Everyone went silent once again. Delores, Matthews, Janice, and Sonia all stared at Ace in disbelief. It wasn't his readiness to kill that stunned them—everyone knew one couldn't survive in the 'World of Curses' without being prepared to take a life. It was who he was so casually willing to go after.
People were cautious when dealing with the S.S.S. Even high-tier curse masters knew better than to provoke them outright. There was a fine line between confidence and recklessness.
However, Ace showed he was capable of handling even the likes of Sky-tier curse master. He had killed one and incapacitated another. Maybe he wasn't just talking big and was serious.
"How do you know where they are?" Matthews asked, narrowing her eyes and pondering, 'How had a newborn curse master figured out something the Bureau couldn't?'
Ace shrugged, his expression unreadable as he answered, "Sooner or later, they'll come for me. Might as well be ready for them." Then, without offering more detail, he urged, "Let's go get them before they scatter."
Janice let out an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes, "You do remember that we're in hiding right now, right?"
She couldn't believe how bloodthirsty he sounded. Then again… considering what the S.S.S. had put him through, it wasn't that surprising. Not to mention, considering the various curse tools he had shown so far she concluded he had hunted a good number of curse masters to mass a small wealth of curse tools.
"You're insane," Sonia muttered, shaking her head. The Everhart Guild had few dealing with the S.S.S. when they needed people to do something even they did not have stomach for. Therefore, she had first-hand experience of just how dangerous the S.S.S. really was. But Ace's capabilities also spoke for themselves.
Still, that didn't mean she was going to let him take them all to their deaths. With a wicked smirk, she said, "You don't get to die so easily. I plan to kill you myself—slowly and in the cruelest way possible."
Ignoring Sonia's remark, Ace turned to Delores and Mrs. Martins, his gaze sharp as he hurried them, "We might not get an opportunity again. Based on my estimates, we can catch at least four of them."
He wasn't usually the type to take unnecessary risks. His sudden enthusiasm might have seemed out of character. But there was a reason for it—he needed time.
Time to figure out a convincing lie about his innate curse tool and arts without getting caught by Sonia's scrutiny. The truth about his Cursed Toybox was too dangerous.
It wasn't just some ordinary toy animation ability—it brought to life entire conceptual universes, fully adapted to the laws of the 'World of Curses.' If anyone found out what it was truly capable of, he'd be in serious trouble.
Because the real danger wasn't the animated toys. It was the intellectual property that they brought to life with them.
Take the Fasting Pill from Emi's universe, for example. Compared to everything else he could introduce from that universe in this world, it was one of the least valuable things and of little significance. But here? With the right management and marketing, it could easily turn into a billion-dollar industry.
Obesity was deeply rooted in their country, and plenty of people would gladly sacrifice their health just to be a size zero. Not to mention, their nation was already infamous for spending hundreds of billions on beauty and health-related products alone.
The point was: that he couldn't afford to reveal the truth about his innate curse tool. Not until he had enough power to protect both himself and his family from the consequences. That meant he had to come up with an explanation—one that sounded believable without exposing the true potential of his abilities.
And the hunt for the S.S.S. members? It was the perfect distraction.
"How sure are you about this intel?" Matthews suddenly asked, catching Janice and Sonia off guard. Delores, on the other hand, remained outwardly indifferent—but the sharp glint in her eyes made it clear she couldn't wait to get her hands on the S.S.S.
"They're holed up at a highway resort near the mountain ranges behind the Weasley Winery. There are at least four of them, probably waiting for other members or scheming something. I ran into them this afternoon before heading home, so we need to hurry maybe we will be able to catch them," Ace revealed, keeping his tone casual—though he deliberately left out one crucial detail.
That resort was actually one of their secret hideouts. If he mentioned that, Matthews would insist on setting up surveillance to catch bigger fish instead of just a few low-tier members. And while that might seem like the smarter move, Ace knew better.
The S.S.S. were too cautious which was why they were able to survive so long in Mortal World despite their notorious reputation. The moment they sensed they were being watched, they'd disappear without a trace. No way was he letting that happen.
Matthews studied him for a moment, then abruptly switched gears, "So, Sonia was right. You were the one who tipped off the C.I.B. about the Everhart Guild's plan."
Ace stiffened cussing in his mind, 'Damn.' Noticing She wasn't going to let this go. And with Sonia here, lying wasn't an option.
Matthews wasn't just curious—she was concerned. Whoever leaked that intel had somehow gotten their hands on the private contact information of multiple high-ranking C.I.B. officials. The breach had been so alarming that they'd launched an internal investigation, suspecting a hacking incident.
Considering their servers were mostly made up of cursed gadgets, the possibility of a cyberattack had them on higher alert.
Ace exhaled, realizing he was cornered. Checkmate. There was no avoiding this.
"Yes, it was me," he admitted, his voice steady despite the weight of the confession. "I got the contact information by hacking into Layla's cursed smartphone."
"What?" Matthews' expression darkened—not in anger at him, but at Layla. Because somehow, she hadn't even noticed her cursed gadget had been compromised.