Ace: Guys, I am fine. We were lucky this time around.
Ace: Rose, what happened? There were two curse users, and you couldn't detect a single one. If not for Janice being weaker than us and Delores' blatant display, we would have been made by them.]
Using the status screen, Ace first reassured his sentient Toy Summons of his wellbeing, aware of their selfless concern for him. Then, he immediately inquired of Dame Wasp why her cybernetic senses, aided by curse-sensing arts, failed to identify Janice or Delores as curse users. If not for Delores' leaking curse energy providing a critical warning, the consequences could have been disastrous.
Dame Wasp: Master, I am sorry, but I believe they were using a mass-produced curse tool with stealth abilities to conceal their identities as curse users. Otherwise, unless they had an innate stealth art, it would have been impossible for them to evade my curse-sensing arts and cybernetics at such close range.
Dame Wasp: Considering that the curse tool couldn't fully suppress Delores' Ocean-tier curse energy, the tools they are using are likely no higher than Earth-tier in rank.
Dame Wasp: In conclusion, it's a miracle we haven't been made by them.]
The effects of a curse tool's abilities are absolute within the bounds of their tier unless counteracted by an equally powerful abilities or curse energy. Dame Wasp deduced that the duo must have been using mass-produced curse tools since they displayed similar stealth abilities when her cybernetics, aided by curse-sensing arts, failed to detect them.
Ace: What are mass-produced curse tools?
Although Ace wasn't proficient in curse tool forging and was relatively new to the 'World of Curses,' he knew enough to find this perplexing. Even the most seasoned Curse Cafter couldn't predict a curse tool's abilities based solely on the affinity of the curse core and the curse item used.
However, with the aid of specific curse crafting arts tailored to the affinities of the curse item and curse core used, experienced curse crafters could narrow the potential outcomes to a desired range. Even so, the idea of mass-producing curse tools remained an unattainable dream even for the Curse Concil.
Dame Wasp: Master, mass-produced curse tools are exactly what their name suggests, but they aren't created the way you think.
Dame Wasp: These mass-produced curse tools are produced by other curse tools, that have similar abilities like our Cursed Toybox or Emi.
Dame Wasp: For instance, our Cursed Toybox can produce an army of Dame Wasps if supplied with enough Dame Wasp toys and cores. Similarly, Emi can produce as many talismans as needed as long as she has the necessary curse energy.
Dame Wasp: Likewise, there are innate and regular curse tools capable of mass-producing specific curse tools, provided their requirements are met.
Dame Wasp: Based on the information I've gathered, I believe Janice's family possesses a curse tool that can mass-produce tools with the ability to hide a user's identity as a curse user. However, it has limitations, as I could feel Janice's body was enhanced by curse energy during your brief handshake.
Dame Wasp: Even so, it's extremely convenient, as it saves the user the trouble of mastering stealth arts, allowing them to focus on other curse arts to decent proficiency level.]
Ace couldn't help but agree with Dame Wasp's final observation. Acquirable curse arts were notoriously difficult to master, especially for those lacking innate talent. If not for the passive effects of his Apex Earring, it would have taken Ace months or even years to achieve his current progress in body reinforcement and curse shroud arts.
The 'World of Curses' was a chaotic world with little order, even the strongest found survival challenging. Cursemasters often relied on tools to compensate for their weaknesses, as Delores seemed to. Despite being an Ocean-tier Cursemaster, she hadn't mastered stealth arts and relied entirely on a curse tool for concealment. Assuming she was Janice's bodyguard, she likely specialized in offensive or defensive arts.
From their conversation so far, Ace surmised that Dame Wasp had deduced Delores' Ocean-tier Cursemaster strength and Janice had a privileged background capable of facilitating a ultra-rich life style and a Ocean-tier Cursemaster bodyguard because she uncovered their true identities. Confident in her thoroughness, he anticipated a detailed report.
Dame Wasp: Master, at first, I suspected they were from the C.I.B. During the brief opportunity I had, I detected that their phones used the same encryption and firewall protocols as the C.I.B website. It's a distinct signature—there's no mistaking it.
Dame Wasp: I tested my luck on the curse web to see if they were listed in the database of known C.I.B agents. While I didn't find them there, a casual search revealed their identities. Turn's out Janice and Delores are famous in 'World of Curses' too. But for totally different reasons, as McSuile family's princess and knight.
Dame Wasp: Janice's true name is Janice McSuile, a direct descendant of the infamous McSuile family. The McSuile family is popularly known as the "Eyes" of the government in the "World of Curses." Members of this family hold high positions in the government, the military, and the C.I.B. The power and authority wielded by this family is unimaginable. In short, this family and its members are essentially royalty in our country.
Dame Wasp: Also, Janice is the younger sister of Jason McSuile, better known as Crimson Eyes, a Sky-tier Cursemaster and the C.I.B's infamous hunting dog. Unlike her brother, who excels in combat, Janice is a talented Curse Crafter, earning her the codename Aurelian Eyes.
Dame Wasp: It is said that by combining her innate curse tool and curse art with various curse crafting arts and expertise, she is able to craft numerous curse tools with guaranteed powerful abilities. If not for her powerful background, she would have long been locked in someone's basement or a government facility to craft curse tools for them for the rest of her life.
Dame Wasp: Due to her focus on curse crafting arts, she hasn't cultivated her curse core or combat arts extensively, which explains her relatively weak strength despite her lineage.
Dame Wasp: As her bodyguard, Delores is equally famous for killing a Sky-tier Cursemaster and surviving the pursuit of half a dozen Sky-tier Cursemasters who tried to kidnap Janice while she was still an Ocean-tier Cursemaster. Not to forget, she accomplished this while protecting Janice. She is a pure combat-type Cursemaster with an enigmatic innate curse art, aided by the McSuile family's collection of powerful curse tools and acquirable combat curse arts.
Dame Wasp: It is rumored that later, the McSuile family hunted down those Sky-tier Cursemasters, along with their factions, friends, families, and relatives, to serve as a warning to others with similar intentions. This incident occurred almost simultaneously with Janice's disappearance from the big screens. However, as a result, Janice can now enjoy her current freedom.]
AN: "McSulie" is a Gaelic surname, and it's likely derived from the personal name "súile," the Gaelic word for "eyes." Therefore, an Anglicized interpretation of "McSuile" could be:
ii) Descendant of the Watchful One
Emphasizing the McSuile family's unique royal status and ancestral curse arts.