'So, what now?' Ace asked Dame Wasp, frustration creeping into his voice. His grip on the wall tightened, and the tension in his tone was evident. 'I can't stay here all day.'
'Master, we have three options—or rather, two suitable options for your style,' Dame Wasp replied calmly, her tone steady despite his irritation. 'If you give me a little more time, I can narrow down the possibilities of what Curseling the curse slave is fused with. If it's something we can handle with the rail rifle, we take it out. If not, we scale down the cliff and take a new route home on foot, once we are out of its range you can ride the motorbike. The third option is to fight the curse slave head-on. With the three of us, I don't think it'll stand much of a chance.'
She knew that considering Ace's style, he would not like the last option. Therefore, she warned him beforehand that there were only two options he would like.
Ace clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. 'If we scale down the cliff, can we still make it home in time?' he asked, his brow furrowed. His family, especially his parents, couldn't suspect he was living a double life. Mandy might cover for him, but she was his ace card, and he didn't want to play that hand too soon.
Dame Wasp hesitated for a moment before replying, 'No. It'll be late evening by the time we get back. I'll need anywhere from ten to thirty minutes to analyze the curse slave's behavior pattern and determine the list of possible Curselings it's fused with.'
The answer made Ace's decision clear, but he still double-checked. 'Are you sure it's alone?'
'Yes,' Dame Wasp replied confidently.
Ace exhaled sharply, determination hardening his features. 'Then we fight,' he declared, surprising Dame Wasp. She had believed her master would rather risk getting home late than face the berserk curse slave head-on. However, he showed her that he was more afraid of his family learning of his double life than facing the feral curse slave head-on.
Without hesitation, Ace summoned Dame Wasp and Emi from their toy space. As the two materialized before him, he activated the status screen and issued his orders:
Ace: Emi, hand me the rail rifle. You'll take the lead and engage the opponent.
Ace: Rose, once the curse slave locks onto Emi, you'll follow her and wait for an opportunity to assassinate it.
Ace: All right, let's move out.
Dame Wasp: Roger that.
The tension in the air grew thick as Emi handed Ace the rail rifle, her expression calm but her movements quick and precise. Dame Wasp adjusted her posture, her cybernetic enhancements glowing faintly as she prepared for combat. Ace tightened his grip on the weapon with one hand and began to scale the cliff with another with a resolute gaze.
Reaching the edge of the cliff, Ace gave Emi a quick nod. Without hesitation, she leaped up the cliff with the grace of a predator, landing softly on its edge. The moment her feet touched solid ground, an incoming curse wave washed over her, marking her instantly. Undeterred, Emi sprinted forward in the direction Dame Wasp had provided earlier, her movements fluid and purposeful.
As soon as Emi was marked, the relentless tide of curse waves abruptly stopped, signaling that the berserk curse slave had locked onto her. Only then did Ace and Dame Wasp climb back onto the cliff's edge. Dame Wasp moved swiftly, her posture low and stealthy as she followed closely behind Emi. Meanwhile, Ace scanned the area, searching for a suitable vantage point where he could use the rail rifle if things turned south.
Suddenly, Dame Wasp's voice came through their mental link, her tone tinged with concern. [Guys, bad news. It's a Werefur. The curse slave is fused with a Werefur.]
Ace froze for a moment, his brow furrowing deeply. He had no idea what a Werefur curseling was but from Dame Wasp's words, he gathered it was a nightmare to deal with especially one fused with a cursed slave.
Dame Wasp continued her report, her cybernetic senses clearly focused. [A Werefur is hard to handle even in its normal state, but in a fusion state, the odds are stacked against us. Let's hope the curse slave doesn't have an innate curse art. If it does, this is going to get a whole lot more hectic.]
Ace tightened his grip on the rail rifle, his jaw clenching tightly. 'Great. Just when I thought the day couldn't get worse,' he thought to himself, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon for Emi. She was already closing in on the cursed slave rushing her way, her movements fluid, precise, and eerily silent—like a shadow hunting its prey.
Dame Wasp's voice cut through his thoughts, calm yet firm. [Master, recall me. With the Werefur's incredible recovery ability and thick fur, I'll hardly be of any help from here. We'll need the rail rifle to handle this properly.]
Ace exhaled slowly, grounding himself as he processed her words. His mind raced as he mentally asked, [Rose, give me a quick rundown on the Werefur. Do they have any specific weaknesses?]
Dame Wasp responded immediately, her tone efficient but tinged with urgency. [Master, a Werefur is essentially an enhanced werewolf, but without any of its biblical weaknesses. No silver, no holy artifacts will work here not that there are any to begin with. The only way to stop it is to keep damaging it repeatedly until it runs out of curse energy and stamina to regenerate.] She paused, then added gravely, [As for killing it, we'll need to aim for the fused core in its heart. It won't go down without a fight.]
Ace nodded grimly, his gaze fixed on Emi as she weaved through the undergrowth like a whisper of wind. Every step she took brought her closer to the Werefur, but Ace knew this wasn't going to be easy. He steadied his breathing, his fingers flexing around the rail rifle's trigger.
"Recall, Dame Wasp," he instructed to his innate curse tool, determination settling in his eyes.
This wasn't going to be easy, but they had no choice.