The indoor training dojo at Nostrade Manor is wide, resembling a medium-sized indoor gymnasium.
In reality, the two might not be much different in essence.
This is a two-story building located within the manor, adjacent to a forest.
After all, the so-called manor is a large-scale regional complex situated in a private small forest adjacent to the city.
The building is oval-shaped, resting quietly on the ground.
If placed in the city, it would be a standard small gymnasium, but now that it is built inside Nostrade Manor, it has become a private exclusive venue.
For Nostrade Manor, building such a place is not difficult; after all, they are the underground kings of this city.
Moreover, they are now gradually moving into the public eye, striving to wash away the grime on them.
The company has been established, and although the medicine has not yet been fully rolled out for sale, their status remains as solid as a rock, unshakable.
This two-story training dojo has the lower level used for combat and various areas requiring an open field for training, while the upper level is equipped with various training equipment, aimed at helping people strengthen their own abilities.
This building was built in a rush during the few months Kevin Carpenberg worked with Light, and it was officially put into use at the beginning of this month.
At this moment, inside the training dojo, the three members of the Kurta Clan, Neon, and Kevin Carpenberg are all training.
"It's truly amazing; when will I be able to reach such a level?"
Kurapika, who was resting, sat on a stool and looked at Kevin Carpenberg, who was standing tall in the center of the field, unable to help but exclaim.
Since "awakening Nen," their eyes have been able to clearly see the existence of aura.
Since then, in their eyes, the world seems to have added many different colors.
Just like Kevin Carpenberg, who is currently exercising, he is performing the most basic "Ren," erupting the aura within his body.
Continuously maintaining this state of extreme eruption can effectively train the aura in the body, making it increasingly full.
It can also significantly increase the potential aura capacity and aop, which are important condition indicators in combat.
As for the control of aura, Kevin Carpenberg is exceptionally gifted and possesses a high degree of control naturally, without needing extra effort.
So in everyone's eyes, Kevin Carpenberg at this moment is like a Saiyan in an anime, with the aura around his body like a raging flame, constantly rising upward.
Hearing Kurapika's words full of envy, Pairo beside him rolled his eyes: "No chance. Biscuit said that Uncle Kevin's basic ability growth speed is incomprehensibly fast."
He emphasized: "Biscuit is Wing's master, and she is also Uncle Kevin's master; she must be very powerful."
Hearing this, Kurapika's expression was slightly strange, and he couldn't help but say: "But Biscuit doesn't look much older than us, about the same as Neon."
Pairo curled his lips, instinctively looking left and right, then remembered that Biscuit had already leave.
He lowered his voice and said quietly: "I heard from Wing that Biscuit is already over fifty years old. Her current appearance must be changed by her Nen Ability. She's just a fraud who loves to pretend to be young, and her personality is very nasty."
"Ah? Is she that old? Then we should call her Grandma."
"If you have the guts, go ahead and call her that." Pairo said with an indifferent expression.
If someone really dared to call her that, he would be too happy.
Kurapika wasn't stupid; he smiled awkwardly and waved his hand. He didn't have the guts.
It's not like he hasn't seen Biscuit's somewhat nasty personality; she likes to tease them, these children, from time to time.
He was still okay, but Pairo had been teased by Biscuit quite a bit not long ago, which is why he said Biscuit had a nasty personality. This actually had to do with Biscuit's character.
Like Kurapika's innocent appearance right now, Biscuit would feel it was meaningless after teasing him twice, as it was too boring.
But a child like Pairo, who acts like a little adult and has mature thoughts inconsistent with his age, is exactly the kind of "amusement object" Biscuit likes the most.
Teasing such a child is interesting to her.
Therefore, Pairo had completely become Biscuit's entertainment object in her spare time not long ago.
As for whether Pairo himself was willing, that is unknown.
"Sister Biscuit is very powerful, don't say bad things about her, or I will call and tell her."
Neon, who was sitting next to Kurapika, suddenly said.
Pairo rolled his eyes helplessly.
He wouldn't lower himself to her level.
He casually made up for it: "I was just talking about her personality, not her ability."
She is definitely powerful; does that even need to be said?
"Hmph!" Neon snorted, raised her head, and then affectionately held Kurapika's arm.
She whispered: "Let me tell you, Sister Biscuit is a Gem Hunter, super powerful, and she has many, many beautiful gems."
As she spoke, Neon's eyes shone with excitement; which girl could resist the charm of beautiful, shiny gems?
About this point, Kurapika and Pairo really didn't know much. Pairo also curiously leaned over, pricking up his ears to listen.
"A Hunter, that's really amazing."
Kurapika said with a look of longing.
They knew that Kevin Carpenberg had leave before to participate in the Hunter Exam, and they had searched for a lot of related information online.
Naturally, they knew how high the difficulty of the Hunter Exam was.
And those very powerful privileges; just thinking about them, one knows how powerful they are.
"A Gem Hunter? Is she specifically for collecting gems?" Pairo asked curiously.
He didn't know much about this aspect.
Neon nodded.
Although Pairo didn't say it out loud, he felt this was a bit boring in his heart.
What's so good about collecting these? Just buy them directly.
Besides looking good, they are useless, and they are very expensive.
Pairo practices a certain pragmatism.
"She said Uncle Kevin is like jade." Neon shared what she knew with her two friends enthusiastically.
During this period, Biscuit's favorite child was Neon, taking her around the manor every day, and even wandering around the streets.
She liked to dress her up and go to the mall every day.
On the surface, they looked like friends of the same age, but Biscuit's mental age was over fifty. Women of this age have overflowing maternal love.
It was simply the kind of companionship Neon had always longed for.
In just a few days, Biscuit had almost replaced the position of a mother in Neon's heart.
Neon lost her mother at a young age, her father doted on her, and because of her father's special work, she had almost no friends of the same age.
Even if she had friends, others were respectful to her.
Therefore, the arrival of Kurapika and the other made her very happy.
The appearance of Biscuit made her even more overjoyed.
And Biscuit also liked this child very much, so she took her by her side every day.
Before Biscuit leave, she specially told Neon in advance, and then chose a morning when Neon was fast asleep to leave quietly.
Otherwise, Neon would definitely cry and make a scene nonstop.
Biscuit is a person with rich emotions and cannot stand such situations the most.
"Jade?"
What is that?
Although Pairo usually read a lot of books, he really had no interest in such things and didn't know what jade was at all.
"I seem to have seen it in a book; it's a very expensive gemstone, right?" Kurapika scratched his head, trying hard to recall.
Neon nodded: "It's a very precious jade stone. In some ancient countries with a long history, it is even called the King of Jade."
"It is said that this kind of stone is often used to metaphorically describe a person's moral character, containing the wisdom, benevolence, righteousness, courage, and purity of jade, symbolizing a person's integrity, tolerance, and self-cultivation."
"And, if you want to make it into expensive jewelry, it has to go through very complex processes."
Listening to Neon's narration, the two listened attentively.
With their intelligence, they instantly understood that Biscuit seemed to be using her own vision and experience to "use stones to describe people." Kevin Carpenberg has been a great benefactor to them, so they are eager to know more about this uncle.
Then they made a one-to-one correspondence.
Seeing the two looking like attentive listeners, Neon became even more energetic.
Usually she couldn't win in training or studying, but now this is a good opportunity to get the upper hand on them.
"Jade is usually hidden inside some big rocks; it's hard to tell from the outside, you have to cut it open to see the jade inside."
"Even if it's cut open, it's not enough; it has to be carved and polished, and the carving must be 'tailored to the material'."
"What does that mean?"
Kurapika asked at the right time, serving as an excellent sidekick.
"I checked information online and saw many pictures; it's really beautiful."
"After jade is mined and cut, there are different colors of 'Fei' and 'Cui', the two have different depths, and they will blend with each other, and have clear natural textures, not just simple colors."
"Excellent carvers will carve different works according to these colors to fully display the artistic conception that these different colors and textures can express."
"And it is said that jadeite is very prone to having impurities and some cracks, but for a top-tier carver, these impurities and cracks can actually reveal a unique beauty."
When Biscuit said this, she had a look of pride on her face, because she was just such a top-tier carver.
As she spoke, Neon deliberately twisted her waist, and the two of them then noticed that hanging from her inner belt was a flat, round piece of jade, with a verdant green color and a hint of white, with a red tassel dangling from the end.
"Is this jadeite?" Pairo asked, following up.
Neon nodded proudly: "This was given to me by Biscuit, and she carved it by hand, you know."
This was her latest treasure, and she wore it every single day.
Carved onto the jade was a bird species they couldn't name, with long, beautiful tail feathers.
"So this is jadeite."
Kurapika looked as if he had just found out.
As he spoke, he actually pulled an identical jadeite accessory from his inner pocket.
Its shape was no different from Neon's.
"The two of ours are the same!" Neon exclaimed, excitedly hugging Kurapika's arm.
Although she didn't know why she was happy, she was just happy to see that the two of them had the same thing.
However, the carving on Kurapika's jadeite accessory was not a bird, but a long, slender animal.
"I know this one, it's a type of totem, it seems to be called a dragon," Pairo said directly.
"A giant dragon?" Neon asked.
Whenever dragons were mentioned, she thought of the image of a wicked dragon snatching a princess.
Pairo shook his head: "No, it's just a dragon, not a giant dragon, wicked dragon, or anything like that."
At this moment, Kevin, standing in the center of the dojo, although he had been maintaining his aura burst state, had not lost any perception of the movements around him.
He clearly heard the conversation among the three children.
He helplessly rolled his eyes in his mind.
That Biscuit, how could he not understand the intention behind giving these two things? She was just trying to force a pairing.
He didn't know where she came up with these meanings, but Kevin had to admit, they were quite fitting, and even made him feel a sense of nostalgia.
At this moment, Pairo fell into deep thought.
The conversation between his two friends beside him made him mutter inwardly.
Without a doubt, both their gifts were from Biscuit.
Now that both of them had one, guess who didn't?
It wasn't that he coveted a gift from Biscuit; it was mainly because jadeite like this was used by Biscuit to represent Kevin, which made him want one too.
Damn, that vengeful old hag.
I'll buy one myself later.
"Biscuit said you're like a blood diamond," Neon said, looking at Kurapika.
Continuing the conversation from just a moment ago.
Hearing yet another "personification through stones," and one about Kurapika no less, Pairo immediately pricked up his ears, his attention instantly drawn.
Comparing his brother, he had to listen carefully; after all, Biscuit was likely very formidable.
"What is a blood diamond? Is it a type of red diamond?"
Kurapika asked. At the thought of the color red, he inexplicably felt a bit down.
Neon had clearly done in-depth research and learning in this area, and said without hesitation: "It's a red gemstone or, in other words, a diamond, and it's very rare.
"It symbolizes blood, passion, and burning. Its surface hardness is very high, since it's a diamond after all, but if there are cracks inside, it becomes extremely fragile.
"This rare gemstone is also known as the'Stone of Love and Courage,' symbolizing purity, as well as steadfast will and character."
Neon added a little bit of her own interpretation as she spoke.
She was a fortune teller, and she was most interested in these mysterious things; furthermore, in fortune telling, there were also methods using gemstones and various stones for divination.
She found the symbolic metaphors represented by various stones quite interesting.
However, she knew when to stop and wouldn't make rash judgments; this was her professional ethics as a fortune teller.
Kurapika fell into deep thought, and it wasn't clear what he had realized, but looking at his expression, it seemed this metaphor fit him very well.
Pairo, listening from the side, had to admit that Biscuit's way of comparing people was quite something.
He knew Kurapika very well.
The characteristics and expressions represented by each stone seemed to fit the person being compared to them perfectly.
"What about Pairo? Did she say what kind of stone Pairo is like?" Kurapika perked up and asked curiously.
"Yes, yes, let me think, what stone did she say at the time..." Neon fell into memory.
Pairo had silently changed from sitting to squatting on the chair, his eyes turning into dead fish eyes, staring straight at Neon.
Damn, she remembers everything related to Kurapika clearly, but she can't even be bothered to remember things related to me, right?
You're being way too obvious!
Thinking this, he looked silently at Kurapika again.
"Hmm?"
Kurapika looked at Pairo with clear eyes, as if asking what he wanted to say.
"Sigh."
Pairo sighed helplessly, looking as if he were disappointed that his friend wasn't living up to expectations.
Foolish Kurapika, while you still understand nothing, the "enemy" has already started "attacking"!
You're hopeless in this lifetime. This woman Neon looks innocent, but she's actually full of little schemes.
Thinking of this, he inexplicably associated it with Biscuit.
Damn, are they really birds of a feather?
Natural masters of disguise, too terrifying.
It's over, my poor best friend Kurapika; this woman Neon will cling to you like an octopus and suck onto you tightly.
By the time you realize it, you will have already fallen into her trap and will never be able to break free.
Too tragic!
"Sigh."
Pairo sighed silently again, looking at Kurapika with a pitiful gaze, as if to say your life is over.
Kurapika looked blank, completely failing to understand what was wrong with Pairo.
Was Pairo trying to say something?
"I remember now, it's also a diamond, a black diamond."
"A black diamond?" Pairo hurriedly shifted his attention.
"Yes, but I didn't look into it in detail; if you're interested, you can check it out yourself."
Neon said this with an indifferent expression, still holding onto Kurapika's arm.
Pairo's face, which he had been trying to keep calm, finally couldn't hold it together anymore.
"Pfft."
"Mommy knows, do you want to ask Mommy?"
Rosanna, who had just finished exercising and still had sweat on her face, suddenly leaned in front of Kurapika and asked with a smile.
"What is it, Mom?" Kurapika asked curiously.
However, Rosanna's gaze was not on Kurapika's face at all, but silently landed on Neon's hand holding Kurapika's arm.
Even in front of Kurapika's mother, Neon continued to hold on with composure; looking at her expression, it was as if she didn't realize there was anything inappropriate about her actions at all.
She took full advantage of her age.
A strange yet brilliant smile appeared on Rosanna's face.
"Too terrifying, this woman, could she have used some Nen Ability?" Pairo looked calm on the surface, but his inner thoughts were surging.
Neon had possessed a Nen Ability from the very beginning, but they didn't know exactly what that ability was.
Rosanna began to speak: "Black diamonds are also a very rare kind of diamond, and their hardness is even higher than Kurapika's blood diamond.
"And unlike ordinary diamonds, its internal structure is not a transparent crystal; special elements inside give it a black color, and only the core part has crystals that sparkle.
"It naturally contains quite a few impurities and cracks.
"The technical requirements for cutting it are extremely high; once there is the slightest carelessness, it could lead to it shattering."
Rosanna did not offer too much interpretation, simply narrating the information she knew.
After hearing this, the three of them silently fell into thought.
Pairo was also somewhat silent.
Rosanna smiled and squatted in front of them, hugging her knees.
She suddenly asked: "Then did she say what kind of gemstone I am?"
Although her knowledge and experience were not extensive, she understood her only two relatives very well.
She had to admit that these metaphors were very precise, and this piqued her curiosity.
Neon immediately raised her head and replied: "It's a pearl, it's a pearl, I've always remembered."
"Because she's Kurapika's mom, huh? My poor brother, now there's even less chance of escaping."
Pairo complained inwardly, but on the surface, he remained unmoved, maintaining a calm face.
"What about yourself?" he asked.
"I am a fortune teller, I don't perform fortune telling on myself, nor do I listen to others' metaphors about myself."
Neon said solemnly, firmly upholding her principles as a fortune teller.
She was indeed very persistent in this regard.