Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

In the end, Linne was old. Her physical strength, coordination, and overall combat capabilities had declined significantly. Unlike Netero, who was an Enhancer, her endurance in old age simply couldn't hold.

Originally, this spar was meant to find out Law's limits, and he just needed to demonstrate his full range of skills, not necessarily win.

However, neither of them expected the fight to last less than fifteen minutes before Linne twisted her back-

This outcome temporarily derailed Linne's plan to pass down her Nen Techniques and school skills to Law.

Unnoticed by either of them, clouds had gathered in the sky, drifting swiftly across the moon, casting shifting shadows over the desert.

The Elba City was quiet. Soldiers patrolled back and forth with expressionless faces, fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, but they were completely unaware that figures had moved unseen through the darkness.

After Law escorted Linne back to her room, he returned to his room. Lying in bed, he replayed the fight in his mind, searching for areas where he could improve.

The next morning, the sound of Sabro shouting was heard in the house. He had gone to deliver breakfast to Linne and found that Linne had sprained her waist.

Under Sabro's relentless questioning, Linne brushed it off with a few vague words… of course, she wouldn't mention last night's events.

Law went straight downstairs to the small backyard for his morning training, and when Buhara woke up, Sabro immediately dragged him to mind the shop.

Since Linne had a back injury, he would most likely have to stay in bed for a while, so their daily routine of handling spices was canceled, giving Law plenty of free time.

After finishing his training and eating, Law headed straight to Vulture Street. He has to goals, which is to search for antiques carrying traces of Nen, and to occasionally probe the vendors about the Desert Forbidden Zone.

Whatever horrors lurked in that so-called Forbidden Zone, they were enough to keep the vendors tight-lipped… even when Law repeatedly hinted at offering money in exchange for information.

"Old Baldy, got any new stock today?"

Law stopped at a stall, scanning the array of antiquities.

The old bald man sitting on the stool rolled his eyes when he heard this and said unhappily, "You come here every day asking the same damn thing. If it was easy to find goods, all those sand-diggers wouldn't be dying every year."

'Sand-diggers' was the local term for those who risked their lives venturing into the desert in search of buried ruins. It wasn't meant as mockery, as the nickname came from a type of desert worm known for its incredible burrowing skills.

"Fine, I'll change my question then."

Law looked up at the old bald man and smiled slightly.

"Don't, you can ask anyone else, just don't come to me." The old bald man seemed to know what Law wanted to say and interrupted him directly.

Law shrugged and said helplessly: "Is that place really that terrifying?"

"You outsiders have no respect for the desert. Let me tell you again… curiosity killed Bartello. That's all I have to say. Don't bother me anymore." The old bald man huffed, his beard bristling.

Bartello was the high priest of Kandhia Desert's most powerful kingdom a thousand years ago, second in authority only to the king.

But his curiosity led him to accidentally witness the king in an intimate moment with his… male consort. He was shocked and froze on the spot.

The king was a ruthless man, and in order to hide the fact that he was gay, he ordered his men to kill the high priest on the spot.

High Priest Bartello lost his lofty status and power, all because of his curiosity. A thousand years later, the tale became a cautionary proverb.

Law smirked and lowered his voice, saying, "Then point me to someone else who can take the fall. I'll bother them instead."

The old bald man was immediately tempted, and really thought carefully about who he could throw under the bus to get rid of Law's pestering.

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly clapped his hands and said excitedly: "Go find the bartender at Quicksand Tavern. Pay him enough, and he'll tell you anything… even the size of his own damn stick."

"Quicksand Tavern?" Law looked at the old bald man and asked in confusion, "I've been to almost every bar in the city, but I've never seen this Quicksand Tavern."

The old bald man pointed in a direction and said, "Because that tavern is in the slums in the north of the city, of course you haven't seen it."

After a pause, he warned solemnly, "The bartender is the owner of the tavern. I don't know him well, so I'm just giving you directions. Whatever you're planning, keep me out of it."

Law smiled and made an OK gesture, then casually swept a hand over the stall's artifacts, plucking out a dark-green filigree bracelet.

He tossed it to the old bald man, who fumbled to catch it, already opening his mouth to curse, "This is a genuine bracelet from the Luluca era. It should be worth at least three million Jenny. You should consider updating the price tag."

Law pointed to the price tag on the bracelet, and without caring whether the old bald man believed it or not, he headed towards the north of the city.

The old bald man looked at Law's back as he left, curled his lips and cursed softly, then glanced at the bracelet again.

He'd been about to toss it back onto the stall… but something made him pause.

'Three million jenny...!'

During this period, Law was hanging around Vulture Street every day. He looked like a pure newcomer who was very interested in antiques.

However, after many contacts, while Law did not show a strong presence, several stall owners felt that Law was a little unusual, but they just couldn't put their finger on it.

The old bald man is one of them. This is why he'd never outright snapped at Law, no matter how annoying he got. Without realizing it, he'd been treating Law like an equal.

The living environment in the Kandhia Desert is very harsh, and the living environment in the oasis is also difficult. But no matter where you went, there were always those who thrived and those who barely scraped by.

The royal palace stands in the center of the oasis, near the water source. The surrounding buildings branch out from here, and the residents living nearby also have no worries about their lives. In contrast, the slums in the north of the city present a completely different scene.

Law came to the slums where the houses were generally low and the sanitary conditions were very poor. Even soldiers were unwilling to come here.

Not long after walking, he noticed many eyes being directed towards him.

Their gazes were like those of stray dogs… restless, hungry, but too cowardly to act.

Not wanting to cause trouble, Law leaped onto the rooftops. Soon, he found a rowdy tavern.

He pushed open the door and was hit by a wave of stale alcohol and unwashed bodies.

Law walked in calmly, and at the same time, he focused his Aura on his nose to block out the unpleasant smell.

The tavern was filled with slovenly dressed men. Except for the man standing at the bar, everyone else's clothes were dirty and their faces were unkempt.

Water is a scarce resource in Elba, so people who live here would rather not take a bath for ten years than dilute their liquor with it.

The noisy crowd fell silent as Law entered, like a film paused mid-scene. His smooth skin and clean clothes made him stick out like a sore thumb.

The man at the bar suddenly said, "What are you gawking at? Keep drinking!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the paused 'film' played again, and the people in the tavern no longer paid attention to Law and returned to their raucous revelry.

The bartender is a middle-aged man with a dozen braids, dark skin, and a prominent nose.

At this time, he leaned against the counter, propping his chin on one hand. His bored eyes scanned Law up and down.

Law was also looking at the bartender.

'Nen User.'

The thought flickered through both their minds simultaneously.

Law has been in Elba City for some time and has met many people, but he has only seen one Nen User, which is Sabro. He didn't expect that he would find another one in the tavern at the slums.