The Strongest Curse Master

Ace had his doubts about the trial, though. Jason McSuile—aka Crimson Eyes—had opted out after losing control of his power and accidentally killing two-thirds of his fellow challengers. That incident was the breaking point, the reason Crimson Eyes left the McSuile family in the hands of his aunts and uncles while he spent years slaving under Matthews.

Still, the curse users from the National Asset program were the reason the C.I.B. had the confidence to stand up to the Curse Enforcers whenever tensions flared between the country and the Curse Council. But there weren’t enough of them to truly free the country from the Council’s shadow.

"There’s a level higher than the Priority Training program?" Sonia asked Matthews, her disbelief clear in her tone.

"Yes, there is," Matthews confirmed. "The top recruits from the C.I.B.’s Priority Training program are given a chance to participate in the trial for the National Asset Program—but honestly, they’re mostly there to make up the numbers. The gap between them and the ones specifically chosen for the program is massive."

She paused before adding, "It might be a brutal and demeaning trial, but we have to convince the investors that their money isn’t being wasted training some average joes. They need some reference to measure these monsters against, who better than the C.I.B.’s best and brightest trainees."

Then, after a brief hesitation, Matthews continued, "That’s why your father wanted you to top the C.I.B. boot camp, Sonia. He believed that with the right guidance, you could become a National Asset. It’s the only way he sees himself escaping the C.I.B. But with Lola around… I doubt that’ll be possible."

"Wait… the C.I.B. has investors? I thought we were entirely government-funded," Elinor said, blinking in surprise, revealing just how little she knew about the organization she worked for.

Sonia scoffed. "Are you sure you work for the C.I.B.? Even I know that only a third of its funding comes from the government. Another third comes from the mortals on the wealth watch list, and the last third comes from the loot they collect during operations," she explained, her voice laced with a hint of smugness. She wasn’t just talking big when she said she would top the C.I.B. boot camp—she had already memorized the trainee handbook by heart and had been reading every book recommended by the C.I.B. agents she had recently befriended.

Ace chuckled. "Hate to burst your bubble, but that’s just what they want the world to think. The things they actually do to gather funds... Let’s just say, if you knew what I knew, you might start seeing your father’s guild’s dilemma in a whole new light."

His words struck a nerve with Sonia, causing her to snap at him, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Sonia’s eyes flashed with anger replacing her previous passive-aggressive approach toward him.

It was no secret to everyone present that her father was her reverse scale—the one thing that could set her off instantly.

Ace just smirked. "Make of it what you will," he said, knowing full well that, given their history, Sonia was bound to take his words the wrong way. Hell, she might even do the exact opposite of what he was hinting at. And that fact? It amused him to no end.

Sonia wasn’t done with him yet, but she went quiet the moment she felt Matthews’ sharp gaze on her.

Matthews then turned to Ace and said, "Honestly, Ace, I’d love to recommend you for the National Asset Program, but aside from the fact that you’re a Mortal Curse Master who got lucky with a powerful rifle-shaped curse tool capable of killing sky-tier curse users, I know next to nothing about you or your actual prowess. To be frank, I wouldn’t even recommend you for priority training."

She crossed her arms and with an unreadable expression she continued, "Now that I think about it, the terms of the employment contract I gave you were way too generous for someone whose entire skillset seems to revolve around a single peculiar rifle. Instead of wasting money on giving you priority training, maybe we should just use that money to buy the rifle from you."

"Hahaha!" Janice burst into laughter at Matthews’ sarcastic remarks about Ace thinking he should be considered for the National Asset program. Until today, she believed that anyone with a bit of luck could get into the program—after all, her elder brother had been chosen. But now, she saw things differently.

"Ace, just be happy with the priority training," Delores chimed in. "And if you somehow manage to become the top trainee, do yourself a favor and give your spot to someone dumb but resilient—like Sonia."

"Hey!" Sonia huffed, taking offense. But then, after a moment’s thought, she realized it didn’t really matter how she became the top trainee—as long as she got there.

Her expression shifted in an instant. "Yes, Ace! Give it to me—I’ll gladly take it," she said hurriedly, seizing the opportunity.

Ignoring Sonia’s rhetoric, Ace understood where Delores’ concern was coming from. The competition for a spot in the National Asset Program was brutal, and even those who made it weren’t guaranteed to become a National Asset. Unlike other training programs, the National Asset Program wasn’t about learning—it was a series of grueling trials designed to determine if someone was worthy of the title: National Asset.

It was so mentally and physically exhausting that even the best of the best, like Crimson Eyes, had lost control and gone on a rampage—playing right into his competitors’ hands. To prevent himself from spiraling further, Crimson Eyes had no choice but to withdraw from the trail entirely.

The curse users in that program were monsters. If some found even a small weakness, they would exploit it mercilessly, making their competition wish for death. Crimson Eyes was living proof of that—he still hadn’t escaped the shadow of what happened and was being taken advantage of by Matthews, C.I.B., and his relatives.