The Strongest Curse Master-Chapter 238: Dividing The Loot

"I get that you McSuiles have a thing for Eyes, but calling someone Cyclops just because he’s one-eyed—isn’t that a bit much?" Ace said, clearly unimpressed as he glanced at Evil Eyes.

The latter, however, looked downright appalled. ’That’s what that dumbass took from my entire explanation?’ He sighed, not even bothering to clarify that Festus had earned the title Cyclops long before he sacrificed an eye for profound knowledge in Curse Crafting.

Ignoring Evil Eyes, Ace turned to Delores, and reminded, "Besides, shouldn’t you be more worried about Janice than me?"

After all, Janice was the one carrying around the Sole Ring—the last known link to the Sole Princess, the very person the Monarch was hunting.

"Nah," Delores replied, unconcerned, and continued to explain with a nonchalant voice, "She teleported straight to the States’ C.I.B. branch headquarters the moment she found out S.S.S.’s Aztec, MountainOfSwords, Mindbug, and Demon7 were here."

That explained why she wasn’t in a rush to check on Janice, even after learning Festus’s identity and primary objective.

"Great," Ace said, clapping his hands together. "Now let’s divide the loot," He announced, his expression turned serious as he continued, "Since I provided the intel and took out three Sky-Tier curse masters—including one I soloed—I think it’s only fair that I get at least two Sky-Tier, one Ocean-Tier, and half of the low-tier innate curse tools."

His tone made it sound like a negotiation, but to the others, it came off as more of a demand.

"No," Matthews didn’t hesitate to correct him. "You get either two Sky-Tier innate curse tools, or one Sky-Tier and a quarter of the remaining loot, or nothing. Choose," she proposed flatly. From the undertone of her voice, as she spoke the choices, it was clear—there was no room for argument.

Ace frowned, clearly unhappy with either option. But as much as he wanted to push back, he knew the others had risked their lives too—especially Matthews, who had single-handedly held off Aztec, MountainOfSwords, and several low-tier S.S.S. members to buy him and the others time to deal with the two Sky-Tier and two Ocean-Tier curse masters who had come after him in retaliation for sniping one of their own.

Evil Eyes had also put his life on the line, helping him take down Demon7, and without Delores… Forget killing MindBug—he would’ve died at her hands, even if he had summoned all of his toy summons to fight her.

Taking their contributions into account, Matthews’s offer wasn’t just reasonable—it was generous. It also aligned with the loot distribution agreement they had made before the hunt. She had even given him first pick in exchange for the information he had provided as promised.

Looking at the situation objectively, he was the one being greedy.

The other three seemed to think so too, though they chalked it up to his age—assuming he just didn’t know any better. If it had been anyone else trying to undermine their contributions, there would have been a fight to the death. Undermining someone’s role in battle was as good as saying their life was worth less than yours.

Ace sighed, then made his decision.

"I’ll take two Sky-Tier innate curse tools," he said, making the logical choice. Sky-Tier curse tools were hard to come by—especially powerful and capable ones. The market was always short of those. Low-tier curse tools, on the other hand? He had plenty of ways to get those. He could buy enough of them at the Curse Mall.

Then, with a casual but calculated smile, he added, "Also, I’d be eternally grateful if the C.I.B. and McSuile family shared all the information they have on these curse tools… and their original owners."

"I already have MindBug’s curse tool. For my second, I want Demon7’s innate curse tool," Ace declared, stretching his hand out toward Evil Eyes. But Evil Eyes didn’t move. Instead, he glanced at Delores, silently prompting her to explain.

"Janice said she’ll be taking half of your loot as rent for the Leprechaun Scope," Delores said, detaching the scope from the rail rifle. She handed the rifle back to Ace with a smirk. "So, kid, we owe you nothing."

Ace’s eyes widened in shock. "That wasn’t a rental. She gifted it to me," he argued, reaching for the scope. Delores pulled back smoothly, shaking her head. "No, it wasn’t."

Ace instinctively stepped forward to grab it—only to be forcefully reminded that he was still dangling by his collar in Mrs. Martins’s grip.

He huffed and bargained, "Fine. But this rental rate is highway robbery. I took all the risks; all she did was lend me the scope. Splitting my loot in half is ridiculous. I’ll give her a Knight-Tier curse tool—that should cover it." His frustration was evident, but he kept his tone measured, knowing that an outburst wouldn’t help his case. Losing his temper would only make him look like a joke.

But before he could press further, Mrs. Martins sided with Delores forcing him to ditch the speech on fair pricing he prepared to give to Delores.

"Ace, that’s the normal rental rate for curse tools crafted by Aurelian Eyes in the market," she said matter-of-factly. "You used the scope—you know it was worth the price." Mrs. Martins was right—the scope was definitely worth it, even with its ridiculous rental price. Without it, there was no way he could have one-shot the three Sky-tier curse masters. It not only increased the odds of triggering the effect of mischief bullet but also allowed him to aim precisely at the core of their curse energy, ensuring they stayed down for good.

"Fine," Ace grumbled, his expression making it very clear that he was not happy about it. But deep down, he was already plotting his revenge—he’d make one of his toys summon a better curse crafter than Aurelian Eyes just to get back at her.

Delores smirked, pleased to see that Ace knew when to push and when to back off. More importantly, he had managed to check his greed. The last thing anyone wanted was a wolf on the team—someone they constantly had to watch their backs around. Hopefully, he would learn to do the same with his hands.

Soon, she dangled the Leprechaun Scope in front of him teasingly and informed, "Don’t be a sore puss. Janice said she’s willing to sell you this scope for a Sky-tier curse tool if you let her study your rifle curse tool—"

"Deal," Ace accepted immediately, reaching for the scope. This was a no-brainer. Sure, Sky-tier curse tools were valuable, but the Leprechaun Scope was priceless to him. With it, his Rail Rifle would become an unparalleled weapon in his or his toy summons hands.

But just as his fingers touched the scope—Delores snatched it back. Glaring at her, he blurted aloud, "What the heck?!"

Delores grinned seeing his frustration and annoyance. "Sky-tier curse tool first," she said, extending her other hand expectantly. She knew how slippery and shameless Ace could be, so she wasn’t taking any chances. Ace had given Delores plenty of reasons to be wary of him. If she still fell for his tricks after all this time, well… that would be her fault.

"Delores, you trust me, right?" Ace flashed what he hoped was a winning smile. "By now, I must have racked up enough goodwill to owe you a Sky-tier curse tool. You know I’m good for it."

He wasn’t just stalling—he genuinely didn’t want to part with either of the Sky-tier curse tools in his possession. One had shadow-type abilities, the other had mental-type abilities. Both were unique and powerful, perfect for animating high-level toy summons. No way was he giving either of them up. But at the same time… he also couldn’t part with the Leprechaun Scope.

Delores didn’t even hesitate to shoot him down, she unamusedly remarked, "Ace, I wouldn’t trust you with a penny."

She wasn’t just teasing—she was dead serious. Given their history (and how he constantly found ways to molest her), she was actually being polite. If it were anyone else in her place, they’d probably just spit in response.

But instead of being offended, Ace actually looked proud of himself. A small, unconscious smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. Knowing that nothing he said would get Delores to change his mind.

Delores rolled her eyes seeing his shameless smirk and could not help but utter, "That wasn’t a compliment."

"Fine," Ace relented, switching tactics. "How much does a Sky-tier curse tool cost? Just give me a number, and I’ll wire the money right now. Janice can buy one she likes." His whole demeanor shifted in an instant—confidence replacing reluctance, arrogance replacing negotiation.

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That sudden 180-degree turn made Mrs. Martins, Evil Eyes, and Delores all pause. They exchanged skeptical glances. Despite his short debut, Ace had already garnered a reputation as a charlatan, a trickster. But he also had a track record of actually coming through when it mattered.

So… was he bluffing? Or did he really have that kind of money? Neither could tell.