I Can Copy Curses

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 of combat 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 am late."

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 his late 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 nonchalantly.

"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 and landed 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 shocked—completely 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 accomplish 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 glances, struggling to comprehend the sheer power they had just witnessed.

But one person was completely 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 planet."

"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 displayed by the man in front of him. It was completely 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 flashing 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 accomplish 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 overcome his own limitations.

This was the hero whose story had pulled him through his darkest hours—a 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 do come true.'

Orion thought in delight, his eyes fixated on the golden-haired man.

The dream of meeting the Sword Sage himself—the dream of having the strength to silence all those who had ever ridiculed him for his lack of talent—had finally come 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 revelation and inspiration.

'One day I will be as strong as him.'

Now that he had strength, he decided he would become 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 become accustomed to them. The admiration of those who looked up to him was something he had long since learned to accept with humility.

Yet, there was something in Orion's gaze—a burning determination and an unwavering resolve—that 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 similar reverence and ambition, and while some had gone on to achieve great things, others had faltered.

The true test lay 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 planted 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.