it was strictly prohibited to kill others in a dungeon. However, this rule was set by the Dungeon Management Association, and Orion doubted whether Carl''s group would adhere to it.


    Still, he believed they wouldn''t kill her in front of him, unless they intended to kill him too, which he thought would be impossible for them.


    ''Worst case scenario¡ªI will interfere,'' Orion thought as he watched the masked girl arrive in front of Carl''s group and draw her sword.


    ''She really isn''t wasting any time!'' he thought, sweating for her.


    ***


    "Whoa! Look, someone ising to kill us!" Damianughed and teased his friends when he saw the masked girl draw her sword as she approached them.


    Carlughed arrogantly, his eyes fixed on the masked girl. "It''s been a while since anyone dared to point a sword at us."


    "Right, she must be one of those Zenithans our Archon killed in the past, or maybe she''s a survivor seeking revenge now," Damian said, intrigued by her.


    "Doesn''t matter," Carl shook his head. "She''s going to die anyway."


    At that moment, he drew his sword and waved it lightly at the masked girl who also swung her sword with all her strength when she approached him.


    However, what Carl expected didn''t happen. Instead, he felt an unimaginable force at the other end of his sword, causing him to be blown away when their swords collided.


    A stupefied expression appeared on Orion''s face as he witnessed this. He had imagined the masked girl taking a beating here, but who would have thought it would be Carl who got sted away by her attack.


    Even the other three of Carl''s friends were shocked when they saw what happened. It was clear to them the masked girl''s strength was only at the iron rank but she was able to fling away Carl as if she had the same strength as them. This really shocked them.


    "Damn, she is using a cursed treasure!"


    At that moment, Carl stood up from the debris where he crashed and shouted.


    "A cursed treasure?" Ethan nodded. "If it is indeed a cursed treasure then what happened just now could be exined." He also felt that was likely to be the case otherwise that level of strength at the iron rank couldn''t be exined.


    "How did she get her hands on something like that?" Damian asked curiously.


    "The hell should I care," Carl snarled. "I am going to kill her for what she did just now."


    He felt very shameful about what happened just now. Taking her as a low-level iron rank girl, he used the same amount of power needed to overthrow someone at that rank and hence the unforeseeable result.


    He firmly believed that if he had used his normal strength then this wouldn''t have happened and that was why he was very angry right now.


    Losing his face in front of his friends, especially in front of Ethan, made him feel humiliated.


    "I am going to enjoy my time killing you," Carlughed loudly and at the same time, his body began to release ck mes from all parts before they gathered around to form a core behind his back.


    Also, the mes around his body didn''t diminish as his core was formed; instead, it burned with even more ferocity.


    And a momentter, his right hand holding the sword got engulfed in those ck mes,pletely changing his arm''s entire structure. It became pitch ck, its thickness almost doubled, and was radiating a deadly aura that made even Orion tremble who was watching all of this from the sides.


    Meanwhile, the sword Carl was holding also became engulfed in mes. It became a little bigger and more unstable than his arm.


    All this happened in a second, and because of that, the masked girl couldn''t do anything to stop the transformation. She could only react to that when the transformation was fullypleted, leaving herpletely aghast.


    However, the shock didn''te from just that she didn''t react fast¡ªno, it came from the fact that the transformation Carl used now belonged to her family.


    "No, you¡ª" as if she thought of something, her face became ferocious and her body began to release golden light in a berserk way but the strange thing was, the golden light soon changed color and became crimson as blood-red and formed a core behind her back.


    But it was only a momentter that her body began to transform and became a little taller, with her hands, legs, and her body covered in what appeared to be blood-formed armors, and these blood armors were formed from the crimson core hovering behind her back.


    When she was fully covered in her blood armor, the core behind her became a little small as if it had used all its energy on those armors around her body.


    The four of Carl''s group were shocked to witness that form, for it was none other than the 2nd form of the Three Divine Ways¡ªCore Transformation.

 Chapter 209: 209. Going Berserk

    Orion, on the other hand, waspletely bbergasted by the scene. There was no doubt in his mind that it was the 2nd form of the Three Divine Ways, but because he knew about it, he was shocked beyond disbelief.


    "How could this be humanly possible?"


    As far as he understood from his family''s technique of the Three Divine Ways, achieving the 2nd form would require one to have at least tinum rank strength, and even that was the minimum requirement. Only at that rank would one have enough mana and control to achieve something as elusive as the 2nd form of the Three Divine Ways.


    In fact, the minimum requirement was theoretical only; while there were legends of some people achieving the 2nd form in the tinum rank, they were few and far between. One such person was the Sword Sage, who achieved the 2nd form of the Three Divine Ways when he was only at tinum rank, and the astonishing thing was that he was just 16 at that time.


    Orion could understand the situation with the Sword Sage, but the masked girl attaining the 2nd form of the Three Divine Ways at only iron rank made the Sword Sage''s achievement look like child''s y.


    All this seemed too impossible to be true, but the truth was right in front of him.


    As Orion pondered all of this, the battle in front of him began.


    ---


    "I don''t know how you''re able to attain that state at only iron rank, but this wouldn''t close the gap in our strength, even if you use the cursed treasure," Carl yelled as his right hand formed small clouds of ck mes atop his palm. These clouds were the size of his palm and numbered five.


    He threw them in front of him and swung his sword at these ming clouds five times.


    His sword cut through them effectively, slicing each of them in two halves. However, instead of falling, these halves became as sharp as des and made their way toward the masked girl.


    There were ten de shadows in total, and they swiftly arrived in front of the masked girl. However, she only needed to move her sword once, and all those de shadows were destroyed by her sword.


    Carl narrowed his eyes at this. The previous attack had been a decoy to see if it was her sword that was the cursed weapon or if it was a different treasure, and he seeded in determining that.


    Given how easily her sword destroyed those attacks without a scratch, it was hard to ignore the durability of her sword, considering it looked too ordinary to have achieved such a feat. It didn''t have the aura of a tinum-ranked sword, so the cursed treasure in her possession could only be the sword she was holding.


    "Without that sword, you are nothing in front of me," Carl sneered at her, and like a ck streak of light, he appeared in front of her, his sword aiming for hers. He knew that if he wanted to defeat her quickly, the best strategy was to disarm her. Without her weapon, she would revert to her weak iron rank self without the cursed treasure''s power.


    The masked girl also knew that, but she seemed driven by something as she swung her sword directly at Carl''s iing ck sword.


    As their swords collided, both of them retreated. The masked girl''s hands were trembling as she held her sword tightly, while Carl appeared unharmed.


    "You see, this is the difference between borrowed power and true power," Carl mocked her. "No matter how powerful a borrowed power may be, it will neverpare to true power." He shook his head as he said that.


    "By the way," he continued. "Why so much hate towards me? Why? You have to use a cursed treasure just to kill me. I wonder what I ever did to you to deserve that treatment?"


    Carl''s words seemed to strike a nerve, causing her to yell in agony.


    "Agghhhh!"


    Her scream was so loud that it caused Orion to cover his ears with his hands.


    As if driven mad, she sprinted towards Carl in a berserk manner.


    The moment she entered Carl''s attack range, she executed the technique she had been practicing since that day.


    A blood-red dragon materialized beside her, along with a phoenix and a being that was a mere blob of ck mass.


    These three entities immediatelybined to form a ray of light that zoomed toward Carl. The heads of the dragon, phoenix, and the blob were visible at the front as the red ray of light approached Carl.


    Carl felt the strength of the attack and responded with a powerful counterattack. He first threw his sword to his left hand while his right hand''s size increased to the size of his entire body and punched the iing ray of light with all his strength.


    The ground beneath Carl was destroyed as his gigantic ck fist collided with the red ray of light.


    At first, it seemed like a draw as the two forces were locked in a stalemate. However, it wasn''t long before the situation seemed to turn in Carl''s favor¡ªor so he thought.


    It was the phoenix''s head that burst into pieces before disappearing, leaving only the dragon and the red blob of light.


    "Hahaha, as I said, a borrowed po¡ª"


    Carl couldn''tplete his words as he suddenly felt the strength of the red ray increase after he destroyed the phoenix''s head.


    His body was slowly but steadily pushed back, no matter how hard he tried to stay in ce.


    "Damn! What is this attack?!"


    He cursed as he increased the strength of his fist, finally able to stop his body from being pushed by the red ray of light.


    But at the same time, the dragon''s head also shattered before disappearing, and the feared moment arrived.


    The strength of the ray increased even more, and this surge was too much for him to handle. He was sted back like a rag doll, but the most ruthless part was that the ray of red light didn''t stop hitting his body until its energy waspletely depleted, and the ray eventually died down.


    The masked girl huffed and puffed afterpleting the attack. It had taken a toll on her, and she kneeled on one leg, catching her breath.


    But only a momentter, she stood up and headed towards Carl. However, someone blocked her path. He had a carefree look stered on his face and stood blocking her path like azy man.


    "I have no enmity with you. Leave," she said.


    Ethan shook his head. "It''s not about enmity. I just can''t let you kill him."


    The masked girl narrowed her eyes at him. "Then you will suffer the same fate."


    A smile appeared on Ethan''s face. "You can try."


    ***


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


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

 Chapter 210: 210. Failure To Kill

    Orion frowned when he saw the carefree guy blocking the masked girl''s path.


    ''That guy is very strong¡ªway stronger than Carl.''


    Although he couldn''t see through his strength, considering this dungeon had a limit for only tinum rank experts, it wasn''t hard to deduce his strength was at most the peak of the tinum rank.


    But Orion could feel that this guy was way stronger and more dangerous than Carl.


    ''It seems like she will be defeated here.''


    He envisioned the worst-case scenario for the masked girl and prepared ordingly if anything along the line were to happen to her.


    ---


    "Don''t me me then," the masked girl uttered those words and used the same technique she used against Carl to heavily injure him.


    From her three sides, crimson shadows of a dragon, a phoenix, and a blob mass of an unknown entity condensed, and a momentter, theybined together to form a ray of light that zoomed towards Ethan, who was watching her do that with azy expression on his face.


    This time, the intensity of the crimson ray of light was even stronger than thest time, causing the ground to be destroyed along the way as it waved towards Ethan.


    Meanwhile, Ethan nodded, feeling the strength of the attack. "I have to say, this attack of yours is one of the strongest I have ever seen, but it''s just one of the strongest attacks. If your strength were truly at the tinum rank, none of us would stand a chance against you, but sadly, that was all if."


    He shook his head in pity and moved his right hand forward.


    Within moments, the five fingers of his hand began to glow with a bright purple light, casting a shade of purple around his face.


    The five purple lights emanating from his fingers coalesced into a sphere the size of his fist.


    "Look, this is a simr attack to yours, but it''s slightly inferior. However, given the vast difference in our ranks, this will suffice against your attack."


    As he uttered those words, the five purple spheres hovering above his fingers merged, forming a new sphere the size of his head. It released a purple beam of light that collided with the masked girl''s iing crimson ray.


    As the purple beam of light collided with the crimson ray of light, a breathtaking cascade of red and purple coalesced at the center of their collision.


    But only a momentter, the intensity of their collision died down, and one could see who had the upper hand.


    It was Ethan.


    His purple beam of light had almost reached the masked girl, who had been trying her best to maintain her crimson ray all this time. Sweat trickled down her face as she held on with all her strength.


    "You are going down," Ethan shook his head as he increased the power of his attack.


    Almost instantly, the masked girl felt the pressure upon her increase, causing her crimson ray to weaken as the purple beam of light closed in on her.


    ''No, this isn''t how it should end!''


    Tears glistened on her cheeks as she felt the energy of her attack being devoured by the iing purple beam that slowly but steadily closed in on her.


    It was only a moment before the purple beam of light would devour her too, and knowing she could die at any moment terrified her.


    All her life, since that day, she had wanted revenge. The thought that she might die here without fulfilling it made her feel she was wasting her life. She regretted her rash actions.


    But as it stood, she couldn''t do anything and could only hope that her attacker would stop on his own ord.


    However, it was highly unlikely considering she had just tried to kill his friend.


    Most importantly, this attack of hers had a fatal weakness: she couldn''t move from her position while attacking and couldn''t stop the attack once initiated. The attack would only cease when its energy was drained, leaving her standing like a puppet.


    That was the cost of using such powerful skills with her current strength. She had no control over her attack, making it a double-edged sword. This time, she was unlucky.


    When she came here, knowing Carl would be here, she had already prepared for the possibility that it might be herst day. But in the end, it seemed she fell short.


    ''Mother, father, forgive me foring too soon...''


    She closed her eyes as she epted her fate.


    Soon, the purple beam of lightpletely erased her crimson ray, casting a purple shade on her despairing face.


    However, it was also at that moment that she felt a hand on her back, and then the awaited death didn''te.


    Surprised, she opened her eyes to see that she was in a different position from where she previously stood.


    Not only her, but even Ethan was surprised to see that. ording to what he saw, she teleported to her left at thest possible moment when his purple wave of light was about to hit her.


    ''I see, so that''s how it is...''


    But when he saw someone else standing behind her, he finally understood that another person helped her.


    "So, are you regretting your decision now?" Orion chuckled and asked as he looked at her.


    The masked girl panicked, seeing him. "Haven''t you left? Leave now. Quick, or they will kill you!" She had thought he had already left when she pushed him away, but it seemed she had overestimated Orion''s IQ a bit.


    "Who would save you if I left?" Orion smiled, shaking his head, and looked at Ethan.


    "Can you let her go?" he asked him as his right hand went behind his back.


    Ethan shook his head and said with a frown, "I can''t, and if you are going to help her, then sadly I will have to kill you too."


    "Just because she intended to kill your friend?" Orion asked.


    Ethan nodded. "Just because she intended to kill my friend."


    Orion raised his brows upon hearing that. "But isn''t he alive?"


    "That''s because I interfered," Ethan said, feeling very interested in where the conversation was going between them.


    Orion looked at him deeply and said, "Well, in her case, I interfered too. She is also my friend, just like Carl is to you. If Carl gets to live, so does she."


    Ethan burst intoughter. "Your statement is correct, and Imend you for thinking like that, but you forget one main thing."


    "And what is that?" Orion asked slowly.


    "She attacked Carl first, so your previous statement was wed," Ethan said, chuckling.


    Orion shrugged. "I know that. I was just ying with you."


    "Hehe, you know what? I already knew what you wanted to do when you started talking and put one of your hands behind your back. You thought if you could distract me for a minute or two, you could prepare something that would allow both of you an easy escape, didn''t you?" Ethan smiled as he revealed Orion''s n.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 211: 211. A play of words

    However, Orion''s face didn''t change, and instead, he nodded to him with a smile. "You are correct, and you are very smart too." I rarely meet smart people these days." He shook his head in pity.


    "But you again forget one thing," Ethan said, smiling andmending Orion''s courage to stay calm even after he told him that he saw through his ns.


    Orion became interested and asked, "And what would that be?"


    "Your strength. No matter what attack you nned¡ªwhat conspiracy you schemed¡ªall that bes useless in front of the absolute strength that I have in the tinum rankpared to you, who is only at the iron rank," Ethan slowly said, looking at Orion.


    Orion nodded as if he understood something and asked with a smile, "I see, so that''s why you''ve been so cocky?"


    Ethan didn''t get angry with Orion''s rude words and nodded. For him, what he said were facts and there wasn''t a need to get angry over someone he would soon kill.


    Orion smiled and felt that guy was too arrogant for his own good. Initially, when he started talking to him, he gave him a feeling of a calm andposed person, but now he understood that behind that mask was a very arrogant person.


    He felt that the difference between Carl, Evans, and many other arrogant people and Ethan was that thetter could hide his arrogance behind a calm mask, while the former could only bark like dogs when getting humiliated. This made people like Ethan more dangerous than those arrogant dogs, and currently, he was facing one such guy.


    "So, what are you going to do?" Ethan asked, seeing Orion silent. "Are you going to leave her alone here, or are you going to die with her?"


    "None of these." Orion smiled and brought his hand in front of him¡ªa dark purple sphere the size of his fist was hovering atop his palm. It cast a purple glow on Orion''s face as he turned to look at Ethan. "Do you know what this is?"


    Ethan raised his brows and a frown appeared on his face for the first time since he started talking to Orion. "Is that the attack you have been wasting my time for?"


    Orion nodded and smiled, looking at his frowning face. "You can feel it, can''t you? The energy stored in this small thing? If it were to detonate, I estimate anything within a 2 km radius of this gorge would disappear from this world, leaving behind only the remnants of ashes flying around as dust."


    Ethan''s face darkened as he heard Orion. As Orion said, he could feel a huge amount of energy stored in that small sphere, to the point that it made him wonder where Orion got that much energy considering his strength at the iron rank.


    And he didn''t doubt when Orion mentioned the radius of destruction it would cause if it were to explode. He agreed with him on that fully, even feeling that Orion might have underestimated that attack of his.


    As for the explosion itself, he didn''t fear it, for he was fast enough to outrun it, but it couldn''t be the same for his friends, especially when one of them was heavily injured. But he doubted they could escape, even if nobody was injured.


    They just weren''t fast enough to outrun an explosion like him nor had any teleportation abilities like the one in front of him, and because of this, he felt that Orion had gotten the best of him.


    ''I guess he got me here.''


    At this moment, he sighed and regretted giving Orion the time. There was only one blunder on his part that resulted in this situation, and that was the assessment of the boy standing in front of him. He had taken him as any other iron rank genius in the Magus Kingdom, but he was someone way above just an iron rank individual.


    "You won," Ethan sighed in the end.


    Orion nodded. He wasn''t surprised that Ethan made the decision to give up on her.


    "So, get out of here as fast as you can, and don''t even think of secretly following us. Otherwise, I wouldn''t mind creating another one of these spheres and detonating it for you," he threatened them. He understood that even if Ethan agreed to his deal, others might not, especially Carl, who had taken the beating. He would definitely seek revenge on them if Ethan just decided to leave them.


    Ethan nodded, understanding what Orion wanted to convey.


    "Tell me one thing," he said, narrowing his eyes at Orion.


    Orion nodded and asked, "What is it?"


    "What would you do if she had the power to kill us, the people from the Dungeon Management Association? Would you stop her, or would you not care at all?" Ethan asked curiously.


    Orion wondered where that question came from and pondered seriously for an answer. The fate of the four of them had already been sealed by Orion; it was just a matter of time before he would act. So, it didn''t matter if they died or not. However, since their deaths would ultimately result in suspicion falling on his sister, he would have to stop the masked girl, even if she didn''t like it.


    "I would stop her," Orion said. It wasn''t a difficult decision for him, considering he nned to kill themter in the dungeon anyway.


    Ethan nodded before turning around. "You are naive if you were to do that, which I believe you aren''t."


    With that, he walked back to his friends and muttered something to them. The heavy-built guy carried Carl on his back and started climbing the gorge, followed by Damian and Ethan.


    "May we meet next time as allies," Ethan said before vanishing from the gorge, leaving Orion and the masked girl alone.


    Orion immediately sighed in relief, seeing they were gone. It had been mentally taxing while Ethan was there, as he doubted Ethan might not care about his friend and sneak attack him. Now that he was gone, Orion finally calmed his nerves.


    The masked girl kneeled on both legs, exhausted both physically and mentally.


    "Why didn''t you move and stood there like an idiot when that guy''s attack was approaching you?" Orion asked with a frown when he saw her sitting down.


    At that moment, he also let go of the energy supply to the purple sphere, and it vanished into thin air.


    The masked girl shook her head, saying, "It''s not that I didn''t want to move; it''s just that I can''t move from my position when I use that skill."


    "There are skills like that?" Orion wondered aloud before shaking his head and saying, "Let''s leave this ce first."


    The masked girl nodded, and they headed in the opposite direction of Ethan''s group. Orion definitely didn''t want to encounter him again in a situation where he had someone to protect.


    After traveling in one direction for a long time, they found a cave belonging to a wolf pack. Orion easily killed the wolves and entered the cave.


    However, as soon as they went inside, the masked girl fainted, falling onto Orion, who caught her and didn''t let her fall.


    ''She really fainted at the right ce,'' Orion thought, shaking his head.


    Heid her down on the ground and then sat leaning against the wall of the cave, waiting for her to wake up.

 Chapter 212: 212. Lord of Darkness

    As Orion waited, he checked the curse he copied from her.


    [Curse: Lord of Darkness]


    [Description: She was the Child of Light, but her life has always been full of darkness. Therefore, this curse allows her to embrace the darkness forever so that she can be the Lord of Darkness and abandon the light¡ªthe hope.]


    ''What the! Such a strange description for a curse.''


    He became interested when he saw how different the description was from all the curses he had ever copied. Moreover, it didn''t provide any information about the side effects and only mentioned that it would allow her to embrace the darkness forever.


    ''What an unusual curse!''


    From the description, he understood that her talent was something called Child of Light and her curse was the exact opposite¡ªLord of Darkness. This made him wonder how someone could have such an opposite cursepared to their talent. Usually, curses were side effects of the talent in one way or another, but her curse was not rted to the overuse of light magic.


    ''But there is the phrase that says, where there is light, there will always be darkness. Is her talent based on that?'' Orion wondered.


    However, he didn''t dwell on it and activated the curse in the abyss of darkness, trying to use it on his right hand. Like a me, a ck mass of light lit up around his palm.


    ''Is this the darkness element? What does it do exactly?''


    Orion understood the practicality of fire, ice, and lightning elements because they were basic elements, but he had no idea about the darkness element. The only thing he did understand was that the darkness element could be very useful at night. Other than that, he didn''t know how this element could be used inbat or other situations.


    He stood up and went outside the cave. He didn''t want to wake her up in case he messed up something with the darkness element.


    ''Let''s see what it can do.''


    Orion thought and increased the energy output of the curse, causing the dark mes in his hand to be even denser and slightly harder.


    ''It became slightly solid.''


    He found it strange that the darkness element in his hand became a little solid when he increased the energy supply.


    Curious to see how solid he could make it, he immediately increased the energy even more. A ck glove-like structure covered his entire hand.


    Orion was surprised and understood one thing about this darkness element of his¡ªunlike any other element, the darkness element could be shaped into any form very easily if there was enough energy to support it.


    Thinking of this, Orion was reminded of Carl''s dark mes. He recalled how easily they transformed his arm and how he was able to form a huge fist entirely made up of dark mes.


    ''Were his dark mes a part of the darkness element too?''


    He became excited at the thought of this feature of the darkness and looked at his hands again.


    As he thought, the glove in his hand soon transformed into a sword¡ªa pitch-ck sword.


    Orion touched the de of the sword and was surprised to find it hard enough to go toe-to-toe with tinum-rank experts.


    ''This is great!'' He became excited at the thought of the many ways he could use this curse.


    Although he had only found the hardening ability of the darkness so far, this ability could be the most versatile depending on the situation.


    ''Also, this is perfect for what I am going to do tonight.''


    Orion smiled evilly, thinking of how this curse could save him from many problems that could follow him. With this curse, he didn''t have to worry about those problems.


    ''Let''s practice more and get used to this curse.''


    He thought and began transforming the darkness into various forms like a sword, shield, cloak, mask, and even a full-body armor.


    "Hahaha, with this curse added, it would be difficult for even tinum-rank experts to kill me."


    Orionughed, feeling that this curse¡ªLord of Darkness¡ªwas very practical and strong, and he had only discovered a fraction of its potential.


    ''I need to practice daily with this curse to fully unleash its potential,'' he thought and went back to the cave to wait for her to wake up.


    Three hourster, the masked girl opened her eyes.


    "Are you okay now?" Orion asked as soon as he saw her eyes open.


    The masked girl immediately sat up in rm when she heard Orion and took out her sword.


    "Wow! It''s me¡ªOrion¡ªthe one who saved you just now, remember?"


    Hearing Orion''s words, she finally came to her senses and recalled everything that had led to this moment.


    A long sigh escaped her mouth as she sat down, leaning against the wall, and turned to Orion.


    "Thanks for saving my life," she thanked him.


    Orion nodded and chuckled. "It''s no big deal, but you should not fight someone to the death when you are so weak. Otherwise, it would only be you who dies."


    He added, "Especially when you are outnumbered."


    The masked girl didn''t say anything for a moment before she uttered some barely audible words, "I couldn''t control myself when I found out he wasing to this dungeon. It was a rash decision on my part."


    Orion looked at her and wondered what could have happened between those two to make her so hateful towards Carl.


    "So, what happened? Why did you want to kill him?" he asked.


    No reply came from her for a long time before she said quietly, "His family murdered my family. Everyone died except me¡ªdied protecting me. In the end, I became the lone survivor of my family."


    Upon hearing her, Orion finally understood why she had so much hatred towards Carl.


    ''Carl''s family is really trash,'' he thought with hatred.


    They were alsoing for his family, and God knew what they would do when they arrived.


    ''That''s why I have to kill them,'' his urgency increased now that he knew Carl''s family could kill others without batting an eye.


    ''Should I tell her about what is going to happen to Carl''s group?'' Orion thought but soon shook his head.


    He really wanted to tell her that they wouldn''t remain alive for long, but he couldn''t risk it even if he knew she wouldn''t tell anyone. He just couldn''t. His family was at risk, and he wouldn''t gamble their wellbeing.


    Orion looked at her and saw that she had her head down.


    "What''s your name?" he asked. He felt a little strange that they had gone through so much, yet she hadn''t told him her name.


    And yet again, no answer came from her.


    Seeing that, Orion shrugged and was about to ask something else when he heard her say her name.


    "Alice."


    "Alice? That''s a nice name," Orion nodded and asked. "So, how are you now? Will you be able to move?"


    Alice nodded and stood up. "Are we leaving?"


    "Yeah, we should probably look for the boss room. Everyone should be there by now," Orion said.


    "Alright, let''s go then," she said, walking out of the cave.


    Orion shook his head at her. He had asked her if she was fine, and she immediately left for the boss room.


    ''This girl is very difficult to understand,'' heughed lightly and followed her out of the cave.

 Chapter 213: 213. Same old way of giving treasures

    After leaving the cave, Orion and Alice chose a direction and began their journey.


    They didn''t know the location of the boss room¡ªno one did¡ªso they had to search for it themselves. Along the way, they killed many wolves and absorbed their cores, increasing their strength.


    Orion also didn''t forget to absorb therge number of Stormleaves he had in his storage bracelet.


    They moved around for hours before stumbling upon some familiar figures¡ªfamiliar to Orion at least. They were a little distance away, but Orion recognized them immediately.


    It was his Big Sister Emily, Elyn, and a few others following behind them.


    Surprised, Orion shouted and waved his hands, "Big Sis Emily!"


    Emily''s group noticed Orion and Alice and started heading towards them.


    A few momentster, both groups met up.


    "Big Sister, where are you going with so many people?" Orion asked as soon as they were close enough.


    "We found the boss room," Emily replied.


    "The boss room?" Orion nodded and asked, "So have you notified the others?"


    Emily said, "I''ve already sent a group to inform anyone who wants to enter the boss room."


    "Let''s go to the boss room then," Orion said.


    "That''s where we were heading until we found you and thisdy," Emily said, looking at Orion and Alice. "So, who is she?" she asked.


    Orion quickly introduced Alice to his sister. "She''s a friend I made during my five-year trip away from home."


    Emily nodded in understanding and said, "Let''s go to the boss room then."


    Orion looked at Alice, who nodded in agreement.


    "Let''s go then," Orion said to his sister.


    Soon, Orion and Alice followed Emily''s group towards the boss room.


    As they walked, Orion''s mind was upied with various thoughts.


    The first was whether he should tell his sister about Carl''s group. Initially, he nned to, but now that he had already decided to kill them, he thought it would be better if only he knew about it.


    Who knew if the Dungeon Management Association might use some skill or treasure to uncover the truth about Carl''s group''s death? If his sister knew anything about them, she could be implicated. She had a motive, and that would be enough for the old men to dere her guilty.


    So, Orion decided to keep everything about Carl''s group to himself until they left the dungeon. This was the only way to prevent a catastrophe for their family.


    The Dungeon Management Association was powerful, with many strong experts, treasures, skills, and abundant resources. If any expert with talents like truth detection came to the Magus Kingdom to investigate Carl''s death, they would inspect everyone involved in the dungeon.


    Orion thought that if only he knew about the killing, their deaths might always remain a mystery¡ªwell, not a mystery, since everyone would know who killed them, but no one would be able to find the person.


    ''A perfect murder in front of the Dungeon Management Association?'' Orion snickered. He knew there was never a perfect murder. The truth always came out eventually. But he was trying to buy time for his family. If they were prepared for Carl''s family, then even if the truth was revealed, Carl''s family wouldn''t be able to do anything to his family.


    ''Time is all I need right now,'' Orion thought.


    ''Ah, there''s also that¡ªthe most important thing I need to aplish my mission this time¡ªa new curse,'' he thought.


    Killing Carl''s group would surely require him to use a curse in Burst Mode, resulting in the loss of that curse forever. Right now, Orion didn''t have a curse he was willing to part with. Every curse he had was a source of his strength, and losing any of them would weaken him.


    Therefore, he nned to copy a curse¡ªa fire-rted one if possible. That way, even if he lost that curse after Burst Mode, he wouldn''t feel much pain from losing Electrostatic Disruption.


    As for why he wanted a fire-rted curse, it was simple. He would be using his alias as the Curse Lord to kill them. Many people had seen the Curse Lord using fire-rted abilities. If he used his alias, he wanted to stick to those abilities so people would be certain it was indeed the Curse Lord who killed them and not anyone else.


    ''I should copy their curses for now,'' Orion thought, looking at the small crowd following them.


    With that thought in mind, he shouted, "Who here wants a treasure?"


    Orion''s shout caught everyone by surprise. They had been walking silently towards the boss room.


    "What are you doing?" Emily asked with a frown.


    "I''m giving these people free treasures. I figured since I wouldn''t be using them, it would be better to give them to these people," Orion shrugged.


    His words sounded genuine, and many people were attracted by his shout. They knew he was from one of the seven magi families, who were rich enough to have many treasures. So, randomly giving away the treasures dropped by monsters in the dungeon, which were useless to him, didn''t sound like a lie.


    The majority of the people who came to this dungeon were silver and gold rank experts, with few treasures. They weren''t powerful enough to kill strong monsters that dropped high-quality treasures. Orion donating his treasures really attracted the crowd''s attention.


    "Will you really give us?"


    "Just give me a sword."


    "I want a spear."


    The crowd began to heat up, looking at Orion with fervent eyes. They couldn''t wait to get their hands on some good treasures. They had paid money to enter this dungeon, and knowing that they wouldn''t be leaving empty-handed made them feel a little better about their expenditure.


    Orion smiled, seeing their excitement. He thought that giving away treasures was a good way to copy curses from people in arge crowd. Last time, he didn''t copy the curses of the people near the lightning tree because he nned to do so when everyone left the dungeon.


    His original n was to move among the crowd, touching everyone while copying their curses when they gathered together in pack at the time of leaving the dungeon. That was the safest approach, but it seemed he would have to change his n a little bit now.


    Orion stepped forward, pulling out various treasures from his storage bracelet andying them on the ground. The crowd''s eyes widened at the sight of gleaming swords, intricate spears, and other valuable items.


    "Come forward, everyone," he said with a smile. "Take what you need."


    People surged forward eagerly. As they reached for the treasures, Orion subtly activated his curse-copying ability, touching each person briefly while giving them the treasures they chose.


    Emily watched the scene unfold with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. "Are you sure about this, Orion?"


    "Absolutely, Sis. It''s just a way to help them out. Besides, we have more than enough," Orion replied, maintaining his smile.


    Alice stood silently beside him, observing the crowd with a distant look in her eyes. She seemed lost in thought, still recovering from their earlier encounter.


    Once the crowd had dispersed, grateful and clutching their new treasures, Orion turned to Emily. "Alright, let''s head to the boss room."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 214: 214. Carls Authority

    Once the crowd had dispersed, grateful and clutching their new treasures, Orion turned to Emily. "Alright, let''s head to the boss room."


    Emily nodded and led the way again, with Orion and Alice following closely behind.


    As they walked, Orion''s mind raced, thinking about the curses he had copied and the impending confrontation with Carl''s group. He sorted through the curses and, to his luck, found three good ones. One of them was even a fire attribute curse, just what he needed.


    ''It''s called Blood Combustion. With this, I don''t have to worry about wasting a curse,'' Orion thought as he closed his status screen.


    The journey continued, and before long, they reached arge, imposing door adorned with intricate carvings and symbols. It was unmistakably the entrance to the boss room.


    Many individuals stood beside the door, including Carl''s group of four. But Orion wasn''t worried about them. He believed they wouldn''t be foolish enough to start a fight over what had happened, not in front of so many people. After all, it was they who fled, not the other way around, so they definitely wouldn''t want to lose face by starting a fight here.


    As he expected, they just red at him as he arrived with Emily''s group and didn''t say anything else. Orionughed lightly when he saw that, but he soon noticed them scanning the group as if searching for someone.


    ''It''s good that I asked Alice to remove her mask after we left the cave,'' Orion thought.


    He had feared they might target her somehow inside the boss room, so he had asked her to remove the mask earlier. Now, seeing them looking for her, he felt d about his decision.


    As for Alice''s face behind the mask? It was also a mask¡ªa skin mask, to be precise. When he asked why she wanted to hide her face so much, she gave a strange answer: her face wasn''t worth seeing by others. Beyond that, she stayed silent about everything else Orion asked.


    But one thing Orion figured out was that Alice had a very big secret she was hiding, and this secret might be rted to her face, considering how hard she had been trying to conceal it. Adding to that her hatred for Carl, he wondered if she was somehow connected to Carl''s friends from the same organization¡ªthe Dungeon Management Association.


    ''Let''s not dwell on this matter.''


    Orion shook his head and decided not to think any further. At the end of the day, all of this was merely spection, and who knew if any of it was correct.


    Meanwhile, people continued to gather around the door of the boss room. Orion didn''t know if there was a rule or not, but his sister mentioned the door of the boss room automatically opened when the number of people outside reached a sufficient number.


    She also mentioned that if there were fewer people, the door would still open automatically, but it would be quicker and wouldn''t take as long as it was taking now.


    Finally, after about an hour, the huge door in front of them began to rumble before slowly opening, revealing nothing but a huge ck portal.


    Carl''s group didn''t hesitate and entered first, followed by everyone else.


    "Let''s go too," Emily said to Orion and the group behind her.


    Orion and the others nodded and walked into the boss room along with Emily.


    ***


    Inside the boss room was a very spacious area supported by four pirs far apart from each other.


    At the center of the room was a giant wolf. It was twice the size of the wolves Orion had killed earlier and appeared to be golden in color. It was resting with its eyes closed, and even as all the people entered, it didn''t open its eyes.


    There was a reason for that. Surrounding the golden wolf was an area sealed by a special type of barrier where anyone inside couldn''t see or hear outside the barrier.


    However, the main function of the barrier was much more than that. When people entered this region through the barrier to kill the boss monster, they couldn''t leave until the boss was defeated. This was true for every dungeon in the world.


    Orion looked at the golden wolf and felt a very wild aura emanating from the monster. It was his first time seeing such a strong monster, excluding the anomaly of the Apocalypse-level monster he witnessed in Aethelgard City.


    ''It''s very strong¡ªat least stronger than Carl''s friend who protected him.''


    Although he couldn''t gauge the exact strength of the golden wolf, he felt it might be stronger than that friend of Carl, judging by its aura.


    At this moment, Carl stepped forward, sneering at Orion for a moment before turning to the crowd. "Everyone, we will need the help of every tinum rank expert to kill this golden wolf, and we might even need the help of gold rank experts. So be ready for any orders I give during the battle."


    Many faces darkened at his words. Fighting against a boss monster was a risk they had taken when they chose to enter the boss room, but being forced to follow someone else''s orders during the fight increased the risk of losing their lives.


    That didn''t mean these peoplecked experience in killing boss monsters. No¡ªalmost everyone here had taken part in eliminating boss monsters in lower-ranked dungeons and understood the procedure.


    Usually, a group of strong experts would take the lead and assign roles to people with special talents. Those with offensive talents would lead, followed by those with defensive talents to protect them. Ranged attackers would be stationed at a distance to strike when they got the chance, and healing-type experts would be on standby to heal the injured.


    This was themon method used in every dungeon to kill boss monsters. In fact, it was suggested by none other than the Dungeon Management Association, so people all over the world had always used this method.


    Therefore, they were bound to be upset when Carl announced his authority here.


    Seeing the angry faces and clenched fists, Carlughed and added, "As for those below the gold ranks, they will only be a burden for us in our fight against a peak tinum rank monster. So I suggest we throw them out of this boss room. What do you guys think?"


    His words enraged even more people in the crowd.


    "We can''t do that."


    "Everyone has the right to remain here. You can''t order us."


    "Yeah, we will also not listen to any of your orders. We should follow the rules of the Dungeon Management Association, yet you are trying to break those rules."


    "We won''t listen to you."


    In the end, people couldn''t take any more of Carl''s orders and began refuting him.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 215: 215. Madness

    Orion smiled slightly when he saw that. He had already known that Carl would say something controversial when he sneered at him before talking with everyone.


    Ordering others in a boss fight? Kicking the low-ranked ones out of the boss room? These actions were punishable if done by anyone else, but sadly the perpetrator belonged to the Dungeon Management Association, which could abuse its own rules in any way it wanted.


    "You don''t want to listen to me? Is that it?" Carl raged at the crowd. He was already furious from being defeated by someone in the iron rank, and having to run away was a thorough disgrace. Now, hearing the crowd protest against his orders made him even angrier.


    "Alright, I will let you all enter the barrier and kill the boss monster yourselves," Carlughed at the idea. He couldn''t wait to see them trembling and cowering in front of the golden wolf, eventually calling on him to save the day.


    However, even within his group, there weren''t many who liked his n.


    "Carl, we are representing the Dungeon Management Association, so I advise you not to do anything that will make you regret your decisionster," Damian warned him.


    "Regret?" Carlughed like a madman. "What if all these people didn''t listen to my orders and died fighting the boss? Who wouldin then? You? Me?"


    He added, "It would be considered an ident that these people, instead of listening to someone stronger, went and fought the boss monster themselves and hence met their deaths. Nobody would be med. HAHAHA."


    Heughed like a maniac, revealing his n to Damian and his friends. But he was a little too loud, and everyone else heard his n as well, causing them to take a step back.


    "Has this guy gone mad?" Orion muttered to himself, wondering if Carl hadpletely lost it.


    Even if they were from the Dungeon Management Association, they weren''t untouchable. They could still be punished for their crimes if reported to the higher-ups.


    At that moment, a figure stepped forward from the crowd. It was a man in his twenties with light grey hair, a mustache, and a very thin beard along his face. He appeared very calm, unlike the people in the crowd who were trembling in anger upon hearing Carl''s words.


    "May I talk to someone more sensible here?" he asked inly, looking at Carl''s three friends.


    However, as soon as the words left his mouth, Carl, like the arrogant person he was, shouted, "How dare you ignore me? And just so you know, I am the leader here. So, if you have anything to say, just say it."


    "I am not talking to dogs here," the man smiled and looked at Damian. "I presume you are someone who knows what is right."


    "YOU!" Carl trembled with rage. No one had ever called him something so filthy, and it made him even angrier.


    "Just because you said those words, I am going to kill you," Carl immediately lunged at the man, about to use his talent when someone shed in front of him.


    "Ethan?" Carl shouted. "Are you going to stop me too?"


    Ethan shook his head, "I am not, but can you listen to me for a moment?"


    "And what would that do?" Carl spat in anger. "These guys have gone mad. They first didn''t listen to my order, and now one of them even has the gall to say such words. I must kill him to show them what happens when someone goes against me."


    Ethan sighed, having a headache about Carl''s anger, but if his suspicions were true, he couldn''t let Carl go wild here.


    "Just listen to me for a moment," he said with a face full of seriousness.


    Carl red at him for a long time before he said, "If it''s anything about sparing them, then don''t me me for not listening to you."


    Ethan nodded and said, "Come with me for a moment." He wrapped his arm around Carl and took him away from the crowd.


    Damian, on the other hand, shook his head when he witnessed all of that. The thing he feared the most had happened. Carl had gone mad. There was a reason they hade to the Magus Kingdom with Carl¡ªit was all so they could keep his madness under control.


    From childhood, Carl had a habit of losing control, and when he did, he wouldn''t listen to anyone¡ªnot even his father. It was like he became apletely different person when he went mad.


    As far as Damian could remember, Carl''s family had taken him to various doctors, but none found any problem with him. In the end, it was said that his immense talent caused him to lose control of his body. However, nobody was sure how a talent could affect someone so severely when such things usually happened only when a curse was activated.


    ''I only hope that hees back in control,'' Damian thought, sighing.


    On the other side, Orion looked at the man with grey hair. He was surprised by the boldness of the man. To call Carl a dog wasn''t everyone''s cup of tea, and he called him that as if he didn''t put Carl in his eyes at all.


    ''Who is he?'' Orion wondered and turned to his sister at his side.


    Looking at her, he didn''t see any worry or anger like other people had towards Carl and the Dungeon Management Association. It was as if none of this concerned her.


    ''Did she know something?'' A doubt began to form in his mind. When everyone was worried and appeared anxious, his sister was the exact opposite. Why was that?


    Curious, he asked her, "Big Sis, do you know that guy?" He first started with the silver-haired man, feeling that he was acting way too calm like his sister.


    "Him?" Emily pointed at the silver-haired man, to which Orion nodded.


    "No, I don''t," she replied.


    Orion nodded and stopped looking at her. He couldn''t tell if what she said was the truth or a lie, but he believed her enough to know she wouldn''t lie to him.


    ''Maybe I am just overthinking things,'' he shook his head.


    At that moment, he saw Carl and his carefree friend making their way towards them after a little pep talk.


    "Everyone, I am Ethan, and I will be leading you to kill the boss monster," Ethan introduced himself and announced.


    Orion was surprised, and the crowd was even more surprised. But before they could process anything, Ethan continued, "And don''t worry, I won''t be ordering you. We will go through the same process as we usually do when facing a boss monster."


    Ethan''sst words surprised the crowd even more, and for a moment, they wondered if what he said held any truth.


    Seeing the doubtful faces of the crowd, Ethan frowned and bowed in apology, "Please forgive me if my friend here made you distrust us, but believe me, we won''t be messing around with a peak tinum rank boss monster. We will fight in an organized manner and kill the boss."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 216: 216. Intention To Kill

    Everyone was shocked once again after seeing Ethan bow to them. They couldn''t understand what was going on. At first, Carl had acted like an arrogant tyrant,pletely ordering them around, and now a friend of his was apologizing by bowing down.


    They felt like they were being yed by the Dungeon Management Association.


    Meanwhile, Orion was observing the silver-haired man with narrowed eyes. He believed it was because of this man that Carl and his group had suddenly be more friendly.


    Seeing how Carl, who had been raging like a mad dog moments ago, now stood obediently behind Ethan without uttering a single word made Orion even more suspicious. There had to be a reason behind this, and his suspicion fell on the silver-haired man.


    The way the man talked to them¡ªthe calmness, not putting Carl and his friends in his eyes¡ªmade Orion specte that the silver-haired man might be from the Dungeon Management Association. This could exin why Carl became so silent and why Ethan was overly courteous to the crowd by apologizing.


    This situation made Orion''s task more difficult. If the silver-haired man really was from the Dungeon Management Association, he wondered if he should kill him too or not.


    Orion pondered for a moment and came to a decision. ''If he interferes when I kill them, then he is also on the list,'' he thought.


    Even though the silver-haired man appeared weaker than Carl and his friends, he seemed to hold a much higher position in the Dungeon Management Association, considering the change in Carl''s demeanor and Ethan''s friendly attitude.. This made Orion very cautious of him. That''s why he decided he would only kill him if he interfered; otherwise, he would treat the man as if he didn''t exist.


    At that moment, another figure stepped forward and turned to the crowd. It was a middle-aged man with a heavy build and a full-grown beard.


    "Let''s trust this Ethan kid and kill the boss," he said to the crowd. "Doubting would do us no good against a peak tinum rank boss, so let''s forget everything and focus on killing the boss first. What do you guys think?" He looked towards Emily as he said thest part, believing that if she convinced the crowd, they would definitely agree.


    Orion smiled a little, understanding what the man was trying to do. But he wondered if his sister would respond to his indication and turned to look at her.


    To his surprise, she also stepped forward and addressed the crowd, "Let''s just kill the boss monster and be done with it."


    Her words almost made Orion fall down. He wondered how these words would convince anyone when she said them like she didn''t care about what was going on.


    "If you say so, we are going to believe him this time."


    "Yeah, let''s go and kill the boss."


    "If one of the Three Blossoms asks us to, we can''t ignore it."


    The crowd became excited about killing the boss as Emily convincingly asked them to do so. All that time under the influence of the Dungeon Management Association, they hadpletely forgotten about her. She was also one of the strongest beings in the tinum rank, and with her here, nothing could go wrong during the boss raid. That was their thinking.


    Orion waspletely speechless at how quickly they changed their minds when his sister just told them to fight the boss out of pure duty.


    ''The Three Blossoms are no joke,'' he thought seriously. Their influence wasrge enough to convince a crowd with just a few words.


    At that moment, Ethan came forward and bowed to Emily. "Thanks for helping me convince the crowd."


    Emily just nodded, but her expression darkened when she looked at Ethan.


    Ethan noticed but didn''t mind and asked, "May I know your name?"


    ''Crap!'' Orion cursed as he saw Ethan asking for his sister''s name. ''This is bad.''


    He didn''t want Ethan and the others to know that members of the Darkwood Family were present here in this dungeon. He believed it would cause a conflict with Emily, and she would be a suspect in their deaths, considering she would have a motive.


    Even a little bit of evidence could be used if the Dungeon Management Association wanted to, so Orion didn''t want a conflict between his sister and Carl''s group.


    "AHH!" Orion suddenly screamed, attracting everyone''s attention, including Ethan''s and his sister''s.


    "What happened?" Emily quickly came to him, her expression concerned.


    "I don''t know," Orion shook his head. "I suddenly felt a headache."


    Emily pondered for a moment and said, "It will be fine. We will leave the dungeon soon." She patted him on the head and looked at the crowd. "Let''s enter the barrier."


    As she said that, she didn''t wait for anyone and immediately entered the barrier, appearing in front of the golden wolf. It opened its eyes sensing a presence in front of it, and seeing a human standing there, it roared.


    "WOOOO!"


    Seeing that, the middle-aged man looked at the crowd and shouted, "Let''s go in too." He entered the barrier after that.


    Soon, the crowd followed behind him. They passed through the barrier without any hesitation and entered the boss arena.


    Orion sighed in relief. Not knowing how much information Carl''s group had about the Darkwood Family, uttering even their names could make them recognize who they were. But at the same time, he had a hunch that they didn''t have any information about the Darkwood Family.


    If they had done proper research beforeing here, they should at least recognize his sister considering her poprity in the entire Magus Kingdom, but they didn''t recognize him.


    However, that was merely his spection. Who knew if they might recognize their names? He doubted the chances, but he couldn''t risk his family''s survival on these chances and spection.


    Most importantly, when Ethan asked his sister for her name, she might have mentioned Darkwood, and that would have spoiled everything. So, he was d he was able to change the situation.


    ''I have to kill them fast. The longer they survive, the higher the chances they will find out,'' Orion thought urgently.


    He then walked towards the barrier intending to enter the boss arena, but when he reached the barrier and was about to pass through it, a voice called out to him.


    "Be careful in there; otherwise, you might end up dying in an ident."


    Orion turned around and saw that it was Carl''s friend who uttered those words. Damian was his name, he recalled from the conversation he had eavesdropped onst time. As for Carl, he saw that he was ring at him silently. A smile appeared on Orion''s face when he saw that.


    "Yeah, yeah. Just don''t run away likest time," he waved his hand dismissively and passed through the barrier.


    "Damn, he isn''t taking us seriously at all," Damian said with irritation.


    At that moment, Ethan asked Carl, "Do you really want to kill that kid?"


    "I want to kill that girl even more, but since we couldn''t find her, he will face my judgment," Carl said, his voice dripping with hatred.


    "Sigh," Ethan sighed. "It will cause us some problems, but we will do it."


    Carl nodded and went towards the barrier. Ethan and the others followed behind him.


    At the end were some weak iron rank experts who were hesitating whether they should enter the dungeon or not but in the end, they gritted their teeth and passed through the barrier.

 Chapter 217: 217. The Boss Battle

    Just as Orion passed through the barrier, he saw that everyone had taken their positions around the golden wolf, preparing to attack.


    The tinum rank experts led the formation, followed by peak gold rank experts and other gold rank experts. Behind them were individuals with shields and energy barriers, ready to use their talents for defense. At the rear were healers and those like Orion, whose strengthy in the iron rank, seemingly useless in this scenario.


    He also saw Alice, mingling with the group of low gold rank experts and preparing to fight. Beforeing to the dungeon, he had asked her not to do anything that would draw attention from Carl''s group. It seemed she was good at concealing herself among others. There were many brave iron rank experts among the low gold rank experts, so her presence didn''t draw any attention.


    Seeing the golden wolf cautiously staring at them, Orion also prepared himself. He activated the curses of Berserk Body, Velocity Burst, and Detonating Flesh in Curse Transformation Mode. Instantly, his right hand caught fire and turned into a ming hand while a touch of purple appeared around his stomach.


    ''I hope they do their work fine,'' he thought, waiting at the side for the battle to start.


    At that moment, Carl''s group also entered the boss arena.


    Orion didn''t say anything to them upon their arrival, focusing his attention on the golden wolf.


    He overheard their conversation as they approached the front of the golden wolf.


    "I will attack from the middle while Damian and Ogos will coordinate with others to attack from the sides," Ethan exined.


    "What about me?" Carl asked.


    "You will handle the back end. The wolves in this dungeon are fast, so the golden wolf in front of us may be as fast as the others. If it bypasses us and appears at the edge of the arena, it will be your responsibility to handle it, understand?" Ethan said to Carl.


    Carl nodded, catching Ethan''s meaningful nce. "Leave the back to me," he said with a smile.


    As they passed by Orion, Carl muttered, "Hehe, prepare to die."


    Orion heard the low words but only sneered back at him.


    "WOOO!"


    Suddenly, the roar of the golden wolf echoed, and Orion saw it start attacking them after cautiously moving around for a while.


    "Let''s go," Ethan, Damian, and Ogos picked up their pace and soon arrived at their positions in the front.


    Orion watched the battle from a distance. He didn''t want to take part in the battle and would have preferred to kill Carl''s group instantly, but he understood that he had to let things unfold naturally. He couldn''t force the situation if he wanted to leave no evidence behind.


    Moreover, he had a n in mind for aplishing the difficult task of leaving the barrier region and the arrival of the Cursed Lord without causing suspicion of him being the Cursed Lord. There were many things he had to consider before taking each step, so he wouldn''t rush.


    "Wow!" Orion was surprised when he saw the golden wolf use lightning and fire attacks simultaneously.


    ''It can use more than one element?'' He thought, focusing on the battle.


    ***


    The golden wolf growled aggressively, its eyes shining with wild fierceness. With a powerful roar, it released a ming fireball from its mouth, flying towards the assants. The air crackled with warmth as the zing orb zoomed towards the attackers.


    A shimmering shield erupted in front of the defenders just in time to block the fireball from reaching its target. Individuals skilled in defense had created an impassable obstacle, causing the fireball to break into harmless sparks upon hitting it. As soon as the mes disappeared, a synchronized attack began.


    tinum rank experts moved rapidly with a sudden burst of speed. Swords sliced in urate angles, creating sparks as they hit the wolf''s dense fur. From afar, others shot energy bolts resembling enchanted bullets, with each strike targeting a vulnerable spot.


    Ethan and Emily, along with the grey-haired man and the middle-aged man from earlier, were part of the attackers leading the charge, applying theirbined strength on the golden beast.


    However, the wolf''s tough hide was able to endure their assaults, leading to just minor injuries. Even with the attack against it, the wolf fought back fiercely, showing no signs of being weakened by its wounds.


    It changed its approach with a deep growl. Frost formed around its mouth as it released a cold breath of ice. The assants hurried to adapt, skilled at deflecting bullets but finding it difficult to withstand the abrupt chill. Sounds of distress were everywhere as their defenses were covered in ice, causing some to stumble in the sudden attack.


    Before they had a chance toe together again, the wolf''s eyes lit up with electric power. Its fur lit up with lightning, as a thunderous bolt shot out, zigzagging in their direction. The collision of substances turned the battleground into a frenzied mix of mes, frost, and electricity.


    The wolf continued to alternate between using ice, lightning, and wind de attacks, making the battleplex andplicated. They had to block each type of elemental attack with corresponding talents.


    As Orion watched, a frown appeared on his face. He noticed something strange.


    ''Why isn''t big sis using her time-rted talent?''


    He couldn''t understand why she would hide her talent. With it, the fight would be much easier. But he didn''tin. For his n to work, the fight needed to be prolonged.


    As for his sister not using her talent, he didn''t think too much about it. If she decided not to use it, there must be a reason.


    At that moment, Elyn''s attack caught his attention. She was swiftly attacking in between the attacks of the tinum rank experts.


    ''She is strong, very strong,'' Orion nodded. ''But she is also very strange. If only she were a nice girl.'' He shook his head in pity, thinking her beauty was wasted on her terrible personality.


    Sometimeter, the battle neared its end. The wolf suffered too many injuries and was bleeding heavily. Even though most of the injuries were light, their sheer number made it difficult for it to stand properly.


    Thinking of escaping from the blockade and finding relief, it dashed towards the edge of the arena, appearing before the iron rank experts.


    "OOWOOO!!!"


    ''It''s here,'' Orion smiled as he saw the wolf manage to get past all the attackers. He turned to look at Carl, who was also in this area. Carl was responsible for handling the wolf if it attacked this region.


    Carl smiled cruelly at Orion and moved to confront the wolf. Now that it was exhausted and nearing death, its strength had fallen from peak tinum rank to mid or low tinum rank. Handling the wolf should be easy for Carl if he didn''t mess it up.


    "Die!" Carl immediately attacked the wolf with hisrge transformed ck ming hands. At this moment, his hands were bigger than the ones he had used against Alice.


    However, nobody noticed a syringe in those big ck ming hands that soonnded on the wolf.


    BOOM!


    The wolf was blown away by the attack, leaving trails of blood in the air and mming onto the barrier of the boss arena.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 218: 218. Upgrade To Diamond

    After being struck by Carl''s enormous hand, the golden wolf mmed into the barrier and fell hard to the ground. Blood trickled from its mouth, and all the injuries on its body began to bleed profusely.


    ''It''s only a moment before the golden wolf dies,'' Orion thought gloomily, observing the wolf''s deteriorating condition. ''But if that happens, how will I proceed with my ns?''


    His face darkened as he watched the golden wolf take itsst breaths. All his ns depended on Carl, but it seemed he had misjudged him¡ªor so he thought.


    "Look! What''s happening to the wolf?!" one of the iron rank experts shouted, drawing everyone''s attention to the wolf.


    Orion''s eyes remained fixed on the wolf, witnessing the extraordinary events unfolding before him.


    When the golden wolf appeared to be close to dying, its body started floating in mid-air. Slowly, a glowing golden orb enveloped the creature, surrounding it in a sheltering cocoon.


    Only the shining golden sphere could be seen from the outside, peacefully hovering in the air, showing no signs of the previously dying wolf inside. The sphere emitted such bright light that it concealed all details of the changes happening within, creating a feeling of deep power and secrecy.


    A smile appeared on Orion''s face as he witnessed the golden wolf''s unexpected transformation. Though he didn''t fully understand what was happening, he knew it was advantageous as long as the battle continued. He only needed Carl to act quickly; only then could he execute his ns effectively.


    "It''s upgrading to diamond rank," the silver-haired man said in shock, staring at the shining golden sphere.


    Emily nodded. "The sphere enveloping a monster only appears when it''s about to upgrade."


    "It seems, at thest possible moment, it broke through its limit," said the middle-aged man who fought alongside Emily and the silver-haired man.


    "It will be a little difficult to kill it if it sessfully upgrades," Ethan said with a frown. However, nobody noticed the cunning look in his eyes.


    "We can''t do anything about it," the silver-haired man said with pity. "The sphere enveloping the monsters during upgrades is nearly impossible to break. At least, I''ve never heard of someone breaking the sphere."


    Every tinum rank expert nodded in agreement. None of them had ever heard of anyone breaking through the protective cell during a monster''s upgrade.


    "But it''s good," Ethan said, smiling as he looked at the other tinum rank experts. "I know none of us here have used our full power during the battle with the golden wolf, but if it sessfully upgrades, then we will have to unleash our full strength."


    "That is if it sessfully upgrades," the middle-aged man replied.


    "There are only 30% chances for tinum rank monsters to upgrade to diamond rank, so the chances are slim. But let''s see what happens," Emily added.


    Orion''s ears perked up as he listened to their conversation, finally understanding what was happening to the monster.


    ''So, it''s going to upgrade,'' he thought, but something seemed suspicious. ''Why is no one questioning how it suddenly started upgrading? Is this normal?''


    Not knowing much about dungeons or monsters, Orion realized that there were many things that seemedmonce to others but were foreign to him.


    ''Looks like I''ll have to read some books on dungeons and monsters when I get back home,'' he mused.


    Orion then turned his gaze to Carl and noticed that he was looking at the golden sphere with a crazed expression on his face.


    "Is the upgrade his doing?" he wondered. Thest hit to the monster had been Carl''s, and seeing his crazed expression, Orion suspected that it might be his doing. But at the same time, it could all be a coincidence.


    Crack!¡ª


    At that moment, a cracking sound drew Orion''s attention back to the golden sphere.


    Crack¡ª


    He saw the sphere begin to fissure from all sides, little by little.


    "Hahaha, it''s sessfully upgraded!" Ethanughed.


    But not everyone shared his enthusiasm. The middle-aged man looked worried. He understood that even though they hadn''t used their full strength against the peak tinum rank boss, the upgraded diamond rank boss would be in a different ss altogether.


    "It will be very difficult," he thought.


    As time passed, the cracks continued to spread across every part of the sphere until itpletely shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.


    CRACK!¡ª


    A dazzling blue wolf appeared from the broken sphere, its fur shining with a supernatural light. Golden bands decorated its smooth physique, following borate designs that appeared to shine with each motion.


    Despite the clear aura of power emanating from its body, the wolf had surprisingly decreased in size. It appeared almost like a regr wolf now, its earlier impressive size transformed into a sleeker and more nimble form.


    Nheless, its eyes continued to shine with the same powerful fervor, showcasing the immense strength it had acquired from its change.


    The wolf''s transformation shocked everyone. Its former golden coat had changed to a dazzling blue hue, while its once big body had reduced in size to that of a regr wolf. Although smaller in size, the creature still managed to captivate the attention of everyone who observed its presence. Many had their first experience of seeing a diamond rank monster, and may never see one again.


    The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation, filled with wide-eyed amazement at the astonishing scene in front of them.


    Nevertheless, this moment was not enjoyed by all. The less experienced iron ranked experts had a hard time coping with the strong pressureing from the blue wolf. They broke out in a heavy sweat, their bodies shaking uncontrobly while trying to resist the immense strength of the changed creature.


    "Let''s attack and kill this thing quickly before it gets ustomed to its new powers!" Ethan shouted.


    Emily and the others nodded in agreement. They understood that if the blue wolf became familiar with its newfound strength, it would be significantly more challenging to defeat. Determined not to give the wolf any more time to adjust, they prepared for their assault.


    However, just as they prepared to attack the wolf, it vanished from its location, reappearing instantaneously in front of Carl, a lightning bomb clenched in its maw.


    Carl was caught off guard but managed to react swiftly. He brought his massive ck sword in front of him, and with a surge of his talent, he increased its size even more. Bracing himself, he held on tightly, knowing that this was all he could do in that critical moment.


    The wolf released the lightning bomb from its mouth, sending it hurtling straight at Carl. It collided with his sword, and in an instant, a sphere of lightning enveloped him. Carl screamed in agony as electricity surged through his body, wrapping around him like a relentless storm.


    Everyone watched in stunned silence¡ªeveryone except the tinum rank experts, who had already sprung into action.


    Ethan appeared beside Carl, his hand glowing with a purple light. With a swift, decisive movement, he plunged his hand into the lightning sphere, gripping Carl and yanking him out of the electric onught.


    Almost instantly, Emily and the silver-haired manunched their attacks on the wolf.


    Emily, moving like a blur, appeared in front of the wolf and swung her sword. To the onlookers, and even to the wolf, her strike seemed slow and easily avoidable. The wolf dodged to the side, but surprisingly, the sword still connected with its calf. A deep scar appeared on its body, and the wolf howled in pain.

 Chapter 219: 219. Carl makes his move

    The sudden attack left everyone, including the wolf, in stunned surprise. The beast, caught off guard, quickly retreated, wary of another assault from her.


    Just as it sought distance, the silver-haired man''s attack followed¡ªa red spear-like projectile, spinning rapidly, flew toward the wolf with deadly speed.


    This time, however, the wolf''s agility was on point. It deftly evaded the spinning spear, narrowly escaping its lethal trajectory.


    Before the wolf could fully recover, Ethan appeared in a sh of purple. He extended his hands with a swift, fluid motion.


    In a dazzling disy reminiscent of a light show, ten purple beams shot from his fingertips, speeding toward the wolf like guided missiles. These beams were faster and more precise than those he had previously unleashed against Alice.


    The wolf reacted with impressive speed, dodging eight of the beams. But the remaining two struck their mark, eliciting a pained growl from the beast as it staggered from the impact.


    "OOWWWOOO!!!!!"


    The wolf howled in agony, its eyes glowing red with rage as it stared at Ethan.


    "Attack, everyone!" Ethanmanded. The long-range attackers, jolted into action by his shout, unleashed a barrage of projectiles. Lightning arrows, fire swords, wind des, and simple throwing spears all shot towards the wolf at high speed.


    Orion joined in, hurling bombs made from the curse of Detonating Flesh. He didn''t want to be the only one not participating in the assault.


    As the attacks hurtled towards it, the wolf attempted to dodge. To its dismay, it found itself trapped in the corner of the barrier, surrounded by peak tinum rank experts.


    "OOWWOOO!"


    Despite its predicament, the wolf let out a desperate howl. It seemed to activate a power within itself, causing its color to shift rapidly: from blue to red, then orange, green, and ck, before finally returning to its original blue.


    "Crap!" Ethan cursed as he realized something. "Everyone, step back!"


    However, his shout came toote. A surge of elemental attacks erupted from the wolf''s body, as if unleashed by a bolt of lightning. Fireballs asrge as the wolf itself, lightning bolts, wind des, stone spears, and ice spikes all shot towards the peak tinum rank experts blocking its path.


    Emily reacted swiftly, appearing a short distance away from the wolf as if by teleportation. Ethan, in a sh of purple light, also zoomed back, leaving behind the silver-haired man, the middle-aged man, and the others.


    Though they couldn''t move as quickly as Emily and Ethan, they weren''t entirely helpless. Instead, they used different approach to protect themselves from the oing onught.


    The silver haired man shouted, "Everyone, punch the ground."


    As if they understood something, all the tinum Rank experts simultaneously punched the ground, causing the entire arena to quake violently.


    The tremor disrupted the wolf''s footing, making it stagger and falter. In its disoriented state, the wolf''s attacks, previously aimed with precision, spiraled erratically in all directions.


    The elemental attacks from the wolf collided with the barriers, some even veering towards the Silver Rank and Iron Rank experts.


    However, these individualscked the speed of Emily and Ethan, and their defenses were no match for these attacks. As a result, they were unable to withstand the onught and ended up dead.


    Not only them, the attacks of the blue wolf reached each and every corner of the arena and all the people swept by the attack of the wolf died not one survived.


    Among them included a significant number of Iron and Silver rank experts. There were also numerous Gold rank experts who fell victim, caught off guard by the wolf''s chaotic onught.


    Ethan scanned the scene, his expression darkening as he took in the devastation.


    Their n had been to use the wolf to eliminate Orion, but it had disastrously backfired. With so many casualties, they would undoubtedly face intense scrutiny from their superiors. Ethan''s face twisted with worry as he pondered how he would exin the catastrophic failure to them.


    ''Damn, all of this is that kid''s fault,'' he cursed under his breath. ''But I can''t afford to lose myposure.''


    He forced himself to calm down. One major oversight had been the upgraded Diamond Rank monster''s strength, which far exceeded his previous expectations.


    ''But it''s still kible,'' he reassured himself, ncing at Emily and the other tinum Rank experts.


    "Let''s not give it any time to rest!" he shouted to them.


    They nodded and quickly readied themselves for another attack. However, as before, the wolf vanished from their sight and reappeared among the Iron Rank and Silver Rank experts.


    "Carl, hold that beast off for a while!" Damian shouted from across the arena, as the other tinum Rank experts hurried to his position.


    Carl nodded grimly. His previous encounter with the wolf had left him battered and scarred by lightning, but the memory of his failed attempt to kill Orion fueled his renewed determination.


    "Come at me!" he roared, drawing the wolf''s attention as it appeared in his vicinity.


    The wolf charged at him without hesitation. Carl responded by transforming his hands into enormous, formidable ck hands. He advanced toward the wolf, all the while keeping a wary eye on Orion''s position.


    Because Carl took the initiative, the wolf couldn''t channel its elemental attack, and its assault collided with Carl head-on.


    Boom!


    However, it was Carl who got sted back, and strangely, he stopped near Orion, looking at him with a sneer.


    Orion understood Carl''s intention and a look of panic crossed his face.


    But it was toote.


    The wolf attacked once more, this time conjuring a red me in its maw as it lunged toward Carl and Orion.


    Carl swiftly dodged the attack with his tinum rank speed, but Orion remained defenseless, standing there in shock.


    "Orion, move!!" His sister''s urgent shout pierced through the chaos.


    Orion saw the blue light emanating from her body and realized she was about to use her talent.


    ''No! I have to act fast,'' Desperation gripped him.


    He quickly retrieved the space tear from his space bracelet and held it up for everyone to see. Then, using the curse of Detonating Flesh, he caused the space tear to glow intensely. Following that, he activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance to shift into his dimension and vanished from the boss room.


    As the blinding purple light of Orion''s disappearance faded, the blue wolf''s attack arrived, followed closely by Emily. They were a moment toote.


    The attack missed Orion and struck the barrier, disintegrating into nothingness.


    Emily frowned as she surveyed the empty spot where Orion had vanished. "He used the Space Tear!" she said, surprised but relieved that he had such a powerful artifact; otherwise, the situation could have been much worse.


    "That was the Space Tear, right?" Carl asked, appearing in a sh of purple light.


    Emily nodded. Though she was curious about where Orion had obtained such a treasure, she was d he was safe.


    "It''s good that he escaped," Carl agreed, but inwardly he cursed Orion. He couldn''t believe they had gone to such lengths to kill him, only for him to escape while so many had died. He felt bitter and frustrated that their target had managed to slip away.


    "OWOOO!"


    "Let''s kill his beast and get this over with," he spat in anger as he saw the wolf running towards them.

 Chapter 220: 220. I am no one

    From within his own dimension, Orion could see and hear everything happening in the arena. He listened to the brief conversation between his sister and Carl about him, and sighed in relief that his n had worked.


    ''Now, the only thing I need to do is wait¡ªfor them to kill the boss,'' he thought.


    If he wanted to, he could reappear as the attacker and kill them all right now, but that would raise suspicion. There were too many witnesses, and it would seem too coincidental for the attacker to appear right after Orion disappeared. This would definitely draw attention to him. So, he decided to wait until they finished with the boss.


    ''They should be able to kill it, right?'' Doubt crept into Orion''s mind.


    After upgrading to diamond rank, the boss had be significantly more powerful and faster. Orion wondered if they would be able to defeat it.


    ''If they can''t, I''ll have to intervene at thest possible moment,'' he resolved, waiting patiently in his dimension.


    ***


    On the other side, after the wolf saw its attack miss, it locked its gaze on Emily and Carl. Remembering the strangeness of Emily''s previous attack, it decided to attack from a distance.


    "OOWWOOO!"


    The wolf howled, and as if casting a spell, fire, ice, and lightning elements swirled around it beforeunching towards Emily and Carl in the distance.


    "Let''s kill this beast and get it over with," Carl spat in anger as he watched the wolf circling them.


    He dodged the wolf''s elemental attacks, his purple-glowing body moving seamlessly like aser light. In a sh, he appeared behind the wolf.


    At that moment, his entire body radiated a bright purple before shooting a thick beam of purple light, as wide as his body, towards the wolf.


    Though the wolf managed to react to Carl''s movement, it failed to dodge the attack. The intense purple beam collided with its body, sending it tumbling across the ground until it crashed into the barrier at the far end of the arena.


    The wolf growled in agony as it struggled to stand up.


    Burn marks appeared all over the wolf''s body, and its once beautiful blue hide had turned pitch ck.


    It didn''t have time to catch its breath when Emily suddenly appeared in front of it, attacking with her slow-moving sword. Just like before, the wolf failed to dodge, despite attempting to move away.


    But this time, the injury was severe. If not for its thick hide, the wolf''s body would have been sliced into pieces.


    It screamed in agony and tried to run away, but it was futile.


    The silver-haired man intercepted the wolf and attacked with five spear-like constructs.


    Already severely injured from Emily''s attack, the wolf couldn''t move well. It failed to dodge and suffered yet another grievous injury.


    "OWOO!"


    The wolf screamed again, once more conjuring a chaotic, uncontrolled attack of swirling elemental energies.


    But at that moment, the middle-aged man appeared above it, his hammer striking down with all his might.


    The wolf was mmed to the ground, its attack interrupted midway, causing it to cough blood.


    It was now once again on its deathbed.


    But it didn''t give up. It stood on its four feet and red at those who had injured it, growling in anger.


    At that moment, its body also began to glow with a bright blue light, but whatever it was trying to do was interrupted as Carl appeared beside it. This time, his hands were of normal size, but they carried pitch-ck mes.


    "Die, you wolf!" he shouted, mming the mes onto the wolf before quickly stepping back.


    Almost instantly, the wolf was engulfed in ck mes. It tried to use its water element to extinguish the fire, but it was no use. Instead, the mes burned with even more intensity.


    "Owooo!"


    A low growl escaped the wolf''s mouth as it felt its flesh burning. Despite its thick and strong hide, it could only endure the attack for so long.


    However, no one noticed the faint blue glow that remained on the wolf. Since Carl''s initial attack, the wolf hadn''t stopped whatever it was attempting to do.


    And now, it hadpleted its task.


    Everyone watched as the wolfy motionless on the ground, its body burning with pitch-ck mes.


    "Huh, it''s dead," Carl snarled. He had been in a bad mood since Orion''s escape, so he used his most lethal attack on the wolf, and hence the result was what he wanted or so he thought.


    It was at that moment, the wolf''s body began to float in the air, glowing with an intense blue light. The brightness was so powerful that it extinguished the ck mes burning its body.


    "NO! It''s about to detonate!" Emily eximed.


    "Damn," Ethan cursed as he heard her and shouted, "Carl, step back!"


    "No, it''s no use. If it detonates, at least half of the people here will die," Emily said, her voice anxious for the first time. "We have to destroy its body, or else all the people below Gold rank will perish, and even some Gold rank experts might not survive."


    "Let''s do as you say then," Ethan nodded. He couldn''t afford more losses in the dungeon. So many had already died, and any addition would only worsen their situation.


    He immediately sprang into action and shed before the monster.


    Emily also arrived in front of the monster, about to unleash her most powerful attack when something strange happened.


    They saw the monster''s body start to be invisible, piece by piece, until it fully disappeared from the boss arena.


    "It''s gone?" Ethan was dumbfounded. He moved closer to the area where the boss had been, touching here and there to see if it had merely be invisible, but his hands met only empty air.


    "It''s really gone," he eximed in surprise.


    Emily also checked and found that the monster was indeed gone.


    "It not only disappeared, but its physical body ispletely gone," she muttered to herself.


    "Who could have done this?" Ethan asked, hearing her. The ability to move things from one space to another was powerful, but if someone with such a talent was already here, why hadn''t they helped with the boss monster?


    "It was me."


    At that moment, a rough and low-pitched voice echoed through the dungeon. The voice was so loud that everyone heard it.


    Almost instantly, Ethan, Emily, and all the tinum rank experts sensed something and spun toward a direction, seeing a figure standing there.


    He wore a pitch-ck cloak radiating dark energy, and a white mask covered his face.


    "It was me who took the monster away."


    Hearing the hooded and masked figure, Ethan nodded and was about to ask his identity when he felt an overwhelming pressure descending upon him, nearly forcing him to kneel.


    It wasn''t just him.


    Everyone in the dungeon felt the same pressure. The Iron, Silver, and Gold rank experts kneeledpletely, while the tinum rank experts managed to hold on but struggled under the weight.


    "W-who are you?" Ethan asked, his voice shaking as he tried to withstand the pressure.


    "I am... no one," the figure''s low-pitched voice replied. "I just came here to kill some ants."


    "Kill?" Ethan''s face darkened upon hearing the figure. He had no doubt that the man in front of them could indeed kill them like ants, given the aura he was emitting. Yet, there were too many mysteries surrounding this figure.


    First, this was a tinum rank dungeon, designed to handle at most weak Diamond rank experts like the boss that had just died. But the pressure this figure was emitting was far beyond Diamond rank.


    Second, no one above tinum rank experts should be able to enter the dungeon. So, the arrival of this masked figure was truly shocking.


    "How did you get here?" Emily asked, her face icy cold.


    "I can go anywhere in this world," the cloaked figure smirked.


    He then added, "I''m here to kill some ants, and there are four of them."

 Chapter 221: 221. Deaths

    Ethan''s eyes narrowed at the figure''s words. Four of them? He didn''t believe in coincidences, but there were exactly four individuals in question¡ªhimself, Carl, Damian, and Ogos. This made him suspect that the masked figure was there specifically to kill them.


    Carl and the others quickly grasped the situation, and panic gripped their hearts. They understood that if someone this powerful wanted to kill them, they would indeed die like ants, with no hope of rescue.


    "And who are they?" Emily asked, her voice tinged with dread.


    The cloaked figure didn''t answer. Instead, he began walking toward Carl.


    Seeing the mysterious figure approach, Carl''s panic intensified. His heart raced with every step the masked figure took.


    "W-why do you want to kill me?" Carl asked, his voice trembling.


    The cloaked figure chuckled softly, the sound eerie and unsettling.


    "I can''t give you a definitive answer," he replied, his tone almost yful. "But I can offer a few possibilities. Perhaps it''s because of a family that opposes you? Or maybe it''s the assassins from Hades Reaper? Could it be that someone offered me significant treasures for your death? Or maybe I simply find you an inconvenience here?


    The reasons are many. If you can figure out the true motive, maybe you can find some peace before the end."


    A shiver ran down Carl''s spine as the masked figure''s words sank in.


    "No, no! You can''t kill me!" Carl protested, stumbling backward, his voice filled with desperation. "My family is part of the Archons and the Dungeon Management Association. If you kill me, they''lle after you¡ªyour family, everyone you care about!"


    The masked figure''s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile as he listened to Carl''s desperate pleas.


    "Threatening in the face of death? Isn''t that a ssic!" He said with a chillingugh.


    In an instant, the cloaked figure materialized directly in front of Carl, who was now pressed against the barrier of the boss arena.


    "Done running?" he taunted, his voice dripping with dark amusement.


    "Die," however, Carl surprisinglyunched a desperate attack, his fist zing with ck mes.


    But to his horror, his hand passed straight through the cloaked figure as though it were nothing more than a wisp of smoke.


    "NO! How could this be?" Carl''s eyes widened in disbelief. He punched again and again, each strike meeting the same unnerving emptiness. His blows seemed to pass through the figure without leaving a mark, as if he were striking thin air.


    "Please, no, don''t kill me!" Carl''s voice cracked, his once defiant stance copsing into a desperate plea. Sobs and tears mingled with his pleas, the realization sinking in that the being before him was beyond his reach, untouchable and indifferent.


    The cloaked figure regarded Carl with a cold, almost admiring nod. "That was brave of you, I''ll give you that," he said, his tone almost approving. "But ultimately, it was all in vain."


    He closed the distance between them, his presence looming over Carl with a suffocating finality. Face to face, his voice was a chilling whisper, "Anyst words?"


    "Don''t kill me," Carl begged once more, his voice barely a whisper, choked with fear.


    The cloaked figure shook his head, a faint smirk ying on his lips. "I can''t do that. I''ve made a contract, and I must see it through."


    With a final, decisive snap of his fingers, the cloaked figure sealed Carl''s fate.


    Snap!


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, Carl was enveloped in searing mes¡ªpitch-ck, insidious fire that mirrored his own dark mes but was infinitely more intense.


    "Aaaagghhh!"


    The agonizing scream shattered the eerie silence of the boss arena. The sound was visceral and haunting, making even the bravest of souls tremble in terror.


    The crowd''s fear heightened as they beheld the masked figure responsible for this horrifying disy, their imaginations running wild with the terror that they too might be on the list of the next victims.


    "SOMEONE HELP ME!"


    Desperation filled the air with Carl''s cry for salvation, but the arena remained paralyzed by dread. No one moved, paralyzed by their own terror, as they witnessed his suffering.


    "Aggghhh!"


    Carl''s screams reverberated off the walls, a chilling symphony of despair that echoed endlessly through the arena. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the arena fell into a dreadful silence.


    His cries faded, his body consumed by the inferno, leaving only ashes to drift away in the cold, unfeeling wind.


    "One down."


    At that moment, the clocked figure''s ominous voice sounded.


    He then looked at the crowd and asked in amusement, "Can you guess who the next one is?"


    However, the crowd only trembled in fear when he asked such question to them.


    "Anyone?" He looked at everyone in the arena but no one said anything.


    A visible sigh escaped his mask when he saw that no one responded to him.


    "You guys sure are boring," he shook his head in disappointment.


    He then turned his head to Damian who stood hide behind other people, cowering in fear.


    Damian''s gaze darted desperately toward the cloaked figure''s eyes that was emotionlessly staring at him, and as ifpelled by an unseen force, he sank to his knees and kowtowed, his body trembling uncontrobly.


    "Please, don''t kill me," he begged, his voice cracking with terror. Tears streamed down his face as he pleaded, "I beg you, spare me."


    His desperate pleas hung in the air, only met by the cold, indifferent snap of the cloaked figure''s fingers.


    Snap!


    The sound was sharp and final, cutting through Damian''s cries.


    "NOOOO!"


    Damian''s scream pierced the dungeon''s gloom, but his agony was short-lived. Almost immediately, his body, like Carl''s before him, was consumed by an inferno of ck mes.


    "Aaaagghhh!"


    His screams reverberated through the dungeon, a haunting echo that instilled fear in everyone present, amplifying their terror with each passing moment.


    And with that, Damian''s fate was sealed, his body turning to ashes just like Carl''s.


    The cloaked figure chuckled lightly and then turned his gaze to his third target.


    "Now, everyone should know who my next two targets are, right?"


    No one responded.


    The masked figure disregarded the terrified crowd and focused on a well-built man in the distance.


    "You''re next," he said, pointing at him. "Anyst words?"


    "No, just make it quick," Ogos replied, his face resigned to his fate.


    The cloaked figure nodded. "Very well."


    Snap!


    With a snap of his fingers, Ogos was engulfed in mes. He didn''t even have time to scream before he turned to ashes and scattered away.


    "Now, only one remains."


    The cloaked figure then turned his attention to Ethan and began walking toward him.


    "You know, it''s really difficult to kill you guys in Archons," he said, his eyes locked on Ethan. "So when I saw you leaving that ce, I followed you here to this dungeon."


    Ethan''s fists were clenched so tightly that blood began to seep through his knuckles. The grim reality settled over him like a shroud¡ªsurvival was a distant hope, and he had resigned himself to the certainty of death.


    Since the masked figure had first approached Carl, Ethan had been desperately searching for an escape, but the harsh truth was inescapable: no force could alter his fate.


    As the cloaked figure loomed before him, Ethan''s voice trembled with a mix of desperation and resignation. "Can you spare me?"


    The masked figure''s reply wasced with cold pity. "I can''t."


    Tears welled up in Ethan''s eyes, but his voice hardened with a cruel eptance. "Then do what you must."


    No sooner had the words left his lips than his body began to swell and distort.


    "Detonation? Really?" The masked figure said, shaking his head with detached calmness before snapping his fingers.


    Before Ethan could be consumed by the explosive force of his own body, he was enveloped in a surge of ck mes. The inferno consumed him swiftly, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.

 Chapter 222: 222. Panic of the crowd

    Everyone was horrified when they saw the masked figure really kill Ethan''s group of four. They had the backing of the powerful Dungeon Management Association, yet the hooded figure didn''t hesitate to eliminate them.


    "It''s done," the masked figure sighed in relief and turned to address the crowd. "Should I kill all of you too? At least that way, nobody would me their deaths on me."


    His words made the crowd tremble in fear. Even Emily clenched her fists tightly, her face covered in sweat. As strong as she was, she knew she was no match for the hooded figure.


    ''No one here can match him,'' she thought, her heart heavy with dread.


    "Ah, I was just kidding. No need to worry, haha," the masked figure chuckled. "My task here is done. See ya."


    With that, the masked man disappeared from the dungeon, leaving a trembling crowd sighing in relief.


    Emily also calmed down after he left, but she knew the deaths of the four from the Dungeon Management Association would bring endless trouble.


    The Celestial Court and Archons would definitely be angered, and all the people in the dungeon would be dragged into the nightmare that would follow.


    A storm that would soon envelop the entire Magus Kingdom was upon them, with them at its center.


    ''But who was he?'' Emily wondered. She had never heard of anyone entering a dungeon with strength that clearly exceeded its limits. But she didn''t dwell on it and focused on the task at hand.


    Looking at the nervous crowd, she said, "Let''s leave the dungeon. But remember this¡ªif the people from the Dungeon Management Association ask what happened, be sure to tell them what you saw, lest you want to regret it."


    The crowd nodded heavily. They understood the power behind the four was immense, so they couldn''t afford to lie.


    Seeing the crowd calm down after a while, Emily said, "Let''s go."


    She took the lead and left the boss room, followed by the other tinum rank experts. The crowd exited soon after, leaving only the silver-haired man standing there.


    "They are dead, they are really dead..." he muttered to himself, his eyes wide with terror. "Archons... this world shall know the wrath of Archons once again."


    He sighed and left as well.


    ***


    After leaving the dungeon, everyone headed straight towards the entrance. Since this dungeon was an open dungeon, the portal leading outside appeared at the entrance.


    Soon, they reached their destination and saw some people already there, but they weren''t surprised. Not many had the courage to enter a boss room, so many waited where the portal would appear. This wasmon in dungeons.


    Emily immediately searched for Orion but found no trace of him.


    "He''s not here," she frowned, concerned.


    She decided to wait, thinking he might have gone to hunt monsters to level up.


    Meanwhile, people started to leave the dungeon one by one. Soon, only the tinum rank experts remained.


    "Who?!" the middle-aged man suddenly shouted, looking behind him.


    Not just him, everyone felt as if someone had just touched their back.


    "What was that?" a tinum rank expert asked feeling very strange about what happened just now.


    "I don''t know. It felt like someone touched my back, but there was no one there," said the middle-aged man.


    "Me too, I also felt as if someone touched me from behind."


    "I felt the same."


    The remaining people looked at each other not sure what happened just now.


    "Could it be that masked guy?" The middle aged man spected.


    Everyone sweated as they heard him. To be touched by a killer who didn''t even bat an eye to kill people from the Dungeon Management Association was like being touched by death itself.


    Emily frowned, looking at them. She hadn''t experienced anything like that so she couldn''t understand what they were talking about.


    Though she did heard everyone''s shout which made her feel very suspicious about this whole situation.


    As more time passed, some tinum rank experts began to leave, leaving only those with good connections to Emily.


    "Big Sis!" a shout sounded from the distance, and a figure could be seen approaching.


    Hearing the voice, Emily''s frown eased, and she sighed in relief.


    "Where were you?" she asked Orion angrily when he arrived in front of her.


    "Haha, I was hunting wolves, trying to level up to the peak of the iron rank," Orion said, embarrassed.


    Emily took a deep breath and calmed down. As much as she wanted to scold him, she knew this wasn''t the right time or ce.


    "Keep quiet the whole time we are outside, understand?" she said solemnly.


    Orion nodded but asked in confusion, "What happened?"


    "You''ll know after we leave. But remember not to utter a single word out there," she warned him again.


    Orion nodded.


    "Alright, let''s leave now," she said to Orion and the few others who were with her.


    Everyone nodded and walked into the portal, disappearing from the dungeon.


    ***


    Outside the hilly region of the dungeon, many people stood with their faces covered in sweat. These were the same people who had left the dungeon but couldn''t leave until it fully closed. This was the rule in any dungeon: one couldn''t leave the dungeon area if all the people hadn''t left or if the dungeon hadn''t fully closed.


    For those who knew what had transpired inside, waiting felt like an eternity.


    Soon, Orion also appeared outside the dungeon. Seeing the anxious crowd, he understood there might be some procedure needed before they could leave the area.


    "Let''s wait for the dungeon to close," Emily said to the people who hade with her.


    They nodded and stood aside with the crowd, waiting for the dungeon to close down.


    At this moment, Everyone''s attention was drawn to the void shuttle in the distance. It was the same void shuttle that Carl and the others had arrived in.


    They were all staring at the void shuttle, hoping that the three old men who came with Carl''s group wouldn''te out.


    They were outside when they entered the dungeon but nowhere to be seen when they left, so everyone concluded they must be inside their void shuttle.


    But at that moment, the thing the crowd feared the most happened.


    The entrance to the void shuttle opened, and three old men walked outside. Their presence immediately silenced the crowd, a palpable tension filling the air.

 Chapter 223: 223. Nightmare For the Three Old Man

    Everyone''s heart started beating like a drum when the three old men stepped out of the void shuttle.


    But they couldn''t do anything and could only watch everything unfold.


    "They aren''t here?" one of the old men asked, surprised that the four hadn''t left the dungeon yet.


    "Look, the portal is still active. That means there are people in the dungeon. It must be them," another old man said, pointing at the glowing portal atop the hill.


    The first old man nodded and said with some dissatisfaction, "They are sure taking their time exploring the dungeon."


    The second old man shrugged. "Young Master Carl''s identity makes him arrogant, and Young Master Ethan''s background is even more mysterious than Young Master Carl''s, so we can''t do anything about them." He shook his head helplessly.


    "Huh, I know," the first old man nodded, still dissatisfied.


    Meanwhile, the third old man, who appeared even older than the other two, noticed the peculiar atmosphere in the crowd.


    "Something is wrong here," he muttered, looking at the anxious expressions of the people in the crowd.


    He could see that they were panicking for some reason, their eyes constantly darting in the direction of the old men.


    "Huh? What happened, Zim?" the second old man asked when he heard Zim.


    "Lary, don''t you see the strange expressions in the crowd?" Zim signaled with his eyes.


    Lary frowned upon hearing him, then turned to look at the crowd and saw the anxious expressions.


    "There is definitely something wrong here!" Lary eximed.


    The first old man also looked grim. "You are right. These people are acting strange."


    He thought for a moment, his expression darkening. "Could something have happened to the young masters?"


    Zim shook his head. "That would be impossible. With their strength, they should be invincible in the dungeon."


    He was very sure of that, especially since he had experienced Ethan''s strength firsthand.


    But at that moment, Lary''s trembling voice rang in his ear.


    "L-look!!"


    Zim turned to look at where Lary pointed, and his expression turned aghast. "No, how could this be possible? How could the dungeon be closing down when our young masters haven''t left yet?"


    "It''s over, it''s over, it''s over for us," the first old man muttered in despair as he watched the glow of the portal disappear.


    "The dungeon is closed, but the young masters haven''t left," Lary said, still in shock, unable to process what he had just witnessed.


    As if recalling something, he turned his attention to the crowd, his expression desperate. "They¡ªthey must know what happened to them."


    Zim''s eyes turned sinister as he heard Lary and turned his attention to the crowd. "Yeah! Them! They might know something."


    He was about to go and interrogate them when the first old man said, "Maybe the young masters already exited the dungeon while we were in the shuttle and went ahead to explore the Heaven City."


    A glimmer of hope appeared in Zim''s eyes as he heard him.


    Lary also nodded, believing that to be the case.


    "Let''s go and make sure that''s the case," Zim said, immediately flying andnding before the crowd, followed by the other two old men.


    The people in the crowd had their backs drenched in sweat, their hearts beating like thunder when they saw the three old men appear before them.


    It felt like their doom hade, seeing the desperate expressions on the three old men''s faces.


    "Tell me, where are Young Master Carl and the others?" Zim asked, his expression hopeful as he looked at the crowd.


    But what he got was pin-drop silence. Nobody spoke, not even a word. All the people had their heads down as if they had done something guilty.


    The three old men''s hearts turned cold when they saw the crowd''s reaction, and a feeling of unrest arose in their hearts.


    "Have they already left?" Zim asked again.


    But still, no one said anything.


    The three old men looked at each other and saw the horror in each other''s eyes. They understood that something might have happened in the dungeon that took the lives of their young masters.


    In fact, they had already suspected something like that when they first saw the crowd''s expressions.


    But they refused to believe it, thinking it was impossible for the young masters to die in a tinum-rank dungeon.


    However, the truth was in front of them, and the only thing left was someone''s ount of what had urred in the dungeon that led to their young masters'' deaths.


    "No, this is impossible," the first old man shook his head.


    He looked at the crowd, his eyes red with anger, or perhaps with grief at the loss of their young masters.


    "You!" He immediately went ahead and grabbed the first man he saw. "Tell me, what happened in the dungeon. If you dare to conceal even a little thing, your entire family will be exterminated."


    The man trembled when the old man caught him, so scared that tears streamed down his face. The poor man was one of the few silver-rank experts who survived the dungeon, only to be caught by a threat even bigger than the dungeon.


    "I-I will tell you, I will tell you everything," he immediately agreed, his voice trembling with panic.


    "T-the boss of the dungeon was a golden wolf of peak tinum rank..."


    The more the man exined, the more serious their faces became until he reached the part where the hooded man appeared and killed Carl''s group of four.


    At that point, the three old men''s faces turned red with anger, only to be reced by despair and hopelessness.


    They really died¡ªkilled by a man wearing a mask.


    But they soon calmed down. They understood that they had to investigate the situation carefully, and panicking wouldn''t help.


    The silver-rank man then went on to exin everything the hooded man bbered when he was killing them, to the point of repeating his exact words.


    The poor man was so frightened that he spilled everything from start to end without leaving anything out.


    "A man wearing a white mask, in aplete ck cloak of energy, with strength beyond diamond rank, could control ck mes and...no one could touch him?" Zim once again recalled the description of the hooded man and looked at the other two old men.


    "Lary, Dane, do you know anyone with this description?" he asked.


    Lary and Dane both shook their heads.


    "I also don''t recall anyone like this man," Zim said grimly. "Also, how did he enter the dungeon with such strength?"


    Lary shook his head. "This matter is beyond us now. It''s better if we inform the Archons and the Dungeon Management Association about this."


    "Yeah, we can''t ck off when something this big has happened," Dane said, agreeing with Lary.


    "Alright, let''s go and inform them first," Zim nodded and turned his attention to the crowd. "Dane, you stay here and investigate these people about the hooded man. After that, go and inform Emperor Maximus and Kane about this."


    He added atst: "Tell them the Archons will be visiting the Magus Kingdom in a month''s time."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 224: 224. Suspicion on Curse Lord

    As nned, Zim and Lary left to inform the Dungeon Management Association about the deaths of the four young masters, and Dane stayed behind.


    "Do any of you know anything about the masked individual?" he asked, his eyes examining each person in the crowd for any change in expression.


    To his surprise, many people''s expressions did change when he asked them about the masked man.


    "Tell me, what do you know?" He grabbed one of the people whose expression changed the most.


    The man panicked being held by Dane. "I-I only know that the mask he wore has recently be famous."


    "How so?" Dane asked.


    The man took a deep breath and said, "There was a man who called himself Curse Lord who wore this mask a few days ago but..."


    "But what?" Dane urged.


    The man continued, "But his strength was only at the gold rank, and he looked different and talked differentpared to the guy who killed them."


    Dane pondered. He knew a person with the strength of the gold rank wouldn''t be a suspect, but this was the only lead they had so far, so he had no choice but to look more into this matter.


    "Do you have any pictures?" he asked the trembling man.


    "I-I have," the man immediately began to fiddle with his universal bracelet, and articles of holographic images passed above his bracelet until he stopped suddenly.


    "This is him!" He pointed at the man in the mask to Dane.


    Dane looked at the image on the article and read the information below too.


    "So, someone tried to be a hero, huh," Dane muttered. "But no one knows who he is..."


    After reading the details, he found this individual very mysterious. There were no records of this man before his recent appearance, and the most shocking thing it mentioned was that his strength was only at the iron rank.


    "A masked man who calls himself Curse Lord has the strength at peak gold rank only at iron rank," Dane found this man very interesting. "But this guy shouldn''t be him. He is just a kid who has a very powerful talent and decided to y hero by hiding behind a mask to kill the demons."


    He couldn''t believe that an iron rank individual would have the strength of a diamond rank. Even the strength of peak gold rank surprised him, let alone diamond rank.


    No one should possess the strength of diamond rank at iron rank. It was humanly impossible. This wasmon knowledge, and Dane also believed in this.


    So hepletely set aside this Curse Lord out of the equation. He believed someone who could enter the dungeon with them guarding the portal should possess strength at the diamond rank at the least.


    And most importantly, they couldn''t even sense him when he came and went out of the dungeon. Only someone stronger than them should have the strength to aplish that feat¡ªsomeone above the diamond rank.


    Moreover, there was another reason that made him believe Curse Lord couldn''t be that person.


    In the picture of the article, it clearly showed that he was using fire and ice as his strength. This made Dane suspect that Curse Lord should have the legendary dual talents of fire and ice and hence his incredible strength at gold rank when he was just at the iron rank.


    Also, the man responsible for the killings had me talent, but it was ck mes. This made him believe that Curse Lord and the culprit werepletely different individuals.


    Thinking along these lines, he let the man go and looked at the crowd. "Aside from the Curse Lord, does any other individuale to mind?"


    The people in the crowd shook their heads.


    Dane frowned upon seeing that but he also understood that the culprit might be a trained assassin of some organization, and hencemon people might not know about them.


    At this moment, a thought crossed his mind.


    ''Could he be from the Archons?'' Dane pondered this. He heard thest man say that the culprit followed them all the way from the base of the Archons to this Magus Kingdom.


    But he didn''t know if what the man said was true or not. It could be a bait to draw their attention somewhere else, and yet at the same time, it could also be true.


    ''Damn, this is such a headache,'' he pinched the center of his nose and thought. ''I will first inform Emperor Maximus and Sword Sage about this. Maybe they would know something about this man.''


    With that thought in mind, he addressed the crowd, "You can go for now, but you cannot leave this for the time being."


    Although he understood the culprit couldn''t be among the crowd, he couldn''t let go of the possibility either.


    Also, people from the Archons would be arriving in about a month''s time, so he thought they might have something that could make them spill everything if anyone hid anything here.


    That was why he didn''t want them to leave.


    "How long do we have to stay here?" One of the people in the crowd took the courage to ask Dane.


    "One month."


    Dane looked at them and exined, "You guys will stay on this for one month. In that time, you are free to go anywhere on this, but you can''t leave."


    Everyone frowned when they heard the time they had to stay on the. It was too long.


    Many of these people came to this to explore the Heaven City, and when they heard about a dungeon opening in this ce, they came to clear it.


    But now they had to stay here for another month, which obviously didn''t sit well with many. However, like always, they didn''t say anything and could only silently ept what they were told.


    Orion, on the other hand, also wanted to leave this and visit his home as soon as possible. He couldn''t wait to tell his father about Carl''s family and the curse thing, but it seemed he could only ry this via the universal bracelet now. That was the only option he had at the moment.


    "Alright, you can go now," Dane dismissed them.


    Momentster, everyone left the hilly area, leaving only Dane standing alone in the ce.


    "Night," he whispered a word as if he were talking to himself.


    But at that moment, a woman revealed herself in front of him. She wore ck clothespletely covering her whole body and a veil covering her mouth. She appeared to be around herte twenties.


    "Gather a team and keep an eye on every individual that left just now," Dane ordered her. "Also, if you see anyone doing any suspicious activity, subdue that person and bring them to me."


    "As youmand."


    With those words, the woman disappeared from the ce.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 225: 225. Silver Fang

    "For the first time in a while, Archons will be entering any of the three domains," Dane muttered solemnly. "I just hope that Magus Kingdom prepared for everything, for even I don''t know what they might do here."


    He shook his head helplessly and entered his void shuttle, which then flew up and vanished into the sky.


    ---


    Inside the hotel:


    "So, why are you in a hurry toe to the hotel?" Emily asked, her eyes looking suspiciously at Orion.


    "I will tell you everything, but first let her go to her own room," Orion said, pointing at Elyn.


    Emily''s frown deepened at Orion''s words, but she listened to him this time and signaled Elyn with her eyes.


    "Humph!" Elyn grumpily left, leaving Emily and Orion alone.


    "Now, tell me," Emily said.


    Orion didn''t respond immediately, instead putting his hand on his chin in thought.


    A momentter, he looked at Emily and asked, "Big Sis, can you do something that makes anyone eavesdropping on our conversation feel as if we are just normally talking?"


    Emily''s eyes narrowed at his words. Her suspicion deepened. She had never seen him this serious about anything.


    Waving her hands, a blue sphere of light surrounded them, but she still did what Orion asked.


    "Now, tell me," she demanded.


    Orion nodded and exined about the curse families, why Carl and his four friends hade here, and everything he felt was connected to them.


    But the strange thing was that Emily didn''t show any shock until the very end¡ªuntil she realized something.


    She recalled how Orion vanished from the boss arena using Space Tear, the appearance of the masked man shortly after, and now, as she pieced the events together, she understood something.


    "It was you?" she asked in shock.


    "It was me," Orion nodded.


    Although he didn''t admit it earlier, it was clear when he mentioned those things to her. The death of the four of thembined with his revtion was too much of a coincidence.


    Emily would be a fool if she couldn''t connect the dots. She understood that the guy who killed Carl''s group was Orion, but she wasn''t clear about the means he gained such strength.


    "Tell father about this," Orion urged her.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. Our family already knows about the other two cursed families and also that one of the cursed families mighte after our family for the sacred wood in the ancestral chamber," Emily said with a calm expression.


    Orion was shocked upon hearing her, then he realized something.


    "Did I kill them for nothing?" he asked, his expression a little regretful.


    "No, you did a good thing," Emily patted him on the shoulder. "Although we did know about the other two families, we didn''t know about anything else¡ªabout who these two families are."


    She looked out the window and continued, "Now that we know one of the families is from Archons, we need time to prepare ordingly. So, you did the right thing, and... I would have done the same if I were in your shoes."


    At the end of her words, she sounded a little deste to Orion.


    She further said, her voice sounding solemn, "I will inform father and tell him about your information."


    Orion nodded and asked, "So, are we staying here for a month?"


    "Let''s see what I can do," Emily said, pondering.


    She added, "I will let you know in a few days."


    Orion nodded and said, "I will be hunting in the nearest jungle in a while. If you need anything, just contact me through the universal bracelet."


    "Wait, tell me first, what is the source of your diamond rank strength?" Emily asked.


    Orion sighed. He had expected her to ask such questions but had also hoped she might not dig into his secrets. Guess, he was wrong.


    "It''s rted to my talent," he gave a vague answer.


    Emily frowned, unsatisfied with Orion''s words, but she understood that the strength was a part of his talent and not anything bad.


    She then asked, "Are you the Curse Lord?"


    Orion nodded. "Yup, that person is indeed me."


    She nodded. "Alright, you can go now."


    "Big Sis, can you keep these things just between us?" Orion requested with a pitiful expression.


    Emily sighed and nodded. "Of course, Orion. Just be careful out there."


    Orion gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Big Sis. I will."


    After that, he left her room after that and headed to his own room. A very important task awaited his attention before he departed for the hunt.


    Arriving in his room, he locked the door and shut the windows.


    After that, he swung his hand in a swiping motion, and many things mysteriously dropped onto the floor out of nowhere.


    A total of three to be exact.


    A book, a sword, and a spherical object.


    These were the things he had obtained from the diamond rank boss monster.


    It had died in his dimension when it exploded, leaving these three things.


    Picking up the skill book, Orion directly stored it in his space bracelet and focused his attention on the other two.


    "The sword is nice," he could feel the sword was strong¡ªvery strongpared to many he had seen before.


    "And it''s heavy too."


    Although it was just a normal style sword, its weight was way beyond that for someone in the gold rank.


    He believed that even some strong tinum rank experts would have trouble wielding this sword effectively if they hadn''t upgraded their strength stat.


    "This sword should be in the diamond ranks," Orion murmured to himself, finding the sword very suitable for him.


    As he examined the sword carefully, he found some words etched onto the hilt.


    It mentioned "Silver Fang."


    "Silver Fang?" Orion found this name very amusing. "But it''s good. From now on, you will be my main weapon."


    Very satisfied with the sword, he kept it for himself and then turned his attention to thest item on the floor.


    Orion picked up the core of the diamond rank monster, and a notification appeared in his vision asking him whether he would absorb the core or not.


    He rejected it directly.


    After hunting and killing so many wolves in the dungeon, his stats had almost reached his peak.


    Only about 10 points were needed in each of his stats.


    Therefore, he didn''t want to waste a diamond rank core when he could easily increase his stats to peak by hunting a few monsters.


    So, he also stored the diamond rank core in his space bracelet forter use.


    "Now, all that''s left before I go hunting is to check how many of the curses I copied in the dungeon are useful for me," Orion muttered.


    He didn''t know the exact numbers, but as far as he could tell, he had almost copied around 50 curses.


    He would be happy if even five of them were useful to him.


    "Let''s check."


    Orion opened his status and began checking the descriptions of each curse one by one.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 226: 226. Seven New Curses

    About an hour or so of constantly checking all the new curses, he finally sorted out the good ones.


    ''There are seven of them.''


    He was a bit surprised that the number of useful curses was more than what he had expected, but he wasn''tining.


    The more curses, the better.


    The only problem he had, or would be having, was the limit to the number of curses he could have in iron rank.


    When he was in bronze rank, he unknowingly crossed the limit of the number of curses his body at that time could hold, resulting in him losing his consciousness due to a wave of intense negativity flooding his head.


    He still shivered, remembering how painful and disturbing that experience was, and he definitely wouldn''t want to go through something like that ever again.


    ''I can copy as many curses as I want, but I can''t activate them all.''


    He recalled that it was a curse he activated at that time that caused him to reach the limit.


    So, he understood that he could have as many curses as he wanted, but he couldn''t activate them all. That was the most important thing.


    ''I already have 9 curses, and I don''t know how much more I can add in.''


    He couldn''t tell if he was reaching the limit or not until he reached it. It wasn''t like when he used infinite energy; he could tell when his body was reaching the limit in that case, but with the number of curses, he couldn''t tell until the veryst moment when he activated the curse.


    ''But still, adding 7 more would make the number increase to 16, which should be within the limit of iron rank.''


    He recalled the number of curses in bronze rank was around that number too, so he reasoned that it shouldn''t be any problem in iron rank, considering iron rank was above bronze rank.


    ''It should work out,'' Orion thought before he checked his curses once again.


    [Curse: Reality Fracture, Berserk Body, Malevolent Gaze, Identity Strain, Devouring Abyss, Thunder''s Wrath, Temporal Rift, Radiant Burn, Lord Of Darkness, Rock Blockade, Light Body, Drowning Flesh, Shattered Mind, Cursed Pulse, Searing Constriction, Disintegration Aura]


    ''All these curses are very useful depending on their uses, and some of them could be directly used inbat.''


    Orion nodded, feeling very satisfied with his arsenal of new curses.


    ''All that remains now is to reach the peak of iron rank and upgrade to the silver rank.''


    Understanding that even though he was strong, his strength couldn''t help his family if he couldn''t fully face those tinum rank experts.


    So, he was in a way very impatient to upgrade himself, especially knowing that Archons and the Dungeon Management Association would be at their doorsteps in a month or even sooner.


    ''Maybe that was the reason I have been feeling so uneasy these days,'' he thought with a grim expression.


    At this moment, he also remembered Alice and what she said before she left.


    ''She mentioned since they were killed, she will return home,'' he thought. But she didn''t answer when he asked where her home was located and departed after a quick chat with him.


    ''She looked like she was in a hurry,'' he hoped that everything would be fine on her side.


    Following that, he opened the door and left his room with the sole goal of leveling up to silver rank.


    ---


    Emperor Heaven Pce.


    In a room, only three men were seated on golden chairs. They were a middle-aged man, a man in his early thirties, and an old man whose expression was as ck as darkness itself.


    "So, you want me to track down this culprit?" Emperor Maximus asked, looking at the old man.


    Dane nodded and looked at him with a grim expression, "If the culprit isn''t found by the time the Archons arrive, then..."


    He didn''t say the ugly words, for there wasn''t a need to. Both Emperor Maximus and Kane understood what he meant, and the atmosphere became a little tense between them.


    But at that moment, a chuckle sounded in the room, surprising Dane.


    "Hehe."


    Kane leaned back in his chair with a smirk. "If theye, let theme," he said with steely confidence. "I''ve faced them before, and if they want a fight, they''ll get more than they bargained for. I''m really eager for their arrival now." He smiled, sitting in a rxed manner.


    On the other hand, Dane sweated a little when he heard him. He knew that Kane had some history with the Archons regarding a very special matter, which the entire world was aware of¡ªat least those at the level of the seven magi families.


    Therefore, upon hearing him say he was eager for their arrival, Dane wondered if this man, who always seemed calm andposed, would once again take that form.


    He shivered, recalling what he had heard about Kane''s deeds when hest visited the Archons.


    "Cough!"


    Emperor Maximus coughed and changed the subject.


    "What if the one who murdered your four young masters wasn''t from the Magus Kingdom? What if they were from the Archons?" he asked with narrowed eyes.


    Dane nodded, understanding his concern. "I know what you mean, but I am also helpless here."


    In fact, his situation was more than just helpless¡ªit could even mean lifetime imprisonment or death. After all, four of the young masters had died under their supervision, with two of them having backgrounds so strong that he felt despair about the punishment he would get for being unable to protect Carl and the others.


    Emperor Maximus asked, "So, they will be here in a month?"


    Dane nodded, "In around three weeks, but you can say one month."


    "Haha," Emperor Maximusughed lightly. "If they arrive around that time, then they would be here just in time for my 300th birthday."


    He added, "There is also a very special event that will be held here at that time, so I am sure they wouldn''tck any entertainment aftering here."


    He rested his head back on the chair and continued, "As for whether they will find the culprit or not, it''s not my problem. But don''t worry, I will immediately send a picture of the culprit you described to the entire Magus Kingdom. That''s the least I can do for you."


    Dane nodded lightly and said, "About the Curse Lord, can you also look into this for me?"


    Emperor Maximus nodded, "I can."


    "Alright," Dane stood up after that. "Then my business here is done."


    "Wait," Emperor Maximus stopped him. "Why not live in the pce till the Archons arrive? That way, if I get any information about the case, I can inform you in a matter of seconds."


    Dane pondered for a moment and epted his offer, "If that''s what you say."


    "Alright,e with me," Emperor Maximus led Dane outside of the room, leaving Kane alone.


    Kane sat there on the chair with a veryplex expression on his face.


    "They said before the war, so it won''t be long..."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 227: 227. Fight with a Red Bear

    In the dense canopy of a red-colored forest, a red bear three times the size of a normal bear was fighting with what appeared to be a rock golem.


    Its entire body wasposed of rocks of different sizes and colors, giving it the look and shape of a rock golem.


    At this moment, it was fighting toe-to-toe with the red bear, even though the rock golem appeared half the size of the red bear.


    Every attack of the bear was met with an equally strong, if not stronger, strike by the rock golem.


    Sometimes, when the huge paw of the red bear and the rock-like fist of the golem collided, it would create shockwaves that shook the entire forest.


    They had been at it for almost an hour now, and it seemed like they could go for another hour or so.


    But at that moment, the huge body of the red bear began to grow even bigger before it suddenly burst into a cacophony of red mes.


    "Roar!"


    The bear roared at the rock golem and lunged towards it, its body zing with red mes. However, the rock golem just moved its right hand in front of itself.


    And... Boom!


    The red bear''s gigantic body was blown away by an unseen force before it could evene close to the rock golem. It collided with a tree, breaking it apart before it came to a stop.


    At that moment, the ground beneath the rock golem suddenly shattered, as if some huge force had been applied beneath its legs, propelling it towards the red bear.


    But it couldn''t control the sudden thrust of its own body and flew past the red bear before it too collided with a tree and came to a stop.


    "Damn, it''s very difficult to control the thrusts from the curse of Cursed Pulse when I am fully covered in rock armor."


    Orion muttered to himself as he stood up after the collision.


    Turning his head forward, he saw that the red bear was taking its time to attack him.


    ''Has it reached its limits?'' Orion smiled. He had been fighting this red bear for almost an hour now, but no matter how they attacked each other, they would alwayse out in a draw.


    ''I didn''t use the curse of Berserk Body, but my strength has almost reached the same stage as this red bear by only using the curse of Rock Blockade.''


    He was very satisfied with his strength and the new curses at the moment.


    After spending almost a day here, he had reached his peak in all his stats, and all that remained was to absorb five mutagens before upgrading himself to silver rank.


    But before he could leave the forest, this red bear decided to visit him.


    At first, Orion didn''t n on wasting time with this monster, but then he thought he should get ustomed to his new curses, and what better way to do that than by fighting a peak gold rank monster?


    And hence the current situation.


    Looking at the sun that was almost down, Orion decided to finish this up quickly.


    Therefore, instead of using the curse of Cursed Pulse, he directly teleported in front of the bear and punched. His fist, full of rocks, hit the red bear straight in its stomach, catching it off-guard by Orion''s sudden appearance and causing it to tumble back a step or two.


    The bear growled, trying to fight back, but another punch greeted it from behind at that moment, causing its gigantic body to almost fall face-first. But the bear managed to stabilize itself and withstood the ground.


    However, Orion didn''t n to waste any more time on it and rained down fists after fists on it, causing it to ultimately fall to the ground.


    Using that opportunity, Orion jumped in the air and punched down on the bear while falling.


    He also used the curse of Cursed Pulse at that moment. This curse released a burst of shockwave every time it was used.


    Therefore, the moment Orion''s rock-filled fistnded on top of the bear, it not only crushed its belly, but the ground below the bear also shattered into pieces.


    ''Finally, dead.''


    Orion deactivated the curse of Rock Blockade, and his body soon returned to normal.


    He had been using the curses of Rock Blockade and Cursed Pulse in Curse Transformation mode, so it wasn''t difficult to kill a peak gold rank monster with these new curses.


    After that, he went to the corpse of the red bear and took out its core before he left the forest.


    Along the way to his hotel, he saw many people of various ages in the vicinity of the forest. Some were leaving the forests like him, while others were just starting.


    ''Everyone wants to be stronger.''


    He understood that.


    Picking up his pace, he soon returned to his hotel when he ran into Elyn.


    A surprised expression graced her face before it returned to normal. "I was going to look for you," she said.


    "Is Big Sis calling me?" Orion asked.


    Elyn nodded.


    Orion said, "Okay, I will meet her first then." He then ignored Elyn and walked past her.


    "You have be stronger," Elyn said as Orion passed her.


    Orion chuckled, "Reach the tinum rank fast, otherwise I might leave you in the dust." He appeared in the door located beside Elyn.


    "That won''t happen," Elyn said, her face bing solemn all of a sudden.


    Orion looked at her seriously and said, "You know what? If you could justugh a little, you would really be the most beautiful woman." But he shook his head in pity. "But you don''t. You always have the same boring and irritated look stered on your face."


    With those words, he didn''t wait for her to reply before he opened the door in front of him and walked inside.


    Elyn stood there in wonder, deep in thought about the words Orion had said to her.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 228: 228. Upgrade To Silver Rank

    "Big Sis, you called me?" Orion asked as soon as he walked into the room.


    Emily was sitting on a sofa, sipping tea, and gestured for Orion to sit on the opposite sofa. Orion didn''t stand on ceremony and sat down as she asked.


    "The Emperor called me shortly after you left," Emily said, sipping her tea as she looked at Orion.


    Orion was surprised. "What did he say?"


    She put her cup down on the table between them. "He first asked me about the situation at the dungeon and then told me not to leave."


    Orion understood something from her words. "So, those old men must have contacted the Emperor about this," he said with certainty.


    Emily nodded. "In fact, I was also nning to meet him regarding the restriction ced upon us, but it seems we can only stay here for now." A helpless expression appeared on her face.


    Orion nodded. "It seems there''s nothing we can do here." He sighed. He really wanted to go home right now, but it seemed he would have to wait for a month.


    Thinking of home, he remembered and asked her, "So, have you told Father about the situation?"


    Emily nodded lightly. "I have already conveyed everything you told me to Father, except the part you told me to keep a secret."


    Orion sighed in relief when he heard her.


    Now that his father knew the strength and background of the peopleing for their family, he would definitely act ordingly and prepare something for emergency situations in case things got out of control.


    Although Orion didn''t know if his family had something that could help them against a behemoth of power such as the Archons, he believed it wouldn''t be impossible for them to escape if they were prepared.


    That was why he had killed Carl''s group of four, so his family could get the time to prepare for everything that would go down a monthter when the Archons would arrive.


    "Big Sis, I am going to upgrade myself to silver rank, so I will meet you directly tomorrow morning," he informed her.


    "Upgrade?" Emily nodded and asked, "So, have you prepared everything for that?"


    Orion nodded.


    Emily approved. "Alright."


    After a little more talk with his sister, they had dinner in Elyn''s room.


    It turned out she was the one responsible for the dinner since Emily was busy in Emperor Heaven Pce.


    Orion returned to his room after having his fill and began preparing for the upgrade.


    He sat down on the floor and took out five peak gold rank cores.


    ''Let''s do this.''


    He began absorbing the mutagens from each of the cores, and soon his body began to shine with a golden light.


    [Upgrade requirements met...]


    [Initiating the upgrade to Silver Rank...]


    Two notifications simultaneously popped up in his vision, but Orion wasn''t in the mood to check them. Currently, he was experiencing pain beyond imagination. He felt that with each upgrade to higher ranks, the pain during the upgrade process continued to increase.


    ''But this is nothingpared to the side effects of using Curse Transformation.''


    He was sure that the pain during Curse Transformation was much more intense than the pain during upgrades, but that didn''t mean it was easy for him.


    As time passed, his hands and legs began to melt. His torso also turned into a pool of blood, and only his head remained intact.


    ''This again!''


    No matter how many times he went through this, he always found this part of the upgrade process the most horrifying. But there was nothing he could do besides holding on to his will.


    Some timeter, the process of reconstruction of his body finally began. All his blood, body parts, and everything around his head began to reconstruct themselves as the golden light glowing around them became intense.


    Momentster, Orion could once again feel his hands and legs before three notifications appeared back-to-back in his vision.


    [Congrattions to the host for upgrading to Silver Rank]


    [Congrattions to the host for obtaining a Sub-Ability of your talent]


    [All stats and data of the host have been reset]


    He didn''t immediately check his stats and closed his eyes to feel the increase in strength. Only a momentter, he opened them, and an excited expression appeared on his face.


    ''I have be way stronger than when I was at the peak of iron rank.''


    Orion could feel the immense strength coursing through his body like a raging bull; once unleashed, it would leave a devastating blow to everything.


    ''With the curse transformation, could I match the tinum rank experts?''


    He wasn''t sure about that.


    After he used the Burst Mode in the dungeon, his strength increased tremendously for a period of time, but this gave him an estimate of how strong the tinum and diamond rank experts were.


    Most importantly, there was indeed a dividing line between gold rank experts and tinum rank experts.


    Since he had been living with his sister here for a few days now, he had learned a lot of things during this time, and one of the topics included the difference in strength between gold rank and tinum rank. She said it had something to do with the Grimshore and didn''t say anything else.


    She also mentioned how every being in the universe, whether the three foreign races or the human race, upgraded to the false tinum rank realm when Grimshore wasn''t a thing.


    The true tinum rank could only be obtained by experiencing Grimshore, and those who upgraded themselves to tinum rank without going through Grimshore were called false tinum rank experts.


    There was a major difference between them.


    A false tinum rank expert would never be able to upgrade beyond the diamond rank¡ªno matter how hard they tried.


    As for the true tinum rank experts, it was said they would be able to achieve the so-called legendary divine rank, which only a rare few people had ever reached.


    It was also because of this that a thousand years ago, without the so-called Grimshore, all races had peak experts only at the diamond rank. They never expected a realm beyond diamond rank to exist before Grimshore came into existence.


    Orion was surprised to hear such things at that time.


    ''So my current strength should be infinitely closer to tinum rank...only closer to...''


    It would be very difficult to match the strength of the tinum rank at only silver rank, but Orion believed he could do it if his strength reached the peak of silver rank.


    ''Should I test my strength with Big Sis?''


    He wondered, but at that moment, an intense headache came over him, causing him to clutch his head, but it went as swiftly as it came.


    ''This is!''


    Orion was surprised to find some new information inside his head, and he understood where it came from.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 229: 229. A New Sub-Ability

    ''This is the memories sealed by Isis!''


    Orion hadpletely forgotten about the deal he had with her because of the recent troubles. He recalled she mentioned that he would have to do something for her in exchange for her help back in that dungeon.


    ''Let''s see what she needed my help with...''


    Orion calmed down and processed the new information inside his head. After some minutes of digesting the new memories, Orion understood everything. And his suspicion about her task being rted to Grimshore was also correct.


    ''But this is a very difficult task.''


    The task Isis had given him had something to do when he would enter Grimshore. But he couldn''t understand why she would want him to do something like that.


    ''I guess I will find out eventually when I enter Grimshoreter.''


    Orion pushed Isis''s task to the back of his mind for the time being and focused on something he really wanted to do right now.


    ''Status.''


    ---


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Silver]


    [Divine Ability: Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy Curse - 21%]


    [Sub Ability: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation, Curse Synthesis]


    [Curse: _ ]


    [Strength: _ ]


    [Stamina: _ ]


    [Agility: _ ]


    [Perception: _ ]


    [Constitution: _ ]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    ---


    He checked his status and saw that all his stats had been reset to 0, and so were his curses. But he wasn''t worried about them since he could still use them. At that moment, he recalled something.


    ''Last time I upgraded myself to iron rank, I got a boost in each of my curses at that time.''


    This made him wonder if he would once again get the strength boost to all his curses or only those curses that he had copied in iron rank. He would have to check them outside when he had time, but for now, his attention was on something else.


    His eyes were fixated on the new Sub-Ability called Curse Synthesis. He didn''t need to read the description to understand what this new sub-ability of his could do, for it was too obvious by the word ''Synthesis'' on it.


    Excited, he checked the Curse Synthesis, and a new window appeared in front of him.


    [Sub-Ability: Curse Synthesis]


    [Description: The ability to seamlessly merge any curses with each other to form a new one]


    [Note: The probability of merging two curses is 70%, three curses is 40%, and four curses is 10%. The probability of sessful synthesis also depends on the rtivity factor between the curses. The user cannot merge the new curse obtained from synthesis with any other curses. Also, the failure to merge any curses would result in the loss of these curses forever.]


    As Orion read the description of his new sub-ability, he almost cursed when he reached thest part.


    ''This ability has such a huge drawback!''


    He was really excited about the idea of merging two or more curses to form a new one, but thest drawback really poured a bucket of cold water on him.


    As much as he wanted tobine his curses to create a new one, he couldn''t risk losing them forever if the synthesis failed.


    This was a gamble. With how cool the idea of merging two or more curses seemed, the drawback of this ability made it somewhat of an average ability.


    But Orion had some ideas where he could use this sub-ability very effectively.


    ''All those useless curses that I delete anyway, if I were to synthesize them in a group of two or three, then maybe I would gain something.''


    He felt that was the best way to use this sub-ability of his. That way, even if he were to fail the synthesis and lose those curses forever, it wouldn''t count as his loss since he was going to delete those curses anyway.


    ''Should I try the ability on any of my current curses?''


    But since he had this ability now, he couldn''t wait to use it. It was like a new toy he bought, and he wouldn''t be satisfied until he yed with it to his heart''s content.


    He recalled one of the notes mentioned the rtivity factor in the curses increased the probability of sessful synthesis. But what did it mean by rtivity factor?


    Did it mean somethingmon between the curses, like amon factor between two curses? Or was it something entirely else?


    Orion was 90% sure that the rtivity factor on curses meant amon element between the curses. But there was also a chance that he could be wrong.


    ''System, what does the rtivity factor mean in my new sub-ability?''


    [System is unable to answer]


    ''What do you mean?''


    [System is unable to answer]


    ''Damn!''


    Orion almost cursed the system when he heard its answer. It had never given him this answer ever before.


    ''It seems like I can only gamble.''


    He pondered for a moment and thought about two curses that he didn''t use regrly and had some rtivity factor on them. A momentter, Orion''s face revealed expressions of joy and excitement.


    ''Burdened Gravity and Constant Pull! These are the two curses I rarely use nowadays, and they seem to be the perfect guinea pigs for the gamble.''


    Orion smiled joyfully as he came up with two curses that had a verymon element¡ªgravity.


    He bet if he merged them with his new ability, then there was bound to be sess if the meaning of rtivity factor was the same asmon factor. Otherwise, he would lose these curses forever.


    ''Anyway, it would take some time for me to copy new curses now, so I can only go with these two.''


    Having made up his mind, Orion didn''t hesitate and gave themand.


    ''Combine Burdened Gravity and Constant Pull.''


    A notification appeared in his vision as soon as he gave themand.


    [Synthesis of curses¡ªBurdened Gravity and Constant Pull initiated...]


    Orion didn''t have to wait long before another notification popped up in his vision.


    [Synthesis sessful]


    [Congrattions to the host for obtaining a new curse called Supreme Gravity]


    An excited expression appeared on Orion''s face as he looked at the notification in his vision. He immediately checked the description of the curse.


    [Curse: Supreme Gravity]


    [Description: The user can control the gravity of anything within a 10m radius, with the user at its center.]


    Orion was a little shocked when he checked the description of Supreme Gravity.


    Controlling the gravity around a 10m radius of himself was a very overpowered ability, and that was only in normal mode.


    What would happen if he used Supreme Gravity in Curse Transformation mode?


    He couldn''t imagine what sort of power he would have at that time.


    ''Curse Synthesis not only merges the two curses, but it also improves upon them.''


    That was the only exnation he could think of as to how thebination of two average curses turned out to be so powerful.


    Neither of the previous two curses had the ability to use the power of gravity on others, but strangely, thebination of these two curses had this ability.


    This only suggested that his previous spection should be correct.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 230: 230. Birthday Boy

    ''Tomorrow, I need to train a bit with my sis to really know where my strength lies. There''s also something else I need to ask her about,'' Orion thought.


    A momentter, he went to bed and fell asleep.


    ---


    The next day, Orion woke up, took a bath, and headed straight to his sister''s room.


    As he opened the door, the aroma of various dishes filled his nose.


    "This!"


    He was surprised to see a table full of delicacies at the center of the room.


    "Big Sis, what is this?" Orion asked, astonished by the sight of so much food.


    "Sit down," Emily gestured for him to sit beside her.


    Still confused, Orionplied. "Big Sis, what''s this all about?" he asked again.


    Considering there were only three of them, the amount of food seemed excessive. These weren''t just regr dishes; they were specialized delicacies meant for special asions. He couldn''t understand her reasoning.


    "Did you forget what day it is today?" Emily asked, seeing the clueless look on Orion''s face.


    Orion pondered but couldn''te up with anything. "Big Sis, just tell me what this is for," he asked again.


    Emily pondered for a moment. "Alright, close your eyes and only open them when I say so."


    Orion looked at her suspiciously but closed his eyes. Seconds passed, and he heard the sounds of several footsteps, rming him. Just as he was about to open his eyes, a loud chorus of voices surprised him.


    "Happy Birthday, Orion!"


    "What?!"


    Shocked by the collective shout, he opened his eyes to see his mother, little sister, and friends¡ªRyfin, Famir, and Ron¡ªall surrounding him.


    "Happy Birthday, Orion!" they shouted again, bringing him back to reality.


    "It''s my birthday?" he realized. He hadpletely forgotten amidst the constant flow of trouble he had been dealing with.


    At that moment, his mother hugged him tightly. "Son, you are 16 now."


    Orion felt a bit embarrassed being hugged by his mother in front of so many people but didn''t resist. A momentter, she let him go.


    "Happy Birthday, Orion," Emily said, rubbing his head.


    Then came his little sister, "Big Brother, happy birthday!"


    Orion nodded and patted her head.


    His friends followed, offering their congrattions.


    "Big Sis, was this all your n?" Orion asked.


    Emily nodded.


    "Thank you," he said earnestly, feeling a surge of gratitude.


    "Don''t worry about it. Now, let''s cut the cake," Emily replied.


    Orion picked up the knife, blew out the candles, and cut into the cake. He distributed slices to everyone, and soon they were all enjoying the sumptuous feastid out before them.


    As they ate, Orion turned to his friends. "So, how did you guys get here?"


    Famir grinned. "We just got back from Morse yesterday when Aunt called us. And here we are."


    Orion understood immediately. His mother must have orchestrated everything. "I heard what happened..." Famir began, but Orion cut him off.


    "Don''t worry about that," he said, brushing it aside.


    As they ate and talked, time passed slowly when Orion noticed one person missing.


    "Where''s Elyn?" he asked his sister.


    "She''s gone," Emily replied, her tone somber.


    "Gone? What do you mean gone? We can''t leave her, so how could she be gone?" Orion pressed, confused.


    "Gone to Grimshore," Emily rified.


    "Grimshore?" Orion was taken aback but chose not to delve further.


    From the conversation, he inferred that Grimshore might be a ce they could reach without physically leaving the.


    ''That should be the case.''


    Orion couldn''t understand how Elyn had left despite the restrictions imposed by the old man. The Emperor had also instructed them not to leave, yet she had still managed to go.


    He couldn''t dare to think that she had left the entirely. Especially after the warning from the old man, who seemed to have connections with the Archons and would likely have arranged personnel to monitor everyone.


    The old man could even disable the entire ship station of Heaven City for a month if he wanted. If Elyn had indeed left, it meant the old man couldn''t stop her.


    ''Does that mean everyone in the tinum rank could leave the same way? Is my spection wrong?''


    Orion pondered deeply, suddenly finding a loophole in his reasoning.


    "Orion, eat before you do anything," his mother reprimanded when she saw him staring at his food.


    "Yes, mother," Orion replied, embarrassed, and began eating.


    As they continued, theyughed, ate, and discussed various topics.


    Ryfin talked about their adventures on a newly discovered owned by Orion''s family, where they hunted monsters to level up.


    Famir mentioned their participation in the Ster Prodigy Tournament.


    Ron, meanwhile, devoured all the food as if he hadn''t eaten in days.


    Orion''s mother asked him about various things, and he assured her not to worry.


    Eventually, the small party wound down.


    Just as Orion thought his mother and sister would return home, they surprised him with another announcement.


    "We''ll be staying here with you until the Ster Prodigy Tournament ends," his mother said, smiling.


    Orion''s eyes lit up with happiness. "Really?"


    "Yes," she confirmed. "We would have toe to the Emperor''s birthday anyway if we wanted to reach the Emperor Heaven Pce, so we decided to stay."


    Orion nodded, feeling a warmth spread through him. He was d they were staying.


    Since Famir, Ryfin, and Ron were also participating in the Ster Prodigy Tournament, they decided to stay and train with Orion and Emily. They had reached the peak of the iron rank and were just one step away from the silver rank, but that step was challenging due to their mastery of their talents.


    After the party and a bit of rest, Orion, Emily, and his friends gathered in the training chamber of the hotel.


    The buildings in Heaven City were designed to amodate experts from all over the world, with each hotel room equipped with a training chamber. All the hotels in the city had these facilities, ensuring everyone could train adequately.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 231: 231. A Quick Training With His Sister

    "Orion, do you want to test your strength?" Emily asked.


    "Yes, Big Sis," Orion replied.


    Emily nodded and turned to Orion''s friends. "I''ll train you after I''m done with Orion."


    They nodded and stepped aside.


    "Alright, attack me with your full strength," Emily said.


    Orion smiled and didn''t hold back. He activated the Curse of Overlord Body in Curse Transformation mode.


    With this curse, he would know if his strength had truly reached the tinum rank.


    As he activated the curse, Orion felt a surge of power unlike anything he had experienced before.


    ''All my curses again received upgrade!''


    Although he had expected his curses to grow stronger, the increase in strength surpassed his expectations. He felt a level of power he had never experienced in the iron rank.


    ''Good.''


    Satisfied, he turned to his sister. "Big Sis, let''s test only my raw strength," he suggested.


    Emily nodded. "Come on then."


    Orion sprinted towards her and punched with immense force, channeling almost infinite energy into his fist. This was his strongest physical attack without any other curses boosting him. His fist tore through the air but slowed down and stopped as it neared Emily.


    Orion was shocked and experienced a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    ''She is strong!''


    He had expected her to stop his fist easily, given she was a peak tinum rank expert, but the effortless way she did it was astounding.


    "Continue," Emily said.


    Orion nodded and attacked from all sides, but none of his strikes reached her. Every attack halted just before making contact, leaving him speechless. It reminded him of using absolute defense with the Curse of Electrostatic Disruption. He realized how his enemies must have felt facing his imprable defense.


    The two siblings exchanged blows, the sound of theirbat echoing through the chamber.


    Orion found himself on the defensive, Emily''s experience and skill keeping him on his toes. Yet, he held his ground, using his new strength and abilities to adapt to her attacks.


    They trained for an hour before stopping.


    "Your strength has indeed increased, but you are no match for tinum rank experts," Emily said after enduring his attacks for an hour.


    Orion felt a pang of disappointment. Despite knowing this would be the result, he had hoped the upgrade of Overlord Body would push his strength to the tinum rank.


    Emily patted his shoulder. "Don''t be sad. You are one of the strongest geniuses I have ever seen, even stronger than Astral Voidwalker. I believe it won''t be long before you reach that level."


    Emily continued, "Let me exin the difference between gold rank and tinum rank. If bronze rank power lies between 1-10, iron rank between 11-20, silver rank between 21-30, and gold rank between 31-40, then the power of tinum rank lies between 51-60. There''s a gap of almost ten levels that can''t be bridged by just raw strength.


    This is why there''s such a significant difference in power between gold and tinum ranks."


    Orion nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. The disparity between ranks was even more substantial than he had realized.


    ''I guess I can only wait until I reach the peak of the silver rank.''


    He was in a hurry because of the Archons, otherwise, he would be content with his current strength.


    "What is a curse treasure?" Orion asked, curious since learning about its existence.


    "Where did you hear that?" Emily frowned.


    "In the dungeon, some people were talking about it," he said, making up a reason.


    Emily nodded. "Curse treasures are forbidden in all three domains. Those who use them are considered criminals of the highest order by the Celestial Court."


    Orion nodded, recalling the conversation between Carl and his friends.


    "A curse treasure is made from the curse of someone who died within 24 hours. The curse is extracted using various methods and imnted onto a treasure, resulting in a cursed treasure. Since this process involves killing and is not a conventional way of forging treasures, the Celestial Court forbids their use and creation."


    Orion understood. He had suspected that cursed treasures required curses from other humans, but he hadn''t realized that curses could be extracted from bodies, dead or alive.


    This raised more questions in his mind. "Why don''t humans use the extracted curses on themselves for more power instead of using a treasure?" he asked.


    Emily shrugged. "I don''t know the details, but many people must have tried it. However, there have been no reports of sess, so the attempt must have failed."


    ''A failure?'' Orion pondered. ''Curses use chaos energy, which doesn''t affect treasures, but since humans already have their own curses, adding another wouldn''t be beneficial.''


    He theorized this based on his understanding of curses.


    Having learned what he wanted, it was time to leave. "Big Sis, I''ll train in another chamber while you train them here," Orion said, pointing to his friends.


    Emily raised her brows but nodded. "Alright, train well."


    Orion nodded and turned to his friends. "See you guys at dinner," he said and left the chamber.


    In his room, he entered the training chamber to focus on his lightning element. The sight of the lightning wolves using their lightning for quick movements had fascinated him, especially after fully consuming all the stormleaf from the tree.


    He extended his hand, and tendrils of golden lightning shot out in all directions.


    "This!" he eximed.


    He had only released a small amount of lightning, but the quantity was astonishing.


    Previously, he could control the lightning to avoid chaos, but now, the tendrils were destroying the training chamber itself.


    "It has be much stronger than before!" Orion was excited to train his lightning element and make it one of his strongest abilities.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 232: 232. Weeks of Training

    Orion had many ns for his lightning element to make it more effective in battles.


    At the moment, he only used it either as an armor to cover his body or to make a sword condensed out of it. But after he saw the lightning wolves move like shes of light using lightning, it felt like a whole new world had started to open in front of him.


    Now, Orion wanted to use his lightning to do the same.


    He realized he couldn''t use teleportation all the time when he was in front of so many people. That would surely make them think he had too many abilities, which would bring trouble to him one way or another.


    He had an idea about what excuse he would make if people asked about his elemental abilities. He would just tell them what he had told Sword Sage that day¡ªhis talent was called Energy Condensation, and with his talent, he could condense any element that ever existed. That would also exin his monstrousbat strength.


    He made this decision after he came out of that cursed ce a while ago.


    He realized he had be too famous for his own good, and if he was shown to have too many abilities, he would surely be suspected.


    And hence his decision.


    But curses like Berserk Body and those that powered him from the inside were better than the ones like teleportation and other things like that. At least he could use them without anyone finding out.


    Therefore, at the moment, he had the curse of Berserk Body to give him super strength, which he could use without anyone finding out, and what he needed after super strength was super speed.


    And hence his desire to learn about how to use lightning like the lightning wolves in the dungeon and move like a sh of light.


    That way, even if he couldn''t use teleportation in front of people, he would at least have something to move around in battle.


    "Let''s do this."


    Orion took a deep breath and concentrated.


    He recalled how those lightning wolves used lightning to move around and tried to imitate them.


    He focused on his legs, and lightning began to crackle around them.


    "Now what? Should I just take a step?"


    He thought and then took a step...but nothing happened.


    "It didn''t work..."


    Orion pondered the reason behind the failure and once again imagined the wolves'' movement, their feet, the lightning flowing through their feet.


    "Ah, so that''s how it is..."


    He understood something and immediately changed his methods.


    He made the lightning gather around the soles of his feet and increased its concentration.


    "Let''s see how it does this time."


    Orion took a step and like a bolt of lightning, he was propelled forward with unimaginable speed.


    "It worked!"


    He eximed in surprise.


    He tried again, and once again, his body was propelled forward.


    "I now need to control my momentum and my speed."


    With enough motivation, he began training like a madman.


    For the first few days, he only trained in lightning, but after he became somewhat stable in his movements, he began to focus on other curses.


    He trained some bits in fire elements, ice elements, and even experimented with darkness elements, all while he stayed in the hotel.


    Just like that, his days began to pass.


    He would have breakfast with his family and friends in the morning before a quick spar with his sister for some hours, then head to his own training chamber to train his various abilities.


    Sometimes, he would spend time with his family and explore Heaven City.


    As Orion was busy training, time passed slowly, and the day of the impending Ster Tournament drew closer.


    The that Heaven City was on was a must for people who wanted to go to Emperor Heaven ce, so Heaven City became a center of attention for all those who were nning to go there.


    This city was unique in many ways and attracted a lot of attention, so it didn''t take long for the city to be heavily crowded with people.


    Many people began to rent hotels and roamed the streets of the city¡ªeven at night, many people could be seen roaming around, exploring the night city.


    Since Emperor Heaven ce was just a portal away from them in this ce, it soon became a resting ce and a tourist attraction for all those people who were nning to go to Emperor Heaven ce.


    As the days continued to pass, Orion''s routine became more entrenched.


    The excitement in Heaven City grew palpable as the Ster Tournament drew closer, and the influx of people from various parts of the universe only added to the city''s bustling atmosphere.


    The streets were filled with vendors selling exotic goods, street performers showcasing their unique talents, and cultivators from all walks of life preparing for the uing event.


    Orion, however, remained focused on his training. His mastery of the lightning element had significantly improved, and he could now move with a speed that left afterimages in his wake.


    His control over his momentum and speed had also be more refined, allowing him to maneuver with precision during battles.


    His training with other elements was also progressing well, adding more versatility to hisbat abilities.


    One evening, after an intense training session, Orion decided to take a break and explore the city with his friends and family.


    The group walked through the vibrant streets, taking in the sights and sounds of Heaven City. They stopped at various stalls, sampling local delicacies and admiring the array of artifacts and treasures on disy.


    "The city is a lot more crowdedtely," Orionmented as he observed the throngs of people bustling through the streets.


    Famir, walking beside him, nodded in agreement. "The Ster Prodigy Tournament starts in three days. All these people are here to witness it. But I think many of them are also here for the emperor''s birthday celebrations. It''s a significant event, and thebination of both has drawn this massive crowd."


    Orion nodded lightly. "I''ve heard bits and pieces about the preparations. It''s going to be quite an event."


    As they continued to walk through the crowded streets, they passed by various stalls and shops adorned with festive decorations.


    The city''s atmosphere was electric, a blend of excitement and anticipation. Street performers entertained passersby, and merchants loudly touted their wares, hoping to catch the attention of the numerous visitors.


    Emily, who had been walking slightly ahead, turned back to the group with a grin. "I heard there''s going to be a grand parade for the emperor''s birthday. They''re even saying some of the top experts will be participating in the festivities."


    Ron chimed in, "And I''ve heard rumors about a grand banquet where rare and exotic dishes will be served. It''s supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience."


    Orion chuckled. "That would be even more exciting."


    After buying some clothes for E, the group returned to their residence.


    Since they would be representing the Darkwood Family¡ªone of the seven magi families¡ªthey would have to go to Emperor Heaven Pce a few days prior.


    And that would be tomorrow. Orion, his family, and his friends would leave for the Emperor Heaven Pce the next day.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 233: 233. Craze of the Occasion

    The next morning, Orion, his family, and his friends stood on one of the hills where the portal to Emperor Heaven Pce was stationed.


    The ce was crowded with people from all over the world.


    Orion and his family came here early in the morning and yet so many people were already here at this time.


    If someone were to look from high above in the sky, they would see a dense crowd of tiny, colorful dots gathered around the hilly area¡ªpeople waiting to enter the portal to Emperor Heaven Pce.


    The number of people on this was just a grain of saltpared to the throngs from all over the Magus Kingdom heading to Emperor Heaven Pce.


    The seven havens, ruled by the seven Magi families, contained numerous small andrges. People from all these havens would travel to the massive Emperor Haven star realm, from where they would be teleported to one of the manys like the one Orion was on.


    From theses, people would finally journey to Emperor Heaven Pce. The outermostyer of Emperor Haven had numerouss with portals: one leading people from all seven havens to theses, and another leading directly to Emperor Heaven Pce.


    In the grand scheme of things, the crowd on Orion''s was just a drop of water in the vast ocean of people converging from all over the universe.


    "There are so many people here!" Ryfin eximed, wide-eyed at the crowd surrounding the portal.


    "The craze of the Ster Prodigy Tournament and the emperor''s centennial birthday has made this asion a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not many people want to miss this chance," Famir added.


    Ryfin nodded, his eyes sparkling at the vast throng before them.


    "Father is still not here yet?" Orion muttered.


    "Give him some time, son," his mother reassured him.


    Emily also nodded. "Father has to prepare for ''that'' too, so he must be busy, and that''s why he''s taking his time."


    Orion understood all of that, but he was just too excited to go to Emperor Heaven Pce.


    Thest time he was there, the Emperor had directly teleported them to the meeting room and then back to Heaven City, leaving him no chance to explore the pce. His eagerness to see the pce had only grown since then.


    "My father is here," Elyn said, drawing everyone''s attention.


    They turned to see the direction she was looking and spotted the Ravenw void shuttle hovering above the hilly area.


    Elyn had swiftly returned from Grimshore and even trained with them from time to time. From the bits and pieces of information Orion had gathered, he confirmed his spections were more or less correct¡ªElyn, like all other gold-rank experts and above, could enter and exit Grimshore at will.


    "Aunt, Emily, I will see you guys at Emperor Heaven Pce," Elyn said to Emily and her mother.


    Emily nodded. "Take care."


    "Aunt, we will meet again soon, so don''t worry," Elyn assured her.


    She then looked at Orion, a very subtle smile crossing her face before she flew up and entered her family''s void shuttle.


    The shuttle ascended and entered one of the portals meant for shuttles, disappearing from view.


    Orion found the small smile she gave him rather strange. ''I told her to smile more often, and she smiled at me when she left. I think she misunderstood something,'' he thought, shaking his head wryly.


    He had asked her to smile all the time, but it seemed she had taken his suggestion the wrong way. Orion felt that Elyn might be a little na?ve about many things, which exined why she misinterpreted his advice.


    "What was that?" Emily asked with a sly smile. She had also noticed Elyn''s smile and was momentarily surprised.


    "Haha," Orionughed lightly. "I asked her some time ago to smile a little, and I think she misunderstood."


    Emily shook her head. She understood Elyn the best and didn''t doubt she could do that. She had known her the longest, excluding family members, and understood there were things about her that shaped her personality.


    "Don''t make fun of her, son," Orion''s mother reprimanded.


    "I didn''t do that," Orion protested, feeling wronged. "In fact, I was teaching her how to smile, that''s all."


    "She has her circumstances, so forget about it," his mother said with a pitying shake of her head.


    ''Circumstances?'' Orion thought quietly. He had heard some things about the Ravenw family and Elyn, and it seemed there might be some truth to them after all.


    As they waited, the crowd slowly but steadily entered the portal and disappeared, though the number of people was so high that it didn''t seem to make much difference. Still, people were indeed entering the portal and vanishing from the crowd.


    Hours passed, and the crowd finally began to dwindle.


    "Look! That''s our ship!" E shouted, pointing at the sky.


    Everyone in Orion''s group turned to see the void ship of the Darkwood Family flying in the air. Unlike the Ravenw void shuttle, itnded at the distant hill''snding area.


    "Let''s go, our ride is here," Emily said to Orion and the others.


    They all nodded and walked towards the void shuttle. A momentter, they arrived before the shuttle, where Barion was waiting for them.


    "It seems I made it in time," Barion said with a smile.


    He added: "Let''s talk inside."


    Barion gestured for them to enter the shuttle. Once everyone was aboard and settled in, the shuttle lifted off smoothly, gliding through the air.


    As it approached the portal, the shimmering surface rippled, and the shuttle seamlessly passed through, disappearing into the unknown beyond.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 234: 234. Plan Before Everything

    Inside the void shuttle of the Darkwood family, everyone''s faces were serious at the moment.


    The round table on this shuttle was bigger than any of the smaller voids Orion had been into and at that some high-level elders and even direct descendants were sitting with Orion''s family.


    Though there was indeed one face that seemed to be missing here, and that was of Aron. His father decided to keep him in the family in case Carl''s family surprise attacked them in the middle of the tournament.


    They had been discussing what had happened at the dungeon and Orion only hid about his killings of Carl''s group and exined everything else.


    Although Barion had known about this already, he sighed hearing the whole story from his son''s point of view.


    "You did good, Orion, eavesdropping on their conversation," Barionplemented him. "Without you, we might not even know about the visit of the Carl''s family or Archons and that would have been a disastrous problem for us."


    He added a very strange expression clouding his face, "Also, the one who killed them really made things easy for us. At least the deaths of four of them give us some leeway. They wouldn''t immediatelye to our aid and would likely search for the killer before focusing on us.


    Emily nodded. "Whoever he was, he had the strength of the diamond rank and from the words he spoke at that time, it seemed he was from the Archons, just like Carl and the others."


    Since she had promised Orion she wouldn''t reveal it was him who killed them, she would do just that.


    Orion added from the side, "So, if they reallye to our family, we would be fine, right father?"


    Barion shook his head. "This matter with Carl''s family wouldn''t be this easy to solve. As you said, they would in one year if they don''t get their hands on our sacred wood, then I believe they would do anything in their power to get what they want; after all, it was the life of their entire family that is on the line, and I think this is enough reason for them to go all out."


    Orion nodded solemnly, understanding what his father wanted to say and couldn''t help but ask, "If what you say were to really happen like a full-blown war between the two families, then would the royal family support us? Or the Magi families?"


    "That''s very difficult to say," Barion shook his head. "The strength of the Archons is well known and not many people would want to fight against a heavy power like them. So, it''s very difficult to say what the other six or five now Magi families would do at that time."


    He added, "As for the royal families, it really depended on the mood of the Sword Sage; if he wanted to intervene, then the royal family would help us but that would escte the situation to an evenhigher level. At that time, the Archons might even send someone in the celestial rankings after us and if that happens, things might escte to a whole new level for us."


    "Father, aren''t you also in the celestial ranking?" Orion asked as he heard him.


    Barion shook his head wryly. "I''m barely maintaining my ranking in the 90s. If they send someone higher, which they obviously will since the celestial ranking is well known, it will be very difficult to fend them off."


    "Father, what about the escape route?" Emily asked at that time.


    Barion nodded and looked at his daughter very appreciatively. "Since the day you gave me that thing seven years ago, I have been doing what you have told me to do and I can say confidently that it is ready."


    Emily nodded, sighing relief.


    Orion didn''t ask what they talked-about for he understood it must be some way to escape if an all-out war were to happen between families and if they were on the losing side.


    They discussed some more ns and talked in detail about what would happen and what wouldn''t if the Archons woulde after them.


    They understood that there could be a chance they might get attacked in the tournament so they had to prepare for everything in advance.


    And hence the meeting continued for an hour or so until they finally reached the Emperor Heaven Pce.


    ***


    Roselia¡ªthe biggest 3-star in the entirety of the Magus Kingdom. Inparison to Morse, the home of the Darkwood Family, Roselia was about ten times the size of the former, if not more.


    And the most attractive part of the was not the itself but the Emperor Heaven Pce on it.


    All around Roselia, one could see red trees and rednds surrounding the but at the centre of the was a very gigantic dome-like structure ced on it.


    This dome-like structure was the infamous Emperor Heaven Pce.


    Since this was the biggest in existence in the Magus Kingdom, the area inside the dome would also be asrge as a normal 3-star out there in the world.


    And at the current moment, one oculd hordes of void shuttles were waiting all around the dome to enter when it opened for them.


    There were also many people who came by foot and were waiting for the dome to open from the ground.


    If one were to know about the existence of the Emperor Heaven Pce, one might think this ce was under attack by so many people.


    At that moment, the Darkwood family''s void shuttle also flew in,ing in closer to the outershell of the dome.


    But unlike the other void shuttle, it didn''t seem to slow down even a little and continued to move forward towards the outershell of the dome.


    And just when it seemed the shuttle would collide with the outer shell, a portion of shell around the dome disappeared and the void shuttle flew in.


    The Darkwood family and all other Magi families had privileges that other families and organisations didn''t have inside the Emperor Heaven Pce. Therefore, they were given entry very easily, unlike all those people who were waiting outside the dome.

 Chapter 235: 235. Orions Secret Plan

    As the Darkwood family''s void shuttle came inside the dome, Orion could clearly see the magnificent royal pce at the center. It shaped like an octagonal castle and had many forts all around it.


    And all around the royal pce were many cities, gardens, deserts, and many things people could think of that should exist in Emperor Heaven Pce.


    Orion was really liking the view of the pce. He had thought his home was very amazing but whenpared to this royal pce, his home appeared as if it were a normal mansion of some low-level family or some ce abandoned by someone.


    It was quite a bizarre feeling for him knowing his home could also be called a poor ce if someone living in this ce were to visit his home.


    Soon, the shuttle of theirsnded at an area designated for thending zone but it only included the seven Magi families.


    A different ce had been assigned to those from the normal families and organisations.


    "Wee, Orion, Emily, Uncle Barion, and Aunt Olivia."


    No sooner they came out of the shuttle than Erick weed them. It appeared he had been waiting for them for quite a while now.


    And he was not alone; Princess Luma was with him.


    "Haha, how have you been Crown Prince Erick?" Barion asked with a smile.


    "Uncle, I have told you many times; don''t call me by like that; just call me by my name," Erick said, feeling a little embarrassed.


    "Hahaha, as you say, Nephew Erick," Barionughed.


    "Follow me; I will take you guys to your residence." Erick nodded and led them to their residence.


    "Has the other Magi families arrived?" Orion asked along the way.


    "Yeah, all of them except one," Erick replied.


    Orion didn''t need to ask to know which magi family didn''te for there could only be one family and that was the Valen Family.


    Erick led them to a spacious hotel-like room and left before long.


    This room or one might argue manor, was the Darkwood family''s stay of living for theing two days in the Emperor Heaven Pce.


    "Tonight will be the banquet where only the chosen family and organisations are allowed toe so there might be some people from the Human Federation Realm and Martial Domain."


    Barion''s father sat on a sofa and besides him were many other chairs where other members of the Darkwood family sat.


    Orion nodded, hearing his father''s words. He understood that this would be the real banquet where many guests from all three domains mighte.


    As for the one that would be held tomorrow, that was only to entertain themon people of the Magus Kingdom.


    "Archons will be there tonight, right?" Orion said, looking at his father.


    Barion nodded. "If I am not wrong, then they are already here in the Emperor Heaven Pce and unlikest time where Carl and his group couldn''t recognise you two, I believe they will be well prepared this time."


    Orion understood that and he even spected that there might even be two groups of people that should havee this time. The one from the Archons who wanted to find out the killer of their young masters and the one from the Carl family.


    But only if they knew that both their source of problem was the same person.


    "I will go to my room now," Orion said at this time, surprising everyone. "Tell me an hour before you guys get ready for the banquet."


    "What''s the hurry?" Emily asked, seeing Orion was nning to leave so fast.


    "I have to train," Orion said those words and left for his room.


    Everyone looked suspiciously at Orion, feeling there might be something wrong with him.


    "What''s with him?" Barion asked Olivia, his wife.


    Olivia shrugged. She also didn''t understand why Orion left so early.


    Only Emily kept looking in the direction Orion went; her eyes looked focused and sharp.


    "Emily, do you know anything?" Olivia asked her daughter.


    Emily nodded lightly. "From what I can tell, he is nervous about something and it seems to be rted to Emperor Heaven Pce."


    "The tournament or... them?" Barion guessed.


    "Maybe both," Emily shook her head. "I am not sure."


    In fact, she had some other guesses too about why Orion left so early but she didn''t tell them.


    After that, they discussed some more things before they took a rest.


    ***


    In his room, Orion pondered for a long time before he came up with something.


    ''Let me try reality Fracture in Curse Transformation mode.''


    He immediately activated the curse of reality fracture in Curse Transformation mode and closed his eyes in concentration.


    A whileter, he opened them, and a sharp light passed through them.


    ''This is something I can work with but I have to do some running here...''


    He thought and deactivated the curse of reality Fracture and activated the curse of dimensional dissonance in Curse Transformation mode.


    He rarely used this curse in Curse Transformation mode but for what he intended to do right now, only Curse Transformation could help him at the moment.


    ''It all depends on whether or not I can move into my dimension in this ce.''


    Taking a deep breath, he used his ability and like always, he appeared in his dimension.


    ''It works!''


    There had been many times where he couldn''t move into his dimension and many of those had urred when he was in some restricted space.


    And being inside the Emperor Heaven Pce, it was given they were inside a restricted space.


    ''I guess I never tried moving into my dimension in Curse Transformation mode. Also,bining this curse with reality Fracture makes things way easier for me.''


    He then came out of his dimension and opened the window of his room. After that, he went back in his dimension and disappeared out of the window.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 236: 236. Night of the Banquet - 1

    When the sun started to go down, spreading a warm golden light in the sky, the Emperor Heaven Pce turned into a stunning sight. Therge dome, previously impressive, now glistened in the gentle twilight, decorated with numerous lights and flowers.


    Colourfulnterns hang from the pce''s tallest peaks, forming a radiant disy that looked like a cascading river of stars descending. Everyntern was carefully made, featuring detailed designs that projected elegant patterns of light and shadow onto the walls of the pce.


    As the moon rose in the distance, many people could be seen making their way towards the entrance of the royal pce. All these people were the guests who had been invited for the banquet.


    Many of them wore colourful and beautiful clothes, while some appeared inpletely ck suits and there wasn''t ack of those who wore casual clothing.


    What really mattered was the aura these people were emitting.


    Each of them appeared to have a wild aura surrounding them, making these guests one-of-a-kind.


    Erick and Princess Luma stood at the entrance of the royal pce, weing every guest. They also wore outfits appropriate for the crown prince and the Magus Kingdom''s only princess.


    Sometimester, Orion and his family walked into the scene.


    Orion wore a ck suit with a necktie. His hair was neatlybed and well groomed.


    Beside him walked Emily; she wore a long red gown and appeared much more beautiful than usual.


    In the middle walked E; she wore a long blue frock and a crown-like hairband on her head.


    Behind them were Barion and Olivia. They were in their official suits, not much fancy and not too casual either.


    Aside from them, there were also some high-level family elders and some direct descendants who followed in their footsteps.


    There were indeed some faces missing, and they were Famir, Ryfin, and Ron.


    Unrted to the Darkwood Family, they couldn''t attend the banquet.


    It wasn''t that Orion''s family didn''t want to bring them; it was just that only blood-rted family members could go on asions such as this big. If they were to bring Orion''s friends, then the royal family might feel insulted that they had brought some other people into the banquet, which was clearly meant for the VIPs.


    There had been many asions like that and everyone from big families and organisations followed this rule in one way or another.


    Therefore, even if there wasn''t a rule about not bringing other people aside from family members to these types of asions, all the big organisations and super families silently follow this tradition.


    "Magi, King of Blitz Haven, has arrived!"


    As Orion''s family came near the entrance of the royal pce, an announcement was made, causing the attraction of many to draw towards them.


    But it only drew everyone''s attention for a moment before everyone stopped looking at them.


    Every major family and organisation was announced once they arrived near the entrance of the royal pce so it wasmon for the guestsing to hear such announcements and hence their calm reactions.


    But Erick and Princess immediately reacted once they heard the announcement.


    "Wee, Uncle Barion, Aunt Olivia, Emily, Orion, and sweet little E."


    As soon as Erick saw them, he weed them.


    "Don''t call me little; I am big now," E quickly pouted when Erick called her little.


    Erick smiled wilyly. "Forgive me, E. How about I call you sweet E, then?"


    "Hmm, that sounds nice," E nodded.


    Orionughed when he saw that.


    "It seems you have been busy," he said to Erick.


    Erickughed lightly. "It''s just my job. So many important people from all three domains areing and this is the least I can do. At least when they would leave, they would think that they were not weed by mere guards but the Crown Prince of the Magus Kingdom."


    Orion nodded. He believed Erick was right about that. The first impression was always an important thing and in this level of banquet, it was even more important.


    "Alright, we will be going in then and I will hope to see you again after sometime," Orion said.


    Erick gave him a thumbs up. "Don''t worry, I will be there as soon as possible as soon as this matter is handled perfectly."


    Orion nodded and was about to say something to him when a loud voice reached their ears.


    "Magi, King of the ckmist Haven, has arrived!"


    Both of them turned to see that the Ravenw family led by Estor could be seening towards the entrance.


    "Well, I have to go. See youter." Erick left with those before he and Princess Luma arrived before the Ravenw family and gave them a warm wee.


    "Let''s wait for Estor''s family," Barion said at that moment.


    The Darkwood family stood at the side of the entrance so as not to block the path for other guests, and they waited for the Ravenw family.


    After Erick and Princess Luma were done weing them, they immediately set towards Orion''s family.


    Estor had already noticed Barion''s family waiting at the side, and he appreciated the small gesture.


    "Barion, how have you been?" Estor immediately hugged Barion when they came close to each other.


    "I am fine; how about you?" Barion replied.


    Estorughed. "I will live long enough, hahaha."


    Barion nodded and said, "Let''s head in then."


    "Sure," Estor said.


    After a little bit of talk with each other they began walking the entrance leading to the royal pce.


    Emily and Olivia also spoke with Elyn,plimenting her beauty and outfit.


    Elyn wore a long frock like E, but it was pitch ck in contrast to her silver hair. However, that didn''t diminish her beauty even a little bit; on the contrary, it made her look even more charming and beautifulpared to before.


    The dark fabric entuated her paleplexion and brought out the striking color of her eyes, which seemed to shimmer with a mysterious allure. As she moved gracefully across the entrance, her dress flowed elegantly behind her, capturing the attention and admiration of everyone present.


    As the trio of Emily, Elyn and Olivia talked andughed among themselves, they finally entered the royal pce.


    ***


    Further down the entrance was an extended hallway, embellished with luxurious decor and illuminated by the gentle radiance of crystal chandeliers suspended from the lofty, rounded roof.


    The walls were adorned with golden sconces, each one holding a flickering candle that contributed to the cozy atmosphere of the room.


    As Orion and Elyn''s family entered the scene, they were mesmerized by the beauty of the ce. Their eyes widened in awe at the grandeur before them, especially Orion and E. The shimmering chandeliers cast a magical light across the room, reflecting off the crystal sses and silverware, creating a mesmerizing dance of sparkles.


    The hall was already filled with guests from all over the world, each adding to the vibrant designs of cultures and styles present at the banquet. Elegant gowns and finely tailored suits of various designs and fabrics highlighted the diverse origins of the guests present here.


    Orion really felt like his house was like a beggar''s ce whenpared to this beauty. But sadly, his excitement was short-lived as no sooner did they arrive in the hall, a shout full of malice targeted them.


    "Well, well, look who decided to grace us with their presence," sneered a tall figure from across the room. The voice was dripping with disdain, causing the room to fall silent and all eyes to turn towards the source of themotion.


    A man, dressed in opulent attire that screamed of arrogance, stood with a smug expression, his eyes locked on Orion''s family or one might argue at Orion specifically.


    "The boy who murdered thousands of thosemoners have just arrived," the man said with a yful tone. "Everyone, I feel very disgusted that royal family even invited a murderer like him to the banquet."


    He added clicking his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, if not because I was force toe here, I wouldn''t dare toe to a banquet where even a murderer was invited. Sigh, how low the royal family of the Magus Kingdom has fallen."


    Aplete silence fell over the hall as soon as the man uttered his venomous words and only the gasping sounds of the guests present here could be heard in that pin drop silent hall.


    They were surprised and shocked at the same time that someone could say such bad things about Darkwood Family and more specifically the royal family. The man not only mocked Orion but also shamed the royal family in his mocking.


    They couldn''t imagine there exist such people like that. All the people present in the hall themselves had very high level identities but they wouldn''t say such words to the royal family of the Magus Kingdom¡ªthey couldn''t afford to do so.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 237: 237. Night of the Banquet - 2

    Orion and his family saw the man who mocked them, and their faces darkened.


    The banquet at this level was a rare asion, with guests from all three domains present. Being mocked on this stage not only meant humiliation but also made them aplete joke in front of everyone.


    Barion looked at the man who uttered those words. Noticing his calm expression, he understood they were from the Archons.


    But that didn''t mean he would let the man mock them, especially when they were prepared for anything.


    He stepped forward, intending to confront him, but paused halfway when he saw Orion stepping forward too.


    "Father, these dogs are not worthy of you. Let me handle them," Orion said confidently.


    Barion frowned, but when he noticed the aura the man was emitting, he shrugged. "Alright, just handle these bugs carefully. I heard they stink."


    Orion was stunned for a moment by his father''sment but soon broke out inughter.


    "Hahaha, Father, you shouldn''t say such truths about them. Otherwise, they might run away from the banquet crying, saying you bullied them," he sneered.


    "Haha, you''re right, my son. I''ll have to control myself," Barionughed and nodded to Orion.


    Orion understood his father and turned to look at the man who had just mocked them.


    "Ayyo, what happened to you? Why are you trembling?" he asked mockingly.


    "Do you know who I am and who my master is?" the man red at Orion, his voice trembling with anger.


    "...Ah," Orion realized something. He had been wondering why this guy had such low strength of peak gold rank. It turned out he was just a servant barking at other people.


    "So you''re just someone else''s dog," Orion mocked, walking towards him. "Didn''t your owner teach you to keep your stinky mouth shut when you can''t control the stinking out of it?"


    The man pointed at Orion with his finger. "You¡ªyou will regret saying those words to me!"


    "Regret?" Orionughed. He soon appeared in front of him and activated the Curse of Malevolent Gaze and Berserk Body in Curse Transformation mode.


    "What did your owner tell you?" he asked, his emotionless eyes locking onto the man.


    The man saw death in those eyes¡ªhe could feel terror when he looked into those emotionless eyes.


    "Tell me, what did your owner tell you?" Orion increased the energy of Malevolent Gaze.


    "I¡ªI don''t know," the man uttered in a low, shaking voice, his feet trembling, his face soaked in sweat. He felt he would die any second, and those emotionless eyes kept haunting him even if he looked away.


    "TELL ME THE TRUTH!" Orion shouted, increasing the energy output even more.


    The man couldn''t take it anymore. He felt that if he kept looking at those eyes, death would be the least of his worries. So, he uttered everything he knew.


    "They wanted to gauge your full strength and sent me to provoke you into a fight," he spilled all the beans.


    Orion smiled, seeing his n work.


    "Where is your master?" he asked further.


    "They¡ªthey said they woulde with the Emperor," the man said. At this point, he could barely stand, feeling as if he would lose consciousness at any moment.


    "Alright, you can sleep now," Orion said, increasing the pressure to the max, causing the man to lose consciousness and copse.


    "Good dog, sleep until your master arrives to pick you up," he sneered and returned to his family.


    Everyone in the hall who witnessed the scene was shocked. From the man''s mocking to Orion subduing him and then making him sleep, it was anticlimactic.


    Especially those from the other two domains. They had heard that the elite rankings had changed, causing Astral to move down to number 2, and a new number 1 had emerged.


    But whether from the Human Federation Realm or the Martial Domain, all doubted the rankings when they noticed that the current number 1 had the strength only of an iron rank.


    They thought it was some kind of prank by the Magus Kingdom, but even after weeks, nothing changed.


    Orion Darkwood was still number 1 in the elite rankings, and Astral was at number 2.


    Moreover, they had a hard time believing Astral lost his ranking to someone with the strength of an iron rank. All the other domains knew of Astral''s strength; it was at least in the top five of geniuses from all over the three domains, and yet he lost.


    However, after witnessing the little show between Orion and the man, they felt that Orion was somewhat strange. It was clear that Orion only had the strength of a silver rank but was still able to subdue someone at the peak of gold rank.


    But there were still those who refused to believe he possessed such strength at only an early stage of silver rank.


    After Orion arrived back where his family was standing, his father took him to visit some of his friends in the hall. Meanwhile, Olivia, Emily, Elyn, and E also talked with some of their friends.


    All this time, Estor had been bugging Barion about what the matter was, but Barion kept his mouth shut. He didn''t dare utter a single word, fearing he might make the situation worse for the Ravenw family.


    Barion didn''t want to put his friend in the same shoes as him, nor did he want to help him in this matter.


    Seeing Barion stay quiet, Estor felt frustrated.


    He wasn''t a fool; he noticed the fearlessness and disdain in that man''s eyes. That level of arrogance against the seven magi families¡ªagainst the royal family¡ªcould only be carried by those who were above the three domains, like the Celestial Court.


    ''I hope nothing serious happens,'' Estor thought as he joined Barion, introducing Orion to his friends.


    "Orion?"


    At that moment, a voice, Orion had heard long time ago, called out to him.


    Turning around, he was surprised to see a face he hadn''t thought he would see anytime soon.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 238: 238. Night of the Banquet - 3

    That person who just called Orion was none other than Runo.


    "Runo!"


    Orion would be lying if he said he wasn''t surprised to see him here.


    He had known that people from the other two domains woulde to the Magus Kingdom for the Emperor''s birthday, but the thought of seeing Runo never crossed his mind. He had never expected that his family was one of the big families in the Human Federation Realm.


    And looking behind him, it wasn''t just him who came; others were with him.


    He could see Sam and Rina with him.


    "How have you been, Orion?" Runo asked, extending his hand.


    Orion smiled and shook his hand. "I''m fine, and I''m really surprised to see you here."


    "But I wasn''t. When we heard that a new genius had emerged in the Magus Kingdom who snatched away Astral''s number 1 position in the elite ranking, we knew that person could only be you. Therefore, we expected to see you on such a big asion, and here you are," Runo said.


    Orionughed lightly at that. He hadn''t expected his fame to have even reached the other two domains, surpassing his expectations.


    Thinking of something, he turned to his father, who seemed to understand everything and nodded, saying, "Don''t worry, just enjoy the banquet."


    "Hahaha, Runo, you''ve made a good friend. I''ve known Barion since I came to the Magus Kingdom years ago, and you just happen to make his son your friend," Runo''s fatherughed heartily.


    He had known about Orion and everything that had transpired in that dungeon from Sam. So, it didn''t take long for him to figure out that his son had changed so much just because of that person, and he was indebted to him from the bottom of his heart.


    Only he understood what it meant to have a son who was too arrogant for his own good, and he had been very anxious about this personality of his son.


    But since the day he had returned from that dungeon, he could see something had changed in him, and as time passed, these changes brought about a positive transformation in his son''s personality. That made him very happy, and when he learned that it was because of a person named Orion, he wanted to thank him personally.


    However, since he was not in the same domain as Orion, he couldn''t do that, but he always felt indebted to him.


    And after just finding out that Orion was the son of a friend of his, he couldn''t be any happier.


    "Barion, I am really indebted to your son in many ways," he said to Barion.


    "Haha, Lucas, forget about that. Do you remember that Estor guy I told you about..." Barion, Lucas, and Estor soon began talking,pletely ignoring Runo and Orion.


    They looked at each other andughed before separating from their parents'' group and forming a group of their own, including Sam and Rina.


    They talked a lot about each of their families. When Orion mentioned he was from one of the seven magi families, they weren''t surprised at all, which made Orion believe that his entire biography might have been spread to the entire universe.


    As they talked, Orion could feel that Runo had changedpletely. He didn''t have the arrogant air about him and instead looked calm all the time.


    ''I guess people do change,'' he noted.


    Curious about something, Orion asked, "How is your domain different from the Magus Kingdom? Is there also a king?"


    Since the time he had gotten his memories back, he had been wondering about the power system in the Human Federation Realm.


    The power system in the Magus Kingdom suited the world very well. An Emperor overlooking the whole kingdom, seven major families controlling seven important parts of the world, each having a king of their own haven.


    This made Orion curious about the power system of the Human Federation Realm.


    But Runo''s answer surprised him.


    "It''s veryplicated."


    Orion kind of understood something. He believed that since the Human Federation Realm resembled Earth very much¡ªlike a future version of Earth¡ªthe power system there might also include governments and many other organizations holding power, like on Earth, instead of a single family like in the Magus Kingdom.


    "WHO IS ORION??!!!"


    At that moment, a very loud shout reverberated throughout the hall, catching almost every guest off guard.


    They all turned to see that a man of twenty years of age had entered the hall, followed by many individuals.


    "That guy is here," Runo muttered helplessly.


    "Do you know him?" Orion asked.


    Runo nodded. "He''s from the same domain as me, but he''s somewhat of a crack¡ªa battle maniac, you could say."


    Orion smiled wryly. "So, he must have heard of me in your domain ande to challenge me when he arrived here?"


    Runo nodded. "That''s the case. He''s also one of the top five geniuses in our domain under the tinum rank, so you have to be careful."


    Orion nodded, and to Runo, Rina, and Sam''s surprise, he unexpectedly stepped forward at that moment.


    "You are searching for Orion?" he asked, looking at the man.


    The man nodded seriously and asked, "Do you know him?"


    He appeared to have dark red hair and a well-built body. He wore a light blue suit and a tie. Apart from his square-shaped face, he looked good enough.


    "You mean the Orion who ranked top in the elite ranking?" Orion asked for confirmation.


    The man nodded excitedly, thinking the guy in front of him might know his whereabouts.


    Orion shook his head in pity. "You came at the wrong time."


    The square-faced man frowned. "What do you mean?"


    Orion sighed and pointed at the man he beat up a moment ago. "Do you see him? That guy is Orion. The poor guy has been challenged again and again, fighting one man after another since he came to the banquet. Some time ago, he fought his hundredth battle and fell asleep."


    "You mean to say he won a hundred battles in a row?" the man was shocked.


    Orionughed. "Indeed, just give this man a rest for a moment."


    The square-faced man nodded. "My respect for him has increased even more after this."


    He walked away towards his family after saying those words.


    But Orion''s eyes in that moment were drawn to someone who had just entered the hall, and his expression changed dramatically.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 239: 239. Night of the Banquet - 4

    Orion saw a man walk in the hall, followed by the members of the Silverme Family. The man appeared to be around 19-20 years old and was one of the Silverme Family''s geniuses.


    But that didn''t make Orion change his expression; it was the mask that he wore on top of his face.


    It was a white mask like he had but his appeared rather skintight, usually used for changing appearances and it was a magical treasure from what he could see.


    Because the mask was a treasure and needed mana to change appearances, Orion could only see the white mask instead of the appearance the white mask had transformed into.


    Unlike him, all the humans present here could see that the man with the mask in the Silverme Family was just any other man. They were unable to see the mask because it had transformed into the skin of another human.


    As a result, all they saw was another human.


    But that didn''t apply to Orion since mana didn''t work him. He directly saw a man wearing a skin-tight mask walk in with the Silverme family.


    ''Why would someone have to change their appearance toe here? Unless they are a wanted man!''


    Orion thought carefully and moved his eyes away from the masked man. He didn''t want whoever was behind the mask to be suspicious of him.


    ''Someone from the Silverme Family... Is this a conspiracy or something against my family?''


    He wondered and headed back to where Runo and others were standing.


    As for why he thought that? Only the Silverme family had the habit of going against the Darkwood family over and over again.


    ''I have to keep an eye on him for the time being.''


    Orion decided to watch out for him. He couldn''t do anything to him here so he could only y safe and wait.


    "You did dirty to him but it was funny too, haha." Runoughed, cing his hand on Orion''s shoulder when he returned.


    "I think he might be angry when he finds out my little joke," Orion said, though he didn''t look even a little bit embarrassed.


    "Don''t worry. That guy is very dull and only cares about fighting; other than that, his mind barely works," Sam said with a smile.


    Orion nodded and inquired. "By the way, what''s his name?"


    Runo replied, "Hugo, but people call him Mad Man Hugo."


    Orion nodded.


    After that, he asked them more about their world and culture, and waited for the Emperor to make his entrance.


    As time passed, more and more guests began to arrive at the hall, and the number of guests kept increasing.


    Like that, an hour passed but there was still no sign of Emperor anywhere; even Erick hadn''te to the hall like he promised.


    At this point, Orion was starting to lose his patience. He had been on his guard against the masked man all this time, waiting for whatever incident would take ce once the archons arrived with the Emperor.


    But this wait...he couldn''t take it anymore.


    What Orion failed to realise here was that this type of banquet was intentionally made slow so that all the guests could take their timeing here and enjoy the banquet peacefully.


    After all, not everyday one would see a banquet of this level where all the major people from all over the world woulde to gather for a banquet.


    Therefore, when the time dide for an asion such as the banquet like this, people usually wanted it to flow at a slow pace. They wanted to build connections, talk to major figures from other domains and do many different things that usually couldn''t be possible if a banquet of this scale did not ur.


    And hence, the pace of the banquet.


    Turning to Runo, Orion asked, "Tell me the names of geniuses who havee here in this banquet, as well as some powerful figures from your region."


    In the end, he decided to continue his talk with Runo to pass the time.


    As for the masked man, he had already informed his father and Emily about this, so they also kept an eye out for him.


    Runo nced around the hall before turning to Orion.


    "All five of our Human Federation Realm''s top geniuses have arrived, and you know what? Most of them havee here to challenge you, so you better prepare yourselves."


    "Am I that famous?" Orion asked, surprised.


    Runo shook his head. "It''s not like that. Astral Voidwalker of your domain is considered one of the top five geniuses in all three domains and many people have seen his strength with their own eyes but then a certain someone came out of nowhere and suddenly took his position in the elite ranking and obtained the title for the number one genius of the Magus Kingdom with a strength at the iron rank."


    "This is the reason why they want to challenge me." Orion asked.


    Runoughed and shook his head. "Not in the least. It''s just that the number 1 genius of the Magus Kingdom hasn''t been defeated till ten years ago and your sudden appearance gave them some hope."


    "Ten years?" Orion was surprised again.


    Runo looked at him strangely. "Your sister is Emily Darkwood, right?"


    "Ah," Orion understood something.


    Runo nodded seeing Orion realize. "When your sister was the Magus Kingdom''s number one genius, no one could defeat her. Many geniuses from the three domains tried but failed to defeat her. She had maintained her undefeated legend for 5-6 years until she turn 21 and Astral took her ce in the number one elite ranking."


    Runoughed hard, thinking about what happened after that. "Many geniuses from other domains took this opportunity and challenged Astral but unlike Emily, who calmly defeated her challengers, he thrashed them all at the same time. He never gave his opponents leeway and fought with all strength and hence, nobody seeded in defeating him as well.


    Therefore, till Emily became the number one in the elite ranking ten years ago to now, the number one genius of the Magus Kingdom is an undefeated legend."


    As he realized the importance of the ranking, Orion took a deep breath.


    "That''s really a lot of pressure but I think I can handle any geniuses from anywhere if their strength were to be limited to gold rank only."


    "That is a lot of confidenceing from a guy with strength only at silver rank."


    At that moment, however, an untimely mocking echoed throughout the hall.


    Orion frowned and turned to see another man, around 20 years old, approaching him. What caught Orion''s attention was the man''s clothing, unlike anything he had seen since arriving in this world.


    ''Could this guy be from the Martial Domain?'' Orion thought. The Martial Domain was the only ce whose fashion he hadn''t encountered, leading him to believe the man must be from there.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 240: 240. Night of the Banquet - 5

    The man''s attire was distinctive, featuring a mix of traditional martial robes with intricate patterns and modern elements that made him stand out in the hall. His confident stride and the way others subtly made way for him hinted at his significance.


    Orion''s curiosity was piqued, but he remainedposed, waiting for the man to speak.


    "Are you the so-called genius everyone is talking about?" The man asked, his tone carrying a hint of challenge.


    Orion met his gaze steadily. "And who might you be?"


    The man smirked. "I am Zhang Wei from the Martial Domain, one of the top five geniuses. I''vee to see if the rumours about you are true."


    Orion raised an eyebrow. "And what rumours might those be?"


    "That you''re a prodigy who surpassed the Astral Voidwalker and now hold the title of the number one genius of the Magus Kingdom," Zhang Wei replied. "But looking at you, I find it hard to believe."


    Orion felt a surge of irritation but kept his cool. "Believe what you will. I''m not here to prove myself to you."


    Zhang Wei''s smirk widened. "We''ll see about that. I look forward to testing your strength in the tournament."


    Runo leaned closer to Orion and whispered, "Be careful. Zhang Wei is known for his ruthless fighting style."


    Orion nodded subtly, keeping his eyes on Zhang Wei. "I look forward to it," he said aloud, his tone calm.


    Seeing Orion agree to his challenge, Zhang Weiughed lightly and went away.


    However, before Orion could have a moment of rest, another voice called out to him.


    "I want to have a spar with you."


    Orion sighed when he saw that another one had arrived, this time ady with long ck hair.


    "Not right now; I will fight at the tournament," he said, refusing to spar with her at this moment.


    "What if I insist?" She narrowed her eyes.


    "I can only ignore you then," Orion shrugged.


    Thedy frowned and turned to look at Runo. "Runo, ask him to fight me."


    Runo smiled bitterly. "If he doesn''t want to fight, then I can''t do anything about it. Furthermore, this is neither a ce nor a time to fight, Malissa."


    Malissa frowned hard and ignored Runo''s words. "Fight me if you are a man." She once again pestered Orion but with some underhanded method.


    "Ah, Runo, did you hear a fly buzz?" Orion asked; his eyes kept looking around as if he were searching for the fly.


    Runo smiled wryly and looked away. If he agreed with Orion, he might have made his friend Malissa angry, so he chose to ignore both of them.


    "Huh. I thought the new number one would have the same guts as Emily and Astral, but it seems I overestimated him," Malissa sneered at Orion, intending to make him angry.


    Orion nodded at her as if he believed in her words. "You''re right; I also believed that." He continued to nod his head at her.


    "Ahh!, you are so frustrating!" With those words, Malissa stomped her feet and walked away.


    When he saw that, Orionughed.


    "Now, you have to tell me all the geniuses who havee here," he turned to Runo after that.


    Runo nodded and started with Malissa. "Thedy just now was ranked 3rd in our domain and that Hugo ranked fifth."


    He then pointed at the side of the hall where two young men could be seen talking to each other.


    "They are ranked second and fourth, respectively." The man with the red hair is in number 4 and the other whose face is serious all the time is the 2nd strongest genius."


    "What about number 1?" Orion asked.


    Runo''s face became strange and pointed in another direction.


    Orion turned to see in that way and seeing the scene, he didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    A man of around 20 years of age with light brown hair could be seen standing in front of his sister Emily and Elyn. He appeared to be saying something to them, but the twodies acted as if he didn''t exist. But the man''s skin was too thick; he sometimes wiped his hair, sometimes whistled, and sometimes even interfered in their talk to draw their attention, only to get ignored again.


    However, he seemed to have no idea when to give up and kept pestering the two of them.


    "Is the number one genius in the Human Federation Realm a pervert?" Orion inquired,ughing.


    Runoughed lightly. "Not a pervert, but if he sees any beautiful woman, he would try to have a talk with them even if he were to get beaten away in the end."


    "What kind of fetish is this?" Orionughed even more.


    Runo shrugged.


    Orion then inquired about the Martial Domain''s geniuses.


    "Them?" Runo pondered for a moment before replying. "Zhang Wei, who just challenged you, is ranked 3rd, and the other four haven''t arrived yet."


    "They haven''t arrived yet." Orion found this very surprising. The banquet had started more than an hour ago and they hadn''t arrived yet. This made him remember Erick, who said he woulde as soon as his job was done.


    "Hasn''t the banquet started yet?" He asked as if he realised something.


    Runo nodded. "It will begin when the Emperor makes his entrance, and for him to do that, almost all of the guests must be here." So, until everyone arrives, I don''t think the Emperor would make an entrance."


    Orion smiled bitterly, thinking he would need to wait even more before the banquet could truly begin.


    In order to pass the time, he continued his talking with Runo.


    It wasn''t until another two hours that Emperor finally made his entrance.


    "Emperor has arrived!"


    An announcement echoed through the hall, drawing everyone''s attention to the entrance.


    ---


    Additionally, I was hoping you could leave somements or reviews to let me know your thoughts!


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

 Chapter 241: 241. Night of the Banquet - 6

    A middle-aged man with golden hair walked into the hall, followed by numerous groups of people. He wore red clothing with a golden stripe, and atop his head rested a golden crown. This was Emperor Maximus of the Magus Kingdom.


    The groups following behind were many, but a few among them stood out.


    First was a lone man in his thirties who walked in casually. He also had golden hair, but unlike the Emperor''s, it was neatlybed. He was Kane Maximus, the Sword Sage.


    Behind him was a group of people exuding a fierce aura. They appeared arrogant, with sneers on their faces and casual attire, looking more like they had randomly decided toe rather than attend a banquet.


    Leading them was a woman in her thirties with long, light blue hair tied in a ponytail. She wore dark red clothing and scanned the crowd as if searching for someone.


    ''They are from the Archons,'' Orion recognized them by their clothing and behavior. They didn''t seem to be there for the banquet but rather to find someone¡ªpossibly the killer.


    To the side was another group that seemed out of ce. They were led by two middle-aged men, their faces dark and full of anger as if someone had killed their sons. Behind them were three old men from Carl''s group, followed by a man in his early twenties.


    ''Are they from Carl''s family?'' Orion wasn''t sure, but he was certain they were there because of his family.


    Following them were the remaining magi families that had yet to arrive: the Voidwalker family, the Stormrider family, and the Grimwolf family.


    Lastly, a group of people wearing martial robes entered. Among them were some old men with long beards down to their stomachs and some young men.


    Erick and Princess Luma followed behind them, but when they saw Orion, they made their way toward him.


    The Emperor continued walking until he reached the front of the hall. Those following him stopped at various points.


    At that moment, Orion felt an intense aura of killing intent locked onto him. It made him feel cold all over, causing him to tremble slightly.


    ''What was that?'' Sensing the killing intent, he turned to see the young man from the three old men''s group staring at him with narrowed eyes. When Orion looked at him, the young man made a throat-cutting gesture with his finger.


    ''It seems they have done their research this time,'' Orion thought with a grim expression.


    "Orion, the Emperor is about to give his speech," Runo nudged him from the side.


    "Ah, I see," Orion nodded and turned his attention to the Emperor.


    "Honored guests and dear friends," Emperor Maximus addressed everyone present in the hall. "Today, as I celebrate my three hundredth birthday, I am deeply moved by your presence. It is a privilege to be surrounded by such power and wisdom, both familiar and new. Our journey together has been one of challenges and triumphs, shaping us into who we are today."


    He added, "Let this banquet be a celebration of unity and mutual respect. May our shared strength lead us to an era of peace and prosperity. Thank you for being here. Let the festivities begin!"


    Orion nodded, impressed by the Emperor''s speech. It reminded him of his school days when he prepared for simr speeches.


    After the Emperor''s speech, all the guests came to congratte him. Orion''s father was among them.


    "Your father is old, Erick," Orion joked.


    "Well, he is," Erick shrugged.


    Orion smiled and took the chance to ask about the Archons. "So, tell me, what are those men here for? Looking at their attire, I can tell they aren''t here for the banquet," he asked, pointing at the group led by the blue-haired woman.


    Erick''s face became serious. "They are from the Archons and are looking for the killer who killed their four young masters in the dungeon. You should know about them since you went to the same dungeon."


    "My sister told me about them," Orion nodded and then signaled with his eyes towards the three old men''s group led by the two middle-aged men, one of whom had targeted Orion with his killing intent. "What about them?"


    "I don''t know. I only know they came with the group of Archons," Erick shrugged.


    Orion nodded in understanding. ''So, they haven''t told anyone about their n to destroy my family.''


    "Everyone!" At that moment, the blue-haired woman shouted, drawing everyone''s attention. "I know many of you have heard about the deaths of the four young men in the recent dungeon incident. A killer in a white mask with the strength of a diamond rank somehow barged into a tinum rank dungeon and killed them. I am here for the investigation.


    My team has already questioned themon people, and now only three remain."


    She added, "We will ask questions to each of you, and you must answer truthfully."


    Orion''s heart started beating fast, but he acted nonchnt. He nced at his sister and saw her usual stoic expression.


    "Emperor Maximus, may we conduct the investigation here?" the blue-haired woman asked, though it seemed more like an announcement.


    "You can do what you want, but you should ask my son too. If he refuses, I can only support his decision," Emperor Maximus shrugged and sipped a ss of wine.


    The blue-haired woman''s face darkened. She turned to Kane, who was leaning against the wall and smiling back at her.


    "Ask it," he said.


    "You know the question I just asked your father," the blue-haired woman said irritably.


    "That was you asking my father, not me," Kane shook his head lightly.


    The blue-haired woman clenched her fists tightly, recalling simr scenes from their past, though their roles had now been reversed.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 86. New Curses

    <h4>Chapter 86. New Curses</h4>


    As Orion entered through the door, the first thing he noticed was the theme of the house from inside, and observing all of that, he felt very surprised.


    From the outside, he knew the house appeared to be a spherical structure, but from the inside, it was hard to tell. As soon as he entered the door, the first thing he saw was a small hallway leading to another door not far away.


    The hallway appeared normal, simr to those on Earth, with rectangr edges and walls on either side. What caught his attention was that the walls weren''t painted. Instead, they were covered with grass, which initially made Orion think they were painted. Upon closer inspection, he realized the walls were actually covered with light blue grass, not paint.


    He hadn''t seen anything like that on Earth, so when he encountered grass used as paint, he was shocked.


    Most importantly, as he touched the grass with his hands, he felt its smoothness. He couldn''t understand how this wall of grass hadn''t withered and remained fresh all this time.


    ''This is so amazing.''


    He felt excited seeing new things, discovering things he hadn''t seen before, and encountering uses for objects he never imagined could be used in such ways.


    He loved discovering new things and exploring different things. There was a burning desire in his heart to explore¡ªto travel around the world, a dream he always had on Earth. However, due to his living conditions, he couldn''t afford to travel or embark on explorations, leaving his dreams buried deep inside his heart.


    Now that he saw something new, the deep seated desire awakened within him, and he couldn''t wait to explore this Aethelgard City.


    ''But first, I should take a bath. I haven''t bathed for a week, I guess.''


    He thought as he walked along the hallway and arrived at the door before him.


    Just as he was about to open the door, a thought crossed his mind.


    ''This ce has bathrooms, right? Or do I have to bathe, like in a river? That would be very embarrassing.''


    He shook his head as he opened the door. What appeared in front of him was a circr room with a bed in one corner, a table and a chair on the side, and a wardrobe beside the bed. Orion doubted whether there would be anything in the wardrobe.


    But he still went on to check there in case he would find something interesting.


    As he opened the wardrobe, to his surprise, Orion found some items inside. To his current self, they weren''t useless at all. In fact, they were exactly what he needed most, and he unexpectedly found them here.


    ''I guess my bad luck isn''t that bad. Now, let''s see where the bathroom is.''


    He thought about his find as he turned around to look at the three doors around the edge of the circr room. He noticed that only one of the doors had something written on it.


    ''Mana Crystals.''


    He couldn''tprehend why a door would be marked with "Mana Crystals" written above it.


    Feeling puzzled, he opened the door and saw a white smoke floating in front of him, and at the walls, some more things were written.


    ''Put the mana crystals here.''


    After reading the inscription, Orion somewhat understood. If he wasn''t wrong, this ce would be where they had to pay for their mana crystals. However, he couldn''tprehend why a ball of white smoke floated in front of him, nor did he understand its purpose.


    ''Whatever, let''s find the bathroom.''


    Putting his thoughts about the mana crystal room aside, he searched the other two rooms. One was a training room, filled with various weapons and training equipment.


    Thest door finally led to where he wanted to go¡ªa bathroom. However, it was designed to resemble a medieval period bathroom, featuring a small pond with stones ced around its edges, a water source beside it, and a neatly maintained garden on the side.


    ''Let''s take a rxing bath.''


    He thought as he closed the door behind him and was ready to take his bath.


    ***


    A few hourster, Orion came out after taking a bath, and he felt refreshed after spending some time in the pond. It was the best he had ever felt sinceing to this world.


    ''These clothes fit me well.''


    He considered this as he looked at the new outfit he had donned. It consisted of a white t-shirt with a cor, over which he wore a blue full-sleeve shirt without buttons. The sleeves of the shirt weren''t long enough to fully cover his hands, reaching only to his elbows. He found this set of clothes in the wardrobe he opened a moment ago.


    He thenfortably sat on the bed and opened his status.


    ''Hehe, let''s see what I got.''


    He thought as he opened his status.


    ''Status.''


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Bronze]


    [Talent: Copy Curse: 9%]


    [Curse: Null Body, Electrostatic Disruption, Dimensional Dissonance, Velocity Burst, Sacrificial Renewal, Burdened Gravity, Frozen Torment, Detonating Flesh, Shattered Precision, Unbridled Fury, Unyielding Encasement, Energy Overload, Equilibrium, Constant Pull, Constriction''s Embrace, Torsion Vise]


    [Strength: 12]


    [Stamina 11]


    [Agility: 100]


    [Perception: 11]


    [Constitution, 11]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    Looking at the two new curses, a smile appeared on his face. He copied these two curses from Lisa and Vance, respectively, when he shook his hand with them earlier.


    [Curse: Constriction''s Embrace]


    [Description: The curse of Constriction''s Embrace afflicts individuals who possess the extraordinary ability to control and manipte small domains. While they can create and shape their own distinct areas of influence, this curse ensures that the more they use their talent, the more restricted and confined their own physical body bes. This curse manifests as a progressive and debilitating tightening of their personal space, leading to severe physical and psychological consequences.]


    [Curse: Torsion Vise]


    [Description: The curse of Torsion Vise afflicts individuals with spring-based abilities, ensuring that their own body is subjected to severe and deadly physical consequences each time they use their talent. This curse manifests as a brutal, internal force that progressively crushes and twists their bones, muscles, and organs, leading to excruciating pain and eventual physical breakdown.]


    He felt depressed as he looked at the description of these curses. He had copied them because the names sounded cool when the notification to copy the curse had disyed in front of him. However, now that he looked at their descriptions, he realized that these two curses only had cool names and nothing else.


    ''Is it because of my luck? I have copied three curses since my luck turned bad, and not a single one of them had any unique uses.''


    He sighed, thinking about his luck.


    ''System, remove the Torsion Vise from the curse list.''


    [Curse: Torsion Vise will be deleted, do you confirm?]


    ''Yes.''


    [Curse: Torsion Vise has been deleted sessfully.]


    He didn''t delete the Constriction''s Embrace because he felt it might have some use, though he wasn''t sure. He thought it would be better to first check how the curse affected him. So, without much thought, he entered the abyss of darkness and activated the curse.


    However, the moment the curse was activated, Orion felt all the negative emotions in his consciousness pour out into his mind. He visualized every moment of despair, sadness, fear of death, anxiety, and every instance of negativity he had ever felt in his two lives resurfacing in his mind.


    "Agggahhhh!"


    He clutched his head tightly in pain as he experienced those negative emotions over and over again, like a never-ending barrage flooding his mind nonstop.


    A momentter, the pain became too much for him to handle, causing him to lose consciousness as his body lifelessly fell onto the bed.

 Chapter 242: 242. Night of the Banquet - 7

    The blue-haireddy grunted her teeth at the situation. She really didn''t want to ask him of all people considering what had happened between themst time but she also understood she must do what she had been told by her father.


    "Can I ask the three individuals a few questions about the killer?" She asked with difficulty; her voice sounded low; she even trembled a little when she said those words. It was clear she didn''t want to do that.


    "Hmm, let me think for a sec." Kane acted as if he was thinking hard.


    The blue-haireddy trembled even more. She felt humiliated at this moment. She was sure that every guest had their eyes on them at the moment and being treated like that in front of so many people made her really angry and humiliated, especially since she was from the Archons.


    And it was just as she thought. Everyone could tell there was something going on between them, and Kane was intentionally making things difficult for her.


    Orion also watched the scene with interest. He also hoped that Sword Sage would reject her.


    "Now that I think about it," Kane said at the moment. "I''m also very interested in that killer." The way he is able to bypass the rank requirement in the dungeon is intriguing to me."


    He looked at the blue haireddy and added, "Luna, I will give you my permission to ask you questions, but remember, only questions. My precious disciple and her best friend are also among those you want to interrogate."


    "Ah, that kid too," Kane added, as if remembering something. "In simple terms, you can only ask questions and nothing else."


    Luna felt like she was being ordered around and she hated this feeling but she understood she could only do as she was told for the moment.


    Taking a deep breath, she turned towards Elyn first.


    "Elyn, right?"


    Elyn nodded.


    "Tell me everything that happened inside the dungeon from your point of view," Luna asked.


    Elyn began recounting the events of the dungeon without missing a single detail, and when she got to the part where the man in a mask appeared and killed Carl''s group, Luna''s face turned dark.


    After she told her everything, Luna nodded and then began to ask her questions.


    "Do you have any information about the killer?" About who he is?" Luna asked.


    "No," Elyn replied.


    Luna nodded lightly and asked, "Onest question: did he only use ck mes and nothing else?"


    Elyn nodded.


    "Alright, you are clear."


    Luna dismissed her and turned her attention to Emily, who stood beside Elyn.


    "Emily Darkwood, once the number one genius of the Magus Kingdom and I believe you still are among your peers." She started withplimenting her before she got to the main topic.


    "Tell me your side of the story," she asked.


    Emily nodded and began recounting the events of the dungeon from her point of view. It was basically the same as Elyn but she was at the front of the battle with the golden and blue wolf while Elyn was on the back.


    A minuteter, she recounted everything that had transpired in the dungeon to Luna.


    "I see..." Luna thought about something. "So, your little brother used Space Tear to leave the arena barrier in the boss room, correct?"


    Emily nodded.


    "You also don''t know anything about the killer?" Luna asked.


    Orion''s heartbeat once again increased at the moment. The fact that she knew everything about the killer might prove dangerous here.


    "I don''t know anything," Emily replied, nodding her.


    Luna nodded her head lightly and dismissed her.


    She then turned her head towards Orion.


    "You two siblings are quite a duo. One was the number one genius of the Magus Kingdom in her time, and now you hold that ce," sheplimented Orion too but narrowed her eyes at the end. "Being so strong at only the iron rank is even moremendable than your sister."


    Orion didn''t say anything regarding herpliment to him for he felt she might be up to something because she did the same thing to his big sister. In short he felt suspicious about her approach to all of this.


    "I heard you beat one of our servants." Luna asked.


    "Oh, that dog was your servant?" Orion acted as if he didn''t know. "I thought he was just a random wild dog. He began barking when he saw me."


    Luna''s veins popped on her forehead. She really wanted to beat this kid but controlled herself.


    "He was not mine, but he belonged to a certain member," she corrected Orion with a forced smile.


    "Anyway, tell me your side of the story," she enquired.


    Orion nodded and began recounting his side of the story, which was almost basically the same as Elyn. At the end, he added how he had to leave the dungeon because of the blue wolf''s surprise attack.


    His story came to an end this way¡ªa very different endingpared to others.


    Luna nodded and narrowed her eyes at the moment. She looked suspiciously at Orion and asked, "Tell me, what is your talent?"


    "My talent?" Orion understood she was suspicious of him. "My talent is called Essence Condensation."


    "What does it do?" She inquired about the specifics.


    Orion exined. "Basically, I can condense any form of element if I am given a period of time to learn how that element works."


    "Show me," Luna asked.


    Orion nodded and held his left hand forward. A momentter, it began to burn in red mes. He did the same to his right hand and it began to release frost around his right arm.


    Luna looked at his mes suspiciously.


    "A month ago, a figure was seen on one of the space stations of the Magus Kingdom. I believe that station was called Starforge. When demons attacked that ce, a figure wearing the exact same mask as the one who killed appeared there. Tell me, was that person you?" She asked.


    Orion had already spected that his mask of Curse Lord would be suspected to be him someday considering they both used the same set of powers and therefore he had already prepared for moments like this.


    "Yes, it was indeed me," he agreed with Luna. "The mask individual in the Starforge."

 Chapter 243: 243. Night of the Banquet - 8

    Luna narrowed her eyes when she heard Orion admit that the masked figure on the Starforge was him.


    "Why wear a mask to be a hero?" she asked suspiciously, her voice dripping with distrust.


    Orion shrugged. "I wanted to keep a low profile. The strength that Curse Lord disyed back then was monstrous¡ªpeak Gold rank strength with an Iron rank body. Not many can achieve a feat like that. So, I chose the mask to stay anonymous."


    Luna chuckled lightly, but there was no humor in her eyes. "Too much of a monster, I would say."


    Then, with a serious expression, she added, "There are too many coincidences¡ªor should I say leads¡ªthat suggest you might be the killer."


    Orion''s face darkened. "What leads?"


    Luna began counting on her fingers. "First, the mask you wore at the Starforge. The killer wore the same mask when he killed the four young men in the dungeon."


    She gave him a sharp look before continuing, her voice cutting through the air like a knife.


    "Second, your absence in the dungeon when the killer appeared. No one saw you and the killer at the same time. It''s possible that after you exited the boss arena, you waited for them to defeat the boss, and then returned as the killer when you realized the boss would self-destruct."


    Her cold words sent a shiver through the room, making many of the guests uneasy. The sheer power gap between Orion and the killer¡ªa difference between Gold rank and a killer who could effortlessly take down peak tinum ranks¡ªmade her theory seem like a stretch, but the tension was palpable.


    Orionughed lightly, but there was an edge to his voice. "Your reasoning and assumptions are impressive, but let''s say I am the killer. How would you exin the strength of that guy?"


    "I''ve been wondering the same thing," Kane interjected from the side, his voice calm but with a hint of challenge. "How could someone at Silver rank possess the strength of a Diamond rank? And from what I''ve heard, the killer left the dungeon in perfect shape¡ªnot a trace of side effects from using any cursed treasure or technique. I''m really curious to hear your exnation, Luna."


    Luna''s face darkened further as Kane butted into their conversation.


    "That''s something I''d like to know as well," she said, ring at him before turning back to Orion. "Do you want to know why I think the second point makes perfect sense?"


    "I''m not really interested in hearing more about something I didn''t do, but go ahead," Orion shrugged, his voice tinged with impatience.


    Luna continued, "When the boss monster was about to detonate, the killer saved them by transporting the monster out of the restricted space. Imagine an assassin whose sole purpose was to kill those four, saving others from the explosion. It doesn''t make sense¡ªunless the assassin wasn''t just a killer, but someone who wanted to appear as one to kill specific people.


    And when he saw that the detonation would harm innocent bystanders, he intervened."


    She paused, letting her words sink in before asking, "What do you think of that?"


    The room was filled with murmurs of agreement and skepticism. Emperor Maximus watched the scene unfold with a smile, his eyes gleaming with interest.


    Orion''s family was visibly anxious. Olivia''s eyes were filled with worry, while E watched the exchange without blinking. Only Barion seemed unaffected, as if nothing was happening. Runo and Erick were also nervous for Orion but believed he couldn''t be the killer, so they remained silent and observant.


    Orion, after hearing Luna''s words,ughed lightly, but the tension in his voice was unmistakable. "In the end, all of this is just spection. You have no proof that it was me, and you never will."


    Luna frowned, knowing her conclusions were based on circumstantial evidence and assumptions from her two-week investigation. She was 90% sure Orion was the killer.


    "And then there''s the question of how the killer entered the Diamond rank dungeon. That point would also make sense if the killer was already inside the dungeon," she added.


    "Well, you can say as much as you want, but without proof, it''s all just nonsense," Orion said, irritated on the outside but terrified inside. He couldn''t fathom how she had pieced together every detail and concluded he was the culprit. He knew that if she found any real evidence, his lies would be exposed.


    Luna seemed unfazed by Orion''s response. "Myst point is quite interesting. I heard you and a few others were recently teleported to Null Void?"


    "What about it?" Orion asked, his voice steady but his heart racing, knowing where she was going with this.


    "Your clone in the Null Void was unique¡ªit could use ck mes. I wonder if that clone had anything to do with this case," she said, her eyes locked onto his.


    Orion''s expression turned ugly. "At this rate, you''re just using baseless assumptions against me. Everything you''ve mentioned is spection. You have no real evidence, so please,e back when you do. It''s hard to deal with false usations when you''ve done nothing wrong."


    Lunaughed when she saw Orion lose his temper. "Why so much anger? Feeling guilty?"


    "Feeling guilty?" Orionughed with a crazed expression on his face. "It''s really funnying from someone who is using others based on groundless assumptions. I would feel angry if you actually had evidence, which you clearly don''t. I only feel disgust that you are trying so hard to me someone who hasn''t done anything."


    Luna''s face trembled slightly at his words.


    But Orion wasn''t done.


    "I guess it''s true what they say about people from Archons being too arrogant. When you can''t find the killer or evidence, you make innocent people the scapegoat and forge groundless evidence just toplete your mission. If it''s really like this, I wonder how many others have been falsely used and punished for crimes they haven''tmitted.


    I wonder if the Celestial Court is blind to all of this."


    The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of Orion''s usations hanging heavily in the air.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 244: 244. Night of the Banquet - 9

    Whispers began to spread among the guests as Orion voiced those questioning words. All the people present in the hall were well-known figures, and they understood the true nature of the ''Archons.''


    Therefore, Orion''s words were like adding fuel to an already established fact that had been buried deep inside their hearts. Those buried doubts began to resurface as Orion''s words echoed through the hall.


    The guests started questioning each other and themselves, wondering if Orion''s words held any truth. The answers they found made their hearts grow cold.


    Luna could hear all the whispers circting around the hall, and her expression turned cold.


    "Shut up!" she shouted.


    "If I hear any of you say another word about the Archons, you will be dead."


    She threatened them tantly.


    Then, turning to Orion, her eyes burning with rage, she said, "I can kill you for spreading misinformation about the Archons. Do you know that?"


    "Kill me?" Orionughed, but then, as if realizing something, his expression suddenly changed.


    "I see..." he murmured,ing to an understanding. "So, when someone doesn''t adhere to your tyrannical ways, you kill them. And when your higher-ups ask about the culprit, you simply say you caught them, but they tried to escape, so you had no choice but to kill them. What Archons! What noble people you are!"


    His words echoed throughout the hall. Many people gulped when they heard him. Although they chose not to believe all of Orion''s words, the possibility that some of them might be true chilled them to the bone.


    Orion spoke without fear, once again gambling his life¡ªrelying on the Sword Sage, believing that with him present, Luna wouldn''t dare to act against him. That was also why he had been acting so arrogantly.


    He had no choice but to act this way. He couldn''t let her sessfully me him, or everything he had done would be for nothing.


    "Enough!" Luna shouted again, silencing the crowd in the hall.


    "And you," she then turned to look at Orion, "You areing with me to the Archons."


    "Nope, not gonna happen," Kane interjected before Orion could even reply.


    "What do you mean?" Orion asked at that moment.


    Lunaughed with a sinister expression. "It means you are under arrest for killing four young masters of the Archons."


    "I said not gonna happen," Kane dered, stepping between Luna and Orion.


    "Do you really want to interfere?" Luna asked coldly.


    Kane nodded lightly. "I don''t want to. I really don''t want to, but if you''re nning on taking Orion, I have no choice but to interfere."


    Luna''s expression shifted several times before she made a decision.


    "Do you know what this is?" She took out a red square-shaped medallion, with a golden phoenix etched onto it.


    "The War Medallion!" Kane uttered in shock.


    Not only him, but Emperor Maximus and all the guests were equally shocked. They couldn''t believe she would use the War Medallion at this time. They understood the significance of the War Medallion and how it could affect the entire three domains if she were to use it.


    The strongest powers from both the Human Federation Realm and Martial Domain hadn''te; otherwise, they would have certainly protested this with Emperor Maximus. Only the second-inmand of the two domains had attended the banquet.


    Kane''s demeanor turnedpletely serious, his usual yful smile reced by a somber expression.


    "You''re willing to go this far just to bring back someone who may or may not be the culprit, just so you can punish him?"


    "You leave me with no choice," Lunaughed madly. "Either choose to protect Orion, or prepare for a war between the three domains¡ªor should I say, a war between the Human Federation Realm and Martial Domain versus the Magus Kingdom."


    "You know that the other races might start a war with us in five years. If an internal conflict at the domain level were to happen, we would lose the war before it could even begin," Kane said seriously.


    Luna sneered. "You think I care?" Sheughed crazily.


    Kane frowned heavily. He understood many things about the Medallion and knew that only a few chosen could ever hold something like that.


    Even if he were to forcefully take it from her, it would automatically return to her.


    The War Medallion was nomon item, for it was one of the eight cosmic wonders like the Mirror of ck and White, which was created during the dawn of the universe.


    Unlike the Mirror of ck and White, the War Medallion was unpredictable, choosing its master frequently and seemingly at random. One day it could be in the possession of a mighty warrior, and the next, it might find its way to a humble farmer. Its selection process remained a mystery, leaving schrs and mystics puzzled for millennia.


    What was known, however, was the sheer magnitude of its power. The War Medallion was a relic that could alter the fate of entire worlds. When activated, it had the potential to unleash forces so devastating that they could bring ruin not just to the three domains¡ªrealms of existence within the universe¡ªbut possibly to the cosmos itself.


    Due to this reason, there was another name the War Medallion became famous for¡ªMedallion of Cmity. For one might not know when it reached in the hands of a madman, resulting in a war that would end the entire universe.


    "So, what''s your choice?" Luna asked at that moment.


    As if she thought of something, she added: "Don''t think of any tricks here. You should know the one who holds the War Medallion is the real KING of this universe and at the moment, the person is me."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 245: 245. Night of the Banquet - 10

    Orion overheard the intense conversation between the two, and his face twisted with unease as the implications began to sink in. Although he had no knowledge of what the War Medallion truly was, he could tell it was something significant¡ªsignificant enough to make even the mighty Sword Sage hesitate.


    ''Damn! What is this thing?'' he wondered, ncing at Kane from time to time. The possibility that Kane might abandon his protection left Orion deeply unsettled. If that happened, he knew he''d have to resort to hisst defenses, something he was desperate to avoid for as long as possible.


    Sweat began to trickle down his face as he sensed the atmosphere in the hall suddenly grow more tense. Everyone''s attention was fixed on Kane, just like his own, and he noticed that nervous expressions were stered on their faces. Although he didn''t fully grasp the reason behind their anxiety, he could tell it had something to do with the War Medallion.


    At the center of it all, Kane seemed to be lost in thought, while Luna waited for his response with a mix of impatience and dread.


    In the end, everything hinged on Kane''s decision¡ªa decision that could spark a war between the three domains, a conflict that might doom humanity in the looming war against other races in five years. Alternatively, nothing would change if Kane chose not to interfere.


    The uncertainty was unbearable, and as time passed, the tension in the hall only thickened.


    The wait was abruptly broken by a chuckle that echoed through the silent hall of Emperor Heaven Pce.


    "Heh."


    The sound came from Kane, and the sight of himughing only heightened the nervous tension in the room. Faces darkened, especially Luna''s, as she stared at Kane with growing frustration.


    "What''s so funny? Have you decided or not?" she demanded, her voice sharp.


    Kane''sughter continued, and the seriousness that had been etched on his face vanished, reced by his usual yful smile.


    "What are youughing at?" Luna raged, her patience fraying.


    Kane shrugged nonchntly. "Let''s do what you say," he replied in a rxed tone.


    Luna''s frown deepened. "What do you mean by that?"


    Without a care in the world, Kane simply said, "Just start the war and let the world burn in the mes of conflict."


    Shock rippled through the hall like a tidal wave. Luna''s face paled, and she wasn''t the only one¡ªeveryone in the room was taken aback by Kane''s deration. Even Emperor Maximus trembled upon hearing his son''s words. No one had anticipated that Kane would arrive at such a devastating decision.


    Orion, however, found himself gripped by a strange mixture of relief and dread. Relief, because Kane''s decision meant he might still be protected, but dread because he understood all too well the weight of Kane''s words: ''Let the world burn in mes of war.''


    He wasn''t na?ve; he quickly grasped the gravity of the situation, especially with the War Medallion in Luna''s hands. The realization hit him like a punch¡ªshe could indeed incite a war with that medallion.


    Even Orion, who had experienced the concept of war on Earth, was stunned by the scale of the potential conflict in this world, where every individual wielded unimaginable powers. The thought of such a war erupting because of this was terrifying.


    "Are you serious?" Luna''s voice trembled with disbelief. She had only brought up the idea of initiating the war to pressure Kane into backing down, but instead of retreating, he had leaped forward ten steps ahead.


    Kane''sughter echoed once more as he sneered, "What? Afraid?"


    "Go ahead, just do it. Start a war between all three domains¡ªwhat''s the worst that could happen? The loss of millions, perhaps even billions of lives? But does it really matter? Who cares about the countless lives that would be lost in the chaos when we can remain safe and sound in thefort of our strongholds? Isn''t that all that matters in the end?


    As long as we''re alright, everything should be fine, shouldn''t it? So, go on, unleash the conflict, and let the three domains tear themselves apart."


    Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air when Kane''s words echoed through the room. Their collective shock was almost tangible¡ªeyes widened in disbelief, some took a step back as if physically struck by the enormity of his suggestion.


    A few hands instinctively reached for their weapons, while others stood frozen, unable to process the audacity of his proposal. The tension was thick enough to cut with a de, as the gravity of his words threatened to unravel the fragile bnce they had maintained.


    They understood all too well the implications of Kane''s words. If a war were to break out between the three domains, the Archons and other powers aligned with the Celestial Court would likely remain untouched, safe in their distant realms.


    But it would be different for them¡ªthe primary powers of the three domains.


    They would be the ones thrust into the heart of the battlefield, leading their armies into the bloodshed. Their lives would be the first to be sacrificed, their people the first to fall, all because of one man''s reckless words.


    The weight of this reality pressed down on them, making the potential consequences of such a conflict all the more terrifying.


    "Sword Sage, please reconsider your decision."


    "Eldest Prince, does the life of one kid that valuable to you that you are willing to sacrifice the life of so many?"


    "Sword Sage, your own home¡ªyour own Magus Kingdom would also be swept into the war and many people would die. So, please don''t make any rash decisions."


    "Sword Sage, why are you so heartless?"


    Many guests in the hall, regardless of whether they hailed from the Magus Kingdom or other domains, began to voice their concerns, urgently suggesting that Kane reconsider his decision.


    The tension in the room escted as more and more people stepped forward, each trying to persuade him to abandon his dangerous course of action. Some spoke with pleading tones, others with a hint of desperation, while a few even tried to appeal to his sense of reason and responsibility.


    It was clear that the fear of the impending disaster had united them, as they all understood the catastrophic consequences that Kane''s decision could unleash.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 246: 246. Night of the Banquet - 11

    Orion''s eyes widened in shock and terror when heard Kane''s words. He couldn''t believe he would say such words. A war between three domains all because of him sounded very idiotic but Kane''s very words suggested the same thing.


    ''Damn it! What is he thinking?


    He cursed softly under his breath, the thought of a war erupting because of him gnawing at his mind. He only wanted Kane to protect him and while Kane had indeed protected him, the cost of that protection was now bing horrifyingly clear. The idea that his very presence could lead to such catastrophic consequences was both overwhelming and deeply unsettling.


    Orion clenched his fists tightly, struggling to reconcile his expectations with the grim reality unfolding before him. He had hoped that Kane, with his immense strength and authority, would find a peaceful resolution to this escting crisis. Instead, the situation had deteriorated into the worst possible scenario he could imagine.


    Turning to look at Erick and Runo, Orion saw the same shock mirrored on their faces. They were just as stunned and dismayed as he was by Kane''s decision.


    "Erick, ask your brother to change his decision," Orion implored urgently.


    Erick''s response was a wry, hollowugh. "If only it were that easy," he replied, his voice tinged with a mix of helplessness and resignation.


    "You don''t understand," Runo interjected, his expression serious and grim. "The issue is with thedy from the Archons. She wanted you to apany her, and if the Sword Sage blocks her from doing so, she will initiate the war. It seems like the Sword Sage knew he couldn''t prevent her from acting, and so he chose to agree with her, starting the war himself."


    Orion understood the gravity of the situation all too well, but the way the Sword Sage spoke about the war, casually mentioning the potential loss of millions of lives, left him deeply unsettled.


    It wasn''t just the words themselves that disturbed him; it was the indifferent tone with which they were delivered.


    To Orion, it seemed as though the Sword Sage didn''t care about the countless lives that would be lost in the chaos, as if the suffering and death of millions were mere trivialities in the grand scheme of things.


    The thought sent a shiver down his spine, making him question the true nature of the man who could discuss such devastation with such cold detachment.


    It was as if, in the Sword Sage''s eyes, the lives of ordinary people were expendable, mere pawns in a game of power and strategy.


    Orion couldn''t help but feel a growing sense of dread, realizing that the decisions being made here could lead to unimaginable consequences, all while those in power remained disturbingly indifferent to the human cost.


    He found himself wondering if this was truly the real face of the Sword Sage, the same figure he had once looked up to with admiration. The contrast between his former image and the present reality was jarring.


    "So, what have you decided?" Kane asked Luna, his tone dripping with amusement as he chuckled softly, seemingly unfazed by the turmoil he had instigated.


    Luna stared at the man before her, a deep unease settling in her chest. She felt that the man in front of her was no longer the same person she and her sister had known for so long. It was as though he had be apletely different person when she gave him a moment to decide whether to surrender Orion or wage war between the three domains.


    This made her wonder if all of this was a result of his anger towards her from ''that'' time or if he was truly serious about everything. As far as she could remember, he had always been someone who made wise decisions in every situation.


    This made her question whether Kane''s bluster was just an borate bluff or if he was truly prepared to follow through with his threats. She chose to believe in thetter.


    "You think I don''t know what you''re nning?" Luna sneered, her voiceced with a mix of defiance and fear.


    Kane''s smile widened. "Do tell me, what am I nning?"


    "You think I won''t dare to use the War Medallion, don''t you? That''s why you''re pushing for war," Luna said with a calcted smile, feeling she had unraveled Kane''s strategy.


    "Hahaha," Kaneughed loudly, the sound echoing ominously through the hall. "Then what are you waiting for? Do it! DO IT RIGHT NOW!"


    As he shouted, he suddenly appeared right in front of her, his intense gaze locking onto hers.


    "Do it," his whisper, though soft, was enough to send a shiver down her spine, causing her to stumble back and take several hurried steps away.


    "You¡ªyou stay away from me!" Luna cried, her voice trembling with fear.


    Kane''sughter took on a lighter tone. "You''ve forgotten that you''re the current bearer of the War Medallion. You''re essentially an immortal walking in the mortal world."


    He pressed further, his voice carrying a cold edge. "Are you going to use the medallion or not?"


    Luna held the medallion tightly and stared at Kane. ''I don''t know what has gotten into him, but he is very frightening now.''


    Looking at Kane''s smiling face, she understood one thing: he would not change his decision no matter the cost¡ªeven if billions of lives were lost.


    At this point, she couldn''t understand him¡ªor his motives. It made her recall what her father had said about Kane to her and her sister. They had dismissed his words at the time, believing their father took everything too seriously, but now she realized that everything her father had mentioned about Kane seemed to be true.


    It was just that he had hidden it too deeply, or they hadn''t been keen enough, unlike their father, to notice it.


    Thinking along these lines, she closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, a resolve could be seen on her face, as if she had made a decision.


    "Alright, since you aren''t going to stop interfering in my business, then you leave me with no choice," Luna said, holding the medallion in her right hand.


    "Young Miss, you shouldn''t do that!" One of the middle-aged men from Orion''s group shouted.


    "It doesn''t matter anyway," Luna said, shaking her head as she began to activate the War Medallion, when it suddenly disappeared from her hands.


    "Luna, don''t let yourself be swayed by this gue!"


    At that moment, a middle-aged man appeared in the hall. He had dark blue hair and a very stern face. He wore armor over his clothes, and his hand held the War Medallion, which soon disappeared from his hand and reappeared in Luna''s.


    "Father!"


    A smile appeared on Luna''s face when she saw her father, and all her worry seemed to disappear as she ran to him.


    The middle-aged man caressed her head dotingly. "I was busy with the officials of the Celestial Court, but when I heard you were given the mission regarding the Magus Kingdom, I had toe here."


    Luna nodded, feeling rxed.


    At that moment, the middle-aged man turned his head toward Kane. Seeing Kane ring at him, their eyes met, and a shockwave radiated from them, catching everyone off guard as they were thrown backward.

 Chapter 247: 247. Night of the Banquet - 12

    "Merlin! Long time no see!" Kane grinned as he saw the middle-aged man appear in the hall.


    "You''ve gotten worse," Merlin said, shaking his head in pity. "It''s corrupting you."


    "Hahaha, you said the same thing that day," Kane smiled strangely.


    Merlin frowned. "And I was right. You''re changing in ways even you can''tprehend."


    "That was just an excuse," Kane shook his head and looked at Merlin with a serious expression. "You just don''t want Nuwa to marry me."


    "I did what I had to do," Merlin replied, shaking his head before turning his attention to Orion. "And as my daughter said, you''reing with us to the Celestial Court. They will decide whether you''re guilty or not."


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than Orion felt a restraint, like shackles binding him and restricting his movements. He couldn''t move from his position at all.


    "What did you do?!" he shouted at Merlin. This was the first time he had felt so weak in front of someone. Though he could still free himself from this imprisonment, he still had to act to prevent others from doubting him.


    "Just imprisoned the space around you," Merlin said, then turned his attention back to Kane.


    "I will be taking him," he stated firmly.


    "Hahahaha," Kaneughed, raising his head high and cing his right hand on his face. "This isn''t your backyard where you can take anyone and leave just because you want to."


    Merlin smirked. "You can''t stop me."


    "Then, you''re in for one hell of a surprise!" Kane smiled, and suddenly, both he and Merlin turned their attention toward someone in surprise.


    Orion, watching them, felt uneasy and also turned his attention to where they were looking.


    ''Shit!''


    His eyes narrowed as he spotted a masked man among the Silverme family. Kane and Merlin were both staring in that direction, and Orion had a hunch it was rted to him..


    "Haha, I''ve been discovered," the masked manughed lightly and stepped forward.


    ''Damn!'' Orion''s expression darkened as he realized it was indeed the masked man who had drawn their attention.


    Although he didn''t know who the man was or his intentions, Orion had been suspicious of him from the moment he entered the hall because of his mask.


    ''I hope I''m wrong,'' Orion thought, hoping the man had nothing to do with him.


    "Kid, you''re wearing a low-quality skin treasure and you possess something you shouldn''t have," Merlin said, narrowing his eyes.


    "I was just trying to use the treasure for something, but who would''ve thought it would attract the attention of Merlin the Magician and the Sword Sage¡ªtwo of the strongest beings in the world," the masked man said in a somewhat strange tone.


    "One of the eight primordial cosmic wonders?" Kane asked.


    The masked man nodded and didn''t hide it. "You''re right." He said and took out a mirror shaded in ck and white.


    "Mirror of ck and White!" Both Merlin and Kane eximed in unison.


    "You two should know what it can do, right?" the masked man asked with a smile.


    Merlin stated, "The ability to see anything and the ability to change anything, but I heard it can only be used once every decade or so."


    The masked man nodded. "The sages are indeed wise."


    "What are you going to do with this?" Kane asked, narrowing his eyes. "You can''t change any reality or anything with the pitiful amount of mana you possess."


    "You''re right," the masked man nodded pitifully and then turned his attention to Merlin. "I want to give this treasure to Sir Merlin."


    A yful smile appeared on Merlin''s face when he heard him. "You only have one year of life left. You''ve already used the treasure in exchange for your life, and now you''re humbly giving it to me. I doubt your intentions."


    The masked man smiled wryly. "It seems I couldn''t even hide this fact." He shook his head helplessly.


    "You shouldn''t have shown such treasures in public, especially in front of Merlin," Kane said, shaking his head in pity.


    "I''ve already prepared for that," the masked man said, surprising both Kane and Merlin. At that moment, understanding dawned upon them.


    "It seems you two have figured it out," the masked man said when he saw the change in expression on Kane and Merlin''s faces.


    He exined, "I used the Mirror of ck and White and asked it to return to my hands whenever I wish, so it doesn''t matter if any of you take it away."


    "Clever move," Merlinplimented. "With the power of the treasure in effect, until the mirror returns to you, you can''t even die, so we can''t kill you either."


    He then added with a curious expression, "Though I do wonder why you sacrificed almost all of your life for this?"


    "It''s all because of this guy!" The masked man said, pointing at Orion.


    Orion''s face darkened when he saw the masked man pointing at him.


    ''This guy was indeed after me, and from what I''ve heard, the treasure can do anything¡­'' He cursed, feeling his heart rate increase with his thoughts.


    On the other hand, Kane''s expression darkened while Merlin became even more curious. Beforeing here, he had reviewed all the reports on the Magus Kingdom''s situation and learned many things, including much about Orion.


    While he was at it, he also requested reports on the reason for Carl''s group''s presence in the Magus Kingdom. But to his surprise, the report was empty, and he had to personally visit Carl''s family to uncover the truth. When he did, everything became clear.


    "You think he indeed killed them, and you want me to prove him guilty, is that right?" Merlin asked, somewhat intrigued.


    The masked man nodded. "I want everyone to know the truth."


    Merlin smirked, realizing there could be no good reason for the masked man to do something like this¡ªonly irreconcble hatred could push someone to sacrifice their entire life.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 248: 248. Night of the Banquet - 13

    Merlin was also intrigued by the deaths of Carl''s group. He understood that either Orion''s family or Carl''s family could survive theing year, and so the possibility that Orion was responsible for their deaths was highly likely. That was why he wanted to bring Orion to the Celestial Court, where they had various methods to extract the truth from a culprit''s mouth.


    However, there was also the issue of strength. Orion was indeed strong for his age, but to kill Carl''s group as easily as he did would require the strength of a Diamond rank, which seemed impossible since everyone in the hall could see that Orion had only recently reached the Silver rank.


    Therefore, Merlin was eager to try out the Mirror of ck and White to uncover what exactly happened in the dungeon.


    "Give it to me, and I''ll find out for you," Merlin promised.


    The masked man nodded and handed him the mirror.


    Kane watched with a nk expression.


    Gripping the mirror in his hands and examining it for a moment, Merlin nodded and said, "I''ll begin." Supplying the mirror with enough mana, it burst into grey and white light and floated out of Merlin''s hands.


    Before everyone''s eyes, many scenes from across the world began to sh in the light until it stopped at one scene.


    Orion''s heart nearly stopped when he saw what was disyed in the grey and white light.


    It was the scene in the dungeon.


    A blue wolf raged across the boss room, with people fighting it using all kinds of powers. After some time, the wolf became heavily wounded, and Carl stepped up to attack. Then, a momentter, the scene showed Orion disappearing from the restricted barrier.


    The scene shifted again, showing Orion waiting outside the barrier, watching the battle unfold between the people and the blue wolf. In the end, the blue wolf was almost defeated when it began to prepare for self-detonation.


    At that moment, Orion moved.


    Everyone watched as he took out a white mask, and red mes as bright as blood enveloped himpletely. The guests were shocked by this, but the real shock came when the red mes turned pitch ck, forming a hood around him.


    Then he walked, seemingly passing through the barrier, and appeared in the boss arena. The scene shifted once more, showing how Orion killed them with just a snap of his fingers.


    As soon as Carl''s group of four was killed by Orion, the mirror stopped shining and returned to Merlin''s hands.


    Everyone''s attention soon turned to Orion. Many questions were on their minds, but the most pressing were how he dared to kill people from the Archons and the source of his strength. They couldn''t understand how Orion had suddenly be so powerful¡ªto the point where he could kill peak tinum rank experts with a snap of his fingers.


    Orion''s father and mother were also shocked. Barion''s expression was grim, while Olivia covered E''s eyes, her face filled with shock.


    Even his friends, like Runo and Erick, were stunned. They didn''t care about the killing itself, but they did care about the fact that Orion had killed people from the Archons.


    No one had ever killed members of the Archons before, and those who had were executed on the spot when discovered.


    Therefore, whether it was his parents or his friends, their faces were clouded with worry.


    "To be able to kill Diamond rank experts so effortlessly, I wonder what other secrets you''re hiding," Merlin said to Orion, his smile devoid of warmth. He had already suspected Orion was the killer, just like his daughter Luna, so he wasn''t surprised.


    Orion said nothing to Merlin. He couldn''t say anything, as everything he had wanted to keep hidden was now out in the open.


    Merlin then turned his attention to Kane. "Do you still want to interfere?" he asked with a smile.


    "You don''t understand..." Kane muttered, drawing a sword. It was the same sword Orion had seen in Aethelgard City, in the cave of the God of ughter.


    Merlin''s expression darkened when he saw Kane take out the sword.


    "If I want something, nobody can stop me from achieving it," Kane said, his words sending a chill down everyone''s spine. "Not even Merlin the Magician¡ªthe 3rd rank in the Celestial ranking."


    At the same time, an intense blue aura erupted from Kane, causing some weaker guests at the Gold rank or below to be blown away by the shockwave.


    "You!" For the first time since Merlin''s arrival, pure astonishment appeared in his eyes. "Your strength¡ª" he stammered, his voice trembling with shock.


    "You''re right," Kane grinned. "I may or may not have surpassed you, but we''ll only know once we fight."


    He held his sword and pointed it at Merlin. "The question is, are you willing to fight?"


    Merlin''s expression turned grim when Kane challenged him. Thest time they fought, it caused utter devastation, and even then, Merlin had barely managed to defeat him.


    Now that Kane''s strength had significantly improved, Merlin understood that the fight would be even more challenging thanst time.


    But he also couldn''t let go of Orion. Orion had killed members of the Archons, and that only meant death as punishment. However, because of the secrets Orion possessed, Merlin wanted to bring him back to the Archons so he could thoroughly investigate him.


    "Kane, the strongest genius of the Three Domains¡ªI will ept your challenge, but on the condition that if I win, you won''t interfere anymore in the matter of Orion and his family," Merlin stated his condition.


    Orion''s expression turned anxious when Merlin included his family. ''It looks like it''s now or never.''


    On the other side, Kane smirked, "Only if you can win, that is."


    "Give me a minute," Merlin said, turning his attention to everyone else in the hall. "You''ve seen everything. Orion has killed people from the Archons, and now I, Merlin the Magician,mand you to kill everyone from Orion''s family except for Orion and his father. Do it."


    ---


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

 Chapter 249: 249. Banquet of Blood - 1

    "No! Why are you after my family? I was the one who killed them, not my family!" Orion shouted at Merlin, his voice a mixture of despair, panic, and anxiety.


    Merlin sneered. "Just because I want to."


    Many guests in the hall felt a chill when they heard Merlin''s reasoning. Just because he wanted to, he would kill the entire Darkwood Family? Their hearts grew cold as they realized the twisted nature of the Archons.


    "You!" Orion was left speechless. He finally understood why everyone in the world feared the Archons so much.


    "This is the way of the Archons? The rule of anarchy? Kill anyone you want? Is the Celestial Court doing anything?" he raged, cursing Merlin.


    "Only strength matters," Merlin grinned, turning to the others. "What are you all waiting for? Kill every single one of the Darkwood Family, and you will be heavily rewarded by the Archons. If you hesitate, you will follow the same path as the Darkwood Family."


    Threatened by Merlin, the other guests in the hall began slowly advancing towards the Darkwood Family. They were helpless. They didn''t want to die, and if killing the Darkwood Family would allow them to return home, they would do it. At this point, they just wanted to stay as far away from the Magus Kingdom as possible.


    While some felt no pity and were even excited about the annihtion of the Darkwood Family, there were still a few powers that hadn''t acted against them, such as Estor''s Ravenw Family, Runo''s family, and major families from the Martial Domain and Human Federation Realm.


    Only the third-level powers moved against the Darkwood Family, and surprisingly, the Silverme Family and Grimwolf Family were among them.


    "Damn it!" Orion quickly teleported in front of his family. Since Merlin had only restricted the space around him where he was previously standing, Orion didn''t feel any restrictions when he teleported to his family''s side.


    "Oh, you can teleport too," Merlin remarked, slightly surprised. He then turned to his daughter. "Capture Orion and his father, and kill the rest of his family."


    Luna nodded but didn''t act immediately. By now, the other guests in the hall were already closing in on the Darkwood Family.


    "Are you done?" Kane asked.


    Merlin nodded.


    "Thene to the sky," Kane said, flying upward and breaking through the roof of the pce, appearing in the sky.


    Merlin also flew up, facing Kane.


    Orion looked around and saw nearly half the people in the hall approaching his family. Their faces looked helpless, but they were stilling to kill his family.


    "Father, I''ll exin everythingter, but first, protect the family," he said to his father.


    Barion nodded solemnly. "I know."


    "Mother, look after E," Orion said to his mother.


    Olivia nodded with a serious expression.


    Orion looked at Emily, and she nodded in understanding.


    He then turned his attention to the peopleing to kill his family. There were many of them, and most were experts beyond the tinum rank.


    Enjoy reading at m,v le


    ''This is worse!''


    Beforeing here, he had prepared for many things, but it never urred to him that the Archons would want to murder his family in broad daylight, in front of so many people.


    ''Damn this Merlin guy!''


    Everything had happened because of him. Orion still couldn''t believe that this man, ranked 3rd in the celestial ranking, wanted them dead. If not for Kane, he was certain Merlin would have killed his family with his own hands.


    But one thing he was fortunate about was that the situation wasn''tpletely hopeless. Last time when he had left his room through the window, he had prepared something.


    ''Looks like I can only use that.''


    Orion turned around and saw that all his family members were standing in the positions he had asked them to beforeing here.


    ''But the energy isn''t enough to teleport so many people.''


    He frowned. Sincest night, four of his curses had been active in Curse Transformation mode, and one of them was the Curse of Reality Fracture. When he first activated it, he discovered he could do much more advanced things than simple teleportation, one of which was altering reality.


    But that required a huge amount of energy. He had been supplying energy to the positions where his family members were standing sincest night, but it still wasn''t enough to do what he wanted.


    He could feel he was close topletion, and only a little more time was needed, but at the moment, he didn''t even have a moment to spare.


    ''It seems like I''ll have to buy some time.''


    Orion thought and looked at the guests surrounding his family.


    "You don''t have to do this. The Sword Sage won''t let you guys die in his dome," he tried to persuade them, invoking the name of the Sword Sage.


    "Sword Sage?" One of the guests, who seemed to be only at the diamond rank, gave a hollowugh. "He wants to start a war among all three domains. He''s a madman who acts on whims. I can''t rely on him to save my life." He took out a bow and aimed it at Orion''s family.


    Orion''s expression darkened. "So, you''re going to kill my family for this?"


    "Haha," the guestughed cruelly. "If I can survive the banquet, then why not?"


    Orion took a deep breath. "Then don''t me me or my family when you, or any of you, die here." He spoke each word with ruthless determination.


    If they wanted to kill his family, he wouldn''t hesitate to kill them either.


    "Killing us?" Munro, the head of the Silverme Family, mocked. "You should focus on how to survive. With so many peopleing to kill you, you''re still thinking of killing us? What a fool!"


    "They''re just trash, but it''s good anyway. After tonight, another magi family will disappear from the Magus Kingdom," added Varen Grimwolf, the head of the Grimwolf Family.


    "Munro, Varen, you two dogs,e here and fight!" Barion shouted provocatively at this moment.


    "Huh, Varen, let''s go and kill Barion first. He looks like he''s begging for death," Munroughed.


    Varen nodded, and they both headed towards Barion.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 250: 250. Banquet of Blood - 2

    "Come on, dogs," Barionughed provocatively. He had known about Orion''s n beforeing here since Orion had specifically told them where to stand in the hall if things took a turn for the worse.


    He didn''t ask what the n was, nor did he suspect anything. This time, he simply trusted his son. Besides, he was clueless about how to escape from this situation, so he could only let his mysterious son handle it.


    He would be a fool not to notice that his son had changed. He also had suspicions about the deaths of Carl''s group being Orion''s doing, but he only suspected it because of the circumstances. It was too much of a coincidence. However, he didn''t dig into the matter.


    And now that his son had taken charge of their escape, the least he could do was protect the family until then.


    "Barion, it''s been a while since we fought," Munroughed as his figure was engulfed in silver mes. Meanwhile, Varen summoned a dark wolf.


    Barion sneered and activated his talent, causing his skin to change color to ck. At the same time, patterned markings appeared all over his body¡ªpatterns that usually etched onto wood.


    As the name suggested, the Darkwood family had the talent to control wood elements, but only direct descendants received this talent in each generation, and this generation''s wood talent was obtained by Aron Darkwood.


    Wood also had many varieties in terms of power, and because of this, Aron''s wood talent had some elements of earth, while Barion''s wood talent had elements of hardness. He could make his body as hard as possible.


    Seeing Barion''s transformation, both Varen and Munro attacked him, and Barion eagerly received their attack and fought back.


    Orion noticed his father''s fight and didn''t worry about him. His father might be ranked 90th in the celestial ranking, but the other two weren''t even in the top 100.


    Witnessing the two leaders of the Magus Kingdom leading the attack on the Darkwood family, the others hesitated no longer and joined in the assault.


    Every possible elemental skill¡ªfire, water, lightning, earth¡ªwas used in a continuous attack on the Darkwood Family. Energy filled the air as the attacksbined, causing the ground to shake intensely.


    When Orion saw the immense force approaching, he knew he had to respond quickly. Utilizing the Curse of the Lord of Darkness in Curse Transformation mode, he invoked a dome of imprable ckness around his entire family.


    The dome of pure, pitch-ck darkness shielded the Darkwood Family like a protective cloak. The dark barrier momentarily halted the iing attacks as they collided with it forcefully. The dome absorbed the first attack, its surface rippling and distorting while enduring the force.


    Yet, the strength of the diamond rank specialists proved overwhelming; their assaults sessfully pierced sections of the dome, forming openings in its otherwise imprable covering.


    However, before they could fully exploit those vulnerabilities, Orion''s mother, Olivia, intervened. With a gesture, she altered the earth below them, causing the ground to shift and create arge, sturdy shield.


    The huge earthen barrier, solid andpact, stood tall against the oing assaults, protecting the family from danger. Olivia''s creation withstood the elemental strikes that breached the dome, as they pounded against the earth shield without breaking through.


    "Elders, I will maintain the defensive dome. You handle the ones you can, and make sure to kill them," Orion requested of the elders who hade to the banquet with them.


    They nodded, stepped out of the dome, and attacked those who were targeting them, engaging in fierce battles.


    Orion dispersed the dome and turned his attention to the Archons. They hadn''t attacked yet, and he was thankful for that, though he didn''t believe they would refrain from attackingter. They were most likely waiting for the others to do the dirty work.


    Then there were also those from Carl''s family who were looking at his family like hunters stalking prey.


    Orion ignored everything else and concentrated solely on the relentless enemy assault. Their attacks were strong and unyielding, forcing his mother to constantly create defensive barriers using the dirt and terrain nearby.


    With every blow, she fashioned tall barriers, sturdy walls, and indestructible shields from the surrounding terrain in an effort to fend off the attack. The earth shook beneath her powerful actions, and wreckage scattered as her creations bore the brunt of the assaults.


    Even though she tried her hardest, the enemy continued to attack relentlessly, pushing her earth defenses to their limits with each wave of aggression.


    Seeing that his mother was struggling, Orion activated the Curse of Supreme Gravity on the enemies who were attacking them. The gravitational force in the area around their attackers intensified exponentially, creating an overwhelming pressure that bore down on them.


    tinum rank experts and those of lower levels suddenly found themselves struggling to stand. The force was so powerful that many were forced to their knees, their bodies buckling under the unexpected weight. The weaker enemies, unprepared for such a sudden shift in gravity, werepletely overwhelmed. They were mmed to the ground with bone-crushing force, unable to resist the immense pressure.


    But at that moment, Orion noticed from the corner of his eye that Luna, along with everyone from the Archons, was making their way towards them.


    However, Orion didn''t seem worried; a slight smile even appeared on his face when he saw theming.


    There was a reason he hadn''t been actively attacking the enemies with his arsenal of curses, using them only for support purposes. It was because all his energy had been focused on reality maniption this entire time, and now it wasplete.


    Orion could, if he wanted, teleport his family out of this ce to a distant at any moment.


    Therefore, he wasn''t worried about his family now that he had a way to save them all.


    Also, he could finally use the other three curses that had been active in Curse Transformation mode sincest night. He had been preparing something big, and now it was time to unleash it.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 251: 251. Banquet of Blood - 3

    As Luna and the other members of the Archons made their way toward Orion''s family, all the guests who had been attacking them halted and stepped aside.


    "I''m really curious, why did you kill them?" Luna asked Orion.


    Orion shrugged. "They were eyesores, just like you, so I thought they''d be better off dead."


    "And your strength at the Diamond rank? What''s the secret behind it?" Luna asked, a sly expression on her face.


    Orion looked at her seriously. "If I told you my secrets, would you let my family go?"


    Lunaughed lightly and nodded. "If your answer is satisfactory, I''ll consider it."


    Orion nodded and said, "I''m the most handsome man in this world, so the gods gave me an extra boost of power that I can switch on whenever I want." He said this with apletely serious expression.


    "You! How dare you mock me?!" Luna felt insulted by Orion''s joke. "Don''t you want to save your family?" she demanded. "Beg me, reveal your secrets, and I''ll spare them," she added, still lusting after his secrets.


    "Trash like the Archons always act this way," Orion sneered, shaking his head as he observed her.


    Luna fumed, feeling mocked. "Start killing his family members and let him feel true despair," she ordered the Archons.


    As soon as the words left her mouth, a man from the group stepped forward. He was the one who previously targeted Orion with his killing intent, and threatened him with a killing gesture.


    "Let me handle this."


    Luna nodded. "Aster, kill those old men first, then move on to his father and mother. Let him feel hopeless, helpless, and full of despair." Her cruel words echoed throughout the hall, and no one dared to refute her.


    Aster grinned sinisterly and nodded. "How about I start with that little girl?"


    Luna frowned for a moment, then shrugged. "Do as you wish."


    "Hehehe," Asterughed cruelly, having received permission, and began walking toward Orion.


    Orion heard them clearly, and a savage expression clouded his face. He loved his family deeply, and he had already sentenced the guests who attacked his family to death. Hearing someone targeting his little sister filled him with unimaginable rage.


    However, that didn''t cloud his judgment. He understood that his family''s safety came first.


    "Father, I''ll send you all away," Orion said, turning to his father.


    Barion, who had been fighting Varen and Munro, stopped and came to his family''s side, looking at his son with a solemn expression. He gritted his teeth, sadness clouding his face. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice trembling.


    Although Orion had already shown his ability to be invisible and walk through walls to him and his family, Barion still felt guilty and, more importantly, fearful of leaving him alone in a den full of lions.


    Orion smiled. "Don''t worry, Father, these Archon trash won''t even be able to touch a hair on my head."


    Luna''s veins bulged when she heard this. "Aster, do it."


    "As you wish," Aster smiled and appeared in front of Orion, intending to beat him before killing his family members.


    But Orion seemed unfazed, his attention still on his family. "Father, Mother, you can rest assured I''ll be fine."


    Tears welled up in Olivia''s eyes before she nodded. Barion also nodded lightly.


    "Big Sis, I''ll see youter," Orion said to Emily.


    Emily nodded. "I''ll wait for you."


    Orion smiled and snapped his fingers.


    Snap!¡ª


    With that snap, his entire family disappeared from the hall.


    Everyone was shocked when they noticed it. The guests were astonished by the scene. For a moment, they thought they were seeing things, so they closed their eyes and reopened them, but the result was the same. The Darkwood family was gone without a trace.


    Emperor Maximus, Adam Voidwalker, Estor Ravenw, and other powerful individuals looked at each other, seeing the shock in one another''s eyes. Even they couldn''t sense anything before Orion''s family disappeared.


    Aster suddenly halted when he realized only Orion was standing there. All his family members were gone. Disbelief etched onto his face as he pondered how they had vanished from the hall.


    Luna was the most shocked of all. Her mouth hung open as she stared at the empty spots where Orion''s family had been. They had been right in front of her eyes, but they had disappeared in an instant.


    "What did you do?" Luna asked Orion, her expression filled with shock.


    Orion smirked. "I sent them away."


    "You!" She was furious. She understood why her father had ordered the death of the Darkwood family¡ªit was for the betterment of the Carl family¡ªbut they had failed. The Darkwood family had escaped before their very eyes.


    "I will kill you!" Aster snapped out of his shock, his fists igniting with ck mes as he punched Orion with all his strength, enraged that they had escaped. The death of the Darkwood family was essential for his family''s survival, and they had missed the perfect opportunity, even letting them escape.


    "Die!" he roared, bringing his fist down on Orion.


    But to his shock, his fist passed through Orion like air.


    "I don''t believe it!" Aster punched again, but the result was the same. His fist went right through Orion''s body as if touching air.


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    "No!" Disbelief clouded his eyes as he barraged Orion with punches, but nonended.


    "You''re too weak," Orion muttered and snapped his fingers.


    No sooner did he snap his fingers than Aster was engulfed in a purple sphere raging with golden lightning inside it.


    "Aggghhhh! What is this?" Aster screamed in agony, electrocuted by the lightning inside the purple sphere.


    "It''s your death," Orion said.


    Almost instantly, the purple sphere exploded in a sh of light.


    Boom!¡ª


    An explosion echoed through the hall, followed by a shockwave that rippled outward.


    "NO!" Luna screamed, but it was already toote.


    As the smoke and dust cleared, it revealed Orion standing in his ce, but there was no trace of Aster. He was gone¡ªdead, disintegrated into ashes.


    ---


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 Chapter 252: 252. Banquet of Blood - 4

    "You killed him!" Luna eximed in shock. Aster was a peak tinum rank expert, yet he was killed so easily by him.


    A ruthless expression appeared on Orion''s face. "He wanted to kill my family, so he deserved to die, along with everyone else here."


    "You will surely die for killing members of the Archons again and again," Luna red at him, shouting in anger. "Go, break his legs and bring him to me," shemanded one of the Archons.


    "Hahahahaha," Orionughed like a madman. "You still don''t understand the situation, do you?"


    He narrowed his eyes at her and all the guests who had attacked his family. "All of you are going to die. NONE OF YOU WILL SURVIVE!" He mmed his palms together.


    No sooner did his palms touch, the entire hall of the Emperor Heaven Pce began to tremble.


    Before anyone could react, all the Archons, including the guests who had attacked Orion''s family, were engulfed in spheres of purple light. Each of them was trapped inside a sphere glowing with golden lightning.


    "Agghhhh! What is this?!"


    "This¡ªthis is just like when Aster was killed!"


    "Help me!"


    "Aggh! Someone help me!"


    Screams of agony filled the hall as those trapped inside the purple spheres experienced the searing pain of being electrocuted by golden lightning.


    Even Luna and the other members of the Archons were trapped inside these spheres, and like everyone else, they screamed in agony from the lightning attack.


    "How do you like my present?" Orionughed as he watched them suffer. These were the same people who wanted to kill his family, and seeing them in such pain filled him with intense satisfaction.


    But he knew this was just the beginning.


    Sincest night, he had activated four curses in Curse Transformation mode: the Curse of Fractured Reality, the Curse of Thunder''s Wrath, the Curse of Detonating Flesh, and finally, the Curse of Disintegration Aura.


    He had been supplying his near-infinite energy to these curses since the previous night. The energy transferred to Fractured Reality was used to help his family escape, while the rest was channeled into these purple spheres. These weren''t just ordinary bombs¡ªthey had the power to kill anyone. Even Orion wasn''t sure of their limits.


    The purple spheres were formed from the Curse of Detonating Flesh, the golden lightning within them came from Thunder''s Wrath, and the final curse was Disintegration Aura, one of the deadliest curses he possessed. This curse allowed him to release an aura that would disintegrate anything into ashes.


    Bybining these three curses, he created the purple spheres. The destructive power generated by these curses was enough to kill anyone in the hall. After all, he had been supplying energy to these bombs non-stop, and with his near-infinite energy, they were powerful enough to kill everyone present.


    Last night, when he snuck into the hall, he nted these bombs, not in the real Emperor Heaven Pce, but within his own dimension. If he had nted them in the original world, the destructive energy they emitted would surely have been detected by someone paying even a little attention.


    Instead, he nted the bombs in his own dimension, mirroring the hall. This way, no one could sense anything, and he could bring them into the real world at any time to attack anyone in the hall.


    "This much power! How could you possess an attack of such magnitude?" Luna screamed. Even though she was at Diamond rank, she could feel that she would die if this energy detonated.


    "Let me go!" she began to shout, her voice filled with anxiety and despair.


    "Are you kidding me?" Orionughed with a crazed expression. "You wanted to kill me, and now you expect me to spare you? Such a thing isn''t possible in this world."


    He added, his wordsced with bone-chilling ruthlessness: "I will kill you, and no one will be able to save you¡ªnot even that trash father of yours. He can only watch as his daughter dies in front of him."


    "No, let me go! Father! Help me, Father!" Luna shouted desperately for her father to help her. She understood that as long as she had the War Medallion, she would be immortal, but that didn''t mean she wouldn''t die.


    The medallion would only revive her after her death, so for it to work, she would have to die. Otherwise, even if her arms and legs were cut off, the medallion would do nothing. It would only activate if she died.


    "I will wait for your trash father," Orion smiled and waited.


    Not long after her continuous screams for help, Merlin and Kane descended from the sky.


    They would be lying if they said they weren''t surprised by the scene. The sight of so many purple spheres radiating a deadly aura, trapping nearly everyone in the hall, was enough to make anyone gasp, and Kane and Merlin were no exceptions.


    "Father! Help me!" Luna shouted as soon as she saw Merlin.


    "Luna!" Merlin eximed in distress when he saw his daughter screaming in agony, bombarded with golden lightning.


    "Wait a minute, I''ll get you out," he quickly began to use his talent when Kane''s voice reached his ears.


    "Anything you do to these spheres will make them explode," Kane warned him.


    "Ah," Merlin immediately stopped when he heard Kane.


    In his anxiety and distress for his daughter, he hadn''t paid much attention to the spheres, but after Kane''s warning, he examined them more carefully and noticed they were highly unstable. If someone were to even touch one of the spheres, it would explode into nothingness.


    "Who? Who did this?!" Merlin shouted.


    "It was me, you trash magician!" Orion stepped out from behind the cover of the purple spheres and revealed himself.


    "You!" Merlin was shocked. He had thought a third party had attacked them, but he was wrong, the enemy was someone he already knew.


    ---


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 Chapter 253: 253. Banquet of Blood - 5

    "It''s your doing?!" Merlin was shocked when Orion revealed himself.


    Even Kane was a little surprised when he saw that the person behind all of this was actually Orion. Then, as if realizing something, his expression suddenly turned dark.


    "Let go of her! Quick!" Merlin shouted in rage when he realized it was just because of a silver-ranked kid that his daughter had to suffer.


    "Nah, I am going to kill her," Orion said with an indifferent expression.


    "You dare?!" Merlin shouted again and used his talent to freeze the space around Orion.


    It was then that he realized something was wrong with Orion.


    "Hey Merlin, did you lose yourmon sense or what? Can''t you see that he is just an intangible form? You can''t do anything to him."


    Kane''s voice reached Merlin''s ears, enlightening him.


    Orion smirked when he saw that.


    "What are you gonna do now? Beg me to let your daughter go?" he taunted.


    Merlin didn''t bother with a response. In a sh, he teleported directly in front of Orion and unleashed a powerful punch without hesitation.


    The force of his fist was so immense that it didn''t just strike Orion¡ªit tore through the very fabric of space where Orion had been standing a moment before.


    The impact reverberated through the air, creating visible cracks in the space around them, as though reality itself was shattering under the pressure of Merlin''s blow.


    The sheer power of the punch continued to surge forward, and everything behind Orion was obliterated in an instant. The force of the attack was like a tidal wave of destruction, unstoppable and all-consuming.


    A massive chunk of the Emperor Heaven Pce, the grand and seemingly indestructible structure, was entirely wiped out. Where there had once been a majestic part of the pce, there was now only empty space, as if a giant hand had reached down and scooped away everything in its path.


    Dust and debris filled the air, swirling in the void left behind by Merlin''s devastating attack. The scene was one of absolute destruction¡ªa scene of cmity, one might say.


    It was pure coincidence that no guests were standing in that part of the pce which had been erased out of existence; otherwise, they too might have be memories for someone.


    "You!"


    At that moment, Merlin''s shocked and disbelieving voice echoed in the ruined pce.


    He was shocked because Orion was standing right beside him, alive and well.


    "Aplete intangibility? A pure intangible form?"


    Merlin couldn''t believe it. He had seen many people who could make their bodies intangible, but it was usually just specific parts; none had the ability to make their entire body intangible.


    In fact, as an expert well-versed in space talent, he even understood the principle of intangibility and how it worked.


    For one to be able to make their body intangible, their real material form had to be connected to the intangible form. This required the material form of their body to exist close to the intangible form for the connection to work; otherwise, the intangible form would cease to exist, and the material form would soon be normal.


    That was why he attacked Orion a moment ago. He intended to directly destroy the material form of the body hiding somewhere around the intangible form, but his own reasoning proved him wrong here.


    The person in front of him had absolute intangibility, and on top of that, his material form couldn''t be found anywhere around him.


    "A person with absolute intangibility, possessing many different elemental powers like fire, ice, and many more we might not know about, makes you wonder if such a person even exists... But look at that, in front of our very eyes, there is indeed one such person."


    Kane''s words echoed throughout the ruined hall as he closely observed Orion''s intangible form.


    He added with an intriguing tone, "Though I do wonder where the path will lead him in the end."


    Merlin didn''t respond to Kane, as if he didn''t hear him. His entire attention was on Orion. He wanted to find a w, a mistake, an error in Orion''s intangible form, but no matter how much he focused, he couldn''t find anything.


    Little did he know that searching for any mana points around Orion to find a w was a mistake from the very beginning. Orion''s various abilities were the result of his arsenal of curses, and they were triggered by chaos energy¡ªan energy no human had ever touched upon.


    So no matter how many times Merlin checked, focused, and tried different methods, he was bound to fail every time.


    "How is this possible?"


    Merlin was once again brought to disbelief. He couldn''t find any w in Orion''s intangible form. This made him very irritated and frustrated at the same time.


    His space talent had led him to do various research on space-type abilities, and he even understood how space elements work to a point, but all those researches and studies failed to find the w in Orion''s form¡ªfailed when he needed them the most.


    "There has to be a way, there has to."


    Merlin muttered, trying to force his mind beyond its limits to produce some results.


    He couldn''t afford a failure here. His daughter''s life depended on this. He would have to do it¡ªeither fix Orion or find a way to make his daughtere out of the purple sphere without letting it explode.


    As he pondered hard, trying many possibilities inside his head, someone interrupted him.


    "There is indeed a way I can let her go."


    A voice like a divine truth sounded in his ears, bringing hope to his almost dead eyes.


    "What is it?" Merlin asked desperately. He would do anything for his daughter as long as she remained safe.


    "Let me think," Orion sneered and pretended to ponder.


    Kane watched all of this with an amused expression on his face.


    "Tell me something, why do you want to kill my family?" Orion asked. Though he already suspected it was rted to Carl''s family, he wanted confirmation.


    Merlin didn''t hesitate and immediately replied, "A family in Archons would live if your family dies. There wasn''t a personal reason for my actions at that time."


    Orion nodded and asked again with a ruthless expression on his face. "How does it feel to know your daughter is about to die? Does it make you anxious? Does it make your heart pound like it would burst out of your chest? Does it make you feel pain?"


    Each question reverberated throughout the ruined hall like a haunting echo.

 Chapter 254: 254. Banquet of Blood - 6

    Orion looked at Merlin and saw his expression turn from despair to something gloomy and ugly.


    "Tell me, how does it feel? I want to know that feeling."


    Orion persisted with his earlier question. Thank you for reading on m v le_mpyr


    Merlin didn''t respond. He looked at Orion with a very ugly expression on his face. For the first time since he became strong¡ªsince he became one of the strongest beings in the entire world¡ªhe felt powerless in the hands of a kid.


    Orion''s face darkened when he saw Merlin didn''t reply.


    "Tell me, or I will blow her up," he shouted, threatening Merlin with his daughter''s life.


    Merlin clenched his fists so hard that blood began to seep from them.


    "I feel pain seeing my daughter in so much pain. I feel sorrow seeing her in a situation like this. I feel nervous, anxious, and in despair thinking about what might happen to her. I feel anger at myself for letting this happen. I feel regret that I let my greed for knowing and obtaining your secrets let you live. I regret my decision not to kill you on the spot when I had the chance.


    I regret that very much."


    In the end, Merlin sumbed to Orion''s threats and revealed how he felt about the entire situation.


    "Now, do you understand how I would have felt when you directly announced a death sentence for my family?" Orion shouted at him, releasing every bit of frustration and anger he had felt sinceing here.


    "Tell me, do you understand?" he raged and shouted again.


    Merlin didn''t respond. He only looked at Orion helplessly.


    "Can you let her go now?" he asked with a hopeful expression.


    "Let her go?" Orionughed like a madman.


    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"


    "And why would I do that?" he then asked. "Tell me, why would I let her go?"


    "You intended to kill my family," he said, his expression turning savage. "And I will do the same."


    "NO!" Merlin''s expression turned desperate when he heard Orion, and he couldn''t help but beg him. "Please, I beg you, let her go! My eldest daughter suffered a very serious injury some time ago and she is unable to move. If anything happens to Luna too, she won''t be able to handle the emotional trauma and might die.


    So, please let her go¡ªnot for the sake of this old man but for her elder sister who is bedridden."


    A tinge of hesitation appeared on Orion''s face when he heard him. He recalled his big sister and his family, thinking of their well-being, but in that moment, as if a dam had broken, all the good things about his family disappeared, reced by utter and absolute negative emotions.


    It made him question what would have happened if he hadn''t been prepared. What would have happened if he didn''t see the magical use of Reality Fracture in Curse Transformation mode? What would have happened if he failed to save them?


    For reasons unknown, he could see scenes of what would have happened if he had failed to send them away.


    He saw death¡ªthe death of every single member of his family¡ªfrom his father to his mother, to his big sister, to his little sister E¡ªall of them died at the hands of Luna as sheughed deviously. She had an insidious expression on her face as she enjoyed everything.


    "No!" Orion shouted and came back to his senses.


    "I am going to kill her," he said, his voice dripping with solid determination and ruthlessness.


    "NO! Please let her go!" Merlin shouted, his voice almost hysterical.


    "No, she wanted to kill my family. I will kill her. It''s a simple reason. I want to kill you too, but you are too strong. There will always be some other day. But today, she has to die," Orion uttered.


    Each word wasced with unwavering ruthlessness.


    Kane frowned when he saw the situation. He hadn''t believed at first that Orion truly intended to kill her, but now the situation was obvious as he saw Orion''s determination.


    There were various reasons he didn''t want Luna to die, but if he were asked what the most important reason was, he would say it was because her elder sister was the person he loved.


    And he was the main reason she ended up bedridden¡ªshe ended up in her current situation where she couldn''t even move out of her bed.


    It all happened when he visited the Archonsst time...


    Therefore, the notion of Luna''s death didn''t sit well with him either.


    It was fine as long as Orion was merely ying with Merlin, using her as bait, but he couldn''t sit still if she were to die.


    "Orion, you should let her go," Kane said in an authoritative tone.


    A frown appeared on Orion''s face when he saw Kane interfering in his business. He had appreciated Kane''s earlier interference, but he hated it this time.


    "What do you care if I kill her or not?" he asked.


    Kane shook his head and reasoned with him. "Think about it. If you kill her, you will not only make enemies of the Archons, but even the Celestial Court might not leave you and your family unscathed."


    He added with a serious expression, "And believe me when I say the Celestial Court isn''t like the Archons or other domains. It is the highest peak of power in our world. If they decide to kill you and your family just because you killed Luna and became their enemy, forget about me¡ªnot even the Ten Seats themselves would be able to save you. So I advise you to think this through. You aren''t alone.


    Remember, you have a family to protect."


    Kane''s words once again made Orion hesitate, but only for a moment. He understood the severity of the situation¡ªthe cmity that woulde to his family if he killed Luna now.


    But he couldn''t digest the fact that Merlin had sentenced his family to death. It would have been fine if Merlin had done that only to him, since it was he who had killed them, not his family. They were innocent, just like Luna in this situation.


    So, to make the old man feel how he would have felt if his family died because of his decision¡ªhe wanted him to feel the dread he had felt when he saw those scenes of his family being killed by Luna, one after another.


    He wanted to see the look of hopelessness on his face, the despair of losing his daughter. Only then would he be able to satiate the intense emotions raging inside him.

 Chapter 255: 255. Banquet of Blood - 7

    Orion looked directly into Kane''s frowning eyes and said, "You can''t do anything here¡ªnobody can. She has to die, and no one can stop that."


    Merlin became even more desperate, seeing that even Kane couldn''t change Orion''s decision.


    On the other hand, Kane''s frown deepened when he heard Orion. He hadn''t expected the situation to escte to this point.


    Still, he tried to reason with him. "Orion, listen to me, killing Lu¡ª"


    Kane couldn''t finish his words, for he saw a crazed expression on Orion''s face as he muttered something.


    "Explode!"


    All the people enclosed in purple spheres began to shine with a bright purple light, rays reflecting off them.


    "No!" Kane shouted, not just for Luna, but because his younger brother and sister were still inside the hall. If all the purple spheres exploded, there was no doubt that the entire pce¡ªwhat remained after Merlin''s attack¡ªwould bepletely destroyed.


    Though they were protected by their father, the Emperor, he still felt worried.


    ''A wall of wind will suffice.''


    Kane acted without hesitation. With a swift motion, he swung his sword toward the crowd where the guests had gathered, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and fascination as they watched the chaos unfold.


    The de cut through the air with a sharp whistle, and in its wake, a powerful wave of wind was unleashed.


    As the wave approached the guests, it tore through the space between them, scattering loose debris and sending ripples through the crowd.


    At that exact moment, all the purple spheres exploded.


    BOOM!¡ª


    A resounding boom echoed throughout the entire Emperor Heaven Pce, shaking its foundations with the sheer intensity of the sound. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the force of the impact, as if the very atmosphere was being torn apart by the violent shockwave.


    In the next instant, a brilliant purple sh of light erupted, engulfing the entire area in a blinding, otherworldly glow.


    The sh was so intense that it seemed to momentarily freeze time, the entire scene bathed in pulsating purple radiance that shimmered and flickered as if alive.


    The energy within the light crackled, sending arcs of golden lightning skittering across surfaces, leaving scorched marks and crackling embers in their wake.


    The boom and sh together created a moment of sheer sensory overload, a chaotic mixture of sound and light that left all who witnessed it stunned and momentarily blinded by the overwhelming brilliance.


    However, it was this brilliance that caused pure destruction. The entire hall of the Emperor Heaven Pce was gone, reced by a huge crater.


    The air above the crater was thick with swirling purple smoke, remnants of the destructive energy that had torn through the pce.


    Scatters of golden lightning crackled intermittently within the smoke, like thest remnants of a storm that had passed, their brilliance contrasting sharply with the dark void left in the wake of the explosion.


    All the people on the other side of the hall sighed in relief as the shockwave of the explosion that had beening toward them suddenly stopped midway, resulting only in small gusts of wind that caused minor disturbances. Other than that, they werepletely unharmed.


    But their faces told a different story; what they saw made their hearts grow cold with utter despair.


    Almost 80% of the guests had sumbed to Merlin''s threats and attacked Orion''s family. However, only a handful remained alive. The rest had disappeared¡ªnot even their bones remained¡ªall disintegrated in the cmity that had just passed.


    The remaining guests gulped nervously as they looked at each other. They understood what this meant. If they had followed Merlin''smand, they too would have joined the others in the afterlife.


    Meanwhile, some pondered the consequences and aftermath of the event.


    Orion had not only killed them but also managed to erase nearly 30% of the overall strength from all three domains, all by himself.


    Although these 30% consisted primarily of mid-rangebatants¡ªnot the peak powerhouses of each domain¡ªthe impact of this feat was undeniable. Orion''s actions sent shockwaves through the bnce of power within the three domains, weakening them significantly.


    The loss of such a significant portion of their forces would have longsting repercussions, crippling their ability to defend against future threats and maintain their influence within the universe.


    As some were busy contemting the future, they suddenly saw a golden beam of light descending from the sky into the purple smoke that filled the crater.


    As the golden light descended, the smoke surrounding the crater scattered, revealing Orion, Merlin, and Kane standing there.


    Orion watched the golden beam of light with a shocked expression on his face, for he saw Luna''s figure there.


    A medallion hung over her head, rotating with a brilliant golden light.


    "Ah, the War Medallion is working!" Merlin sighed in relief when he saw it, but his expression quickly turned savage.


    He understood that while the medallion would revive his daughter, she wouldn''t be the same person after her revival.


    Resurrection of the dead had always been considered a profound taboo in this world. The very concept of bringing someone back from the dead was seen as defying the natural order, something feared and condemned by all.


    Even the most powerful treasures among the eight primordial cosmic wonders were incapable of fully restoring the dead to life.


    These ancient relics, revered for their immense power, could not achieveplete resurrection. At best, they might reanimate a body, but the soul and essence of the person would be fractured, iplete¡ªnever truly the same.


    Overall, the revived Luna would never be the same person again, altered in ways both subtle and profound, and forever marked by the forbidden act that brought her back.


    "The War Medallion is reviving her," Kane said as he turned to Orion.


    "You''ve doomed yourself and your family," he told him. "Not only did you fail to kill her, but you''ve also made enemies of the entire three domains, including the Celestial Court."


    Orion''s face darkened as he listened to Kane. He regretted nothing, except that fact that he failed to kill Luna.


    "Orion, I am going to kill every single member of your family in front of you."


    Merlin''s raging voice echoed throughout the ruined pce.


    Orion turned his head slightly.


    "You still want to kill my family?" He smiled ruthlessly. "Believe me when I say, if I ever reach your level of strength someday, I will erase the entire Archons you are so proud of¡ªeven your eldest daughter who is bedridden right now. I won''t hesitate to slit her throat with my own sword."


    "You!" Merlin couldn''t utter a single word when he heard him. A surge of rage and bloodlust clouded his mind, but sadly, he couldn''t do anything to the person standing before him.


    ---


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    Cough!


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 Chapter 256: 256. Banquet of Blood - 8

    "I won''t let you do that."


    A calm yet indifferent voice sounded in the chaotic hall at that moment.


    Orion turned and saw Kane looking at him with an ice-cold expression.


    "Forget about her. If you even so much asy a finger on her, my sword will slice through the dimension you''re hiding in, kid."


    Orion''s eyes narrowed with a calm expression, but inside, storms were raging. He had thought his ability to hide in his dimension was a perfect concealing ability, yet someone existed who knew about it.


    "What? Surprised?" Kane smiled. "Last night, I sensed many spatial distortions in the pce, but strangely, I couldn''t find their source. I could feel something was wrong with the hall¡ªthe spatial distortions there were the highest¡ªbut again, I didn''t find anything."


    He then added, "However, I now understand everything. It was one of your many wonderful abilities, and seeing no trace of your family here, I bet you sent them to your hidden dimension, right?"


    Orion didn''t say anything and looked away from Kane, turning his attention to Luna, bathed in golden light. Though his expression remained calm, he was shocked beyond disbelief. He hadn''t expected Kane to figure out so much just from the spatial distortions caused by his dimension. It made him realize his powers weren''t absolute, and if he wasn''t cautious, it would cost him dearly one day.


    But he remained silent the whole time, focusing only on Luna.


    He understood that anything he said now would only solidify Kane''s spections and suspicions, so by remaining silent, he let him guess. At least this way, he wouldn''t reveal anything he shouldn''t.


    "That medallion is helping her, right? What if I take it away?" he asked, turning to Kane.


    Kane narrowed his eyes at Orion. He was surprised that Orion didn''t reveal much after being exposed. Hemended his calmness, but that also made him a terrifying enemy.


    "You can try," he shrugged at Orion''sst question.


    On the other hand, Merlin was pissed. He couldn''t understand why Orion was still fixated on her, even after killing her.


    "What more do you want, kid? Aren''t you satisfied that you killed her?" he raged.


    Orion looked at her and asked curiously, "What would you do if you saw me one day after this event?"


    Merlin''s expression turned ferocious when he heard that. There was only one answer to that question¡ªkill!


    "See, you also understand. Just as you can''t wait to kill me, I can''t wait to kill you and everyone you love. It was decided the moment you sentenced my family to death," Orion said, his voiceced with ruthlessness.


    The ground beneath Merlin trembled as he struggled to control his rage. He wished he could kill Orion right here and now, but he couldn''t.


    ''Damn it!''


    He also understood the potential Orion had. His various powers and secrets alone made him one of the most powerful geniuses of the three domains, and now that person was his enemy.


    He regretted not killing Orion right away when he had sealed the space around himst time. Orion wasn''t in his intangible form¡ªit was a perfect opportunity¡ªbut he let it slip away, creating potentially the most terrifying enemy for his family.


    But there was still a chance for him... He only had to wait now...


    "Heh," Orion sneered and turned his attention to the medallion hovering over Luna''s head.


    Using the enigmatic powers of the Reality Fracture in Curse Transformation mode, he created a teleportation circle at the base of the medallion, with its other end connected to his hand.


    Kane and Merlin both sensed something when the medallion hovering atop Luna''s head disappeared and reappeared in Orion''s hand.


    "You!" Merlin almost choked with anger when he saw Orion do exactly what he had said a moment ago¡ªhe took away the medallion.


    Only Kane calmly observed everything.


    "It looks good, not gonna lie," Orion observed the medallion in his hand and turned to look at Luna, wondering if this might interfere with her revival.


    But he was bound to be disappointed, as he saw the process of her revival continue even after he had taken the medallion away.


    And a momentter, to Orion''s surprise, the medallion disappeared from his hand and returned to where it had been previously¡ªhovering quietly atop Luna''s head.


    "The current owner of the War Medallion is Luna, so it doesn''t change anything if you take it away from her¡ªit will return to her soon regardless of the distance between them," Kane said, sweeping away Orion''s confusion about the medallion.


    But it was also at that moment Orion felt something, and before he could react, he was shocked to find that his body had been tied by a glittering, luminous white rope.


    He couldn''t understand how something could even touch him in his intangible form, but he could see and feel a rope coiled around his body, rendering him immobile.


    "No!"


    A sense of dread washed over him as he realized the dangerous situation he was in. Activating the curse of Berserk Body in Curse Transformation mode, he used every bit of strength he could muster, but he failed to break the bindings of the rope.


    "Damn!"


    Realizing strength wasn''t working, he tried a different method and immediately undid the intangible mode, only to feel a chill all over.


    He couldn''t return to his normal form.


    He tried again.


    But the same result¡ªhe couldn''t switch back to his normal form.


    "Hahaha, don''t sweat it, boy."


    At that moment, a chuckle sounded, and a woman revealed herself in front of Orion.


    She appeared to be in her thirties. Her hair cascaded like pure silk, a wless shade of white that shimmered with an ethereal glow. Her face exuded a mature charm, every feature perfectly sculpted to convey both grace and wisdom.


    Yet, there was a hint of seductiveness in her eyes, a captivating allure that added an irresistible depth to her beauty.


    She looked at Orion''s panicked expression and smiled.


    "Although this Luminous Rope isn''t one of the eight Primordial Cosmic Wonders, it is still a treasure of cosmic wonders. It can''t be broken so easily."


    Looking down on Orion, she continued, "I''ve had this treasure for a while, but it''s useless most of the time since it doesn''t work on anything with a materialistic form. But I also heard it''s a bane for those with intangible abilities, and it seems correct. You can''t change to your physical form, can you?"


    Orion gritted his teeth as he tried again and again, but he failed every time.


    ''Damn it!''


    Neither could he change back to his physical form, nor could he break the rope binding him.


    In other words, he was trapped.


    "Hahahaha, Orion, how do you like this? Being trapped and powerless to do anything?"


    Merlin''s wildughter echoed as he appeared before him.


    ---


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

 Chapter 257: 257. Seat of Honor - Rosaline Drax

    A deep frown appeared on Orion''s face as he realized it was the old man''s n.


    ''Damn this old man. He really called for someone when he saw he couldn''t do anything to me.''


    Cursing the old man, Orion focused his attention on the curse of Reality Fracture. Since he couldn''t move into his dimension in intangible form, he could only resort to teleportation now.


    However, as if reading his thoughts, Merlin sneered, "Don''t bother teleporting. It''s useless."


    Orion''s mind went nk when he heard him, but he still tried, believing Merlin''s words were nothing more than bluffs.


    He looked at a part of the ruined hall and used teleportation.


    In an instant, he appeared at the position he was looking at.


    ''It worked!''


    Relief surged through him when he found that his teleportation had worked, but only a momentter, his heart turned cold when he felt the sensation of the binding rope still on his body.


    Looking down, he was horrified to see that the white luminous rope was still attached to him. He was still tied to it.


    ''How is this possible?!''


    Orion was shocked when he saw that.


    The white-haired woman approached him at that moment.


    "I told you before. The Luminous Rope is a bane for those with intangible abilities. So, it doesn''t matter what you do from now on. It will always be attached to you like a parasite and will prevent you from reverting to your normal form."


    Orion''s face darkened when he heard her.


    ''It seems I''m really trapped.''


    He sighed but didn''t give up. His mind processed all his curses and considered the best course of action from here.


    As he pondered a solution, he looked at the woman in front of him.


    "Who are you?" he asked, frowning. He understood that her strength must be on the same level as Kane and Merlin, which was why he couldn''t sense her when she got close until she revealed herself.


    But that didn''t mean no one was able to sense her. Kane and Merlin should have sensed her presence, but they didn''t say anything. He understood the reason for Merlin but not for Kane¡ªor maybe he did.


    "I am the 9th Seat of the Ten Seats from the Celestial Court¡ªSeat of Honour¡ªRosaline Drax. You may call me Miss Rose."


    The woman introduced herself gracefully, but Orion didn''t see even a hint of grace in her.


    "Seat of Honour? Are you kidding me?" he said with a mocking smile. "The way you came to me and trapped me is very fitting for your title."


    A seductive smile appeared on Rosaline''s face when she heard Orion.


    "I know I''m well-deserved. All the people who have ever met me told me that."


    Orion ignored her narcissistic reply and focused on something that truly mattered.


    "You''re from the Celestial Court, right? Why are you helping that old man who wants to murder my family?" he asked her directly.


    "Huh," Merlin appeared in front of him with Kane at that moment. "Kid, now let''s see how you get out of this," Merlin sneered at Orion with a cruel expression. He had already imagined what he would do to Orion once this was all over.


    Orion''s attention remained entirely on Rosaline, as if he didn''t hear Merlin''s sneer or as if Merlin didn''t exist to him.


    Rosaline felt amused when she noticed that.


    "It''s true that I don''t know the whole story. I only came here when Merlin told me about you¡ªa person withplete intangibility. So, I would like to know what really happened here."


    Orion frowned. He didn''t like this woman at all. Just so she could use her treasure, she came and bound him with her rope as if he were some kind of prize.


    As Orion cursed her internally, Merlin immediately stepped forward, intending to exin.


    "Let me handle this."


    However, Rosaline shook her head at him.


    "You can''t. Your answer will be biased."


    She then turned her attention to Kane, who had been quietly observing everything.


    For some reason, she ignored him after looking at him for a moment and then turned to the crowd at the other end of the ruined pce.


    "Reynold Maximus,e here."


    She directly called the Emperor of the Magus Kingdom by his name.


    Orion was surprised when he heard someone calling Emperor Maximus by his real name but then he understood she had the power and authority to do that.


    Emperor Maximus hastily came forward after being called by Rosaline.


    "You didn''te forward to greet me when I arrived. Reynold, it seems you''re bing very negligent."


    Rosaline immediately berated Emperor Maximus upon his arrival.


    A ttering smile appeared on Reynold''s face when he heard her.


    "How could I show myself there? I would only be in their and your way if I did that."


    Rosaline looked at Reynold with disdain. "You really haven''t changed." She sighed and got to the point.


    "Tell me, what led to all of this? Don''t skip anything."


    Reynold eyed Orion from the corner of his eye before he began to exin.


    "This kid named Orion killed some members of the Archons in a dungeon but he used an alias of a masked figure so when he killed them nobody knew it was Orion but since he killed people from Archons..."


    He told Rosaline everything he had seen without holding anything back.


    A troubled expression slowly appeared on Rosaline''s face after Reynold exined everything to her.


    "A mess, aplete mess," she sighed and turned her attention to Orion. "Tell me, why did you kill them?"


    Orion frowned for a moment before deciding to tell the truth. It was already revealed that he killed them, so there was no need to hide the reason behind it. Enjoy reading at m v-le-mp-yr


    "There was a person named Carl Rollins in the group of four I killed. I overheard them saying that his family would cease to exist in one year unless my family waspletely destroyed."


    Rosaline raised an eyebrow. "So you killed them?"


    Orion nodded. "Yes, I killed them. I know the Archons are an existence beyond any Magi families in the Magus Kingdom, so I also understood that if a war were to break out between our two families, mine would be the first to lose, and losing here meansplete extermination."


    He added, "That''s why I came up with a n to kill them right away so that the Archons would be busy finding the killer, giving my family some time to prepare for their inevitable arrival. As for the mysterious rtion between our two families, you can ask that old man about it."


    Rosaline nodded slightly and turned to Merlin.


    "It''s rted to the case of the Elven Family," Merlin said.


    Rosaline became intrigued when the Elven Family was mentioned. "Go on."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 258: 258. Curse of The Three Families

    "The Elven Family was the strongest family among the Archons at that time, but it suddenly disappeared for some reason. No one knows where they went or if they were exterminated by some powerful force. The they resided on was foundpletely empty, with no signs of any fighting."


    Merlin paused for a moment before continuing.


    "No trace of them was ever found, and it remains one of the mysteries of our universe. But recently, when I investigated the case of Carl''s family, I discovered something very interesting. It turns out there were three cursed families, not two, and the Elven Family was one of them."


    "Continue," Rosaline''s face turned curious as she learned about the Elven Family. Now, she wanted to know everything.


    "The three cursed families were the Darkwood Family, which that kid belongs to," Merlin said, pointing at Orion, "the Rollins Family, and the Elven Family. Now, the Rollins Family will cease to exist unless the entire Darkwood Family is wiped out. By ''cease to exist,'' I mean they would disappear like the Elven Family, forever lost and never found."


    Rosaline understood many things, but the more she understood, the more questions she had about the cursed families.


    Why were they cursed? Where did they go after disappearing from the world?


    Orion also realized something serious when he heard Merlin. The disappearance of the Elven Family and the looming cmity over the Rollins Family made him wonder if his own family would face a simr fate. Then again, being enemies of the Archons was already a kind of cmity for them.


    But would it lead to their disappearance if they failed to survive? It seemed likely, considering that for the Rollins Family to survive, they had to kill everyst member of his family. So, in a way, they would indeed vanish like the Elven Family if they failed to survive.


    In a sense, their cmity was the Rollins Family.


    As he pondered this, a thought came to his mind.


    ''The Rollins Family has to kill our family to survive, so what does my family need to do?... Kill the Rollins Family?''


    His face darkened as he realized the gravity of the situation. He suspected the Elven Family''s disappearance was tied to a task they failed toplete, leading to their downfall.


    The Rollins Family was in the same predicament. If they also failed to do what was required¡ªexterminate his family¡ªthen they, too, might vanish from this world.


    Then there was his family. It wasn''t clear if they had a task toplete or not, but Orion had a hunch that if the Elven and Rollins Families had tasks to survive and avoid disappearing, then his family must also have one¡ªa task they had toplete¡ªto avoid vanishing like the Elven Family and bing history.


    "What are you going to do now?" Orion asked Rosaline. Having figured out the matter of the cursed families, he understood that he needed to know what task his family had toplete to survive. Therefore, he wasn''t willing to waste his time here any longer.


    If necessary, he wouldn''t hesitate to use the Reality Fracture in Burst Mode to get out of here.


    Rosaline looked at Orion and then at Merlin before making a decision.


    "Orion, even though what you did was for the survival of your family, you killed. Not only those four Archons but also all the guests, including more Archon members in the hall. I believe when the news reaches the respective domains, you will be the most wanted man in all of them."


    She then turned to Merlin.


    "And you, Merlin, I don''t know whether to call you a fool or a genius. By summoning me here, this case will surely reach the Celestial Court, but it also restrained Orion, leaving him unable to act. I believe you called me out of desperation¡ªout of concern for your daughter¡ªyou feared Orion might do something to her once she fully revives."


    Both Orion and Merlin frowned when they heard her. This wasn''t what they wanted to hear.


    "What''s your final verdict?" Merlin asked.


    Rosaline shrugged lightly. "Given the current circumstances, I can''t let Orion run free, nor can I let you go either. Your instigation of the guests in the hall ultimately led to Orion killing them, so you are just as guilty as Orion."


    She continued: "Depending on the situation, I''ll have to call a meeting of the Ten Seats Summit."


    "The Ten Seats Summit!" Merlin eximed in shock. "You''re going to call for that over such a small matter?!"


    "A small matter?!" Rosaline said mockingly. "The loss of so many important people from the three domains isn''t a small matter. Even if I don''t call the summit, what do you think the leaders of the three domains will do when they hear that so many of their people died?"


    Merlin''s face darkened as he realized the seriousness of the situation.


    Rosaline continued: "They wouldin to the Celestial Court, and in the worst-case scenario, they might take matters into their own hands. You have to realize that the people who died here weren''t ordinary. They were all well-known figures from the three domains; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been invited here in the first ce."


    She added, "If the powers behind those people were to act against the Magus Kingdom, then we''d have a war on our hands without the War Medallion. A war is thest thing we want right now, so I can only call the Ten Seats Summit before the situation esctes further."


    Merlin stood there with a grim expression. He understood the importance of the Ten Seats Summit. It was only called when there was a situation that neither the three domains nor the three subsidiary powers such as the Archons, Velors, and Trons could handle. In simple terms, the Ten Seats Summit was the highest-level meeting possible in the Montreux universe.


    "Thest time the summit was held was about 56 years ago..." Merlin muttered.


    Rosaline nodded. "I don''t want to call the summit either, but as things stand, I have no choice. Orion has killed too many important people, and letting someone who can kill so many without blinking run free is even worse."


    "What if I don''t want to attend the summit?" Orion asked suddenly. He had heard enough to understand everything. Whatever summit they were talking about, he knew it wouldn''t end in his favor, but he didn''t n to attend this stupid summit anyway.


    "Do you think you have any say on this?" Rosaline asked.


    Orion sneered and was about to activate Burst Mode when he suddenly felt a sharp difort, as if something deep inside him¡ªsomething integral¡ªhad just vanished.


    "He may not have a say, but I do."


    An oddly familiar voice suddenly echoed through the ruined pce, capturing everyone''s attention.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 259: 259. Return of Grey Orion

    Before anyone could react to the voice, a hand suddenly emerged from Orion''s stomach. It waspletely gray, unlike the usual skin color.


    "Woo!"


    Rosaline gasped in surprise and took a few steps back when she saw it.


    "What the hell is that?!" Even Merlin seemed shocked by what he was witnessing.


    Only Kane stared intently at the gray hand that hade out of Orion''s stomach before a look of understanding dawned on him.


    Forget the others¡ªOrion himself was shocked to the core when he saw something emerging from his body. But when he recognized the gray hand, a terrifying realization struck him.


    "No! How is this possible? How is he here?"


    However, before he could grasp what was happening, another hand shot out from his stomach.


    "Is there a small pocket dimension inside his space?" Rosaline eximed when she saw the second hand.


    Merlin, equally perplexed, recalled the dimension Kane had mentioned to Orion earlier. "I heard that Orion moved his family to a separate dimension to hide them, so maybe the dimension is sealed in his stomach."


    Rosaline shook her head and pointed at Orion''s face. "Look at his expression. He''s just as anxious and confused as we are, so whatever ising out of him, he must know nothing about it."


    Merlin nodded in agreement.


    As they talked, Orion was desperately trying to move his hands to push whatever wasing out back to wherever it came from, but being tied up with a rope made all his efforts futile.


    ''What should I do?''


    Orion felt a surge of anxiety. He was powerless to stop what was happening and could only watch as the figure continued to emerge from his body.


    ''Damn it!''


    He cursed silently.


    Soon, a head popped out of his stomach and turned to face him directly.


    "How''s it going, buddy?"


    A chill ran down Orion''s spine as he saw the head of the Gray Orion. Though he had anticipated this, seeing it with his own eyes still left him shaken.


    Rosaline and Merlin were more shocked to see Orion''s face emerging from his own body, but before they could react, Gray Orion fully emerged andughed as he took in the world around him.


    "Hahahahahaha. I''ve finally seeded. I''ve finally reached the real world."


    Orion was speechless, unable toprehend how this was even possible. How did this figuree out of his body? Wasn''t it supposed to only exist in that gray world?


    Countless questions raced through his mind, but there was no one to answer them.


    "Seeing you like this makes me sick," Gray Orion mocked when he saw Orion tied up by Rosaline.


    "How did you get here? How?" Orion asked, his voice trembling slightly. "Aren''t the clones unable to leave that ce? Then how?"


    Gray Orion shrugged with a sinister grin. "I found it mysterious too. Thest thing I remember is something happening to you. I felt like I died, but in the next moment, I was inside your body."


    He added, "I could havee out earlier at any time, but I didn''t. I feared you might have a way to stop me from fully emerging. And if you managed to stop me once, you''d definitely seek help from Father and Sister to seal me away forever. So, I bided my time, waiting for the right opportunity."


    Looking at Rosaline, Merlin, and Kane, he smiled. "And they gave me that chance. By trapping you here like this and making you unable to move, they paved the way for me."


    "Who are you?" Rosaline asked, still bewildered. She could see he had Orion''s face but couldn''t understand why he was gray and had emerged from him.


    "Me?" Gray Orionughed. "Haha. I am an improved, more powerful version of this guy here."


    Rosaline frowned. She still couldn''t grasp why he looked like Orion or why he waspletely gray.


    "Allow me to enlighten you."


    Kane, who had been silent since Rosaline''s arrival, stepped forward.


    "This is what I believe to be Orion''s clone from the Null Void. Somehow, it managed toe into this world from inside Orion, and I''m very curious to know how."


    "Clone from the Null Void?" Rosaline was shocked. She understood the Null Void and its mechanisms well, so she found it hard to believe that his clone coulde to this world when other clones could only take form temporarily when their curses were activated¡ªand even then, theycked sentience, unlike the one before them.


    "How did ite out here? And how does it have its own thoughts?" Rosaline asked, curiosity burning in her eyes.


    Kane shrugged. "That''s the mystery. In fact, this kid Orion is surrounded by too many mysteries, some of which have even caught my attention. Once, I saw him fighting an Apocalypse-level monster; another time, I heard about his clone wreaking havoc in the Null Void, killing thousands. And his never-ending abilities are hard to forget."


    He added, "And now his clone has emerged from the Null Void. I wonder what else we''ll witness today. I''m very interested to see where this is going."


    Rosaline felt a headacheing on as she thought about Orion. So many problems had arisen just because of him, and now his clone had somehow arrived in this world from the Null Void.


    She sighed and turned her attention to Gray Orion.


    "Anyway, you''reing with him to the Celestial Court."


    "Are you kidding me?" Gray Orionughed. "Didn''t you hear what I just said?"


    He added, "You can trap him, but that doesn''t mean you can trap me too. I''ve already told you¡ªI''m much stronger than this guy here, so don''t think about trapping me or taking me anywhere."


    He then pointed at Orion and continued, "And he won''t be going anywhere since I''m here."


    "Are you going to stop us?" Rosaline asked with a smile. She could see that the clone''s strength was simr to that of the original, making it impossible for him to prevent them from taking Orion, even if he was a rare genius.


    At most, he could turn intangible and escape. But she only had one rope, and it could be used on only one person or thing at a time.


    Gray Orion smirked when he saw Rosaline''s doubt.


    "If I wanted to escape, with or without him, nobody here could stop me¡ªno one. But that''s not my intention."

 Chapter 260: 260. The Overwhelming Strength of Grey Orion

    "Whatever, you''reing with me just like him," Rosaline said, using her talent to create a giant hand out of countless flower petals, intending to grab Gray Orion.


    Gray Orion smirked and activated the Curse of Disintegration in Curse Transformation mode, causing gray particles to radiate from his entire body.


    He then touched the iing giant flower hand, and with a single tap, it began to disintegrate into nothingness, slowly but surely, until the entire hand dissolved.


    "How is that possible?"


    Rosaline was shocked beyond belief. She couldn''t believe her eyes. She was a divine-rank expert, one of the strongest in the world, and yet her attack had been rendered useless by someone at the silver rank.


    Orion witnessed this as well but wasn''t surprised. He knew the Curse Transformation ability was somewhat broken. If one ignored the curse''s side effects, it was essentially an overpowered ability.


    He only faced limitations in Curse Transformation mode because of his weak body. A silver-rank body could only handle a limited amount of energy, but that wasn''t the case for the clone.


    Since the clone was entirely made of chaos energy, it didn''t matter how much chaos energy he used.


    In a way, only his clone could fully utilize the potential of Curse Transformation.


    Orion even suspected that, for the clone, Curse Transformation mode and Burst Mode might be the same. While Burst Mode increased the power of the curse by using its full potential, his clone could achieve the same effect by channeling infinite chaos energy into the curse in Curse Transformation mode.


    Though he wondered if his clone were to use Burst Mode, how powerful would he be? And more importantly, would the clone also lose his curse permanently if that happened?


    Orion doubted it. His clone was an exact replica of him. If he died, the clone would die too. If he lost or gained a curse, so would the clone. This made him wonder¡ªsince he possessed the curse, but only the clone would lose it due to Burst Mode, would the curse eventually return to him?


    Orion didn''t dare delve too deeply into that thought, as he believed that if it happened, only a handful of beings could ever defeat him.


    "Are you shocked by this?" Gray Orion sneered with a sinister expression. "I wonder how you''ll react to this."


    A vast amount of energy surged from his body, causing the ground¡ªand the entire pce¡ªto shake uncontrobly.


    "This!" Rosaline''s face turned to one of pure astonishment as she felt the immense energy emanating from Gray Orion.


    Merlin frowned deeply, while a smile spread across Kane''s face as he sensed the overwhelming energy being released.


    "How can you possess this much energy?!" Rosaline eximed in shock.


    Gray Orion smiled. "You could say I''m one of a kind."


    He added, "Now, do you still think you can take me away?"


    A serious expression appeared on Rosaline''s face as she pondered, then said, "Well, we can only fight to determine that."


    She was determined to bring Orion to the Celestial Court because of how dangerous he was. Now that she had witnessed the strength of his clone, she was even more certain that she needed to call the Ten Seats Summit as soon as possible.


    Orion himself posed a significant threat to the entire three domains, and adding his clone with such a level of strength only increased the threat to a terrifying degree.


    One thing that did bring her some relief was that Orion was still on their side¡ªthe side of humanity¡ªand had not yet joined the dark forces of the Montreux universe¡ªthe ck Order.


    She wanted to keep it that way. But to do so, she would need to call upon the Ten Seats Summit and inform the other seats about Orion.


    Humanity couldn''t afford an unexpected variable¡ªanother ancient demon¡ªat this point, especially not with the possibility of the other three races starting a war at any moment.


    "A fight?" Gray Orion smiled and looked at Merlin, Rosaline, and Kane. "I know you three are the top experts in this world, but I wonder if you''ll have any trouble surviving this."


    He snapped his fingers, and in a sh, all of them¡ªincluding Gray Orion¡ªwere enclosed in a ck sphere swirling with ck lightning.


    This was the ultimate bomb Orion had prepared for situations he couldn''t foresee or handle. Since Gray Orion was just another version of him, their dimensions were also the same.


    The moment Gray Orion emerged from Orion''s body, he had been supplying infinite chaos energy to the bomb Orion had prepared.


    But unlike Orion, who could only supply limited energy at a time, Gray Orion was feeding the bomb with literally infinite chaos energy. Not only did it change the bomb''s color to ck, but it also increased its strength to an unimaginable level that even Gray Orion couldn''t fullyprehend.


    Orion wasn''t surprised when he saw this. He had already anticipated that his clone would do this the moment he sensed him channeling infinite energy into the bomb.


    But it was a different story for the others.


    Rosaline, Merlin, and even Kane were shocked to suddenly find themselves inside such a potent energy sphere.


    ck lightning relentlessly attacked them, while another type of energy seemed to consume everything around them.


    "Enough of this," Kane said, his body releasing a bright golden hue that illuminated the entire ck sphere.


    ''Could he be¡­?'' Gray Orion had a bold thought, as did Orion. Both of them looked at each other, feeling the shock in their eyes.


    They didn''t want to believe it, but it seemed that Kane alone would render the entire ck sphere useless with the amount of energy he was emitting.


    "You two are really the same, using the same move again and again. But you failed to notice a w in this strategy. While this bomb you created is indeed very strong, it''s useless if someone as strong as me is inside. However, it''s a different story if I were outside¡ªany disturbance to the sphere from the outside would lead to its detonation, but that''s not the case from within."

 Chapter 261: 261. A Good End

    The energy Kane was emitting continued to grow, surprising even Merlin and Rosaline slightly.


    The ground beneath him began to melt, and all the lightning attacking him couldn''t reach him due to the overwhelming amount of energy he was releasing.


    "Behold, for what you are about to witness is one of a kind."


    Kane raised his sword and shed downward in a simple but direct motion.


    "World Apart!"


    Like slicing through soft tofu, the ck sphere that enclosed them was effortlessly cleaved in two.


    The clean cut was so precise that the sphere didn''t even explode; it simply disintegrated into nothingness, as if it had never existed.


    Yet, the attack''s devastation was far from over. The force of the sh continued forward, an unstoppable edge of destruction that seemed to rend the very fabric of reality.


    The energy behind the strike was so immense that it appeared to be shing the world itself in two, splitting apart everything in its path with an otherworldly precision.


    Orion and his clone were both shocked and speechless as they witnessed the power behind that sh.


    It was simply too overwhelming.


    The shock in Grey Orion''s eyes was particrly intense. He knew exactly how much energy he had put into that bomb, yet Kane had rendered it in half with a single sh. This made him realize that Kane might be the most dangerous person here.


    Rosaline and Merlin''s expressions also changed. Rosaline became serious upon witnessing Kane''s attack, while Merlin''s face turned extremely grim.


    "Now, did you see that?" Kane asked.


    "Even if you have a high level of energy, perhaps even more than us, you could neverpare to someone who has been to Grimshore."


    He added, "The full potential of a person can only be realized if they spend quality time in Grimshore. Otherwise, they remain mediocre their whole life."


    Orion understood something from Kane''s words. Grimshore must be a ce that significantly enhances one''s power, which exined the difference in strength between gold and tinum ranks.


    Grey Orion also understood, but this realization made him frown. With Kane''s strength, it would be very difficult to fight him. He might even die at Kane''s hands if he was careless.


    So, he wanted to avoid fighting¡ªat least with Kane.


    Looking at Rosaline, Grey Orion activated some of his curses in Curse Transformation mode and asked, "Will you put away the rope? I ask because if you do, I''ll take Orion and disappear from here. But if you don''t, I''ll create as much chaos as I can. So, what''s your choice? Chaos or letting Orion go?"


    Rosaline frowned at his words. She understood the chaos he was referring to. There were still many important people in the pce, and while their strength wasn''t at the divine level, their positions and the respect theymanded in each domain were enough to start a war if they died.


    Grey Orion''s words implied the same thing. If they didn''t let Orion go, he would kill them, and she believed he could after witnessing his strength and the enormous energy within him.


    "Don''t let him get away," Merlin interjected. "He killed my daughter and so many others in the hall. He should at least be punished."


    Merlin definitely didn''t want Orion to escape, especially after seeing his potential and the clone he had. If the clone or even Orion himself reached Merlin''s level of strength someday, he would have a great enemy.


    Therefore, he wanted to kill Orion here and now, but since Orion was still in his intangible state, Merlin was powerless to do anything.


    Rosaline also considered Merlin''s words as she turned to Orion.


    "So many deaths are on your hands. If I let you go now, how can I be sure I won''t regret it?"


    Orion shrugged. "They wanted to kill my family, so I killed them. It''s as simple as that."


    He then turned to Merlin and continued, "If there everes a day when other families, people, or anyone else wants to kill my family, I won''t hesitate to exterminate them all. That''s all I can say for now."


    As if thinking of something, he added, "I am human, and I would never betray the human race, so you shouldn''t worry about that. But remember, I will kill anyone who threatens my family."


    Rosaline didn''t respond immediately, pondering his words. She understood him, but she wasn''t sure if it was enough to let Orion go.


    "May I have a word?" Kane stepped forward.


    "What do you want?" Rosaline frowned.


    Kane smiled and said, "I have an idea where neither the Celestial Court nor Orion has to suffer any losses."


    Rosaline''s eyes narrowed. "Tell me the details."


    Kane nodded lightly. "How about you return to the Celestial Court and inform them about Orion, but summon the Ten Seats Summit in the name of the impending war from the other races, not in the name of Orion. That would be a win-win for both parties."


    Rosaline considered the idea and found it promising. This way, the summit wouldn''t appear to be convened solely for Orion but for something muchrger.


    At that time, people would view Orion''s issue as secondary, with the summit''s discussion of the war taking precedence.


    "Whatever the summit is about, I have to be present, right?" Orion asked.


    Rosaline nodded.


    Orion narrowed his eyes. "What if I''m found guilty at that time? What if the Ten Seats agree that I should be punished?"


    "That''s where Ie in," Kane smiled. "I will represent you at the Ten Seats Summit, so you don''t have to worry about anything."


    "You will?" Rosaline seemed surprised.


    Kane shrugged. "Since I''ll be attending the summit anyway, it won''t change anything if I represent Orion there. That way, I believe both parties cane to an understanding."


    Rosaline frowned but eventually nodded. If that''s what it took to bring peace, so be it.


    "Alright, it''s decided. We''ll proceed as you suggested," Rosaline dered.


    "I refuse."


    However, a momentter, Merlin''s refusal came.


    "He killed my daughter and so many others, but you two are taking this too lightly. He should be punished heavily for this," Merlin protested.


    ---


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 Chapter 262 : 262. Rosalines Decision

    "Merlin, this is my decision. You have no say in this," Rosaline said firmly.


    Merlin''s face darkened. For a moment, he regretted calling her for help.


    "What? Not satisfied?" Grey Orion sneered. He was pleased with the decision. In fact, he didn''t care about him but since his life was tied to Orion, he would at least have to make sure that he wouldn''t die here.


    Meanwhile, Orion had no opinion on the decision. For once, he didn''t care about the summit. However, since Kane''s n meant he wouldn''t be on the Celestial Court''s most wanted list, Orion considered it a good oue.


    Still, one thing bothered him. The more he interacted with Kane, the more he found him different from his dreams. But then again, he realized he was just a naive kid at that time when he idolized Sword Sage.


    Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, another topic came to Orion''s mind.


    "What about the Rollins family from the Archons? What if they decide to attack my family or me?" he asked. Since the situation was almost resolved, he wanted to address the cursed families as well.


    "That..." Rosaline''s expression clouded with thought as she pondered the situation.


    "How about making it personal?" Merlin suggested with a sly grin. "Each party can attack the other by whatever means, but they won''t be held ountable for the other''s actions."


    "So, ording to your logic, if I drop hundreds of bombs like the one I just took out and kill their entire family, they won''t be held responsible for me? Is that it?" Grey Orion sneered.


    Like Orion, he wanted to kill this old man and everyone from the Rollins family. If it would grant his family peace, he wouldn''t hesitate.


    "You do that, and I''ll kill him," Merlin raged, pointing at Orion.


    Orion mocked, "You can''t even touch me, let alone kill me. Trash."


    "Enough!" Rosaline shouted.


    She turned to Merlin. "Tell me, how much time does the Rollins family have?"


    "About a year," Merlin replied, his face twisted with frustration.


    Rosaline nodded. "Then we''ll include this topic in the summit. A thorough investigation will be conducted before then."


    She then addressed Merlin. "I''m giving you half a year. Do what you can to solve the mystery behind the three cursed families. The summit will be held in six months, and you will report your findings then. Understood?"


    "Why me?" Merlin frowned. The task bored him. He enjoyed research but only on topics that interested him; he despised everything else.


    Rosaline frowned back. "Because you''re also ountable for what happened at the banquet, and your theories about space and other research topics are well-known. You''re suited for this job."


    Merlin nodded reluctantly, but as he looked at Orion, a sharp light shed in his eyes.


    "How long will it take?" Rosaline asked, pointing at Luna, who was undergoing revival.


    "Nobody knows," Merlin said sadly. "It''s said the owner of the War Medallion can''t die, but only those who''ve gone through the revival process would know for sure."


    Rosaline nodded and then turned to Kane. "Your sword¡ªit has the aura of the Primordial Cosmic Wonders."


    Kane smiled and drew his sword. "I found this sword when I first met Orion. In a way, without him, I might not be holding it."


    He added, "But the origin of this sword is unsettling. I discovered it in a cave belonging to a god called Shura¡ªGod of ughter. He mentioned that this sword was once wielded by the strongest god¡ªthe Celestial God."


    "Interesting. So it''s indeed one of the eight Primordial Cosmic Wonders," Rosaline said, intrigued by Kane''s sword.


    Kane''s face grew serious. "There was something written in the cave by Shura himself. It said the true enemies of the human race aren''t the angel, celestial, or demon races, but the gods themselves."


    He added, "Because of the world''sws, gods can''t descend into the mortal realm. That''s why they''re using other methods to get rid of us, like the other three races. This was written on the cave wall by the God of ughter¡ªShura."


    Rosaline''s expression became serious. "Why would the gods want to exterminate us? And why are you only telling us this important information now?"


    Kane shrugged. "I wanted to inform you earlier, but I couldn''t find you."


    "You could havee directly to the Celestial Court," Rosaline said, her tone filled with slight anger.


    "I was busy with some very important matters," Kane replied.


    "Regardless, this topic will now be included in the summit," Rosaline said seriously.


    Orion listened, relieved that the God of ughter''s message was finally addressed.


    Turning to Rosaline, he asked, "Now, can you put away the rope? It''s suffocating."


    Rosaline nodded. "I''ll do that, but don''t go around killing people. You''re still a kid," she advised as she retracted the Luminous Rope.


    Orion finally felt he could revert to his normal self. Without wasting time, he deactivated his intangible mode, sighing in relief as he regained the sensation of his body. The entire time he was intangible, his body felt weightless, and he couldn''t feel anything.


    "Die, kid!"


    But at that moment, Merlin suddenly teleported behind him and drove his hand through Orion''s heart.


    It happened too fast. Orion didn''t even have time to blink, let alone react, before pain exploded in his chest.


    And then it was over.


    "You! What did you do?!" Rosaline shouted in shock.


    "I finished what I started. I killed him," Merlin said proudly.


    "You shouldn''t have done that," Kane said, shaking his head, his face deadly serious.


    "What? Are you going to fight me over that kid?" Merlin asked, his expression mocking.


    Kane shook his head and stared at both Orion and Grey Orion.


    Blood flowed from Orion''s mouth, a crimson stream that trickled down his chin as the taste of iron filled his senses.


    ''I can''t breathe.''


    With every ragged breath, he felt his life slipping away, inch by inch, as darkness threatened to consume him.


    At the same time, Grey Orion looked at Orion and at Merlin''s hand protruding from his chest, shock etched across his face.


    "You bastard!"


    He shouted, intending to attack Merlin, but before he could, he suddenly felt something wrong with his body.


    "No!"


    He screamed in panic as he watched his hands slowly disintegrate into ck particles.


    ---


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 Chapter 263 : A Glimpse of Peak Power

    "NO!"


    Grey Orion''s scream echoed far and wide as he watched in horror as his legs began to disintegrate. It wouldn''t be long before he turned into nothingness.


    "Just die."


    Merlin pulled his hand out of Orion''s chest and tossed his body aside in disgust.


    "Haha, I finally killed him. That brat was a thorn in my side the whole time."


    He sneered grimly, recalling how he had to beg Orion to show mercy to his daughter.


    ring at the clone, which was also slowly disintegrating into nothingness, he mocked, "Where is your strength now? Your so-called abundant energy? In the end, I''m the final winner."


    Only the head and torso of Grey Orion remained, but he looked at Merlin with cold, malevolent eyes.


    "Merlin, I will kill you like a dog, just you wait," he spat, his eyes burning with intense hatred.


    "You''re dying and still thinking of killing me?" Merlin said with disdain.


    "Are you sure about that?" Grey Orion smirked with deadly intent.


    "What do you mean?" Merlin asked, confused.


    "Merlin, look behind you," Rosaline said, her voice trembling.


    "Behind?" A bad premonition rose in Merlin''s heart as he turned around.


    To his shock, Orion''s body was bathed in golden light.


    "This!" Merlin couldn''tprehend what was happening. He was sure he had crushed Orion''s heart with his own hands, making the scene before him even more shocking.


    Orion, bathed in golden light, was undergoing an amazing transformation. The gaping hole in his chest slowly began to close until it appeared as though it had never existed.


    At that moment, Orion opened his eyes and looked at Merlin with a ruthless expression.


    "I was naive to think things were settled between us, but you brought me back to reality. You showed me that humans never change," Orion said, his words cold and emotionless.


    "So what? You can''t do anything to me," Merlin sneered.


    Orion ignored him and turned to Grey Orion, whose hands and legs had regrown. "Kill him."


    "My pleasure," Grey Orion smirked and shifted his attention to Merlin.


    "You''ve dug your grave."


    No sooner had he spoken than a dazzling array of colors began to radiate from his body¡ªred, yellow, dark, purple, and more. Each hue pulsed with its own unique energy, merging into a kaleidoscope of power that surged uncontrobly. The air around him crackled with intensity, and the ground beneath him trembled as the energy swelled within him.


    In an instant, this vtile force erupted, shooting skyward like a beacon of raw power. The multicolored aura spiraled upward, tearing through the clouds and illuminating the heavens.


    The sheer magnitude of the energy was overwhelming, a force of nature unleashed with unstoppable ferocity.


    "This!" Merlin''s eyes widened in disbelief as he witnessed the immense raw power erupting from Grey Orion. The sheer magnitude of it was unlike anything he had ever encountered, leaving him stunned.


    "This much power and energy!"


    Even Rosaline, usually calm andposed, was visibly shaken by the overwhelming energy surging from Grey Orion.


    Only Kane looked on with a solemn expression.


    Grey Orion turned to Merlin with an eerie, ruthless smile. "Are you ready to die?"


    "You''re dreaming if you think you can kill me," Merlin retorted, though overwhelmed by Grey Orion''s energy and aura, he refused to believe he was strong enough to kill him.


    "I''ll kill you first, then," Merlin said, pping his palms together.


    "Space Line."


    All around Grey Orion, space began topress and distort, not from the overwhelming energy he was emitting, but as a result of Merlin''s calcted attack.


    Merlin''s mastery over spatial maniption allowed him to bend the very fabric of reality, creating an invisible force that sought to crush Orion within its grasp.


    The space surrounding Grey Orion twisted unnaturally, closing in on him with relentless pressure, trying to sandwich him into oblivion. The crushing force was a direct attempt by Merlin to contain and neutralize the immense power Orion was unleashing, using the environment as a weapon to kill him.


    But as it stood, the space twisting around Grey Orion, threatening to crush him, suddenly shattered into particles. The warped fragments of space disintegrated, dissolving into nothingness, unable to withstand the sheer force radiating from him.


    In an instant, the distorted surroundings returned to their natural state, as if the assault had never urred.


    "How is this possible?!"


    Merlin was shocked and in disbelief to see his attack neutralized before it even reached Grey Orion.


    "Heh, that''s all you''ve got?"


    Grey Orion sneered and began walking toward Merlin.


    "The great Merlin the Magician amounts to this?"


    He sneered and clenched his right fist.


    Almost instantly, Merlin felt an overwhelming force closing in on him from all sides, as though an invisible hand had gripped his entire body.


    The air around him grew impossibly dense, and the ground beneath him seemed to lose its pull. His body began to lift off the ground, suspended against his will as the intense gravitational force took hold.


    The immense pressure restricted his movements, leaving him defenseless as he floated helplessly in the air, entirely at the mercy of Grey Orion''s power.


    But Merlin wasn''t one to be defeated easily. With a click of his tongue, the gravitational force suddenly stopped, and he stood straight as if Grey Orion''s powers didn''t affect him.


    "Interesting."


    Grey Orion muttered.


    "I''ll kill you!" Merlin shouted. He felt insulted that a nobody at the silver rank had made him feel threatened.


    "Absolute Space - ck Hole."


    He held his hands together and shouted.


    The space between him and Grey Orion began to twist and warp uncontrobly, distorting as if reality itself was being bent by an unseen force.


    The air grew heavy with tension as the space rapidlypressed. It continued topress, twist, and warp before suddenly shattering, creating a vacuum.


    This vacuum started pulling everything toward it with terrifying force. Dust, debris, and shattered remnants of the ruined Emperor Heaven Pce were all sucked into the void, swirling violently as they were drawn into the empty space.


    "No, this attack... You''ve perfected it," Rosaline said in shock. "But everything and everyone here will be sucked into that ck hole if you continue!"


    She appeared anxious as she looked at the hole devouring the space around them.


    Even Kane seemed surprised by the attack.


    "It is indeed a very powerful technique, breaking the very fabric of space with each passing second, and it''s also devouring the space around it."


    He added, "Merlin, you should stop. You don''t seem to have much control over this technique. It will only get worse as time passes, and I believe this level of space distortion will attract unwanted guests. So, stop while you can."


    "I will, but not before they die." Merlin said with a crazed, ruthless expression.


    Grey Orion sneered as he saw the ck hole forming. He felt no fear, nor any emotion that could cause fear, for at that moment, he stood at the pinnacle of power in this world.


    Not only were all of his curses active in his Curse Transformation mode, but each one of them was operating at their absolute peak, in their Burst Mode. This amplification pushed them to their highest potential, saturating him with unimaginable power.


    Every curse he wielded was now fully unleashed, resonating with raw, unstoppable force. The intense energy coursing through his veins made him feel as though he had control over everything around him.


    In that moment, Grey Orion felt invincible, as if the very fabric of reality would bend to his will with nothing more than a thought.


    But with that immense power came a risk¡ªa severe side effect that had forced him to avoid using this level of strength until now. It wasn''t merely the fear of losing all of his curses if he pushed them to Burst Mode.


    No, it was something far more catastrophic than that.


    Orion stared at Grey Orion, feeling the immense strength radiating from him, and clenched his fists in determination. The form that Grey Orion had taken represented the pinnacle of power Orion himself would one day achieve.


    What he witnessed was just a mere glimpse of the future¡ªone where he could wield all his curses without the restrictions imposed by his body and mind.


    This vision filled him with resolve. He knew that reaching this level would require immense effort, but the potential he saw now was a promise of the overwhelming power that awaited him.


    The thought of mastering his abilities to this extent, where nothing held him back, ignited a fierce desire within him to push beyond his current limits.


    ''Time is all I need.''


    Orion clenched his fists, his eyes burning with intense determination.


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 Chapter 264: 264. A battle that shook the Emperor Heaven Palace

    Rosaline looked at the ck hole that was slowly forming. Its unstable and violently suction force made her worry it might go out of Merlin''s control, dooming the rest of the guests.


    "Merlin, you should stop before it gets out of your control!" she shouted anxiously at Merlin.


    "I won''t," Merlin replied with a crazed expression as he turned to look at Orion. "I won''t stop until he dies."


    "Crazy bastard," Orion sneered. "You can''t even touch me and you''re already thinking about killing me? What an idiot!"


    "I''ll deal with youter," Merlin said in a low voice, his face starting to sweat as he controlled the ck hole forming in the space.


    The ck hole continued to suck everything in the ruined pce, making it quite clean. Even the broken walls, wreckage, and all other debris were drawn into the ck hole.


    "It''s still iplete, but it should be enough to deal with you," Merlin shouted at Grey Orion and slowly pushed the ck hole towards him.


    "Stop daydreaming, you old bastard!" Grey Orionughed and used the power of Dimensional Dissonance.


    "Let me show you what it''s like to possess godlike powers," he sneered, holding his right hand towards the ck hole.


    The ck hole, which was slowly moving towards him, suddenly appeared as though one-tenth of it had vanished, making it look like a sphere with a slice taken out.


    Both Kane and Rosaline noticed the sudden change in the ck hole and wondered if it had truly gone out of Merlin''s control before it suddenly vanished from their sight.


    "How is this possible!?" Merlin eximed when he saw that. His most powerful attack was gone just like that.


    But before he could recover from the shock, he felt a restriction on his movements again. However, this time, before he could react, Grey Orion teleported in front of him, his fist striking towards his chest.


    Merlin immediately formed severalyers of space protection around his chest as soon as he saw Grey Orion. Since he couldn''t move and Grey Orion''s attack came too quickly, he could only protect himself in that manner.


    Boom!


    Like a missileunching from aunch pad, Merlin''s body shot backward with explosive force, propelled by a sudden, violent impact. The sheer momentum sent him hurtling through the air, his trajectory a blur of motion as he collided with the ornate walls of the pce one after another.


    "Agghhh!" A loud roar, more like a scream, came from the ce where Merlin crashed.


    "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Merlin shouted in anger, his face red with rage.


    He punched the air with all his strength, and as if summoned by sheer will, his fist moved with blinding speed. It cut through space in a straight, unyielding path, creating a rippling distortion in the air.


    The force of the strike was so intense that it appeared as a beam of light, a sharp, luminous trail hurtling directly toward Grey Orion.


    It took less than a second for Merlin''s attack to reach Grey Orion.


    Without hesitation, Grey Orion countered with a powerful punch of his own, his fist aze in fierce red mes.


    The collision was instantaneous, and the impact unleashed a tremendous shockwave that surged through the pce. The force of the sh rippled outward, shattering walls, obliterating statues, and disintegrating everything in its path.


    But in the end, Merlin''s space distortion attack was simply destroyed by Grey Orion''s overwhelming power.


    However, soon Grey Orion turned his gaze skyward and saw a sword-shaped silhouette in the air. It was asrge as the entire Emperor Heaven Pce but appeared rather transparent. If not for the terrible energy it was emitting, Grey Orion might not have noticed it in the darkness of the sky.


    "Useless," he sneered and condensed a pitch-ck sword of his own, but it was the size of a normal sword.


    "This should be enough."


    With that, he hurled the sword into the air, where it met the gigantic sword of Merlin a momentter.


    BOOM!


    A cataclysmic explosion erupted in the air, its force reverberating through the very fabric of space. The shockwave was so immense that it shook the entire, sending tremors across thend.


    The wind howled with fury, ripping through the environment with unprecedented violence. Trees were uprooted and hurled through the air, their mighty forms reduced to splinters by the raw power of the st.


    "Die!"


    Before the aftermath of the previous explosion had even ended, Merlin teleported in front of Grey Orion and punched.


    This time, at the front of his fist was a swirling, violently rotating mass of ever-changing space in the form of a red sphere.


    Grey Orion immediately turned around, sensing the attack, and punched with an attack of his own.


    Grey Orion''s bare fist collided with the red sphere in front of Merlin''s fist.


    BOOOOOM!


    An explosion in the form of a red sphere radiated outward from them as the center, annihting everything in its path as it continued to expand.


    As it moved outward, it engulfed everything. The Emperor Heaven Pce was utterly obliterated. Its towering spires and intricate details disintegrated under the sphere''s relentless force.


    The surrounding cities, once bustling centers of life and culture, were simrly annihted. Buildings crumbled to dust, streets were erased, and every structure within the sphere''s reach was wiped from existence.


    The sphere''s destructive force left no refuge for anything or anyone caught within its expanding embrace.


    As the red sphere continued to grow, it became clear that nothing could withstand its all-consuming power. The entire area, including the pce and the cities that had once thrived around it, was reduced to a void of nothingness, forever altered by the cataclysmic event.


    Before long, almost half of the entire was enclosed in the bright red, ominous sphere, exterminating everything on that. Be it monsters, humans, or anything that came across the red sphere, it was exterminated into nothingness.


    ---


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 Chapter 265: 265. Others have arrived

    "You..."


    Rosaline was so shocked that she couldn''t utter a single word. One moment, Merlin was preparing his ck hole technique, and the next, almost everything on the was destroyed. Don''t miss out on m-vl-em-pyr


    All she could see now was a red sky filled with countless ck particles floating around.


    It was an amazing sight, yet in this moment, all it brought was cmity.


    "I guess they''re lucky..."


    She turned to look at the side where the guests, including the emperor, were watching everything.


    At that moment, hundreds of different flowers could be seen enveloping a region at the corner of the pce.


    This was the defense Rosaline had put up at thest possible moment before everything turned red. Otherwise, like everyone else on the, they would have also turned to ashes.


    She looked around and saw Kane. He appeared fine, but a serious expression hung on his face as he looked somewhere far in the sky.


    "They have arrived," Kane muttered, his eyes locked on something in the distance.


    Rosaline nodded. She had already felt the presence of strong beings approaching the''s atmosphere, and some were even stronger than her.


    "So many lives were lost even with us here," she muttered to herself, ming herself for the devastation.


    Kane looked at his home, now nothing more than a scene of annihtion. All he could see was ck dust particles and tnd. Everything on the, where life had once flourished, was destroyed and exterminated into nothingness.


    All the people¡ªall the guests who hade for the emperor''s birthday and were waiting for the tournament to start¡ªwere now gone.


    The dome around the pce was also destroyed, and those living in the outer cities beyond the dome weren''t spared either.


    Almost half of the had been turned into tnd.


    Kane sighed at the scene. "That stupid Merlin must have used Absolute Void at thest possible moment. Absolute Space alone was enough to destroy everything here, but that guy had to use Absolute Void."


    "What about the clone and Orion?" Rosaline asked as she looked around.


    "They must be fine. At least Orion should be, since he would be in his intangible form, but for the clone, I have doubts," Kane said after assessing the situation.


    At the moment, everything around them was dust and ck particles gathering here and there, so they couldn''t see the oue, but they could still sense two presences nearby.


    Rosaline nodded. "That clone took a direct hit from Merlin''s Absolute Void, so it''s hard to say if he survived."


    "What happened here?"


    At that moment, a voice sounded above them, and five individuals appeared in the sky.


    Two were females, and three were males. They all seemed to be in their thirties and looked very refined and confident, but at the moment, all of them had ugly expressions on their faces as they took in the''s devastation.


    "Merlin used Absolute Void here," Rosaline said before briefly informing them of the events that led to this disaster.


    "Interesting," a woman with golden hair and golden armormented after hearing Rosaline''s story. "So, you''re saying all this happened because of a 16-year-old kid?"


    Rosaline nodded with a helpless expression. Even she found it hard to believe when she thought about it carefully.


    "A kid with so many talents and also an absolute intangibility ability, whose clone has sentience, left Null Void, and came to this world with almost infinite energy and divine-levelbat strength at silver rank. Is that it, or am I missing something?" A man in a red robe with red hair and a beard, with a triangr-shaped face, asked for confirmation.


    Rosaline nodded with a bitter smile.


    "If I hadn''t heard it from you, I would have dismissed it as nothing but fantasy," the red-haired man said, shock evident on his face.


    "You two are useless. Rosaline, I at least didn''t expect this from you. Even with you here, so many people ended up dead," remarked a man with dark blue hair, a long face, and a sly expression.


    "Armin, don''t talk if you don''t know the situation," Rosaline immediately replied, her expression filled with disgust.


    Armin sneered, "I''m just stating the facts."


    "Stop it, you two. This isn''t the ce for your bickering," thest man said solemnly. He had ck hair down to his shoulders and appeared quite tall and heavily built.


    He then turned to a woman with gray hair and said, "Suzan, do it."


    Thedy named Suzan had gray hair, a beautiful face, and was the shortest of the group. She wore a green outfit.


    "Yes, Morkel, as you say." Suzan smiled cutely, like a little child, and waved her hands lightly.


    Winds raged with themand of her hands, and the dust surrounding the area was blown away, revealing a scene that shocked everyone who looked on.


    They saw Merlin standing in a crater, barely holding on. His clothes were torn, his face was ckened with dust and dirt, and his legs were trembling as he struggled to stand.


    But his full attention was elsewhere. He was looking at the opposite end of the crater, where a gray-colored 16-year-old stood with a smile on his face. There were no injuries, no signs of fatigue¡ªnothing. He appeared as fine as ever.


    "Merlin, no one can save you today," Grey Orion said as he walked towards him slowly, step by step. "Remember what I said earlier? Not only will I kill you, but I will also kill Luna again after she fully revives, and I''ll go after your bedridden daughter.


    I will kill her mercilessly¡ªall because you chose, once again, to kill me¡ªkill Orion¡ªwhen a peaceful ending could have been possible for both of us."


    "You¡ªyou are a monster!" Merlin uttered in a trembling voice.


    "I''m a monster?" Grey Orionughed. "That''s the most ironic thing I''ve heard tonight."


    He looked at Merlin with a mocking expression and asked, "Have you forgotten so soon about the people you just killed? You exterminated an entire, and yet you have the gall to call me a monster."


    ---


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


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


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 266: 266. Seat of Nights intention to KILL

    Seeing Grey Orion slowly walking toward him made Merlin tremble in fear.


    "You¡ªyou stay away from me!"


    He retreated, his voice full of panic. He understood that he was no match for him, as none of his attacks had even scratched him¡ªeven his strongest attack, which had destroyed everything on the entire, barely did anything to him.


    Grey Orion sneered at the sight but wasn''t about to back down¡ªnot after Merlin''s attempt to kill Orion again. If Merlin could do it once, nothing could stop him from trying again. Who knew if Orion would be as lucky next time? Grey Orion couldn''t risk his existence on mere probability, and since he had the chance topletely erase the one who threatened his life, he was going to do just that.


    He would kill Merlin right here and now.


    "Merlin, no one can stop me from killing you."


    Grey Orion sneered, continuing to approach him.


    "Bold words."


    At that moment, seven individuals descended into the pit. Grey Orion only recognized two of them; the other five were strangers to him. However, he could guess their identities.


    "You must be the other Seats, right?"


    "Hoho, you''re right, kid." The red-haired manughed as Grey Orion identified them and then introduced himself.


    "I am Pyro ze¡ªSeat of Hope."


    The golden-haireddy in golden armor stabbed her sword into the ground.


    "Seat of Chivalry, Kitsuri Muzan."


    The blue-haired man then stepped forward. "You can call me Armin; I am the Seat of Desire."


    "Oh, oh, my turn," Suzan immediately jumped in. "I''m Suzan Miko, and I''m the Seat of Spirit."


    Finally, Morkel introduced himself.


    "I am the Seat of Night, Morkel Leon."


    Grey Orion''s face turned serious as he heard them introduce themselves.


    ''They''re indeed from the Ten Seats.''


    He understood that these people stood at the pinnacle of this world, or so Rosaline had told him.


    "What are you guys here for?" Grey Orion asked.


    "Kid, you didn''t even show an ounce of respect when we introduced ourselves," Armin said with a re.


    Grey Orion sneered, "I didn''t even know people like you existed a while ago, so how could you expect me to respect you?"


    "Now that you know, you still don''t show any respect," Armin said, sounding almost intentionally provocative.


    Grey Orion ignored him and turned to the others.


    "What do you people want?" he asked.


    Armin''s face flushed with anger at being ignored, but he held back.


    "We want nothing," Pyro said, looking around the pit with a pitiful gaze. "We sensed a powerful disturbance in space a moment ago, but it seems we''rete."


    "Well, that was all Merlin''s fault," Grey Orion shrugged.


    "And not yours?" Morkel asked.


    "Mine?" Grey Orionughed lightly. "If you don''t know the whole story, then don''t speak."


    With that, he ignored them and focused his attention on Merlin.


    Seeing this, Morkel spoke with authority. "You can''t kill Merlin."


    Grey Orion sneered and ignored him once again. He wouldn''t spare Merlin this time¡ªnot at any cost.


    Morkel frowned, irritated at being ignored. "Merlin is an important asset in the war against the three races. Losing him would cost us dearly."


    "I don''t care. He''s tried to kill me twice tonight. I forgave him once; I cannot forgive him twice." Grey Orion said solemnly as he appeared before Merlin, who trembled on his knees.


    "In the name of the Ten Seats, I, Morkel¡ªSeat of Nightmand you not to kill Merlin." Morkel took out a badge with ten weapon symbols on it, colored red.


    Grey Orion stopped, not out of fear but because he found the situation amusing.


    "Are you people crazy or what? Is this a joke? Do you think showing me a badge andmanding me will change my decision? Ridiculous!"


    "This is the highestmand one can receive, and refusing it would make you an enemy of the Ten Seats¡ªthe entire world," Rosaline exined, hoping it might change his mind.


    Grey Orion paused again.


    "Why are you people stopping me from killing him?" he asked, pointing at Merlin. "He tried to kill me twice. Where were you when he did that? Why didn''t you stop him?" His voice was filled with frustration.


    He then looked at Rosaline and Kane. "You two didn''t stop him from trying to kill me, so why stop me from killing him? Is this the hypocrisy of the so-called Ten Seats?"


    Turning to Morkel, he demanded, "Tell me, where were you when he tried to kill me twice? Why didn''t you stop him?"


    He added, "And now that I want to kill him, you want to stop me? What a joke! Today, I will kill him even if the gods themselves try to block my path."


    Morkel fell silent when he heard Grey Orion.


    "Then I can only kill you," he said after some thought.


    "No, Morkel, he''s just a kid!" Rosaline shouted from the side.


    Morkel shook his head. "No, Merlin has contributed greatly to the Ten Seats and the betterment of the entire world. With his strength, he will be a valuable asset in the war against the three races. On the other hand, this kid is an unpredictable variable. It''s good if he listens to us, but if not, I can only kill him. An unexpected variable is thest thing we need right now."


    "Hahahahahaha."


    Grey Orion''s unbridledughter echoed through the pit.


    "An unexpected variable? Who would listen to you pieces of trash who don''t seem to understand reason? Who ignore all the facts and make me the enemy of the world just because I won''t follow your orders? Just because I won''t be your ve like Merlin, you want to kill me in the name of being an ''unexpected variable''?"


    He looked at Morkel with a mocking expression. "I get it now. The Ten Seats are nothing more than a group of shameless people who, if they can''t control someone, will kill them if necessary. Pathetic."


    He added with finality, "And don''t think for a second you can kill me."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 267: 267. The Real faces of Ten Seats

    "Hey, hey, let''s not jump straight to killing, alright? Let''s sort this out peacefully," Pyro suggested, seeing the situation escting.


    "You should ask him about that," Grey Orion shrugged. "I just want to kill Merlin. After that, I''ll go my separate way. I don''t need to be the enemy of the ''Ten Seats'' or the ''whole world,'' but if you intend to stop me, I''ll simply ignore you."


    "I just told you that Merlin is an asset to our world, and he would prove¡ª" Morkel was interrupted midway by Grey Orion.


    "So what?" Grey Orion sneered. "Just because he''s an asset doesn''t give him the right to do whatever he wants in this world. He tried to kill me twice. I''m going to kill him. It''s that simple. Don''t shower me with yourme excuse about him being an asset or whatever."


    Morkel frowned and sighed in the end. "Then we have no choice but to kill you."


    "Kill me?" Grey Orion sneered. "Go ahead. I''m waiting."


    Morkel narrowed his eyes at Grey Orion andmanded, "Kitsuri, kill him!"


    "No, Morkel, think it over. He''s just a kid, and you know Merlin''s personality. This is all his fault," Rosaline tried to persuade Morkel once again.


    "It doesn''t matter," Morkel said with a ruthless expression. "All the events that led to this moment happened because of this kid. He''s a bane to this world, and I''m certain killing him will benefit us more than letting Merlin die. You have to understand what''s at stake. We need Merlin in the war against the three races, and if anyone wants to kill him, I can only kill that person."


    He then looked at Kitsuri again and said, "Kitsuri, do it."


    Kitsuri nodded and stepped forward towards Grey Orion.


    "I understand that you feel like we''re against you," she said, looking at him. "But it is what it is. Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture to understand certain things.


    We, the Ten Seats, have sacrificed many things for the betterment of humanity, so we can''t let a kid like you, who doesn''t understand what''s at stake, make the situation worse for humanity when our hopes are already so low."


    "So, you want to kill me?" Grey Orion asked, his expression darkening.


    "No, we want you to not kill Merlin. If you can just step back and not do it, it will be good for both of us," Kitsuri exined patiently, unlike Morkel.


    Grey Orion contemted her words. He really didn''t want to be enemies with the Celestial Court and the Ten Seats. He understood that their influence was vast, and even if he managed to escape their clutches every time, his family would still be at risk.


    And his family mattered most to him, but he also believed in his big sister''s words.


    Beforeing to the banquet, she had said to him, "Don''t worry about us. I passed down a treasure to Father, and with that, no power in this world could harm us. So, whatever happens at the banquet or the tournament, just worry about yourself."


    At the time, he didn''t fully grasp the value of those words, but now he felt he should believe in them.


    "Tell me something," Grey Orion looked at Morkel and Kitsuri. "What if Merlin tries to kill me again? What if, after recovering, he sneaks up on me? Would you stop him then? Would you stop me again if I wanted to kill him? Just give me an honest answer, and I''ll give you mine."


    Kitsuri frowned, and even Morkel''s expression became troubled.


    Grey Orion waited for their answers, but none of the six seats responded.


    "Heh," he gave a hollowugh, realizing he was naive to think their answers might change his decision.


    "I understand now. There''s no need to say anything else."


    He turned to Merlin and said, "Do it."


    For a moment, everyone was puzzled about who Grey Orion was speaking to, but soon Rosaline realized.


    "No! Stop him!" she shouted, but it was toote.


    A hand appeared from behind Merlin and passed through his heart, but it didn''t crush it¡ªat least not until the hand became tangible.


    Soon, Orion fully emerged from his dimension, revealing himself to the six seats.


    "Don''t move, or my hand might be tangible out of fear," he whispered into Merlin''s ear, sending chills down his spine.


    Everyone except Kane and Rosaline was shocked. They hadn''t sensed any other presence until Orion revealed himself.


    And because Grey Orion had been talking to them the whole time, they assumed the original must have been hiding somewhere far away, beyond their senses.


    But they had been careless.


    "You must be the original," Morkel said, his voice carrying a gloomy tone.


    "Let''s see how you protect him now. You can fight the clone to stop him, but can you stop me? Can you?" Orion sneered, his expression ruthless.


    He had witnessed the entire drama and understood that not killing Merlin would be the stupidest decision he could make. There was a burning hatred in his heart that demanded he kill Merlin and anyone associated with him.


    "Orion, don''t do it," Rosaline tried to persuade him. "We might reach a decision that benefits both of us, so please stop."


    "You can''t change my mind," Orion shook his head. "I know the real faces of the Ten Seats. They''re ugly to the extreme."


    "Think again," Morkel said. "Do you really want to be enemies with the Celestial Court, with the Ten Seats, with the entire world? You''ll be chased and hunted by people from all over the world, and even your family won''t be spared. They''ll be killed. You''ll be dered a traitor to the human race, and anyone rted to you will be killed as well."


    Morkel''s words were a direct threat.


    "Why are you including my family?" Orion yelled in frustration.


    But then his hand suddenly became tangible, causing blood to seep from Merlin''s mouth.


    "Agh!"


    A muffled scream was heard before Merlin''s eyes became lifeless, and he died.


    "Oops!" Orion muttered. "You shouldn''t have made me angry. Because of that, I lost control over my powers, and he died. Now it''s all your fault, Morkel."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 268 : 268. An All Out Fight vs the Ten Seats

    "You really killed him?" Morkel eximed in shock as he saw the lifeless eyes of Merlin before his corpse fell to the ground.


    Even after all the threats, he still couldn''t believe Orion had actually killed him.


    The others were equally stunned by what they witnessed.


    Rosaline covered her mouth, shocked that Orion didn''t hesitate to kill Merlin. She understood the trouble that would follow, and Orion clearly understood it too, yet he still did it.


    She was both shocked and fearful of Orion''s actions¡ªshocked by his boldness and fearful of the potential he possessed. They were destined to be enemies, so she feared the potential Orion held.


    "Sigh, the unthinkable has happened," Pyro shook his head in disappointment, though it wasn''t clear what exactly disappointed him.


    Armin''s face darkened, while Suzan shook her head in pity as they processed what had just urred.


    Kane''s expression was equally grim as he looked at Orion with solemn eyes.


    Kitsuri closed her eyes at the sight of Orion killing Merlin. "One''s deeds shape their fate. Since you killed him, be ready to face the wrath of the Ten Seats."


    She swung her sword at Orion as she spoke.


    Sensing the intense danger from the sword, Orion immediately moved into his dimension, but not before making a bold deration.


    "You can never kill Orion Darkwood. Never."


    With those words, he vanished, causing Kitsuri''s sword to misspletely.


    "Hahahaha."


    At that moment, Grey Orion''sughter echoed throughout the pit.


    "You people are hopeless. Imagine, six of the Ten Seats came to save one person, yet that person still ended up dead. I worry for the future of humanity in your hands."


    Kitsuri turned her attention to Grey Orion after hearing him. "You cannot escape the Ten Seats. You''ve doomed yourself."


    She swung her sword horizontally in a sweeping motion.


    An arc of golden light flew toward Grey Orion, aiming to split him in half.


    "Heh."


    But Grey Orion simply punched the attack with his fist,pletely nullifying it into nothingness.


    "Stop, Kitsuri."


    Morkel''s voice reached Kitsuri''s ears, causing her to stop mid-swing as she prepared to attack again.


    Morkel stepped forward, appearing in front of Grey Orion, and locked eyes with him.


    "All Seats present, as the vice leader of the Ten Seats, Imand you to kill this clone at all costs."


    Hismand caused everyone''s expressions to turn serious.


    Grey Orion smiled. "Let''s suppose you do kill me, but I''m just a clone. There''s another me out there who could one day be as strong or even stronger than me. Of course, you can only imagine that, but you could never actually kill me."


    Morkel red at him with a dark expression. "You are bold. Despite countless warnings and threats, you still killed him. You''ve brought cmity upon yourself. No one can save you now."


    Grey Orion sneered, "Your threats mean nothing. He tried to kill me twice, so I was going to kill him regardless. Your arrival and words only added fuel to the fire and made me more determined."


    "You shouldn''t have killed him," Morkel shook his head andmanded, "Attack."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, Kitsuri''s sword sh appeared in front of Grey Orion, stronger than before.


    From above, a fiery phoenix descended¡ªan attack from Pyro.


    Armin attacked from behind, his spear aimed straight for Grey Orion''s heart.


    From either side, Rosaline and Suzanunched their attacks. Rosaline formed an axe from flowers and chopped toward him, while Suzan condensed a bow of wind and fired hundreds of wind arrows.


    And from the front, Morkel attacked directly, punching toward Orion. The space cracked under the power of his fist.


    Grey Orion smiled, sensing all the attacks converging on him.


    He knew that any of these attacks could have posed a threat if he weren''t in his Burst Mode form. He might have even died facing them directly at that moment.


    But the situation was the exact opposite now that he was in Burst Mode.


    Using the curses of Cursed Pulse, Disintegration Aura, and Berserk Body, he punched the ground with all his strength, gathering as much infinite energy as he could into his fist.


    Boom!


    The entire trembled from Grey Orion''s punch, and the shockwave alone was enough to deter the attacks of the six Ten Seats.


    Rosaline and Suzan, being weaker, were blown away by the shockwave, while the others were pushed back, their attackspletely nullified.


    Moreover, the pit was once again destroyed, creating an evenrger crater from Grey Orion''s strike.


    But at that moment, Grey Orion felt the ground beneath him turn hot. Looking down, he saw it had transformed into moltenva, and he began to sink.


    He quickly used the curse of Frozen Torment to freeze the entireva pool and emerged.


    Though he was burned by theva, the curse of Sacrificial Renewal prevented him from feeling pain, and the curse of Light Body healed his injuries faster than he was burning.


    But just as he recovered, another attack came¡ªthis time from Morkel''s fist.


    Caught off guard by theva, Grey Orion couldn''t dodge or block in time.


    As a result, the attack hit him directly in the chest, creating a web of cracks in the space behind him before he suddenly disappeared and reappeared beside Morkel, punching him with near-infinite strength.


    Morkel reacted quickly, counterattacking with his fist.


    Their fists collided, but Grey Orion stood firm like a boulder, while Morkel was blown away into the distance.


    Buzz!


    At that moment, an overwhelming amount of energy caught Grey Orion''s attention. He saw not one, not two, but ten Kitsurising toward him simultaneously, each with the same attack in their swords.


    Grey Orion narrowed his eyes, recognizing the technique. The duplicates weren''t real, but Kitsuri was moving so fast in different positions that she was creating speed mirages of herself.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 269 : 269. A Fight of Speed

    In just a moment, as Grey Orion observed her, one of Kitsuri''s mirages appeared in front of him.


    Grey Orion immediately condensed a sword of lightning and blocked her strike, but even then, he was sent tumbling across the ground.


    And that was just one of her attacks.


    A smile appeared on Grey Orion''s face as he witnessed her strength, and he immediately unleashed the full potential of Thunder''s Wraith. When Kitsuri arrived in front of him again, he swiftly retreated, lightning shing between his legs.


    As Grey Orion stepped back, Kitsuri appeared before him again, her speed almost impossible to track. This time, though, he was ready. His senses were sharp, his reflexes even sharper.


    He blocked her strike with a swift, precise movement, the impact of their sh echoing like distant thunder. Almost instinctively, he conjured a lightning sword behind her, its energy humming with deadly intent.


    But Kitsuri was faster than even his lightning; she vanished before the de couldnd, leaving behind only a flicker of her presence.


    Grey Orion wasn''t about to let her get away. He surged forward, lightning crackling around him as he pursued her at blinding speed. Every time he closed the gap, he unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one charged with ck lightning.


    Kitsuri, nimble and relentless, countered whenever she found an opening, their blows sparking bright shes in the sky.


    Their battle became a race across the, a whirlwind of motion too fast for the eye to follow. They ripped through mountains, toppled cities, and sent shockwaves across oceans. The world trembled beneath their feet, the air alive with the raw energy of their fight.


    ck lightning split the sky as they shed, each strike like a thunderp in the storm of their battle. They moved in perfect sync, a relentless dance of speed and power, leaving a path of devastation in their wake as they fought from one end of the world to the other.


    However, not long after, Kitsuri''s speed suddenly increased, leaving him behind in the dust. Grey Orion pushed his lightning powers to their limit and followed her, eventually arriving in the middle of an ocean where Kitsuri waited patiently.


    "You''re fast," Grey Orionplimented.


    "You''re even faster than me," Kitsuri replied, her expression a bit strange. She had always believed herself to be the fastest in the universe, second only to the leader of the Ten Seats, yet here was someone who could match her speed.


    She added, "But that won''t save you. You sealed your fate the moment you killed Merlin."


    "I don''t fear you or the Ten Seats," Grey Orionughed lightly. "But let me ask you something, since I can tell that you and Rosaline are the only ones thinking clearly."


    He asked, "Why are you so fixated on Merlin? He wanted to kill me, so I killed him. It''s as simple as that. Spare me the talk about his merits or usefulness in war. I''m fed up with it."


    Kitsuri was silent for a moment before she answered. "Because Merlin was set to be one of the future members of the Ten Seats, the Seat of Knowledge, before the war."


    A look of realization dawned upon Grey Orion when he heard Kitsuri''s words.


    "Haha, I see. Now I understand why Morkel was so anxious about him, and why you and the others were so concerned. It all makes sense now." He smiled, everything falling into ce.


    "But doesn''t this make you the bad guys?" he added, looking at her. "You''re supposed to be the literalws of the world, yet here you are defending Merlin. I love the irony."


    He then said, "Now I''m d I killed him. I might have regretted it if I hadn''t, only for him to be a member of the Ten Seatster."


    Kitsuri looked at Grey Orion for a moment and said, "You''re an anomaly, you know that? A clone should never have been able to leave the Null Void, and your escape means you''re defying the naturalws of the world. Sooner orter, you''ll be erased to restore bnce."


    Grey Orion frowned. "Erased by whom? The gods?"


    Kitsuri smiled lightly for the first time. "The gods? You could say that. With your strength, you must feel the danger around you all the time, right? Like someone has been watching you ever since you left the Null Void."


    Grey Orion''s expression grew serious. She was right. He had felt that nagging sense of being watched since he left the Null Void, but he could never pinpoint where or when it came from. The feeling intensified whenever he used all his curses in Burst Mode, as if the observer was warning him, ''Be aware, I am watching you.''


    The sensation was so obvious it made him believe the observer was intentionally making their presence known.


    "Is it from Grimshore?" Grey Orion asked.


    Kitsuri nodded. "Smart. I can''t say much, but I can tell you this¡ªyou''ll never be able to enter Grimshore, and I even have doubts about your original."


    "What about my original?" Grey Orion asked, his tone solemn.


    Kitsuri shrugged. "Nothing. You can''t expect your enemy to tell you everything, can you?"


    Grey Orion nodded lightly, then suddenly looked in a particr direction, a surprised expression crossing his face.


    "So, you''ve been wasting my time here so one of your friends could prepare a lethal attack?" he asked, eyeing her mockingly.


    Kitsuri smiled. "You''re right."


    Grey Orion gave her a strange look. "You should know about my speed. I can dodge any attack at thest moment. So, isn''t your friend''s attack pointless, or do you have something else nned?"


    His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the surroundings, but he didn''t find anything that could restrict his movements.


    "You don''t need to look around," Kitsuri said. "I''ll be the one restraining you."


    "You?" Grey Orion doubted she had the strength to do so.


    "Doubting me, I see." Kitsuri smiled. "Let me show you something rare."


    With that, she began to release an immense amount of red aura from her body, as if a volcano had erupted, unleashing a torrent of energy.


    Grey Orion was surprised, never imagining she had such energy stored within her.


    But the next moment shocked him to his core.


    A figure in red armor began to condense behind Kitsuri, and it wasn''t just any figure¡ªit was a giant, as tall as a mountain.


    Momentster, a colossal woman d in full red armor stood behind Kitsuri.


    Grey Orion was stunned, but before he could make sense of what he was seeing, the gigantic figure vanished.


    "Crap!"


    He immediately used his lightning to move away, but it was toote¡ªhe was held in ce by two enormous hands.


    Only his shoulders and head remained visible as the gigantic figure restrained him.


    Grey Orion was in shock. Kitsuri had truly managed to restrain him.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 270: 270. Three Divine Ways - Manifestation

    Grey Orion tried to free himself from the giant''s grasp using Berserk Body, but the hand holding him didn''t budge. It felt as if he were an ant trapped by a human, unable to escape no matter how much strength he used.


    "What is this giant?" Grey Orion asked when he realized he couldn''t break free with his strength alone. But that doesn''t mean he would be stuck here. There were various ways he could escape from the clutch of the giant hands holding him.


    But for now he was curious about the the giant in particr. He wanted to know if the giant was one of her abilities or something else.


    Kitsuri smiled at his question.


    "This is the third stage of the Three Divine Ways¡ªManifestation."


    Grey Orion''s eyes narrowed into slits when he heard her. He found it hard to believe but the truth was in front of him.


    "The Three Divine Ways, Manifestation Stage¡­"


    He was shocked. He hadn''t expected it to be rted to the Three Divine Ways. But as he thought deeper, it made sense. The Ten Seats were ancient and powerful experts. With the time they had and their talents, it wasn''t surprising they had reached the third stage of the Three Divine Ways.


    Seeing Grey Orion''s shocked expression, Kitsuri continued, "Everyone''s manifestation is different. Mine is an avatar of myself, and the one attacking you now has the manifestation of a weapon¡ªBow and Arrow."


    Grey Orion understood, but then he suddenly looked to his left. He sensed the attack had been released and wasing towards him like a bolt of lightning.


    "Sorry for you, but this can''t hold me," Grey Orion said to Kitsuri as he teleported out of the giant hands to appear behind her. He swung his lightning sword, creating a wave of water that sted toward her.


    But as if she had predicted it, she blurred and disappeared from her position before his sword and attack could reach her.


    But it was also at that moment that Grey Orion could sense the attack from far more clearer than ever.


    "The attack!"


    Grey Orion immediately turned around and focused on the direction where he sensed the attacking even more clearly than before.


    At that moment, he saw a golden beam of light hurtling toward him at breakneck speed.


    The waters in the ocean split apart as the golden beam of light flew through them, moving straight towards him.


    Grey Orion''s eyes sharpened. He sensed that the golden beam of light was stronger than any attack he had faced from any of the Ten Seats.


    "There''s no point in running."


    At that moment, Kitsuri''s voice reached his ears.


    "What do you mean?" Grey Orion asked. He believed he could easily teleport out of the attack''s path, but Kitsuri''s words made him doubt it would be that simple.


    Kitsuri pointed at the golden beam of light. "The attack is locked on you and won''t stop until it hits you."


    Grey Orion''s expression turned serious. He understood her previous actions. "So, you restricted my movements earlier to let the attack lock onto me?"


    Kitsuri smiled. "Smart. From our brief confrontations with you, and from Rosaline''s observations, we knew you could teleport, so restricting your movement alone was useless. That''s why we nned this attack."


    Grey Orion frowned but said nothing. His entire focus was now on the golden beam of light. It was only a kilometer away.


    As it closed in, he realized the energy stored in the attack was enormous. He could now see the golden beam of light was actually a golden arrow, cutting through the air with terrifying speed.


    Grey Orion looked at the golden arrow and then at Kitsuri. He activated the curse of Thunder''s Wraith and disappeared, intending to test whether the golden arrow would follow him as Kitsuri imed.


    When he turned to look behind him, he saw the golden arrow change direction, tracking his movements.


    "It can track me wherever I go, but can it even hit me?"


    Grey Orion sneered. He could easily turn intangible and let the golden arrow pass through him.


    "We''ve already ounted for your intangibility and ability to move into different spaces," Kitsuri announced, bringing more bad news.


    "What do you mean?" Grey Orion frowned, but then he noticed the other Seats had arrived, with Rosaline carrying the Luminous Rope.


    Grey Orion''s eyes narrowed as he grasped their n. He didn''t doubt that if he turned intangible to escape the golden arrow, they would use the rope to restrain him again.


    He had seen their coordination in battle, so he believed they could tie the rope on him the moment he became intangible.


    Intangibility was no longer an option.


    "Unless you escape to another space, you won''t avoid the attack," Kitsuri said with a smile.


    Grey Orion felt suspicious. "Do you want me to move into another space?"


    Kitsuri shrugged.


    ''Is this a trap?'' he thought. He couldn''t understand why they would want him to move into another space. Or was it a bluff to make him face the attack head-on?


    Grey Orion pondered, but time was running out. The golden arrow was just moments away.


    "Heh," he smirked. He realized he was overthinking the situation.


    If the attack was meant for him, he would block it¡ªor, better yet, destroy it.


    ''The energy in the attack made me hesitate.''


    His attempts to evade stemmed from the fact that the energy within the attack was immense. It might be the strongest attack he had faced since arriving in this world.


    ''If they want me to take the attack head-on, then I will. And if there''s a problem, I still have a surprise for them. I''m sure they''ll appreciate it.''


    ---


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 Chapter 271: 271. An Attack That Cant Be Blocked

    With that thought, he turned toward Kitsuri and said, "I don''t know what you''re nning, but don''t think this attack can stop me. As I said earlier, you can''t kill me."


    "We''ll see," Kitsuri smiled, ncing at the golden beam of light approaching Grey Orion.


    Grey Orion also looked at the golden arrow, his expression growing serious.


    ''Time to do something crazy.''


    His hands began to glow with an eerie ck light that quickly spread, engulfing his entire body like dark, flickering mes.


    Momentster, the light receded, concentrating around his hands until it formed a pitch-ck sphere, asrge as his head, pulsating with ominous energy.


    Soon after, the sphere began to reshape, transforming into a bow.


    ''This will do.''


    Grey Orion felt the strength of the bow was sufficient for a heavy attack. He took a stance, aiming at the golden arrowing toward him.


    He then condensed an arrow on the bowstring, also made of darkness energy.


    What followed was pure madness. Grey Orion channeled every curse he could manifest physically into the arrow¡ªlightning, fire, ice, explosive energy, razor-sharp edges, raw strength, and more.


    The arrow zed with ck fire, crackled with dark lightning, and radiated a chilling frost. Every element merged together, their effects ovepping and swirling, until the entire arrow was cloaked in darkness, a terrifying amalgamation of all these powers in one.


    He added the ability to devour from Devouring Abyss, shockwaves from Cursed Pulse, the energy of disintegration from Disintegration Aura, and every other curse he could summon. The arrow now radiated a potent aura that made the very air tremble with its presence.


    As a final touch, he infused it with his infinite energy, amplifying its already chaotic power to a terrifying degree.


    Even the void seemed to shudder as he held the bow, its tip aimed at the oing golden arrow. The ocean waves grew restless under the pressure of Grey Orion''s attack.


    On the other side, Kitsuri''s face turned serious as she witnessed the power of Grey Orion''s arrow. The other six Seats above the ocean also frowned, though Suzan''s lips curled into a smile for reasons unknown.


    Grey Orion focused his senses on the golden arrow and pulled the bowstring back with all his strength before releasing it with a soft motion.


    RUMBLE!


    With the speed of lightning, a sonic boom echoed as a ck beam of light shot forward, streaking toward the golden arrow.


    In an instant, the two arrows collided. But instead of the expected explosion, something entirely unforeseen urred¡ªthe ck arrow fused with the golden arrow, merging seamlessly into it.


    The energy within the golden arrow surged, multiplying and bing far more powerful than before. Yet, it didn''t detonate. Instead, it elerated, closing the distance with terrifying speed until it was right in front of Grey Orion''s stunned eyes.


    He could hardly believe it¡ªhis strongest attack had been absorbed so effortlessly, and now the golden arrow was even more formidable than before.


    A feeling of dread washed over Grey Orion, an icy chill that gnawed at the core of his being. It was a sensation he hadn''t felt since that fateful day in the Null Void¡ªthe day he had died.


    His mind raced as his instincts screamed at him, warning him of the imminent danger posed by the golden arrow now aimed at his heart. He could sense that the newly empowered golden arrow had the potential to decimate him¡ªto kill him.


    And yet, even as he stood there, on the precipice of oblivion, he couldn''t help but question: would this be his end?


    Since he was connected to his original self, Grey Orion believed he wouldn''t die and would revive as he did in the Null Void. However, there was a possibility of death. He wasn''t in the Null Void now, so he wasn''t sure if itsws would apply here.


    In theory, as long as the original didn''t die, he wouldn''t either. That had been proven true in the Null Void, but that was the Null Void¡ªthis was the other world.


    He didn''t want to find out. Testing that theory was a gamble with stakes too high to ignore. Grey Orion wasn''t one to shy away from risks, but this was different. The cost of failure wasn''t something he could afford, not now, not with everything he still needed to do.


    ''If I had time, I mighte up with a powerful defense, but I don''t have that luxury.''


    Grey Orion''s mind raced, sifting through his various curses for something that might help.


    ''I could also send the arrow into my dimension and avoid it, but...''


    He wasn''t sure about that either. His suspicion that the Ten Seats wanted him to enter his dimension made him believe that if he did, they might follow. Though he wasn''t certain how they would achieve that, he knew the world''s strongest organization surely had the means.


    He couldn''t risk them entering his dimension.


    His original self was in there, and if they managed to breach his only safe haven, it wouldn''t be long before he perished along with his original.


    ''Damn, they''ve countered all my abilities with a single attack!''


    Grey Orion found it hard to believe that despite all his powers, the Ten Seats had cornered him.


    ''Looks like I can only use that.''


    In the end, he settled on something that would definitely block the golden arrow¡ªhe was certain of it. But he also understood the consequences of using it.


    ''It''s not my fault. They forced me into this.''


    Buzz!


    At that moment, the golden arrow appeared right before him, the ocean evaporating in a straight line as it approached.


    ''I was saving this forst, but it is what it is.''


    He gritted his teeth and unleashed...


    ---


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 Chapter 272: 272. Reduce to Oblivion

    Grey Orion gritted his teeth and unleashed the ck hole that he taken inside his dimension space.


    A ck abyss, perfectly round and eerily silent, suddenly appeared before him, radiating a dark, oppressive power. The moment it appeared, the surrounding water was sucked toward it with an unstoppable force, spiraling into the void.


    But the abyss wasn''t satisfied with just the water¡ªit began devouring everything around it. Trees, rocks, even the very air were pulled in, vanishing without a trace. The pull was so overwhelming that even space itself began to warp and copse, as if reality was being torn apart, leaving only a deep, consuming darkness behind.


    "This!"


    Rosaline was shocked by what she witnessed. She and the others were waiting for Grey Orion to enter his dimension or be intangible to survive their attack, but they never expected him to literally spit out the ck hole that Merlin had used earlier.


    However, Rosaline could tell that the ck hole before her was much stronger and more unstable than before.


    "Even I''m getting pulled in."


    She couldn''t believe the power of this ck hole.


    "Everyone, retreat as far as you can!"


    Morkel''s shout reached the others, and they quickly retreated. But all of their faces were grim.


    "Isn''t this Merlin''s?" Morkel asked, his voice trembling with solemnity.


    Rosaline nodded. "He used this attack earlier¡ªAbsolute Space. It caused enough spatial disturbance to alert you guys, but it suddenly vanished in the middle of perfecting the technique. I thought he hadn''t mastered it fully and it disappeared."


    She looked at Grey Orion with a grim expression. "But it turns out he took the entire attack inside his separate space."


    She added, "And for some reason, the power and scale of this ck hole are countless times stronger than before."


    Morkel frowned at her words.


    "Damn it!"


    He cursed. Instead of the situation going their way, it had worsened.


    Kitsuri soon joined them and asked, "But how did it suddenly appear here? It felt like teleportation. It''s different from how he enters his separate space. And why didn''t the Space Teleporter work? I already nted it deep beneath the ocean. If he used his other space, we should be inside it now, but we''re still here."


    "You''re right," Suzanmented. "When the original entered his separate space, it was different. Maybe the way things enter his space is different from how he takes them out. That might be why the Space Teleporter didn''t work."


    Morkel''s face darkened.


    "Anyway, this ck hole is super unstable, and it''s devouring everything. Combined with Suzan''s attack, now amplified by the clone''s power, it could be disastrous. Retreat, and if you see a chance, go for the clone."


    They nodded and flew away from the ck hole, but not so far that they couldn''t keep an eye on Grey Orion.


    On the other hand, Grey Orion was also struggling.


    He couldn''t move. If he did, the golden arrow would follow, rendering the ck hole useless as the arrow would hit him directly.


    So, he had to remain still behind the ck hole until the arrow collided with it.


    ''Damn, why did I increase the ck hole''s energy this much?'' he thought, trying hard not to get sucked in.


    But it wasn''t easy. The ck hole''s suction force was far stronger thanst time, and it was pulling him in. If not for the Curse of Supreme Gravity, he might have been sucked in, considering the close distance.


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    But he didn''t have to endure for long because the moment he was waiting for finally arrived.


    The golden arrow collided with the ck hole.


    From the moment Grey Orion brought out the ck hole to the collision of the golden arrow, only two minutes had passed.


    However, the expected explosion didn''t ur.


    Grey Orion was about to teleport away when he noticed the anomaly.


    He observed for a moment before his face changed drastically.


    "Fck!"


    He immediately turned around and teleported away.


    The instant Grey Orion disappeared, the ck hole vanished as if it had never existed. But the peace was fleeting. A momentter, the entire ocean and surroundingnd began to cave in, drawn toward the spot where the ck hole had been.


    The force was unstoppable. After swallowing the vast ocean, it turned its hunger to thend, tearing trees from their roots and obliterating forests. The ground cracked and crumbled, disappearing into the void.


    And that was just the start. The suction extended far beyond, pulling in distantnds, once-green forests, and the ruins of destroyed cities.


    The destruction swept across the continent, even reaching the Emperor Heaven Pce. Its towering spires and grand halls were sucked into the void, along with everyone inside, their screams lost to the darkness.


    But the Ten Seats intervened at thest moment and took those in the pce away on a void shuttle.


    Just after that, everything was sucked in.


    If someone were to look at the from space, they''d see it shrinking rapidly, its surface copsing inward as if being devoured from within. The sight was terrifying¡ªa unraveling before their eyes, on the brink of total destruction.


    For the Ten Seats, witnessing this catastrophe up close, the fear was overwhelming.


    They stood frozen, watching in disbelief as the contracted at an rming speed. Continents and oceans folded in on themselves, disappearing into the void. The copse was happening so fast that they could only reach one chilling conclusion: the would be gone¡ªeither reduced to atoms or swallowed entirely¡ªin just a minute or two.


    There was nothing they could do but stand there, powerless, as the world they knew was consumed by the unstoppable force that had been unleashed.


    But not entirely. There was still one thing that remained: the medallion, still shining with golden light, with Luna.


    "It''s gone!"


    Rosaline, Morkel, Suzan, Armin, Kitsuri, and Pyro were all shocked and devastated. Their faces were pale as they took a moment to process what they had just witnessed.


    They couldn''t believe that a¡ªa 3-star¡ªwas destroyed in their presence just like that.


    Not only in their presence¡ªone might say a blunder of theirs caused a to disappear from the horizon.


    ---


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 Chapter 273: 273. Kanes Ambition

    "Damn it!"


    Morkel punched the air in frustration as he processed the harsh reality.


    "Nothing''s gone right since we got here. The clone didn''t listen to us, and neither did the original, and now look at the result¡ªwe''ve lost a 3-star and all the people Merlin''s earlier attack didn''t already kill."


    Frustrated, he turned to Rosaline. "Now do you see why I wanted to kill him? He''s an anomaly. Wherever he goes, destruction follows," he said, dissatisfaction evident in his voice.


    He added, "Even the original is as dangerous as the clone. He''s the real problem. We''ve never heard of a clone escaping the Null Void, yet his did¡ªand look where that got us."


    "Morkel, calm down," Kitsuri said solemnly. "Nobody knew he had Merlin''s ck hole, or that Suzan''s attack, amplified by the clone, would create such a disaster when it collided with a ck hole."


    Morkel nodded lightly. He understood that the situation wasn''t entirely their fault, but they had certainly yed a part in it.


    "Suzan, can you sense the clone?" he asked after a moment of thought.


    "No," Suzan shook her head. "Could he be...?"


    "No, he''s too powerful to die that easily," Morkel dismissed her spection. "Either he entered his separate space during all the chaos, or he escaped."


    They nodded, but the atmosphere grew tense between them, and no one spoke.


    "You were too careless."


    At that moment, Kane appeared before them.


    Morkel and the others turned their attention to him, their expressions darkening.


    "Maybe if you''d helped, this might not have happened," Armin said, frustration clear in his voice.


    Kane shrugged. "It''s not my ce to intervene, is it?"


    "You lost your and all the people on it, and you say it''s not your ce to do anything?" Rosaline mocked.


    Kane nodded with a frown. "Those things were beyond my control. But yes, I regret it. However, this is your problem now."


    "You!" Rosaline felt her irritation rise at Kane''s casual attitude. They had not only lost a 3-star but also countless lives, and yet Kane didn''t seem to care.


    "This is why you were never invited to join the Ten Seats, even with your strength," Rosaline said.


    "I was a fool back then, wanting to join you," Kane said disdainfully. "But I abandoned that goal a long time ago."


    He added, a look of ambition in his eyes, "Now, I have my sights set on something none of you can imagine."


    "Maybe that''s why Merlin never trusted you," Kitsuri chimed in. "You''re too ambitious for your own good. The whole universe, including the alien races, knows you''re the number one genius of this generation, but they don''t know your ambitions. That''s why they''ve made you their target¡ªsome to reach your level, others to grow strong enough to kill the universe''s top genius¡ªthe human race''s top genius."


    Kane''s expression becameplex before he said, "You can''t achieve greatness without ambition."


    He added, "As for being the number one genius? That''s not me anymore. Time changes, and so do eras. My time of domination ended long ago¡ªmy era is over. It''s time for someone else to take my ce, to dominate the geniuses, and I''m d that someone is human."


    His expression grew serious. "But he''s lost, like a nk canvas. He has no goals or ambitions; the world around him shapes him, and you just gave him a goal. He hates you now. The new number one genius of the universe, who is also human, hates the human race''s number one organization. What an irony." He sighed at the thought.


    The members of the Ten Seats grew solemn as they listened to Kane. They stood silently, no one speaking.


    Seeing them like this, Kaneughed in disdain. "Now, I''m d I didn''t join you."


    "Well, I have to go now," he said in conclusion.


    "Aren''t you sad that Merlin died?" Kitsuri asked suddenly. "Don''t you feel anything? He was her father."


    Kane, who was about to leave, stopped. His back faced the Ten Seats, so they couldn''t see his expression, but they heard him clearly.


    "Yeah, I''m sad, but what can I do about it? Nothing. People die every day¡ªsomeone''s father, son, mother, sister¡ªwhen we waged war against the Zenithans, so many of their families were lost. But did we regret it? No. We only thought about expanding the human domain, and here we are.


    If you really want to know what it feels like to lose someone dear, just visit a vige or two of Zenithans and live among them for a while. You''ll understand a lot."


    Kane looked up at the sky and added, "To understand thew of the sword, the finalw, I had to do many things I''m not proud of, but one thing I''m grateful for was visiting the Zenithans and living their life. In those moments, I finally understood how fragile life can be, yet how strong a bond can be if it attaches to someone. But what it truly taught me was the nature of life and death."


    He turned to face them and said, "Believe me, life and death areplicated. Our concept of living and dying is false, or at least deviated from what it used to be¡ªthe true concept of life and death."


    He added, "Only those who''ve experienced themon life of the Zenithans can truly understand what life and death are."


    With those profound words, he was about to leave when Morkel asked, "Is your ambition rted to the life you lived among the Zenithans?"


    "You could say that," Kane answered vaguely and then disappeared from the scene.


    Morkel pondered for a moment, watching Kane leave, then gave orders. "Search the entire area for the clone and the original. If you find nothing, report back in an hour."


    ---


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 Chapter 274: 274. Become a God

    In a soulless, dull, and dark world¡ªone that could only be described as a void¡ªthere was nothing but an expanse of stars, shimmering and twinkling against the inky ckness.


    Amidst this destendscape, two figures sat quietly, one on a patch of vivid red grass, the other on blue. They gazed up at the endless array of stars that glistened in the dark sky, their soft light offering a stark contrast to the void around them.


    The scene was both serene and eerie, a moment of stillness in a world where nothing else existed but the silent, evesting dance of the stars.


    They appeared exactly the same, yet one could notice a subtle difference between them. They were Orion and his clone¡ªGrey Orion.


    A shade of red light bathed Orion, while Grey Orion was immersed in blue light.


    "The dimension wasn''t destroyed..." Orion said, turning to Grey Orion, his voice intriguing.


    With a speck of grass in his mouth, Grey Orion replied, "I don''t know why. Nothing here ever moves, nor is there anything that exists¡ªno air, no wind, not even gravity¡ªnothing. Just like a void. Everything present here is just a dummy of the outside world."


    Orion nodded. "I know. If we go out ande back, I believe there would be nothing here. All this would be gone, reced by an exact copy of the outside, and this would be the literal void."


    They became silent for a moment before Orion suddenly looked at his clone.


    "So, what are you gonna do?" he asked. As much as he hated having a clone of himself roaming the world, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Grey Orion, still chewing the grass, held his right hand against the star-filled sky and said, "I''m still in Burst Mode with all the curses activated. It''s supposed to be over in ten minutes, but it isn''t. Now I''m stuck in Burst Mode. I can''t deactivate it."


    "Well, I guessed this might happen, and I''m sure you did too," Orion said, feeling a twinge of jealousy towards his clone. "No matter what curse you use in Burst Mode, you won''t lose them. You''re made to be an exact copy of me, and if you¡ªa clone¡ªlost a curse due to Burst Mode while I, the original, still had it, the exact copy thing wouldn''t work.


    So whatever power is behind you, it''s making Burst Mode permanent for you because if it deactivates, you''ll lose all your curses while I keep mine."


    Grey Orion was silent for a moment and then nodded lightly. "That means thews of the Null Void are still affecting me. That means I can''t die as long as you don''t die."


    Looking at the stars, he muttered, "Imagine being immortal with a never-ending arsenal of abilities and infinite power at your disposal. You''d be invincible. That''s how I should feel, but I don''t."


    Orion didn''t understand him, but he definitely felt jealous of him.


    ''Jealous of him? He''s my clone. Shouldn''t it be the other way around?''


    He shook his head with a wry smile.


    Grey Orion continued, "You know, in this Burst Mode form, I can feel many things out there in this world, and one of them is the constant feeling of being watched by someone. Being one of the strongest beings in this universe, yet still feeling someone snooping on you, is very disturbing."


    "Gods?" Orion asked uncertainly. "I guess you are indeed an anomaly. They must be keeping an eye on you."


    "I know it must be one of those Title Gods or someone like that," Grey Orion said with frustration.


    Orion nodded lightly as he listened, and the two fell silent once again.


    "Do you remember the vision the Fate Core showed me?" Orion suddenly asked.


    Grey Orion''s eyes narrowed into slits. "It wasn''t me. Didn''t you notice that neither of them looked gray like me? Also, Isis said the probability of that happening is extremely low¡ªlike a one-in-a-trillion cosmic fluke or something. It''s impossible."


    "Well, a chance is a chance, however low it may be. Your existence is a sign that I''m heading in a direction where I''m not supposed to go," Orion said, his voice solemn. Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Grey Orion''s expression darkened. "Back in the Null Void, I wanted to kill you to take over your body. Other than that, I had no reason to kill you. Now that I''ve arrived in this world, your existence is my immortality, so killing you would be a foolish decision¡ªespecially since my entire existence depends on you."


    "Also, I have a dream now," Grey Orion added.


    Orion''s eyes narrowed. "What dream?"


    "To be independent. To be a different entity. I might lose my immortality, but I''ll have to sacrifice something to gain something," Grey Orion said.


    "And how are you going to achieve that? You can''t change thews governing the world. They are absolute," Orion said.


    "Are they?" Grey Orion looked at him with profound meaning. "Your entire existence defies thews of this world. And I''m an anomaly that shouldn''t exist theoretically, yet here I am, talking to you. What I''m saying is that anything is possible in this world if you look in the right ce."


    He added, "Let me tell you something. About a theory I''ve concocted. You''re the only being in this world with no limits ced on you, with cheat-like powers, with infinite energy. Your very abilities defy thews of the world and even surpass them in some ways. What does that make you?"


    "A human with unlimited potential?" Orion said, unsure where his clone was going with this.


    Grey Orion shook his head. "You still don''t understand. You''re the only existence in the entire universe who can step into the domain of a god, truly attain the legendary Godhood, and be a god. In fact, I believe you might even surpass them, considering your potential."


    He added, "Don''t you find it unique?"


    "Be a god?" Orion was shocked. He had never thought of something that grand. All he ever wanted was to live a peaceful life, whether on Earth or here. He did have ambitions to be the strongest, to surpass Kane and all, but bing a god had never crossed his mind. It sounded like a fairy tale, but who knew? It might be true after all.


    "And since you can be a god, so can I. When I be a god¡ªand I know I will¡ªat that time, I''ll sever the link between us and be an independent being," Grey Orion continued, his words filled with ambition.


    He added, "The key to attaining Godhood lies in Grimshore. So be stronger as soon as possible and enter Grimshore. With you there, I won''t have to go myself, yet I''ll know everything. The secrets of Grimshore will be in my hands at that time."


    ---


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 Chapter 275: 275. Movement of the other races

    Orion didn''t know how to feel about it. Bing a god seemed fantastical, but he believed it could be possible in this world. Yet, it was for this very reason that he found it deeply disturbing.


    "That''s my goal, and I''ll search the entire universe to discover how to achieve Godhood. But what about you?" Grey Orion asked. "I believe the Ten Seats might dere you the most wanted criminal of the human race andbel our family as traitors."


    "I''m not worried about myself. I can change my appearance, so I can blend in anywhere. I just hope Father, Mother, and my sisters will have a safe ce to hide," Orion replied solemnly. Beforeing here, they had given him the location of a ce to meet if things went wrong, so he nned to go there and ensure they were okay.


    "I understand," Grey Orion said, standing up. "I guess this is where we part ways. Just don''t die."


    Orion nodded lightly.


    "Also, the Ten Seats are gone. They searched the entire area of the void but didn''t find us, so they left. You''re free to go," Grey Orion added.


    "Alright, see you soon," Orion said, about to vanish before he suddenly grabbed Grey Orion''s hand.


    "Hey, take me with you," Orion said. "I''m literally in the void right now. Where would I go? I don''t even know if I can breathe there, or if I might just freeze to death, so take me to a nearby first before you leave."


    Grey Orion nodded in understanding and disappeared from the red and blue dimension with Orion.


    ***


    Somewhere in the endless universe, a mysterious ind floated quietly in the void, untouched by time.


    The ind was wrapped in a soft, golden mist that glowed faintly, casting a warm, otherworldly light over everything it touched.


    Graceful inhabitants with skin tones ranging from light gold to pure white moved across thendscape, their golden rings hovering above their heads like ethereal halos. Their presence only deepened the ind''s mystique, as if they were keepers of an ancient secret.


    At the ind''s center stood a castle that seemed pulled from a dream, both majestic and surreal. Its spires stretched upward, disappearing into the void, their tips shimmering with a soft, golden glow.


    The castle''s walls defied description¡ªboth solid and translucent, shifting between shades of pale blue, silver, and white, as though it was alive, breathing in sync with the universe.


    The grand arched doorway at the entrance seemed to draw in the essence of the void itself, both inviting and intimidating in its vastness.


    Floating tforms surrounded the castle, connected by glowing bridges of light. Each tform hosted gardens of shimmering, golden-hued flora that swayed gently despite the stillness of the void.


    The entire scene was otherworldly, as if the ind existed beyond the limits of reality¡ªa ce where time, space, and dreams converged into a single, breathtaking vision.


    In the shadowy chamber of castle, the three figures gathered beneath a sky filled with swirling cosmic energy.


    One had four arms and towered over the others like a giant. Another was ady with fairy-like wings, smiling deviously at the other two¡ªa member of the angel race. Thest was a man with golden skin and a golden ring floating above his head¡ªa member of the celestial race.


    The air crackled with tension as the demon, with four massive arms and skin as dark as midnight, sat on a throne made of twisted obsidian. His eyes glowed with a fiery crimson light as he leaned forward, his voice a low, rumbling growl. "It''s almost time. The peace treaty ends in five years, and the humans have grown far too bold. They used to be nothing more than insects beneath our feet."


    The angel race woman, Seraphina, her wings shimmering with a cold, ethereal light, sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "Insects that have somehow crawled out of the dirt and dared to challenge the heavens. It''sughable. A thousand year ago, they were nothing¡ªmere ants beneath us. Now, they strut about as if they are equals."


    The celestial race man, Meteus, standing tall with a golden ring floating above his head, nodded in agreement. His eyes were sharp, and his tone was icy. "Their arrogance will be their downfall. But the treaty has bound us, and that wretched peace has allowed them to grow far stronger than they should have. The time for patience is over. When the treaty expires, we will remind them of their ce."


    Seraphina smiled, her lips curving into a malicious grin. "Indeed, but why wait for the treaty to end? Our spy within their ranks has uncovered valuable information. It seems that their so-called ''geniuses''¡ªthe best and brightest of their kind¡ªare nning to gather soon. A perfect opportunity to weaken their foundations before the war begins."


    The demon''s eyes red with excitement, and he mmed one of his fists against his throne, causing the ground to tremble. "Geniuses, you say? If we strike them down, we''ll cripple the humans before they even have a chance to fight back. They''ve forgotten their ce in the cosmos, and it''s time to remind them who the true rulers are."


    Meteus''s expression turned cold and calcting. "Their strength is built on fragile pirs. Destroy those pirs, and the entire structure copses. By targeting their young talents, we''ll ensure their future crumbles before it can even begin."


    The other two nodded with agreement.


    "I have a better n."


    At that moment another man walked in at the scene. He also had a golden ring floating atop his head.


    "What is it?" The Fourarmed demon asked with impatience.


    "A n to kill the number one genius of the human race¡ªthe number one genius of the universe."


    The previous three were shocked when they heard him but their expression soon turned malevolent.


    "Tell us the n then," the woman with the fairy wing on her back, Seraphina, asked.


    "It''s like this..." As the man finished telling them his n, the other three were shocked by how well thought the n was.


    "It is indeed a good n and we might seed if we pull it off," Meteus said with excitement. "With the death of Kane along with all other geniuses, human race will not be that much of a threat aside from this Ten Seats."


    Seraphina nodded in agreement, her wings rustling with anticipation. "Then it''s decided. We''ll strike at the heart of their future. Let them scramble in the darkness while we prepare for the real war."


    The demon grinned, his fangs bared in a savage smile. "Let the humans think they''ve risen above us. They''ll learn soon enough that they are still nothing more than ants, waiting to be crushed underfoot."


    The four of them shared a sinister look, their disdain for the human race palpable in the air. With the five-year deadline looming, they were eager to remind humanity of their ce in the universe¡ªbeneath the heel of their true masters.


    ---


    End of Volume 3 - Road to Number One Genius - Fame Spread Wide and Far Continue reading at m|v-l''e-NovelBin


    ---


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

 Chapter 276: 276. Killing a Boss Monster

    In a deste, lifeless expanse, thend stretched out in shades of dull grey, a cracked and unforgiving surface, barren and devoid of any signs of life. Leafless trees with twisted, skeletal branches stood like gnarled fingers wing at the sky, their bark bleached and ashen from years of decay.


    At the heart of this destiony a sinister pond, its surface bubbling with thick, seething liquid. The liquid was a viscous, blood-red substance, like moltenva mixed with coagted blood.


    The heat radiating from the pond was so intense that the air above it shimmered and distorted, sending wisps of the red vapor into the air, leaving behind a faint, acrid stench.


    At that moment, a group of people appeared, surrounding the entire pond. Leading them was a red-haireddy who seemed to be around twenty years old. Her expression was solemn as she observed the pond.


    "Be careful. The boss monster is in the pond, and don''t go near it. The liquid in the pond is highly poisonous," she warned everyone behind her.


    The group nodded in acknowledgment. They all looked solemn and cautious but were ready to fight at any moment.


    "ording to our intel, the boss is a peak gold-rank monster called the Poisonous Larva," the red-haireddy informed them, exining its weaknesses.


    "Remember, it only has two weaknesses: the inside of its mouth and the exoskeleton at its joints. Attack those points if you get the chance. Also, be aware of its poison; it will spit it out at us."


    After briefing them on the boss monster, she waited for it to appear.


    There was a man standing beside her who had an average appearance, looked to be around neen years old, and gazed at the pond with a bored expression on his face. That man was Orion.


    After about a minute or two, some disturbance could be seen in the poisonous pond.


    "It''s here. Everyone, get ready," the red-haireddymanded.


    Everyone around the pond gripped their weapons, prepared to attack. Experience new stories with m v|-NovelBin


    Arva emerged from the pond at that moment. It had a long body, with only half exposed above the water; the other half remained submerged. It appeared red, like the poison in the pond, with various sphere-like segments stacked on top of each other, forming its body.


    "Those below gold rank and with long-range talents, attack!"


    Hearing the red-haireddy''smand, a wave of arrows and long-range elemental attacks rained down on therva.


    But therva was clever. Seeing so many attacksing toward it, it quickly submerged into the poisonous pond.


    The attacksnded on the pond, but only smoke rose in the end. Their attacks had melted away, turning into nothing but smoke, indicating the severity of the poisonous pond.


    "Let ite out, and then it''s our turn, gold ranks," the red-haireddy instructed.


    Everyone followed her lead, and the gold-rank attackers prepared themselves. Since they could fly, it wouldn''t be difficult for them to fight therva.


    A momentter, therva reemerged and stared at everyone, but this time, its mouth was swollen.


    Seeing this, the red-haireddy shouted, "Defenders, get ready to defend!"


    No sooner had she shouted than therva spat a ball of poison toward a group of people in a specific direction.


    But everyone was ready. Protective barriers of various kinds appeared at the spot where the poison was about to hit. Some were earth barriers, others were holographic, and some even used iron shields. In the end, the poisonous spit was sessfully blocked.


    During this time, the others didn''t remain idle. The gold-rank expertsunched their attacks on therva.


    Leading the charge was the red-haireddy, her fiery hair whipping in the wind as she hovered above the pond.


    Her eyes zed with determination as she raised her hand, signaling the group with a sharpmand. "Attack! Don''t let it escape!"


    At her order, the group unleashed a relentless barrage. des of wind cut through the air, bolts of lightning crackled from their fingers, and fiery orbs scorched the poisonous mist as they streaked toward thervae. The sky became a swirl of color and energy as theirbined attacks struck with precision and power.


    Thervae let out a shrill screech, its grotesque body convulsing in pain as the onught hit from every direction. Poisonous fluid sprayed from its wounds, hissing as it sttered into the pond, but the group didn''t let up.


    The red-haired woman''s voice cut through the chaos, strong and clear.


    "Keep the pressure on! Don''t let it regenerate!"


    With a fierce expression, she summoned a zing spear of crimson light and hurled it toward thervae with deadly precision. The spear pierced the creature''s tough hide, causing it to convulse violently. The air grew thick with the acrid stench of burning poison as the group''sbined efforts began to wear the creature down.


    The warriors coordinated their strikes, attacking in waves, each one more devastating than thest. The red-haired woman''s presence was like a beacon, driving herrades to fight harder, faster, with unwavering resolve. Thervae''s screeches grew weaker, its thrashing more frantic as it realized its end was near.


    "It''s time for work."


    Orion smiled as he observed the situation. He drew his sword, flew into the air, and positioned himself in front of therva, which was already under attack by the others.


    He swung his sword at the side of therva, sending a wave of wind from his de that struck its exoskeleton. A deep gash appeared, but it was not enough to take it down.


    Orion smiled at the damage and continued to attack the same spot while remaining vignt for any signs of poison.


    "Poison iing!"


    A shout alerted everyone.


    Orion turned to see another ball of poison heading straight for him, spat by therva.


    "Let me handle this," he shouted, conjuring a swirling ball of gray wind in his right hand.


    As the poison neared him and the people beside him, Orion threw the swirling ball of wind. Instead of colliding with the poison, the wind scattered into the air, creating a strong gust that blew the poison back toward therva. The poison struck the creature, causing it to writhe in pain.


    "Nice job, Ray," the red-haireddyplimented Orion, mistaking him for someone named Ray. She then addressed the others, "Everyone, therva is on itsst breath, so attack!"


    They nodded and unleashed a barrage of attacks, forcing therva to retreat into the pond once again.


    At that moment, a red core appeared behind the red-haireddy, and she drew a spear. Momentster, her spear was enveloped in red mes that gathered around its tip. The intensity of the mes grew, causing the ground beneath her to tremble.


    Just then, therva resurfaced.


    The red-haireddy immediately hurled her me-charged spear at the creature the moment it appeared.


    Boom!


    The spear struck true, piercing through therva''s mouth and exiting from the back of its body.


    ---


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 Chapter 277: 277. Human Federation Realm - Three Months Later

    Therva died, and its body began to fall into the poisonous pond before it turned into red particles and disappeared into the air, leaving behind a core and an axe.


    Orion waved his hand, releasing a swirl of wind that caught the core and the axe before they could fall into the poisonous pond, bringing them over to the red-haireddy.


    "Erza, take them."


    Erza, the red-haireddy, didn''t decline and epted the core and axe floating toward her. Afterward, her spear also floated back to her, and she caught it.


    "Thanks, Ray."


    She thanked Orion, mistaking him for someone named Ray, and then turned her attention to the crowd. "This dungeon is clear. Let''s leave. Rewards will be distributed at the guild."


    Everyone nodded and dispersed.


    "Ray,e with me," Erza called out to Orion.


    Orion smiled and walked over. "What is it, Erza?" he asked, unsure of what she wanted.


    "Take this," she said, handing him the core. "Since you''re at the peak of silver rank, this might help you."


    "Hehe, thanks, Erza," Orion replied gratefully.


    Erza shook her head. "No need to thank me. You''re a member of our guild, and you''ve been working hard and giving your all, so you deserve this."


    "I know, but thanks again," Orion said, his expression full of gratitude. "Your guild epted me when I was desperate for a job, so I''m thankful."


    Erza nodded. They soon walked out of the boss room and emerged into a lush green forest.


    "Let''s leave the dungeon," she said, taking the lead.


    Orion nodded and followed behind her.


    Not long after, they arrived before a crowd of people gathered around a portal.


    "Let''s go and leave."


    At hermand, the people began to enter the portal, disappearing one by one.


    Orion and Erza followed suit, vanishing from the dungeon shortly after.


    ***


    In a sprawling metropolis dominated by towering skyscrapers and concrete structures, the city buzzed with life. High above, a few sleek, hovering cars glided smoothly through the air, their lights casting a soft glow as they navigated the skyways.


    Yet, despite these futuristic vehicles, most of the traffic remained grounded. The roads below were packed with cars and other vehicles, creating a relentless flow of steel and headlights that coursed through the city''s veins.


    At the heart of the city, an area had been cordoned off, marked by a barricade that defined its boundaries. Inside this secured zone, police officers in pristine white uniforms stood on high alert, their eyes locked on a single, ominous sight. They were outnumbered by men in ck suits, who stood stiff and uneasy, their faces betraying a shared sense of dread.


    All eyes were fixed on the red portal at the center of the barricade¡ªa swirling vortex that seemed to tear at the very fabric of reality. The portal shimmered with a malevolent glow, its edges crackling with energy, like a wound in the air itself, threatening to unleash whatevery beyond its crimson depths.


    Outside the barricade, reporters with cameras and news anchors ryed the situation to the public, focusing on the portal and waiting for something to happen.


    They didn''t have to wait long. Momentster, the portal''s color shifted from red to green.


    "Everyone, as you can see, the Starme Guild has cleared another gold-rank dungeon."


    Many news reporters began live telecasts about the Starme Guild''s sessful dungeon clearance.


    Inside the barricade, the police officers and men in ck sighed in relief. There had been several cases of dungeon breaks when hunters inside failed to kill the boss or due to other reasons, so they had been nervous the entire time the portal remained red.


    Soon after, the hunters began emerging from the portal. Orion and Erza were among them.


    Orion looked at the city filled with skyscrapers and concrete buildings, the culture, the dressing sense of the people, and the cars.


    Everything reminded him of Earth. He had arrived in the Human Federation Realm three months ago after ensuring his family was safe, but he still felt a bit strange every time he saw the city and the vehicles.


    It subconsciously made him feel as though he were back on Earth, which gave Orion a very strange sensation.


    Not long after Orion and the others exited the dungeon, a jetnded in front of them. It was a medium-sized jet,rge enough to amodate everyone who had taken part in the dungeon clearing.


    These jets weremon for dungeon-clearing teams to use, allowing them toe and go swiftly in case of emergencies.


    Orion, Erza, and the others boarded the jet, which soon took off and disappeared into the sky.


    After flying for a while, the jetnded at a secure facility.


    The area was fortified like a military base, exuding a sense of imprable security. High walls encircled the perimeter, topped with spirals of barbed wire that glinted menacingly in the light.


    Armed guards patrolled the grounds, their watchful eyes scanning for any threat, while surveince cameras kept constant vigil from atop sturdy towers.


    At the center of this heavily guardedpound stood a massive building, its sleek, angr design a proof to advanced technology. The structure was seamlessly connected to awork of other buildings, varying in size but all sharing the same futuristic architecture.


    Behind the central building, a spaciousnding zoney ready to amodate arriving aircraft. Here, a sleek jet had just touched down, its engines winding down as it settled onto the reinforced tarmac.


    Thending zone was lined with bright, directional lights and nked by automated systems designed to facilitate quick and efficient arrivals and departures. The scene was one of calcted precision, every detail engineered for maximum security and efficiency.


    Orion and the others disembarked the jet and made their way toward the building.


    "Ray, about what you asked earlier, the selection will happen tomorrow, so be sure to be there on time," Erza said to Orion, referring to something he had asked about a while ago.


    Orion''s eyes shone with visible excitement as he nodded at her.


    "Also, upgrade to gold rank today. Only gold rank experts and above are allowed for that," Erza advised.


    Orion nodded. He understood that the chosen ones could only be from the gold ranks. That''s why, since arriving in the Human Federation Realm, he had spent his time hunting and improving his talent mastery.


    A week ago, his talent mastery had reached the peak of silver rank, along with all his stats. All he needed were some gold-rank cores for the mutagens before he could begin the upgrade process.


    Arriving at the entrance of one of the buildings, Orion waved his watch in front of a sensing screen, which glowed green. Every member of the team did the same. They waved their watches at the screen, which glowed green momentarily before returning to normal.


    ---


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 Chapter 278: 278. Starflame Guild

    After verifying their identities, they entered the secured building.


    They were greeted by a bustling hall filled with many guild members moving in and out.


    "Evening, Miss Erza."


    "Miss Erza, you''ve cleared the poisonous dungeon. Well done."


    "Miss Erza is as swift as ever when ites to clearing dungeons."


    The members greeted Erza as they passed by, and she nodded in acknowledgment each time.


    Before long, they reached arge hall teeming with people, with various groups gathered in clusters around the room.


    "Alright, we''re done here," Erza said to her teammates. "You guys can go and collect your rewards for the dungeon. You''re off until further notice."


    The teammates who had fought alongside her in the dungeon nodded and dispersed, going about their business.


    Only Orion remained.


    "I''ll be heading out too," Orion said to her.


    Erza nodded and reminded him, "Be sure to upgrade your hunter ID at the Hunter Association beforeing to the guild."


    Orion nodded. "Alright, I''ll see you tomorrow then." Waving goodbye, he left the hall.


    Erza''s expression turned solemn after Orion walked away. "Ray¡­ He''s definitely hiding something, and his strength? He''s only showing a fraction of it. I''ll have to tell my big sister about him," she muttered to herself.


    She had been dungeon raiding with Orion for over two months, and throughout their adventures, she had never seen him falter. Every time he engaged inbat, it was evident that he was holding back. His attacks were executed with a deliberate restraint, as if he was participating in the raid more out of obligation than from a desire to fully exert his strength.


    From her observations, she came to a clear conclusion: Ray''s true goal was to align himself with a powerful guild to gain entry into Das Academy. The prestigious academy was notoriously exclusive, and admission often required the backing of a formidable power.


    Given Ray''s persistent inquiries about the academy''s selection process and his noticeableck of enthusiasm during battles, she deduced that his primary aim was to secure a guild''s endorsement as a stepping stone to the academy.


    This strategic maneuver, she realized, was the real motivation behind his seemingly casual involvement in the raids.


    Shaking her head, Erza also left the hall.


    ---


    After leaving the hall, Orion entered an evenrger area filled with stalls and shops where people were busy buying and selling goods. It was more bustling than the previous hall.


    Orion wasted no time and approached one of the stalls.


    "Yo, Ruck!" he greeted the man behind the stall.


    "Ray, it''s you again! So, what treasures do you have to sell this time?" Ruck asked with a ttering smile.


    Orionid out all the treasures he had obtained from the poisonous dungeon.


    "How about 20,000 UNI?" Ruck offered after inspecting the items.


    Orion raised an eyebrow. "Isn''t that too low? It should be around 30,000 UNI."


    Ruck chuckled. "Hehe, you''ve haggled enough in the past. I''ve given you a fair price for everything."


    Still unsatisfied, Orion countered, "How about 25,000 UNI? I won''t sell for anything less."


    Ruck frowned, his expression shifting several times before he finally replied, "22,000 UNI. That''s my final offer."


    "Deal." Orion smiled and epted. "It''s always a pleasure doing business with you."


    "Heh," Ruck smirked at Orion''s cheeky grin and tapped his watch, bringing up a holographic disy. After a few taps, the transaction wasplete.


    "Done. I''ve transferred the money," Ruck confirmed.


    Orion checked his watch and saw the notification. "Great, I''ll be back someday." He waved goodbye and left the hall.


    After leaving the shoppingplex, Orion made his way towards the exit.


    ''Now that I have all the cores, I can finally upgrade to gold rank,'' he thought while scanning his watch at the exit gate.


    The gate opened, and Orion exited the building. He walked in a certain direction before arriving at a parking lot. He approached his motorcycle, scanned it with his watch, and turned it on.


    ''Let''s go.''


    He sped through the bustling streets of Masturi City on his motorcycle, the roar of the engine blending with the hum of evening traffic. The cool wind whipped against his face, bringing with it the familiar scents of the city.


    Above, the sky was painted in shades of crimson and gold, the setting sun casting a warm glow over the towering skyscrapers that lined the horizon like silent sentinels.


    As he weaved through the crowded streets, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. The vibrant cityscape, with its neon lights and distant chatter, took him back to days long past. He could almost see his younger self riding home from college, feeling that same sense of freedom and quiet contentment.


    The memories brought a bittersweet smile to his lips, a reminder of simpler times when the future felt full of endless possibilities.


    ''This sure brings back a lot of memories.''


    Orion sighed as he continued driving, the bustling streets gradually giving way to quieter, less crowded roads.


    After half an hour of navigating through the city, the noise and chaos of Masturi City began to fade into the background. The towering skyscrapers dwindled, reced by smaller, more serene buildings.


    After a few more turns, he reached his destination: his home. It was a modest vi tucked away in a peaceful neighborhood. Though not grand enough to be called a true vi, its sleek, futuristic design gave it an air of sophistication.


    The clean lines, smooth surfaces, and minimalist architecture set it apart from the more traditional houses nearby. Under the soft evening light, the exterior glowed faintly, reflecting Orion''s taste for both elegance and simplicity.


    Orion parked his motorcycle and entered his house.


    At that moment, Orion''s watch vibrated. He nced at it and noted the notification.


    ''I see, my flying bike has been repaired.''


    He felt a bit embarrassed remembering how he had crashed it into a building out of sheer excitement while flying at high speed¡ªright after buying it and flying for only an hour.


    ''I''ll pick it up tomorrow.''


    Orion then headed to his room, changed into casual clothes, and went to his training room.


    ''Status.''


    ---


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Silver]


    [Divine Ability: Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy Curse - 30%]


    [Sub Abilities: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation, Curse Synthesis]


    [Curses: Corrosive Blood, Rotting Flesh, Stormcaller, Uncontrolled Flight, Withering Touch, Fading Light, Unseen Chains, Fading Memories, Reflective Pain, Blinding Speed, Corrupted Terrain, Chaotic Energy]


    [Strength: 100]


    [Stamina: 100]


    [Agility: 100]


    [Perception: 100]


    [Constitution: 100]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    ---


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

 Chapter 279: 279. Hunter Association

    After checking his status, Orion took out gold rank cores, ced them in front of him, and began absorbing them.


    [Upgrade requirements met...]


    [Initiating the upgrade to Gold Rank...]


    ''Herees the painful part.''


    Orion held his breath and activated Sacrificial Renewal.


    Almost instantly, his body melted, leaving only his brain. A momentter, his body was reconstructed, and he became whole again.


    ---


    [Congrattions to the host for upgrading to Gold Rank.]


    [Congrattions to the host for obtaining a Sub-Ability.]


    [All stats and data of the host have been reset.]


    Orion sighed in relief after upgrading to Gold Rank and checked his status.


    ''Status.''


    ---


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Gold]


    [Divine Ability: Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy Curse - 31%]


    [Sub Abilities: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation, Curse Synthesis, Curse Overload]


    [Curse: _ ]


    [Strength: _ ]


    [Stamina: _ ]


    [Agility: _ ]


    [Perception: _ ]


    [Constitution: _ ]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    ---


    He focused on his new Sub Ability and his breathing grew ragged with excitement when he saw the name of the curse. He quickly checked the description to verify its uses.


    [Curse Overload: User can activate the curse of any individual and make it berserk within a ten-meter radius.]


    Orion clenched his fists in excitement as he read the description. This might be the best Sub Ability he could have gotten at this moment.


    He recalled how helpless he had felt facing divine rank experts three months ago. Although this ability wouldn''t allow him to fight them directly, he bet it would be a game-changer in critical situations...


    "Hehe, this is great."


    Orion giggled and felt satisfied with his new ability.


    "Alright, time for a good bath."


    He left his training room and went to take a bath. Upgrading to a higher rank always left him feeling gross, so he decided to refresh himself.


    ---


    "It''s so nice."


    Orion felt rejuvenated after his bath. He went to his room, changed into some clothes, and prepared for the next day.


    ''Tomorrow''s going to be busy. Might as well sleep early.''


    He went to bed and fell asleep shortly after.


    ---


    The next day.


    Orion rode his motorcycle through the streets of Masturi City and arrived at the grandest location in the city¡ªthe Hunter Association.


    Orion had read some history about the Human Federation Realm and learned that the Hunter Association was the foremost power in the Human Federation Realm.


    The Hunter Association was one of the few powers established a long time ago when humans first gained ess to the system. Over time, it had be the strongest power in the Human Federation Realm.


    He also learned that the Human Federation Realm was significantly stronger than the Magus Kingdom, and the Martial Domain was even stronger, making it the most powerful domain of the human race.


    However, he had heard that recently the quality of geniuses in the Magus Kingdom had surpassed those in other domains, with geniuses like Emily and Orion Darkwood leading the number one spot in the Elite ranking of the Magus Kingdom.


    ''And then there is that...''


    Orion sighed and parked his bike in the parking lot.


    He stood in awe before the grand building, captivated by its architectural elegance. Though not exceptionally wide, the building''s height and distinctive shape immediately drew the eye.


    Its core was a striking octagonal structure, with additional octagonal modules extending from each side, creating aplex, multi-faceted appearance.


    The design was cutting-edge, characterized by sharp geometric lines and a sleek facade that caught the fading light, casting a y of reflections and shadows.


    The building''s surface was a blend of high-tech materials¡ªssy panes and metallic ents¡ªgiving it a futuristic yet refined look. Despite its average proportions, the innovative design and intricate geometric details made it a standout feature of the skyline, radiating both grandeur and modernity.


    In the center of this fantastical structure, the name "Hunter Association" was emzoned in elegant, golden letters. The golden text gleamed with a subtle, captivating sheen against the building''s sleek, futuristic facade.


    Orion smiled at the sight and went inside.


    He was greeted by a wide hall at the entrance, where many people were conversing with personnel sitting at the sides with theirputers.


    However, what immediately caught his attention was a particrly shy feature of the entrance hall.


    At the top of the wall, prominently disyed for all to see, was a striking image of a sixteen-year-old boy, dramatically illuminated by a vivid red light. The portraitmanded attention, with bold text beneath it proiming, "Wanted - 1 Trillion UNI." The boy''s intense gaze and determined expression seemed almost alive, frozen in a moment of high drama.


    Surrounding this central portrait were additional images of him from various angles, each showcasing different aspects of his formidable abilities.


    One showed him wielding mes with fierce control, while another depicted him manipting ice with equal mastery. There were also images of his hands in contrasting states: one engulfed in zing fire, the other encased in ice.


    ''And then there is this...''


    Although he and his sister might still be the strongest geniuses of the Magus Kingdom, shortly after arriving in the Human Federation Realm, he had been dered the most wanted criminal in human history, with a bounty of 1 Trillion UNI.


    The announcement had sent shockwaves throughout the entire human race. Orion Darkwood, widely regarded as one of the strongest¡ªif not the strongest¡ªgeniuses of the era, had been dered wanted by the Celestial Court. This deration stunned the public, who were unable to fathom how such a formidable figure had be a target of the highest order.


    Yet, the reaction among the higher-level powers of the three domains was markedly different. These elites were less surprised, as they had been closely following the aftermath of the events at the banquet in the Magus Kingdom. Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    They were well aware of the devastating impact Orion had had, including the deaths of numerous influential members of their factions. For them, the Celestial Court''s bounty on Orion was not only anticipated but weed. It was seen as a validation of their own grievances and a convenient way to deal with a powerful adversary who had caused significant disruption to their interests.


    The situation escted further when the Darkwood Family was officially branded as traitors to the human race. A decree was issued,manding that they be killed on sight. The public was thrown into turmoil, as the once-revered family was now denounced as enemies.


    To intensify the pursuit, a hefty reward of 1 Million UNI was offered to anyone who could provide information about Orion or his family''s whereabouts. Despite the lucrative offer, no credible leads emerged. The Darkwood Family had effectively vanished, their location a mystery even to the most determined seekers.


    Thisck of information only fueled the growing sense of intrigue and urgency surrounding their fate, adding to the mounting tension and uncertainty that gripped the human race.


    ''The Ten Seats have gone too far.''


    Orion thought with a scowl on his face.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 280: 280. Unexpected Meeting

    Staring at the wanted poster, Orion felt a surge of fury and uncontroble rage bubbling within him. It wasn''t the Celestial Court dering him wanted that enraged him¡ªhe had anticipated that. But seeing his family branded as traitors to the human race crossed a line he couldn''t ignore. It struck at his reverse scale, igniting a deep anger that threatened to consume him.


    When Orion first arrived in the Human Federation Realm three months ago, his primary goal had been to attend Dos Academy. He sought its teachings and, more importantly, vital information about Grimshore¡ªa ce shrouded in mystery and danger.


    He had no intention of venturing into Grimshore without being fully prepared, and Dos Academy promised the knowledge he needed. The potential to uncover a power greater than the three domains only strengthened his resolve to visit the academy.


    But the moment he arrived and saw his face stered on wanted posters everywhere, along with the damning usation that his family was traitorous, something inside him snapped.


    The sight of those derations, scattered across the realm, sent a shockwave through him.


    He had expected to be targeted by the Celestial Court, but the decision to go after his family was a blow he hadn''t anticipated. For a brief moment, the rage consumed him, threatening to shatter the careful control he usually maintained.


    So, he decided to add another goal to his list. No longer was it enough to simply gather knowledge and uncover secrets about Grimshore; now, Orion was driven by a burning hatred and uncontroble rage against the Celestial Court and the Ten Seats as a whole.


    ''The Celestial Court isn''t taking me seriously, are they?''


    Orion smiled deviously, thinking about what he nned to do when he got there.


    ''Since they made me the most wanted human, I might as well live up to it.''


    A ruthless expression appeared on his face as he stared at the wanted poster.


    "How can I help you?"


    At that moment, an eighteen-year-olddy approached him and asked.


    Orion looked at her and realized she might be one of the workers here.


    "I want to update my rank," he stated.


    "Follow me," thedy said.


    Orion nodded and followed her.


    After passing through many halls and rooms, they arrived at a ce with a huge white sphere in the center of a room, enclosed in a square ss case and surrounded by walls.


    "Give me your hunter ID," thedy requested.


    "Here," Orion handed it to her.


    "When your name is called, go through that door and enter," thedy instructed, pointing at the door leading to the room with the giant sphere.


    Orion nodded.


    Thedy soon left with his ID card, leaving Orion alone.


    Looking around, he noticed many individuals of various ages sitting in the waiting area of the hall. Most were busy with their own things, some ying with their halo watches, others using their halo phones.


    ''This is indeed a futuristic world...''


    Orion sighed and found an empty seat in the corner. He sat down, waiting for his name to be called.


    While waiting, he thought about the sensation he felt when he upgraded to gold rank.


    ''It must be Grimshore.''


    Orion was certain of it. Last night, when he upgraded, he felt an unexpected connection to a new world¡ªa sensation so faint it was almost imperceptible, like a distant whisper calling out to him. At first, he dismissed it as overthinking. It was just a vague feeling, after all¡ªnothing worth dwelling on.


    But when he woke up today, the feeling had intensified. The connection was no longer just a faint whisper; it was a persistent tug, a call growing louder, urging him to respond. He could sense it clearly now, almost like an invisible thread linking him to something far away, something unknown yet powerful. It felt as if this new world was reaching out to him, beckoning him to explore its depths.


    Despite the growing pull, Orion resisted. He wasn''t one to act on impulse, especially when the stakes were so high. His immediate goals demanded his focus, and he knew that sumbing to curiosity could lead to unforeseen consequences. Yet, deep down, he knew he couldn''t ignore the sensation forever.


    The connection was growing stronger, more insistent with each passing moment, and it was only a matter of time before he would have to confront whatever awaited him on the other side.


    ''It seems it''s urging me to go to Grimshore.''


    Orion suspected that the mysterious pull was connected to his first visit to Grimshore. The nagging urge, the relentless calling, felt unmistakably tied to that enigmatic ce. As time passed, he knew the sensation would only grow stronger, bing impossible to ignore.


    Deep down, he understood that the only way to silence the insistent call would be to answer it, to venture into Grimshore and face whatever awaited him there.


    But he wasn''t ready¡ªnot yet. He knew too little about Grimshore, and the thought of diving into the unknown without adequate preparation filled him with unease.


    The ce was shrouded in mystery and danger, and even though the pull was powerful, Orion knew that rushing in blind could be disastrous.


    For now, he resolved to resist the call. His priority was to gather the information and strength he needed before confronting the unknown. The urge would have to wait until he was fully prepared to face whatever Grimshore held in store.


    "Ah, Big Brother!"


    A surprised shout suddenly caught his attention, making his heart race.


    Turning his head toward the source of the sound, he saw an eighteen-year-old girl with short ck hair. She wore a purple top and ck jeans, with ck sunsses resting on her head.


    She was staring at Orion with a shocked expression, and Orion was equally stunned when he looked at her. How was this person in front of him alive? Did he read the reports wrong? But that couldn''t be true.


    "You''re alive?..." he muttered in disbelief.


    "Big Brother!" The girl suddenly jumped onto Orion''s shoulders, crying like a child reunited with her mother after a long separation.


    Orion just stood there in shock, unable toprehend what was happening.


    After a few minutes, she finally stopped and looked at Orion, who was still reeling in shock.


    "Big Brother, I''ll exin everything," she said, wiping away her tears.


    "...How are you still alive?" Orion asked after epting his bad luck.


    "I-I can''t tell," she stammered, shaking her head desperately. Fear was evident in her eyes.


    "What happened?" Orion asked, noticing her unusual behavior.


    The girl remained silent for a long time, her face reflecting fear, anxiety, and a range of other emotions before she finally returned to a neutral expression.


    She then turned to Orion and bowed. "I found the wrong person. I''m sorry for wasting your time."


    "What are you talking about?" Orion couldn''t understand her sudden change. The whole situation made no sense to him.


    "I thought you were someone else." She shook her head with a wry smile. "If you''ll excuse me, I have to go."


    She walked past him, their shoulders brushing.


    "Hey, wait... Tracy." Orion called out, but she didn''t stop.


    Tracy trembled for a moment upon hearing her name but continued to leave, leaving Orion puzzled about the entire situation.


    "What just happened?" Orion said aloud in contemtion. Only then did he notice that everyone was staring at him strangely. He realized the scene had drawn everyone''s attention.


    "Cough! She got the wrong person, haha." Orionughed awkwardly and sat back down, closing his eyes.


    But as he sat down, he suddenly felt something inside his left pants pocket.


    ''I don''t remember carrying anything.''


    With a puzzled expression, Orion checked his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.


    ---


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 Chapter 281: 281. An Unexpected Discovery

    ''How did this get here?''


    The moment he took out the paper, he quickly stored it inside his space bracelet and acted as if nothing had happened, though his mind raced with various thoughts.


    ''Tracy must have slipped that on me when she left. For her to resort to this method can only mean one thing...''


    Orion casually looked around the door to the sphere room, pretending to check when his turn woulde, when he noticed a camera installed at the top corner of the hall where they had been sitting.


    ''She fears we''re being watched.''


    He understood everything at that moment¡ªwhy her attitude had suddenly changed and why she suddenly imed to have mistaken him for someone else.


    ''For someone to ess the security footage of the Hunter Association, that person must be very powerful or part of a very strong guild.''


    Orion noted his spections while feeling more trouble brewing. He didn''t want trouble, but it seemed like all the troubles in the world were being drawn to him.


    After three months of peacefully living here in the Human Federation Realm, he had started to think his streak of bad luck was over, but he couldn''t have been more wrong.


    ''Has my bad luck still not gone away?''


    He sighed and reflected on how it had all happened.


    When Orion first arrived in this world and confirmed that it was indeed a futuristic version of Earth, he immediately began nning his route to Dos Academy.


    However, he quickly realized that navigating this advanced society required a valid identity. In a world driven by cutting-edge technology, every individual needed some form of identification to function effectively within it.


    Understanding this necessity, Orion spent about a week moving covertly through Masturi City, meticulously gathering information about the identity system and the social structure of this world.


    He observed daily life, interactions, and how technology was seamlessly integrated into every aspect of society. His approach was careful and discreet, ensuring he wouldn''t attract attention or jeopardize his mission.


    His efforts paid off when he learned that every person in this world was assigned an identity badge at birth. This badge acted as a universal identifier, used throughout schooling and in hunter academies. Upon bing a hunter, this badge was upgraded to a Hunter ID. Without such an ID, Orion knew he would stand out as an outsider and face significant obstacles.


    With this crucial information, Orion set out to find someone whose identity he could assume¡ªsomeone who lived alone, had no close family or criminal ties, and whose disappearance would not raise suspicion.


    It was a risky and delicate task, but Orion understood that acquiring a legitimate identity was essential for infiltrating Dos Academy.


    However, finding a suitable individual proved to be far more challenging than Orion anticipated. It took him another week of searching before he finally came across a man named Ray.


    Orion discovered Ray in a hospital, confined to a sterile, dimly lit room.


    Rayy on his deathbed, severely injured and covered in bandages. His condition was dire¡ªhe was in a state akin to aa, but even more severe. He was unable to see, feel, ormunicate. His life hung by a thread, with no sign of recovery in sight.


    The situation presented a grim opportunity for Orion. Ray''s incapacitated state made him the ideal candidate for Orion''s n.


    With Ray''s identity avable and hisck of family or criminal ties, Orion could assume his identity without drawing undue attention. It was a morallyplex decision, but Orion needed to proceed with caution to ensure his own goals.


    But then, something utterly unimaginable happened.


    As Orion attempted to copy Ray''s curse, he was met with an unexpected and unsettling silence¡ªthere was no notification, no prompt asking him to confirm the copying of the curse. He tried multiple times, each attempt yielding the sameck of response.


    Orion was deeply shaken. He had never encountered a situation where he couldn''t copy someone''s curse before. It was a first, and the absence of a notification was both rming and confusing.


    There were only two usible exnations for this anomaly:


    The first possibility was that he had already copied Ray''s curse at some point in the past and had lost it due to Burst Mode. However, Orion was certain that this scenario was impossible. He had no memory of ever encountering Ray or copying his curse before.


    The second, more illogical yet seemingly usible exnation was that Ray simply didn''t possess a curse. This would mean that Ray had no curse or talent at all, which would be a stark contrast to the norm. If Ray had no curse, it would exin why Orion couldn''t copy it.


    When Orion reached this conclusion, he was even more shocked. To be sure of his spection, he searched Ray''s space bracelet for his Hunter ID, and what he found overturned his view of the world.


    Ray did have a talent¡ªa talent to manipte wind.


    When Orion discovered this information and connected it with his inability to copy Ray''s curse, he arrived at an even more horrific conclusion.


    Ray''s talent or curse had been forcefully extracted from his body by someone, resulting in his current condition.


    Orion was in disbelief when he reached this conclusion, but the facts were right in front of him. He had to ept that someone or something in this world could extract a person''s talent or curse.


    He couldn''t understand how something like that was even remotely possible, but he knew that if there was a person who could copy curses, then it wasn''t far-fetched to believe there might be someone who could extract a talent or curse from another person and use it for themselves.


    ---


    Since Ray was the only person who met the criteria for the identity Orion needed to assume, he had no choice but to wait for Ray to die.


    Orion waited for a day, and Ray died during the night. Finding no one in Ray''s room and blinding the camera with a bright light, Orion put Ray''s corpse in his space bracelet, changed his face and body structure to match Ray''s, andid on the bed.


    When the bright sh of light subsided, it appeared as though nothing had happened. Ray was still lying on his bed, covered in bandages, with his eyes closed.


    However, the blinding sh of light attracted the guards'' attention and brought the doctors to his room.


    At that moment, they were shocked to find that Ray seemed to be healed. They couldn''t understand what had happened, but they were certain that Ray had recovered.


    Naturally, suspicions arose after such an unexpected miracle, so they conducted tests on Ray to see if he was still the same person. The results shocked the doctors.


    They confirmed that Ray was indeed the same person who had been admitted to the hospital in a severely injured and critical state.


    They took the entire incident as nothing but a miracle, believing that some divine-level expert might havee and healed Ray, not wanting to reveal their identity by blinding the camera with a bright sh of light.


    With that, the situation calmed down, though it remained a mystery in the doctors'' minds.


    The next day, Ray regained consciousness and was discharged after a final check-up confirmed he was fully fit to go. Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    ---


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 Chapter 282: 282. Secret Message

    That was how Orion came to assume the body and identity of Ray Wiser and had been living his life for two months.


    Therefore, when he saw a girl who looked very much like Ray''s sister appearing in front of him and calling him ''Big Brother,'' Orion was caught off guard, with no answers to the sudden situation he found himself in.


    ording to him¡ªording to Ray¡ªTracy Wiser had been dead for over a year at the time he assumed Ray''s identity.


    When he found Ray on his deathbed, he had already thoroughly checked his background and discovered that his parents had died in an ident, and fifteen months ago, his sister had also died during a dungeon raid.


    Since then, Ray had been living all alone in his house, only going out when he needed rations.


    He turned out to be a sore loser of a big brother. His wind maniption talent was below average, and his control over it was even worse, leading him to have no ce in guilds that raided dungeons. It was his sister who had been providing him with money to somehow live a life doing nothing.


    Ray''s sister¡ªTracy Wiser¡ªunlike Ray, possessed a very rare talent called Point Void. Using this talent, she could attack hundreds of targets with a single sword swing, making her one of the most talented hunters in Masturi City.


    ording to the reports Orion had read about her, she had joined a guild called ck Reaper, but after she ''died'' in a dungeon raid over a year ago, there had been no news of her whatsoever.


    Ray, believing his sister had also left and died like his parents, began to live a life worse than that of a human. He would hole up in his room all day and onlye out to restock his food supply.


    He continued to live like that until the incident that resulted in his loss of either his talent or his curse.


    But Orion believed he lost his talent or that someone had forcefully taken it away. No one could control a curse in this world, and no sane person would want to have more curses¡ªexcept for a certain someone.


    If a talent was extracted from one''s body, the curse would also disappear because a curse was nothing but a limitation ced on a human''s body based on their talents. No talent meant no curse.


    Therefore, he believed that someone had forcefully extracted Ray''s talent and because of that he possessed no curse either.


    However, in the end, all of this was just Orion''s spection and nothing more.


    ***


    ''ck Reaper Guild...''


    As Orion sat and waited for his name to be called, he recalled some information about the ck Reaper Guild.


    Since he had stayed in this world for three months, he had some understanding of the powers of this world.


    ording to what he had heard, ck Reaper was a neutral guild¡ªneither good nor bad. They wouldn''t hesitate to do some shady things if it benefited them, but they would also avoid outright atrocities that wouldbel them as part of a demonic cult.


    Therefore, the situation with Tracy didn''t seem surprising now that he thought about it.


    ''I will have to ask my guild for more information,'' Orion thought and waited with a peace of mind.


    The names of other people who had arrived earlier than him were called one after another as time passed slowly. Readtest stories on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    It wasn''t until half an hourter that Orion heard his name called.


    "Ray Wiser."


    Orion moved and appeared in front of the door leading to the room where the giant sphere was ced when he heard his name called.


    Opening the door, he found a room filled with white everywhere¡ªthe machines, the tables, and even the three people present, two women and one man, all wearing white coats.


    Despite the white-themed room, Orion''s attention was drawn to the ring ck sphere in the middle of the room, contrasting starkly with the white surroundings.


    It was Orion''s first time seeing this sphere, and he felt nothing but calmness from it. It was too calm, as if it didn''t possess any aura or even energy. He couldn''t sense anything.


    "Ray Wiser?" One of the women in a coat asked for confirmation when she saw Orion. She had long red hair and was quite tallpared to the other two present.


    Orion nodded at her. "I am Ray Wiser, and I am here to update my hunter ID."


    "Mhm," the tall woman nodded and pointed at the ck sphere in the middle of the room. "Go and touch it."


    Orion nodded and approached the ck sphere, touching it. But he was nervous about something. Since everyone used mana, he feared whatever they were using to test the rank of individuals would also be a mana-rted treasure or machine that sensed mana.


    But it seemed he had overthought it.


    After touching the ck sphere for a few seconds, a beep sounded in the room.


    "Alright, you''re done. You are in the gold rank," another woman, more mature than the first one, with short hair, said as she presented him with his hunter ID.


    Orion epted the ID and saw that the information on it had subtly changed. The silver rank in the rank column had been reced by gold rank.


    He smiled when he saw that and put the ID away.


    "You can leave now," said the only man in the room, a bald-headed man who handed him a piece of paper and asked him to leave.


    Orion dly epted the paper and left the room. On his way out, he read what was written on it and saw that it was just some rules and precautions, exining what would happen if he lost his hunter ID and everything rted to it.


    He also stored it away and left the Hunter Association building.


    Riding his motorbike, he went home and closed all his windows and doors.


    In his room, he took out the piece of paper Tracy had left in secret and read it.


    "Big Brother Ray, I am Tracy, and I am not dead. You might be angry at me for hiding this or faking my death, but it wasn''t my choice. ck Reaper has changed. Some new people havee and taken control of it. They have taken a liking to my talent and threatened me with your life. They told me that the day I go home will be the day you die, so they nned my fake death and spread the news.


    I don''t know why I am telling you this or if you will ever be able to read this, but know that if you are reading this, it means I am really dead this time, for real. I am sorry you had to learn all of this the hard way."


    ---


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 Chapter 283: 283. A Dilemma

    Orion read the message inplete silence. He didn''t know what to do at this moment. He felt bad for what had happened to Tracy and, in a way, for Ray too. But that was it; he could only empathize with them. He had no real connection to them, nor had he known them before.


    "Why does this trouble never end?"


    He sighed heavily and thought it through. upying Ray''s identity, he had known he might be recognized by some people, but Tracy, of all people, and the fact that she wasn''t dead made his situation much moreplicated.


    He had two options: either ignore Tracy altogether and focus on his tasks at hand, or try to save her.


    But could he save her? Did she really need saving? From what he had seen at the Hunter Association, she seemed fine, but was she truly fine? Remembering how she had cried on his shoulder made him think otherwise.


    "Damn my luck!"


    In the end, Orion decided he would try to save her if he could. He definitely couldn''t ignore her. When she cried on his shoulder, it reminded him of his little sister, Elly, and just for that reason, he would do everything in his power to help her.


    Moreover, now that he knew she wasn''t dead and had been threatened into this situation, he couldn''t just ignore her. If he hadn''t known anything, it would have been fine, but now that he knew, he had to help her¡ªor at least try to help her. After all, at this moment, he was not Orion, but Ray Wiser.


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    Having decided what to do, Orion left his home and flew toward a certain direction. Flying was forbidden in Masturi City for reasons unknown, but since Orion was in his dimension, it didn''t matter to him.


    After flying through his dimension for half an hour, he exited and arrived at a very remarkable ce.


    All kinds of flying vehicles could be seen hovering through the air around Nimbus Pce, thepany that built these flying vehicles. At this moment, the area was more crowded than the Hunter Association, with people from all directions gathering here.


    "It''s bustling with people as always."


    Orion smiled and entered thepany''s area. Nimbus Pce owned a vast tract ofnd, with many different buildings responsible for various tasks.


    Orion headed to one of these buildings, which was responsible for vehicle modeling and repair.


    Upon arriving, he saw many damaged flying vehicles of different types scattered around.


    "What can I do for you, young man?"


    A fat, middle-aged man with a big beard greeted him.


    Orion looked at him and tapped his halo watch, where a holographic screen popped up, showing a flying vehicle with the number 199 on its side.


    "I''m here for vehicle number 199. I heard it was repaired," Orion said.


    "Ah, that," the man nodded. "Come with me."


    He led Orion inside the building to another area, where new-looking flying vehicles were parked.


    As Orion observed the vehicles, he noticed a two-seater resembling a motorbike but without wheels standing to the side. It was red, gleaming brightly under the lights.


    Orion approached his flying vehicle and inspected it. After confirming all the damages were gone and the vehicle appeared as good as new, he nodded.


    "I''ll take it," Orion said, turning to the man.


    The man nodded, tapped his halo watch, and a hologram appeared. Orion did the same, and a beep sounded from the man''s watch, who then nodded.


    "Alright, you''re free to take it."


    Orion nodded, mounted the vehicle as he would a motorbike, and it slowly started hovering in the air. He carefully controlled it to move forward, and the vehicle glided smoothly ahead, eventually emerging into the open air. Orion then took flight and ascended into the sky.


    There was a designated path for flying vehicles in the air, marked by various drones flying nonstop. All vehicles had to stay within this path and at a specific height; otherwise, they would be fined.


    Last time, due to overspeeding, Orion flew outside the radar and crashed into a building. He was fined a thousand UNI for that, and another ten thousand to repair his flying vehicle. That day, he lost a lot of money.


    But he wasn''t going to repeat the same mistake twice. He followed the designated path and headed toward his guild. He wasn''t flying too fast, but he wasn''t slow either, and overall, he would reach the guild much faster with the flying vehicle than with his motorbike.


    Some timeter, he finally arrived above his guild and lowered his vehicle toward the parking lot.


    Afternding safely, he parked his vehicle and entered the Starme Guild building.


    "I hope this goes without a hitch," Orion thought as he headed directly to Erza''s office. Dos Academy was what he hade to the Human Federation Realm for; if a problem arose at thest possible moment, it would be a real pity.


    However, he hadn''t gone far when a guild member recognized him.


    "Ray, you''re here," ady his age called out.


    "How are you, Shuna?" Orion asked.


    "I''m fine," Shuna replied. "Are you going to Erza''s office?"


    Orion nodded.


    "I''m going there as well. Let''s go together," Shuna suggested.


    Orion dly epted her invitation.


    Not long after, they arrived at a door. Orion knocked.


    "Come in."


    Upon hearing permission, Orion opened the door, and they both entered.


    "Ah, you two are here," Erza was surprised to see them both arrive at the same time.


    "The selection will start in an hour, and the guild master will be present to watch. So, be prepared," Erza informed them of the timing and gave them some details about the selection.


    "Ten people will take part, and only one will be chosen. So, I hope you two are confident about this."


    ---


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 Chapter 284: 284. Caught

    "Oh, Ray is also participating?" Shuna seemed visibly surprised by Ray''s participation.


    "Haha, I''m nning to, but I don''t know if I''ll be chosen. Only one will be selected out of ten participants. It probably won''t be me," Orion replied humbly.


    "Don''t worry too much. Just having the courage to participate is admirable. Focus on what you can do to achieve what you want," Shuna advised him like the senior she was to Ray in the guild.


    Orion nodded with a solemn expression. "I will."


    Erza narrowed her eyes at the conversation between Ray and Shuna. "Ray, I want to talk to you alone. Is that okay?"


    "Talk to me alone?" Orion was caught off guard but eventually nodded. In a way, she was his superior, so he couldn''t refuse her.


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    "Shuna, I''ll see you at the Combat Hall in an hour. If you''ll excuse us," Erza said, signaling Shuna to leave.


    Shuna felt suspicious about the situation, but since it wasn''t her ce to interfere, she shrugged and left the room.


    "Ray, sit down," Erza gestured for Orion to sit.


    Orionplied, taking a seat opposite her.


    Erza''s office was a small, square-shaped room. Arge desk with aputer sat in the center, with her chair on one side and two chairs for visitors on the other. Orion sat nervously, wondering what she wanted to discuss with him alone. He only hoped his bad luck wouldn''t make things difficult.


    "Tell me something," Erza locked eyes with Orion and asked, "Why are you hiding your strength?"


    Orion''s heart raced as she asked the question. The thing he had been trying to avoid had finally happened.


    "What do you mean, hiding my strength?" He feigned ignorance, unwilling to admit anything.


    Erza leaned forward, resting her chin on her interlocked fingers, her elbows on the table.


    "In all the dungeon raids we''ve done together, I''ve never seen you get injured, nervous, or show any fear¡ªemotions anyone would have in a dungeon. You''ve always seemed too casual, almost bored, as if nothing in the dungeon could faze you."


    Orion narrowed his eyes at her. For the first time since meeting her, he felt a flicker of fear. He had always seen her as a kind leader, but now he realized she was far more observant, calcting, and aware than he had given her credit for. She was a dangerous person.


    "Judging by your expression, it seems I''m right," Erza smiled, though to Orion it didn''t seem like a smile at all. "And that''s not all."


    She looked at him intently and added, "Your constant pestering to enter Dos Academy has raised suspicion. I believe your main goal for joining our guild was to use it as a way to enter Dos Academy, isn''t it?"


    Orion met her gaze for a moment before sighing. "As you said, my main goal is to enter Dos Academy."


    Since she had figured everything out, Orion knew that continuing to deny her usations would only backfire and might even lead to his expulsion from the Starfire Guild. He had to tread carefully.


    Erza nodded, satisfied with his admission. "And you''re also hiding your strength?" she asked.


    Orion nodded, saying nothing more about his powers.


    Erza contemted for a moment before giving him an ultimatum. "Now, tell me why. Why hide your powers? Why do you want to enter Dos Academy so badly? There must be a very good reason."


    She pulled out some papers from her desk and ced them in front of him.


    "Ray Wiser. Parents died in an ident, sister died in a dungeon crash, below-average talent that most guilds wouldn''t want. After your sister''s death, you rarely left your home. One day, you were hospitalized with severe injuries, survival chances were zero."


    She narrowed her eyes at Orion. "But you miraculously survived. Your body fully healed, and you were free to go. All this happened overnight¡ªa miracle, they say."


    Erza pushed his documents toward him. "How do you exin this? Everything about you is suspicious. If I hadn''t requested your data from the guild office yesterday, I might still be clueless. But now I want to know: what''s going on with you? What''s with all the suspicious things surrounding you?"


    Orion''s face became solemn as she read his biodata. He had known that anyone could find out about Ray since he could also do that much when he came to this world, so he had expected this moment toe.


    But her suspicions about his hidden strength and his desire to enter Dos Academy had caught him off guard.


    "I can''t tell you," Orion replied through gritted teeth, as if he were in a difficult situation.


    Erza''s expression hardened. "If you don''t answer, don''t expect the guild to keep you. You''re far too suspicious, Ray, for your own good. If you don''t exin yourself, I might have to expel you from the guild."


    "But these are personal matters. I haven''t harmed the guild''s interests in any way, and I''ve always followed guild rules," Orion protested, his expression anxious.


    "You don''t understand how a guild works, do you?" Erza asked, her gaze piercing. "In one sense, you did nothing wrong, but your background and who you are as a person are putting our guild at risk. You could be part of a demonic cult trying to kill us, or a spy from a rival guild trying to sabotage us. There are many ways a guild can be destroyed overnight, and right now, you''re a potential threat."


    She looked at Orion with a stern expression. "I can''t let my sister''s years of hard work turn to ashes just because of a guy whose entire background is as suspicious as his actions."


    ---


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 Chapter 285: 285. Bad Luck was actually Good Luck?

    Orion''s expression grew anxious as he struggled to make a difficult decision before he sighed deeply and took out a piece of paper.


    "Please don''t tell anyone about this. I beg you!" he pleaded, pushing the paper toward her.


    Erza raised her eyebrows as she took the paper and began to read. Her expression turned serious and shocked as she absorbed its contents.


    "I see," Erza nodded, returning the paper to Orion. "So, you''ve been doing all of this just to save your sister?"


    Orion nodded, his face serious. "I didn''t want anyone to know, but at this moment, I''m helpless."


    He began recounting his miserable story to Erza. "Over two months ago, someone attacked me. I didn''t see his face, nor did I even notice the attack. Whoever it was, they were too fast. That attack changed my life in many ways."


    He sighed deeply, slumping back in his chair.


    "I was heavily injured, as you said, on the brink of death, with even the doctors having lost faith in me. But something happened that night."


    He looked at Erza before continuing. "Please don''t tell anyone about this. If you do, you might find me dead the next day."


    Erza''s face turned incredibly serious, and she nodded slightly.


    Seeing that she understood the gravity of his words, Orion continued. "It was an old man with a very long beard that reached his stomach, but he was bald. He saved me when I was all but guaranteed to die."


    "He said something like, ''You are truly blessed to have met me.'' He also mentioned that he was wandering the world trying toprehend the meaning of life, or something like that. It sounded like nonsense to me. He then warned me that if I ever mentioned this to anyone, I might die the next day."


    Orion''s expression grew serious as he went on. "However, I didn''t believe it was the old man who saved me. I thought he was just some random guy trying to scam me."


    He sighed again.


    "But when I got home the next day, I believed him entirely. I found out that my talent for wind maniption had somehow upgraded. I don''t know how to describe it, but I felt like I had full control of the wind, as if I were its lord. It was a very strange feeling, but I knew I was right. I felt a strength that wasn''t in me before the ident. I felt stronger than ever."


    He paused, taking a deep breath.


    "At that moment, I realized the old man was right about everything. He not only saved me but also awakened some hidden potential in my talent."


    Erza fell silent as she listened. If everything Ray said was true, then what happened to him at the hospital made sense. But what if he was lying? What if he was just making things up? She felt slightly suspicious but almost believed that Ray''s words were true. All that remained was her own hesitation to fully trust him.


    Orion saw the hesitation in her eyes and seized the moment to tell her about his sister.


    "I was very happy that day, finally feeling lucky, but that feeling didn''tst long when I noticed a piece of paper on the table the next day."


    Orion looked at her and continued, "I was sure I hadn''t put the paper there, so I looked around cautiously, but I found no one. In the end, curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to read it."


    "I was shocked, heartbroken, but also happy. At the same time, I felt intense anger at the ck Reaper Guild. I resisted the urge to confront them because I knew if I did, not only would I endanger myself, but I would also put my sister at risk. So, I came up with a n."


    Erza finally understood and said, "The n involves going to Dos Academy, getting recognition, and using that recognition to help your sister, right?"


    Orion nodded, adding, "I believe my sister will also be at Dos Academy, so my desire to go there is even stronger, just for the chance to see her."


    "That''s all I have to say. If you want me to leave, I will. I''ll just look for another way to get into Dos Academy," he finished.


    Erza closed her eyes, pondering. It took her a while before she finally opened them. Discover hidden stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    "Alright, I believe you," she said.


    Orion sighed in relief, having been nervous the whole time, waiting for her decision.


    "But," she continued, leaving Orion on edge, "if I find out you''re lying or that any of your words aren''t true, believe me, it won''t end well for you."


    Orion nodded seriously, unsure how to respond to her threat.


    "And please don''t tell anyone about my sister," he requested.


    Erza nodded and asked something that had been on her mind. "Why hide your strength? I understand your problems, but I don''t understand that."


    Orion sighed deeply. "Where do I start? There are many reasons. First, I believe whoever attacked me that night might be keeping an eye on me. If they discover I''m far more powerful than before, I fear they might attack me again. Andstly, I don''t want to draw the attention of the ck Reaper Guild.


    That''s why I''ve assumed the role of an average guy doing average things."


    Erza nodded and stood up. "Alright, you''re good for now."


    She looked at Orion and added, "But remember what I said earlier. Don''t let me find out you''re lying, or else¡­"


    Orion nodded with a wry expression.


    ''Otherwise, I''ll just disappear, and you won''t be able to do anything,'' he thought to himself but held back from saying.


    "Alright, let''s go to the Combat Hall. The selection assessment is about to start," Erza suggested.


    Orion nodded and followed behind her, relieved that the situation had ended as quickly as it had started.


    ---


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 Chapter 286: 286. Rumors of Orion Darkwood - A Legend in Making

    Orion followed behind Erza quietly, thinking that if he hadn''t received the note Tracy had slipped into his pocket, the entire situation wouldn''t have ended so easily. In the worst-case scenario, he might have been expelled from the guild by now.


    ''Is my luck finally turning around?'' he wondered as he continued to follow her.


    Not long after, they arrived at the door leading to the guild''sbat hall.


    "There''s only one who can be selected, so let me see your real strength this time," Erza said, looking at him before opening the door and walking in.


    Orion shrugged and followed her inside. As for showing his real strength, that wouldn''t happen anytime soon¡ªno gold-rank expert could force him to use his full powers.


    Entering thebat hall, he was immediately greeted by a huge crowd of people, and Orion was surprised to see that thebat hall had been transformed into an arena-like tform. People were seated all around the hall, and in the center of the arena was the area where the realbat would take ce.


    As a frequent visitor to thebat hall, Orion could tell that the seating area had been recently added. In all his previous visits, thebat hall had been a spacious area used for training and fighting, with nothing like the current seating arrangement.


    ''It seems this is arranged especially for the selection,'' Orion thought, realizing that even the guild was taking the Dos Academy seriously.


    "Let''s go. I''ll introduce you to yourpetitors." Erza led Orion toward a group of people in the hall.


    "Ray, you''re here!" Shuna waved at him when she saw him and Erza making their way over.


    Orion nodded to her and saw that there were only six people in the group. Adding him, that made seven¡ªthere were still three missing.


    "Everyone, this is Ray. I''ve told you guys about him, remember? He''ll be participating in the assessment with you for that one spot," Erza introduced him to the other participants, but their reactions were rather cold. Some nodded to him out of courtesy for Erza, while others outright ignored him.


    Orion''s expression didn''t change a bit when he saw their reactions.


    However, Erza found their attitude toward Orion interesting but chose not to interfere.


    "Alright, Ray, take care. I have to go now," Erza said before leaving.


    Orion noticed that the other guild members participating were around his age, the age of Ray, but they didn''t seem too keen on talking to him, ignoring him as one would ignore an ant walking by.


    He understood the reason behind their attitude¡ªhis strength only appeared to be around early gold rank, making them believe he wasn''t worth their time.


    Well, neither were they to Orion.


    Looking around, he saw many familiar faces from dungeon raids, but the number of new faces surpassed those he knew.


    "Have you heard about what happened to Orion Darkwood?"


    At that moment, a very interesting conversation reached his ears. Turning around, he realized it was the group of participants who were talking about him.


    "It''s said that he was the strongest genius of the three domains and even in the entire universe," Shuna replied, her eyes sparkling with wonder.


    "Not only that, but I''ve heard he could defeat peak gold-rank experts when he was just in iron rank," said a broad-shouldered guy, his eyes shining with fascination.


    "Rudy, Shuna, you two are both fascinated by this Orion, so you should know what happened to him, right?" another one chimed in. He looked rather thin, with noticeable eye bags on his face.


    Both Shuna and Rudy''s faces darkened when Patrick asked about what had happened to Orion.


    "You two are hopeless," another individual joined their conversation. It was ady with dark blue hair named Kiara.


    "I know what happened to him," a man with neatlybed hair and a very neat ck suit and tie said to them. His name was Roman.


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    He looked at them, adjusted his sses, and said, "It''s said that he killed many high-ranking members of the three domains and even some young masters of the Archons. In the end, he betrayed the human race with his family and fled the three domains." He spoke loudly and proudly.


    Orion sneered when he heard this, feeling deep anguish burn inside him as he listened to how the Ten Seats had portrayed him to others.


    "I have some inside information. Do you want to hear it?" thest one of the group butted in at that moment. He had long hair down to his shoulders, and his skin appeared tanned.


    "What is it, Josh?" Roman asked curiously.


    "Hehe," Josh smiled and said, "It''s said that he somehow killed Merlin the Magician."


    "What? He killed Merlin the Magician?" Rudy eximed loudly but then realized where he was and immediately lowered his head.


    Everyone in the hall heard him, and their faces showed various expressions¡ªsome angry, some disgusted, and some sympathetic, but it wasn''t clear who they were feeling such emotions toward.


    "Rudy, you dummy! You''re still a moron," Kiara scolded.


    Orion chuckled lightly after hearing their conversation. It was amusing to him how rumors had a way of taking on a life of their own, twisting and turning the truth until it was almost unrecognizable.


    From the way they spoke, it was clear that his deeds had spread far and wide across the entire universe, bing the stuff of legends. Yet, as with all stories that travel such vast distances, the details had been altered, embellished, and distorted in countless ways.


    He knew that only those who had been present at that fateful banquet¡ªand who had managed to survive until the very end¡ªwould ever know the real truth of what had transpired.


    The events of that night were burned into his memory, a series of moments that had defined him and set him on the path he now walked. But to hear others speak of it, with all their wild exaggerations and half-truths, was almost surreal.


    ''Stories have a funny way of growing bigger with each telling,'' Orion thought to himself, still amused.


    "It seems everyone is here," a yful voice sounded, and a man with golden hair walked over to the group. He looked quite handsome, wearing a white t-shirt and ck jeans. He appeared rather casual.


    He was followed by two other individuals¡ªone was a man who seemed to be in deep thought, submerged in his own world, and the other was ady, aloof and arrogant.


    "Reilly," Josh muttered in a solemn tone.


    "Yo, Josh, you don''t seem happy to see me arrive," Reilly teased Josh when he reached them.


    "You value yourself too much," Josh sneered.


    "I know, since I''m the strongest here, and I''ll be going ahead, leaving you all behind," Reillyughed mockingly before his attention was drawn to Orion, standing beside them with a bored look.


    "Hey, who are you? I''ve never seen you around here before," he asked Orion.


    ---


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 Chapter 287: 287. Zemiri - Guild Master

    Orion looked at him and replied casually, "I am Ray Wiser. Just joined two months ago."


    "I am Reilly Raymond. I hate to say this, but you won''t stand a chance against me if you''re nning to participate in the assessment," Reilly immediately tried to overwhelm Orion with his words.


    Orion shrugged, his demeanor still casual. "Yeah, maybe you''re right, or maybe not."


    Reilly frowned, seeing that Orion didn''t take his words seriously. "You don''t seem to understand something. I''m the strongest in the guild, aside from Erza, in the gold rank for our age category. So, you, who have just entered the gold rank, don''t stand a chance against me. Understood?"


    Orion nodded, "Yeah, I understand. You''re the strongest, and we stand no chance." He said that in a bored tone, as if he were forced to utter these words.


    "Are you mocking me?" Reilly suddenly clutched Ray''s cor when he heard the uninterested tone in Orion''s words. To him, it felt like Orion was intentionally making fun of him, even after knowing how strong he was. Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    "What do you think?" Orion sneered.


    Reilly looked at him deeply, then let him go. "Don''t match with me in the assessment." He left, saying those words.


    Orion shrugged and waited as if nothing had happened.


    "You''ve offended the wrong guy, Ray," Shuna said to Orion, shaking her head in pity.


    "I agreed with all his words, but he still got offended. Typical young master attitude," Orion smiled.


    "What do you mean by that?" Shuna asked curiously.


    "Nothing," Orion shook his head.


    Shuna didn''t pester Orion, seeing he didn''t answer her.


    At that moment, Orion''s attention was drawn to the grand entrance of thebat hall. The doors swung open, and a hush fell over the crowd as a group of people made their way inside. At the forefront of the group was a striking woman who immediatelymanded attention.


    She appeared to be in her early thirties, exuding an air of authority and grace. Her vibrant red hair cascaded down her back, shimmering in the hall''s light, much like the fiery locks of Erza, but with a more refined and polished sheen.


    The resemnce between the two was unmistakable¡ªthe same sharp features, the same intense gaze¡ªbut this woman carried herself with a maturity and calmness that spoke of years of experience and wisdom.


    Orion''s eyes narrowed as he took in her presence. If he didn''t already know better, he would have easily assumed that the woman was Erza''s mother. Her demeanor, her poise, and the way she seemed to naturallymand the room all suggested a figure of matronly authority. But Orion knew the truth. This wasn''t Erza''s mother; it was her elder sister, Zemiri.


    Zemiri was a name known throughout the guild and beyond. As the Guild Master of the Starfire Guild, she was a formidable leader, respected and revered by all who served under her. Her reputation as both a strategist and a warrior was well-earned, and stories of her prowess were often spoken of with admiration by the guild members.


    Unlike Erza, who was known for her fiery temper and impulsive nature, Zemiri was the embodiment ofposure. Her presence brought a sense of order and discipline to the chaotic energy that often surrounded the guild.


    As Zemiri walked into the hall, her gaze swept over the assembled participants, her eyes briefly locking with Orion''s. For a moment, he felt the weight of her scrutiny, as if she could see through his disguise, straight into his true identity. But her expression remained impassive, giving nothing away.


    ''It''s her divine rank aura that made me feel like this,'' Orion thought.


    Erza followed behind her, along with several others with strong auras. Orion narrowed his eyes at them as they entered. He could tell that Zemiri''s strength had reached the divine rank, while the others following her were at the conqueror''s rank, one rank below her.


    Orion had learned the full power system of the three domains and the entire universe. He had only known up to the diamond rank while knowing the peak rank was the divine rank.


    But as he delved deeper into the mysteries of the three domains and the wider universe, he discovered there were levels of power that extended far beyond what he had initially imagined.


    The ranks of Crown, Ace, Conqueror, and Divine represented the ultimate stages one could achieve after reaching the diamond rank. Each of these ranks marked a significant leap in power, with Divine rank standing as the pinnacle, reserved for those who had mastered their abilities to an unimaginable degree.


    After Orion understood the ring difference in strength between him and those Ten Seats, he realized it would take a long time before he could match them. But at the same time, his clone, roaming out there with strength at the divine rank, made him feel very jealous.


    He sighed and stopped thinking about it.


    "Everyone is here," Zemiri said, looking around the hall.


    "Everyone should know me, and if you don''t, then let me introduce myself. I am Zemiri, the master of the Starfire Guild."


    Zemiri introduced herself before getting to the main topic.


    "I will tell you the rules of the selection. Since there are a total of ten of you and only one will be selected, you will have to fight each other to decide who will win in the end. And don''t worry, who will fight whom will not be decided by us, but by your luck," she said, turning to Erza.


    Erza stepped to the middle of the stage and took out a transparent bowl that usually held fish. However, at this moment, it wasn''t full of water and fish, but of parchment papers.


    "All of your names are inside the bowl. Come and pick out one paper, and the name on it will be your opponent. If you choose your own name, then you will pick again until it isn''t your name," Zemiri exined to them.


    "Now, I will ask you toe and choose your opponent one by one," she said.


    Roman immediately adjusted his sses and stepped forward ahead of everyone. Upon arriving in front of Erza, he put his hand in the bowl and took a parchment of paper.


    "Read it aloud," Erza said.


    Roman opened the paper, and his face became grim when he saw the name on it. "Reilly Raymond."


    Reillyughed when he saw Roman pick him. "Haha, Roman. It''s been a long time since we fought. Let''s see how good you are now," he said, walking towards Roman with a grin on his face.


    At that moment, a middle-aged man stepped forward and appeared between them. He looked around 30 years old, with curly hair, a clean-shaven beard, and a cheeky smile hanging on his face. He was Nathan Kart.


    "I will be the judge," Nathan said, looking at Roman and Reilly. "The rules are simple: If one of you admits defeat, then the other person wins. If I have to interfere, I will decide who wins and who loses."


    "Now, start," hemanded, signaling the start of the battle.


    Roman unbuttoned his suit and set it aside. He also loosened his tie and tucked up the sleeves of his shirt.


    "Come on."


    He took out a dagger and looked at Reilly.


    "Heh," Reilly smirked when he saw Roman and beckoned him with his hand.


    "Come. Let me see how strong you''ve be."

 Chapter 288: 288. Top Genius of the Starfire Guild

    It was then Roman moved. His sudden movement was so swift that he seemed to vanish from his position, leaving Reilly on high alert.


    Reilly''s expression grew serious as he assessed the situation. Having sparred with Roman several times before, he knew that Roman was likely the most challenging opponent he would face in this selection.


    Reilly scanned his surroundings, his senses focused, remaining vignt for any sign of movement. He knew that Roman''s style relied on quick, decisive strikes, often from unexpected angles.


    The tension in the air was palpable as Reilly braced himself, ready to counter whatever attack Roman mightunch.


    Suddenly, a blurred figure materialized behind Reilly, and the unmistakable sound of a sword slicing through the air echoed in his ears.


    Reacting instinctively, Reilly spun around, his hands glowing with a radiant golden light. In an instant, a mirror-like gold square te materialized in his hands, acting as a shield between him and the iing strike.


    Roman''s sword collided with the gold te with a sharp ng, causing sparks to fly in all directions. The force of the impact sent a shudder through Reilly''s arms, but he held his ground. However, in that same moment, he felt a sharp, unexpected pain in his stomach, causing him to stagger back a step or two.


    Clutching his stomach in slight pain, Reilly''s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Roman.


    "You can bypass gold now?" he asked, astonished.


    Roman nodded with a smirk. "With enough practice, anything is possible." He adjusted his sses as he spoke.


    Then, just like that, he vanished again.


    Reilly''s expression grew even more serious. Roman''s talent had always been unusual¡ªhis attacks could bypass certain defenses as if they didn''t exist, striking directly at the body.


    But it wasn''t absolute and had its limitations.


    There were some elements his attack couldn''t pass through: gold, darkness, and light. Against Roman, relying on physical defense was like asking for a beating. He could ignore almost any physical defense in the world, but his talent showed its limitations against gold, light, and dark elements.


    But now, Roman had ovee his limitations with the gold element, making Reilly, whose talent solely relied on gold, extremely vulnerable to Roman''s every attack.


    Once again, Roman''s figure blurred, moving with such speed that he seemed to teleport in front of Reilly. With a swift, fluid motion, Roman thrust his sword directly at Reilly, the de aiming for his midsection with deadly precision.


    Reacting instantly, Reilly formed two gold shields. The first shield materialized in front of him, directly in the path of Roman''s attack, while the second one shaped itself into a te of gold armor covering his torso from chest to stomach.


    Roman''s sword struck the gold shield with a resounding sh, the force of the impact sending a shockwave through thebat hall. Reilly was pushed back several steps, his feet skidding against the ground as he struggled to maintain his bnce. The sheer power behind Roman''s strike was overwhelming, and Reilly could feel the pressure bearing down on him.


    But this time, something was different. As Roman''s sword met the golden shield, Reilly braced himself for the familiar sensation of pain that often apanied Roman''s attacks bypassing his defenses.


    Yet, to his surprise, there was none. The golden armor he had instinctively formed around his waist had done its job, blocking the attack that had slipped past the first shield.


    ''I understand.''


    Seeing this, Reilly realized something. He immediately activated the first form of the Three Divine Ways, and a golden core hovered behind his back.


    At the same time, his hand conjured a gold sword, shining and reflecting its golden color.


    "Roman, I understand your weakness. Now,e on."


    He also vanished from his position and attacked Roman, who stood a little distance away.


    Roman, who had maintained a serious expression all this time, became even more solemn.


    ''Divine Core.''


    He, too, used the first stage of the Three Divine Ways and vanished from his position.


    Soon, Roman and Reilly collided again in the arena, but this time they were equally pushed back several steps.


    Roman frowned when he saw this and once again vanished from his position to attack Reilly.


    Reilly also attacked Roman and vanished from his position.


    They collided again, and like before, both were pushed back several steps.


    But it didn''t end there; they continued to move around the arena, engaging in fierce confrontations, causing booming sounds to reverberate frequently.


    Although Reilly was slower than Roman even with his Divine Core, he could still react to every one of Roman''s attacks, no matter how swift and fierce they were.


    Boom!


    They collided again, but this time the oue was quite different from how the fight started. Roman was pushed back several steps, while Reilly stood his ground.


    "Don''t be too surprised," Reilly said when he saw the shocked expression on Roman''s face. "If I had used my strongest form, you would have been defeated in a single move."


    Roman sighed when he heard this. There was no exaggeration in what Reilly had just said. If Reilly had indeed used his strongest form, Roman would have only been able to trade one move with him before being defeated.


    ''He''s too strong.'' Roman clenched his fists hard, contemting Reilly''s strength.


    Reilly had always been the top genius of the Starfire Guild since the moment he joined. And even in general, he stood out among the rest.


    In Masturi City, many guilds had been established long ago, and Reilly was considered one of the finest geniuses in the city. This included various guilds and other established powers in Masturi City.


    Roman had known from the start that he stood no chance against Reilly the moment he chose him as his opponent.


    "It''s time to finish this," Reilly said. Golden light shone on his feet, and momentster, they were covered in golden armor, resembling golden boots.


    Roman gripped his sword tightly when he noticed this.


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    No sooner had the words left his mouth than Reilly appeared in front of Roman, moving so fast that even Roman, who prided himself on his agility and speed, couldn''t react in time. Reilly''s sudden burst of speed was nothing short of astonishing, catching Romanpletely off guard.


    With a swift motion, Reilly struck Roman with the t part of his golden sword, the impact resounding through the arena like a thunderp. Roman''s eyes widened in shock as he felt the full force of the blow. He had always relied on his speed to dominate his opponents, but now, that very advantage had been stripped away.


    The strike sent Roman flying across the arena, his body spinning uncontrobly through the air. He could feel the strength draining from his limbs as the force of the blow left him momentarily dazed. All he could do was brace himself for the inevitable crash.


    But before he could hit the ground, Nathan, the judge for the selection, rushed forward and caught Roman mid-air.


    "Reilly wins."


    He then dered the winner and handed Roman over to the healing authorities.


    "Roman was defeated," Shuna muttered to herself.


    "It was bound to happen. He was matched with Reilly. So it''s not his fault that he lost," Kiara said.


    Josh looked at Reilly with a gloomy expression and then turned to Rudy. "Rudy, go."


    Rudy understood what Josh meant and walked towards Erza, who had ced the bowl on a tform and was standing beside it.


    Rudy approached and put his hand in the bowl, drawing out a parchment.


    He opened it and read the name aloud, "Ray Wiser."


    ---


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 Chapter 289: 289. A Monstrous Transformation

    Orion smiled when he saw that it was finally his turn.


    "Ray, all the best." Shuna said to him.


    Orion nodded and walked towards Rudy.


    "Hello, we haven''t met before, have we? I am Rudy." Rudy introduced himself when Orion appeared in front of him.


    "I am Ray Wiser." Orion also did the same.


    Nathan looked at the two of them and announced the start of their battle. "Start!"


    Rudy immediately activated the first form of the Three Divine Ways, and a crimson sphere materialized behind him, pulsating with a menacing energy.


    Almost instantly, his hands began to be enveloped inyers of red feathers, spreading rapidly across his body. Within moments, Rudy had transformed into a monstrous figure, his entire form now covered in a thick armor of red feathers. His new form radiated an aura of immense power, each feathers gleaming with a dangerous edge.


    From his back, a pair of jet-ck wings unfurled, adding to the fearsome appearance, making him look like a creature born from nightmares.


    If not for his face, which remained unchanged, he could easily be mistaken for a monstrous being rather than the warrior he was moments ago.


    Orion was surprised too see such a talent that would let one transformed their bodies. He had seen curses before they weren''t at the level as the one in front of him.


    ''I should also prepare.''


    He took out a sword and also used the first form of the Three Divine Ways as a core started to float behind him. At the same time, he activated the curses of Berserk Body, Shattered Precision and Stormcaller in normal mode. Curse Mode would be too much for gold rank at the moment.


    At this moment, Rudy pped his wings and flew towards him like a raging wind.


    Orion didn''t move from his position and prepared take the attack head on.


    Seeing Orion''s intentions, Josh shook his head. "Ray is stupid. Strength and speed is Rudy''s specially and he is just standing there waiting to be attacked."


    "Well, not everyone is smart like you," Kiaraughed lightly.


    Shuna also frowned deeply as she watched the unfolding scene. She had fought alongside Orion in numerous dungeon raids and hade to understand his fighting style well.


    Orion was a master of wind maniption, often using it to enhance his speed and agility in battle. His quick movements and swift strikes were what made him such a formidable opponent, especially when he danced around his enemies, making it nearly impossible for them tond a hit.


    But now, watching him stand still, preparing to take Rudy''s attack head-on, Shuna couldn''t help but feel a pang of concern.


    "What is he thinking?" she murmured to herself, her brow furrowing even more. Orion''s decision seemed reckless¡ªalmost foolish.


    Rudy''s strength was nothing to scoff at; his monstrous form was designed for brutal, overwhelming power, and speed was supposed to be Orion''s key advantage in countering such an opponent.


    As she thought, feeling anxious for Orion, Rudy swiftly arrived in front of Orion at the moment and punched hard.


    Orion, standing firm with his sword raised, prepared to intercept the powerful punch. The moment Rudy''s fist connected with Orion''s sword, the sound of the impact reverberated through thebat hall.


    The sheer force behind Rudy''s punch was undeniable, and it pushed him back several steps, his foot scraping against the ground as he struggled to maintain his footing.


    His hand was trembling as he gripped his sword tightly, his face looked solemn as he looked at Rudy.


    "Told you, it''s useless to block Rudy''s attack. Either he should have dodged or counterattack." Josh shook his head thinking Orion was doomed.


    "I think he won''tst long against Rudy. Look at his, his hand is trembling from Rudy''s attack. If he takes more of his attacks, he will surely be defeated." Kiaramented at the moment.


    "Or maybe we will see a miracle." Reilly added in the end.


    "Miracle? I highly doubt that." Josh sneered.


    "I agree with you on this but there is something about this guy I just can''t put a hand on..." Reilly said, pondering.


    "You just think too much." Josh shook his head and focused on the battle when he saw that Rudy was about to attack again.


    Seeing that Rudy was about to attack again, Orion immediately used the curse of Stormcaller. Raging wind began to release from Orion''s body in all directions. It was like Orion had became a centre of storm and was brewing the entire storm himself.


    Erza who had been focusing on Orion''s battle the whole had her eyes narrowed when she saw the uncontroble and raging wind released from Orion. She could tell that he had never used this much strength of his wind ever before in the dungeon and understood the this was the strength Orion had been hiding all this time.


    At this moment, Rudy flew again and moved towards him. Seeing that Orion prepared to attack.


    With a decisive swing of his sword, Orion harnessed the full might of the Stormcaller curse. The de cut through the storm, directing a massive wave of wind towards Rudy. The sheer force of the gust was immense, churning and howling as it surged from Orion''s sword.


    Rudy, still in mid-flight and struggling against the powerful wind, was caught off guard by the sudden and overwhelming surge. The wave of wind struck him with tremendous force, pushing him back and sending him spiraling through the air. His monstrous wings pped wildly in a desperate attempt to stabilize himself, but the force of the wind was too great.


    Seizing this opportunity, Orion using the wind flew towards Rudy high in the air. Rudy at this moment had barely stabilize himself with his wings when saw Orion flying towards him. Noticing that he immediately extended his wings and hands towards Orion.


    And from his wings and hands released hundreds of feathers. These feathers were fast like bullet and flew towards Orion like bolts of red and ck lightning.


    Orion gave a smirked when he saw that and once again waved his sword. The attack again release a wave of wind towards the iing feathers and these feathers were all blown away by Orion''s wind.


    "Attacking me with flying attack is useless." Orion said with a sneer and continued to fly towards Rudy.


    Rudy seeing his feathers were useless against Orion didn''t frown. He seemed to have expected that.


    "It''s done."


    He muttered. At the same time, the red feathers all around his hand seemed to be flying out and materialized in form of a red spear. But it wasn''t any spear. At the end of the spear, one could notice two small wings pping continuously.


    "Come."


    Holding this spear, he looked down at Orion who was flying towards him at top speed.


    Orion smiled when he that and a momentter arrived in front of Rudy and swung his sword again. This time, he focused all the wind''s energy into the edge of the de, gathering it into a concentrated, formidable force.


    The sword trembled in his hands, the bluish-white aura around its edges intensifying. The air around the de shimmered with raw power, indicating the precision and potency of his attack.


    Rudy also attacked this time and thrusting his spear towards Orion but as he thrust his spear towards Orion, the tip of the weapon began to shimmer with an intense, spiraling vortex of red and ck feathers. The feathers swirled around the spear, forming a deadly spiral thatunched toward Orion with fierce, concentrated energy.


    ---


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 Chapter 290: 290. Orion Barely Won

    Orion smiled subtly when he saw Rudy''s attack and continued with his own.


    Their weapons collided with a thunderous crash, unleashing an unimaginable gale of wind that swept through the hall.


    The force of the impact was so intense that even the most seasoned spectators and higher-level guild members felt the powerful wind tugging at their hair and causing their clothes to ripple wildly.


    At that very moment, a figure was sted away, hurtling toward the ground at an incredible speed. The crowd watched in shock, their breaths held as the figure plummeted downward.


    But just as it seemed that the impact was inevitable, Nathan moved with lightning-fast reflexes. In thest possible moment, he caught the figure, halting its uncontroble descent and preventing a catastrophic collision with the ground.


    "It''s you?" Nathan was surprised to see who the figure was¡ªit was none other than Rudy. At this moment, Rudy had already returned to his normal human form and no longer looked like a monster.


    Nathan then turned his head upward and saw a figure slowly descending toward the ground. It was Orion. He was breathing heavily and looked somewhat out of shape, but overall, he was fine.


    "Ray Wiser wins."


    As shocking as the revtion was, Nathan announced the winner of the battle.


    Everyone present in the hall was astonished by Orion''s control over the wind. The sheer precision and mastery he exhibited left asting impression on all who witnessed the battle. It became evident that while Rudy was undoubtedly strong, it was Orion''s unparalleled control over the wind that gave him the decisive edge.


    Throughout the sh, it was clear that Orion wasn''t just relying on raw power or speed. Instead, he had turned the very air around him into a weapon, manipting the wind with such finesse that Rudy''s formidable attacks were rendered ineffective. Every gust, every breeze was under Orion''smand, allowing him to dictate the flow of the battle and outmaneuver Rudy at every turn.


    The spectators, many of whom were seasoned fighters and guild members, couldn''t help but marvel at Orion''s technique. They had seen powerful warriors before, but Orion''s ability to wield the wind as if it were an extension of his own will was something rare, a skill that set him apart from others.


    It was this control, this deep understanding of his element, that ultimately led to his victory and left the audience in awe of his capabilities.


    "Heh, he indeed created a miracle," Reillymented, surprised that Orion won. Even though he had said Orion might create a miracle, he hadn''t been confident in Orion at all.


    "A battle of luck, I would say. Orion could control wind, and Rudy became somewhat weak in the wind since all his attacks are somewhat rted to wind," Kiara said.


    "It is indeed a matter of luck, but a win is a win," Shuna smiled.


    Only Josh remained silent. He had predicted and even said outright that Orion would lose, but he was proven wrong.


    On the other side, the higher-level members of the guild didn''t seem surprised at all. For them, battles at the gold rank level no longer interested them. It might also be because they weren''t familiar with all the juniors in the guild, so they assumed some geniuses were hiding their strength.


    Erza, standing among them, felt surprised. She knew Orion the best in the guild and understood that he had been using his full strength all this time. The strength he disyed just now might not even be his true strength. He may very well have held back, and she felt she had guessed right.


    At that moment, another participant stepped forward¡ªa female, one of the aloof and arrogant girls who had walked into the hall with Reilly. Putting her hands down, she took out a parchment and opened it.


    "Josh Little."


    "Heh," Josh smirked when he heard his name called and headed forward.


    "I guess it''s your bad luck, Ravina," he sneered at Ravina, who had chosen him as her opponent.


    Ravina looked at Josh for a moment and sighed. "I admit defeat."


    "Huh," Josh was taken aback by her sudden announcement.


    Others were also surprised, but they understood. Ravina could never beat Josh. It wasn''t an exaggeration; it was a fact known throughout the Starfire Guild. Although Josh wasn''t at Reilly''s level, he was up there with the other geniuses of Masturi City.


    "Are you sure?" Nathan asked for confirmation.


    Ravina nodded. "I am sure."


    "Ravina admits defeat. Josh wins," Nathan announced the result.


    Josh headed back with a smile and looked at Shuna, Kiara, Patrick, and thest boy who was deep in thought. "You four just go and fight fast."


    "I''m going then," Shuna said, immediately heading toward Erza.


    "Do your best," Orion said to her.


    "I will," Shuna replied and put her hand into the bowl when she arrived, drawing out a piece of paper.


    Opening it, she was surprised to see the name. "Kiara Kally."


    "Ah, she''s my opponent," Kiara was also surprised.


    "It will be a difficult battle for you, Kiara," Joshmented from the side.


    Kiara understood what Josh meant, ignored him, and headed forward.


    "You''re unlucky, Kiara," Shuna said with pity.


    "It is what it is. Let''s fight," Kiara sighed and prepared for the battle.


    "Start!" Nathan announced.


    As soon as Nathan announced the start of the battle, Kiara sprang into action. Waves of water appeared around her feet, propelling her toward Shuna with incredible speed, like a surfer riding a powerful tide.


    A massive wave of water surged behind her, and as she closed the distance, she shot tens of water arrows at Shuna, each arrow whistling through the air with lethal precision.


    Shuna, noticing Kiara''s rapid approach, remained calm. A white mist began to emanate from her body, spreading out and filling the hall with an eerie chill.


    The temperature dropped sharply, and the air became so cold that the spectators could see their own breath, forming small clouds of condensation.


    With a graceful wave of her hands, Shuna conjured a shield of solid ice, cing it in front of her. The water arrows fired by Kiara collided with the ice shield one by one, each impact creating a muffled thud before the arrows disappeared, absorbed by the unyielding barrier.


    At that moment, Kiara surged forward with a massive wave of water towering behind her, ready to crash down upon Shuna. With a swift motion, she directed the wave toward her opponent, intending to overwhelm Shuna with sheer force.


    ---


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 Chapter 291: 291. A Battle of Luck

    However, Shuna simply smiled as she observed Kiara''s approach. She then channeled her power through her feet, causing the ground beneath her to freeze rapidly. The frost spread outward in all directions, covering the arena in a sheet of ice. By the time Kiara''s colossal wave reached Shuna, the ground was already entirely frozen.


    As the wave collided with the frozen ground, Shuna''s ice powers extended to the water itself, freezing it solid in an instant.


    But Shuna''s power didn''t stop there. The freezing energy continued to spread, creeping up Kiara''s legs until her feet were encased in ice, locking her in ce. Immobilized and unable to move, Kiara found herself at the mercy of Shuna''s relentless cold.


    Kiara sighed when she saw this. She had expected this result but felt disappointed when she lost. "I admit defeat," she finally said.


    Nathan saw the situation and announced, "Shuna wins."


    "Let''s go," Shuna said to Kiara as she melt the ice restricting her, who nodded, and they both returned to their group.


    "It''s the brothers'' turn now," Josh said with a sneer and turned toward Patrick. "Patrick, do you have confidence against your brother Luce?"


    Patrick, with baggy eyes and a thin body, nodded. "I''ll see what I can do." He headed to the battle after saying that. Since only Patrick and his brother Luce remained to fight, there was no need for a matchup.


    "Both brothers have the same personality but are different at the same time," Josh shook his head. He felt that this battle could go either way.


    "This is interesting. I''ve never seen the two brothers fight each other. Considering their talents, it will be a sight to behold," Reilly said, intrigued by the uing battle.


    "Patrick will win," Roman''s voice suddenly sounded from behind them.


    "Are you okay?" Shuna asked, turning around when she saw Roman arrive.


    "I''m fine," Roman replied, adjusting his sses.


    "Of course you''re fine; I barely hit you that time, just the t side of the sword," Reilly said, taking credit for Roman''s recovery, though it was his fault Roman was injured in the first ce.


    "I heard Rudy lost..." Roman said, turning to Orion, who was standing not far away.


    "I barely won, thanks to my wind talent," Orion shrugged.


    "Guys, they''re about to fight," Shuna said excitedly, catching everyone''s attention and directing it toward Patrick and Luca.


    At that moment, the two brothers stood facing each other, their gazes locked.


    "Brother Luca, I plead with you to admit defeat. It''s such a hassle to fight me, isn''t it? If you fight me, what will happen to your thoughts?" Patrick suggested, his baggy eyes half-lidded, his voice so low it seemed he might fall asleep at any moment.


    "A hassle?" Luca, always deep in thought, found himself engrossed in his brother''s words. Pondering them, he felt his brother was right; his precious thoughts would indeed be interrupted.


    "Brother Luca, I suppose you don''t have any interest in Das Academy, right? Then you might as well give me the chance. That way, you''ll get your precious thinking time, and I''ll be promoted to the next round," Patrick continued, seeing Luca beginning to understand.


    Luca pondered even harder, and it wasn''t until five minutester that he finally came to a decision. "Brother Patrick is right." Turning to Nathan, he said, "I admit defeat."


    After that, both Patrick and Luca walked back as if nothing had happened.


    However, the entire hall fell into pin-drop silence, stunned by what they''d just witnessed. They had been expecting a great battle, but instead, they got the worst oue¡ªPatrick convinced Luca to admit defeat, showering the others with nothing but disappointment.


    "Well, that was anticlimactic," Joshughed.


    "A battle between light and shadow, white and ck, two talentspletely opposite from each other would have been fantastic, but it seems we weren''t destined to see such a fight," Reilly said, feeling it was a pity.


    "I still believe Patrick would have won if the fight had happened," Roman said with a sigh.


    "Alright."


    At that moment, an authoritative voice echoed through the hall as Zemiri stepped forward.


    "Now that the first round is over and we have five of you remaining, it''s time for another round. But this time, the selection will be different. Your five names will still be in the bowl, but it will be me who chooses from the bowl."


    She added, "The rules have also changed slightly. The first name I pick from the bowl will automatically pass this round and go directly to the final round."


    The spectators were surprised to hear this from their leader. The chosen person would be incredibly lucky if that happened.


    Josh, Reilly, Shuna, Patrick, and Orion all had different reactions to Zemiri''s words.


    "That''s understandable. If that happens, the number of participants will be even, and they can fight each other to determine who will face the one the leader chooses first. It''s reasonable," Reillymented, finding her tactics quite fair.


    "Whatever, I only want to fight you, and nobody can stop me from achieving that," Josh shrugged.


    An expression of hope appeared on Shuna''s face, while Patrick remained indifferent.


    Amidst this, Orion smiled wryly. Knowing his luck, he doubted he would be the one chosen first. He really wanted to be chosen first so he could easily hide his powers, needing only to fight one battle to advance. But he sighed at his luck.


    ''It''s very difficult to hide strength when you can one-shot an opponent.''


    He sighed again and waited with a hopeful expression.


    "There''s more," Zemiri said, drawing everyone''s attention back to her.


    "The second name I pick can independently choose their opponent from the remaining three."


    The crowd was once again surprised, but it was the participants who were more shocked.


    "This is... good!" Josh said. "But not fair, I think. However, it''s a rule, so it doesn''t matter."


    "It all depends on luck¡ªwho gets chosen and who doesn''t," Reilly said.


    Shuna remained silent, but a frown appeared on her face.


    At that moment, Erza approached Zemiri with the bowl.


    "I will choose the first name," Zemiri said as she reached into the bowl and took out a parchment.


    Reading the name silently, she looked at Orion, Shuna, Josh, Reilly, and Patrick each in turn before finally revealing the name with a sense of suspense.


    "Reilly Raymond."


    ---


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

 Chapter 292: 292. Shadow Monarch?

    Everyone was surprised when they heard Zemiri''s words. They hadn''t expected the one automatically advancing to the final round would be everyone''s favorite to win.


    "Tch," Josh clicked his tongue upon hearing Reilly''s name. "This guy is too lucky."


    "Of course, I am lucky. Hahaha," Reilly felt overjoyed at being chosen. Now he would only have to fight one battle to secure his spot.


    On the other hand, others were disappointed. Shuna, who had hoped to get that chance, sighed. Among the five people in the second round, she felt she might be the weakest, even though she had thought Ray was weak, only to find out he was incredibly strong. She had hoped, however slim the chance, to secure a ticket to the final round, but she failed.


    Orion was also a little disappointed, but it was fine for him. He was determined to secure his spot one way or another, even if it meant fighting more.


    Patrick seemed the least affected by all of this, remaining calm throughout.


    "Reilly Raymond, you are indeed a lucky one. Now, please stand aside," Zemiri said to Reilly.


    Reilly nodded and stepped aside, separating from Orion, Josh, Patrick, and Shuna.


    "Now, I will choose the second name," Zemiri announced, reaching into the bowl and pulling out a parchment.


    Opening it, she read aloud, "Ray Wiser."


    Orion smiled upon hearing his name.


    "Ray Wiser, choose your opponent wisely. If you are defeated, you will be eliminated. If you win, you''ll fight another round to determine if you''ll battle Reilly," Zemiri advised.


    Orion nodded and turned his attention to Shuna, Josh, and Patrick. He considered who to choose as his opponent. It didn''t matter much since he was confident in his victory, but he was intrigued by Patrick''s talent and wondered if his curse would be as interesting. Hearing Reilly and Josh hype up the fight between Patrick and Luce made Orion think their talents should be very good.


    Although he didn''t need to fight Patrick to copy his curse, the opportunity was too tempting to pass up¡ªhe might discover something unique.


    Alternatively, he could choose the easier route and pick someone like Shuna or Josh. Ultimately, it didn''t matter who his opponent was; what mattered was whether they would challenge him enough to reveal more of his strength.


    "I choose Patrick," Orion said to Zemiri, deciding to face Patrick and see what he had in store.


    Zemiri raised an eyebrow, surprised by Orion''s choice. She wasn''t the only one; everyone seemed taken aback by his decision.


    "You should have chosen me instead, fool," Josh sneered.


    Shuna wore aplex expression when Orion chose Patrick, knowing it meant she would have to face Josh, against whom she had little hope of winning. She was more worried about herself than Orion at that moment.


    "An interesting choice," Reilly said, intrigued.


    Roman adjusted his sses and looked at Orion,menting, "You''ve just made the worst decision of your life, Ray. Congrattions."


    Orion responded with a wry smile. "Hey, hey, don''t jump to conclusions. I haven''t fought him yet. Last time, I was the underdog, and I still won, right? This time will be no different."


    "We''ll see," Roman said.


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    "Ray Wiser and Patrick,e and fight," Nathan announced.


    Orion immediately went to the center of the arena, as did Patrick. Orion observed him for a moment, noticing the aura of depression that seemed to surround him, as if it cut him off from the outside world.


    Patrick looked at Orion and suddenly said, "Will you admit defeat? I want to fight Josh and Reilly." His voice was monotonous and uninterested, almost robotic, but very depressing.


    Orion smiled slightly and replied, "You say you want to fight them, yet your expression says otherwise. It tells me you want nothing more than a good sleep."


    "I see," Patrick replied, his voice barely a whisper, sounding as depressing as always. "So, you''ve chosen the worst path."


    ck aura began to emanate from Patrick''s body, spreading from his legs, hands, and all around him.


    Orion became interested as he watched, waiting to see what Patrick would do.


    "Here ites," Josh said excitedly.


    Reilly also watched Patrick with a focused expression.


    At that moment, all the shadows in the hall seemed to converge, pulling toward a single point¡ªPatrick''s shadow. It darkened to an inky pitch ck, absorbing every trace of light around it.


    Then, without warning, Patrick vanished into the darkness.


    Orion, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, didn''t hesitate. He immediately activated his Curse of Stormcaller, summoning a powerful gust of wind to propel himself away from his current position.


    Just as Orion vacated the spot, the ground where he had stood began to ripple. A dark mass surged up, quickly expanding until it towered twice as high as Orion. The form was amorphous, shifting and writhing like a living shadow, but with a consistency resembling a giant slime.


    It was a shapeless entity, its surface undting as ifposed of pure darkness, with no defined features other than its menacing presence.


    "What the hell is this?" Orion eximed in shock.


    However, he received no response. Instead, ck shadow-like tentacles shot toward him at super-fast speed. Orion used his wind to move back in a zigzag manner, dodging them all.


    But that was just the beginning. Hundreds of tentacles emerged from the shadow, moving toward him, intending to capture him.


    Orion''s eyes narrowed as he saw the encroaching darkness. Gripping his sword tightly, he unleashed the full force of the Stormcaller curse, pushing his speed to its limits. His body blurred, moving faster than the eye could follow. Each time the tentacles closed in, Orion was already gone, dodging with graceful, swift movements that made him appear untouchable.


    To the spectators in the stands, Orion was little more than a flicker of light, appearing in one spot for an instant before vanishing and reappearing somewhere else. It was as if the tentacles were chasing a phantom, perpetually a step behind.


    Any tentacle that came too close was met with a devastating counterattack. Orion''s sword, enhanced by his curses, sliced through the shadowy appendages with ease. Each swing shattered the tentacles into wisps of dark energy, unable to withstand the force behind his strikes.


    Despite the sheer volume of tentacles swarming him, Orion moved fluidly, dancing through the attack. Not a single shadow touched him.


    While dodging the tentacles, Orion steadily advanced toward the main body of the shadows, where Patrick had transformed into a blob of darkness.


    In just a moment, Orion appeared in front of Patrick, evading all the tentacles, and shed with his sword.


    "Wind sh!"


    He used the same attack that had defeated Rudyst time, concentrating all the wind around him at the edge of his sword and shing toward the giant blob of darkness, intending to cut it in half.


    ---


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 Chapter 293: 293. Full Power of Patrick

    But something surprising happened. The giant blob of darkness contracted and swelled suddenly before shrinking into a human-sized blob. Then it transformed into a human figure.


    Orion''s eyes widened as the massive blob of darkness swiftly morphed into a human-sized figure. The transformation was almost fluid, as the amorphous mass shrank and solidified into the form of Patrick.


    But this wasn''t the same Patrick who had entered the fight; this version radiated a menacing aura. His entire body was cloaked in swirling shadows, and his presence seemed to warp the very air around him.


    The shock was brief, as Orion''s wind-infused sh was already slicing through the air toward the newly transformed Patrick. The razor-sharp crescent of wind, powerful enough to cleave a man in two, hurtled directly at him.


    But Patrick moved with inhuman speed. His shadow-covered hand extended and morphed into a massive, wed appendage. With a swift, calcted motion, he swiped at Orion''s attack. The impact was immediate¡ªOrion''s wind de met Patrick''s shadowy w, and instead of cutting through, it encountered overwhelming resistance.


    The collision sent shockwaves rippling outward, shaking the ground and making the air itself tremble. The two forces shed¡ªwind against shadow¡ªin a fierce struggle for dominance. For a brief moment, it seemed as if the two might cancel each other out, but then something unexpected happened.


    Boom!


    The explosion hurled Patrick through the air, his shadowy figure spinning wildly. The st would have knocked out most, but just as he was about to m into the hall''s wall, Patrick''s body dissolved into a shadowy mist, vanishing as if he''d never been there.


    In an instant, he reappeared, emerging from Orion''s own shadow like a phantom. His wed hand, wreathed in dark tendrils, lunged forward, aiming to strike Orion from behind.


    But Orion''s reflexes were honed to perfection. The moment he sensed the danger, he reacted. A powerful gust of wind erupted from his back, forming a protective barrier. The swirling vortex was strong enough to shove Patrick away before his ws could find their mark.


    Patrick was flung back, his attack foiled by the sudden gale. He skidded across the ground, his shadowy form flickering but quickly steadying itself.


    "I understand now," Orion said, looking at Patrick. "You''ve be faster and stronger and can teleport through shadows, but beyond that, you''re just a normal human."


    "I guess you''re right. Also, you''re even faster than me, and your control over wind is so precise that I haven''tnded a blow on you yet," Patrick replied to Orion for the first time since their battle began.


    Orion smiled and said, "Is that so?" He paused for a moment before asking, "Why don''t you give up? You''re clearly no match for me. Your shadows may materialize, but if they can''t hit me, they''re useless, aren''t they?"


    He had already copied Patrick''s curse when he got close to him earlier, so Orion felt that continuing to fight was a waste of time.


    "This isn''t the full extent of my power," Patrick shook his head with a bored expression. "If I give it my all, I sometimes lose control over the shadows, or in other words, they be too powerful and develop their own consciousness. But I believe I can defeat you with that technique."


    "Oh," Orion became interested and recalled the curse he had copied earlier, quickly checking its description.


    [Talent: Shadow Possession.]


    [Curse: Shadow Nemesis: When you overuse your talent, your shadowes to life. It can attack the shadows of those dear to you and swap positions with you, putting you in dangerous situations. Be aware of your own shadow at if that happens.]


    After reading the description, Orion understood that whatever technique Patrick was talking about would likely lead to the activation of his curse. This exined why he mentioned that his shadows could be sentient and uncontroble.


    "I see. Then you might as well give up," Orion said to Patrick. While he would love to fight Patrick at full strength, he didn''t want to at this moment. He had achieved what he wanted, and ending the battle seemed like the best choice.


    "No, Patrick, don''t give up," Josh interjected. "Our guild leader and all the other powerful members are here, so just use your full strength and show this new guy what you''re really capable of. Let the higher members handle anything concerning the shadows."


    "Damn that Josh!" Orion muttered under his breath.


    "You can indeed use your full power, Patrick. There''s no need to fear," Erza added before turning to Zemiri. "Big Sis, isn''t that right?"


    Zemiri nodded with a slight smile. "You can go ahead."


    Orion shot a foul look at Erza and almost cursed at her when he noticed she was smiling at him.


    "I''ll do it then," Patrick said after considering the situation. He looked at Orion and said, "Ray, be prepared. This attack is so powerful that I usually only use it against boss-level monsters and rarely against humans, so be cautious."


    Orion sighed. "Alright, do it and show me your ultimate move."


    With a slow, deliberate movement, Patrick spread his arms wide. The shadows clinging to his form began to peel away, slipping from his body like a dark mist. His features returned to their human state, revealing the man beneath the shadowy guise. But this return to normalcy was only a prelude.


    The shadows didn''t dissipate; instead, they surged with renewed vigor. Like a living entity, they gathered with purpose, swirling around both Patrick and Orion. The darkness coiled and twisted in the air, growing denser with each passing second.


    Then, the shadows, now fully unleashed, converged around the twobatants. The air thickened with an ominous energy as the mass of shadows formed into a swirling dome, its walls opaque and imprable. The dome expanded rapidly, enclosing both Patrick and Orion within a world of darkness, sealing them off from the outside world.


    Orion was surprised by the sight, which reminded him of something¡ªthe battle against the god Quent in the dungeon where he first transmigrated. It reminded him of Quent''s use of a Domain and what Quent had mentioned:


    ''No human has ever been able to form a Domain of their own. Only by sessfully mastering the Three Divine Ways and surpassing the final stage can one master a Domain.''


    Orion understood this very well, but Patrick''s shadow technique resembled a Domain attack. He closed his eyes for a moment to see if he could move inside his dimension and discovered that he could. This meant only one thing¡ªPatrick''s attack wasn''t a true Domain, but rather an outer shell of a Domain without its inner workings andws.


    ''Even though it''s a false Domain, it''s interesting,'' Orion noted, thinking the technique could be very useful with his arsenal of curses.


    "Ray, it''sing," Patrick warned as heunched his attack.


    ---


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

 Chapter 294: 294. Shadow Beings Surrounded Orion

    Hearing Patrick''s warning, Orion focused his attention on him and the dome surrounding them.


    But he didn''t understand what Patrick was warning about since there was nothing in the dome other than him and Patrick.


    "What is that?"


    It was then Orion noticed something. At the edge of the shadow dome, a giant water droplet split from its edge and then took the shape of a human.


    ''So, those are the things I should be worried about?''


    Orion didn''t see them as very formidable since they were just shadows. Even if they managed to solidify and attack, their strength was insufficient to ovee or hurt him. This led him to question what greater threats might be approaching, as Patrick''s warning surely couldn''t be about just a single shadow.


    "Oh."


    It was then Orion noticed that the shadow he had just seen leaving the dome was just one among thousands of shadows detaching themselves from the edge of the dome.


    ''A hundred ants can surely cause a problem if theye at the same time.''


    Orion''s mind raced as hepared his current struggle to his earlier thought. He realized that while a single shadow, no matter how powerful, couldn''t breach his defenses or do serious harm, the real danger was their sheer number. Thousands of these shadows, attacking from all sides, could potentially overwhelm him, especially if they coordinated their attacks.


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    However, these shadows were the least of his problems when something new caught his attention. At the top of the shadow dome, he saw a troubling sight:rger, water-like droplets of shadow began to fall from above. As they descended, these droplets transformed into shadowy eagles¡ªeach one bigger and more menacing than the ones already attacking him.


    These new shadow eagles weren''t just more numerous; they were denser and more powerful.


    The appearance of theserger, more potent shadow eagles made it clear that Patrick''s warning wasn''t just about the shadows themselves but about how the attack was intensifying.


    "Attack."


    At this moment, Patrick gave themand to attack Orion.


    All the shadows in the dome turned their attention towards Orion and lunged forward.


    Suddenly, thousands of shadows surged towards him. In the sky, shadow eagles flew around, trying to swallow him whenever they got the chance.


    Orion found himself overwhelmed by the sheer number of shadows attacking him from all sides¡ªboth from the ground and the air.


    The dome Patrick''s shadows had created upied almost 90% of the space in the Combat Hall. Therefore, this situation was possible; otherwise, a smaller dome wouldn''t have amodated so many shadows.


    Orion gripped his sword tightly, activated the curse of Stormcaller and Shattered Precision, and then vanished.


    Among the thousands of ck shadows inside the dome, one could see a figure cutting through them effortlessly, like slicing through vegetables. He moved with the speed of a hurricane and the precision of a gust of wind, maneuvering in whatever direction he desired.


    However, the more Orion killed the shadows, the more they seemed to multiply. For a moment, Orion even suspected that the number of shadows was infinite, but that wasn''t the case.


    ''If the numbers aren''t decreasing, then the shadows I kill aren''t dying.''


    He thought, assessing the situation. But just then, shadow eagles descended inrge numbers, intending to attack him.


    "Damn."


    He could barely handle the ground shadows, and the shadow eagles from the sky gave him no time to breathe.


    Swiftly using the curse of Stormcaller, Orion flew into the sky and collided with one of the shadow eagles.


    Orion''s sword severed the eagle in half, but the two parts continued to fall until they suddenly reattached themselves with shadows and came back to life.


    ''My assumption is correct. Killing is useless here.''


    That meant... Orion''s gaze shifted to Patrick, who stood calmly watching the chaos from a high vantage point. He couldn''t help but think that taking out Patrick might be the key to ending this nightmare. If Patrick was removed, the dome might copse, and the relentless shadow assault could finally stop.


    But then he remembered Patrick''s earlier words, which tempered his hope. Patrick had mentioned that once he activated this technique, the shadows would be uncontroble. This hinted that their aggression wasn''t solely dependent on his presence.


    ''What a strong talent!'' Orion thought, looking at all the shadows on the ground and all the shadow eagles in the air. He decided to try something.


    He could use Curse Transformation and end the fight immediately, but doing so would cause his strength to directly soar from gold rank to tinum rank.


    When he was at the silver rank, his strength in Curse Transformation mode was already at the peak of gold rank. However, upon reaching the gold rank, Orion was confident that using Curse Transformation would push his strength to the tinum rank. He was sure of it.


    That was why he had avoided using Curse Transformation all this time. Revealing such overwhelming strength might make people suspect him. Since it hadn''t been long since Orion was dered wanted, any disy of overwhelming strength could lead to suspicion. He had chosen to y it safe and keep a lower profile.


    All this time, Orion had been flying in the air, avoiding the shadow eagles while observing that the shadows on the ground were decreasing and the number of shadow eagles was increasing.


    ''It''s adapting to the situation.''


    Orion thought and put away his sword. He then closed his palms together and shut his eyes for a moment.


    When he opened them, he looked at his closed palms.


    He slowly opened his palms to reveal a small green seed swirling and twirling in the wind.


    ---


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 Chapter 295: 295. A recognition of Ray Wisers Strength

    The attacks of the shadow eagles came at this moment as Orion remained paused in the air, preparing the seed. Seeing them, Orion once again flew away and kept a safe distance from them.


    While he did this, he provided his infinite energy to the seed and nurtured it. Gradually, the swirling little seed began to grow and transformed into a fist-sized green sphere. It rotated violently and released an uncontroble amount of wind.


    But Orion didn''t stop there. He continued to supply energy to the sphere while flying in all directions, dodging the attacks of the shadow eagles.


    It wasn''t until a few minutester that he finally came to a stop. At this moment, Orion gripped a swirling green sphere¡ªa massive orb of wind pulsing with formidable energy. The sphere, about twice the size of his head, rotated violently, generating an intense gust of wind that surged out in all directions.


    The sheer force of the wind from the sphere kept the shadow eagles at bay. Each time they tried to dive toward him, they were met with a powerful st of air that sent them tumbling through the sky, unable to regain their bearings.


    With the sphere in hand, Orion took a deep breath and assessed the situation. The relentless attacks from the shadows continued, but the wind barrier created by the sphere kept them at a distance. This moment of rtive calm provided him with a brief respite to focus on his next move.


    "It''splete. Let''s see what it does." Orionughed slightly and dropped the swirling green sphere from his hands.


    It fell to the ground and suddenly generated a tornado. The tornado was massive and rotated violently. However, instead of blowing the shadow eagles away, the wind from this tornado began to attract them, pulling them into its swirling vortex.


    The shadow eagles, being flying creatures, couldn''t control themselves when pulled by the tornado''s suction. They were all drawn into the tornado, which changed its color from green to light gray.


    But the suction didn''t stop there. The tornado raged throughout the entire dome, pulling in even the shadows that made up the dome''s walls. It left nothing behind and engulfed every shadow it encountered.


    A momentter, a crack appeared on the ceiling of the dome due to the tornado''s continuous suction of shadows. The crack expanded in all directions like a huge spider web, eventually breaking down like a mirror shattering into fragments that disintegrated into nothingness.


    When this happened, Orion waved his hand, and the tornado died down. It was at this moment that everyone in the hall could once again see him and Patrick.


    "I admit defeat," Patrick said with a deadpan expression, as if the oue of the battle didn''t matter to him.


    Orion shrugged and also went back. He was one step closer to attaining his goal.


    However, as he turned around, he noticed everyone was looking at him with shocked expressions. He didn''t understand what had surprised them.


    "Ray Wiser is so strong. Even with all the shadows surrounding him from all directions, he was able to quickly react and ultimately win in the end."


    "And that tornado at the end. It was a game-changer, sucking every shadow into oblivion."


    "This battle was awesome. Not only that, but I believe his chances for the final battle have increased."


    "He must have been hiding his strength all this time. I''ve been with him in a few dungeons, and he never showed such strength. It seems he''s been concealing his power just for this moment."


    The members and spectators in the stands began discussing the battle, and Orion was surprised to see that they could still observe the battle while inside the dome.


    Looking around, he noticed a hologram screen flickering in the distance. It was a screen that hadn''t been present before his battle with Patrick.


    ''I see. It''s someone''s talentbined with technology that resulted in this.''


    Orion thought and walked back.


    "Ray Wiser wins," Nathan announced, dering the winner of the battle.


    "Ray, you are very strong!" Shuna said immediately when Orion came back, her voice tinged with jealousy.


    Orion nodded slightly. He already knew that Shuna was someone who sought strength and wasn''t surprised by her jealousy. Everyone in this world aspired to be stronger, and he wasn''t an exception. Her jealousy was not umon.


    "Don''t get too confident. Your next battle will be against me. You''ll find out your ce then," Josh said grumpily.


    Orion ignored him and turned to Roman. "You said something about Patrick winning?" He didn''t forget Roman''s remark and intended to address it.


    "Ah," Romanughed embarrassingly and chose to remain silent.


    Orion smiled and turned his attention towards the opposite end of the hall, where Erza and the higher members of the guild were standing.


    He saw the higher members of the guild talking about him, and he could hear them clearly. He also noticed Erza smiling when she saw him. Orion smiled back at her. It was thanks to her that the battle escted to that level; otherwise, it might have ended sooner. However, it didn''t matter in the end.


    He understood why Erza seemed happy. She was likely thinking she had seen the full strength of Ray Wiser, and Orion didn''t doubt that. She and everyone else present had indeed witnessed the full strength of Ray Wiser, but not him. They had seen only what he wanted to show them.


    "Josh and Shuna,e forward for the battle," Nathan announced, summoning the next contestants.


    Josh sneered at Shuna and went ahead. Shuna gritted her teeth and followed. Even if she were to lose, she wouldn''t give up. When she had heard that Reilly would also be participating in the selection, she had already lost hope of bing the chosen one.


    But a flicker of hope had always burned brightly in her heart, telling her that somehow she might still be the chosen one. That''s why she decided to participate in the selection. However, it now seemed pointless. She felt delusional for holding onto that hope. Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin


    ---


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 Chapter 296: 296. Absolute Defense reappears?

    "Shuna, you won''t be like Ravina and give up, right?" Josh asked with a sneer as they stood at opposite ends.


    "I won''t give up," Shuna said, determination etched on her face.


    "Good," Josh nodded.


    "Alright, both of you, begin fighting," Nathan soon announced the start of the match.


    Shuna sprang into action the moment Nathan announced the start. She first conjured some ice spikes around her and hurled them toward Josh. At the same time, her body became encased in ice armor as a blue core condensed behind her when she used the first form of Three Divine Ways.


    The ice spikes reached Josh and appeared before him, but they shattered into pieces as they approached. It was as if an invisible shield stood in front of Josh, blocking the ice spikes and preventing them from reaching him.


    Shuna didn''t worry about that attack and appeared in front of Josh with an ice spear in her hand, thrusting it forward.


    However, the ice spear was also destroyed before it could reach Josh. Seeing this, Shuna extended her foot toward Josh, releasing an overwhelming cold sheet of ice that covered the entire ground and moved toward him, intending to freeze him.


    But again, as if something was blocking the ice sheet''s path, it was stopped just short of reaching Josh.


    "My ultimate defense isn''t something you can break," Josh sneered. "If you have anything else, use it."


    Shuna gritted her teeth as she saw her attacks were useless against Josh. Ignoring his taunts, she began to slowly rotate her hands, dancing as ice formed between her palms. Gradually, the ice began to take shape.


    In no time, the ice she was ying with became a dragon. It looked like a Chinese dragon, with no wings and small legs, and a body as long as a snake''s.


    Shuna stopped moving, but the dragon she had formed from her ice seemed full of life, revolving around her as if to protect her. But that wasn''t why she had condensed this dragon.


    Looking at Josh, who wore an amused expression, Shuna said, "Ice Dragon Descends."


    The ice dragon seemed to hear hermand and moved toward Josh, freezing everything in its path.


    Soon, it appeared before Josh, intending to crush him with its gigantic form. However, before it could get any closer, the ice dragon collided with something invisible and halted. It moved forward again but was blocked once more. It couldn''t reach Josh.


    Shuna appeared in front of Josh and attacked at the same time as the ice dragon. However, both of their attacks were blocked again. Shuna felt hopeless when she saw that.


    ''I can''t break his defense,'' she thought with a desperate expression and came to a decision.


    "Explode," shemanded the ice dragon, a determined look on her face.


    The ice dragon once again mmed into the invisible barrier, but this time it exploded into bits and pieces, sending shards toward Josh. But even those were blocked.


    Shuna sighed when she saw that. She had known about Josh''s unique talent, but it was her first time realizing it was this durable. None of her attacks could harm him, which made her feel deeply disappointed.


    "I give up," she finally said, choosing to surrender. She had more attacks, but all of them were on the same level as her ice dragon. Seeing what happened to the dragon, she decided it was better to give up and think of countermeasures against Josh''s talent rather than attacking recklessly and still losing in the end.


    "Wise choice," Josh said, though it was unclear if he was being sarcastic or genuine.


    "Josh wins," Nathan dered after that. Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    Shuna sighed and walked back.


    "You better be careful. His defense is unbreakable, but I''ve heard he''s known for his offense," she warned Orion when she reached him.


    Orion nodded seriously. In truth, even he couldn''t tell what Josh had used to block all of Shuna''s attacks. He had watched the entire battle with a focused expression, understanding some things and at the same time not.


    He could see that Josh''s invisible protective barrier was like his Absolute Defense, which he used to have a while ago, but unlike his, Josh''s defense was solid. Anything attacking Josh would collide with the invisible barrier, protecting him from harm.


    Orion also considered what Shuna had just mentioned. Josh''s main strength wasn''t defense but offense. This made the situation even moreplicated. If his defense was so solid, what about his offense?


    ''It seems like I''ll have to up my game a little.''


    Orion felt that Josh and Reilly must be incredibly strong to be considered the guild''s top geniuses, and there would be more like them outside, so he was excited about facing them.


    "Ray, you didn''t get scared, did you?" Josh sneered when he saw that Ray was frowning and wasn''t moving.


    Orion turned his head toward him and started walking. "No, I was just thinking about your strength. You seem super strong, and I''m excited to defeat someone like you," he said with a smile.


    "Beat me? Are you dreaming? Didn''t you see Shuna just now? Her attacks didn''t even reach me. You think yours can?" Josh taunted when he heard Orion wanted to defeat him.


    Orion shrugged. "She is she, and I am Ray Wiser. We are two different beings."


    "Heh, then show me what you''ve got," Josh sneered.


    "Start the battle," Nathan announced at the right time.


    However, Orion didn''t immediately attack Josh. Instead, he asked him a question. "I heard your specialty lies in offense. Is this true?" He was genuinely curious.


    Josh nodded with a proud expression. "You heard right. My specialty is indeed offense, but my defense is also good. It''s strong enough to make people like you despair against it, to the point where you''ll dly give up the battle yourself."


    Orion nodded and took out his sword. "Alright, let''s begin."


    ---


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 Chapter 297: 297. Orion vs Josh

    Orion immediately used the wind to increase his speed and struck Josh with his sword.


    ng!


    However, his sword collided with something before it could reach Josh. Orion tried again, this time with even more speed. He swiftly changed direction and attacked from Josh''s blind spot, thrusting his sword forward.


    ng!


    But once again, it was blocked by something before it could reach Josh.


    Orion frowned and stopped attacking, stepping back. He then activated the curse of Unseen Chains.


    "What? Are you going to give up too?" Josh sneered when he saw Orion retreating.


    Orion shook his head with a shrug. "Since my attack won''t reach you, I won''t attack."


    Josh frowned. "You mean you want me to attack you?"


    Orion spread his hands. "I don''t want that either. How about this?" Orion suggested. "You give up, and we can go our separate ways. Isn''t that better?"


    Josh red up at Orion''s words. "Are you kidding me?" He red at Orion. "You should know that offense is my specialty, so why would I give up?"


    Orion looked at him strangely. "Weren''t you the one who got anxious when I said I wouldn''t attack and frowned because you had to attack after that?"


    Josh didn''t respond, instead locking eyes with Orion.


    "You''re such a boring guy. Since you won''t y with me anymore, I might as well defeat you real quick and then have my fun with the main dish," Josh sneered and clenched his fists.


    He then punched mindlessly into the air.


    However, the moment he punched, Orion suddenly sensed something in front of him. He couldn''t see what it was, but with the curse of Unseen Chains, he could tell something wasing towards him at a very fast speed.


    When he activated the curse earlier, he had spread some invisible chains around him that only he could see and hear. Now, when Josh attacked, he could feel something hitting those chains.


    He could tell it was Josh''s attack.


    Orion immediately used the wind''s speed to move away quickly.


    *Bang!*


    A sound of collision echoed, and Orion turned to see a fresh mark on the wall behind him, with dust still floating around it.


    "Your attack¡­" Orion looked at Josh and realized something.


    "Humph!" Josh sneered. "You can dodge my attack once, but can you dodge it a hundred or a thousand times?"


    He immediately punched into the air again, but this time ten times in quick session.


    Orion quickly stepped back and moved aside, but even after he moved, he could still feel something targeting him¡ªmany things, in fact. He just couldn''t see them.


    Recalling what happened just now, he formed some ideas and guesses about Josh''s curse.


    "I see¡­"


    Orion''s eyes narrowed as a sudden realization struck him.


    Gripping his sword with unwavering determination, he gathered every ounce of his strength and drove the de deep into the ground with a powerful thrust. The force of the impact rippled through the earth, causing a massive section of the ground to erupt in an explosion of debris, sending fragments flying in all directions.


    A thick cloud of dust billowed up, swirling around him in chaotic patterns.


    With a deep breath, Orion tapped into his control over the wind, manipting the swirling dust to spread it out around him like a protective veil.


    As the dust particles hung suspended in the air, they revealed something that had been hidden from his view¡ªsharp, nearly invisible projectiles cutting through the haze, converging on him from all directions.


    A slight smile yed on Orion''s lips. The hidden threat had been exposed, and now he could easily deal with it. His sword moved with lethal precision, intercepting the iing attacks with ease. With the curse of Berserk Body, the strength behind these invisible attacks was easily dealt with.


    "You!" Josh was surprised. He couldn''t believe Orion had figured out his talent. It was supposed to be an invisible attack, yet Orion had sensed it the first time and then found a way to block it, rendering his attacks useless.


    Feeling frustrated, Joshunched a barrage of fists at Orion.


    Orion only smiled and once again stabbed his sword into the ground with even more power, causing arge amount of dust to gather around him.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, he summoned the wind,manding it to spread the dust far and wide. The air thickened with the swirling particles, creating a hazy veil that covered everything in its wake.


    As the dust settled into the atmosphere, Orion''s sharp eyes caught the subtle movements within the cloud¡ªsmall gaps and trails where the particles were disturbed, revealing the path of nearly invisible projectiles slicing through the air toward him.


    A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he recognized the pattern of the hidden attacks. "Heh," he muttered with a mix of amusement and confidence.


    With a sudden burst of speed, Orion''s form blurred as he moved with the wind, and swung his sword towards each projectile, blocking them all in a matter of seconds.


    "Is that it? Is that where your confidencees from?" Orion asked with a sneer as he moved forward, carrying the dust around him in case Josh attacked again.


    Josh sneered. "You saw through my attack, but so what? Can you see my defense too? And even if you can, can you break it?"


    "Is that so?" Orion sneered back and looked at him. "Let me make a bold guess. When you use your defense, you can''t attack, and vice versa."


    He locked eyes with Josh. "Am I wrong?"


    Josh''s face turned ugly. It wasn''t because Orion had figured out his talent, but because he had revealed it to the entire guild. Only a few members of the guild had known about this, and now, thanks to Orion, everyone understood his weakness.


    Orion smiled at Josh''s reaction. "You know what? You''re one of the weakest in the guild. Your talent is somewhat unique, but other than that, you''re nothing."


    He added, "You''re nothing but a useless piece of shit," saying it loudly.


    As if a fuse had blown, Josh lost control and attacked again. However, that marked the end of the selection for him.


    No sooner did Joshunch his attack than Orion tapped into the full strength of the Curse of Stormcaller. The wind surged around him, amplifying his speed to an unimaginable level. In an instant, Orion vanished from his original position and reappeared directly in front of Josh, moving so quickly that he was nothing more than a blur to the untrained eye.


    Josh barely registered the shift in the air before he was sent hurtling through it. The force of Orion''s strike hit him like a freight train, catching himpletely off guard.


    Pain exploded in his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him and forcing a gasp from his lungs. His vision blurred as he felt himself lifted off his feet, the world around him spinning as he was flung into the air.


    Saliva dribbled from his mouth as he struggled to catch his breath, his body instinctively curling in on itself from the impact. Gravity took hold, and he began to plummet back toward the ground, still reeling from the unexpected and overwhelming blow.


    However, at thest possible moment, Nathan caught him before he could injure himself further.


    ---


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 Chapter 298: 298. A Twist in the Selection

    Orion smiled and walked back. He had intentionally provoked Josh into attacking him, knowing that Josh couldn''t defend himself while attacking. Orion used that moment to gain the upper hand and defeat him.


    Just as Orion had said, Josh could be the weakest in the guild if not for his unique talent. Orion felt the same about himself; if not for his unique ability to copy curses, he might have died long ago.


    "Ray wins," Nathan announced, and it was at that moment everyone gasped. Some of the lower guild members, including Josh''s friends like Shuna and Ravina, were shocked that Josh could be defeated so easily.


    If they had thought calmly, they might have figured it out, but they hadn''t, and now only regret remained, especially for Shuna, who felt exactly this way.


    The spectators and higher-level guild members were also surprised, to say the least. It wasn''t every day they saw someone defeat Josh so easily.


    However, not everyone was pleased with the oue. A middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties cursed Orion. "Damn, where did this Ray Wisere from? He ruined our entire n," he muttered. He had red-brown hair with a short mustache and a full beard.


    "Don''t be too angry, Lucas. Either way, they both have to fight Reilly, so it doesn''t change the situation too much. If Josh had fought him, it could have been easier, but luck isn''t always on our side," another middle-aged man said, feeling a bit of pity.


    "Zeskin, do you mean to use that method?" Lucas asked with narrowed eyes.


    Zeskin nodded and said, "It''s a bit risky, but it''ll do the job."


    Lucas nodded, pondering for a moment before giving orders. "Alright, I''ll handle everything here. You go and prepare for that."


    Zeskin nodded and disappeared from the Combat Hall.


    ***


    "I defeated Josh too," Orion said to Roman when he reached him, smirking. "What do you think my chances are against Reilly?" He was really curious.


    Roman pondered for a moment and said, "Somewhere around 10%."


    "That low?" Orion raised his eyebrows.


    Roman nodded. "Reilly rarely uses his full strength, and when he does, it''s a sight to behold."


    Orion nodded, wondering how long Reilly could take him on.


    "It seems like we have our two top contestants," Zemiri said loudly, attracting everyone''s attention. "Now it''s time to reveal something."


    She looked at Orion and Reilly and continued, "There wasn''t just one, but two seats given to Starfire Guild. However, one of them had already been decided beforehand, and the selection was for only one seat."


    Whispers spread among the lower guild members who weren''t aware of this news. Even Reilly, Shuna, and the others looked surprised. No one had known such a surprise was waiting for them at the end of the selection.


    "The first candidate is Erza," Zemiri said. "If anyone is dissatisfied with the choice, you can challenge and defeat her. If you sessfully defeat her, that seat will be yours."


    She looked at everyone and added, "Therefore, before the final battle between Ray and Reilly begins, I want to confirm Erza''s spot. If anyone doubts her ability, you can challenge her."


    Some lower-level members exchanged wry smiles when they heard Zemiri''s words. Everyone in the hall was well aware of the formidable strength Erza possessed. She wasn''t just another gold-ranked member of the guild; she was one of the strongest, if not the strongest, at that rank.


    The only person who could match her in battle was Reilly, and even then, the question of who was superior between the two remained unresolved. The reputation and hype surrounding Erza were on par with Reilly''s.


    Shuna, Roman, and Reilly were once again taken aback by Zemiri''s statement. They had long assumed that Erza would refrain from participating in the selection process. After all, she had never shown any interest in joining the prestigious Das Academy.


    Instead, she had always been focused on carrying forward the legacy of the guild, with many believing she was destined to be the next leader. But now, it seemed they had misunderstood her intentions all along.


    Orion was the most surprised. He had some doubts about why she wasn''t participating but hadn''t given it much thought. It turned out she didn''t need to participate since she was already chosen for one of the seats.


    Seeing that no one stepped up to challenge Erza, Zemiri announced, "It''s decided then. The first spot is fixed for Erza."


    She then looked at Orion and Reilly and continued, "You two can start your battle now. Remember, only by winning will you have the chance to go to the Das Academy; otherwise, it will be all over for you. So, think of it as a do-or-die battle. Use your full strength, both of you, and show us what you''ve got. Don''t worry about getting heavily injured.


    With me and all the other members of the healing party here, it won''t happen. Just give it your all."


    Orion nodded and began walking toward the stage, his expression calm and determined.


    At the same time, Reilly moved to his designated space, his face etched with a seriousness that hadn''t been there before. The realization had dawned on him¡ªhe hadpletely misjudged Orion''s power.


    At first, Reilly had dismissed Orion as just another weakling among the participants. But as he observed Orion''s battles, one by one, it became painfully clear that Orion was far more dangerous than he had initially thought.


    The ease with which Orion had dispatched his opponents, including Josh, had shattered Reilly''s earlier assumptions. He understood now that Orion was likely to be his opponent, perhaps even before facing Josh, and that realization had silenced any sarcastic remarks he might have made. There was no point; he knew Josh stood no chance against Orion.


    Reilly also reflected on their first encounter, remembering Orion''s casual demeanor. At the time, he had interpreted it as arrogance or ignorance, but now it was evident that it meant something else entirely. Orion either didn''t know who Reilly was, or worse, he simply didn''t consider Reilly a threat.


    But that was then, and this was now. Reilly couldn''t afford to lose focus. He closed his eyes momentarily to calm his mind and took a deep, steadying breath.


    A strange feeling settled in his chest¡ªa sense of foreboding that this might be one of the toughest battles he had ever faced. For the first time in a long while, Reilly felt uncertain, but he pushed those thoughts aside, knowing that any doubt could be his undoing in the fight ahead.


    "Who do you think is going to win?" Shuna asked Roman.


    "I believe it will be Reilly, but I could be wrong because this new guy has been creating too many miracles," Roman sighed.


    "Start," Nathan announced the beginning of the battle.


    ---


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 Chapter 299: 299. Ray vs Reilly - 1

    The instant Nathan signaled the start, the energy in the room erupted like a storm. Orion and Reilly simultaneously activated the first form of the Three Divine Ways, their auras ring to unprecedented levels.


    Behind Orion, a ck sphere thrummed with dark, ominous energy, while a golden sphere zed with a fierce radiance behind Reilly, illuminating the space with its intense glow.


    In a fluid motion, Orion swung his sword, the de gleaming ominously as he surged forward with incredible speed. Reilly matched his movements, materializing a golden sword in his hand as he charged to meet Orion head-on.


    Their swords collided with a resounding sh, the sheer force of their impact sending a powerful shockwave rippling through the hall.


    Wasting no time, Orion used the Curse of Stormcaller, channeling its power into his sword. The air around him roared to life, a powerful gust of wind surging forward and catching Reilly off guard, pushing him back several steps.


    Sensing an opportunity, Orion harnessed the wind''s speed, vanishing from sight only to reappear behind Reilly in an instant, his sword poised for a decisive strike.


    But Reilly was no easy opponent. Just as Orion''s de was about to connect, Reilly vanished, reappearing several meters away with lightning speed.


    Orion halted his attack, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Reilly. He quickly noticed the golden boots that had formed around Reilly''s legs¡ªa clear manifestation of the gold element, and a technique Reilly had previously used to secure victory against Roman.


    A smirk tugged at the corner of Orion''s lips. He recognized the trick.


    In a sh, Orion charged again, this time with even greater speed and ferocity. His sword became a blur, a whirlwind of strikes aimed at overwhelming Reilly''s defenses. Reilly responded with equal intensity, his golden sword parrying each of Orion''s blows with practiced precision.


    The ng of metal rang out repeatedly, the force of their sh sending sparks flying with each impact as the two warriors battled with relentless energy, neither willing to give an inch.


    After exchanging severable blows with each other, they both retreated back.


    "You''re fast and very strong, but the real battle starts now," Reilly said, pointing his finger at Orion. His body began to glow with a gentle golden light.


    Almost immediately, a thinyer of gold began to spread across Reilly''s body, rapidly solidifying into protective armor. It started at his chest, forming a gleaming chest te, before extending to cover his back with a sturdy golden shield.


    From there, the gold continued to flow, crafting bracers that encased his arms and leg guards that wrapped around his legs with seamless precision. Even his knees were fortified with golden caps, providing full protection to all four limbs.


    The transformation didn''t stop there¡ªhis hands and fingers were soon encased in gold, turning him into a figure that seemed to be sculpted entirely from the precious metal.


    The only part of him that remained untouched was his pale face, starkly contrasting with the brilliant gold that reflected light with a radiant glow, making him appear as though he were a being born of gold itself.


    "This is what I call my ultimate form," Reilly said, looking at Orion. "I don''t usually use this form because it drains a lot of mana, but consider yourself a worthy opponent, Ray, for you''re the only one in gold rank who could force me to use it."


    Orion smiled at his words, feeling the increase in Reilly''s strength after the transformation. It was a qualitative leap¡ªin speed, strength, and defense.


    "I see. Then let''s fight and determine who is stronger in the end," Orion said, gripping his sword tightly.


    "You''re on," Reilly replied, vanishing from his position, leaving behind a trail of dust.


    Orion also vanished, using the speed of the wind as they shed once again.


    ng!


    This time, the floor beneath them waspletely destroyed, creating a small pit.


    Orion felt a heavy pressure on his hand as he absorbed the full brunt of Reilly''s attack. The strength behind it was overwhelming.


    They were in a stalemate, their swords humming as they tried to gain the upper hand.


    ''This Reilly is indeed very strong,'' Orion thought, forming a strong gust of wind to push Reilly away. However, Reilly didn''t budge as the wind passed through him. Orion was surprised and tried again, this time with an even stronger gust of wind, but Reilly remained unmoved.


    "The wind won''t affect me anymore," Reilly smirked. "Gold, in general, has very high density, and the armor I made from my talent reinforces thatw to a very high level. In simple terms, my weight is now too great to be affected by any kind of wind."


    "Is that so?" Orion smiled, though he now understood why Reilly''s strength was overwhelming him. It turned out he had increased his weight significantly when he transformed, enhancing his strength in the process, simr to how Orion used Burdened Gravity.


    At this moment, Orion had two choices: either use Curse Transformation to end the battle in one strike or employ another curse from his arsenal. He decided on thetter.


    "Let me show you the real strength of my wind," Orion sneered, once again generating a strong gust of wind around his sword to blow Reilly away. This time, he also used the Curse of Cursed Pulse, which gave himplete control over shockwaves.


    Using the wind as cover, Orion transferred a small shockwave to the edge of his sword and released it.


    Reilly was blown away the moment the shockwave was unleashed.


    "How can wind affect me?" Reilly couldn''tprehend what had just happened as he slid across the floor before using his sword to stab into the ground, bringing himself to a stop.


    At the same time, Orion used the power of Cursed Pulse along with the Curse of Stormcaller, which gave him an additional boost in speed and strength in the form of eleration and striking power. Combining these curses, Orion swiftly closed the distance between them, jumped atop Reilly, and swung his sword.


    Reilly was prepared, and he swung his sword at Orion in return.


    Boom!


    But just as their swords collided, Reilly felt as if he had been struck by a giant hammer. The ground beneath him was instantly reduced to dust.


    Gritting his teeth, Reilly held the sword blocking Orion''s strike with his left hand, formed another sword in his right hand, and swung it forward.


    Orion quickly zapped back, using the swiftness of the wind before Reilly''s strike couldnd.


    "I won''t hold back anymore!" Reilly shouted, then vanished, leaving a trail of gold in his wake.


    Reappearing in front of Orion, he attacked with both swords. Orion smiled and also struck with his own sword.


    Reilly was sted back once more, but this time Orion didn''t give him a chance to recover. He appeared in front of Reilly while he was still airborne and aimed a downward stab with his sword.


    Reilly''s eyes narrowed, and he immediately transformed his right hand, which was holding the second sword, into the shape of a handgun and rapidly fired at Orion.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Orion was surprised by Reilly''s ability to manipte gold to this degree, but he reacted swiftly. He stopped his attack, changed direction, and moved away, dodging the bullets.


    ---


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

 Chapter 300: 300. A Conclusion To The Selection

    Reilly, using his sword as leverage, stabilized himself and took a few quick steps back. His retreat was short-lived, however, as he suddenly pushed forward with all his might. The ground beneath him cracked under the immense force, but in an instant, those cracks were filled with gold, solidifying the floor and propelling him forward even faster.


    Reilly closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, his golden sword gleaming as he swung it toward Orion. But Orion was ready. He raised his own sword to meet the attack, the sound of shing metal echoing through the hall.


    However, something unexpected urred at the moment of impact. As the swords collided, Reilly''s de seemed to shimmer unnaturally, and within seconds, both swords began to melt. The metal lost its shape, turning into a viscous, golden liquid that clung to Orion''s sword.


    Orion''s eyes widened as he watched the gold rapidly envelop his weapon, creeping up the de like moltenva. Before he could react, his sword too began to liquefy, merging with the golden substance that had once been Reilly''s weapon.


    "Heh," Reilly smirked as he took advantage of the moment, driving his fist into Orion''s chest with a powerful punch after disarming him.


    But Orion was not one to back down. He retaliated instantly, his fist crackling with energy from the Curse of Stormcaller and Cursed Pulse. As their fists collided, a deafening boom echoed through the hall, sending both fighters flying in opposite directions.


    Orion quickly regained control, using the wind to stop his momentum and steady himself in mid-air. But when he nced at his hand¡ªthe one that had collided with Reilly''s¡ªhis expression darkened. His hand had turned into gold, the metallic sheen glinting ominously under the Combat Hall''s lights.


    There was no time to contemte the transformation. Reilly was relentless, appearing in front of Orion in a blur and throwing another punch aimed at his head.


    Orion reacted on instinct, ducking under the punch and countering with a swift kick to Reilly''s gut, enhanced by the Cursed Pulse. The impact sent Reilly crashing across the hall, his body mming into the wall with a resounding thud.


    But before Orion could capitalize on the moment, he noticed something strange¡ªa radiant gold sphere floating where Reilly had been just a moment before.


    "Damn!" Orion cursed, realizing toote what was about to happen.


    The gold sphere exploded with a violent burst, releasing liquid gold and a dense gold miasma into the air. The golden substance sttered across the hall, and despite Orion''s attempt to retreat, some of it managed to stick to him.


    As the goldtched onto his skin and clothes, Orion felt an immediate change. His weight suddenly increased, as if he were being crushed under an invisible force. The gold was not just a physical substance; it had an unnatural density, pulling him down with overwhelming force.


    Orion tried to shake it off, but even as he summoned a strong gust of wind, the gold remained stubbornly attached to him. The wind passed by his body, yet the liquid gold and miasma clung tightly, refusing to be dislodged.


    As Orion struggled under the oppressive weight, Reilly materialized before him, his golden sword gleaming ominously in the dim light. With a swift motion, Reilly swung the sword down at Orion, aiming to finish him off.


    ng!


    Orion reacted just in time, catching the de with his right hand. His fist, already covered in gold from their earlier sh, absorbed the impact. The metal coating had hardened, making it possible for Orion to grasp the sword without injury. But the moment of relief was short-lived.


    Orion''s eyes widened as he noticed the gold encasing his fist was beginning to spread, creeping up his arm like a living entity. The cold, metallic substance slowly advanced toward his elbow, and with each passing second, he felt the weight on his body intensify. His muscles strained as the added mass threatened to pull him down to the ground.


    ''It seems I can''t drag this battle out any longer.''


    Orion thought as he realized that the more he fought with Reilly, the more he was getting pushed into a corner, even though he had been the dominant one in the battle up until now.


    "You will be defeated," Reilly said, seeing that the gold covering had reached Orion''s entire right hand.


    "Not so easily," Orion smiled and used his right hand to create a small green glowing dot. However, just as it was about to condense, Reilly mmed his right hand onto Orion''s left hand, using his talent on it too, causing Orion''s left hand to be covered in gold as well.


    "Who said I needed hands to initiate an attack?" Orionughed, and at that moment, a green dot condensed between him and Reilly. Suddenly, all the wind began to be sucked toward the green dot, slowly increasing its size. The entire Combat Hall raged with wind as it gathered from all directions toward the green dot.


    Reilly frowned when he saw this. But, unfortunately, his hands were busy, and he was toote.


    In no time, the green dot expanded to the size of a fist. It turned into a green sphere, where all the winds were beingpressed by Orion.


    Orion looked at Reilly. "It seems I''ll be heading to Das Academy."


    With those words, he pushed the fist-sized green sphere toward Reilly.


    "Goodbye."


    The moment the green sphere touched Reilly, he was sted back like a missile and mmed into a wall far in the distance.


    "Ray wins," Nathan announced, shocked. He couldn''t believe the number one genius of the Starfire Guild had lost to a new member.


    "Ray won!"


    "What an intense battle. Until the very end, I couldn''t tell who would win."


    "I thought Reilly would win for sure, but it seems Ray was a notch above him."


    "With Ray and Erza representing the Starfire Guild, our guild will surely make some noise out there."


    "Haha, you''re right."


    The members and spectators watching the selectionpetition erupted in excitement, surprised that Ray won and thrilled by the battle they had just witnessed.


    ''I finally got selected.''


    Seeing that he won, Orion sighed. The goal for which he had joined the Starfire Guild had now been achieved, but this was just the beginning.


    At that moment, Orion suddenly felt the weight on him decreasing. Before he knew it, all the gold covering his body and the gold miasma disappeared, along with the extra weight that had been weighing him down.


    ''It''s gone?''


    Orion thought and shrugged before cleaning his clothes with the wind.


    "Ray Wiser has won the selectionpetition and is eligible to go to the Hunters Guild with Erza," Zemiri announced.


    She looked at Orion and added, "Ray, pack your belongings. We will be leaving the day after tomorrow."


    Orion nodded. He had several questions on his mind, which he decided to ask Erza in privateter.


    ---


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

 Chapter 301: 301. A Celebration Party held by Hunter Association

    "Everyone, the selection is over, and we have our two representatives: Erza and Ray. They will represent Starfire Guild at Das Academy." Zemiri announced, marking the end of the selection.


    "With that, the selection assessment has concluded. You are all dismissed."


    As the thrilling selection came to an end, guild members slowly dispersed from the Combat Hall. Some departed in clusters,ughing and joking as they made their way out. Others chose to walk alone, lost in thought.


    Orion''s sharp gaze followed them as they left, contemting his own departure. In just two days'' time, he would be leaving for Das Academy and it could be some time before he returned to Masturi City.


    With that realization, he felt a sense of urgency to take care of any necessary tasks before embarking on his new journey. He wanted to make sure everything was in order before setting off into the unknown.


    "Ray, are you leaving?" Shuna asked him at that moment.


    "Yeah, I have some things to take care of," Orion replied.


    Shuna sighed and nced at Roman before looking back at Orion. "We were nning to go for a party."


    "I see," Orion nodded in understanding. "Well, let me know the time and ce. If I''m free, I mighte and join you guys."


    Shuna smiled, pleased that Orion had considered it. "Tonight at Feloni Vi, on the other side of Zukis Cross."


    "Zukis Cross? Got it," Orion said but then thought of something. "Why a vi for partying? Couldn''t we go to a restaurant?"


    Roman came up behind Shuna, adjusting his sses. "It''s not that we chose the vi. We were invited to a sort of celebration by the Hunter Association branch in our city."


    Orion nodded. "Alright, if I''m free, I''ll stop by."


    With that, he began making his way towards the exit of the Combat Hall. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the empty halls, his mind swirling with questions that needed answers. He couldn''t just go home and push them aside, he needed to sort them out. So, with a slight detour, he made his way to Erza''s office.


    Knock, knock!


    He lightly knocked on the door when he arrived.


    "Come in."


    Orion opened the door and entered. He saw Erza sitting at her desk, organizing some papers.


    "What do you need?" Erza asked directly when she saw him.


    "I want to know how many geniuses from our domain can be admitted to Das Academy," Orion stated his query bluntly.


    "Why? Worried about your chances?" Erza raised an eyebrow.


    Orion shook his head. "No, I''m just curious."


    Erza nodded and ced the papers into a file. "Our domain has 300 seats."


    "Three hundred?" Orion was surprised. He recalled that each magus family in the Magus Kingdom only had ten seats, and he had estimated about 100 seats for the Magus Kingdom at Das Academy. The number of seats in the Human Federation Realm was much higher inparison, which shocked him.


    "Is that considered low or good?" Orion asked, confused.


    Erza interlocked her fingers and rested her hands on the desk. "Let me rify your doubts. The seats are allocated by the Celestial Court based on the strength of each domain. The Magus Kingdom is the weakest domain and was given 150 seats. Our domain was allocated 300 seats. The strongest, the Martial Domain, was given 600 seats.


    Now, do you think it''s low or high?"


    Orion nodded in understanding. He had initially thought the seats for the Magus Kingdom were pitifully few, but now he realized that wasn''t the case.


    "So, only 300 geniuses... With so many worlds out there, how will this be sorted out?" Orion asked. He understood that the Human Federation Realm was vast, farrger than the Magus Kingdom. The sheer size meant there were countlesss in this domain, many of which likely held immense power and influence.


    The thought of only 300 geniuses being selected from such a vast pool baffled him. How could so few be chosen from so many?


    He knew that being selected by Starfire Guild alone wouldn''t guarantee his spot at Das Academy. If it were that easy, nearly 30 to 40 of the seats woulde from his own, Nios, a 3-star.


    But that wasn''t the case. Thepetition would be fierce, and being from Nios wouldn''t give him an advantage.


    Erza shrugged. "That, I don''t know. What I do know is that the Hunter Association will carry out the selection process after filtering out geniuses from various guilds."


    Orion frowned. "How many do you think will be selected from our, Nios?"


    "Beats me." Erza shook her head. "All I know is that our domain will send the strongest geniuses to Das Academy, so thepetition will be tough from here on."


    Orion nodded. "Alright, I understand. I''ll leave now."


    He stood up, intending to go. Now that he had cleared up some of his doubts, he realized how difficult it would be to get into Das Academy without a powerful background.


    The seven Magus families of the Magus Kingdom could directly send some of their geniuses to Das Academy. Orion believed there must be powers in the Human Federation Realm simr to the seven Magus families, who had such privileges.


    "By the way, are youing tonight?" Erza asked.


    "About the party?" Orion turned to her. Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Erza nodded. "I''ll have to go even if I don''t want to."


    Orion thought for a moment before replying. "I''ll let you know if I decide toe."


    With that, he left her office and headed toward the exit of Starfire Guild when he heard a faint shout from somewhere.


    Orion stopped and listened carefully.


    ''Someone''s scolding someone...''


    He thought and traced the shouting to an office. It wasrger than Erza''s, and he had been there many times. Orion stood in a corridor with a small intersection ahead that led to arge hall. This intersection had several paths, one of which was where Orion hade from.


    The shouting came from an office in the hall.


    ---


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

 Chapter 302: 302. A Conspiracy Against Geniuses of the Starfire Guild

    This office was one of many responsible for tech support. The halo watch on Orion''s wrist was licensed from this office.


    "You couldn''t even defeat a new guy, and you call yourself a genius?"


    Orion heard the shouting clearly this time, and from what he gathered, it was rted to the selectionpetition that had just concluded.


    "Father, it''s not my fault. He figured out my secret¡ªthe w in my talent."


    "Excuses! Because of you, we have to change our ns. Now, we have to target both of them. Useless!"


    "Father, are you really going to do it?"


    "Heh, of course. Now go and do what I told you. Remember, no mistakes this time, or I won''t forgive you."


    "Yes, father."


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    Orion heard footsteps approaching the door, so he swiftly retreated, using wind maniption to silently move back into the corridor.


    The door opened, and Josh walked out. After seeing him, Orion quickly moved away from the scene.


    ''They mentioned targeting two people... Are they nning to kill someone?''


    Orion''s expression darkened as he walked toward the exit of the Starfire Guild.


    ''Josh lost to me, and his father was furious. Now, instead of one target, they have two. Could they be nning to kill me and Reilly? Or me and Erza?''


    He wasn''t certain, but based on what he overheard, they were definitely conspiring something malicious.


    ''But why?''


    He couldn''t understand why they would target members of their own guild¡ªespecially the top geniuses.


    Deep in thought, Orion left the Starfire Guild and arrived at his flying bike. He mounted it and flew off into the distance.


    ***


    At home, Orion satfortably at a small round table, which wasden with an array of delicious food¡ªfreshly baked bread, sulent meats, and an assortment of desserts that filled the room with a sweet aroma. Between bites, pieces of food asionally floated up and drifted toward his mouth, a casual use of his powers as he absentmindedly chewed.


    With his other hand, he held a thick book, its pages filled with information about the intricacies of the higher ranks of power in Masturi City. His eyes scanned the text intently, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible while he ate.


    "I see," he muttered between bites.


    "In Nios, there are four more cities like Masturi City, often referred to as fortress cities."


    Orion was beginning to understand the society and main powers of Nios.


    It turned out that the was originally ruled by monsters of various ranks. When humans arrived, they built five fortress cities in different parts of Nios, each asrge as, if notrger than, continents on Earth.


    Orion''s face grew serious as he made a realization.


    "Masturi City has five main guilds: Starfire Guild, ck Reaper, Druid Guild, Catalose Guild, and the Lords Guild. If each guild has 2 seats, that means Masturi City alone has 10 seats. Nios as a whole would have 50 seats."


    He chewed thoughtfully, realizing how difficult it would be to secure a spot at Dos Academy.


    ''Could some of the participants already be at the tinum rank?'' he wondered. If that were the case, his journey to Dos Academy would be a perilous one.


    From the tinum rank onward, the difference in power between ranks was vast. Each rank was divided into nine smaller levels, from level 1 to level 9.


    Orion had heard that advancing from level 1 to level 2 in the tinum rank required absorbing a certain number of cores. A percentage bar for each level gradually filled as cores were absorbed.


    He wasn''t entirely sure how stats progressed once someone reached the tinum rank and beyond. Up until that point, it was straightforward¡ªmax out one attribute and move on to the next rank. But in the tinum rank, everything seemed to change.


    From what he''d heard, the process became moreplex. Instead of a direct jump in power, one had to advance through nine smaller levels within each rank, gradually upgrading from level 1 to level 9 before ascending to the next rank.


    This gradual progression made him wonder about the impact on a person''s stats during this time. Would the increase be linear or exponential? Would certain statsg behind, or could they all grow evenly?


    ''The system is truly mysterious.''


    Orion sighed. He knew he would only learn more after reaching the tinum rank.


    However, there was one thing that had shocked Orion. ording to what he''d heard from guild members, the power difference between ranks from tinum onward was so vast that the number of cores required to max out all stats at the gold rank was equivalent to the amount needed to advance from level 1 to level 2 of the tinum rank.


    When Orion first heard this, he was stunned. He knew exactly how many cores were required to max out all stats to 100 at lower ranks. If that many cores were only sufficient to progress by a single level in the tinum rank, he could only imagine the astronomical number of cores needed to advance through all nine levels.


    The scale of power level had expanded exponentially, and the sheer quantity of resources required was overwhelming.


    This also exined the vast power gap between the gold and tinum ranks, and beyond.


    "All the secrets lie in Grimshore, and I could go there right now."


    Orion understood that the deviation in power levels was due to the existence of Grimshore. Before Grimshore appeared, people upgraded to the tinum and diamond ranks much like they did with the gold rank and below.


    However, that method turned out to be false, limiting their growth to the diamond rank. Only after Grimshore''s discovery did the four races find the correct path to true power.


    ---


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

 Chapter 303: 303. Tracy is also here!

    It was evening, and Orion stood in the center of his room, feeling the emptiness that surrounded him. The space feltrger than usual, stripped of the items that once filled it. He had sold almost everything he wouldn''t need for his journey to Dos Academy, including possessions that had once seemed essential but now served no purpose.


    His shelves were bare, his desk free of clutter, and even the walls felt strangely empty. Orion couldn''t help but feel a quiet sense of finality¡ªthis was no longer the space where he would spend his days. It was just a temporary stop before the next big chapter in his life.


    "It''s not like I''ll be returning here anytime soon. So, it''s fine," Orion muttered, wondering if there were any other things he needed to take care of.


    "Mr. Ray, is there anything else you want to sell?" A fat man arrived at his room with two other men.


    "I''m fine for now, but if I remember anything, I''ll contact you," Orion replied, ncing at them.


    "It''s nice doing business with you, Mr. Ray. I''ll be waiting for your call," the fat man nodded and left with the other two, leaving Orion''s house.


    Orion closed the door and returned to his room.


    "Now, I''m free. Should I go to this party?" he wondered. Truth be told, he wanted to enjoy himself like a normal person, going to a party without a care in the world, but he hadn''t been able to do so before. Now that he had the opportunity, he didn''t want to miss it and regret itter.


    Tapping his halo watch, Orion messaged Erza that he would being to the party, then sat down at the desk in his room.


    He took out another book from the row of books on the desk and began reading while waiting for time to pass.


    Not long after, the sun set and the moon rose high in the sky.


    "It''s time to go to the party."


    Orion muttered as he closed the book and returned it to its ce.


    Orion took out his formal attire: a sleek ck suit paired with matching pants. It was the only type of clothing he associated with formal gatherings, although he wasn''t entirely sure if the customs in the Human Federation Realm differed. Still, the thought didn''t bother him much¡ªhe knew he''d look sharp regardless.


    Wasting no time, he slipped into the suit. Once dressed, he reached for ab, a tool he rarely used, but this was a special asion. He couldn''t attend the party looking unkempt.


    For once, he made sure to carefully style his hair, ensuring he looked like an esteemed guest, ready to make an impression.


    "I look smart," Orion thought, checking his reflection in the mirror.


    "Time to leave."


    He walked out of his house, locked it with his halo watch, and flew away into his own dimension.


    Since he had sold his flying bike, he could only fly toward Zukis Cross on his own.


    It took him about fifteen minutes to arrive. Orion emerged from his dimension behind a tree and looked around for the vi where the party was being held.


    "Ah, that''s where the party is."


    Orion didn''t have to search for long. On the other side of Zukis Cross, he spotted crowds of people flowing toward a grand white vi in the distance. Unlike the other buildings in the area, this vi stood out due to its unique position¡ªit floated on a small ind, suspended above the ground.


    The vi''s elegant design, with two entrances on either side, was framed by lush trees and vibrant flowers, adding to its serene yet imposing presence.


    The floating ind seemed to hover effortlessly, defying thews of nature, as though the vi itself was a symbol of power and prestige. Orion knew this had to be his destination.


    Orion was surprised by the sight. The vi was in the middle of Masturi City, so he hadn''t expected to see something so grand.


    "If the organizers of the party are from the Hunter Association, it''s bound to be a good ce," Orion thought as he walked toward the vi. As he approached, he noticed that all the guests were around his age¡ªabout twenty years old, the same age as Ray.


    "It seems only geniuses from various guilds were invited."


    He spected as he walked. Soon, he reached the two entrances, chose the one on the right, and made his way inside.


    "Ray, you came!"


    As soon as he reached the top of the entrance, he was greeted by Shuna, Roman, Rudy, Reilly, and Josh. They were all dressed in formal clothes, and seeing them, Orion sighed in relief, d that he hadn''t chosen the wrong outfit for the party.


    Orion walked toward them and said, "You guys look fantastic."


    "You too, Ray," Roman replied, adjusting his sses.


    "Ray, it''s good that you came. We were just discussing whether you''d show up," Shuna said excitedly.


    Orion nodded appreciatively and then noticed her dress. Shuna was wearing a long ck one-piece dress and white gloves. She looked amazing.


    He stopped admiring her and turned his attention to Reilly. "Hey, are you alright? I didn''t control myst attack well."


    "I''m fine," Reilly responded, though his brows twitched in annoyance.


    Orion noticed his bad mood and understood it was likely due to his defeat. For Reilly, it wasn''t just a normal loss¡ªthe chance to attend Dos Academy had slipped away with his defeat.


    "So, what are we waiting for?" Orion asked, noticing many people roaming the garden instead of going inside the vi where the main event would take ce.


    "We''re waiting for Erza. Once she''s here, we''ll all go in together," Shuna exined.


    Orion nodded in understanding, but at that moment, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance. It was ady¡ªRay Wiser''s sister, Tracy Wiser.


    She was with a group of people, walking up the stairs to the garden.


    "She''s here!"


    Orion felt anxious the moment he saw her. The thought of her being at the party hadn''t even crossed his mind. If he had known she would attend, he might not havee.


    It wasn''t that Orion was avoiding Tracy. No, he simply didn''t want to reveal that Ray Wiser''s brother had be a genius until he arrived at Dos Academy. He had hoped to keep a low profile, believing that if he stayed under the radar, his identity would remain hidden.


    But he had clearly been mistaken if he thought he could keep himself concealed from the ck Reaper Guild.


    ''How should I react when she sees me?''


    She was still a bit of a distance away, giving Orion a moment to think. Tracy''s approach made his mind race with conflicting thoughts.


    Should he ignore her and pretend he hadn''t noticed her? Or act surprised, as if he hadn''t expected her to be alive? Perhaps not reacting at all would be the best option¡ªremain neutral and let her make the first move.


    ''This bad luck never ends.''


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 304: 304. Henry and Hayley

    Orion sighed deeply and decided to observe the situation before acting. If the situation required his intervention, he would take action; if not, he would ignore Tracy for the time being. That was the only thing he could do at the moment.


    "Oh, the ck Reaper Guild is here," Roman said, ncing toward the entrance.


    "They''ve been getting a lot more cockytely. I heard they''ve beaten up many members of other guilds just because they imed to have the power to," Rudy said, disgusted by the ck Reaper Guild.


    As the ck Reaper Guild members stepped into the garden, their presence was undeniable, drawing the attention of everyone around. At the forefront of the group was a young man, around Orion''s age, with long, jet-ck hair that flowed effortlessly down to his shoulders. His build was solid, every muscle hinting at raw power, and each of his movements radiated a calm, unshakable confidence.


    But what truly made him stand out were the strange, dark markings etched onto his face. Two sharp lines extended from beneath his eyes, crossing over the bridge of his nose and sweeping up across his forehead. Despite these odd markings, he was remarkably handsome.


    Following him were five individuals: three men and two women. Among the women was Ray Wiser''s sister¡ªTracy Wiser.


    "Hoo, the Starfire Guild is here," the leader of the ck Reaper Guild said, spotting the Starfire Guild members and making his way toward them.


    "Where is Erza?" he asked directly, noticing that the most important member of the Starfire Guild was absent.


    "She''ll be here shortly," Roman replied.


    At that moment, Tracy''s eyes widened in astonishment as she caught sight of her brother Ray among the Starfire Guild members. The gathering was meant to showcase only the most exceptional geniuses from each guild, and Ray''s presence there indicated that his strength had dramatically increased, now matching her own.


    This unexpected revtion filled her with a wave of relief and a surge of joy, lifting a heavy burden she had long carried. Seeing Ray standing at the height of strength, alongside her and the other top-tier talents, was not only a reassurance but also a deeply meaningful moment of shared achievement.


    However, Tracy swiftlyposed herself, masking her emotions and averting her gaze. She was acutely aware of the precariousness of her situation; revealing her brother''s presence could causeplications for him, just as it had for her in the past. She couldn''t afford to let her guild see her reaction.


    Orion, noticing Tracy''s discreet response, felt a surge of relief. Her ability to keep her reaction subtle and avoid any overt recognition helped prevent potential trouble for both of them.


    Thus, with her acting as if she didn''t know him, Orion mimicked her behavior and ignored her for the time being while observing the leader.


    "Howe she isn''t here first and let you weaklings attend the party before her?" The man sneered upon learning that Erza was on her way. This was his chance to mock the Starfire Guild, and he didn''t want to miss it.


    "Guys, let''s look around the vi. It''s fascinating," Orion said, grabbing Roman''s and Shuna''s hands and leading them away, causing Rudy and Reilly to follow behind them reluctantly.


    At that moment, Henry, the man leading the ck Reaper Guild, was stunned when he saw that the people he wanted to mock had ignored him and walked away.


    "Damn, how dare they ignore me?" he muttered, frustrated as he watched Orion and the others talking andughing as if he didn''t exist.


    "Henry, forget about it for now. We''ll see how theyughter inside the vi," the only other woman beside Tracy said, patting the leader''s shoulder. She looked to be around twenty, with tanned skin, short hair down to her neck, a healthy appearance, and a red gown.


    Henry nodded, a ruthless expression clouding his face as he thought about what would happen inside the vi. "You''re right. Let them enjoy themselves for now. We''ll deal with them once the party inside the vi starts."


    "By the way, did you hear? The two chosen from the Starfire Guild aren''t Reilly and Erza but Ray and Erza. Apparently, Reilly was defeated by a newbie in their guild," Hayley said to Henry.


    Henry sneered at Hayley and replied, "Hehe. I heard about it and was shocked at first, but if a newbie can defeat Reilly, then the Starfire Guild''s situation must be worse than I thought. They''re not worth our time."


    "You''re right, but you should also be careful. We all know how strong Reilly is, and for a newbie to defeat him, that strength should not be underestimated," Hayley warned when she saw Henry dismissing the newbie who defeated Reilly.


    "I know, I know. Let''s go and explore the garden. It''s not every day we get invited to such grand asions," Henry said as he led the ck Reaper Guild members around the vi.


    Meanwhile, Orion and his group were also exploring the garden. He noted that most of the people were outside in the garden, if not all of them. This made him wonder if the party would be held in the garden, but that seemed unlikely.


    Turning to Roman, Orion asked curiously, "Why is everyone just exploring the garden? Why hasn''t anyone entered the vi?"


    "You don''t know?" Roman looked at him in surprise.


    Orion smiled sheepishly. "It''s my first time at a party of this level, so I''m not familiar with everything."


    Roman nodded in understanding and exined, "We haven''t entered the vi because the host from the Hunter Association hasn''t arrived yet. Until they enter the vi, we can''t either. That''s why the garden is sorge¡ªit''s for guests to explore while waiting."


    "I see," Orion replied, finding the tradition strange. In most cases, the host would greet guests at the entrance, but here, things were different.


    "Erza''s here," Shuna said, waving at a figure in the distance. "Erza, over here!"


    ---


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 Chapter 305: 305. Another Anomaly?

    Orion looked in the direction Shuna was waving and saw a red-haireddy in a red gown approaching them.


    "Erza, you look beautiful!" Shuna eximed as Erza came closer.


    "You too, Shuna," Erzaplimented her in return.


    "Erza, today you look otherworldly," Reilly added immediately upon seeing her, his face captivated by her beauty.


    Orion smiled when he noticed Reilly''s love-struck expression.


    Erza nodded at him. "I know, and you also look good." She turned to Orion, Roman, Rudy, and Josh. "In fact, you all look amazing."


    Roman adjusted his sses as he heard this, while Rudy smiled sheepishly.


    "And Ray, you came?" Erza said in surprise.


    Orion looked at her strangely. "Didn''t I say I would message you?"


    "Oh, I forgot about that," Erza admitted. "I didn''t check my watch. My bad."


    She continued, "Anyway, on my way, I heard the Hunter Association ising, so it won''t be long before they''re here."


    Orion and the others nodded lightly.


    "Well, well, well, if it isn''t Miss Erza!"


    At that moment, a voice sounded, causing Orion''s team to turn around. They saw six men around their age approaching, each surrounded by a strange aura that gave off a faintly kingly vibe.


    "Victor, I heard a newbie in your team reced one of your members for the spot," Erza said, her gaze shifting between a blue-haired man and a ck-haired man.


    The blue-haired man was Victor Wiseman, the strongest genius of the Lords Guild. He was tall and broad-shouldered. The ck-haired man was a newbie who had recently joined their guild. His name was Mark Prince. He had a handsome face, his hairbed upward, and he looked rather serious at the moment.


    Victor grinned when he heard Erza. "I heard the same about your guild." Turning his eyes to Orion, he smiled. "You must be Ray Wiser, the one who stole Reilly''s spot at thest minute. I bet you''re very proud." He sneered at Orion.


    He added, "Though I''m curious who''s stronger, Mark or you?" Turning to Mark, he was about to ask his opinion when he noticed Mark''s disturbed expression. "What''s wrong, Mark?"


    Mark Prince shook his head. "Nothing. I thought I knew Ray, but I think I mistook him for someone else."


    Orion narrowed his eyes at Mark as a bad premonition rose in his heart.


    ''He seems to know me?''


    Orion was certain he had never met him, which meant Ray Wiser might have encountered him.


    Erza spoke up at that moment. "Yes, a newbie did secure a spot. Let me introduce him." Turning to Orion, she said, "Ray, this is Victor Wiseman from the Lords Guild. The Lords Guild and Starfire Guild have always been allies."


    Orion nodded in acknowledgment.


    At that moment, Mark stepped forward and extended his hand. "Hey, I''m Mark Prince. It seems you and I are in the same situation."


    Orion shook his hand and attempted to copy his curse, but his face turned to shock and horror when the notification to ask whether to copy the curse didn''t appear. But it wasn''t only him who was shocked¡ªMark had the same expression, looking at him as if he had seen a ghost.


    "It''s nice to meet you," Orion said in a trembling voice, retracting his hand as Mark continued to stare at him suspiciously.


    ''Damn, this guy doesn''t have a curse? But how is that possible?''


    He thought, his mind racing. There was only one other time he had failed to copy a curse¡ªwhen he encountered Ray Wiser, whose curse, or rather talent, had been stolen.


    But Orion couldn''t understand the situation with Mark Prince. If he was in the same predicament as Ray Wiser, he should at least be hospitalized, but Mark seemed perfectly fine¡ªalive and well.


    "Ray, what happened?" Erza asked when she noticed Orion''s grim expression.


    "I''m fine," Orion replied calmly, though inside, storms raged in his heart.


    ''He also seemed to think he knows me, and since I''ve never seen him, that means he must have seen Ray Wiser. And both of their curses I couldn''t copy.''


    "Ray."


    Orion thought carefully, trying to make sense of the situation when it suddenly hit him. ''Ray Wiser''s talent was stolen when I found him. Could this have something to do with Mark? Was he the one who stole it?''


    "Ray."


    He grew suspicious of Mark, thinking it might be the case. However, that still didn''t exin why he couldn''t copy Mark''s curse. If Mark had the ability to extract talents, there should be a specific curse tied to it, and Orion should have been able to copy it¡ªbut he couldn''t. Nothing happened.


    "RAY!"


    A loud shout brought him back to reality. "Ah, yes," he said awkwardly, turning to Erza.


    Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    "What happened to you all of a sudden?" Erza asked suspiciously.


    "Me? No, nothing at all. I just remembered something I forgot to do back at home," Orion replied.


    At that moment, a crowd gathered at the entrance of the vi, drawing the attention of both the Starfire and Lords Guilds.


    "Erza, it seems the people from the Hunter Association have arrived. Let''s go together," Victor said.


    Erza nodded and looked at her guildmates. "Let''s go."


    Orion nodded and followed her, with Reilly, Roman, and the others close behind.


    As Orion walked with them, he suddenly felt as though someone was watching him or spying on him. He looked around but didn''t notice anyone suspicious. However, he did see Mark staring at him with a solemn expression.


    Orion frowned, feeling like he was cursed with bad luck, as he often found himself in inexplicable situations.


    Soon, they arrived in front of the vi and entered.


    ***


    Inside the vi was a grand hall filled with hundreds of tables and chairs, all upied by people.


    At the very front was a stage, where many individuals stood.


    ---


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 Chapter 306: 306. An Interesting Case of Mark Prince

    "Esteemed guests of Masturi City, I am the head of the Hunter Association here. You may or may not know me, but since you are here, I assume you''re familiar with me. I am Billy Bowen."


    A middle-aged man introduced himself on stage. He had a tiger tattoo on his neck and long ck hair down to his shoulders. His face bore many cuts and scratches, giving him a menacing appearance.


    "Today is a special asion for our city. You''ve all heard of Dos Academy, so you understand the impact it has on various cities across our Nios. I won''t waste your time further and will introduce the twelve chosen seats from our city."


    He paused for a moment and called out their names.


    "Let''s give them a round of apuse.


    The chosen seats are Erza Scarlett and Ray Wiser from the Starfire Guild, Victor Wiseman and Mark Prince from the Lords Guild, Henry Starling and Tracy Lin from the ck Reaper Guild, Leonard Isaac and Drake Falsi from the Druid Guild, Louis Fonse and Cicile Lester from the Catalose Guild, and two members from the Hunter Association¡ªGeorge Talley and Nn Snow."


    As their names were called, they slowly appeared on stage. The crowd apuded and cheered for their favorites and the guilds they supported.


    Billy, noticing the enthusiastic response, continued, "This party¡ªor small banquet, if you will¡ªis my heartfelt congrattions to them. I hope they achieve greatness and make Masturi City proud."


    He turned his attention to the chosen seats. "Go and enjoy the party. Today is your day."


    With that, the president of the Hunter Association concluded his speech.


    The atmosphere in the hall grew warm and lively as members of various guilds settled at their tables, indulging in the opulent feastid before them. tes overflowing withvish dishes¡ªsulent roasted meats, vibrant exotic fruits, and delicacies infused with rare spices¡ªwere presented by the waitstaff, who moved gracefully through the crowd.


    The rich aroma of the meal permeated the air, adding to the sense of splendor that filled the grand room.


    In attendance were not only the guild members but also prominent citizens and influential figures, all of whom had been extended invitations to the prestigious event. These individuals mingled effortlessly with one another, their conversations peppered withughter and casual remarks, blending seamlessly with the gentle clink of silverware and sses.


    What had begun as a small, intimate event organized by the Hunter Association had quickly blossomed into a gathering of the elite. Amidst the fine dining and entertainment, the hall buzzed with an air of sophistication and indulgence, as everyone reveled in the evening''s luxuries.


    ***


    At a table filled with delicious food and beverages, six members of the Starfire Guild were seated.


    "Erza, check the message I sent you earlier this evening. It has some important information you asked for," Orion said, gulping down food.


    Erza looked at Orion suspiciously. She didn''t recall assigning him any tasks about collecting information, but she nodded lightly, deciding to check what ''important information'' he had for her.


    "By the way, I suggest you check it before leaving the vi. It''s really important," Orion reminded her, taking a bottle of cold drink and chugging it down.


    Erza narrowed her eyes at him, puzzled. She couldn''t understand what could be so urgent that she needed to check it right away.


    "Ray, you''ve been eating a lot. Will you calm down a bit? You might choke at this rate," Roman said after watching Orion devour dish after dish. Read exclusive content at mvl


    "Don''t worry. It''s normal for me," Orion replied, still chewing. "I need the strength. Eating gives me a lot of it. And do you know the most important reason I eat so much?"


    "What?" Shuna asked, her curiosity evident.


    Orion looked at her seriously, then at Roman, and said in a solemn tone, "It''s because I like tasty and delicious food. It always satisfies me."


    "Cough, cough!" Roman choked at Orion''s answer.


    "Hey, hey, drink some water, buddy." Orion handed him a ss from the table.


    As they ate, drank, andughed, they enjoyed each other''spany. Meanwhile, at another table filled with equally delicious food, the members of the Lords Guild were seated.


    "Mark, did you know Ray? You were acting strange when you saw him and shook his hand," Victor asked as he ate.


    Mark looked aside with aplex expression. "I thought I knew him when I first saw him, but I guess I don''t. He resembles someone I met in the past, but their personalities and... the condition I found them in were very different."


    Victor nodded thoughtfully as he continued eating. "I also noticed Ray''s expression when he shook your hand. It was strange. He looked at you with shock, and I saw you had the same expression. Care to exin what happened?"


    Mark sensed the suspicion in Victor''s voice and replied, "It was nothing. You know me¡ªwhen I meet another newbie, I get excited. So, when I shook his hand, I used my talent, but I couldn''t suppress him no matter how hard I tried. It ended in a draw. That''s why I was shocked. I always thought I was the strongest genius in Masturi City, but it seems there''s another candidate."


    "Are you serious?" Victor''s expression turned solemn. "Your strength is practically at the tinum rank, and you''re still at gold rank. There''s never been a situation like this in Masturi City. And now you''re saying he''s as strong as you?"


    Mark shook his head. "I''m not saying that for sure. I''m just saying he could be as strong. We won''t know unless we fight. But from that handshake, I can tell he''s very strong."


    Victor sighed. "Another obstacle in theter selections, then." He knew how powerful Mark was, and if Ray was anywhere close to that level, his strength shouldn''t be underestimated.


    "You''ll just have to give it your best," Mark said with a smile, though he was thinking something entirely different.


    ''Why is he always so suspicious of me? Haven''t I proved myself a trustworthy member of the guild for over a year now?''


    Mark''s mind raced with thoughts.


    ''I got away from his suspicion by spouting some nonsense, but do I have to keep doing this? It''s so frustrating. And then there''s Ray Wiser...''


    His face grew grim as he thought about him.


    ---


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 Chapter 307: 307. Unforeseen Events Happening

    The party at the vi ended, and the members of the various guilds were preparing to leave.


    "Sir Billy, we''ll be heading out now," Victor said to Billy Bowen, who was gazing at the gathered guild members with a gleam in his eyes.


    "Alright, go and rest. I''ll see you the day after tomorrow," Billy Bowen replied.


    With that, the members of the various guilds began to disperse, along with the other guests who hade to celebrate. It was a small celebration organized by the head of the Hunter Association to thank the chosen representatives and wish them well for the uing assessment.


    The party didn''tst long and ended before midnight.


    Victor nced around at the other guild members, noticing that Erza and the newest member of the Starfire Guild were missing.


    "Roman, where''s Erza?" Victor asked.


    "Oh, her? They should be here any minute," Roman replied, scanning the area. "Ah, there they are."


    Victor followed Roman''s gaze and saw Erza approaching, her face etched with a foul expression. Orion trailed behind her.


    "Erza, let''s leave together. Our guilds are on the same route," Victor suggested.


    Erza frowned at his words, pondering for a moment before replying, "Can we talk privately for a minute?"


    Victor, surprised by her request, agreed. "Yeah, sure."


    Nodding, Erza gestured for him to follow her, leading him to a secluded spot where neither the members of her guild nor the others could see them.


    Roman, Orion, and the rest of the Starfire Guild shrugged when they saw this, understanding that something serious was likely being discussed. They didn''t intervene.


    However, Orion smiled knowingly. He had an idea of what was going on¡ªErza must have been seeking a solution to the problem he had just confirmed with her.


    As they waited, Orion''s attention shifted to the ck Reaper Guild, noticing that only a few members remained. The rest of the guilds had already left.


    He observed their tense expressions, their faces filled with anxiety.


    ''Orion frowned. ''Where are the others?''


    A sense of unease settled in his chest as he noticed the anxious looks on their faces slowly turning into despair.


    "Roman, look at the ck Reaper Guild. Is it just me, or do they seem like they''re in despair?" Orion asked, turning to Roman.


    Roman nced over, noticing their trembling bodies and ghostly expressions. "What''s going on with them all of a sudden?" Roman muttered, drawing the attention of everyone around.


    The Lords Guild members, who were standing nearby, also turned to look, seeing the same strange expressions on the ck Reaper Guild members'' faces.


    Mark frowned. "Let''s go check on them," he suggested to Orion.


    Orion nodded, walking over to the ck Reaper Guild with Mark. Normally, he wouldn''t have been concerned, but Ray Wiser''s sister was part of their guild, so he couldn''t ignore it.


    "What happened?" Mark asked when they reached the ck Reaper Guild. The rest of the Starfire and Lords Guilds followed.


    Henry turned to them, his expression grim, eyes flickering with something close to panic. "There are two tinum-ranked experts outside killing us." His voice was tight, barely steady. "Two of my guildmates went to get the car, but they were attacked and killed. One of them managed to warn us at thest second before¡ª" He cut himself off, swallowing hard, his words heavy with dread.


    Orion''s face darkened when he heard him. Two tinum-ranked experts taking out members of the ck Reaper Guild wasn''t just concerning¡ªit was a death sentence. Whoever they were, they weren''t ying around.


    He nced into the distance, hoping to spot something, anything, but there was nothing¡ªjust the faint taillights of cars disappearing into the night. But the quiet around them... it was unnerving. The usual night sounds, the rustling of leaves, the hum of the distant city¡ªgone. The silence was thick, oppressive, as if the air itself held its breath.


    "Are you sure?" Orion asked, his voice low but tense.


    "I''m certain," Henry replied, his voice shaky. "They left right after we said our goodbyes to Sir Billy. That''s when they struck."


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    Orion''s mind raced. "If two tinum-ranked experts are attacking, what about the Druid Guild and Catalose Guild? They left just before us, and there hasn''t been a word from them."


    Henry''s eyes widened, his agitation boiling over. "I don''t know about them!" He snapped "All I know is that my guildmates are dead, and they warned us about the attackers before they were gone."


    Orion fell silent, recalling his earlier conversation with Erza. ''Could this be connected to Josh''s father?''


    He remembered overhearing talk about targeting two members, but now it seemed like more than just the Starfire Guild was involved. Members of the ck Reaper Guild had been killed, and from the looks of it, everyone else might be in danger too.


    "Let me contact my guild," Mark said, tapping his halowatch, the device glowing faintly as he keyed in a frequency.


    "You think we haven''t tried?" Henry snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. "We did, but something is jamming the signal. I sent messages, but there''s been no reply."


    Mark frowned but tried anyway. A tense silence followed as he waited, staring at his halowatch. Momentster, his face tightened when he received no response from the Lords Guild. Each guild had personnel responsible formunications, a dedicated system in ce. But now, nothing.


    The silence on the other end was unnerving, suggesting their messages either hadn''t been delivered or something far more sinister was interfering with the signals.


    "Try contacting someone outside the guild," Orion suggested, his voice calm but urgent.


    "WE ALREADY DID!" Henry exploded, his frustration boiling over. His fists clenched at his sides as his voice rose. "We''ve tried everything, but nothing''s getting through!"


    Orion and Mark paused, realizing the gravity of the situation.


    "Henry''s right," Tracy chimed in. "We''ve done everything we can with the halowatch, but no messages are going through."


    Orion nodded in understanding. Just as he was about to speak, Erza and Victor returned, their faces immediately turning serious as they noticed the three guilds gathered together, the air thick with unease.


    "What''s going on?" Erza asked.


    Orion sighed and exined. "Two members of the ck Reaper Guild went to get the car but were killed by tinum-ranked experts. And now... we''re unable to contact anyone outside. Every attempt to send a message has been blocked. We''re cut off."


    ---


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 Chapter 308: 308. Sometimes Pushing Hard is the only solution.

    The more Erza and Victor listened, the darker their faces became.


    As Orion finished exining to Avia what had happened, a heavy silence enveloped the area.


    "The worst part is that everyone else at the vi had already left, and when we couldn¡¯t contact our guild, I saw some people leaving. I asked them to contact the guild when they were outside," Henry stated, looking at Victor and Erza. "So, I think we should wait here until help from our guild arrives."


    Victor frowned and turned to Erza. "Is this what you were talking about?"


    Erza shook her head, her expression solemn. "I¡¯m not sure."


    Orion sighed, then suddenly appeared behind Josh, his sword pressed to Josh¡¯s neck. "Tell me what¡¯s going on."


    "Ray!"


    "Ray! What are you doing?"


    Shuna and Roman shouted as Orion ced his sword against Josh¡¯s neck.


    Orion nced at them before turning his focus back on Josh. "I overheard an interesting conversation between him and his father," he said, pushing the de closer. "If you don¡¯t want your head to roll, you¡¯d better spill everything about what¡¯s happening here."


    Josh trembled. "Ray, what are you talking about? Release me!" he shouted anxiously.


    "Release you? Alright, just say everything your father told you to do, and I¡¯ll release you," Orion sneered.


    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about," Josh said, panicked. "Just let me go, and we can talk."


    "Do you take me for a fool?" Orion sneered again. "With your talent, it¡¯s almost impossible to hit you, yet you¡¯re asking me to release you? Spill everything you know."


    Josh gritted his teeth, looking at the shocked faces of Shuna, Roman, Rudy, and even the usually quiet Reilly.


    Victor, standing nearby, folded his arms and turned to Erza. "Are you not going to stop this?"


    Erza didn¡¯t reply, her attention locked on Josh. Victor shrugged in response.


    "Are you telling me my two guildmates died because of him?" Henry shouted at the moment.


    In the blink of an eye, Henry appeared in front of Josh, his sword flying through the air with deadly precision, aimed straight at Josh¡¯s heart. Orion¡¯s reflexes kicked in, and he instinctively began to retreat. However, before he could fully withdraw, a sh of purple lightning streaked across his vision, hurtling toward Josh with blinding speed¡ªquicker even than Henry¡¯s sword.


    In a surreal moment, time seemed to stretch and slow for Orion. The scene unfolded with an almost eerie rity: Henry¡¯s menacing strike, the lightning¡¯s furious advance, and the rapid intery of events. Orion¡¯s perception sharpened, allowing him to witness every fraction of a second with intense focus, as if the world had momentarily paused for him.


    He watched in vivid rity as Mark, bathed in a torrent of crackling purple lightning, calmly approached the scene. As Mark reached Josh, he locked eyes with Orion, a smirk tugging at his lips. Without hesitation, he reached out and caught Henry¡¯s sword mid-air, stopping it just as it was about to pierce Josh¡¯s heart.


    For everyone else, the moment had passed in a blur. Henry¡¯s attack, Mark¡¯s lightning-fast intervention¡ªit all happened in the space of a heartbeat. All they saw was a brief sh of purple lightning, followed by the sight of Mark gripping Henry¡¯s sword with his bare hand.


    "What just happened?" Roman asked.


    Shuna shrugged, equally baffled.


    Reilly¡¯s face darkened while Rudy remained just as clueless.


    "Henry, stop!" Erza said, gripping Henry¡¯s shoulder and pushing him away from Josh. "Are you mad? You were about to kill him, and if Mark hadn¡¯t stepped in, you might have seeded!"


    Henry¡¯s voice rose in anger. "What do you expect me to do? It wasn¡¯t your guildmates who died, so you don¡¯t understand!" He red at Josh. "If they died because of him, I will kill him."


    After taking a deep breath, trying to calm down, Henry added, "Now will you tell us what¡¯s going on?"


    Orion pressed his sword tighter against Josh¡¯s neck, causing blood to drip. "If I don¡¯t kill you, there are plenty of others here who would dly finish what I started."


    He continued coldly, "I¡¯ll give you ten seconds. If you don¡¯te clean, I won¡¯t kill you myself¡ªI¡¯ll hand you over to the ck Reaper Guild. Maybe they¡¯ll knock some sense into you."


    Erza stepped forward, her voice low but dangerous. "Josh, tell us what you discussed with your father. Otherwise, your fate will be worse than any criminal¡¯s. You know how much I despise traitors. Even if your father protects youter, you won¡¯t escape the consequences."


    "Just say it," Orion demanded. "Time¡¯s ticking."


    "You see this sword?" Mark asked, holding the de he had grabbed earlier. "I just saved your life, but I also know how to take it. So, if you don¡¯t want to die, tell us what¡¯s happening outside the vi."


    Josh¡¯s expression turned grim as he looked around. Every face red at him with hostility. No one showed pity.


    ming his father, Josh gritted his teeth. He had never wanted any of this and had warned his father that it was a bad idea. But, as usual, his words had been ignored. Now, the worst-case scenario hade to pass.


    "Are you sure he¡¯s the right person?" Victor asked Erza. "He¡¯s not saying anything."


    "Oh, he¡¯ll talk," Orion said with a cruel smile, stabbing his sword deeper into Josh¡¯s neck, the blood flowing more freely.


    Erza frowned. "Don¡¯t push too hard, Ray."


    Orion shook his head. "You don¡¯t get it, Erza. Sometimes you have to push hard to make people understand what they¡¯ve gotten into."


    With that, he pressed the sword further into Josh¡¯s neck.


    "Stop, stop! I¡¯ll talk!" Josh finally relented, realizing he had no choice.


    "Good," Orion said, his voice ice-cold. "Now tell us everything you know about the situation, or you know what will happen."


    ---


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 Chapter 309: 309. A Plan To Fight Back The Assassins

    Josh swallowed hard but, in the end, he revealed everything.


    "My father and some other members of our guild were contacted by some mysterious people. They made my father an offer."


    "What was the offer?" Erza asked, her voice ice-cold.


    Josh gulped nervously and continued. "The offer involved killing two top geniuses in the guild, and in return, those mysterious people would make my father the guild leader when they destroy the Starfire Guild and rebuild it from scratch."


    p!


    A resounding pnded on Josh¡¯s right cheek, causing his face to swell like a pig¡¯s.


    "How could you and your father do this?" Erza trembled with anger. She had expected something like this, but hearing it from Josh made her even angrier than her assumptions had.


    She red at him. "Your father is one of the top members of the guild. He worked hard alongside everyone to bring our guild to the top five in Masturi City. But it seems that wasn¡¯t enough for him. He had his eyes on the guild leader¡¯s position, and he was willing to kill for it." She took a deep breath.


    Josh stammered, his face full of despair. "I didn¡¯t want to be a part of this. My father forced me into it. It¡¯s all his fault."


    No one spoke; they all looked at Josh with disbelief.


    "Believe me! This isn¡¯t what I wanted," Josh shouted hysterically. "All I ever wanted was to be a part of the guild and be friends with you guys." Tears began to fall from his eyes, seeing that no one believed him.


    "Tell me, how does this situation connect to what your father discussed with those mysterious people?" Orion asked.


    Josh stayed silent for a moment, but as he felt Orion¡¯s sword pressing against his neck, he caved in. "My role was to lead all of you to this party. An assassin was supposed to wait outside, and when we left the vi, he would kill two of you."


    He added, looking at everyone¡¯s angry faces. "But there was supposed to be only one assassin at the tinum rank, and his target was only the members of the Starfire Guild. I don¡¯t know how the ck Reaper Guild got involved. It¡¯s not my fault."


    "Not your fault? Are you kidding me?!" Henry nearly lost it at Josh¡¯s words.


    "Calm down, Henry," Victor said, patting Henry on the shoulder. "Nothing goodes from anger. Calm down."


    Henry nodded lightly, staying silent.


    Everyone fell quiet after Josh¡¯s confession. They were unsure of the best course of action, considering two tinum-ranked killers were waiting outside the vi.


    "The other guilds left, right? Are we sure they weren¡¯t attacked?" Orion asked, turning to Henry.


    Henry shook his head. "I don¡¯t know. I just know that when my two guildmates went to get the car, they left with the other guilds. There hasn¡¯t been any news about them since, so I¡¯m not sure what happened."


    Orion nodded. "I was thinking that the two tinum-ranked killers might only be targeting the ck Reaper Guild and our guild. If that¡¯s true, the Lords Guild might be safe to leave, right?" He turned his eyes to Mark.


    "We¡¯re not taking any risks here," Victor replied before Mark could speak. "I also don¡¯t want my guild members to be scapegoats while we wait for senior members to arrive." He shot Orion a chilly look.


    Orion shrugged. "I was just offering a way out."


    "My guildmates should have been here by now," Henry said, looking at everyone. "It¡¯s been half an hour since they left, and I told them to inform my guild. Why haven¡¯t they arrived yet?"


    "Isn¡¯t that obvious?" Mark smiled. "Your guild never got the distress call."


    "How is that possible?" Henry stammered, taking a few steps back.


    Mark sneered. "Are you stupid? If the tinum rank killers nned to target members of the top five guilds, they would¡¯ve prepared for something like this. The people who left the vi probably didn¡¯t make it out. They were likely trapped by the killers somewhere. That¡¯s why your distress call never reached your guild.


    However, I bet the killers let the people from the Hunter Association go."


    Henry¡¯s body shook as the harsh reality sank in. "Are we doomed?"


    "Certainly not," Erza said solemnly. "Rudy and Roman, go check the vi for anyone who hasn¡¯t left yet."


    Roman and Rudy exchanged nces before heading off to inspect the vi.


    Erza continued, "Since no one else hase out of the vi, it¡¯s likely that everyone except us has left. I sent those two just to be sure."


    She looked at the group and added, "I don¡¯t think help ising. Our guild members probably think we¡¯re still at the party. I suggest we leave this ce ourselves. No one ising to save us."


    Victor nodded. "Erza¡¯s right. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible. The tinum rank killers are waiting outside, but there¡¯s nothing stopping them froming in. While we still have time, we need toe up with a n before they attack."


    Mark smiled. "I doubt those tinum-ranked experts are higher than 3rd level. They should still be within our range of ability."


    "Why do you think they¡¯re only 3rd level tinum rank?" Erza asked, narrowing her eyes.


    Mark shrugged. "Think about it. Two ck Reaper Guild members went to fetch the car. They were attacked, but they didn¡¯t die instantly. One of them was even able to use his HaloWatch to send a message."


    He looked at everyone. "What does that tell you? The killers are probably no stronger than 3rd level tinum rank. But remember, this is all just my assumption. It could be true, or it could be false." He shrugged it off.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 310: 310. Fearing More Than Being Attacked by Platinum Rank Killers

    Orion nodded and said, "Well, I also believe the tinum rank killers aren¡¯t that powerful. Since no one is left in the vi, they could have alreadye and killed us, but they are waiting for us to step outside. This means they¡¯re afraid to fight us when we¡¯re gathered together. I think when we go outside, we¡¯ll be entering their territory, where they¡¯ll be ready tounch a sneak attack.


    So, I believe it¡¯s a good opportunity for us to go out there and surprise them."


    He looked at the others and added, "We shouldn¡¯t waste any more time. When the battle begins, one of us can slip away and contact the guild. How does that sound?"


    "Doable," Erza said, turning to Victor and Henry. "What do you guys think?"


    "I¡¯m alright with it," Victor nodded.


    Henry gritted his teeth but also nodded. Realizing that waiting would do them no good, he decided to gamble and fight the killers waiting outside.


    "Alright, we¡¯ll proceed with the n when Roman and Rudy get back," Erza said.


    Not long after, Roman and Rudy returned with dejected expressions. "There¡¯s no one in the vi. We checked every corner and found no one," Roman said, sounding disheartened.


    Erza sighed and said to them, "We have to go outside and fight those two tinum rank killers."


    Roman and Rudy were shocked at first, but seeing everyone¡¯s resolute expressions, they helplessly nodded.


    "Before we go, let¡¯s arrange a battle formation," Victor suggested. "Since these two tinum rank killers are like a boss to us in a dungeon, we might as well organize ourselves for their attack."


    Erza thought for a moment and nodded. "You¡¯re the best strategist here, so you suggest the roles for each of us."


    Victor nodded and considered it for a moment. "I need someone fast, who can move from the back of the group to the front in seconds."


    "That would be me." Both Orion and Mark stepped forward at the same time, exchanging a sneer.


    Victor nodded. "Orion, your role will be at the back of the group. If an attackes from behind, warn the others and help with your speed."


    Turning to Mark, he added, "You¡¯ll be at the front, helping others if they¡¯re attacked or fighting the killers."


    Orion and Mark nodded lightly.


    "I, Henry, and Erza will stand at the front to confront the attack from the two tinum rank killers. The rest of you will be behind us," Victor said, concluding his n.


    "This is the best I coulde up with. It¡¯s a loose formation, but it¡¯s also very suitable in this case. What do you all think?"


    "It¡¯s good," Erza agreed.


    Henry sighed and nodded.


    "Josh, we¡¯re leaving now, so don¡¯t try anything funny. Stay in a defensive mode. If you help the assassins in any way, my sword will chop off your head next time. Understand?" Orion red at Josh, threatening him.


    Josh gritted his teeth and nodded.


    "Let¡¯s go then," Erza said, turning to Victor and Henry. They nodded and walked toward the exit of the garden with their guilds, Erza leading her members.


    As they left the vi and the surrounding garden, they moved into the formation Victor had nned.


    However, as soon as they stepped out, a dense, eerie fog rolled in, thickening the night and worsening their already precarious situation. The darkness was suffocating, with the fog obscuring their vision even further, making every shadow seem like a potential threat.


    Orion, stationed at the very back of the group, remained vignt, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings for any hint of a sneak attack. Behind him, Hayley and several of the strongest members of the Lords Guild and ck Reaper Guild moved cautiously, with Roman and Rudy among them.


    Reilly and the other members followed closely behind, while up at the front, Erza, Henry, Victor, and Mark led the way. Mark, like Orion, had the freedom to move as the situation demanded, his role fluid in the event of an ambush.


    Their progress was slow and deliberate, tension hanging in the air as they made their way through the narrow path that led to the parking lot, a kilometer away. Each step was measured, every noise scrutinized, as they knew killers could strike at any moment from within the obscuring fog.


    Orion continued scanning the surroundings for danger. Beside him was Tracy and some other guild members.


    "Big brother, we¡¯ll be okay, right?" Tracy asked quietly in a low voice only Orion could hear.


    Orion sighed. Until now, he hadn¡¯t feared the tinum rank killers, but hearing Tracy¡¯s words made anxiety tug at him.


    "We¡¯ll be fine," Orion replied quietly.


    However, as soon as he said that, he spun around and saw a golden beam of lighting from behind.


    "We¡¯re being attacked!"


    He shouted to warn the others, drawing his sword and moving toward the golden beam of light.


    At that moment, the golden beam hade so close that it illuminated the surroundings, catching everyone¡¯s attention.


    "Curse Transformation!"


    Orion immediately activated his sub-ability, Curse Transformation of the Stormcaller curse, channeling its power into his sword just as the golden beam of light hurtled toward him.


    With a swift swing, his de met the radiant beam, and the impact unleashed a furious storm of wind in every direction. The golden cascade of light crackled and surged, shing violently with Orion¡¯s storm-infused strike, filling the air with a blinding disy of power.


    Feeling the golden beam beginning to weaken, Orion acted quickly. He deactivated Curse Transformation in an instant, allowing the force of the attack to propel him backward.


    His body shot through the air at high speed, and when he hit the ground, his feet dug into the concrete path, skidding as he slid to a stop. Deep grooves were left in his wake, but he had positioned himself perfectly¡ªright in front of his group as he came to stop.


    He did this intentionally, masking his true strength. By letting the force of the attack push him back, he ensured that no one would suspect he could easily withstand the full brunt of a tinum rank expert¡¯s strike.


    To the others, it appeared as though he had been overwhelmed by the sheer power of the beam, retreating just in time to avoid being seriously injured.


    In reality, he had gauged the attack perfectly, knowing he could have taken it head-on without issue. But keeping that hidden was all part of his n.


    ---


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

 Chapter 311: 311. How are you still alive?

    Just as Orion skidded to a stop in front of the group, still reeling from the force of the attack, a figure suddenly materialized out of nowhere. It moved with such incredible speed that it seemed more like a flicker than a person, appearing as a small blur darting from one spot to the next.


    The brief shes of movement were barely visible, the figure vanishing and reappearing in an instant.


    "It¡¯s here."


    Erza¡¯s sharp eyes caught sight of the approaching blur, and without hesitation, she mmed her fist into the ground with all her might. The earth cracked beneath her as fiery energy surged from her hand, and in an instant, a towering wall of mes erupted from the ground, roaring to life.


    The inferno shot up, forming an imprable barrier that halted the figure¡¯s advance. The blur came to a sudden stop just before the mes, the scorching heat distorting the air around it.


    "Ray and Mark, you two handle the one at a distance," Erza shouted.


    Mark nced back at the silhouette behind the ming wall and nodded.


    Purple lightning shed as he appeared at the rear of the group.


    Orion stabilized himself and swiftly headed back, aided by wind boosting his speed.


    At that moment, another golden arrow shot toward them from a distance.


    "Leave it to me," Mark shouted, thrusting his right hand forward as arcs of lightning crackled around his arm.


    With a powerful swing, he unleashed bolts of lightning toward the iing golden beam. The two forces met mid-air, and the collision was instantaneous, creating a deafening explosion that lit up the sky.


    A blinding light erupted from the impact, forcing Orion, Tracy, and the others to shield their eyes. The shockwave that followed was intense, nearly knocking them off their feet as it surged through the area.


    As the light faded and the dust settled, Orion quickly regained his footing, his senses sharp and alert.


    ¡¯Where is the killer?¡¯


    His mind raced as he calcted the origin of the attack. Based on the speed and trajectory of the golden beams, he knew the sniper couldn¡¯t be far off.


    Scanning thendscape, his eyes locked onto a tall tower looming behind the vi, about twenty kilometers away. It was the only structure of its kind, standing isted against the skyline.


    A sense of certainty washed over him¡ªif the sniper was anywhere, it had to be there.


    ¡¯Could the killer be on that tower?¡¯ he thought, suspicion rising.


    Orion pointed to the tower and said to Mark, "The sniper might be up there."


    Mark turned his attention on the distant tower when a sudden explosion behind them shattered his focus. He turned around, along with Orion and the others, to see a fierce battle already in progress.


    Erza, Victor, and Henry were locked inbat with the second killer. mes erupted around Erza as she used explosive bursts to force space between them, while Victor and Henry attacked at close range, their strikes swift and precise. Reilly, Hayley, and the others supported from the nks, trying to create an opening.


    But it was futile. The killer moved with impossible speed, darting between their attacks like a shadow. No matter how coordinated or powerful their efforts were, the figure seemed to anticipate every move, dodging each strike with effortless precision. Even Erza¡¯s roaring mes couldn¡¯t catch him.


    The killer blurred around the battlefield, always a step ahead, making it look almost like they were toying with their opponents.


    "That¡¯s a 2nd-level tinum rank expert," Mark said, turning to Orion. "I think they¡¯ll be fine handling him. We should focus on the sniper."


    Orion¡¯s brow furrowed in frustration. The killer wasn¡¯t overwhelmingly powerful, but the sheer speed made it impossible for Erza and the others tond a clean hit. Erza¡¯s me bursts asionally created some space, but no one else could match the killer¡¯s lightning-fast movements.


    Their attacks were more reactive than offensive, barely managing to block and counter, only for the killer to dodge everything with ease.


    As Orion continued to analyze the battle, his instincts red. A subtle shift in the air warned him of danger from behind.


    He turned swiftly, eyes widening as he spotted three golden beams of light hurtling toward them.


    "Damn, three of them this time," he muttered.


    He nced between the iing beams and the battle ahead, making a decision.


    "Mark, go help them. They need someone with speed out there. I¡¯ll handle this," he said, pointing at the ongoing fight.


    Mark shook his head. "I have a better n."


    In a sh of purple lightning, he vanished, reappearing behind the killer with a surprise lightning punch. The killer blocked it by crossing his arms, but the impact sent him sliding across the concrete.


    Erza, Victor, and Henry were stunned. They had been struggling tond a hit, yet Mark¡¯s speed had caught the killer off-guard. Even if it was a sneak attack, Mark clearly had the edge in speed.


    "You handle the back; Ray and I will deal with this one," Mark said, pointing to the three golden beams of light.


    Erza, Victor, and Henry turned to see the three golden arrows hurtling toward them at breakneck speed.


    "Alright," Erza agreed, knowing Ray¡¯s wind talent made him well-suited for closebat with the killer. Mark¡¯s speed spoke for itself.


    The group quickly retreated to the back, leaving Orion to nod at Erza before joining Mark at the front.


    Standing beside Mark, Orion sized up the killer, who stood a short distance away. The man wore a ck mask, a hoodie, and assassin-style clothing.


    "How are you still alive after I took away your talent? And how did you be this powerful?" Mark suddenly asked Orion.


    Orion¡¯s heart went cold. He had suspected Mark might be the one who took Ray¡¯s talent, but hearing it confirmed left him with an unsettling feeling.


    "Well, a sage came to my hospital room and did something to me. I can¡¯t say more than that," Orion replied, narrowing his eyes at Mark. "But I haven¡¯t forgotten what you did to me." He deliberately gave this exnation to prevent Mark from doubting his identity.


    Mark smiled briefly, then turned his attention back to the killer. "Let¡¯s take care of this first. Then, we¡¯ll have a nice chat about that." Purple lightning crackled around him.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 312: 312. Revenge of the ages shall begin

    Orion looked at him deeply, then focused his attention on the killer.


    "Who sent you to kill us?" he asked.


    "Dead people don¡¯t need to know," the killer replied, his altered voice sounding strange, before vanishing from his position to attack.


    "Let¡¯s attack together," Orion suggested, activating the Curse of Stormcaller to increase his speed.


    Mark smiled, purple lightning shing around him as he disappeared.


    The three of them collided with a deafening boom, the ground beneath them cracking and shattering as the shockwave tore through the air. Dust swirled, and for a brief moment, everything seemed chaotic.


    But as the dust cleared, the oue became all too obvious.


    The killer stood there, calm andposed, effortlessly holding Orion¡¯s sword in one hand and Mark¡¯s lightning-charged fist in the other. His bare hands gripped both as if they were weightless, as if theirbined power meant nothing to him.


    Orion¡¯s heart raced, disbelief shing in his eyes. He could feel the tension in his sword, but the killer¡¯s grip didn¡¯t falter. Mark¡¯s expression mirrored Orion¡¯s shock¡ªhis lightning-infused strike, which should¡¯ve delivered a devastating blow, was being casually contained, the crackling energy dissipating like it was nothing more than a faint spark.


    The two exchanged a brief nce, both realizing the same thing. This wasn¡¯t just someone fast. This killer had strength far beyond anything they¡¯d expected, and they were now face to face with an opponent that neither speed nor raw power could easily defeat.


    "Is that all you¡¯ve got?"


    The killer sneered before kicking Mark in the stomach, sending him flying. Seeing this, Orion quickly formed a condensed ball of wind in his left hand¡ªthe same move he had used to defeat Reilly¡ªand thrust it towards the killer.


    But before the wind sphere could reach him, the killer flung Orion into the air. Orion used the wind to slow his fall andnded beside Mark.


    "There¡¯s something wrong with this man," Mark said solemnly.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Orion asked, confused.


    "I don¡¯t know." Mark shook his head. "I just have a feeling this is going to be a tough battle."


    Orion turned to the killer. "Well, what can we expect from a 2nd-level tinum rank expert?"


    "None of you will survive," the killer suddenly said.


    "All the geniuses here will die. Tomorrow¡¯s headline will read something like: ¡¯Hunter Association assassinates geniuses after the party.¡¯ Doesn¡¯t that sound like shocking news?"


    The killer spread his arms. "Imagine the chaos that would follow once this reaches the federation. The organization they trusted most turned out to be their biggest traitor. How will people react? Hahaha."


    Orion frowned. From the killer¡¯s words, he understood that this wasn¡¯t about personal grudges¡ªit was about sending a message to the world, a false statement to tarnish the Hunter Association¡¯s reputation. At least, that¡¯s what Orion believed.


    If that happened, chaos would surely ensue. While Orion wouldn¡¯t mind seeing the world burn after what happened three months ago, the killer had targeted the wrong group.


    "You¡¯re too full of yourself," Orion said, shaking his head, though he didn¡¯t notice the solemn expression on Mark¡¯s face.


    "You¡¯ll understand soon enough," The killer sneered, then vanished once more in a blur of motion.


    Orion barely had time to react, preparing to use his wind powers, when the killer reappeared directly in front of him. The fist that followed was so quick it seemed like teleportation. There was no warning, no chance for Orion¡ªor Ray¡ªto defend himself. The killer¡¯s speed was overwhelming.


    Bang!


    The punch struck Orion¡¯s face with a force that sent him flying. His body skidded just above the ground, soaring past the battlefield where Erza, Henry, and Victor were strategizing against the distant killer.


    He crashed into the vi¡¯s boundary wall with a thunderous impact, the wall crumbling under the force.


    Mark¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the killer. In that moment, he realized why he had felt uneasy.


    "Your strength... it¡¯s at the 9th level of tinum rank!" Mark said in shock.


    "You¡¯re next," the killer smirked before vanishing again.


    Mark shed back with his lightning, intending to counterattack, but the killer was faster. He appeared in front of Mark like a blur and kicked him before Mark could even strike.


    "Damn it!" Mark cursed, crossing his arms in front of his chest at thest moment. It was all he could do. Even with his lightning, his speed couldn¡¯t match the killer¡¯s.


    Bang!


    Like Orion, Mark was sted away, flying toward the vi. He crashed through several trees beforeing to a stop.


    An eerie silence fell over the battlefield. Erza, Henry, Victor, and the others were shocked to their core, feeling the oppressive aura emanating from the killer. A look of despair clouded the faces of Rudy, Roman, Shuna, Hayley, and the others.


    The killer¡¯s aura was palpable, and everyone understood that he was far beyond their ability to handle. It was a fight out of their league. Only the senior members of the guilds could hope to do anything.


    There was a clear distinction between Gold rank and tinum rank. Even if some geniuses could defy that gap, it was only limited to early-stage tinum ranks¡ª1st, 2nd, or 3rd levels.


    Fighting a 9th-level tinum rank expert was nothing short of suicide, and now the members of the Starfire Guild, Lords Guild, and ck Reaper Guild found themselves in that dire situation.


    "I already told you¡ªno one will leave here alive. All of you will die, and that will mark the beginning of something monumental in this world."


    The killer began walking slowly toward the rest of the group.


    "Rejoice, for your sacrifice will ignite something so grand it might alter the course of this world."


    He continued uttering his twisted words as he approached.


    "And with that, the revenge of the ages shall begin."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 313: 313. A Desperate Situation - A Slim Chance of Survival

    Everyone¡¯s faces turned grim as they heard the killer. They knew survival was impossible unless someone from their guilds arrived to help, but that was unlikely, considering they were cut off from the outside world. There had been no responses from their guilds at all.


    Their only hope was that the killer wouldn¡¯t finish them quickly and would take his time. At least that way, someone passing by on the highway might notice something and alert the authorities.


    But that, too, seemed far too unlikely.


    Erza¡¯s expression darkened as she looked at the killer and her guild members. For the first time in a while, she felt utterly helpless.


    ¡¯If only I were stronger...¡¯


    She kept thinking this as she anxiously bit her lip. She could sense the wild aura radiating from the killer and realized he was at the 9th level of the tinum rank. Her peak Gold Rank strength wouldn¡¯t stand a chance here.


    She also felt a deep guilt as she looked at Reilly, Shuna, Roman, and Rudy, their anxious faces tight as they clutched their weapons. It was her fault. She was the one who had invited them to the party.


    The party was meant for those selected for seats, but they were allowed to bring some geniuses from their guilds. Erza had chosen these four because they were the top talents in the Starfire Guild.


    Victor¡¯s face was solemn as he watched the killer, though one could tell he was scared. He was trembling but trying his best to hide it.


    Henry¡¯s expression was simr, though more panicked and anxious. Two of his guild members were already dead, and now he feared he and the others would soon join them.


    One member of the group, Tracy, looked as though she might cry at any moment. She had seen Orion get sted and mmed into the vi wall. Her heart had nearly stopped when she saw it, and their current predicament only made her feel worse.


    "It¡¯s quite entertaining... tormenting the weak, but I don¡¯t have much time," the killer said, his voice like the melody of a devil to them.


    He added, "So, I¡¯m going to finish you in one clean strike. I promise it won¡¯t be painful." He positioned himself to deliver a devastating punch.


    ¡¯At this rate, we¡¯re all going to die...¡¯


    Erza thought anxiously until her expression became resolute.


    "Let¡¯s fight. There might be a chance if we do, but giving up will only make things worse," she shouted loudly.


    Everyone heard her, but their expressions didn¡¯t change. The despair on their faces remained.


    Erza noticed and sighed deeply. "If I have to fight alone, so be it." Her body began to emit intense mes, illuminating the area around her. The mes were so hot that the ground beneath her turned ck and charred.


    Victor gritted his teeth at the sight of Erza standing her ground and stepped forward, his body releasing a grey aura that began to melt the ground beneath him slowly.


    Henry sighed with a crazed expression and joined them. "I¡¯ll go along with this madness," heughed as his hands and legs transformed into shining blue metal.


    Erza nodded, seeing the two step forward, and said, "We aren¡¯t his match, so fighting directly is pointless. The killer is gathering energy in his fist, so we have to disrupt that first. I¡¯ll use my mes to create an opening. Victor, you¡¯ll be the main attacker. Henry, you¡¯ll tank. Can you guys do it?"


    Henry and Victor nodded solemnly.


    "Alright, let¡¯s do this," Erza shouted, creating pirs of me around the killer, who was charging up energy to kill them all in one strike.


    "It¡¯s futile. The more you struggle, the closer your death bes," the killer sneered.


    "You don¡¯t have to tell us," Victor muttered, sliding forward, melting everything in his path as he attacked with a punch.


    "If you want to die painfully, so be it," the killer said in a foul mood, stopping his prepared attack because of Victor¡¯s interference.


    As Victor¡¯s fist neared him, the killer easily sidestepped, dodging the attack.


    "I¡¯ll kill you first."


    The killer grinned cruelly and punched, intending to finish Victor, but a wall of mes erupted between them, interrupting the attack.


    Seeing the opportunity, Victor released a small cloud of gas into the burning wall and quickly retreated.


    Boom!


    An explosion followed, sending a shockwave through the air.


    ck smoke engulfed the killer, making him invisible for a moment.


    "Our attacks are useless against him," Victor said in a dejected tone.


    "We have to do what we can to buy time. It¡¯s our only chance," Erza replied solemnly.


    "But Victor isn¡¯t wrong. If our attacks can¡¯t even touch him, we won¡¯tst a minute against him," Henry said, frowning.


    Erza understood the dire situation but had no other n. They had to make do with what they had.


    "MOVE ASIDE, EVERYONE!"


    A sudden shout drew everyone¡¯s attention as winds began to rage in all directions, creating a storm of dust, leaves, and even garbage flying through the air.


    Erza, Victor, Henry, and the others looked behind them to see Orion standing at the center of the storm, his face bloodied. He held a bow made entirely of wind, with an arrow simrly formed, notched at the string. The bow seemed tense, as if it could snap at any moment, yet it held firm.


    Around Orion, a tornado of wind attached itself to the bow and arrow.


    "Move aside!" Erza shouted, realizing Orion¡¯s n. Hearing her, everyone quickly stepped out of his line of sight.


    The wind blew away the smoke surrounding the killer, revealing him once more.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 314: 314. When I get angry, even gods will tremble beneath my feet

    At that precise moment, Orion released the arrow. The instant it left his grip, it felt as though the control he had over the wind vanished, leaving the swirling tempest to rage unchecked. The storm intensified, howling around them, whipping debris into the air as the wind tore at everything in its path. Read new adventures at mvl


    The arrow shot forward, carried by the gale, slicing through the air like a force of nature. Everything in its trajectory was obliterated. The concrete road leading to the vi cracked and split, chunks of asphalt thrown into the air as the arrow''s sheer force carved a destructive line straight toward the killer.


    In mere seconds, the arrow was upon him, a lethal projectile surrounded by the fury of the storm.


    "Child''s y," the killer sneered as he caught the arrow effortlessly with his bare hand. His expression was one of disdain, but Orion''s faint smile suggested he had been waiting for this moment.


    A heartbeatter, an unimaginable explosion erupted from the arrow. The shockwave shook the air, and the wind, already fierce, suddenly surged to new heights. The storm intensified so violently that even the clouds in the sky began to shift, swirling into the chaos.


    Erza, Victor, and the others were caught off guard. The force of the wind sted them backward, sending them hurtling through the air toward the vi. Unable to resist the sheer power, they collided with the walls, grunting in pain as they finally came to a stop.


    Meanwhile, the storm around the killer had be a full-blown tornado. The winds spiraled violently, trapping him within its raging vortex, and for a moment, it seemed like nature itself was tearing apart the battlefield.


    "Roman, go quickly and report to the guild. This is our chance," Orion whispered to Roman, appearing behind him.


    Roman understood and vanished at once, using his speed.


    Seeing Roman disappear into the distance, Orion sighed in relief. At least one of them would report to the guild. If more people had tried to leave, the killer might have caught on, which would have been disastrous.


    "Ray, are you okay?" Shuna asked worriedly, while Tracy looked at Orion with concern.


    "It was a hard hit, but I''m fine," Orion smiled at both of them.


    Shuna nodded, and Tracy secretly sighed in relief.


    "It''s good that Roman left. Now we just have to survive until help arrives," Erza said, looking at the tornado.


    Orion nodded. "Yeah, that''s the n. There''s no way we can defeat a 9th-level tinum expert, so all we can do is survive."


    At that moment, Orion suddenly looked in a certain direction and smiled slightly.


    "I said before, this is child''s y."


    The killer''s voice echoed, and the tornado trapping him lost momentum, slowly dissipating like a gentle breeze.


    RUMBLE!


    Suddenly, a deafening crack of thunder split the air, reverberating across the battlefield. A brilliant sh of purple light illuminated the scene, cutting through the storm with a blinding intensity. Every eye at the vi turned toward the source, and in that moment, the geniuses saw something moving¡ªsomething so fast that even their sharpened senses couldn''t follow.


    It was a bolt of purple lightning, tearing through the battlefield with terrifying speed, heading directly for the killer. As it streaked through the air, anything in its path was obliterated. Trees, debris, even fragments of the ground itself were reduced to nothing but ashes and charred remains.


    The raw, untamed energy of the lightning consumed everything, leaving a trail of destruction as it raced toward its target.


    Erza, Victor, and Henry could barelyprehend the sheer power of what they were witnessing.


    "Heh, it''s useless," the killer sneered, clenching his fist and punching the iing lightning bolt.


    Boom!


    Another explosion erupted, lighting the battlefield with a violent purple sh. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, rattling the very foundations of the vi.


    Dust and debris clouded the scene for a brief moment before dissipating, revealing the killer once more. His hand bore visible burn marks, scorched by the force of the purple lightning, yet his expression remained cold and unmoved.


    The killer hadn''t escaped unscathed, but neither had he been severely harmed. Drag marks stretched behind him, evidence of the power behind the attack. His feet had been pushed back a full ten feet from his original position, the first time he had been forced to retreat.


    Though the killer stood tall, unshaken by the blow, Mark''s lightning had done what many thought impossible¡ªinjure a 9th-level tinum expert. It wasn''t much, but the sight of those burn marks and the killer''s forced retreat sparked a flicker of hope in the hearts of the other geniuses.


    For the first time, they saw a chance, however slim it might be.


    At that moment, the purple lightning shed again, and Mark appeared in front of Orion and the others.


    "Are you alright?" Victor asked.


    "I''m fine, but there''s no time for chit-chat," Mark replied, turning to the group. "I have a n to buy us some time."


    "Ray and I are fast enough to attack and retreat, so we''ll be the main attackers. The rest of you should prepare some powerful strikes andunch them when we say. It''ll help create diversions or openings in our fight."


    They all nodded in understanding.


    "You two are such a nuisance," the killer said, brushing off his clothes.


    Everyone''s attention was already on him.


    "But I have a deal for you two," the killer said slyly.


    "What deal?" Orion asked.


    "A deal that could save your lives," the killer said, spreading his arms. "I''m not here because I enjoy killing. It''s just a step toward our longsting revenge."


    He added, "If you two be ves to my organization, I''ll spare you. What do you say?"


    "Hahaha!" Orion burst outughing. "Let me tell you something, you pathetic killer who can''t even finish off a few gold-rank kids¡ªsoon, you''ll be the one begging for mercy! Understand that, you useless assassin?"


    Everyone was stunned by Orion''s bold words. In any other situation, they might have distanced themselves from him.


    "Pathetic," Orion added. "What gives you the confidence to propose a deal when you haven''t killed anyone? You know what? I''ll give you a better deal: leave now, or when I get angry, even gods will tremble beneath my feet."


    "Cough, cough, Ray, that might be a bit much," Mark said, embarrassed.


    The killer didn''t visibly react to Orion''s taunts, though behind his mask, he was likely gritting his teeth. On the outside, he remained calm.


    "Just die," the killer said in a grim tone, disappearing from his position.


    At that moment, Orion and Mark also vanished, reappearing at the killer''s left and right sides.

 Chapter 315: 315. A Fast Pace Battle!

    Orion moved swiftly through the air towards the killer, already in his Curse Transformation mode. He knew that fighting a 9th-level tinum rank expert with his early Gold rank strength wouldn''t end well. Even at his best, he could only match those at the 1st or 2ndyer of tinum rank, and if he gave it his all, he might stand a chance against someone at the 3rd level of tinum rank.


    In this situation, he wasn''t willing to take that risk.


    Moving like a gust of wind, Orion appeared on the killer''s right, his fist shaped like a pointed arrow, thrusting forward with deadly precision. Simultaneously, Mark shed in from the left, his leg zing with blue mes as heunched a powerful kick.


    The killer didn''t flinch. He sneered as he caught both attacks¡ªOrion''s arrow-like hand and Mark''s ming leg¡ªwith his bare hands. His grip was like iron, effortlessly stopping theirbined force.


    With a swift, casual motion, he flung them both aside like they were nothing. But before they could even recover, he was on them again, appearing in a blur. His fists mmed into their bodies, sending them crashing into the ground with thunderous force, creating craters where theynded. Dust and debris scattered as the ground trembled beneath the impact.


    "This is what happens when you fight me," the killer smiled as he went for the kill, but at that exact moment, Orion and Mark vanished from the ground, attacking him again, this time from behind.


    The killer turned around but only saw Mark¡ªOrion was nowhere in sight. He blocked Mark''s fist, which was burning with blue mes.


    "Is this all you''ve got?" the killer asked with a mocking expression.


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    "Not even close," Mark sneered, increasing the intensity of his blue mes, engulfing the killerpletely.


    At the same moment, Orion reappeared in front of the killer, his hands gripping a violently rotating green sphere, swirling with intense energy. Without hesitation, he shoved it forward with all his might.


    Bang!


    The sphere collided with the killer, unleashing a deafening explosion. The impact sent the killer flying backward, his figure barely visible as a massive shockwave tore through the air.


    A howling gust of wind followed, quickly growing into a violent tornado. The wind whipped around the battlefield, uprooting trees and tearing apart thendscape as it gained strength.


    "How dare you?!" the killer shouted as he came to his senses, sliding across the battlefield.


    "This is just the beginning," Mark sneered, transforming into a bolt of purple lightning and charging at the killer. Orion turned into a barrage of wind, following suit.


    The killer''s frown deepened as Orion and Mark closed in on him, their attacks synchronized. At thest possible moment, the killer pped his hands together.


    BOOM!


    A deafening shockwave erupted from the p, its force sending both Orion and Mark flying through the air. They tumbled back, struggling to regain their bnce from the sudden and overwhelming impact.


    Before Orion could fully recover, the killer materialized right in front of him, his fist already drawn back, aiming straight for Orion''s stomach with deadly precision.


    Reacting on instinct, Orion crossed his arms and summoned a wind shield in front of him. But just as he braced for impact, something behind the killer caught his attention. His eyes widened in realization, and without hesitation, he began preparing a counterattack¡ªforming a highlypressed wind arrow that swirled dangerously behind his back.


    The killer''s punchnded hard, tearing through the wind shield and hitting Orion with such force that he was sent flying like a ragdoll. But even as he was hurled through the air, Orion managed to steady himself mid-flight. His focus remained unbroken, the wind arrow still building power, growing sharper and deadlier by the second.


    "Lightning Hammer Smash!"


    Mark, his body crackling with electricity, wielded a massive lightning hammer engulfed in blue mes. With a roar, he swung it down with all his might. The hammer descended like a force of nature, mming into the unsuspecting killer and sting him off his feet, sending him hurtling through the air toward Orion.


    As the killer tumbled closer, Orion didn''t flinch. Instead, he charged forward, wind swirling around him like a gathering storm, as if he were preparing for a direct collision.


    But just as they were about to meet, Orion acted. At the veryst moment, he summoned thepressed wind he''d been storing, infusing it with his energy, and released the wind arrow. The air around him screamed as the arrow shot forward, hitting the killer dead-on.


    The force of the attack sent the killer rocketing even farther through the sky, the sheer power behind the wind arrow leaving a roaring trail of destruction in its wake. The killer''s body mmed into the distantndscape with an earth-shaking impact, disappearing into the storm of dust and debris kicked up by the blow.


    Mark appeared beside him. "Let''sbine my mes with your wind."


    Orion frowned. "Don''t you already have my wind ability?"


    "I do, but it''s too weak to use against a tinum rank expert," Mark exined.


    Orion nodded. "Alright, I''ll shape the attack and intensify your mes with my wind. Release as much as you can."


    Mark nodded, releasing a torrent of blue mes from his left hand. The ground beneath them began to melt from the sheer heat.


    Before Orion could supplement the mes, a loud shout rang out.


    "You pests are getting on my nerves!" The killer charged at them with incredible speed.


    Seeing this, Orion quickly ced his right hand against Mark''s left, funneling his wind power into the mes and releasing all his energy in one go.


    Boom!


    The mes exploded, but instead of expanding, they shrank to the size of a human head. Orion gritted his teeth,pressing the mes even further until they were the size of a fist.


    A glowing blue sphere, the size of a fist, hovered between Orion''s right palm and Mark''s left.


    "It''s done," Orion said, panting.


    Mark nodded as the killer appeared in front of them again. Neither Orion nor Mark moved¡ªthey stood perfectly still.


    "You think this little attack can stop me?" the killer sneered, throwing his fists at them with a crazed expression.


    But what the killer didn''t notice was the lightning Mark had umted beneath his feet.


    Just as the killer struck, Mark used the lightning to teleport behind him, pushing the blue sphere into his back.


    Orion quickly retreated as the killer was flung away, engulfed in blue mes. An explosion followed, erupting in a dome of fire that covered the battlefield, with the killer at its center.


    Orion was stunned by the sight. The explosion was contained within a semi-spherical dome, intensifying its destructive power.


    "We have some time now. Let''s go and escape from this region¡ªmaybe we can reach an area with a signal," Mark suggested.


    Orion nodded. He realized from their battle with the killer that even though their attacks were stronger than ever, they barely did any damage. The situation was growing more urgent, and escape seemed like the wiser option.


    ---


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 Chapter 316: 316. I can call the storm with a wave of my hand, summon lightning at my command

    Orion only hoped that, aside from the sniper in the tower, there were no more killers hiding in the shadows.


    However, one thing that made Orion''s heart turn cold was the fact that even though they hadn''t caused much injury to the killer with their strength, they had created enough explosions and light shows that should have been visible to others¡ªor at the very least, someone should have heard themotion. But no one came to check.


    This situation made Orion feel like something was wrong.


    At that moment, Orion realized something. ''Could this be a restricted space?''


    Only in such a situation would others passing by the highway be unable to notice them. If that was indeed the case, then Orion had something that might help them escape.


    "What happened?" Mark asked when he noticed Orion''s expression suddenly change.


    "Give me a sec," Orion said and activated the Curse of Dimensional Dissonance, trying to move into his own dimension, but he couldn''t.


    "We''re inside a restricted space," Orion eximed to Mark.


    "Restricted space?" Mark frowned. He understood the precariousness of their situation. If what Orion said was true, then no one wasing to save them.


    "I have Space Tear with me. It can create a restricted space, so it should also be able to break one," Orion said, taking out a blue teardrop-shaped object.


    "Let''s regroup, then," Mark said, moving towards Erza and the others. Orion followed him.


    At that moment, Erza and the others were blocking attacks from the killer in the distant tower, who was shooting at them with golden lights. He hadn''t stopped attacking.


    Luckily, the sniper wasn''t a 9th-level tinum rank; otherwise, they''d be doomed facing a ranged attack from someone of that level.


    Orion and Mark appeared in front of them, surprising the group.


    "What happened to the killer?" Victor asked.


    "We don''t have time for that. Erza, take this. It''s a cosmic treasure called Space Tear. It can easily form a restricted space, but I need you to put all your energy into breaking this one," Orion said, handing her the Space Tear.


    Erza didn''t question him. Hearing the urgency in Orion''s voice was enough. She channeled all her mana into the Space Tear, causing it to glow with blinding blue light.


    "Look! The space around us is distorting!" Shuna shouted, drawing everyone''s attention. They saw a rippling scene in the sky, and even the ground seemed to have a bubble-like effect, as if it were made of rubber instead of solid earth.


    Orion saw this and urged, "Erza, use more mana!"


    "I''m giving it my all!" Erza shouted, red aura pouring into the Space Tear, but it only caused the space to fluctuate, not break.


    "Space Tear? I''ll kill you all before you escape!" the killer''s shout echoed across the battlefield. The group turned to see him, covered in burn marks but standing tall, unaffected by his injuries.


    He readied himself and punched forward, obliterating everything in his path as the punch headed toward Orion''s group.


    Orion grew anxious as the attack approached.


    "Hurry, Erza!" he urged.


    "I''m giving it everything I''ve got!" she said, drenched in sweat.


    But the killer''s attack reached them before she could finish.


    Just as Orion was about to use his reserve mana around the Fate Core, Mark ced his hand on the Space Tear, and the space around them shattered like ss.


    "We''re falling!" someone in the group yelled.


    Wind whipped through Orion''s hair as they plummeted. He had thought they were in a restricted space, but now it seemed otherwise. Restricted spaces usually constrained an area, but they were clearly falling from a great height. As he looked down at the city lights far below, Orion realized they were high in the sky.


    He nced back up, searching for the source of their altitude, but instead saw the killer falling with them, heading straight for them. Discover more content at §Þ??


    "Don''t think you can escape me!" the killer shouted.


    Orion frowned and turned to the others. "Everyone, split up and head to the Hunter Association. Mark and I will give this killer onest greeting."


    Mark nodded in agreement.


    The others nodded as well and flew off in different directions, descending towards the ground.


    "Take care of yourself," Erza said before flying away.


    Tracy gave Orion a look filled with concern before following the others.


    Now, only Orion, Mark, and the killer remained, all still falling.


    "So, tell me, who are you?" Orion asked the killer.


    The killer didn''t answer. He nced in the directions the others had escaped before focusing back on Orion and Mark.


    "I never expected to fail my mission because of two Gold rank brats," the killer said darkly. "But it''s good that you two didn''t run with the others. At least I''ll have something to bring back to my group." He sneered sinisterly.


    "Hey Mark, isn''t this the same useless killer who failed to take out a bunch of Gold rank kids?" Orion asked mockingly.


    Mark chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I do remember someone who got his ass handed to him by two Gold rank experts just a moment ago."


    Orionughed. "But he''s threatening us again. That''s starting to make me mad. You know what happens when I get angry, right?"


    Mark sneered. "I''ve heard gods themselves tremble when that happens. What''s this guy gonna do?"


    "ENOUGH!" The killer flew towards them, but he was slower in the air than he had been on the ground.


    "Did you forget? You''re in my domain up here," Orion said with a smirk. "I can call the storm with a wave of my hand, summon lightning at mymand. You''re nothing in the face of that power."


    With a wave of his hand, Orion summoned a tornado that formed so quickly even he was surprised. He knew his Stormcaller Curse would be more powerful in the sky than on the ground, but this was on a whole new level.


    ---


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 Chapter 317: 317. A Ruckus at the Hunter Association

    "Heh." Orion smiled as he sensed the power of the Stormcaller curse swirling in the air high above the ground.


    "You''re too slow." He grinned, looking back at the killer before using his Tornado Sweep to strike.


    "Don''t underestimate me, kid!" The killer snarled, punching through the tornado and dispersing it with ease.


    Orion sneered and spread his hands wide, creating three tornadoes that converged from different directions, trapping the killer in their swirling winds.


    "Now, off you go. Don''te back." Orion waved his hand as the three tornadoes carried the killer away, slowly vanishing into the distance.


    The killer''s physical strength and speed were his greatest assets, but in the air, he couldn''t use them to their full potential, which made him easy prey for Orion.


    Orion knew that sending him away was all he could do for now. This would aid in their escape at the moment. Also killing him would take more time, and he wasn''t sure if he could finish him off even with his increase in strength in the air, so he opted for this approach. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have let him escape so easily.


    "Let''s head out as well," Orion said to Mark. He also wanted to escape fast now that the killer was blown away by his attack who knew when he would return and blocked their path again.


    Mark nodded, and they flew down toward the Hunter Association headquarters in Masturi City.


    **** Your next chapter awaits on §Þ??


    An hourter, at the headquarters of the Hunter Association in Masturi City, many luxury cars¡ªand even a few flying carsnded outside the building.


    A crowd of thousands stood outside the Association, many reporters with microphones plugged in, while drones hovered in the air, broadcasting live footage of the event.


    "We''ve just received news that some of the geniuses at the party hosted by the Hunter Association were attacked by unknown killers. Though the identities of the assants are unclear, they were strong enough to pose a deadly threat. However, a few brave geniuses managed to fight back and escape. We''ll bring you more details as theye in. Stay tuned."


    Reports like this were broadcast by every media outlet standing outside the Association. Although they didn''t have aplete picture of the situation, that didn''t stop them from reporting whatever information they had.


    By midnight, the Hunter Association was more crowded than ever. People from all over flocked to the scene, with most being reporters, while others were simply curious about what had happened.


    Meanwhile, inside the Association, the tension was far greater than anything happening outside.


    In a room furnished with a grand couch surrounded by chairs and tables, a group of people stood on pristine tiles, their expressions serious. Orion, Mark, Erza, and others from their guild were present, having already reported what had transpired at the ''vi.''


    "What do you mean it''s not your fault? Two of my guild members died because of you, and you''re saying it wasn''t your responsibility?" Kelly, the leader of the ck Reaper Guild, shouted at Billy. Kelly had a long face, a ck eye patch over his left eye, and a scar running from his left brow down to his chin.


    "As I said, I have no idea how the kids ended up in that illusory space high in the air. Thest time I checked, they were still at the vi when I left. It makes no sense that they''d be transported to an illusory space without warning." Billy sounded distressed.


    He knew the situation had escted, especially with two of the ck Reaper Guild''s geniuses dead. As the one who had invited these geniuses to the congrattory party, he was feeling the pressure.


    "Are you serious?" Kelly roared, grabbing Billy''s cor in a fit of rage.


    "Let go," Billy growled, clutching Kelly''s wrist.


    Feeling the pain, Kelly released his grip, and Billy let go of his hand.


    "Enough, both of you!" Zemiri, standing nearby, shouted at the two.


    "Enough?" Kelly sneered, pointing at her. "It was because of a certain member of your guild that all of this started, wasn''t it?"


    Zemiri''s face darkened. "He disappeared from the guild. As soon as I heard what happened, I tried contacting him, but he didn''t answer his phone or tell anyone where he went."


    "But you can''t escape responsibility, Zemiri. Because of your guild members, two of my geniuses are dead." Kelly''s voice was thick with rage.


    "I understand, and I take responsibility," Zemiri responded solemnly. "But ording to Erza, Mark, and the others, the killer mentioned seeking revenge." She paused before adding, "Do any of you have any idea who they are or where they''re from? Someone must be pulling the strings behind Lucas."


    "I have no idea," Billy said after a light cough. "I searched the database, but I couldn''t find any trace of them in our city."


    "The kids said one of the killers was at the 9th level of tinum rank, while the other was in the early tinum ranks. They imed these killers wanted to overthrow the Hunter Association''s rule and spread chaos across Nios," Kelly said, having calmed down.


    "Hmm." Zemiri nodded. "I gathered as much, but we still don''t know who they are."


    "Well, I''ve found something interesting." A voice interrupted their conversation. It was a man in his forties with milk-white hair and a yful smile always hanging on his face.


    "Cody, what did you find?" Billy asked as he noticed the man.


    "Hehe, I had a suspicion when Victor mentioned the killers seeking revenge, so I left quickly, saying I''d be back in an hour." Cody nced at Zemiri, Kelly, and Billy. "And guess what I found?"


    "Spit it out, Cody. I''m not in the mood for games," Kelly said, his frustration evident.


    Cody chuckled lightly before adopting a more serious tone. "When I heard about the revenge angle, I decided to check if guilds in other cities had suffered the same fate. And guess what I found? Two squads of geniuses from two other guilds were killed just hours ago."


    ---


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 Chapter 318: 318. Starfire Guild is in the Bind

    "What?!" Kelly, Billy, and Zemiri were shocked to hear the news. Two squads of geniuses from other cities had been exterminated, and simr attacks had taken ce in their city, targeting the geniuses. It was clear now that this wasn''t just a random killer but a nned assassination attempt against geniuses from various guilds.


    "Any idea who''s behind all of this?" Billy asked.


    Cody shook his head. "That''s still a mystery, but I''m sure they''re targeting geniuses from our human race. I suspect one of the other races is responsible. Lucas, from your guild, might have been coerced into a deal by them, which led to all this."


    He added, "However, there''s been no case or report of other races being active on our, so it''s hard to say for sure if it''s them."


    Experience tales at §Þ??


    "The killer wanted revenge, and I don''t think the other races would attack our. With the presence of Archons, why would they risk it? If they wanted to make a statement, they''d be targeting the Archons'' geniuses, so I doubt other races are behind this," Zemiri offered her perspective.


    She continued, "Also, the details involving the vi, the party, and setting up an advanced teleportation circle¡ªthings like that would require humans with connections to the Hunter Association. Someone had to be pulling the strings from the inside." She nced at Billy as she said thest part.


    Billy''s expression darkened, but he nodded in agreement. "I''ll investigate any new members who joined the guild over thest six months to a year. We''ll find someone suspicious on that list."


    He then turned to Zemiri. "I want a report tomorrow on the one who ordered the assassins. Also, find out if there are others like him."


    Zemiri nodded.


    "I suggest we hold a meeting with all five guilds to discuss this matter. What happened is very serious, and we need to take it seriously too, or we''ll risk another incident like this," Cody suggested.


    Billy nodded. "Alright, I''ll notify the other guilds."


    "If you find anything, make sure to tell me," Zemiri said before turning to her guild members. "I''ll be heading back now."


    Cody and Kelly also nodded and looked at Billy. "I guess we''re leaving too," Cody said.


    "You better find out who''s behind all of this," Kelly said, his voice filled with a veiled threat, before walking toward his guild.


    Cody and Zemiri gave Billy a brief nod before heading off with their own guild members.


    Billy sighed deeply once they had left, rubbing his forehead. "It''s going to be a long day."


    ***


    "Let''s go," Zemiri said to Erza, Orion, and the others. "We''ll talk on the jet."


    They nodded and made their way to the roof of the Hunter Association, where a jet was waiting for them. It was the same jet used to transport guild members to various dungeons across the cities.


    Orion, Erza, and the others boarded the jet, and it took off from the Hunter Association building.


    ***


    Inside the jet''s roundtable room, some higher-ranking guild members sat alongside Orion, Erza, and the others.


    "Ray, I heard it was because of you and Mark that the others were able to escape," Zemiri said.


    "Well, the enemy was strong, but only Mark and I were fast enough to evade and counter his attacks, so we did what we could," Orion replied, not holding back any details.


    "Take this back." Erza handed the *Space Tear* to Orion, who epted it gratefully. It was a valuable treasure for him.


    "I want to know¡ªwhat will happen to Josh?" Orion asked.


    Zemiri''s expression darkened, but she exined. "The whole incident that happened to you kids was orchestrated by Josh''s father, which makes our guild the most suspicious of all."


    She continued, "Josh''s father is currently missing from the guild. I''ve sent someone to check his home and family. We''ll see what we find. As for Josh, he''ll be monitored in the guild prison for 24 hours before we decide anything."


    Orion nodded, understanding the delicate situation. Their guild was under heavy suspicion, and they had to tread carefully. They also needed to root out any others within the guild who were working with the assassins.


    "My stop is here," Orion said, ncing at the screen on the wall, which disyed the rooftop of his home.


    "I''ll be going now," he said to Zemiri and the other guild members.


    "Take care, and if you notice anything suspicious, inform the guild first," Zemiri warned.


    "Understood," Orion nodded before heading to the jet''s exit. The door opened, and he leaped out.


    Falling through the air, Orionnded gently on his rooftop. He nced up, watching as the jet sped away into the night.


    "Who''s responsible for all of this?"


    Orion pondered as he jumped down to his front door. Just as he was about to unlock it, he noticed the lock was broken, and the main door was slightly ajar.


    ''Someone broke into my house!''


    Orion''s eyes narrowed as he cautiously scanned the surroundings but found nothing immediately suspicious.


    He paused for a moment, debating whether to notify the guild or investigate on his own. Was it a thief looking to rob his house, or someone with more sinister intentions?


    Orion tapped his halo watch a few times and looked at the house.


    ''I''ve set a message to be sent directly to Erza in three minutes unless I cancel it.''


    He set up the precaution carefully. He wasn''t afraid of whoever was inside. He could escape at thest moment if necessary, but for now, as Ray, he didn''t want to reveal his other abilities unless absolutely necessary, even if the intruder was an enemy.


    ''Let''s go.''


    Taking a deep breath, Orion stepped into his house.


    ---


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

 Chapter 319: 319. Mark and Ray- 1

    Orion carefully walked through the front hall of his house, where the doors to all the other rooms were connected.


    The first door closest to him was his bedroom. He approached slowly, his fingers wrapping around the handle. With a soft creak, he opened it just enough to peek inside, his body poised to react. The room was empty. Everything seemed untouched, just as he had left it.


    He stepped back, closing the door quietly, and turned his attention to the next¡ªthe living room.


    Something about this door felt different, a sense of unease creeping into his chest. His pulse quickened slightly, but he didn''t hesitate.


    ''I can sense it. There is someone in this room!''


    Orion could feel the presence of someone behind the living room door. He was certain¡ªhis senses never failed him. There was definitely someone there.


    Silently clutching the doorknob, he turned it and flung the door open, ready to attack if needed. What greeted him, however, was the sight of a figure calmly sipping tea from his second-favorite cup, sitting on his most cherished chair.


    "It took you long enough," the figure smirked, seeing Orion enter.


    Orion''s expression darkened with annoyance as he recognized the figure. It was the same person he had fought alongside against the 9th-level tinum rank killer.


    "Mark, what are you doing here?" Orion asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes.


    Mark gestured for Orion to sit on the couch across from him. "Sit, Ray. We have a lot to talk about."


    But Orion stood his ground, gripping his sword defensively. The tension between him and Mark became thick, almost suffocating.


    They had just fought side by side, battling amon enemy, but that didn''t change the fact that Mark had killed Ray. That was something Orion could never forget.


    From the moment they''d met, something about Mark had always unsettled him. It wasn''t anything obvious¡ªno sudden moves or tant hostility¡ªbut Orion''s instincts were sharp, and they kept telling him not to trust this man. Even during the fight against the killer, Orion had been on edge, half-expecting a sneak attack from Mark at any moment.


    "Hey, we just fought like real friends against that killer, and now you''re pointing your sword at me?" Mark said in a disappointed tone.


    "What are you doing here?" Orion repeated.


    "Where''s the trust, Ray? The trust we had during the battle? The belief that I had your back? Where did all that go?" Mark asked, sounding dejected.


    "I''ll ask you onest time¡ªwhat are you doing here, Mark?" Orion''s tone sharpened.


    Mark''s expression shifted to seriousness. "Fine. If you want to be serious, let''s be serious."


    He leaned forward slightly. "Who are you, Ray Wiser?"


    Orion''s heart raced at the question, but his expression didn''t waver. "Who am I? Have you gone mad?" he replied coolly.


    Mark shook his head. "I know you''re not Ray, so drop the act."


    "What are you talking about?" Orion feigned ignorance, though his mind was racing.


    Mark looked at him with disdain. "If you were really Ray Wiser, we wouldn''t be having this conversation. Ray Wiser was my best friend."


    Orion''s eyes narrowed into slits, the sudden revtion catching him off guard.


    Explore more at §Þ??


    Mark observed Orion''s stunned expression and continued. "There was a time when Ray and Tracy woulde to the park with their parents. I was just an orphan, alone and sad. I was jealous of kids who had parents... so I was jealous of Ray too."


    Mark went on, "But Ray was different. He saw things others didn''t, did things others wouldn''t. When others pitied me, he showed kindness. When others ignored me, he paid attention."


    He paused, then resumed, "Whenever Ray and his family came to the park, he''d always bring food for me. He''d always y with me. Because of him, my days got better. I''d wait at the orphanage every day just to see him. ying with Ray became my favorite thing. Eventually, we got so close that Ray''s parents decided to adopt me."


    A look of sadness crossed Mark''s face as he continued.


    "But then, everything changed. Ten years ago, Ray stoppeding to the park with his family. I waited and waited, but they never came. A year passed, and on my tenth birthday, I got a gift with a letter. It was from Ray, apologizing for not visiting. He said it was because of his family."


    Mark sighed.


    "I was sad, and so was he. But the next day, Ray came to the park with his family again. I was so happy. I thought they were going to adopt me. But Ray told me his family''s financial problems meant they couldn''t. I was devastated."


    Mark paused briefly before continuing.


    "However, that sadness didn''tst long. Ray kepting to the park with his family. Years passed, and when I turned seventeen, Ray''s parents died in an ident. That day, I visited his house for the first time, and it was the only time I saw him cry."


    Mark looked at Orion and continued, "After that, I visited Ray''s house regrly. We got even closer. But something changed in Ray. He becamezy, started to yell at his sister, stopped eating, stopped hunting¡ªhe didn''t do anything. He just locked himself in his room."


    Mark smiled sadly. "At that time, I decided to take responsibility. Ray had done so much for me, and now it was my turn. I worked part-time jobs to meet their daily needs, and Tracy started hunting. We somehow managed. Life went on until one day, we got the news that Tracy had died during a dungeon raid.


    I cried hard that day, but someone else was even sadder."


    ---


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 Chapter 320: 320. Mark and Ray - 2

    Mark looked down and ced the cup on the table.


    "Ray went mad. He started to break down internally, having panic attacks every day. He couldn''t sleep, and his life became a nightmare. He tried tomit suicide many times, but I stopped him every time.


    "Seeing him deteriorate, I decided to join a guild to seek professional help. I joined a small guild, and after a few missions, I befriended someone with healing talents. I invited him to our house to treat Ray, but he only said Ray was physically fine and that his problems were mental, something he couldn''t help with. I was devastated, and Ray grew worse by the day.


    "Even with all of this, I didn''t let him die. I kept going. My talent got recognized by bigger guilds, and I was invited to join the Lords Guild, which I eagerly epted, hoping they could help Ray.


    "Our lives continued like that. I worked hard to get recognition in the Lords Guild while keeping things stable at home. Everything was going fine until one day, I came home from grocery shopping and found ady in our house. She was holding Ray in her bloody hands as blood poured from him. He had injuries everywhere, and it looked like he was moments away from death.


    "At that moment, I was so shocked and sad seeing Ray in such state that something inside me awakened, and I received my talent, the ability to extract others'' talents. But my mind was focused on the woman holding Ray. She looked at me and told me that she''d tried but couldn''t change his fate, and that was why Ray was in that state. I became furious and attacked her, but she was too powerful.


    She did something, and I couldn''t move, not a single muscle.


    "Then sheid Ray on the bed and vanished. Once she disappeared, I could move again, and I rushed Ray to the nearest hospital. But the doctors said he was in aa and had little chance of survival. My world copsed when I heard that. I was heartbroken, but the image of that woman stayed in my mind. I wanted revenge.


    "Before seeking revenge, I did something drastic. I extracted a mind maniption talent from someone and erased everyone''s memory of me. Anyone who knew Ray and me together had their memories altered. I deleted all evidence of my existence in Ray''s life. I didn''t want my revenge to affect Ray in any way, so I had to erase myself from his life."


    Mark paused for a moment.


    "Ray''s ident happened about five months ago. Three months ago, the doctor told me Ray could die at any moment. I stood there for an hour before I broke down. I cried for days before making a decision. In the end, I decided to extract Ray''s talent, so a part of him could live with me forever.


    "But because of a sudden call from the guild, I had to leave Ray. When I returned, he was gone. I asked the doctors what happened, and they told me he had miraculously recovered in a single day and left. I was stunned there for a moment and unable to think clearly."


    "And when I finally came to my senses, I was happy. Too happy. I couldn''t control myself and rushed home, but Ray wasn''t there. I thought he''d gone shopping, so I waited the entire day. But he never came. That''s when I realized something was wrong.


    Ray never left the house for so long, and him being gone for a whole day was strange. Still, I waited patiently."


    Mark red at Orion, his eyes red with fury. "I waited for three months, every day, at Ray''s house, hoping he''de back. But he didn''t. Then today, I finally saw him¡ªalive and well. At first, I was shocked, happy, overjoyed. But when we shook hands and talked, I realized he wasn''t Ray.


    He was an imposter."


    He looked Orion directly in the eyes, his face filled with hatred. "So now I''m asking you¡ªwhere is Ray''s body? Who are you, and why are you impersonating him?"


    Orion was in disbelief, his mind racing as he processed the situation. How could this have happened? He had spent two painstaking weeks selecting the perfect person to impersonate, convinced Ray was the ideal choice. But now, it was painfully clear¡ªhe had made a terrible mistake.


    The timing was the problem. Orion had found Ray when Mark was away, making it seem like the perfect opportunity. He went through with his n, everything aligning too perfectly. But then, after Orion had already assumed Ray''s identity and moved forward, Mark returned.


    It seemed like a simple twist of fate, but now Orion couldn''t help but wonder if it was all more than just coincidence. The pieces were falling into ce in the worst way possible, and the realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Had his n been doomed from the start?


    ''Why is this happening?''


    Just when Orion thought he had everything under control, something shocking always seemed to happen¡ªand it had happened again.


    Looking at Mark, who was waiting for an answer, Orion didn''t know what to say. He couldn''t reveal his true identity to anyone here. Taking off his mask was out of the question. He also couldn''t stop impersonating Ray, as Ray was his ticket to Dos Academy. That left him with only one choice.


    ''I''ll have to kill him.''


    Orion knew this was a cruel decision, but he couldn''t afford to let anyone question his identity. If it meant resorting to killing to keep his secret safe, he would do so without a second thought.


    ---


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 Chapter 321: 321. Just Give Me His Body

    Mark began to frown as he noticed Orion''s unusual silence. "What''s the matter? What''s taking you so long? Tell me, who are you and why are you impersonating Ray?" he asked again.


    Orion turned to Mark, his expression resolute. "I can''t. I can''t tell you who I am, nor can I reveal my motives. But what I can tell you is that I''m just borrowing Ray''s identity for a while."


    Mark''s frustration red as he shot up from his seat, fists clenched at his sides. "You''re upying my friend''s body, and you won''t even tell me who you are? What kind of person does that?" His voice cracked with rage, each wordced with the pain of betrayal. His eyes glistened with an unspoken loss that weighed heavily on his heart.


    Orion sighed. "I have my own situation."


    Mark''s voice trembled with raw emotion as he grabbed Orion''s cor, shaking him slightly. "That''s all you have to say?" he shouted, his eyes zing with anguish. "Every time I see your face, it reminds me of him, even though he''s no longer here. Do you know how that feels?" His grip tightened, knuckles turning white.


    "Seeing your face makes me forget for a moment that he''s dead, and then the harsh truth hits me, reminding me all over again." His voice cracked, his breathing ragged as he continued. "The pain... the feeling... it''s unbearable. The face I once loved seeing has be a nightmare for me."


    His words hung heavy in the air, filled with grief and confusion.


    Orion''s expression showed sympathy, but his determination remained unchanged. He had too much left to do, and for that, he needed an identity. Despite theplications with Mark, Ray''s identity was still useful, so he couldn''t give it up.


    He had to find a way to reach the Archons, and the best approach was to get admitted to Dos Academy. From there, he hoped to find someone with connections to the Archons. Without this identity, it would be difficult for a normal person to even approach the Archons.


    "Say something!" Mark shouted, his voice filled with frustration and anguish as Orion remained silent.


    Feeling the grip on his cor tighten, Orion grasped Mark''s hands. His voice dropped to a dangerous, almost chilling tone. "Let me rephrase it for you so that you can better understand. I will be needing Ray''s identity for a long time," Orion said, his eyes locking with Mark''s, every word measured and deliberate. "So, I suggest you don''t get in the way.


    Otherwise, I might have to swipe you clean from my path."


    The tension between them was palpable as Orion slowly lowered Mark''s hands, forcing the distance between them to grow. His calm facade made his words even more unsettling.


    "And one more thing," Orion added, his toneced with a subtle threat. "I''ve already notified my guild about an intruder in my house. So unless you want to be seen as the intruder, I suggest you leave. Now."


    Mark''s fists trembled as he clenched them tighter, his knuckles white with fury. His teeth ground together in frustration, and his bloodshot eyes burned with hatred as they bore into Orion.


    "Just give me his body," he demanded, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions.


    Orion didn''t flinch, his expression cold and unyielding. "I can''t," he said tly. "I won''t allow anything or anyone to cause suspicion about my identity." His refusal was absolute, as if there were no room for debate.


    Mark''s body shook with rage, his form crackling with swirling, multicolored auras. His emotions seemed to manifest physically, the air around him charged with barely contained power. "In that case," Mark growled, his voice seething with venom, "I''ll just kill you right here and now."


    Orion didn''t back down. Instead, a mocking sneer curled his lips.


    "Kill me?" he scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Let''s not even discuss whether you have the power to kill me." He stepped closer, his presence oppressive. "But even if you did, are you sure you can do it before my guild members arrive? After the incident with the killer, they''re on high alert. They might send a Diamond-rank expert¡ªor worse, my guild leader herself. Can you escape then?"


    He towered over Mark, his gaze cold and piercing, looking down at him with a mixture of pity and superiority. "Can you?"


    Mark gritted his teeth. After fighting alongside Orion against the killer, he knew it would be impossible to kill him that easily.


    Seeing him struggle, Orion smiled sinisterly and leaned toward Mark''s ear, whispering something that made Mark''s expression turn to pure horror.


    "Why? Why? Why?" Mark suddenly clutched his head.


    "Why did things have to turn out this way?"


    All he had ever wanted was a loving family, and just when he was on the verge of having it, it was taken away from him.


    ''Am I really cursed?''


    Haunting memories from his childhood resurfaced in his mind.


    "Look at that kid. I heard it was because of him his family passed away."


    "His rtives took him in, but they abandoned himter."


    "You cursed child! Stay away from my kids."


    "This child is cursed. Why not just kill him so others won''t be in danger?"


    "A monster who ended up killing his own family."


    "I know the whole story. His siblings died first, then his parents died in a horrifying car ident. He was in the ident too, but he miraculously survived. In fact, he didn''t even have life-threatening injuries. It''s baffling, considering his parents died on the spot. He really is a cursed child."


    "No, I''m not!" Mark shouted, tears streaming down his face as the aura around him spiraled out of control, cracking the floor of Orion''s house.


    Orion frowned at the sudden change. "Hey¡ª" he started to reach out, but Mark suddenly shed with purple lightning and vanished, leaving behind the sound of a broken door.


    "He''s gone," Orion muttered, looking down. He didn''t understand what had suddenly happened to Mark, nor did he care. He only hoped Mark wouldn''t interfere with his ns.


    "Otherwise, I''ll have to really erase you from existence," Orion muttered grimly to himself.


    ---


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 Chapter 322: 322. Poor Thief robbing an empty house.

    There were many reasons Orion didn''t kill him just now.


    One of them was that he and Mark were in simr situations. Having multiple elemental talents made Mark a versatile fighter, and Orion knew exactly how dangerous someone with control over many elements could be.


    To counter Mark, Orion would need to use his full strength and his arsenal of curses. But if he failed to kill Mark, or if Mark somehow escaped, things would get much worse.


    Mark already knew that someone was impersonating Ray. After seeing his different elements and strength during the fight, Mark woulde to a shocking conclusion¡ªOrion Darkwood was impersonating Ray. If that happened, Orion''s situation would deteriorate.


    He was already the most wanted man, and information about him¡ªhis face and his abilities¡ªwas publicly disyed by the Archons across all three domains. It wouldn''t be hard for someone like Mark to recognize him, especially knowing Ray was a fake and after seeing powersparable to Orion Darkwood''s it wouldn''t be difficult for him toe to this conclusion.


    The second reason was the arrival of his guild. Orion hadn''t dismissed the message even after realizing it was Mark in his house because he suspected Mark hade back to extract his talent again.


    He thought letting the guild handle it was the better option. But that backfired when Mark revealed he knew Orion was a fake and that Ray had been his best friend. At that moment, Orion knew he had messed up.


    If the guild members arrived and Mark exposed him as an impostor, with the real Ray dead, things would only get worse. Even if the guild didn''t believe Mark, there would always be suspicion, and Orion couldn''t afford that. Not with his ns to enter Dos Academy on the line.


    So, he had to ensure Mark left before the Starfire Guild members arrived, which is why he didn''t go for the kill. He knew it would be difficult to pull off, and if the guild showed up during the fight, it would be even worse.


    Simply put, he didn''t want to take any chances.


    Lastly, Orion simply couldn''t bring himself to kill Mark. After hearing his story, he realized that Mark''s life had been filled with pity and sadness. Orion just couldn''t do it.


    "I''m still too soft," Orion admitted to himself. "How do I let go of this weakness? If I want to kill all the Archons, I''ll have to kill many innocent people who''ve done nothing to me. They''ll have to die. But if I can''t even kill Mark, how will I be able to kill them?"


    He stood in the oppressive silence, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions and thoughts. His resolve was being tested in ways he had never imagined. He knew why he harbored such intense hatred toward the Archons; the reason was starkly simple and deeply personal.


    The Archons had marked his family as traitors to the human race, abel that had condemned them in the eyes of many. For this heinous act, Orion''s desire for vengeance was absolute. They had not only targeted his loved ones but had also sought to dismantle everything he held dear.


    He envisioned a future of retribution where he would not merely confront the Archons but would obliterate their very existence. He imagined ttening the region where they resided, reducing their homes and strongholds to rubble.


    His vengeance would be total; he wanted to make their lives a living hell, to strip them of their power and security, and to ensure they felt the same anguish and despair that his family had endured.


    That was his main reason.


    Thest reason was the overwhelming flood of anger, hatred, and other dark emotions that surged through him whenever he thought of the Archons. There was a deep voice in his mind, his heart, his very being, urging him to exterminate them. That hatred only fueled his desire for revenge.


    "Ray, are you inside?"


    Orion suddenly heard a distant voice.


    ''They''re here'', he thought, walking out of the house. "I''m fine," he called, waving at the jet in the sky.


    A momentter, Erza and Shuna descended from the jet andnded in front of his house.


    "Who was it? Who broke in?" Erza asked.


    "Just a robber," Orion shrugged, exining the situation. "I walked in and caught him stealing from my room. He attacked me when he saw me, but when he realized he couldn''t win, he ran off."


    "And you let him go?" Shuna asked, folding her arms.


    "Poor thief, robbing a house where everything''s already been sold before the party," Orion chuckled. "I went easy on him, so he managed to escape." He shrugged again.


    "I contacted you guys thinking it might''ve been one of the killers from the vi who attacked us earlier, but it turned out to just be a robber. I guess I was a little too cautious."


    Erza nodded. "No, it''s fine that you contacted us. Anything could''ve happened, and you did the right thing. Besides, my sister and I were still in the jet, so it was no big deal."


    Orion smiled. "Thanks foring anyway."


    "Alright, we''ll head back. And don''t hesitate to call us if something like this happens again. Guilds are there to protect their members, so don''t be shy," Erza said.


    "I understand."


    Then, with a cheeky grin, Orion added, "By the way, can I invite two lovelydies to my house at this hour, or will you both choose the boring option and leave?"


    "Dream on," Shunaughed, blushing.


    "Maybe some other time," Erza smiled before walking back with Shuna.


    "Some other time, huh?" Orion muttered, watching them fly back to the jet and disappear into the sky.


    "This night is way too long," Orion sighed as he closed the door and returned to his bedroom. He changed into casual clothes andy down on his bed.


    "I think I haven''t checked the curses I copied from my battle with Josh, Reilly, and the others. I also grabbed a few during the party. Let''s see if any of them are useful this time," he said, opening his status screen.


    ---


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 Chapter 323: 323. Absolute Annihilation

    Orion checked the descriptions of all the curses he had copied and felt disappointed.


    "Only four of them are useful; the others are just trash."


    He sighed. He had copied a total of fifteen curses, and only four of them turned out to be useful. The odds were not as badpared to some other times when he had copied curses, but it was still disappointing nheless.


    He opened his status once again.


    ''Status.''


    ---


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Rank: Gold]


    [Divine Ability: Transformation]


    [Talent: Copy Curse - 31%]


    [Sub Abilities: Burst Mode, Curse Transformation, Curse Synthesis, Curse Overload]


    [Curse: Shadow Nemesis, Gold Heart, Sword Chaos, Blood Boil, Destructive Edge]


    [Strength: _ ]


    [Stamina: _ ]


    [Agility: _ ]


    [Perception: _ ]


    [Constitution: _ ]


    [Mana: Nil]


    [Skills: Nil]


    ---


    ''I copied the Shadow Nemesis curse from Patrick. In his case, shadows became out of control, but for me, I can control the shadows more effectively than he did,'' Orion thought, examining the first curse.


    ''Gold Heart... Reilly would have had his heart and all the internal parts of his body turned to gold if his curse had remained activated for a long time. But for me, it''s a great boon,'' he smiled mysteriously.


    ''Sword Chaos, this is the only curse whose uses I don''t understand. The description only mentioned that the user would be transported to a world of swords, lost forever there,'' Orion thought carefully, though he still kept the curse.


    ''Blood Boil is the best, just like Gold Heart. It will be very useful in the future,'' Orion thought, moving on to thest curse, Destructive Edge. He had copied this curse with the sole purpose ofbining it with the curse of Shattered Precision.


    The moment he saw the name of the curse, he decided tobine it with Shattered Precision. He had a feeling the result would be very good.


    ''Combine Destructive Edge with Shattered Precision.''


    [Synthesis of curses¡ªDestructive Edge with Shattered Precision initiated...]


    [Synthesis is sessful.]


    [Congrattions to the host for obtaining the curse of Absolute Annihtion.]


    Orion smiled as he saw the synthesis was sessful and checked the description of his new curse.


    [Absolute Annihtion - A devastating power that obliterates everything in its path, leaving no trace of its target behind.]


    Orion understood the meaning behind the description of the new curse and closed his status.


    ''It''s time to sleep. I have something important to do tomorrow.''


    Satisfied with his new curses, Orion rested and fell asleep.


    The next day, Orion woke up, freshened up, and immediately left his house. He had a very important task for the day. Since the next day would be the day he would leave for the next assessment at Dos Academy, he wanted to be fully prepared.


    He wanted to find out if the opponents he would faceter in the assessment would include those in the tinum Rank. He suspected he might face such opponents and wanted to confirm.


    In the Magus Kingdom, he had noticed that all the top geniuses were at the peak of Gold Rank, and none were in the tinum Rank. Now that three months had passed, they would surely have reached tinum Rank.


    Orion had previously suspected that the reason they hadn''t advanced to tinum Rank was due to the Grimshore, but that suspicion was now corrected.


    He just didn''t know the specific reason behind this. However, it raised many questions for him.


    Were all of them like Astral, Elyn, and others in the Magus Kingdom, who didn''t advance to tinum Rank due to their low mastery of their talents, or was there another reason?


    Was the other reason rted to Grimshore?


    Ignoring the geniuses from the Magus Kingdom, the geniuses of the Human Federation Realm were also strangely at the peak of Gold Rank, at least the geniuses of the Nio.


    This led Orion to believe thatck of mastery of talents couldn''t be the reason holding geniuses from two domains back. It was too coincidental that all the geniuses he knew from these two domains had been unable to upgrade due to theirck of mastery.


    ''There must be a more concrete reason behind it.''


    Orion thought as he appeared out of his dimension andnded not far from his guild.


    ***


    In Erza''s office.


    "So, you wanted to ask something," Erza said, looking at Orion.


    "Yes, I''m here again regarding the uing assessment for Dos Academy," Orion said.


    He added, "Have you gotten any information on how the next assessment will proceed?"


    "That information is confidential and hasn''t been shared with any guild. I doubt even the Hunter Association knows about it," Erza replied inly.


    She then asked, "Is that all you wanted to know?"


    Orion shook his head. "No, I wanted to know if the opponents we will face in the next assessment might include those in the tinum Rank."


    "That''s a given," Erza replied. "Although it takes a long time to reach tinum Rank, there''s no shortage of geniuses in the Human Federation Realm. So, there should be those in the tinum Rank."


    Orion frowned. "So, could there be opponents with a power level of 9th level tinum Rank in the assessment?" he asked.


    Erza shrugged. "If they can reach the 9th level of tinum Rank before the age of 23, then it is indeed possible."


    "23 years?" Orion understood. The age limit for participating in the assessment at Dos Academy was 23 years old. Beyond that, one would no longer be eligible.


    Then a thought urred to Orion.


    ''25 years is like a full-fledged adult on Earth who has experienced one-fourth of their life. Yet in this world, one can still attend an academy at 23.''


    Orion looked at her, realizing something.


    "You didn''t know that?" Erza asked in surprise.


    "How would I know such things?" Orion shrugged. "You have never told me."


    "Heh, why don''t you just admit it''s your ignorance?" Erza sneered.


    "Cough!" Orion smiled awkwardly and changed the topic. "By the way, I wanted to know if tinum Rank experts have any special abilities or something like that?"


    Erza narrowed her eyes at Orion. "Why do you think tinum Rank experts would have new abilities?"


    ---


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 Chapter 324: 324. Last Preparation Before Grimshore

    Orion smiled, seeing Erza¡¯s suspicious look, thinking he was right. "Why is it that all the geniuses I saw at the party yesterday were all at Gold Rank? I noticed that you were also at the peak of Gold Rank when I first met you, and you¡¯re still at Gold Rank now."


    He added, "Surely, the mastery of talent wouldn¡¯t be the reason you haven¡¯t upgraded to tinum Rank. There must be something else, something rted to Grimshore, right?"


    He continued, "Also, considering the huge difference in power levels between Gold Rank and tinum Rank, where does such a difference in powere from? There has to be a reason for this."


    Erza pondered for a moment, choosing her words carefully before replying, "You are correct. It is indeed rted to Grimshore. Other than that, I cannot tell you anything more."


    Orion understood. "What about the question I previously asked? Whether tinum Rank experts would have some new abilities or not?" he asked.


    "If they have new abilities, your assumptions are correct," Erza said after a moment of thought.


    Orion nodded with seriousness. What he had suspected turned out to be true after all. There was indeed a reason behind their slow upgrade to tinum Rank, and it was rted to Grimshore.


    Whatever the reason, it created a huge gap in power between Gold Rank and tinum Rank.


    Orion asked his final question. "Tell me if I should enter Grimshore or not. I¡¯ve been resisting the urge to enter Grimshore all this time, and the process isn¡¯t going well. I want to know if I can enter Grimshore ande out before we depart for the next assessment."


    "I already knew you hadn¡¯t been to Grimshore when you asked those questions," Erza said. "Whether you cane out before we depart depends entirely on you."


    Orion frowned at her vague answer. "What do you suggest? Go or not?"


    "Go," Erza said without hesitation. "Almost everyone in the assessment will have entered Grimshore, and you might be at a disadvantage if you don¡¯t. This could affect your overall result."


    Orion nodded solemnly. He had not entered Grimshore all this time because he didn¡¯t know anything about it and thought he didn¡¯t have the time.


    "Alright, thanks for the information. I will go now," Orion said, standing up.


    "I saw Tracyst night, and she seemed to be looking at you from time to time," Erza said. "Don¡¯t worry about her. Even if you fail to enter Dos Academy, the guild will help you get her back."


    Orion smiled brightly at hearing that. "I¡¯m very grateful for that, Erza."


    "Hmm, now go and do what you need to do," Erza said.


    Orion nodded and walked out of her office, heading straight to the market area of the guild.


    This part of the guild was as lively as ever. Many members were buying and selling various items from stalls lined around the hall.


    Upon arriving at the market hall, Orion went straight to Ruck.


    "Yo, Ruck, how have you been?" Orion waved at Ruck, who was managing his stall.


    Ruck¡¯s eyes shone with a greedy light as he saw Orion. "Ray, how can I serve you?" he asked with extreme politeness.


    "I¡¯d like to buy all the cores you have that are Gold Rank or above," Orion said.


    "All the cores?" Ruck raised his brows. "Can you even afford them?" He didn¡¯t believe Ray could buy all the cores in his shop.


    "I¡¯m going all out with my budget," Orion smiled and asked, "Just tell me, how much?"


    "Are you serious about this?" Ruck asked solemnly.


    "I am, or else I wouldn¡¯t be here," Orion said.


    Ruck nodded and, after a moment¡¯s thought, tapped his halowatch a few times before saying, "I have six thousand Gold Rank cores and about nine hundred tinum Rank cores at the stall right now. Would that be enough?"


    Orionughed. "More than enough."


    "That will be a total of 5 million UNI," Ruck said.


    Orion was stunned. "Are you kidding me? 5 million UNI?" He was shocked to say the least. He only had around 10 million in his bank ount, and he would need to spend half of it on all the cores.


    "Humph! What do you know?" Ruck looked at Orion with disdain. "I¡¯ve given you a discount since you¡¯re a regr customer. Otherwise, if you went to another stall, they might charge you 7 million or 8 million, and some might even shamelessly ask for 10 million. The price I¡¯ve given you is very cheappared to others."


    Orion contemted for a moment and sighed. "Just give me the tinum Rank cores, then."


    He needed all the strength he could get for theing assessment. Therefore, before heading out tomorrow, he wanted to max out all his stats in Gold Rank. If he had used the usual method of absorbing cores while hunting, it would take him almost half a year to max out all his stats, considering the higher the rank, the more cores needed for absorption.


    It turned out that not all cores gave a stat point upon absorption in the Silver Rank if the core was of the same rank. Sometimes Orion had to try many Silver Rank cores before getting some stat points. That was one of the reasons he decided to hunt in Gold Rank dungeons alongside Erza.


    "Alright, the total will be 1.5 million UNI," Ruck said after calcting, turning to Orion. "But since it¡¯s you, I¡¯ll take only 1 million."


    Orion sighed, tapped his halowatch a few times, and said to Ruck, "Done."


    Ruck looked at the notification that arrived on his halowatch and nodded to Orion. "Give me a minute."


    Ruck went inside his stall and came out after a moment, holding a space bracelet and handed it to Orion. "All the cores are inside it. Keep the bracelet."


    Orion nodded, taking the space bracelet from Ruck and putting it away. "See you next time, Ruck." He waved at Ruck and left.


    "See ya," Ruck waved cheerfully as Orion departed.


    ***


    Back at home, Orion locked the door carefully and went back to his room.


    He sat down on his bed and began absorbing the cores rapidly. Stay tuned with NovelBin.C?m


    ¡¯After this is done, I will go to Grimshore.¡¯


    He had finally decided to venture into Grimshore after he maxed out all his stats.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 325: 325. First Time for GRIMSHORE

    After about an hour of rapidly absorbing the vast number of cores he had bought, Orion finally achieved peak strength at the Gold rank¡ªhe had maxed out all his stats for that rank.


    "I¡¯m way stronger than before."


    Orion clenched his fists, feeling the immense power coursing through his body. The strength he gained was many times greater than before. It wasn¡¯t just an increase in one area but aprehensive enhancement across his entire body.


    "Alright, I¡¯m ready. It¡¯s time for me to enter Grimshore."


    Orion took a deep breath, giving in to the urge that had been calling to him ever since he had advanced to Gold rank. A blue light shed over him as his body disappeared, cube by cube, part by part, from his room.


    ***


    Somewhere deep inside the Null Void, a man gripped the hilt of a sword that was stabbed deep into the ground. Surrounding the sword were square and circr diagrams. The moment his hands touched the hilt, the diagrams began to sh red.


    But his grip on the sword remained firm. Despite the red shes, he pulled the sword from the ground.


    "Messiah, you should have killed me while you had the chance, but instead, you sealed me in the Null Void," the man muttered as he cleaned the de of dirt. "A thousand years have passed since then... Although I don¡¯t believe in petty revenge, I will finish what I started. I shall fulfill my destiny."


    He raised the sword, which gleamed with a red, blood-like light, illuminating the greynd around him. Suddenly, the color shifted to bright purple, tearing a gaping hole in the sky of the grey world.


    "Awaken, my Doom soldiers, for the time you¡¯ve been waiting for has finally arrived."


    ***


    "What is this ce?"


    Orion stood on green tiles, their vibrant hue stretching endlessly in every direction. But at the edge of his vision, something unsettling was happening. Dark red and ck tiles were creeping in, slowly spreading like a virus, inching closer to the green ones.


    Though the process was gradual, it was unmistakable¡ªhe could see it happening, a slow but visible invasion across thendscape.


    [Host has entered Grimshore... Loading data.]


    A system notification appeared in front of him at this moment.


    [Loadingplete. A ¡¯One Day¡¯ Breaker has been granted to the host.]


    [Task - Experience the Breaker.]


    [Reward - Periodic ess to Grimshore.]


    ---


    Suddenly, the green cubes around Orion shone with an intense bright light,pletely engulfing him.


    ***


    In a small room containing only a bed and a table with aputer on it, a bright green light shed, and Orion appeared.


    "Where am I?"


    Orion immediately became alert, but after looking around and realizing he was in a simple room, he calmed himself.


    "Orion! We¡¯re going to bete for the Awakening! Let¡¯s go now!"


    A shout came from the door, which was flung open by a kid about 15 years old with neatlybed light golden hair. He wore a blue uniform with a sun-and-sword emblem on it.


    "Who are you? And where is this?" Orion asked cautiously. He couldn¡¯t understand anything since the moment he had entered Grimshore.


    The golden-haired kid looked at him from all angles, then suddenly pointed at him. "Ah, I get it. You¡¯re afraid, aren¡¯t you? Afraid you¡¯ll awaken a G-rank talent." He wrapped an arm around Orion¡¯s shoulder and said cheerfully, "Don¡¯t worry, Orion. The chances of that happening are low. So stop making excuses, and let¡¯s go."


    The kid pulled on Orion¡¯s hand, trying to lead him out, but Orion didn¡¯t budge.


    "Hey, what¡¯s gotten into you?" The boy yfully pped Orion on the head, but at that moment, Orion¡¯s mind was flooded with a surge of information.


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    "Ahhhh!"


    Orion clutched his head, overwhelmed by the intense pain coursing through his mind.


    "H-Hey, Orion, are you okay? This¡ªthis happened to me a few days ago, too. Just hang on; it¡¯ll pass." The golden-haired kid panicked, seeing Orion in agony.


    "Agghh!"


    Orion continued to scream until, all of a sudden, he stopped. His face drenched in sweat, he looked at the golden haired boy and muttered, "Jake..."


    "I remember... I remember everything," Orion whispered, his eyes wide with shock at the flood of memories.


    "Haha, good. Wee to Grimshore, Orion," Jakeughed lightly, patting him on the back.


    Orion nodded absentmindedly.


    "By the way," Jake said, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "are you Orion Darkwood? The most wanted man in the history of the Three Domains?"


    Orion¡¯s eyes narrowed at the question. He tried to activate his Stormcaller Curse to retreat, but instead of escaping, he copsed, pain jolting through his body.


    "Damn it!"


    He instinctively reached for his sword, but then noticed something¡ªhis space bracelet was missing.


    "Hey, calm down!" Jake raised his hands defensively when he saw Orion tense up. "Remember, this isn¡¯t the Three Domains. This isn¡¯t the Montreux Universe. We¡¯re in Grimshore."


    He added, "Just go through your newly acquired memories, and everything will make sense."


    Orion hesitated, then stepped back to create some distance between them. He closed his eyes and focused on processing his new memories. After a minute, he took a deep breath, his expression one of utter disbelief.


    "Is this all true?" he asked, his eyes wide.


    "I¡¯m afraid so," Jake replied with a wry smile. "Every detail. Who would have thought that Grimshore, the focal point for all races, would turn out to be this."


    Orion sighed as he absorbed the new information, recalling the system notification from before.


    ¡¯I¡¯ve only got 24 hours in this world.¡¯


    He nced at a nearby mirror, where he saw the reflection of a 15-year-old boy who looked exactly like his younger self from Earth. With deep ck hair and an oval face, he appeared to be just an average kid.


    At that moment, he was wearing the same uniform as Jake, and an ID card hung around his neck.


    The name on it read: Orion Stark.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 326: 326. Back To Earth?

    "Shall we go to Horizon Academy for the awakening, Orion?" Jake asked after seeing that Orion had calmed down.


    Orion nodded. "Let¡¯s go."


    ***


    Walking along a path that felt strangely familiar, with simr buildings around him and flying vehicles overhead, Orion didn¡¯t feel like he was in Grimshore. For a moment, he thought he was back in Masturi City.


    "Jake, is this some kind of role-ying game or what?" Orion asked as they walked side by side.


    "Hehe, you asked that at the perfect time, Orion." Jake smiled. "If you had asked this question in the three domains, no one would have answered you. But in this world, or simtion, there are no such limits. Everything can be discussed here without restriction."


    He added, looking back at Orion, "And yeah, this is like a role-ying game, a simtion. Everyone whoes to Grimshore finds themselves in the body of someone around 15 years old, just before the awakening ceremony. It¡¯s the same for everyone."


    Orion nodded, understanding more as the memories he had received after arriving began to piece together. This, strangely also called Earth, had experienced a monumental shift a thousand years ago. Portals had started appearing across the globe, giving way to dungeons filled with unknown dangers and treasures.


    Things once considered myth or fantasy became reality, shaking the foundation of human society. The most significant of these transformations was the awakening of hidden talents within people, a process that allowed humans to tap into powers they had never known existed.


    Despite these drastic changes, Orion noticed the striking simrities between this world and the Three Domains. Yet, there was one key difference: unlike the people of the Three Domains, who had long mastered the conquest of other worlds, humanity here had not ventured far beyond their.


    Space travel was still in its infancy, and while humans had explored and even briefly visited other worlds, the technology to settle permanently or establish colonies was rudimentary. There was also ack of collective will to extend their reach, with most of their focus remaining on their own world¡¯s survival and development.


    However, one thing remained constant between the worlds: the presence of three foreign races¡ªthe Angel Race, the Demon Race, and the Celestial Race. These races had descended upon humanity shortly after the arrival of the system, dungeons, and talents, seeing an opportunity to im Earth for themselves.


    But humanity, bolstered by their newfound abilities, fought back fiercely. The resulting conflictsted for years, and against all odds, the humans managed to defend their world. A tenuous peace had been maintained for thest thousand years, but the threat of these foreign invaders still lingered, and the bnce between races remained fragile.


    "So, what do we need to do here?" Orion asked, curious about Grimshore¡¯s purpose. Now that he understood more, he wanted to know the true goal of this world.


    Jake shook his head, spreading his hands. "I¡¯ve asked a lot of people here, and they have no idea either. Some say we¡¯re here to keep the bnce between both worlds, preventing the foreign races from taking over. Others say we¡¯re supposed to go with the flow of this world. Some think we¡¯re here to save it, while others just treat this world like a video game."


    "A video game?" Orion asked with a strange expression. He understood the other theories, and it made sense why some would think of this world as a video game. He himself had wondered if this was a role-ying game, so it wasn¡¯t surprising others had simr thoughts.


    Jake continued, "If you die in this world, nothing serious happens to you. You just return to the three domains, but you lose ess to Grimshore forever. Other than that, there¡¯s no real consequence."


    Orion had suspected as much. Since this world was merely a simtion, dying here wouldn¡¯t result in true death. Instead, it was akin to losing a character in a game¡ªa permanent loss that would lock them out of this world forever.


    No real harm woulde to their physical bodies, but they¡¯d be forever barred from reentering Grimshore. That realization made it clear why some treated this ce like a game, while others saw it as something far more significant.


    ¡¯But I don¡¯t see why people ce so much importance on Grimshore. The three foreign races are no exception¡ªthey also value Grimshore highly. Even the Archons organized Dos Academy solely for Grimshore¡¯s sake. What makes this ce more important than the real world?¡¯


    As Orion pondered, he and Jake arrived at the main gate of Horizon Academy.


    Many kids their age were entering through the gate, all wearing expressions of confusion and fascination, much like the one Orion had when he first arrived.


    "Tell me, Jake, are all these kids from the three domains?" Orion asked curiously.


    "I believe so," Jake replied, ncing at them. "They all seem to be around our age and here for the awakening ceremony, so they must be from the three domains. After all, everyone from the three domains takes over the body of someone on the verge of awakening."


    "Let¡¯s go see what this awakening ceremony is all about," Orion said to Jake as they entered the main gate of Horizon Academy.


    Thanks to the memories in his mind, Orion knew every corner of the academy¡ªhe had been here for seven or eight years, after all.


    With this knowledge, Orion and Jake didn¡¯t waste any time and headed straight to the ce where the awakening ceremony was being held.


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    Not long after, they arrived in front of a stage or tform with a massive monolith embedded in the ground. There were intricate patterns carved into the monolith, but none that Orion recognized.


    ---


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

 Chapter 327: 327. Awakening Ceremony

    Beside the tform stood an old man dressed in a white uniform-like suit, waiting with his eyes closed.


    Soon, the number of kids around the stage began to increase as more gathered for the awakening ceremony.


    Orion looked around and saw that about a hundred kids had gathered. Most of them seemed excited, while the rest appeared calm andposed.


    After some time, when the number of kids reached its peak, the old man standing beside the monolith opened his eyes.


    "Students of Horizon Academy, today is the most important day of your life. Today is the day you will awaken your talent," the old man addressed the gathered children. "Those whose name is called,e to the stage to awaken your talent."


    "Lacy Nn."


    A girl around 15 years old walked towards the stage when her name was called. She had two ponytails and looked very excited as she approached the monolith.


    "Lightly touch the monolith with your right hand," the old man instructed.


    Lacy did as she was told, touching the monolith, which began to glow with a subtle ck light. She sensed something inside her change, followed by a familiar sensation coursing through her body.


    "E-rank talent, Stasis."


    The old man announced her talent and its rank.


    Lacy felt disappointed hearing her result, but there was nothing she could do about it.


    "She only awakened an E-rank talent. She¡¯s average."


    "It¡¯s somewhat goodpared to most people here."


    "Huh, her future is limited."


    "Her grades in other subjects are good, but I didn¡¯t expect her talent to be so average."


    "Well, grades in other subjects don¡¯t matter in this world. Talent is all that counts."


    As she walked down from the stage, she heard murmurs from the other kids, their disdainful nces burning into her. She clenched her fists tightly as she returned to her ce.


    Orion observed the entire situation, and many questions arose in his mind. However, he decided not to ask Jake any of them just yet.


    He wanted to awaken his talent first before asking anything.


    As Orion waited for his name to be called, he observed the other kids approach the towering monolith one by one, each undergoing their awakening ceremony. The process seemed straightforward, yet the tension in the air was palpable.


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    Some kids stepped away from the monolith with visible disappointment, having awakened D-rank talents, while others, slightly more fortunate, revealed C-rank abilities.


    A rare few left with broad smiles, having awakened B-rank talents that brought murmurs of envy from the crowd.


    However, there was no shortage of E-rank talents, and in some unfortunate cases, talents that ranked even below E. Orion quickly noticed a pattern¡ªthe average rank of talents fell somewhere between C and D, with only a handful managing to achieve anything higher, and those who did were met with a mix of admiration and jealousy.


    At that moment, another name was called.


    "Greg Carson."


    The moment this name was announced, the murmurs and chatter among the kids ceased.


    A boy with red and white hair walked toward the stage, his confident face and handsome appearance drawing the attention of everyone as he smiled at his fellow students.


    "That¡¯s Greg Carson! He¡¯s the top student of our academy."


    "I heard he¡¯s from the Carson Family, one of the five super families in Citrix City."


    "He¡¯s bound to awaken a C-rank talent or even higher with his family heritage."


    "That¡¯s a given."


    The kids around began to murmur in hushed excitement as Greg became the center of attention.


    "This guy!" Orion¡¯s face contorted in anger when he saw Greg.


    "Don¡¯t say anything rash about Greg here," Jake warned. "Just control your anger for now."


    Orion nodded slightly. He understood that if he mentioned anything negative about Greg, he would be the target of ridicule from everyone around him.


    "B-rank talent, ming Sword."


    Aplete silence fell over the area as Greg¡¯s talent was announced.


    "It¡¯s a weapon-type talent!"


    "Weapon-type talents are the rarest in our world."


    "Damn, with a weapon-type talent, hisbat power will be incredible."


    "Not just a weapon-type talent, but also an elemental one with me affinity!"


    "It seems the rumors about the superiority of the five super families weren¡¯t exaggerated after all."


    The crowd erupted in excitement when Greg awakened a weapon-type talent.


    A weapon-type talent was one of the rarest types, and Greg¡¯s also had me elemental affinity, making it even more powerful.


    "Tch, this guy is too lucky," Jake said in frustration.


    "You¡¯ve got it wrong, Jake. He was just born into the right family. With his heritage, it¡¯s no surprise he awakened a B-rank talent. However, the weapon-type talent with elemental affinity is indeed a bit of luck," Orion said, feeling jealous.


    He understood that talents in this world were ssified into ten distinct ranks: G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS. G was considered the weakest, while SSS represented the pinnacle, a rank few could ever hope to awaken.


    In addition to the ranking system, talents were divided into four primary categories: Beast-type, where individuals could either transform into or summon beasts; Element-type, where control over fire, water, lightning, and other elements was granted; Weapon-type, which provided mastery or conjuration of weapons; and finally, Common-type, a broad category that included talents which didn¡¯t fit neatly into the others.


    While there were rarer, more specialized talents beyond these four, they were the most prevalent, with most people awakening abilities that belonged to one of these groups.


    Therefore, Greg awakening a weapon-type talent with elemental affinity was one of the rarest urrences anyone might witness, as it was a hybrid of two talent types.


    "Jake Foser."


    "Good luck," Orion said as Jake¡¯s name was called.


    Jake nodded calmly, though Orion could see that his calmness was just bravado. He was trying to keep hisposure and not getughed at by the other kids.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 328: 328. An Existential Crisis

    Upon reaching the stage, the old man instructed him to gently ce his hand on the monolith.


    Jake''s palms sweated as he nervously extended his hand and touched the monolith, causing it to glow with a green light.


    "B rank talent, Berserk Strength."


    A wide smile spread across Jake''s face as he heard his talent. He couldn''t believe he had awakened a B rank talent. Although it was just amon type, it was still a B rank nheless, cing him above the average who awakened C and D rank talents.


    He walked back with a joyful smirk on his face.


    The kids gathered around the stage were surprised that an unknown kid managed to awaken a B rank talent.


    "Who is that kid?"


    "Don''t you know? He''s Jake Foser."


    "That Jake Foser who''s always with Orion Stark. Those two are famous for all the wrong reasons."


    "Now that you mention it, do you think this Orion Stark is that Orion?"


    "He could be, but it''s highly unlikely. As you know, people from Grimshore always have different names than those in the Three Domains. So, this kid is probably from the Three Domains and just happens to share the same name. I feel bad for him¡ªsuch bad luck to inherit the name Orion."


    Orion overheard their conversations and ignored them. He understood that he was once again unlucky, having been given the body of someone with the same name, which only made things more difficult. But he was relieved that no one had the same name as him in both the Three Domains and this world, so suspicion about his true identity was low.


    ''But I messed up a little,'' Orion thought, recalling how he instinctively reacted to Jake''s question about being Orion Darkwood. Now that he thought about it, Jake must have been joking, considering they were close friends in this world.


    ''Even though I trust Jake won''t tell anyone, what if he does?'' Orion wondered grimly as Jake returned from the stage.


    "Hey, why the foul mood? You should be happy I awakened a B rank talent," Jake said, grinning.


    Orionughed wryly. "That just adds more pressure on me. I thought it''d be fine if I awakened a D rank talent, but now that you''ve got a B rank, the pressure''s skyrocketed."


    Jake smiled lightly. "Don''t worry, you''ll be fine. Knowing who you really are, I don''t think it matters even if you awaken a high rank talent."


    Orion frowned. "About that¡ªdon''t tell anyone about me," he said, his tone deadly serious.


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    Jake slung his arm around Orion and said, "Why would I do that? Before I arrived in Grimshore from the Three Domains, I was your best friend. We''ve been through so much together. We''ve known each other for years. Why would I sell you out?"


    Jake added, "Let me tell you something¡ªthese memories and the background of this body I''m in feel too real to just be a simtion. Everything I''ve experienced with you in this world feels real. My family, who''s living in another city, and my other rtives all feel real to me. It doesn''t feel like they''re just memories.


    It''s like I suddenly gained memories of the Three Domains, not the other way around."


    He continued, "I don''t know if it''s because I''m affected by the simtion or because I''m upying this body, but I can promise you, I''d never do anything to harm you." His voice was earnest.


    Orion nodded, smiling. "I know," he said, though inside he was in turmoil.


    He hadn''t given much thought to the memories he gained from this simtion before, but now, with Jake mentioning how real they felt, a deep unease settled within Orion.


    When he transmigrated into the body of Orion Darkwood after dying from a heart attack on Earth, the memories of this new life had seemed just as vivid.


    Then, when the sealed memories finally resurfaced, it had felt the same¡ªthose fragments of his past life seamlessly intertwined with his present self. The experiences, emotions, and thoughts of Orion Darkwood had flooded his mind, making it feel as though he had lived both lives.


    Over time, he had undergone a gradual shift in personality, fully adopting the identity of Orion Darkwood. His memories of Earth faded into the background, bing distant echoes.


    He had embraced this new life sopletely that he was Orion Darkwood in every sense, even though traces of his former life still lingered somewhere deep within him.


    Now, standing in this simtion world, he felt an unsettling familiarity with the memories he had inherited from this ce. They felt as real as everything else before them, leaving him to question how much of his true self remained and how much was shaped by the worlds he had stepped into.


    ''I''m going mad,'' Orion thought, his head aching.


    A sense of existential crisis washed over Orion, leaving him feeling disoriented and fractured. He was torn between the different sets of memories¡ªhis life on Earth, the memories of Orion Darkwood, and now the inherited memories of this simtion world.


    Each one felt as real and vivid as thest, yet they all shed, making it impossible to distinguish who the original "him" even was.


    Was he the man who had lived an ordinary life on Earth, with all its mundane struggles and triumphs? Or was he Orion Darkwood, a being shaped by a world of talents, battles, and destinies far beyond what he''d ever imagined? Now, even this new simted existence pulled at him, adding anotheryer of uncertainty.


    He couldn''t tell where one version of him ended and another began. Each life had felt true in its moment, but now, faced with so many identities, he couldn''t help but wonder if there was ever an original "him" at all¡ªor if he had simply be a collection of lives, shaped by forces beyond his control.


    "Orion Stark."


    At that moment, his name was called.


    "All the best!" Jake said, giving him a light p on the back, pushing him forward.


    Orion sighed and stopped dwelling on the memories. He knew the more he thought about them, the closer he''de to madness.


    ''Let''s focus on the task at hand,'' he told himself as he walked toward the stage.


    Once there, the old man instructed him, "Touch the monolith lightly."


    Orion extended his hand and touched the monolith with his right hand, causing it to emit a faint glow.


    "G rank talent, Omni-Focus."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 329: 329. G-Rank Talent - Omni-Focus

    "G rank talent, Omni-Focus."


    No sooner had Orion''s rank been announced than the kids surrounding the stage burst into uncontrobleughter.


    "What the hell! A G rank talent is the most trash talent ever. I haven''t heard of anyone with this talent until now."


    "Damn, this is the first time our Horizon Academy has had someone awaken a G rank talent. That''s really shameful for the academy."


    "I''ve heard G rank talents are so rare that we hardly ever see one. Even people with the worst talents have at least F rank talents, but this guy awakened a G rank talent."


    "Damn, this guy is really hell-bent on dragging Orion''s name through the gutter. Orion Darkwood of the Three Domains is the strongest genius, so powerful he became the Dark Star of the Montreux Universe and ended up as the most wanted man. But the Orion of this world has the weakest talent ever. Prity at its extreme."


    "You''re right. Even though people from the Three Domains can''t have the same name in this simtion world, I had hoped, however small the chance, that this Orion might be Orion Darkwood. But that turned out to bepletely wrong. This guy definitely can''t be Orion Darkwood."


    Commotion erupted from all the kids surrounding the stage, talking about Orion''s G rank talent. They couldn''t believe someone could awaken a talent of such low rank in this world.


    ''It seems I''ve used up all my luck in the Three Domains.''


    Orion thought wryly, withdrawing his hand and walking back towards Jake. The soul of this world had ambition¡ªto be the strongest being and end the war with other races¡ªbut it seemed those ambitions would forever remain as dreams, never bing reality.


    "Orion, don''t worry. I''ll carry you in the dungeons," Jake said, wrapping an arm around Orion, not letting him drown in despair. "Even with a low rank talent, you can still make waves in this world. I believe in you."


    Orion nodded with a smile, but he wasn''t fooled. When he looked back at Jake, he caught, for a split second, a face of utter disappointment.


    Though Jake seemed to cheer him up, awakening such a low-ranked talent had clearly disappointed him.


    After Orion''s turn, the awakening ceremony continued for another hour until all the Horizon Academy students had awakened their talents. While many were excited, some felt their lives would be a disaster after awakening E and F rank talents.


    "You are all dismissed," the old man on the stage said. "Tomorrow, you''ll be taken to a ce for a test dive. Be sure to attend the academy."


    Chapter Stay:


    All the kids began leaving the awakening area. Some held their heads high with pride, while others lowered theirs in shame.


    Orion and Jake also walked home.


    "By the way, why do people from the Three Domains give so much importance to this simtion world?" Orion asked Jake.


    "It''s because of the talent one possesses in the simtion world," Jake exined. "There''s a clear gap in strength between someone at gold rank and tinum rank, and those at gold take too long to upgrade to tinum. The reason is the talent one has in the simtion world."


    Jake added, "To upgrade to tinum rank in the Three Domains, you need to level up your character to level 30 in this simtion world. Without reaching level 30 here, you simply can''t upgrade to tinum rank in the Three Domains."


    He smiled, revealing the best part. "And when you do that, the talent you gain in this world gets added to your original talent in the Three Domains."


    Orion''s eyes widened. "You mean to say you''ll have an additional talent if you reach level 30 here and upgrade to tinum rank in the Three Domains?" he asked eagerly.


    Jake nodded. "Exactly, but it''s not that simple. There''s another, more serious reason for this."


    Orion frowned. "What do you mean?"


    "Think about it this way," Jake said. "If at tinum rank, you possess the talent of the simtion world, why would peoplee back to the simtion world when there are no more benefits? No matter how fun and realistic this world is, people in the Three Domains know it''s just a simtion. After getting what they need, they wouldn''t waste time here."


    Jake''s expression grew serious. "Yet, tinum rankers and those above seem to take this simtion even more seriously than those of us who need to level up to 30. It doesn''t make sense for them to keeping here once they''ve gotten what they want."


    Orion nodded in understanding. Jake''s suspicions made sense. The hype around Grimshore in the Three Domains was immense. If it only granted an extra talent, there wouldn''t be much reason for people to keeping. There had to be something more.


    At that moment, Orion recalled what Isis had wanted from him. When he upgraded to silver rank, he unlocked memories Isis had sealed inside him, but at that time, he didn''t understand why she wanted him to do that or how.


    But now, things were starting to make sense.


    She wanted three things from him.


    The first was the easiest: level up to 100 as quickly as possible. The other two, she had only said he would understand when the time came.


    ''Level up to 100...''


    Orion smiled wryly. If he had awakened a C or even a D rank talent, he might have a chance to level up quickly. But with a G rank talent, he felt hopeless.


    ''What even is this Omni-Focus talent?''


    He opened his status. Just like in the Three Domains, one could view their stats, though it was slightly different here.


    ---


    {Profile}


    [Name: Orion Stark]


    [Talent: Omni-Focus (G)]


    [Level: 1 - 0%]


    [Code: None]


    ---


    {Stats}


    [Strength: 5]


    [Stamina: 5]


    [Agility: 5]


    [Constitution: 5]


    [Perception: 5]


    [Intelligence: 5]


    ---


    [HP: 20]


    [MP: 20]


    ---


    {Skills}


    [Active Skills: None]


    [Passive Skills: None]


    ---


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

 Chapter 330: 330. Big Wall

    ¡¯I see... it is somewhat simr to the one in the Three Domains,¡¯ Orion thought as he focused his attention on his talent. He noticed there was no curse associated with this talent, which shocked him. He hadn¡¯t expected that the talents awakened in this world would have no curses.


    ¡¯This is good! Now let¡¯s see my talent,¡¯ Orion thought excitedly as he checked his talent.


    [Talent: Omni-Focus (G) - The host can move stat points from one stat to anotherpletely for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]


    Orion was surprised. This was a good talent¡ªfar better than he had expected for a G-rank. It surpassed his initial low expectations, but a sense of frustration crept in.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the talent¡¯s true potential if it had been of a higher rank. The thought gnawed at him, knowing that such a powerful ability was limited by the G-rank awakening, ultimately wasting its full potential.


    Orion sighed at his bad luck.


    ¡¯Let¡¯s try it out and see how it works,¡¯ he thought, moving all the stat points from Agility to Strength in his mind.


    ---


    [Strength: 10]


    [Agility: 0]


    {Time - 30 seconds}


    ---


    The moment he did that, a notification appeared in his vision. Not only that, but he felt his strength suddenly double. He felt much stronger than he had been just moments ago.


    ¡¯This is good! But the countdown...¡¯


    {Time - 20 seconds}


    Orion sighed again as he watched the countdown. He could only use his talent for 30 seconds before it needed a 30-second cooldown.


    ¡¯That exins why there aren¡¯t any curses associated with talents here,¡¯ he thought as he walked beside Jake.


    "Did you check your status?" Jake asked.


    Orion nodded and said, "I did, and I have 5 stat points in each. How about you?"


    "Same," Jake replied.


    Orion thought for a moment before suggesting, "We still have half a day left in this world. I want to hunt some monsters and try out my talent."


    Jake smiled. "That¡¯s what I was thinking. Let¡¯s go to the Big Wall."


    Orion nodded, then asked, "You know the way to the Big Wall, right? Also, we¡¯re kids¡ªwho would let us outside the wall?"


    Jake smiled. "Just follow me, and you¡¯ll understand."


    Orion frowned but followed Jake as he led the way.


    Before long, they arrived at their destination.


    "So, this is the wall we¡¯ve studied about," Orion said, astonished.


    In front of him stood a massive wall, extending from one end of the horizon to the other, towering above every building in the city. Its colossal height and imposing presence marked the boundary of the city, a barrier between the rtive safety inside and the dangers that lurked beyond.


    ¡¯This is huge!¡¯ Orion had never seen such a massive wall before.


    "Hehe, this is thest line of defense for the people of Citrix City," Jake said, smiling.


    "I know." Orion understood what the wall was for.


    In this world, or on Earth, monsters dominated thendscape, transforming it into an unforgiving wilderness where survival was a constant struggle. To protect themselves from the relentless onught of these creatures, humanity constructed massive fortress cities, each surrounded by towering, nearly imprable walls.


    These walls were not just protective barriers but the foundation upon which human civilization rested, ensuring their continued existence in a world ruled by monsters.


    Without the security provided by these colossal walls, cities would be impossible to maintain. The sheer numbers and overwhelming strength of the monsters outside were too much for humans to contend with on open ground.


    Even with advanced weapons and abilities, the monsters¡¯ power was such that any unprotected settlement would quickly be overrun, wiped out in a matter of days, if not hours.


    The walls allowed humanity to establish safe zones where life could continue with a semnce of normalcy. Inside these fortresses, people lived, worked, and thrived. The walls were equipped with defensive systems, such as turrets, magic barriers, and advanced weaponry, all of which enabled the defenders to repel the monsters¡¯ attacks.


    These fortifications also allowed for organized counterattacks, where humanity couldunch calcted strikes against the hordes beyond, gradually reiming pockets ofnd and resources.


    "Let¡¯s go," Jake said.


    Orion followed him for a while until they arrived in front of a crowd. There were many people of different ages, but they all had one thing inmon: they were equipped with armor and swords, appearing as though it wasn¡¯t their first time hunting outside the walls.


    "Follow me closely," Jake said as he moved through the crowd. Orion followed behind.


    Not long after, they reached a wide building.


    "This is the North Post of Citrix City," Jake said before entering. The building was open to everyone.


    Orion stepped inside and immediately understood its purpose. There were many injured people lying around and others wearing armor, ready for battle.


    "Jake, you¡¯re finally here," an old man approached them.


    "How have you been, Uncle Chuck?" Jake asked with a smile. Experience exclusive tales on NovelBin.C?m


    "Haha, I¡¯m fine," Chuck replied with augh, then turned to Orion. "This must be Orion, right?"


    "He is," Jake confirmed before getting to the point. "Uncle Chuck, we want to go outside to hunt some monsters and test our talents. Can you help us?"


    Uncle Chuck frowned, contemting for a moment before replying, "Fine. I¡¯m free for now anyway. I might as well help you two." He added, "Wait for me at the gate."


    Chuck left, and Jake said, "Let¡¯s go," as they exited the building. Orion followed, realizing Jake had many connections in the city. He understood it had something to do with the soul of the Jake in this simtion, not the one from the Three Domains inhabiting Jake¡¯s body.


    Soon after, they stood in front of a normal-sized gate in the wall with other people waiting to go outside and hunt monsters.


    Some timeter, Chuck returned with several men d in armor and armed.


    "Take these swords, both of you," Chuck handed them swords. "You¡¯ll need them."


    Orion didn¡¯t hesitate and epted the sword, as did Jake.


    "The gate will open in a few minutes. Be ready," Chuck said solemnly.


    Orion and Jake nodded, waiting for the gate to open.


    ---


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

 Chapter 331: 331. Hunting Goblins Again!

    A middle-aged man dressed in full armor came to the front of the group waiting for the gate to open.


    "Don¡¯t go too far into the wild. There are monsters beyond the wall you couldn¡¯t imagine." He warned them before signaling for the gate to open.


    Momentster, the small door opened vertically.


    "Now go!" the man shouted.


    Everyone entered through the small opening in the wall and stepped outside.


    Orion and Jake followed, along with Chuck and his men.


    Outside the wall, Orion saw destroyed buildings and wreckage, barely recognizable beneath the trees and grass that had grown waist-high, covering the entire area.


    "This area just outside the wall is called Sector 1. That¡¯s where you two will be hunting," Chuck said, examining his sword.


    He added, "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you."


    Orion nced at Chuck and his men, then turned to Jake. "You¡¯re rich."


    "It¡¯s my family that¡¯s rich, not me," Jake sighed, then looked at Orion. "Let¡¯s search around Sector 1 for monsters to hunt."


    Orion nodded, and the two of them ventured deeper into Sector 1, scanning for something to hunt.


    As they explored, Orion noticed traces of buildings and signs of the civilization that once existed outside the wall.


    "Goblins!"


    Orion¡¯s eyes were drawn to a group of green-skinned creatures resembling monkeys. They were eating rusted metal in a small alleyway, partially hidden by dense trees.


    Both Orion and Jake quickly took cover behind a tree.


    "Five goblins in total," Orion whispered before turning to Jake. "Let me see if I can handle one by myself."


    Jake frowned. "They¡¯re in a group. How are you going to do that?"


    Orion smiled. "Just watch." He picked up a stone from the ground and aimed at one of the goblins, the one farthest from the group, before throwing it.


    The stone hit the goblin, and Orion quickly ducked behind the tree again. He grabbed another stone and tossed it at a nearby tree, creating a small sound.


    Momentster, the goblin that had been hit by the first stone arrived at the spot where the second stone had struck the tree, out of view from the rest of the group, which was still devouring chunks of metal.


    The goblin looked around cautiously. Orion and Jake were hiding just behind it in the shadow of the tree.


    Orion signaled Jake with his eyes, indicating that he would attack. Jake nodded in understanding.


    ¡¯Let¡¯s do this.¡¯


    Orion immediately transferred the stat points from Intelligence to Agility, boosting his Agility to 10. He dashed forward, closing the distance between them. Then, he returned the stat points to Intelligence and then again transferred 5 points from Intelligence to Strength before swinging his sword.


    The sword sliced through the goblin¡¯s shoulder and down to its waist, where it got stuck. Blood spurted everywhere as the goblin copsed, dead.


    Orion retrieved his sword and looked at the goblin¡¯s body, reflecting on how much effort it had taken just to kill one in this world.


    ¡¯That¡¯s how it is.¡¯


    He sighed and returned to where Jake was hiding, only to find Jake staring at him in shock.


    "You killed it so easily," Jake whispered. "That was a level 2 goblin."


    Orion nodded, curious. "How did you know it was level 2?"


    Jake facepalmed. "Look above the goblin¡¯s head."


    Orion peeked around the tree and saw it: ¡¯Level 2¡¯ floated above each goblin¡¯s head.


    "I didn¡¯t know that," Orion admitted.


    Jake nodded. "Let¡¯s finish off the rest. There are only four left. Two for each of us."


    "Alright, give me a minute," Orion said, wiping the blood from his sword. Once ready, he nodded. "Let¡¯s do it."


    The two nced at each other before sprinting toward the remaining goblins. Orion transferred 5 stat points from Intelligence to Agility, increasing his speed. He quickly reached the goblins and then moved the points from Agility to Strength, swinging his sword at one goblin¡¯s neck.


    Blood spurted as the goblin¡¯s head flew off. The others noticed them, but it was toote. Orion swiftly killed another goblin while Jake took care of the other two.


    [Congrattions to the Host for learning the skill - Dash.]


    [Congrattions to the Host for learning the skill - Power Strike.]


    "Huh?" Orion was surprised to see that he had learned two new skills automatically.


    ¡¯How did this happen?¡¯


    He realized the skills he had learned, Dash and Power Strike, were simr to how he had used his talent to boost his agility and strength.


    ¡¯I can learn skills that easily?¡¯


    It seemed too simple if learning skills was as easy as how he had acquired Dash and Power Strike.


    "What happened?" Jake asked, noticing Orion¡¯s frown.


    "Nothing," Orion replied.


    "Let¡¯s go hunt more monsters," Jake suggested.


    Orion nodded, and they continued searching. However, they hadn¡¯t gone far when they encountered more goblins.


    "Are there only goblins here?" Orion asked.


    "Since this is Sector 1, it only has low-level monsters, and goblins are the mostmon," Jake exined.


    Just then, red smoke began to surround the area. Before they could react, the red mist engulfed them.


    "I can¡¯t breathe!" Jake shouted. Stay updated via NovelBin.C?m


    Orion heard him but was also struggling to breathe.


    ¡¯What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Orion thought anxiously. The longer the mist lingered, the harder it became for him to breathe.


    "There¡¯s nothing wrong with the body. Is he really the one?"


    Orion suddenly heard a voice, but he couldn¡¯t focus on where it came from.


    "I¡¯m sure. The tracking device can¡¯t be wrong."


    Another voice echoed, but Orion¡¯s body was weakening. He struggled to stay on his feet and felt himself on the verge of losing consciousness.


    ¡¯What are these voices?¡¯ Orion wondered as he copsed. He couldn¡¯t breathe anymore, as if all the air had been stolen from him. Darkness slowly enveloped him.


    ---


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 Chapter 332: 332. I Have Been Drugged without me knowing

    "Let''s transport him to headquarters and report that the initial test result is negative."


    Orion closed his eyes as he couldn''t keep them opened, feeling like all the strength in his body had suddenly drained away.


    ''What''s happening to me?''


    Orion felt like he was dying. He couldn''t breathe, couldn''t stand, and couldn''t keep his eyes open. Weakness overwhelmed him, and most disturbingly, he was hearing voices he those voices he didn''t know where they came from.


    "Um, looks like the effects of the drugs are fading. Give him another shot."


    ''Drugs?''


    Even though Orion couldn''t fully grasp what was happening, he understood that being drugged wasn''t good.


    ''What should I do? I don''t have my curses from the three domains, and I''m very weak in this simtion.''


    Orion thought anxiously. He knew he needed to act before they gave him another dose. But how?


    ''Wait a minute! They said another shot! That means I have already been drugged once. But when and how? Was it Jake? Chuck?''


    He couldn''t understand how he was suddenly drugged and where did those voices keeping from?


    ''Was it the red mist? The red smoke?''


    Orion pondered fast. He didn''t have much time before he was shot with another drug.


    ''Simtion! Is this really Grimshore or all this the effect of a drug?.... Only one way to know.''


    In desperation, Orion activated the curse of Dimensional Dissonance, instinctively trying to enter his own dimension. He couldn''t control any of his curses, and worse, he didn''t even have ess to his body in the three domains. All he could do was think about activating the curse and entering his dimension and hoped that it worked. It was the only option left.


    "He vanished! Where did he go? Are there others here?"


    "No, fool. We messed up. The drugs were wearing off, and he used that opportunity to escape. Damn it!"


    "But how could that be possible? Even if he was regaining consciousness, he shouldn''t have been able to use his mana."


    "There''s no point in dwelling on it. Search the entire area. He couldn''t have teleported far in his state."


    "Also, report to headquarters that the target has escaped. While you''re at it, send someone to his house to keep watch in case he goes home. And if there''s any unusual activity at the Starfire Guild, encircle the area, but don''t get spotted. Understood?"


    "Understood."


    Orion continued hearing their voices, even though he still couldn''t see anything. But one thing was clear: he had escaped from whoever they were.


    ''The drug''s effects are still on me...''


    He could now breathe, though his strength hadn''t returned.


    ''Activate Light Body in Curse Transformation mode.''


    As soon as he thought it, his body began glowing with a golden light. Orion could feel his strength slowly returning as the effects of the drugs diminished. With each passing moment, his body recovered to its peak condition.


    ''Finally, I can see, and my body is fully healed.''


    Orion stood up and looked around. He appeared to be in arge factory-like hall filled with machines. Since he was still in his dimension, everything he saw was from this otherworldly perspective.


    ''Damn! That means...''


    Suddenly, it dawned on him. The entire experience in Grimshore had been a drug-induced dream designed to keep him subdued while the people who kidnapped him transported him without resistance.


    Or was it? Could the drugs have been meant to make him unconscious through lucid dreaming, but his own desire to enter Grimshore created that dream world¡ªthe walls, the people, Jake? Was it all just his imagination brought on by the drugs?


    Orion was shocked as these conclusions formed, and questions flooded his mind.


    Who was behind this? How had they kidnapped him so easily? Why hadn''t he noticed anything? What did they want?


    So many questions, yet no answers.


    ''What if they were nning to kill me?''


    His heart turned cold at the thought. He might have died here without ever realizing it.


    ''Since when was I under the effects of the drugs?''


    He tried to recall what was real and what was just an illusion caused by the drugs, but to his horror, he couldn''t tell.


    After leaving Erza''s office, he had gone straight to the guild market, met Ruck to buy cores, and then headed home to max out his stats before entering Grimshore. Everything had seemed normal¡ªthere had been no disturbances, no indication that he had been drugged.


    But how had it happened? How did he end up here?


    ''I must have been drugged right before entering Grimshore, which is why I dreamed of Grimshore because of the drugs.''


    Orion frowned as he pondered. ''Right before entering Grimshore?''


    He checked his status and saw that his stats were still maxed at 100, confirming that he had been drugged after maxing them out.


    ''But when?''


    Orion was certain he had entered Grimshore immediately after maxing his stats. But in reality, he hadn''t. The dream had been induced by the drugs.


    He understood that now, but he still couldn''t figure out exactly when he had been drugged. It had only been a short time since he maxed out his stats, and the drugs had already started taking effect.


    The scariest part was that he hadn''t noticed anything. Everything had felt too real¡ªhe hadn''t doubted for a second that he was in Grimshore or not.


    ''How did they drug me without me realizing?''


    Orion racked his brain until a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.


    ''My whole house must have been drugged. That''s why I didn''t notice anything.''


    With advanced technology, it wouldn''t be hard to develop a colorless, odorless drug in gas form.


    ''They must have filled my house with the gas. While I was absorbing the cores, I inhaled the drugs without knowing it. By the time I finished, I was fully under its effects and lost consciousness.''


    The more Orion thought about it, the more it made sense. There was no other way he could have been drugged so easily.


    ''I have to get out of here.''


    Orion checked his halowatch and found it intact. He checked the time and saw that only three hours had passed since he maxed out his stats.


    ---


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 Chapter 333: 333. Full Potential of Dimensional Dissonance

    ''I have been under the effects of drugs for three hours.''


    Orion''s face darkened as he realized he would have been dead if the people who kidnapped him had gone for the kill.


    ''Let''s see who these people are and why they did all of this,'' Orion thought as he moved through his dimension in the factory.


    Not long after, he found one of the individuals responsible for his kidnapping. The person was searching behind huge machines for something or someone.


    ''So, it''s them!''


    Orion''s eyes widened when he realized who was behind his kidnapping. It was none other than the Hades Reapers.


    The man, who seemed to be searching for something, wore a skull mask¡ªthe symbol of the Hades Reapers.


    ''Damn, these assassins are too dangerous. How did they find me?... Wait a minute! Have they kidnapped me thinking I''m Ray Wiser or Orion Darkwood?''


    Orion''s heartbeat quickened as he considered the possibility that these Hades Reapers assassins might be after Orion Darkwood.


    He had been hunted by the Hades Reapers before, so he was certain they came for him knowing he was Orion Darkwood. But he couldn''t understand how they knew he was Orion Darkwood when he was posing as Ray Wiser.


    He was sure he hadn''t left any clues or anything that would reveal his identity. He had been so cautious these past three months, certain he hadn''t done anything that might expose the fact that Ray Wiser was a false identity and that he was really Orion Darkwood.


    The only person who knew his identity as Ray Wiser was false was Mark, but even he didn''t know that Ray Wiser was actually Orion Darkwood.


    ''Then how did they find me? How did they know it was me?'' Orion thought bitterly. He understood that if this situation escted, his true identity would inevitably be revealed.


    ''Damn these assassins!''


    Orion also realized how these Hades Reapers assassins had tracked him every time he was in Aethelgard City.


    He figured today was no different. It didn''t matter if he was Ray Wiser or someone else¡ªthey always found him, no matter what.


    Orion deduced that since they were targeting him, they must have some method to track his location. That was the only conclusion he could draw from his encounters with them.


    Though he still couldn''t figure out exactly how they tracked him or why they were targeting him, those questions remained a mystery.


    ''They are dangerous. Very dangerous.''


    Orion calmed down and began to think about what to do next. Having acknowledged the danger posed by the Hades Reapers, he knew he had to proceed cautiously.


    Looking back into the real world, Orion noticed the assassin in front of him was at tinum rank.


    ''It would be difficult to take him down, and if I''m not careful, I might alert the others,'' Orion reasoned. He didn''t want to reveal himself to these assassins. Recalling how they had found a way to counter his intangibility back in Aethelgard City, he suspected they might even render his dimension useless if he showed them that ability.


    From what he overheard, they seemed to think he had teleported away, and since he was still under the effects of the drugs, they assumed he hadn''t teleported far, exining their relentless search in and around the factory.


    After thinking for a while, Orion reached a conclusion: he had to kill them all. The longer they stayed in Masturi, the more likely his identity would be exposed. But knowing the assassins were at tinum rank or higher, Orion wouldn''t fight them directly. That would be suicide.


    ''I''ve never done this before, but let''s see what happens.''


    Orion appeared just behind the assassin who was searching for him and used the curse of Dimensional Dissonance to drag him into his own dimension.


    The moment he did, the assassin felt something pulling him from behind. Slowly but surely, his body began to disappear into the void.


    "Agh! What''s happening?" the assassin shouted, struggling against the force pulling him in. The ground beneath him shattered as he unleashed his full strength, but it was already toote.


    Orion watched in horror as the assassin was pulled into his dimension. The man''s body convulsed, contracted, and expanded violently before suddenly spinning into a swirling vortex and vanishing.


    ''That''s it. That''s all it takes to kill a tinum rank expert here.''


    Orion was shocked by what he had witnessed, and sweat dripped down his face as he thought about his friends and others. There had been many times where he had considered pulling them into his dimension to save them, but now he was relieved that he hadn''t¡ªotherwise, he would have killed them instead of saving them.


    But why the assassin died?


    ''Curse Transformation mode! I''ve been in Curse Transformation mode this whole time. Now I understand.''


    Orion realized the reason the assassin had died in his dimension was because he had been in Curse Transformation mode.


    ''The only way to confirm my theory is to pull in another assassin,'' Orion decided as he moved through his dimension, searching for more assassins.


    Before long, he came across another one, who was, like the previous assassin, distracted while searching for something.


    ''He''s distracted¡ªperfect.''


    Orion quickly used his Dimensional Dissonance curse and sucked the assassin into his dimension. It was a slow process, but it happened in a matter of seconds.


    "Ah, where am I?" the assassin panicked, looking around cautiously when he noticed Orion standing behind him.


    "You! So you''re hiding here." The assassin sneered as he began to release his energy, preparing to attack.


    "Die," Orion muttered softly under his breath.


    In an instant, the space around the assassin began to ripple and warp, distorting the very fabric of reality. The assassin froze as his body convulsed uncontrobly. Limbs twisted in unnatural directions, his form stretching and shrinking as if caught in an invisible vice.


    The air crackled with raw power, and the distortion intensified, pulling the assassin into a vortex that materialized out of nowhere. His panicked expression was thest thing visible before his body waspletely engulfed by the swirling darkness. The vortex spiraled tighter and tighter until it copsed into itself, leaving nothing behind but a faint shimmer in the air.


    The ck hole that had swallowed him vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving no trace of the assassin.


    ---


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 Chapter 334: 334. The King, The Queen and The Oracle Fish

    Orion sucked in a breath of cold air when he saw it again. "So, I can control what happens in my dimension when I''m in Curse Transformation mode. I can make the void in my dimension very unstable, yet at the same time, I can calm it with just my thoughts." He muttered to himself, realizing the true potential of the Dimensional Dissonance curse.


    Orion smiled with a cruel expression. ''Let''s kill these assassins.''


    He began searching through the factory and quickly noticed it was abandoned, having seen no other humans besides the assassins.


    Not long after, he came across a group of three assassins talking among themselves, their expressions anxious.


    "We let him escape again! The Queen won''t be happy with us."


    "You''re right, especially since we already notified her that we had captured him."


    "But the King may not let her act. He''s opposed the Queen on this matter many times, so he might intervene again."


    "You two seem to be forgetting something very important. The results of the tests we did on Orion Darkwood were negative. That means he isn''t one of them."


    "This is very strange. The oracle fish has never been wrong about anyone before, so how could it say Orion Darkwood was one of them, but the test results show otherwise?"


    "Indeed, it''s strange."


    Orion heard them clearly in his dimension and became intrigued by their words.


    From what he could tell, there was a reason why these assassins were after him.


    ''They mentioned a King, a Queen, and the oracle fish. They also said I''m not one of them.''


    Orion pondered their words.


    ''It seems that when I was dreaming about Grimshore, they must have conducted some tests on me, which came back negative, leading them to believe I''m not "one of them."''


    Orion shuddered, thinking about what kind of tests they might have conducted.


    ''Who are "them" exactly?'' He wondered. ''Looks like I''ll have to do this the hard way.''


    Orion closed the distance between himself and the assassins, appearing behind them in his own dimension, and began pulling them into it.


    "What''s happening?!"


    "Look! My hand... my hand is gone!"


    "Who''s doing this?"


    The three assassins screamed in fear as their body parts slowly disappeared, their cries growing faint until no sound could be heard.


    Soon, they found themselves in the same ce they had been standing, but the world around them appeared dullpared to before.


    "Where are we?" One assassin looked around, only to spot someone standing behind him. He became alert.


    "It''s you! Orion Darkwood!" He recognized Orion and alerted the others. "You two, look who we have here." He sneered at the other assassins.


    The other two turned to look at Orion and were shocked. "Kid, is this all your doing?" the thinner of the three asked.


    "I wonder that myself." Orion said, walking toward them and snapping his fingers.


    Almost instantly, the three of them felt their bodies being restrained by an invisible force. Before they could react, they were bound by the space around them. They couldn''t move, not even their fingers¡ªeverything aside from their necks and heads had be frozen.


    "You! What did you do?" the taller assassin shouted in panic and horror as Orion calmly walked toward them.


    "You''re in no position to ask me anything," Orion said with a cruel expression. "Tell me, why are assassins from the Hades Reapers after me? What did the oracle fish say about me? What were the results of the tests you conducted on me? Tell me everything!"


    Orion increased the pressure of the space binding their bodies, causing them to scream in agony.


    "Talk! I don''t have much time," he said, increasing the pressure even more.


    The assassins only smirked andughed cruelly. "You think you can make us talk? Dream on!" The fat assassin mocked, blood seeping from his mouth as the pressure increased.


    The other two, the thin and tall assassins, also sneered. "Kid, we''re assassins. We''re trained for this. You think you can make us talk with a little force?" the thin assassinughed.


    Orion frowned. He had expected many reactions but hadn''t anticipated such stubbornness. They weren''t just stubborn¡ªthey were trained for situations like this.


    ''I guess I''ll have to take things to the extreme.''


    Orion increased the pressure again. "Talk while you still can, or death awaits you."


    "Dream on!" the thin assassinughed.


    Orion frowned. "Then die." The space around the thin assassin became unstable before he was sucked into a vortex and killed.


    "How about you two?" Orion asked the remaining assassins.


    They gritted their teeth and smiled grimly. "Kid, you''re wasting your time," the taller assassin said.


    "Is that so?" Orion smiled sinisterly, increasing the pressure on the taller assassin''s right hand, causing it to disappear. He repeated the process with the left hand.


    "Aggghhh!" the tall assassin screamed in agony.


    "How about now? Will you talk?" Orion asked. "Or..." He nced at the assassin''s legs.


    "I won''t say anything. Just kill me," the tall assassin gritted out through the pain.


    Orion frowned at their resilience. "Then die." Hemanded, and the space around the tall assassin warped before he was sucked into a vortex and disappeared.


    "Only you remain," Orion said, turning to the fat assassin and slowly increasing the pressure. "I might as well kill you too."


    "No, no, no!" The fat assassin panicked. "I''ll tell you! I''ll tell you everything! Just promise to let me go."


    Orion nodded. "If you''re honest with me, there''s no reason for me to kill you."


    The fat assassin nodded and began to speak. "The oracle fish is one of the longest-living beings in the world¡ª" But he suddenly stopped, his body swelling up like a balloon.


    "Damn!"


    Orion quickly teleported back using Reality Fracture.


    BOOM!


    The assassin exploded with a deafening st, making the once quiet, dull dimension feel chaotic for the first time.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 335: 335. Killing all the assassins

    "Damn, he exploded!"


    Orion cursed softly. He hadn''t expected that mentioning anything about the Hades Reapers would cause them to explode.


    ''Looks like it''s impossible for me to learn anything about them.''


    He pondered. If they exploded just by speaking, trying to make them talk would be a waste of time.


    ''I can only kill them.''


    Orion decided, scanning the factory for more assassins. He found another pair not far from the previous location. Immediately, he summoned them into his dimension and killed them swiftly. He swept through the entire factory, killing every assassin he encountered, leaving none behind.


    After about half an hour, Orion paused. "It seems I''ve killed everyone stationed in the factory," he muttered. "But there are more..."


    Having cleared the factory, Orion set his sights on his guild and home. He had overheard the assassins talking about sending some of their own to those ces during his escape.


    ''I hope they haven''t caused any chaos near my guild.''


    Orion thought grimly as he flew through the sky, quickly heading toward the guild.


    Minutester, he arrived above the guild and saw that it was as quiet as ever. He sighed in relief at the sight.


    From above, he located all five assassins hiding near the guild entrance.


    ''Time to finish them.''


    Orion swept them into his dimension one by one, swiftly killing them all.


    He checked the perimeter again, and after finding no one, he left the guild and headed home.


    Upon arriving near his house, he scouted the area and found ten assassins hiding nearby.


    "Heh," Orion smiled cruelly and killed them all one by one. Since they were spread out, he had to hunt them down separately.


    Afterward, he scanned the entire area around his house and found no one else.


    ''Let''s check inside.''


    Holding his breath, he quietly entered his house and checked each room, finding no one.


    ''They must have filled the house with drugs, which is why they were waiting outside.''


    Orion thought, quickly opening all the windows and doors. He then used the curse of Stormcaller to clear the air inside, repeating the process about ten times before feeling satisfied that the house was free of drugs.


    ''Time to see if it''spletely gone.''


    Orion took a light breath and waited. Seconds passed into minutes, but nothing happened.


    ''It''s good.''


    He sighed in relief that it was finally over.


    ''It''s good I found this cheat-like use of the Dimensional Dissonance curse. Otherwise, killing all these assassins so swiftly would have been impossible.''


    He reflected on the situation. He knew the Hades Reapers wouldn''t stop until they either killed him or achieved whatever they were after.


    ''They''re extremely dangerous. I experienced their lethal waysst time, and again today. I need to be cautious and stay alert at all times so I''m not caught off guard like I was today.''


    Orion made a mental note.


    "Now that half a day has passed, should I enter Grimshore or not?" he muttered.


    He decided to ask Erza and confirm if he would have enough time to return before the Dos Academy assessment.


    Orion tapped his halo-watch and messaged her. A momentter, he received a reply saying, "It will be fine."


    He sighed in relief and muttered, "Time to finally enter Grimshore for real this time."


    Orion vanished from his room.


    ***


    It was dark¡ªpitch ck,plete darkness¡ªthat greeted Orion as he disappeared from his room.


    [Entering Grimshore... Setting data.]


    [Settingplete.]


    [Awakening Divine Soul...]


    [Awakening Divine Soulplete ¨C Image Form.]


    [Limiting all stats, powers, and abilities to 10% of their original power.]


    [Transporting Orion Darkwood to Desmere.]


    A series of notifications filled his vision before he found himself standing in arge hall.


    [Transportationplete. Host is advised to check status.]


    Seeing the notification, Orion understood that he had arrived in Grimshore.


    Looking around, he found himself standing alone on a stage made of white square tiles.


    [Test for Desmere will begin in one minute. Data will be recorded.]


    "Test?" Orion muttered, nodding.


    "I recall seeing a notification saying my strength and abilities are limited to 10%." He clenched his fists. "My strength has indeed been restricted." He could feel the significant drop in his power.


    ''Alright, since it''s a test, there might be a reward, so I should give it my all.''


    Orion thought, activating Berserk Body, Blinding Speed, Thunder''s Wraith, Velocity Burst, Frozen Torment, Unbridled Fury, Supreme Gravity, and Disintegration Aura in Curse Transformation mode.


    A raw, berserk energy erupted from Orion the moment he activated his curses. The tiles beneath his feet shatteredpletely.


    "It''s been a long time since I used this much power," Orion smiled, feeling the energy surging through him.


    "Ah, this isn''t even my full strength, but it''s close." Heughed wildly.


    [Test will begin in five seconds.]


    ''I''m ready.''


    Orion focused on the stage.


    A momentter, a bunch of monsters appeared on the stage. He recognized some, while others were new to him.


    [Test begins.]


    [Goal: Kill all the monsters as fast as you can.]


    Orion smiled lightly as a notification blinked in front of him, signaling the start of his task. In the next instant, he vanished from his position, leaving only a faint ripple in the air where he once stood.


    The stage erupted into chaos, shes of golden lightning streaking across the battlefield, followed by fierce bursts of me and trails of frost that crackled with icy energy.


    Monsters roared in agony, their blood spraying into the air, painting the ground in crimson as they fell one by one under the relentless assault of Orion''s power.


    For a few intense seconds, the arena was nothing but a whirlwind of elemental fury, each strike more devastating than thest.


    Then, as quickly as it had started, the chaos subsided. The battlefield grew eerily quiet, the mes flickered out, the ice melted into the ground, and thest traces of lightning faded into the sky.


    Only the fallen monsters remained, their bodies scattered across the stage, while Orion stood calmly amidst the destruction, his presencemanding the space as if he had never left.


    [Testplete... Analyzing data... Complete.]


    [Test finished in five seconds.]


    [Congrattions to the host for setting a new record for the fastest testpletion.]


    Orion smiled widely.


    ''It seems I made the right choice in using my full strength.''


    [An announcement will be made about your record. Does the host want to use a nickname for the announcement or your real name?]


    "Announcement?" Orion was surprised. "What announcement?"


    [Everyone who has ever entered Grimshore will be notified of your achievement.]


    Orion was shocked. If the announcement was made, nearly everyone in the world would know that Orion Darkwood had arrived in Grimshore.


    A crazed smile spread across his face at the thought. It had been a long time since the name Orion Darkwood was heard in the three domains, and most people had forgotten about him.


    Now, he believed it was time for the world to remember that Orion Darkwood had not vanished. He wanted the Archons, the Ten Seats, and everyone in the three domains to know he had arrived in Grimshore, and it wouldn''t be long before he woulde for them.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 336: 336. I Have Seen His Death

    Thinking of that, he smiled crazily. "Use the original."


    [Orion Darkwood has broken the previous record for passing the entry test in the fastest time: 5 seconds. The previous record was 24 seconds.]


    Almost instantly, the entire three domains were swept into a frenzy as the announcement reached every soul who had ever stepped into Grimshore.


    Orion had predicted correctly¡ªmost people had forgotten about him. They believed that going against the Archons was suicidal, even for a genius like him. Therefore, they were even more shocked when they saw the announcement.


    They were utterly stunned and speechless¡ªnot only had Orion Darkwood arrived in Grimshore, but he had also broken the record for the fastest entry test.


    ***


    In a hall that resembled a royal pce, its walls decorated with chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, where every individual wore attire reminiscent of kings and queens from the medieval era, six people could be seen sitting and sipping tea.


    "Killian, I heard you''ll be attending Dos Academy as an advisor," a woman in her mid-twenties asked a man in histe twenties.


    The woman had long red hair and an excited but innocent smile on her face.


    As for the man named Killian, he had neatlybed yellow hair.


    Killian replied, "I n to go and see if there are any geniuses worth noting from the three domains."


    He added, looking at the red-haired woman with a smile, "Kate, you and the others will be going with me to Dos Academy as advisors."


    "Huh?" Kate, the red-haired woman, was surprised.


    "Killian is right," a man with long, deep blue hair said. "It''s an order from above, and we all have to follow it."


    "Brother Frey, we''ll get to leave our family soon, yay!" Another girl with ck hair raised her hands triumphantly.


    A boy with silver hair nodded with a light smile on his face. "Yes, we''ll finally be able to leave home after so many years," he said enthusiastically.


    At that moment, the announcement from Grimshore appeared before their eyes, and a look of shock and disbelief clouded their minds.


    "Orion Darkwood? Is it the same Orion Darkwood I''m thinking of?" Killian asked, stunned.


    "Yes, it seems so," the red-haired girl said with a frown. "He''s entered Grimshore and broken Jack''s record."


    Freyughed, turning toward a man in histe twenties, sitting quietly in a chair. "Jack only recently set the record after breaking Kane''s, who took 25 seconds, by passing the test in 24 seconds. Yet this Orion Darkwood did it in 5 seconds. I believe Jack will love hearing about this."


    "Orion Darkwood has guts. Instead of using a nickname, he used his real name in the announcement. It''s like he''s dering that he''s back," Killian said, smiling.


    Frey frowned. "This is bad news for all of us. The most wanted criminal breaking the record will not end well."


    He turned to the quiet man sitting on the side. "He was once hailed as the strongest genius of the three domains of the human race, and many believed in him. But after bing the most wanted man, he was forgotten."


    He sighed. "Who would''ve thought he''d take a step back only to surpass everyone by ten steps? By breaking this record, he''s challenging not only the three domains and the Archons but also the Ten Seats."


    Killian nodded. "You''re right. Look at the difference between time taken by Jack, Kane, and him. It''s too vast to bridge. He''s in a league of his own. It''s not an exaggeration to say that, at this point in time, he truly is the number one genius of the Montreux Universe."


    But then his expression turned solemn. "But that doesn''t change the fact that he''s also the most wanted criminal in the history of the three domains. If he isn''t stopped before he fully matures, all hell will break loose."


    "The affairs of this world are known to many, but only a few can truly change anything," Jack said, drawing everyone''s attention. His ck, messy hair wasbed upward with shades of gold visible. His face was oval-shaped, handsome, and mature, with a calm expression.


    "What do you mean, Jack?" Frey asked.


    "Nothing," Jack said, looking away. "I''ve seen Orion Darkwood''s death, so you shouldn''t worry too much about him."


    Killian, Frey, Kate, and the others stood up in shock at his words.


    "Really, Jack? You''re not joking, right?" Frey asked.


    "Jack, this is too serious to joke about," Killian said.


    Jack nodded. "It''s true. I''ve seen his death with my own eyes." His eyes began to shine with a bright white light as he said this.


    Frey nodded and looked at Killian and the others. "Don''t mention what Jack said about Orion to anyone. You know the rules, right?"


    Kate nodded in understanding. "The more people who know about Jack''s vision, the less likely it is toe true."


    She pulled out a locket and looked at everyone solemnly. "Let''s make a blood contract. Anyone who reveals this will die."


    She added, "I know this is extreme, but it''s the only way if we want to kill Orion Darkwood."


    Frey, Kate, and the others nodded and began the ritual of the blood contract.


    ***


    Somewhere in the universe, ethereal, semi-transparent images of five people floated in a sea of stars.


    "Passing the entry test in 5 seconds... Even Kane and Jack took 25 and 24 seconds, respectively," Rosaline sighed as she read the notification.


    Kitsuri nodded solemnly. "We''ve been tracking his clone this whole time, giving us less time to find him."


    She added, "With his image now spread worldwide, he''ll be easily recognized. The only way he won''t be is by impersonating someone else."


    "Things are getting messy. If only Merlin hadn''t gone for the kill back then..." Rosaline sighed, recalling how Orion had decided to trust them and return to the Celestial Court with Kane as his handler, only for Merlin to ruin everything with a sneak attack on Orion.


    "Well, I''ve just received some very interesting information about Orion Darkwood after that announcement," Morkel said, drawing the attention of the other four figures floating in the sea of stars.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 337: 337. Morkels move and Soul Shard

    "What interesting information?" Kitsuri asked curiously.


    Rosaline also looked toward Morkel, wanting to know what could be so important that he wasn''t angry about how the situation with Orion was escting.


    "Tell me, tell me, Morkel!" Suzan said excitedly.


    There was another figure standing on the sea of stars, but he seemed disinterested. It was Pyro, who was only watching Morkel out of obligation as a member of the Ten Seats.


    Morkel nced at all of them and ryed the information he had received. "The information is about Orion Darkwood. It says he will be attending Dos Academy by impersonating someone else. However, it doesn''t mention who Orion will be impersonating."


    "He''sing to Dos?" Rosaline asked in surprise. "I don''t know what''s going through his mind, but after everything that happened, I doubt he''sing for anything good."


    Kitsuri frowned and asked Morkel, "How reliable is the source? Can we trust it?"


    "Every piece of information I''ve ever gotten from them has been urate," Morkel replied.


    Kitsuri''s frown deepened. "Why is this dark staring to Dos now?" She became tense, regretting that she hadn''t used her full strength during her battle with his clone and gone straight for the kill instead of trying to subdue him. Now, she realized just how dangerous Orion and his clone were and deeply regretted her decision.


    "So, are we going to Dos now? I want to be a teacher there," Suzan said excitedly.


    Morkel shook his head. "There are more pressing matters at hand than Orion Darkwood. We''ve noticed unusual movements from all three races, and not knowing what they''re nning could lead to a huge catastrophe. Unfortunately, we don''t have time for Orion right now."


    "Who are you sending then?" Rosaline asked, knowing Morkel wouldn''t ignore the matter of Orion so easily.


    "There are some very special people who will be joining Dos Academy," Morkel answered vaguely, without revealing names.


    "Just don''t mess this up, Morkel," Kitsuri said in a warning tone. "You know what happened to Kane''s, right? Don''t let the situation escte too much¡ªsubdue him quickly."


    Rosaline shook her head. "This kid is too strong for his own good. Clearing the entry test in five seconds is monstrous. It will be difficult for them to subdue him."


    She added darkly, "We have to kill him in one shot, or we''ll have no chance." She hated to admit it, but killing Orion was far more difficult than killing any other individual at the gold rank.


    Morkel nodded seriously. "Don''t worry too much about Orion. He hates us, the Ten Seats, so whatever his n is, I believe he''ll eventuallye to confront us. In the end, we''ll just take him down if nothing else works out."


    He added, "But I trust those I''m sending to Dos. Even if they can''t subdue Orion, dealing with him will be much easier for us afterward."


    Kitsuri nodded and sighed, while Rosaline also nodded. Pyro listened to the entire conversation without saying a word, as if he wasn''t even there.


    ---


    "Oh, what is this?" Orion looked at the list that suddenly appeared in front of him and saw five names, some of which were very familiar.


    Orion Darkwood - 5 seconds


    Jack White - 24 seconds


    Kane - 25 seconds


    Mark Prince - 26 seconds


    Parriot - 28 seconds


    "Kane¡ªSword Sage did it in 25 seconds, and Mark is here with 26 seconds," Orion muttered, surprised to see Mark''s name but acknowledging that it made sense, given his talent.


    "But who is Jack White?" Orion wondered aloud, as he had never heard of this person.


    "If he''s from the three domains, he should be very popr. So, it can only mean one thing¡ªhe''s from the Archons," Orion muttered to himself.


    As for Parriot, hepletely ignored that name for some reason.


    ---


    [Data analysisplete.]


    [Congrattions to the Host for obtaining a 3-star soul shard.]


    [Transporting Host to the open world.]


    ---


    Orion saw a bunch of notifications before finding himself standing in a forest.


    ''The test is over. I got the reward, and now I''m here. But why do I suddenly feel much morefortable?'' he thought.


    Orion looked around the forest and noticed it was just like any other he had been in. Nothing seemed special.


    "Ah, I forgot about that." Orion jumped and climbed to the top of a tree, opening his status.


    ---


    ''Status.''


    ---


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Level: 1 - 0%]


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


    [Soul Shard: (1) 3-star]


    ---


    Orion saw that his status had changed. It was quite different from what he had in the three domains.


    "System, what is a Soul Shard, and how can I use it?" Orion asked.


    ---


    [Soul Shard: The mostmon crystal found in Grimshore. It has many uses, but most people in Grimshore use Soul Shards to upgrade their Divine Soul to Solid Form.]


    ---


    Orion became more confused than before.


    "What is a Divine Soul?"


    ---


    [Divine Soul: Every being in this world possesses a Divine Soul. Grimshore is the ce where Divine Souls manifest.]


    ---


    "That''s it?" Orion frowned, seeing how little information there was about Divine Souls.


    Most importantly, there was gibberish written beside his Grimshore status that he couldn''t understand at all.


    ---


    [Every human being has a unique Divine Soul. The only way to manifest it in Solid Form is by calling out its True Name. Each Divine Soul possesses a True Name, and only byprehending it can one fully manifest their Divine Soul.]


    ---


    Another notification popped up, rifying his doubts.


    "True Name?" Orion frowned, reading the notification.


    From what he understood, the Soul Shard was essential for upgrading a Divine Soul to Solid Form, but to truly manifest it, one needed to know the True Name of the Divine Soul.


    "How do I discover the True Name of my Divine Soul?" Orion muttered, feeling very confused about this Divine Soul business, wondering if this was the reason why the people in the three domains ced so much importance on Grimshore.


    ''If this Grimshore is a ce where one can learn about Divine Souls, then there must be some sort of instruction manual, right?''


    Orion thought as he reached the peak of the tree and scouted the area. He saw that the area was a forest, and in the distance, a massive wall stood before him. The wall stretched endlessly from left to right.


    "This wall... Why does it resemble the one I saw in my dream when I was drugged?" Orion muttered, feeling disturbed by the sight of the wall before him.


    ---


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


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


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 338: 338. I Call You Divine Soul, Destroy The World

    "I think it''s just a coincidence and nothing more," he said to himself as he jumped from the tree, ready to head towards the wall and see whaty beyond.


    But as soon as hended, he was surprised by a snake attempting to sneak attack him from the side. Hidden in the bushes, it lunged toward him the moment he touched the ground, intending to bite.


    However, Orion''s reflexes were sharp. Coupled with his heightened perception, he reacted swiftly, catching the snake in his hand and burning it to ashes.


    [Obtained a 1-star soul shard.]


    Orion noticed a glistening crystal in his hand. "So, this is a soul shard... Use it on my Divine Soul," he muttered, instructing the system to use the soul shard.


    ---


    [Sessfullybined a 1-star soul shard with Divine Soul.]


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


    [Soul Power: 0.1%]


    ---


    ''So, some soul power was added, but what''s its use?'' Orion wondered.


    ''Should I try to summon my Divine Soul? It mentioned I could only summon it in solid form when I know its true name, but I should be able to summon it in image form, right?''


    Orion thought for a moment before calling out, "Come out, my Divine Soul."


    "..."


    "Nothing happened." Orion frowned, feeling slightly embarrassed after shouting like that.


    ''Maybe I called it wrong,'' he thought and tried again.


    "Divine Soul, manifest!"


    "..."


    "Damn, this is harder than I thought," Orion muttered in frustration.


    ''Maybe I should call it with my heart.'' He closed his eyes and whispered, "Let''s conquer the world, my Divine Soul. Together, we will rule."


    "..."


    "Ahhh!" Orion yelled in frustration, realizing he couldn''t summon his Divine Soul.


    Suddenly, a realization dawned on him, and he recalled a scene from a TV show. He decided to try summoning it in that style.


    "I choose you, Divine Soul, destroy the world!"


    "..."


    Orion stood speechless. None of his attempts worked, and despite all his efforts, he couldn''t summon his Divine Soul.


    "I guess I''ll have to ask someone else¡ªif I meet anyone here, that is," Orion muttered, ncing towards the huge wall in the distance.


    ''Let''s head in that direction. I have a hunch there''s something important out there.''


    With that thought, Orion began walking through the forest toward the wall in the distance.


    ***


    Elsewhere in the same forest, a long, thick snake was battling three people. The trio, appearing to be in their early twenties, looked battered and exhausted as they struggled against the snake.


    "Damn, we''re going to die at this rate," one of them yelled, fending off the snake''s attack. He was a red-haired boy with long hair.


    "No, I don''t want to die and start over at level 1. I worked too hard to reach level 25. I don''t want to waste all that effort now!" screamed ady in fear as she ran, abandoning the others. She had ck hair and a square-shaped face.


    "Damn, she ran! Damn it," cursed thest one, a ck-haired man with a beard.


    Bang!


    The snake''s tail mmed into the two men, sending them flying like ragdolls. They crashed into a tree andy on the ground, blood seeping from their mouths.


    "Lewis, it looks like we''ll have to start over," the red-haired man said to the ck-haired man.


    "Damn it, I hate this, but we don''t have a choice. Drax, let''s die together and restart together," Lewis sighed, frustrated by the thought of wasting time and unable to break through to tinum rank from gold in the three domains.


    As the snake prepared to strike again, its body was suddenly split in two, blood raining down as it was sliced cleanly in half.


    Lewis and Drax were stunned. Blood sttered their faces as they watched the scene unfold before them.


    "Hey, are you two okay?" Orion asked, approaching the men.


    However, their reaction surprised him. When they saw him, their faces turned pale with fear, and they began trembling as if the person before them was more dangerous than the snake they had just fought.


    "Don''t¡ªdon''t kill us!" Lewis begged.


    "Yeah, we''ll do anything. Just spare us," Drax added, tears and snot running down his face in terror.


    Orion was stunned, wondering if they had seen a ghost.


    "Hey, what''s going on? I killed the snake, and I''m here to help you," he said lightly, trying to reassure them.


    Lewis and Drax exchanged nces before Lewis mustered the courage to speak. "Orion Darkwood... helping others?"


    "Orion Darkwood?" Orion was shocked they could see his true face.


    ''No, that''s not it.'' He quickly realized something and touched his face.


    ''My Ray Wiser disguise is gone!''


    Orion was startled as he reached this conclusion. He had been sure he wore the face of Ray Wiser when he entered Grimshore, but his face and body must have reverted to their original form upon entering.


    ''No wonder they''re terrified... though their reaction is a bit extreme, isn''t it?''


    Looking at the two, Orion said, "I have questions for you both. Answer them correctly, and I''ll let you go. If not..." He smirked and drew his sword.


    "We''ll answer! We''ll answer correctly!" Drax nodded frantically, his face streaked with tears.


    Orion nodded. "First of all, stop acting like I''m some feared cmity or something. I''m just a wanted man who''s been wronged by the world."


    Lewis and Drax nodded quickly, though inwardly, they couldn''t help but think of him as exactly that¡ªa feared cmity. Everyone across the three domains feared him, especially after his record-breaking feat was announced to the entire world.


    Orion''s strength and potential caused despair for many, and knowing that he had ruthlessly killed so many at a banquet three months ago and destroyed a 3-star using nefarious means had cemented his reputation as a terrifying figure.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 339: 339. People Dont Actually Die in Grimshore

    Orion looked at the two of them, who were shivering in fear, and said calmly, "So, tell me, how can one summon their Divine Soul here?"


    "I know, I know," Lewis immediately responded in a ttering manner.


    "Tell me, then," Orion smiled at Lewis.


    Lewis gulped at the sight of Orion''s smile and said, "Since you just arrived in Grimshore, your Divine Soul must still be in its Image Form, meaning it cannot manifest itself. In that case, the only way to summon your Divine Soul is by using a catalyst, something solid that can help manifest things in their Image Form¡ªlike a sword, any weapon, or any solid object one can find."


    A look of understanding dawned on Orion as he listened. He realized that all this time, he had been trying various methods to summon his Divine Soul.


    ''No wonder I failed so miserably.''


    Orion looked at the two again and asked another question, "What is the big wall in the distance for?"


    "I know! I''ll tell you!" Drax quickly nodded, not wanting to let Lewis steal his chance again.


    "Go on," Orion said.


    Drax nodded and exined, "That is the fortress city of Desmere. Once night falls, the entire Desmere forest will be overrun by monsters. A long time ago, the city was built to provide protection, and it''s located behind those walls."


    Orion nodded in understanding. He had spected there might be a city there based on his dreams, and it had somehowe true.


    Ignoring the striking coincidences between his dream and Grimshore, he asked again, "Tell me anything else I should know¡ªvery important but basic things that almost everyone in Grimshore would be aware of."


    Lewis and Drax exchanged nces before Lewis spoke, "You need to reach level 30 to meet the requirements in the three domains to upgrade your rank to tinum."


    He continued, "Also, this world we''re in is only one part of Grimshore. There''s another part, essible only to those who have reached level 100 or higher."


    Orion''s eyes narrowed as he heard this. Isis had told him to level up as quickly as possible to level 100, and from what Lewis had said, he was now more certain she wanted him to reach that other part of Grimshore.


    ''At least one of her goals is clear to me,'' Orion thought, sighing. He looked at the two of them and asked, "Anything else?"


    "Yes, yes," Drax nodded and added, "You need to level up to 60 to upgrade your rank from tinum to Diamond, and level 90 to upgrade from Diamond to Crown."


    Orion frowned at this. If what Drax said was true, he would need to upgrade to Crown rank before even considering leveling up to 100, and he knew that wouldn''t happen anytime soon¡ªin fact, it would take a very long time to reach Crown rank.


    ''I hope when Isis said I needed to level up to 100 quickly, she only meant within a decade, or I''m in trouble,'' Orion thought with a solemn expression, turning his attention back to the two as Lewis spoke again.


    "Also, you can''t really die in this world. If you die below level 30, your level will be reset to 1, and that''s the only penalty for dying," Lewis said quickly.


    Orion nodded. He felt he had grasped most of the basics about Grimshore. People needed to hunt monsters to collect Soul Shards and upgrade their levels, and at the same time, they had toprehend the true name of their Divine Soul before upgrading it to Solid Form with the help of Soul Shards.


    "Tell me one more thing: are there any benefits to killing other humans or people from other races?" Orion asked with a smile that, to both Drax and Lewis, looked like the smile of a devil.


    Lewis sighed in defeat and said, "You can get a portion of someone''s soul power after killing them, whether they''re human or from another race."


    A wide smile spread across Orion''s face. If people couldn''t truly die in this world, there was bound to be merciless killing. He had hoped for some benefits from such killings, and indeed, there were.


    "Alright, you two can go now," Orion said, shing with his sword and killing them. However, their corpses transformed into blue particles and disappeared into the air.


    ''I can''t give away my location just yet, so I can''t let you two live,'' Orion thought as he headed toward the wall. He was eager to see what the city and its people were like.


    On his way, he changed his appearance back to that of Ray Wiser. He didn''t want to attract any attention for now. There was a time and ce for everything.


    As he moved toward the city walls, he encountered many monsters, each battle tough as Orion could only use his Stormcaller curse in the guise of Ray Wiser. It was limiting, but it was all he had for the moment.


    ''The next time Ie here, I''ll bring a mask.''


    Orion thought as he swiftly made his way toward the towering walls in the distance.


    After some time, he passed through the forest and entered a in region with small yellow grasses, stones, and boulders scattered along the path.


    He could also see the massive walls clearly now.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Suddenly, three projectiles flew at him at super speed. Orion quickly evaded them and scanned the area for his attacker, spotting a huge boulder ahead.


    "Come on out now. I know there are three of you hiding behind that boulder," he shouted.


    "Hehe, big brother, this newbie''s sharp. He found us so fast," a fat man with arge mole on his forehead emerged from behind the boulder, followed by two others.


    "Second, what did I tell you? There are bound to be several geniuses here, so don''t attack everyone," the man with a sword on his back reprimanded the fat man. He had long ck hair, and a ring stitch mark ran across his face.


    "Big brother, now that second brother''s already attacked, shouldn''t we finish this guy off?" thest of the three, the biggest one, asked. He had a hammer strapped to his back, huge muscles, and a thick beard.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 340: 340. Orion Darkwoods Treacherous Reputation

    The man with the sword sneered, "Of course, we''ll finish him. Hunting newbies to increase our soul power is the easiest, and we''ve been doing it for a long time. How could we let this one go?"


    With that, he drew his sword andughed at Orion.


    "It''s your bad luck that you stumbled upon us," he said,ughing.


    "Oh, my bad luck?" Orion smiled lightly. "How so?"


    The man with the sword sneered. "Because you''ve stumbled upon the legendary newbie-killer trio. We''ve never failed to kill a newbie we''ve encountered."


    "Well, there''s a first time for everything." Orion unsheathed his sword. "And your time came the moment you decided to attack me."


    As he said this, he vanished from his position and reappeared behind the man with the sword. He used the curse of Blinding Speed along with the curse of Stormcaller in Curse Transformation to achieve this teleportation-like speed.


    For these three, who were only at gold rank, Orion felt he might be going overboard, but it didn''t matter since he intended to kill them anyway.


    He swung his sword, severing the man''s head. Blood spurted like a fountain from his neck.


    "You! How? No!" By the time the other two realized what had happened to their leader, it was toote; within seconds, their heads were sent flying as well.


    Orion stopped and observed their bodies. He noticed that, like before, they shone with a blue light before disappearing into the air.


    He checked his status.


    ---


    [Name: Orion Darkwood]


    [Level: 1 - 0.9%]


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


    [Soul Shard: (1) 3-star]


    [Soul Power: 2%]


    ---


    ''Only my soul power increased after killing them.''


    Orion assessed his status and noted that his level percentage hadn''t increased much. It was only 0.9%, which likely came from killing the monsters earlier.


    "Killing people doesn''t give level-up experience; otherwise, people would farm humans instead of monsters," Orion muttered, realizing that if killing humans granted experience while they were revived, it would create an ultimate farming exploit.


    "Let''s keep moving."


    Orion continued toward the enormous wall, its size bing more apparent with every step. From a distance, it had seemed imposing, but now, standing in its shadow, he could truly appreciate its sheer scale.


    The wall towered over him, reaching heightsparable to themunication towers he remembered from Earth. Its surface was made of dark stone, with faint, intricate patterns etched across it¡ªperhaps runes or protective enchantments that fortified the city.


    ''Why such massive walls?'' Orion wondered. If they were built, it was surely to protect the city from monsters, but he found it hard to believe that monstersrge enough to necessitate such walls existed¡ªexcept for Apocalypse-level beasts.


    ''I''d better get into the city quickly. Knowing my luck, I might run into one of those monsters.''


    Orion used Blinding Speed along with Stormcaller, increasing his pace significantly.


    As he passed through the in, he noticed many others making their way toward the wall, most moving in groups of two, three, or even four. He saw few people traveling alone.


    He spected this might be because of the robbers he had encountered earlier.


    ''It seems there are more of these newbie hunters terrorizing Grimshore,'' he thought.


    Not long after, he arrived at the base of the wall, where he spotted what looked like a gate. Hundreds of people were lined up in rows, waiting to enter the city.


    Orion also noticed several figures moving among the rows, acting like guards, carefully watching for any disturbances.


    ''Do I have to wait in this long line to enter?'' Orion frowned. He didn''t have time for that. He needed to save his position in the city and exit Grimshore so that the next time he returned, he would already be inside. But standing in line with hundreds of people might take too long.


    He also had to be mindful of the time he could spend in this world. Since he was leaving for Dos Academy''s assessment, he had to exit Grimshore before midnight. He wanted a peaceful night''s sleep before heading to a new ce.


    ''Why are people waiting in line to enter? Is there some kind of identity check or something?'' he wondered.


    ''Looks like I''ll have to ask someone.''


    He turned to the person in front of him in line. "Excuse me." He tapped the man''s shoulder.


    "What is it?" the man asked impatiently.


    "Why are there so many lines with so many people?" Orion asked directly.


    "How would I know?" the man snapped in frustration and turned back, ignoring Orion.


    Orion was speechless. He had just asked a simple question, and yet the man ignored him. He couldn''t tell if it was because of the long line or if the man was always this irritable.


    "It''s because of Orion Darkwood," someone else answered his question.


    Orion turned to see another man, who had overheard their conversation.


    "Orion Darkwood? Why? Did he kill someone?" Orion asked, confused.


    "No, it''s not that," the man said, shaking his head. "The people who control Desmere don''t want a potential threat in their city."


    "What kind of threat?" Orion asked.


    The man patiently exined. "Think about it. Orion Darkwood has so much potential and is currently the strongest genius in the three domains. If he enters Desmere, levels up to tinum and diamond rank, what do you think will happen to those ruling the city now?"


    The man added with a smirk, "Knowing Orion Darkwood''s treacherous reputation, he''d overthrow their rule and crown himself king. So, they''ve put in ce a strict identification process to keep him out. Since he''s still at gold rank, they can easily identify and turn him away."


    Orion smiled lightly. He knew he was infamous for all the wrong reasons, but he had underestimated the extent. Apparently, his treacherous reputation had spread far and wide.


    "They made the right call, but I doubt it''ll stop him," Orion said with a smile.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 341: 341. A Blend Of Three Domains

    Orion chuckled lightly, thinking a simple identity check would reveal his true identity. If it were that easy, he wouldn''t have bothered impersonating Ray Wiser and would have simply barged in.


    "Now, what should I do? Should I wait for my turn or sneak in on the other side?" Orion wondered quietly, turning his attention to the man he had spoken to just a moment ago.


    "Hey, tell me something," Orion called out to him. "How long is this going to take? Will itst long enough for night to fall in the three domains?"


    The man shook his head. "Don''t worry, time here is three times slower than in the three domains. Three hours in Grimshore is only one hour in the three domains."


    A look of understanding dawned on Orion. He had never expected there would be a time difference between Grimshore and the three domains.


    ''It makes sense why Erza said not to worry about time.''


    Orion smiled, realizing he had more time than he expected. He decided to take things slowly and let them y out. He was curious to see how they would search for Orion Darkwood¡ªor if they could find him at all.


    So, he began waiting for his turn, moving forward little by little until he reached the front of the line, all the while waiting patiently.


    After about an hour, his turn finally came.


    Orion reached the front of the line and noticed that several men and women were looking at him suspiciously. There was also a man seated behind a desk.


    "Who are you?" asked the man sitting in the chair.


    "Ray Wiser," Orion replied.


    "Which Hunter Association and are you associated with?" the man asked again.


    Orion smiled, understanding what was happening, and replied ''truthfully.'' "Hunter of Masturi City, Nio."


    The man tapped on his holo-watch and scanned through several documents before stopping at one in particr.


    Orion noticed that the document contained a picture of Ray Wiser, along with all the information Ray had given to the Hunter Association.


    ''This guy must be a higher-level member of the Hunter Association with ess to many profiles.''


    Orion thought as he observed the hologram disying Ray''s details.


    "Touch this," the man said, pulling out a bar-shaped ma-like device and holding it out to Orion.


    Orion became cautious when he saw the bar. He had never heard of or seen anything like it before.


    ''Is this how they n to identify Orion Darkwood? Interesting.''


    He went ahead and touched the bar, but nothing happened. Both the bar and Orion remained the same after a few seconds.


    "You can go in," the man said after observing for a moment.


    Orion nodded and walked toward the gate. The guards surrounding it did not block his path.


    ''What was that thing?''


    Orion stepped through the gate, his eyes scanning the city before him. It was a curious sight, a ce that seemed both wild and meticulously nned.


    The buildings were much smaller and morepact than those he had seen in the three domains, their structures intertwined with nature in a way that felt almost harmonious.


    Trees rose from rooftops, and vines crawled along the stone walls, some even weaving through windows and doorways. Roots snaked across the ground, blending seamlessly with the city''s cobblestone streets.


    The whole ce felt alive, a fusion of human architecture and the untamed wilderness.


    ''Nice city.''


    Orion smiled. This ce reminded him of the city he had seen in Aethelgard, though without as many trees and vines.


    He was immediately met by hundreds of people walking through the streets, all of them looking quite different from each other.


    ''People from all three domains are here,'' Orion noted. He saw many wearing the traditional clothing of the Magus Kingdom, others dressed in shirts and pants typical of the Human Federation Realm, and quite a few humans wearing robes and carrying swords on their backs.


    But this observation raised a question in his mind.


    ''How do they verify the identities of people from the other two domains outside of Grimshore?''


    As he walked along the bustling streets, he noticed the blending of the three domains'' cultures. It was as if people from all over hade together to create a city that seamlesslybined the essence of each domain.


    ''This is good.''


    Orion sighed, appreciating the peacefulness of the city. But he knew this peace was only temporary. Once the monsters appeared, the citizens would go out hunting¡ªor perhaps it was more urate to say they lived like normal people inside the walls but became ruthless warriors outside, with their sole goal being to kill monsters.


    ''What should I do now?''


    Orion thought, feeling unsure of his next steps. He had entered the city because he knew he would leave Grimshore soon, and he wanted to set his character here so that next time, he could spawn in the city rather than the wilderness.


    "Let''s find a house first, then I''ll figure out the rest," he muttered to himself as he began searching for a ce to stay.


    But he suddenly stopped.


    "Will they charge in UNI or soul shards?" He became curious. Considering that the people in Grimshore came from all three domains, he doubted they would use domain-specific currencies for something like this.


    ''Then the currency here must be soul shards. Let''s see how much they''ll charge for a regr house.''


    Orion continued walking through the city, looking for a ce to stay, when he came across arge building.


    A name was shining in golden letters atop the building: "Tai Inn."


    ''An inn? This could work.''


    Orion thought and approached the building. As he got closer, he realized how massive it was, not in height but in the sheer area it covered.


    The door was open, so Orion walked inside. He noticed several people, all of whom wore ancient-style robes reminiscent of the Martial Domain.


    ''Damn, wrong ce.''


    Orion quickly turned around, trying to leave, when someone ced a hand on his back, stopping him.


    "Where are you going?" A childlike but pleasant voice called out.


    Turning around, he saw ady wearing a red Chinese dress decorated with falling sakura flowers. She was short, and so was her face, but her expression suggested maturity. Her light blue hair fell just to her neck.


    "Forgive me for the intrusion. I walked into the wrong building," Orion apologized immediately and moved sideways to leave, but thedy blocked his path again.


    "You''re new here and looking for a ce to stay, right?" The smalldy asked, her face lighting up with excitement.


    Orion wondered what could be so exciting and nodded. "You''re right, which is why I need to leave now."


    He moved sideways again, but once more, thedy blocked his path.


    Orion felt a headache when he saw such a stubborndy and regretted stepping into this Tai Inn.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 342: 342. Scammed into Living in an Inn

    "Hehe, then you came to the right ce. You don''t need to leave." The littledy smiled and continued, "Tai Inns is made to amodate people from all three domains, so you can definitely stay here."


    Orion was surprised. After living in the three domains for so long, he had some understanding of the people from the Martial Domain, and one word could describe them all: ''arrogant.''


    They were so arrogant that they even wanted tobine the three domains into one, believing only the Martial Domain had what it took to rule them. They felt that, with the strength possessed by the Martial Domain, they should rightfully govern all three domains.


    However, their ambitions were shattered when the Archons refused their proposal outright. It was a direct and t rejection from the Archons.


    Orion had believed that, given their arrogance, the people from the Martial Domain would surely not want to live alongside those from the other two domains in the same building¡ªor, one might say, they wouldn''t want people from the other two domains in buildings owned by them.


    That was why Orion tried to leave as soon as he realized he had stumbled onto Martial Domain property.


    "No, I¡ªI feel like I should really leave." Orion declined her offer. "My friends are waiting for me outside."


    "Why look for another ce to stay when you can live here for free for as long as you want?" The littledy asked, her face full of confusion.


    Orion was dumbfounded. He couldn''t believe that he could stay here for free indefinitely. It sounded too much like a scam, like a witch trying to lure a test subject to live with her by offering free meals, only to experiment on themter.


    ''Is this inn a scam or what?'' Orion cursed his luck for getting into another ridiculous situation.


    "I¡ªI really don''t feel like I should stay here," Orion said hesitantly.


    "You mean you won''t stay?" The littledy''s expression drastically changed from excitement to sadness, and it looked like she might cry if Orion continued to refuse.


    ''Damn! Is this emotional ckmail?'' Orion cursed the Tai Inns'' owner for seven generations.


    "It''s not that I don''t want to stay," Orion exined simply, hoping she''d let him go without crying. "It''s just that I think my friends outside might have already booked a ce for me."


    But his hopes were crushed.


    The moment he said those words, she started crying, and she cried hard.


    "Wuuuu...wuuuu...wuuu!"


    Orion almost lost his mind at the sight.


    "Hey, hey, stop crying! I''ll stay at this inn, alright?" Orion reassured her, patting her head.


    "Really?" The littledy looked at him with big, round eyes full of hope and expectations.


    "I''m sure," Orion replied, gritting his teeth. He couldn''t believe he had agreed to stay just because she started crying.


    ''Ah, damn it!'' he cursed himself and sighed at the situation.


    "Alright, let me take you to your courtyard!" The littledy became joyful and excited again as she led him down a corridor to a door marked with the number 99.


    "This is where you''ll stay," the littledy said, cing her hands on her hips. "If you need anything, just find me at the front, and I''ll see what I can do."


    Orion nodded, crying inside.


    "Alright, I''ll go now. There are many more customers to scam¡ª I mean, invite in." The littledy stuck her tongue out when she realized her slip-up and ran off quickly.


    Orion trembled when he heard her.


    "Damn it!"


    He cursed aloud but sighed in the end. He thought that staying here for free for however long he wanted wasn''t a bad deal. In fact, he was the one benefiting, so it seemed fine as long as the people from the Martial Domain didn''t go crazy.


    ''A ce is a ce. It doesn''t matter where I stay.''


    Orion thought as he opened the door and stepped inside.


    What appeared before him was a room unlike anything he''d seen before. It was made entirely of wood. The doors, the floor, the ceiling, and the walls¡ªall of it was wooden.


    However, that wasn''t what caught Orion''s attention.


    There was a sliding door left ajar, and beyond it, a serenendscape unfolded. A tree with delicate pink leaves stood at the center, its branches swaying gently in the breeze. The soft wind carried the leaves away, scattering them like petals in all directions.


    In the distance, a towering mountain rose majestically, a waterfall cascading down its rocky surface, its sound barely audible from this distance. The base of the mountain was adorned with a sea of vibrant flowers and trees, adding sshes of color to the scene.


    It was so peaceful and beautiful that Orion felt himselfpletely absorbed, momentarily lost in the tranquility of the world before him.


    "Wow, wonderful," Orion''s eyes sparkled with awe as he felt the tranquility and calmness of the courtyard, yet he also felt a sense of excitement. He wanted to go there and lie on the ground, feeling the wind and witnessing the scene with his own eyes.


    Without wasting any time, he headed straight to the courtyard. Upon arriving, he stood there, enjoying the calmness and tranquility of the space.


    ''This is so cool!''


    Orion silently eximed as he calmed himself down.


    "I wonder why the other two domains don''t have anything like this." He muttered to himself, looking around the courtyard, silently appreciating its beauty.


    "I''ll leave for now," Orion said after exploring the courtyard. "Ande back when I have more free time in the three domains."


    He calcted silently, believing that night had already fallen across the three domains.


    ''But before I leave, let''s check out my Divine Soul...''


    Orion thought excitedly as he drew his sword, gripping it with both hands.


    "Divine Soul,e out!"


    Bang!


    The ground beneath him instantly splintered and cracked, sending jagged fragments flying in all directions. In an instant, a fierce storm surged, its winds howling as if tearing through the heavens.


    Yet, just as quickly as it had erupted, the storm seemed to pause, as if an unseen force had seized control.


    The raging winds died down, the debris settled, and an eerie calm enveloped the area, leaving only the shattered ground as evidence of the chaos that had almost been unleashed.


    ''That was too powerful.''


    Orion was shocked and astonished by the strength of his Divine Soul. He had only summoned it for a moment, yet it caused so much damage without even fully manifesting into his sword.


    He had to stop the manifestation process immediately when he realized the strength behind his Divine Soul. Summoning it here could potentially destroy the entire ce, so he held himself back.


    ''Looks like I can only summon my Divine Soul in the wild.''


    Orion sighed, sheathed his sword, and vanished from the courtyard.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 343: 343. Leaving For Federation Council

    Orion thought about leaving Grimshore and vanished from the courtyard, reappearing back in his room.


    "I''m back," he thought, checking the time and noticing that night had already fallen over the three domains.


    Just as he was about to do something, a thought urred to him.


    "If we can leave Grimshore just by thinking, then why do people die when they could just teleport back? Unless they couldn''t."


    Orion wasn''t sure if there were conditions for leaving Grimshore, but he suspected there must be. Considering those people he had killed, or those who had died many times, could have just left Grimshore before they died¡ªbut they didn''t, or maybe they couldn''t.


    "I guess that''s a question for next time," Orion thought, heading to take a bath, thinking about how tomorrow would be a big day.


    ---


    The next day, Orion and Erza were heading to the Hunter Association, led by the guild leader, Zemiri, herself.


    After what had happened to the party the other day, Zemiri decided to take Orion and Erza to the Hunter Association personally.


    They flew in a jet for a few minutes before arriving near the Hunter Association. Orion and Erza disembarked once the jetnded at the parking station.


    "Erza, take care of yourself and Ray," Zemiri said to her from the gate of the jet.


    "Don''t worry, Big Sister. Nothing will happen to either of us," Erza smiled and replied.


    Zemiri nodded and then turned her attention to Orion.


    "Ray, you too¡ªtake care of her," she said.


    "Just leave it to me," Orion smiled, patting his chest with his fist.


    Zemiri then looked behind them, where other kids from the four guilds stood along with a middle-aged man.


    "Billy, I''m leaving them in your hands," Zemiri said, looking at the man.


    "You worry too much," Billy said, though there was a hint of worry in his tone. "They don''t have the guts to attack the Federation Council."


    Zemiri nodded. She understood, but she couldn''t shake the unease she had felt since the moment her day began.


    "Don''t worry too much, Zemiri," Cody, the guild leader of the Lords Guild, said as he approached. "Billy is going with them."


    "He is?" Zemiri was surprised.


    "Hmph! After what happenedst time, he realized it was his responsibility and is just doing what he should," Kelly, the guild leader of the ck Reaper Guild, interjected.


    Billy nodded, slightly embarrassed. "After what happened, I realized it would be better if I went with them. That way, if anything happens, I can protect them immediately."


    Zemiri smiled. "Then I can leave in peace."


    "Ray, Erza, take care of yourselves," she said before heading back into the jet, which soon flew off into the distance.


    "Billy, I''m warning you¡ªnothing should happen to them," Kelly said solemnly before flying away.


    "Hehe, I''ll be off too," Cody said before leaving as well.


    As they left, Orion turned his attention to the others who were standing around. There were eight of them, excluding Erza and himself. His eyes were drawn to Mark, who was resting against a wall with his eyes closed.


    "Ray, thanks for thest time," Victor said as he approached.


    "It''s fine," Orion nodded humbly.


    Victor nodded as well before turning to Erza. "Erza, what are your chances of getting admitted to the academy? Mine''s pretty low," he said, embarrassed.


    Erza sighed. "I don''t know myself, but I''ll do my best," she said, her voice filled with determination.


    Orion noticed her seriousness and wondered if she was doing this to be a strong and sessful guild master of Starfire Guild, or if she knew she was destined to lead and needed the corresponding strength for that position.


    "Kids, before we leave, I have a few things to say," Billy called, gaining everyone''s attention.


    He looked at them and said, "We''re heading to the headquarters of the Federation Council¡ªthe strongest power in the Human Federation Realm. They''re the ones who make thews of our domain. The final stage of the assessment will be held there."


    "Final stage?" Orion muttered to himself before asking, "President, are you saying there will be only one assessment conducted at the Federation Council, with no other assessments beforehand?"


    Billy nodded. "That''s correct. In a way, you''re all in the finals," he chuckled. "But it won''t be easy. In fact, the difficulty will rise to a whole new level, so you should prepare for the worst."


    Orion nodded in understanding, though some of the other contestants grew solemn and anxious.


    "Alright, let''s head straight to Loxus," Billy said joyfully.


    As he spoke, wind blew in all directions, causing everyone''s hair to sway. Soon, a massive shuttle appeared before them. It was shaped like a narrow parallelogram and had a futuristic design.


    "Let''s get in. We need to leave early; it''s going to be a long journey," Billyughed as he led the kids into the shuttle.


    Orion was curious about the interior of the void shuttle. From the outside, its design was vastly different from any shuttle he had seen.


    Upon entering, he was greeted by many people, some wearing distinct uniforms¡ªa red shirt and pants with matching caps. Orion guessed they were shuttle staff, while the others were likely members of the Hunter Association.


    "President, everything is ready. We''re prepared to depart," one of the uniformed men said to Billy.


    "Then let''s go," Billy replied, leading Orion and the others further into the shuttle.


    "Find a seat you like. It''s going to be a long trip," Billy said to the kids before heading to a separate room with the Hunter Association members.


    The room where Orion and the other kids were seated was hexagonal in shape, with arge table in the center surrounded by seats. The table was covered with magazines and books, filling nearly every inch of space.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 344: 344. A Very Unexpected Discovery

    Here''s the revised version with corrected grammar and improved rity:


    Orion followed Erza and took a seat beside her. Victor and Mark sat next to them on Erza''s side.


    On the other side, Tracy sat beside him, followed by Henry from the ck Reaper Guild.


    Leonard and Drake from the Druid Guild sat opposite them, followed by Louis and Cicile from the Catalose Guild.


    "I don''t see the two from the Hunter Association," Orion said, observing everyone around him.


    "Who? George and Nn?" Victor asked.


    "Yeah, them," Orion nodded.


    Victor shrugged. "If they''re not with us, it means they''re in another part of the shuttle, or they might have left before us."


    "By the way..." Orion was about to ask something when he noticed Mark staring at him and Tracy with a sour expression. He understood that look well ¡ª it was one of helplessness, self-directed anger, and frustration at his own abilities.


    However, Orion ignored it and continued, "By the way, any idea what the final assessment is going to be?"


    "It doesn''t matter. We''ll lose either way," Leonard repliedzily. His messy ck hair looked like it hadn''t beenbed in years, and his face always showed a bored,zy expression.


    "Leonard!" Drake reprimanded him before turning to the others. "Sorry about that, he''s very pessimistic." He wore sses, and his hair was neatlybed to either side.


    "We can see that," Victor chuckled.


    Orion smiled at them and was about to say something when he felt a tug on his arm.


    "So, how was your experience in Grimshore?" Erza asked.


    Orion smiled. "It wasn''t what I expected, but it was cool."


    "Oh, so you entered Grimshore. Which base are you in?" Victor asked, overhearing them.


    But Orion frowned. "Aren''t we prohibited from talking about Grimshore to anyone?"


    Victor chuckled, understanding Orion''s confusion. "That only applies to those who haven''t entered Grimshore yet."


    Orion nodded, his earlier question now resolved. When he heard that Dos Academy would teach them things about Grimshore, he had wondered how they could teach about it if no one was allowed to discuss it. Now, he understood.


    "So, which base are you in?" Victor asked again.


    "I think I''m in Desmere City," Orion said after thinking for a moment.


    "Oh, you and Mark are in the same city," Victor said, ncing at Mark, who was reading a magazine.


    "We are?" Orion was also surprised. "That''s good then."


    "By the way..." Erza was about to say something when suddenly, Mark mmed his fist on the table.


    "Mark, what''s wrong?" Victor frowned, concerned.


    "Nothing," Mark said, throwing the magazine aside.


    But Victor caught the magazine.


    "Victor, don''t read it. It has nothing to do with you," Mark shouted, drawing everyone''s attention.


    Orion grew curious about what could be in the magazine to cause such a strong reaction from Mark.


    Ignoring Mark''s protests, Victor flipped through the pages until he came across a specific one with several faces. He immediately understood what had upset Mark.


    "You should forget about her," Victor said solemnly.


    Mark red at him but then closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.


    "What''s going on with him all of a sudden?" Orion asked.


    The others also looked at Victor curiously.


    "Take a look," Victor said, cing the open magazine on the table for everyone to see. On the pages were many faces, but one in particr caught everyone''s attention.


    Orion''s eyes narrowed as he recognized the face. It was his own, Orion Darkwood, along with the faces of his entire family. He saw Emily, E, his father, mother, and even his older brother Aron.


    "That... is Orion Darkwood," Erza muttered in a serious tone, turning to Victor. "Does Mark have anything to do with Orion Darkwood?"


    Orion''s heartbeat quickened, and a cold feeling washed over him as Erza posed that question.


    ''Did Mark figure out that it was me, Orion Darkwood, who was impersonating Ray?'' he thought anxiously, his palms sweating. But he forced himself to stay calm. He knew he couldn''t lose hisposure here, or his three months of hard work would be wasted in a moment of panic.


    ''Let''s first see what the situation is, and then I''ll decide what to do,'' he thought, observing Victor.


    "No, it''s not Orion Darkwood," Victor said, shaking his head, causing Orion to sigh in relief. But that relief was short-lived when he heard what came next. "It''s Emily Darkwood. His family was murdered by Emily Darkwood," Victor said gloomily.


    Orion trembled when he heard Victor''sst words. He couldn''t believe it. He couldn''t believe his sister would do such a thing.


    ''No, it''s not that...''


    At that moment, Orion realized something important. He recalled what Mark had said about Ray''s injury ¡ª how he saw a woman carrying Ray, her hands covered in blood.


    ''That woman was Emily!''


    Orion came to a shocking conclusion, and from Mark''s reaction upon seeing her face in the magazine, he became certain of his deduction.


    But he still couldn''t understand why she would do it. Why would she kill Ray? Or did she?


    He remembered that Mark only mentioned seeing her carrying Ray in his injured state. It wasn''t clear what had caused those injuries.


    ''Damn, what''s going on? How did Big Sis Emily get involved in all of this?''


    Orion frowned, feeling that the situation with Mark was bing more and moreplicated.


    "Emily Darkwood..." Erza and the others were also shocked.


    "They''re wanted criminals," Henry chuckled. "What do you expect from them?"


    Victor nced at Mark, and seeing that he wasn''t going to say anything, he continued, "He''s been searching for her for months, but we couldn''t find any woman matching his description on our. We even checked other cities. But three months ago, when Orion and his family were dered traitors of the human race, we realized the person Mark had been looking for was in the Magus Kingdom.


    She''s the sister of the infamous Orion Darkwood."


    A heavy silence and uneasy tension suddenly fell over the group upon hearing Victor.


    "Cough! Speaking of him, have you guys seen yesterday''s announcement?" Cicile asked, her expression intrigued as she tried to ease the tension in the air.


    "Who hasn''t seen it?" Drakeughed wryly. "Every news channel and TV report yesterday was about Orion Darkwood. He surpassed all the humans in the three domains, and the results weren''t even close."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 345: 345. Unexpected Confrontation

    Everyone fell silent once again. What Drake said was true, and they all knew it¡ªOrion Darkwood, the most wanted criminal, had surpassed them all.


    Even if they wanted to ignore it, they couldn''t.


    "Oh, well, forget about that guy," Orion tried changing the subject, noticing how tense the atmosphere had be. "Let''s talk about the geniuses of the Human Federation Realm. Who is the strongest genius in our domain?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Victor looked at him from the corner of his eye.


    "Who?" Orion asked.


    "Neil Reed," Erza answered. "He''s considered the strongest genius of our domain, and many say he might even be stronger than the top genius of the Martial Domain, Zhao Tian."


    "No, Neil Reed is strong, but he couldn''t be stronger than Zhao Tian," Victor disagreed. "Zhao Tian is slightly stronger, if I''m not mistaken."


    "Neil Reed, Zhao Tian," Orion muttered their names before turning to Victor. "Any other strong geniuses?"


    Victorughed wryly at Orion''s question. "There are many geniuses who could easily defeat us without even trying, and the number of such people is huge. So, forget about it for now. You''ll eventually meet them when we reach the Federation Council."


    Orion nodded with a smile. In truth, he wasn''t interested in them anyway. He just wanted to steer the conversation away from Orion Darkwood for now.


    He was drawing too much unnecessary attention to himself, which was a little awkward.


    "Ray, are you going to talk to her or not?" Erza whispered something only he could hear.


    ''Damn!''


    Orion almost cursed. He had just gotten out of one tricky situation only to get stuck in another.


    "Henry is here, so I can''t right now," Orion whispered back.


    In fact, he hadn''t looked her way once since arriving, unsure of how to respond to her hopeful and emotional gaze.


    Orion felt guilty every time he saw her, which led him to avoid her even more.


    "I see everyone''s doing well." Billy arrived at that moment with his usual smile.


    "The trip will take some time, so enjoy your stay here until then," he said, still smiling.


    "How long, exactly?" Orion asked.


    "Half a day, give or take," Billy replied after a moment of thought. "But don''t worry, you won''t even notice the time passing in this void shuttle."


    "Oh, and one more thing." Billy added a warning. "A piece of advice that''ll help you for a long time: don''t go to Grimshore while flying or traveling from one ce to another. When you return, you won''t be in the void shuttle¡ªyou''ll be at the exact location where you disappeared. So, it''s advisable to avoid traveling to Grimshore during transit. Understood?"


    Orion and the others nodded in agreement. Some were already aware of the situation, while others, like Orion, were hearing it for the first time. Now that he thought about it, everything made sense.


    Thest time he had gone to Grimshore, he had vanished from his room, only to reappear in the exact same spot upon his return. In hindsight, the clues had always been there, but he hadn''t connected the dots until now.


    "Hmm, I''ll be in the other room with the others. If you need anything, just knock." Billy left after saying those words.


    The moment Billy left the room, Erza stood up and walked toward Henry.


    ''Damn, why is she so serious about this?!''


    Orion sighed deeply, hoping things wouldn''t go south.


    "Henry, what is your guild doing by taking away someone''s freedom and keeping them as a ve?" Erza confronted Henry directly.


    Everyone in the room stared at Henry, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief. The ck Reaper Guild had always been known for its neutrality and chaotic tendencies, but if what Erza said was true, it was far worse than they imagined¡ªbordering on pure evil.


    Even Tracy, who usually kept her emotions hidden, couldn''t help but widen her eyes. She hadn''t expected anyone to bring up her situation, let alone confront Henry so directly. Her heart started beating faster as the unexpected unfolded.


    Henry''s expression darkened. "Don''t talk nonsense," he said, his voice gloomy.


    "Nonsense?" Erza smiled, anger evident on her face. "Who is she?" She asked, pointing at Tracy. "Do you know her?"


    Henry''s expression turned grim as he red at Erza.


    "Henry, is this true?" Victor asked solemnly.


    Erza looked at everyone and exined. "Tracy is Ray''s sister. She was believed to have been killed in a dungeon raid about a year ago, and Ray believed that until recently when he found out she was still alive and held captive by the ck Reaper Guild. That''s the only reason he participated in the assessment¡ªto meet her and try to do something about it."


    Everyone was shocked once again and turned to look at Orion, only to see him with his head down. Seeing him like that, they thought he was sad and ashamed of what had happened to his sister, making them feel a tinge of sympathy.


    "Henry, is this true? Tell me!" Victor asked, his voice rising slightly.


    Henry remained silent, his gaze shifting between Erza and Orion, his expression growing uglier.


    The tension in the room escted again.


    ''Wait a minute!'' Orion suddenly realized. ''Why didn''t Mark do anything to save her?''


    Now that he thought about it, Mark should have known about Tracy all this time, yet he hadn''t done anything.


    Did he not care about her?


    ''No, that''s not it.''


    Orion remembered how Mark had gone berserk when he threatened her with Tracy''s life thest time they had met. So, it wasn''t that he didn''t care.


    Orion turned slightly and saw Mark clenching his fists tightly. He couldn''t tell if Mark was angry about what had happened to Tracy or something else.


    "This is all your fault!" Mark suddenly stood up and shouted at Orion.


    Orion was slightly surprised by Mark''s outburst but understood the anger and hatred behind it. He could see it in his eyes.


    "Yeah, it''s my fault," Orion replied through gritted teeth, his face full of anger. "I''m so weak. Too weak to protect her."


    Everyone looked at him with pity. They understood how Orion felt. One man couldn''t fight an entire guild, and someone as young as Orion certainly couldn''t.


    "It''s not his fault," Tracy stood up and stepped in front of Orion. "It''s not my brother''s fault."


    "You!" Mark trembled with anger seeing Tracy defend someone impersonating her brother. He was furious at Orion for pretending to be Ray and for giving Tracy hope¡ªa false hope that would only make her already difficult life even worse.


    Sooner orter, that illusion would shatter, and when it did, it would destroy Tracy. Her fragile life, already on the verge of copse, would be a living hell.


    Mark''s heart ached at the thought, but his fury overpowered hispassion. He couldn''t stand by and watch someone y with Tracy''s emotions like this. Not her¡ªnot after everything she had been through.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 346: 346. You are simply too weak

    "Tracy, sit down," Henry ordered, his voice dripping with authority.


    Tracy trembled at hismand and was about to return to her seat when Erza caught her hand.


    "Are you not going to do anything?" Erza red at Orion with disdain. "Don''t tell me you''re a coward?" She taunted him, but Orion stood motionless, like a puppet. "Is that it? Is that all you have?" she shouted.


    "Hmph, I was wrong about you." She shook her head, disappointment clear on her face. "I thought if you were willing to go through all of this, you might actually have some guts, but I was wrong. You''re just like everyone else¡ªa pathetic person who doesn''t even have the courage to help his own sister."


    Orion remained silent. He wanted to help her but not like this. He had thought he would take care of Henry when he found him alone somewhere but the situation he found himself in made him decide otherwise he had to help her now or else the situation might get worse.


    But there was also the situation with Mark. He couldn''t understand why Mark hadn''t done anything either. Why had Mark let Tracy remain with the ck Reaper Guild? Why?


    "Big Brother, it''s not your fault," Tracy said, tears streaming down her face.


    "Big Brother..." Orion muttered softly, understanding the deep meaning behind these two words.


    ''Now that I am Ray Wiser, and Tracy believes me to be her big brother, I''ll do what her brother is supposed to do,'' he resolved. He didn''t care why Mark hadn''t helped her; as Tracy''s ''Big Brother,'' he would help her regardless.


    He turned to Henry, his eyes gleaming as he activated his Malevolent Gaze. "Stay away from her," hemanded.


    Henry trembled slightly when he saw Orion''s eyes but gritted his teeth and spat, "Are you really going to do this? Think about what might happen to her if you interfere."


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than his body was sent hurtling backward like a broken kite, mming into the metallic wall.


    Everyone was shocked. They didn''t see what happened. It was too fast, even for them. One moment Henry was speaking, and the next, he was gone. They only felt a strong gust of wind pass by.


    "You!" Henry growled, blood dripping from his mouth. His arms, now coated in a blue metallic sheen, were crossed in front of his chest, and a fist print could be seen on his right hand, where he had blocked Orion''s attack.


    "You''ll keep this distance from her wherever we go from now on. Otherwise, it won''t end like this next time," Orion warned, his eyes emotionless.


    "Nothing will happen now, alright?" Orion patted Tracy''s head before deactivating his Malevolent Gaze.


    Tracy nodded, wiping her tears away before hugging him. "Big Brother, thank you foring to help me. I knew you woulde when I saw you at the Hunter Association."


    Orion''s eyes widened slightly as she hugged him, and a wave of intense guilt washed over him. But he gritted his teeth and replied, "I-I''m sorry it took me so long to help you," he said awkwardly.


    "Big Brother, you''re as clumsy and awkward as ever," Tracy said with a small smile. "I''m just d that whatever was troubling you all this time has been sorted out."


    Orion nodded, gently separating from her.


    "Thank you, Erza, for taking care of my brother," Tracy said, bowing to her.


    A smile appeared on Erza''s face as she saw Tracy return to her normal self. "It''s alright. He''s part of my guild, so of course I''ll take care of him."


    "Tracy! Don''t forget our deal! Both you and your brother Ray will be killed if you don''t obey my orders!" Henry shouted, his eyes turning red with rage.


    Orion turned to look at him and was about to give him another blow to keep him shut when a sh of purple lightning shed as Mark appeared in front of Henry and punched him with his fist full of purple lightning.


    Henry was once again mmed into the wall, his body hitting it with a sickening thud. This time, smoke rose from his charred form, his face ckened and burned. Mark''s lightning had taken a devastating toll on him, made worse by Henry''s metallic talent and the metal that encased his arms.


    In a sense, he had been electrocuted by Mark''s attack, his body unable to resist the surge of electricity. The pain overwhelmed him, and before he could even process what had happened, he lost consciousness, his limp body sliding down the wall.


    "Ray... can we talk privately?" Mark''s eyes gleamed with an unsettling coldness as he turned to Orion.


    Orion frowned but nodded. "Sure."


    Mark addressed the others. "Everyone, excuse us for a moment," he said, then turned to Tracy, his voice softening. "Would you mind if I speak to your brother alone for a bit?"


    Tracy''s expression filled with concern. "Don''t hurt him."


    Mark smiled wryly. "I won''t. I promise."


    Reluctantly, Tracy nodded, reassured by his words.


    "Ray, shall we?" Mark gestured toward one of the smaller hallways branching off the room.


    Orion gave Tracy a final look. "Wait for me," he said before following Mark into the narrow hall.


    ***


    Just as they reached the secluded hallway, hidden from view in the void shuttle, Mark suddenly mmed Orion against the wall, gripping his neck tightly.


    "You!" Mark snarled, trying to control his anger through ragged breaths. "Who are you? What do you want?"


    Orion''s lips curled into a small smile. He clutched Mark''s wrist with growing force. "Didn''t we already have this conversation a day ago?" he said, his tone eerily calm. "I told you, I have nothing to do with you or Tracy. My goals lie far beyond the two of you."


    Orion met Mark''s re with a cold stare, increasing the pressure on his grip. Mark''s eyes widened¡ªhe couldn''tprehend how Orion, supposedly of the same rank, was overpowering him with such ease.


    "You''re giving her false hope!" Mark shouted, his voice strained. "What happens when you disappear from her world? When she realizes you''re not her brother? You''ll leave her heartbroken!"


    Orion paused, sensing something deeper in Mark''s words. "Is that why you didn''t save Tracy?" he asked, his voice now edged with usation. "Because you thought if she learned about Ray''s death, she might do something drastic?"


    Mark''s face stiffened, but he remained silent.


    Orion''s smirk widened. "That''s your excuse? You left her in a den of wolves, suffering, because you were afraid of how she might react? You had the power to save her, but you did nothing."


    With a final surge of strength, Orion twisted Mark''s hand away from his neck and mmed him against the wall. "Don''t ever try this again, or I won''t hesitate to kill you." His voice turned colder, more dangerous. "You''re too weak to challenge me, so stay out of my business."


    He released Mark, who stumbled backward, ring at Orion with a mix of frustration and helplessness.


    As Orion walked away, Mark clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. "I''m still too weak!" he muttered, his body trembling. He had failed to save Ray, and now, despite everything, he was powerless to help Tracy.


    The weight of his failures crashed down on him. Should he try to talk to Tracy? To make her remember him? But what if that only led to her death, just like Ray''s?


    Mark clutched his head, pacing frantically. ''No¡­ I can''t let that happen. I can''t let her die. I have to stay away from her.''


    His thoughts spiraled into chaos as he tried to make sense of it all, guilt and fear warring inside him.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 347: 347. Planet Loxus

    Orion walked back alone into the hall and sat in his seat, which was between Erza and Tracy.


    "Where is Mark?" Victor asked.


    Orion smiled and replied, "He''s in the hall, pondering something. He seems to have a lot on his mind."


    Victor frowned but nodded eventually. He had noticed that Mark had be more reserved and quiet since thest incident, which was unlike his usual arrogant self.


    He didn''t know what had caused the unexpected change in Mark, but he had a feeling it had something to do with Ray Wiser.


    He was sure of it.


    Orion looked around but didn''t see Henry anywhere. "Where did he go?" he asked, looking at Erza and Tracy.


    "They took him to heal," Erza said solemnly, looking at Orion. "Also, the president warned us not to fight among ourselves; otherwise, he''ll disqualify us."


    Orion nodded. He understood that what happened with Henry was a bit extreme, but he didn''t care one bit.


    As long as he wasn''t disqualified, he was fine.


    "Big Brother, forgive me for what happened with me all this time," Tracy said quietly, lowering her head.


    Orion sighed. ''Damn, here ites,'' he thought.


    "Don''t worry. Forget about what happened. Forget everything," Orion said, trying to calm her down.


    Tracy nodded and began asking him many questions¡ªhow he became a hunter, how his talent became so strong, and more.


    Orion exined everything to her the same way he had exined it to Erza a few days ago.


    Tracy was shocked such things had happened to him and asked even more questions. Orion replied helplessly, trying not to sound suspicious.


    Time passed like that.


    Some timeter, Mark returned and quietly sat in his seat.


    Victor observed him and noticed he seemed calm. ''What happened between the two?'' he wondered.


    Soon, time passed as everyone talked andughed while Orion became busy with Tracy. She kept asking him questions about his health, mental state, and more.


    However, Orion was powerless here. He answered each of her questions slowly, careful not to raise any suspicion.


    And so, they upied themselves as time passed.


    ***


    Half a dayter, the void shuttle carrying Orion and his team appeared in space above a surrounded by masses of asteroids.


    It was a blue and green, surrounded by three rings of asteroid belts revolving around it.


    The was called Loxus, the headquarters of the Federation Council and the Hunter Association.


    The Hunter Association was the strongest power in the Human Federation Realm, but it was the Federation Council that actually ruled the entire domain.


    At this moment, in the void above Loxus, hundreds of void shuttles could be seen approaching the.


    Each shuttle appeared somewhat different, yet their basic structure was the same.


    The void shuttle carrying Orion''s team entered the''s atmosphere and passed through, revealing a majestdscape.


    Green grass stretched all around, with skyscrapers towering into the clouds, gathered in clusters around the green areas of the.


    The void shuttlended in one of the huge parking areas. There were five such areas, each for a different region.


    The Human Federation Realm was divided into five smaller regions, also known as districts: Sra, Nebora, Vortel, Galtris, and Astron.


    Each district contained arge number ofs, and Nio, where Orion came from, was located in the Nebora district.


    The parking stations on Loxus were designed for each district. Instead of having stations for each individual, they had an area for each district.


    Disembarking from the shuttle, Orion and the others found themselves in a spacious area where many other void shuttles werending. They saw numerous young men about their age disembarking from their own shuttles.


    "Everyone from the Nebora district, wee to Loxus. The final assessment will start tomorrow, so follow me to a ce where you can stay until then," an old man wearing a suit weed them.


    He led the young men, along with the presidents of the various Hunter Associations from differents and branches, to a small city.


    It was within walking distance from the parking lot.


    It was one of the most high-tech cities Orion had ever seen in the three domains; in fact, it might be the most high-tech city he had ever seen.


    ''It feels like a sci-fi movie, but it''s real,'' Orion thought as he marveled at the technology.


    "Everyone from Nio, this is your building. Someone inside will take you to your rooms," the old man in the suit said before leaving with the rest of the young men.


    "Well, this is our stop," Billy said, looking at the huge structure in front of them. It wasposed of ten floors and shaped like a hexagonal box, made using cutting-edge technology.


    "Billy, have you found out who they were?" a middle-aged man asked. He had red hair and a stern face. He was leading the geniuses from Starlight City, one of the five cities on Nio.


    Billy frowned slightly and said, "The five of us will talk when we go to report. For now, let''s head inside."


    The presidents of each city nodded in understanding.


    Orion observed them and realized they were discussing the killers fromst night.


    "Let''s go," Billy said, leading them inside the building, where ady was waiting for them.


    "I''m the head servant assigned to this building. You can all call me Amy," she said with a smile, introducing herself. She wore a long skirt and top, her hair tied into a ponytail. She seemed to be around twenty years old, just like Orion and the others.


    "Follow me. I''ll show you to your floors," Amy said as she led them through the hall.


    "This building has ten floors, and each city has one floor to itself," she exined.


    She continued, "The other five floors include a dining hall, training hall, Vision Hall, and other facilities you might need."


    As she exined, they arrived at the first floor.


    "The first floor is reserved for Masturi City," Amy said. "There are only ten doors on this floor, each leading to a room for one of the young men from Masturi City. There''s a call option in your room, so if you need anything or have questions, you can call, and a servant wille to assist you."


    She added, "The Federation Council ordered that you all get familiar with the Vision Hall, so I''lle by in the evening to take you there. Be ready."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 348: 348. Find the blank pages...

    "Hehe, it seems my room isn''t here," Billy said with a silly smile. "Go and rest. The finals are the day after tomorrow. You don''t have much time."


    Orion and the others nodded as they walked through the hallway, looking for their names on the doors.


    "Big Brother, see youter." Tracy waved and entered the room with her name on it.


    Orion sighed, found his own room, and entered as well.


    "Don''t fall asleep, everyone! We have to gather in the evening for the Vision Hall!" Erza''s loud shout reached his ears just as he stepped inside.


    Orion sighed. "What a long and exhausting day." He walked through the entrance and found himself in a bedroom with two doors.


    Hey down on the bed. ''Pretending to be someone else and talking to that person''s family is exhausting,'' he thought, feeling as if he''d used up all his mental energy while talking with Tracy on the way there. She kept asking question after question, and he had no choice but to answer each one.


    Now, he waspletely drained.


    "I wonder what the final assessment will be?" he muttered, lying on the bed. He knew there would be a huge number of contestants¡ªthousands, maybe even tens of thousands. He wasn''t sure of the exact number but was certain it would be more than a thousand participants.


    He couldn''t imagine what kind of assessment could amodate that many people.


    ''No point in overthinking it. I''ll find out soon enough.'' Orion thought, feeling very tired.


    ''Should I take a nap?'' he considered. ''Erza will wake me up eventually, so I might as well.''


    Giving in to his exhaustion, Orion closed his eyes.


    ***


    Orion stood frozen in the midst of a dreamscape, surrounded by countless versions of himself. Everywhere he looked, there was another him¡ªhis own face staring back at him, each expression vacant yet eerily familiar.


    The figures floated, walked, and stood, their bodies forming an endless sea of Orion Darkwoods. It was unsettling, a sight that would have left anyone questioning their own identity.


    "What is this...?" he whispered, but his voice was swallowed by the collective murmuring of his doppelg?ngers.


    They were all speaking in unison, their voices blending into a haunting echo that seemed to vibrate in the very air around him.


    "Find the nk pages..."


    "You must find the nk pages..."


    Their words repeated like a chant, each one piercing deeper into his mind. Orion clenched his fists, feeling a strange mixture of dread and curiosity. He knew he was dreaming¡ªthis wasn''t real.


    And yet, the oppressive presence of his own image was hard to shake. It was like staring into a mirror, except the reflection was alive, and every version of him carried the same unspoken weight.


    "Find the nk pages..."


    "You must find the nk pages..."


    The sheer number of them made the murmurs sound like a swarm of bees, but unlike buzzing bees, he could understand every word clearly. That made it even worse.


    "Find the nk pages..."


    "You must find the nk pages..."


    "Get away from me!" Orion started running. He couldn''t take it anymore. Their constant droning was driving him mad.


    But no matter where he looked or ran, all he could see was himself¡ªhis own face. They kept murmuring, repeating the same words, tormenting him.


    "SHUT UP!"


    ***


    "SHUT UP!"


    Orion jolted awake, drenched in sweat. ''What the hell was that dream?'' he thought, his heart pounding. He could still hear the faint buzz of their murmurs in his ears.


    ''It looks like I was too exhausted, which led to that dream... or maybe it''s not just a dream,'' he considered.


    ''I need a bath. That''ll clear my head.''


    Orion decided that after a refreshing bath and a good meal, he''d be in a better state to think about whatever that dream was.


    ''Being this exhausted will only lead to more problems.''


    After a quick check of the bathroom, Orion stepped in and took a long, satisfying bath.


    ***


    In the dining room, Orion sat at a table, devouring his food. He''d ordered several delicacies from the menu since they were all free, and he had noticed that with each rank upgrade, his appetite seemed to grow.


    He suspected it had something to do with maxing out his stats before upgrading to a higher level at each rank. Only he was able to achieve something like that, so there were bound to be unique side effects along the way.


    ''Whatever that dream was, they kept telling me to find the nk pages...''


    Orion smiled wryly. "What are these nk pages? Who''s sending me this message, or am I losing my mind? Not likely, considering I''ve maxed out my perception stat."


    ''Whoever is sending this cryptic message is an idiot. Couldn''t they just exin things properly instead of sending such a creepy dream?''


    He cursed whoever was responsible.


    Orion was convinced it wasn''t just a random dream. It was too strange for that. He''d seen enough in this world to know that even dreams could be controlled if someone had the right talent.


    ''What are these nk pages, and how many are there? No clue whatsoever, but they want me to find them.''


    He cursed the seven generations of whoever sent him that dream.


    ''Forget the dream for now. It''s almost time for whatever this Vision Hall thing is.''


    Orion began eating faster. One thing he loved about being in this world was the food¡ªit was unbelievably delicious. He couldn''t get enough without having three or four servings of the same dish.


    "Knock, knock!"


    "Ray, it''s time."


    Orion quickly finished thest bite of his meal before answering. "I''ming, just a minute."


    He rushed to wash his hands and face.


    "Where are my clothes? I need something decent."


    Orion pulled out a set from his storage ring¡ªa pair of dark blue pants, a ck t-shirt, and a light blue half-shirt. He quickly dressed and left the shirt unbuttoned for style.


    ''This looks good.''


    Satisfied with the appearance of Ray Wiser, he took onest nce in the mirror before opening the door.


    Everyone was already gathered outside.


    "Hey, guys, looks like we''re all early¡ªjust like me!" He waved with a grin.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 349: 349. Sir Edwill and Dreamshore

    "We are early, not you," Victor corrected Orion.


    Orion smiled and responded, "Same, same."


    "It''s not the same," Victor insisted.


    "Alright, let''s go. Lead us, Amy," Erza said at that moment.


    Amy nodded. "Follow me."


    She led them up the stairs to the 7th floor of the building. Because of theirrge numbers, they couldn''t use the elevator, which would have been everyone''s preferred choice.


    As they climbed the stairs, Amy began exining. "The final assessment will take ce in the Vision Hall. So, you need to pay attention today."


    "Wait, wait. What do you mean the final assessment will take ce in the Vision Hall?" Orion asked, confused.


    Only the geniuses from Nio were stationed in this building, and other geniuses from differents and regions were assigned elsewhere, so he couldn''t understand how the final assessment would be held in the Vision Hall where only about fifty geniuses from Nio were present. What about the others? Were they participating in different assessments?


    Amy exined, "The Vision Hall is filled with many virtual reality pods. You simply use one to connect to Dreamshore, where all the geniuses from different regions ands will be. Every participant in the final assessment will use these pods to ess Dreamshore, where the assessment will take ce."


    She added, "In short, the assessment will take ce in a virtual reality world, and all the participants will connect to this world using the pods in the Vision Hall."


    Orion''s eyes lit up with excitement. He knew about VR full-dive technology from Earth, but because it required advanced technology that wasn''t avable there, the dreams of many on Earth to fully dive into VR remained just dreams. However, in the Human Federation Realm, such technologies were easily essible. The humans of the Federation were far more scientifically advanced than those on Earth.


    ''Damn, I should have bought one while I was in Masturi City.''


    Orion regretted this oversight. He hadpletely forgotten about the VR technology amidst the chaos of his situation. Otherwise, he would have purchased a VR pod¡ªafter all, he was quite wealthy in this world.


    "Have you guys ever been to Dreamshore or used these VR pods?" Orion asked Victor and Erza.


    "I''ve used VR pods," Erza nodded.


    "Me too," Victor added.


    Orion gave them a silent thumbs-up, crying inwardly.


    "Big Brother, Mother wanted to buy us one, but you rejected it, saying they were tracking our talents and curses with the VR pods," Tracy said, giggling.


    "I did?" Orion made a face, pretending he couldn''t remember. He had told her during their journey that he had some memory issues due to mental trauma he had experienced over the years, and Tracy believed himpletely.


    Though Orion felt a little bad and guilty about this lie, he did what he had to in order to achieve his goals.


    "Big Brother, don''t push yourself," Tracy said, concerned.


    Orion nodded. "Don''t worry. If I can''t remember something, I won''t push myself to. It would only cause more pain." He reassured her gently.


    Tracy nodded and added, "By the way, you also said the VR pods were used by the Federation Council to spy on everyone''s talents and curses so that if anyone were to go rogue or betray the Federation, they could use the data from the pods to easily subdue them."


    Orion pondered her words. He felt there was more truth to them than it seemed. He recalled that Mark had mentioned Ray was a wise kid who acted like an adult and was a genius in many aspects.


    ''What kind of person were you, Ray Wiser?'' Orion wondered, growing more intrigued by the person he was impersonating.


    ''And why was my sister hanging out with you? What exactly happened that led to what Mark witnessed?''


    There were so many mysteries surrounding Ray Wiser, and Orion couldn''t wait to unravel them all. Unfortunately, given the situation, he could neither contact his sister nor gain any information about what had happened to Ray that led to the serious inquiries into his death.


    He refused to believe his sister was responsible. There had to be another exnation for the scene Mark had witnessed.


    ''Elyn will be at Dos Academy. I''ll ask her to contact Emily when I get there,'' Orion decided.


    "Don''t overthink it," Erza said. "I''ve seen people who couldn''t remember parts of their lives, and even after many years, they still couldn''t. So don''t force yourself."


    "Yes, Big Brother, don''t force yourself," Tracy echoed, her voice filled with concern.


    Orion smiled wryly. "I wasn''t thinking about that. I was just considering how urate my assumptions about the VR pods might be."


    Erza frowned. "How old was he when he said that, Tracy?" she asked, curious.


    Tracy thought for a moment. "I''m not sure, but Mother wanted to buy the VR pod when I was eight, so Big Brother would have been ten years old."


    "What? Ten years old? Are you kidding me?" Victor was surprised. He couldn''t believe Ray had thought of such things when he was just a ten-year-old kid.


    Even Erza looked visibly shocked.


    Orion held his head high and ran a hand through his hair. "Sometimes I wonder if I''m the smartest human in the world," he said, feigning loneliness.


    "Big Brother, you''re not the smartest," Tracy said, giggling.


    "Hey, you''re supposed to be on my side!" Orion protested, feeling wronged.


    "The smartest man, my ass. You probably overheard some grown-ups talking about it and just repeated what they said," Victor teased, smiling as if he''d figured it out.


    Erza shook her head. "Anyway, stop it, you three. It looks like we''ve arrived."


    Orion, Victor, and Tracy stopped in their tracks as they turned to face what could only be described as the ultimate security door.


    The door was unlike any they had seen before, a massive metallic structure embedded with multipleyers of security which had many locks, including eye scanners and fingerprint readers.


    At least, that''s what Orion could discern from the surface. Who knew what other kinds of locks they had with this world''s technology?


    He also noticed that the geniuses from other cities had already gathered here, waiting for them.


    A middle-aged man Orion hadn''t seen before stood in the hall. He wore a white coat and white pants, typical attire for researchers back on Earth.


    "Sir Edwill, everyone is here," Amy said, bowing to him as they arrived.


    "Good." Sir Edwill nodded and stood before the metallic door, which automatically opened without him having to scan it with his halowatch or do anything else.


    This made Orion wonder if it was due to AI. If the advancement in VR technology was high enough to build full-dive VR pods, then creating a fully functional AI to process everything would be an easy task.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 350: 350. VR Full Dive

    "Let''s go in." Sir Edwill led the group into the hall, and the moment they stepped inside, everyone was taken aback by the sheer size and surreal nature of the space. The hall stretched out in all directions, with walls so distant that they seemed to melt into the white, glowing atmosphere, giving the impression of infinite expanse.


    The pristine white color wasn''t just on the walls; it covered the entire floor and ceiling as well, with no visible seams or textures, creating an illusion of being inside an endless, ethereal realm.


    But what truly drew their attention wasn''t the vastness of the hall¡ªit was the rows upon rows of strange pods that filled the space. These oval-shaped pods were sleek and futuristic, gleaming with a metallic sheen, about the size of a single-person bed, justrge enough to fit one adultfortably.


    Each pod was slightly raised on a small tform, with faintly glowing lines tracing along their sides, giving them an aura of advanced technology.


    The pods were arranged in neat rows, stretching far into the distance, making it impossible to see where they ended. The sight was almost overwhelming, as hundreds¡ªperhaps thousands¡ªof these mysterious capsules filled the entire hall.


    "Everyone, this is called the Vision Hall. Don''t ask me why it''s called that¡ªI don''t know why the higher-ups gave this wonderful ce such a trashy name." Sir Edwill''s tone sounded more like aint.


    He then briefed them about the ce. "This Vision Hall is one of the most high-tech VR facilities in the entire Human Federation Realm. And for those of you wondering if it''s the same as the VR pods in your homes, you''re wrong."


    Victor, Erza, and the others were thinking along those lines. Since they had been to Dreamshore to y games, they thought this might just be a slightly upgraded version of what they had at home.


    He looked at the kids and exined. "What you have at home is just an inferior version of the pods weunched to the world. You might have noticed how they only allow a maximum of 4 hours of full-dive before shutting down, and you can''t use your full strength in those pods. Well, that''s because they were designed with public safety and security in mind."


    He then pointed to the pods in the Vision Hall and grinned. "But these babies are the real treasure. They are the most advanced VR pods you''ll ever find. They''re designed to handle the full strength of any human up to Conqueror''s Rank, and they can be fully functional for as long as you want."


    He added with a smirk, "In short, they don''t have the time or strength limits of the pods you have at home. It''s basically a gateway to a whole new world."


    Sir Edwill exined everything proudly, but it was clear to everyone that he seemed more fascinated by the VR pods than they were, as shown by the grin on his face.


    "So, how do we use them?" Orion asked, feeling bored by what Sir Edwill was talking about.


    Sir Edwill nodded with excitement. "Everyone, look for the pod with your name etched on top. Once you find it, it will automatically open. After that, you just have to lie down as if you''re going to sleep."


    "That''s it?" Orion was surprised that all they had to do was lie down.


    "That''s it," Sir Edwill said with a smirk.


    "Now, do as you''ve been told." He ordered everyone to proceed.


    Everyone nodded and began searching for the pods with their names. Orion wondered how he would ever find his pod in such a big hall, but before he even began searching, just as he was inspecting the tech, he heard Tracy shout.


    "Big Brother, it''s here! Your pod is here."


    Orion''s eyes lit up with excitement. "Coming!" He immediately headed towards where Tracy was, thinking his bad luck had finallye to an end.


    He arrived and noticed a pod with the name "Ray Wiser" and, right beside it, a pod with Tracy''s name.


    "It seems they know we''re brother and sister and intentionally arranged them this way," Tracy said.


    Orion doubted that was the case and thought it was just a coincidence. "You might be right. Now, let''s get in." He stood in front of his pod, and the semi-spherical oval window opened.


    The same thing happened with Tracy''s pod.


    "Let''s go in," he said to her, and just as he was about to get in, she tugged on his clothes.


    "Big Brother, there''s something I want to tell you. Meet me in my room after this," Tracy said solemnly.


    Orion didn''t think much of it and nodded. "Alright, I''ll remember. Now, go on."


    Tracy nodded andy down inside the pod, which soon after closedpletely. A momentter, she closed her eyes, as if she had fallen asleep.


    Orion watched the entire process before getting into his own pod. Hey down in a sleeping position, closed his eyes, and drifted off.


    [Wee to Dreamshore, Ray Wiser!]


    Orion suddenly found himself standing in the middle of nowhere. He couldn''t see or feel anything. Only the notification from the system¡ªor rather, the VR pod¡ªwas visible.


    [Full Dive in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...]


    A bright white light shed before him, and he appeared on a street. He looked around and saw many familiar faces from the Vision Hall.


    ''Is this Dreamshore?''


    Orion wondered as he looked around. Everything felt too real. The smell, the air, the wind touching his skin, the normal temperature¡ªeverything seemed too real to be just a VR world.


    "Damn, this is realistic. In fact, the graphics are so realistic that I can''t even tell if these things aren''t real," Orion eximed in shock. Everything appeared real to him, but he knew it was just a bunch of data. Still, the ultra-realistic graphics made him doubt a little.


    "This is the best way to hold apetition," Orion muttered in excitement. In this world, no one would actually die, no matter how strong the attacks of could be.


    This meant one wouldn''t need to hold back their strength like they had to do if they fought in real world but in this world there was no need to hold back. This made the final assessment even better than he had imagined.


    As he looked around, he suddenly noticed something floating in the air. Focusing on it, he saw a square-shaped button, about twice the size of his nails, glowing with a blue outline.


    Orion touched the button, and a menu appeared in front of him.


    ---


    --- [Exit]


    --- [Inventory]


    ---


    ''Only two options...''


    Orion noticed the exit and inventory options. ''It seems we can''t take anything out from the space bracelets in the VR world,'' he thought, ncing at the space bracelet on his hand.


    [Choose a weapon.]


    At that moment, another notification popped up, asking him to choose a weapon, and a variety of weapon names appeared in his vision.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 351: 351. I just want to be your friend

    [Choose a weapon.]


    Orion looked at the notification and at the line of weapon options in front of him.


    [Sword, Axe, Spear, War Hammer, Gauntlets...]


    The list stretched on endlessly, but Orion didn''t need to browse through all the options. He had only ever used a sword, and he would choose a sword again.


    As soon as he selected the sword, another notification appeared.


    [Generating a random sword... Complete.]


    [yer of Misfortune: A sword bestowed to those who have lived in misfortune all their lives without breaking down. They possessed the courage to always stand up in every situation they were thrown into, facing problems head-on.]


    [Effect: A sword that does not break, like the will of the one who wields it.]


    Orion read the description of the sword and wasn''t sure how to feel about it. He had indeed been gued by misfortune, but it felt as though even the AI of this VR world was mocking him.


    The sword itself looked very in. It was a long, thin de, pitch-ck in color.


    ''I guess if the generation of the sword is really random, then there''s no doubt I got unlucky again.''


    He sighed as he checked the effects of the sword, feeling disappointed once more.


    ''Well, it''s better than nothing, I guess. The fact that it can''t break is probably the best effect I could hope for right now.''


    Orion imagined many situations where he could use this sword. If a sword could never break, its versatility would increase tremendously in battle.


    ''What now?'' he wondered, looking around, when he noticed everyone else examining the weapons they were holding in their hands.


    [Participants are instructed to spar with each other to gain overall experience with Dreamshore in the VR world. This will be your only chance before the final assessment begins tomorrow.]


    Another notification appeared before everyone in the virtual city.


    ''It''s good that we can test how fluidly we can use our strength here,'' Orion thought as someone approached him.


    Turning around, he saw it was Erza and Tracy.


    "Big Brother, spar with me first, then with Erza, and after that, I''ll spar with Erza," Tracy said excitedly as soon as she reached him.


    Orion nodded. He had noticed that she''d been more excited than usualtely, and he wasn''t naive to the reason.


    Her brother had returned to normal, and she had been freed from the clutches of the ck Reaper Guild. It was no wonder she was happy, now that her life had returned to normal.


    Orion silently clenched his fists as he saw the happiness on her face. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he had no choice. He had no choice but to impersonate Ray Wiser.


    "Big Brother?"


    Tracy''s light call brought him back to reality.


    "Ah, yes, let''s do this," Orion said, feeling somewhat guilty as he prepared to fight her.


    Tracy nodded, holding her sword in one hand. Orion noticed her sword was quite different from normal ones. It appeared thin and light, like a rapier, but wasn''t exactly a rapier.


    ''I guess it''s a randomly generated sword,'' he thought as he waited for her to attack.


    "Big Brother, be ready."


    Tracy warned Orion as she vanished from her position and reappeared in front of him.


    ''There it is. Her talent!''


    Orion held his breath as he watched closely.


    Tracy simply stabbed her sword once into the air.


    Orion''s eyes widened as he saw ten beams of light shoot toward him.


    He activated the Curse of Stormcaller and swung his sword.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The sound of metal shing against metal reverberated through the area as Orion deflected each beam of light with ease.


    "Big Brother, you''re so strong and fast!" Tracy eximed. "Most people wouldn''t be able to react to those attacks, but you deflected them all so easily."


    "Did you forget? I was born with wind ability talent, and with talentes insane speed," Orion said with a smile.


    Tracy nodded, her expression bing more serious. "It seems your talent was upgraded to a very high level by that person who saved you in the hospital."


    Orion nodded, looking away. "You''re right. I owe him a lot."


    "So, how did you both feel using your talents?" Erza asked at that moment.


    Tracy tilted her head in thought. "I didn''t feel anything different. It felt just like using my talent in the real world. Nothing seemed to change, but..."


    Orion nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I felt like I was in the real world for a moment." He was surprised, too. If he hadn''t known they were inside VR pods, he would''ve believed it was reality.


    The only difference between the real world and Dreamshore was the absence of the original system.


    "Erza, you and Tracy spar a bit. I have something else to do," Orion said, disappearing with the wind.


    Tracy pouted. "He just said he''d spar with both of us, and now he ran off."


    "Don''t worry too much about him," Erza said calmly. "Let''s spar. I want to see how it feels to fight in this VR worldpared to the one I use at home."


    Tracy nodded as she prepared to attack Erza.


    ***


    Orion moved through the crowd of young men like the wind as he searched for someone.


    ''There he is!''


    He spotted a figure sitting alone on the ground in the distance, head down. It was Mark Prince.


    Victor was nowhere to be seen, so Orion wasted no time and appeared in front of Mark.


    "What do you want?" Mark asked, his eyes reddening with rage as he red at Orion.


    "Nothing," Orion shrugged. "I just wanted to spar with someone."


    "Go find someone else." Mark dismissively pointed at the others. "I''m not in the mood."


    Orion smiled and waved his sword, sending a wind de toward Mark.


    Purple lightning shed as Mark dodged the attack.


    "Didn''t you hear what I said?" Mark shouted his sound frustrated as he looked at Orion.


    "I heard you, but I don''t care," Orion shrugged again, waving his sword and sending another wind de at Mark.


    Mark drew his sword and shed the wind de in half.


    "Leave me alone!" Mark yelled, swinging his sword vertically, sending an arc of concentrated lightning toward Orion.


    Orion smiled and used the durability of his sword to deflect the lightning arc, sending it to his right, where it collided with a building, erupting in mes.


    ''This sword might not be so bad after all,'' he thought, examining the weapon more closely.


    "Is that it?" Orion sneered. "Is that the full strength of someone who possesses one of the strongest talents?"


    A sh of purple lightning appeared in front of him as Mark swung his sword in fury. "What do you want from me?" he shouted, filled with rage.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 352: 352. It was never my intention

    Orion simply blocked the attack with his sword. "I don''t want anything. Just spar with me. Use your full strength," he said as he activated the curse of Berserk Body and sent Mark flying back.


    "As you wish." Mark couldn''t take it anymore. He had been boiling with rage all this time, and Orion''s provocation only made it worse.


    Purple lightning began to surge from his body, crackling in all directions. The bolts scorched the ground ck, and wherever they struck, a portion waspletely obliterated by his lightning.


    Orion smiled at the sight and activated the curse of Supreme Gravity and Blinding Speed in Curse Transformation mode.


    At that moment, a purple light shed, and a massive explosion erupted in the city, attracting everyone''s attention.


    They turned toward the source of the explosion and saw Mark, his body releasing lightning in all directions, standing in a stalemate with Orion.


    Mark''s sword was pressed against Orion''s, but he couldn''t push Orion back, nor could he make him budge.


    Mark''s eyes narrowed as he realized Orion was standing still, withstanding the attack head-on.


    Gritting his teeth, Mark increased the power of his lightning, causing the ground beneath them to disintegrate into nothingness, creating a small crater.


    Seeing that they had be the center of attention, Orion pushed Mark away and moved out of the crowd.


    Using the speed of the curse of Blinding Speed and masking it with the wind from the Stormcaller curse, Orion quickly vanished from the other participants'' sight.


    In an instant, Mark caught up with him, his form a blur as he shed forward like a bolt of purple lightning.


    Orion smiled at this and increased his speed, with Mark following closely behind.


    The other participants in the city were stunned by the disy of speed. They could tell that the two were nearing tinum rank in terms of speed. If they pushed themselves further, they might even break through to tinum rank in speed alone.


    "They''re fast!"


    "It''ll be tough for anyone to face them in the final assessment."


    "Nah. I think they''ve just been stacking their agility stat, and their talents boost their speed. They''re probably average in strength and other areas."


    "Maybe, but we should still be cautious around them."


    They murmured among themselves as they watched Orion and Mark''s speed.


    "Big brother went to fight with Mark?" Tracy said in surprise.


    Erza frowned. "Seems like he thinks I''m not strong enough to be his sparring partner," she said teasingly.


    "I-I don''t think that''s the case," Tracy said with a worried expression.


    "Tracy, just because he''s your brother doesn''t mean you have to defend him all the time," Erza said solemnly. "Also, he''s your big brother, not the other way around. So, forget about him and tell me more about Ray. What was he like when he was a kid?"


    Reluctantly, Tracy nced in the direction Orion vanished before beginning her sparring session with Erza, while sharing some fun stories about Ray.


    Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Victor quietly followed behind Orion and Mark. He wanted to know what was going on between them. Others might not notice, but he had always felt tension in the air whenever the two looked at each other.


    At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but the moment in the void shuttle, where Orion returned first and Mark came back some timeter, told him there was more between them than met the eye.


    ***


    Green fields stretched out in all directions outside the city, with only a few scattered trees breaking thendscape.


    At that moment, two blurs of light raced across the ins. One seemed to move with the wind, causing gusts to rage wherever he passed.


    The other was a streak of purple lightning, scorching the ground in his wake.


    Orion taunted, "Even with lightning, you can''t catch up to me?" He sneered as he looked back at Mark.


    Mark frowned. No matter how fast he went, Orion always stayed just ahead, frustrating him further.


    "Alright, this is far enough!" Orion suddenly stopped, turning to face Mark, who halted a short distance away.


    "What do you want?" Mark asked gloomily. He wasn''t foolish enough to not understand why Orion had led him so far outside the city.


    "I want nothing," Orion said with a smile. "I just want to be friends with you."


    "Friends?" Mark chuckled darkly. "Don''t think that by¡ª"


    "I told you to watch your words," Orion interrupted before Mark could finish.


    "How about it?" Orion asked, extending an olive branch. "I don''t hate you. You might hate me for what I''ve done, but there''s nothing you can do about it."


    He added, "You know the worst that can happen... You know how things would end. Just use your talent and wipe it clean. It''ll be like nothing ever happened."


    "You?! Do you hear yourself?" Mark said, his voice trembling with anger.


    "Yeah, I know what I''m talking about," Orion replied solemnly. "You should know that when I did what I did, I had no idea about her. She was recorded as dead in the research I did. I even had documents from her guild dering her deceased. That''s why I chose him. He was the most suitable candidate at the time, and because of time constraints, I went with him in the end.


    I was just as surprised as you when I saw her alive."


    Mark frowned, listening intently. It wasn''t hard to believe Orion, especially considering he had only learned about Tracy recently. Their guild had been tracking geniuses around Masturi City two months ago, and Tracy was one of them.


    He had been shocked to see her alive and well, but something about her had changed. Her name was no longer Tracy Wiser; it was Tracy Lin.


    It was then that Mark realized her death had been staged by the ck Reaper Guild to mislead the public.


    That same day, he did some research and even secretly entered the ck Reaper Guild''s headquarters to check on Tracy, only to find that she had been living a busy but uneventful life.


    Although she was being held by the ck Reaper Guild against her will, they treated her well for reasons Mark couldn''t determine. Sheughed, talked, and sometimes yed with others, but Mark could see the helplessness in her eyes.


    He guessed that Tracy had epted her situation and adapted to life in the ck Reaper Guild.


    Seeing her like that, Mark had wanted to take her away, but he resisted, using all his strength.


    With Ray dead, he knew that if he brought Tracy back to her home, she would only suffer more once she learned of Ray''s fate.


    So, he decided to do nothing. She was living a decent life in the ck Reaper Guild, and for reasons he didn''t understand, they treated her well. He left quietly, deciding to let things remain as they were.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 353: 353. I cant trust you

    "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 sh of purple lightning.


    "You aren''t joking, right?" he asked, gripping Orion''s cor 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."


    Mark stared at Orion for a moment before disappearing in a sh 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 in, frustration evident on his face. He had just seen Mark race past him, heading back into the city.


    ''I''m toote,'' 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 secondster, 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 feltpletely 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 nced 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, copsed 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 zed 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¡ªlikely because his stats were bnced 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 be slightly out of sync due to the brain''s involvement in the VR world," he exined 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,e 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.


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


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


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 354: 354. A Blank Paper

    Orion became intrigued. Now that he thought about it, there had to be a significant reason for the ck Reaper guild to pull off something like this.


    "Tell us, then," Orion said in a reassuring manner. "Let''s hear what excuse they have for what they did to you."


    Tracy nodded and began recounting how it all started.


    "When I was looking for a guild to join, I participated in a test prepared by the five major guilds. But during the test, something strange happened. A piece of paper, I don''t know if it was nk or not, suddenly flew toward me. Several men were chasing it, but the page went straight into me and attached itself to my arm."


    She held her arm and pointed to her right palm, where a rectangr paper mark could be seen.


    "When the paper entered my body, members of the ck Reaper guild were nearby and saw everything. They apprehended the men chasing the page and invited me to join their guild."


    Tracy looked away, avoiding Orion''s gaze.


    "Because of our situation at home, I didn''t think much and joined their guild. I don''t know what they discovered about the page, but they asked me to fake my death. I refused, but they still did it without my consent."


    She added, "I thought my life was over, but instead, they started treating me very well. However, I wasn''t allowed to have a halowatch or leave the guild. They kept me inside to increase my rank. Eventually, they had to let me go to the Hunter Association to sign officially, but even then, many guild members followed me closely."


    She looked at Orion. "When I entered the Hunter Association, they waited outside. And it was there that I met you, Big Brother."


    Orion nodded, maintaining a straight face, though his mind was racing.


    ''She mentioned the page, and the dream where I was told to find nk pages... Could they be connected?''


    He knew coincidences happened, but this felt too connected. Learning about the nk pages and finding the imprint on Tracy''s palm on the same day was suspicious.


    ''If it''s not a coincidence, then the page inside Tracy might be one of the nk pages the voice in my head wanted me to find.''


    Orion examined the rectangr imprint on Tracy''s palm.


    "Can I touch it?" he asked gently.


    "Of course, Big Brother. It doesn''t hurt me," Tracy replied, thinking Orion was asking to avoid hurting her.


    Orion nodded and reached out to touch the imprint, his fingers brushing lightly over its surface.


    The moment his skin made contact, a sudden surge of energy coursed through the air. The imprint beneath his hand glowed with an intense, blinding white light, illuminating the entire chamber.


    The brightness was so overwhelming that Orion, along with Tracy and Erza, instinctively shut their eyes, shielding themselves from the brilliance.


    When the light finally dimmed and they cautiously opened their eyes, what greeted them was nothing short of extraordinary.


    Hovering in the air before them was a single page, delicate yet mesmerizing. The parchment floated effortlessly, as if defying gravity. Its color was unlike anything they had ever seen¡ª a blend of faded yellow and earthy brown, hinting at the passage of time.


    The edges of the page were worn and curled, suggesting it had been lost or hidden for an incalcble number of years. Intricate designs and symbols ran along its borders, faintly glowing with a soft, ambient light.


    It exuded an aura of ancient wisdom and mystery.


    "Wow, Big Brother, how did you do that?" Tracy asked in amazement, staring at the floating page.


    "I''m wondering that myself," Orion replied in shock. "I just touched the imprint, and the page came out."


    He couldn''t exin how the page emerged from Tracy''s palm, but he suspected it had something to do with his dream.


    "Is this page one of the cosmic wonders?" Erza asked, sensing the ancient aura.


    "I don''t know, but it''s definitely a treasure. The ck Reaper guild must have known about it, which is why they faked Tracy''s death," Orion said, piecing the situation together.


    "Don''t touch the page for now," he added cautiously. "I fear¡ª"


    Before he could finish, the page disappeared.


    "It vanished!" Tracy and Erza eximed in shock.


    "And I think I know where it went," Orion said, holding up his palm for them to see.


    Erza and Tracy''s eyes widened as they saw the imprint that was previously on Tracy''s palm had now appeared on Orion''s.


    "Big Brother, how did it go inside you?" Tracy asked, worried.


    "Beats me," Orion shrugged. "But if it reacted to my touch and transferred from you to me, it might have some connection to me."


    Erza nodded. "That could be the case. Maybe the page recognizes you as its master."


    Orion raised his eyebrows. "No, I don''t think it''s one of the primordial cosmic wonders. If it were, diamond-rank experts and above would have sensed it."


    "I hadn''t considered that," Erza said, shaking her head. "It''s probably best if you don''t tell anyone about the imprint or what just happened."


    "Believe me, I''m good at keeping secrets," Orion smiled, then turned to Tracy. "Alright, get some rest. I''ll need you at full strength tomorrow."


    Tracy nodded, smiling.


    Orion then turned to Erza. "Let''s go."


    She nodded.


    After they left, Tracy locked the door and went straight to sleep.


    ***


    Orion and Erza parted ways, each heading to their rooms.


    Sitting on his bed, Orion examined the imprint on his palm.


    He touched it lightly, and once again, the page appeared before him, glowing with white light.


    ''I can summon it at will?''


    Orion was surprised.


    ''But what is its use?''


    The page was nk, and the voice in his head had told him it was supposed to be nk. Did that mean it was entirely useless?


    ''Don''t tell me it''s just a piece of nk paper.''


    Orion would curse the seven generations of whoever asked him to find the nk pages if they turned out to be nothing more than empty sheets.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 355: 355. Respawning After Death?

    Looking at the page floating in front of him, Orion touched it, causing it to vanish and imprint onto his palm.


    ''I hope it''s something good,'' he thought.


    With that, Orion resumed training the Three Divine Ways for a few hours before focusing on controlling his emotions while activating seven or more curses in Curse Transformation.


    Since the day he started training these two techniques, he always made time for them, especially when it came to emotional control. He never cked in this aspect, knowing that the more curses he could activate in Curse Transformation, the more powerful he would be in the future.


    Each day, even if only for a few minutes, Orion would find time to train Curse Transformation. He also practiced the Three Divine Ways, though not as rigorously as controlling his emotions.


    Time passed as Orion busied himself with training. The sun set, and the moon rose into the starry night sky.


    At this moment, Orionpleted his training. It wasn''t much, but it was better than nothing.


    ''Time to order something to eat before hitting the bed!'' he thought, taking the tablet from the table in his room and quickly cing his order.


    ''It''ll be nice.''


    ***


    The next day, Orion, Tracy, and everyone from Nio stood in front of the Vision Hall.


    Sir Edwill stood solemnly before them. "Today might be the biggest day for all of you, as it could determine if your destiny remains within the three domains or soars through the domain of the Archons."


    His expression turned serious as he continued, "But before the final assessment starts in half an hour, let me remind you of the rules. The assessment is a battle royale, where all participants from the Human Federation Realm willpete simultaneously in a ce called Dreamshore within the VR world."


    Everyone''s expressions changed drastically upon hearing Sir Edwill. They had anticipated various types of assessments, but the thought of a battle royale with all participants fighting at the same time hadn''t crossed their minds. It seemed almost too grand to be real, yet that was exactly what the final assessment would be.


    They couldn''t imagine the chaos of almost all the geniuses of the Human Federation Realm gathered together in a single battle. And yet, the higher-ups dared to do just that.


    Orion was surprised as well. A battle royale as the final assessment wasn''t a bad idea, but the sheer number of participants made thingsplicated.


    ''Well, the more chaos, the better,'' he thought, enjoying the prospect. He believed this would make the assessment more fun.


    At that moment, Sir Edwill''s voice reached his ears again.


    "Keep in mind, there are no rules in this final assessment. Thest 200 participants standing in Dreamshore will be directly admitted to Dos Academy."


    Orion''s eyes widened as he realized something. ''How could I forget? Only 300 seats are avable to the Human Federation Realm, and now it seems 100 have already been taken by geniuses from big families, guilds, the Federation Council, and the Hunter Association''s main branch, leaving just 200 seats.''


    The odds of making it into the top 200 seemed incredibly slim. Tens of thousands of participants wouldpete, but only 200 would get the chance to be admitted to Dos Academy.


    ''Thank God I''m strong, or I''d be despairing right now,'' Orion thought, silently ncing at the defeated faces of some participants around him.


    "Also," Sir Edwill continued, "this assessment will be broadcast to everyone in the Human Federation Realm through terralink. Those with a halowatch can watch it easily, while others will have to use TVs orputers."


    He looked at them and added, "So, even if you don''t make it into the top 200, you could still be famous across the domain if you perform well. You never know¡ªsome powerful guild or family might hire you. So, don''t lose hope. Fight to the end."


    The participants nodded solemnly, understanding that even if they didn''t get into Dos Academy, there was still a chance for them to be chosen by other major powers in the domain. This motivated them to do their best, no matter what rank they achieved.


    "And remember, the only way to get eliminated is by dying," Sir Edwill warned. "So, if your enemy surrenders mid-battle, don''t fall for it. Go for the finishing blow. Leaving an enemy alive could backfire."


    The participants nodded, acknowledging the seriousness of his warning.


    "Alright," Sir Edwill concluded, "this is it from me. Go and show the world what you''re made of¡ªshow them that you exist!"


    With those words of encouragement, he led them into the Vision Hall.


    The participants already knew how to use the pods in the Vision Hall, and each swiftly entered their assigned pod one by one.


    "Tracy, Erza, find me in Dreamshore as soon as possible," Orion said to them solemnly. "I''ll be looking for you two as well. Good luck."


    Tracy nodded while Erza smiled slightly before entering their pods.


    Seeing this, Orion wasted no time and entered his own pod, falling asleep.


    ***


    Orion found himself standing on a concrete path. He looked around and noticed he was next to a garage, and the path led to a highway in the distance. Small buildings surrounded the bridge ahead, and he stared directly toward them.


    ''I''m alone here, it seems,'' Orion thought, sensing the presence of others further along the bridge.


    [Participants, listen carefully. The final assessment will begin in five minutes. This is a battle royale, and only thest 200 standing will gain entry to Dos Academy. That is all. Give it your all.]


    An announcement echoed in Orion''s ears, and a notification appeared before him.


    [Time remaining - 4:57]


    ''A countdown,'' Orion noted, understanding everything there was to know about the final assessment.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 356: 356. The Final Assessment Begins

    ''So, what should I do before the assessment starts? I still have about four minutes to spare.''


    He thought for a moment, then activated the Curse of the Stormcaller, slowly floating into the air as he headed towards the presence he sensed near the bridge.


    "Oh?"


    From the air, he noticed something. He saw a man m another man with a chunk of rocks.


    "The battle hasn''t started, and they''re already fighting."


    Orion felt intrigued and decided to watch, curious to see what would happen. After being mmed by the rocks, the man should have died¡ªOrion wanted to see if he truly would, considering the assessment hadn''t officially begun.


    The attacker used his talent again, mming another chunk of rocks onto the man, pinning him against the wall.


    "Heh, let''s see what happens next."


    Orion waited, and momentster, the man who had been mmed into the wall appeared beside it, as if he had respawned after dying. He seemedpletely fine, without a scratch on him.


    Orion was surprised. He had expected that the man might just not die, no matter how much he was attacked, since the assessment hadn''t officially begun.


    ''I see, so they simply respawn after dying.''


    Orion noted this and flew off, searching for Tracy and Erza. He had already decided he would help both of them make it to the top 200, though after that, it would depend on their strength. At least for Tracy, as her older brother, he could do that much.


    However, as he scouted the area, he noticed the cityscape ended abruptly, reced by a forest ahead.


    ''I''m certain the city wasn''t this small thest time I was here.''


    Orion frowned and flew around the city again. After a few minutes, he realized this was a different city¡ªmuch smaller than the one from before.


    He also noticed not just one or two, but hundreds of people flying around the city, seemingly scouting the area like him.


    Despite this, he couldn''t find Tracy or Erza, even though the city was small.


    ''Where should I look for them?''


    Orion frowned as he noticed the countdown was almost up.


    [The final assessment has begun. There is no time limit. The assessment will only end when there is one participant remaining in the entire Dreamshore.]


    Another notification popped up in his vision, announcing the start of the assessment.


    Orion smiled slightly at the message. Though he was worried about Tracy, he also felt a surge of excitement.


    "Huh? Should I really be excited about this?"


    He frowned, realizing something problematic. Knowing he was the strongest participant in the assessment, he would definitely win by bing thest one standing. It was a given¡ªwhether he used his full strength or not.


    He was simply too strong.


    "Now that I think about it, my abilities are basically cheating." Orion muttered to himself. He casually raised his hand and caught a ming arrow aimed at him, stopping it with his bare hand.


    "Huh, a sneak attack?" Orion smirked, ncing towards the roof of a five-story building behind him. "You''re good. Being able to change the direction of your arrows is impressive, but it''s not enough." He crushed the ming arrow in his hand, reducing it to nothing but sparks.


    "Heh," sneered the bald young man standing on the roof, his upper bodypletely hairless.


    Orion smiled, fully aware of why the man didn''t seem worried.


    At that moment, ten more fire arrows shot toward him from all directions, surrounding him with seemingly no escape¡ªat least, that''s what the bald man thought.


    Orion simply drew his sword and waved it, releasing a gust of wind from the center.


    The ming arrows reached Orion but were swept up in the wind, circling him as if caught in a vortex. Orion willed the wind, making it revolve around him, carrying the ming arrows along with it.


    "This!"


    The bald man panicked and ran towards the door to the roof.


    "It''s not that easy to run away," Orion smiled lightly as he directed the wind toward the fleeing man.


    The ten ming arrows flew with the wind, striking the man.


    Ten small explosions followed,pletely destroying the roof of the building.


    As for the bald man, he was nowhere to be seen.


    Orion smiled, sensing that the man''s presence had disappeared when the arrows hit him, signaling his elimination.


    [Kill Count: 1]


    A bar appeared in Orion''s vision, indicating the number of kills.


    ''Since there''s something tracking kills, there''s bound to be a ranking system too.''


    Orion thought as hended on the street. He had already decided what to do next. With all his curses, it was impossible for anyone to even injure him, but he couldn''t use all of them here.


    He was in the VR world, and any curses that had environmental effects like Velocity Burst or Frozen Torment would give away his identity. He wasn''t nning to use them anyway, since they were well-known for belonging to specific individuals.


    Curses like Supreme Gravity, Cursed Pulse, and Disintegration Aura were simrly off-limits, as their effects could easily be detected in the VR world.


    Any curse that affected the external environment couldn''t be used because it would be sensed.


    However, there were many curses that directly impacted his body, such as Blind Speed, Berserk Body, and others in his arsenal.


    Orion believed the people monitoring the VR world wouldn''t be able to sense anything happening inside his body.


    ''They can monitor my real body''s health in the pod, but could their machines detect chaos energy?''


    Orion doubted that. He also doubted whether they even had knowledge of any energy beyond mana, themon power source in this world.


    ''Well, it doesn''t matter either way. It''s not like anyone here¡ªaside from Mark¡ªcane even remotely close to me in terms of strength.''


    He thought this as he suddenly came to a stop. "Come out. No need to hide anymore. I know you''re sneaking around trying to kill me," he called out, his voice calm but carrying an edge.


    For a moment, there was silence. No one responded.


    Seeing this, Orion sighed. "I guess we''ll have to do this the hard way, then."


    A crazed smile spread across his face as his figure vanished from his position.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 357 357. Fighting The Attackers

    In an instant, Orion reappeared behind two figures crouching behind a pile of rubble, both of them holding weapons. They looked shocked, their faces draining of color the moment Orion appeared behind them.


    "Surprised?" Orion asked, his voice yful.


    The two immediately lunged at him, their weapons aimed at his chest and neck. One wielded a curved de, while the other swung a spiked club, their attacks quick and synchronized.


    Orion didn''t flinch. He first activated the Curse Transformation for the curse of Stormcaller, the curse of Blinding Speed and the curse of Berserk Body.


    He had decided to only use these three curses in this assessment regardless if he would win or lose in the end.


    ''Now that my overall speed and strength has increased tremendously with my control over the wind, it''s time to finish them.''


    With a single wave of his hand, a gust of wind sted out, knocking both attackers backward like ragdolls. They smashed into the ground several meters away, rolling and gasping for air.


    "Too weak," Orion muttered, stepping forward. "But I guess this is how it''ll be for most of the assessment."


    One of the attackers, a man with a scar running down his face, struggled to his feet, his body trembling as he raised his weapon once more.


    "Don''t bother," Orion said coldly. "You''re already dead."


    With a flick of his wrist, Orion sent a sharp gust of wind toward the man. The wind cut through the air like a de, shing across the man''s chest. He copsed instantly, his body vanishing a momentter, just like the first man who had been eliminated.


    [Kill Count: 2]


    Orion nced at the second attacker, who was still lying on the ground, eyes wide with fear. Without another word, he waved his hand, and the man disintegrated into particles of light, his presence erased from the battlefield.


    [Kill Count: 3]


    ''Or maybe this won''t be so bad after all,'' Orion thought, watching as the kill count increased.


    Suddenly, he felt several powerful presences approaching from all sides. His senses sharpened as he looked in a certain direction. A group of participants had likely noticed his disy of power and decided to target him.


    He smirked. ''Looks like it''s starting to get interesting.''


    Momentster, a dozen figures emerged from the shadows of nearby buildings, each of them wielding different weapons and abilities.


    One of them, a woman with fiery red hair, brandished twin daggers that seemed to hum with energy. Another, a hulking man with a massive warhammer, let out a low growl as he took a step forward, his muscles rippling with strength.


    "Looks like you''ve alle to y," Orion said, his smirk widening. He spread his arms out wide, as if weing the challenge. "Let''s see if any of you can make this even a little bit fun."


    Without warning, the group of participants attacked all at once. Fireballs, ice shards, and energy sts shot toward Orion from every direction, while the fighters with melee weapons charged in close, their des and hammers raised high.


    Orion stood still, unfazed by the onught. At thest possible moment, he flicked his fingers, summoning a barrier of swirling wind around himself.


    The iing attacks mmed into the barrier, only to be deflected or absorbed. Fireballs dissipated into harmless sparks, ice shards shattered into powder, and energy sts fizzled out before reaching him.


    "Not bad," Orion said, casually observing the effort they had put into their attack. "But still not good enough."


    With a single thought, he condensed the barrier of wind into a powerful shockwave, sending it exploding outward. The shockwave ripped through the group of attackers, flinging them backward and smashing them into walls, buildings, and the ground.


    Several of them disappeared on impact, eliminated from the assessment before they even had a chance to strike again.


    [Kill Count: 4]


    [Kill Count: 5]


    [Kill Count: 6]


    The remaining fighters scrambled to their feet, dazed and battered but still desperate to fight. Orion admired their resolve, but it wouldn''t make a difference.


    "You should''ve brought more people," he said calmly, stepping forward. "This isn''t enough to stop me."


    The red-haired woman gritted her teeth, her eyes burning with fury as she charged at him again, her twin daggers shing in the light. She moved with speed and precision, aiming straight for Orion''s neck.


    Orion sighed, sidestepping her attack with ease. As she passed by, he tapped her lightly on the shoulder, sending a jolt of lightning through her body. She froze, her body convulsing before she copsed, her form disintegrating into particles of light.


    [Kill Count: 7]


    The rest of the group hesitated, fear creeping into their eyes as they realized the futility of their efforts. They knew they were outmatched, but pride and desperation kept them from fleeing. Experience exclusive tales on empire


    Orion tilted his head, watching them. "Come on," he said, his tone almost mocking. "You wanted a fight, didn''t you?"


    The hulking man with the warhammer let out a roar and charged forward, raising his massive weapon high above his head.


    Orion smiled and raised his hand. "Let''s end this."


    With a single motion, he summoned a vortex of wind around the man, lifting him off the ground. The warhammer slipped from his grasp, and he struggled to break free, but it was no use. The wind crushed him, and in an instant, his body was torn apart and vanished into light.


    [Kill Count: 8]


    Orion dusted off his hands as he surveyed the battlefield. The remaining participants had either fled or been eliminated.


    "Too easy," he muttered, feeling a strange sense of boredom creeping in.


    With a sigh, he turned his gaze toward the horizon, sensing more presences scattered across the city. Tracy and Erza were still out there somewhere, and the assessment was far from over.


    ''Let''s see how long it takes to find them,'' he thought,unching himself into the air once more.


    Orion flew through sky, the wind wrapping around him like a second skin.


    ''A group of people around here.''


    He sensed a group of people around the buildings and decided to kill them all of course.


    Buildings loomed below, their towering structures casting long shadows over the deste streets. The city itself was falling apart, crumbling from the aftermath of countless battles.


    A sudden gust of wind alerted him to a new threat. Three participants appeared in his path, flying toward him with murderous intent.


    One hadrge wings of light sprouting from his back, his hands crackling with electricity. The second was cloaked in a shadowy mist, her body seeming to phase in and out of reality. The third wielded a massive spear glowing with a radiant golden light, his expression cold and unwavering.


    "Finally, some variety," Orion muttered to himself, the thrill of battle reigniting in his veins. He hovered mid-air, arms folded across his chest. "Let''s see what you''ve got."


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 358 358. A Fierce Battle

    Without hesitation, the winged man hurled a bolt of lightning toward Orion, the sky lighting up with the intensity of the attack. The air sizzled as the electricity split the clouds, arcing straight for him.


    Orion smirked, sidestepping the lightning with ease. "Too slow."


    In an instant, he retaliated, swung his sword and sent a wind de towards the enemy''s attack. It collided with the winged man''s next attack, the two forces shing violently, causing an explosion of light that rippled across the sky.


    As the shockwave from the collision spread, the cloaked figure darted toward him, her body disappearing and reappearing in shes of shadow. She moved like a phantom, her de slicing through the air toward Orion''s neck.


    Orion twisted, narrowly avoiding the strike. The shadowy figure melted into mist again before he could retaliate, vanishing from sight.


    In that exact moment another attack came.


    The spear-wielding man wasted no time, thrusting his glowing weapon forward, aiming directly for Orion''s heart. The golden spear radiated a blinding light, its aura cutting through the air with lethal precision.


    Orion deflected the spear with a pulse of wind, but the force of the impact sent him flying backward, crashing through a nearby building. The structure crumbled, debris raining down as Orion emerged from the wreckage,pletely unharmed.


    "You''re persistent. I''ll give you that," Orion said, shaking off the dust from his clothes.


    From above, the winged manunched another barrage of lightning, while the spear-wielder charged again, his weapon glowing even brighter. At the same time, the shadowy figure reappeared behind Orion, her de poised to strike his back.


    Orion''s eyes gleamed with excitement as he stretched out both hands. "Alright, enough ying around."


    With a thought, he summoned a powerful whirlwind that spiraled outward, catching the three attackers off guard. The wind roared like a tempest, sweeping them off their feet and throwing them into the air.


    The winged man struggled to regain control, pping his luminous wings to steady himself, but Orion was faster. He appeared behind the man, his hand carrying a blue condensed ball of wind, and mmed it against the man''s back.


    Raging wind surged through his body, and in an instant, he was thrown into the ground creating a deep pit and only a momentter, he was torn apart into particles of light.


    [Kill Count: 9]


    The spear-wielder had managed to recover, his face twisted in rage. He lunged at Orion with all his strength, the golden spear shing through the air like aet. Orion caught the spear with two fingers, halting its momentum entirely.


    "Impressive weapon," Orion remarked, a smirk tugging at his lips. "But you''re not strong enough to use it."


    Before the man could react, Orion unleashed another condensed ball of wind, sending the spear-wielder hurtling back through several buildings, the structures copsing under the sheer force. The man disintegrated into particles of light before he even hit the ground.


    [Kill Count: 10]


    The shadowy figure was thest remaining, her movements more frantic as she phased in and out of reality, trying to evade Orion''s gaze. But Orion was done with the games.


    With a snap of his fingers, he conjured a vortex of wind that locked onto her position, pulling her out of the shadows and into the open. She struggled to escape, her form flickering as she tried to phase back into the void.


    But it was no use.


    With a final flick of his wrist, Orion sent a wave ofpressed air crashing into her, and she exploded into particles of light.


    [Kill Count: 11]


    "Hmm, now where should I find them?" Orion muttered to himself. But as he turned to survey the destruction, more participants emerged, flying toward him from the remains of the city.


    This time, it was a group of six, each one radiating a distinct aura of power.


    One of them, a man with emerald-green skin and roots growing out of his arms, controlled enormous vines that tore through the buildings around him, flinging debris at Orion.


    Another, a woman dressed in red robes, summoned an inferno of mes, sending spirals of fire twisting toward the sky. There was also a young man wielding a sword made of water, his movements fluid and precise as he cut through the air toward Orion. Continue your adventure with empire


    Orion''s grin widened. "Now this is more like it."


    The fiery woman raised her hands, sending a wave of moltenva crashing toward Orion from below. At the same time, the vine-wielder directed his massive roots to ensnare Orion, while the swordsmanunched water des in quick session.


    Orion stood his ground, his eyes shing with excitement. He raised both hands, manipting the wind around him to form a massive tornado. The tornado surged upward, swallowing theva and debris in its wake, neutralizing their attacks before they could reach him.


    But he wasn''t done.


    The tornado expanded outward, tearing through buildings and hurling the attackers back, their bodies mming into walls and shattering ss. Several of them disintegrated into light upon impact, unable to withstand the force.


    [Kill Count: 12]


    [Kill Count: 13]


    [Kill Count: 14]


    Orion''s eyes locked onto the green-skinned man, who was still directing his vines in a desperate attempt to pin him down. With a sharp motion, Orion unleashed a de of wind that sliced through the vines effortlessly, severing them from their source.


    "Wait!" The man''s eyes widened in terror as Orion appeared before him, and with a single strike, he too was eliminated.


    [Kill Count: 15]


    The fiery woman and the water swordsman were the only two left, but their expressions betrayed fear. Orion sensed their hesitation and chuckled.


    "You''re out of time," he said.


    Heunched himself forward, his body moving faster than the eye could track, and in a sh of a moment, he took them both down, their forms dissolving into light as the city below crumbled further into ruin.


    [Kill Count: 16]


    [Kill Count: 17]


    Hovering above the destruction, Orion surveyed the battlefield, his excitement finally starting to wane. "Still not enough," he muttered, before turning his gaze toward the distant horizon where even stronger presences waited.


    "Maybe they''ll finally give me a challenge," he said with a smirk, before shooting off into the distance.


    ---


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 Chapter 359 359. My Way of Hunting is Honorable

    Orion flew through the air toward the group when he suddenly stopped as a notification appeared in front of his eyes, followed by a list of names.


    [The rankings have been announced. They are based on the number of kills and don''t necessarily contribute to anything. It''s just to show the audience who the strongest individual in Dreamshore is.]


    He had known a ranking would be announced soon, so the notification didn''t surprise him. However, the ranking list itself almost shocked him to the core.


    ---


    1. Zeref - 323


    2. Alex Cooper - 30


    3. Mark Prince - 27


    4. Gemivi Loren - 25


    ...


    6. Ray Wiser - 17


    ....


    ---n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Orion''s eyes widened as they scanned the list,nding on the number one name¡ªZeref. The sheer disparity between Zeref''s kill count and the others was staggering. Nearly three hundred kills in such a short span of time¡ªit was absurd. No one else even came close.


    A sense of disbelief washed over Orion. He knew his own capabilities well enough to understand that, with his cheat-like abilities and powerful area-of-effect attacks, he could potentially rack up a simr body count.


    His curses granted him overwhelming destructive force, making mass ughter almost effortless if he chose to go that route. But what about Zeref? What kind of abilities did this man possess to outpace everyone so decisively?


    "Who is he? His strength might be on par with mine!"


    Orion thought, but decided not to dwell on it. He knew they were bound to meet sooner orter¡ªit was only a matter of time.


    With that, Orion headed in the direction where he had sensed people earlier. Flying through the air, he arrived at a rectangr park in the middle of a city. Flowers of various colors bloomed around a small pond, where ducks swam peacefully on the surface.


    At this moment, a group of ten participants was fighting among themselves. Orion didn''t recognize any of them. None were from Nio, and even if one of them had been someone he knew, he doubted he would spare them.


    "An easy few kill points¡ª" Orion was about to attack when something caught his attention¡ªa flicker of red light. His eyes narrowed as he noticed small, glowing red knives materializing behind the necks of each participant.


    Before he could react, the knives moved with blinding speed. In a single, synchronized motion, they sliced cleanly through the throats of every participant. There was no sound¡ªjust the eerie stillness as heads detached and tumbled to the ground. The sheer precision and cold efficiency of the strike left Orion stunned.


    It was over in an instant, the battlefield now littered with the headless bodies of those who had been alive moments before and only a momentter these headless bodies with their heads disappeared from the battlefield.


    "That''s one clean way to kill," Orion muttered in surprise. The attack was silent and wless; none of the participants had seen iting.


    Just then, Orion''s eyes narrowed as he sidestepped swiftly to his right. A knife passed through the spot where he had just been standing¡ªa small, red, glowing knife.


    "Killing me won''t be this easy," Orion chuckled, looking around for the hidden attacker.


    He couldn''t spot the assant yet, but he was sure they were nearby. There was no way someone could control the knives from afar.


    Suddenly, another knife materialized in front of him.


    "Huh?"


    Orion quickly nced around and saw knives appearing on all sides¡ªfront, back, left, and right. One appeared above him, and another below. He waspletely surrounded by six knives, each emitting a deadly aura.


    In no time, the six red knives moved toward him, aiming for his vital points.


    Orion sneered, and a spiral of wind began to swirl around his body. The wind spun so rapidly it formed a sphere, with Orion at its center. When the six knives reached the swirling winds, they were deflected and blown away in random directions.


    "Interesting," Orion muttered, scanning the park for the attacker. He knew they couldn''t be far.


    "I say,e out and we''ll have a fair duel!" Orion shouted, but there was no response.


    Swish! ng!


    At that moment, another knife came flying toward his neck from behind, but Orion blocked it with his sword just in time.


    "You''re quite good at blocking my knives so swiftly and effectively," a voice echoed from behind.


    Orion sensed a presence and turned to see a triangr-faced young man with long ck hair covering one of his eyes. The man looked at Orion as if observing an interesting test subject.


    "So, it was you attacking everyone sneakily," Orion said with a smile.


    The attacker smiled and bowed slightly before introducing himself. "I am Michael. And you?"


    Orion, intrigued by the introduction, responded, "I am Ray Wiser. But why reveal yourself? If you had stayed hidden, I''d have needed time to find you. You could''ve attacked me multiple times."


    Michael smiled craftily. "My way of hunting is honorable. I can kill as many as I want from a distance, hidden away safely. But when I meet a worthy opponent, I reveal myself and introduce myself before finishing them. That is my way of hunting."


    Orion raised his brows, clearly not expecting such an answer.


    "So, you''re confident you can kill me, even after seeing me remain unharmed by your earlier attacks?" Orion asked with a smile, surprised by the man''s confidence.


    "That''s why I''m here," Michael replied with a sly grin. "The closer I am to my knives, the more powerful they be and the more control I have over them."


    He continued, "You''re worthy enough for me toe here myself. It''s an honor for both of us."


    Orion nodded in understanding. "Thene on and attack me. Let''s see if you''re worthy enough for me or not."


    "I''ve already attacked," Michael said with a smirk.


    ---


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 Chapter 360 360. Honored Demise

    Orion''s eyes narrowed as he looked up, sensing something. He saw ten knives speeding toward him at incredible speed.


    He swiftly used the wind to retreat, creating distance between himself and the knives.


    "It''s not that easy to get away from my knives," Michael smiled lightly.


    At that moment, the knives that were falling suddenly changed direction and flew toward Orion, their speed skyrocketing.


    Seeing this, Orion took off and flew in a random direction, the knives closely following behind him.


    From the corner of his eye, he saw that Michael was also flying, staying just behind the knives, keeping a close distance.


    ''So, he needs to maintain a close distance to his knives to have this level of control,'' Orion thought, suddenly swinging his sword and releasing a wave of wind, blowing the knives away.


    "Is that it?" Orion asked. It wasn''t hard to deal with the knives in the sky since they were airborne. He just had to use a little wind to blow them away.


    "That''s not even the beginning," Michael smiled and summoned ten more knives, which once again surrounded Orion from all directions.


    "You can summon your knives anytime from anywhere?" Orion asked in surprise. He had expected Michael to have an ability like his Electrostatic Description, allowing him to control projectiles as he wished, or perhaps telekinesis, but now it seemed to be something different.


    Michael smiled. "I can do much more with these knives than you can imagine."


    As he said this, he waved his hand, causing the knives surrounding Orion to once again move toward him, aiming to cut him into pieces.


    "If that''s all you''ve got, then it''s time I finish this," Orion said seriously, releasing a storm of wind that blew all ten knives away before they could get close. He vanished from his position.


    "No!" Michael shouted urgently and summoned another wave of knives in front of him.


    ng!


    Orion''s sword collided with the knives that acted as a defense for Michael, breaking them apart and blowing them away with the wind, revealing a defenseless Michael with a panicked face.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Anyst words or tricks before I send you off?" Orion asked.


    "I''m not a failure when ites to hunting!" Michael shouted, his eyes turning red.


    Orion wondered what had suddenly gotten into him when he sensed a very dangerous aura emanating from Michael''s body.


    ''I have to finish this quickly!''


    Orion quickly condensed all the wind around his sword and swung it down.


    ng!


    However, at thest possible moment, when his sword was about to hit Michael, something blocked the attack, sounding like metal shing with metal.


    Michael was sent flying by the force of the attack, even though it was blocked. He came to a stop mid-air, just before crashing into a building.


    "That is¡ª"


    Orion was shocked when he saw what had blocked his sword.


    "¡ªA sword!"


    It was a massive sword, formed from arge number of knives stacked together to create one giant de.


    Its size was twice that of a normal human being.


    "This is my ultimate attack, which I call Honored Demise. Those who are killed by this sword receive the highest honor of dying by my strongest attack. And you, Ray Wiser, will have the chance to experience it." Michael yelled, blood leaking from his eyes and nose.


    The sword, made of countless knives, suddenly moved, its edge aiming toward Orion.


    "That''s a very strong auraing from that sword, or whatever you call it," Orion said, looking at Michael.


    "Of course it''s strong. After all, it''s my strongest attack," Michaelughed. "Very few in the same rank have ever survived this attack. I think your chances are slim."


    Orion smiled wryly, shaking his head in disbelief. Even now, he was being underestimated by his enemy. He sighed deeply.


    "One swing," Orion said solemnly, looking at Michael. "One swing of my sword is all I need to kill you."


    "One swing?" Michael''s face twisted in anger. "Are you mocking me? I''ve taken you seriously this whole time, even giving you the honor of dying by my strongest attack, and now you mock me?"


    Orion shook his head as he prepared his attack. "The truth is, I never took you seriously. From the moment you appeared, you''ve been nothing but a ything, a way to pass the time while I searched for my friends."


    He added, "Very few can truly challenge me, and sadly, you''re not one of them."


    "No! What are you talking about?" Michael stepped back, disbelief written on his face. "I''m strong! Everyone should take me seriously! Everyone should be honored to fight me, to die by my strongest attack! And you''re no exception.


    I''ll kill you!"


    With bloodshot eyes, Michael waved his hand. "Honored Demise, kill him!" he shouted.


    At this moment, Orion had gathered a significant amount of wind energy on his sword. The air around the de vibrated with intensity, the force of the wind causing the sword to tremble in his firm grip.


    His Berserk Body ability amplified his strength, allowing him to control the overwhelming power more easily, but the sword''s trembling made it clear just how much energy he had condensed onto it.


    To an outside observer, the de might seem merely coated with a thinyer of wind, swirling lightly along its edges. But only Orion could feel the storm surging within.


    The concentrated wind was like a coiled serpent ready to strike¡ªa force that could unleash devastating destruction the moment it was released. He had no doubt that the sword in his hands, seemingly calm on the outside, was a weapon of unimaginable power at this moment.


    "Alright, let''s finish this."


    With those words, Orion swung his sword down with swift precision. For a moment, there was an eerie stillness, as if the air itself held its breath. The massive sword that had been descending toward him seemed unstoppable¡ªuntil, without warning, it split cleanly in two. The fragments shattered, dispersing into the wind as though they had been obliterated by an unseen force.


    But Orion''s attack didn''t stop there. Michael, who had been watching in disbelief as his sword was destroyed, found himself caught in the same fate. A fine line appeared down the center of his body, and in an instant, he was split in two from head to toe.


    His two halves began to fall toward the ground, but before they could make contact, they vanished into thin air, disappearing as though erased from existence.


    The wind that had been silently coiled around Orion''s de had done its work, leaving only emptiness where Michael once stood.


    "Welp, I used too much power," Orion sighed before flying off toward the forest in the distance. He suspected Tracy and Erza might not be in the city, so he needed to search elsewhere.


    ---


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 Chapter 361 361. Trial of Heart

    Orion quickly flew out of the city and headed straight for the forest ahead.


    "I guess I can''t fly here."


    He thought as he decided to move on the ground once he reached the forest''s entrance. He figured that if Tracy and Erza were inside the forest, he might not be able to spot them if he flew through the air. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    Moreover, he saw smoke rising from different parts of the forest, fallen trees scattered about, andndslides all around. Seeing this, Orion was sure the forest had be a battlefield, just like the city he came from.


    "This whole Dreamshore is a battlefield, I guess."


    Orion ran through the forest at high speed, constantly searching for Tracy and the others, but luck seemed to be against him. After running for half an hour, he hadn''t encountered anyone¡ªnot even a single human.


    "It''s strange. From outside, the forest looked likeplete chaos, but now that I''m inside, it''s so peaceful all of a sudden."


    Orion felt something was wrong. It was too peaceful. He couldn''t hear the sounds of battle or the roar of beasts. It was as if he was the only being left in the world.


    "Let''s see from above."


    Orion was about to take flight to get a better view of the situation when suddenly the ground beneath him and the surrounding area began to wobble.


    "Is this some kind of illusion?"


    He eximed in shock as he attempted to fly, only to find himselfnding back on the ground. He was confused. He was sure he had taken off, so how had he suddenlynded?


    "Wait a minute! This isn''t a forest."


    After looking around, he realized he was no longer in the forest. He saw many other participants standing around him, some appearing just as confused as he was, while others seemed excited.


    [Wee to the Trial of Heart, Ray Wiser.]


    "Trial of Heart?"


    Orion was confused about what was happening.


    "Wasn''t this assessment supposed to be a battle royale?" he muttered, not understanding what was going on.


    Just then, a notification appeared before his eyes, detailing the Trial of Heart.


    [Trial of Heart¡ªOne of the three trials spread throughout Dreamshore. Sessfully passing this trial will grant apass directing you to the other two trials. Most importantly, the reward for passing the Trial of Heart is a chance toprehend the true name of your Divine Soul.]


    Orion was shocked. The reward for passing the trial was astounding¡ªa chance toprehend the true name of one''s Divine Soul.


    "Damn, this trial is overpowered!"


    Orion''s eyes gleamed with excitement. The trial seemed amazing.


    "But wait... We still can''t summon our Divine Souls in the Gold Rank in this world, right? You need to be tinum Rank to do that."


    Orion didn''t understand how they would achieve the reward, but he wasn''tining. He figured that if they nned to offer such a reward, they must have thought it through.


    [To enter the trial, pass through the mist surrounding this ce. You will find yourself in the first of the three tests of the Trial of Heart.]


    Orion understood. He looked around and noticed that many participants were already passing through the mist, while others stood or sat, seemingly pondering something.


    "What''s with them?"


    He didn''t understand what had happened to them, nor did he care. After reading the description of the Trial of Heart, Orion didn''t waste any time and entered the mist surrounding the area.


    The mist was a mixture of white and blue, and it felt like he was passing through clouds.


    Soon, Orion found himself standing in a modest room. The space was small, containing only a bed, a simple study table, and aputer. The walls were in, giving the room an unremarkable appearance, save for the quiet, emotional atmosphere that filled the air.


    Beside the table, a man of thirty year sat in a chair, his shoulders trembling as tears streamed down his face.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His gaze was fixed on theputer screen, eyes filled with gratitude and joy. He smiled, though the expression was one of relief, as though the sight on the screen was the answer to a long-held hope.


    Each tear that fell seemed to carry a weight, a mixture of sorrow and overwhelming happiness, as he continued to silently cry, unaware of Orion''s presence.


    "This... this scene..."


    Orion''s heart began to race as he observed.


    "I passed! I passed the exam! Now I can finally get a stable government job and live a happy life," the man muttered through his tears, feeling that all his hard work had been worth it.


    Orion''s expression became serious as he watched.


    Soon, the scene shifted, and Orion found himself in an office. There were tables and chairs arranged everywhere, with many people working atputers and documenting files. However, Orion''s attention was immediately drawn to a familiar figure in the distance.


    It was the same man who had just passed the exam andnded a job.


    The man worked happily, chatting with a woman seated beside him. He happilyughed and talked with his colleagues as he worked and chatted even more happily with the woman who sat beside him at work.


    After work, the man returned home, cooked a simple meal, ate in the quietfort of his solitude, and went to bed with a sense of satisfaction. The routine might have seemed mundane, but he relished it.


    The next day, he returned to the office, maintaining a cheerful attitude while developing a close rtionship with the woman. They chatted as they worked together.


    As time passed, his excitement grew. He began arriving early at the office, waiting eagerly for her. It wasn''t long before their colleagues noticed the bond between them, but no one interfered. They were both dedicated workers, admired for their passion andmitment. The growing rtionship only seemed to enhance their performance.


    Five years slipped by. The man was now thirty-five, his features showing signs of age, yet the fire in his eyes burned with the same intensity. His energy hadn''t waned; if anything, the years had deepened his passion for both his work and the bond he''d built. The connection he''d forged over time, steady and unspoken, had be the most important part of his life.


    ---


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 Chapter 362 362. Life of Orion Stark

    This very day, he was dressed in a special way. He wore a kurta and pajama, not the regr kind, but the ones worn for special asions. The outfit was orange with bright gold ents.


    The scene changed, and a man and a woman could be seen circling around a pit of mes. Many men and women surrounded them,ughing happily as they watched.


    The man and woman were getting married. It was the same woman the man had met in the office, the same woman he was excited about meeting every day, and the woman with whom he would spend the rest of his life.


    The scene changed again, and Orion saw them build their own house. They left the apartment they had been living in and moved into their new home.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After that, they began to live a happy life.


    But only a yearter did true happinesse to them. The man became a father, and the woman became a mother. It was a moment of pure joy for them.


    Their child was a boy who brought tears of happiness to their lives that day.


    Orion watched as the child grew up, and the man and woman lived a joyful life.


    Three years passed just like that.


    It was the child''s first time going to school. The man and woman smiled happily as they sent their child off for his first day.


    More years passed, and they were blessed with a daughter, adding another source of happiness to their lives.


    Orion watched as the boy and girl grew under the loving care of the man and woman. He saw how happy the family of four became. He watched as the boy grew older, and so did the girl, while the man and woman also began to age.


    More time passed, and soon it was time for the boy to get married. Orion watched his wedding, saw how happy the man and woman were, and how the girl smiled, seeing her brother getting married.


    More years passed, and the man and woman were blessed with a granddaughter. They were filled with joy as they yed with her every day.


    Finally, it was the girl''s turn to get married. Orion saw her wedding and the happiness in the eyes of the man and woman, now quite old. Wrinkles marked their faces, but their joy at seeing their daughter''s happiness was evident.


    Yearster, they were blessed with a grandson, and by then, they had grown very old. Yet, the man and woman continued to live happily.


    Time passed, and Orion saw the man and woman''s family grow, their granddaughters and grandsons growing up. He watched as the man and woman aged, their hair turning white.


    More time passed, and the man reached the end of his life. He was sitting on a chair, looking outside through the window of their house when he suddenly turned his head toward where Orion stood, causing him to step back in shock.


    "I am happy," the old man said. "I''ve lived my whole life happily. I experienced everything¡ªhard work, love, growing old, and now, soon, death. But I am content with my life."


    The old man then looked seriously at Orion and asked, "Are you happy with your life?"


    Orion stood there in shock. Was he happy with his life? He didn''t know.


    Looking at the old man, who somewhat resembled him, Orion became emotional. From the moment he saw the man crying happily while looking at theputer monitor, he understood that the man was none other than him¡ªOrion Stark.


    But there was one difference. While he had failed the exam by one mark, the man had passed it.


    That was where their lives diverged¡ªone died and transmigrated, while the other lived a happy life.


    "Am I happy? Am I happy with my life? My life? Which life?" Orion asked himself as his expression darkened. "Am I Orion Darkwood or Orion Stark?" He couldn''t understand what had just happened.


    Before witnessing these scenes, he was sure about his identity. He was certain he was Orion Darkwood¡ªor so he thought.


    "I know I''m from Earth and transmigrated into this body of Orion Darkwood, so why did I assume the role of Orion Darkwood sopletely? Why does it feel like the thirty years I spent on Earth are just a fleeting memory, a distant dream from a forgotten past?"


    Orion clutched his head, a wave of disorientation crashing over him. The scenes he had just witnessed¡ªthe entire life of the man¡ªyed in his mind like a relentless reel, repeating over and over again.


    No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t shake the images; they felt permanently etched into his consciousness, haunting him with every passing second. Each frame seemed carved deep into his mind, and the more he tried to push them away, the stronger they held on.


    Paired with his growing existential crisis, it was all bing too much. The overwhelming weight of it pressed down on him, leaving him struggling to understand what was happening. His sense of self blurred, and reality became a chaotic mess he couldn''t unravel.


    ''My life¡­ it was supposed to go smoothly, like what I saw just now. So what happened? Why am I here?''


    Orion thought as he bent down, clutching his head. "No, I am Orion Darkwood¡­ but am I really Orion Darkwood? What if these memories of E, Emily, Father, and Mother that I cherish most are just making me believe I''m Orion Darkwood? What if these memories make me think I experienced them?"


    He could no longer distinguish between what was real and what wasn''t. His mind was a foggy mess, swirling with uncertainty and doubt. It felt as though he was observing his own life through a cloudy window, disconnected from everything around him.


    Once sharp and decisive, his thoughts now blurred, unable to tell reality from illusion. He questioned every memory, every feeling, unsure if any of it was real. The confusion gnawed at him relentlessly, eroding his sense of truth and plunging him into a haze of doubt.


    "Why is this happening to me? My perception stat is maxed out at each rank. I should be mentally strong enough to handle all of this, so why am I feeling so much pain in my heart? Why can''t I understand anything? Who am I?"


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 Chapter 363 363. Did you find the blank pages?

    ''Who am I?''


    The question echoed in Orion''s mind, repeating endlessly like a loop of words.


    Oriony on his back, staring at the sky, his eyes and expression lost in confusion.


    He couldn''tprehend how his mental state had weakened so abruptly, as if a dam within him had cracked, letting all the negativity he had suppressed rush in. Every day, he fought fiercely against the dark emotions birthed from the Curse Transformation, battling thoughts of despair, anger, and fear.


    He refused to give in, convinced that as long as he held strong, nothing could bring him down. He believed he had fortified his mind through relentless effort, tempering his will with every mental struggle by practicing in the state of Curse Transformation.


    The constant battles had made him feel invincible, as if no darkness could prate his defenses. He had faced so many challenges, always believing he''de out stronger.


    Despite all his efforts, the shadows seemed to close in, leaving him exposed, vulnerable, and confused. He had no idea how this weakness had slipped through the cracks in his once-unshakeable resolve.


    And only now, he could see how wrong he had been.


    All those efforts, all the endless hours of mental fortification, the grueling moments spent strengthening his will, had crumbled when it truly mattered. All the training, the discipline, the mental fortitude he''d built¡ªnone of it had prepared him for this overwhelming copse. His mind had betrayed him when he needed it most.


    Still, he knew he had to be stronger than this. After everything he''d endured, breaking now would make all those struggles meaningless¡ªjust because of an identity crisis, just because he couldn''t understand who he truly was, just because he didn''t know his real self.


    No, he wouldn''t allow himself to falter. He had ovee too much to let this be the moment of his downfall. But before he could move forward, he needed rity. He had to understand how it all started¡ªwhat had triggered this crisis?


    ''How did this happen?''


    Orion was sure he had been fine¡ªuntil he saw the life of Orion Stark. Everything went downhill after that.


    Your next journey awaits at empire


    ''Why did I get affected by seeing his life?''


    Orion knew it wasn''t real. The real Orion Stark was him. Yet, he couldn''t understand why those scenes affected him so much if they weren''t real.


    ''Let''s forget about it. The memories of Orion Darkwood and Orion Stark are still inside me, making me technically both of them. What I need to figure out is who I really am.''


    Orion sighed, standing up. He had calmed down since his initial breakdown and could now think more clearly.


    ''But it won''t be that easy. I need to find the one person who transmigrated all those humans from Earth into the world of the three domains.''


    Orion''s resolve hardened as he set a goal: to find the person who had transmigrated him. Only that person would know his true identity.


    Taking a deep breath, he pushed aside the identity crisis and focused on the task at hand¡ªthe trial of heart. Turning his attention to the old man who was still watching him, Orion said, "I was sad that I failed the exam. Really, really sad. And then I died and came to this magical world. But if you ask if I''m truly happy... I don''t know.


    I don''t understand what it means to be happy. Is it a happy ending? A happy life? Is it our life experiences? I guess I''ll figure it out eventually, but right now, I don''t have an answer."


    The old man nodded and smiled mysteriously. "You''re tougher than I thought. I tried to y with you, to break you mentally by using your one weakness, hoping to bring out the best version of you. But now it seems I was wrong the whole time. You''ve proven me wrong. You''re not ready yet, stillcking in many aspects.


    Ray Wiser, Orion Darkwood, or Orion Stark? Which name do you prefer?"


    Orion''s eyes widened in shock. "Who are you? Are you the one who transmigrated me into this world? Tell me!" he shouted anxiously.


    "Who am I, you ask? That''s a foolish question. Don''t you know who I really am, Orion?" the old man replied with a light smile.


    Orion frowned. He didn''t understand what the old man was getting at. "I know you aren''t me, so drop the act."


    "Huh, you''ve gotten smarter," the old man said with a soft smile. "You''re right, I''m not you. What I am doesn''t matter in this world, both materially and subjectively."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Are you the one responsible for transmigrating me and many other humans?" Orion asked again.


    The old man didn''t respond and instead looked out the window. "Tell me, are you happy?"


    "Heh? I asked if you were the one who transmigrated us. Answer me¡ªwhy did you do it? Who am I?" Orion shouted, stepping closer.


    The old man turned back to Orion. "Did you find the nk pages, Orion?"


    Orion narrowed his eyes. "So, it was you who told me to find those nk pages?"


    He continued, "Who are you really? What do you want from me? I have so many questions about myself, about this world. Answer me!"


    The old man''s expression turned serious. "The nk pages hold a power no one can imagine. You must find them before they fall into the wrong hands. Otherwise, this world will be doomed¡ªeven the three heroes may not be able to save it."


    "nk pages? Three heroes?" Orion understood the first part but waspletely lost on the second. "Old man, what are you talking about?"


    At that moment, the old man''s figure began to blur. "It seems I must go now," the old man said, turning to Orion. "Until next time." He smiled before disappearing.


    "No! Answer me! Who are you? Please tell me!" Orion shouted, but the old man was gone, vanished into nothingness.


    Just as the old man disappeared the world shattered like a broken mirror, and suddenly Orion found himself standing among the other participants in the hall.


    [Participant Ray Wiser has passed the first test of the Trial of Heart¡ªTest of Will. You may proceed with the second test.]


    A notification appeared in his vision, but Orion wasn''t in the mood to acknowledge it.


    ''Damn it! Who was that man? How did he know my real name? What does he want with me? Was he the one who transmigrated us?''


    So many questions raced through his mind, but he had no answers. He felt like a nk canvas, filled only with doubt and uncertainty.


    ''He told me to find the nk pages and said they were dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands. Does that mean if I collect them all, I''ll have a chance to meet him again?''


    Orion wondered, desperate for answers. This was the only clue, the only way he could think of to meet that old man again.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 364 364. First Time Taking a heavy beating!

    Whoever that old man was, he definitely knew many things.


    Orion was sure of his conjecture. The old man was far too mysterious, and half of what he said went directly over Orion''s head. Orion also had the sense that the old man was deliberately avoiding his questions.


    ''I have to find him.''


    Orion clenched his fists in determination. He added another goal to his list. Now, there was one more reason for him to venture into the domain of the Archons. He believed if there was any ce where he might locate the old man, it would be there.


    That ce remained a mystery to him, but he was certain it held many secrets. Now, everything seemed to be pushing him to enter the domain of the Archons.


    ''I''lle after the assessment. Just wait for me.''


    Orion calmed himself further, taking a deep breath and letting it out.


    ''Let''s see what I''ve got.''


    He then checked the notification and was surprised to find he had passed, considering what he had gone through.


    ''The test must have been manipted by that old man.''


    As he thought about this, his expression grew serious. The ability to alter reality at will was the ultimate power, and that man had casually interfered with the assessment, toyed with him, and left.


    This was enough to tell Orion that whoever the old man was, his strength far surpassed his own.


    "Let''s finish this trial of heart first."


    With that thought, Orion began walking into the mist and disappeared from sight.


    Momentster, he appeared on a street. It was a street very familiar to him, as it was the same one he had been seeing for almost three months. This street was located just across from Orion''s house on Nio, in Masturi City.


    "Yo, Ray, I''m your opponent." A young man appeared in front of him and called out lightly.


    Orion nodded. "Alright, so I just have to defeat you to pass this test?" he asked.


    "It''s not that simple." The young man smirked before flicking his fingers.


    Bang!


    Orion was sted sideways, his body hurtling through the air before crashing into the side of a building. The structure gave way under the force of the impact, copsing in on itself as Orion''s body tore through it, leaving a trail of destruction.


    Dust and debris filled the air, the crumbled remains of the building settling around him as he finally came to a stop amidst the wreckage. His bodyy still for a moment, surrounded by the ruined stone and shattered beams, before he began to stir.


    "What just happened?"


    Orion felt as if this trial of heart was one big dream, as everything happening seemed impossible to him.


    ''It''s been a while since I''ve been hit this hard.''


    Floating out of the wreckage of the building he had crashed into, Orion felt pain all over his body. He quickly activated the Curse of Sacrificial Renewal, and the pain disappeared.


    "Oh, you''re a tough one." The young man appeared again, floating in the air just like Orion.


    Orion looked at him with a frown. "What is this test? And what do I need to do to win?" Considering the young man''s strength, Orion believed that even if he used his full power, he might still lose.


    Thest time the young man flicked his fingers, Orion had paid close attention, yet he hadn''t seen anything before being tossed aside like an insect.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This led Orion to believe that the young man wasn''t a participant but an NPC¡ªthat was the only thing that came to mind.


    The young man spread his arms wide. "That''s for you to figure out. If I told you everything, it wouldn''t be much of a test, would it?"


    With those words, he snapped his fingers again.


    Bang!


    Orion was once more thrown into the building he had just crashed into, this time passing through it and crashing into another one, demolishing both.


    "Hey, will you stop for a bit?"


    Orion asked, emerging from the debris. His clothes were torn, his skin was bleeding in ces, and his hair was disheveled.


    "Ah, you''re fine again!" The young man frowned. "Such a strong body can only be achieved if you''ve maxed out your constitution stat, yet you have a talent that enhances your speed."


    Orion grew cautious, seeing that the NPC was bing suspicious of his unusually strong body, but he kept his expression neutral. "What can I say? I''ve got speed, so I needed a body that could take a beating." He shrugged.


    The young man chuckled. "And it''s certainly taking a lot of beating. Let''s see how long you canst, though."


    He snapped his fingers once more.


    "No!!"


    Orion''s shout echoed throughout the empty city, reverberating off the silent streets and abandoned structures as his body hurtled through the air. Discover stories at empire


    He crashed through one building, then another, the force sending debris flying in all directions. Each impact rattled his bones, and dust filled the air, but he couldn''t stop the momentum until, atst, he came to a halt in the wreckage of a crumbling structure. The city remained eerily still, the only sound his ragged breathing as hey amidst the rubble.


    "That would''ve hurt."


    Oriony on the debris, reflecting on the situation. He realized that his body was incredibly durable. Being beaten like this was rare for him, so he didn''t often get to test the limits of his resilience. But now he felt it¡ªhis body was incredibly strong.


    Despite crashing through multiple buildings, the damage was minimal¡ªmere scratches on his skin. No broken bones, no internal injuries. The pain that did shoot through him was muted by the Curse of Sacrificial Renewal, leaving himrgely unscathed.


    He flexed his fingers and moved his limbs, reassured by theck of serious injury. His body was far stronger than he''d given it credit for. This durability... this strength. It was a reminder of how far he hade.


    "Interesting, your body is insanely durable. To survive such powerful crashes with only scratches... You''re very strong, Ray Wiser." The young man appeared in front of him, examining him closely.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 365 365. Trial of Courage

    "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 missileunched 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 annihted 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.


    Oriony 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. Thest 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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¡ªit''s about epting 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 ept my defeat."


    p! p! p!


    "Good, very good," the young manughed 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 ss, 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¡ªTest of Courage. You may proceed to the final test.]


    Orion smiled lightly at the notification, eager toplete 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 when there are hundreds ofs 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¡ªfor me, at least."


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


    The young manughed. "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 thest 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 epting death."


    "Is that so?" Orion said, curious but dismissing the thought. "Well, it doesn''t matter now. Just tell me if I canprehend 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 onlypleted the Trial of Heart. The other two¡ªTrial of Mind and Trial of Body¡ªare 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 exined.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 366 366. A Henchmen of Someone

    "Why did the notification say that one couldprehend the true name of their Divine Soul just by passing the Trial of Heart, but now you''re saying something else?" Orion asked, voicing his confusion.


    "Ah, maybe you saw or heard wrong." The young man shrugged. "Or maybe it was made this way just to get people to participate in the trials. Who knows what the people above me are thinking?"


    Orion didn''t like the vagueness of the answer, but there wasn''t much he could do about it. "I''m fine with it."


    "Alright then, I''ll send you out." The young man said. "Best of luck with your other trials."


    As the young man finished speaking, Orion found himself back in the forest, the exact spot where he had disappeared before starting the Trial of Heart.


    ''I''m back.''


    He said to himself, ncing around.


    ''I guess I should look for the other two trials. By the time I''m done with them, the numbers should be down significantly.''


    He began nning his next move.


    ''I didn''t find Tracy or Erza anywhere, so they''re either far from me, or I''m just unlucky.''


    Though worried about them, he knew there was nothing he could do if he couldn''t find them.


    ''Let''s justplete the other trials and hope I find them along the way.''


    Orion made his decision and opened the red dot in his vision. Instantly, a radar-like interface appeared before him, disying three distinct markers. One marker was a white triangr icon, while the other two were colored circles¡ªone blue and the other green.


    The interface was eerily familiar, reminding Orion of the maps he used to see in video games back on Earth. Theyout, the icons, and even the smooth transitions felt like something straight out of a game. Experience tales at empire


    ''The triangle must represent my location, and the blue and green circles should indicate the locations of the other two trials.''


    He reasoned while noticing that the blue icon was closest to the triangle. Deciding to head there first, he prepared to move.


    ''Let''s get going.''


    Using the Stormcaller curse and Blinding Speed, Orion vanished, racing through the forest toward the blue icon.


    As Orion made his way through the forest, he encountered various participants attempting to kill him. Some attacked him individually, while others grouped together, hoping to overwhelm him. But Orion eliminated them all with swift precision, moving forward without hesitation. Those who didn''t engage him, he ignored¡ªhis focus was on something far more important.


    He realized that the key to this final assessment likelyy inprehending the true names of their Divine Souls, a crucial step in advancing his power. Achieving that understanding was his priority before anything else, and with that in mind, he pressed on.


    The primary objective was to be among thest 200 standing in Dreamshore. Orion knew he had to bnce survival with personal growth, and this moment was pivotal.


    Soon, he left the dense forest behind, emerging onto a vast in. The grass here was a mix of green and brown, stretching out before him. The open space gave him a clearer view of the terrain ahead.


    "Haha, found you!"


    A chuckle sounded behind him just as a blue sword came flying toward him at breakneck speed.


    Reacting quickly, Orion drew his sword and swung down.


    ng!


    The ground shattered beneath them as their swords collided, sending sparks in all directions.


    Orion frowned, feeling the strength behind the sword.


    ''Strange.''


    Activating his Berserk Body curse, Orion overpowered the sword, sending it flying back. The de tumbled across the ground beforeing to a stop.


    ''Where is he?''


    The voice he heard was male, but when he looked around, there was no one in sight¡ªonly the blue-glowing sword.


    "No wonder the boss said you''re special."


    Again, Orion heard the voice, but this time it came from the direction of the sword.


    "Ah, I forgot. I''m in weapon form."


    The voice sounded again, and Orion realized it wasn''ting from a person but from the sword itself.


    "You don''t have to frown," the voice continued. "I am the sword, or you could say the sword is me."


    The blue sword floated off the ground, shed with blue light, and transformed into a human¡ªa man with long blue hair.


    "Ray Wiser. I''ve been looking for you since the assessment began, and I came here specifically for you," the man said, smiling.


    "For me?" Orion was surprised. "Last I checked, I wasn''t famous enough to be targeted."


    The blue-haired man chuckled. "You''re right. You''re not famous or strong enough to be well-known in our domain, but our boss, the greatest woman who ever lived, said there are two special people in this assessment."


    Orion didn''t understand what this guy was talking about, but he yed along. "Two people? Who''s the other one?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The blue-haired man scratched his head for a moment before answering with hesitation. "I don''t really remember... Lark... Nark... or was it Mark?"


    "Mark Prince?" Orion said, the name slipping out subconsciously.


    "Yeah! Mark Prince!" The blue-haired man snapped his fingers, pointing at Orion. "Our boss mentioned that you and Mark Prince are the two special people in this entire final assessment."


    "Oh?" Orion frowned, realizing someone had taken notice of their strength. ''Did our stunt where Mark and I racedst time get leaked?''


    Looking at the man in front of him, Orion didn''t recognize him, which meant he wasn''t from one of the five cities on Nio. If he wasn''t from the, then his boss wasn''t either.


    But that raised a problem. If they weren''t from Nio, how did this boss know they were special?


    "Is your boss also participating?" Orion asked.


    The blue-haired man smiled. "Of course. She''s at the top of the rankings, you know," he said proudly.


    Orion''s eyes narrowed. ''Top of the ranking... Zeref!'' He couldn''t believe the boss this person was talking about was the number one on the ranking¡ªZeref¡ªand that Zeref was a woman.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 367 367. Too Confident...

    "So, what do you want? To eliminate me?" Orion asked, smiling.


    The blue-haired man sneered. "You''re right. I''m here to kill you. Our boss has given you and Mark a special status and ordered us to kill you both at any cost, and that''s exactly what I''m going to do." His body began to glow with a bright blue aura.


    Orion smiled at his confidence. "Alright, then show me what you''ve got," he said, beckoning him with his hand.


    "Hehe," the blue-haired man chuckled before he shot towards Orion, transforming into six blue swords flying at an insane speed.


    Orion''s grin widened as he activated Blinding Speed, vanishing from his spot in an instant. His figure reappeared right in front of the six iing swords, moving so fast that only a blur could be seen. With a swift thrust of his own de, he countered the assault.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The sh of metal reverberated through the air as each of the six swords was deflected effortlessly. His strikes were precise, sending the des spinning off into the distance, leaving them tumbling helplessly through the air.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "If that''s all you''ve got, you''re sorely mistaken if you think you can kill me," Orion chuckled.


    "Oh, this is just the beginning," a voice came from one of the six swords. Suddenly, the swords shimmered and multiplied. One became two, two became four, and soon the air was filled with swords. They kept replicating, their numbers doubling over and over until 128 glowing blue swords hovered around Orion, encircling himpletely.


    The swords hummed with power, their blue light casting an eerie glow across the battlefield. Each sword pointed directly at him, leaving no room for escape, and the pressure in the air grew heavier as the swords prepared to strike.


    "How is it? Do you like it?" A smirk sounded from one of the swords.


    Orion nced around, realizing he was surrounded. There was no gap for escape.


    "Haha, after I eliminate you, I''ll get the reward, and then... Hehehe," the voice from one of the swords said.


    "Don''t be happy too soon," Orion smiled as he stored his sword and pped his hands.


    A momentter, he opened them, revealing a small swirling tornado in his palm.


    "Do you know what this is?" Orion asked, pointing at the small tornado.


    "You think that wind can stop me? You''re wrong! Nothing can stop me!" the voiceughed. "Here Ie!"


    All the swords surrounding Orion descended on him from every side.


    Orion smiled confidently as he unleashed the true power of his technique. The small swirling vortex in his hand expanded with a roar, instantly transforming into a massive grey tornado that shot up toward the sky like a column of destruction.


    The sheer force of the tornado pulled everything in its path¡ªgrass, dirt, stones¡ªall were swept up in the raging winds. The 128 glowing swords were no exception. One by one, they were drawn into the storm, helpless against the sheer might of the tornado. They swirled chaotically within it, their blue light dimming as they shed and collided with the debris.


    "No! How can a wind control me?"


    A fierce shout echoed from within the tornado, cutting through the howling winds. Suddenly, all 128 swords were expelled from the vortex, flying out in every direction. Some soared far into the distant forest, disappearing among the trees, while others crashed into the ground, shattering into fragments on impact.


    But amid the chaos, one sword defied the storm''s pull. It flew straight toward Orion, and with a swift movement, he caught it effortlessly mid-air. The blue glow of the sword pulsed faintly in his grip as he examined it, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.


    "What are you holding me for? Let me go!" The sword trembled as the voice echoed from it.


    Orion chuckled and drew his own sword. "Let''s see how strong your sword really is." He raised his sword high with his right hand, holding the transformed enemy sword in his left.


    Explore hidden tales at empire


    "Hmph! Are you trying to destroy me? What a fool! I''m a living weapon, one of the most durable in the world," the sword boasted proudly.


    "Is that so?" Orion smiled, thinking the sword had far too much confidence. "I''ve heard my sword is unbreakable, so let''s see which one is stronger."


    "Go ahead and try, but don''t me me when your sword is the one that shatters!" the sword warned.


    Orion smiled and swung his sword down onto the one in his left hand.


    *ng!*


    With a sh of bright blue light, the sword in his left hand shattered into pieces, leaving nothing but fragments on the ground.


    "No! How? No sword of the same level could break mine! How?!"


    A panicked voice escaped from the sword before it glowed and vanished from Orion''s sight.


    "That guy had too much confidence in his strength and durability," Orion shook his head.


    ''Zeref, was it? I''ll deal with you after the other two trials. Until then, eliminate as many as you can for me,'' he thought with a smile as he flew towards the direction marked by the blue circle.


    ***


    Elsewhere in Dreamshore, a woman with long white hair walked slowly around an amusement park, releasing white smoke. The park had all the attractions one would expect from a massive amusement park.


    At this moment, many people were hiding in the Ferris wheel, the pirate ship, and other rides, their faces filled with panic as they held their breath, trying to remain undetected.


    "You can''t run from me," the white-haired woman chuckled. Her pale face was strikingly beautiful.


    As she moved through the park, a wave of ice followed her. Wherever she stepped, the area froze over, turning rides and balloons into frozen sculptures.


    The people hiding in the amusement park were also frozen in ce as she slowly made her way from one end to the other.


    "Oh," the white-haired woman suddenly stopped, and with her pause, the spreading ice halted as well.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 368 368. A test for the Trial Of Mind

    "Andrew lost..." the white-haired girl muttered as she saw a blurry image of a man with ck hair swinging a sword, which then dissolved into nothing but pitch-ck darkness.


    "So, it was you, Ray, hehe." She chuckled. "I hope you remember me from ourst meeting. Yeah, I really want to know why you and that other guy are so special, so I''ve prepared some guests for you... I hope you like them. Hehehe."


    "Don''t disappoint me," she muttered, lost in thought. "Until then, let me speed-run the assessment as fast as I can so we can meet again."


    With those words, she continued walking through the amusement park, engulfing everything in ice as she transformed it into an ice pce.


    Every step she took left behind a trail of glistening ice, transforming the carousel into a majestic structure of crystalline horses, the Ferris wheel into a towering fortress of ice, and the game booths into shimmering structures adorned with intricate frost patterns.


    It was as if the very essence of winter had sprung forth from her fingertips, reshaping the park into a breathtaking ice pce that sparkled under the pale sunlight, reflecting a beauty that was both enchanting and foreboding.


    ---


    Flying at high speed, Orion appeared in front of ake. It was argeke, surrounded by nothing but ins and trees.


    At the center of theke floated a small boat, its elegant form bobbing gently on the water''s surface. The traditional design, reminiscent of ancient Chinese craftsmanship, featured intricate carvings along the sides, depicting mythical creatures and swirling clouds. The boat couldfortably fit four people at most, its polished wooden surface gleaming under the dappled sunlight.


    "Is the trial on the boat?" Orion muttered, deciding to check it out.


    ording to the map or whatever guide he had been given, this spot¡ªmarked by a blue circle¡ªwas the entrance to another trial. The only thing around him was theke and the boat, which now felt like a gateway to the unknown.


    As he took a moment to steady his thoughts, Orion suddenly sensed multiple presences approaching. Rather than hiding, he stood his ground, knowing that there was no need for secrecy. He waited for them to arrive, curiosity bubbling beneath the surface.


    A short whileter, five individuals appeared at theke''s edge¡ªtwo women and three men.


    "Oh, and we thought we were fast." One of the women chuckled, seeing that Orion was already there. She had rose-pink hair and exuded a kind of charm, though in all the wrong ways.


    "So, the boat or theke?" one of the men asked Orion. This man carried a huge broadsword on his back and had a well-built body, which led Orion to suspect he had a talent for strength.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I don''t know," Orion shrugged. "I just got here a moment before you all arrived."


    As he said this, he observed the group. Judging by how they stood apart and eyed each other warily, Orion could tell they were just random participants who happened to cross paths on their way to the trial.


    "Hey, you¡ªyeah, you who flew here¡ªgo check the boat," another man said, pointing at thest girl. She wore a golden uniform, had brown hair, a long face, and looked quite thin. The man had wild yellow hair, ear piercings, and an aggressive demeanor.


    "Humph, why tell me to go when your friend over there can fly too?" the girl sneered, pointing at a guy who was sitting on the ground, looking bored.


    "I say we send the guy who got here first to check the boat," the bored guy on the ground chuckled. "This might be a trap, so we should be careful. Since he came before all of us, he should go first."


    "Poor guy, looks like you made a mistake by arriving before us," the rose-haired woman said mockingly to Orion.


    Orion smiled. "Since you''re all so cowardly, I guess I''ll check the boat myself."


    "Who are you calling a coward?!" the man with the broadsword roared, releasing his aura.


    "All of you," Orion replied, ncing at the group. "You don''t have the guts to check the boat, so you''re just making excuses."


    "If you''re so brave, then go!" the yellow-haired man sneered.


    "I am." Orion looked at him mockingly and flew into the air using the Curse of Stormcaller, floating toward the boat.


    As he flew, Orion scanned theke below for any signs of a trap. He had to be cautious¡ªthis was the trial''s entrance, or so he thought, based on the blue circle. The map didn''t specify if this was just the entrance or the actual trial.


    However, as he slowly approached the boat, nothing happened. Theke remained calm as hended on the boat.


    Just as he did, a notification appeared in the air above theke, written in bold letters.


    **[Entrance: Trial of Mind.]**


    **[Description: The boat holds many secrets, but its true nature is a doorway to the Mind Realm. Since this is a trial rted to the mind, only the person who steps onto the boat can enter the Mind Realm. Others may also enter¡ªif they kill the person on the boat and everyone else around the entrance to be thest one standing.]**


    Orion frowned at the message. ording to it, he was eligible to enter the Mind Realm, but only if he killed the five others present.


    ''So, it''s them too...''


    The others also had to kill everyone else before they could step onto the boat and enter the Mind Realm.


    The five participants were shocked when they saw the message. They had anticipated a trap, but this was far more difficult than expected.


    ---


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 Chapter 369 369. Fighting Among Themselves?

    "Hehe, who would have thought there''d be such a condition just to enter the Trial of Mind?" the rose-pink-haireddy chuckled lightly.


    "Only one of us can enter the Trial of Mind," the heavy-built man said as he untied the broadsword from his back. "That means the rest of you can just die." He held his massive sword in both hands, releasing a heavy pressure.


    "Sigh... I wanted to avoid fighting as much as possible, but the situation forces me to," the yellow-haired man sighed in defeat. His expression quickly darkened as he pulled out a dagger and disappeared from sight, surprising everyone.


    The only other woman, besides the pink-haireddy, flew into the air as wings appeared on her back, trying to gain an advantage in the fight while staying alert for the yellow-haired man.


    "Seriously, guys?!" The young man, who had been seated on the ground, stood up and dusted off his clothes. "Instead of fighting each other, we should eliminate him first. Otherwise, all this will be for nothing if he takes advantage of us." He pointed at Orion, who stood calmly on the boat.


    Everyone turned their attention to Orion, considering the situation. Even if one of them won the fight, it would likely be a hard-fought victory. At that point, Orion could easily eliminate thest remaining person like crushing an ant.


    This realization made the other four participants frown as they looked at Orion.


    Orion smiled, noticing their hesitation, and said, "Don''t worry. I won''t do what you''re thinking. I''ll just watch your fight and leave once I see who the victor is."


    "Hehe,e to me, and I''ll protect you if you don''t want to fight," the pink-haireddy called out to Orion, amused by his words.


    "I already have someone in my heart, so I''ll have to decline your offer," Orion sighed, shaking his head.


    "I see, what a pity," the pink-haireddy sighed in response.


    "It doesn''t matter who I kill first," the heavy-built man said, ncing at each of them. "Since I''m nning to kill all of you anyway."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he swung his sword down at the bored-looking man who had suggested attacking Orion first.


    "Damn, you really think with your muscles!" The bored-looking guy waved his hand, creating a wall of concrete from the earth.


    Bang!


    The massive broadsword smashed through the wall, but the bored-looking man had already retreated, sessfully blocking the attack.


    "Mr. Bodybuilder, we should attack that guy on the boat first, or it''ll be a disadvantage for us in the end," the girl flying in the air suggested.


    "Don''t order me around!" The heavy-built man swung his sword in the air toward the girl, releasing a wave of wind in her direction.


    The girl quickly pped her wings and moved aside, barely dodging the attack in time.


    Suddenly, a white liquid-like substance flowed out from the bored-looking man and mmed into the heavy-built man.


    Before the heavy-built man could react, the white liquid solidified, encasing him like a statue.


    "Heh, that''s the consequence of attacking me¡ª" the bored-looking guy couldn''t finish his sentence before the statue exploded, and the heavy-built man emerged.


    "Die!" he roared, swinging his sword at the bored-looking guy.


    "Damn!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The bored-looking man quickly waved his hands, releasing more white liquid that touched the surface of the broadsword, creating another wall.


    Bang!


    But the heavy sword shattered the wall easily, sending debris flying in all directions.


    "That was close," the bored-looking man muttered as he retreated.


    At that moment, pink rose petals began falling around him. The petals were strangely beautiful, but knowing it was an attack, the bored-looking man quickly waved his hands in a circr motion, creating a dome of white.


    Boom!


    The petals exploded with a bright pink light, engulfing the area in a frenzied st of color as explosions echoed all around.


    After some time, the explosions died down, leaving a pink mist in the air.


    Suddenly, a heavy sound echoed as something mmed into the ground, releasing a gust of wind that blew the mist away.


    The heavy-built man had swung his sword to clear the mist. His clothes were singed in ces, but his expression remained as serious as ever.


    Meanwhile, cracks had appeared on the surface of the dome that the bored-looking man had created, but it hadn''t fully broken when the petals exploded.


    "Damn, all of you are crazy!"


    The dome crumbled, revealing the bored-looking guy, who red at the pink-haireddy, who was giggling with her hand over her mouth.


    "You survived that, and even the big guy doesn''t seem hurt," the pink-haireddy chuckled, clearly amused that both of them had survived her attack.


    "You people are insane! I said we should attack that guy on the boat first, but instead, you started fighting me!" the bored-looking guy shouted.


    The pink-haireddy shrugged. "It''s not my fault. I saw you all busy and thought it was a good opportunity for a surprise attack, so I took it. Simple, really."


    "No!"


    A scream suddenly drew everyone''s attention back to the boat.


    They were shocked by the scene in front of them¡ªOrion was holding the yellow-haired man by the neck.


    "Guys, continue what you were doing," Orion said, smiling. "Don''t worry about him. I''ll take care of this one." He clenched the man''s neck tighter.


    "No! Let me go! I don''t want to go to the Trial of Mind! Just let me go, and I''ll run away!" the yellow-haired man begged, struggling in Orion''s grip.


    Orion smiled. "Okay." With that, he applied more pressure to his hand.


    Crack!


    A sickening crack sounded as Orion broke the yellow-haired man''s neck, and a momentter, his body disappeared.


    ---


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 Chapter 370 370. Orion Joins the battle

    "Continue," Orion said, still smiling at those on the ground. "I''ve taken care of this one."


    "Oh my, this guy is very strong," the pink rose-haireddy said, turning to the other three. "How about we take care of him first before doing anything else?"


    "That''s what I suggested earlier," the bored-looking guy red at her.


    "I agree with you on this one," thedy with wings chimed in. "Let''s kill the guy on the boat first. He seems very dangerous."


    The pink rose-haireddy nodded and looked toward the heavy-built man. "What about you?"


    "I''ll attack first and kill him in one strike," the heavy-built man shouted, bending down slightly beforeunching himself toward Orion.


    "Huh, that''s good. Let him keep that guy busy, and we''ll sneak in and take care of both at the same time," the bored-looking guy sneered, turning to the pink rose-haireddy.


    "Hehe, I like your idea a lot," the pink-haireddy giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.


    At that moment, the heavy-built man finally appeared in front of Orion, moving with surprising speed for his size. Without hesitation, he swung his massive broadsword down with the force of an avnche.


    Orion smiled calmly, his reflexes sharp as he drew his own sword in a blur of motion. With a quick upward strike, he met the descending broadsword head-on.


    ng!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The sound of metal shing reverberated across theke, sharp and intense. In an instant, one figure shot backward like a meteor, the sheer force of the collision sending the heavy-built man flying. He crashed into the ground near where the others were standing, their faces a mix of shock and awe.


    "Damn!" Thedy with wings, the pink rose-haireddy, and the bored-looking guy exchanged shocked and disbelieving nces.


    The heavy-built man was probably the strongest in terms of physicalbat power, yet he lost so miserably to the guy on the boat. He didn''t stand a chance¡ªhe was sted away like an ant, unable to even scratch the boat guy.


    "Sorry, he attacked me, so I defended myself," Orion apologized, his tone casual. "You can continue now, or shall I attend to you as well?"


    The three individuals panicked at his words.


    The bored-looking guy gritted his teeth, ncing at Orion with a helpless smile. "This guy is too strong. What should we do?"


    The pink rose-haireddy kept her usual smile. "He''s strong, I get it, but can he survive hundreds of explosions at once?"


    As she spoke, pink rose petals began flowing toward Orion. Thousands of them quietly approached from all directions.


    Orion sighed. "You''re the one I fear the least right now." He gently controlled the flow of wind, creating a 10-meter radius shield around him.


    The petals bounced back as soon as they reached the shield, unable to get any closer. Every petal faced the same problem, leaving none able to touch Orion.


    "What''s going on?" the bored-looking guy frowned as he watched the petals fail.


    "I don''t know!" the pink rose-haireddy said in panic. "My petals just bounce back when they get close, no matter which angle I try!"


    "You fools," the wingeddy said from the air. "His talent is rted to wind¡ªhe''s made some sort of wind wall around him, so your petals can''t get through."


    "Then what do we do?" the bored-looking guy asked, his expression turning grim. They couldn''t attack the boat guy, and they were equally afraid of his strength, leaving them in the worst possible situation.


    "It seems you''re tempting me to attack you," Orion said, floating into the air. "In that case, I''ll make things easier for you."


    "Damn, now he''s toying with us!" the bored-looking guy muttered, gritting his teeth.


    "He''s been toying with us since the start," the pink rose-haireddy sighed.


    "Look, his speed increased, and he disappeared!"


    The wingeddy shouted as Orion vanished from sight.


    "Behind you!" The bored-looking guy shouted a warning, but it was toote. The wingeddy barely had time to react before Orion''s sword met her with a swift, decisive strike. The impact sent her hurtling to the ground, where shended with a heavy thud, the force knocking the wind out of her.


    "She was too weak," Orion muttered, shaking his head in pity as he slowly descended to the ground.


    The bored-looking guy and the pink rose-haireddy stepped back in panic, their hearts racing as they watched him.


    "This guy''s too strong. I made a mistakeing here," the bored-looking guy thought, regretting his decision.


    "He doesn''t seem to have his wind shield up. Maybe my attack can reach him now," the pink rose-haireddy thought, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.


    "So, who''s going to be first?" Orion asked, ncing between the two.


    "Die!"


    A roar echoed as the heavy-built man emerged from the crater, swinging his huge sword at Orion.


    "Oh, I forgot about you for a moment."


    Orion smiled and swung his sword once more.


    Bang!


    The ground beneath them crumbled as their swords collided¡ªone small, one huge¡ªbut this time the heavy-built man held his ground. His feet remained nted firmly on the earth, his muscles straining as he pushed against the force of Orion''s strike. The impact reverberated through the air, sending shockwaves that rattled the nearby trees and disturbed the water''s surface.


    "Agggh!"


    The heavy-built man screamed, pouring all his strength into his sword.


    Feeling the tension on his arm, Orion increased his energy, activating the Curse of Berserk Body.


    "You''re very strong," the heavy-built man said, looking at Orion. Even using all his strength, he couldn''t force Orion back.


    "You too," Orion replied with a smile.


    ---


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 Chapter 371 371. Killing Them All

    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¡ªhe 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 energypressed together. If I release it, what do you think will happen?"


    "No¡ª" The heavy-built guy tried to retreat, but Orion was faster. He immediately mmed 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 sted 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 urred in rapid session where Orion had been standing, enveloping the area in bursts of blinding pink light. The bored-looking guy and the wingeddy, who had just climbed out of the pit, watched the spectacle unfold, their faces illuminated by the dazzling disy. It was like a firework show, but the danger was all too real.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Momentster, 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 woulde 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-haireddy''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¡ªhow 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-haireddy''s heart sank, the wingeddy''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 usualzy demeanor reced by caution. He had seen enough¡ªOrion was not someone they could take lightly.


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


    "Then go away." Orion mmed 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-nk. His clothes and skin were instantly destroyed, and then he disappeared.


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


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    "Go home."


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


    "Just kill me," thest 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 ce. Everything around him was surrounded by clouds¡ªwhite and blue clouds¡ªand 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 onlyprehends 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¡ªhundreds, maybe thousands of them¡ªsearching for something as they drifted about.


    "Those are negative emotions¡ªintense negativity. Everything negative in this world is in those ghosts," the young man exined. "There''s only one test in the Trial of Mind: to survive the onught 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 himselfpletely, and closed his eyes.


    Time passed, and the minute ticked away.


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


    ---


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 Chapter 372 372. Passing The Trial of Mind Easily

    As the ghosts noticed Orion, they charged toward him like ravenous beasts starved of sustenance. Their sheer numbers were staggering¡ªa 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, ck 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¡ªone raging within his mind. His consciousness felt like a nk 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 wing 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 thest. He was haunted by visions of failure, betrayal, and loss¡ªhis 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 copsed 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 be 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 thest 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 toprehend your Divine Soul''s true name."


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


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    "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 yful 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 tinum rank, or they''re in another dimension,'' he assessed, concluding that the person hiding was likely a high-level tinum 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¡ªfar 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 Dos 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¡ªa 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, ncing 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.


    "Thest 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, Orionnded 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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 Chapter 373 373. A Never Ending Path

    Orion couldn''t use his power, nor could he fly. He could only watch helplessly as he fell through the bottomless pit.


    ''Why is it taking so long to go down?''


    Just as he wondered why it was taking so long, his body mmed into the ground with a thud.


    "That hurt."


    Orion stood up after checking his body for injuries and looked around.


    "A path?"


    All around him was darkness, but there was one path he could clearly see. It was a narrow and small path, clearly not meant for a group of people to walk on. The floor was made of red tiles, and it stretched so far that Orion couldn''t see its end from where he stood.


    ''That young man hasn''t appeared, and now there''s only this path. That means I can only walk it and see where it leads.''


    After thinking for a moment, Orion headed toward the path. Upon reaching it, he gave the path onest look before stepping forward.


    ''Nothing?''


    He frowned, feeling nothing when he ced his foot on the path. He had expected some kind of pressure, knowing this was a trial of body, but nothing happened.


    ''Let''s just go ahead.''


    Orion shrugged, took another step, and started walking. As he thought, there wasn''t any pressure, nor were there any illusions or sensations. It felt like an ordinary path.


    But he knew that if this ce was truly a trial of body, there had to be some trick to it. It couldn''t be this easy.


    For the time being, he decided to keep walking and see how long the path stretched.


    Time passed slowly as Orion walked, ran, and jogged.


    After an hour, he paused suddenly.


    ''I feel it. Even though the pressure is minuscule, I can still sense it on my body.''


    Orion finally started to notice a pressure on his body. It was almost negligible, but if one didn''t pay attention, they might not have noticed it.


    ''Does the pressure increase the farther we go?'' he wondered, though he wasn''t sure.


    ''Let''s see what happens.''


    Orion continued along the path, and after another hour, he could feel that the pressure had increased significantly, but it was still not enough to slow him down.


    Using all the strength in his body, Orion sped through the path like a bullet. He didn''t stop and zoomed ahead.


    Two hourster, the pressure finally became significant. It was strong enough to make him a little ufortable, but that was all. He felt slight difort, but it wasn''t enough to stop him.


    He continued to move swiftly like a raging wind.


    ''The pressure keeps increasing.''


    Orion could feel that the farther he traveled, the stronger the pressure became. But he didn''t stop and kept running.


    An hour passed, and Orion finally slowed down and came to a stop. It wasn''t because his body couldn''t handle the pressure. No, the pressure was strong, very strong, but it wasn''t enough to slow him down or stop him.


    He stopped willingly because he saw someone sitting cross-legged on the side of the path.


    ''He must be another participant in the Trial of Body,'' Orion concluded.


    At that moment, the man turned his head toward Orion and observed him.


    "Let me warn you, this path is infinite. There is no end to it," the man said. He had dark red hair, a triangr face, and wore a red robe.


    Orion frowned. "How do you know?" he asked. "You just stopped midway."


    The red-haired man shook his head. "I''ve been walking this path for hours, and it just doesn''t end. With the pressure increasing the farther we go, I feel there''s definitely something tricky about this path." He shared his opinion.


    Orion pondered for a moment and decided he would continue to travel the path as long as he could before deciding what to do if it was indeed infinite.


    For now, the pressure wasn''t strong enough to slow him down, so he nned to keep moving until it became unbearable.


    "I''ll keep moving," Orion said, taking onest look at the man before running again.


    The red-haired man shook his head wryly and closed his eyes.


    Orion sprinted down the path as the pressure on him continued to increase.


    But it still wasn''t enough to slow him down.


    After another hour, he encountered another person but decided not to stop.


    Just like that, Orion continued running for hours, passing many other participants. Each one had a defeated expression and hopeless look in their eyes.


    Orion didn''t spare them a nce as he sped past.


    ''Now the pressure is strong enough to affect me.''


    Finally, Orion felt the pressure start to impact him. It was as if his body had gained an immense amount of weight. He felt like he was pulling a ton of load, and each step forward required extra strength just to move his foot.


    But Orion didn''t slow down. He kept up his momentum.


    He knew that if he slowed or stopped, it would be difficult to regain the speed he was running at with all the pressure bearing down on him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    So he pushed his body to its limits, maintaining his speed to see how long he could go before he was forced to stop.


    Half an hour passed, and Orion encountered another participant. Unlike him, this participant wasn''t running but was walking slowly, using all his strength just to take each step.


    The participant was shocked when he saw someone running past him like it was nothing. He was dumbfounded. While he was giving it his all just to move forward, here was someone running effortlessly.


    It made him despair just a little.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 374 374. The Essence of The Trial

    Orion continued his momentum and speed down the path.


    Another hour passed.


    ''The pressure is too much now!''


    Orion felt the pressure intensifying with every step, like an invisible force trying to crush him. Yet, he didn''t slow down. He kept running, his speed unyielding despite the strain on his body.


    But if anyone had been watching closely, they would have noticed the deep footprints trailing behind him. Each step left an imprint in the ground, some several inches deep. The weight pressing down on him was immense, far beyond what most could endure.


    The path beneath him bore the marks of his struggle, a proof to the sheer force he was fighting against just to keep moving forward.


    But Orion refused to yield, pushing through the mounting pressure as another hour passed. It felt now as if an entire building were weighing him down, the force pressing against him growing unbearable.


    Each step left more than just footprints¡ªdeep cracks spidered out beneath him, and the ground caved in where his feet had touched. The once solid earth now bore gaping pits, a clear sign of the tremendous weight he carried. Yet, despite the crushing force threatening to break him, Orion pressed on, his determination as unwavering as his stride.


    ''This is it, I guess.''


    At this point, Orion felt like he couldn''t continue running and was forced to slow down. The pressure was finally taking its toll on him, preventing him from running at full speed.


    He slowed significantly but was still moving faster than a walk.


    Half an hourter, Orion slowed down even more. At this point, he was barely running, almost walking.


    He tried to run with all his strength, but doing so only caused the ground beneath his feet to shatter further, creating deep pits. Physically, he couldn''t run anymore. It felt as though he was carrying the weight of multiple buildings on his back, forcing him to hunch over from the strain.


    But he still walked, refusing to stop.


    Some time passed, and the pressure increased even more. Even though he tried to keep walking, he could barely lift his legs at this point.


    ''If only I could use my curses, but I guess the essence of the Trial of Body would be wasted if powers were allowed.''


    Orion realized that to truly test his body, he had to walk this path without relying on any powers. Otherwise, the purpose of the trial would be lost.


    ''But what now? I can barely take another step.''


    Orion frowned as he looked ahead at the seemingly endless path stretching into the distance.


    Not knowing the goal of the Trial of Body, or how long the path was, Orion continued to slowly push forward, each step taking all his strength.


    One step, two steps, three steps¡ªhe continued to move, albeit at a crawling pace.


    Seconds turned into minutes, and Orion felt like he couldn''t continue. He could barely feel his legs, and his body was almost fully hunched under the immense pressure.


    ''What is the goal of this trial?''


    Orion pondered as he closed his eyes for a moment. Given how thest two trials went, he suspected there was something he was missing.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''I should be in the lead. No one should be near me.''


    He was confident that he had left everyone behind, but the question still remained¡ªwhat was the end goal? How would he pass this trial?


    ''Is this really a trial of the body?''


    At that moment, Orion began to question the nature of the trial. It was supposed to be a test of physical endurance, but what if that was a lie? What if this trial wasn''t about the body at all?


    Orion frowned as he came to this conclusion, realizing that his spection might be right.


    ''If it''s not a trial of the body, then what could it be?''


    He pondered, recalling everything he had experienced from the desert to this moment. He remembered the red-haired man''s words about the infinite path, the other participants'' helplessness, and how they gave up on the journey.


    A smile crept across his face as he realized something.


    He opened his eyes and softly said, "I''ve won, haven''t I?"


    Just then, the young man from the previous two trials appeared in front of him.


    "So, you''ve realized what this trial is all about," the young man said with a nod of approval.


    Orion nodded. "It''s a trial of body, mind, and heart, allbined. I realized this after seeing how others failed or gave up. Some quit before fully trying, while others gave up when they reached their limits."


    He continued, "That was the trial of the body. If they didn''t give up and pushed themselves like I did, they would enter the trial of heart. The only way out of this was through the trial of mind. If they couldn''t figure out the true essence of the trial, they would never pass, regardless of whether they gave up or not."


    p! p!


    "Correct," the young man said, pping as he acknowledged Orion''s insight. This trial was indeed designed to test the body, heart, and mind together. The young man had deliberately led the participants to believe it was solely a trial of the body, and they all fell for it.


    "There was a trial of mind, a trial of heart, and naturally, a trial of body seemed like the next logical step. But that was just a bait to see who could see through the trial," the young man exined.


    "Since you''ve passed all three trials, you are now eligible toprehend the true name of your Divine Soul," the young man said solemnly, pointing in a direction.


    A beam of light shot from his finger, and a gate appeared in the air some distance away.


    "Go through the door, and you will arrive at a ce that will aid you in yourprehension," the young man instructed.


    Orion looked toward the door and nodded. "See you soon." With those words, he walked to the door, opened it, and disappeared from the long path.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 375 375. Catherine

    Orion found himself standing on a green in as he passed through the door. There was nothing around him except the vast expanse of green. A gentle breeze blew, swaying the grasses on the ground.


    "Where is this ce?" he muttered to himself as he looked around, finding the area strangely peaceful.


    All he could see was the green in stretching as far as his eyes could take him. The gentle wind and serene surroundings made the ce feel tranquil.


    "Peaceful, isn''t it?"


    A voice sounded in Orion''s ears. He turned towards the source and saw a woman in her mid-thirties standing a short distance away.


    She wore a pair of ck jeans and a white shirt, her long, dark purple hair flowing effortlessly down to her waist. ck sunsses shielded her eyes, giving her an air of mystery, while a cigarette rested between her lips, the smoke curling upward and drifting softly in a deliberate direction.


    "Who are you?" Orion asked, eyeing the woman.


    The woman turned to him, taking the cigarette out of her mouth and releasing a cloud of smoke before speaking. "I''m Catherine. I''ll be teaching you about the Divine Soul."


    Orion frowned slightly when he heard this. He had expected the one teaching him would be another AI, like the one he encountered in the trials.


    ''Wait a minute! Why did I assume that young man was an AI?''


    He realized that the young man could very well have been another human from the Human Federation Realm, and this woman in front of him, who had a name, might also be real.


    "Are you real?" Orion suddenly asked, surprising the woman.


    Catherine was taken aback. "Of course, I''m real. There are AIs in Dreamshore, but when ites to human interaction, they''re a bit... wild. And an AI won''t be teaching you about the Divine Soul."


    Orion nodded slightly. "I didn''t know that," he said, a little embarrassed.


    Catherine nodded, taking another drag of her cigarette before turning to him. "Tell me, what do you know about the Divine Soul?" she asked.


    "In gold rank, we cannot bring our Divine Soul into the real world. Only in tinum rank can we do that," Orion exined briefly. "Also, a Divine Soul typically appears in image form when it awakens. You need to use soul shards to transform it into a solid form, and to summon it directly, you must know the true name of your Divine Soul."


    Catherine nodded. "That''s basic knowledge everyone should have. If you don''tprehend the true name of your Divine Soul, you can still use it in Grimshore, but it will be an inferior version, manifesting through material objects. Only by knowing the true name will you be able to summon it freely, anywhere."


    She added, "If you haven''tprehended the true name, you won''t be able to fully upgrade your Divine Soul from image form to solid form, even if your soul power reaches one hundred percent. And forget about summoning it into the real world if you can''t transform it into a solid form."


    Orion nodded in understanding. He already knew most of this, but hearing her exin it confirmed his knowledge.


    "Now, how do youprehend the true name of your Divine Soul?" Catherine said, taking another drag before exining. "You have to look inside yourself."


    Orion didn''t quite understand what she meant.


    "You have to understand that the Divine Soul is part of your soul, inside your body," Catherine rified. "So, the true name of your Divine Soul has been inside you all along. You just need toprehend it."


    "And how do I do that?" Orion asked.


    Catherine simply said, "Sit down."


    "Huh?" Orion made a puzzled face butplied, sitting down as instructed.


    "Calm yourselfpletely. I''m going to use a technique to help you feel a slight connection to your Divine Soul," Catherine said, moving behind him.


    Orion nodded and took a deep breath, calming himself.


    "The connection I''m about to establish is very faint, and your job is to hold onto it like it''s your lifeline. Only through this connection will you be able to sense your Divine Soul. If the connection is severed for any reason, it will be very difficult to establish it again. That''s why you must hold onto it tightly and bind it to yourself," Catherine warned.


    Orion nodded solemnly.


    "Alright, I''m going to build the connection now. Be ready," Catherine alerted him before cing a hand on his back.


    At that moment, Orion felt something strange, as though his soul was leaving his body, and he was powerless to stop it.


    A momentter, darkness clouded his vision. Everywhere he looked was pitch-ck. It wasn''t just the absence of light; it felt unsettling, something Orion couldn''t describe.


    "Huh?"


    At that moment, he started to regain a sense of his body, though the oppressive darkness still surrounded him. Strangely, despite the absence of any light, he could see his limbs and every part of his body clearly, as if illuminated by an unseen force. The contrast between the encroaching void and his visible form only heightened the surreal feeling.


    "Sfsjbstajsh!"


    "Who?"


    Orion suddenly turned around, hearing a soft whisper in his ear. He floated in the darkness but saw no one.


    "What was that? I''m sure I heard some gibberish," he muttered. As he nced around, a wave of uncertainty washed over him. The absolute darkness disoriented his senses, leaving him unsure whether he was truly moving or merely imagining it.


    Though he could still see his body, the void around him offered no reference point¡ªno horizon, no ground, nothing to anchor his perception. Each turn felt the same, leaving him questioning if he was actually moving at all or just trapped in an endless illusion of stillness.


    "Gshdjshsb!" Experience tales at empire


    He heard the strange whisper again, but as he looked in every direction, he saw nothing but the same unending darkness.


    "Catherine said I have to hold on to the connection. But where is the connection?"


    Orion''s eyes narrowed as he peered into the imprable darkness. His mind raced, but he forced himself to stand still, calming his breath. Rather than resist the darkness, he decided to let it guide him, trusting his instincts.


    Momentster, a strange sensation washed over him. Though there was no sound, no light, and no movement he could perceive, he was certain¡ªsomething was approaching.


    Orion remained motionless, standing like a solid object, hoping not to alert whatever was approaching.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Momentster, he could feel the presence in front of him.


    ''Build the connection...''


    Orion moved with deliberate care, his hand inching forward through the darkness. Even though his eyes were closed, his senses sharpened, focusing entirely on the strange presence before him. Every nerve in his body was on high alert as his fingers extended cautiously, searching for some sign of whaty ahead.


    The air around him felt dense, almost tangible, and with each centimeter he moved, the presence grew stronger, closer. His heartbeat remained steady, his mind focused. Whatever was there, he was prepared for it.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 376 376. Establishing a connection with Divine Soul

    Just then, he touched something. Orion didn''t know what it was, but he could tell it was soft and fluffy.


    He held on tightly to whatever he had touched and slowly opened his eyes.


    "Huh? Nothing?"


    Orion''s brows furrowed in disbelief as he stared at his seemingly empty hand. The sensation of holding something soft and fluffy was unmistakable, yet his eyes told him otherwise. It was as if he had grasped air, but the tactile feedback was undeniable.


    "What... is this?" he whispered to himself, perplexed by the strange contradiction. His fingers tightened, and the sensation remained, soft and light, yet unseeable.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His mind whirled with questions, but no answers came.


    Was this an illusion? Or something beyond his understanding? Either way, he wasn''t about to let go. Something about this invisible presence felt important¡ªmysterious yet strangely familiar.


    ''I can''t see it, but I can feel it when I close my eyes. When I open them, it''s just darkness.''


    He thought for a moment, uncertain if he had established the connection Catherine had mentioned.


    ''It''s just darkness here and nothing else.''


    Suddenly, Orion found himself looking at the green in again. He could once more sense the wind blowing and the grasses swaying.


    "I''m back!" Orion was surprised at how swiftly he had returned from that strange ce.


    Thinking about it, he turned toward Catherine. "Did I do it?" he asked.


    "Did you?" Catherine responded instead of answering directly. "Did you do it?"


    "I think I did something," Orion replied, exining further. "I caught something¡ªsomething I can''t see, but I can easily feel it in my hands."


    "That''s your Divine Soul," Catherine said, puffing out another wave of smoke. "It seems you haven''t fully summoned your Divine Soul in Dreamshore yet, or you would have been able to gauge its shape more easily."


    Orion nodded. Stay updated through empire


    "Now, close your eyes and try to feel the connection again. This time, I won''t help you," Catherine instructed.


    "I''ll try," Orion agreed, closing his eyes and calming himself. He recalled the pitch-ck darkness and the fluffy sensation he had caught, focusing on it.


    A momentter, he once again found himself in that dark world, where he could see nothing and feel nothing but the darkness.


    "Huh?"


    To his surprise, his hand was still holding the fluffy, soft thing.


    "I see, so this is the connection Catherine was talking about," Orion nodded in understanding.


    "Gshdjshsb!"


    Just then, he heard the gibberish words again, but this time, he was certain the words came from the fluffy thing he was holding.


    He felt it vibrate slightly as the gibberish echoed in his ears.


    "What is it saying? I don''t understand any of this."


    Orion frowned, confused by the iprehensible words.


    "Could this be the true name of my Divine Soul?"


    He wondered, thinking it might be the case. After all, this entire ordeal with Catherine was to help himprehend the true name of his Divine Soul. Now, hearing these strange words seemed like an obvious step toward that goal.


    At that moment, he was pulled back from the world of darkness.


    ''I can''t control how long I stay in the dark world,'' Orion realized, noting that he had been ejected without his permission, spending only a few minutes there.


    "How was it?" Catherine asked.


    "I could still feel the fluffy thing, and I heard those gibberish words a few times while I was there. Are those the true name of my Divine Soul?" he asked.


    Catherine''s eyes widened slightly as she nodded. "Usually, it takes a lot of time to hear those words after establishing a connection with your Divine Soul, but it seems you''re quite talented."


    Orion nodded lightly. He was indeed a bit more talented¡ªperhaps even aplete monster in terms of strength¡ªbut he wasn''t sure about his potential.


    He recalled a girl he hadn''t seen in a long time, who had an even more astonishing talent than anyone he had ever encountered.


    "Alright, you''re done here. You can go now," Catherine said, pointing toward a door that had appeared in front of him.


    Orion didn''t leave immediately. Instead, he asked, "Why am I the only one here? I heard there are many trials scattered throughout Dreamshore, so there should be many participantsing here, right?"


    Catherine smiled. "There are many instructors like me stationed at various trial sites. You just happened to be at the trial site I''m responsible for."


    Orion nodded lightly, then asked, "I see. And aboutprehending the true name¡ªdo I just need to gradually understand those gibberish words until they form coherent words?"


    "That''s right," Catherine replied. "That''s one way to do it. There is another method. In rare cases, some individuals manage toprehend the entire true name of their Divine Soul on their very first attempt, but that''s an extremely rare urrence. I''ve only seen it happen once in my life."


    Orion nodded in understanding and was about to head toward the door when he recalled something. "Does the Three Divine Ways have anything to do with the Divine Soul?" he asked curiously.


    Catherine smiled mysteriously. "Why don''t you figure that out yourself?" With those words, she pushed Orion toward the door, which opened automatically, and Orion passed through it.


    ***


    "Damn, she pushed me out!" Orion cursed lightly as he found himself in the middle of a desert.


    "Where should I go now?" he muttered, scanning his surroundings.


    [The number of participants has decreased significantly. As a result, the avable areas where participants can move are also shrinking.]


    [Participants will be randomly teleported to new locations within the same map, but the overall area will be much smaller than the original.]


    [Random teleportation will begin in 10, 9, 8...]


    Orion smiled upon hearing that. He had wondered what would happen when the number of participants dwindled to the point where they couldn''t find each other in the vast Dreamshore, but this solved that issue.


    "I wonder if that bug is still around me," Orion muttered to himself.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 377 377. Meeting Zeref

    Orion looked around the endless desert but found no trace of the man who had been talking to him earlier. He also no longer heard his voice.


    "What a weirdo! He snuck up on me, didn''t reveal his presence, but didn''t attack either," he muttered to himself, finding the situation oddly amusing.


    Just then, he disappeared from the endless desert.


    ***


    Orion suddenly found himself inside an office filled with chairs, desks, and tables, alone in the room.


    [Random Teleportationplete.]


    [All remaining participants, 3,734, have been teleported to the city of Du Losi.]


    Read exclusive content at empire


    [All exits from the city have been blocked. Du Losi will be the final battlefield. Fight to the end until only one remains.]


    Three notifications appeared in Orion''s vision.


    "Only 3,734 remain, and they''ve decided to put all of us in a city," he thought.


    Orion knew the next few hours in this city would be chaotic, but he wasn''tining.


    Just then, he turned sharply, sensing something.


    "Huh?"


    He saw a figure hurtling toward the building he was in at an incredible speed.


    Bang!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The figure crashed through the ss panes and windows, shattering concrete and leaving a massive hole in the building, before smashing into another building, destroying that one as well.


    "Interesting."


    Orion, now curious, flew out of the building and hovered in the air. He watched as the figure emerged from the wreckage, and to his surprise, it was Mark.


    "Then the one who attacked him..."


    "We finally meet, Ray Wiser."


    A voice reached his ears, and Orion looked up to see a woman dressed in white standing on the roof of his building, smiling at him.


    Orion studied her for a moment. "Zeref?"


    "I''m pleased you know my name." Zeref smiled and pointed at Mark, who was stumbling out of the destroyed building. "That guy over there is no fun. He has strength, tons of it, but he''s not using it for some reason."


    She then pointed at Orion. "Are you the same? Are you hiding your strength too?"


    Orion looked down at the woman and smiled. "It depends on who I''m fighting."


    "Heh, good." Zeref''s eyes shone with excitement. "I''ve been fighting weaklings since the assessment began, and let me tell you, they aren''t fun at all."


    She nced at him. "But you and Mark are different. Especially you, Ray Wiser."


    "Am I?" Orion said, drawing his sword. "Come and show me your strength."


    Zeref smirked and vanished from the rooftop, reappearing in front of Orion, her sword shing diagonally at him.


    Orion smiled and raised his sword to block.


    BOOM!


    As their swords shed, the shockwave that erupted was unlike anything the city had felt before. The force rippled out in a thunderous wave, shattering windows and mirrors, reverberating through the streets like a small earthquake. The intensity of the shock left no corner untouched, alerting every participant scattered throughout the city.


    For a moment, all movement paused as they processed what had just urred. Each participant felt the tremor and knew it was impossible for a natural earthquake to ur in this ce.


    They quickly realized the cause¡ªa battle powerful enough to shake the very foundation of the city. With narrowed eyes and racing hearts, they ascended into the sky, one by one, all turning their gazes toward the source of the disturbance.


    What they saw made them freeze in mid-air.


    Two figures stood in the heart of the city, locked in an intense stalemate. Their swords shed, creating periodic shockwaves that rippled outward with devastating force. Each collision sent tremors through the ground, making the air itself hum with tension. The battle was so fierce that the very atmosphere seemed to bend under their power.


    "You''re stronger than I expected," Zeref said, her white hair fluttering in the wind.


    Orion smiled. "Of course I''m strong. I''ve put all my stat points into constitution."


    "But that alone wouldn''t make you this powerful," Zeref replied, her eyes narrowing. "You don''t need to make excuses. I know your secret."


    Orion smiled, feigning ignorance. "Oh? Do tell me my secret."


    Zeref stared at him. "You''re far stronger than you appear, aren''t you?"


    Orion ignored thement and asked, "How do you know about me and Mark?"


    "Ah," Zeref smiled sweetly, "that''s my secret. A secret I can''t tell anyone."


    She chuckled and added, "Want to know another of my secrets?"


    "What is it?" Orion asked.


    Zeref grinned. "My talent is Absolute Counter."


    Orion''s eyes narrowed as he sensed the sudden shift in energy. His instincts screamed at him to move, but it was already toote.


    In an instant, a shockwave erupted from her sword, unleashing a force that hit him like a hammer. The impact sent Orion plummeting from the sky, his body crashing down like a meteor.


    The speed of his descent tore through the air, and when he struck the ground, the building beneath him shattered into rubble, obliterated in a single, violent blow.


    Dust and debris filled the air, and for a moment, silence reigned over the battlefield.


    The spectators, hovering in the sky, were stunned. Only a moment ago, the two had been locked in a fierce stalemate, seemingly equal in power. But now, one of them had been ruthlessly driven into the ground


    Among the crowd watching, Tracy was in disbelief, her expression filled with worry.


    "Brother..." she muttered anxiously.


    Erza, observing the fight from a distant rooftop, also became concerned when she saw Orion get smashed into the ground.


    "Is this your true strength, or are you hiding more?" she thought, her expression serious as she focused on the white-haired girl.


    At that moment, Orion emerged from the wreckage, dusting off his clothes in the air. He soon realized it was pointless¡ªhis clothes had already been torn during the trial, and the recent impact with Zeref had only made things worse.


    "Absolute Counter... quite a powerful talent," Orion said, turning to Zeref, who was watching him with a surprised expression.


    "Well, it''s not that strong," Zeref replied, examining him. "But you''re right. Your body is incredibly strong¡ªyou don''t seem injured at all."


    Orion smiled wryly. "Believe me, every bone in my body is aching like crazy."


    "Is that so?" Zeref smiled sweetly. "Then I''ll make sure your bones won''t ache anymore... by crushing them all."


    "Go ahead." Orion suddenly appeared behind her, leaving a trail of dust and wind, his sword swinging toward her.


    Zeref reacted quickly, spinning around and parrying with her own sword, which for a moment shed with white light.


    Orion saw the light and adjusted his sword, sliding it along hers, sparks flying as they shed. In his other hand, he formed a swirling green sphere¡ªmuchrger than any he had created before, nearly twice the size of his head¡ªand sent it hurtling toward her.


    "Have fun." Orion quickly stepped back as the attack flew at her.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 378 378. Mark Wants to Talk

    Zeref''s eyes widened as she saw the green sphere hurtling toward her, faster than she expected. Her confidence didn''t waver, though, and she prepared to meet it head-on, her fist glowing with intense blue energy.


    But before her punch could connect, the green sphere detonated in a violent explosion of wind.


    Boom!


    The force of the st was so overwhelming that Zeref was sent flying at incredible speed, her body tumbling uncontrobly through the air. Shock filled her eyes as she realized how powerful the attack was.


    Orion wasted no time. He saw the opening and immediately surged forward, closing the distance in a blink. Before Zeref could recover or stabilize herself, Orion appeared behind her like a phantom. His sword, enveloped in a raging tempest ofpressed wind, cut through the air as he swung it toward her, aiming to finish the fight.


    Just before his sword couldnd, a massive wave of ice burst forth from Zeref''s back. The icy surge spread rapidly, freezing Orion and everything in its path, encasing nearly an entire section of the city in thick, glittering ice. The temperature plummeted in an instant, and the other participants watching from the sky gasped in disbelief as the city below became a frozen wastnd.


    Orion, now frozen solid mid-attack, was trapped in the ice along with everything around him. The air hung heavy with the cold, and the sight of nearly a whole district encased in ice left everyone stunned.


    "Who is she? Is she this Zeref person? She''s too strong!"


    "I don''t know, but her strength is enough to be in the top 100 seats of chosen geniuses."


    "I''ve never heard of her. It''s my first time seeing anyone named Zeref. She''s ridiculously powerful."


    "She just froze part of a city on her own. I bet she''s hiding her identity and is from either the Hunter Association or Federation Council. I''m sure of it."


    "And the guy she''s fighting is no joke either. He sent her flying, but it looks like he underestimated her."


    The participants watching were shocked and began whispering among themselves as they observed Zeref freeze part of the city. Her strength was too overwhelming to go unnoticed.


    "Oh, I lost control of my other abilities," Zeref chuckled, looking at the frozen Orion.


    She stared at him for a moment before shouting, "Come on, I know you can break out of that!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As she spoke, the ice encasing Orion shattered, reced by a raging wind. The frozen shards were swept into the storm.


    Orion waved his hand, dispelling the storm. "You said your talent was Absolute Counter," he said, looking at her. "Where did the icee from?"


    Zeref smiled, seeing Orion unharmed. "That''s my other talent. I was born with two talents."


    "Two talents?" Orion frowned. He had copied her curse during their first sh and had only obtained one curse, Eternal Bacsh. There had been no option to copy any ice-rted ability.


    This defied normal understanding. First, there was Mark, who could extract any talent but whose curse Orion couldn''t copy. Now, Zeref had two talents, one being Absolute Counter with Eternal Bacsh curse, and the other an ice ability which had a curse Orion couldn''t copy.


    ''Strange... or rather, mysterious,'' Orion thought.


    He realized Zeref was an enigma. She somehow knew about his and Mark''s extraordinary strength, possessed two talents, and yet only had one curse. Her mystery deepened.


    "We''ll continue our fightter, at the very end," Orion said, ncing around. "Everyone''s watching our fight instead of eliminating each other. How about we meet again at the end?"


    Zeref nodded. "I was thinking the same. A battle between the two strongest to finish the final assessment¡ªwouldn''t that be awesome?"


    Orion smiled. "Alright, see you then." He said before flying in the direction where he had spotted Tracy.


    "The more I fight you, the more I feel my assumptions about you are correct..." Zeref muttered to herself as she watched Orion leave.


    ***


    "Hey, how have you been?" Orion asked, appearing in front of Tracy.


    "I''m fine, brother," Tracy said, smiling. "There were some tough opponents, but I defeated them all."


    Orion nodded. "Let''s talk somewhere else," he said, noticing the many people eying them.


    He grabbed her hand, and they disappeared.


    ***


    Some timeter, they flew toward a building and entered it. Inside, Erza was waiting for them.


    "How did you know I was here?" Erza asked curiously as they entered.


    Orion shrugged. "I''m a genius¡ªI know everything."


    Erza smirked. "A genius hiding his strength."


    Orion sighed. "What can I do? I just didn''t want the attention back then."


    "Brother, what are we going to do now?" Tracy asked.


    "We''ll wait," Orion replied. "With so many people in this city, chaos and fights are bound to happen. We''ll wait until the number drops to 200. I''m sure there will be an announcement then."


    He turned to Erza. "You came to this building with the same n, right?"


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    Erza nodded. "This building has an underground basement. I was waiting here but then heard the chaos from your fight with Zeref."


    "Let''s go," Tracy said. "We should enter the basement before anyone notices us."


    "You two go ahead," Orion said. "I have a guest to deal with." He looked in the direction where a figure was flying toward them.


    "That''s Mark," Erza said with a frown.


    "Go. I''ll handle him," Orion told her.


    Erza nodded and turned to Tracy. "Let''s go."


    Tracy gave Orion a worried look before leaving with Erza.


    Orion smiled as they left and walked into a room with chairs and sofas. He sat on the sofa.


    Sometimeter, Mark entered through the broken window and appeared before Orion.


    "We need to talk," Mark said solemnly, looking at Orion.


    ---


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 Chapter 379 379. Marks Suspicion

    "Sit down," Orion gestured to Mark, pointing at the sofa opposite him.


    Mark frowned but ultimately sat down.


    "So, what do you want to talk about?" Orion asked curiously. He knew Mark wouldn''te to him unless it was serious, and seeing the solemn expression on his face, Orion understood that Mark had something important to say. "Choose your words wisely," he warned before Mark could start speaking.


    Mark looked at Orion for a moment and said, "She is suspicious. I think she may know about you."


    Orion''s eyes narrowed at his words, and his face became serious. He knew exactly who Mark was referring to¡ªhe had met her not long ago and had even fought her.


    "What did she say?" Orion asked, his brows furrowed.


    "Nothing specific, but she mentioned that you and I are very different from others, especially you. I didn''t understand what she meant by that, but I heard some things that made me believe she knows more than she''s letting on. She hinted that you''ve had dealings with that person," Mark replied.


    Orion''s frown deepened. During his brief confrontation with Zeref, he realized she was both mysterious and powerful, hiding many secrets¡ªone of which involved him.


    But how did she know? Orion was certain only Mark knew these things, and he trusted Mark not to speak of it. So, the question remained: how had she caught wind of it?


    Orion closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. ''Now that I think about it, she seemed oddly confident in my strength when she barely knows me.''


    Recalling their fight, he realized she might have approached him to test his strength rather than just fulfilling the participant assessment''s requirements.


    "I see. It''s unfortunate that she knows about my affairs," Orion sighed, wearing a defeated expression. "I have to warn you, stay away from her. She seems very strong¡ªstronger than me¡ªso be cautious if shees to you again."


    Mark frowned. "What are you going to do about it?" he asked.


    Orion shrugged. "That will have to wait until the assessment ends. After that, I''ll confront her and ask where she learned about my affairs. Very few people should know, and yet she does. She''s definitely suspicious," he said, frowning.


    Looking at Mark, he added, "Forget about her for now. We''ll deal with her after the assessment. Tell me if you have any information about who among the ten we came with is still in the assessment."


    Mark shrugged. "I don''t know, and I don''t care," he said, standing up. "That''s all I wanted to say." He turned and headed toward the broken window.


    "Tell me something¡ªwhy are you hiding your strength?" Orion asked. He had been curious for a while. He had seen Mark rank high in the Grimshore entry test, but his current strength didn''t match that ranking.


    Most importantly, Orion had only seen Mark use two or three talents at most¡ªpurple lightning and blue mes. Other than these, he hadn''t disyed any other talents.


    Orion had some theories about why Mark was hiding his strength, and surprisingly, it seemed rted to him.


    "See youter," Mark said before flying out of the broken window.


    Orion hadn''t expected an answer, so he wasn''t surprised when Mark left without addressing his question.


    ''Are you hiding your strength because you don''t want people topare you to Orion Darkwood?'' Orion smiled as he watched Mark disappear. He didn''t know if his assumption was correct, but he had a feeling he wasn''t far from the truth.


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    If someone were seen using many talents and abilities, people might draw parallels between that person and Orion Darkwood.


    The talent to wield many different powers was extremely rare, and the most wanted man in the world was infamous for having that ability.


    If Mark revealed his array of talents freely, people would surely grow suspicious. They''d think he was Orion Darkwood in disguise, and if that happened, Mark would have nowhere to go.


    ''Hehe, in a way, you and I are very simr, but also very different,'' Orion thought as he reclined on the sofa.


    "Well, it''s time for me to go into hiding," Orion muttered to himself as a thought crossed his mind. If he and others could think about bidding their time and hiding, there were surely more people out there with the same idea.


    What would happen in that scenario? What if half the participants in the city decided to hide just to make it into the top 200?


    Orion took the stairs down to the lower floor.


    He didn''t know what would happen, but as long as it wasn''t against the rules, he nned to take advantage of it.


    Some timeter, he arrived in the basement and knocked on a metallic door. "It''s me," he said.


    The door opened, revealing Erza, who silently let him in and closed the door behind him.


    ***


    Across the city, chaos reigned. Fights broke out in every corner, turning once-proud buildings into rubble. The entire city had descended into a battlefield, where participants ughtered one another without a second thought.


    For some, it was the thrill ofbat that drove them, the sheer excitement of testing their strength against others. For others, the goal was clear: to reduce the number of participants below 200, no matter the cost.


    They attacked on sight, with no hesitation, aiming to kill as many as they could. Some worked in groups, hunting together, while others fought solo, distrustful of anyone who mightter be an enemy.


    Yet, despite their differences in tactics, every participant shared one thing: the intent to kill. Whether they would survive or not didn''t matter; all that mattered was that their target didn''t live to see another fight.


    With the top 200 within their grasp and the chance to join Dos Academy dangling in front of them, most participants would do anything to secure their spot. The promise of prestige and power was enough to make them forget everything else.


    However, not everyone was so willing to risk it all in the final stretch. Like Orion and his group, there were those who chose a different approach¡ªhiding.


    These participants didn''t want to gamble their one shot at Dos Academy by engaging in unnecessary battles. They knew that a single wrong move could lead to their elimination, so they opted to stay out of sight, letting the storm of violence pass them by.


    ---


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 Chapter 380 380. Top 200

    In another building, a white-haireddy sat in a chair, sipping coffee.


    Five individuals stood around her¡ªthree men and two women.


    "Don''t target Ray and Mark anymore," Zeref instructed them. "You''ll only lower your chances of getting into the top 200 that way." Your next read awaits at empire


    None of the five objected; they simply nodded lightly.


    "Alright, you''re free to go and eliminate as many as you can," she continued. "I just can''t wait to have another battle with him."


    The five still nodded lightly.


    "Now, go!" Zerefmanded, and hearing her, the three men and two women immediately left the building.


    "Ray Wiser... I can''t wait to meet you in real life," she muttered as she drank her tea.


    ***


    As the sun began to set over the wrecked city, the chaos of battle gradually subsided. The sounds of shing swords, crumbling buildings, and desperate cries echoed throughout, but with each passing hour, the intensity of thebat waned. Participants fell one after another, either eliminated by their opponents or barely clinging to life.


    In just a few hours, the number of contestants dropped drastically, from over three thousand to only one thousand. It was clear that most participants had chosen to fight their way through the assessment, determined to make it to the top.


    The constant battles that ravaged the city left little room for those seeking refuge. For every moment someone spent hiding, another dozen were cut down in the streets. Yet, despite the bloodshed, this was only the beginning of the culling process.


    As the day dragged on, the rate of eliminations sped up even more. Alliances shattered as survival instincts kicked in. Once-formed bonds between participants dissolved in a frenzy to secure a ce in the top 200. Group members turned on one another, all vying for the slim chance at entering Dos Academy.


    Finally, after a grueling day ofbat, only 200 participants remained.


    An eerie silence fell over the city as the final number was reached, and then, as if on cue, a booming voice echoed throughout the entire city.


    [Congrattions to the remaining 200 participants. You have proven yourselves worthy and will get admitted into the Dos Academy]


    For those who had chosen to hide, relief flooded through them. The announcement meant they had seeded in surviving the chaos without needing to engage in the ughter.


    For others, it was the moment they had been waiting for¡ªthe confirmation that they had made it to the final stage. But they knew this was only a brief reprieve, for the real challenge was just beginning.


    [With only 200 participants left, the battle royale will take ce in an arena.]


    [Teleportation in 10, 9, 8...]


    Orion stared at the notification and sighed. "Be careful. If the final battle takes ce in the arena, we won''t have anywhere to hide. It''ll be an all-out war¡ªeither you die, or you kill others. So, be careful out there," he said to Erza and Tracy before they disappeared.


    Not just them¡ªevery participant in the city vanished.


    ***


    Orion found himself standing in an arena made of concrete. He looked around and saw nothing but white and blue skies as participants began appearing one by one.


    He observed the arena, noting its circr shape with no edges. It seemed to be high in the air, as he could only see the blue sky and asional clouds.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''The chances of getting eliminated here are very high,'' Orion thought, ncing at the outer area where theck of edges posed a major risk. If a participant were pushed back and failed to stop themselves in time, they would fall off the arena, likely leading to their elimination.


    At that moment, a notification appeared before them.


    [The rules are simple. If you fall off the arena, you will be eliminated. If you die, you will be eliminated.]


    [Flying is not allowed. Anyone caught flying will be immediately eliminated.]


    [Now, begin!]


    The moment the participants saw the notification, they lunged at each other''s throats.


    But some stood quietly¡ªOrion was one of them. He didn''t n to help Tracy and Erza here. He believed they no longer needed his assistance, and who knew¡ªhis help might even backfire. So, he chose to simply observe their battles.


    But things rarely go as nned.


    "Ray, shall we begin?" Zeref asked sweetly, looking at Orion.


    Orion sighed and drew his sword. "With your talentbined with this arena, you''re bound to be thest one standing," he remarked.


    "What do you mean?" Zeref asked, approaching him silently amidst the chaos erupting around the arena.


    No other participants paid them any attention. They were too busy fighting, and they knew that attacking these two would likely lead to their own elimination, so they chose to y it safe and ignore the two monsters altogether.


    "Your talent is Absolute Counter¡ªyou can counter anything," Orion said, ncing around. "If I attacked with my full strength and you countered it, the shockwave from your counter would be enough to eliminate almost half of the participants here. Even I might be eliminated if I''m not careful."


    He added, "That made me think of a deal. How about you just jump off the arena and give everyone else a chance?"


    "What''s in it for me?" Zeref asked after pondering for a moment.


    Orion shrugged. "Anything you want," he replied casually.


    "Anything?" Her eyes narrowed as she asked for confirmation.


    "Yup," Orion said, smiling. "So, what do you think?"


    Zeref smiled and asked, "Do you take me for a fool?"


    "Of course not," Orion replied, still smiling. "I just thought you were a kinddy who helps others in need."


    "Don''t tell me I''m wrong?" he added with a smirk.


    Zeref smiled and swung her sword at Orion.


    Orion smiled lightly and swung his sword as well.


    ng!


    Their swords collided, sending a shockwave throughout the arena, halting the other participants'' battles.


    Just then, wings appeared behind Orion''s back¡ªlight green wings made frompressed wind.


    "I''ll use my talent now. Be ready," Zeref said with a smile. "Absolute Counter."


    Bang!


    A powerful shockwave burst from Zeref''s sword, the force surging toward Orion with incredible speed. She activated her talent with full confidence, expecting to send him flying just as before. However, Orion was ready.


    With a flick of his wings, he created a powerful reverse current of momentum, using the force to counter the iing shockwave. His wings spread wide, shimmering with energy as they beat against the pressure, holding him steady in ce. The ground beneath him cracked from the intense force, but he didn''t budge.


    Orion remained locked in closebat with Zeref, his de pushing against hers. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She knew exactly how powerful her talent was¡ªno one had ever resisted it so easily. Yet here he stood, undeterred and calm.


    For the first time in their battle, uncertainty shed across Zeref''s face.


    ---


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 Chapter 381 381. Windbreaker Form

    Orion stood tall and steady, holding his ground against Zeref''s talent, Absolute Counter, but the same couldn''t be said for the others.


    As Zeref activated Absolute Counter, a heavy pressure erupted from her, sending one wave directly toward Orion and another outward in all directions. The ground beneath her feet cracked instantly, and the shockwave she unleashed created a raging wind that blew in every direction, with her at the center.


    Some of the weaker participants were blown out of the arena, while others barely managed to hold onto its edge.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "See, what did I tell you?" Orion said, ncing around. "You''re just too powerful."


    "I don''t care," Zeref replied before pulling her sword back and swinging again at Orion.


    Orion smiled as he saw her draw her sword back. Seizing the moment, he stepped back and unleashed a barrage of wind des at her.


    "Absolute Counter!" Zeref shouted, pointing her sword at the wind des. Her sword began to glow with a bright light. As the wind des made contact with her sword, they suddenly changed direction, heading straight for Orion.


    "Huh?" Zeref was surprised to find that Orion had vanished.


    "5th level of tinum Rank, you''re really something." A soft voice came from behind her. She swiftly turned, swiping her sword, but it cut only air. No one was there.


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    Just then, a blur appeared in front of her, and Orion revealed himself. But something was different¡ªhe didn''t look like his usual self.


    At that moment, Orion''s body seemed to defy gravity, hovering effortlessly in the air. Spiraling tendrils of green wind energy coiled around him like serpentine extensions of his own being.


    Long, snake-like streams of wind twisted around his arms and legs, while an immense, translucent serpent of pure wind energy wrapped tightly around his waist, coiling upward toward his neck in a protective yet powerful embrace.


    The vibrant green energy pulsed and shimmered with life, casting a faint green hue over Orion''s figure, making him appear as though he were one with the wind itself.


    "Right now, I''m using my strongest form. I call this Windbreaker. In this state, my speed reaches its pinnacle, but ites at a cost. I can only use this form temporarily, and if I can''t defeat you in that time, I won''t be able to fight anymore due to the drawbacks. So, prepare yourself¡ªeither you die, or I will."


    As he finished speaking, he vanished from sight.


    Zeref looked around cautiously but couldn''t find any trace of him. It was as if he had disappeared from the arena entirely. But she knew better¡ªhe was still there, just moving too fast for her to perceive.


    "Behind!"


    Sensing a presence, she quickly turned around to see six Orions attacking her simultaneously.


    "What is this? A Speed Mirage?"


    Zeref was shocked. She knew what Speed Mirage meant¡ªit was a technique where one moved so fast that they created multiple copies of themselves.


    "But these are just false Speed Mirages."


    She focused on the attacks of the six Orions, trying to figure out which one was real. Zeref understood the weakness of her own talent, Absolute Counter, and she believed Orion had realized it too from their previous battles.


    Her talent could counter any attack, but only one at a time. If two people attacked her simultaneously from different directions, she could only counter one. That was the fatal w that came with her overwhelmingly strong ability.


    Zeref closely observed the six Orions but couldn''t determine which one was the real one. Her expression turned frustrated as her body began to release a white mist. Ayer of frost extended from her feet, freezing a ten-meter radius around her, including the six Orions. But as soon as the frost touched them, their figures blurred and vanished.


    "All of them were copies!"


    Zeref was shocked and instantly on high alert.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, something struck her stomach hard, sending her flying and making her spit midair. She quickly used her ice talent to create a blockade behind her,ing to a stop.


    "What was that?"


    Zeref scanned the area, alert, but saw no one. Sweat began to trickle down her face as she searched for any sign of Orion, trying toprehend what had just happened.


    She hadn''t seen anything¡ªshe couldn''t. Orion had appeared in front of her, attacked, and disappeared before she even registered the blow. It was as if they were in entirely different leagues when it came to speed.


    Bang!


    Another hit struck her back, sending her hurtling away like a ragdoll.


    "How is this possible? Why can''t I sense him?"


    She questioned herself in pure disbelief as she once again used her ice talent to create a barrier, stopping her movement.


    Zeref felt shaken, recalling what had just urred. She hadn''t sensed anything when Orion attacked, not until thest possible moment. Only when she was already in the air, feeling the pain of his strike, did she realize she had been hit.


    She cautiously scanned her surroundings again, sweating heavily, looking for any dust swirling or any sign of his movement. But there was nothing. It was as though Orion had be invisible.


    Bang!


    A kicknded on her stomach, sending her flying again. Before she could react, a fist struck her, causing her to cough up blood, and the impact mmed her body straight into the arena floor, creating arge pit.


    Smoke and debris surrounded the pit as shey helpless, her eyes open but filled with frustration and confusion. She couldn''t see, sense, or anticipate anything. The attacks felt as though someone was toying with her, which infuriated her.


    The worst part was that, due to the speed of the attacks, she couldn''t react, and without reacting, she couldn''t use her Absolute Counter. In situations where she wasn''t fast enough to respond, she became incredibly vulnerable¡ªinsanely vulnerable to any attack if she couldn''t use her talent.


    ---


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 Chapter 382 382. A Perfect Reflection

    At this moment, she realized another weakness of her talent.


    Zeref stood up from the ground, feeling pain all over her body, but she wasn''t giving up.


    However, just as she climbed out of the pit, she was kicked in the gut again, sending her flying. She quickly released her ice talent, creating a blockade beforeing to a stop.


    Her appearance had be ragged. Her clothes were dirty, her face was marked with dirt, and her expression was full of frustration. She no longer looked anything like her former self.


    Just then, Orion''s figure blurred, and he appeared a short distance away from her.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" Orion taunted.


    Zeref frowned. "I have onest trick up my sleeve."


    She gripped her sword tightly and shouted, "Come forth, Cogitatis."


    As she spoke, a golden light beamed from her body, and something emerged. The light dimmed, revealing a mirror in her hand, its edges appearing to be made of gold.


    Orion''s eyes widened in realization. He understood what Zeref had just done.


    "A Divine Soul! You can summon your Divine Soul?" he eximed in shock. He hadn''t expected Zeref toprehend the true name of her Divine Soul, much less transform it from image form to solid form.


    Only those who hadprehended their Divine Soul''s true name and transformed it into its solid form were able to summon their Divine Soul into the real world across the three domains.


    "Yes, it''s my Divine Soul. It''s called Cogitatis," Zeref said, looking at Orion. "I never thought I''d have to use it in the final assessment. In fact, I never imagined anyone woulde close to me in terms of strength, but I now realize I was mistaken¡ªor you could say I underestimated you."


    She added solemnly, "I knew you and Mark were special, but only now do I realize your abilities far surpass my expectations. You''ve shown me that my ''invincible'' Absolute Counter is not unbeatable. You exposed another weakness in my talent, but this ends now."


    As she finished speaking, the mirror reflected Orion''s image before glowing with a golden light, transforming into a copy of him.


    Orion stood frozen in shock as he gazed at the figure reflected in the mirror. At first nce, it appeared to be a perfect replica of himself. The coiling wind snakes, the greenish hue surrounding the body¡ªeverything mirrored his current state. However, as he studied the reflection more closely, subtle differences began to emerge. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    The figure wasn''t a perfect copy¡ªit had transformed into Ray Wiser, an almost identical doppelg?nger but with reversed features. Its hair, for instance, wasbed from right to left, the opposite of Orion''s. The folds of its clothes were reversed, as though they had been flipped. Even the winds swirling around it seemed to spin in the opposite direction.


    "Your Divine Soul is a mirror that can transform into whoever it reflects?" Orion asked curiously.


    Zeref nodded. "That''s right, but it can only transform into living beings¡ªonly those it reflects."


    "I see. Let''s see if this copy of mine can replicate my powers," Orion sneered, then vanished from his spot.


    BOOM!


    A deafening shockwave erupted, far more powerful than the previous one, shaking the entire arena to its core. The ground trembled, and the air vibrated violently, sending cracks through the arena''s surface.


    Participants who had been standing too close to the epicenter were sted backward, their bodies flung like ragdolls through the air.


    "No! It can''t be!" Orion uttered in shock as he stared at his copy in disbelief. Their fists were locked together, both in identical positions and stances, everything eerily simr.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    From behind, it would look like Orion was punching a mirror, if not for the swirling wind around them.


    Orion retreated, and the copy did the same.


    Zeref smiled when she saw this. "My Divine Soul reflects in real-time. Any moment you increase your strength, the copy, which is a reflection of you, will also use the same ability with the same strength."


    Her smile widened, her expression showing she believed she had already won. "Tell me, how can anyone defeat such an opponent? Isn''t this the perfect technique¡ªperfect attack, perfect reflection?"


    Orion stood there with a solemn expression as he studied the copy¡ªor rather, his reflection.


    He drew his sword, and the reflection did the same.


    Orion vanished, and so did the reflection. They disappeared from the arena, leaving an odd silence.


    The other participants stopped fighting. They couldn''t concentrate with Orion and Zeref''s battle raging on, so they decided to wait and let them eliminate each other.


    Zeref, seeing the reflection and Orion disappear, closed her eyes. She couldn''t sense Orion, but she could sense the reflection. The reflection was her Divine Soul, a part of her soul, so she could feel it.


    She quickly turned to her right and saw a swording straight for her neck, but another sword came from her left, blocking the attack.


    ng!


    Though the attack was blocked, the shockwave pushed her back.


    The sword on the right belonged to Orion, while the one from her left that blocked it was the reflection''s.


    Orion retreated, and the reflection followed suit, standing next to Zeref.


    "It''s really a headache to fight against a reflection of yourself," Orion said to Zeref. "No matter what I do, the reflection mirrors it."


    Zeref smirked. "That''s the beauty of Divine Souls. Every Divine Soul in this world is born with a magical ability, and mine is right in front of you."


    Orion frowned. "I know, but I also know that no reflection can ever be perfect. There has to be some w in that reflection of mine, and I''m going to find it and exploit it." He vanished from his position.


    ---


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 Chapter 383 383. A conclusion

    Bang!


    Both the reflection and Orion collided, sending a shockwave through the entire arena, causing winds to rage in all directions and dust to fly out.


    Orion swung his sword again and again, relentlessly, without stopping.


    ng! ng! ng!


    But the reflection matched him, swinging its sword just as relentlessly, blocking all of Orion''s attacks without breaking a sweat.


    Orion didn''t give up and continued his barrage of attacks as they shed across the arena. With their insane speed, they battled everywhere, causing chaos among the other participants.


    It felt like the others hadn''te to fight but to watch, as everyone stopped fighting altogether, their focus entirely on the duel between Orion and Zeref¡ªor rather, Orion and the reflection.


    The more Orion fought, the more he realized he couldn''t defeat it. It copied and reflected every attack he used, making it nearly impossible for him to damage it.


    Bang!


    They collided again, sending them both ten steps back.


    "You can''t defeat it," Zeref said arrogantly. "My Divine Soul is one of the strongest, and its ability has no w. You''re fighting a losing battle."


    "Nothing in this world is wless," Orion responded calmly.


    "Then defeat your reflection and show me," Zeref said with a challenging glint in her eyes.


    "Look at it," Orion pointed at the reflection. "When I stop, it stops too. When I attack, it attacks. And that''s its weakness."


    Zeref sneered. "That''s not a weakness¡ªit''s its ability. It''s called real-time reflection. It mirrors everything you do instantly, without a second ofg."


    Orion shook his head at her and turned his attention back to the reflection. "I''ll show you how easy it is to defeat. I''ve been trying too hard to defeat it with brute strength, without thinking about the nature of a reflection. But now that I understand how it works, it''s simple."


    Zeref frowned, noticing Orion''s confidence. But she believed her reflection was perfect, unbeatable by anyone whose power level was the same or lower than hers. Only those at the diamond rank or higher could defeat her.


    Orion smiled lightly and walked toward the reflection. It mirrored him, walking toward him as well. Before long, they stood face to face.


    Orion slowly positioned himself, clenching his fist as though about to punch, but stopped midway.


    The reflection did the same, their fists almost touching.


    Zeref watched closely, noticing Orion''s strange action.


    Orion then activated the Curse of Berserk Body. Earlier, when he had transformed into Windbreaker form, he had deactivated Berserk Body, fearing it might make him too powerful and allow him to one-shot Zeref, which wasn''t his goal. He wanted to stay just below her power level, which was why he had been ''forced'' to use his ultimate form to defeat her.


    ''Now, it''s time for you to disappear.''


    Orion smiled and lightly punched forward. The reflection mirrored him, and their fists collided gently.


    Immediately, the reflection was blown away. Cracks appeared on its arms and body before it shattered like a mirror.


    Orion sneered. The reflection''s weakness was that it only mirrored what was on the outside. It couldn''t reflect what was happening inside. What Orion had shown as Ray Wiser was just a fraction of his strength. But when he used something invisible on the outside, the reflection was destroyed because it couldn''t mirror what it couldn''t see.


    "Pugh!"


    Zeref spat out a mouthful of blood, the bacsh from the destruction of her Divine Soul. She bent down, struggling to remain standing.


    "How did you do it?" she asked, her eyes wide with shock.


    "As I said before, everything has a weakness, and that reflection was no different," Orion replied, walking toward her.


    But then his body trembled, and a berserk gale of wind erupted from him before his Windbreaker form crumbled away.


    "Hah...hah¡­"


    Orion took deep breaths, forced to kneel with one leg on the ground, sweat pouring from his face and exhaustion clear in his expression.


    "It seems your time limit for that form has also run out," Zeref said with a wryugh, seeing Orion return to normal.


    "That''s why I rarely use it. Now, I can''t fight anymore," Orion said, standing with great effort before walking toward the edge of the arena.


    "Wait! You''re not nning to eliminate yourself, are you?" Zeref asked, shocked.


    Orion looked back. "It doesn''t matter to me who gets first ce. My only goal in participating in the Dos Academy assessment was achieved before the final test. Now that my admission spot is secured, my rank in the top 200 is irrelevant. Besides, the bacsh from Windbreaker is too much for my body to handle, and I can''t fight anymore until my internal injuries heal."


    At that moment, he reached the edge of the arena and jumped down without hesitation.


    Everyone in the arena was stunned. They didn''t know him, but they could tell that man was the strongest participant, alongside Zeref, and he just gave up like that.


    Tracy and Erza were equally shocked. They had thought Orion would want to be number one, but it seemed he had never nned on it.


    "Let''s eliminate Zeref first. She''s injured after her Divine Soul was destroyed."


    "You''re right. She can''t fight, and it will take her some time to use her Divine Soul again."


    "Hehe, once we eliminate her, it''ll be easier for us to fight for the final rankings."


    "Let''s do it."


    The remaining participants sneered, nning to eliminate Zeref while she was weak. They moved toward her, ready to strike her down before fighting for the top spots themselves.


    Zeref smiled coldly. "I guess it''s time to end this assessment."


    Ayer of frost extended from where she stood, engulfing the entire arena. The participants had no time to react and were instantly frozen like statues.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The entire arena became a field of ice.


    However, a few managed to survive¡ªthose with fire-rted talents who reacted quickly and freed themselves from Zeref''s ice attack. The others remained frozen forever.


    Erza was one of the survivors. She looked around, seeing only a handful of individuals left standing.


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    "It''s time to finish this," she muttered, beginning to melt the ice that encased Tracy, who stood beside her.


    ---


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 Chapter 384 384. Meeting with Zeref

    In a lively restaurant filled with the sound of young men celebrating, theirughter and voices blending with the clinking of sses and tes, three individuals sat quietly in a corner. Tracy, Erza, and Ray Wiser appeared rxed as they chatted amongst themselves.


    The atmosphere at their table was warm, withughter, shared smiles, and asional bursts of excitement as they discussed the final assessment they hadpleted the day before.


    "We fought Zeref hard. Erza attacked from long range, trying to keep her ice waves at bay, while I and some other participants attacked from the front. But our attacks just bounced back at us. It was strange. I attacked her many times, but every time my sword touched her, it was me who got sted back, and she didn''t even do anything," Tracy exined to Orion, recounting the battle after he left.


    She continued, "Zeref thenughed, calling us fools. She said she couldn''t use her Divine Soul, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t use her talent. In the end, it was all of us versus her, and we still lost. Her ice abilitybined with her other talent made her too powerful."


    Orion smiled. "It''s not that you guys were weak. It''s just that she''s at the 5th level of tinum rank, while you all are only at the peak of gold rank. There''s bound to be a huge difference in strength."


    Tracy nodded. She knew that, but it still stung that so many participants had attacked Zeref at the same time, yet they couldn''t defeat her.


    "Brother, that means you''re really strong too. You''re at the peak of gold rank, but you fought her for so long," Tracy said, looking at Orion with sparkling eyes.


    Orion sighed. "It''s not that I''m super strong. I just used a very powerful sub-ability of my talent called Windbreaker Form. With that form, my speed reaches its peak, but there are severe consequences. As you saw, when I defeated her Divine Soul, my Windbreaker Form dissipated, and I couldn''t even walk properly."


    He added, "My strength was the result of secret moves I only use in desperate situations, which brought me up to her level. So, you can tell who was really strong."


    Tracy nodded, recalling how Orion had fallen to his knees after defeating Zeref and choosing to eliminate himself.


    "By the way, I heard she wants to meet you and Mark," Erza said.


    Orion nodded lightly. "I don''t know what she''s up to, but I guess we''ll go check it out after this."


    He added, "Anyway, the academy starts in three days, so we might as well explore this."


    "On that note, Erza and I are going shopping tomorrow to buy clothes for the academy. Do you want toe?" Tracy asked, her eyes filled with hope.


    Orion sighed lightly. "I''lle, don''t worry."


    "By the way, has Victor or anyone else from our group made it into the top 200?" he asked Erza.


    Erza nodded. "Victor and Henry both made it into the top 200. I don''t know about the others."


    Orion nodded, thinking he would need to visit Henry to give Tracy a break from pestering her.


    As they continued talking and eating, time passed quickly. Soon after, they finished their meal and headed back to their respective hotels. Many hotels were empty now since those who failed to get into the top 200 had been sent home.


    "You two go ahead. I''m going to visit Zeref with Mark," Orion said to Tracy and Erza as they reached their hotel. "I want to know what she wanted to talk about."


    Erza and Tracy nodded and entered the hotel. Just then, Mark appeared and walked toward Orion.


    "Do you know where she is?" Orion asked.


    "How would I know?" Mark replied with frustration. "I thought she would''ve contacted you."


    Orion smiled wryly. "Well, I guess we can find her on this if we look around and ask a few people."


    "Don''t ask me," Mark shrugged.


    They stood there awkwardly for a few minutes.


    "I''ve seen that guy before," Orion suddenly pointed at a man approaching in a hovering car. He had bright blue hair and a smiling face.


    "Ray, my friend! How''ve you been?" the blue-haired man greeted as he stopped the car in front of them.


    "Friend? I don''t even know your name. How can we be friends?" Orion sneered lightly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Get in. I''ll take you to Zeref," the blue-haired man said to Orion and Mark.


    Orion and Mark exchanged nces before getting into the hovering car. Orion took the front seat, while Mark went to the back.


    "I''m Lycan, by the way," the blue-haired man introduced himself as he drove the car into the air and flew off into the distance.


    Orion chuckled. "No need for introductions. For some mysterious and dark reason, Zeref already seems to know everything about us," he said sarcastically.


    Lycan coughed awkwardly. "I''m sure there are perfectly logical reasons behind it."


    "I can''t wait to hear them," Orion smiled.


    As they talked, they soon arrived at a building that looked almost identical to the one Orion lived in.


    "This whole area seems to be a ce for guests. All the buildings look the same," Orion observed, looking around.


    "Let''s go," Lycan said as they exited the car and entered the building.


    "She''s upset that you eliminated yourself," Lycan remarked as they walked down the hall.


    Orion sighed. "I eliminated myself rather than being taken out by others. Why is she upset?"


    "I don''t know," Lycan replied as they arrived in front of a door. "Why don''t you ask her yourself?"


    ---


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 Chapter 385 385. Secrets of Blank Pages - 1

    Lycan opened the door, revealing a guest room that immediately caught Orion and Mark''s attention. The room radiated a luxurious violet theme, with an air of elegance they weren''t ustomed to.


    A grand sofa was positioned in the center, nked by two smaller ones on the opposite side. The d¨¦cor was carefully crafted¡ªrich, velvet curtains, intricate patterns on the walls, and ornate light fixtures all worked together to create a room that felt opulent and refined.


    Orion and Mark exchanged nces, their thoughts racing. The contrast between thisvish space and their own simpler amodations was stark.


    The idea that Zeref might be receiving some form of special treatment began to settle in their minds. Was she a VIP? If not, why else would she have been given such a finely adorned room?


    "You two havee," Zeref said, pointing at the two seats in front of her.


    Orion and Mark went ahead and sat down rxedly.


    "What do you guys want? Tea? Coffee? Or some special treats?" Zeref asked, looking at them.


    "Tea will suffice for me," Orion replied. Mark just remained silent.


    Zeref had already prepared tea and coffee, so she served Orion and Mark tea as Orion had requested.


    Orion sipped his tea and asked, "So, what do you want to talk about? I believe you didn''t call us here just to drink your tea and coffee, right?"


    Zeref also sipped her tea and said, "You two are very different from everyone I have met so far."


    Orion frowned. "How different are we talking about?" he asked, not understanding what she was trying to get at.


    "Hmm, let me think," Zeref pondered and then said after a moment, "You two are very unique. You''re both very strong, very mysterious, always hiding your true strength. I can say many things like that about you two."


    Orion''s frown deepened as he heard her. "Now, it''s time for me to ask: how do you know so much about us?" he asked solemnly.


    "In fact, I couldn''t find anything about Mark. From beginning to end, it was just nk," Zeref said, frowning. "But I searched for you, Ray Wiser, and I found interesting things about you¡ªinteresting enough to believe that you two are very special."


    Orion''s eyes widened as he realized something. "Wait! Are you stalking us?" he asked suddenly.


    "Huh? No! Of course not!" Zeref quickly denied. "Because of the final assessment, I just wanted to know about every participant, their strengths, and weaknesses. It was then that I came across you two because only your information was very strange."


    She added, "I couldn''t find anything on Mark. I drew aplete nk when it came to him. But you, Ray Wiser¡ªthe information I found made me very interested in you."


    Orion frowned. "What did you find about me?" he asked, his expression bing incredibly serious.


    Zeref looked at Orion and said slowly, "It''s that you are not who you really are¡ª"


    Shatter!


    Orion crushed the cup he had been holding and disappeared.


    "Ugh!"


    He held Zeref by her neck and asked, "How did you find out about me? I''m very sure I haven''t left any clues, so how did you do it?" He increased the pressure on her neck as he spoke.


    "First... let me... down," Zeref said with difficulty as Orion clutched her neck.


    Orion mmed her back onto the sofa and sat back down on the seat he had been sitting in earlier. His face became incredibly serious as he looked at Zeref, expecting answers.


    A heavy tension suddenly filled the room.


    Zeref took a few deep breaths and shook her neck. "You really were hiding your strength! With your power, you could have killed me in one shot if you''d wanted," she said in shock and surprise.


    "Answer the damn question," Orion said to her.


    Zerefughed lightly. "Before I tell you that, let me tell you something else. There''s a security camera that recorded you two entering my room, but there isn''t one inside, obviously, for my privacy. Therefore, if I die, the Federation Council will suspect you two first. This isn''t a threat but a friendly warning." She smiled.


    "Just tell me what I want to know," Orion insisted, his words full of anger.


    Zeref sighed and looked at Mark. "Mark hasn''t reacted since I revealed your little secret, which means he already knew about it. Interesting."


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    She then took out an opened diary and ced it in front of them. "This is it. This thing here is probably something from the gods, I guess."


    Orion and Mark looked at the diary and saw a very ancient page. Their faces showed shock¡ªboth of them. Orion was particrly stunned because it was the same nk page he had, the same nk page he had been asked to search for by the voice in his dreams and the old man in the trial.


    "What is this?" Orion feigned ignorance and asked. "And what does it have to do with you finding out about me?"


    Zeref smiled, pointed at the pen on the diary, and asked, "Write on that page asking for information about Ray Wiser."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Orion had a bad feeling but did as she said. He took the pen in his hand and wrote on the page.


    "Tell me everything about Ray Wiser."


    As soon as he wrote those words, the page immediately filled with text, though it only filled half of it.


    Orion and Mark were shocked when they saw that.


    "Read it," Zeref said.


    Orion nodded and began reading it, and so did Mark. However, a few minutester, their expressions became incredibly serious, especially Mark. The page mentioned everything about Ray Wiser in minute detail, from his early years to his teenage days to how he died.


    "He died because he overused his talent?" Mark stood up in rage. "How could that be? It''s not possible! He died because thatdy killed him, not because he overused his talent. This is a lie! This page only tells lies!"


    "Calm down, Mark," Orion said to him. "If this page could get everything else right about him, does it make sense to give false information about his death?"


    Mark calmed down, but he still couldn''t believe it. He had known Ray all his life and hardly saw him use his talent. Ray was the peaceful type who never wanted anything to do with fighting, and for these reasons, Mark found it hard to believe that Ray had died by overusing his talent.


    "You see, the page mentions that Ray Wiser died around three months ago, yet you''re standing in front of me," Zeref sneered at Orion.


    She continued, "From this book, I researched every participant, and that''s how I found out about you two."


    Orion frowned and remained silent for a moment. He pondered the words of the old man from his trial, who had said that if the page got into the hands of an evil person, it would be very bad.


    ---


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 Chapter 386 386. Secrets of Blank Pages

    "Have you told anyone else about me?" Orion asked her solemnly.


    "Of course not," Zeref said before her expression became yful. "Do you want to silence me to keep your secret hidden forever?"


    Orion narrowed his eyes. "I might do it. As the saying goes, dead tell no tales. I don''t want to take a risk. So, I will give you two options: either do something that will make me believe you, or I will control your soul. There is also a third option."


    He added, "You will disappear forever before the day the academy opens. So, decide for yourself while I am still here."


    "Heh," Zeref smirked before pointing at the page again. "Now write on it and ask about Mark."


    This time, Mark took the pen and wrote something on the page.


    "Tell me about Mark Prince."


    The page immediately became nk, and even the line Mark wrotepletely vanished.


    "Why is it we can''t see anything about Mark?" Orion asked Zeref.


    Zeref shrugged. "I don''t know. I have tried many times, but it just won''t give me anything about Mark."


    She added, looking at Orion, "Try asking who is impersonating Ray Wiser."


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    Orion narrowed his eyes and wrote on it.


    "Who is impersonating Ray Wiser?"


    The page again became nk, and just likest time, even the words Orion wrote vanished.


    Orion frowned when he saw that. At the same time, he also sighed in relief that this thing didn''t know about his identity. But he asked himself why. If the page knew everything about everyone, then why didn''t it have any information on Mark? And why didn''t it know who was impersonating Ray? It just didn''t make sense.


    "Are you sure that this page can tell anything about anyone except for Mark?" Orion asked.


    "I am very sure," Zeref said, smiling. "I have checked information about so many individuals that I almost know everything about everyone who I am close to. But for some reason, it just doesn''t have any information on Mark¡ªor maybe about you too, Ray."


    Orion frowned and pondered something. ''What is so different about me than everyone else?'' he thought, when it hit him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''I am a transmigrator! I am not from this world,'' he realized.


    Although he had some problems when it came to his identity, he knew that he had a life on Earth and came here where he died there. So, he was a transmigrator in this world.


    ''But then Mark...'' Orion slowly turned to Mark when he saw him looking at him suspiciously.


    "Do you know about Jesus?" he asked vaguely.


    "Jesus?!" Mark trembled when he heard those words from Orion. "You!" He looked at Orion in shock.


    "We will talk about thister," Orion said to Mark solemnly, understanding the reason the page didn''t contain any information about them.


    Orion then turned to Zeref, who had been watching them suspiciously, and seeing their shocked faces, she figured they might have figured out why there was no information about them on the page.


    "Now, what have you decided?" Orion asked.


    "You want my trust, right?" Zeref smiled. "How about I give this page to you? Isn''t this enough for you to trust me?"


    Orion frowned. He had some thoughts on asking her to give the page to him for him to trust her. That was his n, and if this wouldn''t have worked, he would go for the kill.


    But he didn''t want to go down this path right now.


    He was currently in the headquarters of the Federation Council, and killing someone on their grounds, even if he made it seem like it didn''t have anything to do with him, might be very risky.


    However, now that she was willing to give the paper to him willingly, it made him suspicious about her actions. This page was just like a cheat and could help one in various scenarios, but now she was willingly giving it away like it was nothing.


    Seeing Orion ponder, Zeref sighed and said, "There is another thing about this page which is even more godlike than what it previously could do."


    "Oh? What is it?" Orion asked with interest.


    Zeref took the pen this time. "Just watch." She then wrote something, and suddenly the color of the room changed from purple to red.


    Orion and Mark were shocked when they saw this, and before they could even ask anything, the entire room changed again. What had been an elegant, modern aesthetic just moments ago shifted into something entirely different.


    The smooth violet theme vanished, reced by the rustic ambiance of a medieval setting. The floor beneath their feet turned into polished wooden nks, and the walls morphed into aged, wooden beams, giving the entire space an old-world charm.


    Before they could even utter a word, the once-opulent furniture also transformed. The grand sofa became a sturdy wooden bench with leather cushions, and the smaller sofas took on a rough-hewn, handcrafted look. It felt as if they had been transported to an ancient era, leaving them bewildered.


    "What¡­ just happened?" Mark muttered, his eyes wide as he took in the sudden change.


    "What is this power? Reality maniption?" Orion asked, turning to Zeref, and seeing her, he became even more shocked. She wore a red robe like those from the ancient times. Her face, her hair, and everything about her appeared very serene and ancient.


    "You two can see the changes, right?" Zeref asked a strange question.


    "Of course we can see that," Orion said, looking around. "How does one not notice when the entire room suddenly changes? And what is this ability? Does the page have the ability to manipte reality?"


    Zeref nodded lightly before she wrote something, and everything returned to normal. "Yes, this page can rewrite reality¡ªor you can say edit it. I just asked the page to make my room and everyone in it appear ancient, and that was the result."


    "Everyone?" Orion frowned because he recalled his clothing didn''t change, and neither did Mark''s.


    "I have guessed this already," Zeref said, looking at Orion and Mark. "No one can notice or see the changes I make with the pages, no one. I have changed my room in front of Lycan and the others, but they acted as if nothing happened. It was the same when I changed my clothing too. I even changed their clothes, but they acted same. No clue whatsoever to the changes I made, but you two are unique."


    She added, "You two can see and notice the changes I make with the page while not being affected by its power. It seems as though, for whatever reason, the page¡ªhowever godly and powerful it is¡ªsimply can''t do anything when ites to the two of you."


    Orion became silent as he heard her and looked at her coldly. "I get it. I understand everything, but let me ask you something. Why tell us this? This is your secret, and it isn''t something one should tell others, especially when ites to this page, which has godlike powers, and now you even want to give this page to me. What is your intention?


    What is it that you want by revealing your only secret to me?"


    ---


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 Chapter 387 387. Zerefs Goal

    Zeref''s face grew serious as Orion asked the question. She had been waiting for this moment, waiting for Orion to ask her.


    "I want revenge. I want the Archons dead. I want them all dead," she spat, trembling in anger and rage. "This godlike page, all this power means nothing to me if I can''t take my revenge. So, please take this page and help me enact my revenge. Help me kill some Archons."


    Orion''s expression darkened. Revenge against the Archons? Killing Archons? So far, only one person had done that: Orion Darkwood.


    "What are you talking about? Are you mad?" Mark shouted. Revenge against Archons, killing Archons¡ªhe couldn''t even imagine it. To him, Archons were the epitome of power in this world, and going against them meant inevitable death.


    Orion didn''t seem to hear Mark and looked at Zeref coldly. "How did you know?" he asked.


    Zeref replied calmly, "I suspected when I saw Ray was already dead, and someone was impersonating him. I thought, why would someone impersonate a dead guy? That''s when your face came to mind. Only someone who didn''t want to be seen would use this method, but I wasn''t sure at the time."


    She continued, "However, after seeing your strength at the assessment, I was almost certain it could only be you. And now, when you clutched my neck in the blink of an eye and brought me to the brink of death, I was one hundred percent sure it could only be you."


    Her expression turned to one of hatred. "Help me. I want revenge. They killed my mother, and my fathermitted suicide after failing to save her. My brother is dead because of them, and I want revenge for all of them. I want to watch the Archons die slowly before my eyes.


    Only then will I be able to live¡ªor die¡ªin peace," she said, her voiceced with intense hatred.


    Orion closed his eyes and pondered. He knew that having one more ally would benefit him, but could he trust her? He frowned. He didn''t want to be stabbed in the back at thest moment, so he had to be sure her desire for revenge was genuine.


    ''Ah, I can do that.''


    He looked at the table, picked up the pen, and wrote:


    "What happened to Zeref''s parents?"


    As soon as he finished, a paragraph appeared before him.


    Orion read the entire paragraph, his expression turning solemn as he reached the end. It mentioned that her mother was killed by four officials from the Archons when she refused toply with their explicit demands.


    At least he could trust her¡ªbut that wasn''t enough. Orion wanted more.


    "What is Zeref obsessed with the most?" he wrote in the diary.


    This time, only two lines appeared on the page:


    "She wants revenge. She wants to kill the Archons who destroyed her family. She wants to watch them die with her own eyes."


    Orion read those words and nced at Zeref, who was also watching him. "Are you satisfied now?" she asked.


    "I am, but there''s something else I want to know," he said, pointing at the page. "If you can change someone''s clothes by writing on it, can you kill them with it?"


    Zeref shook her head. "No. Killing and reviving people from the dead is impossible. Even this page has its limits."


    Orion frowned but expected that. If someone could kill just by writing names, it would be an overpowered ability. In that case, one might be a death god, killing as many as they wanted with no one to stop them.


    No one could imagine such power, making the ability even more terrifying.


    "So, am I in?" Zeref asked.


    Orion pondered for a moment. "If you want revenge, I can help you kill the Archons. But know that betraying me will only lead to one oue for you¡ªand it might be worse than what happened to your mother. Keep that in mind."


    Zeref frowned when Orion mentioned her mother, but eventually nodded. She needed power to enact her revenge, and now she had it. Enjoy exclusive content from empire


    "I now know who you are," Mark suddenly said, staring at Orion.


    Orion turned to him and smiled. He wanted to befriend Mark because he had the potential to be one of the strongest in the future. Having someone like him as an ally would be beneficial.


    He knew his goal of overthrowing the Archons¡ªdestroying them¡ªwould be difficult alone. But with strong allies, it was a different story.


    "You''re Orion Darkwood, the brother of Emily Darkwood," Mark said, his eyes red as he clenched his fist.


    "I am Orion Darkwood," Orion confirmed, adding, "But you should know my sister didn''t kill Ray. For some reason, she was there when he died, and I want to know why. I can''t contact her at the moment, but I should be able to when we''re in the academy. Some of my friends will also be attending, so I''ll have answers then."


    Mark gritted his teeth, unsure what to believe. He trusted the page¡ªit had never been wrong¡ªand what it said about Ray''s death was likely true. But he also knew Ray rarely used his talent because it was weak.


    He was torn between what was right and wrong.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "We''ll talk at my ce," Orion said, seeing Mark''s solemn expression. "I''m sure you want answers about the things you''re curious about. I have some clues."


    Mark nodded slightly, lost in thought. He wondered about Orion''s goals. He likely wanted revenge, just like Zeref¡ªbut what about him? What did he want?


    "Wait a minute," Zeref said, writing something on the page.


    "Done. I''ve made your halowatch untraceable. No one can see our messages," she said.


    Orion checked his halowatch but noticed no difference. ''Good,'' he thought. If there was no visible change, no one would notice the subtle alteration.


    "So, how do you n to do it?" Zeref asked.


    Orion considered for a moment. "Do you know where the Dos Academy is located?"


    "It should be in the same domain as the Archons," Zeref replied thoughtfully. "Actually, no one knows how to enter the Archons'' domain from the three domains. I believe only a select few know.


    But now that the Archons are willing to train humans from the three domains in preparation for the war against the three races, I doubt they''ll care about privacy when the extinction of the entire race is at stake."


    ---


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 Chapter 388 388. I have come to play with you

    Orion nodded lightly. "My first n is to infiltrate the domain where Archons live, and only after knowing their situation will I decide my next n of action."


    He added, looking at the paper in the diary. "I''ll keep that to myself for the time being." He touched the paper lightly, which shone with a golden light before magically imprinting on his palm.


    "You can do that?" Zeref appeared shocked, her eyes wide as she looked at the small page imprint on Orion''s palm.


    "I already had one of these pages with me, but I didn''t know it held such power," Orion said, looking at the imprint and noticing a ''2'' appearing below the page imprint.


    "There are many other pages out there?!" Zeref eximed in shock. She knew the power of this page very well. It could even alter one''s own talent, which was what she had done with her own talent. Her talent was originally called Minimal Counter, which could only counter about 10% of an attack, but she had edited her talent and made it powerful enough to counter 100% of any attack.


    As for the ice talent, she had added it with the help of the page, but for some reason, she couldn''t control this talent whatsoever. It would always be released in a berserk way when she wanted to use it, and sometimes it would release ice in suchrge amounts that even she had a hard time controlling it.


    That was when she came to a conclusion: talents added with the page could never be fully controlled because they didn''t have a mastery percentage. On the other hand, if one edited their original talent and raised it to a higher level, it would work perfectly.


    Knowing how effective these pages could be in the wrong hands, she feared what could happen if they fell into evil hands.


    "We have to find all the pages, then," Zeref said.


    "I know," Orion replied. "But I don''t know where to look. You having a page was just pure coincidence. I don''t think we''ll be that lucky to encounter another person with the page who would be willing to give it up."


    Zeref nodded in understanding. She also knew that no one would give away such a powerful artifact willingly.


    "Actually, I have one of these pages," Mark said suddenly.


    "You do?" Orion and Zeref were both shocked. "Where is it?" Orion asked.


    Mark clenched his fist and pointed with his other hand. On the back of his fist, a page imprint could be seen.


    "You can also do that?!" Zeref was once again shocked. First Orion, and now Mark, could hide the pages on their hands, while she couldn''t, even though she had possessed the page for the longest time.


    "How did you guys do that?" she asked.


    "Uh, I just touched it, and it suddenly vanished and appeared on the back of my palm," Mark said lightly. He then touched the page imprint, which suddenly came to life before them and floated in the air.


    "I''ll keep that to myself for safety reasons, of course," Orion said, touching the floating page, which vanished, and the ''2'' on his palm changed to ''3''.


    "Also, keep in mind to never call me by that name," Orion warned the other two.


    They nodded in understanding.


    "We''ll meet on our way to the academy next time," Orion said before leaving with Mark.


    Father, Mother, Brother, I''m one step closer to avenging you all, Zeref thought, clenching her fist.


    ---


    "You got your second talent when you saw Ray die?" Orion asked Mark as they left the building where Zeref was staying.


    Mark nodded. "At that moment, I also got these foreign memories of Earth."


    "Foreign memories?" Orion frowned and asked. "Aren''t you transmigrated from Earth?"


    "I am, ording to the memories," Mark replied. "But for some reason, those memories never actually felt real to me. I''ve lived my whole life as Mark of the Three Domains, so the memories I received that day just remained as foreign memories, and I like to keep it that way."


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    Orion nodded lightly. He guessed that for Mark, the memories and life of the Three Domains were much more precious than those memories from Earth. Even though he had all those memories, he had never let them overwhelm him.


    "There were thirteen other people who came from Earth to this world with me," Orion said. Since he had decided to recruit Mark as an ally, he chose to be honest with him on some matters.


    Mark looked at him with surprise. "All thirteen should be in the Magus Kingdom right now."


    "Who did this and why?" Mark asked.


    "I have no clue," Orion replied with a solemn face. "But these pages¡ªI think they''re connected to whoever transmigrated us."


    He added, "If we can find all the pages, there''s a chance we could meet him."


    "And how sure are you about that?" Mark asked.


    "Not very," Orion admitted. He wasn''t sure if he would ever meet that old man again, but he had a feeling something big was going to happen at the academy.


    "By the way, what the ck Reaper guild did to Trach had something to do with the paper," Orion said. "The paper I had came from Tracy. It somehow imprinted on her, and the ck Reaper guild took notice."


    "I''ve been waiting for you two."


    A voice reached their ears as they approached their building, and they saw a man with ck hair tipped with red leaning against the wall, looking at them.


    "Where are you looking? I''m behind you."


    Suddenly, the man appeared behind them and wrapped his arms around them.


    Orion and Mark''s expressions turned serious; neither had noticed when the man moved.


    "Hey, no need to be so serious," the man smiled. "After all, I came here just to y with you two."


    ---


    Also, I was hoping you could leave somements or reviews to let me know your thoughts!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


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

 Chapter 389 389. Elijah Martin

    "What do you say, boys? Do we have some fun?" The man smiled lightly, looking at Orion and Mark.


    "Who are you?" Orion asked solemnly. He couldn''t gauge his speed nor his strength. The man was aplete mystery to them.


    "Oh, I forgot you don''t know me yet." The manughed awkwardly before appearing in front of them and introducing himself. "You can call me Elijah Martin. I''m your senior at the Dos Academy, or you could say I''ll be the one teaching you guys there."


    Orion and Mark exchanged nces, wondering what this man wanted from them.


    "What do you want?" Orion asked.


    "Hey, hey, hey, is that how you speak to your teachers?" Elijah scrutinized Orion with a raised eyebrow.


    Orion sighed, unsure of how to deal with the man before him.


    "Mr. Elijah, what do you want from us?" Mark asked respectfully.


    "See?" Elijah said, pointing at Mark. "That''s how you address someone senior to you."


    Orion nodded lightly. "It was my fault. Please forgive me," he said sarcastically.


    "Don''t sweat it. Mistakes are part of who we are. What we can do is not repeat them." Elijah''s expression turned solemn as he advised Orion like a teacher guiding a child.


    Orion almost stumbled in disbelief. ''Where did this clowne from?''


    "I came here to y with you two, but it seems I wasn''t well-received." Elijah sighed, his expression turning sad.


    He added calmly, "Let me tell you something. I''m from the domain where Archons live, but I''m not an Archon. It''splicated, but you''ll understand when you get there. What I wanted to say is, the Dos Academy that you two will be joining was established centuries ago. It''s the main academy for all the kids in the domain of the Archons."


    Orion and Mark were stunned. They hadn''t expected this at all. From the moment it was announced that an academy would be opened to train the geniuses of the three domains for theing war with the three races, neither Orion, Mark, nor anyone in the three domains thought that Dos Academy had already existed for centuries in the Archons'' domain.


    Now that they knew, they were shocked. The revtion hit them out of nowhere.


    "Shocked? Stunned? Astonished?" Elijah chuckled at their expressions.


    "But I''m not here just to tell you that. There''s something more important. When you join the academy, there will be five alliances you''ll be asked to join within a week, and I want you two to join the Mortal Blood Alliance," Elijah said lightly.


    "And why should we join that alliance?" Orion asked.


    Elijah chuckled before reappearing behind them, wrapping his arms around their necks. "If you don''t want to know the reason you two were transmigrated to this world, feel free not toe. It''s not like I''m forcing you."


    Orion and Mark''s eyes narrowed at his words, realizing the man in front of them was also from Earth.


    Elijah smiled, seeing their shocked expressions, and continued, "There are others like you all over the world. Every ten years, transmigrators like you and me arrive in this world, but almost all remain clueless about their purpose, just like you two and many others out there."


    He added, "You died on Earth, yet you get to live a second life in the three domains. Surely you wouldn''t think you''re here for nothing, right?"


    Orion had always suspected that a second chance wasn''t given for nothing, but there was no way to know their real purpose in this world.


    Elijah continued, "Join the Mortal Blood Alliance. There are hundreds of people like you in it. I''ll tell you our goal in this world once you join us. Also, a piece of advice¡ªdon''t let anyone, and I mean anyone, know that you''re a transmigrator from Earth. Otherwise, your names will be right behind Orion Darkwood on the most wanted list."


    He added in a warning tone, "Though the three domains are clueless about us transmigrators, the Archons'' domain is well-informed and hates transmigrators to the core. So, if you don''t want to be as infamous as Orion Darkwood and prefer to live in the shadows, never reveal your identity." Discover more stories at empire


    Orion and Mark nodded solemnly. From the beginning until now, Orion had never told anyone, aside from other transmigrators, about his origin.


    "This is all for now," Elijah said, stepping in front of them. "My task was just to let you know what you needed to know. The decision rests in your hands."


    "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I have to go recruit some other transmigrators," Elijah said before vanishing.


    Orion and Mark stood there in shock. Elijah had revealed too much¡ªabout too many things¡ªand they werepletely overwhelmed.


    The matter of Dos Academy, the arrival of transmigrators every ten years, their mysterious purpose, the Archons'' knowledge and hatred for transmigrators¡­ All this information came as a shock to them.


    They never imagined that transmigrators were summoned every ten years and that there was a grand purpose they were meant to fulfill.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''There are also gods, the mysteries surrounding them, that man in the Null Void, Evans who disappeared during the banquet, the three races, Grimshore, and the Archons,'' Orion thought, feeling like he had only scratched the surface of the mysteries surrounding the three domains and the Montreux Universe.


    He sighed, feeling suddenly tired. He could stop now, return to his family, and live a simple life in the three domains. A part of him wanted that. But another part wanted to uncover all the mysteries, to satisfy his curiosity about this world, to be stronger, to understand why he was entangled in all this. Why had he been transmigrated?


    He wanted answers¡ªanswers he could only obtain by growing stronger.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 390 390. Dawn of the New Adventures

    Three days passed, and the participants enjoyed and celebrated their admission into the Dos Academy. It was now time for them to leave for the academy.


    Orion was in his room, checking if he had everything in his space bracelet. He looked around, and after confirming he had everything, he opened the door and walked out.


    Five individuals were already waiting for him outside: Tracy, Erza, Mark, Victor, and Henry.


    "Big brother, you''rete again," Tracyined.


    "Are you sure? Maybe you guys just got here too early?" Orion chuckled as they walked through the hall toward the exit of the building.


    "How can that be?" Tracy said, ncing at the time on her halo-watch. "See, it''s you who''ste, as always."


    "Ah, is that so?" Orion said lightly as they exited the building with the others.


    Outside, Billy had been waiting for them. When he saw theme out, heughed. "Good! Out of the ten people who came from Masturi City, five have managed to enroll in the Dos Academy. You should be proud of yourselves¡ªyou''ve made the entire city proud."


    "President Billy, it has been an honor to represent the Masturi City we grew up in," Victor said, smiling.


    "Good, good," Billy said, nodding. "Now, you kids are heading for the Archons'' domain, but there are some things I must warn you about."


    "People from the Archons are very arrogant by nature because they see people from the three domains as nothing but inferior beings, like how we see monsters and insects in our world. So be careful when you''re there, and be very wary of them," he warned.


    "But don''t worry too much. Our Hunter Association''s main branch is also located in the domain of the Archons, and while they tend to act like the Archons, they know their duties. So, if any problems arise, you can go to them. I believe they''ll have ways to help you out," Billy advised.


    Orion and the others nodded.


    "Let''s go. I''ll lead you to the space shuttle," Billy said, leading the way.


    Orion and the others followed.


    "How have you been, Orion?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Just at that moment, a familiar voice sounded in Orion''s mind, causing his eyes to narrow. He didn''t need to look around to know whose voice it was¡ªit was his clone''s.


    "Are you inside the dimension?" Orion asked as he activated the Curse of Dimensional Dissonance.


    "Hehe, yes, I''m inside, walking with you."


    "What have you been doing these days?"


    "I''ve been looking around for some things I''m curious about, like the gods, but I didn''t find much. I also couldn''t find a way into the domain of the Archons. That''s why I had toe back to join you on your way there."


    Orion didn''t ask how he knew where they were going¡ªhe knew that Grey Orion could hear his thoughts as if they were his own.


    But there was one problem. As the original, Orion didn''t have that ability. Only the clone could read his thoughts, not the other way around.


    "What are you going to do once you arrive in the domain of the Archons?"


    "You don''t need to worry about that. I have my own ns."


    Orion remained silent, not asking any more questions.


    "By the way, you''ve got some really messed-up thoughts in your head. I''d advise you to be careful. The domain of the Archons isn''t like the three domains, so whatever you do, be extra careful. I can''t have you dying, or I''ll disappear forever too."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine."


    Grey Orion went silent, and Orion also stopped speaking.


    Before long, they arrived at the parking area for the void shuttle, and the scene that greeted them was nothing short of astonishing.


    What stood before them wasn''t just any void shuttle¡ªit was a colossal, mega void shuttle, easily ten times the size of a regr one. Its sleek, metallic hull gleamed under the lights, and its sheer magnitude was overwhelming. Towers of engines lined its rear, while its body stretched out so far it seemed to blend into the horizon.


    The shuttle radiated power and grandeur, a vessel designed to traverse the vast expanses of the universe.


    For Orion, it was his first time witnessing such a massive void shuttle, and he couldn''t help but stare in awe. The others were equally stunned, their faces reflecting the mixture of disbelief and wonder.


    "This void shuttle is from the domain of the Archons," Billy said from the side. "We from the three domains could never build something this big."


    "From the domain of the Archons..." Orion muttered, observing the gigantic shuttle.


    He also noticed the other participants who had passed the final assessment gathered around the shuttle with their respective Hunter Association representatives.


    Soon, the huge door to the shuttle opened, revealing two middle-aged men¡ªone bald and the other with a big beard. They looked down at the participants with arrogance.


    "Send them in," the bald man shouted.


    "Go, and take care of yourselves," Billy said to Orion and the others.


    They nodded in silent understanding and moved toward the void shuttle. The sleek, imposing vessel hummed with energy as it waited, its doors open like a gaping maw. One by one, the participants filed in, their expressions ranging from determined to anxious.


    Some brimmed with excitement, eager for the new journey ahead. The unknown felt like a thrilling adventure, and their eyes gleamed with anticipation.


    Others, though equally excited, couldn''t help but feel nervous, their minds swirling with thoughts of the challenges that might await them.


    Yet, despite the mixed emotions, most shared one thing inmon¡ªa sense of hope and anticipation for their future at Dos Academy. It wasn''t just a new chapter; it was the promise of transformation, of bing something greater than they had ever imagined.


    The academy symbolized opportunity, power, and a new life that they all looked forward to.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 391 391. The Statue at the Entrance

    "Ray, we''re going to bete on the first day! Come on, hurry up!" Victor''s voice sounded through the door as Orion put on his clothes.


    "Coming! Just give me a minute." He donned the new clothes he had bought just for this asion¡ªa dark red shirt and deep blue pants.


    Dos Academy didn''t have a standard uniform, and Orion was d they didn''t. He didn''t want to feel like he was back in school, forced to wear a uniform and attend an academy in that way again.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After checking himself in the mirror, Orion walked out of his room.


    Outside, Mark and Victor were waiting for him.


    "Damn, you''re going to make uste on the first day of the academy!" Victorined as soon as Orion came out of his room.


    "Don''t worry, it''ll be fine," Orion replied calmly. "Let''s go, then."


    Victor nodded as they began to walk along the white-colored floor.


    It had only been a day since they arrived in the Domain of Archons, and the academy started just the next day. Many were unhappy with this, but they could only keep their mouths shut in this ce.


    One thing that made Orion frown during the trip was that there had been no view of what was happening outside the mega void shuttle when they were transported to the Domain of Archons.


    Inside the mega shuttle, everyone was asked to go to separate rooms and wait until they reached the Domain of Archons. This made it impossible for them to see the route or how they arrived.


    Orion was familiar with the three domains¡ªthe Magus Universe, the Human Federation Realm, and the Martial Domain¡ªall interconnected by a massive jump gate floating in space. He had seen the gate firsthand during his journey from the Magus Kingdom to the Human Federation Realm.


    From what he had learned, this was the only jump gate linking all three realms, serving as the sole passage for inter-realm travel.


    However, on his recent trip to the Domain of Archons, he hadn''t seen much of anything. Confined to his room aboard the enormous mega void shuttle, he missed the chance to witness the incredible gateway or the vast stretches of space outside. This made the journey feel even more distant and mysterious, leaving him with a lingering sense of curiosity about what he had missed.


    ''It will be difficult to leave this ce if things don''t go as nned,'' Orion thought as they walked and left the building.


    Outside was a world Orion could hardly believe was real¡ªa stunning blend of nature and futuristic technology. The academy dormitory towered high, set against a vast, open sky where sleek, metal flying vehicles zipped between floating inds, each one leaving glowing trails behind, like stars streaking across the heavens.


    Above and below, massive creatures flew, their wings beating steadily as they cut through the air. Some had metallic scales that gleamed in the sunlight, while others had wings that seemed to glow with an almost magical energy.


    Thendscape was a perfect mix of fantasy and sci-fi. Huge trees with glowing leaves stood beside holographic signs hovering in the air. Thick, pulsing vines crept up the dorm''s smooth, futuristic walls, blending into the advanced technology that dotted the area.


    Crystals sprouted from the ground, shining with an otherworldly light, while steel towers reached into the sky, surrounded by glowing flowers swaying gently in the breeze.


    The air buzzed with both natural life and a technological hum¡ªa world where magic and machines were perfectly in sync. Orion stared,pletely awestruck, realizing this was a ce beyond anything he could have ever dreamed of.


    He had already seen this scene a couple of times, but every time he saw it again, he was just as awestruck by how amazing this world was.


    Soon they appeared in front of the entrance of Dos Academy, where various students could be seen going in and out casually. But if one looked closely, they would notice some students looking around the academy in wonder and amazement.


    They were all new students who had just arrived yesterday from the three domains.


    "The entrance is huge!" Orion eximed.


    "It''s indeed a bit too tall, and its shape is also rather strange to me," Victor nodded wryly.


    The entrance to the academy was built beneath a massive sword, held by an imposing statue. The sword pointed downward, with its de partially buried in the ground, nearly 20% of its length embedded in the earth. The statue of the man gripping the hilt stood tall, both hands resting firmly atop it.


    He had shoulder-length curly hair, carved with fine detail, and his expression was stern, as if guarding the academy. A cape flowed from his shoulders, draped dramatically behind him, giving the statue an air of strength and authority that seemed to cast a shadow over all who passed beneath.


    "I wonder who this guy is?" Orion muttered aloud, looking at the statue.


    "Must be someone important, judging by the fact his figure was carved into a statue at the entrance of the academy," Victor said, ncing at the statue.


    "Let''s go, or else we might bete," Mark said as he entered through therge entrance beneath the sword.


    Orion and Victor followed, entering the academy, where they were immediately greeted by crowds of students. However, the number wasn''trge, smaller than the masses seen outside.


    ''These must be the 600 seats selected from the three domains,'' Orion thought as he scanned the crowd, looking for familiar faces. He noticed four individuals standing together: Erick, Princess Luma, Astral Voidwalker, and Elyn Ravenw. It had been a while since he hadst seen them.


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 392 392. Introduction of Student Council

    ''I wonder what they think of me after everything that happened at that banquet,'' Orion thought as he looked at them.


    "Everyone, attention here."


    A loud shout attracted everyone''s attention toward a stage where seven individuals stood. There were four young men and three women.


    Orion recognized one of them. It was Elijah, who was also a transmigrator like them and had invited him and Mark to join the Mortal Blood Alliance.


    "Everyone, I hope you like the society and culture of this domain we live in," one of the women stepped forward and said. She had long purple hair and appeared quite reserved, her expression calm even though the speech she delivered was enthusiastic.


    "Just like the other three domains, this domain also has a name. It''s called the Limitless Void," she continued. "Don''t think that you few are the first ones from the three domains toe to the Limitless Void. If you think that, you are wrong. Those whose strength is at the very peak, in the celestial rankings, cane and go from the Limitless Void as they wish."


    She added, "However, it is true that you are the first younger generation from the three domains to step into the Limitless Void. Therefore, as much as this is a cause for celebration, the reason that led to this situation is not a good one."


    She looked around the hall and said, "Before I continue, let me introduce myself. I am Veronica Xander, President of the Cadet Council at Dos Academy, and I wee you all to Dos Academy."


    "Beside me are the Vice President, Roan, and the leaders of the five alliances. They are respectively¡ªElijah Martin, leader of Mortal Blood, Josh Lane, leader of Hunter Alliance, Tony Dale, leader of Armor Destroyer Alliance, Sophia Lita, leader of Purple Rose Alliance, andstly, Celly Lucia, leader of Horton Gear Alliance."


    Veronica looked at the cadets and continued, "These are the five alliances you will need to join within a week. A piece of advice: do proper research on each alliance before joining, as each is geared toward different aspects of battle in war. So, you should know what you''re good at before deciding which alliance will benefit you the most."


    She paused and then concluded, "That''s all from me. For thest time, wee to the Limitless Void and Dos Academy."


    With those words, her grand speech came to an end. The young men and women in the crowd nodded, understanding that their arrival at the Limitless Void and Dos Academy was not a cause for celebration. Instead, it was a necessity, as humanity had been forced into this situation.


    The penultimate war would soon begin, deciding the fate of not only humanity but also the entire three races and the Montreux Universe as a whole.


    After Veronica, the vice leader Roan and the other alliance leaders also gave some encouraging words, including what one should and shouldn''t do at the academy.


    "Ray, Mark, did you see the routine?" Victor asked, pointing at the hologram on his halowatch.


    "Yeah, it''s very strange," Orion muttered. "You can attend any lectures you want, or none at all, but if you fail the tests, you''ll simply be expelled from the academy."


    "This is good. I don''t want to attend all the lectures," Mark said, looking through the list. "I''ll only join the ones I''m weak at, like mana control. It''s really difficult for me to control different types of mana with different attributes, so I''m definitely attending that one."


    Orion scanned the list and also chose some lectures he nned to attend.


    "Hey, look over there!" Victor said, pointing to the corner of the hall. "It seems the strongest of each domain aren''t being weed very well."


    Orion and Mark turned to see the strongest geniuses from each domain being blocked by some young men. These included Astral, Elyn, Erick, and Princess Luma from the Magus Kingdom; Erza, Tracy, Zeref, and her group from the Human Federation Realm; and a group of young men and women in ancient clothing from the Martial Domain.


    These geniuses were being blocked by a crowd of students, likely cadets already studying at Dos Academy who had somehow gotten their hands on the list of top geniuses from each domain and were trying to bully them¡ªor at least, that''s what usually happened in the novels Orion used to read.


    "Heh, something''s different about the group from our domain and the Martial Domainpared to the Magus Kingdom," Orion said at the moment.


    "Oh? What difference?" Victor looked at Orion with curiosity.


    "You see that man with light blue hair and thedy with silver-grey hair? If I''m not mistaken, they''re the reserved geniuses from the Magus Kingdom. But where are the reserved geniuses from our domain and the Martial Domain?" Orion pointed out, narrowing his eyes at the group.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Victor frowned as he followed Orion''s gaze. "Now that you mention it, it is strange. Why are they the only ones present?"


    "Well, whatever it is, let''s go see what''s going on," Orion said, a small smile ying on his lips. He had a gut feeling this situation wouldn''t lead to anything good, but he couldn''t ignore it either. His friends were there, and even if they didn''t recognize him in his current identity as Ray Wiser, he wanted to leave a good impression.


    Besides, Tracy and Erza were also in that group. Whether he liked it or not, he had to go over and face them.


    With that thought, Orion headed toward the group, his expression calm yet alert.


    ''Let''s see what is going on here.'' Find more to read on empire


    ---


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


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

 Chapter 393 393. Secrets of Pages

    Orion, Victor, and Mark made their way to the corner when the cadets blocking the others'' path took note of them.


    "There are more," one of the cadetsughed, looking at them, before his expression became even more amusing. "Look, that one is Ray Wiser. He defeated Zeref of the Human Federation Realm but wasted himself in doing so."


    Orion ignored them and asked Erza and Tracy, "What''s going on here?" Discover hidden stories at empire


    "Brother, they want to fight the strongest from each domain, saying we from the three domains are inferior beings, not evenpared to ants," Tracyined to Orion.


    "I see." Orion nodded lightly as he observed the ones blocking their path and noticed their strength was at the 9th level of tinum rank. ''They are just normal cadets from the looks of it, but their strength is at the peak of tinum rank.'' He found their situation very unfavorable. Only he, Mark, and Zeref had the strength to have a chance against them.


    He didn''t know if Astral, Elyn, and the others had upgraded their strength to tinum rank yet.


    "We just wanted to get to know the newbies better," said another cadet blocking their path. "And what better way to know someone than through an actual fight?"


    "If you want to get to know each other, you can wait until your sses start. I''m very sure you''ll meet some of them in your sses."


    Just then, Elijah appeared between them. He looked at the older cadets and shed a smile. "How about my suggestion?"


    "Senior Elijah, we¡ªwe''re good with it. We''ll do as you say." The cadets blocking their path nodded before running away like scaredy cats.


    Elijah then turned towards the new cadets. "You should look out for each other. Dos Academy promotespetition among cadets, which means if there''s a fight between cadets and it''s not a life-and-death battle, the academy won''t stop it. Be careful of this rule and of them."


    He added with a grin, "By the way, I''m the leader of the Mortal Blood Alliance. If any of you want to join, be sure to knock on our door a week from now, but I doubt any of you will be eligible."


    "What do you mean? You think we''re not strong enough?" Elyn asked, feeling dissatisfied.


    "It''s not that," Elijahughed awkwardly. "It''s just that my alliance has very strict requirements for epting cadets, and we can go years without recruiting anyone. But this time, I have my eye on three of you."


    Orion narrowed his eyes as he listened. ''It seems he found another one,'' he thought.


    "What are the requirements?" Astral asked curiously.


    "Forget about that alliance." Just then, another man joined them. It was the leader of the Hunter Alliance. "I''m Josh Lane, leader of the Hunter Alliance, and my invitation is open to all of you."


    As he said that, he tapped his halowatch a couple of times before beeping sounds began to ring from almost everyone''s halowatches.


    "That''s my invitation," Josh Lane smiled and said. "If any of you are interested, juste to our department a week from today, and we''ll wee you all."


    "Is the Hunter Alliance rted to the Hunter Association in the Human Federation Realm?" someone from the newbie group asked.


    "Kind of, sort of," Josh replied awkwardly. "You''ll learn everything when you do your research."


    "Who are Astral Voidwalker, Yun Luo, and Xi Li?"


    Just then, a rough voice sounded, and a huge man approached them. He was heavily built, with muscles as big as one''s thigh. Arge heavy sword was strapped to his back, and as he walked, they could feel the ground tremble slightly.


    "I''m Tony Dale, leader of the Armour Destroyer Alliance." He introduced himself. "I''ll be straight. My alliance is all about attack power, strength, aggressiveness, and more attack power. So I''m only inviting those I''ve seen with strong attack power."


    He looked at Astral, Yun Luo, and Xi Li. "The three of you fit that criterion. Your talents are perfect for my alliance." He then tapped on his halowatch, sending them invitations.


    "Tch, I wanted them too, but we''ll see which alliance they join in the end," Josh said, grinning.


    "Haha, Josh, you invite everyone here, like always," Elijahughed. "I''m sure only some of them will join your alliance, as usual."


    Josh sneered at Elijah. "At least it''s better than what your alliance gets." He paused, realizing something. "Oh, my mistake¡ªyou didn''t get any cadetsst year, did you?"


    "Yeah, yeah, go ahead and make fun of me," Elijah said with a in face before turning his attention to Orion, Mark, and ady from the Martial Domain. "Ray, Mark, Mei Lin, I''ll send you the invitation. Be sure to be there on time." He tapped on his halowatch.


    "Heh? Them? What''s so special about them over all the cadets here?" Josh observed Orion and Mark closely, narrowing his eyes. "Ray and Mark¡ªI''ve seen their fights. They''re both strong. But Mark is hiding his strength, and it seems he doesn''t like fighting.


    Ray won the battle against Zeref and is very strong. I don''t know much about Mei Lin, but I doubt she''s stronger than Zeref, Astral, or the others here, right?"


    "You wouldn''t understand. In my eyes, they''re the most precious gems," Elijah said, turning his attention to the three of them. "It''s sent. Be sure to be on time."


    "Most precious gems?! Ew!" Josh said, disgusted. "You''re strange as always."


    "Wow, everyone''s gathered here... what''s going on?" An excited voice sounded, and twodies appeared before them. One had short ck hair, a ck dress, and a hoodie; the other wore a white suit and was well-dressed. They were Sophia Lita, leader of the Purple Rose Alliance, and Celly Lucia, leader of the Horton Gear Alliance.


    The one in the white suit, Celly, had an excited expression as she looked at Tony, Elijah, and Josh gathered together.


    "Oh, so you''re all after the newbies," Cellyughed enthusiastically. "I want some newbies too, but I doubt anyone here is interested in my alliance."


    "There should be some cadets capable of joining my alliance for sure," Sophia said as she looked through the cadets, though it wasn''t clear what she was assessing.


    "Didn''t you two prepare beforehand which newbies to choose from?" Josh asked, facepalming.


    "I forgot to do so," Celly admitted quietly, feeling embarrassed.


    "I don''t care," Sophia said. "I just need to look at them to know if they''re capable of joining my alliance."


    Josh shook his head with a wry smile.


    "Ray, Mark, and Mei Lin, can I have a sec?" Elijah called them over.


    Ray and Mark exchanged nces before nodding lightly and following him a short distance away from the others. The young woman from the Martial Domain also followed.


    "Are they from there too?" Mei Lin asked, pointing at Orion and Mark as she looked at Elijah.


    "Why do you ask?" Elijah asked, intrigued.


    "I mean, they just seem too weak to be chosen transmigrators," Mei Lin said bluntly.


    Orion and Mark nearly stumbled when they heard her andughed wryly.


    "Well, there are both strong and weak ones. I''ll tell you more in my department, not here," Elijah said, smiling.


    "You should know about the pages," he added, immediately attracting the trio''s attention.


    Orion and Mark looked at Elijah suspiciously, wondering how he knew about them.


    "How do you know about that?" Mei Lin asked, ncing at Orion and Mark. "You two know too? How? I haven''t told anyone about this!"


    Elijah smiled wryly and shook his head. "Archons know about the existence of these pages," he said, shocking the three of them.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "In fact, they even possess some of these pages," he added, shocking them even more.


    Orion and Mark exchanged surprised nces. Neither of them had expected that such a godlike artifact would bemon knowledge among the Archons. The fact that they were aware of it, and spoke of it so casually, left both of them speechless.


    What they had assumed to be an extraordinary secret was, in the Archons'' realm, something well within their understanding.


    Elijah''s expression grew solemn. "Just know that these pages are somehow connected to us transmigrators. They only appear every ten years, when transmigrators like us arrive in this world."


    He added gravely, "Find them all, and when you do, they will vanish automatically. Until then, keep increasing that number on your palm."


    He narrowed his eyes. "If you fail to collect them quickly, then the transmigrators of this time will start dying one by one. Your first task is to collect all the pages."


    ---


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 Chapter 394 394. Page acting up

    Orion was lying on his bed, staring at the paper-shaped pattern on his palm.


    After the invitation from the Five Alliance, all the cadets were first given a tour of the entire academy before being left to go.


    Orion and his friends from the Human Federation Realm attended a few sses and ate at the canteen before going their separate ways.


    ''There could be hundreds of these pages out there... How are we supposed to find them? Nobody would be foolish enough to announce they''ve found such a valuable treasure,'' he thought, pondering how he would go about collecting the pages.


    After meeting with Elijah and hearing his ominous words about the papers, Orion had grown anxious. ording to Elijah, if they failed to find all the pages, the transmigrators who came this time would start dying mysteriously.


    Orion didn''t understand the connection between the transmigrators and the pages, but he knew they had to find the pages soon. Otherwise, they would all die. He would die.


    ''But how?''


    As he pondered, a thought crossed his mind.


    ''If this page knows everything about everyone, wouldn''t it know where the other pages are?''


    He quickly sat up and went to his desk. Grabbing a pen, he wrote on the page.


    ''Where are the other pages?''


    The page turned white, and the words he wrote vanished.


    Orion frowned and wrote something else.


    ''Are there any pages near me, like the one I am writing on?''


    Again, the same result. The page turned white, and the words vanished.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His frown deepened, but he didn''t give up. He wrote again.


    ''How many pages are out there this time?''


    The same result. The words vanished.


    "Damn it!" Orion mmed the page onto the table in frustration. He hadn''t been able to focus on anything since Elijah told him about the pages.


    "How do I find these damn pages?" he muttered to himself in frustration. "What if there are some pages back in the Three Domains?" The thought made him even more anxious. He couldn''t go back to the Three Domains; he didn''t even know how.


    ''No, Elijah must have some way to get to the Three Domains. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have mentioned it.''


    Orion calmed himself, thinking.


    Just then, the page suddenly floated up, surrounded by a golden aura.


    "It''s never done this before," Orion muttered, wondering what had suddenly happened.


    The page then disappeared into the wall in front of him.


    "Huh? Where did it go?!"


    Orion quickly rushed out of his room and into the hallway, where he saw the page floating at the opposite end. Before he could reach it, the page shot forward and vanished into another wall.


    Orion frowned and quickly pulled out another piece of paper. He wrote on it.


    "Disable the cameras in the dormitory and erase thest hour''s data."


    The cameras in the hall, which had been rotating like guards, suddenly sparked with lightning and fell down. Another camera across from Orion met the same fate.


    Satisfied, Orion walked to the wall and used the Curse of Dimensional Dissonance to disappear into it.


    He reappeared in another cadet''s room, where the upant was staring at the golden page floating in front of him.


    ''Damn!''


    Orion immediately concealed himself by jumping into his dimension, hidden from the cadet.


    ''Good thing his attention is on the page,'' he thought, observing from his hidden vantage point and wondering what was causing the page''s sudden behavior.


    ''Could it be leading me somewhere?''


    Just as he thought that, the page shot forward again, disappearing into another wall.


    Orion quickly exited the cadet''s room and followed. He saw the page reappear in another hallway parallel to his own.


    ''Where is it leading?''


    Once again, the page vanished into a wall, and Orion followed it, slipping through the wall from his dimension.


    He appeared in another room but stayed hidden, watching as the golden page shot forward once more and disappeared into the wall.


    Orion followed cautiously, running through walls, making sure not to reveal himself.


    The page led Orion through a maze of rooms, hallways, and even bathrooms, forcing him to remain on high alert. To ensure his safety, he altered his appearance, shifting from Ray Wiser to a random twenty-three-year-old man. That way, even if someone caught sight of him, his true identity would remain hidden.


    He continued trailing the page as it darted through thebyrinth of the building, passing through every space without hesitation. Finally, after what felt like an endless pursuit, Orion found himself standing outside the dormitory, the cool air hitting his face as the page hovered ahead of him, waiting for the next step.


    ''I''m outside the dormitory!''


    Orion quickly made his body tangible before jumping back into his dimension and flying after the page, which was heading toward the back of the academy.


    ''This area¡­''


    Orion noticed that the back of the academy was a stark contrast to its polished exterior. This part lookedpletely neglected, as if it didn''t belong to the academy at all. The area was littered with broken-down garages and damaged vehicles.


    Even the once-impressive hovering cars, symbols of cutting-edge technology, were now in disrepair¡ªsome barely hovering, others abandoned and rusting.


    The buildings were overgrown with vines, their smooth surfaces cracked and worn by time. The wild nt life wrapped around crumbling structures, giving the ce an eerie, abandoned atmosphere. It was clear that this section had been left to rot, a far cry from the futuristic brilliance of the rest of the academy.


    ''This ce is somewhat far from the academy, but rtively close too.''


    Orion frowned as he observed the area. The paper he was following flew into one of the vine-covered buildings.


    He quietly emerged from his dimension and slipped inside, following the paper for a few minutes until it stopped at an unfinished part of the building.


    Suddenly, the paper shed with golden light and reprinted on his palm.


    ---


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 Chapter 395 395. An abandoned building

    ''It led me here,'' Orion thought as he quietly entered his dimension and looked around. He noticed there were no workers at the construction site, and practically nobody was around¡ªhe saw almost no one.


    He frowned, thinking the page wouldn''t have led him to just a random ce. Or could it?


    "Where is it?"


    Just then, he heard a loud voice. It sounded like someone was shouting at someone else, but it also sounded strange. Orion couldn''t quite figure out what made the shout seem off.


    "Tell me, where is it?"


    Orion heard the sound again and finally understood what was strange¡ªit came from below him, underground.


    He looked down at the floor and gave it a light kick.


    Bang!


    ''It''s made of concrete.''


    Orion then activated the curse of Berserk Body and kicked it harder.


    Boom!


    The floor caved in, and Orion fell through to another level¡ªor ground, as he would call it.


    ''So, they are here.''


    Orion stood in the middle of the wreckage, surrounded by people who couldn''t see him since he was in his own dimension.


    "Tell me where it is!" he heard again.


    He saw a bulky man asking a younger man, probably in his thirties, while gripping his cor and shoving him into the wall.


    "I-I don''t have it," the younger man stammered in fear.


    Orion took in the scene, immediately noticing that this area was far better maintained than the construction site above and the sector he had been in earlier. At first nce, everything appeared orderly, but as he looked closer, he spotted a few suspicious details. Floating holograms hovered in the air near a massive octagonal structure, casting strange, flickering lights.


    What caught his attention even more were the numerous boxes scattered around, some asrge as a human. Alongside them were massive containers, the kind typically found on cargo ships, lined up as if waiting for transport.


    The scene gave off an unsettling vibe, as though something important¡ªor dangerous¡ªwas being stored or moved.


    ''This isn''t a typical hangout spot; it''s a secret hideout or something,'' Orion concluded as he examined the area.


    "Tell me, or you''ll regret it, human," the bulky man said sinisterly.


    "I-I don''t have it. Believe me, I don''t!" the younger man panicked, shaking his head.


    Orion looked at the bulky man, then around at the others. He noticed eight or ten human corpses lying on the ground. Something clicked in his mind.


    ''That bulky man said "you human"¡­ A human would never say something like that unless...'' Cold sweat ran down Orion''s back as the realization hit him.


    ''No! That''s impossible. How could other races invade the three domains? And invade the Archons, no less, without anyone knowing?'' Orion struggled to believe it.


    "You''re still alive because we share the same goal. Otherwise, you''d already be dead," the bulky man said, throwing the young man to the ground. He turned to the others and barked, "Search the entire area! See if you find anything interesting."


    "Yes, boss," the others responded, scattering throughout the hideout.


    ''A chance!'' Orion thought. He wanted to take this opportunity to kidnap one of them for questioning.


    He followed a man who wandered off into a different room.


    "There''s nothing here either. I told the boss that thing''s just a myth, but he refuses to believe me," the man muttered as he opened and closed boxes while continuing his search.


    Orion appeared behind him and slowly pulled him into his dimension.


    "Who¡ª? Where is this?!" the man shouted as he found himself in a strange yet familiar ce.


    "Yo, how have you been?" Orion said casually, standing in a bored manner.


    "Who are you? Where is this? Is this your doing?" the man demanded.


    Orion smiled lightly. "I''m just a nobody, but I''m curious about you. Who are you? What are you doing here? What are you searching for?"


    "Oh, I get it," the man said, smacking his fist into his palm. "This is your talent, and you brought me here."


    Orion''s smile widened. "Wrong. This is my world." He pointed to his hand. "Look at your right hand."


    "My right hand?" The man lifted his hand, only to see it suddenly warp and vanish.


    "Ah! My arm!" he screamed, watching blood drip from his shoulder.


    "What did you do? What did you do?!" the man screamed hysterically, staring at Orion in fear.


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    "I told you. This is my world. Anything I want will happen here," Orion replied, his smile vanishing.


    He made the man float, slowlypressing his body in the void. "Now, tell me what I want to know, or you''ll die."


    "You think I''ll tell you anything?" the manughed crazily, feeling the pressure squeezing his body. "I''m a soldier, ready to die at any moment."


    Orion quickly immobilized the man, making it impossible for him to move, not even his mouth.


    ''Time to use a curse I copied back at Iron rank but never had the chance to apply,'' he thought as he activated the curse of Shattered Mind in Curse Transformation mode.


    He appeared in front of the terrified man, cing a hand on his head.


    "Hello, my friend. How are you?"


    The man suddenly heard Orion''s voice inside his head.


    "No! I must be dreaming. He couldn''t have entered my mind. It''s just fear. Yeah, it''s just fear."


    "It''s not fear. It''s me," Orion said in his mind.


    "AAAGH!!" The man screamed uncontrobly as Orion used the Shattered Mind ability.


    "Does it hurt? Unimaginable pain? Pain you''ve never felt before?" Orion asked in a teasing voice.


    "No! Please kill me. Just kill me!" The man begged for death, realizing that Orion had used some trick to enter his head. Inside his mind, Orion could do anything to him and worst he couldn''t move his body outside.


    In short, he had be a prisoner of his own mind.


    ---n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


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 Chapter 396 396. The Dark Truth about Zenithans

    "Oh, I won''t kill you this easily."


    Orion''s voice rang in his mind.


    "I will make you feel all the pain one can feel. You felt it, right? The pain I inflicted on you just now? It was just the beginning¡ªthe real thing is about to start."


    The man panicked and immediately cried, begging Orion. "Please don''t do this! That pain is the worst I have ever felt¡ªplease!"


    "Of course, that pain is the worst," Orion chuckled in his mind. "It''s the pain I inflicted on your mind."


    The man trembled as he recalled the pain he had just felt. It was beyond anything he had ever experienced, to the point that he would prefer death over going through it again.


    "But if you want, I won''t kill you. I''ll even spare you. The only condition is that you tell me who you are, what you are, and what all those men are doing here."


    The man became silent, as if he were pondering something.


    Seeing that, Orion decided to give him onest push. "You know, I''m inside your mind. I could just soul-search your entire mind and probably find everything, but if I do that, the pain you''ll feel... Tch tch tch... It will be a hundred, if not a million times worse than what you just experienced. So, what''s your call?


    Will you tell me, or should I soul-search you? The decision is yours."


    The man panicked, but he knew what to choose, even if it meant going against the rules. "I''ll tell you everything. Just let me go."


    Orion chuckled. "Alright, tell me, and I''ll let you go."


    The man immediately became happy and spilled everything. "We are Zenithans."


    Orion was shocked when he heard him, but he didn''t interrupt.


    "People from the Three Domains, the Archons, thought we were just conservatives. They thought we didn''t want to develop our society, that we wanted to stay on the same. And yes, that is what we wanted all along, but you people, from the Three Domains and the Archons, took everything from us when you came to our world.


    You took away our freedom, made us ves, and then left us to rot in some corner of the. You treated us like we weren''t even human¡ªlike we were animals."


    The man became a little emotional as he continued. "All we ever wanted was to live a peaceful life. Even though the System came to us too, we decided to ignore it so we could live our lives to the fullest. But what did we get? A life of very?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Orion frowned. "But from what I know, Zenithans were treated neutrally¡ªneither too bad nor too good. There wasn''t any very or anything like that, from what I''ve heard."


    "Hahaha," the manughed manically. "You''re just a kid¡ªwhat do you know? Ever heard the phrase, ''History is written by the winners''? That''s what happened to us, and that''s what happened to you. You only know what''s happening on the surface of the Three Domains because that''s what the Archons want you to believe."


    The man''s voice became hoarse as he continued. "The truth is, we were nothing more than ves to the people of the Archons and the Three Domains." He sighed. "Even though we didn''t like it, we neverined. But the next generation¡ªthey were more open-minded than the previous ones. They refused to ept a life of very in the shadows and a life as normal humans in the light.


    So they wanted revenge¡ªrevenge for all the generations of Zenithans, revenge against the Three Domains and the Archons."


    Heughed hollowly. "But nobody wanted to step forward and be the leader. They wanted revenge, but they were cowards. The blood of the Zenithans still ran through them." His expression changed, bing fascinated. "That''s when Boros came to us. We didn''t know if he was human or from some other race, but he wanted to lead us down the path of revenge.


    We hesitated but eventually agreed. That''s when the resistance group called the Dark Order was born."


    Orion was shocked to the core when he heard the full story. He could have never imagined that there was such a history behind the Zenithans. Like everyone else, he had never paid much attention to them. He rarely even knew a Zenithan, but learning their dark history made him believe that what happened to them was truly an injustice¡ªor was it?


    Just then, something clicked in Orion''s mind, and his eyes widened. "The attack on the participants of the Human Federation Realm before the final assessment¡ªwas that done by you guys?" He asked, hoping it wasn''t true.


    "Hahaha," the manughed. "Yes, it was our first mission after forming the Dark Order. The poor humans from the Human Federation Realm didn''t even know Zenithans lived among them. The people from the Dark Order lived among them. We managed to kill quite a few geniuses, and nobody could figure out who was behind the attack.


    Both the Archons and the Hunter Association drew a nk when they tried to find the so-called killers."


    Orion didn''t know what to say. ''It all makes sense now,'' he thought, recalling how the killer had talked about revenge during the attack. The Dark Order was indeed behind it all.


    "And what are you doing here?" Orion asked. "What are you doing here in the Archon Realm?"


    "As I said, my people want revenge, and the best way to get revenge is to kill as many humans as possible," the man said sinisterly. It didn''t seem like he was telling this because he was forced to, but rather because he was enjoying it. "Tell me, what''s the best way to kill as many humans as you can?"


    Orion''s eyes widened as he realized something. "War? You want to go to war with the Archons?" he shouted, feeling the gravity of the situation.


    "You''re correct. We want blood¡ªthe blood of as many humans as possible¡ªand for that, we need war." The man spoke like a madman. "We need war to happen, and when that happens, the entire Three Domains, the Archons, and the entire Limitless Void will be swept into it."


    ---


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 Chapter 397 397. War Of the Zenithans

    "War against the three domains? Against the Limitless Void? Against the Archons?" Orion could hardly believe the scale of manpower needed to pull something like this off, but he didn''t doubt the so-called Dark Order.


    From what he could tell, they had been gathering power for decades, amassing manpower and nting their seeds throughout the three domains and the Limitless Void.


    That''s how they had managed to kill so many geniuses in the Human Federation Realm without anyone knowing how or who did it.


    "What else? What else are you hiding? Spill everything," Orion demanded, inflicting more pain on the man.


    "Hah, you don''t need to do that. I''ll tell you everything," the man sneered. "We aren''t alone in this war. We have a very strongrade¡ªthough I don''t know if it''s fitting to call them arade¡ªbut whatever. Just know we aren''t alone."


    "Other races?" Orion asked in shock. "Don''t tell me you''ve fallen so low as to collude with other races?"


    "Fallen?" The manughed mockingly. "Don''t make meugh. This is enlightenment. It''s all ording to Boros. He told us that if we fought alone against the three domains and the Limitless Void, we might have a 30% chance of winning. But if we add the other three races, the odds go above 100%.


    In this situation, we did what we thought was best."


    He added, "Oh, and before you get confused, ''winning'' for us means the destruction of the three domains and the Limitless Void. So, it doesn''t matter if we end up dead or if the other races take over our universe."


    "You people are mad," Orion said in shock and disbelief.


    "You can kill me now," the man said,ughing. "I''ve told you everything you wanted to know. Just kill me already. I''ve done the one thing I wasn''t supposed to do, and for that, I deserve to die. So, kill me."


    Orion frowned before making a decision. "I will kill you, but not yet."


    With those words, he withdrew from the man''s mind and returned to his body. He removed his hand from the man''s head and looked at him. "Just stay here peacefully," he said before going to check on what was happening at the construction site.


    He reached the main area where he had fallen and saw the young man and the heavy-built man arguing about something. He also noticed that the heavy-built man''s goons had all returned.


    "So, you don''t want to tell me the location of that thing, is that it?" the heavy-built man asked, clenching his fist.


    "As I''ve said before, I don''t have what you''re talking about," the young man denied again.


    "Alright then, I''ll just kill you," the heavy-built man said. "You humans are going to be killed anyway, so it doesn''t matter if we kill you now or at the end of the war."


    Orion frowned. He needed every human alive here, and also the heavy-built man, whom Orion believed was from another race. He needed them all alive.


    ''It seems it''s time for me to take action,'' Orion thought, taking out a gold-coated mask and putting it on. It was just a random mask he kept with him in case of situations like this, where he had to use his full strength.


    ''All of them are at the diamond rank. I''ll need to use my full strength to devour them all into my dimension,'' he thought. That was his n. He couldn''t possibly fight against so many diamond-ranked experts. One or two would be fine, but so many would overwhelm him.


    "I''ll give you onest chance," the heavy-built man said to the young man.


    However, the young man shook his head. "I don''t know."


    "Hmph, I never thought humans were so stubborn, but then again, I don''t know you guys too well," the heavy-built man said, preparing to kill the young man.


    "Hey guys, everything cool?" Just then, a voice they didn''t recognize rang out, and a man wearing a golden mask appeared in front of them.


    The young man was shocked to see the masked figure, and so was the heavy-built man.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Who are you?" the heavy-built man asked cautiously, but when he sensed Orion''s strength, heughed. "Someone at the gold rank dares to barge in?"


    "Oops!" Orion said before vanishing from sight, only to appear behind one of the men. He then used the Curse of Dimensional Dissonance and devoured him into his dimension.


    "You! What did you do to him?!" the heavy-built man asked in shock, watching with his own eyes as the man disappeared piece by piece.


    "Him? Oh, I ate him," Orion said with a smile. Hearing this, the heavy-built man''s expression turned to one of terror as if he had seen a ghost. "Are you Doom? Or one of those Doom Lords?" he asked, trembling.


    Orion didn''t understand a thing, but he decided to y along. "Ah, my bad, you recognized me," he said before vanishing again and appearing behind another man, dragging him into his dimension as well.


    "Don''t eat me! Please don''t eat me!" the heavy-built man dropped to his knees, trembling. "I''m not human, so eating me won''t do you any good."


    Orion frowned. He didn''t understand why the man was acting so scared and fearful. While the other humans were scared too, it wasn''t because they thought he was Doom or a Doom Lord.


    ''Is this the same Doom my sister was talking about that day?'' he wondered as he vanished again, taking another man into his dimension.


    Since everyone else was trembling in fear, Orion didn''t waste time. He engulfed them inside his domain one by one and restricted their movements within it.


    Only two remained outside: the young man and the heavy-built man.


    "I have no interest in other races," Orion said as he walked toward the heavy-built man, who rxed slightly upon hearing this and wondered how a Doom had appeared in the human world.


    "Though I need to check if you''re really from another race or just fooling me," Orion said, appearing in front of him and holding out his hand.


    "Can I?" Orion asked.


    The heavy-built man nodded his head vigorously.


    Experience tales with empire


    "Good." Orion smiled and used the full power of Dimensional Dissonance, sucking him into his dimension in one breath.


    "What a fool," Orion chuckled before turning his attention to the only person left in the construction site. "Now, will you give me the page, or will I take it myself?" Orion asked as he walked toward him.


    However, just as he took a step, he suddenly stopped and looked behind him. There, he saw a man smiling at him, a man he had seen before¡ªthough he couldn''t recall where.


    "Wee, Orion Darkwood."


    ---


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 Chapter 398 398. Nick Scott and a woman

    Orion frowned, looking at the young man in front of him. He appeared to be the same age as Ray and the others. He had short ck hair, and his face¡ªOrion was sure he had seen it somewhere before, but he just couldn''t remember where.


    "You''ve got the wrong guy," he said lightly.


    "Is that so?" The young man smiled and introduced himself. "I am Nick Scott, someone who has some power in the Dark Order."


    ''Nick Scott?'' Orion recalled hearing that name during the cursed tree incident in the Magus Kingdom. Nick Scott was the candidate chosen by the Zenithans to represent them in the meeting.


    "A war against humans of the three domains and the Limitless Void, colliding with other races, killing the geniuses of the human race, and so on. The Zenithans havee a long way," Orion said, looking at Nick.


    Nick shrugged. "What can I do? This is what my elders want, and this is what I want. This is what Boros wants. We want the same thing, so it doesn''t matter if we all die trying. What matters is that we tried," he said casually.


    Orion calmly replied, "You will lose the war and all your people with it. It will only benefit the other races."


    "You don''t understand, and I''m not here to exin," Nick said, smiling before looking at the young man behind Orion.


    "I want to take him away," he said, pointing at the young man.


    Orion replied, "You can take him away, but he has something of mine. I''ll just take it, and you can take him away."


    "Do you take me for a fool?" Nick asked. "I know your dimension-based ability, and I know you''re Orion Darkwood, so quit acting. Your dimension-hopping ability is so famous that even a kid would know you''re Orion Darkwood."


    "Whatever," Orion shrugged as he teleported behind the young man and sucked him in too.


    "I said I wanted him!" Nick shouted, seeing Orion take him away.


    "Well, I can take you to him if you want?" Orion said before appearing beside him as he started pulling him in.


    However, before he couldpletely absorb him, Nick''s hands produced a gleaming red spear as he swung it toward Orion.


    Using the curse of Berserk Body, Orion caught it with his bare hand.


    Boom!


    However, the force behind the spear was too much. When Orion caught it, the entire building shook and started to copse around them.


    "A Diamond Rank curse weapon?" Orion was surprised but shook his head. "But it won''t save you." He created a wind shield around them, deflecting the falling debris.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''Almostplete!'' Orion thought, seeing that he had nearly absorbed Nick, with only the hand holding the spear remaining. Just then, something unexpected happened.


    Nick''s body began to automaticallye out of the dimension, as if being pulled by something.


    ''This strength... Diamond Rank!'' Orion frowned and increased his energy output on the suction, but just as he did, a stronger pullpletely freed Nick from his dimension and took him away.


    ''No, this strength is above the 5th level of Diamond Rank,'' Orion estimated. After spending some time with the experts in the Starfire Guild, he had a good idea of the average strength of otherspared to his own.


    His current strength was probably around peak tinum Rank to the 1st-3rd level of Diamond Rank, and the one who pulled Nick away would be around the 5th level of Diamond Rank or higher.


    Amidst the wreckage of the copsing building, Orion flew into the air. There he saw her¡ªa woman with long, dark green hair, standing beside Nick. She appeared to be in her thirties.


    "Well, well, well... Who would have thought we would encounter the infamous Orion Darkwood in our hideout?" The green-haired womanughed lightly.


    Orion shrugged behind his mask. "I also didn''t expect to uncover the Zenithans'' conspiracy. You guys are plotting something big," he said, looking at her.


    "We''re forced to do what we must," she replied, smiling and gazing deeply at Orion. "What about you? You''ve been crowned the most wanted man of the entire human race, titled a traitor when you did nothing wrong. Don''t you hate it? Don''t you want to fight for justice?"


    Orion frowned again. He wanted revenge¡ªthat was why he was here, and he would have it. No one could stop him from achieving that. No one.


    "What can I say?" He shrugged, looking at them. "I also want revenge. I also want to fight for injustice, but I have my own way of doing so."


    "Oh, what way?" the woman asked, intrigued.


    "The way that doesn''t involve colliding with other races," Orion replied. He understood that he became the most wanted man, and his family had to go into hiding because of the Ten Seats and the Archons. He would take revenge against them. He didn''t have to involve all the humans of the three domains.


    At least he hadn''t gone that dark, or so he thought.


    The woman fell silent for a moment before speaking calmly, "Boros speaks highly of you, calling you the strongest genius to ever exist at any time. But he also mentioned that those with talents breaking the norms, challenging the gods, are cursed with a sad ending. They are cursed to never have a good life, cursed to a very cruel death, cursed to an eternity of bad luck.


    Simply put, geniuses at your level, no matter how strong, are bound to live a miserable life."


    She added, looking at Orion with pity, "At first, I didn''t believe it. I thought, how could someone with such great talent have such a miserable life? But then I learned about you. Orion Darkwood, hailed as the strongest genius of the three domains. Your name spread far and wide, even reaching the Archons.


    But just as your poprity was about to soar, the tragedy at the banquet happened, and you became the most wanted man, the traitor of the human race."


    Orion wondered for a moment if this theory was actually true, but he soon shook his head. It sounded more like superstition than truth, though it did remind him of the vision he had seen, where he was killed by another version of himself.


    ---


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 Chapter 399 399. Boros wants to recruit you into the Dark Order

    "That Boros person is the leader, right?" Orion said, smiling. "Tell him to stop saying such bad things about geniuses. It caused me to be the most wanted criminal and whatnot. Tell him not to say anything about geniuses. I don''t want anyone else to go through what I am going through just because a certain someone said some stupid things about geniuses."


    The woman shook her head. "He wants to recruit you into the Dark Order," she said calmly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Huh?" Orion was shocked for a moment, realizing something. "Did youe here specifically for me? Did you know I would be here beforehand?" he asked, realizing something deeper.


    "It''s one of Boros''s abilities," the woman said, smiling. "And he indeed sent us to recruit you."


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    "I see." Orion frowned, realizing that this Boros person was very mysterious. "But I don''t want to join the Dark Order."


    The woman said solemnly, "His orders were clear. Either you join willingly, or we will force you to join."


    Just then, Orion felt something restricting his movement in the air. ''A telekinesis talent?'' he thought before turning to the woman. "Why does Boros want to recruit me? You people want revenge, then go ahead and do it. It has nothing to do with me."


    The woman frowned. She had asked the same question to Boros. She had asked why Orion had to be recruited into their ranks. Even though he had the potential to be the strongest, currently, he wouldn''t contribute much to the Dark Order with his strength at the gold rank.


    But the answer she got was a re. She immediately flinched back from those dark, abyss-like eyes and didn''t ask anymore beforeing with Nick toplete what she was asked.


    Though before leaving, Boros did say that if Orion didn''t want to join, then forget about the matter.


    What she said previously was just a lie to pressure Orion into joining the Dark Order.


    "I don''t know what Boros wants, and I don''t care. His orders are absolute, so I will have to take you with me," the woman said resolutely.


    Orion chuckled. "You think you can stop me?"


    The woman frowned before almost crushing Orion into a small space in the air, not even allowing him to move or talk.


    However, just at that moment, Orion disappeared and appeared behind her. "Even the Ten Seats failed to kill me. You think you''re better than them?" he sneered and appeared in front of her just as she turned behind.


    "Tell Boros that I don''t want to join this stupid order of his," Orion said, teleporting randomly around her so fast that he appeared to have afterimages. "And also tell him that I will make sure to disrupt your n and take great benefits from it. He has my gratitude."


    With those words, he disappearedpletely, nowhere to be seen around the woman and Nick.


    "How does his teleportation work?" the woman frowned. "My telekinesis is a space-rted talent that restricted the space around him, so he shouldn''t have been able to teleport, but it didn''t work on him at all."


    "That guy is mad as ever," Nick shook his head. "We did what we were told. Let''s leave now."


    "But I don''t understand why Boros wanted Orion to take away some of our men," the woman said, dissatisfied. "They might die, or should I say, they will be tortured to death if he takes them to the Archons."


    Nick shrugged. "I don''t think much about the tasks we''re given. I just follow them, trusting that Boros definitely has something in mind."


    "Well, I hope he indeed had something in mind when he told us to do this task," the woman said before taking Nick and disappearing into the sky.


    ***


    Orion watched them disappear from his dimension, a frown on his face. He heard everything they talked about and from that, he realized that Boros actually wanted him to take away those men he had kidnapped in his dimension.


    ''Why? What does he want?'' he pondered, thinking if he was being yed by this Boros person.


    ''He did predict my location... So, everything I did was also predicted by him?'' Orion frowned but shook his head. ''That should be impossible. Is he manipting me into doing something he wants by letting me take these men?''


    He thought hard about the situation but nothing came to mind. ''Forget it. Let''s deal with these men first.''


    Orion flew away from the construction site but didn''t leave the area. He scouted the entire zone and found a good hiding spot inside a building. He went inside and trapped all the men he kidnapped in the walls of the building, but everything he did was within his dimension, so nothing was visible from the outside.


    He then went towards the young man who had the paper. "How are you?"


    The man couldn''t speak because Orion had restricted their movements. "I forgot you can''t say anything," Orion shook his head before touching the page imprint on his palm, and a paper floated in front of them. Orion touched the paper, and it imprinted on his palm.


    The number on it increased from 3 to 4.


    ''Now what should I do about them?'' Orion pondered before leaving for his room. He wanted to let others know about the war that might ur at any time, but at the same time, he doubted if it was the right decision.


    ''I guess whether I warn them or not, the war will happen. No one can stop it.''


    He thought as he arrived at his dormitory,ing out of his dimension before heading inside. He had also changed his appearance back to Ray Wiser and acted like the other cadets.


    Just then, he saw many middle-aged men and women checking the security cameras stored in the halls of the dormitory.


    He ignored them quietly and moved toward his room, where he saw Mark waiting for him.


    ---


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 Chapter 400 400. A Mysterious Message Through the paper

    "Let''s go inside," Orion said as he opened his door and let Mark enter before closing it behind them.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked Mark.


    Mark replied, "All the cameras in the dormitory are dead. I thought it was just a tech issue, but the repairmen said all the data from every camera is also gone."


    He added, "They also mentioned that all the cameras went out at the same time."


    "What are you trying to say?" Orion asked, smiling.


    "I mean, this is too much of a coincidence," Mark said suspiciously. "Either someone is using the pages to do it, or it''s really a coincidence."


    Orion made a serious face and said, "It was I who did that."


    "...."


    "...."


    Mark stared at Orion for a moment before clenching his fists in frustration. "Damn, I came here thinking we might have some clues on a page, and here you are ying with pages," he said irritably.


    Orion smiled. "I wasn''t ying." He showed his fist, where a clear ''4'' was visible alongside a paper imprint.


    "Ah, you did get a page!" Mark was surprised and red at Orion. "You should have said that from the very beginning!"


    "Well, I didn''t know you were here for that," Orion shrugged.


    "Hmph, I''ll take my leave then," Mark snorted, heading towards the door to exit Orion''s room.


    But Orion held his shoulder. "Do you know anyone we can trust in the Archons? Someone with a lot of power and authority?" he asked.


    Mark frowned, turning to Orion with a solemn expression. "What happened?" he asked.


    Orion sighed and motioned for him to sit down on the couch.


    Mark looked at Orion, then walked over and satfortably.


    "I found something big, something really, really big this time," Orion began. "But I don''t know if I should tell others or not. Someone might be manipting me, spreading false news and such."


    Mark frowned and asked, "How big is this exactly?"


    "Human extinction level," Orion said. Mark, hearing this, almost fell off the couch.


    "What the hell?!" Mark said anxiously. "Just spit it out. Tell me what it is."


    Orion sighed and said, "I heard some humans who are part of the Zenithans are nning a war against the three domains and the Limitless Void."


    "What? Zenithans nning a war?" Mark was shocked.


    Orion''s face darkened as he continued, "The worst part is, they''re colluding with the other three races for this war."


    Mark jumped when he heard this. "What do you mean colluding with other races? They''re also humans, and since when did Zenithans be so violent, scheming behind humans'' backs?"


    Orion sighed. "I don''t know. But from what I heard, Zenithans have been treated as ves in the three domains, and now they want revenge."


    He added, "Everything we''ve heard about Zenithans being treated neutrally¡ªnot badly or well¡ªwas all false. It turns out the Archons manipted what the kids and others should know about the Zenithans."


    "Like how the winner rewrites history?" Mark asked.


    Orion nodded. "That''s why I''m wondering if I should tell others about this."


    "What are you hesitating for?" Mark said anxiously. "The fate of the entire human race is in your hands. If we can warn the Archons before the war begins, we might have a chance. Otherwise, with humans from the Zenithans hurting us from within and other races attacking from outside, we''re bound to lose."


    "It''splicated," Orion said, massaging his head. "An enemy told me they intentionally made me aware of their ns. They even know I''m Orion Darkwood, and they came specifically to recruit me today."


    He added with a solemn expression, "They''re an organization called Dark Order, and their leader is called Boros. I heard them mention that Boros can predict the future or something, and it was he who told them my location and orchestrated everything."


    "Then do you think it''s a trap?" Mark asked, seeming to realize something. "What if you refusing to join them is causing them to manipte you into telling the Archons about this news, which could somehow reveal your identity? What if this really is a trap to expose who you are?"


    Orion frowned. "Why would they go through all that trouble when they could just spread a rumor or use other means to do it?" he said, pondering. "I don''t know much about the war, but I do know that many humans will die, and I don''t care either way. But I also can''t just watch it happen when I have information that could help humans."


    He added, "But where should I go if I want to inform the world about this?"


    "What about that guy, Elijah?" Mark suggested. "He''s also a human from Earth, like us. He can be trusted, right?"


    Orion pondered for a moment and nodded. "I guess so," he said. "Either way, he''s our best option since we don''t know anyone else influential here."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Just then, Orion''s hand shed with golden light, and a paper appeared before them.


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    "Again?" Orion thought, but then he noticed something written on the paper. "Something''s written there. It says..."


    "I know someone who has this paper is seeing this. I want to make a deal. You should know the value of this paper, and I want more of it. It turns out the paper can change reality but has limits.


    "For example, no matter what I write about those tinum-rank experts, it doesn''t seem to affect them. And when I ask for things out of thin air, like money or materialistic items, they don''t appear.


    "My theory is that if there are more papers like this out there, then maybe we canbine them to produce a single paper powerful enough to alter reality however we wish. But I don''t know if there are other papers out there or not.


    "I only wrote this message on the paper and asked it to transfer the message to the closest paper. But if you are seeing this, meet me at night in the forest 10 km east of Dos Academy."


    Orion and Mark were shocked when they read it. They hadn''t thought they could send messages to other pages this way.


    ---


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 Chapter 401 401. Into the Forest

    "Are we going?" Mark asked uncertainly.


    "Of course, we''re going," Orion said, smiling. They had a clue about another paper, and they had to get it at all costs.


    "What if it''s a trap to take our paper?" Mark said solemnly. "What if there are tinum rank or even diamond rank experts waiting to ambush us?"


    Orion smiled. "It won''t be easy to ambush a group that I''m a part of, so don''t worry."


    He added, "Before we go, let me ask the page some questions."


    He took the page to his study table, sat down, and wrote something on it.


    "Is Dark Order real?"


    The page turned nk.


    Orion frowned and wrote something else.


    "Is Zenithans nning a war?"


    The page turned nk again.


    Orion pondered for a moment and wrote once more.


    "Is what Nick Scott said at the back of the academy half an hour ago about the Zenithans true?"


    "Yes."


    Orion smiled as understanding dawned on him, but his expression soon grew solemn.


    "It says ''true,'' which means the war is real," he said, looking at Mark. "The Zenithans are truly preparing for a war."


    "We have to tell others now that we''re sure of it," Mark said, his tone grave.


    Orion nodded, adding, "I also understand how this paper works."


    He exined, "For some reason, this page can''t provide information outside the tinum rank range. When I asked about Dark Order, it turned nk because that information is too high-level. It was the same when I asked if the Zenithans were starting a war. But when I asked about Nick Scott, it answered."


    He added, looking at Mark, "Nick is at the tinum rank, so the page could tell me about him."


    Mark nodded. "So, it''s like the message on the page said: this page has a limitation, and it''s set somewhere around the tinum rank."


    Orion nodded thoughtfully. "I also think that only those in the tinum ranks like us could use this paper to alter reality, while others above this rank couldn''t. But that''s just my assumption; I''m not certain."


    "Ask it," Mark suggested, pointing at the paper.


    Orion nodded and wrote, "Tell me your limitations."


    The page turned nk.


    Orion wrote again, "Can someone above tinum rank use the power of this page?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "No."


    The page responded, surprising both Orion and Mark.


    "It''s true," Orion muttered. "That means whoever sent the message must not have told anyone stronger than himself. But we still can''t be sure, so we should remain cautious."


    He looked at Mark and continued, "How about this: since it''s evening, we''ll handle this paper situation first and then look for Elijah tomorrow."


    "I''m fine with that," Mark said.


    Orion nodded. "Alright, we''ll leave when the sky turns fully dark, in about three hours."


    "Good. I''ll wait until then," Mark replied before leaving Orion''s room.


    Orion looked at the paper on his desk and muttered, "What are your secrets?"


    They knew they needed to collect the papers before a specific time, but they didn''t know much else about the paper, except that it had godlike abilities within certain limits. Though it was severely limited, if someone knew how to use it effectively, they could aplish a lot with these papers.


    ''Wait, that person asked us to meet near the forest¡­ could he have altered the forest or a small section of it to trap and kill us to get our paper?'' Orion spected. Although he didn''t know the exact limitations on altering surroundings, he guessed that small changes, like turning trees into vine traps, could work.


    ''We have to be careful,'' Orion thought, and waited for the time to set as he messaged Zeref to meet outside the dormitory three hourster.


    ---


    Three hours were just a short nap for Orion, and they passed quickly.


    At the entrance of their dormitory, three figures stood close together. They were Orion, Mark, and Zeref.


    "So, how should we handle this?" Zeref asked, looking at Orion. "You know it''s a trap, right? We''re going in blind. We have to be extra cautious."


    Orion had shared the details of the mysterious message on the paper, but he''d carefully omitted any mention of the looming war or the Zenithans. He knew that tomorrow, he and the others would be seeking Elijah''s guidance about the oing conflict, and he felt certain it was better to keep her uninvolved for now.


    As a non-transmigrator, she''d be considered an outsider in this matter¡ªa bystander to the alliance of Elijah and them so he decided to keep the war thing a secret for now.


    "There might be others with pages who''lle after seeing the message if they''re near the academy," Orion said, frowning. "We should be cautious of them, too."


    He added, "I have a n. Here''s how it goes¡­"


    "This is a very passive n, but I like it," Zeref said, nodding. "If all goes ording to n, we should have the pages in our hands."


    "I''m not sure if this n will work," Mark said suddenly.


    Orion and Zeref turned to him, listening.


    "Your n is to wait until everything''s done before stepping in at thest possible moment to attack everyone and get the pages," Mark said thoughtfully. "As much as I''d say it''s a good n, it''s also a simple one. If we can think of this, so can others."


    Orion nodded lightly. "I''m not the best strategist. Do you have any ideas?"


    Mark shrugged. "We''ll first gauge everyone''s strength before deciding anything. No one below the diamond rank should be able to harm us, and that''s our advantage. So, we''ll act once we know the strength of our enemies."


    Orion and Zeref nodded. "Let''s go, then," they said, heading toward the forest, unaware that someone was following them.


    ---


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 Chapter 402 402. Doubt and Trust

    They headed in the direction of the forest, and after a few minutes of flying through the air, they arrived in what appeared to be a dense forest.


    "This is the forest, right?" Orion asked, turning to the others.


    "Looks like it," Zeref replied, checking their surroundings. "There''s a city out there, and there''s a forest just before it, so this should be Druid City, and this forest should be called the Forest of the Druid."


    Orion looked at her, surprised she knew this.


    "I bought a book on the general knowledge of the Limitless Void," Zeref smirked.


    "Well, let''s go," Mark said at that moment.


    Orion and Zeref nodded as they made their way into the forest alongside Mark.


    They moved through the forest for some minutes when they heard something.


    "Let''s go up the tree," Orion whispered.


    Without a second thought, they scrambled up a nearby tree, moving quickly and quietly until they were hidden among the dense branches. Settling in, they peered down cautiously.


    Below them, a young man, around twenty-three, was leaning close to a woman with striking purple hair. He whispered something in her ear, his expression intense, while she nodded, her gaze scanning the area as if on guard.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    They looked serious, their voices hushed and their actions deliberate, as though they were involved in something secretive.


    "They''re at the peak stage of tinum rank," Orion noted their strength and focused his perception on what they were whispering about.


    "Are you sure this is the ce?" the woman asked as she looked around.


    The man nodded slightly. "I think so. It mentioned a forest located to the east of the academy, and this is the only forest within 10 km east of the academy."


    "They''re like us, drawn here by the message on the paper," Orion thought and pondered whether they should take down these two or observe for the moment, deciding to wait since any action could alert others.


    "Let''s go deeper into the forest. I think they should be there," the man said, moving with the woman.


    Orion watched them go before looking at Mark and Zeref. "Let''s follow them," he said quietly.


    They nodded and flew through the shade of the trees, just behind the man and woman.


    Some more time passed as they followed until they stopped because the man and woman had alsoe to a halt.


    Orion observed the surroundings and sensed many presences, though all were hiding in the shadows.


    "That''s one big peak," he noticed a mountain peak ahead where the man and woman had stopped.


    Just then, the man shouted, "I know everyone is here. Juste out."


    Orion frowned, wondering if they''d also been detected. "It could be us," he thought, though he was certain it wasn''t him, so it had to be Mark and Zeref.


    "I know some people have been following us, and there are many who gathered here before us, so there''s no need to hide," the woman said.


    "You''re right; there''s no need to hide here." Just then, a group of two men and two women appeared before them, seemingly from the same faction.


    Only a momentter, more and more people revealed themselves, emerging from hiding around the peak.


    "Is that everyone?" someone in the crowd asked.


    "Nah, there are three who''ve been following us the whole time," the man from beforeughed, pointing at the tree where Orion and his group were hiding and calling them out. "Come out now. No need to hide."


    Orion frowned, looking at Mark and Zeref, then nodded. Since they''d been detected, there was no point in hiding.


    Orion, Mark, and Zeref jumped down, revealing themselves to everyone.


    "Is that everyone?" someone asked again.


    "Yeah, I think everyone is here," another person replied.


    "Wait a minute; I think I''ve seen most of these faces before," someone said, looking around.


    "Yeah, everyone seems to be from Dos Academy," another added.


    Orion frowned and shouted, "Who called us here?"


    The crowd fell silent.


    "Is he not here?" Orion muttered, looking around, then shouted again. "Who called us? Come out, or we''re leaving."


    But again, no one responded; the crowd remained silent.


    "Everyone, let''s leave. It''s just a prank someone might have tried out with the paper, and it somehow turned out to be true," Orion said, smiling. "I bet whoever sent that message doesn''t even know we''vee. It''s pointless waiting for someone who isn''ting."


    The crowd began ncing at each other, considering Orion''s words.


    "What if he''s among us? What if he doesn''t want to reveal his identity?"


    "You could be right, but what that guy said could also be true."


    "We''re here to test if we can break the paper''s limits bybining them, but have we even thought about how to go about this?"


    "I think this is just a prank, like that guy said. We should leave."


    Many began doubting after hearing Orion''s words, and some even nned to leave. They hadn''te to waste time.


    They''de because they were interested in what the message said, but the sender''s absence left them disappointed.


    "How about we try the limit-breaking thing bybining more pages?" someone suggested, catching everyone''s attention.


    "I don''t trust anyone with the paper here."


    "Me neither."


    "What if this is a trap to steal our pages?"


    "If it is, why did youe here? Are you a fool or what?"


    No one in the crowd trusted each other and began shouting. They had every reason to be cautious. The pages were too precious to give away.


    "EVERYONE!"


    A loud shout attracted everyone''s attention to the sky, where they saw three individuals descending. All three appeared to be men around their age,nding on the ground nearby.


    ---


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 Chapter 403 403. A Trap of the Highest Level

    "Gentlemen, I am Varin, and it was I who called everyone here," one of the three men introduced himself. He was a red-haired man with a sneer on his face.


    The other two also wore sneers, as if everything happening here was a joke to them, which made Orion frown as a sense of unease crept over him.


    ''Something is wrong with them,'' he thought, observing them closely.


    "So, what have you found out? Can we reallybine pages to break the limits?" someone from the crowd asked.


    "You can. You can definitely do that," Varin, the red-haired man, smiled and looked at everyone. "You just have to take out all your pages."


    "How can we trust you?" someone asked.


    "You can''t, but you also don''t have much choice. Either do as I say, or simply choose to leave. Nobody will stop you," Varin replied, still smiling.


    Everyone began to ponder as they looked at each other. They hade here hoping to break the limits, so they didn''t want to leave empty-handed.


    ''There is no such thing asbining pages to break the limit,'' Orion thought. He knew since he had multiple pages, and none reacted to each other in any way. Realizing the three men were here either to steal their pages or had another n, he felt suspicion grow.


    ''So what are they nning? Stealing, or¡ª'' Orion''s expression suddenly darkened as a chill ran down his spine. He recognized the aura surrounding them, one he hadn''t felt in ages.


    "It''s the aura of the demon race," he whispered, his tone full of certainty.


    Scanning the area carefully, Orion''s eyes narrowed. It wasn''t just one demon, or two or three. No, dozens of demons were encircling them, hidden in in sight. The others remained blissfully unaware, unable to detect the ominous presence pressing in, but Orion sensed it clearly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''I see,'' he thought, suddenly understanding the message. It was a trap to lure them here for the demons. ''Are these three also from the Dark Order?'' he wondered, considering what to do.


    They were surrounded, and the number of demons was overwhelming. Each demon possessed peak tinum rank strength, with some even at diamond rank.


    In a situation like this, if a fight broke out, they would be bound to lose. While everyone here was at the tinum rank, some at its peak, they were simply outnumbered by the demons.


    Orion formed a n and turned to the three men, reaching a decision. But first, he needed to warn Mark and Zeref.


    "Hey," he whispered to them.


    Zeref and Mark turned to look at him and saw him whispering. "Demons have surrounded us. I want you two to sneak-attack after me and hold the three men hostage," Orion said softly.


    Zeref and Mark''s eyes went wide, but they nodded, understanding the severity of the situation.


    "I''ll go for Varin while you two go for the others," Orion directed cautiously.


    But just before they could implement their n, the situation they wanted to avoid most happened.


    The demons revealed themselves. They emerged from hiding, showing themselves from the bushes, the trees, the ground, and even the skies. Figures with four arms appeared, surrounding the humans steadily.


    The men and women gathered turned ashen with terror as demons appeared before them, in such overwhelming numbers.


    "Look! They¡ªthey''re demons!"


    "How could there be demons in the Limitless Void?"


    "We''re surrounded¡ªthey''reing from all directions!"


    "How did they know we were here?"


    "Who cares about that? Think about how we can escape! We could handle one, maybe two, but dozens of them attacking us would wear us down. We''repletely outnumbered!"


    The crowd immediately panicked, seeing so many demons, some even stronger than they were.


    "Damn, we''re toote," Orion cursed as he surveyed the demons.


    Mark and Zeref''s faces turned ashen as they took in the demons'' numbers.


    "Everyone!"


    At that moment, Varin''s voice reached their minds, drawing their attention to him.


    "No need to worry about the demons. They won''t attack unless I say so," he said with a smile.


    "You''re human too! How could you coborate with demons?" someone shouted from the crowd.


    "How could you betray the human race?!"


    Varin smiled devilishly. "I''m no human. The human Varin is dead. I, a demon, upied his body. But you may still call me Varin. I don''t want the Archons to know about us this early."


    Everyone was shocked by his revtion, but something even more unexpected happened, shocking everyone present.


    A figure appeared behind Varin suddenly, cing a sword at his neck. "Move even a little, and your head will roll," Orion threatened, pressing his sword firmly against Varin''s neck.


    "You?! How could you be so fast?!" Varin froze in disbelief. He was at the peak of tinum rank, yet Orion had approached without him even noticing.


    Around him, humans and demons alike registered the shock. The humans let out breaths of relief, clearly unsettled but grateful for the intervention. The demons, on the other hand, seethed with anger, their res darkening as they processed the audacity of this stealth attack.


    Tension crackled in the air as they hesitated, clearly wanting to retaliate but holding back, wary of Orion who had taken Varin a hostage.


    "Order the demons to retreat, or you die. Choose," Orion said coldly.


    "Humph," Varin snorted. "So what if you''re stronger than me? We demons have more numbers than you."


    Orion sneered. "This isn''t about them. It''s about you. If they attack, you die. It''s that simple. Just tell them to retreat, and I''ll back off too.


    How does that sound?"


    "It sounds foolish," Varin sneered. "Since you all now know I''m a demon and there are demons in the Limitless Void, I can''t let any of you live."


    His face turned ruthless as he gave themand. "Attack!"


    ---


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 Chapter 404 404. Demons Attack!

    The demons didn''t hesitate any longer when they heard themand and immediately began attacking the young men gathered in the forest.


    Noticing this, Orion frowned and said coldly, "Since you want to die, then don''t me me." With those words, he secretly sucked Varin into his dimension.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You! What did you do to him?" Two more demons in human form stood beside Varin, shocked to see him suddenly disappearing.


    Orion immediately appeared between them and wrapped his arms around them. "Go say hello to him." He also sucked them in amidst the chaos before turning his attention to the turmoil surrounding him.


    "Kill the demons! Even though we are outnumbered, we can still fight!"


    "Yeah, kill these sons of bi*ches! They have killed so many humans, and I''ve always wanted to fight them."


    "I don''t believe the Archons wouldn''t know anything about this. I''m sure they are on their way, so we must hold on until then."


    "My grandfather was killed by these demons back in the day, and now that I''m facing them, I will kill them all."


    "Let''s see who can kill more demons among us."


    "The loser has to let the winner borrow their pages."


    "Fine, I''m ready."


    "Me too."


    "I''m also in."


    Even though chaos reigned, the cadets didn''t panic; in fact, they took the battle so lightly that they even decided to make a bet as they fought.


    Orion observed them and wondered if it was the teaching at the Dos Academy that instilled this mentality. ''As the president of the student council said, cadets are prepared for war directly from the academy.'' He now understood what she meant by that but still didn''t grasp the demons'' motives.


    ''What do they want from humans here?'' Orion frowned, unable to understand their n, but he didn''t dwell on it and decided to kill the demons.


    He took out his sword and activated the curse of Stormcaller in Curse Transformation mode, starting to fight the demons. However, he didn''t kill them outright with one move. If he did, he would surely attract unwanted attention.


    Killing peak tinum rank demons with the strength of a peak gold rank warrior was almost impossible, and there was only one person who could aplish such a feat. Therefore, not wanting to raise any suspicion, he fought hard battles against the demons and bided his time.


    He had sensed someone following them when they trailed the man and woman through the forest. He didn''t know who that person was or how he could hide so well that even he, with maxed perception, couldn''t sense him.


    He could only pick up on his presence when they were following the man and woman who led them here.


    ''He might have been following us from the dormitory, so he could either be a cadet or a teacher there.'' Orion thought, hoping that whoever this person was would immediately call for help upon sensing the demons'' presence.


    ''I hope helpes quickly...'' Orion thought as he swung his sword and secretly killed a demon amidst the chaos.


    He looked around and saw everyone fighting the demons with their weapons, different elemental energies being released in various directions as the young men and women battled the demons.


    Seeing the threat, Orion activated his Windbreaker form, and tendrils of wind coiled around his arms and legs like serpents. A swirling wind dragon spiraled around his torso, giving him a fierce, almost primal aura. The winds seemed alive, wrapping him in a wild, beastlike energy that radiated from every inch of his form.


    He would at least do his best to meet expectations from Ray Wiser.


    With his Windbreaker form activated, he began fighting the demons even more effectively. He was still pushed back and forced to retreat, but he held on and kept fighting.


    While he battled the demons, he kept a close eye on everyone present. He saw Zeref fighting hard against the demons, as was Mark, but they didn''t appear to be losing. They were giving it their all, unlike him. However, he could see that Mark was having a harder time than Zeref in the fight.


    ''He''s still holding back; good,'' Orion noted as he moved around the battlefield while battling demons. Mark was also at the peak of gold rank, and if his strength suddenly boosted to the peak of tinum rank, he would undoubtedly attract even more attention since it wasn''t a secret that he could use more than one ability.


    "Huh? They''re here." Orion sensed many other presences around the forest suddenly, though they were still a little far away from them.


    ''It''s time to do what I originally came here for.'' He thought as his Windbreaker form dissipated, and his body returned to normal.


    "No, my strength!" he muttered in rm, panic shing through him. But, catching sight of a demon closing in, he quickly feigned weakness. Letting the demon''s kick "connect," Orionunched himself backward, his body hurtling through the air until he collided with a tree, the trunk splintering and crashing down behind him. The impact looked real enough to give him the cover he needed.


    Just as he collided with the tree, he immediately entered his dimension and moved into the area where the fighting was taking ce. After that, he carefully observed each individual who possessed a page by checking their palms and noting the page imprint.


    ''A total of twenty-nine pages, and it appears each one of them only has one,'' Orion noted and moved.


    He appeared in front of a man who was busy fighting a demon and secretly let his finger touch the page imprint on the man''s palm.


    Brrrr!


    The imprint immediately glowed with golden light before a page appeared in front of the demon and the man.


    "What? Howe it came out automatically?" The man was shocked, but before he could grab the page, it disappeared, leaving him even more astonished.


    Bang!


    Just then, a fistnded on the man, sending him hurtling away, but he managed to regain his footing. "Damn that page," he cursed, focusing fully on the demon.


    After retrieving the page, Orion''s gaze shifted to the other individuals holding pages. Moving swiftly, he began snatching them one by one, a golden light flickering across the battlefield with each sess.


    "Ah, my page! It disappeared!"


    "Mine is gone too!"


    "Who? Who took my page?"


    "Damn it, we''ve been cheated!"


    "Ahh, give me back my page!"


    "NO! My page!"


    Chaos erupted as the humans began losing ground, their focus shattered by the sudden disappearance of their pages.


    But Orion pressed on, weaving through the battlefield with unrelenting speed. By the time he had taken all twenty-nine pages, the battlefield had tilted in the enemy''s favor, confusion rippling across the scene.


    Finally, he slipped back to the rubble of the shattered tree, lying among the debris, feigning unconsciousness as if he''d been defeated in battle.


    Just then, the reinforcements Orion had been waiting for finally arrived.


    ---


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 Chapter 405 405. Arrival of Reinforcements

    Elijah, Josh, Tony, Sophia, Celly, and many other advisors suddenly arrived at the battlefield.


    "Look! The reinforcements have finally arrived!"


    "I told you the Archons would know about demons appearing in the Limitless Void."


    "They are the five leaders of the alliance."


    "Leader Josh, kill these demons!"


    "Leader Tony, smash these demons into meat paste!"


    The young men and women shouted joyfully as they battled the demons, their voices echoing in the chaos. Some cadets rallied around their alliance leaders, calling for help, while others expressed relief that reinforcements had finally arrived.


    The alliance leaders surveyed the battlefield, their expressions a mix of shock and concern at the sight of so many demons infesting the Limitless Void. Yet it didn''t slow their actions as they entered the fray, ughtering the demons as if they were pigs.


    Each swing of their weapons sent demonic bodies flying, filling the air with the scent of blood and the sounds of battle. Their strength simply overpowered the demons, giving them no chance to fight back.


    In just a minute or two, the battlefield fell silent as the alliance leaders had killed all the demons.


    "Now, who will exin what happened here and how these demons arrived?" Josh asked, looking at the cadets with a solemn expression. The appearance of demons was no small matter, and now so many had appeared out of nowhere. A thorough investigation would definitely be conducted by the Archons, but first, they needed to know what actually happened here.


    The cadets looked at each other, unsure of what to tell the alliance leaders.


    "What happened? Tell us now!" Tony shouted loudly when he saw them remain silent.


    The cadets flinched at Tony''s shout and hesitated, uncertain whether they should reveal the truth.


    ''Is it rted to the paper?'' Elijah thought, noticing the hesitation shing across each cadet''s face. He also saw Mark pointing at his palm and understood. ''So, it is indeed rted to the papers.''


    Just then, Mark stepped forward. "I know something, but it''s very hard to believe."


    "What is it? Just spill it out," Josh said impatiently.


    Elijah narrowed his eyes at Mark, observing him closely.


    "I received a message on my halowatch with a map on it. The map led here, and the message mentioned a treasure hidden here, probably on the level of Primordial Cosmic Wonders, so Ray, Zeref, and I came here to search for it," Mark said with some hesitation.


    He added, "But when we arrived, many cadets were already here. We knew our goal and began searching for the treasure, but just then, the message and map disappeared from our halowatch, and a momentter, demons appeared out of nowhere and attacked us."


    Josh, Tony, Sophia, and the others exchanged uncertain nces as Mark''s words sank in. Frowns creased their brows as they turned to the surrounding cadets, seeking confirmation. Seeing the others nod solemnly deepened their unease, underscoring the gravity of what they had just heard.


    "Why hesitate to tell us?" Tony asked.


    A disciple stepped forward. "The messages were deleted from all our halowatches. We worried you might not believe us since this isn''t a small matter¡ªit involves all these demons appearing here."


    "Elijah, what are your thoughts, since it was you who called us here?" Josh turned to look at Elijah, and so did the other alliance leaders.


    Elijah shrugged. "I didn''t hear them talking, but I did see them checking their halowatches often. Just as I was about to approach and ask what they were doing here... I sensed the demons. I immediately messaged all of you, but when none of you replied, I had to go and inform you directly."


    Josh frowned. "The situation is veryplicated, and with no way to track the demons, we can only start here," he sighed. He hadn''t expected to encounter demons in the Limitless Void. Such situations had urred before, but he hadn''t expected to see demons here as well.


    "By the way, have you informed the ''new advisors'' who recently joined the academy?" Josh asked.


    Elijah sighed. "I had to inform them and the Archons. You know the rules: any sighting of demons must be reported to the officials, including the academy."


    Josh nodded and looked around. "Then why aren''t they here yet?" he asked in frustration.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "They should be here soon," Elijah replied, smiling. "They seemed very excited when I told them about demons, so I''m sure they''ll arrive shortly."


    Josh nodded and turned to Sophia and Celly. "See how many cadets have died and how many were injured. Tend to the wounded immediately and make a list of all cadets present here, even those who are dead."


    Sophia looked at Josh with an annoyed expression. "Why give me such boring tasks?" sheined, but she went to carry out his orders, while Celly was already helping others in need.


    Just then, Orion ''regained'' consciousness and saw that the fighting had stopped, noticing the presence of the five alliance leaders.


    "Oh, you''re awake," Mark said, immediately going to check on Orion, as did Zeref from the sidelines. Other cadets also began looking out for their friends.


    "Ray, are you alright?" Zeref asked, concerned.


    Orion smiled lightly. "I''m fine. I just exhausted my mana with the Windbreaker form, so I''m a little tired."


    Mark and Zeref nodded, helping Orion to his feet.


    "Look, one of your precious cadets is injured," Josh teased Elijah, pointing at Orion.


    Elijah sighed, shaking his head as he approached them. "How is he?" he asked upon arriving.


    "I''m fine, but there''s a problem with my palm," Orion said, showing Elijah his palm where the number "33" was clearly visible.


    Elijah understood and immediately took out a bandage, handing it to Mark. "Wrap his palm with this. It''s imbued with healing mana, so he''ll be fine after wearing it for a while."


    Mark nodded, carefully wrapping the bandage around Orion''s palm. As he did, the entire imprint, including the number "33," waspletely covered, hidden from view.


    "Hehe, so where are the demons?" At that moment, five figures appeared at the scene.


    ---


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 Chapter 406 406. The Aftermath

    The neers were all very young and appeared well-dressed. All five of them had an aura of arrogance and seemed super confident about everything. They were Killian, Frey, Kate, Freya, and Jack.


    "Elijah, Josh, did you kill them already?" Killian asked, noticing the corpses of the demons lying on the ground. He had yellow hair that fell down from either side of his face.


    Josh smirked. "That''s what happens when you arrivete."


    Elijah joined in. "I informed you guys first, and you arrivest. It''s not anyone''s fault here." He shrugged at them.


    "Hehe, very good," Killian replied, annoyed, before turning to look at the cadets gathered here. "They fought well. Only some of them died, but death happens when you fight against demons."


    His expression turned serious as he asked, turning to Josh and Elijah, "So, any leads on why the demons appeared here?"


    Josh and Elijah exchanged nces and shook their heads. "Apparently not," Josh said solemnly. "But I heard from the cadets that a mysterious message was sent to them through their halo watches. It mentioned some kind of treasure and a map pointing to this ce, but the message was deleted right after it was sent."


    "Interesting..." Killian said upon hearing his words. "Do you think the demons are behind this?"


    Josh nodded lightly. "Most likely. The appearance of demons and the message asking cadets toe to this location all seem too coincidental."


    "Ah, I have something to say." Just then, a cadet approached them.


    "What is it?" Josh asked.


    The cadet said, "There were three more cadets with us, and they said they were demons in human form. When the demons came and surrounded us, it was only through his orders that the demons started attacking us."


    Elijah, Josh, Killian, and everyone present turned in shock and disbelief. "Where are they?" Killian asked hurriedly.


    The cadet shook his head. "I don''t know, but thest time I saw them, that cadet over there was holding one of them hostage."


    They all turned their heads and saw that the cadet was pointing at Orion.


    "Ray! Come here," Elijah shouted at Ray and summoned him.


    Orion heard them talking and understood what this was all about, but he had already prepared for everything.


    "You want me to ask about those three demons in human form?" he immediately asked Elijah once he arrived.


    "Where are they? Did they escape?" Killian asked urgently.


    "Nah, I have them right here," Orion said, looking at them. "Follow me." He led them to a boulder, and beside ity three unconscious humans. Their skin was rotten in some ces, but they appeared mostly fine.


    "They are unconscious, and their skin... It looks like you used some sort of poison to knock them out," Elijah said as he examined the three men.


    Orion nodded. "I knew I couldn''t fight them directly, so I used poison, which I always keep with me for emergencies. Who knew it woulde in handy here?"


    "Alright, you did well. You can go now," Killian praised Orion for his wits before sending him off.


    Orion nodded and was about to leave when someone blocked his path.


    It was a man with dark purple hair who appeared the youngest among everyone there.


    Jack looked at Orion with narrowed eyes. "Take care of yourself," he said before letting Orion go.


    Orion nodded lightly before leaving the area and heading toward Mark and the others. However, as he walked, his expression turned strange and solemn. ''Who was thatst guy? He seemed very suspicious of me,'' he wondered.


    Just then, a spacecraft appeared in the air before them. It was triangr in shape, with the pointed side serving as the front.


    Itnded before them, and from it emerged five men and women.


    They immediately went to talk with Elijah and Josh before taking the bodies of the three men away.


    They then bombarded Orion and the others with questions, which they answered ''truthfully.'' They stuck with the message and treasure bluff and maintained their story.


    Soon, more people exited the spacecraft and began taking away the bodies of the demons while others started investigating the area for more traces of demons.


    "Alright, you all can go now," Elijah said to all the cadets gathered there.


    The cadets nodded and began leaving the forest.


    "Keep an eye on them while they leave," Killian instructed Frey, who nodded and disappeared with the kids.


    "Mr. Ralf, what do you think of the situation?" Killian asked the man who hade from the spacecraft. He was an official from the Archons who handled matters rted to demons.


    "The entire situation is very strange," Ralf said, looking at them. "I have alerted the higher-ups about this and informed them of everything that happened here. As for what I think, it doesn''t matter," he said inly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Killian chuckled but said nothing else.


    "I think there is something bigger going on here," Josh said at that moment, attracting everyone''s attention.


    Killian nodded beside him. "There is indeed something significant happening. Our Limitless Void doesn''t consist of anys; it exists in the form of an endless void, and there are only a few entrances to it where one cane and leave this ce. So the question is, how did these demons find themselves here? And what are they nning?"


    He added, "Those three men are clearly humans, but ording to the cadets, they are demons in human bodies. Something doesn''t add up here."


    He looked at Josh, Elijah, Ralf, and everyone present. "I mean, if the three humans really turn out to be demons, then what are the chances that all these cadets aren''t also demons?" he asked.


    Everyone''s faces grew serious upon hearing him. His ims weren''t wrong. What if there were even more humans out there who were actually demons disguised as humans? What would happen in that situation?


    Elijah frowned and added, "There are still five years until the deal with the other races; then what are the demons up to? Is this a conspiracy or something?"


    "Hehe, conspiracy? Motives?" Ralfughed lightly. "I guess we will know once those three humans wake up."


    ---


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 Chapter 407 407. Strength is Needed and a Clone is the way?

    At the entrance of the dormitory was a section leading separately to a girls'' department and a boys'' department, where three figures were talking to each other.


    "How can there be demons in the Limitless Void? How?" Zeref was going mad about the demons, while Mark and Orion looked at each other suspiciously.


    Orion nced around the area and whispered to Mark and Zeref, "I think someone is keeping an eye on us, probably those guys who were investigating this case. So, I guess it would be better to discuss everything on the halowatch."


    Mark and Zeref agreed, thinking that it would be the safest ce to talk peacefully. Just like that, they separated; Orion and Mark entered the boys'' dormitory, while Zeref entered the girls'' dormitory.


    "There are other dormitories out there besides the one we live in," Orion said, looking at Mark as they went inside the dormitory. "All those cadets who were returning took different routes and separated from us, but every one of them looked pissed when they were leaving."


    Mark chuckled. "They were here out of greed, wanting more abilities from the papers they held, and they ended up with absolutely nothing. Adding to their woes, their papers disappeared, and they were attacked by demons... What worse could happen to them?"


    Orion nodded. "I don''t know how many more papers are out there, but we have to find them soon before it''s toote."


    He added, "Tomorrow, let''s go straight to Elijah. I believe the situation is more serious than we thought. There are demons everywhere now, so I think if war happens, it might happen sooner than we expected."


    Mark nodded lightly, feeling he needed to get stronger, but he still didn''t know¡ªor rather, he would say he didn''t understand¡ªwhat he wanted from all of this. What his goals were.


    Orion turned to Mark and asked, "You are in the same city as I am, right? In Grimshore?"


    Mark nodded lightly.


    "Alright, let''s meet up now. I am going to enter Grimshore and level up to level 30 as fast as possible. We may not know when the war may be upon us, so I want to at least have the strength of the 9th Level of Diamond rank or more for this war. Only in this way can I do what I want, and for that, I need to upgrade to tinum Rank."


    Mark nodded. "Alright, let''s meet up an hourter in Grimshore after dinner."


    Orion nodded as they separated in the hallway of the dormitory.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Orion found his own room, walked in, and closed the door.


    "I have copied all the curses of those cadets," Orion muttered in excitement as he went to take a bath. "Let''s see how many of them are actually good."


    After that, he sat at the dining table with his food before checking the curses and eliminating the worthless ones.


    "So, a total of ten of them are good," Orion nodded lightly, satisfied with the number as he checked through them.


    [Curse: Killer Frost, de of Reckoning, Undying Torment, Laser Body, Energy Overdrive, Magma Howl, Poison Death, Nightmare Whispers, Hell Torture, Thousand Pointed Needles, Blind Eyes, Blood Construct, Ball of Death, Wings Of Annihtion, Burning Eyes.]


    ''So, a total of fifteen curses I have are useful in the gold rank, out of which I got ten of them tonight,'' Orion mused as he ate his dinner.


    ''But I can''t seem to use them as Ray. That''s the only sad part about being Ray,'' Orion sighed, pondering when he would be powerful enough not to need to hide his identity to roam the world freely.


    Orion ate his food quietly as he pondered his strength, before deciding to focus more on Grimshore from then on. "But there is also the war that ising, and my attention should also be on this world... Damn!" he muttered, feeling helpless about his situation.


    ''If only I had a curse that would allow me to create a clone of myself¡ª'' Just as this thought urred to Orion, he immediately shook his head. ''No! That would lead to the worst ending ever.''


    He didn''t want to die by his own hands or end up killing a version of himself. He didn''t want that.


    Orion didn''t want that, but he did entertain the idea of having a clone¡ªnot the type of clone like Grey Orion, but one where he could control both his original body and the clone at the same time, like some sort ofputer.


    ''I need a curse that could split my body in two halves and then create a clone out of it. Maybe that way, I would haveplete control over both my bodies since the clone would still be a part of my body, instead of a clone generated with the help of a curse, which could have its own consciousness,'' Orion pondered, feeling that this might be possible.


    If that were indeed the case, it would not only allow Orion to grow stronger faster than ever, but he would also never have to worry about having his identity exposed.


    ''But it''s easier said than done.'' Orion knew that finding a curse capable of perfectly splitting a person''s body and creating a clone would be nearly impossible. There were too manyplexities involved, and such a curse would definitely be hard to find.


    ''Wait! I can merge curses, so I could probably create one myself if I just had all the curses.'' Orion immediately stood up in excitement. ''What do I need? A curse that would split a person in half, a curse that would split a person''s mind and soul in half, and a curse that could enable one to create a clone of something or someone.''


    Orion didn''t know if he would ever find those curses, but there was hope, and it wasn''t impossible to find the first two curses. The curses existed to limit one''s talent; they existed to cause harm to the human body. Therefore, a curse that could split a person in two could exist. Simrly, a curse that could split a person''s soul and mind in half could also exist.


    ''But the curse that could create a clone of something is difficult to find,'' Orion thought as he finished eating.


    He washed his hands and went to his bedroom, sitting on his bed. "But if I look for it, it''s not impossible to find," Orion muttered as he disappeared from the room and entered Grimshore.


    ---


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 Chapter 408 408. Summoning The Divine Soul

    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 thatdy 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¡ªa ck 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 wasrger 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 nced 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 exined, "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.


    ***


    Sometimeter, they stood by the towering walls with many others. The crowd seemed excited to hunt, checking their weapons and gear.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Orion, however, was experiencing d¨¦j¨¤ vu. This scene felt oddly simr 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,st 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 ck and dark red light swirled around him and his sword. The energy around him built up to a breaking point until¡ª


    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,id bare in the beam''s dark aura.


    The pure and the corrupt alike felt their truest natures quake in the shadow of that ck light, as if something ancient and insatiable hade 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 ck 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.


    ***


    Sometimeter, the ck beam of light faded, and Orion was left holding a pitch-ck sword. Red hues glowed along the de 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 inparison, his seemedckluster.


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


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


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


    "What can it do?" Mark asked.


    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.


    ---


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 Chapter 409 409. Reaching out to Elijah

    "You are not joking, right?" Orion asked with a shocked expression. He knew nothing about his Divine Soul whatsoever.


    Mark was also stunned by Orion''s reaction. "You didn''t get any information about the sword at all?"


    Orion nodded wryly.


    "Then I guess you can only learn it when youprehend its true name," Mark said lightly. "We get to know more about our Divine Soul once weprehend its true name."


    Orion gave a slight nod, his grip tightening on the sword as he swung it forward lightly to check something.


    BOOM!


    A blinding beam tore through the air, obliterating everything in its path with raw, unrestrained power. The ground split open beneath its fury, carving a massive ravine that stretched far into the distance. Dust and debris clouded the air, swirling around the chasm''s edges.


    Orion stared nkly into the abyss he had created. Only bottomless darkness filled the expanse before him, its void seeming to pull at him, as if it hid something unfathomable within its depths.


    "What just happened?" Orion muttered in astonishment. He had only been casually swinging his sword, yet he had created a bottomless ravine. He hadn''t even used any energy or curses on that swing, and he still ended up causing such devastation.


    Mark was also stunned, his mouth hanging open as he looked at the scene in pure astonishment and shock. He wondered if such a level of destruction was possible with just a swing of one''s sword at the Gold rank, especially when one couldn''t even use their full strength.


    "You said you don''t know any abilities of your sword?!" Mark shouted, pointing at the ravine.


    "And I still don''t know," Orion replied. "I was just testing the swing of my sword, and this happened. Who would have thought it would cause such damage just from a test swing?"


    "You were only trying to feel its swing?" Mark felt like crying. He had thought his Divine Soul was monstrous, but after witnessing Orion''s, he realized he was wrong by arge margin.


    Orion nodded in shock.


    Soon, the sword in Orion''s hand returned to his normal sword as he withdrew his Divine Soul.


    ''That was cool, I guess,'' Orion thought, and his desire to upgrade to tinum rank grew even stronger, knowing only at that rank could he summon his sword in the real world.


    "Mark, let''s go. We''ll hunt until I reach at least level 5 or more," Orion said to Mark.


    "Let''s go, then." Mark led Orion deep into Grimshore as they disappeared into the forest.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ---


    The next morning, Orion and Mark were looking for Elijah but couldn''t find him. Last night, Orion had leveled up to level 5 while Mark reached level 15. It turned out the higher the level, the more experience one needed, and more monsters were required for hunting.


    But they were out of time, so they had to leave Grimshore. When they exited, it was already morning in the Limitless Void.


    "Where is he when we need him?" Orion muttered in frustration.


    "Are you sure this is his office?" Mark asked, looking at the empty office room in the hall.


    "Yeah, didn''t you see me asking others on the way?" Orion replied, pointing at the room. "They said room number 384, and look at the room number¡ªit''s 384. So, of course, it''s the right room."


    "There he is!" Mark shouted, pointing down the hall.


    Orion looked ahead and saw Elijah and Josh talking to each other with solemn expressions as they walked briskly down the hall in the opposite direction.


    "Let''s go. This is our chance!" Orion immediately followed, with Mark right behind him.


    "It''s true; the three of them are indeed demons. But how did theye to possess human bodies? It''s never been done before, or at least we had no knowledge of it until now," Josh said grimly.


    "This is a mess. What did the Archons say? Hunter Association? Martial Will?" Elijah asked.


    Josh frowned. "They said they''ve started their investigation and will report back in a week." His face became worried as he continued. "I''m more concerned about the other kids. We don''t know if there are more demons among the kids we saw in the forest, nor do we know their motives."


    Elijah sighed. "Who would have known those three were under the influence of a talent, one that would lead to their deaths if they revealed anything about their motives or presence here? At least from that, we know they''re nning something big."


    "However, we just don''t know what, and that''s the main problem." Josh nearly cursed. Their only clue about the demons had died, leaving them clueless about the entire matter.


    Just as they were talking, they heard a shout.


    "Advisor Elijah!" Orion called from behind.


    Elijah and Josh turned around and saw Orion and Mark approaching.


    "Later, I don''t have time now," Elijah frowned and said impatiently.


    "We just need a minute alone with you," Orion said urgently.


    Elijah frowned. "If it''s about the alliance,e tomorrow," he said tly, then started walking away with Josh.


    "It''s rted to the demons!" Orion shouted as they were leaving.


    Elijah and Josh stopped. "What is it?" Josh asked impatiently.


    Orion didn''t reply to Josh but looked directly at Elijah. Josh noticed this and understood something. "Tell meter; I''ll be in the bay," he said to Elijah before leaving.


    Elijah frowned and began walking toward his office. "Come to my office," he said, leading them down the hall.


    Orion and Mark exchanged nces and followed.


    Upon reaching his office, Elijah shut the door and sat down, gesturing for Orion and Mark to take seats opposite him.


    "Alright, you can say whatever you need; this room is soundproof," Elijah said, holding a small ball in his hands.


    Orion looked at Mark, then spoke. "The Zenithans are nning a war against us, and demons are part of it. They''re colluding together for this war."


    Elijah''s face darkened as he stood up abruptly. "How sure are you?" he demanded.


    "I''m 100% certain. I verified it with the papers," Orion replied solemnly.


    He added, "I also have some of the men from the Zenithans locked up, and I think one of them is a demon as well."


    "Good, very good. Take me there." Elijah''s eyes widened as he immediately said, "Let me inform Josh."


    "Do you need to inform him?" Orion asked. "I found them because the papers led me to them. One of the Zenithans had a paper with them," he exined.


    Elijah nodded. "Don''t worry; we won''t mention the papers to him. And I have a big surprise waiting for youter today."


    After that, he contacted Josh and summoned him directly to his office.


    ---


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 Chapter 410 410. (Fixed) Luna and Rosaline

    "What? War? Zenithans and demons colluding against the rest of the humans?" Josh was shocked when he heard them, but he also doubted Orion and Mark. "Are you sure about this? Absolutely sure? This is a matter you shouldn''t joke about."


    Orion had known Josh would say something like that since he had been called by Elijah, but he was already prepared for everything. "I have proof in the back of the academy," he said, looking at Josh.


    Josh''s eyes widened, and he immediately came to Orion and held his shoulders tightly. "Where is it? Take us! Quick!"


    Orion nodded lightly. "It''s in the back of the academy. Let''s go; I will show you," he said, leading them to the construction site and abandoned ce where he had put those he had captured in his dimension.


    They flew through the air as they approached the abandoned construction site.


    "That''s the area where I found them, and I believe it''s their regr base of operations until I found them," Orion pointed at the building where he had seen and captured the Zenithans.


    "I can''t believe the demons were right beneath our noses and we found nothing about it." Josh gritted his teeth in frustration. "It was just behind our academy, and nobody knew anything. Damn it."


    Elijah smiled sarcastically. "Because they remain so close to the academy that nobody even suspected this ce would be the base of operations for demons and Zenithans." He shook his head in pity before Orion came to a stop.


    "Come, that''s where I have put the bodies of the others." Orion took them into the building as he summoned the bodies he had tied to the pirs in his dimension. As a result, they manifested out of nowhere, appearing tied to the pirs of the building. Orion didn''t show them the process as he was still leading them.


    After a while, they arrived in front of the pirs. Josh and Elijah looked at each other with grim expressions as they approached the bodies and noticed they were also poisoned, just like the three Orion had given them the previous night.


    "All of them are humans... I think," Orion said, pointing at them before indicating the big guy. "But I have my doubts about this one. This guy should be the demon."


    He added, "I captured one of them before and tortured him, and as a result, he spilled everything about what they are nning here. It''s about the war. They also had a name for their organization called the Dark Order and a leader named Boros who is leading them."


    "Dark Order? Are you sure you heard it right?" Josh''s eyes widened as he heard Orion.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Orion nodded lightly. "It was indeed Dark Order. I am sure of it. Do you guys know about it?"


    Josh clenched his fists tightly, and Elijah sighed on the side.


    "We have known about an organization called the Dark Order," Elijah said, looking at Josh. "There have been some rumors about the Dark Order in the past, but because it was so vague and nobody had any clue about its location, they didn''t pay attention to it. However, we were only aware that they are a group of resistance who wants to overthrow the current power system of the Limitless Void."


    He added, looking at Josh, "From what I have heard, some members of the Dark Order previously sneak-attacked the Archons, resulting in many humans ending up dead, but we were also powerless since we couldn''t find their base and had no idea such an organization existed before that. Because of this, they are one of the most notorious organizations in the world, like the Hardes Reapers."


    Orion''s expression became solemn as he understood the underlying meaning behind Elijah''s words when he kept looking at Josh while exining the Dark Order. He guessed Josh''s rtives or some family members might have died at their hands in the past.


    Elijah concluded, "We had no idea; the entire Limitless Void had no idea that behind the facade of resistance was a war they were nning against the humans while colluding with other races."


    "I am calling the officials from the Archons, Hunter Association, and Martial Will." Josh walked out of the hall alone while tapping his halowatch.


    Elijah watched him leave but didn''t stop him.


    "It''s impressive that you are able to capture them without rming anyone," he praised.


    "What about the war? What are you going to do about it?" Orion asked.


    Elijah sighed. "From the looks of it, demons have found a way to enter the Limitless Void, and worse, they have discovered how to use human vessels as their bodies, so a lot of betrayal will be inevitable. As for the war, we can''t do anything about it. You are too weak to do anything, and so am I. One or two people cannot stop a war, so it''s best if we let the officials handle it."


    Orion nodded in understanding. *We can''t do anything about it.* He had already known this, but the helpless situation was killing him.


    "I have informed them. They will be here anytime soon," Josh said,ing back to them.


    He looked at Orion. "They want to talk to you about what you told us," he said to Orion.


    Orion nodded lightly and asked, "What about the incidentst night?"


    "That didn''t go well," Josh said, frowning. "We had just started questioning when they died. They should have been marked by someone''s talent to end up like that."


    He added ruthlessly, "But don''t worry. This time, I will suggest they search their souls directly. It''s no longer a matter of a small scuffle between demons and us; it''s about war now."


    Orion nodded lightly and waited with Mark as Elijah and Josh discussed some things.


    After a while, a triangr space shuttle appeared before them. It was the same one they had encountered the previous night.


    But before anyone coulde out, two figures materialized before them. Both of them were women Orion had seen before.


    One of them had long white hair with a mature face. She was Rosaline, one of the Ten Seats, and the other was a blue-haired woman. She was Luna Rosey, the daughter of thete Merlin Rosey.


    Orion''s eyes narrowed when he saw them, especially when he saw the blue-haired woman, Luna. He recalled all the hatred he had for her and remembered how ruthlessly she had ordered others to kill his family. Because of it, he couldn''t control himself or his anger, but he wouldn''t let everything he had done so far be wasted because he lost control. Therefore, he forcefully calmed himself down.


    He was neither strong enough to kill her again nor would it benefit him to reveal his identity, so the best he could do right now was hold all his anger back.


    *If only she hadn''t had the War Medallion with her thest time,* Orion sighed lightly. He was sure that without the War Medallion to revive her, she would have already died there because he had killed her thest time.


    "Miss Rosaline, Miss Luna," Elijah and Josh both bowed slightly.


    "Hmm," Rosaline nodded lightly before turning her attention to the bodies tied to the walls. "They are all alive; good," she said before shifting her focus to Josh and Elijah.


    "Who found this and learned about the war?" she asked them.


    "That would be me," Orion replied, stepping forward.


    Rosaline turned her attention toward Orion, and her eyes narrowed when she saw him. "Do I know you?" she asked uncertainly.


    Orion shook his head. "I think not. It''s my first time seeing you and Miss Luna," he replied calmly.


    Rosaline frowned, looking into Orion''s eyes. "Your eyes... They remind me of someone," she said slowly.


    Orion''s heart rate increased as he heard her, but he didn''t show any emotion. "I have heard people say that," he replied.


    Rosaline nodded, though she couldn''t help but stress over the feeling when she saw those eyes. She shook her head lightly to forget those thoughts and asked, "So, tell me what happened, from the beginning to everything."


    Orion nodded and began recounting how he encountered them and how he tortured one of them when he learned about the war and the demons, but he left out the part where he met Nick and that woman. He also told them about the Dark Order and Boros.


    "Good thinking. Most people would panic in that situation, but you did well," Rosaline praised Orion for his quick wits and presence of mind.


    "What were you doing here at that time?" Luna suddenly asked. "You won''t randomlye here to this junkyard willingly, will you? So what were you doing here?"


    Elijah''s face darkened as he heard her, while Josh also became curious. He hadn''t paid attention to Orion being there since all he could think of was war after Orion mentioned it.


    Orion frowned when he heard her. Actually, he hadn''t thought about this at all.


    "What? No answer?" Luna sneered. "Or are you one of the demons inhabiting this human body?"


    ---


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 Chapter 411 411. Investigation about Orion Darkwood

    "Miss Luna, what are you talking about?" Elijah shouted as he approached her. He moved forward toward Orion, but Josh held his hand and shook his head. Elijah frowned, taking a moment to think before he sighed. ''Don''t mess it up, Ray,'' he thought desperately.


    "Now, I am also curious," Rosaline said, looking at Orion. "What were you doing here? Any normal cadets wouldn''te to a ce like this unless they were inclined to, so what''s your reason?"


    Mark''s face also tensed as he hoped Orion would have a very good excuse for being there.


    "Spit it out quick. We don''t have much time," Luna shouted at Orion.


    Orion sighed. "I didn''t want anyone to find out about this, but I think I''m just unlucky."


    "What?" Luna asked impatiently.


    "Come with me." Orion led them to an area where more broken buildingsy in ruins, wreckage all around.


    "There is nothing here." Luna smiled, as if she had caught something.


    Elijah and Mark were sweating for Orion at that moment. They couldn''t think of why Orion had brought them here.


    "Nah, there is everything I need," Orion smirked at Luna before he activated the Curse of the Stormcaller in Curse Transformation mode.


    Almost instantly, the wind began to rage around him, slowly forming a small tornado with the wreckage, building parts, and ruins. As time passed, the tornado began to expand gradually, its size increasing.


    Only momentster, arge tornado could be seen in the junkyard behind the academy. The tornado appeared to carry building parts, wreckage, dirt, and more, giving it a grey and brownish color.


    Orion then turned to Rosaline and Luna. "I was just practicing with my talent here, trying to control this tornado I created when I actually came to find them," he said, smiling as he flicked his hand, causing the tornado to slowly die down.


    Rosaline and Luna were both surprised by the tornado. They hadn''t expected the situation to be like this, while Mark, Elijah, and Josh were shocked. The tornado Orion had created was veryrge, and they were astonished that he could control something of that size.


    "What''s your talent?" Rosaline asked with interest.


    "My talent is called Stormcaller; it allows me to manipte wind," Orion replied.


    Rosaline nodded. "So you were training here because you couldn''t practice this tornado technique elsewhere, and this ce was perfect for that."


    Orion nodded lightly.


    "Alright, I also believe you," Luna said, but she still looked at Orion suspiciously.


    Orion shrugged, knowing how stubborn she could be.


    "I heard it was you who helpedst night," Rosaline said, nodding lightly. "You did a good job both times."


    Orion smiled and asked, "If war happens, what are our chances against the three races and the Zenithans?"


    Rosaline frowned, and Luna''s face darkened as they heard him.


    "Our chances... Honestly, I don''t know," Rosaline sighed. "Our best chance is to prevent the war from happening," she said solemnly.


    Orion nodded lightly. He wanted the same thing¡ªor did he?


    "Alright, you two can go now," Rosaline said before warning them. "But don''t tell anyone about this war. Keep it between you two."


    Orion and Mark nodded lightly before they flew away and vanished.


    "This situation is such a mess," Rosaline sighed, feeling grim about what would happen in the future.


    "Aunt Rose, there is only one ne in the entire Limitless Void that we are standing on right now and no others, so how could the Zenithanse and go as they wish from the Limitless Void?" Luna asked suspiciously. "Unless there is a traitor among the higher ranks of the three powers: the Archons, Hunter Association, and Martial Will."


    "There are bound to be traitors now that we''ve discovered demons can live within a human body. Who knows how long a demon has been upying one of our bodies?" Rosaline said with an ugly expression. "But what I''m more worried about is the war," she sighed.


    "It seems the Ten Seats Conference we were about to hold wouldn''t be entirely because of that kid and his clone out there, but also about this war now. We have to make it quick, unlike what we''ve been doing until now."


    "Ten Seats Conference..." Elijah and Josh looked at each other, knowing how significant this asion would be. They hadn''t had the chance to attend the conference before, but they would do anything to attend this time.


    "That reminds me," Rosaline muttered to herself as she turned to Elijah and Josh. "Orion Darkwood is here in the Limitless Void, attending your academy."


    Both Elijah and Josh were shocked to hear this news. They had known everything about Orion¡ªthe entire world knew about him¡ªbut unlike the outside world, they had some exclusive information about the ''truth'' of what had happened at the banquet of the Magus Kingdom.


    Therefore, knowing all of that and understanding Orion''s situation, they couldn''t help but be stunned that he would still dare toe to the Limitless Void, where potentially everyone could be his enemy.


    "We don''t know what he is here for, nor do we know about his goals, but know that this kid isn''t just a kid. Don''t take him lightly; he won''t bat an eye at killing thousands, if not more. And then there is also his clone from the Null Void. If you see his clone, just run as fast as you can. You can''t kill him. His strength is on the same level as us Ten Seats right now," Rosaline said solemnly.


    "Miss Rosaline, I have studied the Null Void and know how it works, so it''s impossible for a clone in there to have a conscience of its own, much less leave that ce. How did Orion''s clone leave the Null Void?" Josh asked curiously.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When he heard what had happened with Orion Darkwood, the most shocking thing he learned was about his cloneing out of the Null Void. It shocked him to the core because it was entirely against what they had been taught in the academy.


    "Don''t think too much about it," Rosaline said lightly. "Orion Darkwood is an anomaly who can use any powers in the world if he is given time to understand those powers. His talent is unmatched in the entire Montreux Universe since its creation, so if you think about it that way, the situation regarding his clone shouldn''t surprise you."


    Josh nodded. He had studied Orion Darkwood too, and it included his talent, so he knew everything about him. Because he knew all of that, he was obsessed with him.


    "Aunt Rose, you talk like you are praising him," Luna said, gritting her teeth. "He killed mest time, and my father died by his hand, so stop praising him. He is nothing more than a wanted animal running around trying to save his life. That''s all."


    Rosaline sighed and approached Luna, patting her head. "Don''t worry too much. We will catch him," she said before turning to Josh and Elijah. "Josh, Elijah, you two are the most trustworthy and qualified among the five alliance leaders, so I want you two to investigate Orion Darkwood in the academy. He could be any new kid there, and I want you to find him and capture him."


    She added with a smile, "One more thing: Luna will be leading you in this investigation."


    ---


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 Chapter 412 412. Rage Knows No Bounds

    Orion and Mark were flying back to their dormitory when Mark asked, "Do you know those two?"


    "One of them is on my must-kill list," Orion replied, increasing his speed and leaving Mark behind.


    "Must-kill list?" Mark sighed, understanding that Orion had a purpose foring to the Limitless Void connected to the events at the banquet in the Magus Kingdom. But what about him? What did he want? He still didn''t know why he was here.


    Victor had simply asked him to participate in the assessment one day, and since he was in the same guild, he agreed, never imagining it would lead to this situation.


    After erasing himself from Tracy''s memory and those who knew him, he had decided to live alone for the rest of his life. But now, finding himself here on the brink of war, he didn''t know what to do.


    "Ah, it''s so simple." He suddenly realized something. Orion wouldn''t always be around to protect Tracy, so he could protect her in the meantime. "That''s it, that should be my goal," he thought happily. But for some reason, he felt it wasn''t enough.


    There was a strange sense of emptiness in his heart he couldn''t describe. It was as if he was content with his decision to protect Tracy, but then some part of him questioned: was that all he wanted? Was his goal really just to protect her?


    "Ah, what should I do?!" Mark muttered in confusion. "If only Ray was here¡ªNo, he''s already gone. Stop thinking about him." Conflicted by his thoughts, he slowly reached the dormitory.


    Then he saw something that caused his body to tremble. A surge of uncontroble rage and anger began to cloud his mind.


    He saw Tracy, but something was different. She was drenched in blood. Her clothes were soaked, and she was bleeding heavily from her stomach as Orionid her down, his hands glowing with a golden light as he healed her.


    "No¡ªnot again!" The memories of what happened to Ray flooded his mind¡ªthose haunting images, the blood-soaked Ray, and he, the cursed one who caused it all.


    "It''s happening again."


    Mark''s gaze turned to those responsible. He saw four cadets he hadn''t seen before, all at the 6th level tinum rank, relentlessly attacking Orion, who was still focused on healing Tracy. Zeref, Victor, and Erza were protecting him.


    "I''ll kill them!"


    Ovee with rage, Mark appeared before the four cadets in a bolt of lightning.


    "Who¡ª?" they sshouted, shock freezing their words mid-sentence. But before they could even react, he closed the distance, seizing one cadet by the face.


    A blinding surge of lightning crackled from his hand, coursing over the cadet''s body.


    "Aaaagh!" The cadet''s scream tore through the air, his skin sizzling and charring under the relentless assault. The lightning seared through him, and in moments, his body copsed into a ckened husk, lifeless and unrecognizable.


    "You¡ªyou killed him!" The other three spun on their heels, terror fueling their desperate attempt to flee. But Mark was already there, a blur of motion, intercepting another cadet with his fist zing in fierce blue mes.


    Bang!


    The cadet''s body ignited on impact, engulfed in the blue inferno that burned with unrestrained fury. In seconds, his skin and flesh were consumed, and his very bones crumbled into ashes that drifted to the ground in silence.


    "Agh! Monster! Help me!"


    "Someone help us!"


    Thest two panicked and ran, shouting desperately, but Mark was faster. He appeared before one of them and struck with another ming punch.


    Bang!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The cadet exploded in blue mes, his body reduced to ash.


    Mark then formed a bolt of lightning in his hand and hurled it toward thest cadet.


    Boom!


    The cadet was obliterated as the lightning hit him.


    Zeref, Erza, and Victor watched in shock. They hadn''t expected Mark to go berserk and kill them all.


    "Mark, what did you do? You killed them!" Victor shouted anxiously.


    Mark didn''t respond and instead appeared before Orion, who was still healing Tracy. "How is she? Is she alright? Will she live?" His voice was low and desperate.


    Orion looked at Mark and nodded. "She''ll be fine." He stopped healing her and handed her to Mark. "Hold her for a moment."


    Mark held Tracy, relief flooding over him as he saw her breathing. Tears streamed down his face.


    Orion sighed at the sight and looked around. "There''s still no one here yet. We should leave as soon as possible. Killing isn''t allowed in the academy."


    The others nodded solemnly, preparing to leave.


    Orion said, "Erza, Zeref, take Tracy to her room and stay with her until she wakes up. I''ve healed herpletely, but she''s lost some blood, so she should wake up soon."


    At that moment, Orion sensed figures approaching. They were only a few steps away.


    ''Damn, they''re here!'' They had no time to escape, especially with Erza and Zeref helping Tracy. Orion closed his eyes before making a decision.


    He activated the Curse of Dimensional Dissonance in Curse Transformation mode, pulling them all into his dimension.


    He then did the same with the corpses of the four cadets and the blood Tracy had lost before disappearing from the scene.


    "Is there anyone here?" Just then, five figures arrived. They were cadets who''d heard the desperate shouts of the four, but they were toote.


    "I''m sure someone shouted for help!" One of them looked around, scanning the area.


    "Look! Burn marks! The entire ground is scorched pitch ck!" Another noticed something and called the others over.


    "There''s another one here!" They found another scorch mark, identical to the first.


    "A battle just happened here." One cadet touched the scorched ground, feeling the heat still emanating from it. "We must have just missed it," he muttered, frowning.


    "Anyway, I''m calling the Cadet Council," one of them said, going to report the incident.


    ---


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 Chapter 413 413. Orion Darkwood Was Spotted!!

    "What is this ce?" Victor eximed, shocked to find himself suddenly in a ck-and-white world. It looked simr to their own world, yet it was quite different.


    Zeref, Mark, and Erza were equally stunned. They hadn''t seen anything like it, and before they could ask Orion what this ce was, they noticed cadets appearing before them.


    To their surprise, these cadets couldn''t see or hear them, but the reverse was possible. Victor, Zeref, Mark, and Erza could see and hear everything happening outside.


    They watched as the cadets examined the scorching marks on the ground, specting that there might have been a battle. One of them even left to report all of this to the Cadet Council.


    But they had no idea that the ones who caused all of this could hear and see everything happening around them.


    "Orion, what is this ce?" Victor asked, looking at Orion.


    Erza, Mark, and Zeref also looked at him, hoping for an answer. However, it seemed that Mark and Zeref had some idea of what this space was about. In a way, the only ones truly confused were Victor and Erza.


    "We are inside a cosmic treasure," Orion fabricated, continuing, "Let''s get out of here."


    He then took them to the dormitory, but instead of heading towards the boys'' dormitory, they moved towards the girls'' dormitory.


    "We will first return Tracy to her room. She needs some rest before she can fully return to her peak state," he said as he led them.


    After some time, they arrived in front of Tracy''s room. Opening the door, they entered inside.


    Just then, Orion took them all out, and they appeared outside as if they had teleported in the blink of an eye.


    "We''re back in the real world!" Victor eximed, surprised to see the colorful world again. He began to wonder what kind of treasure would allow someone to enter a ce like that. Erza and the others were also surprised, but they didn''t have time to be astonished; theyid Tracy on the bed. Mark leaned closer, standing beside Tracy as he rested against the wall, watching her closely.


    Orion observed this and sighed. He wondered if Mark had made the right choice by erasing himself from Tracy''s memories.


    While he pondered this, everyone in the hall found it strange that Mark seemed more concerned about Tracy than Orion, who had even gone berserk and killed those four cadets.


    They understood that something was going on between Orion, Mark, and Tracy.


    "What happened? How did you all get into that situation?" Orion asked solemnly. Even though he had arrived before Mark, he had only seen how severely injured Tracy was; he didn''t witness how it all started.


    Mark was also focused on this. He wanted to know what had led to all of this.


    "There was an old cadet who wanted to take Zeref, Erza, and Tracy on his team, but they respectfully refused. You can imagine what happened after that," Victor said, looking down. He couldn''t believe that something so simple could lead to the deaths of four cadets and Tracy''s injury.


    "You mean there''s someone else who knows that the four of them attacked you and then suddenly disappeared?" Orion said, realizing a problem.


    "Yeah, he said his name was Gale and that he had some connections to the super families of the Archons," Victor nodded.


    "Connections to the Archons?" Orion understood why that cadet had been so haughty that he sent other cadets to attack others. It turned out he had backing, but a backing wouldn''t save him from Orion.


    "Erza, you and Zeref stay here and take care of her. We will go to our rooms," Orion dered. "Some cadets were just killed, so I think they will check which cadets are in the dormitory and which are not. It would be better if we stay in our rooms for now."


    They all nodded.


    "I havepletely healed Tracy, but if something happens, be sure to message me," Orion said before turning to Mark and Victor. "Let''s leave."


    Mark looked at Tracy and clenched his fists tightly, but he eventually nodded to Orion.


    Orion used the Curse of Dimensional Dissonance again in Curse Transformation mode and took Victor and Mark inside.


    "Remember, if anything happens, contact me," Orion instructed Erza and Zeref before he too moved into his own dimension.


    ***


    Orion, Mark, and Victor moved through his dimension toward the boys'' dormitory. However, just as they exited the girls'' dormitory, they noticed some disciples knocking on the doors of each room, checking if anyone was inside.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "They really started checking!" Victor eximed, surprised that Orion''s assumption had proven correct.


    "Let''s run to our rooms," Orion said before dashing toward their rooms. He knew that if they hadn''t been found in their rooms, they would be on the suspect list. However, he also knew that there wouldn''t be a suspect list if no one was found dead. They only knew that a fight had urred there, but it didn''t necessarily mean someone had died; the corpses were in his dimension.


    But the only thing that could cause a problem was the cadet who had ordered the four cadets to attack them. He would definitely be suspicious of Tracy and the others, knowing the four cadets had gone missing after he sent them to attack.


    ''Still, attacking someone so heavily on academy grounds is not allowed,'' Orion frowned. If Mark had only kept one of them alive, he could have extracted some information about what happened.


    At that moment, they reached the floor where they all lived. Orion dropped Mark and Victor off at their rooms before returning to his own.


    Orion sat on his bed, contemting his next steps. ''I need to know the power structure of the Archons before I set my n in motion.'' After a moment of thought, he left his room and headed toward the library.


    As Orion exited the room, he noticed the CCTV camera in the hall, which had started working again after being repaired. When he left Mark and Victor to their room, he hadn''t directly taken them inside; instead, they had all exited the dimension in the washroom before heading to their rooms.


    If he hadn''t done that, there might have been footage of them leaving their room in the morning but no footage of them returning. If their rooms were checked and they were found inside, it would definitely raise suspicions as to how they had gotten in when there was no footage of them entering.


    Orion knew it would cause problems; therefore, he had already thought of everything before he, Mark, and Victor returned to their rooms.


    ''The only matter now is that cadet... The eradication of the Archons starts with him.'' Orion didn''t know why the cadet had attacked Tracy, and he didn''t want to know. Since he had ordered them to attack Tracy, someone he considered his little sister, he would bear the consequences, which would be death.


    Soon, he left the dormitory and arrived at the spot where Mark had killed those four cadets. At that moment, a crowd had gathered around the scene, and a group of cadets could be seen frowning and talking while looking at the signs of the battle.


    Orion ignored the scene and headed toward the library. He knew that no matter how they investigated this, it would never lead back to them unless that cadet decided to report his missing friends.


    He was certain of it. The entire time he had been healing Tracy while others fought against those four cadets, his perception had been spread to the fullest because of it; he knew there weren''t any cadets who had witnessed the situation at that moment.


    ''So, this is the library.'' Orion looked at the cylindrical-shaped building in front of him. It was a tall skyscraper, but quite wide.


    With a golden hue and faint red color, ''Dos Library'' was written in capital, bold font that shone with neon lights.


    It reminded Orion of the bars and malls of Earth, where everything was decorated with neon lights, but in this ce, it might be his first time seeing the use of neon lights in a library.


    He headed toward a small building beside the huge library. One couldn''t simply enter the library just because they wanted to; proper identification was needed for that, and the small building beside the library was where one could verify their identity.


    However, just as Orion reached that ce, he noticed a small line of about 10 to 15 cadets waiting.


    "Have you heard? Orion Darkwood was spotted in the Martial Domain just a while ago."


    "Yeah, many people saw him, and he even killed some people outright in broad daylight. He is as evil as described in the stories."


    "But I heard he only killed the murderers who escaped after killing someone."


    "You know nothing. They weremon people, and Orion ruthlessly killed them all."


    "No, I''m very sure they were criminals, and Orion only killed them. He didn''t touch themon people."


    "You got the wrong information, hehe."


    Orion was shocked to hear them. He had been impersonating someone else in the Limitless Void, and some random dude had decided to impersonate him, most importantly defaming his name.


    ---


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 Chapter 414 414. Prime Humans

    "It''s good!"


    Orion didn''t know who the hell was impersonating him, but he wasn''tining. At least with this ruse, nobody would suspect Orion Darkwood was actually in the Limitless Void, and everyone''s attention would be drawn to the Martial Domain¡ªfor better or worse.


    ''This is just what I wanted.''


    He waited quietly in line for his turn.


    ***


    Somewhere in Dos Academy, Luna mmed her hand against the wall, causing it to crack. "Damn! He''s in the Martial Domain?!" she yelled in frustration.


    "Is this information incorrect?" she asked Rosaline, who was seated in a chair, reading articles about Orion Darkwood.


    "His information has never been wrong before, so I know for sure that Orion Darkwood is in Dos Academy with us," Rosaline replied slowly. "And this Orion in the Martial Domain could only be someone impersonating him tomit crimes."


    She added with narrowed eyes, "People only draw inspiration from the best and the worst, and it was only a matter of time before someone used his name and face tomit crimes."


    "So, what should we do?" Luna asked.


    "We''ll do what we came here to do," Rosaline said lightly. "You search for Orion Darkwood, and I''ll wait for Kane to arrive."


    Luna nodded. Lately, searching for Orion had be an obsession for her. She couldn''t sleep peacefully at night because of the recurring nightmares¡ªnightmares of Orion killing her over and over again. It had be such a big issue that she''d finally decided to find Orion and kill him. Only then would she feel relief; otherwise, she would forever be haunted by those scenes.


    ***


    Orion sat in the library, reading a book about the history of the Limitless Void.


    The library was a spiraling staircase leading upward, with benches and tables beside the stairs where one could sit and read. Books were kept everywhere in sight, and there were numerous magical runes or notifications floating in the air, showing the titles of books. If one concentrated on a title, the corresponding book would appear before them¡ªan easy and efficient way of storing books.


    The book Orion was reading mentioned that the Limitless Void was a single, vast ne¡ªan infinite ne where people lived. Because of its boundless nature, the Limitless Void had nos.


    ''That''s very unique,'' he thought as he continued reading, learning more about humans and other races.


    ''I now understand why humans from the Limitless Void look down on those from the three domains.''


    The Limitless Void was a higher-level ne than the three domains and had existed since time immemorial. Even the systems humans used had existed in the Limitless Void, whereas in the three domains, the system had only be avable to all humans around a thousand years ago.


    It also mentioned that human beings in the Limitless Void were called Prime Humans, while humans born in the three domains were considered secondary beings.


    Prime Humans were those whose ancestors were born from nothingness itself, beings born out of nothing. They were granted a system upon birth, with no mana limitations on their bodies, meaning they could max out all their stats with each rank upgrade.


    However, the bloodline of Prime Humans began to dilute over generations, until the current generation in the Limitless Void, where there was practically no difference between Prime Humans and secondary humans.


    ''They are so strong... but the dilution of their bloodline is suspicious,'' Orion thought. ''Dilution would only happen if Prime Humans mated with secondary humans, but why would they do that?''


    Orion frowned and continued reading, and as he did, his doubts began to clear.


    ''I see. So, Prime Humans can''t reproduce if they mate with each other. Talk about a downside to such a strong bloodline.'' He smiled wryly. He thought that God had given them every advantage in the world, but with a w even more ring than those advantages.


    ''Also, ording to this book, there were no other races besides humans when Prime Humans used to live in the Limitless Void.''


    Orion was amazed by the history of Prime Humans. He hadn''t expected that humans were the first race in the entire universe and that all other races came after them.


    ''That also exins why humans are still going strong, even when facing three other races that want to eradicate them,'' he thought.


    ''But where did the other racese from?'' Orion became curious and continued reading, but he didn''t find anything. The book only covered the history of the Limitless Void and Prime Humans.


    Orion closed the book, and after five seconds, it disappeared. He began searching for books rted to other races in the air around the stairs and everywhere.


    But after a minute of looking, he didn''t find any. ''Are there no books about other races here?'' he thought, climbing the stairs again and searching. Even at the top of the library, he found no information on other races.


    ''Am I missing something?'' Orion wondered, perplexed. He couldn''t believe the academy library wouldn''t have any information on other races.


    "You can''t find certain books if you''re not eligible for them."


    Just then, a voice sounded from behind him.


    Orion turned around and saw a man in his early twenties, wearing sses. His hair was messy, his eyes were baggy, and his face showed exhaustion.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing him, Orion wondered if this guy hadn''t slept in weeks.


    "How can one be eligible?" he asked politely.


    The man with the baggy eyes and sses replied, "This library is set up so that at each rank, one can only see the names of books registered at that rank. This means if you''re at Bronze rank, you''ll only find books assigned to that rank."


    Orion nodded in understanding. "Thanks for the information," he said, quickly adding, "I''m Ray Wiser, by the way."


    The man with baggy eyes nodded lightly. "I know who you are¡ªRay Wiser, from the Human Federation Realm, probably the strongest in the assessment, or maybe not. I''m not sure. You hide a lot of strength," he said, as if he knew everything about Orion.


    ---


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 Chapter 415 415. Kanes Warning

    Orion was stunned upon hearing the man. He had casually introduced himself, but who would have thought that this man was a nerd who had remembered everything about him?


    "Did you do research on me?" Orion asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "Haha, no, I didn''t," the man with baggy eyes said. "I saw the live telecast of your assessment."


    He then quickly added, "I am Max Dover, by the way."


    Orion nodded and asked, "So, until I upgrade to tinum rank, I won''t get to read the books in that rank?"


    "That''s how the library works," Max said, looking around. "These are the rules set by the academy."


    Orion sighed. He really wanted to know how the other races came into existence when there was no trace of them back in the days of the Prime Humans.


    "Alright, it''s nice meeting you, Max. I have to go now," Orion said before stepping down the stairs.


    "Hey, wait!" Max suddenly called out.


    Orion paused and looked back at Max. "What?"


    Max asked, "Do you think the rumors about Orion Darkwood are true, that he showed up in the Martial Domain?"


    Orion shrugged. "I don''t know and don''t care," he replied calmly, but storms were raging inside his heart. ''Why is he asking me about Orion Darkwood? Is it random? Is he suspicious of me?''


    His heart began to beat faster as he thought along those lines, andbined with his thorough knowledge of Ray Wiser, he could tell Max had indeed done research on him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I have to do some research on him as well," Orion thought as he reached the bottom of the library. If Max was indeed suspicious of him, he could only make him disappear from this world forever, but before that, he had to know his identity.


    "Let''s leave and see what the situation is in the dormitory," Orion thought as he was about to head to the library exit when he spotted someone he hadn''t seen in a long time.


    It was a young man in his thirties with golden hair, wearing a light white shirt and grey pants¡ªa stark contrast to what he usually wore.


    ''Kane is also here!''


    Orion didn''t meet his eyes, nor did he look at him. He just walked like a normal cadet wanting to exit the library.


    However, just as he passed Kane, he heard a voice in his ear. "Come to the roof of your dormitory. I want to talk to you about something... Orion."


    Orion was shocked, stunned in disbelief, but he didn''t stop and continued to walk as if nothing had happened. ''How did he recognize me? Even one of the Ten Seats couldn''t see through my disguise; how did Kane know it was me with just one look?''


    His heart raced anxiously. He was pretty sure his disguise was perfect, but he was proven wrong time and again. First was Zeref, then the Zenithans from the Dark Order, and now Kane.


    Orion sighed, thinking that if this continued, it would only be a matter of time before his identity was leaked.


    ''What does Kane want from me?'' he pondered about Kane.


    After the incident at the Banquet of the Magus Kingdom, his perception of Kane, the Sword Sage, hadpletely changed.


    Before the incident, he had thought of the Sword Sage as a real sage and hero. He had been told heroic stories about how someone born with a healing talent became the master of the sword and ultimately the Sword Sage. He had heard all the good things about him, his legend, and how he came to be the strongest person in the map.


    But after the banquet incident, he felt differently. He wasn''t sure if it was personal disappointment or a gut feeling, but he sensed that he couldn''t trust Kane.


    ''But I also can''t ignore him since he knows my true identity,'' Orion sighed, feeling very conflicted. ''Let''s see what he has to say.''


    He soon arrived back at the "crime scene," where the cadets investigating the area still had no clue about what had happened, and Orion wanted things to remain just like that. However, he knew sooner orter the truth would eventuallye out.


    He ignored the crowd once again and went inside the dormitory. He didn''t stop anywhere until he reached the very top of the dormitory building, which took him several minutes.


    ''Damn, I should have just flown there from outside,'' Orion thought before he opened the door leading to the roof.


    He saw Kane standing at the edge of the building, overlooking the cadets passing by on the ground.


    "What are your intentions foring to the Limitless Void?" Kane asked, turning to him.


    "No particr intention," Orion replied calmly.


    Kane narrowed his eyes at Orion and said, "If things hadn''t gone the way they did at the banquet, you would still be my favorite junior."


    He added, "But the things you did at the banquet, the things your clone did, made me realize that you are just a walking bomb in this world, an anomaly that might lead to the destruction of everything."


    "It doesn''t matter now, does it?" Orion chuckled. "The demons and the Zenithans are colluding and preparing for war against humans, so if you look at the grand scheme of things, I, with my gold rank strength, am nothing."


    "That may be so," Kane said calmly. "But I choose to differ. Anyway, I found you here because I want to warn you to stay away from Luna and her sister. You have already killed their father, and if I hear you''ve even scratched them, then believe me, one strike of my sword will be all I need to eliminate youpletely. So tread with caution."


    Orion frowned upon hearing this. Luna was at the very top of the list of people he wanted to kill. He had to kill her no matter what.


    "If you want to let your anger out, do some research on the top families of the Archons. I''m sure you will find something very interesting," Kane said, smiling. "Also, be cautious. The Ten Seats already know that you have arrived in the Limitless Void, and they also know that you are at Dos Academy."


    After that, he jumped off the edge of the dormitory and disappeared.

 Chapter 416 416. Mystery of the Cursed Families

    Orion stood on the roof of the dormitory, staring nkly into the void. Kane''s warning made him angry, but it also left him feeling helpless.


    Luna was at the top of his killing list. She was the one he wanted to kill the most. She had been the catalyst for everything that had gone wrong at the banquet. If it weren''t for her, his family wouldn''t have had to go into hiding; if it weren''t for her, everything would have been fine.


    ''I will kill her... one way or another.''


    Orion clenched his fists in determination. He wouldn''t let her go.


    ''And then there''s the Rollins Family. I will eradicate this family from the face of the Limitless Void.'' he thought ruthlessly, consumed by rage.


    ''But first, I need to find out about that Archon cadet who ordered his minions to attack his sister.'' Orion thought as he headed down and messaged Zeref for the cadet''s identity.


    Zeref didn''t ask any questions and promptly replied with a name: "Leone Rollins."


    ''Talk about luck.'' Orion smiled coldly as he quietly disappeared into his dimension. Once there, he took out a golden page and wrote:


    "Tell me everything about Leone Rollins."


    The paper immediately disyed information.


    "Leone Rollins, one of the four direct heirs of the Rollins Family, alongside Carl, Zosh, and Vina. He is currently heading toward the Cadet Council Hall in a rage."


    Orion frowned upon seeing the message and quickly moved toward the Cadet Council Hall. He couldn''t allow Leone to disclose anything about what happened to the Cadet Council; otherwise, things would turn ugly.


    Teleporting within his own dimension a couple of times, Orion arrived at the front of the Cadet Council Hall, only to discover he was toote.


    The door to the hall was open, and he saw Leone Rollins walking toward the vice president of the Cadet Council.


    The council hall wasn''trge, but it was an octagonal-shaped room, with President Veronica sitting at the center, signing and issuing orders while Vice President Roan stood by her side. Other cadets were present, conversing with various council members.


    A momentter, Leone reached Roan.


    "Roan, I have to tell you something about the investigation happening at the entrance of the academy," Leone said seriously to Roan.


    Roan and Veronica exchanged nces, their interest piqued. "What is it?" Roan asked.


    Orion frowned and felt a surge of anxiety upon witnessing this. ''Damn, this is worse. I can''t let him talk to Roan here.'' He thought, scanning the area for anything that might help him. To his relief, he noticed there were no security cameras or anything of the sort in the council hall.


    Seizing the opportunity, Orion quickly activated the Curse of Detonating Flesh and conjured a purple explosive ball in his hand before throwing it at the wall of the hall.


    Bang!


    The wall exploded, sending smoke and debris flying.


    "What happened?"


    "Is that an enemy attack? A demon attack?"


    "Are some cadets fighting in here?"


    "What''s going on?"


    "The wall just exploded. Someone must be fighting on the other side!"


    No sooner had the explosion urred than chaos erupted in the council hall.


    Roan and Veronica, the vice president and president of the Cadet Council, took immediate action to investigate the disturbance, leaving Leone alone among the other cadets present.


    Amidst the chaos, Orion quietly appeared behind Leone and pulled him into his dimension.


    "Who? Who is this? What is this ce?" Leone panicked upon suddenly finding himself in a ck-and-white council hall where he could see no one.


    "It''s me." Orion materialized before him at that moment.


    "You! No! How could you be here?! No, no, no." Leone''s shock turned to panic as he recognized the face his family despised most.


    "O-Orion Darkwood, how could you be here? How did you arrive in the Limitless Void, in the Dos Academy?" Leone''s heart raced with terror.


    "Why am I here? Isn''t that simple?" Orion smiled coldly. "I want to eradicate the Rollins Family from this world." But at that moment, his expression narrowed as he realized something. "Wait a minute, if I eradicate your family, wouldn''t that make the prophecy about the cursed familye true? But doesn''t that mean¡ª"


    He looked at Leone in shock as he suddenly came to a startling conclusion. "It was your family that killed the Elven Family. Your family eradicated the Elven Family, but you couldn''t stop the curse because you failed to kill all of them. You failed to kill Alice Elvin."


    Orion understood everything in that moment. Why Alice had desperately wanted to kill Carl Rollins, the mysterious disappearance of the Elven Family, and the curse affecting the three families.


    ''I need to pay a special visit to the Rollins Family before I eradicate them. I need to know why this curse exists in the first ce.''


    Orion thought, but then another idea crossed his mind. ''How do they know the curse exists? The Elven Family didn''t just disappear mysteriously; they were killed by the Rollins Family, who also wanted to do the same to my family.''


    He frowned, recalling something. ''I remember Carl mentioning their family possessed a Devil me, and if that me stops burning, then their family will disappear from the Limitless Void. They have one year before the me extinguishes... calcting the time, they would still have about half a year.''


    ''But what about my family? I know my family has that sacred wood, but it''s fading just like the Devil me of the Rollins family. So, even if my family does nothing, will they survive the curse, right?'' Orion thought, but uncertainty gnawed at him. What if the curse was real, and if one of the two families wasn''t eradicated, would the cycle repeat itself like it had with the Rollins and Elven families when the Rollins failed to eliminate every member of the Elven Family?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    So many questions flooded Orion''s mind that hepletely forgot about Leone, who was trembling in his dimension. The poor guy couldn''t even move or speak; tears streamed down his cheeks.


    Orion looked at Leone and asked, "What do you know about the curse of the three families?" He adjusted the void around Leone so that he could speak.


    "Will you let me go if I tell you?" Leone asked, sniffling, his face streaked with tears.


    "Of course I will let you go. I''m not as bad as people say I am," Orion replied with a bright smile on his face.


    ---


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 Chapter 417 417. Realm of the Gods

    "I will tell you. I will tell you everything," Leone said quickly. "There isn''t much known about the curse, but my father once told me that a group of three friends had mistakenly found themselves in the Realm of the Gods. They encountered dragons and phoenixes there; they met many gods, but they were too weak to be noticed by them¡ªmuch like how we don''t care about ants."


    Leone continued after a short pause, "They were shocked by the world they saw with their own eyes. It was a magical and wondrous ce. However, before they could fully enjoy the scene, they suddenly felt as if they were being rejected by the Realm of the Gods. So, they hurriedly took three items they randomly found on the ground to bring back with them before they disappeared from the Realm of the Gods."


    Orion''s face widened with shock as he listened to Leone.


    "The Elven Family took a strange liquid in a bottle, my family took the Devil me, and your family took a strange wood. However, just as they arrived back in their world, the three friends strangely became wary of each other. One of them, wanting to leave alone, departed from the Limitless Void, while the other two, still wary of each other, continued to live in the Limitless Void," Leone concluded.


    Orion pondered Leone''s words, still reeling from the shock. He couldn''t believe that a ce where gods lived existed in this world and that three humans had even made their way into it.


    ''Doesn''t that mean the three families were cursed by the gods for stealing from the Realm of the Gods?'' Orion thought, connecting the dots and bing shocked by his own assumption.


    Orion sighed, realizing that the mysteries of the cursed families wouldn''t be solved so easily. ''I have to pay a visit to the Rollins family,'' he thought. Only by going there and investigating the Devil mes and the curse would he learn more about the secrets of the curse.


    Orion then turned his attention to Leone, who was cowering in the corner. "You did well by telling me everything. You can die now," he said as he flicked his fingers.


    Leone''s body twisted at odd angles from various directions before disappearing into the void.


    ''I have to ask the paper about the curse; maybe it knows something,'' Orion thought after killing Leone. Although he doubted he would get any information since the curse was rted to the Realm of the Gods, he could at least try.


    ''I also have many other things I want to try asking the paper now,'' he thought, looking at the confused group of cadets in the council hall before leaving the ce quietly.


    ***


    Some timeter, Luna, Elijah, and Josh appeared in the council hall.


    They looked at the destroyed wall and then toward Veronica and Roan.


    "What happened?" Josh asked with a frown, hoping this incident had no connection to the demons; otherwise, they would be doomed.


    Demons had already infiltrated the Limitless Void, and from what it seemed, they could also upy human bodies. It wasn''t entirely impossible for them to infiltrate the academy. In fact, he even suspected that some cadets might be demons, but he could do nothing about it because he didn''t have any proof against any of them. He hoped this incident wouldn''t have anything rted to demons, or he would go mad over it.


    "We don''t know," Veronica said solemnly. "The wall just suddenly exploded out of nowhere."


    Josh sighed, relieved not to have heard the word ''demon.''


    "Nothing happens automatically. Someone must be responsible for this," Luna said as she observed the broken walls and debris.


    "What is she doing here?" Veronica whispered to Josh and Elijah.


    They looked at each other and exined to her how the demon situation and Orion Darkwood had alerted one of the Ten Seats.


    "You mean, Miss Luna will help us in the case of Orion Darkwood, and Miss Rosaline will look over the case of demons?" Veronica asked, looking at Elijah and Josh.


    "Pretty much," Elijah nodded lightly. "Though at the moment, she seems to be interested in the explosion in the wall." He said, observing how Luna was seriously inspecting the debris and broken walls. She would sometimes smell, touch the walls with her fingers, and conduct other examinations as she inspected everything.


    "How did this happen? Nothing like this has ever urred as far back as I can remember," Josh said solemnly. Experience more tales on empire


    "Things aren''t looking good right now," Veronica sighed. "A few hours ago, some cadets informed us that they heard shouts for help from the entrance of the academy, but when they reached there, nobody was there except for traces of a fight."


    She added, "I am certain that a fight took ce there and that a cadet shouted for help, but suddenly both the attackers and victims disappeared when the other cadets arrived."


    Elijah and Josh frowned upon hearing her. They had been away from the academy with Ray, so they didn''t know anything about what had just happened. They hadn''t expected that they would leave the academy for just a few hours, and in that time, everything would go downhill.


    "Hahaha."


    Just at that moment, Luna started tough wildly. "He is here! He is indeed in the academy! Orion Darkwood is currently at Dos Academy."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sheughed madly, her eyes filled with anger and rage.


    "The rumors about him in the Martial Domain are false after all. He is here. He is in the academy." Luna''s face became deranged as she looked at Veronica, Josh, and Elijah. "The attack that destroyed the wall was the same attack that killed me, but this one was just a smaller version, while that vermin Orion prepared an attack that could kill a Crown ranker like me." Her expression turned ferocious just at the thought of that situation.


    ---


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 Chapter 418 418. Supreme Comprehension

    "If Orion Darkwood was really here a moment ago, then why would he reveal himself by attacking the walls?" Veronica asked Luna. "It doesn''t make sense for him to destroy the walls."


    Her conjecture seemed correct. If Orion Darkwood had indeed been present among them, why would he attack the walls? Why would he reveal himself?


    "Unless he was forced toe and attack the walls!" Josh eximed as he looked at the others. "He must have wanted to cause chaos, disturbance, or something like that, but why?"


    Luna pondered for a moment and looked around the hall before turning to Veronica. "Was anything particr happening when the walls exploded?" she asked.


    Veronica thought for a moment before looking at Roan and answering, "Nothing special, but a cadet was reporting something about the incident that happened at the entrance just before this."


    "Was it Leone? Where is he?" she asked Roan.


    Roan nodded, looking around. "It was indeed Leone. He must be around somewhere."


    What they didn''t notice was Luna''s reaction¡ªher eyes widened at the moment. "Are you talking about Leone Rollins? The second eldest son of William Rollins?" she asked, almost hysterically.


    Roan nodded. "It was him. He must have left after the chaos caused by the explosion. Let me call some cadets to summon him."


    "No, no. He''s gone! He''s gone!" Luna shook her head in disappointment. "I should have known better. Damn it! Darkwood and Rollins Family, the cursed families."


    "What happened?" Josh asked, frowning. He didn''t like what he was hearing from Luna.


    "I think Orion was here for Leone Rollins," Luna exined. "Since he was talking with Roan at that moment, Orion must have exploded the walls to cause disturbance and chaos and, in the midst of it all, took Leone away."


    Roan and Veronica frowned as they listened to her. "That is bad, but let me send some cadets to look for him," Veronica said hurriedly, tapping her halowatch a couple of times before turning to Roan. "Ask every member of the cadet council to search for Leone Rollins."


    Roan nodded, also tapping his halowatch and ordering the entire cadet council to look for Leone Rollins.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Elijah observed the entire situation silently, without uttering a word. Nobody knew what he was thinking.


    ---


    Orion was back in his room, sitting at his desk with paper and pen in hand.


    "Who was the man with the sses on top of the library in Dos Academy? His name is Dover."


    As he wrote the words on the paper, it immediately refreshed and showed new information.


    "Max Dover, the smartest cadet in the history of Dos Academy, belongs to amon family among the Archons but possesses the talent of Supreme Comprehension."


    Orion frowned when he saw the information. He was relieved that Max didn''t belong to the main families of the Archons, but he frowned upon seeing the talent this guy possessed. Supreme Comprehension. Orion could tell by the word "Supreme" that this talent couldn''t be taken lightly.


    Orion wrote on the page again.


    "Give me the description of the talent¡ªSupreme Comprehension."


    The page immediately disyed more information.


    "One with the talent of Supreme Comprehension can predict every action and reaction, staying ten steps ahead of others. The person''s mind processes faster than some of the most advancedputers. One might say that a person with Supreme Comprehension could be a Supreme in foresight."


    "Damn! Such a strong talent?" Orion was shocked. He had seen many talents along the way, but this was the first time he encountered one like this, and he could tell it was overwhelmingly powerful if the user knew how to exploit it.


    "Max asking me about whether the rumors of Orion Darkwood being present in the Martial Domain were true or not at that time must have been because he was testing me¡ªor should I say, teasing me. He must already know that Ray Wiser is Orion Darkwood!" Orion began to pace back and forth in his room, anxious.


    "Damn, I have to eliminate him too," Orion thought as he wrote on the paper.


    "Where will Max Dover be ten minutes from now?"


    The text refreshed, and new information appeared.


    "He will be in the library, reading books."


    "Library again?" Orion frowned. "Does this guy always stay in the library or what?"


    He wrote something new on the paper. Enjoy more content from empire


    "Where is he currently?"


    The page immediately responded.


    "In the library, reading books."


    "This mo¡ª" Orion almost cursed but realized something. "He''s hiding in the library because he must have figured out that I''m suspicious of him. The library is one of the most heavily guarded ces, with lots of security cameras."


    But Orion smiled, thinking Max couldn''t hide forever. He immediately wrote something else on the paper, but instead of providing an answer, the paper suddenly floated into the air and burst into mes, leaving behind only ashes.


    "What? What happened?" Orion was shocked. "How could the paper burn? Wasn''t it a treasure?"


    "Damn, this paper situation is getting even more mysterious," he muttered, recalling Elijah mentioning a surprise for him and Mark. "I''ll talk to him about this when the timees."


    Orion took out another sheet and wrote on it.


    "Make all the security cameras in the library go offline for an hour."


    Orion smiled ruthlessly as he wrote that and began heading towards the library once again, but he soon stopped and erased what he had written.


    "There''s already too much happening today. I should calm down a little," he muttered, recalling Kane''s warning. "If the Ten Seats really know I''m at Dos Academy, then Rosaline and Luna must havee for me¡ªespecially Luna."


    "No! I''ve already revealed my presence!" Orion realized, recalling how he''d sted the council hall wall with the purple ball formed from the Curse of Detonating Flesh. "Damn!"


    ---


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 Chapter 419 419. Mortal Blood Headquarters

    "I might as well go to Grimshore, level up, and refresh my mind," Orion muttered to himself as he prepared to head to Grimshore.


    He messaged Mark, asking if he was going, and Mark replied affirmatively.


    Orion smiled at the response and vanished from the Limitless Void.


    ***


    Around midnight that same day, they returned from Grimshore. Orion had leveled up to 7, while Mark had reached level 16.


    Orion immediately went to take a bath, reflecting on how the experience needed to level up had multiplied tenfold once he hit level 5, allowing him only two levels this time. It made him realize that most of the geniuses were still at the gold rank.


    After his bath, he checked his halowatch and noticed no recent messages from Elijah. ''He must be busy after what Mark did and after what I did,'' he thought as he put on his sleep clothes and went to bed quietly.


    ***


    The following morning, Orion received a message from Elijah asking him to meet at the academy entrance.


    Orion had been expecting this message, so he wasn''t surprised. He put on a light blue shirt and brown pants,bed his hair lightly, and headed out.


    ***


    Many cadets could be seen entering the academy, some going to sses, others heading to their respective alliances.


    Continue your adventure with empire


    Orion quickly arrived and noticed Mark already waiting there, but he wasn''t alone¡ªady from the Martial Domain stood with him.


    ''If I recall correctly, her name is Mei Lin,'' Orion thought as he joined them. "How''s it going, guys?"


    Mark looked at Orion when he arrived, then ignored him and closed his eyes, while Mei Lin acted as if he didn''t exist.


    Orion smiled wryly and shook his head. He observed that Mark had be even more aloof after the incident with Tracy. Last night in Grimshore, Mark had barely spoken, only nodding at Orion''s words.


    ''I should have Mark steal Max''s talent,'' Orion thought, but he wondered if it was the right decision. ''What if Mark turns against me? What if he betrays me one day?''


    Orion pondered this but ultimately decided not to tell Mark about Max or his talent.


    "What''s up, guys?" Elijah arrived, a bright smile on his face. "I couldn''t call you yesterday because it was such a hectic day." He sighed.


    "Come on, follow me." Elijah led them through the academy to a hall.


    "This is the base of operations for the Mortal Blood Alliance. Let''s head inside," Elijah said as he led them in.


    Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin were greeted by an office-like setup with people sitting at tables, holographic screens disyed on each desk.


    "This is the alliance''s working station, where we handle emergency calls. On the surface, it appears to be for those in the Limitless Void, but we''re actually tracking transmigrators, the pages, and unusual phenomena in this world," Elijah exined.


    Orion wondered how they managed to track transmigrators and pages across the entire Montreux Universe.


    "Also, something you should know: this transmigration only happened in the three domains. So far, there are no records of transmigration in the Limitless Void¡ªat least, from what we know." Elijah''s words surprised the trio.


    They then entered a private room that resembled a bar. Elijah took a seat and invited the others to sit.


    "Take these." Elijah produced three papers, which floated toward Orion. "This is the information our team gathered from the three domains."


    Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin were all surprised; they hadn''t expected Elijah or the Mortal Blood Alliance to be so efficient. They had tracked down 11 pages and even retrieved them from others.


    ''They have a way to leave the Limitless Void,'' Orion noted mentally.


    "Take it," Elijah gestured to Orion.


    Orion hesitated, ncing at Mei Lin, who had long ck hair and wore a purple dress.


    "I don''t need them. You can take them," Mei Lin said calmly, producing six more pages with a tap of her palm. "You can have these as well."


    Orion nodded, epting all 17 pages, causing the number on his palm to jump from 32 to 49. ''It would have been 50 if I hadn''t lost that page,'' he thought gloomily.


    "One of my pages suddenly burned when I was using it," he revealed to the others.


    Mark and Mei Lin''s eyes widened in shock at his words.


    "How?" Mark asked.


    Orion shrugged. "I don''t know. I asked it a question, and it turned to ashes."


    "That''s what happens when you overuse something. They break," Mei Lin sneered.


    Orion sighed, thinking this was likely the case. The page he''d been using all this time was the one Zeref had given them. Since both of them had used it extensively, something might have happened to it.


    "This is actually what I wanted to warn you about, but it seems I''m a littlete," Elijah said with a sigh.


    He exined, "These pages are like regr ones¡ªthey can only contain a limited amount of text. Even though the text disappears over time, the essence remains and umtes until it reaches saturation and starts to burn."


    Orion sighed. If only Elijah had told him about this earlier, maybe they wouldn''t have lost a page.


    "Will losing that page lower our chances of collecting all of them?" he asked Elijah.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "No, in fact, if I''m not wrong, you should already have all the pages," Elijah said with a smile.


    "We do?" Orion asked, doubtful.


    Elijah nodded. "Although the number of pages is random each time, there''s a pattern. ording to that pattern, there should be around 40 to 60 pages in total for your time."


    Orion nodded and asked, "How will we know when we''ve collected all the pages?"


    Elijah pointed at the page symbol on his fist. "That symbol will disappear automatically, but it takes some time. If it doesn''t disappear by tomorrow, it means there are still some pages left to collect."


    Orion nodded, but then something unexpected happened at this moment.


    ---


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 Chapter 420 420. One Who Knows All

    But at that moment, something unexpected happened before them.


    The page imprint on Orion''s fist shone with a bright blue light, sending a beam of light onto Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin before the trio vanished, leaving Elijah dumbfounded.


    "Guys? Is this some sort of prank you''re pulling on me?" Elijah gasped, looking around, but received no reply.


    ***


    Beyond the boundaries of the Montreux Universey a mysterious expanse known as the Void of Nothingness.


    Here, true emptiness reigned. There was no light, no sound¡ªnothing at all. Yet, for those who entered, the concept of "nothingness" slipped from their grasp, reced instead by whatever the master of this domain desired them to perceive.


    Today, it appeared as a blue sky stretching endlessly overhead, flocks of birds soaring in graceful formations. But below, thend was deste, cracked and barren, with gnarled earth stretching for miles. A chill permeated the air, and despite the cloudless sky, delicate snowkes drifted down, settling on the cold, broken ground, creating a stark, haunting contrast.


    At the heart of this strange, barren world sat an elderly man in a simple wooden chair. His long white hair flowed past his shoulders, blending seamlessly with a beard that framed his lined face.


    His appearance was unremarkable, almost mundane, his expression calm as he leaned over arge, open diary resting on the desk before him. An ink peny poised beside the pages, as if he''d only paused a moment ago.


    Then, three beams of light streaked across the silentndscape,ing to a halt just before the desk. In their wake, Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin materialized, facing away from the old man, unaware of his presence. They stood there, catching their breath, seemingly oblivious to the quiet observer behind them, whose calm gaze took in their every movement.


    "Huh? Where is this? How did we get here?" Orion blurted in shock, looking around.


    "We were just with Elijah, and now we suddenly appeared here. What''s going on?" Mark asked, stunned by the scene in front of him.


    Mei Lin''s eyes were also wide as she took in the remarkable world in shock and awe. She hadn''t seen anything like this before; it just didn''t seem naturally possible.


    "Wee to my humble abode," the old man said calmly.


    The trio spun around and saw an old man smiling calmly at them. They immediately became alert upon seeing him, but Orion didn''t¡ªhe recognized the old man. It was the same one he''d seen in the trials.


    "W-who are you?!" Orion asked, his voice trembling in shock.


    "Wait! I''ve seen you before! You''re the old man from my dream who told me to collect the pages!" Mark shouted, equally shocked.


    "You came in my dreams too!" Mei Lin''s eyes also widened in surprise.


    Orion was stunned hearing this from the other two. He had thought he was the special one, the chosen one, but it seemed he was wrong.


    The old man looked at the three of them and smiled. "Are you happy? That was the question I asked each of you when I met you, and your answers were all different. One said yes, one said no, and thest had no idea what happiness was. Quite the trio!"


    Orion frowned as he pieced together the responses. ''Mark would obviously go for "no," and the one with "no idea" would be me, leaving Mei Lin with "yes."''


    "Who are you, old man?" Mark asked, frowning.


    "I am the One Who Knows All, but that is a rather vague term. Let me tell you in a way you can understand." The old man ced his hands on the table. "I am the one who created the world you live in; I am the one who created you all. I am the Almighty God."


    Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin were shocked to their cores at his words. They had a hard time believing him, yet from the bottom of their hearts, they knew that everything he said was true. This ce, their dreams, the old man''s way of speaking¡ªeverything about him felt transcendental.


    "What do you need from us?" Orion asked after calming down from the initial shock. "What could the Almighty God possibly need from us three mortals?" he rephrased.


    "Hehe, that''s a nice way to put it." The old man smiled warmly at them. "I am the Almighty God; why would I need your help?" He caressed his long beard, smiling mysteriously as he nced at the trio.


    "Do you see this?" The old man pointed to therge diary on the table. "That''s your world."


    Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin''s eyes almost popped out at his words. "What do you mean that book is our world?" Mark asked.


    "It''s as I said: the book is your world, and I am the author of this book," the old man replied. "A god like me can create a world however they wish. Some of my friends created a world inside their bodies, while others became the world itself. I chose a different route and took the role of an author, creating the world you live in."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Orion frowned, contemting something. He couldn''t tell if Titled Gods like the God of Immortality and the God of ughter were created by this old man or if they existed on the same level as him since they were all gods.


    "What is the name of the book you wrote?" Mei Lin asked.


    The old man smiled. "It''s called Adventure of the Three Heroes."


    Mark''s expression changed. "Are we the three heroes?"


    "No, we aren''t," Orion said, shaking his head. "Am I right?"


    The old man nodded, smiling. "The heroes are not you three," he confirmed.


    "Then who?" Mei Lin asked with a frown.


    "That, I cannot tell you," the old man said, caressing his beard. "You will have to figure that out eventually; otherwise, it would ruin the flow of the story, leading to a bad ending¡ªor perhaps the worst."


    "Wait a minute! What bad ending or worst ending are you talking about?" Orion asked, his eyes widening. "Aren''t you the one writing the story, creating the world? Wouldn''t the story go as you wish?"


    The old man sighed. "It doesn''t work that way, my child. I create obstacles and let the three main characters face them. I don''t do anything else. Now, it depends on those three how they handle things. They might die or survive, leading to a bad or good ending."


    He continued, "It''s like I plotted the world, created the characters¡ªthe humans, the other races¡ªand then let it flow naturally."


    Orion''s eyes widened as he listened, countless questions swirling in his mind. Mark also looked shocked, clenching his fists in frustration.


    "Then why are we here?" Mei Lin asked calmly. "If you''re saying to let nature take its course, why summon the three of us? Wouldn''t that change the flow of the story?"


    The old man smiled at her. "In fact, one of you has already changed the story significantly. Things that weren''t supposed to happen for another three or four years are happening right now," he said lightly.


    Orion frowned, realizing something. "Is it about the war?" he asked.


    The old man nodded. "Yes, it is. The peace treaty is still in effect, so if the story had followed its natural flow, the decision would havee four or five years from now¡ªor at least three yearster, if some events were stretched. But now, the war between the four races is on the brink; it could break out at any moment."


    "Who caused this?" Mei Lin asked with a frown. She had known about the war situation, but hearing that one of them caused it sooner made her wonder who.


    "It was Ray Wiser," the old man smiled as he looked at Orion, "or should I say, Orion Darkwood?"


    "What?! You''re Orion Darkwood?!" Mei Lin eximed, pointing at him in shock.


    Orion looked at her and shrugged. "Yeah, but what''s with that expression?" he asked, noticing her exaggerated reaction.


    "N-nothing," Mei Lin replied quietly, her face turning red.


    Mark looked at her with narrowed eyes, understanding something.


    "The chaos that Orion Darkwood caused a few months ago alerted the other three races. Kane was enough to worry them, but a greater, more monstrous genius than Kane emerged among the humans. This made them wary and led them to implement their n for war sooner than intended."


    Orion frowned at the implication that the war was his fault. "This isn''t my fault. I was just trying to survive," he replied grumpily.


    "It''s not your fault; call it a butterfly effect," the old man said.


    Orion nodded and asked the most important question on his mind. "Have you seen the end of the story? Has the book already ended? Why call us here if you don''t know how the story ends? Unless you already know it ends badly¡­"


    ---


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 Chapter 421 421. The Butterfly Effects of Transmigrators

    As Orion asked this question, both Mark and Mei Lin looked at the old man for answers.


    "I have seen the ending," the old man said, shocking them. "But it''s a bad ending."


    "So, you need us to y out the good ending, is that it?" Orion asked, frowning.


    "If only it were that easy," the old man sighed. "The bad ending is the original ending of the world you live in. For you, the ending hasn''te yet, but it''s already written. So, no matter what others do in this world, the ending won''t change. It will always end in the bad ending."


    Orion frowned, hearing the old man. If the ending wouldn''t change, then why call them? He also had something else to ask. "Why do you want to change the ending? Isn''t it just the natural flow of the world? Even if humans lost, so what? The story you started hase to an end. It''s aplete book. Why do you want to change it?"


    "Good question," the old man smiled at Orion. "I don''t want to change the ending, and you''re right; the book has already ended, but the three heroes haven''t given up yet."


    "What do you mean?" Orion asked. "Even if they haven''t given up, it doesn''t matter, right? Because they have already lost. Humans have already lost the war."


    "Then how are you and the people of the world you live in still alive?" the old man asked. "As you said, the story has already ended, so how is it that I summoned you transmigrators in the middle of the story when this world is already doomed? If I had summoned you, you should have arrived to see the end of the world, the end of the story, the tragic ending of the three heroes, and much more. But you arrived in the middle of time. How is that possible?"


    "Isn''t that possible because you are the Almighty God?" Orion shrugged. "If you want, anything can be possible."


    "Heh, you''re correct but also wrong," the old man smiled. "You see, I can do anything in the story I am writing. I can make people die and resurrect them as I wish, but once the story ends, I lose all my powers. I be nothing but a spectator in my own world."


    Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin realized at that moment why they had been called here.


    "Then again, if you didn''t do anything to the story, then how were you able to summon us in the middle of the story when the book has already ended? It''s like you went back in time and summoned us there, but you can''t do that since you are merely a spectator right now," Orion said, frowning.


    The old man smiled. "Hehe, that''s why I said the three heroes haven''t given up yet."


    "You mean it''s because of them?" Orion didn''t understand what the old man was talking about when he said it was because of the three heroes.


    "Indeed. Let''s talk about how you alle into y," the old man said. "As I mentioned before, I didn''t want to change the ending, since it is the original ending. But the three main characters of my story managed to pull off something big that gave them almost infinite time on their hands. Yet even with infinite time, they failed to change the ending. Every time they tried, they only arrived at the bad ending, no matter how they changed the story or where."


    The old man added, "In short, the ending is fixed for them. No matter how many tries they have, no matter how they would go about changing the story, it will always lead to the same bad ending. It''s like when you fill water in a bucket: no matter how you fill it, the water will always reach the top and overflow if more is added. The same rule applies here. The ending for them has be an absolute point in time which they can''t change."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "They can''t change it, but we can!" Orion realized something at that moment. "They can''t change anything because they are all part of that world, so whatever they try will always lead to that original bad ending. It''s like you said: no matter how they fill the water, it will always reach the top."


    "But we can change it, since we are all transmigrators," he added excitedly.


    The old man nodded seeing Orion understood what he wanted to say.


    "I don''t understand one thing," Mei Lin said, frowning. "Aren''t we also from this world too? At least our bodies are, right? So technically, we are also from this world."


    "You are correct. It''s not that transmigrators are different; they also upy the bodies of humans in the three domains. So technically, whatever you do will not change the bad ending," the old man said. "But do you think I wouldn''t know about this before transmigrating all of you?"


    The old man added, smiling, "What makes transmigrators special is that their originals were supposed to die, but since I transmigrated your souls into them, they¡ªor rather, you transmigrators¡ªmanaged to survive, at least some of you."


    Orion frowned, not understanding something. "But still, that doesn''t change the fact that whatever we do would also lead to the same ending as the three heroes, right?" he asked.


    "Well, I wish I could tell you more about why the transmigrators are so special and how their interference would lead to a different ending, but I can''t," the old man said, smiling. "If I told you why or how, it would spoil the story, which would not be good for either of us."


    He added, looking at the three of them, "Just know that you transmigrators have what it takes to change the original ending, change the bad ending, and I believe only the three of you out of hundreds of transmigrators over the years have that capability, as only you three possess the strongest talent possible among the transmigrators."


    The trio nodded solemnly. "So, who summoned us?" Mei Lin asked.


    "Ah, I almost forgot about that," the old man said before he held the ink pen in his hand and tapped on the diary.


    Almost instantly, Orion''s fist glowed with a gentle blue light as the imprints on his fist came to life, transforming into 49 pages that floated before the old man.


    "Do you know how these pages came into existence?" the old man asked the three.


    They shook their heads. Elijah had only told them that the pages had some connection to the transmigrators, but from the looks of it, even he didn''t seem to understand the deeper meaning behind their existence.

 Chapter 422 422. Fate of Tansmigrators

    "I heard it''s connected to us?" Orion said with some uncertainty.


    The old man nodded. "Well, you''re somewhat correct. As I said, after the story ended, I couldn''t interfere with the book. So how did I transmigrate you three? All those transmigrators? How did I do it?" he asked, looking at the three of them.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing their curious faces, he continued, "It''s simple. Since I couldn''t do anything from within, I decided to interfere from outside."


    His face grew solemn as he looked at Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin. "I chose souls who were destined to die on Earth and transferred them to my book, to your world. But since you came from outside of the book, your arrivals created extra pages in the book, which scattered around the world each time I transferred souls from Earth into my story."


    He added, "These pages are all connected to your characters, your souls. If a page is destroyed, one of you will disappear too, and vice versa. It may seem simr, but they are different in essence. Your existence in my story is tied to these pages."


    Orion''s eyes narrowed. "If a page is destroyed, one of us would die?" he asked, his eyes widening.


    "Indeed. If a page is burned to ashes, the transmigrator linked to that page would also have died somewhere," the old man replied, looking at Orion.


    Orion''s face darkened at the old man''s words, though he felt no particr remorse.


    "Why do these pages have world-changing abilities? Is it because they are part of this book?" he asked, changing the topic and pointing to the book on the table.


    "Indeed. The pages hold the power to rewrite reality itself, but they won''t work if the reality maniption requires more energy than the power of the transmigrators linked to them," the old man replied patiently.


    "And it doesn''t work on us because our souls aren''t from this world?" Mark asked.


    The old man nodded. "These pages can alter reality, but their power is limited to this world¡ªthe story within the book. They cannot affect beings like you transmigrators."


    Orion understood many things he hadn''t understood before.


    "You still haven''t answered why you summoned us here," Mei Lin interjected, frowning. "You''ve been going off-topic a lot."


    "Have I?" The old man chuckled. "Alright, I''ll tell you why I summoned the three of you."


    His face grew serious as he stood up. "As I mentioned before, you three have the most potential among all the transmigrators, which allows you to lead them¡ªto lead all the transmigrators."


    "The war is on the brink of starting. Humans lost the war when they were fully prepared, so imagine what will happen if the war begins now, before they''re ready. Only the butterfly effect caused by transmigrators could change anything. The butterfly effect generated by the characters in the story is like a calming wave when you toss a pebble in the ocean. So, it''s all in your hands."


    Orion frowned. "You said you didn''t want to change anything, so why ask us to do this?"


    The old man smiled. "I''m not asking you. I''m warning you. The fate of transmigrators¡ªespecially those with talents that surpass the norm¡ªwill always lead to a bad ending. It''s not just the three of you; all transmigrators are fated for a bad ending."


    "In my book, in my story, the bodies you upy were destined to die. But now, because you''re alive, the story¡ªthe world itself¡ªwill do everything in its power to kill you. It recognizes transmigrators as outsiders, and it will go to any lengths to eliminate you. Even if you hide away peacefully in some vige, the world wille for you, delivering a death you couldn''t imagine."


    Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin''s eyes widened in shock. They were stunned, and most of all, terrified by the old man''s words.


    "Why do you think the Archons or those who know about transmigrators hate them?" the old man asked, looking at them. "The hatredes from within their very souls. So if you want to avoid being hated by the world, by those around you, keep your identity as a transmigrator a secret. Otherwise, your names will be right below Orion''s on the wanted list."


    Orion, Mark, and Mei Lin''s expressions grew grim as they realized that while they had been trying to save the world and its people, the world itself would do everything possible to destroy them.


    "No! I''m different. I''m not like them!" Mei Lin protested, her usual calm reced by fear and anxiety. "I have a loving family; my family is one of the strongest in the Martial Domain. Nothing will happen to me if I just stay there."


    "Sigh, you don''t understand, my child," the old man said, sighing. "You are inside a world that wants to kill you. It doesn''t matter who you are, how strong your family is, or anything of the sort. Everything ultimately falls under the world''s domain, and if it wills your death, then you will die. It''s as simple as that."


    "I don''t believe it! I don''t believe it!" Mei Lin shouted, her face contorted in fear and distress.


    Orion and Mark looked at her, feeling conflicted as they processed the knowledge that their fates would likely end in a simr way.


    "If you don''t believe me, let me show you what happened to the two transmigrators who I dare say is in the safest location of this world," the old man said, looking at Orion, then at Mei Lin. He then swung his hand and a big screen appeared in front of them which disyed ''Loading...''.


    Orion''s heartbeat quickened at the old man''s words. ''The safest ce in the Montreux Universe...? No! It can''t be!''


    ---


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 Chapter 423 423. You can die

    On the screen that appeared before them was a floating castle. The castle was enclosed in a giant bubble of some sort, making it appear very mysterious.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Orion''s eyes widened when he saw it.


    The scene soon changed, showing three kids, about eighteen years old, training in the garden. One was using lightning bolts, shaping them into different forms, while the other two were teleporting here and there, with one of the two also trying to create a sword out of space and void.


    They were all happily training when one of them suddenly stopped. It was the kid practicing different forms of teleportation. He paused and looked down at the ground for a moment before spreading his hands toward the other two.


    The other two figures were immediately drawn to his hands as he held them by their necks.


    "Ron! What are you doing?" Famir shouted, feeling the grip on his neck tighten.


    "Have you gone mad or what?" Ryfin also shouted angrily.


    Ron smiled at both of them and said, "I''ve had enough of you two. You can die now." With those words, he crushed their necks.


    Ryfin and Famir died, their eyes wide at that moment.


    "No! Tell me this is wrong! Tell me this is a lie!" Orion shouted at the old man, his eyes red. Tears fell as he looked at the old man with hatred. "You did this! You killed them."


    The old man sighed. "I didn''t do anything, and this is live footage. What you saw was Ron killing Ryfin and Famir."


    Orion clenched his fists and red at the old man with iparable hatred. "No! It''s all your fault. You created this world, you created this situation, you made me believe in Ron. Aghhh!" he shouted and raged at the old man.


    "If only you hadn''t created that Ron character, my friends would have been fine. It''s your fault. It''s your fault. It''s your fault." Orion''s face twisted in anger, his hair disheveled as he stared at the old man. "You killed us on Earth under the pretext of transmigration, and now that we''re here, you don''t care about us? I had a life there on Earth, a happy life, but for your stupid story, you killed me and then transmigrated me here just so that I could save your stupid world."


    "It''s not like that," the old man said calmly.


    "It''s not like that?" Orion sneered, pointing at Mark and Mei Lin. "Why don''t you show them what you showed me? Just let them see it before sending them on a mission to save your stupid world."


    The old man frowned at Orion''s words.


    "What are you talking about?" Mark asked, looking at Orion. Mei Lin also looked at Orion for an answer.


    "This old man is no god but a fraud," Orion said mockingly, pointing at the old man. "You two had lives there on Earth. You two weren''t supposed to die that day; the old man killed you and transmigrated you here. He did the same to others."


    "Now that I think about it, my death is very questionable," Orionughed bitterly. "I died just because I failed an exam that would guarantee me a job. I got a heart attack when I found out I failed to get the job. This death situation seemspletely stupid now that I think about it."


    Mark and Mei Lin began looking at the old man questioningly.


    "Is that true?" Mei Lin asked with a frown.


    "It''s not," the old man said calmly. "He''s angry because his friends died, but he refuses to ept that it was because of him that they are dead."


    Orion clenched his fists when he heard the old man. He knew it was his fault. He epted Ron as his friend, and that ultimately led to the demise of his friends, but he also understood that this was a story written by the old man, who knew about everything. He knew his friends would die, and instead of sending him there to protect them, he showed him their deaths.


    "I''m also starting to doubt you," Mei Lin said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the old man. "I died while drinking water and choked to death. I hadn''t thought much about it, but after hearing Orion, it doesn''t make sense for someone to die while drinking water. While it may happen and be rare, what are the chances that I''d die like that, and you ''magnanimously'' transmigrated me?"


    "Huh? I told you this old man is a fraud," Orion sneered with red eyes. If he could, he would kill this old man right here and now to end it all. End this stupid world.


    "Some things are bound to happen, like your deaths. Even if I knew, I couldn''t stop it," the old man replied calmly.


    "What about you, Mark? How did you die?" Orion asked him.


    Mark frowned and looked down. "I killed myself," he said quietly.


    Orion was shocked at Mark''s words, and so was Mei Lin.


    "Why would you do that?" Orion asked.


    "I don''t want to talk about it," Mark replied, looking gloomily at Orion. "Just know that it wasn''t an impulsive decision. I thought a lot about it before doing it."


    "See that?" the old man said calmly. "If someone is destined to die, then no matter how or when, they would die, even if doing the simplest thing. Death is constant; no one can change that."


    "No one can change that?" Orion mocked. "If you had just let me go there instead of letting me watch my friends die, then I''m very sure I could have changed that. I could have saved my friends from dying, but no, you just had to set an example by letting them die."


    He shook his head. "Now I''m starting to wonder if I should help you or not, if I should help the humans or not," he said, looking at the old man. "What do you think, old man? What should I do?"


    "You can die." The old man smiled and snapped his fingers, and Orion exploded into pieces.


    Mark and Mei Lin were shocked when they saw that and immediately backed away from the old man.

 Chapter 424 424. Another failure, I guess

    "You killed him!" Mark shouted, his eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn''t believe the old man had just killed Orion.


    Mei Lin''s eyes also showed fear. She understood now that the old man before them was the true god here, capable of ending anyone''s life if he wished. But she was still deeply disturbed that he would kill Orion just for questioning him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The old man smiled, seeing the fear in Mark and Mei Lin''s eyes. "Orion was a lost cause. I had expected more from him¡ªI thought he would lead you transmigrators, but he failed my expectations. He was a failure."


    He added, looking at the two of them. "Did you hear him? He wanted humans to lose the war. He didn''t want to help, and under such circumstances, I don''t need someone who would aid the other three races in winning the war. In simple words, he was a traitor, and I had to kill him."


    Mark clenched his fists tightly. "He was the strongest of us, and you just decided to kill him because he questioned your means?" he said, ring at the old man. "Looking at your actions, I believe Orion was right. You''re no god¡ªyou''re just a fraud trying to y god here."


    "Mark, have you forgotten Orion''s treachery? For his own benefit, he took on the face of your dead friend, Ray Wiser, without regret." The old man looked intently at Mark.


    Mark red back fiercely. "And I still trust that face more than yours, the one who brought us here."


    "You don''t understand, do you?" The old man shook his head. "Orion had his role in the story, and he did that very well. He did what he needed to do, and after that, I no longer needed him."


    "So you killed him?" Mark asked, feeling shock that the old man had killed Orion just because he thought Orion was useless.


    The old man shook his head. "It''s not that simple," he replied before his eyes suddenly widened in shock. "No! That can''t be!" He quickly flipped through the pages of a book and read for a few moments before slumping back in his seat, looking defeated.


    "Hehe," heughed gloomily. "Here''s the thing. I sent transmigrators to my story because it''s alreadyplete and I couldn''t interfere. But by sending transmigrators and controlling them, I wanted to help so that the endless efforts of the three heroes wouldn''t turned into a waste. But things didn''t go as I nned with this batch of transmigrators."


    He looked at Mark and Mei Lin. "There was one person who I didn''t transmigrate, yet he came as a transmigrator with you all¡ªthat person was Orion."


    Mark and Mei Lin were shocked; they couldn''t understand how someone who wasn''t meant to be transmigrated hade with them.


    "In the original timeline on Earth, Orion didn''t die of a heart attack; he lived a fulfilling life. He became a father, a grandfather, and died of old age, happy." The old man revealed. "But when he transmigrated with you all, everything changed. He died suddenly on Earth when he wasn''t supposed to, and after that, things went totally out of my control."


    The old man sighed. "A prophecy emerged¡ªone that never happened in any of the heroes'' attempts. It''s rted to the gods of your world and Orion Darkwood. Believe me, that prophecy isn''t good. Although I don''t know exactly what it is yet, I know it''s not good for the world."


    He added, "Orion Darkwood was an anomaly I couldn''t control. I thought by adding transmigrators I could weave together a good ending with the heroes'' efforts, but that all changed with Orion Darkwood. He did many things that increased the chances of humans losing the war. Even if he didn''t mean it, he was unconsciously weaving his own ending to the story."


    "That''s why I summoned you here," the old man said. "Since I couldn''t interfere in your world, I simply brought you three to mine, and those pages you collected helped me do that. After that, it was easy to kill Orion, and I did."


    Mark frowned. "You''d already decided to kill him. So why go through all this exining to us instead of just killing him directly?" he asked, gritting his teeth.


    The old man sighed. "I''m not as cruel as you think. Since Orion arrived in this world, I''ve tried hard to see what he wants from life. I wanted to understand his trajectory, and believe me, I tried many things but failed to aplish what I wanted. That''s why, when you three came, I exined things patiently¡ªI wanted to see which path Orion would choose, and the rest you know."


    Mark remained silent, understanding now that Orion was dead and nothing he said would bring him back.


    "How can you expect us to save the world when we can''t trust you?" Mei Lin asked the old man.


    The old man smiled. "I don''t expect anything from you or the transmigrators. My story is your world now, and I couldn''t care less about it because to me, it''s just a story. But to you, it''s your world, and I''m sure you don''t want it to end in chaos and war, right? You wouldn''t want demons, angels, and celestials to kill you all, would you? I believe you know what to do."


    With those words, the old man snapped his fingers, and Mark and Mei Lin disappeared.


    "Hmm¡­ Things have taken an unexpected turn," the old man sighed, closing the book. Taking it in his hand, he walked to a library where hundreds of thousands of simr books were impably arranged. He ced the book on an empty shelf.


    "Another failure, I guess," the old man muttered before walking away and vanishing from the scene.


    ---


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 Chapter 425 425. War Begins

    Elijah paced anxiously back and forth in the room where the trio had vanished. It had been three hours, and they still had not returned, leaving Elijah deeply worried. "Could something have happened to them? And why have I never heard of anyone disappearing after collecting all the papers?" He had many questions but no one to answer them.


    Just then, a bright white light shed in the room, and Mark and Mei Lin appeared.


    "You''re back!" Elijahughed in relief, but his expression turned dark when he realized Orion wasn''t with them. "Where is Ray?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Mark didn''t know what to say, while Mei Lin remained silent, her head down.


    "Where is Ray?" Elijah asked again, stepping closer.


    "He''s gone," Mark said, gritting his teeth.


    "What do you mean he''s gone?" Elijah asked, frowning.


    "He''s dead¡ªkilled by the God," Mark shouted, his voice rising. "This transmigration is messed up. We''re all going to die."


    "Killed by the God?" Elijah''s eyes widened in shock. "Tell me in detail what happened."


    Mark took a deep breath and recounted everything they''d endured during the three hours they were missing.


    Hearing Mark''s story, Elijah slumped back into his seat with a grim expression.


    He couldn''t fully believe what Mark had told him, yet he knew Mark had no reason to lie. As he absorbed the grim truth, Elijah closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and sighed as he opened them again.


    "I always thought we had a noble task to achieve in this world, but I never imagined we were just disposable to the God who transmigrated us," he said, feeling conflicted about their situation.


    The mere thought that they would never have a happy ending left him feeling depressed and demotivated. "What''s the point of fighting for a world when you know you''ll be killed in the end? And if we somehow survive the cruelties of this world, there''s still the God waiting to destroy us. Damn it! I hate it! I hate this!" Elijah kicked the chair he''d been sitting in, ovee with rage.


    For years, he had believed that he and the other transmigrators would be rewarded for their efforts. He''d been told this by previous leaders of the Mortal Blood Alliance, but neither they nor he had any idea of the dark conspiracy behind the so-called "transmigrators."


    Mark looked at Elijah and sighed, understanding what he must be feeling. Elijah had devoted himself to this cause for so long and had even led the transmigrators, only to now learn the harsh truth behind it.


    "What should we do now?" Mei Lin asked, breaking the silence.


    "What should we do? Heh, I say we do nothing. Let the demons and other races win the war. Let the story end as it originally was meant to¡ªwith the bad ending. Who cares?" Elijah said bitterly. Now that he knew the truth, he no longer cared about the war or the humans of this world, especially when those very people would likely do everything in their power to kill the transmigrators who sought to save them.


    "Let the world burn in the mes of war. Let the three heroes suffer for it, whoever they are. We transmigrators couldn''t care less about this world if we''re destined to die anyway." Elijah stormed out in anger.


    He had been pondering, hesitating whether he should tell the truth to the members of the Mortal Blood Alliance, who were also transmigrators, but he realized they all deserved to know. They had been fulfilling their transmigrator duties for years without question, and now, with the truth revealed, they deserved to understand.


    "Everyone, gather at the Assembly Hall! I have something to announce," Elijah shouted, loud enough for all to hear.


    Soon, the members of the Mortal Blood Alliance began moving toward the Assembly Hall as Elijah had instructed.


    Mark and Mei Lin exchanged nces as they followed Elijah.


    "Are you going to tell them?" Mark asked.


    Elijah nodded solemnly. "They all deserve to know the truth," he said before heading to the Assembly Hall as well.


    "Wait!" Mark called after him. "So, that''s it? We''re just going to do nothing?" he asked.


    "Yes, we''re sitting this war out," Elijah replied, leaving them behind.


    Mark sighed and looked at Mei Lin. "What about you?"


    "My family is in the Martial Domain, and they love me a lot," Mei Lin said, frowning. "So, I''ll participate in the war, even if it means dying a cruel death as the God has decreed for us."


    Mark nodded, wondering what he would do. "Right! I''ll be by Tracy''s side if this is the endgame for me," he thought, clenching his fists.


    Having made up his mind, he turned to Mei Lin. "Let''s go."


    Mei Lin nodded, and they both left the academy. However, what they saw next shocked them to the core.


    A massive spaceship, evenrger than the one that had brought them to the Limitless Void, appeared in the sky. It was pitch ck and round in shape.


    "No, this can''t be!" Mark gasped, his breath catching as he took in the sight. It wasn''t just one spaceship looming over the skies of the Limitless Void¡ªhundreds of them floated menacingly, their metallic hulls gleaming ominously in the dim light.


    Before they could fully process the scale of the threat, something even more terrifying unfolded. Suddenly, beams of searingsers shot down from the ships, cascading toward the ground in a deadly torrent. From below, it looked like a rain of destruction, each beam slicing through the air with blinding speed.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Explosions tore through thendscape as entire cities near the academy erupted in towering mushroom clouds. The deafening sts reverberated across the Limitless Void, filling the air with shockwaves as one city after another fell to ruin, consumed within seconds by the relentless assault.


    ---


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