"Stop lying. I'm not someone who just learned about the 'World of Curses.' You and I both know it takes years—decades, even—for a mortal to consistently feed their raw negative emotions to the curse core embedded in their heart to nourish it. Only then can they give rebirth to a curseling using their heart as a vessel to form a life bond between them. The only reason you'd tell me otherwise is because you want to make my death look like an accident. That way, you solve your problem—me—and cover your tracks," Layla argued with a sharp and unwavering voice as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest and her sharp gaze locked on her captor.
Years of working in the C.I.B. had taught her enough about 'World of Curses' to see through her deceit, as such her brain's reasoning triumphed over her heart's emotions. She silently thanked her lucky stars for not falling for the witch's temptation.
"You're not wrong, but neither am I," Fake Layla replied smoothly and unsettlingly calm tone. She tilted her head slightly narrowing her eyes calculating her next move. "Tell me, your cursed smartphone—it's different from other cursed gadgets, isn't it? It uses a special curse core as its power source, right?"
Layla's brows furrowed, her skepticism plain on her face. "Yes," she admitted reluctantly, with a suspicious voice. "What are you trying to get at?"
Fake Layla didn't answer directly. Instead, she leaned forward slightly, her expression unreadable, and continued leading Layla to her own conclusions. "Do you mind telling me which curseling it belongs to? And why it was used?"
Layla hesitated, her mind racing. "Voltaic Wisp," she said finally, her tone clipped as she began to explain, "It can convert electricity to curse energy and vice versa—" She froze mid-sentence, her breath catching in her throat as realization struck her like a bolt of lightning and she recalled the information on it,
[ — Cursling Records—
Title: Cursed Conduit
Info: Voltaic Wisp is described as a luminescent spectral sphere that can range in size from a pea to several meters in diameter. It can appear in various colors, either transparent or translucent. Thanks to its spectral and electric nature, it can hover, rise, fall, or move through objects in unpredictable ways according to its will.
Voltaic Wisp is usually associated with electrocution and is often seen during electrical accidents, especially right after someone dies from being electrocuted. They can appear for a few seconds before mortals, who often mistake them for a soul leaving the body. In truth, it is a curseling born from the remnants of negative emotions tied to the electrocution accident or victim.
Voltaic Wisps are shy and non-aggressive by nature. They never harm humans but are misunderstood because they can cause electrical interference, damaging electronics and triggering explosions in electronic devices, flammable materials, or volatile substances when they pass through objects.
They can absorb electrical energy and convert it into curse energy to heal themselves. Therefore, in the modern world, they don't need to haunt humans for nourishment.
They are considered one of the weakest curselings in the mortal tier, as they have no offensive abilities except for zapping those who come in contact with them. However, they can be deadly if they pass through someone's body and directly zap their internal organs. Despite this, Voltaic Wisps tend to avoid passing through living beings due to the disruption caused by electromagnetic neural signals, which mess with their mind. If cornered, though, they will not hesitate to do so.
i) Cursed Arc Converter:
It can manipulate electrical and curse energy, converting them from one form to another. It absorbs ambient electrical energy and stores it in its curse core for later use, such as converting electrical energy into curse energy or healing its spectral body.
ii) Enhanced Electromagnetic Field Generation:
Its body generates electromagnetic fields that can cause objects to explode, especially electronic devices, flammable materials, or volatile substances. Even its curse core generates these fields. However, Curse Crafters have figured out ways to use these fields to enhance electronic devices and systems.
iii) Hybrid Elemental Body:
Its body is a mix of electric and spectral elements, making it immune to physical damage, as physical attacks often pass through it. Its curse core exhibits a similar nature but gains physical form when the curseling is killed.
i) Source: C.I.B. archives.
ii) This data is created for human convenience by humans. Curselings don't assess to this.]
"Whoever gave you this cursed gadget must really value you," Fake Layla remarked with a sly smile, her tone tinged with curiosity. She was confident the C.I.B. wouldn't issue something so valuable to a low-level agent like Layla.
"Janice," Layla muttered under her breath, recalling that name her mind flashed back to the moment. She remembered the Aurelian Eye's confiscating her standard-issue cursed smartphone and replacing it with it's cutting-edge model, saying with a warm yet cryptic smile, 'I hope this will helps you while you persue your ambitions.'
Fake Layla's eyes glinted as she noted the shift in Layla's expression. Seizing the opportunity, she leaned in slightly, her voice lowering to a persuasive murmur. "So, now that you know I wasn't lying... how about it? Do you want me to help you become a curse slave?" She gestured subtly with fluid and deliberate movements, circling back to her initial offer as if reeling in a fish already caught on the hook.
"It doesn't matter," Layla countered, her tone sharp with skepticism. "The method you're suggesting to help me become a curse slave is theoriticaly sound but not practical. Many had tried to do it and failed." She crossed her arms, leaning slightly back as if to distance herself from the absurdity of the proposal. If a regular cursemaster could accomplish this, she was certain the C.I.B. or her friends would have helped her become curse slaves long ago or the C.I.B. could have army of curse slaves by now.
"Hello? You have me," Fake Layla interjected with a smirk, casually pointing at herself. Her confidence radiated in the slight tilt of her head and the relaxed posture she adopted. "Kid, opportunity is here, it's up to you to decide." She shrugged nonchalantly, as if the weight of the offer rested solely on Layla's shoulders.