Ace didn't agree that the S.S.S. was a menace to both worlds, but he could admit their notorious reputation was enough to justify the shocked looks on Janice, Delores, and Sonia's faces.
The S.S.S. wasn't some all-powerful force—it was just a small and tight nit organization of curse criminals who would do anything as long as it got them paid. Sure, they were a force to be reckoned with in the Mortal World, but in the Curse World? The Curse Enforcers dealt with organized curse criminals like them all the time. Compared to the real monsters lurking there, the S.S.S. was bottom-tier.
In fact, the way their low-tier and new members farmed innate curse tools from newborn curse users—people they themselves groomed—said everything about how cowardly they really were. The oil mercenaries were far more dangerous than these wannabes. At least they were upfront about their ways and wouldn't hesitate to do whatever it took to get the job done.
The incident at Weasley Winery alone was proof enough. If Ace hadn't meddled, those bastards would have gotten away with whatever they were up to.
"You don't agree with us?" Matthews asked, her sharp voice cut through his thoughts while her eyes narrow as she studied his expression.
That flicker of disdain when she called the S.S.S. high-profile curse criminals—it hadn't gone unnoticed. Now, she was wondering. Was he one of them? Or had they misled him somehow?
Either way, his reaction—and the way the others responded to it—was raising even more questions in her mind.
"Well, they're no big deal. What makes them dangerous is that they operate in the shadows, hiding their identities," Ace said with contempt. But when he saw the skeptical looks on their faces, he sighed and elaborated, "Gloria Hart—a knight-tier curse master and a relatively new member of the S.S.S. She was hiding in my old school, pretending to be a transfer student named Ria Hart. Noticing my aptitude for Curse Energy and my… less than ideal school life, she targeted me and literally forced me to awaken as a curse master on the school rooftop while claiming that she was helping me gain the strength to control my own fate."
"But in reality? She was grooming me—for my innate curse tool." Ace's jaw clenched, his fingers curling into fists at the memory before he continued, "Later that night, I found out what she was really up to—and the horrors she had planned for my family. So, I killed her. It was either her, or me and my family. Since then, I've been operating alone, doing whatever it takes to keep them safe."
Silence took over the atmosphere once again. Matthews, Janice, Delores, and Lola all fell into deep contemplation, his words settling like a heavy weight in the air. But Sonia? Sonia was stunned and also impressed.
"You killed a knight-tier curse master the very day you awakened?" she asked, disbelief flashing across her face. But then, her shock gave way to curiosity. "You must have forged a very powerful innate curse tool… or awakened an exceptionally strong innate curse art. Which is it?"
For the first time, despite her resentment toward Ace, there was a flicker of admiration in her voice. Thanks to Scratchifer, she knew Ace wasn't lying—there wasn't even a hint of deceit in his words. That made it easier to accept his story. To appreciate his struggle for survival and what he had gone through.
Meanwhile, Matthews' eyes sharpened. It all made sense to her now. She began to piece everything together. she realized the real reason the S.S.S. had been gathering around her husband's school that day. They weren't planning on operating there. They were there for revenge. Ace had killed one of their own, and they wanted payback.
Thankfully for Ace, Matthews' overprotective instincts for her daughter had become his saving grace. As she sent Crimson Eyes to cleanse the neighborhood of all curse users. If not for that, he and his entire family would have been dead by now. However, with this newfound clarity, more questions flooded her mind.
How did Ace figure out Gloria's plan for him?
How did he manage to kill her?
How did he escape Crimson Eyes' search?
How was he still alive after killing an S.S.S. member? Why haven't they come to find him after that incident?
And how, in just a matter of weeks, had he become this capable and resourceful?
Matthews didn't let her confusion show. Keeping her expression unreadable and stern as ever, she prepared to question him—one by one. But before she could, Janice beat her to it.
"Now it all makes sense," Janice muttered, eyeing Ace with newfound understanding. "I can't believe you only recently became a curse master. You act like a veteran in the 'World of Curses.'"
Ace smirked, shrugging like it was no big deal, and touted his own horns, "What can I say? I adapt quickly."
Janice let out a small huff, shaking her head with an amused smile. Yep, she'd forgiven him. It was hard to stay mad at that face—especially after hearing everything he'd been through.
Meanwhile, Lola silently thanked her lucky stars that she had run into Jason instead. Sure, his methods were crude and easily misunderstood, but compared to Ace's awakening story? Hers was practically a fairytale. Then again… maybe she wouldn't feel that way if she had the memory of a void-tier curse master who had tried to kidnap her during her awakening.
"So, you're not connected to the S.S.S.?" Delores asked, her gaze sharp, wanting to make absolutely sure Ace had no ties to those scumbags.
"Nope," Ace replied easily. Then, with a smirk, he added, "But if you want more proof, I know where we can find a few of them. Want to go hunting? I bet they've got some powerful innate curse tools. We split them based on our contribution. Since, I provided the information I get to chose one curse tool from the pool first."