'Rose, this curse wave is so thick it's visible to the naked eye. Does it have any other effects?' Ace asked, his voice tight with focus as he studied the pulsating waves. He was trying to find a wide enough gap between the consecutive bursts to retrieve his bike, but they came too fast, one after another, like relentless tides.
The problem wasn't just the frequency of the waves—it was the source. The curse slave wasn't waiting for the echoes to return before interpreting them. Instead, they were emitting curse waves in continuous succession, flooding the area. The intervals were so short that Ace couldn't make a move without risking contact. Therefore, Ace pondered if there is more to this enhanced curse location than just echolocation.
'Yes, Master,' Dame Wasp replied, her tone urgent. 'If any living being comes into contact with those waves, they'll be marked by the curse. The curse slave will be able to track them until the mark wears off. Right now, they already know your general direction. They're trying to mark you so you can't escape.'
Taking a pause, Dame Wasp then grimly warned, 'Master, if you're marked, even Emi's talismans will not be able to help you. The curse mark is too strong for the presence-erasing talisman to erase it.'
Ace's jaw tightened as the gravity of her words sank in. The curse slave wasn't playing around—they wanted to hunt him down. He didn't have the luxury of asking Dame Wasp why and what. His immediate concern was preventing the curse slave from spotting the bike. If they noticed it, they'd know exactly where he was hiding.
Clenching his fist, Ace summoned his innate cursed tool and mentally commanded, 'Come out, Emi!'
Moments later, Emi appeared beside him. Her voluptuous figure seemed to defy the danger of the moment as she materialized with effortless grace. Unlike Ace, who clung to the cliffside like a gecko, Emi stood upright on the sheer surface, as if gravity itself had no hold over her.
Her family's ninja arts were on full display, and the sight was breathtaking. Her poise, the way she balanced with ease, and the quiet determination in her eyes—it was enough to momentarily distract Ace. She looked freaking cool. And gorgeous.
But there was no time to linger on her impressive entrance. The curse waves were closing in, and the clock was ticking.
Without needing Ace to give her any instructions, Emi sprang into action. The moment a curse wave passed, she moved with stunning precision, using her family's ninja arts to scale the cliff. Her feet barely seemed to touch the surface as she ascended, her movements silent and fluid.
Once at the top, she swiftly retrieved the bike and stored it in her storage talisman. Then, with the same quiet grace, she descended the cliff, avoiding the incoming successive curse waves with hair's-breadth precision. Her confidence was infectious, and the elegance of her movements left no doubt about her mastery of her family's ninja arts.
Reaching Ace, she gave him a brief nod before returning to the cursed toybox, vanishing with the same quiet assurance she had arrived with.
Ace finally let out a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders loosening. From the moment he had clung to the cliffside, he'd used an invisible and presence-erasing talisman to keep hidden. Now, with the motorbike safely tucked away in Emi's storage talisman, he was out of immediate danger for now.
'Rose, what's going on?' Ace asked, leaning back against the cool cliff wall and getting comfortable.
'Master, earlier, my cybernetic senses detected a curse wave within its range,' Dame Wasp began, her tone tinged with frustration. 'I focused on it to gather more details before reporting to you, but it seems the opponent was faster than me. After all, a curse slave fused with a Curseling is a formidable foe—essentially on par with a knight-tier curse master.'
Ace furrowed his brow, understanding now why Dame Wasp, who usually preferred to face threats head-on, had instead urged him to hide. This wasn't an enemy to take lightly, even for her.
Still, something didn't add up. He pondered, 'Why is this curse slave targeting us? I was just passing through on a dirt bike. It doesn't make sense.'
As if reading his thoughts, Dame Wasp continued. 'Master, I believe the curse slave has gone berserk. Fortunately, it's isolated, roaming in the middle of the woods far from any mortal establishments. Unfortunately for us, we're trapped on this hill with it.'
Ace's jaw clenched. The thought of being stuck with such a dangerous foe didn't sit well. He glanced up toward the direction of the incoming curse waves, weighing his options.
'Can't we risk getting marked by the curse wave and just take it out with the rail rifle before it gets to us?' he asked, his impatience slipping through. If they stayed hidden much longer, he might not make it home on time.
'We could, but I wouldn't recommend it,' Dame Wasp replied, her tone heavy with caution. 'I haven't been able to identify what Curseling the curse slave is fused with. It could have hyper-regeneration or teleportation abilities. If it has hyper-regeneration, it might instantly heal from any mortal wound. And if it has teleportation, it could appear right next to its marked target.'
Ace's eyes narrowed as he considered her words. The possibility of facing a teleporting opponent was chilling.
'Teleportation abilities are rare among Curselings,' Dame Wasp continued, her voice lowering, as if even mentioning it might tempt fate. 'But I wouldn't take the risk, especially not with the Oil Mercenaries in town. They're some of the most vicious and skilled curse mercenaries in both worlds. Even fighting one of them head-on would be dangerous for us. Now add the fact that this curse slave has gone berserk—it'll stop at nothing to hunt us down, even if it costs its life.'
Ace exhaled sharply, his fingers drumming against the cliff wall as he absorbed the warning. Dame Wasp wasn't one to exaggerate, and the gravity of her advice was clear.
Berserk curse slaves were a nightmare. Without fear or rationality, they operated on primal instinct, drawn like magnets to negative energy and curse energy. And what better source of that than humans?