Biscuit had given Law so much help, far more than he could ever repay. From his initial physical conditioning to his structured training in Nen, every step was infused with her dedication.
Law's progress in this period was nothing short of astonishing. It wasn't just due to Biscuit's expert guidance, but also thanks to Cookie and Sanbica's treatments.
In a way, meeting Biscuit and Sanbica was a stroke of great luck for Law.
This was a dangerous world. Becoming a Hunter, someone who actively sought out danger, meant embracing a high mortality rate. Under Biscuit's tutelage, Law had gained the power to mitigate many potential risks in advance.
His mastery of Ken was already stable, so next, he needed to refine his control over Ryu and Ko, as well as hone his combat experience.
Every day, no matter the weather, no matter if it was day or night, Law would spar with Biscuit relentlessly.
Weather affected the environment, introducing various factors that he had to adapt to, and nighttime brought visual limitations that required their own adjustments.
Their spars weren't traditional training bouts. Instead, they resembled the striking drills between a boxer and a coach, with one key difference: Law played the role of the coach holding the pads, while Biscuit was the boxer wearing gloves.
After each round of spar, Biscuit would immediately point out Law's mistakes, training his control over Flow while also sharpening his combat reflexes.
"Why did you back off? You could've stepped forward, blocked my straight punch with your right hand, and then kneed me in the stomach! Even if I blocked it, you could've continued pressing the attack!"
Just moments ago, Biscuit had thrown a straight punch, leaning forward slightly. Law had chosen to retreat rather than seize the opportunity to counterattack, thus losing a good opening.
"What were you thinking?! You actually dared to go airborne for a spinning kick in that situation?"
When Biscuit had taken a short backward hop, Law had attempted a mid-air spin kick aimed at her neck. But Biscuit effortlessly caught him by the ankle. She could have sent a devastating punch straight to his gut right then and there, but she held back since this was only training.
If not for Law's recent improvements in his Nen, Biscuit could have easily snapped his ankle on the spot.
"Defense, defense! You always defend when you should be attacking, and you recklessly attack when you should be defending!"
"Is it really that hard to judge when to advance and when to retreat?"
"How many times do you plan to make the same mistake?"
"If you're not absolutely certain, what makes you think you can launch an all-out attack without leaving yourself an out?"
Once Biscuit switched into strict mentor mode, Law felt utterly crushed, so much so that he started to question his very existence.
He couldn't tell if Biscuit's standards were just too high or if he genuinely had that many issues. After all, Biscuit could find problems with almost every choice he made.
That evening, completely drained of Aura, Law collapsed onto the ground with a look of despair on his face. If he had a hundred lives, he had lost at least seventy or eighty of them in the past hour alone.
After his Aura was depleted, Law's clothes were soaked with sweat, and exhaustion flooded his body like a tidal wave. It felt as if the moment he closed his eyes, he would fall into a deep sleep.
On the other hand, Biscuit's breathing remained steady, and she didn't look tired at all, with just a light sheen of sweat on her skin.
"If you make the same mistake more than three times, I won't go easy on you!" Biscuit warned, staring down at Law, who was sprawled out on the rocky ground.
Law had no choice but to raise his hand and make an OK gesture.
"Are you okay?"
Sanbica came over with a bottle of water and a dry towel. She handed the water to Law first, and then used the towel to wipe the sweat off his face.
"I'll do it myself."
After Law took the water, he smiled at Sanbica.
Sanbica paused, then nodded slightly and handed over the dry towel in her hand.
When Law got the towel, he wiped his face fiercely, then let the towel cover his face and fell into deep thought.
He has tried his best not to make mistakes, but in fast-paced battles where opportunities vanished in an instant, there is no time to carefully consider the choices he makes.
Watching Law silently reflect, Sanbica pursed her lips, then turned and walked back to the stone chair in front of the cabin.
Biscuit first summoned Cookie to give Law a massage, then sat next to Sanbica and grabbed a bottle of water from the stone table.
Cookie came to Law's side, knelt down, and used her Piano Massage on Law.
"Sorry to trouble you again." Law pulled the towel off his face and turned his head to look at Cookie, who just smiled warmly in response.
Rumble…!
In the distance, deep thunder rolled across the sky.
Lying on the ground, Law could see the sky above was still painted in hues of orange. But at the horizon, a heavy mass of dark clouds was slowly creeping in.
"Biscuit."
Noticing the flashes of lightning flickering within the storm clouds, Law called out to her.
Biscuit was also watching the distant sky. Upon hearing Law's voice, she said calmly, "Don't worry. Judging by the size of that storm, it'll likely rain all night. There's plenty of time to train."
"Got it." Law acknowledged with a soft response, then shut his eyes, trying to drift into sleep as quickly as possible.
The wind suddenly picked up, carrying fine grains of sand that pricked against their skin, bringing a biting chill.
Within minutes, the dark clouds loomed over the valley, mercilessly devouring the remnants of the orange sky, casting a heavy shadow upon them.
The storm clouds churned, with flashes of lightning slithering through like restless dragons. Thunder rumbled across the sky, rolling deep and ominous.
The wind howled louder, stirring up dust and pebbles that danced chaotically in the air. The world darkened further, as if heralding the arrival of a raging storm.
Even then, the heavy rain did not fall immediately, with only the growing winds and the restless streaks of lightning weaving through the clouds.
Even in this kind of weather, Law lay on the ground at the bottom of the valley and drifted into sleep, while Cookie continued her massage undisturbed.
"Sanbica, go inside first." Biscuit glanced up at the sky. The rain hadn't started yet, but when it did, she knew it would come down in torrents.
Sanbica silently nodded and walked back into the stone cabin.
Since this particular stage of training began, Law and Biscuit had sparred in the rain three times, twice during the day and once at night.
Now, with a storm brewing, it was a rare and valuable moment for training, and Biscuit wouldn't let it go to waste.
The sleeping Law and the waiting Biscuit were both waiting for the rain to fall. At the same time, many people came to the vicinity of the Talma Mountain Range, also waiting for the rain to fall.
For Law and Biscuit, it was about training. But for those others, it was for the Doom Toads.
Whenever a thunderstorm comes, at least three to four hundred people risk their lives to try their luck in the Talma Mountain Range. About half were local residents, while the other half were hunters.
A dead Doom Toad could sell for around twenty million Jenny, while a living Doom Toad starts at 100 million Jinni.
Among the crowd gathered that night, some people had taken up positions on the mountaintops or along the slopes, using the brief flashes of lightning to scan their surroundings. Many of them soon noticed something unusual at the bottom of the valley.
A young boy lay on the ground, appearing to be asleep. Beside him, a beautiful young woman was giving him a massage. And not far from them, a girl sat in front of a cabin.
The atmosphere was as tense as a tiger ready to pounce, yet those three people below seemed completely unfazed by the incoming storm. Their presence stood in stark contrast to the ominous weather.
Among the group of people who occupied good positions were Gel, who had been to the marketplace and the middle-aged man, who had been rescued by Law.
The surrounding mountains weren't tall. The middle-aged man had chosen a spot midway up the slope, while Gel stood at the peak.
Although the lightning's glow only lasted for a moment, it was bright enough, so the middle-aged man recognized Law and his face was immediately filled with shock.
As for Gel, she didn't pay attention to Law. Instead, she focused her attention on Biscuit.
'Why is she here?'