The Strongest Curse Master

With all the mortals out of sight, Lilith had begun to use her innate curse art to attack Lyra with her poisonous snakes, frogs, spiders, and scorpions' cursed corpses. So, I had to take action. It has only been a few days since she moved in, but she already has a small army of them in her collection.

Losing her curse abilities, Lilith did not give up and prepared to pounce on Lyra as if planning to kill the latter with her bare hands. But her little body couldn't break free of my grip on her shoulders.

Growing up in the cult, killing was like second nature to Lilith. Especially, with her innate curse ability, she felt closer to the dead than the living. Honestly, Lyra found the worst possible curse user in the entire estate to provoke. If I don't help Lyra mediate, Lilith might end up holding a grudge. We don't want that.

"This is not funny, Ace. All I did was ask Dee3 if they were sure Elinor was not dying from a stroke and having an epiphany, and that is it, that little psycho took out that meat cleaver from underneath her frock and began attacking me. When I tried to defend an entire undead army of insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and rats began to surround and attack me.

Fearing for my life, I tried to summon my cursed incarnations, but they would not appear, so I had no choice but to run away and come find you for help—"

"Wait, what do you mean your cursed incarnation wouldn't appear?" I cut in, interrupting my sister in shock. I believed her cursed incarnations couldn't go against her will but they did not even come to aid her when she was fighting for her life, what the fuck?

Knowing the savagery and wildness Lilith adapted to survive in the cult, her reaction wasn't surprising to me, nor her hiding a knife in her frock, but how she managed to hide a meat cleaver, of all the knives one could find in the kitchen, was beyond me. It was bigger than her femur bone. Did she tie it to her waist underneath her dress?

I didn't even dare to continue trying to deduce it. So, I conveniently decided to skip over this, even if it meant this matter was left unresolved until Elinor woke up from her epiphany.

"Well, this is embarrassing, how do I put it–it appears the thought and memory share function of my innate curse art has an unexpected drawback when used on cursed incarnations made using newborn curse tool spirits.

These curse tool spirits are newborn. They have no memories except for those related to their abilities and birth. So, they are basically a blank slate, making them very impressionable, just like children. So, when I shared my thoughts and memories with them to access their weapon mastery and killer instincts, they experienced my twenty-five-plus years of life in a very short span.

As a result, they developed opinions and tastes, likes and dislikes, similar to mine. Unfortunately, that includes my traumas and fears. So when I was surrounded by the undead army of incest, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and rats, they pleaded with me not to summon them as they were scared of them. Still, I tried to force them, but feeling their genuine fear through our connection, I gave up and had no choice but to run for my life," Lyra explained, wondering, shouldn't her cursed incarnations be protecting her and not the other way around?

Listening to my sister, I recalled an old saying, 'A weak mind dulls even the sharpest blade when wielding it.' It had been interpreted by many in several contexts, today I saw a living example of one of them. Pity, it had to be my elder sister.

Who knew using the newborn curse tool spirit to form cursed incarnations had such a drawback? Lyra didn't, if she didn't, how could I?

[ — Status Screen —

Emi: Master, the flaw doesn't just lie with the thought and memory share effect of Lyra's innate curse art, but the birth process you and Lyra chose to give birth to these curse tool spirit that you guys later used to from cursed incarnations of Lyra.

Emi: Master, learning about Lyra's curse abilities, I have been combing through Cyclops' notes to find anything on curse spirits and tool spirits. And found details on how curse master can get their innate curse tool to give birth to a curse tool spirit.

Emi: According to them, the memories of the innate curse tool spirit began to form once the curse master forges them. Similar to the memory of a toddler.

Emi: But during its birth cycle, i.e., when the curse tool's embryo develops into a fetus and ultimately into a spirit, they are more self-aware. Therefore, during this period, the curse master's attitude toward their innate curse tool matters the most. It will determine the nature of their relationship with their innate curse tool's spirit. Making this period a very important period in the birth of the curse tool spirit.

Emi: Usually, this birth cycle is long, giving the curse master enough time to connect with their innate curse tool's unborn spirit by making shared memories like their time together practicing, killing Curselings and their enemies, the curse master nourishing their innate curse tool, etc.

Emi: As a result, when the spirit is born, it will not be clueless like a newborn toddler but will have a lot of experience forming its own opinions, likes, and dislikes. Also be very close with their curse masters. Therefore, they will follow them without the curse master having to ask them, let alone make use of their authority as their master.

Emi: In Lyra's case, since she made use of the curse cores to hasten the birth of the curse spirit and curse tool spirits, she wasn't able to form a bond with the spirit that her Vyasa's womb was giving birth to. This is why her first curse spirit rust worm, attacked her without any hesitation. And also why Fumetsu and Fujin do not have many memories as curse tool spirits. If not for them being turned into Lyra's cursed incarnations during their birth process, they wouldn't even respond to her call as curse tool spirits. They would remain unresponise.

Emi: Master, trying to give birth to the curse spirit or the curse tool spirit as fast as possible through Vyasa's womb by feeding it curse cores is not a loophole you can exploit, but a flawed shortcut. That is to say, Lyra's innate curse tool and art are flawless. The fault lies with you two siblings.]