"Probably," Ace answered with a shrug. Then, switching gears, he invited everyone, "Anyway, have you guys had breakfast yet? If not, you’re all welcome at my place. Pancakes and bacon are on the menu. My mom and aunt stress-cook, so there’s plenty to go around."
"I should probably stop by and explain what happened," Janice said as she dismissed her armor, storing it away in her earrings. She pulled out her cursed compact mirror, quickly wiping away the blood from her skin and clothes while freshening up her makeup.
"Yeah, you should," Ace agreed. "But let’s get our story straight first. I told Mandy you were entertaining a foreign oligarch as your guest—hence the rude security detail and the noisy Apaches."
"That’ll do. As expected of a habitual liar," Janice quipped, smirking. Then, tilting her head in curiosity, she asked, "How did you know the weak point of my cursed castle tool was the house’s foundation?"
Ace answered with a smirk, "The Leprechaun Scope revealed that the house was absorbing all the force and curse energy from Matthews’ and the Apaches’ attacks and storing it in the earth’s crust for reuse. Gotta say it’s a damn handy tool. Picking it up for a few hundred million was a steal."
As they spoke, the flower garden and the damaged plants slowly began to regrow, rearranging themselves in a natural yet oddly precise pattern.
Janice shook her head not dwelling on selling the scope to Ace as she believed the true value of a curse tool wasn’t just about its abilities or tier—it’s about the hands wielding it. She was happy that the curse tool she crafted landed in capable hands.
Sonia, who had crouched down beside a rosebush, gently touched a bud as it bloomed into a stunning rose. She looked up at Ace, curiosity dancing in her eyes. "Ace, exactly how many curse tools and abilities do you even have?"
Ace raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. He knew Sonia still hadn’t given up on her pursuit of vengeance—she was just playing the long game. Feeling his gaze on her, she turned to meet his eyes, tilting her head slightly with a coy smile.
His smirk narrowed as his eyes sharpened, reading between the lines. Sonia, standing tall now, met his gaze head-on and passive-aggressively assured him, "Don’t worry, I don’t target mortals—unless they give me a reason to. So your family is safe… unless any of them step into the ’World of Curses.’" Then, as if that last part was just a passing comment, she added, "Am I still invited to breakfast?"
"Sure," Ace replied coolly, unfazed. He knew she was just trying to get under his skin and also he wasn’t in the mood for bloodshed this early in the morning so he overlooked her comments.
Satisfied, Sonia nodded before turning to Janice and placing an order, "By the way, your potion was a lifesaver. I haven’t slept that soundly and felt this amazing in ages. Can I preorder a dozen?"
Janice’s eyes lit up at the opportunity. "Of course! But I also offer monthly and annual subscription plans—way more cost-effective. If you’re interested, I can email you the details."
As a Curse Crafter, money was power to Janice—arguably even more than Curse Energy itself. The curse tool she liked to use recklessly and casually detonated, each cost a small fortune to make. Therefore, despite earning as much as a small country’s GDP, she always somehow found herself short on funds.
"No need. Sign me up for the annual plan," Sonia said without even bothering with the details or seeking the plan best suitable for her needs. She wasn’t trying to mimic Ace’s reckless spending—she just wanted to secure as many of those potions as possible before Janice changed her mind. Besides, a few million was pocket change for her dad.
"Great. I wish every customer was like you," Janice said with a satisfied grin as the group headed toward a row of black SUVs.
Just then, Matthews returned, her expression calmer, as if she had finally wrestled her emotions into submission. She set her gaze on Ace and said, "Ace, can you help me send the Apaches to the nearest C.I.B. facility?"
Ace blinked at her, feigning confusion. "Uh… how exactly am I supposed to do that?" He knew exactly what she was trying to do—gather evidence that he had hacked the Apaches, which would give her leverage to slap him with not just curse-criminal charges, but full-blown curse-terrorist allegations.
Matthews sighed but gave a wry smirk. "Hey, I had to give it a shot. But Apex is too smart for me… right, Lilith?" She turned to the little girl, flashing her the brightest, most innocent, and friendly smile, hoping to trip her up.
Lilith blinked, tilting her head like she was trying to decipher a madwoman. "Apex? Ma’am, you’re mistaken—that’s Ace."
Ace chuckled. "Looks like even an eight-year-old is too smart for you, Matthews. Just stop with the tricks and give me a proper employment contract that I can actually sign."
His casual tone was laced with intent—he wasn’t against joining the C.I.B., but he had no intention of starting at the bottom.
"You’ve already seen what I’m capable of. I think I’m more than qualified to be recommended for the C.I.B.’s National Asset program instead of the Priority Training program," Ace said smoothly. He had only learned about the National Asset program last night from Dame Wasp after she was done digging through the local C.I.B. headquarters’ servers.
The curse users in that program weren’t just powerful—they were monsters. And because of that, they were granted an equal level of freedom and preferential treatment. Not even the president could command them or hold them accountable without a joint vote from the Justices of the Supreme Court.
But getting into the program wasn’t easy. There was a grueling trial one had to complete, and it was kept under wraps—strictly need-to-know. The only way an outsider even heard about it was if they were selected.