Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

Rumble…

With a low rumbling sound, the stone slab on the ground slowly slid aside.

The people waiting silently inside the house immediately turned their attention to the floor as it moved.

When the entire stone slab was completely removed, the first person to emerge was Law.

After seeing Law, Chrollo's expression remained unchanged. At this moment, he believed with Law's statement about his Nen Ability. If he didn't like reading, it would be impossible for Law to master so much knowledge at this age.

Chrollo had changed his mind temporarily and gave up on stealing Law's Nen Ability, but he was still very curious about the secrets of Law's mysterious book. Moreover, Law was already qualified to become one of his team's members.

After Law came out, he was followed by Cook's twin brother and another bodyguard, and finally the Elder.

The order in which they had entered the underground chamber was reversed as they exited.

When the four of them came out, the underground entrance sealed itself with a loud rumble. But from then on, in the dimly lit chamber filled with bones and guarded by a giant black dog, a new item had been added to the collection.

"You can leave now." After walking out of the basement, the Elder ordered them to leave directly, issuing the dismissal without preamble.

The vague hostility emanating from the cloaked figures around them slowly dissipated with the Elder's words. If there was any hostility left, it could only be the hatred buried deep within Cook's twin brother's heart.

"Understood."

Chrollo replied calmly, and led the silent Law out of the Elder's house.

When they walked into the courtyard, the two guards beside the iron gate did not react when they saw Chrollo and Law, and simply opened the iron gate.

Chrollo and Law walked side by side, silently walked out of the iron gate, and left the house completely.

For Chrollo, this house is like a business venue. Although he sees a lot of people standing around the Elder every time he comes, he doesn't feel any pressure at all.

And based on this phenomenon, Chrollo judged that the Elder's Nen Ability needed the help of others to exert its maximum power. The reason for this judgment was because he knew that the Elder was not a coward.

It is a good habit to guess the others' Nen Ability in advance, even though there is no direct conflict of interest and it is unlikely to lead to a fight, having this knowledge could prove invaluable in the future.

"Congratulations on surviving."

After they walked out of the open space and entered a narrow alley, Chrollo gave Law an ambiguous congratulations.

Law glanced at Chrollo casually, then looked ahead and asked, "Cook's twin brother is the one with the triangle eyes next to the Elder, right?"

"Yes." Chrollo answered quickly.

Hearing Chrollo answered so quickly, Law raised his eyebrows, turned and stared at Chrollo with a deadpan expression, then said: "Then why don't you tell me so that I can be mentally prepared?"

Feeling Law's gaze, Chrollo turned his head to meet his gaze and replied calmly: "I thought you wouldn't care about such trivial matters."

'Trivial...' Law's eyelids twitched slightly. If it weren't for his strong composure, when the atmosphere became increasingly tense, he would most likely act rashly and break out directly. If he did so, he would only put himself in a dangerous situation.

"At the church, you were calm from start to finish."

Chrollo raised his index finger towards Law and said calmly, "So I thought you weren't the type of person who would easily lose your composure. As it turns out, you were indeed very calm from beginning to end."

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Law narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Yeah." Chrollo lowered his hand and admitted it directly.

"…"

Seeing Chrollo admitted it so decisively, Law didn't know what to say for a moment.

Chrollo continued, "I can see that the Elder is very happy with you. Your appraisal skill exceeded my expectations."

For someone like the Elder, passing his test wasn't overly difficult if one possessed sufficient knowledge. However, the fact that the Elder seemed genuinely pleased was exceptional. Chrollo suspected that Law has demonstrated an amazing level of appraisal.

Because of Law, Chrollo had changed his view of his peers for the first time.

"It's just so-so, no big deal." Law turned his head away and thought that it would be better to stay away from Chrollo in the future.

"Humility is a good thing, but it won't get you far here." Chrollo said as he looked away.

"Oh, sure." Law replied indifferently.

Chrollo didn't seem to mind and continued seriously: "If you have time, we can communicate with each other now and then."

"Sorry, I'm a very busy person and may not be able to spare that much free time." Law rejected him outright without a second thought.

Resting his chin on his hand, Chrollo thought for a moment, then said in realization, "That's true. Since you've chosen to stay, you won't have much leisure time ahead."

"Huh?" Law suddenly stopped and looked at Chrollo with confusion in his eyes.

Seeing Law suddenly stopped, Chrollo also stopped. Meeting Law's puzzled gaze, he immediately thought of a possibility and fell silent.

"I was just making up an excuse to brush you off, but you took it so seriously..." Law said curiously.

Chrollo silently turned his head, leaving Law with the back of his head.

He thought Law had figured out the situation and realized that the current trouble wouldn't end so peacefully. Even if Cook's twin brother and subordinates did not dare to act openly, they could still move covertly.

Furthermore, Law had demonstrated his value in front of the Elder, which was key to escaping the current danger. However, precisely because of his demonstrated value, the Elder would definitely use Law for his own gain in the future, which would be a potential new source of trouble.

The weak go with the flow while the strong ride the waves. The only way to deal with it is to become stronger as quickly as possible.

Chrollo thought that Law would concentrate on practicing his Nen Ability in the future, so he wouldn't have time for other distractions. But to his surprise, it had merely been an offhand excuse from Law to decline.

"Here's a piece of advice: improve your Nen Mastery as quickly as possible."

After leaving behind these words, Chrollo quickened his pace and left the place directly. He wasn't fond of the awkwardness of this exchange.

"Hey, wait up."

Seeing Chrollo suddenly speed up, Law was stunned for a moment, and quickly called out to him.

It would have been fine if he hadn't shouted, but after he shouted, Chrollo nearly broke into a sprint, and his figure disappeared around the corner, leaving Law no chance to catch up.

"You could at least lead me out of here first…" Law said helplessly.

…

At the Elder's basement.

After Law and Chrollo left, the Elder went down to the basement again, and the only person who went down with him was Cook's twin brother.

Using his cane for support, the Elder stood before the display pedestal holding the Hand of Ominous Signs, gazing at the Hand of Ominous Signs under the light with admiration. His wandering eyes would always pause slightly whenever they passed over the severed fingers.

Cook's twin brother stood behind the Elder, with his head slightly lowered. He minimized every movement, even controlling his breathing to make as little noise as possible.

The black dog lying in the corner has become accustomed to it and is as quiet as a statue. This is why it will not act rashly when seeing outsiders, and even the instinctive growl is erased.

"If I want you to bear it, you have to bear it."

The Elder's hoarse voice suddenly rang out in the silent basement.

Cook's twin brother flinched and responded immediately, "Understood."

"If I don't need you to endure it, then you don't have to endure it." The Elder said coldly.

When Cook's twin brother heard this, a flash of excitement flashed across his eyes, and he replied firmly: "I understand."

The Elder's still body suddenly moved and he walked towards the empty display pedestals.

There are ten stone pillars for display pedestals in the basement, three of which are currently vacant.

"With Law's appraisal skill, this place won't be empty for long." The Elder stretched out his hand and slid it across the surface of one of the pedestals.