Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

Nine sand bandits trailed far behind the group, like a pack of wolves waiting for their prey to tire. They are a threat that could not be ignored.

Everyone in the team had mentally prepared themselves for a confrontation with the sand bandits, knowing that their main force could appear at any moment.

When facing sand bandits, running away is useless. The only way to repel their greedy stares was to demonstrate power that would make them think twice.

The remaining seventy or so armored bulls advanced in four tight rows, shortening the length of the caravan. Those pulling the sand sleds took the front, while the unburdened ones guarded the rear, keeping a close eye on the nine bandits following in the distance.

A shadow of unease quietly settled over most of the group.

Law didn't consider the sand bandits much of a threat. Not only was the technological level of the Kandhia Desert underdeveloped, but even if the sand bandits were armed with advanced firearms, he still wouldn't see them as a real danger.

Law silently gazed ahead as the diverse sand dunes flashed past on either side. A pair of eyes from the right, which is Gel's, stared at him without any attempt to hide it.

It wasn't that his identity had been exposed, but rather that he had revealed himself as a Nen User during the earlier rescue.

Since it was already out in the open, Law simply maintained his Ten and ignored Gel's probing gaze.

Desert Hawks is a group of over a hundred people, but every one of them was an ordinary person.

The Kandhia Desert's technological advancement was weak, and Nen Users seemed to be rare. According to known intel, the Red Rock Canyon's sand bandits numbered at least five thousand, which are enough to overrun an entire oasis kingdom if they launched a full-scale attack.

How many Nen users existed among those five thousand sand bandits remained unknown. Regardless, if the sand bandits dared to act recklessly, Law wouldn't hesitate to retaliate.

Three hours later, as evening approached, the sun was no longer so scorching, and the sky was painted with streaks of fiery red clouds.

"We're nearing the boulder field! Stay sharp!" Ali glanced back at the nine sand bandits, who were still following closely, and shouted to the group.

The boulder field, as its name suggested, was an area strewn with oddly shaped rocks, with some as tall as four or five meters, scattered irregularly across the terrain. It was a favored resting spot for desert travelers.

In mounted combat, the sand bandits held the advantage. So, before the bandits could gather their main force, the group aimed to reach the boulder field.

Securing it would provide both a defensible position and a place to rest for the night.

Law had remained silent the entire journey. He knew the trip to the Forbidden Zone would take about ten more days.

If they were delayed by the sand bandits, it could take even longer… possibly exhausting their prepared supplies before they even arrived.

To prevent that scenario, Law had made up his mind. If the bandits attacked, he would act as decisively as before, killing a hundred in moments to force them into retreat.

As for what the rest of the group or Gel thought of him, he couldn't bring himself to care.

An hour later, since the sun hadn't fully set, the light was still sufficient.

The group had hurried nonstop and finally caught sight of the boulder field's outline. Yet, nearly every face in the group darkened.

A massive force of sand bandits had formed ranks in front of the boulder field, lying in wait for them to walk right into their trap.

Three hundred? Maybe even five hundred?

The distance made it hard to count, but there were definitely no fewer than three hundred.

"Damn it! They cut us off!" Ali's expression twisted in frustration. The sand bandits had anticipated their move and gotten to the boulder field first.

"What do we do now?" Yaya tightened her grip on her wrench.

Ali didn't answer immediately. He looked back at the nine bandits still following them. In another forty or fifty minutes, darkness would fall. If they didn't seize the boulder field before nightfall, they would be doomed sooner or later with these sand bandits waiting and watching them from the side.

"What else can we do? We fight!" Ali grabbed the spiked club hanging at his armored bull's side and snarled.

The Desert Hawks' members was known for one thing above all else… their fighting prowess. Even if the sand bandits outnumbered them, they weren't afraid. That was their confidence.

Their side had only about a hundred people, while the bandits blocking the boulder field numbered close to four hundred, a four-to-one disadvantage.

Law had witnessed the sand bandits' ferocity before. Though he wasn't sure about Desert Hawks' combat abilities, he doubted they could take on nearly four hundred bandits without heavy losses.

To make the bandits back off, they needed to deliver a terrifying show of force in this battle for the boulder field… one that would leave them trembling in fear.

"I'll handle it. Wait here." Law suddenly urged his armored bull forward, moving ahead of the group.

"What do you mean?"

Ali frowned and looked at Law, who was standing in front of him.

"I'll deal with them alone." Law said.

When everyone heard what Law said, they just thought he'd lost his mind.

While they acknowledged Law's abilities, the idea of one person facing nearly four hundred bandits was absurd.

William silently observed Law, feeling more and more unable to gauge his depth. He himself knew Nen, but fighting even a few dozen sand bandits at once would be exhausting.

He assumed Law must have expended a great deal of Aura during his earlier massacre of the bandits.

'But now, there were nearly four hundred. Could Law really wipe them out as effortlessly as before?'

Gel pursed her lips, showing no intention of helping. If anything, she wanted to see how Law planned to deal with the bandits… a horde that even Aura alone couldn't easily intimidate.

"Have you lost your mind?" Ali's eyes widened, and the others shared his disbelief.

"I'm perfectly sane. Just stay here." Law replied.

Buhara also came up beside Law and asked, "Boss, need any help?"

Law smiled at him and said, "No need."

"Oh." Buhala nodded.

Seeing that nightfall was approaching, Law didn't waste any more time. He jumped off his armored bull, his feet landing on the sand as Aura wrapped around his legs.

With an explosive burst, he shot forward, kicking up a sudden cloud of dust that billowed toward Ali and the others.

By the time they waved away the sand, Law was already five or six hundred meters away, leaving them stunned.

Ali quickly snapped out of it, "Follow him!"

The group immediately rushed toward the boulder field, as none of them believed Law could take on all the sand bandits alone.

Law charged across the desert like a one-man army, leaving everyone behind as he entered the line of sight of the waiting sand bandits.

"Just one guy? Don't waste arrows."

The leader of the sand bandits saw many of his men raising their stone crossbows and immediately barked at them to stop.

These guys were strong fighters, but they loved to mess around. Even though they knew poisoned bolts shouldn't be wasted on a single target, they still wanted to test their accuracy.

Hearing their leader's order, the bandits who had been treating Law like target practice reluctantly lowered their weapons.

They didn't need to understand why this guy was charging at them alone… They just assumed he was here to die, so they'll just kill him, and be done with it.

However, Law wasn't some helpless prey. He was a monster they stood no chance against!

Even as Law closed in within thirty or forty meters, the bandits still didn't waste their bolts, because their real target was the hundred-man group behind him.

"You few, go finish him off." The leader said, glancing at the sand bandits beside him.

"No problem!"

The chosen sand bandits licked their lips excitedly as they spurred their armored bulls forward, charging at Law.

Squelch!

The moment those sand bandits had advanced just a few meters, a small, silent hole appeared in the center of each of their foreheads.

They toppled off their mounts, dead before they hit the ground.

The sand bandits were shocked when they saw this.

The leader's nerves instantly tightened as he threw himself to the side, barely avoiding something unseen before crashing into the sand.

Before the other sand bandits could figure out what was happening, the upper halves of several men behind the captain suddenly slid off their bodies.

The little leader knew how to use Nen and he could use the basic Ten and Gyo.

While he was not a qualified Nen User, his reaction was decent enough to dodge the crescent-shaped Nen Slash Law had specifically aimed at him.

"He's a Psychic User, and a very strong one at that!" The leader scrambled on the sand, panicked as he watched Law close in within twenty meters. He was about to order his men to swarm him when the sand beneath him suddenly gave way.

"Quicksand?!"

One of the bandits shouted in disbelief.

'How could quicksand appear here?!'