I Can Copy Curses

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 Universe lay a mysterious expanse known as the Void of Nothingness.

Here, true emptiness reigned. There was no light, no sound—nothing at all. Yet, for those who entered, the concept of "nothingness" slipped from their grasp, replaced 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, the land was desolate, cracked and barren, with gnarled earth stretching for miles. A chill permeated the air, and despite the cloudless sky, delicate snowflakes 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 a large, open diary resting on the desk before him. An ink pen lay poised beside the pages, as if he'd only paused a moment ago.

Then, three beams of light streaked across the silent landscape, coming 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.

"Welcome 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—he 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.

He continued, "It's like I plotted the world, created the characters—the humans, the other races—and 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 have come four or five years from now—or at least three years later, 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 exclaimed, 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 plan 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..."

---

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

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