The Strongest Curse Master - Chapter 346

Chapter 346: Ace’s Role Model, Poor Little Thunder
“No. What gave you that idea?” Dee3 grimly denied, but from her reaction, Ace could tell that—even if Dee3 had never completed the apparatus—she knew how to, but chose not to. This made Ace wonder if her high standards for morals and ethics, despite her tragic origins, stemmed from the curse scientists she had learned from and worked alongside.

As a clone who had entered the world in an adult body with the consciousness of a newborn, Dee3 had no innate concept of good or evil. For the first decade of her life, she was treated inhumanely and subjected to mind-breaking pain and torture. No one had expected her to survive the brutal curse-slave process, yet she had, and over time, her consciousness developed into an embodiment of innocence and purity, untouched by the corruption of the world.

Ace wasn’t trying to claim that Dee3’s teachers or colleagues were saints. Rather, Dee3 was like a rare fish that managed to stay pure while surviving in a polluted lake. She had a huge heart—to forgive her creators for the inhumane suffering they inflicted on her for over a decade, and for the death of the litter she was born with.

With her super intelligence, Dee3 could have harbored resentment and easily hidden it, waiting for the perfect moment to take revenge. But she didn’t. She refused to let their cruelty define her. Instead, she became more than what they had created her to be.

To Ace, someone like Dee3 was a true inspiration. He admired her strength and hoped he would possess a will like hers when facing adversity beyond his control. Without even knowing it, Dee3 had become his role model. Like her, he wanted to survive both worlds without letting either one change who he was.

“That’s too bad. I could really use it right about now,” Ace sighed, then immediately shifted the topic. “They’re holding the descendant of the Overlords somewhere on the lower floors, but they didn’t log it into the system. So, I have no idea where exactly he is. Can you help me find where they are holding him?”

“Ace, you’re really just planning to help them find the Overlords’ treasure faster and not kill the descendant, right?” Dee3 checked with Ace again, wanting to be absolutely sure his intentions hadn’t changed.

“Yes. Do you want me to sign a curse contract or something?” Ace offered, genuinely intending to help Prince and the government find the treasure faster than they would on their own. Of course, on a separate note, he fully intended to raid it first.

“No need. I’ll start locating him right away,” Dee3 said, but before she could proceed, Ace interjected, “Can you return me to the maintenance depot so my curse tool can finish collecting the remaining curse gadgets?”

“Yes, Thunder will help you with that,” Dee3 agreed, signaling to her cyborg elephant, which was still eyeing Ace suspiciously—unlike the other cyborg animals, who had lost interest. Apparently, the elephant was overly protective of its clumsy, drunkard of a master.

Having overheard them, Thunder approached Ace and gently wrapped its trunk around his waist. Expecting to be lifted onto its back like Dee3, Ace was caught off guard when the elephant hoisted him up horizontally like a log and began carrying him toward the exit.

“This is not funny!” Ace exclaimed, struggling to break free from Thunder’s platinum trunk. The grip was too strong, and he couldn’t equip the Specarc Exo-armor, which he had foolishly unequipped during his conversation with Dee3. He thrashed with all his might, but it was useless. Helpless, he shouted, “Put me down, you jumbo tin can! I can walk on my own!”

“Thunder, quit playing around. Ace doesn’t seem comfortable,” Dee3 quickly intervened.

“Trumpet!” Thunder bellowed mockingly as it finally placed Ace down. Meanwhile, Ace immediately equipped the Specarc Exo-armor, fully prepared to fight the rude elephant to the death. He glared at it, as if to say, Bring it, jumbo asshole.

“He seems to like you. That’s new—he’s usually very protective of me,” Dee3 said with a chuckle, clearly misreading the entire situation and finding their exchange amusing.

“…” Ace rolled his eyes at Dee3, resisting the urge to accuse her pet of deliberately targeting him. Still, he kept his gaze locked on Thunder. But when the elephant scoffed at him, Ace seriously considered throwing caution to the wind and teaching the smug cyborg a lesson it wouldn’t forget.

Just as he managed to rein in his frustration, Thunder sneered with disdain again, clearly unimpressed by Ace’s restraint.

That was the final straw.

“That’s it! There’s only so much disrespect a man can take. You and me, right here, right now!” Ace declared, throwing down the challenge.

“Ace, don’t get mad. Thunder was just being playful. But if it helps, I’ll apologize on his behalf,” Dee3 said, trying to defend her pet elephant.

The worst-case scenario Ace had been trying to avoid happened. Taking full advantage of the moment, Thunder hid behind Dee3 as if spooked by Ace’s outburst. Yet, the disdain in its eyes for him remained sharp and unwavering.

“You… you jumbo tin can of cowardice!” Ace blurted, boiling with rage and frustration.

“Stop it, Ace! Can’t you see you’re scaring Thunder and the others?” Dee3 cried, clearly baffled by Ace’s sudden aggression. She couldn’t understand what had gotten into him—why he was acting so irrationally.

Prompted by Dee3’s words, Ace glanced around. The entire zoo of cyborg animals was now focused on him, their bodies tense, ready to pounce at the first hint of violence. He turned back to Thunder and noticed that the contempt in its eyes had only deepened.

Trying to center himself, Ace questioned why this elephant was getting under his skin. Then, it struck him—it was because he viewed Thunder as a dumb animal, not as an equal. Unlike his previous opponents, whom he had always respected in some way, Thunder felt beneath him. But the truth was, this elephant was proving to be smarter than most of his enemies so far.

Coming to terms with that, a surprising calm washed over him. With a smirk, Ace sneered back at the elephant and said sarcastically, “Aw, Thunder. Did I scare you? You poor little thing. Don’t worry—I could never hurt a cute little creature like you.”

“Trumpet!” Thunder bellowed furiously, eyes bloodshot, being called a cute little creature by Ace. Stepping out from behind Dee3, it closed the distance, using its massive size to try and intimidate Ace.