"To gather emotional energy, you do all of this..."
Luke stared at Kute, and then at the stone.
"Instead of calling this your intention, it's more like you're doing all of this just to satisfy the stone's requirements."
"It's hard not to think that this stone is the one controlling everything."
And considering Kute's current condition, it gave them even more reason to suspect that...
"First, the person who controls it must not have their own Nen ability. They have to sacrifice their Nen ability as the price for owning it."
"And then they have to collect so much emotional energy, indirectly guiding their wielder to destroy everything beautiful in the world. A stone like that..."
It really isn't a good thing!!!
In this world filled with Nen, no matter how strange or bizarre something looks, it's not surprising.
Likewise, something like this Stone of Seven Emotions and Six Desires, a sinister stone that can manipulate others, could very well be born by coincidence.
Or, more directly, it might have originated from the Dark Continent.
Or perhaps it's a native artifact on the six continents, simply hidden very well, until someone unearthed it.
Whether it was man-made or naturally formed, something like this represents a disaster.
Everything Kute has done after obtaining the stone proves this clearly.
"My original Nen ability was called the Forgery of Time. As long as something carries traces of time, I could use the duration of time on it to perform a series of actions within its past timeline."
Kute continued explaining: "At first, I used it to buy and sell antiques, forging items to earn large sums of money."
"Later, I targeted museums. The artifacts preserved in museums, because of their long history, I could gain plenty of profit by entering their past."
"Then I discovered that it wasn't limited to objects. A place, a creature... I could travel through their past as well..."
At this point, Kute paused and shook his head.
"Forget it. That's all in the past."
"Now my Nen ability has been sacrificed to this stone. What's the point in talking about it?"
Those light, dismissive words glossed over everything, as if he didn't care.
But the more indifferent Kute acted, the more suspicious and alarming it felt.
"His Nen ability, Forgery of Time, should have been quite an impressive ability."
A flash of regret appeared in Chrollo's eyes; he really wanted to see Kute's Nen ability in action.
Of course, he mainly wanted to see if he could steal it.
But since Kute sacrificed his ability to this stone, then naturally there was no ability left to steal.
"All that... Just for a stone that manipulates emotions and the six desires?"
Chrollo stared at the Stone of Seven Emotions and Six Desires.
"Kute's original Nen ability doesn't seem any worse than that stone, does it?"
Even though Kute didn't fully explain the Forgery of Time, just the part he revealed was enough to fuel Chrollo's imagination.
Everyone knows: any Nen ability involving space or time is extremely powerful, it's rare and precious.
Not to mention, this was a Nen ability that Kute awakened naturally.
There was no question about its power or potential.
One is a bizarre, ominous rock obtained by chance.
The other is a powerful Nen ability one is born with.
Anyone should instinctively know which to choose.
Yet Kute chose the stone…
"Where did you find it?"
Luke asked while staring at the sinister, glowing stone.
"In the Forest Pavilion of the Kakin Empire."
Kute gave an answer both familiar and unexpected.
"The Forest Pavilion?"
Chrollo murmured: "The country that launched the most silent revolution in history?"
He had heard of the Shinrinkan Incident.
Seventeen years ago, a coup occurred in the Kakin Empire.
It was called the quietest revolution in the world.
Because it happened inside the Forest Pavilion, it also became known as the Shinrinkan Incident.
Using that incident as the turning point, the Kakin Empire shifted from imperial socialism to parliamentary democracy.
They removed the royal name from the country and re-established the nation.
Because of that event, the political and governmental systems were completely reformed.
The Kakin Empire gained new power and became capable of competing with world superpowers.
But the truth of the Shinrinkan Incident never became public.
Even the Kakin Royal Family refuses to speak about it.
Perhaps only the current king, Nasubi Hui Guo Rou, knows the truth.
"So you took this stone out of the Forest Pavilion?"
Luke thought about it and found it reasonable.
The Forest Pavilion was an important place for the Kakin Royal Family.
To thieves, that meant it must contain incredible treasures or at least valuable items.
Only someone as skilled and bold as Kute, relying on his Nen ability and subordinates, would dare steal from the Forest Pavilion.
But that place truly was dangerous.
Even the item Kute took from there turned out to be ominous.
"He definitely didn't willingly sacrifice his Nen ability..."
Chrollo quickly reached a conclusion.
"He must have been influenced by those emotions stored in the stone."
"Yes. If the Stone of Seven Emotions and Six Desires can manipulate emotions and thoughts, then..."
Luke nodded. "It can definitely confuse the mind of the one holding it."
The idea of collecting emotional energy to control the stone was likely nothing more than a delusion caused by the stone's influence.
Once it gathers enough emotional energy, it probably won't be the person controlling the stone anymore, but the stone controlling the person.
At that point, no one could tell who was in control.
"Even someone like Kute would fall under the influence of a mere stone..."
Chrollo shook his head, already sentencing Kute's death in his heart.
"What can you do? Nen is the most mysterious and incomprehensible power in this world."
Luke chuckled. "If one isn't careful, even top-tier individuals can fall and lose themselves completely."
Chrollo agreed.
This world is terrifying; every step must be taken cautiously.
Otherwise, one mistake is enough to end up like Kute, losing oneself entirely.
"You noticed it too, didn't you..."
Even being talked about like this, Kute still showed almost no emotion.
Instead, he calmly spoke: "Yes. I said all that just so you would understand the danger of this stone..."
As he finished speaking, Kute's expression twisted for the first time.
"... And the effect it holds—"
Humm!!
The stone in Kute's hand suddenly released a deep hum.
Then streaks of radiant light shot from the Stone of Seven Emotions and Six Desires, rushing toward Chrollo and Luke.
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