Pairo opened his eyes again, the Scarlet Eyes state still maintained.
He looked at everyone and said: "I might know what kind of price needs to be paid to activate this state."
Was it an instinctive realization? Kevin had to admit that deep, profound secrets were hidden within the eyes of the Kurta Clan.
"What is the price?" Rosanna couldn't help asking, worried that the price would be too heavy.
She knew well that Kurapika and Pairo were single-mindedly bent on revenge, and the Scarlet Eyes state would undoubtedly become a powerful weapon for their vengeance.
If they entered and used this state frequently, and if the price were too high, what would they do?
Her heart was full of worry, silently praying that the price would not be too heavy.
However, Pairo's next words shattered her hopes.
"It is lifespan. Every time the Scarlet Eyes state is activated, it consumes more of one's future lifespan. I cannot determine the specific conversion rate, but the ratio is definitely not small.
"I suspect, based on a vague feeling, that perhaps entering this state reduces one's future lifespan by 1 hour for every 1 second.
"And I can feel that both my Gyo and physical strength are being consumed at an accelerated rate. If this state is maintained for a long time, it is very likely that I will faint from excessive fatigue."
Once these words were spoken, the entire room fell into silence.
Neon, who had been listening quietly from the side, couldn't help but widen her eyes and subconsciously covered her mouth.
Such a price was truly too high.
Kevin also fell into silence.
Undoubtedly, such a price could be considered top-tier; after all, it was a precious lifespan being paid, and the ratio was extremely exaggerated.
What was even more absurd was that you couldn't calculate how much lifespan you actually had left. What if you only had a few years, or a dozen years remaining?
You could very well just suddenly die while using it. Lifespan could not be quantified, so the price became elusive.
There are 3600 seconds in an hour. Entering the Scarlet Eyes state for 1 second consumes an hour of lifespan, a staggering ratio of 1:3600.
This was just Pairo's current perception; the specific nature of it would depend on his own deeper understanding.
But Kevin had to admit that, from a certain perspective, this price was not entirely unbearable.
Think about it carefully; in battle, this was undoubtedly a powerful trump card.
When unable to win under normal circumstances, or even when facing a huge price, entering the Scarlet Eyes state to turn defeat into victory was not a bad option.
Compared to dying on the spot, consuming future lifespan was obviously easier to bear.
Between facing death now or shortening one's lifespan later, I believe most people would make their choice.
However, the power brought by this state came with a price. If one got used to this power and overestimated their own strength, leading to reliance on it in every battle, it would also accelerate the consumption of one's lifespan, making it easier to head toward death.
Because of the Scarlet Eyes, the Kurta Clan was inherently an emotionally intense race, and it would be very easy to fall into the situation described above.
It could be said that it was full of disadvantages.
If one wanted to make this a trump card rather than a death warrant, it required sufficient rationality and a sufficiently firm will.
A balance needed to be found, and only the user themselves could grasp this balance.
It was difficult; not everyone could achieve such behavior.
At this moment, Kevin finally understood why the Kurta Clan, despite being powerful, chose to live in seclusion, and why the number of clansmen was so scarce.
This Scarlet Eyes state, whether called a gift or a curse, was indeed enough to lead this race to destruction in certain intense conflicts.
Suddenly, it felt like the previous questions were all easily resolved.
"In the Scarlet Eyes state, the first stage of my eye activation can succeed instantly. In other words, as long as you make eye contact with me, you will definitely be marked," Pairo continued.
Saying this, he closed his eyes.
Kurapika hurriedly stepped forward and pressed Pairo's shoulder: "Wait a minute, Pairo, this—"
Pairo opened his eyes and interrupted him: "I know what you want to say, but this is necessary, isn't it?
"You understand, this is an absolute trump card. At the very least, we must master it; at the very least, we must understand what it can actually bring.
"Perhaps we won't necessarily use it in the future, but we must figure it out and understand it clearly. This is both a curse and a gift; it is something we must bear.
"So be rational. At least for us right now, this is a gift, a gift given to us by our clansmen," Pairo said loudly.
His words left Kurapika in silence.
Rosanna stood to the side, watching the two, her eyes full of pain, lips pressed tightly, yet not knowing how to dissuade them.
She could not stop the two from using this ability, just as she could not stop them from seeking revenge.
Pairo closed his eyes again. He was still in the Scarlet Eyes state and had to figure out all the changes as soon as possible to avoid paying too high a price.
He certainly knew that this state required a high price, but he did not feel it was a curse.
To him, this was a gift, a powerful weapon for him to achieve his revenge.
This made him firmly believe that he had the ability to avenge his clansmen.
As for the so-called price, he was willing to bear it.
He re-established a connection with Kurapika's eyes.
On the surface, it seemed there was no difference, but Pairo could feel that his modification of the other party's vision had become more subtle, fast, and smooth.
Besides that, there didn't seem to be any other obvious changes.
Was that all?
If that were all, it would completely fail to match the price.
After thinking for a moment, Pairo began the operation again.
Kurapika looked ahead, and suddenly, a small stone flew out of thin air.
He knew this was an illusion created by Pairo, so he did not dodge.
"Ah oh!"
Kurapika suddenly let out a cry of pain, took two steps back, and reached out to rub his forehead.
"It's real?" he exclaimed in surprise.
The sensation of the stone flying, the pain of it hitting his forehead, and the slight ache on his forehead at this moment all indicated that this stone was real and not a fake illusion.
Kevin, standing to the side, watched all of this quietly.
He saw Kurapika recoil a few steps, as if his forehead had been struck.
And in the very center of Kurapika's forehead, a reddish mark from the impact had indeed appeared.
Relying on his past experience and rich imagination, Kevin soon roughly understood the changes in Pairo's ability while in the Scarlet Eyes state.
Goodness, isn't this getting too absurd?
Kevin found it hard to believe; if it were really like this, then this Nen Ability would be too fantastical and too abstract.
At this moment, a brilliant smile appeared on Pairo's face; clearly, he was well aware of what kind of changes had occurred in his eye ability.
"Kurapika, look at me," Pairo said.
Kurapika turned to look at Pairo, who still had his eyes closed.
Then, he saw a gap suddenly appear on Pairo's clothes, as if cut by a sharp blade.
Pairo's sleeve also appeared to be slashed.
Kevin also keenly noticed this scene.
The cut marks on Pairo's sleeve made him widen his eyes.
It could get even more powerful?
Immediately after, in Kurapika's eyes, thin, small wounds appeared on the back of Pairo's hand.
Suddenly, the state disconnected, and Pairo opened his eyes.
His forehead was covered in sweat, and he was panting heavily.
His eyes had also returned to their normal state.
"Ha! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"
While panting, he laughed out loud, his joy overflowing.
He looked at his arm in shock; besides the damage to his sleeve, small wounds had also appeared on the back of his hand.
"How did I teach you? Can you not even control your own emotions?" Kevin's voice came over sternly, the dissatisfaction in his tone very obvious.
After knowing the price the other party had to pay, he decided to strengthen the willpower training for them.
They must master the balance within this.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be long before they all died from exhaustion of their lifespan; this was not a situation Kevin wanted to see.
Pairo immediately stopped smiling, closed his eyes, and after a while, calmed his emotions and let his eyes return to normal.
He lowered his head and said: "I'm sorry, Uncle."
Kevin just sighed and gently patted Pairo's head: "I know, I have always known that you have hatred buried deep in your heart.
"It is normal that obtaining the power sufficient for revenge makes you excited, and it is indeed worth being happy about.
"But I hope you won't let excitement cloud your mind, don't let arrogance blind your eyes, and even more so, don't let revenge affect your thinking."
Pairo nodded and responded heavily.
Kevin then smiled and patted Pairo's shoulder: "Alright, tell me about your gains. Look at how happy you are."
Pairo's face lit up with a smile once again. Since the clan's annihilation, he had never been this excited before, and he said excitedly: "It's amazing. Although the price paid is huge, the harvest is beyond imagination."
He described the changes in his eyes while in the Scarlet Eyes state: "Besides being able to modify the scenery the other party sees, I can also make the modified false scenery become reality. Of course, this consumes a lot of stamina and Nen Ability, and currently, it can only change some subtle situations."
"But as long as my stamina and Nen Ability continue to increase and reach a sufficient level, I will be able to change more of reality."
"Not only can I change what the marked person sees, but I can also change other things that the marked person sees."
Of course, he could not achieve this change relying on his own vision; he had to use the marked person's vision to do so.
"Achieving such a change requires high concentration, so I must simultaneously steal the other party's eyes to do it."
Pairo added this necessary condition.
Hearing about the changes in Pairo's ability, everyone present was surprised.
This had truly become too incredible.
Kevin couldn't help but retort: "This is too absurd, right? You can even modify reality?"
Given time, if Pairo's ability developed to the extreme, he might even be able to take someone's life in the blink of an eye through someone else's vision.
To be honest, before this, Kevin didn't think Pairo's original Specialization System Nen Ability was very powerful.
Thinking about the Specialization System Nen Abilities Kevin knew, and looking at Neon, who possessed the absurd ability to predict the future, one could understand why he thought this way.
Compared to predicting the future, stealing the opponent's vision and performing a certain degree of hallucinatory modification on what they see is indeed within the range of understanding, and can't even be considered that powerful.
It could only be described as ordinary.
Neon's ability had a unique numerical aesthetic, while Pairo's original Nen Ability could only be said to have a decent mechanism; how much power it could actually exert depended on personal ability.
But in the Scarlet Eyes state, Pairo's Nen Ability undoubtedly also possessed a unique mechanical beauty.
Of course, the corresponding price paid was also huge.
Kevin crossed his arms and sighed: "I've witnessed what a powerful Nen Ability is today. But I'll say it again,"
"Your future is full of infinite possibilities. Don't waste your potential and future because of revenge; it's meaningless."
As he spoke, Kevin pointed to himself: "With my help, you don't need to rely on the Scarlet Eyes state at all, and you will definitely be able to achieve revenge."
"So, I hope you understand that you have a bright future; don't stake everything on revenge. Those bastards aren't worth it."
Hearing Kevin's confident words, several people were stunned.
Kevin smiled, ignored them, and walked straight outside.
"I'm going out for a moment, wait here for me. There is something, I think it's time to return to you."
Under the confused gazes of the three, Kevin returned shortly after leaving.
He was holding a safe in his hand, wrapped in something like bandages, and the bandages were densely covered with special characters.
Kevin carried the safe to the group.
"What's inside?" Neon ran over, squatted beside him, and asked curiously.
Rosanna seemed to have guessed it to some extent.
Kevin didn't speak, silently took off the bandages wrapped around it one by one, and then opened the box.
As the box opened, Kurapika and Pairo could no longer hold back, and their Scarlet Eyes instantly activated.
"Control your emotions!" Kevin frowned and reminded them again.
The two panted heavily, kept taking deep breaths, trying to stabilize their emotions, and let the Scarlet Eyes state gradually fade away.
Inside the box was a transparent glass jar wrapped with small bandages.
The small bandages inside were the same as the large bandages on the outside, both engraved with strange characters.
These were all God Script.
It was just something Wing learned and had him help with.
This made Kevin wonder if he should learn it too.
Originally he didn't want to learn it, but since Wing was learning it, he had to learn it too.
In the high-grade liquid of the transparent glass jar, a pair of fiery red eyeballs were quietly floating.
Yes, these were exactly the eyes that Mito entrusted to Kevin in the end.
Neon took a look and had to admit that these eyes were indeed very beautiful, but there was a trace of disgust in her expression.
She had spent so long with Kurapika and the others that she knew well the pain they had experienced, as well as the root cause of that pain.
Therefore, looking at these eyes, despite their beauty, she was filled with disgust.
It was precisely this kind of beauty that brought them unbearable suffering.
Kevin took out the glass jar, placed it on the table, and looked at Pairo: "You should be able to feel it, and I think you probably know whose eyes these are."
Pairo nodded silently; of course, he knew.
"These are—these are Father's eyes."
Kurapika looked at Pairo in shock; he hadn't known about this before, and Pairo and the others hadn't told him later.
Pairo couldn't help but recall the scene of escaping that day.
He had always known that these eyes were in Kevin's hands, but he had never brought it up because he didn't know how to face it.
And Kevin had never given them to him, which must have had a reason, so he had never asked.
He didn't expect that at this moment, Kevin would suddenly take the eyes out.
"The reason I sealed them up like this is because this pair of eyes has become an evil object."
"Evil object?"
Everyone looked confused; they couldn't understand how their clansmen's eyes could become an evil object.
Kevin nodded vigorously and said with a serious expression: "While we are at it, since you have thought about so many things today, I will tell you everything at once."
"It saves us from bringing it up time and again, stirring up your unpleasant memories repeatedly, which wouldn't be worth it."
Then, he briefly explained the concept of Post-mortem Nen to everyone.
For this novel concept, although it was the first time everyone had heard of it, they listened carefully with furrowed brows and easily connected it to their own experiences.
In this way, it became clear why the eyes had turned into an evil object; it was the hatred condensed from the pain and suffering they had endured.
Fortunately, after the previous fluctuations of emotions, they were now able to control their emotions better, otherwise, they would probably have had red eyes again.
"Having understood Post-mortem Nen, I think you understand why this pair of eyes has become like this."
"I have had deep contact with such things before, so I can frankly tell you that these things are extremely harmful to ordinary people."
"By the way, I have some good news for you. I saw your clansmen's eyes at the auction in the city where I was after the exam ended, and I can confirm that those eyes are also in this state."
Hearing Kevin say that he had seen their clansmen's eyes outside, the three were a bit excited.
Kevin raised his hand to signal them to calm down: "Don't worry, these are generally public auctions, and if you need them in the future, it will be easy to track them down."
"Although it might not be appropriate to say this, the value of these eyes is indeed very high, so rest assured, they will all be properly kept."
The three nodded after hearing this, their emotions gradually calming down.
As long as they could get them, that was fine.
"And I have one more piece of good news to tell you; for you, this should count as good news."
"If every pair of eyes carries a Grudge, then undoubtedly, everyone who buys them will suffer the backlash of the eyes and pay the price for their actions."
Although this didn't sound like a good thing, for the Kurta Clan, it was undoubtedly a huge comfort.
Kevin continued: "Now, use 『Gyo』 to observe, you should be able to see a black aura faintly floating on the eyes."
The three used 『Gyo』 as instructed, and sure enough, as Kevin said, they saw the aura emanating from the eyes.
"Now, this thing is returned to you, keep it well. But I guess you might choose to destroy it, letting it return to your father."
Kevin said, looking at Pairo.
Pairo looked at the eyes, reached out, gently touched the transparent glass, and nodded slightly.
At this moment, the aura on his body surged uncontrollably, and a pair of butterflies flew out from him.
What the heck?