The Strongest Curse Master

[ — Status Screen —

Emi: Master, I have buried the drums. I overheard the thugs, and it is as you guessed. They are preparing for the worst.

Ace: Good job, Emi. I will recall you right away.]

Ace and Dame Wasp had already moved a mile away from the 9Ks' hideout. Meanwhile, the unknown cursed slave, driving his Baja Bug, was nearing the hideout and a few yards away from making contact with the thugs.

Recalling Emi to his side, Ace and Emi then moved another mile away from the hideout, leaving Dame Wasp behind. Now, Dame Wasp was one mile from the hideout, while Ace and Emi were two miles away.

Hiding among the trees and leaving his body in Emi's care, Ace shared Dame Wasp's senses. With her cybernetics, it wouldn't be hard for her to spy on the farmhouse from a mile away.

Given the limitations of a mortal-tier curse sense, being detected by the curse slave was unlikely. They couldn't sense a curse from a mile away, and Dame Wasp, in her 1/100th form with her camouflage, was virtually undetectable even if she were right next to the curse slave. Nonetheless, Ace wanted to exercise extreme caution due to the involvement of cartels.

A minor slip-up could lead to endless troubles.

'Rose, focus on the curse slave,' Ace mentally instructed, seeking a clear view of the unknown third party. Obeying her master's command, Dame Wasp directed her attention to the curse slave driving a rusty Baja Bug towards the 9Ks' hideout. The curse slave was an average-looking white middle-aged man, wearing a grease-stained red trucker hat and sporting a gray, unkempt Viking-style beard.

His eyes were swollen and bloodshot, suggesting he was high. Notably, he carried no weapons on his person or in his car.

Ace's decision to be extra cautious proved wise. The seemingly innocuous appearance of the curse slave could easily deceive someone less vigilant, but Ace knew better than to underestimate anyone from the 'World of Curses.' The slightest error in judgment could spell disaster.

Observing the curse slave, Ace pondered whether this junkie intended to raid the 9Ks' stash. The idea made him question whether the curse slave was exceptionally confident in his abilities or just a reckless fool. Even with a curseling and curse power at his disposal, facing nearly two dozen thugs armed with semi-automatic weapons would be a formidable challenge.

As the Baja Bug neared the hideout, it slowed down and eventually stopped. The armed thugs had used their vehicles to block the road to the hideout and conveniently hid behind them with their guns aimed at the approaching car. They were prepared to open fire at any sign of aggression.

It was clear that if the rusty vehicle didn't halt, the thugs wouldn't hesitate to empty their magazines, riddling it with bullets.

Most of the thugs were still high and on edge. They could be triggered by the slightest provocation. The situation was volatile, and any miscalculation could lead to a deadly confrontation.

"Throw the car keys out and put your hands out the window," Mark's brother demanded from the farmhouse patio. Mark stood behind him, still half-awake, yawning and rubbing his eyes with one hand while holding a Beretta M9A4 in the other.

To Ace's surprise, the curse slave complied immediately. He tossed the car keys out the window and extended his hands. Mark's brother then signaled two of his men to check on the unexpected late-night visitor.

The two armed thugs approached the car cautiously, each moving to opposite sides. The thug on the passenger side inspected the car while the one on the driver's side interrogated the curse slave. "Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck are you doing here? If you lie, I'll put a bullet between your brows."

The curse slave, his demeanor unexpectedly compliant, seemed unfazed by the armed thugs. The tension was palpable, with both thugs ready to act at the slightest hint of danger. Mark's brother, observing from a distance, remained vigilant, ready to respond to any sudden moves.

Ace, watching intently, wondered if he had misjudged the curse slave's intentions seeing the latter cooperate with the thugs. However, the curse slave's next words confirmed Ace's suspicions. Locking eyes with the thug, the curse slave spoke in a deep, indifferent voice, "It's me, your death. If you give me all the cocaine you have, I'll spare your lives today."

The thug was momentarily shocked but quickly began to laugh along with his partner. "Looks like we got a funny guy here," he sneered. Amidst their laughter, the thug on the passenger side shot the curse slave in the back of the head three times.

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

"Geez, couldn't you give me a warning? Look at that—you got blood all over me," the thug on the driver's side complained. He slapped his neck, annoyed by a mosquito bite. "Damn mosquitoes."

"Enough fooling around. Check if he has any ID on him," Mark's brother ordered, walking to the front now that the threat was neutralized.

Mark and the other thugs relaxed and followed their captain to scrutinize the scene. The thug on the passenger side, shaking his head at the mess he created, began searching the curse slave's pockets.

Ace, still observing, felt a chill despite being prepared for the worst. The curse slave's audacity and the thugs' brutal response were not surprising to him. Both were ruthless criminals with the blood of countless innocent lives staining their hands. However, Ace could hardly believe it was over so soon.

Just as he was beginning to think the curse slave was an ignorant fool, Dame Wasp reminded him, 'Master, I don't think the curse slave is dead. His corpse did not get devoured by his core and vanish, leaving behind his and his curseling's curse core.'

Ace looked at the curse slave's corpse skeptically, considering Dame Wasp's words. His instincts told him that something was off. The situation, seemingly resolved, suddenly felt far from over.

As the thugs gathered near the car, the thug who had interrogated the curse slave suddenly stopped rubbing the blood from his clothes. In a deep, indifferent voice similar to the curse slave's, he said, "I gave you a chance, but you didn't appreciate it. Now die!" He then mercilessly opened fire on the unsuspecting thugs.