The Strongest Curse Master

"They're holding the Overlords' descendant on a special floor called Nastrond. It's separate from the rest of the base—deep within the Earth's crust—and connected to the main facility by a half-mile-deep tunnel. That twenty-foot-wide tunnel—essentially an elevator shaft—is the only way in or out of Nastrond. It's designed so that, with the push of a button, the entire floor can be sealed off from the base, effectively burying its secrets and anyone inside. It was specifically built to conduct high-risk research, like using a mind-reading apparatus on a void-tier curseling. Only those personally approved by the General can access that floor.

Fortunately, you have me. While Nastrond was designed by a great Curse Array Master from the 20th century, I was the one who built it, and I maintained it for several decades. I can get you directly to the Overlords' descendant right away. However, the base's surveillance system doesn't extend into Nastrond for privacy reasons, therefore, I don't know if anyone is currently guarding them.

So, I'll drop you off in one of the restrooms. You can use the map I give you to locate the Overlords' descendant at your discretion. In case you're discovered, just stick to a wall and tap it vigorously—I'll come and get you out as soon as possible. Do the same in case the mission is successful."

Dee3 explained her entry and exit plan for the Nastrond floor of Wulfric Base to Ace. Ace who had managed to lock the General out of a part of his base didn't need help accessing Nastrond, but he appreciated that Dee3 had gone out of her way—not only to help him locate where the Overlords' descendant was being held but also to devise a strategy for him to safely enter and exit the highly secured underground floor.

"Whoa, hold up. You guys used the mind-reading apparatus on a void-tier curseling? That's reckless… but awesome. Why did you do that?" Ace asked, baffled as to why anyone would experiment on a void-tier when they hadn't finished testing on the lower tiers.

Though he was impressed by Dee3's plan to get him in and out of Nastrond, what truly caught his attention was the major piece of information she had casually dropped, as if it were nothing.

A void-tier curseling was the apex predator, and these people had used the mind-reading apparatus on it like someone dressing a cat in a sweater for a photo shoot. It was mind-boggling. Ace knew curse researchers were some of the bravest out there, but this bordered on idiotic. He imagined them as frat boys, drunk on cough syrup, deciding on a whim to shoot bottle rockets at cattle—or tie firecrackers to a bull's tail. Now they were just asking to be killed.

"Higher-tier curselings have shown the aptitude to lead a curseling wave, demonstrating exceptional leadership qualities, similar to an alpha leading a pack. Also, everyone who's fought a void-tier curseling has reported that they're significantly smarter than the lower-tier ones.

So, when our experiment to understand what curselings were thinking hit a dead end, we were grasping at straws. One of the senior curse scientists suggested using the mind-reading apparatus on a void-tier curseling," Dee3 explained matter-of-factly, as if it wasn't a big deal.

At that moment, Ace knew—despite being a mortal-tier, Dee3 had lived through enough weirdness to rival someone like Delores. Both of these "great-grandmas" were awesome and unexpectedly handy in their own wild ways.

"And did you find out what's unique about higher-tier curselings? Why are they able to gather and lead lower-tier ones?" Ace asked eagerly. Although he suspected Dee3's team might not have succeeded in uncovering the void-tier curselings' thought processes, he was still curious about how a curseling wave functioned. How did they manage to come together without fighting each other over food?

"Curselings don't have a unique or independent thought process, regardless of their tier. They are driven by the negative emotions that gave birth to them and their hunger for more of those emotions to fed on.

As for why they gather into a curseling wave, it's just basic herd or pack mentality, depending on how long they've been together. Typically, the lower-tier ones gather around a stronger curseling because of the intense curse energy field it emits. Then they follow it, mimic its behavior, just like a bunch of brainless sheep.

Over time, a routine develops, and a natural system forms. They go from being a grazing herd to a hunting pack. New members who join the pack either adapt quickly or get devoured by the rest. It's like natural selection—over time, a herd of clueless sheep evolves into a sharp pack of wolves.

But this wave formation is rare because many higher-tier curselings simply devour the lower-tier ones that gather around them. That's why, historically, curseling waves are usually led by a select few types of curselings. With those specific types at the helm, even the typically cannibalistic curselings fall in line and refrain from attacking each other.

Because of that, one of the first things the Wisemen teach civilizations in the mortal world is to hunt down those specific curselings at any cost.

You know, it frustrates me to no end that we had to waste precious months of our lives—and all of our department's funding—just to figure out something the Curse Council already knew but never bothered to share with us. I want to find those old geezers, take the key to their secret library, and read every single book in there," Dee3 vented, revealing the dream that haunted her every night in her irritation.

Ace simply nodded, unable to relate to Dee3's frustration or find words to console her. But Dame Wasp, in her toy space, nodded as if she understood exactly how Dee3 felt. After all, Betty Rose had been a scientist before her unfortunate accident, assuming the moniker Dame Wasp. The two of them had more in common than they realized.

"Enough of my babbling. Shall we get started?" Dee3 asked with a bright smile, pushing aside her frustration.