"I managed to get my hands on the schedule issued to the Void-tier leading the security team guarding Agent Marcus," Dee3 informed me the good news.
"Pull it up," I said eagerly, hoping it would give me the window I was looking for to get to Agent Marcus.
Following my demand, Dee3 spread the index finger and thumb of her right hand, causing a screen from her retinal display to appear in mid-air like a 2D hologram. It displayed the schedule the higher-ups had prepared for Agent Marcus. I couldn’t help but frown when I saw he had a meeting in the next five minutes with Cyclops, the Hammer of the Monarch.
"He didn’t leave," I murmured to myself in shock, realizing Cyclops had led everyone to believe he returned to the ’World of Curses.’ But turns out he hadn’t even left our state, let alone our country, seeing how he was available to meet Marcus on such short notice. He fooled everyone.
Fortunately for me, this also meant he never had the time to thoroughly scrutinize and study the talisman I gave him. No wonder I haven’t heard from him. It was a relief as I was in no hurry to meet him again. However, I couldn’t be happy learning this knowing if Cyclops takes fancy to curse caster’s innate curse tool in Agent Marcus’s possession, he will pay any price to procure it.
As long as the curse caster’s innate curse tool was still in Agent Marcus’s possession I had the confidence to get it, but if it were to change hands and fall into the hands of the Cyclops or someone of the same level, I had no hope and would be back at square one.
’Did he catch a scent of the Sole Princess?’ I couldn’t help but ponder. As much as I rooted for her, I wanted to see if the Curse Council would sit back and watch the Monarch wipe out an entire country in this modern age. I couldn’t help but wonder how they would even cover up such a huge incident, since it would surely give mortals an existential crisis. But I was certain the churches and cults around the world would be quick to cash in on this incident.
"Who didn’t leave?" Dee3 asked curiously. A decade of isolation with a group of cyborg animals sure did make her nosy and gossipy. Even the smartest of us succumb to boredom. After all, even though she was grown in a petri dish, she was still human.
"The Cyclops," I answered Dee3 without thinking because my mind was preoccupied trying to figure out how I will get to Agent Marcus and get the curse caster’s innate curse tool in the next five minutes.
"Damn it!!!!" I scream aloud in frustration, scaring Dee3 and her cyborg animals.
Just thinking that I had the curse caster’s innate curse tool in sight and let it slip made me so mad but also feel equally helpless, that I could only vent my frustration in the form of a cry, a war cry against the world, "Aaaahh!!"
Feeling the rage and helplessness in my scream, Dee3 and her cyborg animals, though uncomfortable, let me vent and listened quietly.
It took me a couple minutes, but I finally was done crying over the lost opportunity and prepared to look forward. Just as I was getting conscious of my surroundings, a little furry creature had made its way towards me, it stopped as our eyes locked.
It was Mitsy the otter.
Overcoming its fear, it cautiously made its way towards me all while maintaining eye contact with me. As it neared me, I couldn’t help but get on my knee and look at it as it closed the distance between us and wrapped around me in a hug, resting its head on my right shoulder.
Feeling the warmth from its body, a small teardrop ran down my right cheek as I closed my eyes to live the moment, accepting the feeling keeping me on my toes.
Finally, understanding the feeling that kept pushing me, I hugged Mitsy back. Despite all my preparation and confidence, I was scared that with one mistake or variable I failed to foresee everything could come crashing down. Just like the instance with Agent Marcus, I could control myself, but I couldn’t control the tides of the world. They were too fickle and unpredictable.
Shaking my head, trying to keep the intrusive thoughts out of my mind, I rested my head on her smooth fur and couldn’t help but rub my face against her soft fur. I now understood why Dee3 treated them as friends, as equals. I guess I am just as ignorant as the others.
Just then I felt a heavy but warm touch on my left shoulder. It was a trunk, Thunder’s trunk. I lifted my gaze following the trunk, as our eyes met, he gave me a reassuring nod. I had no idea what he truly meant, but I appreciated it.
"Ace, if you need an innate curse tool or core of curse caster so badly, I c–can talk to my friend and see if they will agree for a meeting," Dee3 suddenly said, causing me to swiftly turn my head and glance at her. I couldn’t help but stare at her, then I found that the animals that stood far away in their respective habitats now surrounded me.
They all had gathered here for me, Dee3’s friend, as Dee3’s friends. I glanced over each one of them. Thinking of what these guys had survived despite all the odds stacked against them, I couldn’t help but feel like a little crybaby as what I was facing was nothing compared to what they had faced.
They were born and raised in captivity, experimented on mercilessly, and heartlessly left to die by their so-called masters, yet here they were alive and kicking, making the most of their lives with their friends. Compared with the circumstances they survived, my situation was a thousand times better.
"Thank you, Dee3. But I don’t want to put you in a difficult position. You did more than enough for me by telling me there are other sources where I can try to get the innate curse tool or core of curse caster if I failed to get this one," I rejected Dee3’s kind offer as I rose to my feet, letting go of Mitsy.
I hadn’t given up yet. Be it Agent Marcus or Cyclops or the president himself, I will get what I need to secure the safety of my family.