After putting the PC and smartphones together and updating their software, Dame Wasp intended to inform Ace. However, seeing her master was absorbed in reinforcing his body with curse energy, not wanting to disturb him, she chose to go ahead and complete the testing by herself. After all, Ace wasn't tech-savvy and would be no help to her. Not to mention, Ace had already permitted her to do so.
Firing up the PC, Dame Wasp used a smartphone to start playing poker on an online gambling site using a fake account with ten dollars worth of cryptocurrency as seed money. She played a few games, won some matches, and lost several without making it obvious. At her peak, she had won $1100, but then she opted out with a $400 winning. She withdrew the amount into a self-custodial cryptocurrency wallet, making Ace $390 richer.
Then, within the next hour, Dame Wasp fired up other smartphones and used multiple fake accounts to gamble on several online gambling sites, amassing over $100,000. It was an astonishing amount, but Dame Wasp seriously held back. Meeting the day's quota, she immediately moved the money, deleted the fake accounts, and erased all her tracks. She was meticulous about this process since Ace had repeatedly stressed that remaining undetected was their priority.
Out of over three thousand online casinos worldwide, around half of them facilitate cryptocurrency transactions. Using advanced translation software and a couple of dozen fake accounts, Dame Wasp could go through all these sites and amass millions, but Ace had warned her not to be greedy and only take what they needed, treating the online gambling sites as their piggy bank.
How was Dame Wasp able to win? By understanding the programming of online gambling sites, counting cards, and peeping at her opponents' cards.
Since Ace had warned her not to mess with online gambling sites, she used her cyber abilities to understand how these online gambling sites and their algorithm functioned. Then, using their flimsy attempt at maintaining their players' privacy, she would remotely hack into her opponents' smart devices to peep at their cards. Dame Wasp then used her cybernetic brain to beat all the odds and ensure total control over each game. It was up to her to decide if she won or lost.
Dame Wasp spent an hour and fifteen minutes completing tasks ranging from modifying hardware and assembling devices to updating the software on the PC and smartphones. She then assembled a state-of-the-art smartphone equipped with futuristic functions for her master. Later, she used the remaining time to make $100,000 in a prominent cryptocurrency while ensuring to erase all the traces of her activities. When her two hours were up, she returned to the cursed toybox without disturbing her master.
With the PC and smartphones configured, Dame Wasp could access them remotely through her toy space using their shared WiFi network. Knowing her master was short on cursed energy as he lacked the proper method to replenish his curse energy, she did her best to manage her time outside to complete her tasks. Even after returning to her toy space, Dame Wasp repeatedly reviewed her work to ensure she did not overlook anything or make a mistake.
Meanwhile, Ace continued to focus on reinforcing his body with curse energy following the modified body reinforcement curse art. The original body reinforcement curse art was intent on enhancing the muscles and bones to the extreme using curse energy. As a result, those who practiced it would bulk up to the extreme, seriously compromising their flexibility and agility.
However, thanks to the apex earring's 'Martial Arts Specialist' skill, Ace was able to modify it such that body reinforcement curse art didn't just focus on strengthening the practitioner's body to the extreme but instead concentrated on balanced enhancement of the body using its otherworldly knowledge of martial arts and human anatomy. As a result, the practitioner's flexibility and agility would improve concurrently with their strength.
The apex earring's 'Martial Arts Specialist' skill was not only handy in helping Ace modify the body reinforcement art but also helped him practice the modified curse art with great focus and without making any mistakes, allowing him to practice body reinforcement art for hours without losing his concentration or motivation. The 'Martial Arts Specialist' skill compensated for his talent and gave him discipline to endure rigorous training. Under its effect, Ace continued to train his body with curse energy with a one-track mind until he heard a knock on his door, "Ace, dinner's ready. Come downstairs."
It was Danny. He did not wait for Ace to respond, instead hurried downstairs, causing Ace to wonder if Auntie Pam had cooked something special tonight. Shaking his head, Ace checked the time to find it was past nine. He was astounded to find he trained the curse arts through the evening. When Ace decided to conclude his training and head for dinner, the status screen popped up, informing him of his gains from the training,
[ — Status Screen —
> Curse art 'Body Reinforcement' learned.
i) +10% proficiency
ii) +6 physical stats
Note:
i) Continued practice of curse art will increase its proficiency.
ii) Rigorous practice of curse art will increase related stats.]
'Well, this feeling is addictive,' Ace uttered, feeling a rush of dopamine in his body, knowing how much progress he had made from an entire evening of training. This prompt did not show up when practicing 'Curse Shroud' because he did not learn it entirely but only the part that allowed him to mask his curse energy aptitude and reserves.
Then, noticing that assembled PC, Ace lent his senses to Dame Wasp and mentally asked her, 'Rose, did everything go according to the plan?'
'Yes, Master. I made over $100,000 and ensured to erase all the traces of my activities,' Dame Wasp reported. Ace nodded and complimented her, 'Good job, Rose.'
'Thank you, Master,' Dame Wasp humbly accepted her master's praise. Then, Ace asked, 'Were you able to find the information on the custom life-size doll makers that made Danny's Esmeralda?'
'I did, Master Ace. I even conducted a thorough background check on them. They are a legitimate business and take their craft very seriously. I could not find a single bad review about them except for the ones that did not condone sex dolls and called it blasphemy. They are everything you are looking for, master,' Dame Wasp informed.
'Excellent, Rose. Did you prepare your list of potential dolls that would be a good addition to our family?'
'Yes, master. I will share it with you through the status screen.'